The boy.

Booker is much bigger. I suppose that is what happens over a few weeks. Six weeks. Have a look.

Llego.

Booker David Downs
Born: November 11, 2010 at 4:23 pm
Heavy and long. 8 pounds, 13 ounces; 21 inches.
Big eyes, spider monkey hands, boats for feet.
Absolutely the most perfect thing either of us have ever done.

Frodo saved more than just Middle Earth

Since our early days of courtship my wife has a habit of falling asleep during movies at home. Initially I was disappointed at finishing movies all by myself, especially when the movie in question was suggested by the sleeper in question. It didn't seem fair that if we were going to watch a period drama about the Trujillo dictatorship (In the Time of Butterflies), I end up the only witness to the traumatic murder of Salma Hayek's character. Marc Anthony's Lio? By all means. Rewind and rewind once more.

These experiences, and others like them made movie-watching seem like a bizarro version of sleepover where the last one awake was actually the loser.

With time, however, I have learned to suggest that a given movie would be cool for the both of us to see, knowing all along that it was a movie I wanted (next up: Tron). The disappointment is all but gone.
But now deception is unnecessary. In response to Jessica's persistence (which will likely aid in her childbirth), we began watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy on a nightly basis. The EXTENDED version at that. And does she sleep? Negative. She even asks questions:

-"Now who did the dwarves awake in the mines of Moria?"

- "Who are the Urukai?"

-"Did Arwyn just give up her immortality to Aragorn?"

I think it is also helping Jess overcome her fear of Gollum, which means I will be able to impersonate him freely by the end of the trilogy, an ability which up until this point has left me laughing but without affection from my wife.
I wouldn't have guessed that J.R.R. Tolkien would bring us closer as a couple.

But I am grateful.

And for his helping convert C.S. Lewis back to Christianity.

Some funny things about big, round bellies

Sitting with Josh in my midwives' office today, waiting for my turn to hand over SIX vials of blood, we perused the "Buyer's Guide" for Pregnancy and Newborn: like Skymall, only slightly more pornographic. And for moms. I stand in awe at the products available to expecting mothers. See for yourself:


Amazing, all the activities a nursing mother can do while providing sustenance for her child.
http://www.mom4life.com/catalog.php?item=530



A bronze cast of the belly, perfectly tuned to the lovely chime of a bell. You can listen on their website.
http://mamasbelly.com/


"To prevent cleavage wrinkles." That's how they advertise.

http://kushsupport.com/


Just a few ideas for all you expecting fathers, and mothers...and baby-shower-gift buyers.
Weird.


As a side note, here is another very strange thing:

Wouldn't that belly be lovely cast in bronze? Ding!

Noble Parents.

Have you ever seen a more beautiful woman? And a good man, who loves that woman? That's my mom. And the other one's my dad. And they are both so good and brave.

Gift Exchange.

In the Mortensen family, we have somewhat of a hierarchy of gifts. It looks something like this:

1. Something found on clearance that the giver couldn't pass up because it was too good of a deal. Only given to the receiver because his/her birthday was next in line.
   
2. Coupons made in Primary (thoughtful, but never very good on the follow-through)
3. Something special picked out expressly for the receiver. Like bikes. Or bike gear. That's always a hit.
   
4. Homemade presents: slideshows, picture frames, etc. (3 and 4 are somewhat interchangeable)
   
5. Organs.

Today, Mom gets to join Dad in proffering what has only been proffered once before: an organ. The greatest of all gifts in the gift exchange hierarchy. She and Dallas just went in for the grand kidney swap, leaving Dad with one, Mom with one, and Dallas with four. Hopefully this one sticks. It's a big, little-bit-scary day in New York City.

Sea Monkeys

For the longest time I felt like what was happening inside my body was something comparable to what happens with this time-tested "bowlfull of fun." Turns out, it is even more incredible!


Here is our little Sea-monkey:













He looks like he might be enjoying the womb.

4 posts in one day

We don't have internet hooked up just yet, so I am posting 4 times today...and this is the last one, which, consequently, will be the first you read. This week I will hit the 5 month mark of this wild pregnancy. These months are much more fun than the first 4. Just yesterday Josh felt the little Buster rolling around for the very first time. That was a big deal. It's very strange to feel that rumbling, and to try to conceptualize the idea that there is a human in there. Or perhaps an alien? I guess we won't know for sure until November. The ultrasounds don't do much to help his case. Here is his spaceship:

Bikes.

It seems like moving bikes to a new house that is only a few short miles away would be fairly easy. Not when you have this many:
Plus a few extras that didn't make it in the photo. Our method:

Thank you Houston Mormon missionaries.

What to do when mutual is cancelled

What do we do when the rains are torrential and the adults cancel mutual? We invite the adults who live close-by to come eat the sushi we were going to make. And, because many of those adults are also involved in the youth program, we get pizza as a side dish. A perfect combination.


Pizza, sushi, and a rainy day: all components of entertaining our very first guests in our new little house.

The Way I Choose Things

Josh and I just broke free of our lease, leaving behind our 400 square foot apartment that was advertised as "like living in a treehouse" (this couldn't have been more true). As much as we admired the lack of parallel lines, uninsulated walls, and poor circulation, we thought it was about time to venture on to something a little more comfortable. Our checklist included, but was not limited to:

• central air/heat
• laundry
  
• a dishwasher would be nice
  
• 2 bedrooms
• windows that open (insane how much we missed those)
• insulation
• storage for our bikes

We accomplished finding a place that included 4 of those seven requisites. Why was I so willing to overlook the top three? Behold:

Cabinetry with glass panels.



Outside the kitchen window: our neighbor's yard.



Retro ceiling fans.


Built-in bookshelf.



I liked this cupboard in the bathroom.



And...glass door knobs. This was the real kicker.

So I overlooked the rest, and a few other things...
An irreparably rusty porcelain sink with 2 spickets: one for hot water, the other for cold.


Linoleum. Awful linoleum (but only in the kitchen and baby/guest room)



Drainage.

And again.

A funky little abode, but even the quirks are fairly charming. And here's the last photo: from the front door to the very back room. Shotgun style.