Happy New Year

Can you believe it? 2007 is upon us. I graduated highschool 7 years ago. 9/11 was 6 years ago. The turn of the millenium was 7 years ago. Those sounds like quite a long time, and yet it seems like yesterday. And just three years ago today, Matt proposed to me...3 years. Now we've been married for 2 1/2 of those three years, have one kid and one on the way living all the way in CA. And I STILL think it was the perfect proposal -- I will cherish that story for years to come!

Poor Judah visited Matt's childhood doctor on Friday. He had several days of fever and now has quite the little cough. It's strange to hear him cough -- and I wonder what it is like for him to cough for the first time. I think it hurts his throat sometimes because he gives a little cry after the harder coughs. I think he is on the mend. The doc said that it was more than likely teething...he has, after all, gotten three top teeth in the time we've been here! And I do believe there are a couple more to come very soon.

Fun news, though. We've introduced him to the world of finger foods. He's had Mamaw's pancakes, lightly buttered toast, goldfish, cheerios, turkey. He also has tried mashed potatoes (again) and a taste of vanilla ice cream which both made his chin break out in hives. Dairy? Who knows. He's had so much fun with feeding himself. To watch his little fingers pinch food and take it straight to his mouth is fascinating. He wasn't very good at it at first, but he caught on very quickly. And he does best putting food into his mouth with his right hand, though he can use his left hand for picking things up and pushing pieces farther into his mouth.

I've forbidden Brenda to make any more sweet dishes except for her banana pudding until we leave. Goodness! This is certainly a "home SWEET home" which I know Matt has enjoyed. Well, ok, I have enjoyed it too -- but more than I should! Pies, brownies, cakes, ice cream, Little Debbie treats, Twizzlers, etc. So tasty. And my hip/thigh region has thought so too. My belly is also pooching it's jiggly self a little more now. But, 'tis to be expected. I am 2 months pregnant now. I just hope it doesn't take years to get rid of this spoiled sweet tooth I've gotten. ;-)

I think we may end up doing a name game like Hong & Tami did. Give us suggestions for girls and boys names (first and middle), and if we pick your name you get a prize. :-) This will be a running game so you can leave a name in a comment from here on out regardless of what the post is about. :-) This should be interesting. I will say there is one boy's name I have begun to think about quite a bit, but it reminds Matt of Strongbad (for those who know what that is). I think maybe he could let go of the relation if he just thinks about the name a little more. It's not Biblical which suprises me. But I do like this name quite a bit. We'll see.

Ok, Matt wants to show his dad our church's website (link at left) and I need to go do a few things before we get to church. I hope you all have a wonderful celebration to bring in the New Year tonight! Love to all!

Christmas Pictures

Well, we had a successful Christmas yesterday. Why "successful" you ask?

1) There was not 4 feet of snow like our last Christmas-time in Indiana.
2) Matt and I actually had gifts for each other that were unknown to the other and opened on the correct day (this rarely if ever happens).
3) Judah knew just what to do with his presents -- even playing with the gifts more than the packaging.

I'm not sure what Matt's opinion would be, but I have two favorite gifts. One was a Willow Tree figurine called "New Life." I have always loved the Willow Tree stuff, but Brenda never knew that. It is a very special gift to me, one that makes me feel peace and joy when I look at it.

But my most favorite gift has no price. It is a new heirloom for our family. It was an extremely thought out, worked out gift. Brenda noticed a particular comment I made on my blog from a while ago about a quilt Helen had given Judah.

I said that I liked it so much the thought had crossed my mind to add to it to make a quilt for our king sized bed so that his would be the center piece of our bed......Brenda told Grandma, and then in October, Grandma started this...

Shock & Awe. Priceless. A wonderful, relaxing Christmas. Judah's first. Yummy food. And might I say Matt and I are still on a roll with "new" Christmases. Here's how our Christmases have gone since marriage...

1st...marriage

2nd...pregnant

3rd...first child

(4th...we'll have two children)

And on a more serious spiritual note, I think this is the first Christmas I really lacked a whole lot of "Christmas spirit" and focus on Christ's birth. I don't know if it is because there was a lot of hubub surrounding this Christmas or if I am growing differently spiritually -- I'm feeling a change to more celebration in my heart with Easter rather than Christmas. But I do remind myself...He had to be born so that He could die. And that is why Christmas is so special.

Week 1 of Holiday Vacation

Well, here we are almost at the close of week one of our hoilday vacation here in Indiana. It's been relaxing...once we got over the time change. Sunday night was aweful! Judah only slept for 6 hours when he usually gets 10-12. Matt and I were both exhausted, so it made it very hard to *happily and patiently* tend to Judah's needs. But, we are past that; and Judah is perfectly on Indiana time now. I do not, however, look forward to trying to change him back to CA time...as it is now, he'll be waking at 5 am when we go back. :-O A kind lady that Brenda works with loaned alot of stuff her grandaughter uses for Judah. One was a portable crib. We were stoked about it...until we figured out Judah could stand up in it and shake it nearly to pieces! I also think it was so unfamiliar that it was distracting him from normal sleep...which affected OUR sleep. So we went to Target and bought an "Esparza Household" pack n play. It's the same one we have at home. Judah has slept SO much better since then. He shocked us by showing us he can even pull up in a mesh sided pack n play, but at least he can't shake it badly.




It's been dreary and rainy since we got here, but it adds to the wintry feel. I got out and took a 20 min walk while it was spritzing outside yesterday, and it was nice and refreshing. I've been battling consistent irritating nausea all week, mainly in the afternoon/evening. I GOT MY ARBY'S though and was a completely new woman afterwards. We will be visiting again before we leave. ;-) I also got me some Sonic. Yeah buddy! I also feel that my belly is starting to get that first trimester pudge-feeling. The "My body doesn't look pregnant yet, but I'm not my normal slim self anymore" feeling. I know I don't look pudgy to everyone else, but the waist of my pants is a little more snug and flexing my abs doesn't change the look of my tummy anymore. Those of you who have been pregnant or closely watched a preggie know what I'm talking about. Can I get a shout out?



There are many gifts under the tree already. Matt and I are going to go on a dinner/shopping date hopefully today or tomorrow. I'm thinking Chik-fil-A. Gotta get all the non-CA restaurants in while we can. Mmm...chicken ceasar wrap. We have a few gifts yet to purchase, and yes we are nuts for going shopping so close to Christmas. But hey, it adds a little spice to the holiday. Judah got to open one gift last night because we need more options for sleepware here. Sometimes it's a touch too warm for a fleece sleeper. The PJ's? Some adorable t-shirt pants/tops with dinosaurs on them. I've had my eye on them for quite some time at Target, so I am thrilled that Brenda chose them (not knowing what I would have picked)!




Judah & Aunt Melody.



Playing piano with Mamaw.




Judah also is around stairs that are "safe" as in carpeted and inside a house. He surprised us all by climbing all 14 steps on his first try!



Highchair Happiness (and a cool colored photo Melody took that shows Judah's orange nose even more). :-P



Judah 9 mo check up: 18.13 lbs. (20% for weight down from 80% last time...he moves around more!), 95% for head size (still a big head!), 28" long (average). He's as healthy as can be. :-) All four teeth on the bottom are through, and one on the top side JUST popped through last night. He'll have the other top side tooth pop through soon as well. When it tooths it teeths in that kids mouth!

I hope you all are enjoying these days leading up to Christmas!

All Hail the Crib Travelers

So this week's new trick is to stand up in his crib. He does it OFTEN. So much so that it is hard to get him to go to bed/nap. And just today, he pulled up on the coffee table...and then cruised to get Matt's soup. Any bets on how soon he'll be walking?






We're up late tonight finishing up things before we leave for the holidays. It's about 10:30. And out of NOWHERE...ok out of the sky...we got hail! I was thinkin' to myself, "I knew it was supposed to rain, but that is some heavy rain...and rain usually doesn't ping off our windows." So I took some pictures. It's the second time I've encountered a random hail storm in CA. The first was on a sunny day at Master's -- I still don't understand where that hail came from. At least I know tonight's hail came from a cloudy sky. Perfectly pea-sized if you ask me.




Ok, off we go to bed...well ok after a few more tasks...

Snurzles & Holiday Quiz

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? My dad's egg nog milkshakes (I have yet to have an "adult" one because I've been underage or pregnant on the years we've had them)

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Santa is not welcome here. We like to give our own gifts.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White all the way.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? We don't really decorate yet...once we are more settled (as in moved to Maryland) we will probably start.

5. When do you put your decorations up? See above.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Mashed potatoes/gravy and rolls.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Choosing and chopping down trees with my family and grandparents (but now fake trees rule the roost); sleeping with my sisters on Christmas Eve in our new Christmas pj's.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? When I was around 4 I think. My mom sat Autumn and I down and told us. Autumn cried. I didn't care.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Nope. But we opened some on Thanksgiving this year.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? It *will* be white/blue/silver themed sprinkled with all the ornaments from my grandmother.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? If I've no place to go and it's warm inside, let it snow.

12. Can you ice skate? Yes, but I much prefer roller skating.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Several: my "Snow Queen" porcelain doll, an adopt-a-dolphin, Swarovski crystal snowflake ornaments, my Pampered Chef soup pot, the scarf I just got from Autumn...and so many more!

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Family.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Egg nog milkshakes. Pumpkin Pie w/ whipped cream.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Pancake breakfast; new Christmas pj's; pouring the sparkling cider with my grandmother before New Year's midnight.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Both.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? O Come O Come Emmanuel

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? I'll pass on them.

Peek-a-boo!

Beginning of the Last Week

So today begins the last week before our long Christmas vacation to Indiana. It'll be a busy week! Laundry and packing. Judah's 9 mo appt. My first prenatal appt. Garage sale with Rich and Diane. Hopefully see Todd while he's in town. Christmas party at a fellow student's house. At least I'm fully over whatever sickness I had last week, and the morning sickness doesn't seem to be bad (maybe even easier than with Judah). I am just so thankful to know ahead of time that Indiana will be relaxing...save for maybe the COLD weather. But hey, at least if it snows 4 feet we don't have anywhere to be by a certain day. :-P


Judah has decided to become a gymnast. Sometimes he shocks me by where he gets all by himself. And I know it'll only get more interesting as he grows more!


Ta da! In one side and out the front!

On a sad note, I seem to be having the same cravings I did with Judah...namely Arby's. Come to find out on Saturday when my dear husband took time out from his studying for finals to go get me Arby's...they don't exist in Salinas anymore!!! The closest one is at least 30 minutes away in Gilroy. ::stunned and hopeless:: At least I can get gummi bears at Safeway...

Turkey Clapping

Judah has Gerber's "Turkey Rice Dinner" and shows he can clap by himself now.

Not a Good Way...

...to start a pregnancy. Just as my irritating-but-not-dibilitating all day sickness kicked in, my body decided to get sick. The nurse thinks it is flu, but I think it could be that and/or some kind of intestinal irritation. It is NOT fun -- nagging slight fever, coughing, congestion, extra nausea, tender and bloaty abdomen, a load of exhaustion. And taking Target brand's cold/flu relief liquid is like drinking a bag of Hall's cough drops...which I can't stand. But the stuff works. I just hope it's all over soon. I'd settle happily with just the all day sickness.

At least the nurse was able to quench my slight fear that it could be lysteria since there have been recent cases of it from Jamba Juice...and we had Jamba on Sunday. She said lysteria is much worse with an uncontrolable fever. I go next Friday for my first prenatal appointment, so I look forward to that day to find out if all truly is well and good to go. Hmm, makes me wonder if technology itself, though a gift from God by way of His blessing of intelligence, actually makes us weaker in faith. Women used to have NOTHING to assure them their baby was ok until it was born -- talk about trusting God's control!

Anyway, on a brighter (and maybe scarier) note, Judah is pulling up more and more. Today alone he's pulled up on his toy turtle, the laundry hamper, the coffee table (yipe!), and his crib. Gone are the days of ever leaving him in his crib with the railing down. Matt went in to check on him because he was whining a while after we put him to bed. Judah was standing there, one hand on the side rail and the other on the front rail. TOTALLY could have flipped over and out. Thank you, Lord, for protecting him and giving us a warning! Whew! So maybe he really will skip hands/knees crawling and go straight from dragging to walking...

Matt's 5th quarter is about to end. That means there are only three left. Time. Has. Flown.

Two Surprises

Judah Doesn't Give a Cluck

So, we've waited a while since introducing beef. Now we tried chicken. Homemade. I'm pretty sure him sticking his tongue out and scraping the chicken off with his lips indicates a dislike of texture, not taste. I did taste it, and the puree chicken does seem to paste itself to the tongue. As Matt said, "Judah doesn't give a cluck about chicken." We're gonna try store bought. If that doesn't work, we'll try egg yolk. He's gotta learn to eat protein sometime. :-P



One of Judah's stocking stuffers were these "little dipper" things. They are utensils with big fat handles and this weird grooved end. Picture a spoons bowl flattened and with several grooves on each side. This way, a child can grip the handle well and just dip the eating end in food. The grooves allow food to stick well. We tried it out for the first time tonight. I wasn't expecting much...but was quite surprised!



Next post: Judah, the Gymnast

Thankstmasear

Whirlwind. Four days is not nearly enough time for a visit to Little Rock...especially when you are introducing your son to lots of family and friends and you haven't been "home" for almost a year. That's the longest I've ever been away from home. It was a great time though. Here's a run down and then a smattering of pictures.

Wed: Arrive at 9:00 pm. Promptly eat Sonic, that blessed place.
Thurs: Thanksgiving all afternoon. Christmas that night.
Fri: Italian lunch (woah nelly good!). Bonfire at the Simers where we got to see Paul & Tracie!!!
Sat: Sister-Time with Hope all morning which involved getting mine and Matt's rings detailed and a hair trim for me. Both are simply amazing results! New Year's ham-n-beans with cornbread and pie. Thea-Time. Dinner at Rachel's with Thea, Julienne, and Judah. Rachel's soup was delish and Jewl's pie divine. You really DON'T need a home ec degree to be a successful chef. (But so I don't discount my degree, it does help immensely!)
Sun: Church. Larry's Pizza with parents and Hope -- a novel idea for a pizza shop. Relaxing and packing. Wendy's.
Mon: Morning flight home.


Judah's first plane ride -- the ticket counter guy was so nice that he moved us to the bulk head AND gave us an extre *free* seat for Judah! Woo hoo! (Not so much on the way home...) He was perfect on the way there. As the plane went up, his eyelids went down. He was pleasant at all times while awake.



Dawn & Matt (pre-haircut). Nonie & Gramps.



Lisa & Jamie (cousins). Autumn & Andy.



Autumn's new vase from me. Hope's new knitted scarf from Autumn.



Judah's first "fake Christmas." Judah's getting so big!



Note Judah's expression to Noah in the left pic (click to enlarge). Judah & Noah. Hugs from Hailey.




What do the big boys do at Italian Lunch (Matt & Andy). Driving home to catch the Razorback game. Judah's first Christmas Tree encounter.




Bonfire time!




More to come when I get more from others!