A Fine Weekend

Saturday mornings can be great, don't you think? We had a very lazy one this past weekend, filled with extra time in our jammies and sippy cups of juice and our favorite cartoons. We had a little wrestling and hide and seek as well. Our SLC weather this month has been nothing short of wretched (Troy will mock me for using this word, but it's true) and we've all been a little down around the Preslar house. But it was a nice Saturday morning with the family.

I got a chance to go see a movie with a girlfriend - Terri Lyn. I had been wanting to see "The Painted Veil" on recommendation from my friend Amie, but it was only showing at 11:00 in the morning. So we chose an afternoon matinee of "Dreamgirls." Hmmmm. I have to say that my mom just loved this movie, and for the first hour or so I enjoyed it a lot. The music had so much energy it was infectious, but then it started getting a little long. I wasn't prepared for it to be an actual musical. I liked the performance numbers, but when the cast started singing instead of talking to each other, it got a little weird. Anyway. It was fun to see a movie in the theater.

I thought I'd include here parts of a letter I wrote to my friend Amie in D.C. - I felt I had some celebrations and confessions this week I could share. In the letter I mention a book called "On Rue Tatin" that Amie sent me for my birthday last May which I have just now finished. I thought it was a really fun read and really suggest you pick up a copy.

"Life here? Well, a little dreary, frankly. We're in an inversion pattern in the valley that is just killer. I'm celebrating every day that we get closer to escaping January. We're so close! And on exactly the same day we're done with this month a storm is supposed to blow through and clear us up a little bit. I can't wait. The gloom and dark plus feeling sick all the time has made for a very depressing month. I'm coping pretty well with the idea of another baby joining our family, I'm just ready to be not sick any more.

I'm also celebrating my new midwife. I had been seeing a regular ob/gyn who was a really bully, I thought. She was very committed to her time schedule and her regimen, which just doesn't suit me. Although we weren't positive about having another baby, one thing I did know was that if I did, I would not be going back to her. So with our news came a search for a new provider. Terri Lyn recommended that I see her midwife, who is conveniently just across the street from me. I went this week, and was shocked when she came in the room, sat down, and said, "Okay, what would you like me to know about you?" She stayed for about 40 minutes and didn't rush anything and didn't seem to have a particular agenda besides let's see how YOU are doing. Oh, I loved her. Really a great experience. I still don't know my due date - probably around Sept 1st, give or take a month. But that's fine for now - we're guessing I'm around six weeks and we'll do an ultrasound later.

Confessions? First, I didn't read "On Rue Tatin" right away. I was in the middle of a couple of books when you first gave it to me, so I let it wait for a bit. Then it became my bath-book, and I'd read a chapter every time I had a bath, which didn't turn out to be that often. But over the last month, I started to not be able to put it down. I just absolutely loved loved loved it. Of course I'm ready to move to France now. And live in her house. I just thought it was a terrific book, and I'm finally thanking you properly for sending it my way. At the very end, she mentions her website. I checked it out and guess what. Susan Loomis teaches a cooking school in her kitchen. On Rue Tatin. I think that's even the name of the school. I was afraid that the end of the book would be her sorrowful departure from France, but I was happy to learn that she stayed. And someday, as soon as I win the lottery, Amie, we are going to take a vacation to France and go to her cooking school. I think you can either take individual classes, or there is also an entire week-long course on French cooking. How fun would that be. I just wonder if we would like our week in Paris to be before or after our week in Louvieres. What do you think?

Other Confession. I was at Barnes and Noble browsing around (Troy had shooed me there one night after a long hard sick day) and I came across a book called "Julie and Julia." Have you heard of it? It's about a gal in NYC, just my age, who was depressed with her life there, and her husband knew she loved cooking. She had sneaked a copy of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child from her home in Texas, and he convinced her to cook every recipe in it in one year. So, I was on the verge of recommending it to you after the first chapter, but I have to say I don't know that I can. I'm really enjoying it myself, but Julie is pretty rough around the edges, in the name of humor I think. Lots of swearing - yes, the mother of all swearwords is used often. She's a little crass, but I appreciate her experience and her quality of REAL. So, I'm enjoying it, but read it at your own risk. "

That's my update for now. My sweet parents just called to see if they could bring my a Jamba Juice. Aren't they nice?

Attack of the Milk Gnome

I am certain I am not going to be able to pay this story justice. But I'm going to try. Yesterday CTP and Troy had a nice long father/son outing including a movie and a visit to Grandma and Grandpa. They were out quite late and I was sure CTP would be a wreck when they came home, but he seemed okay. That is, he was okay until the milk. He wanted some milk, so Troy poured him a cup. CTP had a couple of swallows and then left it on the kitchen table. A few minutes later he returned for more, went to take a huge gulp, and found his cup empty. He was very distressed and said, "Hhhhheeeeeeyyyyyyyy - where's my milk?" I was in the other room, but I could just hear the guilty look on Troy's face. And then I heard this. "Well C, there was a little milk gnome who came and drank it up!" I was shocked to hear Troy weasel out of a confession and blame it on .... a milk gnome? I started laughing so hard and then Troy started laughing harder, which made CTP
so upset. His little bottom lip was stuck out and he was making every effort to not cry. I assured him we weren't laughing at him, but at what daddy had said. CTP let me know that although I found a milk gnome to be of little consequence, he was very upset by the creature living in our kitchen and stealing his milk.

You Know You're Pregnant When....

So the other day I had a few moments to myself and I decided to use them to fold some laundry. In the meantime, I put on the audiobook of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. I was near the end of the story and listening happily along when it came to the part where Wendy grows up and is no longer able to go to Neverland with Peter. Oh yeah. I totally started crying. Like snuffling, snorting sobs. It was so sad and so true and so real to me, especially at that moment - and that plus the slight hormonal imbalance made for a very wet and boogery combination. Pathetic? Perhaps.

Surprise!

So, you would think that being on the pill and still nursing my 16 month old daughter would have prevented something like this. I don't know that I've actually prayed for the flu before, but last week, as I felt a twinge of nausea, that is what I did. My prayer was answered with a definetive HA HA! and now here we are, full-on pregnant. I have a doctor's appointment in a couple of weeks and I guess I'll find out then when I'm due - I really have no idea right now - maybe September? Yes, that would be my third summer pregnancy. All in all, we're actually quite happy. Troy and I really weren't sure that we wanted another baby, and now that decicsion has been made for us. And since we are planning on a third, we might as well get the deed done and get on with it. I think I'll feel much better and happier when I'm a: not sick and b: it's not January. So, yahoo for us, right?