The First Birthday Week

Just so you know, this post took FOREVER to do...many much pictures to edit and upload. But I want to share and I know that you all want to see. All I'm sayin is you'd better enjoy! ;-)

What a busy week we had last week! My parents and little sister were able to come for the week of Judah's first birthday. First, here are some random picturse throughout the week...

Heavy Duty...

We tried to get some pics of his first birthday outfit (that I've had my eye on for a while!). He was much too active at the time to get a still shot, though. It's SO adorable on him! Blue/orange/white plaid button down with orange sweater vest and khakis. Mmm, he's a looker!

People pics...

The gorgeous spring time hills around here...

One GORGEOUS day, we took the time to do the 17 Mile Drive. We did the Drive when Matt's family was here, but it was foggy then. So it's nice to have seen the coast in both its seasons. Esparza fam, enjoy the pics -- I so wish you could have seen the coast in all it's glory! Matt didn't go with us this time because of class. :-( Take a look at God's creation...

It was Judah's first birthday party...and our first time to be the parents to throw the kid's party. We kept it simple -- some finger foods and punch, cupcake cones, and presents at a local park/playground. Cupcake cones? Yep! Back of the Betty Crocker box. I've wanted to try them for months, so I saw this as the perfect opportunity. ALL you do is make regular cupcakes -- make the batter, put the liners in the muffin pan, fill each 2/3 full, then invert a cone on top of the batter, bake as directed. Peel off the paper once cool and ice! So basically it's just one EASY extra step to have cupcake cones rather than regular cupcakes. I made them the night before, and the cones softened over night which we all agree was tastier than a crunchy cone. Some of them, as you can see, got a little too soft. :-P Now the cone is so soft I just eat the cake out of it. And, you'll note the improper spelling. When you have two cupcakes in a row with a Y on them, be careful not to put a Y on the third! I did fix it and it looked totally fine...we just forgot to take a pic of the real finished product! Sorry, Judah! And he loves balloons! Especially when someone flies him like a superhero through the air to dive bomb them. :-)

The turn out was great, more than we thought. Key families from Hollister that have meant alot to us in our journey with Judah, two neighbor families from our apartment building, and two college buddies all came. The weather was gorgeous despite some gusty wind. Judah, however, was battling allergies. Poor little guy! (We took him to the doctor on Friday because we feared impending ear infection, but it turns out he's showing signs of allergies. No surprise there -- he just keeps following his Momma's footsteps.) He seemed pretty laid back and quiet for almost the whole time with red, watery eyes and a runny nose...but when he opened his presents, the Judah we know started reappearing. He got some really adorable clothes, stuffed animals (including a Sneetch!), a book, and some musical instruments. He LOVES the instruments, especially the alligator xylophone.

Did he get to blow out a birthday candle? Nope. We couldn't even get the lighter to stay lit because of the wind. No amount of people barrier would block it either. So oh well. He'll have plenty more candles to blow out in the years to come!

After the party, my dad treated us and our two college buddies to dinner at Chevy's...there was no way my mom and I were gonna cook after doing the party. :-) So Judah Gabriel Esparza's first birthday dinner was at a Mexican restaurant. I guess that's kind of appropriate. ;-) Not that he tasted anything except the tortilla...he had roast beef and veggies from home.

It's so odd to say "our little 1 year old" now! AND...he now gets to face forward in his brand new carseat from us! Woo hoo! We can not thank God enough for the joy that Judah is!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, JUDAH!!!

**To be updated after his 1st Birthday Party...**

Who can believe it??? One year ago today, I woke up at 2:30 am with a contraction. Fourteen hours of labor and a c-section later, Judah saw the world for the first time. So began our journey as parents, and a wonderful one it has been! It is amazing how much a human being changes from birth to one year -- intelligence, physical ability, personality traits, sinful will, daily schedule, likes/dislikes -- the whole package. We are so blessed to have such a happy, cute little guy! We thank God often for seeing us fit to be parents of Judah Gabriel. Often, we ponder how dull life would be without him...I'd probably even have a job to try and fill the days. But, instead, our days are filled with adventure, joy, and challenge as we cut our parenting teeth with our firstborn son.

Happy Birthday, Judah-Man! You are growing up to be a strong, healthy Little Lion! We love you more than we ever thought we could!

Birth - 4 Weeks



1 Month



2 Months



3 Months



4 Months



5 Months



6 Months



7 Months



8 Months



9 Months



10 Months



11 Months



ONE YEAR OLD!

Rainy Season

There are two seasons here in this part of California: dry and rainy. We've officially been ushered into rainy season. While in it for a few weeks, only this past week has it rained regularly. THANKFULLY it's not anything like last year's fluke rainy season where it rained all day every day for weeks on end. It seems to be cloudy/rainy until about 10:00am, sunny, then cloudy rainy from 3:00pm into the evening. And it's chilly and windy! Last night, I got to drive through the lovely wetness to Bible study in Hollister. When I left the Achilles house, the car said it was 52 degrees outside. Within 5-10 minutes of driving, it was 39 degrees and I was coming into HEAVY rain. I knew something was brewing. When I got home, I found out it had hailed here in Salinas -- the flower beds were white with it and the flowers near our stairs were all ripped off (and they smell like skunk when they are broken). When I woke up this morning, I looked out our sunrise window to see the mountains covered in snow. It was gorgeous! I'm glad I got a good pic...I had to zoom in WAY far!





I also snapped a pic this afternoon of what the rain clouds look like when they are approaching. It's so odd to see something like this and have NO FEAR whatsoever of what it holds like you do in the south. No cloud-to-ground lightning. No keeping an eye out for funnel clouds or discoloration. No thunder to listen for. Just lingering sunshine on the patio and the knowledge that rain is coming eventually. It's gonna be a major adjustment back to storm country when we move to MD. At least with earthquakes, you can't see them coming like you can a bad storm. :-P Ignorance is bliss right? Yes, Paul, I know preparation is still important...::rolls eyes::

Don't Forget...

Check my other blogs from time to time! I still post to those! :-)

A Day in the Life of...

Big Guy & Little Guy - My mom found these coordinating T's as a Christmas gift for my boys.




Judah loves his toys! (And Daddy got him a little closer to his toys...)



We wondered why we seemed short on pacifiers. Now we know where the secret stash is. There are five here -- and he only has six total.



Our downstairs diagonal neighbor has a granddaughter who is about 3. She no longer used her little "car," so we were gifted. After a good clean, it's like brand new! Judah loves to ride on it, and the other day we discovered he can walk by himself with its help. It's a little strange to see him walking with no people help -- our days are numbered!



A virtual tour of the FINALLY finished nursery (though we'll be adding another crib soon). As his birthday gift, my mom got a few items we've (I'VE) wanted since before Judah was born to complete the nursery. So, we've been busy...and I am SO excited to have a "lived-in" look in his room now!

Take the Time

Matt's Blog. Read about stewardship. Amazing!

A Piece of Spring from My Part of the Country

Valentine's Day & Family Play Time

Family Pics & First Belly Pic

Don't know if you can see it, but Judah pinched his lip with his paci (hard to explain how), and he got a swollen lip from it. The upper lip is puffy and red to the right of center, but it didn't show up as well as we thought it would. Also, here is me at 3.5 months...so all of you who are starting to wonder if I'm showing yet can judge for yourself. :-)

Bathtime & Clothes Kicks

He sure loves bathtime...he comes crawlin' even when he hears me push the shower curtain back! He loves to be in the tub while the water is running, putting his hands, arms, and sometimes head under the stream. The other night he figured out how to pull the drain up. He crawls and stands all over the place -- and splashes to no end! It's so much fun!

This weekend also brought about a change in clothes. We've graduated to 12 mo clothing. :-) So expect some clothes pictures for a few posts! Thanks to those who provided the cute digs!

As far as the "kicks" part of the post title...this past week I wondered a few times if I had felt the baby move. I think I did, because yesterday on the way to church, there was NO mistaking that the baby rolled over or pushed. It was pretty strong -- which kind of has me wondering what will happen down the road. Judah was strong and even bruised a rib once, but I never felt him this strong so early on! I also forgot to mention in my previous post that Dr. G said he does the c-section 10 days before due date. I'm due Aug 9, so it looks like July 31 will be baby's birthday (unless I go into labor before that!).

Mmm...pancakes sound so tasty right now.

Ever had an appt like THIS?

Well, while Matt had an interesting morning on the phone with Dell, I was having my own interesting morning with my OB/GYN, Dr. G. Last weekend at the retreat, I was discussing with another woman the kind of doc I had -- professional, knowledgeable, legal-minded. At the end of the conversation, she said, "He probably does abortions." Since then, I've wondered about it, even in the wee hours of the morning. So I called his office yesterday to check when my next appt was (which was today) and to ask if he did abortions. The receptionist said no, he didn't. Whew! But then I wondered, "Well, WHY doesn't he do them..."

So I asked him at my appt today. The appointment was 45 mintues long -- 10 minutes of which was just the check-up part. The rest was all abortion/religious conversationr. I wasn't expecting that from him, a doc who is more professional than relational. Here are some points I remember from our long, almost-one-sided conversation:

~He only does abortions (which he calls DNC's because it is the same procedure, he says) if there is a medical reason that necessitates it, such as the mother's health can not successfully maintain a pregnancy. He never does abortions for those that call up and just want one. Because I myself have never faced and am unsure what I would do in a "medical necessity" situation, I don't feel a need to switch doctors. I am truly grateful he does not do abortions for just anyone.

~He is a reformed Jew, thought we were Catholic, but now knows we are Christians. He knows much about Judaism, Catholocism, Christianity, and Islam -- he spoke about each one with firm opinions about various aspects.

~He firmly believes that you can not push your beliefs on anyone else; and if you do, they should have the right to push their beliefs on you. He thinks one should be all or nothing -- follow the Law to a T or accept everyone. He accepts everyone.

~He is the one that brought up Jesus! That shocked me, but he did it immediately after I said I was a Christian. He thinks that the story of Jesus is a nice one. Does he think it's true? Probably, he said. But Jesus was just a nice man. Some things he told me I believe were that Christ is the Messiah, resurrected from the dead, took care of sin with His death so the Father would forgive sins, that God is one person with three different names/jobs. He knows the answers. He just doesn't belive them. It's fine that I believe them. It's fine that he doesn't believe them. If only he knew the truth!

~He outright said the Bible is a shady, seedy book because it is full of rapes, incest, gore, etc. And it was all accepted. "Accepted by whom?" I asked. Society I think was his answer. I was looking for if he thought God accepted those actions, but he too quickly moved the conversation on (he is good at talking alot and talking quickly). He brought abortion back into the conversation by asking what I would do if I was horribly raped, would I keep the baby? I immediately said yes because of what I believe. He didn't seem to believe that I was so firm in my answer and basically said he is fine with abortions if it is something like rape, incest, no means to care for the child, or medical necessity.

~At one point, he said he goes to an "interfaith Bible study" on Wed nights at 6:00 in the Temple which we are "more than welcome to come to." He said recently they discussed what would happen if evidence came out that could disprove Christ's resurrection 100%. He asked me what would I do? LORD, HELP ME! What a heavy question! So I said, after some thought, that I wasn't sure it would change anything. He said that's the conclusion they came to -- that Christians wouldn't believe any differently because Christ is such a nice story to hold on to and that's fine. I told him that I do believe some would lose hope because our hope is found in Christ...not tacking on that I thought that because some have a weaker faith than others. I had to be careful what I said because, as you've seen, he's the kind of person that is easily egged on and won't listen to what you have to say because he's already set in his beliefs -- especially the one about not pushing your beliefs on others. Hmm, but by him saying over and over that we need to accept everyone and not push our beliefs -- isn't that pushing his beliefs??

~I flat out asked him if he believes life begins at conception...."No." So when do you think it begins? "Well, when is it viable? If you were to have your baby right now, would it live?" No. ::puts hands up as a "Well, there you go."::

And those are only the major points of our discussion! I did not say much for three reasons: 1) I didn't know how to answer some of his statements, 2) He wouldn't have heard what I did have to say, 3) It was hard to get a word in edge-wise. I dearly pray he doesn't think I was being convinced or agreeing because of my conversational head nods and "mm-hmm's." It was my very first time alone in a room with someone like that. A good analogy of how I felt was a flower in a thunderstorm. Delicate, young, still budding as far as evangelism. He the "experienced," older man blinded by Satan's flashes and deafened by the world's beliefs.

At least I know my Root will hold and sustain me -- and storms do not last forever. The Sun always shines afterward.

So now I have a new person to pray for, and can do so specifically now that I've had such a good conversation with him. I do feel "better" about our relationship because we know exactly where each other stands. Granted, we are very different in our beliefs (though he tried to explain why they are really the same). But knowing more about his personal life/beliefs makes him more of a person rather than just a professional. And, come to think of it, now I know WHY he is so professional -- it stems from his beliefs. If he can't push his morals on anyone, he won't push anything; thus leaving him 99% professional, 1% relational.

Pray for him. Pray for me. Like my mom said -- maybe he'll be watching more closely.

Redemption

Please...redeem yourselves and give me some assurance that you all know me! :-P

Try this one...

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Matt's Quiz

Can you believe it...Matt actually followed the crowd on this one! I wonder who will score better on his than they did on mine. ;-) If you all do, something must be off kilter in the universe. Thea, I want you to take my quiz -- you might just beat everybody?

Meanwhile, I'd post pics of the retreat. I remembered my camera yes, but the smart card wasn't in there. So I believe they are making a cd of everyone's pics to pass out. I'll post pics if I happen to get my hands on one of those -- and since my hubby does the church's website...

Judah's cough. ::sigh:: Poor guy. And man has he been moody. He doesn't want to be held but he wants to be held. He wants to eat but he doesn't want to eat. I hope this ends soon. He's still cute. No worries there.

Ok, time for bed. I'm going to Monterey with Matt tomorrow because he gets to pick out new glasses! We're excited 1) He'll be able to see better 2) He'll get a more modern look 3) We have insurance to pay for eye care now! Woo hoo!

Whew!

The retreat was awesome...Judah's still trying to kick the sickness...I'll post more later when I'm in the mood to ramble. But for now, have a little fun!

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I thought he was too quiet...