Rachelle Marie Petersen is here!

We are so happy to have a family of 4 now! Rachelle Marie Petersen was born on September 21st, 2011 at 7:47 a.m. She was 8 lb, 6 oz and 19 1/2 inches. She began to nurse well right from the start and it is so wonderful to have a baby in our house again. With a newborn it's hard to tell their personality, but I think Rachelle likes to cuddle a lot. (Or maybe I do! :)) She also likes to have her diaper clean and dry and does not like to be strapped into the car seat! We'll see what else she develops personality-wise.

AnnaSophia is adjusting well and is very alert to Rachelle. Her most common phrases are: "Is Rachelle awake, Mommy?" "I think she's awake!" "She's looking at me!" "We both have eyes." "I'm taking care of her." "It's ok, it's ok." (last one said in an almost falsetto when Rachelle is crying.)

We are praying and learning lots of patience as the challenges of a newborn are combined with a very eager, 'helpful' toddler.

One little story, tonight at bedtime, AnnaSophia sang/made up her first song.

"Oh, I had a little froggy
and he liked to get in water;
so I called him over to me
and I named him Froggy.
Oh, my little froggy cried
and my little froggy begged;
My little froggy got out of the water.
buh-buhduh-buh-buh
Some Froggy"

We've been singing and making up songs about animals for her to the same tune/rhythm that she made up this song... Much of the song is lifted from those songs, except that she just sang it straight out to Andy (and had chosen the animal, and all his little characteristics/actions) needless to say, Andy and I were pretty proud. :)

We are so thankful for our two sweet daughters.

Funny things a girl says

As many of you already know, we are expecting baby #2. :)
I am still gaggy at times and Sprite is my friend. Today I emptied a generic water bottle and put my Sprite in it. AnnaSophia wanted some and so I said "you can try it."
She took a drink (barely  a sip) and made that  I-just-tasted-something-horrible look. Then she said,

"I can't like it. It's pop."

That made me giggle. At this age, she hasn't learned to say "I don't" , so she always says "I can't". It has made for some very funny situations!

Thought you all might enjoy!

Helping Mommy!

Today, after I got home from shopping at ALDI, AnnaSophia helped me put away the groceries. She's becoming a big helper. It's amazing all the things she can do with just a little instruction. In fact, she's watching me type this and read it aloud right now.

Here she's helping put away the apples and oranges.

Some other fun and sweet things lately:

1. Hearing her sing "Jesus yuvs me zis I know for bibuwl tows me so" after church yesterday. She's been singing a lot of little songs lately.

2. Her giving hugs to our 'baby'. :) Yes, if you didn't know, we are expecting number 2 baby and AnnaSophia loves to give it a hug every day. :) which means an additional hug for mommy's waist. I love it!

I am realizing that I don't have a lot of profound things to post on this blog (I had been waiting evidently for hours of time and some stupendous thoughts, so no posts since November. :) but I am learning to give myself grace and understand that something ordinary and simple is just as good and wonderful. :)

Halloween-AnnaSophia is 2!

Just a few days ago, AnnaSophia turned 2!

We had some fun in the afternoon at Chuck-E-Cheese's. The little rides were her favorite!

Then we went trick-or-treating! She was Nemo, complete with her little 'lucky fin' like they say in the movie! :) She would knock on the doors and at each person's house, she had to step in and look around and wanted to play. Of course she thought it was great that someone would come to the door and offer her candy, so she made sure to take 2 handfuls if they let her!

Earlier in the day, she helped me decorate her birthday cake with M&Ms in the shape of a 2. As well as some extras sprinkled on! (It didn't look like a 2 after that).

It was fun to sing Happy Birthday and she blew little tentative puffs at the candles at first. Then, after I told her to blow hard, she gave out a big gust and blew them out one at a time! Yay!

On the SV front

One of our area Student Venture goals this year is to establish an effective discipleship strategy within the Blair High School campus students. Andy has begun leading the students on Monday nights in The Essentials, a discipleship study by Campus Crusade for Christ. We are praying that this study will equip our students to grow deeply in their faith and learn to multiply their faith by sharing the Good News of their faith. Andy has taught a lesson from The Essentials for a couple weeks now.  Please pray that God would use The Essentials and Andy to grow these students in taking the initiative and leadership in their personal spiritual life as well as in reaching their peers for Christ.