Presenting Erin Caroline Kendrick - Part II

Chup here - Have you met my new girlfriend?

More on the birth story Monday. More pics tomorrow. And the next day. I take lots. Because, hellllooo, she's my girlfriend.

Presenting Erin Caroline Kendrick - Part I

x

Chup here - C. Jane is working on a "how she got here" post for next Monday. In the meanwhiletime I'll be sharing some snaps of Erin Caroline.

She's soft and sweet and gorgeous and a little bit wrinkly.

On November 24th

Our Thanksgiving Day turkey weighed 7 lbs 8oz this year!
She's gorgeous.
Details to come soon...


Much love to all of you!

Linksgiving

What ho?

(No baby yet, we're starting to investigate--from miscalculated due dates to membrane stripping. But all is well! Despite what it might look like in the photo above! Healthy! Happy! Cheers! Thanks for your continuing well-wishing!)

To celebrate this week of American Thanksgiving here are five links I'd like to share with my fellow Pilgrims and Indians (whichever you might be):


1. My sister's book is ready for pre-order! I am so proud of her and contributor Amy Hackworth for all they've done to get this book off the ground. I know it's been a lot of work, and I know it will be an emotional read. You can get all the pre-order information by going to Steph's blog here.


2. Three things you should never say to a pregnant lady--a column I wrote for the Des News.
(Thanks to Emmelyn Thayer Freitas for inspiration!)


3. Of all that has been said about Mormon bloggers in articles and posts, I find this one from Nona Willis Aronowitz at Good pretty good. It's thoughtful, historical and sweet (though I was a bit surprised at the tone taken toward Jordan Ferney--who I know is compassionate person). Plus it's about my dear friend Natalie Holbrook and our love affair. You can read it here.
(And the cover photo shown here was taken by JUSTIN HACKWORTH who sadly didn't get credit!?)


4. I've been thinking a lot about this post I wrote while spending Thanksgiving in Brussels a few years ago. It was such a dreamy trip. With so much chocolate. So much chocolate.


5. If you like C.JANE BABY WATCH 2011 (and why wouldn't you?) I might direct you to my Twitter and Facebook accounts. We're pretty good at posting regularly whether you like it or not. Of course, we'll update here too, should anything be birthed. Like a lazy baby.

Loves, smooches and handshakes/hugs!



And now I'd like a roast beef sandwich.

Air Mail

The Chief asked for sugar cookies this morning.

Well, airplane cookies.

He calls them airplane cookies because we bake dozens and dozens of cookie cutter-ed airplane shapes and eat them for days. We don't even bother with frosting anymore. Just warm, melty sugar cookies seconds off the cooling rack.

So that's what we were doing, making airplane cookies, when a knock came to my front door. I checked myself out in the mirror before answering, a kind gesture to the person on the other side I assure you. I found that I had a spot of flour on my cheek right below my left eye. I almost left it there because it was so cute. So cliche! So homemaker happy!

"Oh, don't mind me," I imagined myself saying taking my back hand to wipe my brow and floured cheek, "I'm just really pregnant, barefoot and making sugar cookies with my children this morning."

But no, I wiped it off with a lift of my shoulder to cheek and answered the front door.

It was Scott Wiley.

"I had to chase the FedEx lady down, but I got the Lower Lights Christmas cds this morning." And with that explanation he handed me a pile of them.

And this when I remembered I promised many people I'd let them know when the Lower Lights Christmas album was available.

GUESS WHAT? TODAY TODAY TODAY!

You can order the album here. If you order out a cd, you will also get an immediate download of the entire album to love while you wait for that package in the mail. Pretty cheerful stuff!

Of course, we've been listening to a sample cd for a couple weeks now and it needs to be said that I think it's a great album from start to finish. It's fun, it's sweet, it's musically stunning and it makes me cry (watch out for Stars of Glory and In the Bleak Midwinter, you might need a few buckets). Plus, TONS OF BELLS!!!

And I'll leave you with a Jed Wells video of the Making Of staring my stunning friend Brooke White with cameo appearances by:
Ryan Shupe (fiddle)
Stu Maxfield (violin)
Sarah Sample (vocals)
and many more music geniuses.
(And yes, your favorite person Mindy Gledhill contributes to a few songs on the album as well.)
Scott Wiley is the guy at the controls. And on the guitar. I wish we also had video of him running down the FedEx truck. There's always next time... (LL will come out with another hymn revival album in the spring).


The Lower Lights: Come Let Us Adore Him from The Lower Lights on Vimeo.

And now, back to making more airplane cookies.

Happy Weekend!

In the Best of Times

 
Warning: I am waxing in this post, it might be a little too much for the average audience member. Understandable. Carry on.

I want to tell you what I assume you are supposing to hear: that I am miserable. I am two weeks "overdue" and I can't go on. I ache, I hurt, I am puffy and impatient so that you can say, "Oh you poor thing."

Isn't that how it goes?

Perhaps I am a bit achy. A little hurty. As of last night I started to puff-out and my impatience tends to grow just before bedtime and The Chief is working on his living room stuntman routine on the pillows, couches and my body (if it gets in the way).

But the truth is, I am in one of the happiest periods of my life.

I am in this sweet holding cell of time. I have no commitments because I knew to wipe my calendar clean for this month. I can stay at home and sit or sleep or eat or just laugh at my children who rotate around me like bouncy planets to the empire sun.

If we want to go out, out we go.

If we want to stay in, there are plenty of projects and Winnie the Pooh to occupy our time.

My wardrobe has been entirely re-outfitted, full of soft, new clothes fit for the post-partum weeks ahead. Even my hair is in total cooperation these days, which is nothing short of a follicle miracle.

Today we went the French bakery to buy pumpkin tarts for our neighbors--which we'll deliver as soon as naptime has concluded. It's cold outside now, but even November's gray palette is inspiring.

My house is clean, organized and bright. We have a kitchen full of food and a fridge stocked with drinks. Friends and family stop by to check in, bearing treats or good will. There are hourly texts on my phone from brothers to editors with jokes and teases. I've had the loveliest notes of encouragement from my inbox to my mailbox from readers all over the world. And there is enough new music in our home to play on night to day thanks to our generous musician friends.

(Including FOUR The Moth & the Flame cds that showed up last night on my doorstep! Thanks management!)

This time around, I am not afraid of these sporadic contractions and welcome them as sensations to be celebrated. I take them as signs of promised progression. My body feels so soft and lovely, full and strong. And the angels have started to make their appearances in my nest. They come after prayers and blessings and stay long into the nights I can't seem to sleep.

That's not to say there aren't moments of intense feeling. Some nights I sob over wanting this period to be over. I want the baby in my arms. I want to smell the head of a freshly newborn and I'm anxious to breastfeed and cuddle and familiarize. I feel the weight of everyone's wait. I know there is anxiety, I know there is worry, but I'm satisfied and peaceful about the where we've been and how we're going on.

This is something infertility taught me: you can't rush a baby.

Until then, party on.


Above: I am showing off my two newest onsies today! The turkey tee comes from the cleverly talented Heather of The Coterie Blog and my newest crush, Alison from The Little Tiny. The other onesie comes from my Australian buddy Sarah Kate Uhe Redux (if you don't know the reference of the print I am not sure we can be friends).

5: Pity Party

Party Four: The Moth & the Flame Concert

Date night: dressing in our basement-Brady-Bunch-inspired guest bedroom.  
Lacy Halftee makes a second appearance.


Still feeling good.

Went on a date with Sarah late last night.

First we went to Sammy's where one can purchase a C. Jane burger, fresh cut fries and pie shakes.

(C. Jane a veggie burger health fans!)

Then we headed over to Velour to catch The Moth & the Flame show. Scott Wiley (Sarah's husband) was playing bass with them for the evening. We were able to catch a few songs from Book on Tapeworm--the opening act--as well.

I tell you what, that was an amazing show. The music was so beautiful I slipped into a late-pregnancy coma of live music ecstasy. I was only sorry Chup wasn't with me, this music reminds me of him, his moody dramatic side that I find so dreamy.


Only to be awakened by Nate on the megaphone.

I desperately wanted to buy the cd at the end of the night but because they had played previously to a sold out crowd on Friday (and had to add this Monday night concert to accommodate more fans) they had gone through hundreds of cds and there were none left to be bought.

I guess I won't have this baby until I can get my hands on a cd. The whole night I said to myself, this is my labor music. THIS IS IT.


 Occidental Saloon, The Moth & the Flame

Party Three: Church (WARNING: SELF ABSORPTION OVERLOAD)

I told Chup that as soon as we flipped the calendar to read NOVEMBER I was taking a maternity leave from church. Not that there is anything wrong with church (I go to church with some of the smartest humans in Mormondom, and I am pretty happy about that) it's just the getting up and getting dressed up and vamped up for a social/spiritual experience that keels me at nine months.

But last night my sister in law Megan of Halftees brought me over their latest creation: lacy Halftees.

Lacy Halftees.

One day last summer I was sitting in my room thinking about how much my wardrobe world has been transformed by the Halftees in my life. Then I thought, what about a lacy Halftee--a Halftee for a more dressy occasion? Then I texted Halftee headquarters and told them my idea. They responded with: Already in the works, a lacy Halftee will be out in the fall.

Isn't that amazing?

Well, I thought it was and I've been waiting patiently for the moment for lacy Halftees to come out. And yesterday they arrived on my doorstep. Only, I had already pledged my leave of absence from church and there was no where else I was planning to go wherein a lacy Halftee would be appropriate. So, to make this intensely interesting story short, my vanity talked me into going to church today so I could step out with my latest accoutrements.

Roll montage of self-portraits me, in lacy Halftee after eating lunch:


Admittedly, I was a little close to the window while taking these pics. The light is really hot on my face. Oh well, for every blown out self portrait up there, there is four more to enjoy! ENJOY!

ENNNNNJOOOOOOYYYYY!

Here's the good news, and there always must be good news.
Halftees is giving my readers 20% from November 14th to November 21st by entering the code: CJANE20
You are very welcome.
*Lacy Halftees come in black and white, long sleeved, XS-XXL
*Code can go to any Halftee shopping, not just the lacy Halftees
*There are also turtleneck Halftees for people who are not sweltering all the time already
*I am sweltering all the time already, thus I prefer lacy Halftees you see

In other (less-offensively self-absorbed) news, tonight my siblings are coming over to plan Thanksgiving. It's going to be at my house. We might substitute my baby for a turkey, depending on how delicious he/she is. Also depending on IF HE/SHE EVER DECIDES TO COME OUT.


p.s. I really do like church. Mom.

Party Two

For my second party trick, I went to the BYU vs. University of Idaho game tonight with my family. It was thirty degrees and I walked all the way to the stadium and back. Sure, on the incline back to my house I wanted to lie down in the fetal position and cry/squat, but I did it. I DID IT!

Me and Lucy pre-game.
(I am wearing no less than seven layers of leggings.)
(I made Lucy zip up my boots for me, it was a tremendous labor of love, one that required her to push and breathe about as much as her last labor and delivery, but at least one of us is doing that sort of activity...)

When I am with these particular siblings I turn back into teasy, silly sister and I laugh uncontrollably.
My brothers are horribly funny. And so is Lucy.

Top row: Andrew, Me, Lucy and Jesse
Bottom: Buggy (who speaks French, oui), Matthew and Lydia.
(we're front rowers)

Meanwhile back at the ranch, Chup put up a huge screen and projected Super Why from his fancy equipment.
My kids are so lucky. Question is, when will they know it?


When I got home I saw that my friend Spencer Hall (@saltcityhoops) had tweeted this tv screen shot.
Not a bad night to be on ESPN, I suppose:


BYU wins it 45 to 7.

In other scores of the day: C. Jane 2, Pregnancy 0.

Weed

Two days ago The Chief looked at me and cocked his head to the side,

"Mom. We have a party and then the baby comes out?"

"Um, sure. Yeah," I replied, trying to understand the context.

Then he cocked his head to the other side and said,

"That's weird."

Except, his "weird" is actually more like "weed."

"That's weed."

I wasn't sure what exactly he was talking about, but I started to think about this concept of Party then Baby.

Party then Baby.

Why not?

I have only had a few contractions, I feel good, I feel like partying.

So today, we went to the zoo. Chup with his camera, The Chief with his light saber, Ever with her hand-me-down puffy jacket, and me with my ten month plus pregnant body.

The zoo is in Salt Lake City. We live about forty five minutes south. Even though we prepared for the drive with movies, we ended up hearing about robots and rockets all the way up thanks to our son who has his head in space most of the time. He kept asking if there were rockets at the zoo.

"No rockets," answered Chup "but there is a train."

"There are rockets on the train?"

"No rockets at the zoo. Not on the train. Not anywhere."

The zoo will not have rockets, Sam I Am.

Ever continued to interrupt the intergalactic conversation with pleas,

"Drink!"

"Snack!"

which I handed to her over my head, behind my seat.

By the time we arrived Ever had eaten most of the allotted snacks and we had failed to assure The Chief that the zoo had nothing to do with Mars.

But we arrived in good spirits.

First the monkeys, then the elephants and down to reptiles.

I started to notice that my children were only mildly entertained by these organisms. We had seen them on tv, in our books and on the iPad, but never in real life. And yet, the real life version didn't seem to tantalize like I thought they would.

But the giraffes.

The giraffes never fail to impress. So we headed down the path towards their lair (lair? habitat? really tall household? I need to Google...) and as we turned the corner, the sun slipped behind a huge tree and we caught a glimpse of the most majestic, rust-colored, giraffe I've ever seen. The specimen was practically glowing with exotica. The view took my breath away.

I looked at my children,

"Look. Look! Oh look!" I said like I was a character in the See Jane Run series.

But I turned to see that The Chief had discovered the equally tall chain linked fence surrounding the animal instead. And just as I was impressed with the giraffe The Chief was mind-blown by the fence and started to climb it.

"Can you see the giraffe?" I asked him as he fixed his Converse in foot holes.

"Mom. Lookame!"

"Look at the giraffe," I replied.

"Mom. Yeah. Lookame. I'm climbing!"

"Just like his father," I mumbled underneath my breath.

Before he could get too high Chup pulled him off and we went in search of the tiger.

Surely the tiger.

The tiger's spot was decorated with pumpkins and in the middle of the patch was one gorgeous, intimidating tiger lying about like a siren on a painter's couch.

"Tiger! Tiger, Ever! Can you see the tiger?"

Of course she could, we were only feet away, Ever safely in her stroller seat.

But next to Ever was a family who had stopped for a snack break. One child was eating a granola bar, the other slurping a sippy cup.

"SNAAAACK!" squealed Ever, her eyes fixated on all that chewing and swallowing.

"The tiger!" I tried again.

But Ever was not having it.

"DRIIIIIIINK!"

At that point I wondered, WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

I thought about my sister Page's children, how they love animals. The house is practically a free petting zoo. Snakes, dogs, cats, turtles, fish, bearded dragons. Her children love animals. They also take horse riding lessons and have a pony. I remember going to the zoo a couple years ago with her children and watched them spellbound as we moved from animal to animal.

My children? Meh.

We spent more time watching a front end-loader scoop and dump dirt at the construction site next to the elephant exhibit than we did at any other spot at the zoo. And the climax of the day for The Chief was seeing the gigantic metal ball constructed for the monkeys.

"LOOK AT THAT BALL! IT'S HUGE!" He screamed. Never mind the hilarious monkey business going on inside that ball.

And Ever's favorite part of the day was finding some left-over Halloween candy in the stroller's pockets.

"CAAAANY!"

Then I looked at Chup, he was fixated on his camera and getting pictures. And I spent more time thinking about what we could eat after the zoo than about the animal intrigue. And it made sense.

Page loves animals and she passed that on to her children.

Chup loves gadgets, machines and things that go and he passed that on to The Chief.

I love food and I passed that on to my Ever.

And so it goes.

After the zoo we warmed up at our favorite downtown German eatery Siegfield's. Over a hot plate of spatzel and drink Ever blossomed right up.

And I caught The Chief prowling around in the booth we were sitting in, completely enraptured in some imaginary world.

"Are you . . . a . . . tiger?" I ventured to guess, though I sincerely doubted my son would play pretend about the animal kingdom. I could only hope our day at the zoo opened some door into my son's interests.

Then he turned his head towards me in a mechanical gesture. His eyes blinked slowly.

"Oh I get it," I said to him. "You're a robot tiger."

"Yes" he replied in his robot voice and resumed prowling.

I didn't say what I was thinking,

That's weed.

One party down . . .

Same As It Ever Was

Last night Chup and I were discussing all the important things like,

are we ready for the labor?

are we ready for three children?

in general, do we know what we are doing?

which of course we concluded with,

no, not really and HELP US, SOMEONE FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING HOLY IN THE UNIVERSE OF LOVE.

Then today as we were driving to dinner,

(some people MAKE dinner, we DRIVE to dinner)

we passed the location where Chup asked me to be his bride and I said to him,

"who said that Christopher Kendrick could marry Courtney Clark and who told them they could have three children, a house and an SUV?"

which he responded with huge eyes that read,

"I HAVE NO IDEA."

and then I thought about those Talking Heads lyrics,

And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house
with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself
Well....how did I get here?

and the only answer I've got is:

by the grace of God.

If You're Checking In To See If I've Had My Baby . . .

I have not.



But I have had:
-two slices of pumpkin pie with slightly frozen whipped topping which had that hot/cold combination that tricks the tongue and flatters the taste buds. Chup made me into a whipped topping fan, my favorite being the old fashioned heavy whipping cream we beat in the Kitchenaid with sugar and vanilla.


- a slightly awkward nursing bra fitting wherein I spent this baby's college tuition on two bras that will likely be my constant companions for the next year. Size: TITANIC.

-a number #10 from Firehouse. Burn Notice! That sandwich is so tasty!
(That's Ever above eating her Smokehouse BBQ chips from Firehouse in the backseat.)
(I am in no way being paid for his plug of Firehouse or Smokehouse BBQ chips, nor am I being paid to be Ever Jane's mother, though all three could warrant an investigation into WHY NOT?)


-a date night with Chup to Topher's My Fair Lady at the Hale Center Theater and a plate of colorful sushi after (I've eaten sushi with all my pregnancies, calm down 'enry 'iggins).

-temptations to take that castor oil cocktail.


-a morning shopping spree to buy those much-needed after-birth clothes that say "GIVE ME A BREAK! I JUST HAD A BABY!" and which include sweats, large t-shirts and housecoats my grandmother loved.

-about five break downs. Mostly of the senseless variety.

-a welcome party for the snow collected on my front lawn like the frozen whipped topping on my pumpkin pie (see connection, above).

-a good conversation with my mom in St. Louis who assured me she was late with all nine babies and how each baby, no matter what, was a different birthing experience and ultimately, there's nothing you can do about it. (Note: I love it when people give me permission to release control. I'd like to hire someone to do this as a full-time position. WHO NEEDS A JOB?)

-had a funny conversation and a Mexican Hot Chocolate delivered piping to my front door via the Wileys. If you're thinking, Man, she's writing a lot about food in this post! it's because what else do I got at this point?

It's food and waiting, friends. Food and waiting.

Until next update . . . I love what you're wearing right now.


I'd like to dedicate this intriguing post to four of my facebook friends who so generously gave to our Rooftop Concert Kickstarter fund (YOU CAN STILL DONATE! GO HERE!)


Heather Hatch Ellis a photographer and designer. Now offering HOLIDAY CARDS!

Lynora Eichner the fabulous LLC in Alaska!

Jeanne McLaughlin Putnam in Colorado, who lives with three really handsome boys.


Erica Johns from SUPER MOMS HEALTH AND WELLNESS! 
Erica wants to sweeten the deal, so here's the deal:
SHOP at supermomshealthandwellness.com
LEAVE A NOTE AT CHECK OUT about being a C. Jane reader or a fan of the Rooftop Concert Series
10% OF YOUR TOTAL ORDER will go to help support the Rooftop Concert Series!

Thanks Friends!