Three Years Ago Today...

We were on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera and I married my best friend. It was a perfect day. We were on the second day of the cruise half way between Los Angeles and Puerto Vallarta Mexico.

We were married by the Captain of the Diamond Princess and afterwards we got a tour of the bridge were they control the ship. Here we are in the Captain's chair.

I know I made the best decision of my life when I married Tony....He is a kind, compassionate and caring man and the best father to our son.

Joey loves his daddy soooo much.

I would marry Tony all over again. I cannot wait to grow old together and to have another baby with him in the future!

Happy 3rd Aniversary Tony. I love you with all my heart and my love for you continues to grow with each day I see you and our son together. I know that after surviving this last year, which has been so difficult, yet so full of joy, we can do anything together!

Joey Did It!

Joey finally did it! On April 7, 2010, he sat up all by himself for the first time. And he did it in grand fashion! We were at the Occupational therapists office being evaluated for occupational therapy. The therapist was going through the list of gross motor skills and fine motor skills and making notes at which skills Joey has, or has yet to acheive. I was explaining to him that no Joey has not yet sit up, without leaning on at least a hand, on his own. Joey was on a floor mat in front of us, being run through various tests like a lab rat. As the therapist was crossing out the section of his form that listed various activities from the sitting position, Joey all of a sudden pushed himself backwards and into a sit position and then sat all the way up and clapped his hands. It was as if he was saying "liar" look at me! He sat so very straight and clapped like he was so proud of himself. I almost cried. I was so proud of him and stoked! We have been waiting for this day for a long time! We were finally able to break out the "I Did It" tee shirt we ordered from Jen. I ordered one back in August when she first came up with the campaign but was saving it for this very milestone.
Check Joey out sporting his "i did it" shirt.

And a few days later sitting up again!

We are so proud of you baby Joey!

Finally! At Almost 15 Months..A Tooth!

After a very long and sleepless night last night....Joey finally broke his first tooth on the bottom in the front! there is not enough of it showing for a picture, but we are nonetheless so happy that the pain he has been in this last week (and all of the sleep that we lost) was not entirely in vain!

I have decided that teething sucks! It is a very cruel rite of passage for our poor little babies. We have all lost so much sleep this last few weeks. Joey who has always slept through the night, and rarely cries, has been waking up several times, in pain, and crying. He also resists going to sleep no matter how tired he is. Here are some pics I got of him last Sunday when I was trying to put him down for a nap.

Yep...no matter how tired he is (which you can tell by his eyes) he is still all smiles! And based on those little hands up on the side of the crib...you can tell it is time to lower the matress before he realizes he can pull himself up on it! SIGH! my little man is growing up!

Wordless Wednesday (Busted in The Cat Bowl)

Open Gym

A local gymnastic's gym holds an open gym for children with special needs. Jen has taken Joey and Joaquin a few times. I met them and a few of our other friends there a few weeks ago. Joey just loves it and was so cute to watch...

There were lots of mats and barriers on the ground for him to climb over. He just loves climbing over anything he can these days!



And a big trampoline.

Here he is with his friend Maddie on the trampoline...

And Jonna and Gracie

And back to climbing over the mats some more.

Hanging with his buddy Joaquin.

I love watching them interact. It is so cute!

Joey has such upper body strength from the way he crawls... look at his push ups!

When I left to go back to work he was playing with the hoola hoops and lifting it off the ground!

He was one tired baby that evening. We cannot wait to meet our pals there again. It was so much fun!

Easter 2010 (And The Weeks Before)

We went to San Diego the Thursday before Easter. The week before that and this last week have been crazy busy. And it is not all works fault this time (although I did have a reply brief to a summary judgment motion due just before I left and the hearing on the motion last week when I got back. Also Jen is going to the Ukraine as part of the process for adopting Sofia. We are sad and are going to miss her and the entire Sanchez family tremendously while they are gone. As a result I have been trying to find someone to provide daycare for Joey while they make the necessary journey to the Ukraine to finalize their adoption of Sofia. Also while they take the time to bond with her and adjust to life as a family of 6 (with two babies with Ds).



Joey and I walked to the park the week before Easter and met with the lady who will be watching Joey for however long Jen needs. We love Jen and thank the Sanchez family for being a second family to Joey while we work. It is so hard working full time and having a baby. It has been so much easier, however, because we have had someone we trust to watch our baby. It will be some adjustment for Joey and for us working out new therapy schedules but we think the new family that is going to be providing daycare for Joey is going to work out beautifully. They seem like wonderful people and we cannot wait to get to know them.



Here Joey is on the swings at the park while I got to know Shannon. Joey loves the swings. Just look at that face...Pure Joy.

Before we left for San Diego we took Joey for his first (official) haircut. Ok...so it was not a full haircut... only the bangs. I could not bear to cut those beautiful curls (nor could Lainie, Tony's long time hairstylist who cut Joey's hair for us after giving Tony a trim). I had trimmed Joey's bangs a few weeks ago when he was sick. His nose had been running and the bangs in his eyes and face were not helping matters. I did such a horrible job though and I now needed a professional to fix it. Note to self, giving someone else a haircut is harder than it looks. Any how, Tony went first...

and then it was Joey's turn

Looking like such a big boy in the cape.

Sure there was some flailing...

And quite a few "I'm not sure about this" faces.

But Lainie was able to get the job done with no crying and no injuries!

All finished...thanks Lainie!

Before we left Joey's auntie Jo brought him his first Easter basket of the year! It was so cute... Thanks Jo!

Of course we had to pull out the ol bunny ears for an Easter phot op.

And Joey got to help dye Easter eggs for the first time.

On Easter morning we got dressed up and went to church with my friend from junior high who moved back to Escondido.

Joey looked so cute in his little vest. I am glad it was cold enough out. Here he is with his Pa Pa.

And checking out the Easter basket Grandma, I mean the Easter Bunny brought for him. The Easter Bunny was so smart, he filled the plastic eggs with things to make noise and glued them shut.

Here Joey is giving them a good shake.

While in San Diego Joey discovered his shadow.

Hi shadow...

How you doing

Huh...not sure what to think of this shadow..

Alright... he decides it is funny!

Taking a much needed nap on his Pa Pa.

Joey and Grandma!

Opening a present from Auntie Cara.

Last year at this time Joey was in the hospital with bronchiolitis. In fact it was exactly one year ago today that he was released. I begged for him to be released in time to spend his first Easter at home instead of in the hospital. Thankfully, it happened. Here he was with the bunny ears his grandma had gotten him.

And here he was a the day before we left for San Diego and we pulled out the ears again. Clearly he does not think they are as cute as we do!

Gotta love that little face! I cannot believe how much he has changed in one year. I love this little guy!