Yummy Reward

Jessi is learning to be a big girl. Along with that she is learning that she will sometimes get special treats to reward her big girl effort. This evening I surprised her with "Dirt & Worms" from Likkity's Frozen Custard. She and Joey both loved their surprise. I helped Jessi finish her treat. If you live in South Austin, you must stop by for a taste. Yummy!

Growing Up

Boy does time fly. It seems like Jessica is growing up so quickly. She has turned into a little chatter box and loves to learn new words. Our favorite phrase is "I did it". She loves to try new things (like riding her bike) but still loves the old things (like reading books). She eats like a champ especially when daddy makes chicken and rice and has for the most part mastered drinking from a cup. She finds a way to get her point across. It is super cute to hear her say "Beep beep, mama" when she wants daddy to move out of the way so she can do something with me. Tonight she surprised us and fell asleep in her big bed. She looks so cute. I would take a picture but I don't want to wake her. There will be a lot more firsts and surprises in Jessica's future - just thought I'd share a few.

2010

When I was little the future was always 2010. Weren't we supposed to be driving flying cars like the Jetsons, etc? 2010 is here and I think that may still be far in the future.

The Esquivels had a quiet New Years Eve at home. Joey and I just relaxed while Jessica was sound asleep. She woke up occassionally when a neighbor's fireworks startled her. I didn't make it to mid-night ---- too pooped from a long day!

New Years Day 2010 was spent just the three of us. It is a lot of fun to do all of the things that your toddler wants to do. She loves playing with her little people with Joey. Later that afternoon we went over to Amy & Scot's so that the kids could play together. Jess & Cam are so cute together and I'm sure will be good buds as the grow up. Today we spent a lot of time outside because it was such a beautiful day. Jessi rode her tricycle while the dogs ran along beside her. I was surprised that we had the entire culdesac to ourselves. Such fun!


There is a lot to look forward to in 2010. Most notably is the birth of Baby JAE in Feb/March. Until then Joey, Jessi, and I will enjoy everyday together and see what life has in store for us.

Esquivel Family Christmas

The day after Christmas we celebrated with Joey's parents and his three brothers and their families. We enjoyed some yummy snacks, each other's company, and watched the kiddos open gifts. Jessica always has so much fun playing with her girl cousins. Here are some pictures.

Ftacek Family Christmas

Scot and Amy hosted the Ftacek Family Christmas in their new house. All enjoyed a delicious dinner followed by the much anticipated opening of presents. It is so nice to see how thrilled the kids are to open each and every gift. Here are some photos from our Christmas afternoon/evening.

My parents spent the next couple nights with us. The morning after Christmas Jessi opened gifts from her Aunt Jen and Grandpa & Grandma Ftacek. She also enjoyed helping them open their gifts and later cruising on her tricycle outside.

Christmas

It was just the three of us for Christmas morning. We thought Jessi was waking up early but she ended up sleeping about 1.5 hours longer. When she did finally wake up, it was nice to see her eyes light up at the sight of presents under the tree. She noticed that Santa left behind one cookie so she insisted on eating it before presents. She loved each gift. She had to try on her ballet shoes, read through each new book, hold up new clothes, and play with new toys.

We took a break and went to church. Jessica looked adorable in her red dress and favorite black shoes. We saved one last gift from Santa until after church, lunch, and naptime...Jessica's first tricycle! She can barely reach the pedals, but loves to ride it.

The Esquivels are extremely thankful for all of the blessings that we have --- health, happiness, faith, family, and friends. We wish everyone a merry Christmas!

Jessica's Gingerbread House

Today we went to the Austin Children's Museum to decorate a Gingerbread House. Jessica had a lot of fun putting the different treats on the house. She realized that she could eat the decorations about halfway into decorating. She loved the M&Ms and mini candy canes. Now how long will the house last now that she knows she can eat it?