Avatar

See "Avatar": check.



Honestly, I didn't want to see this movie. We saw the preview a while ago and I was like, "Nuh uh."

And Dallin was like, "Uh huh."
And I was like, "Nuh uh."
And Dallin was like, "Uh huh."
And I was like, "Nuh uh."

Anyway, we ended up going for Dallin's birthday.

I guess it was inevitable. I mean, I am somewhat of a movie person. And this is only the biggest (read: most expensive) movie like, ever. It kind of felt like something that almost had to be done. Like death and taxes...with popcorn and surround sound. Except we didn't get popcorn because it's expensive and we saw the movie in 3D so tickets alone were like 25 bucks. For two of us. Sheesh.

Ok anyway, we saw "Avatar." And it was...good. It was better than I was expecting it to be. I thought the graphics would end up looking cheesy, and I'd already heard from various people that the story was a thumbs down.

But the graphics were actually pretty incredible. They didn't look cheesy or fake at all, and I didn't even get a headache from the 3D-ness. AND the blue people thing did not bother me as much as I was sure it was going to. They didn't look too fake either...except for the fact that they were, you know, huge and blue. Someone really took their time on this one. I'm not an art or computer person by any means, but I totally enjoyed looking at this movie.

That being said...the movie relied pretty much entirely on those amazing graphics. The story was pretty, um, predictable. Observe:

A guy thrown into a new world with the natives' chief's daughter as his guide. Guess what's going to happen? If you've seen "Pocahontas," you know: they're going to fall in love to the dismay of both of their native groups.

The guy starts out collecting information about the blue people for the humans, who are trying to get the blue people to leave their tree home because it sits on a pile of insanely valuable minerals. Whose side do you think he's going to end up on?

The humans have divisions amongst themselves: the politician is there for the money, the military guy seems to be there for the sole purpose of ruthlessly killing as many blue people as possible, and the scientists are there to peacefully explore the world, hug the trees, and become BFFs with the blue ones. Which group do you think will be vindicated when all is said and done?

See? Not hard to guess. Throw in a few deaths of the most beloved characters and a lot of futuristic weapons, and you got yourself a movie.

Oh, and don't forget the political agenda here. Embrace nature, participate in weird tribal chants and spiritual ceremonies if you can, and accept everything and everyone. Oh and scientists never have ulterior motives. But don't accept anyone that has anything to the military, because they are just iron pumping, macho fools who crave the death and destruction of any civilization that is not their own.

Obviously.

"Avatar" is not a terrible movie, but I think it's more eye candy than anything. It's cool to watch...and hey, if you get lost as far as the story goes, you can a) get back in pretty quick because it's so predictable, or b) just forget it because it's lame anyway. Don't you love having options?

p.s. The estimated budget of this movie was $280,000,000. That's a lot of zeros. And each CGI created frame (not second...frame) took an average of 47 hours to complete. I'm not crying "Waste!" here, but...c'mon.

25

Dallin's birthday was yesterday!

I LOVE Dallin.

Would you like to know why?

Well, I'll tell you why.

25 Reasons Dallin is the Best Ever, Because He's 25 and Awesome

1. He makes sure I know that he loves me. And he does a heck of a job.
2. His love for Madelyn is obvious. He couldn't hide it if he tried.
3. He is devoted to everything he does, whether it's a house project, a job at work, or a church calling. He's always in 100%.
4. He is a worthy priesthood holder.
5. He loves learning.
6. He's willing to try just about anything.
7. He always tries to do what's right by everyone.
8. He knows how to let go and have fun.
9. He is very smart and really knows his stuff.
10. He's ambitious; he's got big goals and is determined to make them happen.
11. He values family and gets along with my family as well as his own.
12. He is just the right height.
13. He'll eat anything and say it's great...even if I know it isn't.
14. He looks fiiiiiine all dressed up.
15. He gets my sense of humor and even seems to like it.
16. He'll do any job that I don't want to do. All I have to do is ask.
17. He's never, ever, given me grief about spending money.
18. He's not shy and gets along really well with just about anyone.
19. He's very responsible.
20. He takes pride in his work and knows the value of a job well done.
21. He's adventurous.
22. He puts up with whatever sillyness I decide to display on any given day...Disneyness, craftiness, shoppingness...
23. He smells great.
24. He'll take on any diaper change.
25. He genuinely wants me to be happy, and actively works to make it happen.

Wow, that was actually easy. I mean, not like I thought it would be hard to come up with 25 good qualities my husband has...but you know, sometimes these kind of lists get longer than you expected. But no, I probably could have kept going for a while.

Which really doesn't surprise me at all.

Ti amo, bambino. Cosya ahsome!

Shots and Stats

So Madelyn had her two month checkup last week.

I wasn't going to post about it because I thought the snooze factor was a bit high.

Then I realized that my last post was about the weather...which, although fascinating, probably still has a higher snooze factor than anything I could write concerning my baby girl.

I hope my blog doesn't start to ooze of snooze.

Of course, if I'm using phrases like "ooze of snooze," then there's no way it's gonna.

Moving on.

Maddy girl had to get immunizations at this appointment. One was this drink type thing that she just gobbled up because it was liquid in her mouth and that's what she does (she's such a glutton). The other two? Needles.

In all honesty, I was expecting it to be much worse than it really was. I guess that's usually the case with shots. But I stood behind her and held her hands, trying not to tear up myself, and choosing to look away when the actual stickage occurred.

Poor baby.

But I think she handled it like a champ. A few minutes calmed her right down, and she was great at taking the Tylenol the doc suggested we give her (I'm telling you...liquid in the mouth=serious gobbling).

Here she is with her band-aids (and no, I'm not actually sure if they are Band-Aid brand, since it is a brand and not a product [fun fact]...but as far as I'm concerned...they're band-aids. On to the picture):


See them there on her lil legs?

Breaks my heart.

In other news, we got some stats on how much our baby is like every other baby in the world.

Weight: 11 lb 6 oz (50th percentile)
Height: 23 1/4 in (75th percentile)
Head: 16 cm (90th percentile)

So, other than her huge melon of a noggin, she's pretty average.

Too bad there's no scale for cuteness. 100th percentile, I'd say...if I had to guess.

Dismal

That is the best word to describe today's weather. Dismal.

The view from my window:


It's been a very gray day. Gray=blah to me. I love me some sunshine.

Don't get me wrong - I enjoy the occasional rainy day...

but for some reason this rainy day has just seemed more....dismal...than the rest. Maybe because it's been more of a rainy week than a rainy day.

Maybe it's because I feel like this rain confined me to the house all day. My thought process was like, "Sure, there are a few things I could do today, but...it's raining. And cold. And such." Maybe that doesn't make sense...but how often do my thought processes make sense? mmhmm.

So I've mostly sat around, caught up on some blog reading, cleaned a bit, and snuggled with my baby.



So I guess it hasn't been that bad of a day.

However, I do wish the wind would stop acting like it's going to whisk us away to Oz. Could you do that for me, wind? Thanks, buddy.

I find solace in the fact that this should all be over by next week, and we can go back to our abnormally sunny January.

Until then, snuggle, people. Snuggle.

A movie and a book

I got books for Christmas.

Glory, glory hallelujah.

I was in serious need of some new books to read, let me tell you.

And with nursing time + time holding Maddy while she's sleeping, I've actually had time to read!

More glory, glory hallelujah!

Also...Redbox. The final glory, glory hallelujah is inspired by this one word.

It just so happened that I watched a Redbox movie AND finished a book this weekend. Whoa.

So...do you want the good news or the bad news first?

I don't know who would want the good news first. Ending on a bad note? That doesn't really make sense to me.

So, the bad news first. The movie.

Man, I was hopeful for this movie. I remember wanting to see it when it first came out, after I saw the preview. And I feel like I've heard a lot of good things about it from several different people. So when I was the annoying person at the Redbox machine who had no idea what movie I was getting, I saw this one and went for it.

Not what I was expecting. Depressing. Oh, so depressing.

For those of you who don't know, The Soloist is about an LA Times reporter, who, desperate for a story, writes about a homeless man he hears playing the violin on the street. Turns out, Nathaniel (the homeless man) had attended Julliard for showing amazing promise on the cello, but fell behind and eventually dropped out because he started having serious mental issues. The reporter's articles about Nathaniel open LA's eyes to what life is like for the homeless in their city.

Unfortunately, I felt like the movie focused way too much on the negative. By the time we were supposed to be getting something even remotely inspiring or uplifting, I was too depressed. The messages didn't really balance each other out anyway; the positive aspect of the reporter's sort of change of heart (even though he never really seemed like a jerk or anything) was not enough to offset the thousands of homeless, troubled souls.

In short, I felt like no one really changed, and nothing was really accomplished. Is that reality? Maybe. But it does not make a good movie. In my humble opinion...fail.

And now for some good news! I finished this book this weekend:


Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke.

Yes. Yes, yes, yes.

I realize that any avid readers out there have very likely already read this book, since it got all kinds of acclamation and stuff when it came out a few years ago, but you know what? I just barely read it. So lay off me and let me give you a brief summary of why I think this book is composed of awesomeness. I love the idea of bullet points here. Let's roll with it:

• Extremely well written. No trite phrases (*cough*TWILIGHT*cough*). 800+ pages seemed like much fewer.
  
• Clever! Written like a mock history, complete with footnotes.
• Original. Puts a mature spin on the "magician" thing.
• 100% clean. Let's face it...that's not too common these days.
  
• Just a little bit eerie. Not in an "I'm horrified and need to sleep with the lights on for a week" kind of way, but more of like a "Whoa that's kind of creepy in a mystical sort of way" way. More Harry Potter book 6 than Stephen King. That's a good thing, I think.

It was really just all around enjoyable to read! I highly recommend it. Yes, it is pretty long...but I wouldn't let that deter you! Like I said, it goes by fast. And you'll feel oh so accomplished at the end.

So, up next for me is Stockett's The Help. I'm anxious to see what all the hype is about on this one. Don't worry, I'll be sure to let you know what I think of it...just in case you, you know, care.

So...what have you read/watched lately, hm?

Our Dishwasher Sings

Is there anything about your house that, you know, kind of...freaks you out?

I just decided that for me, it's our dishwasher. It sings.

Now, don't go all Nancy Drew on me and decide to investigate this the next time you are at my house, because I'm pretty much positive that it will NOT sing when you want it to.

It will probably only sing when it's late at night, and you're alone, downstairs, cleaning up the kitchen.

You turn the dishwasher on and grab some Oreos to congratulate yourself on a job well done...when you could just swear you hear music. Music that has no business playing in your house at such an hour. It sounds like it's kind of coming from a distance, like maybe upstairs or in another room with the door shut. There really shouldn't be any music playing...but wow, you think you hear it. Is it your cell phone ringing upstairs? No, your ringtone doesn't sound like that. And who'd be calling so late. No...it can't be your phone.

Suddenly, you realize it's (dun dun DUN!) the dishwasher! You try to drown it out, try to convince yourself that, oh yeah, it does sound like a dishwasher...but to no avail. It doesn't sound like a dishwasher. It sounds like music. How creepy.

And then the sink disposal kicks in to do whatever it does when the dishwasher runs and it makes you jump a mile.

And as you're running upstairs to hide under your covers you think you hear voices floating up from the kitchen...or maybe it's the music again...

Or maybe you're just insane. But we all know that's not very likely. It's much more likely that your dishwasher is on a mission to fully creep you out.

And dude, mission accomplished.

Oh, bring back my body to me

Not exactly how the song goes...but work with me here.

My body has not been my own for almost a year now. Yes, February was the month in which Madelyn was conceived, and my self has been shared ever since.

You might be thinking, "But Katie, did you not expel your child from your self in November, thus restoring your body to your sole ownership?"

If you are thinking this, two things are very likely true:

1) You speak very formally...good for you.
2) You have never breastfed.

What has my breastfeeding experience been like? In a word...annoying.

In four words...I'm a freakin cow.

I make more milk than Madelyn could ever drink. Which, by the way, is saying something...my girl can eat.

I would never REALLY complain about breastfeeding. I mean, it's the best possible food for my baby. Not only that, but it's got to be at least part of the reason all my pregnancy weight ran away screaming and crying after the baby was born. I eat more and weigh less than I think I ever have in my adult life. And I know I should be grateful that I have enough milk, that Madelyn and I didn't have problems "getting used" to the whole thing, etc.

But seriously. I can pretty much count on having to change clothes at least once a day, and usually more than that. I'm debating just giving up clothes all together. Madelyn ends up having to change clothes pretty often too. And my sheets? Forgetaboutit.

Aside from my laundry issues, some funness has happened that requires me to use this cream stuff to keep me from wanting to part ways with my chest forever. Said cream is very annoying to apply.

Like I said, I should probably count myself lucky. I know other mothers have bigger issues than I do when it comes to breastfeeding. And I intend to keep it up...but not without some complaining. I'll try to spare you another post about it though...as enthralled as I'm sure you all are.

In other news...

Dallin is amazing.

Madelyn is beautiful.

Life is good.

Oh! And we're blessing Madelyn on February 7. It's going to be epic. Our ward meets at 11:30. Consider this your invitation. If you want to come, e-mail me or comment or something and I'll get you directions to our building.

Ciao ciao.

How to Get Nothing Done

Step 1: Feed the baby

Step 2: Hold the baby until she falls asleep

Step 3: Set the baby down

Step 4: Spend the 5 minutes you have running around like crazy - rotate the laundry, clean at random, and if you're really daring...eat.

Step 5: Go pick up the fussing baby.

Step 6: Lather.

Step 7: Rinse.

Step 8: Ignore steps 6 & 7 since they actually have nothing to do with anything.

Step 9: Repeat.

My baby loves to be held.

She will smile and coo. She will just lay still and look at me. She will sleep for hours on end (like really). She will do all these things...as long as I'm holding her.

If I'm not holding her, I usually have very few minutes to get x project/task done.

The exception is if she's swaddled and completely, totally, 100% asleep. I save this special combo for nighttime.

Moral of the story: If you want to get things done, don't have kids.

Um...ok, sadness. Scratch that.

New moral of the story since the last one sucked: Put off what you think you need to get done and hold your kids whenever they'll let you. Especially while they're little babies. And especially if you happen to have the cutest daughter in the world...which you don't, because I do.

Ok, so I'm probably exaggerating (not about the cutest daughter in the world thing...ha!). Madelyn doesn't need to be held 24/7. She'll chill on our bed while I get ready in the morning. She'll hang out on a blanket on the floor at Grandma's. She'll sit/sleep in her glider type thing so Daddy can watch her while he works. She'll stay nice and content in her car seat for long periods of time while we're out running errands.

So I guess maybe the point is that I freak out too much about getting laundry/cleaning/grocery shopping done. Psh, don't we all?

Also, on a narrative note, we had a fantastic holiday week, and hope you did too! We spent Christmas Eve at my parents' house; it consisted of Dallin doing the Christmas Can-Can and yours truly being Santa Claus in the annual Christmas play. We spent most of Christmas day there as well, opening presents (wait till I tell you what Dallin gave me...it made me go "Aww" and possibly cry), eating a yummy breakfast, and relaxing, before going home to pack for our trip. We flew up to Seattle on Christmas night to spend a week with Dallin's family. New Year's Eve was spent mostly at their house...until 11:00 when I decided I didn't want to be old and boring yet and made Dallin take me somewhere. We ended up watching the Space Needle fireworks from a groovy spot across the Puget Sound. Smooching may have been involved.

And now, on with a new week, a new month, and a new year!

Here's something to get you through your Madelyn fix:


Her cheeks are totally chubifying. You can practically pinch them through your computer screen. But I wouldn't recommend trying. Unless you're totally alone. Double check, and then go ahead and try.