Our little artists

Sticks seemed to be the hit of the afternoon after the painting lost its appeal!

Pals!

Looking at a plane flying by!

The cousins after finishing their projects!

Our creation for Daddy-the ghost is a cut-out of her foot! So clever!

Working on the pumpkin...

Cousin Natalia all dressed and ready for some painting fun!

The Sawdust Factory has got to be a fabulous place for imagination and creation! Children of all ages let their creativity run free and these darling wooden trinkets turn into masterpieces! The cousins had a great time diving into the paint, eating it, touching it and occasionally actually painting with it!

Pumpkin Patch Days...

The 100+ degree heat has finally tapered down and a chill came upon us this past Sunday. Feeling the need to embrace the seasonal spirit, Kaitlyn and I left Steve to be a total boy for the afternoon (hours and hours of football on HD, Guitar Hero and who knows what else...) and ventured east to the Glen Oak Pumpkin Patch where live blues music was going on, pony rides and pygmy goats were to be loved and fed, and pumpkins galore where harvested to purchase! Our little gem wore her purple polka dot shades the entire time! Such personality!

Raider's Cheerleader

It may not be obvious, but she is in a cheerleading outfit-a gift given to Steve (bloomers and all, despite her not wearing them for this photo) from the Hodgkinsons! Her counterpart in crime is Brody (best friend) who is decked out in Broncos gear. We had the Kruger's over for the big game last Sunday and while the Raiders continued to look bad at all times and all angles, Steve held up rather well and Kaitlyn pranced around in her loyal fan gear supporting her dad's favorite team! Yes, the Raiders lost....and the Bronco fans temporarily took ownership of our home...having Steve hold a Bronco's flag....it was a funny afternoon! All complete with great hamburgers, beans, corn and left over party food! Yummy!

Baby Boy Party...

He's a reason for a gathering...he's the reason for this coming Halloween season...he's the reason for all of the blue and the reason my belly grew! Family and some friends came together on the 26th to celebrate this little bugger....Dylan, Drew or Trent. Yes, we've finally come to the last three names! Middle names are still up in the air and heck, his arrival date is, too! I'm facing week 37 on Thursday and have already had some lovely contractions-big enough to wake me up at night and long enough to stop me in my tracks!

Katherine-a Kaitlyn friend!

Brody-Kaitlyn's best friend and 'co-host' of the party!

Darling...Uncle Darin holding JD, Reigan's little bundle of love!

Our cake for baby Sarphen!

No Patterson party is complete until the dominoes come out!

Penny Schoch (Sanders) and her little one, Oli! What a cutie!

Mr. JD Knotts (in our bassinet)

Look at the face on the TV...he's amused by the diapers!

A Broncos hat (from Brody & his parents-pure fans) to generate some laughs-and laughs they did (short lived laughs from Steve, mind you)! He's such a die hard Raiders fan, no matter how bad they are or how bad the head coach acts...

Reigan and I-such a gift to have her travel out for the shower!

Nana and our sweet cousin, Natalia!

Cousin Chiara holding the cutest blue-eyed JD!

Can't you tell these two girls are sisters? Madison & Ella-guest of Kaitlyn!

Candied Popcorn..our party favors!

Notice that Kaitlyn wasn't in any of the photos? Well, she was passed out for the duration of the party-she was zonked! Toast! In a deep slumber...

35 weeks

My sweet Sarphen,

You know I'd love to predict your delivery, down to the minute, as I face the last five weeks of our incredible journey together. Knowing your arrival is half the fun, I do wish you would consider entering into this world sooner than later as you are getting to be quite the load. Your kicks are certainly noticeable and that elbow I felt the other day, as tiny as it was, sure made a lasting impression! My nights are becoming shorter since I suffer from bouts of insomnia with your spastic movements and this deal about going to the bathroom all the time even though half the time I really don't have to go is getting a bit old. My maternity tank tops don't cover my expansive belly anymore so, sorry, you are being exposed quite often to the world! It seems I'm complaining, and yes, I am, but do know I have ten incredible thoughts for every complaint. Here are some of those incredible thoughts:

1. I imagine what you will look like and can't wait to see who you will resemble most, me or Daddy!

2. Feeling that elbow of yours the other day was a miraculous moment, and it sure made me think you aren't as big as the doctors think you will be! You will be just right!

3. It brings me great joy to know you are receptive to your sister-I feel you move around when you hear those screeching sounds she LOVES to make!

4. Cosimo can't wait to give you a hello....

5. I'm finishing up your bassinet and I truly think you'll love the colors and of course sleeping close to Mommy & Daddy!

6. We are having a party in your honor this weekend-we'll be sending great thoughts, prayers, and energy your way so these last weeks go smoothly for you (and me)!

7. I don't have heartburn. Thank you for this!

8. You've graced me with a few war wounds (aka: stretch marks), but nothing too drastic-again, thank you for this!

9. You've been moving lower and lower which is allowing me to breathe better and allowing me to sleep on my back, left and even right side!

10. I can't imagine my life without you since we've been hanging for 35 weeks thus far...you are a silent angel in my life right now, reminding me to slow down, be present and keep my cool. I'm anxious for the silence to end and the noise to begin!!!

And finally my sweet Sarphen, I can't wait to name you!

Love,

Mom

My little sweeper...

She'll help me push the shopping cart, sweep our floors, carry in groceries and even fold the laundry (at least put things in piles and hand me items)! She's got such a great nurturing and helpful personality blossoming! Her latest milestones are many, but to name a few:

1. Feeling sad when seeing something sad; feeling happy when seeing something happy

2. Singing 'I love you, You love me' (yes, I think this is due to too much Barney???and ok, maybe it's a one-hit-wonder at the moment, but I'm sure she'll be singing it again soon!)

3. Feeding herself fully with her spoon (she's mastering this...)

4. Putting caps back onto bottles, lids back onto containers, etc...

5. Hair is longer

6. Comprehension is top-you can ask her to get something and she'll grab it and give it to you

7. She gives great hugs and kisses on command (ok, she's been doing this for some time, but it's fun to write it anyway for the thrill of it)

8. Climbing onto the sofa (and pretty much anything else...her piano...into the bathtub-yikes)

9. She's a budding yoga queen

10. 'No, no, no, no' and she'll say it when it's the right time to say it, not just because!

As an added bonus, she loves giving my belly button kisses. Who knows why, maybe she is realizing her younger brother is inside??? It's really precious.

Sarphen Update

Will he be....Cameron? Dylan? Torrey? Finn? Oh, the list is at 22 now...yes, 22 names left in our draft. Steve and I finished a third round of name elimination since beginning the process with 202 names a few weeks ago. Sarphen, one day you will hear the story of how your name was selected and find appreciation in it as truly, your name will have been a favorite among both your father and I (we only hope you love it as much as us)!

I have to say my form is no longer 100%. Last night Steve and I went to a wedding set in a lovely location just minutes away from where we were married in 2007. I found myself dancing with him like good ole times, swinging around, doing some latin steps...oh it was fun. And, Sarphen thought so too-at least he let me know when we got home. I spent a great deal of the night feeling him twist and turn, but not in a normal, 'hey mom, just stretching my arm out' type of way. No, I really think he was picking up the pace and taking to heart the DJ's mission to get us all up on the dance floor to M O V E!

Yes, Sarphen moved low low low and then high high high as if making his own routine to some hip hop 'shake your thang' groove. Today I felt exhausted from the tumbles and tonight I feel very strained in my belly causing me to walk slowly and hesitate when it comes to any bending over or lifting. Hmmm. Surely this will pass or Kaitlyn will get some neglect as I carry her a lot-we do it all together. Cook our eggs in the morning, vacuum, climb up the stairs together....all with her in my arms, and her pointing to all the fun elements of the task. Possibly this is the forced start of what should be a natural separation phase. I may have to let her cry a bit longer at my leg as bending over to pick her up may soon pose a larger challenge!

I'm 31.5 weeks, people think I'm having twins (same reaction with Kaitlyn), and I haven't had the swollen feet syndrome nor the permanent puffed out face...yet. We'll see what happens in these last two pivotal months!