Joseph's Journey

Asking for lots of prayers...

2010-03-11T16:02:00.000-06:00

My family is no stranger to cancer...I know a weird way to start a blog post but I have read two very sad stories about children with cancer.
A few weeks ago while reading the blog, http://www.oneporkchop.blogspot.com/, I found out about little Layla Grace. She was diagnosed at 16 months, May of 2009, with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma and on January 22 of this year they learned that the cancer had come back. Unfortunately she passed on Tuesday, after a long battle with her disease, she was only 2. Then today on the Mommy website I visit, TheBump, another Mommy shared how her friends have a little girl, Penny, who is also suffering from Stage 4 Neurobalstoma. Penny is in the beginning of her disease and her treatment, I am praying for her to recover very soon, and her parents are asking for lots of prayers.

As I said my family is no stranger to cancer; we have lost three family members to this MONSTER of a disease. My great-aunt, Tia Mari, to breast cancer, my cousin, Ginny, to ovarian cancer and most recently my cousin, Rusty to cancer. The strength that my family has found to go through this three times is a testament to our Faith in God and faith in each other’s love and support. Where these two sets of parents have found their strength to go through this with little babies is a testament to their Faith in God and each other. I know what is like to watch a grown person suffer through this disease but I can only imagine how much harder it is to watch a baby suffer.

I know I don't have many followers on my blog, but I ask for you few family and friends who follow us to please pray for these families. For Layla Grace's Family , The Marsh's, that they may make it through these next days, months and years (this is the hardest part) with the same grace, love, Faith & strength that Layla showed and taught them. And for Little Penny's family that they can lean on each other and the prayers of others to make through this difficult time.

I know that I will call my family and tell them how much I love them; hug my Joseph a little tighter tonight and let him know that Mommy & Daddy are here no matter what monsters may scare him.

To learn more about these two stories I am providing the web sites below, keep kleenex handy they are tough to read.
http://www.laylagrace.org/
http://www.pennies4penny.org/

I/We love you all and please know that NONE of you are ever far from our thoughts & prayers.
PS - I have a much happier post coming, I promise.
~Veronica

The joys of Parenthood

2010-02-05T14:02:00.000-06:00

I have to say that being a parent really tests your patience & gag reflexes. My son is wonderful and very energetic...but...he LOVES to test our patience!!! (Sorry Mom & Dad, I apologize for all the grey hair my actions as a child gave you)

He, Joseph, likes to test boundaries and see what he can get away with between Mom and Dad. If he's mad he will scream and hit the air or you if you are close enough.
I was telling my Mom, that yesterday morning he was mad because we didn't carry him when he wanted and got mad...very mad...on the floor crying mad. So when Mark finally picked him up...he slapped him in the face! Mark scolded him and said not to hit and the the water works began...with a lot of feeling...and the cutest face ever! As I retold my Mother this story she reminded me that he doesn't know why we are scolding him and he gets very hurt, we should just re-direct him and he will eventually learn not to hit when he is mad. Nice advice coming from my Mother...who by the way has NO patience...NONE...except with Joseph. I laughed and said I knew he didn't understand but we still had to correct the behavior. I'm sure Mark's parents have had a similar experience with Mark when he was little. Mark SWARES he NEVER got in trouble...but with what I have seen with his personality and temper...I'm sure there were a few times he did get in trouble. Probably not as often as I did but he did get in trouble.

Testing of the gag reflex...

So this morning we were watching the morning news; Joseph and I were cuddling and he went "big potty" in his diaper as he usually does in the morning. So when Mark came to change his diaper and get him ready for "school" (daycare) I said, "Joseph, did you go poop?!?" He nodded "No" as he always does and Mark proceeded to change him. As soon as the PJ's came off...I SAW IT! Poop all over the side of his leg & on the PJ's! I quickly told Mark to stop and we got a towel for him to lay on so we could clean up the mess. Mark kept saying, "This is GROSS!! This smells!! How can you not be gagging?!?!?" I calmly looked at him and said "It's not too bad...just wait until he does it in the car seat and it's EVERYWHERE and you can't stop to fix it!" Little does he know that I WAS gagging and ready to puke all over the place!!

"Mom, did you have to tell that story?!?!"

The joys of Parenthood!! Here is a challenge for the readers that follow us...in the comment section please relay what trying or gross experience you have had with your own children/siblings/babysitting. I'm interested to see what y'all have to say!!

Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend!!

16 Months & Catch-Up Pictures

2010-02-02T15:51:00.001-06:00

I am such a bad blogger!! Sorry it has been two months since I last updated you on the going's on of the Ulrich Family...but we have been busy!

Today is Joseph's 16 month "birthday" and I thought I could redeem myself by showing you some pictures of the little guy! He is constantly on the go & we are having so much fun!!

This past Sunday we took Joseph to his first Spurs game and he liked it. We walked him around the concourse and he wanted to run around and look at all the lights and people. We are hoping that the weather will get a little warmer so we can bring him to the Rodeo...you know San Antonio/Texas weather...wait 5 minutes and it will change.

Not too much new stuff to report...but...we are just a little over a month from my sister-in-laws wedding!!! Joseph is a ring bearer, we are standing in the wedding party & I get to sing the "Ave Maria" for the ceremony!!!!

Oh and my newest addiction is "Zumba" if you don't know what it is please, please google it and check it out!! It is a dance work out to latin dances: cumbias, salsa, merengue, regetton, and some flamenco. You go to class for 1 hour and believe me it goes by fast! I have been attending since the beginning of December and I can tell a difference in my clothes & even Mark is noticing the difference (he never notices if I gain or loose weight, I love the fact that love is blind!) in how I look!! There is more to tell about this wonderful workout but I will save that for another post.

So here you go...I'll shut-up and show you the pictures of Joseph! I know that's what everyone is waiting for. ;)

Joseph playing with his truck and bat

This is from yesterday morning before he went to "school"

WOW, he looks just like Mark in these pictures!!!

Here he is at my parents house during Christmas

Sleepy baby in his super cool pj's from his Aunt Myra & Uncle Myron!

Happy 14 months My Little Man!!

2009-12-02T13:45:00.001-06:00

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!!!!

2009-11-24T22:30:00.001-06:00

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!!!

2009-11-05T12:08:00.000-06:00

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

2009-10-23T14:57:00.000-05:00

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.

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

2009-10-21T15:02:00.000-05:00

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!

2009-10-06T10:20:00.003-05:00

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)

Happy First Birthday Joseph!!

2009-10-02T11:50:00.001-05:00

October 1st was my due date...he was born October 2nd...

2009-10-01T11:12:00.002-05:00

What a difference a year makes!! This time last year we were hoping Joseph would come on his own so I wouldn't have to be induced but I was induced anyway.
So this time last year I was getting my bags ready for my induction the next morning and my parents made sure I did A LOT of walking around, and I do mean A LOT. My mom kept saying, "The more you walk it will help him get in the right position to come and meet his famlily."

I'll have pictures from Joseph's birth up tomorrow!

I wanted to send out a very Happy First Birthday to the Foster Twins, Natalie & Audrey!! I hope you girls have a great day and fun at your First Birthday Party!! Their Mom, Jenni has an awesome blog that we LOVE and we love their stories!

~Veronica

Finally, the pictures from the Coast...

2009-09-30T09:40:00.001-05:00

I know, I know we went to the coast two weekends ago and I hadn't posted any pictures. Well here they are! We had a good time it was different going with Joseph but we now know what we need for our next trip...a pop-up canopy!

Joseph really enjoyed walking in the water and the first time he sat in the water it was a good thing...until a wave hit his face. Then he was SUPER mad at me and cried to Mark, there is a really cute picture where Mark is asking what's wrong and he points at me, "She let the water hit me in the face!" kind of look. We enjoyed it and are planning on going back again very soon, maybe for my birthday.

When we got to Port A and Mark was checking in the lady at the desk warned him about the mosquitos?? We found out very quickly what she meant!! The little blood suckers were waiting for us as we got to the door of the condo!! THEY WERE HUGE!! We got inside FAST, and called my parents to ask them to bring more bug repelant and a lot of bug spray!! Poor Joseph we had to rub him down with repelant so they wouldn't get him. My poor Dad got ATTACKED, big time, his neck was covered in mosquito bites. Before we opened the door we would spray it with OFF, then as we walked out the door we would spray Raid, leave it by the cars and almost run to the beach. On our way back we would get the Raid by the car, spray the door, one of us would open the door and run inside, shut the door and spray it again. It was quite a little dance! It was fun!!

And now for the pictures, I hope you like them!!!

Joseph and Opa ready for the beach!

Joseph walking with Daddy in the water

"I like this Mommy!"

"Okay, this is kind of like my bath tub.Cool!"

"WHAT WAS THAT?!?! I don't like this bath tub!"

"She did it Daddy! Mommy let that weird water splash me in the mouth!"

Joseph in the Sand Dunes

Joseph and Daddy ready for the beach

Joseph playing in the sand

This Friday is Joseph's First Birthday!! Can you believe it?!?! We are taking cupcakes to his Daycare friends and on Saturday we are having his Birthday Party!!

I will do my best to make sure to post those pictures the Monday or Tuesday after his birthday!!

Have a great day!

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love 'ya Tomorrow...

2009-09-17T09:45:00.002-05:00

Yes, my friends tomorrow is the day and yes I have the cheesy "Annie" song in my head as well as a little song I made up myself! If any of you have seen "Disney's Little Einstein's" my made up song kind of sounds like their opening credit song with the words, "I'm going to the beach, I'm going to the beach!" I know I'm a little wacky but I'm so excited about tomorrow!!!

Mark is off today and tomorrow and poor thing; he has too much to do to enjoy his kid & wife free day. :( Oh, well it's all for his birthday trip to the Coast!!

I will have lots of pictures to show next week and hopefully some funny stories too!
Have a great Thursday or in our home "Friday Eve!"

~V

Count down to Port A...

2009-09-16T09:51:00.000-05:00

We are at t-minus two days!!! I am so excited and ready for some fun and relaxation.

I forgot to blog about the play date we had last Friday! Joseph and I got to hang out with Arabella (his little girlfriend) and her mom Jacky. We were suppose to work on Joseph's scrapbook but were having too much fun playing with the kids...we kind of...forgot. It was so cute, Joseph kept giving Arabella kisses & hugs; then she would give him kisses & hugs. They were chasing eachother around the house and making eachother laugh. It was AWESOME!!! We can't wait to schedule another play date really soon.

This week is Joseph's First Offical Week in Room 2 at daycare. It's be an adjustment for him but he gets to play with Arabella and some of his other friends all day. His teachers said he's doing well but is still a little fussy sometimes. I hope he will adjust and get to enjoy all the new things they get to do in Room 2. The teachers are so nice and they love Joseph!!! We shall see and I will be sure to keep you posted on how he's doing.

So little man will be ONE two weeks from Friday!!! I can't believe it, where did this year go? We have truly enjoyed our First Year with our little man and we can't wait to see how he changes and grows as we adventure into the "Terrible Two's" One of the Silver Stars Sales staff is an amature photographer and she, Alma, has agreed to take some pictures of Joseph for his First Birthday. It looks like we will be doing that next week sometime and I am super excited!!! When we get the proofs I will be sure to share some with you!

This blog wouldn't be complete if I didn't have some pictures to share so here are some of Joseph in the pool for the first time.

~V

Count down to the coast begins...NOW

2009-09-13T22:22:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't been keeping all of you up to date but this last week was really busy for us. I am very proud to say that I was lead for a HUGE event at work this past week and we only had two little minor bumps that were very fixable! Thanks to all my colleges that helped make the event AWESOME!

Ok, so Joseph update (which is why you read the blog) he is great! We are currently getting ready for his first trip to the beach!!! This coming Saturday is Mark's 30th B-day and he wanted to go to Port Aransas...so off we go. My parents and little brother are going with us and we are so excited! One cause it's Mark's birthday and two because we get to take Joseph! We are already packing and putting things together; as usual I have a lot of lists of what needs to be done for this weekend. We are kind of loosing a weekend to prepare the house for Joseph's birthday party so there is A LOT to do around the house. No worries, I plan events for a living!

Sorry no new pictures of Joseph this week but I will have many to share once we get back from the Coast!

It's hard to believe that just a year ago I was pregnant and waiting for Joseph's arrival and now I am planning his first birthday party. What a difference a year makes and what a wonderful year it has been!
~V

Happy 11 Months Joseph!

2009-09-03T10:39:00.027-05:00

I know I am always a day late for his "Month B-day's" but better late then never.
So this week has been C-R-A-Z-Y! Little Man has had a high fever for most of the week and we have been really scared and worried! Well good news is that his fever has broken and he is looking better! The Dr. wants us to keep him home for the rest of the week to make sure that his fever doesn't come back so today he is home with Daddy!

I am really looking forward to the long weekend and especially Saturday!!! Joseph is going to his first birthday party!! It's for one of his little friends from school, Arabella, she is such a beautiful little girl! Today is her birthday and I went on FB to wish her a happy birthday on her Mom's FB pg. We, the ~~parents~~ mom's, have decided that Joseph and Arabella should get married! I know that they are too young and the practice of arranging marriages went out of style a long time ago...but...it is nice to dream.

Here are some pictures from Joseph's First Baseball Game and a really cute one of him and my brother Nando (Joseph was running a high fever Monday night and he was comfy and cuddling with my brother. I caught them both at just the right time)

~Veronica

Joseph and Daddy

What a cute smile!

A good picture of Mark and I

Nando and Joseph Monday night

Some pictures of the "Bebo" AKA Joseph Allen

2009-08-25T12:36:00.000-05:00

I know I have been slacking on blogging lately but I have a good reason...we have been busy. A lot has happened this month and I haven't had time to keep you updated...so I am posting a bunch of pictures of Joseph to make up for lack of updates.
Things have been good; we have had wonderful visits with our families, good times with some friends and good times together.
Joseph is getting stronger and ~~better~~ braver at "standing up," he holds on to furniture and walks around them, he is also playing with his "push toys" walking behind them and riding them, well Mark pushes him around the house. He is also quite the little clown; he is always making us laugh and we enjoy being silly with him.
We are thinking about going to the coast in September for Mark's b-day and I am also planning Joseph's 1st birthday party. I have 6 weeks to plan Joseph's party and 3.5 weeks to plan Mark's. WOW! I have a lot to do. (Note to self: start & finish Joseph's First year scrapbook...NOW!)

Please enjoy these pictures and let me know how you are doing. I'm really not sure how many people "lurk" and/or read my blog so if you do or you are a follower please comment and let me know what you think.
~Veronica

Joseph and Mark reading the instructions on his "Big Boy Car Seat"

Joseph trying out his new seat.

"How do I look Mommy?"

Joseph in his baby pool on July 4th

Joseph and Daddy

Joseph and his Grandpa Joe, dancing!

Joseph, Opa & Papa Grande

Joseph in his "Big Boy" car seat, facing forward!

10 Months

2009-08-03T15:28:00.008-05:00

Ok, so we are a day late but that doesn't matter. We took some pictures of Joseph on his little rocking chair and he loved rocking in it. I mean he was really rockin' in his chair; of course Mark and I were scared that he would fall out but he didn't. He's a pro!

On another note: I am asking for all my family and friends to please pray for my Grandpa Santos. He hasn't been feeling well and we aren't too sure what is wrong. The Dr. in the ER says he has been having "mini strokes" and he has the beginning stages of Dementia, but the proper tests have not been done and my family is really scared & worried. I am encouraging my mother to ask for a second opinion to be sure. My Family (my Mom's Side)is so overwhelmed right now; they really need some prayers to help them through this tough time.
My Mom says the only thing that cheers my Grandpa up are pictures of "His Joseph" So here are a couple of pictures of Joseph with his Papa Grande.

Joseph and Papa Grande at Thanksgiving '08

Joseph and Papa Grande at New Years '09

Joseph & Papa Grande at the Santos Family Reunion June 13, 2009

Pray for your family today...

2009-07-27T10:35:00.004-05:00

...I just read a sad blog; a little 8month old was born with a heart problem and he and his family are now in the hospital waiting in limbo to see what is going to happen. The Mom said that the Dr's aren't sure what is happening and as of now things don't look good.

Please pray for this family that everything works out and that he gets better.

Remember to pray for your family too; here is my prayer for them
~Thank you Lord for my family! Thank you for their health in mind, body and spirit; thank you for their love and support; thank you for allowing me to be apart of their lives and for them being a part of mine. Please send our Special Angels in Heaven down to them today to whisper in their ears how much I love them and how blessed I am to have them for a family and as friends. Continue to bless us with love. I pray this prayer in Your most precious and Holy Name, Amen~

Love you all!
~V

This past weekend...

2009-07-20T10:12:00.002-05:00

...was AWESOME! We went to Weimar to help Aunt Leona & Uncle Jimmy celebrate their 40th Wedding Anniversary and had a blast! We also got to spend time with my in-laws and they got to spend some quality time with Joseph. Grandpa Joe and Joseph did a lot of dancing and Grandma Joan got a lot of kisses from her little buddy!
I was honored to say the special blessing at the party and I wanted to thank Aunt Leona for asking me to help with this special part of the evening. As usual Joseph was a hit! He got to hang out with his cousins and meet some of the friends that were at the party too. Mark and I started thinking that it won't be long before Joseph is running around with his cousins and getting into things.
I have pictures to share but haven't downloaded them yet...I will get to that soon.

Have a great Monday and I will keep you posted on the happenings this week soon!

It's been a long time...

2009-07-13T15:41:00.011-05:00

since I have posted! Sorry, things have been busy and we are enjoying every minute!

Joseph is a crawling machine and has the funniest personality! There is never a dull moment with him. He is just as stubborn as Mark and I and he is quite the clown. We are really enjoying this stage in his life. We went for his 9 month check up on July 3rd and boy is he growing! He is 29.5 inches long and 20lbs.5oz! The Doctor says that if he keeps getting taller we may have to think of a career in basketball :)

We had a great 4th of July with our parents and Joseph enjoyed dancing with his Opa and Grandpa Joe! If they would stop moving he would push their hand and make them start dancing again; he even started to make up his own song to dance to. We may have a little singer and ball player all in one!

This weekend we are going to Weimar to celebrate Aunt Leona & Uncle Jimmy's 40th wedding anniversary. That is going to be awesome; we haven't seen a lot of the Ulrich side of the family so it will be nice for all of us to get together and spend some time having fun!

I don't have too many pics to share but here are a few.

Have a great week and I will do my best to blog more often.

~Veronica

Joseph in his baby crocs!

Joseph and Daddy

Joseph asleep with Nana

Me and my Joseph!
My two silly boys!
Mark thought Joseph would like to ride in the laundry basket!

I think he liked it :)

2009-06-10T13:43:00.003-05:00

Here is a few videos of Joseph from Monday night. This first one is Mark and I trying to get him to crawl to us but he decided to come to me and have a little conversation.

The second video is him crawling to Mark and then a little dancing.

Please enjoy these little tid bits of what Mark and I get to enjoy everynight! It's better then going to the movies; Joseph keeps us going and he always makes us smile!

We have a mobile baby!!!

2009-06-09T11:04:00.002-05:00

Yes family and friends our son is mobile! He started crawling last Thursday evening but he kind of hopped not really moved...BUT last Friday morning I took him to daycare. While I was talking to the teacher Joseph CRAWLED to me!!! I couldn't believe it, I was so excited I didn't want to go to work so I could see him crawl some more. He is now fully mobile and it is adorable!!
Mark's parents came to SA this weekend and they got to see him crawl around the den; it was so cute! We are going to Laredo this weekend so my parents can see their mobile grandson!

I don't have pictures to share today but we took some last night and even got video of him moving around and talking. I will post them tomorrow.

Hope everyone is having a great day!!!

8 Months Old!!!!

2009-06-02T09:35:00.007-05:00

I can't believe that Joseph is 8 months old today! WOW, time has flown by fast! Mark and I were talking last night about how our lives have changed; this time last year I was pushing on my tummy so Mark could feel Joseph kick. Now we are watching Joseph crawl backwards, we are working on him going forward; watching as his four top teeth come in and also how he is starting to use his voice to communicate with us. He is not only saying "Baba" but also "Mama" "Da" and "Hi." He is also growling at us or to us; I'm not too sure what that means but he says it when he's playing with his toys.

Here are a few pictures from last night. Enjoy!

Joseph trying to crawl forwards; I caught him in the middle of a sneeze.

He always closes his eyes when I try to take a picture.

Joseph and his Laila watching TV

I will post the 20 things I love later on this week and Part 2 of the "Weekend with the Grandparents!"

Have a great day!!!!!

Weekends with the Grandparents - Part One

2009-06-01T10:36:00.005-05:00

Visting with the Grandparents is always great for us! To hear them say, "Oh, my look at how big Joseph is getting!" & "He is so cute!" It's also great to see how excited Joseph gets when he sees them, it's priceless. He makes his happy squeeky sound and greets them with a HUGE smile!

Well the weekend of May 23rd, Mark's parents came in for a visit! It started out a beautiful sunny day; we went to Home Depot to look at a few things and then we went to Hobby Lobby at the Forum. That's when our beautiful sunny day began to get grey...then dark and ominus. As we got closer to Hobby Lobby the thunder started to rumble; we didn't know how Joseph would react to the new loud sound so we made it "fun" Mark would wait for the thunder to roll and then look at Joseph and say, "bumbala bumbala!" Of course as this was said to Joseph, I was instantly reminded of the movie "Caddyshack"; I thought of the part where Bill Murray has this one guy cornered with a pitch fork at this chest and he is telling the guy how he caddied for the Dali Lamma and that the Dali Lamma said to him "Gungala, gungala" So everytime the thunder would roll I would laugh; I would see Mark as Bill Murray and Joseph as the poor guy having to listen to this story. Well long story short we got a lot of much needed rain!
We also got to take some pictures of Joseph with Grandma Joan and Grandpa Joe.
Hope you enjoy them!

Grandma Joan and Joseph

Grandpa Joe & JosephJoseph with Grandma and Grandpa!

20 Things I Hate & Updates!!

2009-05-27T11:20:00.003-05:00

Hello Family & Friends! Sorry it has been so long since I have posted, I need to get better at letting you know how we are. So here I go!

Updates:

(1) Joseph is getting 4 teeth at one time, yes that's right 4 at the same time. They are his 4 top teeth. He is going to look so different; good-bye gummy baby smile and hello big boy smile.

(2) It's been raining in SA!

(3) We spent all day Saturday with my in-laws and had a great time!

(4) This weekend we are going to Laredo to spend my Mom's birthday with her!

(5) All is WONDERFUL in the Ulrich Home!

So on to the 20 things I hate; one of the blogs I follow had this posted yesterday and I thought it would be fun! I promise to post the 20 things I love tomorrow!

I hate...

(1) ...that the weekend is only two days long

(2) ...that I had to choose between seeing "Il Divo" in concert at the AT&T Center over seeing "Wicked" at the Majestic :(

(3) ...that I can't take Joseph to work with me

(4) ...SLOW drivers in the fast lane, I wish I had a speaker and microphone in my car so I could yell at them to MOVE OVER!!

(5) ...that Joseph is growing up so fast

(6) ...that our parents don't live closer to us (both sets)

(7) ...when you walk into a room and the people that were talking stop and look at you walk across the room (it makes you wonder if they are talking about you)

(8) ...that we don't see our friends Patrick and Brittany more often (they only live in Kyle)

(9) ...that we don't see out friends Hunter & Melissa more often (they only live 10 minutes from us)

(10) ...that we aren't better at keeping in touch with the friends mentioned above and our other friends.

(11) ...bees!! They creep me out, that little sound they make.

(12) ...how the media "creates" celebrities (ex. - Jon & Kate, Heidi & Spencer, ANYONE on "REALITY" TV)

(13) ...people that have kids and then complain about what a burden they are & that you can't go out with your friends anymore

(14) ...when things are out of place (I try to keep things organized)

(15) ...when people complain about you and then act like they're your best friend!!

(16) ...being short

(17) ...that the "Good Ol' Boy" thing (girls are SMART TOO!! Sometimes MORE often then the boys)

(18) ...that I don't remember what is was like to feel Joseph move; when I was pregnant

(19) ...when radio stations play the same song list every other hour

(20) ...that I can't think of other things I hate.

And that is my list! Tomorrow 20 things I love!!! I wonder how many times I can put Joseph and Mark on the list?!?!?!

2009-05-12T11:34:00.018-05:00

Who does Joseph look like...Mommy...Daddy...Tio Nando...Opa...Papa Joe...

As long as I can remember everyone says that I look like my Dad, on occasion some people say I look like my Mom. My two cents...I look a lot like my Dad but I have my Mom's smile...oh and her height and my Grandma Santos' hands (hence why God made me short & the fact that I have cute little hands...love you Mommy!)

Mark looks JUST LIKE HIS UNCLE GARY! I kid you not, you should see the Marak Family picture that my mother-in-law has in her living room. Mark follows the old saying that the first born male looks like his Mom's side of the family...and he does! (So I guess that means I follow the old saying that the first born female looks like her Dad's side of the family...'cause I do!)

Then there's my Son...Joseph...I remember telling my Mom that I don't want him to look like my side of the family...I want him to be the perfect combination of BOTH of us...Mark's height, weight, athletic ability and did I mention his height??...My eyes, lips, and love for music.

Well guys...I got my wish, at least look wise and with Mark's height. Joseph is a perfect balance of his Mommy & Daddy. When I am holding him people say he looks just like me, when Mark is holding him people say he looks just like him. The Girls at my work say that he looks like a little Mark; Debbie, another one of my Girls, says that Joseph is the spitting image of me. Mark's co-workers say he's a good mix of both of us. My parents say he looks like my brother Nando when he was little; my in-laws say he's a good balance, some times they see me, sometimes they see Mark.

I don't know all I see when I look at Joseph are those chubby cheeks and that million dollar smile we CAN'T live without.

So my question for all of you who follow this blog or read it on occasion...Look at the following pictures of Joseph, Mark, my Dad, my brother, my father in law and myself and tell me who Joseph favors the most.

Here is who Mark and I look like
The Ulrich's
(See he looks like his Mom)

The Guerra's
(See I look like my Dad)

Here is your mission...should you choose to accept...

Does he look like Daddy?!?
Joseph & Mark
(See the similarities?!?)

Does he look like Tio Nando?!?
This is my little brother, Nando 1987
Joseph 2009

Does he look like Papa Joe?!?

Does he look like Mommy?!?

Does he look like Opa?!?
(Look at the smiles)

You be the judge and let me know in the comment section.

2009-05-08T09:59:00.011-05:00

The Bitter Biscuit

In April the Daycare asked if Joseph could start eating a bitter biscuit since he now had two teeth. We said sure and decided that we should buy some for home. Well one night after dinner we gave our little man a bitter biscuit and here is a play by play of what happened next.

Joseph, "This is awesome!"

Mommy & Daddy, "This is messy! He's so cute!"

Joseph, "WOW! I love this thing; I got one at school and now I get another at home! SWEET!"

Mommy & Daddy, "This is REALLY Messy!"

Joseph, "This is mana from the Gods!"
Mommy & Daddy, "How are we going to get him clean?!?"

Joseph's Austin Powers look.

Mommy & Daddy, "Okay, that's it. Time for a bath!"

Joseph, "YOU MONSTERS! HOW COULD YOU!"

Joseph, "Wow, I taste good! I am a big bitter biscuit!"
Mommy & Daddy, "How cute is that?! (quietly muttering to eachother) Is the bath ready?!"

Mommy in her mind..."He's really sticky, he needs a bath NOW!!!"

Joseph, "All clean! I love bath time!"

Mommy, "All clean and now its time for bed."
Daddy, "Good Night Buddy!"

Random thoughts...

2009-04-30T15:54:00.008-05:00

So...today hasn't been one of the best but...on the bright side its "Friday-eve!!!"

Here are some random things that have crossed my mind today...

*why do men say they are going to get up early to help you and they sleep longer than normal

(Mark not getting up early so I could help him before I went to work this morning; what if I had left and Joseph woke up and rolled off the bed while Mark was showering? Didn't happen cause I walked in as he woke up and Mark was in the shower)

*what do babies think when you are jumping up and down like a lunatic?

(I did that this morning and I'm sure Joseph was thinking, "Please say I'm NOT related to this woman")

*why oh why does Thursday and Friday go soooo slow???

Anyways, here are some adorable pictures of Joseph; he always makes everything better!

It's been a while....

2009-04-28T22:15:00.003-05:00

...sorry that I haven't updated you on what is going on in the Ulrich household lately.

So the last time I blogged it was around Easter and that is where I will begin. We were invited to spend Good Friday with the Dipple Family (brother-in-law to be's family) in La Grange for a HUGE fish fry & crawdad boil!! We had such a great time and I got to peel crawdad's for the first time and I LOVED IT!!! Then we spent Easter early with Mark's parents before heading back to San Antonio to celebrate with my family. We had a blast with my family too!!! Joseph got to participate in his first Easter egg hunt and "cazcarone" party. At both Easter Celebrations there was a lot to eat and boy did we eat. The diet started Easter Monday. :)

After that we just got back to work and ended the Rampage's season (AHL Hockey Team with SS&E) and then got ready for the Spurs Playoff Run. If anyone is following the Playoffs you know that we are down 3-1 against Dallas right now.

So that brings you up to date with what has been happening for now. The Spurs are playing now and hopefully we win and get to the next round, that will be hard because we have to win the next three games (counting tonight's game.)

Oh, and I finally gave in and joined the latest phenomenon, Facebook. Yes, I have a Facebook and already have over 30 friends. So if you are on Facebook please feel free to add me, look for Veronica G. Ulrich. (I will comment later on the whole "Swine Flu" that is happening just up the road from us.)

Here are some pictures from the last few weeks!! Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!

Joseph chillin in his high chair at Grandma Joan's

Joseph giving Grandma Joan kisses!

Joseph with his Aunt Myra and Uncle-to-be Myron

Look at what the Easter Bunny brought Joseph

My Daddy, Tio Chuy and Joseph

Joseph is wondering what the heck is on my head?!?!?

I don't think he understands that the "Cazcarone" is suppose to go on someone's head, not his mouth

Joseph, "Oh, well I guess we will try again next year with the egg breaking thing."

Joseph, "Let's see if Daddy likes this whole breaking of the egg thing."

Happy Easter!

2009-04-14T15:15:00.004-05:00

Joseph's First Easter!
Sorry it's late; we have been busy. More updates and pictures to come.
~V

Joseph's Baptisim Party!!

2009-03-28T13:50:00.008-05:00

Last Saturday we went to Weimar to celebrate Joseph's baptisim. He was baptized in Weimar on Sunday, February 1st at the same church that Mark was baptized in. Unfortunatly that was the same weekend that all of Weimar had the flu going around town and my mother in law was its latest victim. So we decided to save the celebration for another weekend.

Well that was past weekend and we had a blast! It was so nice to see the family and have them spend time with Joseph. Joseph enjoyed all the arms that held him and all the kissed he got.

Here are a few of the pictures from the celebration, enjoy!

Joseph "Little Bud" in his new hat with his Papa Joe!

( I love this picture!)

This is too cute! I love this little man!

Joseph and Aunt Leona

Joseph with Grandma Marak

Joseph really liked his cousin Chase, Chase's mom Brenda is holding him, so much that he was giving Chase "Monkey Bites" That's Joseph's version of kisses!

Here he is going in for the big bite!

And now for the big chomp down!

Joseph's First Rampage Hockey Game!!!

2009-03-20T09:37:00.001-05:00

Last night, SS&E hosted a Staff Rampage Game Night in one of our Super Boxes; Mark, Joseph and I went had a great time! It was Joseph's First game and he was such a good boy; he never cried or made a fuss and everyone LOVED him!

Here are some pics from last night!

Joseph and T-Bone

A Family Picture!

Mark & Joseph
Me & Joseph

Joseph makin Friends!

Here is Joseph and Alison Fox, she is one of our VP's

He fell in LOVE with her; he kept giving her kisses and hugs. He wouldn't even come to me when she had to leave. It was so cute!

Joseph and Claudia

Natalie making Joseph laugh!
We had such a good time! We can't wait to take him to his First Spurs game...but I think we will wait until he's a little older!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T20:46:00.004-05:00

Love,

The Ulrich's

(Mommy got pinched)

The moments that take our breath away...

2009-03-16T19:32:00.016-05:00

Seeing & holding your First Grandchild...

Holding your first Nephew...

Holding your Fourth Great-Grandchild...

Holding your First Great-Grandchild

Generations of Family...
Three Generations

Four Generations

Seeing and holding your First Born Son...

Priceless!

Happy 5 Months Joseph!

2009-03-02T10:41:00.013-06:00

We can't believe it!!! Time has flown by and we have enjoyed every minute of being new parents. Of course there have been a few bumps and a few pot holes along the way but we have made it through! All in all it has been a great journey; and as everyone tells us, that's what life is all about!
Here are some pictures of Joseph, Mark and I from birth to now.

Joseph's Birth Day - October 2, 2008

One Week Old - October 9, 2008

Two Weeks Old - October 16, 2008

Joseph's First Halloween - At the Pumpkin Patch

In his First Halloween Costume - October 31, 2008

One Month Old - November 2, 2008

Two Months Old - December 2, 2008

Joseph's First Christmas Eve - December 24, 2008

Joseph's First New Year's Eve - December 31, 2008

Three Months Old - January 2, 2009

Four Months Old - February 2, 2009

So there you have it Joseph's life in pictures these last 5 months. We are going to take some pictures tonight so we can have a five month picture. Please let us know what you think!!!

Love you all and I will try to post more often,

Mark, Veronica & Joseph

New Pictures

2009-02-24T17:12:00.016-06:00

So it's been a week or so since I have posted and I have LOTS of new pictures!
This past weekend we introduced Oatmeal cereal to Joseph and he liked it! It's hard to believe that next weekend we will be introducing yellow veggies to him and that on Monday, March 2nd he will be 5 months old!!

Wow! Time sure flies when you have a little one. Anyway enjoy these pictures and check out the captions on them. Fair warning to all...you know how goofy Mark and I are so you will know the humor behind the Subway picture. ENJOY!!!

Here is Joseph in his swing! I love his smile!!!!

His Valentine's Day gift from us was to put his Jumperoo together and he likes it.

You know the Subway $5 footlong commercial with the song. Well Mark would sing the song to Joseph and tell him he was $5 because he was a foot long. At his 4 month visit we learned that he is 25.5" long so when we got home the commercial came on and Mark tells Joseph, "Buddy, you're a $10, $10, TWO foot long!" So on Valentine's Day we had the $5 footlongs for lunch and I said let's take a picture of him with the two sandwiches next to him and here is the result.

I always ask people who they think Joseph looks like and we always get mixed reviews. All the ladies at my work say he looks like a little Mark; our families think he favors me more; and we say that it depends who is holding him and what he's doing at the time. If you want specifics here it is: Joseph has my nose and lips; Mark's eyes, ears, body type; and I guess my smile except he has a dimple. If you look at these pictures he looks JUST LIKE MARK!!! Let me know what you think in our comment section on who you think Joseph looks like.

"Little Mark"

Or does he look more like me??? In the mornings when we are getting ready we put him in his boppy and give him "little crazy monkey" to play with; I caught him bitting his monkey's feet.

Here he is in his little overalls!! He looks so cute, we can't wait until it's a little warmer and we have some flowers in the garden so we can take some pictures of him in his overalls with no shirt on!

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

2009-02-15T21:03:00.003-06:00

Joseph is this weeks "Picture of the Week"

2009-02-13T09:12:00.009-06:00

Thanks to all who voted for him! This week's theme was "Tummy Time" and our little one won!

Well for it being Friday the 13th (cue scary music) so far the only bad thing is the sniffles. Last weekend Joseph started getting the sniffles and then Mark and now me; I can't breathe but that's okay; who wants to smell the cow poo that is in the building! (right now the Stock Show and Rodeo is going on at the AT&T Center)

My dad, who is in DC until March, is going to have some snow this weekend; those of us in our wonderful state of TEXAS, its going to be hot..ish. But who knows; like they always say, "If you don't like the weather in Texas, wait five minutes...it WILL change"

Well have a wonderful FRIDAY and I will leave you with some recent pictures of our little man!

Joseph's big smile!

"Go SPURS Go!"

What a cutie-patootie!

First Taste of Cereal

2009-02-06T09:58:00.010-06:00

Last night we gave Joseph his first taste of rice cereal! He didn't know what to think of it at first and would push it out; well when Mark started to feed him he really liked it and ate it all up! It was so cute and a little bitter sweet. I'm very happy that Joseph has reached this milestone but I'm also a little sad because he is growing up so fast. Wow, these last four months have really flown by and Mark and I have enjoyed every minute of it.

I'm ready Mommy!

Ok, what is this?

This is not my milk, but it's okay.

Here Daddy you try to feed me.

I'm still not sure about this

Oh, I get it!

Here Daddy let me help you.

What?!? I'm a messy eater.

"Let's Rodeo San Antonio!"

2009-02-05T11:11:00.006-06:00

Here are 3 reasons I love the Rodeo:

(1) Rodeo Food - we like to get out of the office during lunch and enjoy what the vendors have to offer.

(2) The artist that come - one of the advatages of working at an arena that hosts the rodeo is that once and a while you get to hear the bands warm up or do a sound check for that night's show.

(3) Watching the transformation of the building from basketball/hockey to Rodeo and back again!! This has to be the best!

For those of you who don't know I work for the San Antonio Spurs, Spurs Sports and Entertainment and we are in the AT&T Center. Not only do the Suprs play here but so do the AHL Rampage Hockey team and the WNBA Silver Stars and of course for two wonderful weeks San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. Well, in order to get ready for the Rodeo we have to melt the ice, and remove the basketball court; that takes about two days. Then the dirt comes in and gets packed down and the gates get set up, another two days. When the Rodeo is over we have two, count them TWO DAYS before we play a basketball game! Yes, our AMAZING staff can convert our arena back to basketball in TWO DAYS! Now there is still the smell of manure and there is still a lot of dust but we are game ready in two days. Here is what the arena looks like in basketball configuration and then with dirt for Rodeo. Enjoy!

Game night!

Rodeo moving in!

Joseph's Baptism

2009-02-02T21:08:00.016-06:00

On Sunday, February 1st we Baptised Joseph Allen at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Weimar! I know some of you are asking why so here is a short explanation: I was born in Germany and baptized there, so we couldn't really go back and have the ceremony there so we opted to have Joseph baptized in the same church as Mark. It was wonderful! I was amazed at how well he did during mass; he only cried a little twice and then calmed down. When we were singing Joseph decided to spit out his paci and join us, it was so cute! After communion we took him out to the car to change him into my baptismal gown and boy did he look HANDSOME! My mother-in-law lent us the same blanket and booties that Mark used when he was baptized. Through out the whole ceremony Joseph was an angel, he only fussed a little and was calmed down with his paci. When it came time to pour the water over his head he didn't even make a sound; I think was waiting for the rest of the water so he could take a bath. We are so blessed that our families were there to share this wonderful event with us! Please enjoy the pictures and let us know what you think of how Joseph has changed and grown.

Joseph and Mommy

Joseph and Daddy

The Ulrich Family

Joseph with his Godparents

Here we are with my brother Nando and Mark's sister Myra.

Mark's Family, The Ulrich's

My Family, The Guerra's

Joseph's Visit with Tia Grace from NYC

2009-02-01T17:37:00.009-06:00

This Friday my Aunt from NYC came to San Antonio to see us! I haven't seen her since Mark and I got married three years ago. Tia Grace is our crazy, fun loving Aunt on my mom's side and we LOVE spending time with her. She is very big on us being proper, polite, kind, loving, confident in ourselves, and most of all spoiling us.

I remember my first visit to NYC when I was seven: it was the first time I had flown in a plane by myself. Before I had arrived Tia had bought me a journal and written my "Welcome Letter." At the end of everyday she had me write down everything I done, in detail and what I thought about my experiences. The day before I returned to Texas we developed all my pictures and I pasted them in my journal. I still have the journal and I like to look back at "see" what my young eyes observed and learned. I'll never forget one of her friends telling me, "Veronica, enjoy every minute in NYC because before you know it your week in NYC goes by faster than a New York minute." Boy was she right! And that's how every visit is with Tia Grace, it goes by faster than a New York minute. You miss her before she's even left.

Here are some pictures of Tia Grace and Joseph. I know that you can see the love and caring in their glances as if you were there the minute it was captured on camera.

"Thank you for coming to visit me Tia Grace! I had such a good time and I miss you already. I can't wait for our next visit!

All my love, Joseph"

Hump Day's Three Words...

2009-01-28T09:51:00.000-06:00

IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!!!!!

For the great city of San Antonio:) The weather people, God love them, kept telling us it was going to be icy and the roads would be bad. Well this morning it was just Hella Cold; no rain/sleet/ice just some wind and cold. Gotta Love Texas weather; wait five minutes and it will change.

Stay warm everyone it should warm up to 60 degrees this afternoon, oh and don't forget your sunglasses, it's sunny out!

We are sending Angels....

2009-01-26T20:36:00.000-06:00

To Ricky, Melissa and Baby Gage! May God guide the doctors hands as they work on you and may angels make you laugh during the procedure tomorrow. Mark, Joseph and I are sending our special angels to you, 'cause we love you all.

Please let us know how everything goes and God Bless!!

All our love and lots and lots of ANGEL KISSES!
~The Ulrich Family

What I have learned about being a parent

2009-01-26T10:29:00.000-06:00

Today is one year since we found out that our home was going to be enlarged by two feet!

I can't help looking at Joseph and thinking, "WOW! I can't believe it, I'm a Mommy and he will ALWAYS need me."

It's crazy how much you change the way you think or act once you have a baby. I know that our parents told us it would change, but we never thought it would be so intense.

So here are some things I have learned about myself, Mark and being a parent in the last 4 months...

(1) I have learned that Mark and I have times when one of us is the more dominant parent.

(2) I thought I would be the one that is more hands on and Mark would be support when needed but we trade places depending on what Joseph needs.

(3)Having Joseph has brought us closer and at times it has moved us apart. But what do you expect with two strong, stubborn people with pretty hot tempers?!?! We make it work and remember that we love eachother for our differences and for our flaws.

(4) I have also learned that Mark gets extremely nervous when Joseph cries and he doesn't know if it's because of a tummy ache, he's tired and won't give into the sleep, or when he's hungry. He gets like this because he's frustrated and he feels he's not helping. I assure him that he is doing the best he can and that I get that way sometimes too.

(5) I have also learned that sleep deprived and/or stressed out I am more sensitive when it comes to an opinion or comment and that my temper is a lot quicker. (sorry to anyone who has felt the repercussions of this)

The most important thing we have learned is that no matter what God puts in front of us we will make it through and be stronger because of it. This last part is a work in progress because everyday is different with different needs and different solutions.

I now understand what our parents meant when they said, "You'll understand when you have kids of your own." You never know what you will feel or how you will react to situations when it comes to your own children, but no matter what you will always do what is best for them and they will thank you for it.

Exciting events to look forward to!

2009-01-22T09:35:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the long time between posts but we have been busy.

This past week (1/14) was my father's birthday and we went to Laredo to surprise him! While we were in town we went to see my Grandfather and took a few pictures of him and Joseph. My Dad told us that he will not be going to Washington D.C. until February 8th; he was originally suppose to go February 1st. I was very happy to hear that! Mark and I have been trying to plan Joseph's Baptism in Weimar TX and tentatively scheduled it for Sunday, February 1st. We then found out that my Dad was going on a detail to DC for a month and he was leaving February 1st. Now that he is not leaving until February 8th we can go on with the Baptism as originally planned! So I let my In-Law's know(we are having a lunch at their house) and sent out the invitations to family this week! We are so excited!!

List of exciting events these next few weeks:

Friday, January 23rd

Mama Joan's Birthday!!!!

Saturday, January 24th

The Ulrich's (Mark's parents and sister) are coming to SA to visit!

I am singing the National Anthem at the Freestyle Motor Cross Event at the AT&T Center!!

Monday, January 26th

One year ago we found out we were expanding our home by two little feet!

Wednesday, January 28th

One year ago we told our parents, brother and sisters we were having a baby!!!

(We waited until after our first visit to the Dr. at 8 weeks to tell the rest of the family)

Friday, January 30th

My Aunt from NYC is coming to SA to visit and meet Joseph!!!

We leave for Weimar for Joseph's Baptism!!

Sunday, February 1st

We Baptize our son in the same church that Mark was baptized in, St. Michael's Catholic Church.

(we will have pictures next week!)

WOW! We are going to be very busy; I don't mind because we will be making/sharing a lot of memories with family and friends.

** I would like to ask all of you that keep up with our blog to keep Ricky, Melissa & Baby Gage Davis in your prayers this next week. Ricky let us know that Gage is having surgery Tuesday 1/27, to operate on a hernia and hydrocele. It is an outpatient procedure so he will be sung in his bed that night; little Gage is only a month old.

Davis Family, we are thinking of you and will be sending angels to watch over you, your little one and the doctor's on Tuesday. We love you!!!**

Please enjoy the pictures from this past weekend and we will be sure to keep posting new ones as they come.

Love you!!!!

Mommy and Joseph in Laredo

1/17/09

Daddy and Joseph getting ready for work.
1/15/09

Joseph and my brother Nando

1/17/09

Joseph and Papa Grande

1/18/09

Me, Joseph, my Grandfather and Mark

Joseph and Opa sleeping

Joseph smiling 1/19/09

Joseph having Tummy Time with Daddy

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-01-14T11:56:00.000-06:00

What can I say about my Dad...there is so much I don't know where to begin. My Dad is strong, patient, wise, funny, strict, loving and all of those qualities has helped to make me the successful woman I am today. Don't get me wrong I'm close to my Mom too but there is something very special about a bond between a Dad and his little girl.

So I would like to take time to tell him...

Daddy

You have been the rock I cling to when I feel like I'm drowning, you are the voice I hear in my head when I need reassurance, you are the arms I run to when I need to be safe, and you are still the only person that knows me better than I know myself. Thank you for being a fantastic father and role model for Yemile, Nando and I! Thank you and Mom, for helping me be a good wife! Most important thanks for preparing me to be the best mother I can be to Joseph!
Happy Birthday and I love you!!!!

Veronica

The Guerra Family

Bottom left: Mom, Dad, Nando Top Left: Yemile, Veronica & Mark

The Monday Blues...

2009-01-12T09:54:00.000-06:00

and all I want to do is be home with Joseph and cuddle.

This week should be fun; my dad's birthday is Wednesday and my parents are coming this weekend so we can celebrate his birthday together. Next Monday is MLK Day so I get to have a three day weekend!!! Joseph and I get to stay home but poor Mark has to work. :(

Well, have a great Monday!!!

It's Finally Friday!!!!!!!!!!

2009-01-09T10:09:00.000-06:00

Need I say more?!?!?!?!

This week has been a busy one for us.

At the AT&T Center we have had two concerts and yesterday started 4 days of back to back games; two Spurs games and two Rampage games.

Mark has been in meetings all week and come home stressed, but when he gets home and sees us all the stress melts away!

This week hasn't been easy for Joseph, he started teething. When he comes home he just wants to cuddle with Mommy and Daddy. He sits and tells us all about his day and we just look at him and are amazed at how big he is getting and by how much he has changed!!!

October 2, 2008

January 2, 2009

This weekend we get to take down Christmas decorations, oh how I will miss my beautiful tree. We can't have it up all year long or so Mark says. {pout}

What he doen't know is...we will have an Easter tree for Joseph. Well, we have to have something to put our Easter baskets by and besided where else will the Easter bunny put our Easter gifts?!?!

Have a great weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pictures Part 2

2009-01-07T21:03:00.000-06:00

This is the best gift Mark and I could have asked for this Christmas...

Joseph, we love you!!!

Here is Joseph sleeping in the bouncer that Tio Bobby & Tia Esmeralda gave him for Christmas.

Joseph sitting in the Bumbo that Grandma & Grandpa Ulrich gave him for Christmas.

He really likes sitting in there!

The Ulrich Family's First New Years!

This is before our date night on January 2nd.

Happy 3 month "birthday" Stinker!

Joseph with Grandma & Grandpa Guerra

Joseph with all his gifts from Santa. We don't have pictures of all the gifts he got from his Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles. He was a very good boy and deserved everyone!!

Pictures

2009-01-07T11:48:00.000-06:00

Joseph telling a story to the Christmas tree

These are my favorite pictures from the holiday's! We enjoyed spending time with our families and being able to have our First Christmas in our house. I know it sounds weird but these last few years we have spent Christmas with our parents at their houses; well this year we were able to have our families come to our house! We made a turkey, ham, buttered potatoes (Mark doesn't care for mashed), broccoli and rice casserole, sausage, green bean casserole and lots of cookies and pies!

For New Years we went to see my parents in Laredo. Mom, Yemile and I tried our hand at making tamales and were successful in making 10 dozens!!! They are/were AWESOME; we have eaten a lot of them!!!! Mark and I were even able to have a date night. We didn't stay out too long 'cause we missed our little one, but we did enjoy some time for just us.

"Merry Christmas!" from Santa Joseph

Three Generations of Ulrich's
Joe C., Mark A., & Joseph A.

Myra, Joseph & Mark

Grandma Joan, Joseph & Grandpa Joe

Mark and I decided that we need to add to the Christmas traditions we grew up with and didn't know what to do. So after some thinking we agreed to:

(1) Go to Church

(2) come home and make cookies for Santa

(3) Read "Twas the night before Christmas"

This is our new Tradition

(4) Everyone that stays at our house for Christmas on Christmas Eve gets new PJ's!!!!

So here are some picture of us in our Christmas PJ's, well you can see Joseph's but not ours. Mark has on a grey shirt and dark plaid pj's and I have on a purple shirt with purple and yellow plaid pj's.

Joseph and Mark on Christmas Eve in there new Christmas Eve pj's

Joseph and I in our Christmas Eve pj's

I am having some trouble posting some pictures so I will re-post them for you later on tonight.

Happy 2009!!

2009-01-07T11:10:00.000-06:00

Hello! I thought we could start a blog for this new year to help keep family and friends up to date on our family. So here we go!

Mark and I are very happy to being 2009 with our son Joseph; he is growing more and more everyday. On Friday, January 2nd he turned 3 months old!!!! It seems like just yesterday that we were on our way to the hospital to have him! I am sharing some picture from Joseph's First Christmas and New Years for all to see.

We would like to wish all our family and friends a wonderful and blessed 2009! We love you and are glad we now have a blog to keep all of you posted on how we are doing!

All our love,

Mark, Veronica & Joseph