It's Christmas Time!

We have been getting into the holiday spirit at our house for the last couple of weeks and it's been so much fun to see it this year through new eyes with our 2-year-old.  He's big enough to help now and so of course he wants to at every turn.  We've come to the happy conclusion that while everything we do may take us longer these days, it sure is more fun too.

Putting the angel on the tree

Adding his own "Baby's
First Christmas" ornament

Sharing a Christmas wish with St. Nick

Gavin totally surprised us and willingly got on Santa's lap when we took him for a visit.  I just knew there was no way that was going to happen.  I love how he surprises me with his big boy actions here lately!  When we had asked him earlier that day what he was going to ask Santa for, he promptly replied "Baby sister!"  (We told you he'd been asking!)  By the time we got to Santa that evening though he'd just shortened it to wanting a baby.  Santa said, "I think you'll have to talk with your Mom & Dad about that one - anything else you'd like?"  Tee hee.

We also embarked on the annual holiday tradition of making frosted sugar cookies this week.  This is something that I have been doing with my Mom for as long as I can remember and it was great (and messy!) to get Gavin in on the fun for the first time.  I guess he has been involved before, but on more of an observation level . . .

Baking cookies on his first Christmas

This year he really got in on the action with a little help from Daddy.

Oh, the excitement!

Carefully applying red hots

Shake that sugar!!!

Sweet success

Mommy also got a little time away to get her holiday crafting fix and went to a wreath making class.  It was a fun excursion for a night of relaxation.  I used to teach crafting classes at the civic center where I enjoyed this class and it made me wish I was doing it again.  Maybe someday!

Before

And after!

An amazing adventure

As I've spent some time updating the pages of this blog today, it's been fun to go back and read the posts.  It was especially meaningful to read the ones between April and July of 2011.  Each one was such a mixture of joy and uncertainty.  When I go back to that place in my mind, I can remember those feelings so clearly.  Since that time, our lives have been packed with lots of joy and uncertainty as well - the kind that learning how to be a parent can bring!

The ultrasound picture from this post has now grown into an adorable and busy 2-year-old . . . an adorable 2-year-old who now quite frequently says, "I want baby sister!"  We had been considering whether it was time to begin the process of updating our profile and paperwork for a while before his friends at church starting having siblings and I guess that was a good thing!  The truth is, his Mom & Dad are ready for a baby brother or sister too.

I'm looking forward to sharing our journey with you again.  This time I'll also get to tell a few stories about what it's been like for us to be parents to this amazing little boy that we were graciously chosen to love and nurture.  What an awesome experience it has been!

Will you please join us in prayer for:

• guidance in the search for our baby
• patience as we wait for the right timing
• the mother and father who may even now be discovering they are pregnant

We would also be honored if you would share our information, including this page, with anyone who you feel might be able to connect us to birth parents who are looking for a family to raise their child.  The circumstances around our first adoption surely proved that so often it happens because someone knows someone.

Here's to the next chapter in an amazing adventure!

Love and blessings,
Janell

Announcing the arrival of Gavin Glen Peterson!

Well, now I understand it.  I've always wondered why it takes new parents so long to post on their blogs, etc. about the new baby in their lives.  Now I realize it's because they would much rather be cuddling said sleeping baby all the time!  (That and the fact that they are likely very tired!)

Gavin Glen Peterson came into the world on Monday, July 11 at 1:29pm.  He weighed 7lb 4oz and stretched out to 19.5 inches long.  And because Brandon and I were incredibly blessed to be a part of the lives of his birthparents, they welcomed us into the delivery room just after he was born.  He's absolutely perfect and loved by so many that it's somewhat hard to convey the feelings that I have about this experience through words.  We are without a doubt, beyond imagination, amazingly and astoundingly blessed.  God is good.

On Sunday, we got a call that it was time to head to the hospital.  We met S & D just as the nurse was telling them to go back home.  But just a few short hours later, we were called back at midnight as labor had begun.  Brandon and I snoozed in the waiting room and visited when they were awake.  Then it was time to push!  Gavin's mom was so brave and strong as she worked to bring him into this world while we waited with his birth-grandma for the news.  After 2 1/2 hours, S came to tell us that little Gavin was born and everyone was doing well.  That had to be one of the longest 2 1/2 hours of our lives!  And then the moment we'd waited for so long, she asked if we'd like to hold him. (sigh)

First family pic

The next couple of days went by in a blur as we learned about how to change him, when to feed him, immunizations, and a ton of other things that I'm sure we've tucked away in our adoption notebook.  We were treated so well by Overland Park Regional Medical Center as they gave us our own room where we could care for our son.  We traipsed back and forth between his birthmother's room and ours while we cuddled, fed, and changed him - sharing these first milestones with her.  She was truly amazing.  And it was so obvious how much his birthfather, grandmother, and even great-grandmother love him as they all visited and poured out blessings on his little life.  I am so grateful that we know them and that they will be there when he has questions that we can't answer along the way.

On Wednesday, we got to bring him home and we got settled into the house by unpacking all the diapers and formula.  He was so tired that first day.  He also got to meet Sammy & Bianca that evening and it went really well.  Bianca took to him right away as we were sure she would and Sammy was very concerned whenever he cried.  They spent the first night standing guard as we took shifts feeding and rocking him in the nursery.

Two on the lap, one on the foot stool

Since then, we've spent all our time learning about our baby boy.  He likes to sleep all swaddled up, loves himself a nice full belly, makes adorable faces right before he falls asleep, usually saves the best diapers for Dad, and makes us fall more in love with him every day.  In about one hour from now, he will be one week old.  That's a little surreal to me - where did that week go?  I'm sure we'll say that sort of thing many times for years to come.

There's more to say, but I'm starting to hear my baby wake up.  The wait is over . . . . and the adventure is just beginning.

One day until D-day!

Just a quick note to say that Brandon and I are anxiously anticipating the arrival of our son any day now!  His official due date is tomorrow, July 9th, which just happens to also be the day that Brandon turns the big 3-0.  There is so much to celebrate in our lives.

Thank you for your well-wishes, support, and prayers as we wait out the final days.  We are so grateful for the immense support of our friends and family as we have moved along this journey.

With love,
Janell

The Latest

I have lots to share with you all today!  I suppose that likely means that I should be posting more often, but hey, in order to have things to write about you have to get off of the computer and experience them right?

We've been working on finishing touches for the nursery and starting baby registries and trying not to get too excited over the last couple of weeks.  All that sort of flew out the window on Thursday night when we realized how truly unprepared we were.  D called us and said she had been having contractions all day and ended up at the hospital that night.  We went up, but it turned out to be a false alarm.  On one hand, I'm glad because it was sort of a wake-up call for us to really get ready.  On the other hand (which definitely has the winning edge), I'm bummed because it felt like we were so close to finally welcoming home our child.  Sigh.

So now we are officially less than 2 weeks from the due date and her body is apparently getting ready for the big day.  Also, there is some comfort in knowing that they called us right away when these things were happening.  It was a good thing to share in that with them.

Now, here is something we've all been waiting for . . . it's a boy!!!  No - I'm just kidding.  You all knew that.  Even better though - here's his adorable face!

They had a 3D ultrasound done at the end of May and we were able to get our hands on the pictures!  I told Brandon last night as I looked at one that I've placed on my nightstand how much I want to allow myself to fall in love with that little face, and yet how scared I am that I will get my heart broken if I do.  Oh, how we long for the day when we'll meet him in person!

I also finished the bulk of my sewing for the nursery today!  Hooray!  Brandon has been making frames for the letters of baby's name that will have the colors on the opposite wall as their background.  There are as many letters as there are colors so it worked perfectly (today's name clue!).  We also created a light fixture for the corner with some Japanese lanterns that turned out pretty cute.  I think I'm going to wait until my Mom comes to visit to make the curtains so she can help with that!  Here are some pictures of his little room!

All that's really left is the windows and the frames that will hang above the bed

The dresser colors match the wall and you can see the beginning of the bear collection

Yay for finished homemade bedding!!!  Now I'm a sewing junkie!

My how far we've come!