Happy 2nd Birthday, Jessica!

It is hard to believe that our little lady is two and that pretty soon she will be a big sister.

We celebrated an early birthday when Grandma Lipa and Grandpa Sus were in town earlier in February. They made sopa, which Jessi devoured and then we had a oreo ice cream cake which she loved. She loves the new books that they gave her.



I sent cupcakes to daycare on Jessi's actual brithday. That evening Joey made her favorite dinner (chicken & rice) and we sang happy birthday to her. I think she must have had a long day because after we removed the candles, she tossed the cupcake and then let the dogs lick the frosting off her hands. No cupcake for Jessi :(



My cousin, Amy, was nice enough to have a joint party for her son, Cameron, and Jessica. Their birthdays are four days apart. Baby Esquivel stayed put and allowed Joey & I to attend the party. It was such a nice day that almost everyone was outside. Jess and Cam both loved the Elmo cupcake cake and being the center of attention when everyone sang Happy Birthday. Jessi loved playing with her friends and enjoyed all of her gifts. Her favorite gift was a doll from Aunt Lynn and Uncle John.

Happy Valentine's Day

The Esquivels enjoyed a three-day Valentine's weekend together at home. It is hard to believe that soon Jessi will be two years old and that we will be a family of four.

Our little sweetheart at her Valentine's Lunch at daycare

Jumping Fun

We met three of Jessica's friends at a jumpy play place near our house. Jessi liked one of the jumpy things until she got to the tunnel and liked riding down one of the inflatable slides. She preferred the play kitchen, train tables, regular slides, and running around in a large space. Here are a few pictures of the fun playdate.

My Little Swimmer

We have taken Jessica to the pool the past two weekends. She was hesitant at first because she hadn't been swimming since last summer. She soon started kicking like a pro, using her arms, and dipping her face in the water to blow bubbles. She even jumped to me from the side of the pool. It is so cute to see her do a swim motion with her arms and ask if we are going to the poo[l]! Maybe by the end of the summer she won't mind water in her face and possibly try to swim on her own. We'll see...

Weekend Fun

Weekends are fun at our house. Jessi likes to do almost anything. She LOVES to read and will sometimes sit and read herself a book.

She also LOVES to color in her coloring books, on my large chalkboard, and on the sidewalk. Today was such a nice day, that we broke out the sidewalk chalk so Jessi could enjoy a large canvass. She got chalk all over herself.

We also made it to the pool for some swim time, rode our bike, and walked and played with the dogs. Here the dogs hitched a ride with Jessi at the end of a walk.

Congratulations to our friends David and Michele who welcomed a baby boy early Friday morning. Welcome to parenthood and enjoy every moment with your son!

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.