What Did You Call Her? (Updated)

Looks like we need the combined wisdom of our blog-reading public to elucidate. The issue: What does that name that Clara calls my mom mean? Ever since my mom arrived on Monday, Clara has been calling her something between Moda, Modo, and Mordoh.

Update: Here's video of her saying the word in question.


I've figured out a couple of explanations. Let me know in the comments which you think it is.

#1 - She's actually saying 'Mordor'. Grandma's all-seeing eye is cast over the family. Is Grandma evil? Is she obsessed with power? Is Sally the modern version of the Middle Earth name Sauron? Is Little Clara channeling the opinions of her namesake? And will she know if you voted for this one and turn that eye toward you? What about the Nazgûl?

#2 - She's done what she does with lots of words, smacked it up, flipped it, and combined the words Mommy and Daddy to form Moda. Monday when we picked my Mom up at the airport, Kristin explained that Grandma is Daddy's Mommy. Clara immediately picked up and called her "Daddy Mommy". Clara will sometimes flip words around - a cup if called a "p-uh" - and she could be shortening and combining "Daddy's Mommy" to Moda.

#3 - She's thinking of Michael and affecting a New York accent. If this is the case, how long until I'm Fadduh?

So, vote in the comments. #1 - Mordor. #2 - Moda. #3 - Mudduh.

Mmmm, Donuts

I'd like to bear my testimony of donuts. I know they are true.

When first we moved to Provo one of my classmates, Dave, mentioned a small bakery in Provo at 100 N 200 E. He and his wife used to live near there and would go every couple days.

The Saturday before Easter I was driving home from running an errand, was winding through the smaller streets in Provo, and decided to stop at the bakery. After a quick orientation from one of the employees, I walked out with a Buttermilk Bar, two Chocolate Frosted Custard Filled, and an orange muffin for Clara. On the way out the door I noticed they had beautiful rolls. I asked the girl who had helped me how they were. (She had recommended the Buttermilk Bar.) She went over to a tray, grabbed a roll, and handed it to me. It was delicious.

The donuts were amazing. I love small-town bakeries. I have fond memories of Dale's Donut Factory in Michigan where I first tasted a Buttermilk donut. The buttermilk bar at the Provo Bakery is equally amazing. Every time I've been back I purchased at least one.

We are heading up to Park City today to hit the outlet malls. Carters is calling Kristin and I need some clothes for my internship. On the way, we stopped by the bakery. Mom came in with me and found it's simple homeyness charming. Not a big donut fan, Mom willing tried everything we bought and ended up LOVING the Buttermilk Bar! The apple fritter, maple bar, and chocolate-frosted custard filled were tasty as always.

Next time you're in town, I'll take you by.

My First Prayer

Here's a picture of me outside standing on my favorite mechanical cover. I always go stand over here when we go outside.

Oh, I have something to tell my Blog-adoring Public. Today I did something very special. I said my first prayer all by myself! Mommy and Daddy have been helping me say my prayers. When I pray I always say, "Bless Paw Paw," (Grandpa, Mommy's Daddy) and I say, "Bless Michael." I also say, "Bless Mama," "Bless Dada," and "Bless Anna."

Today Daddy starting telling me the things to pray and I realized, "Hey, I know what to do!" So I said, "Bless Paw Paw. Bless Michael. Name. Jesus. Christ. Amen."

Mommy and Daddy freaked out. Daddy gave me a big hug and had a big smile on his face. Mommy almost cried. I guess I'm becoming a big girl.

This Is How I Like To Sleep

Hello? Is this thing on? Since this is my first post on the blog, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Anna Katherine. I'm one month old. I have brown hair with highlights (every needs highlights in Utah County). I like sleeping, kicking, and sometimes eating. Though right now it gives me heartburn.

I have a big sister, who is very soft and nice to me. She loves holding me on her lap. I like her a lot. She's going to be the best big sister a girl can have.

This evening Mommy lay me down on a blanket. I rolled into a position that was comfortable for me. This is what it looked like.

Mommy and Grandma think it looks uncomfrotable. I wonder why.

The New Wei

This afternoon, after helping my buddy Paul move his stuff into our garage for the summer, we piled everyone in the car to head over the point of the mountain and through the burbs to collect Grandma at the airport.

A group of starving people decided that dinner in Salt Lake would be a good idea. Before dinner, we stopped by Cummings to get Kristin a push present. Yeah for a two-pound box.

We drove by Grandma's Grandma's house on our way to Chipotle in Sugarhouse. As we stood ready to walk in to Chipotle Kristin's eagle eye spotted:

PEI WEI!!! How I adore Pei Wei. After a quick call to the restaurant to make sure they don't use peanut oil, we went over. Lettuce Wraps, Honey Chicken, Honey Shrimp, and Mongolian Beef were the order of the night. I don't remember the Mongolian Beef being that amazing. It had a strong, grilled flavor with a delicious sauce. Clara kept stealing my rice - she loves the stuff - and didn't want to stay at the table. Remind me to never take a two and a half-year-old to a restaurant again.

Why don't we have any good restaurants in Provo? Kristin will only tolerate the sketchy Chinese Buffet every once in a while. Sigh. I miss good food.

Blogging During Church

I taught Gospel Doctrine today. The lesson was on the Law of Consecration. There were a couple of rough spots, but overall it went well. How can you hate on a discussion of the Law of Consecration that contains references to Ayn Rand. I so rock.

Now I'm sitting in Priesthood and we are discussing Elder Hales' talk on Provident Living. What makes this lesson so blog-worthy?

References to M.C. Hammer by a class member and Vanilla Ice by the teacher (the Quorum President).

Um, cold

It's really cold out here. 59 degrees cold. It amazes me how different Clara's play is now that she is six months older. Can you believe that? It's been six months since I have come to the playground with her. I no longer have to hover over her. She's much more capable of playing.

As evidenced by the picture below. I guess if there is no one else here we don't have to worry about some kid smashing into her as she tries to climb UP the slide.

"Can I Hold The Baby?"

Joshie asked this no less than 20 times during our two-hour visit. He is very enamored of Anna. It was sweet to see.

Hmmm, Heidi and Dave. An arranged marriage?

Dress Up

On our way home from dropping Aunt Melissa off at the airport we stopped by to see Heidi & Dave. The Claras had a great time dressing up, while the parents talked and talked and talked and talked. Where did my little girl get the gene for tiaras and pearls, purses and ball gowns?

Eye Open

Every time Clara sees Anna awake she says, "Eye open.". Here is a
picture from playtime this morning.

Happy Easter...Belatedly

So sorry for the lack of posts, but Miss Anna's arrival happened to coincide with a busy time of the semester. With finals looming and a job search in full swing, Dad has been busy and Mom...well, Mom has been tired. Really, really tired. Comes with the territory, right?

Anyway, I thought I'd take the two minutes when both kids are in their cribs to post a couple of pictures from Easter. I thought about doing an egg hunt for Clara, but quickly came to my senses and realized that the two-year-old wouldn't care. So we just did very simple Easter baskets instead and took some pictures outside. The contents of Clara's basket (some jelly beans and Smarties...no milk chocolate bunnies for my dairy-allergic child) were enough to keep her happy and on a sugar high for quite some time Sunday afternoon.

This little chunk seems to have a perma-scowl:


Someone thinks she's a sly one, sneaking off with two Easter baskets:


Daddy cuddles are the best:


Aided and abetted by her father:


Sisterly love (really, Clara does love the baby a lot...maybe too much. But that's a whole post in itself.):


Grandma's package arrived today, and this is what happened with the sheet of stickers when Mom tried to look over some hospital bills. I should have known it was too quiet:

Cookie Cutter Babies

Evidently we only know one way to make them. Brown hair (yes, brown, despite Oliver's fears of a red-headed child), chubby cheeks, and oh-so yellow skin.

Actually, fluorescent orange might be a better way to describe their color during the first few weeks of life. Here is Clara at about four days old:


And here is Anna at about six days old:


(Her skin is actually much, much more orange than it looks in this picture. You can compare her face with part of Oliver's arm and Clara's hand to get an idea of how far from nicely pink-white she really is.)

Anna also seems to be following in her big sister's milk-intolerant footsteps. Not sure if it's truly going to be an allergy or just a sensitivity she'll grow out of over the next few months, but the course of treatment is the same: expensive, stinky hypoallergenic formula. Here's hoping Anna doesn't end up on Neocate like Clara did; our student budget would most certainly not appreciate that.

We'll get some more pictures up soon...I was going to do it now, but the two-year-old with a nasty head cold isn't sleeping and I need to go convince her that it is, in fact, nap time.

A Good Morning

And now it's time for your favorite feature and mine: Ask The New Mom!

Oliver: Welcome, dear blog friends, to another exciting episode of Ask The New Mom. My name is Oliver, the New Dad, and I will be interviewing Kristin, the New Mom.

Oliver: Kristin, how did you sleep last night?

Kristin: I did not.

Oliver: Why not?

Kristin: (Look at the cute baby ballet slippers, actually socks, I bought to dress Anna up in.) Because the bed s*cks.

Oliver: Such course language for a new mom. Or maybe it's because you've just had a baby. You're entitled to such. How is Anna doing?

Kristin: I guess okay. I've hardly seen her much for the past 24 hours. I've had her for less than four or five of the past 24 hours. At most.

Oliver: For those not in the know, why not?

Kristin: Yellow baby. [Editor's note: her bilirubin counts were high yesterday, so she's spending time under the lights.]

Oliver: What is today's update on the bilirubin counts.

Kristin: They're down far enough that she won't need phototherapy. And hopefully she won't anymore.

Oliver: What does that mean for going home?

Kristin: We are. [Editor's note: the bilirubin levels are falling, enough such that we are going home and we'll go in tomorrow morning to get it rechecked. If it goes back up, which isn't expected, they'll probably do a bili-blanket at home.]

Oliver: Why aren't you playing along?

Kristin: I just want to go home.

Oliver: I think this interview is over.

Kristin: Well, we have to feed the baby so we can get her dressed.

I'm getting the sense the interview is done. Thanks to Kristin for being a (somewhat) good sport. I guess she has license; she did just have a baby.