Happy 14 months My Little Man!!

Taken by TipToe Photography

I can't belive that yesterday was Joseph's Year Anniversary at the daycare...boy do I remember leaving him at daycare...Mark and I both cried.  Leaving the care of your child to somone other than family is very scary...but we have a great facility that cares for Joseph and he is thriving!!!

Now its Joseph's Un-Birthday, 14 months, where does the time go?  Just yesterday I was 17 and dreaming of graduating and going to college and here I am married and a Mommy...WOW!...I am so blessed!

To Our Son,

You have enriched our lives in more ways than we ever thought possible!  Your Father and I are amazed at how you are learning, growing and changing everyday.  You have a very loving personality, you are a clown, you love making us laugh, you enjoy having us read to you & you LOVE to play peak-a-boo.  You are walking around exploring your surroundings and are very curious.  You "talk" and say, "Mama, Da, Pa, juice, agua, book, Bella, Laila & Bruno (our dogs)" and love to make animal sounds.  You LOVE music and are singing or dancing to Mickey Mouse, Barney and/or Raffi.

We have enjoyed watching your grow, your personality develop and most of all seeing the world through your eyes as you learn about the world around you.  Our parents were right when they said that we will act like little kids again and will act like complete lunatics just to make you smile...boy do we love your smile!

You are our little angel, the perfect example of our love for eachother, and we are better people because of you.  Things are going to keep changing but with each change there will be new adventures and memories that Daddy and I will always treasure!

We love you very much and are so blessed and lucky to be your parents!

Mommy & Daddy

Taken by Beth with TipToe Photography

Time Flies when your having fun!!!!

So, I started this blog to keep everyone up to date on our little man. It has had its good times and lately I have been slacking...BAD! Not because Joseph isn't doing well or that he isn't a ball of fun...because I/We have been having a BLAST with Joseph!

So first things first...Joseph is a BLAST!!!! His personality has really begun to show and BOY ARE WE IN FOR SOME ADVENTURES!! He is a little clown and loves to make us laugh!! This month he has begun to walk with more courage and we can't get him to settle down. We have had so much fun!!! He loves to have us read books to him, act like complete lunatics, and sing very silly songs!!! If any of you remember Raffi from long ago...I suggest you find him on iTunes or Amazon and download the song "Joshua Giraffe" it is one of Joseph's FAVE songs. He acts out the animal sounds and "sings" along with the song...it's great!!! I will have to get it on video soon and post it so you can see our little star!!! Along with inheriting my musical talents he has also inherited Mark's skill at sports...he loves to swing his bat-make that anything he can get his little hands on...and I think he may be a lefty just like Daddy!!!

On the married life...can you believe that this coming Thursday, yes Thanksgiving, will be Our 4th Wedding Anniversary?!?!? I am so BLESSED to have Mark in my life...I never thought my parents knew what they were talking about when they said, "You will know when you have met the one God has planned for you." I always thought they made that up to make me feel better after a breakup or when I was feeling "ugly."

They were...can I even admit to this...RIGHT! Mark literally walked into my life and my life as I knew it would never be the same!! Thanks to all my friends who wouldn't let me give up on this shy, quiet, tall, small town boy...I wouldn't have the life I have today if it wasn't for him!

Here are a few pics from our wedding!!!

Saying our vows and me trying not to cry

Our First Dance - George Strait "I Cross My Heart"

The Cathedral where we got married - a choir loft view

Lighting the Unity Candle

At the reception

Of course I HAD to sing with the Mariachi band...there were birthdays to celebrate...and I HAD to sing to them!

Mr. & Mrs. Mark Allen Ulrich (excuse the silly smile I have on my face...Mark looks great as always!)

Before the ceremony begins

Dancing with my Daddy and yes we started crying before the music even started and we cried the whole dance!

Me and my wonderful Husband!!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Halloween Pictures!!!

Joseph's Second Halloween was AWESOME!  Poor guy was recovering from an infected lymph node but he was ready to be out of the house!  Our friends the Lowman's invited us to join them at a Fall Festival that was hosted by the Baptist Church in Universal City.  We were joined by Mark's parents and his sister and brother-in-law to be and had a blast!  The set up they had was amazing; they has pony rides, bouncy castles, cake walks, "fishing" games, train rides & lots more that Joseph will enjoy next year.

Joseph was a little vampire and he looked adorable!  The only bad thing about Halloween was Mark caught what Joseph had and I'm trying not to get sick! Daddy got some TLC from me and J the rest of the weekend.

Here are some pictures...ENJOY!

Our little vampire!

Ready to go to the party!

He learned how to close the gate

Joseph and Daddy with the UC Fire truck

Getting Joseph ready for his photo op with Arabella

Joseph and Arabella...she's wondering what is so funny!

They are too cute!!!

Wearing Daddy's Texas Hat!  What a goof ball!

Our little monster in his Halloween PJ's

What a beautiful smile!!

Pumpkin Patch Pictures

Here are some pictures from our visit to the Pumpkin Patch this past weekend!  We were able to go with beautiful little Miss Arabella and her parents.  We had a good time but the kids were done after the first photo so these were the best we could get.

Enjoy!  Next week we are going to take pictures of Joseph and Arabella in their Halloween Costumes. 

Here they are in their Red Shirts; they are too CUTE!

In the wagon in their white shirts

Joseph tasting the background; I love that it's a little pumpkin

Joseph with the wagon

Oh know!! We lost the kids in the pumpkins!!!

Wait a minute...they are trying to escape FROM the pumpkins!!

It was a fun afternoon but the mosquitos were eating the kids alive so we left.  I think we will do the costume pictures at the house where the kids will feel more at ease.  Jacky, Arabella's Mommy took some pics too and I will have to see if she will let me post them on another post.

~V

Long over due pictures of Joseph's Birthday Party!!

Sorry for the delay of this post - things have been busy.  Here are some pictures from Joseph's First Birthday Party, we had a lot of fun even in the rain.  My parents brought a piñata from Laredo that looked like the little lion from his birthday party theme.  It was fun to see the kids break it open.  Everyone had a great time and it was nice to have family and friends with us to celebrate his special day.  Enjoy!

Joseph's classmates celebrating his birthday with some cupcakes!  We did this on October 1st, his orginal due date, 'cause he had his birthday at home with us.

Joseph's teachers made him a birthday crown; Joseph trying his cupcake

He really liked it and got nice and sticky!

On his actual birthday his friend Arabella and her parents came over to help us celebrate; Arabella's Mommy, Jacky, helped us decorate the house and get a few things ready for this big celebration.  Here are Arabella and Joseph eating his birthday dinner.

Here is my Dad getting everything ready for the "Breaking of the Piñata!"

My brother Nando on one side of the roof to hold one end of the rope.

My cousin Javier on the other side of the roof to help Nando with the rope and piñata.

Joseph and Mark "hitting" the piñata

S and her Mommy "hitting" the piñata

G and his Daddy "hitting" the piñata

M and her Daddy "hitting" the piñata

All our cousins waiting to hit the piñata

The Daddy's with there First Born babies

The Mommy's with their little ones; it's kind of funny to think that just a year ago I was getting used to being a Mommy and our other three friends we waiting for the arrival of their little ones.  What a difference a year makes!!

Joseph and S playing with some toys

Waiting for the cake!!  Thanks HEB for doing such a wonderful job on the cake!!

We had a great time with all of our family and friends!!  We did have a "smash cake" and Joseph got it all over me, I was not happy!  I'm the kid growing up that liked to be dirty but NOT STICKY!  So both Joseph and I got a shower after the smash cake.
Thanks to everyone that came!!  If I get more pics I will be sure to share them!!

~Veronica

FIrst Birthday Photo Shoot!

The weekend of September 25th we did a photo shoot with Joseph at a little park by our house.  One of the girls I work with at SS&E is a photographer and she is building her portfolio and offered to take our pictures.  Alma, did a great job and we have hired her to take our Christmas Pictures in late November or early December when we get our house decorated.

We took some family pictures and then changed Joseph into his "Birthday Boy" shirt for his First Birthday pictures.  Two of my favorites are the one of Mark and Joseph and then the one of him smiling in the orange shirt.  This is just a sample of what GREAT pictures that Alma took, she took over 100+ pictures.

Below are some of my favorite pictures, I hope you like them!

(pictures from his birthday party are in another post, too many to choose from)