Waiting....

Yup, still pregnant. I was hoping that this being my third pregnancy, I might get a break and our baby would come early; but so far no such luck :)

I have had tons of contractions (most in the middle of the night) but right about the time we get ready to go into the hospital, they stop.

I guess I have learned that every pregnancy truly can be a whole different experience.

This is a picture of myself today, that is 39 weeks and 5 days pregnant. I think the baby looks a bit high in this picture, but she actually dropped last week!

I'm man enough to admit that I was once beat up by girls...

As of the new year our ward's meeting time was changed to 1:00pm. The last time that happened Sade hadn't been born yet and Nyah was only two. I always found it to be a little bit of a drag when church starts late in the day, because we don't get out until 4pm and by then the day is almost done (not that we were doing much other than visiting family anyway). This time around, with two girls at fun ages, my opinion has changed.

Sunday mornings typically start out really nice. The girls will wake up and play quietly in their bedroom (most of the time) and let mom and dad sleep in. Then we all enjoy a breakfast together and just talk. Some time around 10am, I get restless waiting for church to start, and the big kid in me comes out. For the next hour-and-a-half the girls and I end up chasing each other around the apartment, throwing pillows, tying each other up, "poisoning" each other, sometimes break things, and usually someone gets hurt. But that doesn't stop us from doing again the next week.

Last week we were pretending that I was wearing a magic necklace (trust me when I say that it was the girls who concocted that idea) and the girls decided that the only way they could defeat me was by brutally beating me with their Captain Hook swords. Our fight ended with me walking away with countless welts on my exposed arms and legs, and on my back. It was a blast. The girls enjoy it because they know that they can be rough with me and get away with it. I don't mind.

I have to say that today was my favorite play fight, so far. For Valentine's day, Kristy purchased a handful of heart shaped balloons. Our fight started with the girls and I throwing and hitting each other with the balloons, but because I'm a boy (man), it escalated from there. The balloons weren't causing enough damage, so I started chasing the girls around the apartment and rolling my yoga ball at them, knocking them over like bowling pins. There was a lot of screaming and laughing going on at that point.

At one time or another I decided to let the girls feel as though they were winning the battle, so I laid on my yoga ball allowing them to hit me. Nyah always thinks it's fun to just slap my butt or my back and then run away laughing before I can respond. Sade, on the other hand, is quite brave.

While lying limply on my ball, Sade approached me from behind and wrapped her right arm around my neck, putting me in a head lock. Weighing more than 5 times what Sade does I could have easily grabbed her and thrown her aside, but I was curious to determine whether she intended on putting me in a head lock or not. I tried rolling my body backwards on the ball to see if Sade would let go, but instead she tightened her grip, spread her legs to stabilize herself, and put her weight on my neck forcing me to roll forward again. When I wiggled out of the head lock she reached out, grabbed one of my ears with her right hand, a hand full of my hair with her left hand, and pulled my head back to the ground putting me in a guillotine choke hold (a type of head lock from the front, instead the side) .

Laughing hysterically at what was taking place, I didn't notice that Nyah had grabbed her jump rope and had begun wrapping it around one of my legs. Once Nyah had done this, she came toward the front of my body, handed one end of the rope to Sade while holding the other end and yelled out, "PULL". They both pulled on the rope, and already being a little off balance from Sade's head lock, my body rolled forward over the yoga ball and the back of my head slammed into the corner of the molding surrounding the girl's bedroom door. Lights flashed and I immediately had a headache. Conceding my defeat to the girls they cheered, and then being the good little girls that they are, ran to get ice packs out of the freezer for the back of my head.

I only wish we had captured it on video. A good time was had by all, however, twelve hours later I still have a dull head ache. Maybe the girls have been watching a little too much UFC with me, but I'm having fun. I love my girls and I love being a dad. Having one more will just make it that much more fun.

All I can say is watch out boys. If you do my girls wrong, it's not me you'll have to be looking out for.

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Time to open Valentines, eat pink pancakes, drink strawberry milk, and tell everyone you love how special they are because it's Valentines Day!!! So Happy Valentines to you all, we are so glad you are a part of our lives :)

{ Hope you have a great Day! }

One Family Car Ride Converation

We like to play different car games with the kids (usually when Jeremy and I are talking and want the kids to stop interrupting) The game usually begins like this, "Ok we are going to play a game, who ever can find the most yellow cars wins!!!" (see, you need to pick something challenging but not too much so that the kids lose interest). More recently the kids have taken to picking the objects to count or the single object to find. This is how one conversation went when Sade had a turn picking...

(Sade) Ok guys I got the thing we are going to look for. It is the most dangerous thing ever and it is...

(Jeremy) starts to laugh

(Sade) Excuse me, this is important...we are going to look for something berry berry dangerous and it is, traffic!

(Nyah) Traffic isn't dangerous!

(Kristy) Traffic can be dangerous

(Nyah) Bears are way more dangerous than traffic

(Sade) Ok, the thing we are going to look for is bears

(Jeremy) Actually more people get killed a year in traffic than get killed by bears.

(Sade) The thing we are going to look for, that is berry berry dangerous is big big bears.

I guess I need to apologize. I have been a bum and have ignored my family and friends. I don't mean to isolate myself from everyone, I just don't take the end of pregnancy well... if that's any excuse. Most of my time recently has been spent trying to rest and sporting very comfy pj's.

I do have a news update regarding my pregnancy; I was recently told that the blood transfusion I may or may not need if I bleed too much during the delivery, I may now end up getting before I even give birth :( As you can imagine that bit of news hasn't made my day. I have been trying desperately to get my iron levels up to a safer range, so hopefully I can avoid receiving extra blood.

To focus more on the positive though, I am so excited that my due date is just around the corner! We are so excited to meet and hold our new little girl. We are ready :) we have the crib up and her dresser filled with her cloths and baby items. Her car seat is being stored in the back of my car and we even have the bassinet waiting for it's new occupant in our room! The baby swing is in the living room and Sade has even been gracious enough to road test each item (including some of the baby clothes) on her stuffed bunny... just to make sure everything is perfect! Jeremy and I have driven to and viewed the new hospital, so we know where we are going (could you imagine getting lost while in labor, ouch!) We even have a baby name, finally! (but Jeremy want's to keep it a surprise, so shhh, if you already know it) So baby girl Risser, when ever you are ready...

Update

I know we have been really really awful at blogging (as well as checking blogs). I did tell Jeremy that the next post is his responsibility but as it has been over a month I suppose I better do it. Here it is in brief...

December 16th 2008 was Jeremy's last day of school! Yes after 6 years of juggling a full time job, marriage and a growing family, Jeremy has wrapped up his BS of Business with emphasis of Management at CSUN. His graduation ceremony will be on May 20th at 8am at CSUN!!!

December 18th 2008 I had a birthday (it was the kind that just came and went, next year will be better)

December 25th 2008 we had a wonderful Christmas. It was slower with Jeremy's family all out of town (luckily we got to celebrate a little earlier with them). It was nice to sleep in and have breakfast here; though Jeremy couldn't break away from the traditional breakfast casserole that Cherryl makes every Christmas, so he made it himself. Yummm! We got to spend some of Christmas day with my family, we were happy to have Brittany back after her semester at BYU Idaho.

January 2nd 2009 I hit my 8th month of pregnancy!

January 3rd 2009 while visiting with friends Nyah losses her first tooth!!! She was playing chase and fell, she didn't bump into anything but the force of the fall seemed to be all the tooth needed to finally come out :) She has the cutest toothless smile! She got $2 from the tooth fairly... apparently an upgrade from what Jeremy received when he was young, a fact he likes to point out to Nyah often. He claims that it must be due to inflation. :)

January ? 2009 Nyah finds a note she wrote (with Jeremy's help) to River (the boy she likes) in her pocket at school and gives it to him, it says (in part) "Dear River I think you have the cutest smile. You are my best friend..." River didn't know how to read it so he took it to the teacher who read it for him. Nyah said he smiled funny but didn't say anything :)

January 20th 2009 my mom and dad take Nyah & Sade to Disneyland to enjoy the last day of our season passes. It took quite an effort to get them there with a traffic detour and a forgotten season pass (my fault) they eventually make it to the park and have a great time.

January ? 2009 Nyah tells me that she told River today at school that she has a crush on him. When I asked her what River say's she just raises her eyebrows in a shocked expression (her impersonation of River's response) I guess this is a good time to remind everyone that Nyah is in kindergarten! When did my little girl grow up!

January 28th 2009 Cherryl takes Nyah and Sade to the LA Zoo! They have a GREAT time but Sade does report back that there were no Whales :) Cherryl says that the girls had the most fun petting and brushing the goats. I had a great time at home resting. Have I mentioned how grateful I am for my family yet?!

January 30th 2009 yup, still pregnant! I hit my 9 month mark, now just 4 weeks to go. The prayers for an early delivery have begun :) (my due date is February 27th... for those that don't know, you deliver in your 9th month not on your 9 month mark...sad, I know)

Nyah has a conversation with Jeremy today that goes exactly like this:

(Nyah) Daddy what would you do if I brought a boyfriend home?
(Jeremy) I'd shoot him
(Nyah) His Mommy and Daddy wouldn't be happy with you
(Jeremy) I suppose you're right
(Nyah) But you did say you'd show him your gun, right?
(Jeremy) Yes, I'd show him my gun

January 31st 2009 we get to see Adam & Kyle (down from Utah) & Kayla (visiting from Temecula, CA) We love any chance we get to see our family :) & wish everyone lived closer!