Grandpa V.

Today we went to the cemetery to visit my dad's grave. He's buried at Camp Williams, which is about 5 minutes down the road from our house, conveniently enough. It's a military cemetery, so all of the graves are adorned with flags. It's quite a sight. All of the headstones are identical, except for names, etc., so it makes finding the one you want kind of challenging. Every year we wander around for a good while before we find my dad's, and once we do, we sit by it and let the kids run through the flags and spin the pinwheels that people leave on graves. The cemetery overlooks the point of the mountain, right in between Utah Valley and Salt Lake Valley, and it's peaceful and nice. I never feel sad going there, I enjoy it. Today Addie was asking where Grandpa is, and she seemed rather perplexed that his body is in the ground, because we've always told her that his spirit is in heaven. It's interesting to watch little kids try to wrap their minds around huge concepts.

The other day while I was driving, I was thinking about my dad. He died almost 17 years ago, and only met one of his grandkids. He now has 16, going on 18 grandkids. I was thinking that it's kind of sad that none of them ever really knew their Grandpa Vander Werff. Then I had the distinct impression that before they came here, they knew him well and he gave them lots of advice and grandfatherly counsel. I thought of my own kids with their Grandpa V., and just knew that he loves them to bits. It made me happy.

My boyfriend Clif

Sorry for whining, but I feel it's important for the future me to have a record of the misery. You forget, and when that little bean is almost 2 years old, you think, "Oh, it wasn't so bad. LET'S HAVE MORE!" Am I right or am I right?

I had my first prenatal appt. yesterday. By having me pee in a cup, they were able to tell me that I'm dehydrated and that I have a bladder infection. Geez, no wonder I feel so crappy. On the bright side, I was prescribed Zofran (because the Phenegran put me in a coma) and we were able to hear the wee one's heartbeat. I need to hear it to prove that there's actually a baby in there; because, you know, the vomiting/dehydration/bladder infection aren't proof enough. I actually really do enjoy hearing it and it helps put things in perspective.

My friend just dropped off some Clif bars for me. It was so nice. For whatever reason, I can eat them when I feel awful, they stay down, they're not too sweet, and they're packed with protein so I don't feel hungry and sick 15 minutes later. I'm very thankful. Thanks, Jenny. You da bomb.

I've got issues

I can't eat dinner at night and I have to go to bed when the kids do. If I fail to comply with this nonsense, I am sorry...oh so sorry. So this morning I woke up at 4:57 a.m. It's completely ridiculous. I was also starving and had to have scrambled eggs and toast or I was going to keel over and die. After a few minutes of trying to talk myself out of it and to go back to sleep, the eggs won. THE EGGS! This image is proof.

It's 3:30 p.m. now, and looking at this picture makes me physically ill. Someone help me.

Quatro

News:

A new little Rasmusson is coming to town at the beginning of December! We're happy and excited. In the short term, I will be very, very happy and excited when I stop throwing up.

I have been feeling rotten. I can't cook or go to the grocery store. I'm the sickest at night and really can't be a presence past about 5 p.m., since I need to escape consciousness to find relief. For all of these reasons, we decided to tell the kids so they wouldn't think I'm a deadbeat mom.

Anders: YAAAAAAY! I wanted you to have another baby!
I hope it's a boy. I'm tired of all these sisters.

Addie: When you eat Cheetos, does that make it so the baby eats Cheetos, too?
Maybe this baby will be a nice baby and not hit me like Aani does.
Now Aani can have a baby friend.
When I'm a grown-up and I get sick, that means I'm going to have a baby, huh?

Me to Aani (as I was kneeling by the toilet to puke and she worked her way onto my lap): There's a baby in Mommy's tummy, you know.
Aani: Yeah.
Me: Can you handle it?
Aani: Yeah.

Amid the sickness and misery, we're very thankful to be adding to our family. Our kids are wonderful little people and we love them to pieces.

Happy Mothers Day, Katrina!

Update

As I think about the last few weeks and what I might write, my brain stops working and I want to go to sleep. I dunno. I'm kicking the ol' noggin into gear as of this minute so that I might catch up on the wonderful world of NKAAA Rasmusson. I can feel your excitement. Here we go.

• I have weaned off Wellbutrin. I've been feeling quite like myself for about a year now and decided to try going off of it. It's been 5 days. So far so good. I don't know if I should crack a joke here. Ahh, what the heck. So if you see me in the fetal position or rocking back and forth, please intervene. HILAAAAARIOUS!
  
• Nils is working with a friend/former mission companion on starting a business, and it's consuming his life. We're optimistic that it will be a worthwhile venture.
• We ate lettuce wraps last week at the Chang's. Mmmmm.
• Anders had to have a couple of cavities filled, and I requested that Nils accompany him to the dentist. I have definitely had my share of experiences of holding the boy down for shots, IV's, dental visits or what have you. I thought it would be great for Nils to take a turn. Guess what? Anders was a dream. No fuss, no tears, no hysteria. WHAT??? No fair.
• Addie got a spinning Cinderella toothbrush at the dentist, and Cinderella looks like a scary man. Girl, you know it's true. G-g-g-girl.

Hippity Hoppity Happity Anniversary

We were married at 7:40 a.m. on April 22, 2000. On the day of our wedding, someone made the comment that it was a good thing we found each other, because there was no one else that Nils or I could have ended up with. At the time we took it as "no one else could possibly love either of you" and that we were one of those "happy they found each other" couples. Now we understand that it was meant that we're MFEO. Granted, we are a little weird. We think we're funnier than we are. We have a lot of annoying little inside jokes that bond us. But I have to say, I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else. Except maybe Hugh Jackman. Just kiddin', baby. I love you. Happy Anniversary, my lauffer. You have such a pretty smile.This picture was taken a coupla months before we were married.

Now, who couldn't love faces as cute as those?