False Alarm

So we had a false alarm today.  Holly was called by her OB to come in for an impromptu check-up.  The baby is big and they wanted to make sure everything was still okay for her to wait it out until natural delivery.  After some examining and test results we got the all clear and headed back home.  (Of course first we stopped at Wegman's for lunch to enjoy our rare childless moment together.)  As for our little baby, we have a message for you: You still got time but just a little.  Get moving!

Birthday and Billy Faulkner

It's a special day today!  Six years ago today our oldest son Parker joined our family. He has been terribly excited about his approaching birthday, just as we were terribly excited to welcome him into our family six years ago today.

Mommy meets Parker, 2007

The birthday boy is at school today while Holly is at a doctor's appointment for baby number 4.  I am home here watching Carter and Anderson.  When I pick Parker up from school we will be getting milkshakes like we promised him for his birthday weeks ago.  (He loves milkshakes.)  Then he will (finally) decide on a birthday dinner and we will open his presents.

Parker 2013

Where one birthday ends, another birthday will soon begin, as our love Holly is measuring 39 weeks!  It certainly will be any day now.  This weekend would actually be ideal since Holly's folks will be taking the boys for the weekend and it will just be myself and Holly waiting idly for the baby.  (To pass the time we will certainly go out to eat and enjoy being kid-less.)

As for me, I've been reading intently for the passed twenty-odd hours.  (Several last night while Holly was out with a friend and several more today while watching the boys.)  See, I spied a trailer for a new movie yesterday on the New York Times, the first cinematic adaptation of William Faulker's As I Lay Dying. I took a Faulker's seminar in college and As I Lay Dying was one of the first texts we examined.  I watched the trailer below.

After watching the trailer I just had to read the book again.  So I stumbled up into the attic and tossed my books around until I found my copy from college.  I just finished it a half hour ago and I am stunned to experience again how brilliant it is.  I mean holy smokes!  Those Bundrens!  The horror! The black comedy! The gravity! and Oh, the literary style!  It was revolutionary.

Faulkner's As I Lay Dying with some of Anderson's favorite texts!

I'd love to sit down and have a conversation with someone about it.  That can't happen right not so I will just make a cliff note observation and call it a day: Jewel and Cash are symbolically named. Cash is effective and hard working, building his mother's coffin outside her window, never complaining, and working stoically and methodically throughout the novel.  For the Bundren's that's as good as real money, or more simply, "Cash."

Our man William "Billy" Faulkner, author of As I Lay Dying

Jewel on the other hand, being illegitimate, does not have Anse's lazy streak in him.  (Consider how he works faithfully at 15 for his beloved horse, more work than Anse probably ever did in his life.) Jewel could probably actually be somebody, an actual "town folk" if his obligations to the family weren't holding him down.

Jewel's real worth requires more sacrifice on the part of the family. It's not a liquid wealth, but it is a "jewel", something that has to be cashed in to gain it's full value.  In other words, effort is involved to get Jewel to bless the family, effort no one in the family was willing to perhaps invest in.  I felt more sympathy for Jewel this time around in the novel.  He could have been so much had he not been muddled in the families difficulties.

Now what does that have to do with me?

P, C, & A

Simple.  I don't have a Cash, Darl, or Jewel, but I do have a Parker, Carter, and Anderson.  And I need to let them be themselves even if it means pushing my own laziness and ambitions to the side.
But enough of that.  I will be picking up Parker soon, Holly will come home, and birthday festivities will begin!

Six Years Sealed

Six years ago today Holly and I were sealed in the Palmyra, NY Temple.  It was the day before Holly went into the hospital to get induced for Parker's birth.  Now here we are six years later on the eve of another baby!  It's definitely a fun time to be married, sealed for time and all eternity, and doing well.

Outside the Palmyra Temple after our sealing circa 2007

Holly is out right now at a mommy-meet-up at the cloth diaper shop in town.  I just finished cooking a spaghetti dinner for the boys.  As soon as I finish this post we will be tidying up, get bedtime rolling, and start waiting for Holly to come home.  Since it's our sealing anniversary Holly will bring home some tasty take-out.  And if the baby doesn't come this weekend, we will be going out to eat without the kids...except the one in Holly's belly of course.

Palmyra, NY Temple 

In other news, I wanted to report that I finished reading two books.  The first is Appointment in Samarra by John O'Hara.  I enjoyed it; it made me realize that obstacles can seem insurmountable and may be quite serious, but they are often more your own fears than genuine hazards. Don't do anything drastic in your life without first reflecting on the life of Julian English.

Appointment in Samarra stuffed in Holly's packed birthing bag.
(The gummy bears and Cliff bars are snacks for the champ (me)!)

The second was Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami.  I ended up reading this text because every October I get all worked up about the Nobel prize in literature.  Alice Munro of Canada won this year, but Haruki Murakami was rumored to be a sharp contender.  I made it a goal to be in the know regarding the 2014 Nobel Laureate in Literature (which means I will have read at least one or more texts by them by the time they are announce) and a candidate of the supposed shortlist I felt was a good place to start.

Norwegian Wood and Holly's knitting...

I was deeply impressed with Murakami.  It was pleasing to see so many American literary references laced within a Japanese novel from the 1980s.  He clearly has a deep love of American literature and it made me fell guilty because I know jack-squat about Japanese literature.  I think I might try to rectify that. 

Anyway, it's bedtime for the boys.  Peace.

Not the Baby: Tooths-day

Today, Parker and Carter didn't have school and they have had SO MUCH fun playing together. It just makes me so happy that they are such best friends. They drew pictures, played hide and seek, looked up and marked some favorite scriptures, and watched movies on netflix while munching on apple slices. Parker had a loose tooth so I've had to cut the apples up for him for the past couple days. He's been brimming with excitement to see when the "big day" would come. I'm not talking about the baby, of course- I'm talking about when his FIRST tooth will fall out.

Today, "tooths-day" (tuesday) was the day! While running around with his brother, he ran up to me grinning- the tooth was completely sideways. I told Parker not to move and I gently took it out. It was literally sitting right there. I'm so glad he ran up to me or it would have been a frantic hunt for his teeny tooth.

Parker could hardly contain all his excitement. Feels like Christmas Eve to the kid. He jumped up and down proclaiming "I am just so excited!" and "I thought for sure it would come out when I was 6!" and "Carter, want to see my grown up tooth?" ... He asked me how long it was until bedtime. 4 hours I told him. "I just can't wait!" was his reply.

To a Mom it's bittersweet. I remember when I lost teeth and how excited I was, but as an adult I don't want my babies to grow up- and this is just another sign that's exactly what's happening right before my very eyes.

26.2 Miles with Pops.

So I missed out on the Canandaguia 50 mile race this past Saturday; I cancelled my entry because it was too risky to be out of town for so long with Holly due any day now.  To make up for it, my dad came up into town and together we hiked 26.2 miles in about 8 hours.  That works out to be about half the 50 mile distance with half the effort involved.  (Which means, I am hoping, next year when I re-register for the race, I should be able to do the whole 50 mile distance with a regular amount of effort.)  It was great to spend time with my dad.  We came back home and ordered pizza and wings for dinner which tasted extremely good after all that hiking.  My dad took some pictures on the trails.  Hopefully I will be able to post them here soon!

In the meantime, just so I have a picture, here is Holly at 37 weeks, four days!

General Conference

Watched general conference over the weekend.  It was terrific. Here, we catch up with Anderson while he munches on pizza during the Sunday morning session.  He even took the time to say "cheese!"

We had a good spread for the Sunday morning session.  We wanted to make sure all the kids when the Boyer family came over had plenty to much on.  (Of course we wanted something to munch on too!)  We enjoyed buffalo chicken dip, spinach artichoke dip, apple tarts, plenty of soda, chips, and other yummies.

October 2013 General Conference Goodies

Of course the best part of conference was when my parents came to visit the day before for the Saturday sessions.  Parker quietly went off by himself with crayons, tape, and scissors.  He came back with a craft project he made...a President Monson.  "He has big arms," Parker explained, "because he wants to give us a hug."  Well said Parker!

Parker with his President Monson craft...and Elder David A. Bednar speaking in the background!

A wonderful General Conference. 

Spoiled Rotten

Some of my friends surprised me with dinner and an amazing baby gift! 

My friend Wendy texted me and asked if I wanted to go to dinner before the baby came. I never pass up food and happily obliged!

When we got to Ruby Tuesdays (I had no idea where we were going) I saw my friend Crystal there... and we were lead to a table with her, Racheal, Daisy, Daisy's 2 kiddos, and Liz was on her way to join us. I was SO surprised!!

My friend Jessica (who just had a baby a couple weeks ago) and Crystal came up with the idea, but unfortunately Jess couldn't make it- between her 6 kiddos and her husband being gone in Texas for military training- there was just no way. She made some of her delicious cupcakes and sent along a cute little note. I really wished she could have been there, but it was so thoughtful of her to make and send along the cupcakes.

I chowed down on salad bar and a pretzel burger before savoring my cupcake.

They gave me my gift. (Gift?! Wasn't dinner gift enough?!) I opened the package and saw a "Timi and Leslie" box. I nearly had a heart attack. (Could it be? No. How would they know? But maybe? Oh my gosh, open the box!) I started to shake as I sliced the tape open. Oh my WORD! It was the exact diaper bag I had been eyeing for months but I knew I could never just go ahead and buy. They all chipped in and bought it for me. I was speechless and seriously almost cried. Grinning ear to ear (I tried) to express my gratitude. I'm still in shock.

I am so blessed to know these women. They are examples of charity, strength, and virtue.

Baby4- boy or girl- is gonna be so spoiled with love!