MAY 26TH 2008- 17.5 weeks

Dear Grandchild,

You are now 17.5 weeks and growing!
 

I found this picture of an 18 week foetus in the womb on the cover of LIFE Magazine. It is so amazing that I feel as though I have just looked at you for the first time!

You are a REAL being, not just a growing mulberry, or a squiggly tad-pole. I think this baby is a girl (I don't see any dangling bits!) so perhaps you are also a girl. We'll just have to wait until the next scan to find out!

It is your uncle Greg's birthday today. He was born in 1975 - and your father was born 2 years later in 1977. I always wanted boy children and I dearly love my two boys but it would be nice to have a little girl in the family now.

You have another two uncles- your mother's brothers are Brent and Steven. You won't have any aunties but I know that Patty and all our 'girl' friends will want to be your aunty.

There are so many people thinking of you, praying for you, caring about you already that you won't be short of caring friends and family.

I thought I should tell you a bit about your family so that you know where you came from. You are truly South African with Norwegian, Dutch and a bit of Irish blood.

This, briefly, is your family tree on your father's, mother's side:

Great, great grandparents.
Otto Alfred Aadnesgaard 15-10-1876 to 18-02-1956
Anna Helene Grefstad 4-02-1879 to 4-12-1952
came from Austad in Norway to South Africa in 1909 as Lutheran missionaries.

Great grandparents:
Annie Serene Aadnegaard 4-07-1912 to 10-03-1990
Gunnar Ingebert Nilsen born 1907 died 10-02-1945

Grand Parent:
Finn John Nilsen 8-04-1943

Parents:
Mark David Nilsen 15-05-1975 and Tammy van Rooyen 24-05-1981

Your great grandfather, Gunnar Nilsen - who came from Norway - died when Finn was about 2 ½ years old and we don't know much about his side of the family.

On your father's mother's side (that's my side) we only have this rather sketchy information:

Great grand parents:

Albert James Dodgen died 1975 and Jacomina Magrita Johanna Moolman 1-08-1921 to 1-08-1993

Grandparent:

Sylvia Antoinette Dodgen 6-08-1947

So, we know that the Aadnesgaard and the Nilsen family came from Norway. We think that the Dodgen family were of Irish descent and came from Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and we know that the Moolman family were originally from Holland.

The first Van Rooyen also came from the South of Holland.

You don't need to bother about all of this now but should you ever want to trace your family tree this information will be very useful.

Here is a photograph of us all at Greg's birthday bash.

I wonder what colour eyes you will have? Your father has hazel eyes (like his father) and your mother has brown eyes. Greg has blue eyes, I have green eyes. Brown eyes are usually the dominant colour but, we will just have to wait and see!

Sleep tight little one.

Silly