It's a boy!

He's here! Our newest addition, Evan Walter Fardanesh, joined us yesterday, Nov 29, at 2:47am. He was 8 lbs, 13 oz, 20 in. So far as we can tell, he's perfect! Labor was quick, only 4 hours. No one really realized he was coming until he was practically born, the doctor didn't even make it in the room! Pie calls it a "drive-thru delivery" because it was so quick and easy. (OK, not really easy, but compared to others I've had...) The big kids love him and are fighting each other to hold him.

Let the waiting begin

The due date was yesterday. As is our tradition, my mom came last night and will now sit around with me waiting for a week or more before becoming a grandma again.

Today, in an effort to keep me on my feet (maybe gravity will take over?) and out of the house (Pie was working on the fireplace again), we took the kids to Funderland. It was a little chilly, but they had fun anyway.
We'll keep you posted on the baby situation. Promise.

Another project?!

I know what you're thinking: "But, they are going to have a baby any day now! What is Pie doing demo-ing their fireplace?!" Believe me, I have no idea. But, even as I type this, the harsh sounds of that mini jack hammer and a thick cloud of dust fill the air.

It is quite annoying.

Apparently, we can't have a baby unless we do something else major in our lives, too. When Drew was born, we moved across the country. When Dean was born, we bought and moved into our first house. When Edie was born, we were in the middle of getting new floors for our whole downstairs. And now this. I think this is Pie's idea of "nesting".

Nannie and Papa Cy

We had a wonderful week this week. Nannie and Papa Cy (my grandparents) came for a visit. Papa Cy spent most of the time helping Uncle Gregg build our friend's, the Canady's, new house. This week they put up the roof tresses. I haven't seen it, but apparently, the house will be beautiful.

Nannie spent most of her time this week helping me out around the house. One day we went grocery shopping and then she spent the rest of the afternoon in the kitchen making freezer meals for us. Every cubic foot of my freezer is now full of delicious dinners to make my life a lot easier these coming weeks. Another day she did my ironing and made sugar cookies with the kids (that was a huge project in itself!)
The day before it was supposed to rain, she got the kids excited about raking up leaves in the back yard, and pretty soon, we were leaf-free back there. They all liked smashing the leaves down in the green waste bin.

Nannie spent lots of time just playing with the kids, which, as any mother of young kids knows, takes a lot of energy. Edie kept saying "Nannie, I wanna play a game!" What a good sport she was about it all!

They left yesterday, and we are missing them already. Thanks, Nannie, for all your help this week!

I'm not weird!

Heather tagged me for this. I had to think long and hard about weird things about me. Of course I think I'm normal!

Weird Thing #1: I like to vacuum.
I do! It's hypnotic in its repetitiveness (is that a word?). The loud noise blocks out all the other chaos happening in the house. And in the end, the floor has beautiful vacuum lines in it. I love a clean floor.

Weird Thing #2: Before going to bed, I have to see all 3 little ones sleeping peacefully in their own beds.
No matter how tired I am, I can't sleep until I see all my little ones asleep. This is only a problem if my kids are sleeping somewhere else. I can handle it if they are, but then it's really hard for me to fall asleep.

Weird Thing #3: I hate it if my food touches each other on the plate.
Especially salad dressing or gravy or some other sauce. If peas were meant to have gravy on them, restaurants would serve peas and gravy.

And speaking of food...
Weird Thing #4: I'm a potato snob.
I only buy Russett potatoes grown in Idaho. I don't know if I really don't like other potatoes, I just can't buy any other.

Weird Thing #5: I don't remember anything.
If it happened more than a couple months ago, I won't remember it. It has to be really life-changing to keep a place in my memory: I remember parts of my wedding day and the days my kids were born. I vaguely recall moving into my college dorm. Drew is always saying "Mom, remember when we...." and I won't have a clue what he is talking about. Beebe and Ali always amaze me with childhood memories.

Weird Thing #6: I enjoy my minivan.
I never thought I would like it, but minivans are very convenient, even though they aren't terribly cool. I'm not terribly cool, either, so it works out just fine.

(I'm not going to tag anyone because everyone I would have has already been tagged by Heather or Karin or Emily)

Fun with Fish

We had a great morning at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery in Sacramento on Wednesday with our friends, the Muhlesteins. First we fed the little yearling fish. The kids got a kick out of watching the little guys jump up for the food pellets. We then got as close to the river as we could and saw the huge salmon waiting at the bottom of the fish ladder to climb up to spawn. The fish ladder opens next week and we want to go back to watch them jump up. Hopefully the weather will stay nice enough. The kids had fun inside the visitors center, too. The displays were fun and educational. What a great little field trip! Thanks Janae, for the great idea!

A Ninja, a Power Ranger, and Dorothy

Happy Halloween! We celebrated this year by going to the Trunk or Treat on Monday night (they got away with that by calling it a ward FHE!) and a friend's party & trick or treating on Tuesday night. Drew and Dean couldn't be bothered with dinner at the ward party. They both found kids with costumes like theirs and ran around the cultural hall- Drew with the other ninjas and Dean with the Power Rangers. Edie discovered her new favorite day of the year. She just couldn't believe her luck when everyone kept giving her candy!



Does anyone need any candy? I'll send you some...

The teachers didn't want the kids in school the day after Halloween, so they made it an inservice day. We took advantage of the nice weather and went to the fish hatchery on the American River. I'll get those pictures up soon.