for the past 14 weeks...

a few people have told me that each pregnancy gets a little harder: maybe it's age, maybe it's that other little ones require so much care and energy, maybe they just do. regardless the reason, this pregnancy is nothing like my other two were. i blame the nausea on the killer flu bug i had the entire first month, but the pure exhaustion seems endless. it is miraculous that my kids get clothed and fed everyday and that i scrounge together the 6 fulls meals i have to eat everyday. multiple times i have referred to myself as a waste of a human being (besides the incredible miracle in my belly, of course). despite it all, here are a few things i manage to do every day, without fail:

poke a straw through three vanilla yogurts (instant yogurt drink for little fingers)
change at least one stinky diaper
empty a fully kiddie potty (this is more like 10 times a day)
take a nap
eat cottage cheese
drink a dr. pepper
take a prenatal vitamin
put on at least one movie
read stories with matthew
tickle andrew
dance princess songs with brooke
hug and kiss all three of my babies
tell my husband i love him

and here are a few things that i don't do everyday anymore:
get dressed
get my kids dressed
shower
leave the house
check my email (apologies to everyone that i still have not responded to)
do the dishes
pick up the toys

i'm hopeful that the 2nd trimester will bring more energy, but as my swiss doctor so blatantly puts it: "you have three kids and are pregnant. you may be tired for the rest of your life." his pluses are he was able to discover the gender at only 12 weeks. here are some pics of our little baby boy:

Bern (21.03.09)

We finally made it to Bern for a full day in the city. We saw the bears, the beautiful buildings and the cute shops.

Top left photo: Matthew wanted to walk the entire town. It made for slower going than desired, but with Andrew and Brooke asleep in the stroller, we enjoyed Bern with no rush.
Top right photo: Finally, on the walk back to the car, Matthew crashed on top of the stroller. We had to document it just to show yet another way we can carry a child on our incredible stroller.

Chamonix, France

After last year's experience in Chamonix, we felt the need to return to redeem ourselves, this time just the two of us.

Day 1: Sunshine, good skiing, great food. Viva la France!

Note in the picture with Anthony you can see Chamonix in the valley below, with Mont Blanc above (right)

Day 2: Anthony skied the Vallee Blanche...

(1) The halfway point on the Aiguille du Midi tram (2) the view from the bridge at the top (3) view of the start of the Vallee Blanche (4) the ridgeline descent (5) panorama - note the Matterhorn in the far horizon (6) looking back up the ridgeline at the top of the Aiguille du Midi (7) inside the Vallee Blanche (8) glacier (9) more glacier

(1) view down the Vallee where the confluence of glaciers forms the Mer de Glace (2 - 6) glaciers (7) les Grands Montets (8) the hike out of the Vallee - an unexpected surprise (9) fin

Day 2: ...meanwhile, back in town Ashley enjoys shopping, great food, reading in the sun, and shopping

Family Photos

These are my favorites from our family photo shoot last November in Old Town Zug. It's been a while, but I just realized I never posted them. For those of you who didn't get your Christmas cards (which were quite a few), Merry Christmas!

Thanks to Jenny Tomlinson, our photographer.