Ava

Here's our new baby girl. We think she's rather cute, and we think we shall call her Ava.

Responses of A1, A2, & A3 upon learning they're getting a new sister:

Anders: (Crawling under chair) Why doesn't Heavenly Father want me to have any brothers?

Addie: I wish the baby would be born today, so we could see what it really is. Maybe the baby just hasn't grown a pepe (our word for boy part) yet.

Aani: It's a baby! Look! It's a baby! Look, Mommy! Look, Daddy! It's a baby! (And so forth and so on....)

Anders, for obvious reasons, wanted a brother.

Addie wanted a brother because "we're missing a boy", and she wanted to even things out, I guess.

Aani really has no clue as to what's going on and is in for the shock of her life in a few months.

We're happy about having another girl. They've turned out pretty gosh-darn cute so far. They'll just have to pay for their own weddings. Or marry rich boys.

Ava's been a kicky little thing lately; Nils has even felt her a couple of times. It's at this point that the pregnancy becomes real to me. The sickness is gone for the most part, baby's moving, and we know she's a girl so we can plan accordingly and get excited for her to arrive. And I cannot believe that we have agreed on a name- a GIRL name, no less- this soon. It's unheard of!

Temple

We took the kids to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house last week. The temple is beautiful, inside and out. The kids thought it was so cool to go inside. The experience reminded me how thankful I am for my own little family and the blessing of being sealed together forever.

The Firehouse

My brother Greg is a firefighter, and he invited us to come take a tour of the firehouse. Well, tour the firehouse we did!
However, there's an important side to the story. On the way to Salt Lake, Addie was complaining that her tummy hurt. We picked Nils up from work and went to get some dinner. As soon as we walked into the eating establishment, she threw up. Nice timing, Add. We cleaned it up, the rest of us got food, etc. Then Addie said she was going to throw up again, so Nils tried rushing her to the bathroom. She made it as far as the bathroom door. So we cleaned it up (and when I say "we", I mean Nils, as per our pre-nuptual agreement; he cleans up vomit, I clean up everything else.)
Being the trooper she is, Addie said she still wanted to go to the fire station. She knew that the discomfort of vomiting repeatedly is no match for the wrath of Anders' devastation.

Cuteness. Hello.

He wanted to sleep over.

And, in the words of Anders, "Uncle Greg isn't the best uncle in the world. He's the best uncle in the UNIVERSE!"

There aren't many pictures of Addie, because she was throwing up almost the whole time. There's a big drain out in the bay where the firetruck is, so she stood over it most of the time. Seriously, this girl took one for the team. She's one in a million.

And Nils and I don't actually have a pre-nup, but he really does clean up the vomit. And I really do clean up everything else.

Ahhh, the 4th

On Saturday, July 4, 2009, we woke up at 5:00 a.m. so we could drive to Provo and see the hot air balloons launch. It's an enjoyable experience. Obviously, Aani was thrilled. Waking up at 5 makes for a long day, by the way.A little later we went up Provo Canyon to Canyon Glen park and had a picnic with some of the Vander Werff clan. Uncle Greg let the kids draw all over him. He and his wife are having their first baby together in January; I wonder if he'll let his own kids draw all over him?
And I'd just like to thank Nils for taking this really attractive picture of me while I slept. You're the best, honey. Now I know what I look like when I'm asleep. Rrrrraaarrrr!
Later that night we had a BBQ at Nils' brother's house. It was lovely and relaxing. And that was some good steak! When we got home, the kids collapsed in their beds. Nils and I went across the street and watched fireworks on the neighbor's deck with the other cul-de-sacers.

A great and exhausting 4th.

Ooshie Boo Boo!

We planted a little vegetable garden a couple of months ago. I can't believe that a) it's not dead, and b) it's actually producing vegetables!

You're such a cute little cucumber! Yes you are! Yes you are! Ooshie boo!

Hello little bell pepper! I'm going to eat you up! Yes I am...yes I am! No really, I am. You better watch it. Ooshie boo boo!

Other news from the Rasmusson compound:

• We are in the midst of swim lessons for Anders and Addie. What fun! We decided that swimming is one of those "life skills" that should be learned, you know, to be able to recreate in water and not fear death the whole time.
• Nils was given a new calling. More work, more meetings. More blessings???
• I'm much sadder about Billy Mays dying than Michael Jackson. And seriously, media- enough already. Good heavens.
  
• My love affair with cottage cheese has come to an end. I'm not sure what happened, but it's over between us for now.
• Nils and Anders had the Father's and Son's camp out last weekend, so us girls went to dinner and spent the night at Grandma's. I was woken up every hour or so by confused little Aani, sticking her face in mine asking me to tickle her arm. I think the boys slept much better.
  
• Speaking of Aani, she turned 2 a couple of weeks ago. We love her oh so very much and can't imagine life without her.

THE END. FOR NOW.