viewing

Hubby and I went to see the Sherlock Holmes movie this evening. I am a huge Holmes fan. I read the complete works in high school, and I don't mind rereading a story now and then. Lately I've been reading some on the Kindle app for the iPhone while I sit in the dark comforting my teething baby.

I really enjoyed the movie. I'm predisposed to be optimistic anyway, but I still liked it! I felt that we got the spirit of London at the time. I just love all the bustling horse drawn cabs down dark alleys. So Holmes. I loved how science prevailed. I loved how they drew out the Holmes/Watson relationship, which I think is the hardest part of adapting the book. It's hard to figure out. Holmes is a jerk and Watson takes it? Not really. But they are good friends. I also like how they pointed out that Watson's bride is supportive of Watson's carmarderie with Holmes, because that's something I noticed on a recent reread. Another thing I liked about the movie is that it wasn't about Moriarity vs Holmes. (mostly) Which I think would've been too cliched of a Holmes movie. And I loved the actors: Robert Downing Jr and Jude Law made a great Holmes and Watson.

One thing I did not like was all the fighting. Holmes did like to box, but he really is about the cerebral, not the visceral. And he's always getting into fistfights in the movie. I realize that Holmes sitting on a cushion and thinking all night doesn't really sell at the box office like Holmes whoopin' some you-know-what. But that's my take.

I hope they make a sequel, because they certainly left it open for one. (*cough* Moriarty)

nucular

waning

passion

maverick

doggoneit

extra credit

beacon

oh, and did I say, maverick?

You can watch the documentary, The Business of Being Born, free-streaming online: here.

I've already written about it. But I thought I'd put in an extra plug. Upon rewatching it, I'd highly recommend it to women are pregnant for their first time (or any time!) or wanting to become pregnant, because it really goes into the choices you have and gives clear information that your doctor might not be as forthwith about (like about Pitocin and stuff).

My two cents.

Anyway, I rewatched it this weekend hoping it would be a little pep rally, but it wasn't really. I'm trying to take each day at a time.

Reminding myself that weeks of prelabor will probably hold me in good stead at the end. In the meantime, I'm very tired. And thankful for all the graciousness friends and family are bestowing upon me.

I went to my friend's annual Oscar party last night after church. This year I had seen all of one nomination...Ratatouille. haha. Yea, so our life is currently a little Pixar heavy. I usually watch the Oscars to see what came out last year. This year, I actually didn't want to see too many of them. I do want to see Juno and La Vie en Rose and that other French one Becki recommended to me.

So i go to the party for the food, fellowship, and one-liners. I was really too tired this year, though, and by the end of the day, I'm too uncomfortable to really ignore my discomfort. But I had a good time. I'm so paying for my late night today, though. Ugh.

Nothing struck me particularly about anyone. Jon Stewart was sort of funny. Some of the dresses were okay. But I didn't notice anything particularly striking.

Helen Mirren gets the Classiest Person Award.
Tilda Swinton gets the I Wore a Black Garbage Bag to the Oscars Award.
Cate Blanchett gets the Classiest Pregnant Woman Award.
All hail independent musicians who make it!!
And congrats to the Coen brothers for getting a shelf full.

Hooray for non-Americans/non-native-English speakers getting up there! I really think they should just speak their own languages. It would do our isolated continent some good. And do they have to point out that Penelope Cruz can speak 4 languages every year?

And why didn't Paris, Je t'aime get nominated for anything? seriously baffling.

Alright. 'Til next year.

(Originally uploaded by hbomb1947)

Ellis didn't have school today, for President's Day. It also turned out to be a really nice day, and I was feeling pretty good, no doubt thanks to the wonderful nap I had yesterday. So I decided to take him to the Art Museum again. I wanted to go in the morning while he was still somewhat fresh, but we didn't get off until around 11. I didn't have high expectations, but I thought he might enjoy it a little. He enjoyed about 5 paintings, a sculpture of a duck, and a small pool and fountain in a room full of Cezanne, Van Gogh, and the south of France. But that's why I finally bought my membership today, so that we could enjoy the museum five paintings at a time. In the room with the small fountain, he sat on a bench for a long time looking the water.

Eventually, I put him on my back in the Beco and was free to linger over these beautiful tapestries in the modern art collection.

But a security guard came up to me and said that it's against museum policy to allow children in back carries. WHAT!? Even though I can understand a tiny bit (it's harder for parents to monitor wandering, tiny hands programmed to explore when little ones are on the back) I'm really annoyed. This will drastically alter how I pictured my museum experience for the next few months. Oh well. Five paintings at a time, five paintings at a time. Just have to really come to terms with that. Maybe I'll go back and look at the tapestries when he's in school.

The day was gorgeous, though, we really should have gone to the zoo. After I left in my Beco-rejected huff, we ate lunch outside on a park bench by the river next to some boat houses. The sun was warm and lots of bikers, joggers, and dogs passing by entertained Ellis much more than Cezanne did. We walked around the grounds, and he was elated by the waterfalls and ran around in the false spring euphoria with his arms outstretched like the seagulls.

This afternoon Chris and I went to see a showing of the documentary I mentioned a little while ago, The Business of Being Born. It actually was a little better than I thought it would be. I knew it would be polemical and emotional, and it was those things--how could it not be? childbirth is a powerful, emotional experience. It was also informative, balanced, and moving.

The film opened with some shocking statistics: did you know, for instance, that of all countries in the western, developed world?
* the U.S. has the second worst infant mortality rate
* the U.S. has a 30% C-section rate (read 1 out of 3 women) compared to other western country's 5%
and
* and in other western countries 1/3 of births are homebirths, compared to the U.S.'s 1%

The film followed the pregnancies and births of a few women, included conversations with OBs, midwives, and midwifry celebs like Ina May Gaskin and Michel Odent, and incorporated a brief history of OB practice in America.

American women simply don't have good information about childbirth, and that is what the film really addresses. An intervention-free, natural childbirth is going to be safest for mother and baby in 90% of pregnancies. But the average American woman doesn't have the information of what she can do and is instead fed fear. For the remaining percent for whom intervention is necessary, the film has a beautiful, moving section that incorporates that, but the decision for intervention was a very well-informed decision. The film was about the need to have good information, and not to let insurance companies or doctors who are trained surgeons or the fear of litigation to get in the way of what millions of women having been doing for thousands of years.

Netflix will release the DVD on Feb. 26, and I highly recommend putting it on your queue. It was a beautiful film. (And a good pep rally for me as I'm feeling a bit down in the doldrums of mid-pregnancy.)

as seen at in process

How awesome yoga is!!! Seriously! Where has this been all my life!?

I've been wanting some kind of exercise thing I can do for this pregnancy, but have had so much back pain that even taking walks sounded overwhelming. And I'm not really in a position to go joining gyms or classes. Someone recommended this dvd: Prenatal Yoga. And it has been so fantastic!! I can actually do it. There's no one shouting beats to you as you try to do those dreadfully coordinated aerobic workouts (right, I mean, left, no right!!AGH!). I love that it points out helpful things for dealing with pregnancy ailments (e.g. this stretch will help with digestion) and for future labor (e.g. this will help to relax and open the birth canal). You can pick your own pace and don't have to do every position the whole way, start where you feel comfortable. And the other thing I'm really loving is practice breathing, because I know this will benefit me in labor. You can't just say, "yea, when I'm labor, I'll breathe through contractions." I really need to practice to get my breathing discipline up. And then, the practice ends in relaxation. This is totally my kind of exercise. I can do it, I don't have to be perfect, I'm not sore, and it feels great!

On my dvd there's a relaxing practice and an energizing practice. I've been doing the relaxing one every evening, but I wanted to do the energizing one in the morning, which is a little easier said than done with toddler around. Some mornings he's at school, which is fine, but the other day, when he was home, I thought I'd see how far I could get. Ellis was hilarious! He plopped down right on the floor next to me and started doing it, too!!! I wasn't getting much focus in because of laughing so hard. There is nothing like seeing him whip off his shoes and socks, clasp his dimpled hands around his cute bare feet, and wiggle his bum trying to do the butterfly pose. We got about half-way through the practice before he gave up and started climbing all over me. I don't know if he thought we were doing a way-more-fun version of Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes or what.

The new documentary film, The Business of Being Born, looks very interesting. I hope it will raise awareness in our country of the many ridiculous birth practices that are so unnecessary most of the time (umm..convenience C-sections!? routine pitocin?!), of the incredible, SAFE thing called giving birth.