Hill Family

April means HOPE for Cubs fans

2010-04-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

We sing this song before every nap and bedtime. We love the Cubs, even though they can drive us crazy. They are kind of like family in that way.

grab some popcorn

2010-03-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

here is the latest video of the family, mainly the kids. enjoy

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T00:49:00.000-08:00

Don't you love getting all of the Christmas Cards in the mail this time of year, especially the one's that show photos of your friends + family. I cannot think of a better time of year to go to the mailbox.

Thanks to our good friend Ken Kienow for taking our family photos; he's very generous and very talented.

With the craziness of work/kids/christmas shopping, etc we didn't get a chance to have these printed to be mailed out.

So here is our family Christmas Card, just try to imagine this came in your mailbox.

word to your mother

2009-11-10T22:54:00.000-08:00

this blog is dedicated to all the mom's out there, and especially my wife (who is currently tied with my mother + her mother for the world's #1 mom. It's a classic 3-way tie).

A couple of weeks ago my wife had to go out of town for 4 days to be with her family in Southern CA, which meant that I was on my own with the kids for 4 days. And when I say "on my own" I mean I only had 2 shifts of people helping me each day (a big THANK YOU to Megan Siems, Jenn Avila, Aunt Jamie, my Mom, and Katie's Mom who all helped me survive). And when I say I was responsible for the kid's well being, I mean that I had to feed them (Katie prepared all of the food), bathe them (optional), do laundry, clean the kitchen, do the dishes. Let's just say there wasn't much time left over to watch Judge Judy.

It was tough. I found myself deprived of sleep, and then they wake up so early in the morning wanting to eat breakfast, then you have to clean them, dress them, and get them ready for whatever comes next. I would realize around 1 or 2 pm that I hadn't even had time to eat. Its like they were holding me hostage, and they weren't following the basic rules of the Geneva Convention on Human rights to eat, sleep, use the restroom, shower, etc.

But it was such a great time with my kids. They make me very happy and proud, so I was very thankful for that extra time I had with them. But I was even more thankful that my wife came home. I came away with a greater appreciation for what she (and mom's everywhere) do each day after day after day. She has the more difficult job by far. It reminded me of that well known Proverb about a woman of wisdom, strength, compassion, integrity, hard work, and inner beauty.

"Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women have done excellently, but YOU [Katie] surpass them all.'"

Judah's favorie outfit... remember Uzi & Ari?

2009-11-04T09:51:00.000-08:00

Halloween + Fall Photos

2009-10-31T23:26:00.000-07:00

So Annie was a flower, and Judah was a Baseball Player, which was simple for him since he dresses up like a baseball player everyday of his life.

picture/video update

2009-10-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

here's some pics/video/slideshow of the family. enjoy

4 years ago...

2009-05-29T08:14:00.001-07:00

I've always loved oak trees...

2009-05-14T15:00:00.001-07:00

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord. For he shall be like a tree, planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; But its leaves will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will it cease from yielding fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8

"He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."
Psalm 1::3

Speaking of roots, check out what I found in my nasty pantry this afternoon (iphoto is not loading my pic. but I found a bag of potatoes sending out tentacles that climb clear to the next shelf, yikes). I'm sure there is a spiritual lesson lurking somewhere in between the roots flourishing in the darkness, penetrating a thick layer of plastic to find nourishment. Well, I'll be busy contemplating potato roots, or maybe I'll just throw them away...I guess we won't be having potatoes for dinner.

Oh how He loves...

2009-05-09T11:52:00.000-07:00

"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them." Ezekiel 36:25-27

This is what it's all about folks... He loves us, he loves me and it makes me want to weep. He loves us to the point of death, so that we can rise, be cleansed, unshackled, redeemed for the purposes of his glory! But really we all stand paralyzed in the enormous 'sea of mercy' unless we really get it... He loves us. That's where our faith can begin to have hands and feet (not to mention brains & and a mouthpiece). Otherwise, our hearts are never freed from that stony birth, and all our attempts at holiness are pure vanity.

Katie

My sweet babies....

2009-05-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling particularly mushy about my kids today. Judah has the stomach flu, not the swine flu, don't worry. This is the first time ever that Judah has been sick enough that he has wanted to just cuddle and rest. Its crazy how much your maternal instincts kick in when your babies are in pain. This is my first time dealing with stomach stuff with the kids, so I was really nervous. The crazy thing is, there is no place I'd rather be. I know it may sound sick, especially if you don't have kids, but I just have to be there with him for every "burp".

Currently Judah is begging for water (he can't hold anything down just yet, so little sips are all he gets), begging for a sandwich and me deciding what I can eat that wouldn't be so bad 'coming back up' just in case. I'm having to sneak food, just so he doesn't beg to eat. I guess its at least a good sign that he is feeling well enough to want to eat. Let's just hope he can keep something down soon.

Here are some pics of the kids at their best, mostly just to cheer me up.

Judah with his tool belt helping daddy

Double Trouble

2 Teeth at 4 months, what the heck!?!

Nana & Nanny

Howie and Gina Jenkins

2009-04-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

I wanted to be the first to introduce you to my beautiful new sister, Gina. I also have a new nephew and couldn't be more thrilled about my ever growing family. The wedding was absolutely beautiful, the ceremony was so personal and touching. It was truly amazing to witness the sealing of this new little family and especially the father's heart that God has given my brother for his son, Jonah. God is good and I can't wait to see how these three grow together. I have to say my brother's vows were the most beautiful vows I have ever heard, in fact I think it was probably the most profound thing I have ever heard come out of his mouth. Anyhow, it was quite a day, an intimate ceremony with our families and close friends. Here are a couple of pictures. If you know my brother, the exit was so perfect. I was really afraid for Gina, side-saddled on a dirt bike... she really is perfect for Howie. LOVE...

Cuteness

2009-04-03T15:07:00.001-07:00

love is risky - Tylenol is not the answer

2009-03-25T23:15:00.000-07:00

when you love someone, chances are it will be painful at times, or perhaps for seasons at a time. maybe they don't love you back, or they get hurt, or hurt you, or get sick, or pass away.
risk, risk, big Grand Canyon size risk.

"I've built walls, A fortress deep and mighty, That none may penetrate.
I have no need of friendship, friendship causes pain.
It's laughter and it's loving I disdain.
I am a rock, I am an island." - Simon & Garfunkel

but love, in case you were wondering, is certainly worth the risk.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I usually don't write my thoughts on this blog, but I guess that's what a blog is for. But today I am thinking about love + pain and how they seem to go hand in hand, because yesterday my son Judah swallowed 16 doses too many of Children's Tylenol.

He was rushed to the hospital, while I was in Seattle for work, getting the play by play over the phone in between work appointments.

Praise the Lord for modern medicine & smart doctors & antidotes, & HEALING in Jesus Name, because he is fine. We sent him to rehab today, 60 day detox. No we didn't, he just likes the taste, and he figured out how to open the child safe bottle.

So here is a pic of my boy who is worth the risk

'Nanny Gril'

2009-03-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

As Judah puts it...
Annie is a pure joy. We're really starting to see her personality come out. I'm happy to say that she is a Mama's girl and loves to sit around and chit chat. She can be quiet and she can can be loud, but most always toothache sweet.

She is growing so fast and already weighing in in the 95th percentile. She sleeps great at night, mostly just cat naps during the day. It's funny because with Judah that drove me totally nuts, to never have more than a 20 minute break at a time. However, with Annie, I hardly even notice if it's been 20 minutes or 3 hours because now with 2 there's not really much of a break anyway. I'm loving all things girly, which kind of surprises me, but I love to dress her up and especially show Auntie Jamie how I can actually put together a smoking hot outfit, at least for Annie anyway. (Jamie, you're my fashion queen).

My Boys

2009-03-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

HELP!

2009-03-07T07:01:00.000-08:00

The day has finally come. We've been waiting, but it still snuck up on us like a lion stalking it's prey... Judah climbed out of the crib. What the heck! I woke up yesterday morning in the guest room where I had fallen asleep nursing Annie and what did I see... Judah, peaking over the crib trying to wake up sister. This was not a strange ocurrance, but the next question was "where is your father?" I went to the living room expecting to see Joey snoozing on the couch with Sesame Street in the background but he was nowhere to be found. He was in bed. I was asking him why the heck he got Judah up and went back to sleep, but he was even more confused. The boy had escaped. So all day I was dreading bed time and sure enough just after Joey put him down, out he walks with a huge grin on his face. We decided to try and get him to sleep in the toddler bed, but we keep getting the same result, a boy playing games with mama trying to see a few more moments of daytime. What in the world do we do? I had a complete meltdown last night because the boy cannot be contained. He finally fell asleep with me sitting in his doorway for 30 minutes, only to wake up at midnight forcing daddy to sleep on the floor in his room. I am beside myself. He has been an incredible sleeper and now I don't have a clue how to help him transition. We tried disciplining him, bribing him, and returning him to bed continuously, none of which worked. Please, if any of you have experience with this, I need help! Would it be horrible to lock him in his room? Yikes!

Fun with Nana

2009-02-21T07:11:00.001-08:00

We packed up the car and made the trek to Bakersfield this week to spend some much needed time with my mom, Nana. We kind of have a policy of no Bako trips in the summer, so it was fun to spend a little time over there when it was under 100 degrees. My mom has this great old house near downtown and Judah loves visiting, especially since he gets his dog fix with Winnie. It was a great trip, other than the fact that we all got sick. It was the first time in years that my mom was there to take care of me, sick in bed and, oh what a treat. We still managed to make it to the California Living Museum (CALM), which I haven't visited since I was little. Judah loved it, especially since it was so small and there weren't many people there, he was able to roam around all by himself. It was kind of, well... interesting. Nothing like seeing a ground squirrel in a glass cage. They had a ton a reptiles that Judah got very up close and personal with and don't forget the two skunks that welcomed us. It is pretty cool though, all the animals have been rescued and you can see their injuries that make it impossible for them to survive in the wild. My dad is a veterinarian and when I was a kid he would often treat wild animals that would end up at CALM. We once had a mule deer living in our 'fort' in the backyard while it recovered from being hit by a car. Anywho.... it was a great trip and I miss my mom already. Here are some pics of the kids...

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-14T10:44:00.000-08:00

To: Katie & Annie

From: Joey (daddy) & Judah:

Be Mine.

=============
Judah & I are very thankful for the girls in our life. So we have a little Valentines Day song to sing in this video.

We love you Katie & Annie!

Happy Birthday Baby Boy

2009-02-04T14:55:00.000-08:00

The little love of our lives turns 2 today. With all the excitement of a new baby sister life has been anything but easy for all of us, but we are so proud of the new big brother, Judah. Sometimes in the midst of life I forget how much our lives have changed in the last 2 years and how much the better we are for knowing and loving our little nugget. In honor of his birthday, I decided to write him a letter...

Judah,
Sometimes when I look at you I swell with pride so much that it hurts. I think all parents think their children are genius, but you really are. I look at you and can't believe that you are a part of me, that you were once so tiny that you were contained in such a small place (since out of the womb keeping you contained is nearly impossible). You are such a little man these days showing us love and compassion, making us laugh hard enough to pee our pants. Sometimes when we're hanging out, I want time to freeze. I can't imagine you growing up any more and not seeing the you just as you are right now. You are a so special and so treasured. Here are some things that your mama especially loves about you right now...

1) You are a born entertainer.
2) You are so extremely compassionate with Annie. Every time she cries you try and comfort her and tell her, 'it's alright baby Nanny.' On that note, when we were walking the other day, we saw a 'sleeping' dog on the side of the road and you wanted to kiss her better. so sweet.
3) You are mommy's fierce physical trainer. Whenever I stop to get a breath on a run you encourage me 'run mommy'. You also drop your toys while I'm running so I can get in some much needed lunges. You love doing exercises with Mommy and Daddy, counting all of Daddy's 'perfect pushups' and teaching Mommy better sit up form.
4) You are so smart. You can count to 10 (who needs 8 though, right?) You are learning your ABC's so well and you know all your shapes (thanks Sesame Street!)
5) You love to read and memorize your books.
6) You are fearless. Climbing and jumping are you new past times.
7) You have some hot dance moves.
8) You have an insane ear for music. You can pick out the piano, harmonica, violin, drums, and guitar in music and act them out. My favorite is your harmonica.
9) You already have the ability to give love and make people feel special and valued.
10) You are quite a negotiator, just like Daddy and Papa. I could see you following in Daddy's footsteps.

I dream about you becoming a man it makes me sad to know that it will be so hard to explain to you what you were like as a child. I know that sounds really weird, but I wish grown up Judah could have the pleasure of knowing baby Judah. My precious boy, the day you were born changed my life forever. Just a few months before we found out you were going to be born, I lost a baby. God has used you to help restore things that were lost and to heal some of the pain of that time. Some good friends found this verse about your biblical namesake...

"AND SHE CONCEIVED AGAIN, AND BORE A SON: AND SHE SAID, NOW WILL I PRAISE THE LORD: THEREFORE SHE CALLED HIS NAME JUDAH." GENESIS 29:35

Love you a million,
Mommers

Picture Update

2009-01-13T07:20:00.001-08:00

Annie is almost 5 weeks and for the most part it has been a dream. God has answered so many prayers with this little one. In fact, last night she only woke up one time to eat! Judah has been an amazing big brother, super nurturing and helpful. It seems like Annie has always been a part of the family. Joey's back to work and we are figuring it out without him. . The biggest answer to prayer has definitely been my sanity this time around. I only had about 3 days where I couldn't stop crying and since then I've been pretty stable. For those of you who don't remember, I was practically insane for 6 weeks after I had Judah. Every day gives me more and more confidence that we can not only survive, but actually enjoy our days together. Blessings to all, and thanks for all your prayers and support for our family.

Christmas Video, inc Annie footage

2008-12-24T07:11:00.000-08:00

Annaleigh Marie Hill

2008-12-14T18:54:00.001-08:00

We are at home with our lovely daughter, Annie. After spending just over 24 hrs. in the NICU she has made a full recovery and we were able to take her home as soon as I was discharged. She is such a little love, we are smitten. It's crazy how much she sleeps, but I guess I'm just making up for how little Judah slept at this age. Judah is doing amazingly well with her. He is so excited to have her around and so far we haven't had any huge meltdowns. He even decided to sleep in his big boy bed last night for the first time and slept through the night, wow!

Here is a play-by-play of Annie's birth for any of you who love the nitty gritty...

Well, we made it. Our daughter Annaleigh (Annie) was born on Thursday, December 11, 2008. She was 9lbs. 2oz. and 20.5 inches long. BIG girl! I had a successful VBAC and feel so amazing about it. After our last birth class on Monday my labor started to pick up and I was unable to sleep at all. Contractions continued through Tues. but they remained at about 5 minutes apart and the intensity didn't pick up until later in the evening. I had a regular appointment with Dr. Yin on Tues. morning and she said I was 1.5 cm, 90% effaced. She stripped my membranes and was hopeful that I would deliver the next day.
I think that I was a little unique in that I didn't feel comfortable at home for very long, maybe it was because I was a little scared being a VBAC. I decided to go to the hospital around 1:30am . When we got to the hospital, the nurse checked me and said I was 2cm, 90%. It was such a blessing, my admitting nurse was a new friend of mine from church and I really needed that kind of care, she even stopped and prayed for me as it was determined that I wasn't in labor yet... after 2 nights of no sleep... yikes. So Haupt gave me an Ambien and let me stay so that Dr. Yin could take over in the morning. I got about 3 hrs. of sleep and when Yin got there I had dilated another cm. We had previously talked about an epidural due to the exhaustion factor. So she told me I could have that at any time, but I really wanted to wait as long as possible.
I labored 8 more hrs. and was checked by a nurse and was told I was 2cm again. You can Imagine I broke down at that point. Dr. Yin's had overestimated when she checked me the last time. She was so optimistic the whole time and when she came back in about an hour she checked me and broke my water, which had light meconium. After that labor was really difficult, the contractions picked up immediately in length and intensity. I was having back labor as well. I lasted about 2 hrs. before I decided to get an epidural. I'm sure you remember my anxiety about having another spinal so the nurse gave me a low dose of Staidol before the epidural. Dr. Hack was amazing, I told him I was really afraid of the procedure and he did a great job calming my nerves. After that I was able to rest for a few hours while they started me on Pitocin. I got the epidural at 6:00 and by 11:15 I was ready to push. I was amazed! I didn't feel a thing until I was fully dilated.
Pushing was crazy, her head was already super low, so she moved down to near crowning fairly quickly. But there she remained for almost an hour, which is when I really started to feel things. It hurt bad, but it was great to know where to push. I almost gave up and Dr. Yin was very close to giving me an epesiotomy and finally Annie's head popped out. I tore pretty bad, so that has been fun.
Annie came out with the cord wrapped around her neck and had some complications due to that. They told us that it caused
hypovolemia and acid build up in her blood. So round 2 in the NICU for us. She also got a little meconium down past her vocal cords so they really wanted to monitor her and keep her on oxygen. She recovered so quickly it was really miraculous to us. It was emotionally taxing to again not have that initial bonding time with her, but knowing the NICU drill made it less stressful. She was able to room in with me on Friday and we brought her home on Saturday.
It was an amazing experience in spite of having a really long labor and a little scare when she came out. I was shocked that I never thought about having a c-section or wanting one at all. Having Dr. Yin there the whole time made me feel so safe and I was able to trust her completely even when her plan was not what I had expected. I loved delivering my girl! I was so worth it.

Thanks to all who prayed for us. We felt so blessed by all the calls and emails. Knowing that the Lord hears our prayers is a comfort in times of joy and times of fear. We are so blessed by a community who surrounds us with prayer and encouragement in the Lord. We hope to see many of you in the next weeks to come.

False Labor?

2008-12-07T06:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, a little confused here. Night before last I was up for 3 hours with some intense cramping, contractions and light bleeding. I was able to go back to sleep for a few hours and everything slowed down. I was really crampy all day yesterday and had some really painful contractions last night. They stopped again and I went to sleep and had nothing last night. Today I feel way better than I did last night, so I'm a bit bummed. I thought it was the real deal. I guess it still could kick in anytime but now I feel like I'm on pins and needles. Maybe Annie is just waiting for her due date, December 9 would be a lovely birthday. In the meantime I'm just trying to stay on top of the house, get some Christmas shopping done and spend quality time with my boys. We'll keep y'all updated. Pray that I would have peace about God's timing in this delivery and be patient to meet our daughter.

37 weeks in Frisco

2008-11-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

Joey swept me away last weekend for our last official babyless vacation for what I can imagine will be a long time. We had such a blast. I wanted to do the touristy thing this time since we usually just stick close Union Square for some marathon shopping. We took the trolley to Fisherman's Warf and ate at the world famous Scoma's restaurant, which was delicious. We did a bit of shopping, but I'm not really in the condition to be making any purchases since hopefully very soon my body will change drastically (hopefully). I did manage to find some sunglasses and a pair of shoes. 2 pregnancies down and my feet are a full size bigger than they used to be. Ouch!

Judah stayed at home with his grandparents and had a blast. I don't think he missed us at all. Since he's talking so much, he's been telling us all of Gigi and Papa's secrets. He got a Madagascar giraffe at McDonald's and he was telling me all about the movie, which to my knowledge he's never seen. He also told me 'surf's up' the other day then said 'watch it'... hmmm, I wonder it he watched that one too. I just love to tease Joey's parents about it, but it is slightly strange and new to me that Judah is beginning to have a little bit of a life independent of Joey and I. I guess that's growing up for you.

The pregnancy is going really well. I still feel ridiculously good, but my doctor assures me that the baby has dropped and things are progressing, I'll spare you the details. She'll let me go up to a week overdue and if things haven't progressed much more I'll have to have another c-section. Otherwise she might be able to break my water and see how things go. We are busy getting bags packed and things in order. I can't believe how much peace I have though. At this point with Judah I was so anxious to get the baby out that it consumed me. Just going through his traumatic birth gave me eyes to definitely trust God's timing an methods. We can't wait to meet our baby girl, but are so happy to enjoy these last few weeks with Judah, trying to pour into him and soak him up as much as possible.

Hill Happenings

2008-11-12T07:23:00.000-08:00

I thought it was time for a long overdue update to all our fans out there. We've been busy getting ready for the baby and keeping up with the one we have at home. I have been in nesting overdrive for the past 2 months, so I've been consumed with projects and cleaning and whatnot. In the midst of that we've had a really enjoyable fall, if you can really call this fall. I still sweat most of the time for no apparent reason, luckily I have an excuse. The weather and the leaves are turning slowly, marking the quickly approaching arrival of our daughter.

We have decided on a name for our girl... Annaleigh Marie. I wrote a post a while back on her namesake, Leigh, if you are interested in that story and Marie is a Hill family name. We have been calling her Annie, except for Judah who calls her baby Nanny. He is really starting to get excited for her to 'come out.' He commands her to come out every day, but I have to explain to him that she's not quite ready yet. He already has a list of things that he wants her to do with him, including riding in the back of the jeep at the park. Mommy's too big to fit back there but he figures Annie will be small enough to take for a spin.

Some of Judah's favorite things right now...

- PARK
- his new big boy bed with NEMO sheets (although he won't sleep in it, he loves to play there)
- anything NEMO
- books
- dancing to Bruce Springsteen's Seeger Sessions, preferably Froggie Went Courting and 'Flute Song'
- playing his guitar bat, or guitar fork, or guitar tennis racket, or guitar anything, even air guitar
- surfing with daddy
- closing doors (this one is borderline OCD, he can't focus on anything until he's sure for the 5th time that every door in the room is closed)
- oh, yeah, huge victory in Sunday School and Bible study, after 1 year of major separation anxiety he's finally staying in class!!
- repeating EVERYTHING you say, I've been totally busted a couple of times... yikes
- soccer

There's so much more I'm sure. This kid is passionate about everything he does. We are really enjoying this season with him and cherishing these last few weeks with just the three of us.

Here are the latest pictures... Halloween, my nursery project, my lovely baby shower, and of course random Judah pics

progress

2008-10-16T22:50:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I took the family to the beach. I threw a surfboard in the car just in case, which made Judah really excited. So when we got there he wanted to go to the water, and he wanted me to bring the surfboard. The 56 degree water didn't bother him at all.

Here is a sitting reverse paddle out one-hander.

Here is Judah flopping backward on his first wave (the pic doesn't show him recover from this, but he did!).

Here is a video of his 2nd wave. He loved it.

the fall

2008-10-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

"the fall" as in the season that follows summer, not the sinfulness of mankind (that's a topic that's best had in person, not on a blog, right?). here are some photos from a day here on the central coast that resembled fall. I am sure we have a lot of sunshine left and time for some Indian Summer action which I enjoy, but Katie really loved the gloomy weather, so that was cool. You know your spoiled when you look forward to rain.

here is my boy judah with slobber on his chin (drool runs in the family, sorry son).

jumping over the cracks, so we don't break mama's back!

judah roots for the cubs, and so do I. this day happened to be there last game of the season (they lost again, ouch).

3 cheers for the fall [season]!

ps - photos generously taken by my good friend & talented photog ken kienow. http://www.kenkienow.com/ -thanks KK!

terminal illness

2008-08-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

for those of you that don't know, I (joey) do a little bit of traveling for work. I love my job, i love the company, the people, the challenges of the job, but I don't love the travel. Airplanes & Hotels used to symbolize fun/vacation/adventure or relaxation, but they now represent time away from my two best friends; Katie & Judah. So I have a few conversations throughout the day with them, try to pray for them, think about them a lot, and usually look at pictures. I usually show the photos off to people on the airplane, or my customers. I am sitting in a terminal right now with some typical delay, so I thought I'd blog to share the pics. Enjoy...

21 Weeks

2008-07-30T17:01:00.001-07:00

So I hear that when you are carrying a girl you tend to carry them "all over." I never really understood what that meant until now. Apparently I'm carrying her mostly in my booty. Either that or the 3 helpings of dessert a day are starting to get to me. Seriously, how hard is it to know that every month you're going to gain at least 4 pounds. As women we already struggle so much with body image and the bombardment of society telling us what's 'really' beautiful. Unfortunately even being pregnant I'm really not doing well with the expanding waist line. When I was pregnant with Judah I think I was just naive to the fact that it is so hard to get the weight off afterwards. They tell you that breast feeding will melt it away, but that was not the case for me. I think that's why it's been so hard for me, knowing that realistically it will be another year and lots of sweat before I will wear my normal clothes again. I guess that until we're done having kids this will be a constant up and down battle, but it's worth it.

On a separate note, Judah has been really into my belly lately, well, not just mine. He thinks that everyone including him has a baby in their tummy. He goes up to whoever is around, male or female and tries to lift up their shirt while saying 'baby'. Please don't get offended if he does this to you, he's just a bit confused. He gives baby sissy lots of kisses and lately is really into giving raspberries. It's really sweet and I hope that there's a part of him that will start to understand that she's really in there.

Leigh, spirituality & massage...

2008-07-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

My sweet brother Howie gave me a gift certificate to Sycamore for a prenatal massage for Mother's Day/Birthday. I'm sitting here now, greased up with my mind racing after finally taking advantage of one of life's simple pleasures. This post has some random topics that all came out this morning in conversation with my masseuse. First of all, a little know fact to most of you is that I have a rather large tattoo on my lower back that is a cross with the initials of a very special friend who passed away 6 1/2 years ago. I've been thinking of her quite a bit lately as Joey and I are pondering names for our daughter. Ever since I was pregnant with Judah (and thought he was a girl) I had felt very strongly that I wanted to name my first daughter after her. So back to the massage... the woman commented on my tattoo and began asking me about it and then began to share some very interesting spiritual thoughts with me. Before I get into that, I really would like to share Leigh's story with you which is a huge part of my coming to know the Lord.

We met in college at UCSD and were in the same suite. She was a passionate lover of Jesus and the only Christian in our circle of friends. I had totally walked away from the Lord and became very much involved with... let's just say, some very unhealthy, self-destructive behavior. Somehow Leigh and I were still close friends and she loved me so well and accepted me despite my occasional unkindness to her.

Leigh had a very rare adrenal disorder that put her in the hospital at least once every other month with crippling migraines. I was the only one with a car and so I became her ER buddy, which gave me such an awe and respect for her faith in a good God despite such hardships in life. She lived and breathed Christ, without saying a word most of the time. She believed with all her heart that God would heal her in his time, even if healing came in heaven.

By the end of freshman year we had decided to live together the following year. I think that I was deeply afraid that her light would expose my own sin and darkness and much to my shame, I asked her not to live with us when it all came to pass. She was wounded, understandably, but we were able to restore our friendship and remain close.

That summer I came to live in SLO and was challenged by a good friend (after being dumped) that I needed to find my joy and life in Christ again. God transformed my heart and gave me a desire for Him, his word and his works. When I returned to SD in the fall, I shared my conversion experience with Leigh and she took me under her wing with such joy. She discipled me and helped me find fellowship and stand strong in my faith in spite of the temptations I had all around me.

As I grew in my faith that year I felt the Lord calling me away from UCSD. I sensed that he was giving me a clean start somewhere, which led me back to SLO. I visited Leigh 1 month before she died and believe that was one of the greatest gifts God has ever given me. She went home to be with the Lord on February 6, 2002 from complications with her migraines. Although she was very ill, it never was seen as a life threatening condition, but the Lord wanted her to come home. Despite the pain of such a loss, I know that she is where her heart has always been, with her first love Jesus. No other person has had such an impact on my life, loved me when I was ugly, and laid her life down for me as a sister.

I really struggled in my faith when she died and backslid for a time, but the Lord has been so gracious to me and given me even more appreciation for my hero of the faith. With all that said Joey and I would be honored to give our daughter her name, Leigh-anne. What a rich legacy. We are thinking that it will be her middle name, but haven't made any concrete decisions yet.

Okay that was a bit exhausting, so maybe I'll save the rest of the post for later...

By the way, who is your hero in the faith?

She's a girl!!!

2008-07-25T16:43:00.000-07:00

I don't have the ultrasound pictures loaded yet, but they aren't super clear anyway. It was so exciting to see her and to know that she's really in there, growing and moving. Everything is totally normal at this point which is even more exciting than knowing her sex. I was getting worried because I haven't felt her move nearly as much as I had felt Judah. Turns out she is a super active baby, but my placenta is right in front of my tummy, so it's blocking a lot of the kicking sensations. I thought she was just a bit on the shy side, but now I know she's just hiding a bit for now. We are so excited to have a girl. There's just something really precious to me about having a daughter and I haven't even met her yet. It's also scary to me that now I'm going to be this girl's number one role model. I know I have similar responsibilities with Judah, but it's just different with a girl. And not to mention the fact that now I will be responsible for at least one sex talk... aye. I will post her first pics. soon, maybe even a belly shot.

Mut-neh & Deet-deet...

2008-07-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

Infamous deet-deet, courtesy Pawpaw J.
Already trying to do tricks, at least he's quickly learned to practice on the grass... oy!

The new mut-neh, every kid should have one of these
Family outing to Avila Barn, his favorite thing (other than the ice cream) was an old rail road tie that he practiced his balance beam skills on.

Judah has been starting to talk quite a bit. I've been surprised at how quickly he's been picking up new words. Now I don't know how language develops in these little ones, but Judah has also come up with own little dialect. Joey and I joke that he speaks fluent Portuguese with the occasional Mandarin slang. He does the traditional wa-wa for water and nigh-nigh for night night, but otherwise, things are a bit different. Momo = movie, deet-deet = skateboard, mut-neh = helmet, pah-kah = park. It took us a while to catch onto to these new words, but now Joey and I find it hard to call them anything else. I don't know about anyone else, but I find this new toddler/communication phase both super exciting and frustrating at the same time. He thinks that because we understand a fair amount of what he says, that we should get everything, which makes him frustrated and whiney, making mommy equally frustrated and whiney. It is so amazing to begin to see the little person that he's becoming. The more I get to know him, the more I think he's a clone of Joey. He lives to make people laugh, loves mommy's kisses, can charm the pants off of anyone, LOVES baseball, skateboards and dirt. I remember when I was pregnant with him, Joey and I would try and imagine what he would be like. Of course we both had our wish list. Each had our hopes of what he would love, what he would do, and what his personality would be and I can definitely say that God seems to have wrapped all those things up into a crazy, independent, high energy, spunky, thrill seeking toddler named Judah.

I think even in the midst of certain behavior/attitude issues that we're dealing with right now, Joey and I have been so in awe of what a gift and what a joy Judah is. I think that this will probably sum up our entire career of parenting. Going through periods of feeling like a total idiot, praying non-stop that we don't screw him up, and loving him so deeply that none of it makes sense.

As far as the pregnancy goes, even before I got pregnant I hoped for a very mellow, easy going baby for #2. A girl would be my preference, but if we had a boy I would be equally thrilled. It's funny though because when I was pregnant with Judah I felt him moving super early, no surprise. I think Joey even felt him kick at around 17-18 weeks. Well, the little one I'm carrying now is being awfully shy. I thought I would feel this baby even sooner because that's what everyone says, but I think I'm just now at 19 weeks starting to feel baby. Part of me starts to get worried, but I know they're all so different. We have our ultrasound next week, on Friday, so I'll be sure to post some pictures and let you all know what we see. Anyone have any guesses?

Long Time...

2008-07-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

I think the threat of Jamie Hill has scared me into submission. We are alive and well, I'm just not feeling particularly bloggy lately. As most of you know, we are expecting our second baby in December, and couldn't be more thrilled. We have also recently moved to Arroyo Grande, which has been such and amazing blessing. I'm feeling better, pregnancy-wise, but am usually exhausted by our little man. Judah has been a busy boy, exploring his new house, big back yard and new neighborhood with 3 parks within a 10 minute walk. Motherhood right now makes me feel kind of manic. I could not be more in love with my son than I am right now, but new challenges in this toddler stage have definitely caught me off guard. I'm really trying to center my life on prayer and more reliance on the Lord every day for his sufficiency. Especially with the daunting task of raising another child, I'm feeling waves of insufficiency, excitement, apprehension, and just really quite overwhelmed. But one thing I do know and am trying live out is that HIS grace is sufficient for me. I have to come to the well and drink and be filled with his Spirit, every day, every hour. I'm sure any parent can truly testify that this is the key to our joy, our sanity and our success. The more time that passes the more I am convinced that I can not love as a wife, a mother or a friend on my own strength, but it must be the overflow of what I have received from the Lord. I can't rely on others for my happiness, this includes Judah, Joey, my family and my dear friends. What an incredible burden to put on our loved ones when they can bring us such joy at times, yet when the inevitable let downs come our joy is stolen. Christ came to make our joy complete, Joey didn't come for that purpose and neither did Judah.

Sorry for the random musings, but that's what's spinning around in my head and in my heart. I'm starting to realize though that when the Lord is doing things in my heart, no matter how painful, I am filled with an immeasurable amount of hope and peace that Christ will truly bring about transformation if I merely invite to him to rule and reign in my life.

happy birthday kate

2008-04-23T23:56:00.000-07:00

we recently celebrated katie's 27th birthday. It's ok to say "27" were not afraid of age, right katie?

ok, I didn't post this earlier b/c I know my wife doesn't like everyone fussing over her. But it's fun to keep celebrating her, she's worth it. I thought I'd tell two truths and a lie about her, and you the reader can play along at home by guessing what the lie is:

1) she's the worlds SLOWEST reader (not because she's dumb, she's very smart), because she tries to read in bed and falls asleep every night. She averages 1 book every lunar eclipse.

2) she's grew up in a town called Bodfish (good luck finding that on a map!)

3) she celebrated her 14th birthday with her mother & grandma Mimi at Euro Disney with Madame & Monsieur Mouse

The first person to buzz in the with the correct answer will be able to come over to my house and pick out not one, but TWO articles of clothing from my closet.

Good Luck Contestants!

new photos

2008-03-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

here are some photos that Ken Kienow (kenkienow.com) recently took.

Rock for Water - SLO

2008-03-02T22:36:00.000-08:00

Check out this event coming up on Saturday Night. All the proceeds go to digging wells in Southern Sudan. To preview the bands, check out their MySpace sites.

When: Saturday, March 8th
What time: 7:30 doors open
Where: Calvary's Grand Location (115 Grand Avenue | San Luis Obispo, CA)
Cost: $5 at the door
----------------------------------------
http://www.myspace.com/johnmarkmcmillan

http://www.myspace.com/aaronstrumpel

http://www.myspace.com/travisaicklen

1 year old

2008-02-18T16:02:00.000-08:00

We just celebrated Judah's first birthday. Here is the video to drop into his digital time capsule.

It's been an amazing year to say the least!

bath time

2008-02-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

Judah loves bath time. This is our time together (Judah & daddy), my favorite time of the day with him. He loves to swim, splash, and especially DRINK the bath water. I am not sure if that is bad for him or not, but he loves it so much I can't seem to tell him "no". Our good friends Ken & Courtney Kienow came over for dinner this week, so ken snapped these photos. Ken has recently started doing events/weddings/portraits, etc. He is very talented, check out his site www.kenkienow.com

Yule Blog

2007-12-28T00:50:00.000-08:00

I like it when the bible says about the birth of Jesus, “Glory to God in the highest, and peace to all men” – and so this is the time of year when we “celebrate” that. As best we can we try to integrate that into our festivities & traditions, but if you’re like me, you quickly forget, or don’t necessarily know how to do that. I easily get distracted by iTunes and surfboards, and my own wish list, more like a grown up toy list: D-SLR Camera, and a GPS Navigation system, etc. Before Christmas I went to Best Buy pretending to shop for Katie, but I was really there looking at toys for myself. Stuff. We want stuff, so we convince ourselves that want is an understatement, we say we need it. Whatever it is, can leave you bankrupt once you get it, because it didn’t deliver the ultimate. After a couple of minutes, or days, or months, the shine wears off and you need something shinier.

So we come back to Christ and His birth. The ultimate Gift that delivers; in Him there is no letdown or disappointment. If there can be Peace on this earth, if we can walk with our Savior, if we can know Him, and experience His shine, a shine that doesn’t fade, then there is a God to give Glory to.

Some things we give Glory to God for:

::a healthy & happy family. We are enjoying a sweet season of life (with the addition of our son Judah), blessed with God’s great provision & love for our family.

::hope & peace – life can throw curve balls and stress is real (those aren't blond highlights in my hair), but there is always hope & peace in our Lord now and in the life to come.

::My wife & son - I don't deserve either of them. In them is a display of God's grace for my life.

::His Son. the sacrifice in sending His Son, we can never fully grasp its weight. I now have a son, and my mind CANNOT conceive of giving him up for anyone, let alone the undeserving.

- joey

Kissing, clapping and biting...

2007-12-13T07:28:00.000-08:00

This morning the three of us were lying in bed, Joey and I trying to coax Judah back to sleep for just 10 more minutes. Historically this only leads to a super early family play session, but it's worth a try for the slight chance that he can snuggle up and go back to sleep. I finally decided to get up as he's basically hanging from our head board, talking his head off. While I was getting a sweatshirt on Joey told Judah to clap, and he did. He's never done that on command before. He also gives kisses (open mouth, teeth and all) when asked. Now, clapping is no event to devote an entire blog to, but what I'm so stoked about is that we're starting to communicate. He's understanding more and more of what we say to him. The thing that bewilders me though is that we clap together maybe 3 times a day, whereas I tell him NO like a broken record and he looks at me like I'm an alien. He soo busted now, no more Mr. Niceguy. Especially as he's going through yet another phase of biting everything and everyone. Somehow biting has become an expression of excitement. The unfortunate part of teaching him not to bite is that I can't remember what to say to him consistently as he's gnawing on one of my limbs. Sometimes it's "no biting", "don't bite me", "stop biting", or my favorite, "holy crap that hurt". The cat's out of the bag Judah... I know you're teachable now.

Elmo Adventures...

2007-12-03T09:54:00.000-08:00

Joey's been working a ton lately, so a Saturday family date was in order. With a baby it's hard to find fun things to do as a family. I love hiking, but Joey's never really taken to it, so I was excited when we came to an agreement on hiking Madonna Mt. after a light lunch at Subway. I had to run a quick errand so I sent Joey to Long's to get a birthday card for my dad. Once there, Joey proceeded to buy Judah a $7.00 Elmo balloon. No surprise as anytime I take Joey to the grocery store we end up with a bill big enough to pay the mortgage. When we get to Madonna Mt. Joey insists on bringing Elmo along for the ride. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. Judah loves being outside and riding on daddy's back was a bonus. Unfortunately, Elmo had a run-in with some wild, bushy sticks and didn't make it back to the car in one piece. All in all, the day was wonderful and we really got some good quality time. Love my boys!

Judah's First Haircut...

2007-12-03T09:13:00.000-08:00

Our boy has been working a mullet for the last few months so we decided that we had to nip it in bud... literally, before he actually looked like he was from Bodfish (my hometown). This was a difficult decision for me as I have had a really hard time letting Judah grow up. It's like his first step into boyhood and he's not even a year yet. Well I gave in and I saved every strand that I could, here's our little boy's before and after...

BEFORE. Can you see a potential rat tail?

Sweet face

AFTER. I'm starting to get used to it. What a handsome young man!

Marlene & Jose

2007-12-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

So I confess that I bit off a little more than I could chew with this one... Marlene and Jose are an awesome couple that we met while hosting a home group here in Nipomo. They met while working together in social services in Santa Maria. Marlene began sharing with Jose about the Lord and they soon began a friendship that centered around Jose's search for some meaning in his life. One night after home group, Joey had it on his heart to go on a prayer walk around our neighborhood. He and our friend Matt went out and they met Jose on the street taking out his trash. They proceeded to invite him to our home group and he displayed a sincere interest. Little did we all know, Marlene had been urging Jose to find a place to fellowship and learn more about Jesus. This was an amazing answer to their prayers. A few weeks later Jose showed up with Marlene. Over the next few months their friendship deepened and Marlene took him to one of Greg Lowry's Harvest Crusades where Jose gave his life to Christ. They soon began to fall in love, and the rest is history. They were married on November 24th at the Kaleidoscope Inn in Nipomo.
I agreed to do their flowers thinking that it was going to be a small task, little did I know they had around 300 guests and Marlene's vision for her flowers challenged me creatively and with the sheer volume. We had feathers, beads and kissing balls; all things that I have never used before, which was really fun. The most stressful aspect was that my wholesaler wasn't delivering on Friday due to Thanksgiving so I had to get all the flowers on Tuesday, for a Saturday wedding. SCARY! Everything held up very well though and it was beautiful. We love you guys and are so happy for you!

The bride's bouquet: white roses, calla lilies, lisianthus, stock, ranunculus, and dark blue bella donna delphinium. I used chocolate brown ostrich feathers and strands of beads for the finishing touch.

Marlene was such a beautiful bride! Sorry Jose, I didn't get any photos of you.

Bridesmaids

I love the Kaleidoscope gazebo.

Funny story about the vine balls. I searched on eBay and all sorts of craft sites for a large vine ball, but could only find small ones. So what you see is actually the vine pumpkin that my mother-in-law gave me for fall decor. I cut off the stem and the leaves and you couldn't even tell.

Hunger Strike...

2007-11-20T11:09:00.000-08:00

Judah's bug is hanging on for dear life. Either that, or he has decided to operate a full-fledged hunger strike. We're going on day 7 of his strange new eating habits. Every meal/snack makes me anxious, but the nurse on the phone keeps telling me that as long as he's hydrated we're doing ok. Part of me wonders if they just don't want to see us because holiday starts tomorrow and they've got to be swamped. But the other part of me is challenged to trust the doctor and our good God and just be patient with the little guy. As we speak Judah has been sitting in his high chair for about 20 minutes picking at cheerios, banana and a blueberry muffin.
The whole sick thing has caused me to do several things that I have been trying avoid. 1) No refined sugar... that flew out the window in desperation to get something into him. 2) No Videos/TV... he's in love with Tiny Love's DVD Magiq. Shockingly he is alive and happy.
A couple of discoveries... as the gang on Seinfeld discovered, the muffin top is definitely the best part, even Judah agrees. I have a problem... Joey and I went on a date the other night and he had to tell me that we weren't allowed to talk about poop. Now if someone has to tell you not talk about poop there's obviously something wrong.
Pray for us!

Montezuma's Revenge...

2007-11-15T20:21:00.000-08:00

UGH... Being sick sucks! So any of you lucky enough to not be battling the stomach flu right now are stoked. Joey and I got hit with it on Monday night. It was kind of this unfolding mystery as to what it was that we got. You see, Joey offered to make dinner on Monday night as I was scurrying to take a long awaited shower before Bible study. He made killer turkey burgers, I couldn't believe it but he even made grilled onions to top them off. Those of you who know Joey well, know that he doesn't cook. When I was pregnant with Judah we ate cereal and quesadillas for the first 4 months, so this was an event. By the time I got home from Bible study Joey had already "been sick" and I was quite nauseous. I decided that it must have been the turkey. So after spending the night alternating bathroom trips we decided that Joey should stay out of the kitchen. That was until we discovered that most of the attendees of Lucy Anselm's 1st birthday party were also sick. Mystery solved, and sorry honey... you're a great cook and you're so not off the hook now.
Pray for little Judah, he's battling the runs and isn't happy about it. If he doesn't turn the corner tomorrow I think we'll have to go in to see Dr. Thomspon. He's refusing most food and liquids as of today. But he's a tough kid and still has a smile on his face.

Harvest Fun...

2007-11-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

We have had a wonderful week together as a family. As we're all recovering from a cold, Joey is doing business locally this week which has made for a fun-packed week of family time. We took Judah to the Avila Barn on Tuesday. He was very interested in the animals, but when the sheep started bleating like crazy he turned his bottom lip out and in the cutest way possible whimpered, so we headed to a quieter bunch of donkeys. Joey and I decided to indulge in some homemade ice cream and something came over me and I just had to give Judah a bite of my pumpkin cone. His first response was a sour face, probably because of the cold, but then he wouldn't leave me alone... so much for keeping him sugar-free. But it was so fun to see the delight on his face. Halloween was also enjoyable, as you can see, we have the cutest snapping turtle in the whole world. Judah loved seeing all the kids in their costumes who came to our door and was such a good sport with the whole costume thing. We had a blast and look forward to more holidays to come.

Family Photo Shoot...

2007-10-25T10:56:00.001-07:00

Our good friend Ken Kienow blessed us with a family photo session a few weeks ago. We had so much fun in downtown Guadalupe, who knew that this quirky little downtown had so many interesting photo opps. We had planned to head to the beach, but after a dramatic confession of Joey's dislike for sand (yes, he is a surfer), we decided on a more urban setting. Check out Ken's blog if you're interested in his work, he is currently building up his portfolio, and is looking for interesting subjects.

Hills 9
Originally uploaded by CC Ken

Hills 17
Originally uploaded by CC Ken

Hills 4
Originally uploaded by CC Ken

Hills 28
Originally uploaded by CC Ken

Hills 26
Originally uploaded by CC Ken

Lighten Up...

2007-09-27T16:11:00.001-07:00

Lately I've been thinking that I'm a little uptight. Now, those of who know me well are probably thinking, 'hello, you're just realizing this now...' But anyway, I really think that my uptightness is robbing me of some simple joys of motherhood. I'm a routine-loving planner, which doesn't necessarrily jive with having an infant. Judah does better on a schedule which is also a motivation for that part of my personality to thrive. But, as we all know, children have a mind of their own. Judah has been teething for about 2 months it seems, so everything is negotiable at this point. Not sleeping through the night anymore, not liking to take a nap unless he parks it on mama's chest, following me around the house whining like a little puppy dog, deciding every other day that he wants to wean himself. All of these new things challenge me every day and bring to light the fact that my flesh is alive and active. I've been feeling lately that I need to make a choice in those very short seconds before the monster inside me responds; to either resond in love or in frustration. The old idea of turning lemons into lemonaide keeps running through my head and challenges me to change my perspective, to pray for love, and to be present in every moment that I have with my son. I don't want you to get the feeling that Judah is a naughty boy, because it isn't true, his mother just has issues. With that said, here is how I would like to look at things...

Great, you want to nap on me... I'd love to snuggle with you for an hour.
SO you're bored with all your 2 billion toys and you want to be in my shadow... I'd love to stop what I'm doing and play with you.
I see that you've suddenly decided that your crib doesn't provide the most comfortable sleeping arrangement... I would love to snuggle you in bed with me even if you punch me in the face every hour.
So spitting food in my face and throwing your spoon seems like a good way to communicate that peas are yucky... so I'll laugh and enjoy you being you because secretly I hate peas too.
All this to say that I don't want to look back in 10 years and have memories of things that I wish I had done, or the mom I wish I had been. This stage in his life is going to fly by and I want to know that I lived it to the fullest, enjoyed Judah as much as I could, and loved him with my life. I don't want to look back at his babyhood and just think, wow that was hard, but I want to say out of the truest place in my heart that it was amazing and touching and so beautiful to watch my son grow into the man he will be. I love being Judah's mom, for real!

Carlsbad with the Aicklen's

2007-09-23T19:57:00.000-07:00

Judah and Avery in the Aicklen-mobile.

Big smile! His hair is crusted with a gallon of sunscreen.

Judah rolled over in the sand, which took 3 weeks to completely vacate his ear.

Beach siesta after his first day playing in the sand and ocean.

Avery and Grandma Kim.

Crazy September

2007-09-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

Judah's first day at the pool. He liked it ok until daddy dunked him...

Natalie and Judah at our hotel in Denver

My Pawpaw (no, not Papa) was enthralled with our little guy. It was so sweet to see what a little light Judah was to him.

Yes, that is a real lion, and no, it's not alive. Judah didn't mind though, he loves kitties.

Durango gave Judah lots of kisses. Judah followed her around the whole time we were at my grandparents.

Vacation in Denver

2007-09-07T16:42:00.000-07:00

We've been in Denver on vacation for about a week now and let me tell you, it has been an interesting one. Joey has a trade show in Denver that started on Wednesday so we had about 4 days in the city before work. Several interesting things have transpired.
Judah decided the week before we left that he wasn't into sleeping through the night anymore and instead preferred to use his nightimes screaming for no apparent reason. Teething? Separation anxiety? I have no idea, but it carried into our vacation, so I was about as sleep deprived the first 3 days of vacation as I was when Judah was a newborn. The ironic thing is that we were staying with some good friends in Denver, 2 separate couples, both expecting their first children. I just have to chalk it up to God wanting to teach us all a little something, but I was a blubbering mess. Those of you who know me at home haven't seen that side of me since I got past the baby blues, but it was as if it was happening all over again. So needless to say, I think I scared them both a little bit, or at least spurred on some interesting conversations. Sorry Nate and Natalie, Dave and Lana! Judah was a charmer as usual so I probably looked like a crazy lady.
We then took off to Windsor, CO where Joey dropped me off at my grandparents' home. We were there for about 2 hours when my grandma came in a got my grandpa. She had begun hemoraging and he rushed her off to the ER. That was the last time I saw Mimi for this trip. She spent the rest of the week in the hospital undergoing awful tests and a surgery to remove half of her colon... fun. I had a great time keeping my Papa company. He's a WWII vet and I was able to ask him tons of questions about that, which absolutely fascinates me. Papa and Judah were great buds by the time we left and I cried as we drove away. Every time we come out here I never know if I'll see them again. I know it sounds morbid, but I love them so much and it just kills me that they won't be able to get to know their only great-grandson because of how far away we live. How special though that they have at least met him.
We have 2 more nights here and will be seeing one of Joey's college buddies and his old pastor. I'm looking forward to coming home, but thankful that we were out here to support my family during a difficult time and the time spent with friends has been great. We will have pictures to follow.

Daddy's Heart

2007-08-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

Being a parent has given me some new insights into God and his role as my Father. I've only just begin to really apply it to my relationship with him and meditate on it as I go about my day as a newish mom. First of all, God delights in his children. I never knew delight until I had a child and it only grows as my son begins to know me and love me. I delight in Judah's love for me, just as God delights in our love for him. When Judah chooses to be in my presence, there is no feeling to describe it. He is beginning to cling onto me out of what seems to be affection, security, and trust. How it must please and bless our Father when we cling to him and choose Him out of all the other idols in the world. How sweet it is for him when we run into his presence and just sit at his feet. I have yet to experience the sinfulness of my child, but I can just anticipate what God will teach me about forgiveness, grace, mercy, discipline, and unconditional love. I've always been a child, so thinking on God and these attributes as a child you almost miss half of the equation. But now as a mother, I get to almost walk in God's shoes with my own child and learn more about the heart of my Abba.

my wife...

2007-08-29T23:20:00.000-07:00

Katie is the catalyst behind our humble blog. A few times she has encouraged me to "blog" something, but to date I hadn't been moved to write anything on a blog addressed to no one in particular.

But tonight is right. I just want to brag about katie if that's ok with you. She doesn't know I am doing this, as she is long asleep, worn from a day of taking care of Judah & I. She is an amazing wife & a hall of fame mother. She really just loves Judah & I so very well, so selflessly everyday. And we certainly don't make life easy for her, like when Judah decides to scream at 3 AM (almost every night) for no reason at all, or when I show up late (as usual) to a dinner party we are hosting, or forget to take the trash to the curb for trash day (every week), there's katie continuing to love, continuing to be patient. Judah & I talk a lot about how lucky we are. The first thing I told him in the delivery room after he was born was that he has the best mom in the whole world. He knows it. His face says it all when he sets his eyes on her.

But katie doesn't even know it. She wants to be a better mom, a better wife, and a better friend. She is always evaluating and wanting to grow in any weak areas. But tonight is about strengths; which for katie include singing, painting, designing, baseball sliding, cooking, and a myriad of other things you may not even know about her. I am so proud of her and thankful.

- joey

Lip Service...

2007-08-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was my follow-up appointment with the dermatologist for my lip. He came into the room and says, "Good new, it's a Blah, Blah, blah (three really big words that I totally can't remember nor do I understand), which basically means that we don't know what it is, but it's not a pre-cancer nor cancer." So guess I left a little confused becuase that's really all he told me, it's not dangerous at all, maybe like a birth mark type thing or something. The problem is, I still don't want it on my face. He froze it to see if that would be enough to regenerate some new skin, but I'm not too optimistic. We'll see... all this to say, praise God that it isn't anything serious and I won't go through life with half a lip. Thanks for prayers and everyone's concern.

What we love about being parents...

2007-08-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

Smiles for miles.

The sweetest face ever!

New Discoveries... Judah's first guitar!

Fat Lip...

2007-08-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

Anybody that has seen me lately might have noticed that my lower lip is a bit swollen and yucky looking. I had a biopsy taken last Monday of a sun spot that has graced my lip for quite a few years. The doc wasn't too concerned and thinks it's probably just a pre-cancer and that it will be easily removed. We get the biopsy results back on Monday and I'm really not too worried about it, but keep thinking about the fate of my poor lip. It seems that most of my fears are more about my own vanity than anything else. Just thinking about having to walk around with a puffy, peely, yucky lip makes me sad and embarrassed. Then I tell myself, 'seriously Katie, if that's all you've got worry about, you're one blessed lady'. I guess I'm really thankful that God is protecting me from more serious fears, but pray for me that I can take this as a great lesson in humility and grace. I will update with results and would appreciate prayer that it really is nothing.

Recent Pictures of Judah

2007-08-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

Nana got Judah to blow kisses. A move we have yet to duplicate. He loves being in Bakersfield because he gets lots of naked time.

Judah's throne. He loves playing on our bed more than anywhere else in the house.

One of Judah's first adventures in solid foods! The bib was a gift from our friend John Cashman.

Lullaby...

2007-08-14T20:42:00.000-07:00

Ever since Judah was born he has enjoyed music. It seems to calm him down almost immediately when he's upset or lull him to sleep when he's tired. So Joey and I have perfected a repetoire of songs that we sing to him. Joey's selections include a June Carter Cash song about heaven, Amazing Grace, and a Damien Jurado tune. My favorites are Jesus Loves me, How Great is our God, and a Lori Schafffer song called Welcome. Since Judah is our first child we have a very limited knowledge of traditional children's songs and lullabies so these are Judah's special lullabies. The song Welcome is always the last song that I sing to him before bed time and nap time, hence I sing it about 4-5 times a day. Joey and I laugh that there are some great lessons for mom tucked into the song so I will share this beautiful ode to little boys and what I've learned from it.

WELCOME
by Lori Schaffer (Waterdeep)

Welcome to this dusty land
Where you will cry lots, but we'll all understand. (1)
Things may not turn out sometimes like you've (2) planned,
That's alright our little man.

Welcome outside of you mother's womb
Well I know that it's frightening but now there's more room.
Just think of all of the great things you'll do,
Just by you being you.

Welcome to us, oh our little song,
You're one part your daddy and one part your mom.
We're gonna help you grow up to be strong,
But for now little guy sleep on (3),
But for now littlle guy sleep on.

The first nugget is that he will cry lots!! and I'm supposed to understand, he's just a baby, that's what babies do. He's not going to die and I'm not a horrible mother.

Two, the second line should read 'things may not turn out sometimes like WE planned'. Like when I really want Judah to take a 2 hour nap so I can work out, sweep the floors, take a shower and eat lunch. Then 15 minutes later, just after I've brushed my teeth and put on my workout clothes he wakes up.

And third, there will be a day when he will sleep on. It's always funny when I sing that last line to him as I lay him in his crib and he smiles up at me. Sometimes the smile is followed by a lung exercise and sometimes he lies in bed and plays for like 30 minutes, but he will sleep on... eventually.

My first blogging attempt....

2007-08-12T17:01:00.000-07:00

I've found that I so enjoy being able to keep up with family and friends via the blogging world that I feel that I need to begin my own contribution. Actually it's turned into a total guilty pleasure surfing the web/blogs after Judah's gone down for bedtime while Joey's checking all the sports updates. But the truth is, I'm totally tech. challenged so I never thought that I could figure it out. But Joey gave me a quick tutorial and I think I can at least get started.
I've begun reading a bit since Judah was born and I've found it's almost become a necessity to remind me that my brain still works and enjoys topics other than baby poop, sleep schedules, and what the heck is going on with Judah (which I ask nearly every day about some phenomenon that he is or isn't doing). Writing, I feel might be another blessed outlet for such thoughts and ponderings. But I'm sure that Judah will take up much of my blogging time as well because let's admit it, he's pretty darned amazing and definitely the most exciting thing happening in my life. Well someone is screaming after a 15 minute nap (and no it isn't Joey), so duty calls. Looking forward to this new relationship!

st. patrick's day!

2007-03-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of Judah on St. Patrick's day. The green hat was knit by volunteers from the hospital.