My New Baby

My baby boy has finally arrived!

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The birth details:
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1) He was born three days after his due date.
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2) He weighed in at 10 pounds even.
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3) He was 22 1/2 inches long. That is one tall guy! He had a Dr. appointment this morning and they say he has already grown a 1/4 inch more. Yowser!
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4) He is perfect and lovely in every way.
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5) I chose a beautiful name for him, with a tiny bit of help from Hubby. I would tell you, but that's not how this blog works. My kids have pseudonyms here. My new baby's blog name is Jim.
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And now for some pictures:
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Thirty Minutes Old

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10 Hours Old ~ Thinking things over

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13 Hours Old ~ Top of the Mornin' to Ya!

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37 Hours Old & Home from the Hospital

LOST is coming together

**Lost Spoilers Ahead...Proceed With Caution**
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How great was this last episode! All the characters are coming together. All the story lines are intersecting. Everything is moving forward at such a nice pace. I've been worried that the LOST writers wouldn't be able to pull everything together by the end, but it looks like they will after all! Hooray! Although, the exact satisfaction of the ending is yet to be seen. ;)

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1) It is so interesting to me that BSM Locke singled out Jack to talk to. I appreciate that Jack asked Hurley for permission first, that he still respected Hurley as a leader. Good job Jack. Why do you think BSM is singling out Jack? Hurley and Sun (maybe) are candidates too. You would think BSM would want to talk with them as well. It looks like Jack might be the front runner! Haha! I also thought it was an interesting conversation because John and Jack had often combated in regards to what the survivors ought to be doing. And here they are again (sort of).

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2) Claire's statement that letting BSM talk to you means you are already on his side is Bull...in my opinion. I know Jack talked with BSM, but that does not mean he is siding with him. I think it's pretty obvious from Jack's statements on the Island and later on the boat that Jack is against BSM and will do whatever it takes to keep him in check. It was pretty gutsy of Jack to jump off the boat like he did. He is usually so worried about everyone else's well-being. I'm glad that he took into account how he felt when he left the Island the first time. I think he made a good choice. Of course, now he has a bit of hearing impairment and BSM thinks Jack has chosen his team. Can't wait to see what happens there. I seriously doubt Jack will do as Sawyer and pretend to go along. Jack is too mouthy for that. Haha!

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3) Sun and Jin have a Happy Ending!!! In Sideways and on the Island!!! Well, not really an ending, but whatever. They are having a happy moment. In Sideways, Sun and the baby are saved. Miles told James that Jin was a "Witness" not a suspect. Hooray! They are together and happy. Of course, they'll have to watch out for Sun's Dad. That guy is crazy!

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And back on the Island, Sun and Jin are reunited and they are both still alive and well. Hooray!! I was so happy seeing their reunion. It was wonderful. I loved Jin's statement: We'll never be apart again. They only thing they have to deal with is Whidmore, but I don't think he will be too much against Jin and Sun. He has been pretty polite to Jin so far. I think that will carry over to his wife.

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Did you all see Sawyer's face as he watched Sun and Jin's reunion? He looked so sad. It seemed to me that he was remembering Juliet and wishing it was himself having a great reunion. Sorry Sawyer. But you still have Sideways...

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4) Isn't it great that as powerful as BSM is, he doesn't know everything. He doesn't see everything or understand the true nature of people. It enabled Sawyer to get the boat and get himself, Kate, Claire, Frank, Sun, and Hurley to the other island. It enabled Sayid to look BSM in the eye and tell him he killed Desmond. No one really thinks he did, do they? If so, let me set you straight. Sayid TOTALLY did NOT kill Desmond. How could he? Sayid, with all the bad things he has done, was usually only doing those things to protect people he loved and cared about...not just out of sheer badness. When Desmond asked Sayid what he was going to tell Nadia when she asked what Sayid had done to get her back, I knew Desmond had him. Sayid may be able to look the BSM in the eye and lie, but he could never look Nadia in the eye and do it and he could also never look her in the eye and tell her that he shot a man in cold blood just to get her back. The Nadia that he loves would not stand for that kind of action. And that is why I believe Desmond is still alive. Now, if he is still in the well is another question altogether. I don't know if Sayid would have helped him out of the well or just left him there. I will just have to wait and see.

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5) Claire went with Kate. Holy Cow! I didn't see that coming. I thought she was completely lost. And her face when Jack took off with the others after she had just told him the only reason that she stayed with BSM is because he was the only one who hadn't abandoned her...CRAZY! I thought she was going to kill Jack for ditching her. I'm glad Kate was able to convince her that they truly did care about her and wanted her back with them and with Aaron. Hurley seems to have been right about both Claire and Sayid...nobody is All Evil. Everyone can be brought back...Just like Anakin. Haha! How funny was it that when Hurley made a Star Wars reference Sawyer had no idea what he was talking about. Hahaha!!! Sorry Hurley. Sawyer was too busy watching Little House on the Prairie to go see Star Wars. Haha!!!

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6) Desmond in Sideways is awesome! He is bringing everyone together. John getting hit by the car has brought him to Jack in the operating room. I love Jack's confidence when looking at the x-rays and scan pictures: "I got this," he states. Nice!! It sounds like John might not be in a wheelchair for much longer. :)

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Now the way Desmond approached Claire was a bit stalkerish and kind of creepy in my opinion. I'm glad Claire viewed it as just a caring stranger trying to help her out, but it was making me uncomfortable to watch. The way he kept following her and trying to engage her in conversation. It was just a bit off. Oh well. I still love Desmond. Did I mention I thought about naming this baby after him?? Hubby still thinks that is a good idea. I guess we will just have to wait and see what the kid looks like.

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Anyhoo, Desmond brought Claire to Ilana the Lawyer who in turn introduced her to Jack her brother. Awkward! Jack did not make a good impression. The way his whole face fell then he turned away from her. Claire probably thinks that she is the problem and that Jack hates her, when in reality Jack is probably just shocked and ticked at his stupid Dad. I was happy to see that Jack and his son David are in a better place relationship-wise.

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7) I appreciated the interaction between John and Ben in the ambulance. Ben was kind and compassionate. I loved when he told John that he would still marry Helen. Ben was being a comfort! It was such an interesting role to see him play. Again, I have to say that I love Sideways Ben. He is just a great man. Good morals and compassionate.

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8) I am eager to see what Whidmore's plans are for the newest arrivals to his island. I don't know exactly what he has planned, but I really don't see him killing them...even though they are all currently on their knees with guns pointed at their heads. That gal who is his second-in-command is a gutsy lady. I want to know how much she knows about the Island, Jacob, the BSM, and everything else. Do you think all those people know what is going on? Or do you think that Whidmore is just paying them really well? I'm kind of thinking it must be a combination. Can't wait to see!

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9) There are only four more episodes left before the Series Finale on Sunday, May 23. I am super-excited! How about you? Hubby and I have a bunch of different theories, as do most of our friends. It will be so fun to see how everything plays out. I'm sure, despite every one's best guesses, there will be reveals that none of us imagined possible. That is one of the things I love about Lost...even when you think you have it figured out, they can throw you a curve ball. The Lost writers aren't afraid of making bold, decisive moves. And they aren't afraid of killing of characters. It will be so interesting to see how this all turns out in the ends.

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Cross your fingers that it will be a fully satisfying ending!

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BTW...Today is my due date. It is now 8:30 pm. There are no signs this baby is coming tonight. Or anytime soon for that matter. I'll let you know when the babe finally does decide to come. At this point I'm thinking that between being rear-ended and the earthquake, the boy is afraid to come out. Haha! Hopefully, he'll feel safe soon and make his grand entrance.

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In the meantime, Hubby is making me do all sorts of weird things to try and induce labor. Today he has made me eat Pineapple (he read online that it started labor in some ladies), eat a very spicy lunch, he pushed on some pressure point in my ankle (spleen 6)--that one hurt, when I told that to Hubby he said Good, that meant it was working. Aargh! Then he put pressure on the Hoku point in my hand. That one felt pretty good. Oh well. The man spent the morning helping me take care of a sick Mr. J and making strawberry jam, so I can be a good sport as he tries to help me out. And he really is trying to help me. He remembers how hard it was for me to deliver those big babies. Haha! Maybe I'll get lucky and this kid will just be a seven pounder. I mean, a girl can dream can't she. ;)

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Good Night!

No Baby Yet...

Today, April 16, is exactly five days before my due date. I feel great, which is making me grouchy. Haha! I feel like I should be doing something, but I don't want to start any new projects. Remember that great book by Dr. Seuss,"Oh, The Places You'll Go"? I am stuck in the waiting place, for people just waiting. I keep thinking that I could go into labor at any time and I really don't want to have to put a project away while laboring! So what to do...what to do...

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I decided to go shopping.

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I know, I know. What is the world coming to if Sarah Blue is voluntarily shopping? Haha! My Mom and Sisters jaws will probably drop when they read that.

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I have several South African souvenirs given to me by my dear Grandparents. I have had them in my cedar chest for years! Finally, I have a spot where it is safe and beautiful to display them. I already have two pieces out and have been searching for a way to display a third piece. The problem is...it is an Ostrich Egg. And nobody makes displays specifically for Ostrich Eggs. So I've been hunting around, keeping my eye out for something that would work.

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This morning the Cakes and I hit the boutiques downtown. And boy did we luck out! I was fortunate enough to be waited on by a woman with imagination...something I am a bit lacking in. She pulled out a beautiful piece that I knew would be much too large. Then she started telling me her idea: fill it with twigs and put the egg on top...like a nest! Wow! I absolutely never thought of that. Maybe you would have, but not me. I was just hoping for a small vase with a wide mouth or maybe a big goblet. This is a much cuter idea.

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Here is the egg and it's soon to be home.

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Here are the twigs soaking. The woman suggested just breaking them into small pieces and sticking them together. However, if I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it right. I'm soaking the pieces then bending them. That yellow bowl is currently sitting on my counter with a bunch of twigs and water. I'm going to drain them in about five minutes and then let them dry and set in the circular pattern.

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I'm going to keep the black material in the bowl. I'm a quilter! How could I not? ;)
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I plan on putting the twigs on top. But I'm going to play around with it to see what looks best.
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In the meantime, here's a picture of another project that I completed last weekend. I added little loops to all the big towels in my house. My kids would hang up their towels after baths, only to have them fall down again. With the loops, no more falling towels. Hooray!
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And finally, a little more pregnant info, if you're interested.

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I have gained a full forty pounds. That is pretty good for me. I've gained sixty before.

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The boy usually rides low. It is very uncomfortable, but I figure Hey! At least I can breathe! For an asthmatic that is a huge thing. I never liked having my lungs smushed. The kid is stretching out in this picture...not that you can tell. But trust me, he is. ;)

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I am currently dilated to 3 cm. I have been for two or three weeks now. No big deal. I've been dilated to 4 cm before without going into labor.

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Hubby's coworkers have decided to try and guess how big this baby is going to be. Hubby called me for some statistics to help them in their guessing. I have the stats memorized. Haha! I've been trying to guess the size of this baby too.

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In case you want to play along, here is the information we are using to guess:

Baby #1 weighed 7 lbs, 12 oz at 20 days early.

Baby #2 weighed 10 lbs, 1 oz at 3 days late.

Baby #3 weighed 9 lbs, 7 oz on his due date.

Baby #4 weighed 8 lbs, 11 oz at 14 days early.

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Let me know what you think. But if you try and guess something like eleven pounds or more, be warned. I will probably never talk to you again. Especially if you end up being right. I will blame you for jinxing me.

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And now I'm off to do some more shopping. This time I am shopping for clothes...wedding clothes. Wish me luck! Maybe my water will break if I walk around enough. ;)

LOST's Best Episode Yet!

**LOST SPOILERS AHEAD...PROCEED WITH CAUTION**

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What a great episode!! It was jam-packed with goodies. Fair warning…I am going to use the word Love a lot in this post. Sorry about the redundancy, but I seriously LOVED this episode!!

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1) Love the tribute to Hurley. How fun that he was named “Man of the Year”. I loved that he used his money for good purposes, donating to so many humanitarian projects. That seems to me perfectly in line with his character. At least, the character he would be if he wasn’t an unlucky son of a gun like he is in the “real” time line. It was great that Miles’ Dad was the one to give the tribute. I am thoroughly enjoying how each character’s life connects with the other characters from the Island.

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2) Did you see his Mom’s face during the tribute? I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her. I started to worry that Hurley and his Momma had a strained relationship. It seemed probable that the Lost writers would feel the need to give Hurley some bad in his Sideways life. I just hadn’t imagined the bad would be his Momma. I was greatly relieved when she spoke up and told Hurley exactly why she was upset…She wants her son to have a woman in his life! Hahahahaha!!! Poor Hurley looked like he wanted to crawl under a rock when his Mom told him he was going on a blind date and that she would keep arranging dates until they found someone. Hahaha!!!

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3) How could Rosalita stand Hurley up? Sheesh! The guy is nice and filthy rich. You would think she would at least try to give it a shot. Oh well. Her loss and Libby’s gain. I totally didn’t recognize Libby at first. I asked Hubby if it was a different actress. He assured me the woman was the same Libby as before. Huh.

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It was wonderful to watch her come up to Hurley. Both Libby and Hurley’s faces lit up when they saw each other. I was busting up laughing that Hurley couldn’t look Libby in the eye. He was so shy and awkward. Haha! He kept looking everywhere but at her.

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I loved when Libby said that they were soul mates. I had wondered about the intensity of her feelings. We all knew that Hurley adored her and were starting to see that she loved him back, but then she was killed and I was left wondering about the level of her feelings. It’s nice to hear that she felt, and feels, the same way about Hurley as he feels toward her.

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4) I was taken aback when the congressman from X-Men came to take Libby away. The Lost guys keep bringing in people I know from other sci-fi shows. It kind of throws me off. I keep thinking I should know them from the Island, when in reality I just know them from other shows. Oh well. Dr. Brooks he is now. He was quite diplomatic about leading Libby away. Oftentimes mental institutions are portrayed as harsh and uncaring. I was glad that Libby was somewhere with a doctor who seemed to respect her and her privacy. Even later in his office when Hurley comes to talk to him, Dr. Brooks is very careful about what information he gives regarding Libby and I felt he spoke respectfully of her.

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5) I do love Desmond something fierce. Having said that, I am sure that I have just set in motion his death for the next episode. L Sorry Desmond.

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It was great seeing him at the chicken restaurant, trying to play it cool…like he was just bumping into Hurley and not actually stalking him to help him “See”. He came off pretty smooth though. Hurley certainly didn’t catch on. It was quite interesting listening to Desmond advise Hurley to give Libby a chance. I’m glad Hurley listened.

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Hurley showed a take-charge kind of attitude when speaking to Dr. Brooks. He was willing to do whatever he could to talk to Libby again. I loved when he said the Rec Center looked like it could use some help then whipped out his checkbook. I laughed as Hurley, again, couldn’t quite look Libby in the eye as he asked her out. And I absolutely adored her response…She would “Love” to go on a date with Hurley. Hooray!!!

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6) The date at the beach was perfect. So many fairy tales work out in the end because of a kiss. I loved that it was a kiss from Libby that helped Hurley to “see”. That was a great moment, made even better when the picture scanned over to a shot of Desmond sitting in his car watching. I could just hear him thinking, “One down, Lots to go.” Desmond looked pretty satisfied as he drove away. I have decided to dub Desmond the “Fairy God Father” of Lost. He is flitting along, helping the other passengers “see”. Setting things right.

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7) I wonder how Desmond is determining which things will help the other passengers “See”. Hurley got off easy. He just needed a kiss. Poor John Locke!

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It was hilarious when Desmond was watching him and Ben came to the car. I love Sideways Ben. He is such a good guy. I love that he confronted Desmond, ready to tear him apart for being a pervert and stalking some poor high school kid. Haha!

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I thought Desmond would try to talk to Locke. I never imagined he would run him down! Did you notice Desmond’s face before he started his car? It was a look of resignation mingled with determination. It seemed to me that he didn’t really want to run Locke over, but somehow knew that THAT was how Locke would “see” and was determined to have that outcome, no matter the means. I hope it works.

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From the previews for next week, it looks like Locke is in a pretty serious condition. They showed him convulsing a bit and wearing a neck brace. How much do you want to bet that Locke somehow ends up at the hospital where Jack works? Remember Jack? The great spinal surgeon? I am thinking that the odds are pretty good.

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8) Back on the Island, Ilana blew herself up!! Crikey!!! I totally didn’t see that coming! Well, I kind of saw it coming, but I thought the dynamite would go off later and that she would just suffer some injuries. I did NOT think that she would die so soon! It was so abrupt!

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Did everyone hear Ben’s comment? He was musing on Ilana’s death. She was hand-picked by Jacob, trained to protect the candidates. Then she told the candidates that they were candidates. Ben said Ilana lived just long enough to tell the candidates what they were and then the Island was through with her. She wasn’t necessary anymore and Boom! She was gone! Ben wondered aloud what the Island would do when it was through with the rest of them. I wonder about that too!

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Desmond is thinking along the same lines. He states, very matter of factly, that the Island has it in for everyone. I can hardly wait to see how this all unfolds!!

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9) Back on the Island, Hurley has stepped up and taken charge. I was surprised that Jack completely backed off and followed Hurley. I loved his explanation later about letting go and trusting Hurley. That is a huge step for Jack. I like Jack much better as a humble and contrite man.

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It was fun to see Hurley try to bluff about seeing Jacob. He is such a bad liar! I’m glad that Richard didn’t fall for it. I loved that Hurley told Richard that he didn’t have to prove anything to him. A huge step for Hugo! He is growing into a strong and assertive man. It suits him. I wasn’t expecting their little gang to split up. And certainly not the way it did. Who would have thought Ben would follow Richard? After everything they been through, I expected Ben to question Richard, not follow him. And then Miles leaving too. Although, Miles really doesn’t have any connections to the gang like he did to Sawyer, Jin, and Juliet. They had all worked and lived together for three years. But Jack, Sun, Frank and Hurley have no real ties to Miles. I hope Richard, Ben and Miles are going to be alright.

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I hope Hurley’s plan to talk to BSM turns out alright. I am really nervous about that. It seems like Hurley, Jack, and Sun should be safe from the BSM’s wrath. He told Claire before that he needed the people whose names were listed in the cave. But that leaves Frank completely open…unless BSM wants him to fly the plane. Hmmm. Hopefully, Frank can use his pilot experience to keep himself alive. I’m excited to hear the conversation play out next week. That should be some excellent writing!

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10) It was interesting to learn that the whispers in the wood are souls trapped because of the bad things they had done. I was sorry to see Michael there, but happy that he was penitent about killing Libby. He had expressed sorrow for that action before, when he was on the boat, but it was nice he was able to say it to Hurley…the man who was so greatly affected by Michael’s actions. It was also interesting that when Hurley asked Michael if there was anything he could do to help him, Michael’s response was for Hurley not to get killed. I wonder what Hurley’s final role will be in this grand adventure…

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11) As Sayid leads BSM through the forest, did you notice his face? It is void of all emotion. He is like the walking dead. That makes me so sad for Sayid…even though he made that choice himself. I hope there will be a chance for redemption for Sayid and a chance at happiness. Love has played such a huge role in the last few episodes. However, every time Sayid finds love, his love is Killed! Even in Sideways, where most people are happy, Sayid’s love is lost to him.

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Anyhoo, back to the forest. Desmond looked so calm sitting tied to the tree. I worried that BSM would kill him then and there. With everything that Desmond knows, how does he not know that Locke is Dead? Ey-yah! He thinks the BSM really is John Locke. It was interesting watching them walk through the forest together. The things that caught my eye:

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1-Desmond can see the boy. I still don’t know what that means, but BSM freaks out every time he sees the boy and his eye seems to twitch when he learns that another person can see the boy too.

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2-Desmond thinks the Island has it out for “all of us”.

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3-Desmond isn’t afraid. His statement of "What is there to be afraid of" seems to throw BSM off for a few moments. BSM really just doesn’t seem to know what to make of Desmond and his calm demeanor. I’m not sure if BSM fully understands the implications of Desmond’s presence on the Island. It seemed that, on learning that Desmond had survived the electromagnetic stuff twice, BSM’s face grew a bit wary, not afraid exactly, but definitely wary. He knows that Desmond is a threat to him, but I don’t think he knows the exact extent or type of threat.

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12) So, everyone knew that Desmond was going to be thrown into the well. Right? I mean it was pretty obvious. Personally, I thought BSM might kill him first then throw him into the well. But considering Desmond could see the boy, I don’t know if BSM can kill Desmond. I was worried the fall would have finished the job, but from next week’s tease, we see that Desmond is alive and sporting a nasty gash to the head. Next week’s tease also shows Sayid pointing a gun down at Desmond and we hear a gun shot. Yeah Right! I totally don’t buy that Sayid is going to kill Desmond like that. It’s just not how things are done on the Island. Plus, they teased the scene to look like that, which means the Lost promoters are probably trying to set us all up again. It will be fun to see how that plays out next week.

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13) And my final note, Hubby thinks he has figured out how the series will end. He thinks it will end with everyone in Sideways. He thinks that eventually Desmond will track down all the passengers, they will “see”, have their memories from the Island, but still have their happy lives in Sideways, which will then be enriched by their experiences from the Island. I think Hubby has lost it. That would be a cheesy ending. And very unsatisfying. I want to know what happens to everyone ON THE ISLAND. Sideways is just an Alice in Wonderland thing to me. Not real. I want everyone to live happily ever after, but this is Lost we are talking about! We will be lucky if a few people get a decently ever after. How do you think it will end?

Counting Down

Today marks eight days until my due date. Phew! There is not a lot of time left. I have been working hard during the last few weeks, trying to get a some projects completed before the baby arrives.

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Which projects? Well, I'll tell you...

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1) Write thank you notes to Hubby's coworkers. Those crazy people threw a baby shower for me. ME! A woman who is on her fifth pregnancy. I couldn't believe it. I told Hubby to let them know I already had everything I needed. But they insisted! And they really went all out. Their generosity and thoughtfulness were quite overwhelming. I guess Hubby must be doing something right at work to endear so many of his coworkers to him and his little family.

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2) Make a baby quilt for Baby Kate. Hubby's best buddy and his wife had their first baby. It was quite the big event for their family to finally be blessed with a dear baby. Hubby was able to drive out for the blessing on Sunday. Of course he couldn't go empty-handed...
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This quilt was one of the JoAnn projects I made up. I chose the colors specifically for baby Kate. However, the JoAnn layout was completely different. I didn't care for it at all. So I just saved the blocks I had made, then sliced them and put them together how I wanted. Isn't it cute?
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Please note the machine quilting. I did it my very own self. I was nervous after my goof up with Cakes' quilt. But it turns out that I'm pretty good at free-motion quilting. It's just straight lines I have problems with. Hahaha!!

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This is the back of the quilt. Isn't the material gorgeous! I've had this in my stash for thirteen years. I think Baby Kate is a worthy recipient of such a highly treasured print. ;)

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3) Get the dogs licensed. Ey-yah! I totally spaced it. I was supposed to license them in January. But I'm used to dogs getting licensed once and staying licensed for life. This whole license your dog every year thing is not sticking in my brain. So off I went to a rabies clinic where I sat with Dash and Astro for an hour and a half waiting for our turn. Then I whisked those dogs down to the Humane Society to get their licenses. I of course had to pay a late fee, but whatever. They are now officially licensed.

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4) Paint Master Bedroom and Master Bathroom. Hubby painted the bathroom for me. It took him three weeks. Why? Because the man is super-busy! The first weekend he had time to prep the walls, remove all the fixtures, and tape the areas he didn't want painted. The next weekend he painted the ceiling and cut in the walls. The third weekend he filled in with a roller. It was quite the production.

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Hubby agreed to let me hire someone to paint our room. They painted it a gorgeous gray! They were in and out in a day...including prep, taping, cutting in, and filling in. They did a great job. The only problem is that Hubby has now decided that our bathroom should be the same gray color. He is planning on repainting it...eventually. ;)

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5) Finish my Pay It Forward gifts. I have gone back and forth all year on what exactly to make. I finally decided to make Sudoko quilts for each lady. I finished each quilt by just tying them. I really wasn't in the mood to try quilting straight lines again. The ties turned out great though. They are approximately 49 inches by 49 inches. The color themes are Autumn, Summer, and Spring.

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6) Celebrating!! Today's project is the best. Today my project is this guy. Three years ago, on Friday the Thirteenth, Cakes joined our family. I'm so happy that the new babe has waited until after his brother's birthday to be born, enabling me to spend this special day with my special guy.

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Our activities thus far: cards and presents at breakfast, shopping for some cool new shirts, playing at Chuck E. Cheese's, hamburgers from McDonald's, lots of well wishes from family, the Happy Birthday song sung at least once every half hour, and many, many hugs and kisses. Still to come, a special birthday dinner and cake, cake, cake!

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Which reminds me...who is the idiot who coined the phrase "You can't have your cake and eat it too"? What in the world were they talking about? The whole reason to bake a cake in the first place is to eat it! To enjoy it. I mean really. Who in their right mind bakes a cake and then lets it just sit there? Getting moldy! Yuck! What a waste. But not us. We are going to have a cake AND eat it too. Because that is the way it is supposed to be. ;)

Friendship

One of my dear friends sent me the following. It was titled "Perfect Friendship Poem". I don't know if I would classify it as a poem, but it is definitely a good description of friendship. It made me laugh and reminded me of a few great friends I have had through the years.
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1. When you are sad, I will jump on the person who made you sad like a spider monkey jacked up on Mountain Dew.
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2. When you are blue, I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.
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3. When you smile, I will know you are plotting something that I must be involved in.
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4. When you're scared, we will high tail it out of there.
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5. When you are worried, I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining, ya big baby!
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6. When you are confused, I will use little words.
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7. When you are sick, stay away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever you have...
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8. When you fall, I will pick you up and dust you off...after I stop laughing.

Projects Completed and LOST Theories

Before I get to the LOST stuff, I have a few updates on projects I've been working on.

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First up, Cakes' quilt.

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I finally got that sucker done. Hoorah!! My original plan was to hand quilt it, but that just seemed too overwhelming. I opted to machine quilt it instead. I put it on a frame and pin basted the layers together. I have been assured by many quilters that this technique works marvelously for them. I think they lied. Even with the pin basting and following all their tips, I had bunches and overlaps. Aaargh! It's very frustrating to have made a beautiful quilt top only to have it marred by bad quilting. Next time I'll just tie it or have someone long-arm stitch it.

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I put about 600 curved pins into the quilt. Aren't the colors of this quilt beautiful!!! I was so happy when I picked them out. Keep in mind that I started this quilt in March 2008. I took at class at my favorite shop in Topeka. I finished the top in class then packed it, the backing, and all the scraps away since we were getting ready to move. It's been packed since.

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Even with the overlaps, the quilt turned out nicely. I am just relieved to have it done and on Cakes' bed. That goofy kid was so excited while I was making the quilt. He kept declaring that it was his. As soon as it was done though, he told me that it wasn't his blanket and promptly showed me which blanket was his. It is the yellow baby blanket my dear Aunt K made for him before he was born. He loves that thing! He lets my quilt lay on his bed, but refuses to sleep with it touching him. Haha! Maybe I should just give the quilt to the new baby. ;)

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The other project I have finally completed is making my "Pay It Forward" gifts. I took pictures of all three items. I put them in the mail this morning. They will be arriving in Nevada and Utah sometime Friday and in Kansas sometime on Tuesday. Since I don't want to ruin the surprise for the three ladies receiving the gifts, I'm saving the pictures until next week. For now, here is a picture of the boxes on their way out.

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Let me know when your gift gets to you!
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And now, for LOST...
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**Lost Spoilers Ahead...Proceed With Caution***

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Have I mentioned how much I love Desmond? Because I do. I think he is an excellent character. I enjoy the Scottish accent, how he calls everyone "Brother", and his determination. At one point in the name game, I was reading through my Celtic Names book and I came across the name Desmond. I seriously considered naming this babe Desmond for a couple of weeks. Then I told my Mom and she started laughing so hard that she had to hang up and get a drink. She called back later to apologize and let me know that she would be fine if I named the baby boy Desmond, she would just be giggling everytime she said his name for the first few years. Sheesh! That knocked that name out. ;)

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Anyhoo, it was wonderful seeing Desmond. I was wondering when he would come into play again. He was an integral character through the past few seasons.

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1) Hubby and I loved when Whidmore was telling Desmond that he was back on the Island how Desmond's skin right between his lip and nose started twitching like crazy! And his eye went a little berserk too. That was some good acting!

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2) Poor guy. He'd already been through so much because of the Island. Then he was shot and removed from his wife and son. But I never thought he would go after Whidmore physically like he did. With all the times that Desmond hit him, I was surprised that Charles only ended up with a gash to the forehead. Did you just love how in Sideways Charles and Desmond are FRIENDS!! Eloise was correct when she said that what Desmond craved most was Whidmore's approval, however she forgot that the only reason he wanted that approval was because he was Penny's Dad. I loved when Charles said, "Nothing's too good for you." That was so ironic!

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3) How funny was it when Charlie was describing the love that he saw in his near-death experience...he used the word "Voluptuous" to describe Claire. Haha! I think the drugs must have messed with his vision. Claire is a beautiful gal, but I would never use the word voluptuous to describe her.

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4) Love was a major theme of this episode. Charlie flashed and saw Claire. Desmond flashed and saw Penny. Daniel flashed and saw Charlotte. All three men recognized these women and were overwhelmed by the feelings of love they had towards the stranger women. And all three men wanted to regain that love in the Sideways world. When Daniel said that he believed he had already set off the bomb, he seemed wistful to return to the world that brought him Charlotte. Too bad that in that world both he and Charlotte are dead! As for Charlie and Claire, one is dead and the other completely bonkers. Only Desmond and Penny have a good life in the first timeline.

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5) Eloise knows! She knows they are in a parallel timeline! And she seems to know the rules and bounds. Wow!

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One of my Lost friends thinks Eloise made a deal with the Smoke Monster to get her son back (remember...she shot Daniel while on the Island?). My friend thinks Eloise might be behind the whole Sideways timeline. If that proves true, then Whoa! I don't know if my mind will be able to handle it. Personally, I'm still stuck on Jacob having manipulated everything. There are lots of other theories floating around on the Internet. Most of those blow my mind too. There are just so many ways the Lost writers could go with this story. And with only five episodes left until the season finale...well, I guess I will just have to wait and see. Again, I hope the Lost writers give us a satisfactory ending. Cross your fingers!

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6) I loved, loved, loved the end. I was so worried that the limo driver was going to shoot Desmond. Seriously! That kind of stuff happens on Lost. There aren't too many happy or calm endings to shows. How great is it that Desmond is going to find the other passengers. He has "something to show them." So cool!! It will be fun to watch him track down the other passengers and try to show them what he saw.

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7) The next episode is titled "Everybody Loves Hurley". So we should finally get the back story of Hurley's new life. They have teased it this entire season. It will be nice to see what actually happened with the man.

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8) And my final thought...it was hilarious to me that Daniel Faraday, the great Physicist, was a musician in Sideways. Hahaha! It would be fun to hear him play or sing or whatever it is he does.

Random Update

I haven't updated for a while. I have put posts up, but they're mostly about Lost. And while my life does slightly revolve around that show, it mostly revolves around my darling children and dear husband. So...in no particular order and with absolutely no pictures, here is an update from the Blue Family:

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1) Spring Break was this past week. For my elementary kids it continues into this week. Miss Q, the lucky high schooler, goes back tomorrow. Wednesday she gets to take the Math AIMS test. Keep her in your prayers!

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2) This past week was also Fair Week. I was going to take the kids myself, but since I was rear-ended Hubby got to spend Wednesday with me instead of going to work. He was supposed to make sure that I took it easy. Poor guy. I drug his cute fanny to the Fair with the kids. Then I sauntered from exhibit to exhibit while he chased the little people around. It was very nice...For Me! ;)

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3) Miss Q entered a painting into the Fine Arts category. She won a third place ribbon. She was shocked. Somehow she didn't make the connection between entering a fair and being judged. She'd never won a ribbon before and was ecstatic!

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4) Rose entered a bag into the Home Economics category. She won a first place ribbon. I think it was the french seams, grommets, and sturdy handle that won the judges over. She made the bag herself, with me just giving the occasional instruction.

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5) Anne entered a skirt into the Home Economics category. She won a first place ribbon. She loves this skirt and wears it often. She was worried that the judges would realize she had worn it and that it wasn't new. Gasp!! I told her that if it was clean the judges would never know. She also worried that those judges would try to sell her skirt to someone else. (In Miss Q's category they sell their stuff.) The judges themselves assured her that the Home Ec category sells nothing. The exact quote: "We spend way too much time making these things to just sell them off like that." Anne is happy to have a blue ribbon and is greatly relieved to have her skirt back in her hands.

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6) I entered the Snow White costume I made last summer for Into the Woods. It won a first place ribbon. The fair judges don't give out just one First place, one Second place, and one Third place. They can give as many of each ribbon as they want. The places are determined by the quality of the work. I was quite pleased that my work earned a blue ribbon.

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7) I also entered a cross-stitch sampler I had made. I was confused when I first saw the ribbon on this one...it was purple. But it said "Outstanding" so I figured it was alright. Turns out, purple is better than blue. Who knew?! I won an award from the town's EGA chapter, Embroidery Guild of America. The award was Ten Dollars cash. How exciting!

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8) We had an earthquake on Easter Sunday. I was kind of ticked by it. I was having some pretty hard contractions that had started to get closer together. Then the ground started shaking and the contractions stopped. Oh well. The quake lasted about a minute or two. The epicenter was many mile away from us. No damage was done. There were several aftershocks during the remainder of the day.

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One of my neighbors wants to move out of here now. The quake really scared her. With what I know of tectonic plates and the earth's shifting movements, an earthquake could happen anywhere. I would much rather deal with a little shaking than some other natural disasters...

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9) I was officially cleared to have this baby any time last Monday. I had another appointment today. I am dilated to 2-3 cm. Which means NOTHING! I have been dilated to 3+ for weeks before I've given birth. I really wish there was an accurate indicator that would tell me when this babe is coming. It would be so much more convenient for me. Haha! Listen to me whine. Sorry about that. I have everything prepared for my kids and for the two Fosters. Babysitters in place, respite plans in place, bags packed. Now I just need some regular contractions 5 - 7 minutes apart or my water to break. ;)

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10) Conference freaked me out. The Saturday sessions were fine, but Sunday morning was NOT! We listened to conference over the internet and I didn't catch the name of the man who gave this particular talk, but...he really freaked me out! He gave a lovely talk about how we shouldn't take offense even when horrible things happen to us. I'm sure that in a few months I will look on this talk as one of my favorites. I have often talked about this very subject in lessons I have given in Sacrament.

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The problem I have with his talk is that he kept talking about women who died in childbirth!!! Aaaaahhh!!!! And the babies died too! After he started talking about the second woman dying, I screamed for Hubby to turn the blasted thing off!!! It was not a very good example to set for my kids, but COME ON! This whole pregnancy I have been extremely worried about either myself or my child dying. Hubby has done his best to reassure me that we'll be okay, but I'm still nervous about stuff.

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Luckily, the man's talk ended a few minutes after my outburst. I kind of zoned out after that, trying to get a grip on myself. I came back when the Prophet began to speak. Holy Guacamole!! That dear man, whom I love and sustain with all my heart, started talking about dying too! He spoke of how it was alright and how we would be together again someday. And I just couldn't take it. I don't want to be together someday with my family. I want to be together NOW. I do not want to die. I do not want my babe to die. Again, I'm sure I will look back on this talk in a few months and really appreciate his words. But as my dear Prophet was speaking, I was praying that his talk would end and end soon. Gah!

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The afternoon session was a bust for me because I just kept replaying the first speaker's and the Prophet's words about death and wondering if it was an omen...a warning to me to get myself ready. Hubby has done his best to tell me I'm crazy and am not going to die. I am trying really hard to believe him. Too bad my hormonal state with this pregnancy is a worried mess. Last pregnancy I was just grouchy about everything. Little things would irritate me greatly. I think I would rather be grouchy and irritable than paranoid and worried. :(

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11) I finally have some of my South African souvenirs out on display. They have been sitting in my memory box since my Grandparents returned from their mission back in 1987. Now they are on display in my kitchen. I will take pictures and post them at some point. Just not today.

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Well, that's all I can think of right now. All the Blue's are happy and healthy. We are just counting down to the baby's arrival. Tomorrow marks 15 days to Zero. Wish me luck...Oh! And if I do die, make sure to tell my kids how much I loved them. Hubby already knows how much I love him, but little kids tend to forget and my kids are just little enough that some of them might not remember at all.

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Did I mention that I am slightly paranoid and worried???