Emerson Rose Jessup

She's here!
7lbs. 13 oz, 20 Inches

She is perfect, we are in love!

We went in early yesterday morning, and she arrived 3 1/2 hours later! I was BLESSED with a quick, easy, fun (yes fun), delightful labor...and no exaggeration (I heart epidurals). At one point while pushing, I lost concentration and started laughing because of Cliff's face. He has NO poker face. The doctor and nurses asked what I was laughing at, glanced at Cliff, and they started laughing, as well.

I can't even begin to describe the amount of love we have for this little girl. She already has melted our hearts.

Chopsticks

It's funny when your 2-year-old son recognizes a milestone and says, "Take a picture, Mommy!" He ate his entire dinner with chopsticks tonight. ...and he did REALLY well!

Sticky rice+Chicken Terri+Ginger+Mango Salsa=YUM. Even to a 2-year-old.

Thank you, Rachel, for teaching me that my wonderful rice cooker is actually for cooking rice, and not just instant cakes. Oh how I love sticky rice. Takes me back to Hawaii.

Last Semester!

Cliff started his LAST semester of law school yesterday. I can't believe we're already here. I feel like we JUST moved to Lubbock. Hooray for the light at the end of the tunnel! Oh, and his load this semester is LIGHT. Especially after taking 18 hours last semester. Perfect timing for a baby due VERY soon. :)

*OBSESSION*

Question: What does Stone wear when his Superman Swimsuit, his Halloween costume, and his Superman T-shirt are ALL in the laundry??

Answer: Daddy's Superman T-shirt. A couple days ago, Stone said to me, "I'm named Clark Kent."

This kid is SERIOUSLY obsessed. Not a day passes where he is Superman clothes-less to some degree. It's a FIGHT to get him out the door dressed in normal clothes. A serious fight.

3 Weeks to go!!

Okay, the countdown has begun! Three weeks to go until we go from being the couple with the cute, rowdy kid, to the family. I mean... we are a family, but I think after one kid, it really becomes apparent. Right?!

Some things I am looking forward to:
*Dressing up a little girl
*Eating tuna on a regular basis
*A sushi date night
*Drinking diet sodas
*Running hard
*Sleeping on my stomach
*Not bumping my stomach into things when I think I can totally get through a narrow opening, but I totally can't.

Some things I'll miss about being pregnant:
*Feeling baby movement
*Using the, "oh, but baby, I'm pregnant" plea to my sweet, sweet hubby. Actually, I don't use it that much. ...hmmm, maybe I do.
...and well, that's about it.

Here are some maternity shots Cliff took of me a few days ago in El Paso. We woke up bright and early, and headed out to the desert. We truly are desert rats. I LOVE the beauty of the desert.

Check out some more of my shots on my photo blog: Silver Sixpence Photography

Christmas Break in El Paso

As usual, we had a great time in El Paso. We love visiting home, spending time with family, and eating as much Mexican food as we possibly can. Nothing huge to report. ...just a lot of time with family, and our annual outting to the Sun Bowl (great game!!). Here are a few pictures to sum up our trip:

*We got Stone a fun tool set for Christmas. Grandpa Jessup helped Stone take them all out:

*I think I've mentioned this before...Stone can say "Grandma" perfectly fine. But the "p" in Grandpa throws him off, and for some reason he calls Grandpa, "Popcorn". However, a few days into the trip, he got the hang of saying "Grandpa", but quickly reverted. It's kind of cute, actually.

*Stone got to spend a lot of time with his fun little cousins. Below: Sebastian, Danny, Stone.
*Oh, and if you're wondering, yes, that is Stone in his Superman clothes. Each day, it alternates between his full out Halloween costume, and his new one piece swim suit from Jordan and Rachel. He LITERALLY wears something Superman every day. Or at least begs to. Danny was also in his Superman clothes.

*Cliff's brother, Sheldon (below), turned 31 on Christmas Day. Here he is with his two sons, Sebastian and Luke, and his wife has a third child on the way!

*Stone and Danny spent a bunch of time together. It is so fun to watch them play, and see their little imaginations at work. Here they were, FINALLY sitting down to watch a movie on Grandma & Grandpa Jessup's bed, to which they both FINALLY fell asleep to. These two are great buds.

*A big thanks to Deborah. Stone spent time at their place on New Years Eve day while Cliff and I went to the Sun Bowl game (which was a GREAT game!). Deborah helped them make cute New Years Hats. Oh, and she's pregnant with twins!

*Stone got to spend a lot of time with my dad, as well. We got to go out to the movies with Matt and Amy one night, and then he picked Stone up from Danny's on New Years Eve, while Cliff and I finished up the Sun Bowl game. Through out our trip, my dad took him to the Giant Bug Expo, a movie, McDonald's, the mall (where he got to ride a train), and just spent some quality time with him. Stone sure loves both of his grandpas.

*And then there is Uncle Bubba. AKA, Clay (Cliff's little brother, who recently returned from his mission in Argentina). Yes, we have an Uncle Bubba in the family. Stone had SO much fun with Clay. Clay chased Stone and Danny around, pushed them on bikes, played guns with them, etc.

*And he even let him play on the bed of his cool, orange truck. Stone was in heaven.

As you can see, fun times were had!! Hope everyone had a great Christmas. Happy New Years to all!