A wish and a request

First off, scroll down and read the goings on of our family this last little bit.

Today is Aaron's birthday. In the midst of the gratitude season, I am indeed grateful for him. Like today when he loaded Anna in the car for me when I took Harris to school or how Saturday he did all the dishes and cleaned the kitchen while I went to get a hair cut. Also, he will always get the good ice from Smith's for me. I know, as most of us who have been in my present state, that this last bit is just as hard on the Daddy to be as the Mom to be. I am not always the best sport. Yet, Aaron has been, sweet, kind, observant, and helpful. I am so lucky to have grown with him in love.

Now a request: We are now narrowed down to three names for this baby boy, I think. If you would be so kind as to give us your vote it would be helpful. It seems to change day to day what one is my favorite but, with d-day approaching we need to give this boy some identity. So here are your three choices:

John Preston Nydegger (we'd call him Jack)

Henry John Nydegger

William John Nydegger (we'd call him Will)

Other suggestions will be considered.

Revived at Last

**It took me a week to get this post together. Enjoy, even though it is a bit belated

I decided it was about time a brought my blog back from hibernation. I think my state as an incubator has been an excuse long enough. I mean, it seems in my efforts to hurry this along, I have stopped even considering posting anything. Not our autumn jaunts or our Halloween haunts, not even that I have a son who is now in double digits. Scary thought. If you haven't hit this stage, this is all I have to say, frightening. It is probably his entering a new decade in his life that has made me realize how time doesn't wait. As much as I want it too, it doesn't pay mind to my heeds. So as all these thoughts have been floating through my pregnancy foggy brain, I decided November was as good as time as any to resuscitate my record keeping. So, to start this off in seasonal fashion, gratitude is on the menu. Which reminds me, I do have a recipe blog that I might actually have to use the paddles to get its heart humming again. So don't click on the link quite yet, but soon, because I have a few yummy things I've wanted to share.

Browsing through the photos we have taken this past month, I realized that at no other time am I more grateful for the change of season. Fall, even in the third trimester of pregnancy, is blissful. Maybe I should say fall makes all the heat and dizziness vanish and leaves a pregnant woman feeling refreshed. So, walk along side us as we frolicked in the crisp fall air. Excuse the order, apparently I have forgotten all my blogging skills.

He won this game where they had to find all the gummy worms in a plate of whip cream....so proud a mother was I.

My Cinderella. Apparently, my Indiana Jones was too busy for any photo ops. He looked great.

Went to a darling pumpkin patch with lots of these. This is my fave.

Harris and his Deathstar cake, hmmm. I can't believe he is ten!

Hanging out at wheeler farm, loving this picture. Not loving how BIG my tikes are.

Hiking in Adam's Canyon on Sunday Afternoon, not the most flattering picture of moi, but the view is spectacular.

Hand Holding

Walking into Walmart I tell Anna:

"You need to hold some one's hand in the street."

Without her immediate compliance I grasp her arm. I look to realize that she is holding someones hand. She is holding her own.

I guess I need to specify that the hand holdee should be at least nine years old and separate from your own self.

I must go now because she is now throwing me my fifth birthday party today. My birthday is four months away, so you all know.

July debriefing

Just to inform you all that we have be busy with many things. Maybe not overly busy. Maybe just busy enough that blogging has reached a record low. We are enjoying sleeping in and not having much of a schedule to the day. My belly is blossoming and #3 seems to enjoy its roominess. Yet, we have found time to do a few things in our spare time.

This little girl will keep her title as princess of the house as we found out that The baby that resides in my middle is a boy. We are all excited to see him in December. He seems quite content in his current accomidations and is even grinning at the fact.

We did some of this to reminisce. Harris opened a detective agency in our garage. He'll solve any case for a dollar a day. So far it hasn't been too lucrative. Also, he is now taken all decisions on his under clothing. Boxers have found their place on the back to school shopping list.

Goatee anyone? Jury is still out on that. Got to love the vanity though.

We marched and ran. Harris ran his second 5K with me and did great.

That concludes our monthly debriefing with high hopes to getting back to weekly ones. Just remember boy, beard and boxers and all is well.

Almost a Decade

Dear Son,

I have to apologize for telling you to act you age. You do and you do it very well. You are very good at pointing out when I mix up words or when my grammar isn't spot on. As all nine year old boys do, as I am told, you are excellent on taking things literally. I might tell you to wait a second so you count to one and then insist that you have waited the allotted time and are ready to be served. Yet in all that nineness I am glad you can now be home for a short while. I will restrain from smothering you in kisses when you make an airplane out of an upside down picnic table for your sister. Sometimes you might forget to use the volume switch on your voice, I know it is hard to do when Indiana Jones is about to discover the secret treasure. No matter what dirt, grime, and grease is on your skin and clothes it is you that I am thrilled to see. So, go on and be nine for, in a few years I'll wish you back where you are now. It is twelve I really fear.

I'm back

So I am back. It might of seem that some how my new adventure in gestating has torn me from my blog. In truth, it did. I was sick. I was tired. As soon as I saw the end of the nausea roller coaster, I got a cold. Yes, my nausea gave a welcome wave goodbye, and in marched a sore, raw throat and a sinus infection. Luckily I was on the mend when we headed off to California last week. So, feeling a surge of energy returning I felt ready to spend two days in the car, and two more days at Disneyland. So some of you know, this is not the first time that maternal bliss has graced me when at the Magic Kingdom. Three years ago the little girl I waited an hour and half to see princesses with, was in my womb. It is fate. If my family, my extended family, plans a trek to Anaheim include a little fetus tagging along in my belly who must be apart of the action. Knowing how much Anna loved all the sights, sounds, and friends at the Park, all seemed to make sense to me. If you are born into my family, have my parents as grandparents, and my mom's parents as great-grandparents, you must love Disneyland. It is a true and verified equation.

Whenever I go to California I think of them, my grandparents, and our many trips to see them. The long hot car rides, broken down air conditioning, Billy Joel and the Beach Boy tapes all swarm to my memory. We would swim in their pool and drink orange juice from the carton. The orange juice being significant because when you come from a family of ten, orange juice is only served on special occasions and in concentrate form. Yet to me, it was just a California thing. I think of them re-living our trips to Disneyland with us the day after our visit. They lived few miles from the park but, our experiences seemed to refresh their excitement for the magic that Disney holds. So, as we sat eating cupcakes, we really did this, for my nephew's birthday near their grave sites, my mom phrased it right, you could see Grandpa sitting in a chair just watching the action with his clear eyes and big smile. I couldn't help but place them in the same spot in heaven watching us that week, so proud of their progeny. Proud as they always told us they were. Sometimes I wish that David Harris and Anna Katherine could have known the lines where their names originated. Yet, as I watched the joy that they held, I knew that part of them knew what it all meant.

So if you care to divulge further after my personal mutterings, here is a bit of a photo journal of our trip.

"Be-bo," Anna, and Harris. She wouldn't move from that spot.

Harris's traditional Sword and the Stone Picture, with the addition of a sister that had to be part of the action.

Go figure, Anna gives Mr. Incredible a big hug and then is hesitant about hold his black glove.

Handy Mandy, we didn't know until we went to CA. Yet, now he graces all conversations. This one's for you Anna.

So we are a bit backward, my blogger skills aren't up to par. This is on the Mark Twain on the evening of the first day. Both kids fell asleep, before we left the Disneyland Parking Complex.

Our one family photo. Also, the first picture where baby 3 is trying to get in the action. So Soon. Really?

So Anna decided that these rocks were worth visiting. Also, dancing in the way of foot traffic was essential.

Belle, after a rousing conversation about Tinkerbell with our own little princess.

On the Jungle Cruise with Peter and Uncle Brady. Note: the Jungle cruise was the best capture attraction. Aaron was a bit picture happy.

Anna rode the carousel three times and probably could have many more.

Another long wait to capture this lasting Memory. Tinkerbell, Anna, and another Fairy whose name slips my memory.

Oh Minnie, this hug is worth the half hour wait. Really!

Anna and Cousin Levi. I think they might be thinking about the hefalumps too. A bit daunting for the toddler set.
Anna's one wish, other than seeing Minnie Mouse, was to ride Dumbo, here is me, my mom and Anna.
Anna with one of her maps, in their ingenious shirts Aunt Ishuan designed.

Look at the joy on Harris face that he is posing with Goofy. Pure joy. Despite her turned head, Anna was in heaven.

So a little explanation

If I haven't lost my full three people fan base, I will give you a little excuse for my absence.

I have been gestating and to save me from ruining my own surprise, my typing fingers have been hibernating. This hibernation also might have something to do with needing a daily nap as much as Anna and being moderately nauseous. As my first trimester is winding down, I am committed to document my life in the way that I do.

I look at this picture daily in amazement remembering the pulsating heart chambers. The hope I found in a similar pulsation more than three years ago, that I could reproduce again. Anna was sick last week and is I felt that pulse that I thought of her moment, I thought of Harris when his sonar heart echoed in a room, and I thought of the determined healthy embryo I hold. I cry a lot these days. More than with the other two. Not full out sobs and not angry tantrums about not being able to make it all the way through the grocery store without my stomach rising to my throat, but I tear up. Water pools in my eye ducts. I see Anna peddle her bike down the sidewalk, I tear up. I hear Harris practice his lines for his play, I tear up. I hear the occasional giggles as they spend a lazy Saturday morning together, and I am a goner. I probably would have cried more before if I would have known at the starting line about how full my life was to be . How Aaron, I and God's infinite grace would create three heart beats to give rhythm to our lives. I am truly blessed.