Just some pictures

Ari's hair is getting long enough to play with :)

Quality Time with grandma

No  Grandma this is how you do it...

 

mmm...yummy

Musical Genius Baby :)

Ari loves music. Here are some of the things she enjoys :)

Playing the piano:

Listening to music:

 

(she had been playing the guitar, but as soon as I pulled out the camera she stopped)

 Singing, even during a diaper change:

 

Arianna can sign (a little)

We have been doing basic signs with Arianna for the last few months, things like: "please", "thank you", "food", "drink", "more", and "all done". She raises her arms when she wants to be held and that has also turned into her "all done." She also just started to sign "more," but it wasn't until last night that I really felt like she was communicating with me.
Ari has been running a  low fever since Sunday. She seems to do this when she is about to get a tooth in and I haven't been too worried. Although, it has made nights difficult. She has trouble sleeping and wakes up frequently crying. Last night, before going to bed, she had no fever but would not eat. I had hoped for a little more sleep, but she woke up around midnight crying. Ben took care of her, tried to get her to take a bottle, but she wouldn't. She ended up crying herself to sleep (she wouldn't accept any comfort).
She woke up again at 4am, hysterical, no fever, but I thought she must be in pain. I gave her some medicine and then made her a bottle. She calmed down and took an ounce or 2, then pushed the bottle away. I was going to try to put her back to bed when she started signing "more". I tried to give her more bottle, but she pushed it away. Then I realized that she was asking for food!
I fed her some yogurt and then she signed "all done." I cleaned her up and she signed "more" again, so I fed her applesauce until she signed "all done". Then I put her back to bed and she went down without crying.
It was amazing. I had a conversation with my daughter! I was able to understand and meet her needs. She then woke up this morning signing "more". So I guess I can tell when she is hungry. All I need now is for this to happen at some time other than 4am :)

I took this video the first day we noticed her signing. Ari's sign for more is to take her right thumb and put it in the palm of her left hand. 

Messes

Arianna is a master mess-maker. Ben says that it feels like every room in our house is Ari's playroom, and it is true. Arianna seems to feel that the place for toys, clothes, towels, pots and pans, lids, food, diapers, and various other items is the floor. As long as they are strewn every where there is no need to touch them, but as soon as they are "put away" she must act.
My favorite is watching Ari pull down all my nicely folded clothes and try to put them on. I can count on a good half hour of quiet play time from this activity. It is worth having to refold the clothes ;)
I have been trying to document some of these messes, because that is what my life consists of, but I don't think I have been able to capture the scale...

Christmas

It is a Petersen tradition to have all of the grand kids get together on Christmas Eve and act out the Christmas Story. Here are some of the pictures I got. 

 

Almost all the boys were sick, so Aubrey volunteered to play Joseph. 

This was Ari's first real Christmas. She slept through the 1st one while we spent it in the hospital. Ben's sister, Marianne, and her husband, Dan, have been staying with us for the holidays (you'll see them in some of the pictures/videos). 
Ari figured out, pretty quickly, how to rip the corners of the packages, but her favorite was ripping the tissue paper.
We had so many presents that I put two away without having her opening them.

Dear Arianna, (1 year)

Dear Arianna, 

You are one year old. I think about all that has happened in the last year and I don't even know how to begin to describe the joyous change you have brought into my and your dad's lives. We were driving home tonight from Grandpa Petersen's and we passed the Krispy Kreme where we were when we got the phone call letting us know you were on the way. The "Hot Now" sign was in the window and we were so tempted to stop in and feed you your first doughnut. Maybe we will do that tomorrow. 

Let's see...some of the changes this month...You still are not walking or really even standing. You cry every time we stand you up. You have learned to turn around in a circle while you are sitting on the floor. You started doing that while your cousins, Lilly and Kate, were staying with us, while their mom had her baby. I think you realized that you couldn't keep up with them so you just sat and turned to watch everything they were doing.

You got your 7th tooth this month. It was not very nice to you while it was coming in...I don't think I have ever seen you so miserable. But the pain only lasted a couple of days. You are making all kinds of sounds, and seem to understand the basics of conversation. You make a noise when someone hands you something or one of our phones makes a noise. You have also been saying a phrase that sounds very much like "whats that" when you see things. 

Naps have been a bit of a battle. Some days you won't take an afternoon nap, then today you slept for 3 hours :) We have been very busy with friends and family and you love all the activity. You always want to be where things are happening and will fuss if you are left out. 

This year has been so wonderful. We are looking forward to celebrating many more birthdays. This is the last "Dear Arianna" letter until your 2nd birthday. But the blog will continue. I love you my precious little girl.

Love,

Mom 

Ben putting together her wagon

Ben had to go to work so Uncle Dan finished her wagon

After cake (see the video)

Wishing You a Merry Christmas

We have a wonderful friend who agreed, at the last minute, to take some pictures for us for our Christmas card. I love the pictures of Arianna with the tree, they capture the wonder and awe of a child's Christmas. Reflecting on the last year has made me so grateful for all that I have. I am glad that Arianna was born around Christmas, she fills me with Joy. 

Ben did a good job of conveying some of those feelings in this poem:

 Be warned it might bring tears to your eyes. 

'Twas two days before Christmas, Two-thousand eleven

And up on the wall, the clock read half-past seven

The butterflies hung o'er the cradle in wait

For a little one coming, we knew not the date

Each bathroom, each floor, had been carefully cleaned

By a mother expecting, and to Father it seemed

That this season might be yet another alone

Without children to brighten the holiday tone

But what a surprise! As we drove home that night

On the Krispy Kreme sign "Hot Now" was so bright

We reached for our donuts, and in came the call

We had to get going, there was no time at all

Mom got a bite in; I stuffed my mouth

And started to drive...Was it north? Or south?

But sweet little Ari was ready to come

Not even two hours, and all would be done

And as her dear mother relinquished her hold

And she passed to us, the joy was untold

We did not yet know all the troubles ahead

But we had the assurance that we would be led

So miracles later, some great and some simple,

We took our sweet Ari to be sealed in the temple

It will soon be a year since this story was told

But we can't express all it was to behold

So we simply give thanks to our Savior and King

Sending love by our words while we are apart

We pray that the peace the Spirit does bring

Will be in your home, and dwell in your heart

 

We would also like to share with you a video that is a beautiful illustration of the true meaning of Christmas. Enjoy! And we hope you have a very Merry Christmas.