HANNAH ROSE LAROCQUE IS BORN!

proud parents and a very proud big sister. We are all doing well just tired and adjusting to being a family of four now. :)

August/Summer Fun

We've been staying busy and having fun this summer. Rachel got a pink jeep for her birthday and is learning to drive/steer correctly. We went peach pickin' and she loved eating peaches while I picked some to bring home for later. Dress up is still a favorite during play time as well as tea parties with our cat Mocha!

Rachel's 1st Camping Trip!

We went camping with four other families (12 kids total) for one night about 20 minutes away from home (in case we needed to get back home quickly). It was a GREAT trip! The kids had so much fun together and it was easier than we all expected. Playing in the dirt, having a 'smore for the first time, sleeping in a tent and playing in the Sacramento River...all first time experiences for Rachel and she loved every minute! Being 7 months pregnant was the hardest part of the trip but not so bad...we are going to try and go next month again.

Someone Turned TWO!!!

For Rachel's 2nd birthday party we had a "Teddy Bear Picnic" Party. She was excited for a week before as she helped me prepare and plan the party. She enjoyed having her friends over, eating birthday "nummies" and opening her gifts. A big thank you to everyone that helped us pull off the day and was able to come help her celebrate!

4th of July!

We had a fun BBQ with The Bradley Family, our good friends and neighbors. Rachel got to stay up past her bedtime to watch the fireworks...another new experience.

Rachel loves talking about all the people in her life. We have name signs for them and she shows here that she understands my signs without me adding the spoken English. Sometimes she even tries to get away with calling her Daddy "Steve"...she doesn't get far with that one! :)

23 months old and having fun!

Rachel is now in a "big girl bed". She helped us decorate her room and pick out the new sheets for her new twin bed. She loves her new room and is sleeping like a little princess! She still enjoys dress up and keeps herself busy trying on different hats, necklaces, a variety of accessories and just recently started wearing the pretty purple "princess" shoes. Rachel's most recent role playing includes pretending she is someone else, giving her babies new names and in this last photo she "has a baby in her tummy and she is sick". She also informed me that I was the nurse. She is such an imagination and we love listening to her explain her thought process! Summer time is allowing us to get outside and play. Rachel enjoys our backyard, her pool and new sand/water table. Of course she has to bring all her babies out to sit at the patio table so they can "watch" her play.

Rachel is 22 months!

Oh my funny little girl! Our days are filled with adventure...from shaking music toys at Austin's 2nd birthday party, to trying corn on the cob and olives on our fingers for the first time...it's all fun! Rachel loves to dress up and often wears "accessories" while doing certain tasks (eating corn/painting). She also loves getting her fingernails/toes painted and then wants to try it herself with her washable paints. So, sometimes she has pretty pink nails that Mommy painted...other days she has green, blue or a mixture from her paintbrush. Whatever the case she is having fun learning and exploring her world.

Baby #2 Ultrasound photos at 20 weeks

Yesterday we had a "level 2/3-D" ultrasound. This is routine at my doctor's office and very exciting for us as parents. These photos don't even start to express what we actually saw and how clear everything was. We got to watch our little one rub its face, suck its thumb, move about and kick those legs! Very active and amazing to watch it in real time. These photos show a profile, bottoms of both feet, a profile of sucking fingers and the right leg. Everything measured perfectly and looks good. We are half way through this pregnancy already...wow how the time flies with a toddler around to keep you busy. :)

April 2008

21 months. Rachel was "helping" me do laundry. She decided to put her Daddy's boxers on. She wore these for at least 45 minutes...funny girl! Her diaper outfit was during a time that she had a fever and bad stomach flu...always ready to play dress up though! She is talking up a storm and able to communicate her likes, dislikes, wants and desires (I might add, "very strongly" too!) :)

More in April~

Rachel was getting over the flu while Grandma was visiting but we had to get out of the house and hit Chuck E. Cheese's! This month has been filled with lots of painting (the paper and Rachel!) as well as trips to the parks...as you can see, we have a little dare devil on our hands!