(for the sake of his modesty, we did not print the adorable and unmistakable photo of his manly parts, but it's a boy fer sher!)
This was the most fun ultrasound I have ever had! The baby was cooperative, the technician was totally excellent and professional (and patient), our whole family was there, and the baby is healthy and put together perfectly (so far)...WOO HOO! I even got to watch him scratch his head (fingers! working!) and stretch his legs out straight, alternately. The tech said, "Now he's just putting on a big show, look at that!" Won't be able to do that for long, little man, so enjoy it!
We are all really excited. The girls only had an hour left of school, but they wanted to go back adn show off their pictures of teh baby and tell everyone it's a brother, so I have to go back adn pick them up now. YAY!
Every time I click on my blog (or click back to my blog), the little cartoon baby/fetus always pops up first, before the page changes. It shows up, just bobbing around on someone else's web page for split second and it cracks me up. I hope the real baby is that eager to "pop up" when it's time. And I hope it's not modest during The Big Show (ultrasound) tomorrow.
We're still working on our Time Capsule post, but I thought I'd post some images from our New Year celebrations. I was sicker than sick on New Year's Day, but the family gathered at the boat house for games, puzzles, s'mores, and a run-down of what needs to be done to start the remodeling at the ranch house.
Here Addie, Grandam, Uncle Mike, James, and Heidi do puzzles and party it up in the boathouse.
There's even a TV to watch parades and football games!
Heidi roasting a marshmallow
Heidi, James, and Addie by the fire.
They got the life, mere yards from the Yellowstone River!
*** The night before, we went to the Bates Family party for an hour then came home for our family party--games, TV, treats with the Melins.
Here's James in all his party gear
All three kids ready for midnight--REAL midnight, can you believe? I was already in bed.
Watching the ball drop on the Mountain-Standard-Time replay.
Cheers from Addie! Earlier in teh evening, when Grandpa & Grandma and Mike were still here, we celebrated East Coast New Year, watching the ball drop live on TV...Heidi, James & Addie were just warming up while I was heading to bed!
But not before wishing everyone a fabulous 2011 in my own party gear! :)
We celebrated "East Coast New Year" with our (mine & Jill's) kids at 10pm at my mom's house. Just before the big countdown, we gathered the kids around the table and asked them two questions: (1) What are you going to try to do better in 2010/ How will you try to be more like Jesus? and (2) What's your best memory of 2009? I am posting their answers here so we can look back on them at our 2010 New Years Party, where ever we are. We can check our progress and ask ourselves the same questions every year. If you want to join in (we missed so many of our cousins and would love for you to play along), post your family's answers to these questions as a comment on this post (or send me a link), and we'll all open our 'time capsule' next NYE!
Lyndi Alice, age 10: Be nicer to my siblings. Don't grind my teeth. Heidi Lynn, age 5: Bake cookies for Santa in my Easy Bake. Don't scream in the house. Jack Elliott, age 5: No sucking my fingers. No slamming doors. Addie Rose, age 8: Try not to cry when I get frustrated and say words instead. Do my Faith in God book. Isabelle Marie, age 7.5: Help my mom keep the house clean and give her hugs. James Ole, age 3: "Uhhh...be a SUNBEAM!" (Ben was playing downstairs)
BEST MEMORIES of 2009 Lyndi Alice: Addie's Baptism Addie: My baptism day Isabelle: Grandma Petersen's funeral because now she is back in heaven. Jack: My birthday Heidi: Riding an airplane and other fun stuff. ***
So how did we do, guys?
Heidi did bake lots of cookies in 2010, but she's still screaming in the house, especially lately because she's stir crazy on winter break! But she has been doing much better, so good for you, Lynners.
Addie is doing better expressing her feelings rather than crying, although she's still our most emotional offspring. She has done about a quarter of her Faith in God book but needs to catch up memorizing Articles of Faith.
James has been a great Sunbeam this year!
***
Petersens, leave a comment and tell us how you did. Then on New Year's we'll post our answers/ goals for 2010, okay? Everybody on board? Leave a comment!
Here are the actual Christmas pix of our family. I called this post chaos because that's what I see in the pix--my house has been upside down for a week, but I am trying to enjoy the happy-crazy of being home on Christmas break. On to the photos... Addie opening the first gift of Christmas morning...she and Heidi couldn't WAIT to see what Aunt Lisa sent!
(Santa doesn't wrap at our house, so they had already found and played with their Santa gifts--Wii games, dolls, pillow pets, etc.) This picture is just for Lisa...Heidi opening her beading kit!
James loves this build-a-mighty-machine kit Daddy picked out for him!
Heidi, our animal lover, is thrilled about her new dalmatian furreal puppy.
Grandma Melin made each of the kids one of these adorable frames for their rooms.
James looks excited here, but he'd soon be a little deflated by a new pair of snowpants!
Addie opening her picture from Grandma.
The girls got new dress coats...t
hey look positively Dickensian (1850s London-Chic) in them.
Rich with his new TShirt Quilt
The kids got a telescope from Daddy, but so far its been too overcast to see much.
Rich and I got a pressure cooker from Angie & Davey...
it's FABULOUS!
Here's Addie playing "Babysitting Mama" on the Wii.
Santa wants her to get ready for the new baby!
***
After gifts and cinnamon rolls and playing, we met Gram, Gramp, and Mike at the Community Christmas Dinner. It was delicious and nice to be with our townsfolk on the holiday. We're usually traveling, so it was a nice mellow day!
***
The kids on Boxing Day, on the way to church.
I'm kind of embarassed about how much I like this picture.
My kids are kind of awesome.
***
We had a little "second Christmas" last night (12/28) when we got our gifts from Nana's house
(Matt & Amie went to Utah for Christmas, so mom sent our gifts back up to Helena with them, and Mom & Dad Melin had to go to the VA Hospital in Helena yesterday, so they brought the gifts home for us--thanks to everyone in that chain!!!)
Also, notice we are watching Sixteen Candles on Lifetime. Nice.
Addie
James & Heidi
The kids got together in Heidi's room to play with the cool animals Nana sent...
This morning while Rich was repairing his car, I FINALLY tied his T-Shirt quilt. Back in June I starting stashing away all his old T-shirts and Mom Melin helped me make them into this quilt eventually.There are lots of shirts from BYU-Hawaii and surf shops, 2 from our honeymoon, 2 from our Europe trip, some concert shirts and some Summerfest shirts. A few of his faves were up in the attic (Old concert shirts like Def Leppard and Nirvana, the "These Pretzels are Making me Thirsty" shirt, the George Anderson's Yellowstone Angler shirt that went on everyone's missions...I'm sad I missed them, but there's always another year...)
I also ironed on the kids' school pix from this year and a wedding pic just for fun.
The back is one of those super soft furry blankets from Costco and it's a queen size! It's so warm and snuggly--perfect camping quilt!
Later in the afternoon, we went out to the boathouse at the ranch and made pinecone birdfeeders with Grandma Melin.
While the kids made the feeders, Rich and I talked to the Posties in Australia, who had just finished opening their gifts on Christmas morning down under!
Heidi gave Grandma some stained-glass ornaments we made this morning.
We went out and hung the bird feeders around the ranch.
Birdfeeder on pine tree
James on Daddy
Heidi, Mommy, and Addie walking back to the boathouse
Addie with Elk antlers
Heidi with Elk antlers
***
After the ranch, we all went over to Chico Hot Springs. Everyone went swimming except for me. I stayed in and read and ordered the pizza and salad for dinner!
Heidi swimming
Addie swimming
James with Grandpa and Grandma swimming
Fuzzy Daddy with Addie
Heidi says no to floaties!
James and Daddy enjoying the pool!
***
We came home, opened our new jammies, read the Christmas story, and watched a Finnish movie called "Christmas Story" (we LOVE that movie--add it to you Netflix cue, it's beautiful!). Rich and I just finished our elfing for tonight and we wish you all the merriest Christmas tomorrow (well, it's today in half the country)!!!
Overnight Monday and into Tuesday morning, I was terribly sick. I could barely lift my head, I had thrown up so much I pulled muscles and my throat hurt. There were so many lovely Christmas things I wanted to be doing. By noon, I was feeling really sorry for myself and I laid in bed crying. Then I noticed on my nightstand the gift my friend Debbie had given me the night before. It's the book, "In The Dark Streets Shineth" by David McCullough. I decided to watch the enclosed DVD and it really lifted my spirits. It was so beautiful!
That's only PART of the performance--the other part talks about the song, "I'll Be Home For Christmas", the biggest song of 1942. One thing that struck me is how short and sweet WWII seems now, after being at war for nine years. Not that it wasn't horrible, or even MORE horrible in a lot of ways, but it's just a different perspective than the one I had when I first studied WWII in high school. I was also so moved by the faithful, inspiring words from FDR adn Churchill that Christmas. It would be so lovely to be unified as a nation, to gather together on New Year's Day and ask God to forgive us of our failings and bless us in our endeavors in the new year. Here's a sweet bit from Churchill to ponder this Christmas Eve:
"Here, in the midst of war, raging and roaring over all the lands and seas, creeping nearer to our hearts and homes, here, amid all the tumult, we have tonight the peace of the spirit in each cottage home and in every generous heart. Therefore we may cast aside for this night at least the cares and dangers which beset us, and make for the children an evening of happiness in a world of storm. Here, then, for one night only, each home throughout the English-speaking world should be a brightly-lighted island of happiness and peace.
"Let the children have their night of fun and laughter. Let the gifts of Father Christmas delight their play. Let us grown-ups share to the full in their unstinted pleasures before we turn again to the stern task and the formidable years that lie before us, resolved that, by our sacrifice and daring, these same children shall not be robbed of their inheritance or denied their right to live in a free and decent world.
"And so, in God's mercy, a happy Christmas to you all."
Know what? My home DOES feel like a brightly-lighted isalnd of happiness and peace. Yay that.
Here's another sweet bit I wanted to share with you. We got a card from Cousin Steven serving in the Oregon Portland mission. He has no way of knowing, but last week I posted on facebook how I felt that there is no better place or way to celebrate Christmas than as a missionary, a full-time representative of Christ, with His name on your chest and His Spirit in your heart and His angels round about you! Steven shared a corrollary thought: "I figured out why missions are so fun...because they're like Christmas! The best part of Christmas is remembering Jesus Christ and the other best part is serving other people. I get to do that full-time, so it's like Christmas every day for two years!" Awwww.
So have fun remembering and serving this Christmas! I am so grateful for loving family and Christlike friends who lift my burdens, who give my life meaning and bring Christ's love into my life every day.
...and it's a BOY!
