IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!!!

Boy oh boy!!

We hosted a small Bowties or Bows themed party for our closest friends and family on April 6th to find out the sex of Baby P#3.  Our ultrasound tech had written it in an envelope, and we gave that to our friend Lara, who opened it and purchased blue balloons to put in a box I decorated and gave to her.

We asked everyone to "cast their vote" by coming dressed in either blue or pink depending on their guess of the gender.  Emilie and I were pink through and through.  Daddy was half and half and Marin changed her mind to team blue at the last minute.  

At the party we gathered everyone around and the girls and Jason and I opened the box together, revealing the secret to both us and our guests.  Erica took this awesome picture that perfectly captured the moment.  I love it so so so much!  To say I was shocked is a major understatement. 

This was SUCH a fun way to find out the sex.  I even say almost as fun as finding out in the delivery room.  Especially since it was such a shock and a surprise, it was so awesome to look around and see the same shock and surprise and excitement on all of our friends faces and to share that moment with everyone.  So fun!

The rest of the night we reveled in the fact that we are going to have a boy, and there was a lot of back slapping by the guys to Jason.  This strange thing happens when you make a boy, there was a lot of, "You did it man! Congratulations!"  So strange to me.  What is this, China.  I tried to wrap my brain around the whole thing and was in disbelief most of the night and next week.  The girls are so excited to have a baby brother.  And they loved playing in the box the rest of the night.  It was such a festive night.  I wouldn't have changed a single detail.

Many props to Lara and her husband, John, who sweetly bought the balloons, which turned out to be an ordeal.  They decided to test the opening of the box, and the balloons didn't budge.  They then spent way too much time, while they locked their kids in the basement so they wouldn't ruin the surprise.  Needless to say, they cracked the code and figured out the perfect solution to ensure that our back yard was lite up with blue balloons abound!

I loved this celebration and sharing it with our friends.  So much fun!  And a wonderful start to celebrating our precious baby BOY for a lifetime! 

Our beloved "Plus Pooch", Norah.

Norries, Norah-belle, Norah bones, The green and yellow Norries (not sure where this came from), Norsies (what Mare called her before she could pronounce Norah), WBP (World's Best Puppy)... the nicknames go on.  Norah passed away one month ago tomorrow, April 3, 2013.  We woke up in the morning, and she didn't.

About six months ago, Norah was diagnosed with a heart condition.  Actually, three different heart conditions, and was put on human heart medicine that we were told would essentially delay the inevitable.  Her vet told us that there was no cure for her condition, but that the drugs would keep her pain free and curb the recent seizure-like episodes that she began to have.   But the vet also warned us of sudden death.  We cried, and then we enjoyed every single second with Norah.  She was doing so well, that we almost forgot that she was sick.  The girls knew that she was sick, and that we needed to give her extra love, and they never ever forgot her in their nightly prayers.

In her last week, she only made it to the end of the alley before we had to end her walk and take her home.  It took me three times the amount of time to get her home.  Then she fell down the stairs.  And she started panting a lot.  These were signs that we knew her time was close.  But we lived at least partially, blissfully in denial.  When we found out she was sick, six months ago, I told Jason that I just wanted her to not wake up one day.  So that we didn't have to make a difficult decision, or have to see her suffer for a long time.  She was "singing" with the girls piano until the last day.

Every night before bed I knelt down next to her and told her she was a great dog and that I loved her.  She was truly our first baby, and a very important part of our family.  I heard her that night, have a hard time breathing, I offered for her to come sleep next to me, and I told her she was okay and that I loved her.  When we woke up in the morning she was gone.  The girls all held her and brought her blankets and laid their favorite stuffed animals near her to comfort her.  We told them that she was in heaven, which they accepted sweetly, until about an hour in when Marin asked, "If Norah's in heaven, why is she still in your bedroom."  After contemplating explaining the concept further to a four year old, we just told her that we were taking her to heaven, when Jason and I took her to the vet that morning to be cremated. 

My mom came and watched the girls, and Jason and I went together.  That was a hard day.  But the quiet, clip-clop of her paws free days that have followed, have been even harder.  We all miss her very much.  And it has gotten easier every day.  Marin and Emile each kept one of her favorite animals, and we donated her things to a local shelter together.  Marin slept with a picture of Norah and her together tucked under her arms for weeks.  Now it's by her bedside.  Emilie asks "Where's Norah?"  and requests that she goes for walks with us.  But they are getting used to this, and asking about her less and less.  The vet gave us a mold of her paw, which we framed and hung in the hallway with our photo collage.  Although Emilie thinks it's a wolf paw.  She keeps pointing to it says, "Look, Mommy! Wolf!"

We will always remember our sweet dog Norah.  She was the sweetest, snuggling, head tilting dog.  Our walks will never be the same.  Our hearts will hold her forever. 

Emilie's Big Girl Bed!

I'm behind again, because life is bonkers and frankly, I'm tired.  But also because I have officially taken so many pictures that our computer is out of storage, and the process of storing them permanently on an external hard drive, where I am most comfortable- more so than just on shutterfly- is so painstakingly ridiculously tedious and time consuming, I almost can't believe it's 2013.  There has to be a better way.  I am convinced that there is.

In any case, I am anxious to get some of these posts up before I get even further behind, and then I'll just have to post pictures later, when I can finally get them off my camera and onto the computer.  Here goes....

Emilie is sleeping in a big girl bed.  She has for about two months now.  In keeping with what has become the entire theme of her life, girl was ready to be just like her sister- and in this instance, sleep in a big girl bed.  She tells everyone that walks through the door, "Big girl bed.  I sleep all night!"  She sleeps like a champ in there, although, admittedly, she still isn't the sleeper that her sister is.

Natch, with her big girl bed, came a newly decorated room.  I still have a painted scalloped-thingy detail that I want to add to finish off her room, but otherwise, its done.  And since we kept her room hers, and moved the nursery, the extra detailed-not-sure-how-to-quite-do-it scalloped-thingy is going to have to take back burner to decorating the baby nursery.

We moved the baby furniture over to the new nursery, what once used to be the world's smallest master bedroom, pre-addition.  The room is painted anjou pear, and I promise it looked cool with adult furniture in there, but now, with a crib set up, it looks exactly like baby diarrhea.  It has to go.  Yesterday.  Plus, did you hear?!  IT'S A BOY, Y'ALL!!!!!!!!  WHAAAAAAAAAAAT???!!!!  Can't WAIT to decorate a boy nursery.  Stand by for more on the addition of testosterone to our estrogen palace.

So proud of big girl Emmie-cakes in her big girl bed.  Almost as proud as she is of herself.  She looks so cute and little snuggled in those big kid sheets.  But alas, she's growing up... 

A snapshot of the girls right now

Even though I tell myself I'll never forget these years, I know I will someday.  Here is a snapshot of the girls as they are are today, at 4 and 22 months.

Marin:
favorite food: "basketti" with just a little bit of sauce, and parmesan cheese
favorite activities: gymnastics, ballet, swimming, singing, making up singing and dancing shows for the family to watch, playing dolls, reading books, doing art
favorite shows: Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First

other:
* she likes to floss her teeth, often asking to do it right away, "so the cavity doesn't start to grow."
* she likes shoes and accessories
* she still takes a nap, and asks for it every day.
* she loves Norah, and especially likes to give her treats.
* is a huge helper to me
* she loves to color and is really good at staying in the lines.  She concentrates so hard, and can do it for hours.
* she knows all of her letters and how to write them, and is learning to spell and read small words.  She remembers how to spell all of her friend's names.
* her memory in general is crazy, insanely good.  Way better than mine. She reads one whole 20 page hard cover book to her sister at night word for word.  She even read it last night perfectly and we hadn't read it for at least two months. 
* she loves school!

Emilie:
favorite food: "maccheese"
favorite activities: singing and dancing with Marin, tot rock, going to the"liebree" (library), playing dollies
favorite shows: "Mickey", "Steins" (Little Einsteins), "Why" (Super Why)

other:
* she is a spit fire and a pistol.  Emilie knows what she wants, and if she has to fight for it, she will.
* she idolizes Marin.  She wants to do absolutely everything that Marin does, except use the potty.  When I ask her if she wants to sit on the potty, she says, "No.  and then, "Diaper" as if to tell me, "Silly mommy, I wear a diaper and it will always be like that, right?"
* she's the great repeater.  She repeats everything we say, mostly one word at a time.
* she never forgets to say thank you- even when I do. When I give her breakfast, for example, she'll say enthusiastically, "Oh! Thank you, Mommy!"
* If someone hurts themselves, she asks them, "K?" for "Okay".
* The other day she looked in a Target bag at an enormous maternity swimsuit that I bought and was generally unexcited about.  She said to me, "Beauful, Mommy!" 
* she says, "Love vu"
* before I close her door at night she says, "Night. Love vu."
* she's a huge snuggle bug. she'll snuggle in close to us and say, "Mommy best" or "Daddy best"
* she loves "Gamma" and "Bampa", especially Bampa, her favorite person in the world, next to "Mehn" (Marin- and yes, it sounds like she saying Men, when she calls her name).
* she knows "abc" and knows her numbers up to 13 with a little help.  She also knows the colors pink and orange. 
* she loves to sing, but only sings the last word in the phrase.  When Marin sings "That's what makes you beautiful", Emilie chims in for the "beautiful" part, but says, "beauful".
* she insists on doing everything herself, saying, "No, do it!" or "Got it, got it!"
* she loves to give Norah pets, which ends up being more like smacks.
 

Daddy/Daughter Dance!

Almost caught up....

February 10, 2013 was the Daddy/Daughter Dance.  You have to be three to go, so it was a special date just with Daddy and Marin.  To Marin, it was just as exciting as Prom.  She was SO excited to go with her Daddy again this year.  We picked out a special boutonniere for him- red roses because according to Marin, "That's like you wear when you get married."  She wore her favorite dress and sparkle shoes and got to carry a special purse which had nothing in it up Ariel "lipstick".  Jason also picked out a pretty corsage for Marin which delighted her because it had purple flowers in it to match her dress.

Jason and Marin met five other dads and daughters at Cotto A Legna, a restaurant near our house, before hand.  All of the kids ordered Mac and Cheese, except Charley, an adorable three year old friend of ours who ordered Calamari.  Jason reports that all of the girls sat at the table with perfect manners the entire time.  The dads who also have boys, couldn't believe it, and swear 6 boys the same age would have done nothing of the sort.

When it came time for the dance, they joined about 1,000 other dads and daughters in the High School Gym for dancing, pictures with dad, punch and cookies.  When it came time for the hokey pokey, the DJ organized all 1,000 people to make a giant circle in the gym, and apparently Marin took it upon herself to lead it for everyone.  Ran right out to the middle.  It took her friends Chloe, Violet and Parker all of 4 seconds to join her.  Jason says it was hilarious.

Emilie and I stayed home to snuggle on the couch, watch the Grammys and order a pizza.  Which was special for us, since Marin doesn't like pizza.  Both Jason and Marin had a great time and can't wait until next year! 

Marin turns 4!

Marin turned 4 at the beginning of February.  She might as well leave for college.  She's so grown up and she's certain she knows everything.

Marin is a great sister to Emilie.  She includes her in everything and the two of them want to go almost nowhere without the other.  They are very proud of each other.  Marin is a smart little cookie, and she keeps us cracking up, too.  She told me the other day that if our baby is a boy, "our bathroom is going to be peee-ewww!"  But at the root of everything, Marin is a very kind little girl.  And so sweet.  She and Emilie were having a love fest at the breakfast table the other day (as they do most mornings) and I ask them, "Are you girls best friends?"  And Marin immediately said, "Yes!"  Emilie followed with, "friends! best!"   I asked them if our baby is a girl is she going to be your best friend, too?  And without hesitation Marin said, "Yes, but even if it's a boy he'll be our friend.  Because that's what being a family means."  

The day Marin turned 4, we celebrated her wonderful girly spirit by a lunch date at The Little Traveler with Marin, Emilie, Grandma and myself.  Marin claims that they have the greatest grilled cheese in all the land there.  She politely ordered one for herself with a lemonade, and then ordered a "peanner and jelly for my sister, with lemonade to drink also."  They brought her a giant ice cream sundae for dessert and then we hit up the candy department on top of that, and of course, the kids clothes department for a few new dresses she picked out for Spring.  After we'd made our way through the Little Traveler, we headed next door to the Paper Merchant, (or, the sticker store as Marin calls it) for stickers to put in her sticker book.  Stickers are like toddler crack.  They can't get enough of them, and they always want more.

That night, we had Grandma, Grandpa, GG, OG, Uncle Jake, Aunt Katy and Aunt Lindsay over for a birthday dinner.  Marin chose the menu- her favorite, "Basketti".  And we surprised her with Graham's Strawberry Ice Cream for dessert, also her favorite.  She opened a lot of presents, and ended with her present from Jason and me, a new "big girl" bike.  She loves it, and immediately wanted to ride it.  And when your birthday is in the winter and you get a new bike, you ride your bike in the house.

It was a wonderful day of celebrating our sweet, sweet Marin Jane.

The next day, was Marin's birthday party with her 4 and 5 year old friends.  This year, we had a big kids only party (plus Emilie) at a little Art Studio downtown.  She chose a mermaids and pirates theme, and wore a mermaid tail to be in the spirit.  The kids all decorated treasure boxes, and snacked on goldfish, pirate's booty, sandcastle lollipops, oyster cookies, and jelly "sushi" rolls.  We all sang Marin happy birthday with cupcakes.  They kids all had a blast!  After their craft was complete, they all decorated a canvas for Marin that she got to take home with her.  It was a great mix of her neighbor friends, friends for school, friends from ballet and some family friends as well!

Baby #3 FAQ

Back by popular demand (not at all) is the Baby Patterson FAQ.  More so, I just feel like I have an anal tendency toward doing for the third one what I did for the first and the second.  It might make me go insane. For reference, or those of you who are really bored, here is Marin's FAQ and Emilie's FAQ. 

1. Q: When are you due?
A: August 13th

2. Q: Are you going to find out whether you are having a boy or a girl?
A: YES!  Can you believe it?  If it were only up to me, I'd wait to find out, but as you hopefully all know by now, it takes two to tango and my dancing partner wants to find out.  So I agreed.  And actually, now that I know we are going to find out ahead of time, I'm excited.  When people learned that we waited to find out with Marin and Emilie, they always said, "I don't know how you can stand to wait."  And I think that if you know that you aren't going to find out until they are born, you just don't have a choice, and it is easy.  But this time around, when I know that we are going to find out at 20 weeks, I can hardly stand the wait any longer.

I will say, if we were going to find out ahead of time on one, the third is it.  Because it will be nice to have everything prepared, and to be able to tell the girls what to expect.  But if Jason came to me tomorrow and said that he changed his mind and wanted to be surprised, I'd take him up on it in a heartbeat.  It is the world's greatest surprise. 

3. Q: Are the future grandparents so excited?
A: Yes, of course everyone is excited about a new baby.  But the third time around there is a little more hesitation from most people.  Like, "Wow.  Three kids under 4.  Okay.  You're doing that." 

4. Q: How are you feeling?
A: Two weeks ago I would have answered: "Horrid.  Absolutely dead to the world awful.  Pretty sure the baby hates me."  Although today I have almost a spring in my step.  I am nearing closer to 20 weeks which is glorydom.  Everything is perfect and beautiful.  You're not too big that you can't sleep but you're far enough along that you aren't sick anymore.  It's a good thing that it is impossible to conceive again at 20 weeks, because if it was, I'm convinced there would be a serious over population problem.  

5. Q: Where will you deliver?
A: Delnor, where Emilie was born.  I can get there with my eyes closed, and it is so close it almost wouldn't even be dangerous. 

6. Q: Have you begun thinking about names?
A: Of course.  We have some still on the list from my first pregnancy, and a few new as well.  If it's a girl, we're going to have a really hard time, because between Marin and Emilie we have had to agree on four female names, and if you're married to Jason, that is a feat.  Jason thinks like a 12 year old boy when it comes to names, so when I suggest one he automatically provides the most foul nickname ever and is convinced that she will be called that her entire life. And of course we'll keep the names a secret.  We can't give you everything.  ;)

7. Q: Do you think you will try to deliver naturally or have an epidural?
A: The epidural is my friend.  During my pregnancy with Emilie, my epidural actually came out in the night while I was asleep and long story short, I was 9 cm dilated with essentially no drugs.  I don't wish that on my worst enemy.  Natural childbirth is for superheros.  The epidural doesn't have a single chance of hurting the baby, and allows me to relax, which actually helps me dilate quicker, which makes me one step closer to holding that precious baby in my arms. 

8. Q: Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?
A: I think it would be fun to have a boy, because we obviously have two girls already, but I think it would be easier to have another girl.  We already have all the girl clothes and girl toys and the kids bathroom is purple.  I also think it would be really fun to have three girls, although the drama would be insane in high school, I think that in the long run it would be really fun in a crazy way.  But I also really want to decorate a boy nursery, and although Jason claims he wouldn't know what to do with a boy at this point, I think he'd really love to have a boy.  Plus, this is the last chance to carry on the Patterson name.  Mostly, I just want a healthy baby.  And we'll be overjoyed no matter what. 

9. Q: Do you have a feeling about the gender one way or the other?
A: No.  I can't imagine anything but a girl, because that's all I know, so if this is a boy, I will be shocked.  And because of that I think I am assuming it's a girl.  I have had two dreams that it is a boy, but I also dreamed it was a boy when I was pregnant with Emilie, so who knows. 

10. Q: Are you nervous?
A: No, but I am prepared for chaos after it has arrived.  Total and utter chaos. 

11. Q: What do Marin and Emilie think?
A: Marin is very excited to be a big, big sister, and has told Emilie she is going to teach everything there is to know about the job.  Emilie is mostly clueless, although when I ask her if we're going to have a baby she says, "No." and snuggles in to me saying, "Mommy."  I am trying my best to prepare her, and make sure she knows how exciting it is for her so she feels included.  I am always telling her that no one can make me love her any less.  We'll get there. 

12. Q: They say you go earlier in subsequent deliveries than in your first. Were Marin and Emilie born on time?
A: Marin was born four days early. Emilie was born five days late.  Hopefully that doesn't mean this baby will be born even later.  Last time, based on the number of people who supplied evidence, I was sure this theory was iron clad.  So I was pretty much ready on pins and needles from May first, on.  Emilie was born on May 14th.  That was a crazy waiting game.  I thought I'd go insane near the end.  My doctor did tell me that as long as I was at least 3 cm dilated by 38 weeks, he would induce me, but I'm a little leery of asking my body and the baby to do something they're not quite ready to do.  So we'll just have to wait and see.  I really want my doctor to deliver this baby (he also delivered Emilie) so I might cave, as long as he thinks the chance of c-section are zero.  So we'll have to wait and see. 

13. Q: How far apart will this baby be from Emilie?
A: Assuming I go full term, 27 months. Which is the exact same distance between Marin and Emilie.  And no, that wasn't planned. 

14. Q: You like a lot of family at the hospital when the baby is born.  Do you want it that way this time too? 
A: Yes.  Less were there when Emilie was born than when Marin was born, because of schedules and Jake was in a wedding, etc.  But I hope that this time there will be at least as many as were there when Emilie was born.  Molly and my mom and dad have no choice.  They are required for my sanity.  (fyi, if you're reading this. :)) We'll probably bribe Lindsay to watch the girls again, and I think most of Jake and Katy's friends are married by now.  I hope no one feels like they've been there and done that, because I just think it is the very best way to welcome a child into the world.

New questions for Tres...
15. Q: Do you have any weird cravings? 
A: Yes, I want everything ice cold.   Iceburg wedges, smoothies, ice cream, salads, iced tea. And I want the kind of french fries that you get at an old fashioned deli.  Nothing fancy about them, just salty and bad for you.

16. Q: Will you go for a fourth?  
A: No.  Absolutely no.  We're done.