What a Fantastic Month!

November has been awesome to me. I must share. Obama won the Presidential election, the University of Utah Utes thoroughly destroyed the evil, self-righteous BYU Cougars (I hate them so much...) in the Holy War, our OB appointment went well, my sister Nicole returns home on Thursday from her 18 month LDS mission to the Netherlands, and...we moved into our new house!

That's right, we are now home owners. I have been experiencing many mixed emotions about it the past two weeks (that's how long we've been in the house and the main reason I haven't written much). While I am very excited to finally be in my own home, I have much anxiety over money (the not having enough of it part), fixing the house up, leaky dishwashers, boxsprings and other pieces of furniture not fitting in stairwells, and the like. I have felt really guilty too, because while it is by no means a palace, it is quite large, actually bigger than what we really need, and all that space is intimidating. I feel like we might be living beyond our means, and that really we should have bought a much cheaper, smaller house. But I shouldn't complain, right? I should be grateful for the many blessings I have in this house, and believe me, I am. I am soooooo grateful.

So is it weird that I have these anxious, guilty feelings attached to my joy? I think part of it is the time of year. I hate cold dark winters. Just hate 'em.

The house was built in 1948, has three bedrooms, 1.5 baths, a huge basement and quarter acre lot with a great, big backyard. It was built by a brickmason. I promise I will get more pictures, but I want everything to look perfect in them, so for now, here is a pic of the front of the house:

The Bebe Bump

So I see it is pretty typical in Hollywood to glory in the "baby bump." Since I would like to be rich and infamous some day, I will follow suit. I am expecting People Magazine and TMZ paprazzi to be at my door any minute!
I am at the end of my 4th month (not sure what week exactly. 17? 18?).

I wish Richard knew how to take a really good subject photo. And I wish I knew how to pose for a really good subject photo. That is why I am usually the one behind the camera. For whatever reason, Richie really wasn't into taking my picture with Maude. He takes really good landscape photos, but I guess I am not as interesting a subject. Will someone please come take artsy, legendary pregnancy photos of me? Please?!

Tricks and Treats

Here are a bunch of pictures representing the many fabulous and fun things The Chemist, Maude The Fetus, and I have done the past couple of months during this gorgeous Autumn (warning, they mostly involve all, or parts of, pumpkins). We didn't do anything fun for Halloween this year. It was quite sad really, but when you're only friends have tiny babies/children, and you don't drink, there aren't many reasons to get the house decorated, dress-up, and rock it all night long with the ghosts and the ghouls. Maybe that's a defeatist attitude, but next year, next year will be awesome. We'll have a baby, a place to party, and I'll make sure Richard has a kick-ass costume. As for candy, well, I consume enough of that on a daily basis as to ensure I don't need more on Halloween.

We went kayaking at Tony Grove Lake, which is up Logan Canyon. It was really fun, but the lake is quite small, and after about half an hour, we had already explored the whole thing from the water. We also ended up hiking the little trail that circles the lake. It was a perfect day: sunny, warm, slight breeze. But that also meant there were loads of other people up there too.

We went to a u-pick pumpkin patch in Paradise for our jack-o-lantern pumpkin. I love pumpkin patches. Isn't Richie cute? It was cold and snowy that day!

We went on a hike in the Left Fork of Blacksmith Fork Canyon. It was quite pretty, but the road was unpaved and very bumpy, and we forgot that it was deer season. Every other person in that canyon was hunting (and there were quite a few of them) and the slight few who weren't were at least wearing bright orange. Maybe it wasn't so smart of us to go on a secluded hike while pregnant in the middle of hunting season, but we went anyway, made lots of noise, and fortunately didn't get shot at (that we know of). The colors on the hike were actually very blah and brown, so the picture of the foilage is enhanced to trick you. I don't know why I took Richie's picture in the shade, but in black & white it actually looks spooky, like he's on a haunted hunting trail.

Richard carving our pumpkin.

Me vomiting the pumpkin guts. Hee hee...

Happy Halloween!

Happy Birthday to My Favorite Ghoul!

Today is my mom's birthday! What a great time of year for a cool birthday party. She loves Halloween. She is the most wonderful mother. I love her! All my friends in high school (and those that knew her in college as well) love her too. They all call her Mom or Mom Barkume. I wish I had more pictures on my computer, but here is a little montage to celebrate the many (but not too many) wonderful years of her life, the best being the ones with me.

On the hike to Angel's Landing, Zion NP.

Out to dinner with my Dad.

Both this picture and the first one on top were taken at the beach near Bandon, Oregon.

Cast of Characters: Little Fetus Maude

I'm proud to present our unborn baby GIRL!

The internet poll has prophesied correctly: Maude is the clear winner, and thus we will call our unborn girl child Maude until she really enters this world in style. I can't wait for all that pain and tearing and screaming. She's making me work for her, that's for sure!

I wish our ultrasound picutures were a little clearer, but she is quite the squirmy baby, and apparently my placenta is right in front of her, so the images weren't as focused as some I've seen. But she looks healthy and is right on target for size, which is a great indicator that everything is developing correctly. We got to see pictures of her brain, bladder, spine, and watch the blood pump through the four chambers of her heart. It was amazing! I can't imagine being pregnant and not getting to see that! Even when my mom was pregnant with me, which wasn't too long ago, this sort of technology didn't exist. That is crazy to me. I love living in the 21st Century--what a blessing!

Clearly, the "girl"part of her. Nothing poking out between those legs! Her bum is on the left, the mouse is pointing to the labia, and her feet are to the right.

I think these pictures of her feet are just...sigh...too wonderful and amazing. She's really in there!

The best picture we got of her spine. I only wish her profile wasn't blurred.

"It's Automatic When You Know It"

Here is a picture of our baby at 11 weeks. This ultrasound was done at the end of the August. It looks like an alien, I am aware of that. But it's our alien, and that makes me happy. Everyone needs an extraterrestrial of their own to grow and love, right?

When my mom found out we were having a baby, she thought that we were going to name it Otto. Not that I don't like that name, but I have never really considered it, and since we don't know the sex of the child, I don't know why she assumed that we would name it that. My dad then wryly suggested that the middle name should be "Matic." Very clever. But then I thought, Automatic Peterson, that's a good, funny name for a sexually undetermined fetus. And henceforth our babe has been known as Auto around these parts. It's much better than Richard's suggestion of Cletus the Fetus. Eeeewww...I hate both those words.

Now my mother-in-law, on the other hand, has really been gunning for Gus since the moment we got married almost five years ago. Can you imagine hearing about Baby Gus for five years? I said "absolutely not! That's the name of the fat mouse on 'Cinderella.'" There's no way I'd ever name a human being that came out of my birth canal Gus. But Richie loves it. He uses the mouse voice from "Cinderella" and says "GusGus" really fast. Sigh. This child is in for a lot of weird nicknames.

I've also had some Oregon inspired suggestions, like Rainesong, Snowbright, and Moonstar. So now I'd like to open it up to suggestions from the audience. The new poll to your right will have my top five suggestions, but please feel free to post other options as well; nothing will be turned down on the path towards the moniker that will label one for life.

Avast, Pirates Win, Arrrr!

I know it has been up for some time now, but, Pirates win the poll! Richard was upset by the results (he was the only one that voted for ninjas). I love ninjas too. They're so sneaky (there could be one in my kitchen right now and I wouldn't know!) and if pirates had the same code of ethics or the same sense of duty and shame, ninjas would definitely win in hand-to-hand combat. But we all know that after getting slapped around, a pirate would just step back and rocket a bullet into the ninja's belly, and not even feel bad about it. That's while pirates rock. Not to mention that they live on a ship and sail around the entire world, and have hidden, cursed treasure. And scurvy. I mean, whoever heard of Ninja Treasure? Or some sort of ninja vitamin deficiency? Family Honor or a nod from the Emperor is probably the only reward that ninjas receive. Maybe a cool sword too. But I want gold me mateys, lots of gold. It's the only stable financial standard in today's economic mess.

Okay, since I am new to blogging and not too technically savvy yet, I couldn't figure out how to post youtube videos (although I know it can be done, somehow) here are some links to some funny ninja videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muLIPWjks_M
This is for "Ninja Cat" which never ceases to crack me up. It even made the Chemist laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdLCEwEFCMU
I don't condone the use of the word "fag" but this video is still pretty funny and covers all the basics of becoming a ninja. Is it racist when Asian Americans use a really bad Japanese accent?

I tried to find some cool pirate videos, but none that tickeled my fancy, arrrr....

Tomorrow look for a new poll concerning our babe. She (we think) needs a name, and she needs your vote.

Snow Day and the Conquering Hero

Today I awoke to snow!

It has been blustery and stormy all weekend, and though it snowed both Saturday and Sunday, it was still a surprise to wake up and see nothing but white out the window. I am so grateful that our landlord believes in keeping a warm house!

Luckily, the weather is supposed to bounce back up into the 60s for the next few weeks. I am definitely not ready for winter, and not done with beautiful Autumn. Winter can wait a little while longer. I took this picture this morning from my front porch. I didn't quite get the effect of the snow like I wanted, but I live across the street from the Logan LDS Temple, and it was a particularly lovely view this morning with the bright sunlight and smooth snow lawn.

More importantly, I am happy to announce the results of the St. George Marathon! Richard not only reached his goal time, he smashed it to bits as he finished the race in 3:33! His time for the SLC marathon was 4:24, so he took off more than 50 minutes! And in pouring rain I might add! I was so excited for him, even though I wasn't prepared to take pictures and video-I thought I had another 10 minutes at least to get the camera ready. I wanted video of him actually crossing the finish line. Afterwards, Richie was only minimally sore for two days. He felt fine all last week. The real secret to his success is this: don't stretch before any runs, drink lots of carbonated beverages, get minimal sleep, and shave body hair into aerodynamic coiffitures, as seen below:

What a sexy Fu-Man-Chu! He was going to put his hair into a mohawk, but the rain prevented that from being successful. My mom got a really big kick out of the moustache. When she first saw him she choked on her lunch. But she recovered enough to snap this photo:

I'll leave this entry with some more images of the wet marathon. My parents and I did the "Mayor's Walk," which was the last 2.2 miles of the marathon course and ended at the finish line. Hopefully, the next marathon will be a Boston qualifier!

Good Friends

Jonas Newsome is Richard's best friend. They've been friends since they were 12. At least, they were wellwishers, in that they wished each other no specific harm. But Jonas has been a very important person in our lives and we love him and his family very much!

Jonas turned 30 a few days ago, and I'd like to say Happy Birthday Jonas! I'm posting a video of him swimming at Alsea Falls in Oregon. He and his wife Phyleen and their baby Bridger came to visit us a year ago. I also put up some pictures of him to preserve a bit of his dignity. He really is a great guy. I hope you don't regret giving us this video!

My good friend Laron also had a birthday recently. Happy Birthday Laron! Laron is one of the most beautiful people I know in every way: beautiful mind, beautiful heart, beautiful soul. I have some great photographs of Laron, but unforutanely, none that are digital. This picture I'm posting is the only decent one I have of him on my computer. We are at the top of Mt. Timpanogos in Utah. Please ignore the way I look. We took off for the hike at 4 am and didn't get back home until 7 pm or so! It's a steep 13 miler, but totally worth it. Laron of course, didn't even break a sweat.

Laron has some gorgeous photographs posted on Flickr. If you'd like to check them out, here is the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/91213518@N00/

The Sweetest Zuchinni of All

I help with two different gardens, and as usual, the zuchinni plants runneth over. I figured that there has to something else besides zuchinni bread and stir fry that incorporates large amounts of this prolific squash. I saw this recipe on the news the other day, and decided to try it out. It is amazing! I think it is my new favorite cookie! And it doesn't even have chocolate in it! You know it must be good if something sans chocolate can trump a cocoa suffused delight. Without the frosting, these would work well as scones. But the frosting adds a "zip" and a zest that the cookie alone is missing!

Lemon Zuchinni Cookies

2 cups flour
1 tea baking powder
1/2 tea salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tea lemon zest
1 cup shredded zuchinni
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 table lemon juice

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In large bowl cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and lemon zest until fluffy. On low speed add flour mixture until dough is smooth. Stir in zuchinni and walnuts. Drop onto greased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated 375 F oven, 15-20 minutes (very light brown). While still warm drizzle with Lemon Glaze. Cool on rack. Frosting: mix powdered sugar and lemon juice together.

Let me know if you enjoy them!

Cast of Characters: The Chemist

I'm going to introduce you to the many lovely and beautiful people in my life, because I am sure I will be referring to them not an infrequent amount. The first person I'd like to present for your consideration is my husband, Richard.

The Man

We have been married 4 years, 9 months, 3 days, and 10 1/2 hours (approximately). My husband is one of the funniest, sweetest and intelligent men I know. I love him! He has been especially good to me since moving us here to Logan, because he knew how much I loved my past life in Oregon. And now that I am pregnant, I still get all the attention! So I wanted to pass on some love to him here. He is probably the only faithful reader of this blog.

He is an organic chemist at a small lab here, and is doing swimmingly! He graduated with his Master's degree in Organic Synthesis at the University of Oregon. What a scholastic and scientific stud. He is, after the Sports Illustrated website addiction, quite adorable and quite, enthusiastically estatic to become a father; and what a wonderful father he will be. I'm so grateful to have him in my life.

The Race

This Saturday Richard is going to be running the St. George, Utah marathon. 26.2 miles of grueling, bone-crushing, soul-dessicating downhill flight. This is his second marathon. His training has seemed to be easier (as if easy is a word that can be applied to marathon training), or rather, smoother, than the first time around. Maybe running when it's not 10 F degrees outside is a good thing.

Here's to Richard's running success. I know he'll reach his goal and still be able to walk the next day!

Richard running the 2006 Salt Lake City marathon. He was awarded a finisher medal!

Welcome Autumn!

Spring is my favorite season of the year, hands down. However, my husband repeatedly reminds me that Spring does not start in Logan until June. This makes me sad, though it does make me appreciate Autumn all the more! Cache Valley is surrounded by beautiful mountains from the East, West and South, and all the trees are starting to turn red, orange and yellow! It truly is gorgeous. And the weather has been PERFECT! I couldn't ask for a more glorious season this Fall.

Richie and I went for a hike last Saturday up Logan Canyon. I failed to get new batteries for our camera, so no pictures, which is a slight tragedy because it was stormy that day, and the sun peeking through the clouds, illuminating groves of trees brighly lit with color and sunshine was amazing.

I also forgot to send a birthday shout out to my cousin Raschelle. She turned 21 on the 21st! Happy Birthday Raschelle! I know you were well taken of that day. The pictures here are of my friends' new babies.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to two very new and very cute baby boys! My friend Shannon had her second boy this morning. His name is Hayden Max (I love it, Max!). Another friend, Laurie, had her first baby on Sept. 11th. His name is Leo, just like my grandfather. Happy Birthday and congratulations!

Hello, World Wide Web

Welcome, you few brave souls who have decided to enter my little corner of the internet. I won't promise that this will be an exciting investigation into my inner pysche, nor will it be a blog full of wit, wisdom and on-the-spot satirical humor comparable to Alexander Pope or Tina Fey. But, hopefully it will be entertaining enough to engage you for a few brief moments every few weeks. Or months. Or years.

I'm really not much of a blogger, emailer, phone caller or any other sort of communication specialist. I am mostly posting this blog for those who are interested in my pregnancy and like to follow bump news. Please, don't think of this blog as self-serving and narcissistic. I am doing this for the select few who will actually want to see me get fat, bloated, and only able to waddle like a duck. Hi Mom!