That was overheard over at the “sister site”.
Thanks, Famous Hat. It’s for comments like that that I am known to spend a perfectly beautiful Saturday anagramming words like a madman for six hours straight without blinking. And thank you, Jen, for sharing the joy of my wordplay with so many others.
Of course, for those who didn’t solve it, yet, I published a version with clues on separate PDF layers which can be made visible within Acrobat. And now that it’s been out for some time, I guess I may as well publish a version with all the answers filled in for those who love to be let in on a little secret but don’t have the patience or the desire to work one of these.
Of course, with every good puzzle, there is an afterpuzzle. In this case, the Puzzle Correction post had certain words italicized. Specifically, “first letters… reading down… hidden message.” The ambiguity was intentional, but the afterpuzzle itself didn’t pertain to the puzzle PDF, but to the post itself. The first letters in each row read vertically: ABBY IS PREGNANT. Most people didn’t figure out the afterpuzzle, but if you did, props to you—you have mad word puzzle skillz.
Abby is twelve weeks along, actually, and today we got our first photo:
It’s shaping up to be an exciting year in the House of Gjertsen!!
Woohoo! Congrats!
Congratulations! I’ve been reading (and lurking on) your blog since you were pregnant with Valor, and my son Carter is just a few months younger than he is, so it’s been a joy to keep track of his accomplishments so I know what to expect. 🙂 I’m also 13 weeks pregnant with our second child, so were on the same track again with this one! I look forward to following along with your journey yet again. Valor and Carter will have to compare big brother notes! Congrats again!
YAY! I didn’t solve the puzzle but I KNEW IT! Many, many congratulations and best wishes!
I had an inkling that was what it was!
I’ve been a long time lurker, but thought I would say congrats!
Stench! I guess I should have paid attention to your message to me, John, and gone back to the puzzle…
Many, many congratulations to you three! This is the kind of incentive that drives me to solving things! And of course knitting. Hmmm… What to knit in pink?
Woohoo! (on a side note, my iPad auto corrected the word woohoo to Elohim. Fitting, don’t you think? praise be to Him.)
I didn’t even attempt the puzzle. I’m not gifted in that area. I had a feeling that’s what it was, but I wasn’t sure. I’m so excited for you guys. I can’t wait to share this journey with your sweet family. It’s made a bit more exciting by the fact that I’m 12 weeks pregnant as well.
I KNEW IT!!! Congratulations! Very excited for your family.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! 🙂
i’ve been reading since james’ first birthday party post on cake wrecks. we’re also hoping to start a family this year. congratulations to you all!!
Congratulations! That’s so exciting!
i knew it! i am so happy for you! god bless your family!
Ha ha! I didn’t have a chance to fill out the puzzle, but I predicted that there was a Valerie in the picture! (and yes, I call girl for the newest Gjersten!) So happy for y’all!!!!! 😀
well, naming a girl would be considerably easier at this point!
PS- Mad props for mention of the Evil Dead/Army of Darkness series. I <3 Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi!
Congratulations!!! So happy for the three of you, I had an inkling too. Can’t wait to see what this year brings for you all!
Congrats! We’re due with #3 about the same time (due date Sept 9th) and we’ve already started the name lists (boys and girls, first and middle). Since we choose not to “peek” with any of our pregnancies, we only know that the tiny baby will be “Baby J” (we’ve got a naming scheme going on).
Hang in there, Abby! Blessings to you all!
So incredibly happy for you guys! There was never a couple more deserving.
Love,
Anne
John and Abby — congratulations!!!! I find great hope in the continuation of your story. My daughter, like you, delivered baby Bennett at 16 weeks on the 9th floor (Chaplain’s Floor)of Winnie Palmer in January. Their first pregnancy resulted in sweet baby Emerson, who is now 2 and has 47 special chromosomes (Down Syndrome). Bennett had 69! Only God knows what is in store for this awesome couple, but the geneticists say that the 2 are not related and should not happen again. Valor is a beautiful boy and I can’t wait to see your next baby.
P.S. When are Abby’s parents moving to NC? 🙂
Congratulations!
I knew it the minute you posted that Puzzle 😛
Congrats once again!
V is going to be such a great big brother!!
Love,
Sachu from Argentina
Can’t wait to read about this next part of your journey!! Hope you’re feeling well and happy!
Another long time lurker, I just wanted to say Yaaaaaaayyyyyy! Congrats! Hope all goes well 🙂
OHH MY YAY!!! CONGRATS Gjertsen family!!!
Wow, I only got a chance to catch up here today. (And didn’t even attempt a cryptic puzzle such as yours in a foreign language and culture – Totally out of my league… ;-))
How wonderful!!! Congratulations!
What a beautiful, hopeful piece of news amongst all the dire headlines these days!
Hi Gjertsens!
I found your story through cakewrecks back around Valentine’s Day. I read through your journey with James and Dora and then onto this journal about Valor in about two to three days. God has used your story in my life – both for encouragement and inspiration: to be thankful for the blessings I’ve been given, to be content with what I have, and to be compassionate to others no matter how they treat me (they may have gone through some of life’s toughest trials, unbeknown to me). I just wanted thank you for putting yourselves out there and sharing your story. And, of course, congratulations!!! I’ll be praying for your sweet family. 🙂
Congrats!!!! I am so happy for you! I have been following you since James first birthday cake on Cake Wrecks too! I am so glad your family has been blessed with so much happiness!
Hi there, I just wanted to say thanks for the puzzle! I am a long-time wordplay fanatic, and I especially like crosswords and crostics. When I opened my reader in Feb, and saw the puzzle, I was so stoked!! but then I remembered I was about to move across the US in a couple of days. So I saved the reader post, and just yesterday went and printed it off. I dutifully solved it, between errands and kid duty, and tonight, after the kids went to bed, could finally finish it. It was sufficiently hard, but not impossible, and pretty straight-forward. In short, a very enjoyable puzzle! Thanks again, and congrats on your new baby!
I’m alittle behide with everything lately. I was wondering when I saw another puzzle was being doing and with you guys I thought, could it really be another baby on the way. Prayers and the best of luck, I know Valor is going to love having a playmate. Your going to have a busy summer. I’m just all smiles for you guys. I can’t wait to hear more. Thanks for always thinking of us.