Aren't My Girls Gorgeous?

The Polar Express

We had the opportunity to go on Mount Hood Railroad's Polar Express Ride with the Barkers, Morgans, and Watsons. After an hour and a half drive to Hood River and a quick visit to Walmart to buy snowflake pajamas for the family, we arrived at the train station.


We boarded the train just after 5 PM and started on our way toward the North Pole. The kids were dreaming of Santa and the parents were in awe at their wonderment.


It wasn't long before we were served hot chocolate (which was spilled by many of the children) and cookies.


We then heard a reading of the Polar Express over the intercom while the servers held up the books and flipped through the pages.

Finally, we arrived at the North Pole and the kids all stared out the window in amazement as the elves and Santa greeted us.


The train turned around and we were boarded by the elves and Santa. Two elves arrived in our car and led us in singing many Christmas songs. Sonya really got into it.



After 7 or 8 songs, Santa arrived in our car. He went row by row greeting children and giving them bells. Sonya has always been a little afraid of people dressed up, and this is no exception. She was happy to accept the bell though.


After Santa left our car, it was just a bit longer and we arrived back at the train station. We had fun on the ride and here was our best shot at a family photo. Sonya was still sucking on her bell.


REVIEW: The Polar Express Ride at the Mount Hood Railroad is great fun for kids, but I wouldn't suggest it if you aren't going with your children. The real thrill for me was seeing the joy on my daughter's face and the fun she had with her friends.

Letters to Miah, the book

Karren has been working hard on a book to remember Miah and it is finally done. If you would like to get a copy at cost (at least for us) feel free to follow the link. If you get 5 before December 15, it is 15% off. We ordered 5. :)

Letters to Miah

By Karren Montague Wilde

Book Preview

Family History

I have always loved family history. Some guys play video games. Some watch movies. When I want to vegitate, I do family history. In fact, sometimes I spend so much time doing it that Karren calls it the other woman!

My dad and mom got me hooked on it when I was little. It is like doing a huge puzzle where you have to go find the pieces before you can assemble it. Our family even has a website devoted to our ancestors.


I also participate in various communities such as New Familysearch and I have recently been reaquanted with Find A Grave. I've been a member for over 6 years and enjoy contributing to this virtual cemetery. I recently added our daughter Miah's memorial.

Getting ready for Christmas!

The Wilde family has been preparing for the holidays this past week. We got our first EVER Christmas tree (normally we decorate a rosemary bush) and even cut it down ourselves.

The farm was a cute little family owned operation with a barn and tractor to boot! They even served us peppermint hot cocoa. mmmmm....

We decorated our tree with clear bulbs which Daddy and Sonya filled with the dried peddles from Miah's funeral. It made for a beautiful golden glowy tree to honor Sweet Miah this year. (of course, we filled a couple bulbs with chocolate chips to represent our other 'candy-o-holic' daughter, Sonya).

We crafted an extra ornament of 'Miah flowers' to hang on the tree at the cemetary. We attended a nice little service there, and sang Christmas Carols with others who have recently said goodbye to loved ones.

We made sure to visit Miah's little grave before leaving. She would have been 7 weeks old; her memory is a part of our family always, and we love her!

The Challenge and The Pot

Karren and I have decided to lose some of the extra pounds we have gained in recent years. We decided that we needed some motivation and a little competition to complete our goals so we put together a pot to win. Whoever reaches their goal first gets to spend the pot and the other partner can't say anything about how it is spent. We had to make it significant enough to be tantilizing. :) I need to lose about 30 pounds while Karren needs to lose about 20. Wish us luck and don't be offended if I turn down your scruptious holiday goodies .... must win! :)

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

  

Thanksgiving 2009

We were able to visit my grandparents (dad's parents) for Thanksgiving this year. It is always fun eating with them for Thanksgiving and often a little nostalgic. My family drove up to Seattle every year while I was growing up in Oregon. This year, there were nine of us, Grandpa and Grandma, Ilene, Richard, Noreen, Jessica, Karren, Sonya, and me. Also present were two dogs, Viggo and Buffy. Sonya really loved the dogs! We spent two nights at Ilene's after Thanksgiving. On Friday, we went to the Belleview mall where we ate and visited Santa. Sonya still doesn't like people dressed up so she cried when we took her to sit on Santa's lap. She did love the stuffed dog and candy cane lollipop he gave her though. We then visited the park across the street where Sonya chased a lot of the dogs around. At the base of the park, they were giving away free horse drawn carriage rides which Sonya LOVED (see her face in the photo below). We had to wait in line and she cried every time the horse left without her. Finally, that evening, Ilene watched Sonya while Karren and I went to Once Upon a Mattress, a performance by the Bellevue Youth Theatre. Thanks Ilene! It was a very enjoyable two days!

The 75th Annual Verboort Sausage & Kraut Dinner

We attended the annual Verboort Sausage & Kraut Dinner early November with the Morgans and the Bowdens. As usual, it was very wet, but we still had a ton of fun. Karren won a cabbage patch doll in the annual pot holder drawing. You buy pot holders for $1 each and then get to draw out tokens for each one you buy. If there is a number on it, you win. The dinner was great ... homemade sausage, saurkraut, applesauce ... and all you can eat! The photos below will show the pure wetness and the girls enjoying some food and drink.

What Does Cameron Do All Day?

For those of you who wonder what I do. This video shows how a processor is made. I am on a large team that makes sure the design imprinted onto the silicon (from 0:45 to 0:58) is correct by running simulations BEFORE the chip is manufactured.

A Tale of Two Fowls

I was so excited for Halloween this year! Sadly, we had to miss the Bowden's party for the first time, but Sonya was old enough to enjoy Trick or Treating.

The festivities began the Wednesday before where Sarah, Karren, and I met up with Aja for a special Halloween night at OMSI. With the Bowden's extensive costume wardrobe and Karren's giant panties, we easily took first place.


Once Halloween arrived, we had a full day planned. Sonya wore her duck costume to the church party. We ate, played games, and went Trunk or Treating. I am proud to say that she said Trick or Treat and Thank You at each trunk.


Later that evening, we went Trick or Treating with the Barkers and the Morgans. Sonya wore the chicken costume her Great Grandma Glee sent her. It was perfect, cute, and warm. The boys ran ahead leaving us with the three girls, Lyla, Sonya, and Sydney. It was so much fun watching them. Sonya got too comfortable after a while and started letting herself into people's homes. How does one instill stranger danger into one's offspring? We will have to work on that.

Life of Miah Rachel Wilde

Karren had a C-Section planned for Friday morning, October 16th. When she went into her regularly scheduled appointment with her OBGYN, there was some concern about Toxemia and Dr. Stull decided that it would be best to go ahead with the birth. We waited in the hospital and Karren's heart rate was indistinguishable from the baby's, both between 140 and 180 beats per minute. Once it was established that the baby was still alive via ultrasound, Karren stopped freaking out, and the two hearts returned to normal.

I took this opportunity to return home and get the necessary clothes and electronics. Sonya would be taken care of by Debbie Pearson that day and our families in the days to follow.

Upon my return, Karren was still in Triage. We finally were taken into a private room around 4 PM. Karren started getting scared again so I gave her a blessing and she became relaxed enough to fall asleep. Dr. Stull finally arrived and Karren was carted into the surgery room where she got her saddle block while I waited in the hall.

Finally, it was time. Miah Rachel Wilde was born October 15th at 6:26 PM via C-Section. A huge tidal wave of fluid came from Karren's uterus. There were no cries and we were both a little scared. Miah was started breathing on her own, although it was weak. She weighed 4 pounds 4 ounces, was 18" long and had a head that is 12.75" in circumference. I took her to Karren's head, gave her a name and a blessing and we both cried tears of joy. Both Miah and I stayed in the room with Karren while she was sewn up, after which, we returned to our room.

Earlier in the day, we found out that a new rule was put into effect a week earlier: no more than two people (including the father) could visit during the entire stay at the hospital. This meant that there was a chance our families and Sonya would not meet Miah! This scared us because we knew we would be there at least three days, and the chance of Miah surviving until then was slim (although she is a fighter and ultimately beat the odds). After getting multiple different answers, it was decided that we were an exception and that our direct family and our photographer could visit.

We relayed this information to our respective families and they were overjoyed. Sonya and Karren's mother and father came right away and our friend (and photographer) arrived shortly after. Karen (http://www.karenmurdock.com/) took some amazing shots of Miah that we will always cherish. Karren's parents were visibly pleased to be able to meet their newest granddaughter. They left and my parents arrived a little later. They had a long day traveling from Saint Louis despite the fact that they didn't believe they were going to be able to see Miah. They too were very grateful to meet our little angel.

The night that followed was long. Karren and I held Miah the entire night, Karren more than me. There were multiple scares where she would turn blue, stop breathing for a short while, and then jump start right back up again. She is such a fighter!

On the following days, we were able to spend lots of quality time with Miah and our families. Our parents visited many more times, Sonya was able to visit twice, and Bryan and Carly both got to visit once. There were many emotional moments and we all learned more about God's great plan for us. Miah is to be here a short while and we are certain Heavenly father has great plans for her. She will always be with us and she has many (including my mother) who will welcome her home.

We were really grateful for the staff at Saint Vincent's, especially the nurses, who were very knowledgeable and brought us lots of comfort. They helped us do things that aren't usually part of their job such as take foot prints, hand molds, measurements, be with us when Miah was having issues, and gave us many words of comfort.

Miah survived the hospital and was able to come home with us on Sunday, October 18th. She stayed with us until Tuesday, October 20th before passing away. Karren kept her close the entire 5 days and many friends visited her. There was no baby more loved. We are at peace with Miah's passing and we feel so blessed to have been able to spend all this time with her. She is a blessed daughter of God and it makes me personally want to be my best so I can be with her when I return home. We look forward to seeing her again when we return to our Heavenly Father.

Dogs and "Maizes"

For the first time in a long time, our family got to do a Saturday family outing. Most Saturdays are consumed by cakes or catching up on the work we don't get to do on a cake weekend. This weekend, we ate lunch at a French bakery, hung out with friends and their dog Libbey, and visited The Pumpkin Patch. It was great fun and we really enjoyed the time together. Below are some photos from our day.

A Scheduled Delivery for Miah

I fasted this last Fast Sunday for Miah and Karren and I prayed to see if we should do a C-Section or a vaginal birth. We felt at peace with our decision to do a C-Section. After Karren's doctor reviewed her file and since Karren had an emergency C-Section with Sonya, Karren's doctor agreed with us and it is now scheduled for Friday, October 16th in the morning. We are both excited to welcome Miah into our little family.

Delayed birthday dinner

Karren was doing service for a Stake Relief Society dessert event last week and so we delayed my birthday from Thursday to yesterday. She had to make tons of nice plated desserts and worked from Wednesday through Saturday. This is one of the many sacrifices I make because I have such a talented, beautiful, giving wife. I would have it no other way though. :)

Sonya, Karren and I celebrated at Benihanas. Lots of restaunant give you free stuff for your birthday. Benihana's give you a free meal through their Chef's Table program. Red Robin gives a free burger through their eClub. We also signed Sonya up for Geoffrey's Birthday Club where she gets a free gift from Toys R Us every year. There are likely others out there also, but these are the ones we have signed up for.

Anyway, Benihanas was really good and Sonya ate a ton. She especially liked my shrimp and ate most of mine. At the end, they sang me happy birthday and took this photo. I especially like all the food in Sonya's mouth.

One Month To Go

Our daughter Miah is due in 31 days, just a month away. Karren and I got up nice and early to get an ultrasound of her and see what the issues with Miah might be. She definitely has a heart issue, shorter limbs (legs and arms), a tiny stomach, and is underweight. These are all typical for a Trisomy 18 baby. There were no major defects that we could see outside these issues. The technician says that there is a hole in the heart that limits the blood from flowing throughout the rest of the body, kind of like a short circuit. Karren said that she is "sooooo beautiful" and I would have to agree. She looks a little like Sonya to me and we are excited to meet her. She is a choice daughter of God and we are very happy that she will be with our family forever.

A Wickedly Eventful Weekend

Back in June, I purchased tickets for the musical Wicked for Karren's birthday. Sadly, when it came through Portland, we didn't go see it. I found out it was coming to Seattle this month, so I seized the opportunity.
We headed up to Seattle after work on Friday. The ride wasn't comfortable for my 8 month pregnant wife or my active child, but we happily arrived at Aunt Ilene and Uncle Richard's place about 9:30 PM. Sonya took a bit to warm up to their Labradoodle, Buffy, but by the end, they were good friends. At one point on Saturday, Sonya even got on her hands and knees and drank out of Buffy's water dish .... pretty gross but hilarious.
Saturday morning, we hung out in their backyard and chatted until just after noon. We then left Sonya with Ilene and Richard and headed to the Paramount Theatre. Karren and I both really liked Wicked and would recommend it to anyone who likes musicals. We then headed to a wedding receptions where we met up with Grandpa and Grandma Wilde, Ilene, Richard, Sonya, and Jessica. It was good to eat dinner and socialize.
Getting back to Ilene's place about 9:30 PM, I logged on to my email account to see when Karren's brother, Bryan, would arrive at the Seattle airport. The plan was to pick him up at 10:30 PM and then head back to Portland. It was then that I noticed my mistake. I bought the ticket for Portland instead of Seattle, likely out of habit. This meant that I had a 3 hour drive to do in 30 minutes. Impossible! It turned out OK though. We made really good time and got to the Portland Airport about 12:45 AM.
Bryan will be staying with us for the next little bit. He wanted a new start and Portland is a great place (if you can stand the rain).

Sonya and Lyla at the Oregon Coast

When these two are together, there is no stopping them!

A new Sonyaism

Sonya's vocabulary is growing and often cracks us up. Here is a conversation I had with her this morning.
Me: Sonya, what's her name? (pointing to Karren)
Sonya: Mommy
Me: Sonya, what's my name? (pointing to myself)
Sonya: Daddy
Me: Sonya, what's your name? (pointing to Sonya)
Sonya: Me

Yummy Bananas

In the heat of the day, by the cool of the pool

Yesterday was 107 and while I was at work, Karren, Diane, Robin and Yuan took the kids to the beach. From what I am told, Sonya got over her previous fear of the sand and followed Lyla into the ocean, soaking everything. Karren got one of the cutest photos of Sonya yet!

It sounds like everyone had a blast and enjoyed the cooler beach weather!

A Day at the Fair

On Saturday, the family was introduced to the delights of a summer fair..Miah just kicked around to the barbershop music, while Sonya ran to any and all stands promising something gooey, sticky, or squeaky!
First, Sonya turned a wafting billow of cotton candy into a solid sticky mass...

Then she showed off her fabulous balloon kitty cat (which eventually popped as she used it for a teething ring)...

Sonya finally polished off the afternoon with a pie eating contest...which she really should have won!
...but she used her hands (against the rules:-)

And she stole the pies of nearby children (apparently also against the rules)

What a delicate little princess!!! Yay for summer! 

Introducing...

Our sweet baby girl has entered the last trimester of development and is regarded by the medical community as 'viable' outside of utero. Because her life is expected to be a short one, we would like to introduce her to our family and friends as the newest addition to the Wilde Family, and announce her name early. You will begin to see her name included in our ramblings, and her presence acknowledged in our activities. Also, we have begun posting a separate blog specifically about her life: "Letters to Miah". It will be a very personal collection of notes we have written/ will write to our daughter. There is so much that she has taught our family already, and we feel selfish keeping it locked away in a journal. 

 

MIAH (my-ah) RACHEL WILDE

      Her first name comes from the book of Jeremiah of the old testament.  The fifth verse of the first chapter reads: "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee...". We appreciate this simple reminder that our daughter's spirit existed long before her broken body was created inside her mother, and that spirit will live long after her body is buried in it's Mother Earth. We believe in a literal resurrection of her body in its perfected form, and that we will again hold her in our arms throughout the eternities. 

      Miah's middle name is also inspired by a figure of the Old Testament. Jacob loved Rachel and desired to be with her forever. Ultimately, he had to work 14 years for her father to earn her hand. Just as Jacob had to wait to marry Rachel, our family will have to wait a little while during this life to be with our own Rachel in the next.       

     

Smooches

Our daughter is fairly indiscriminate when it comes to boys. Here, we see her with a wooden garden gnome...practicing the art love.

Once her technique is perfected, she pounces with 'smoochy' prowess on the real thing. Watch out GRAE!

...and another one bites the dust. We're going to have the teach Sonya about playing "Hard to Get".

Cats and Ducks

Sonya knows many words and sounds now and loves playing with her father. Here is a video you will be sure to enjoy! Sometimes she gets confused and thinks mom's sound is mooooo, which is never something I would teach her!

Eating locally and nutritiously

This summer, we decided to purchase a harvest share at Sun Gold Farms. Every week, we get a grocery bag of vegetables fresh from the farm and grown locally in neighboring Forest Grove. We don't get to choose the vegetables but instead get a share of whatever is ripe in a given week. We have really enjoyed it. Here is Sonya enjoying some peas and carrots from a few weeks ago. Tomorrow will be week 5 out of 18.

June Visits, Rounds 1 and 2

June always tends to be when we get visitors. It probably has yo do with the rain settling down and the weather being mostly pleasant. Also, this is the beginning of wedding season and the end of school.

First, we had a visit from Ned and Lynnie (along with Sonya's 3 cousins, Ian, Zach and Seth). They stayed at our place for about a week. Sonya LOVED it. She even changed her sleep schedule to get maximum play time with the boys. She was constantly trying to keep up and copy Ian, yell louder that Zach, and hug and pick up Seth. After they left, Sonya didn't understand why her cousins weren't there to play anymore.




A small consolation was the visit of K and Jessica just after Ned left. Sonya really liked them. K also helped my in my yard to root out blackberry bushes which had been growing in my big bush.

Finally, the League of Ladies attacked our front yard and pulled up a TON of weeds. It is looking a ton better and has inspired me to finish off the yard. I have a goal to finish it before Karren's birthday.

A visit to Utah

Our family just got back from visiting Utah for a week.
Here, Sonya got to play with her cousins ....

and her second cousins ....

and with her Grandpa and Grandma Wilde ...

and with her Great Grandma Woffinden!

Her mother on the other hand wondered how her life would be different if she married into the Karren family .... hmmmm ..... Karren Karren.