Blissfully Yours

Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T22:04:00.001-08:00

It has been sweet and I kinda want to continue celebrating through January

Christmas comes early

2011-12-24T14:26:00.000-08:00

This year is the second Christmas that Emma spends with my dad, her Abuelito. For months we've been skyping and he has been promising to take her to Disneyland to ride her favorite,Small World. It's Bella's first Christmas with Abuelito Juan. It is such a sweet treasure to witness the time they spend together. Emma says really funny stuff like... " Is our friend Abuelito coming over today?" or " I am going to have a pic-a-nic with Abuelito when he comes." I find it so endearing. Here are some pictures of our time together and time at our favorite family hang out... Disneyland. Emma loves to dress up in her princess dress when we go. This time she didn't even want to put a jacket on even though she was cold because she didnt want to cover up her dress. She is so adorable and makes me laugh with her cuteness.

We wish you the most merry of Christmas' to you and yours. May you remember the sweetness we have now is because God himself came to earth to be born this day tomorrow many years ago. That this sweet child would grow to be the Savior whom bore our sins and took our place so that through him all who believe in Him may find eternal life. Praise be to God on high! Merry Christmas!

My little munchkin

2011-12-09T18:54:00.001-08:00

In the last two days Bella has been doing some new tricks ;) she now not only nods her little noggin yes or no, she has started saying yes and no. She also is mimicking sounds and actions. I have also become aware of her sins more because she fights her sister if she doesn't get her way and objects. Over all she is a joy, yet I pray for her salvation and that of Emma. I love them so.

Thankful

2011-11-26T17:56:00.001-08:00

Happy birthday,Jon!

2011-11-10T10:06:00.001-08:00

Today is my love's birthday! I think He is the best for many many reasons. I will tell him in person!

Happy Birthday to You! I think you are wonderful!

Disney fan moment

2011-11-07T20:17:00.001-08:00

Okay... So not too many people know of our love for Disney. Jon and I were big fans before kids and now with two little girls I go crazy for all things Disney. I am totally one of " those" moms, you know, the kind that screams the name of the characters as if they weren't a person in costume but the real deal during a parade or a picture op. Yep! I have become that crazy lady and I frankly am not ashamed to let the kid in me out either.Okay so the point of this story..
So I found the perfect gift for my girls. Picture posted below. They love watching tangled, singing Disney princess songs and dressing up. As I visited our local mall's Disney store to show my mom my big find, she joined me in the craze of this find only to talk to a stranger ( typical of her/ us) about the dolls. Where the lady replied... "Do you see that picture??? That is my husband." and pointed to this man with his grand daughter. My mom proceeded to talk to him. As I approached only to meet the animator who not only was kind and a believer. He was a "major" animator. Of course it didn't click til he left,for me. My totally smart mother proceeded to purchase several dolls for him to sign. And his picture was on the back of the box! When Jon arrived he explained to me who he was and how he followed his work since high school. It was so cool to have chatted with this kind man. Glad I didn't go star crazy over his work, like I did once he left. But I got to say thank you for designing the adorable dolls! If I only knew how major he was.... I would probably have tried to be his new best friend! Lol!! We are working on the girls room.. Its totally princess themed. All i could say is... Imagine your very own unique art work from the man who created the princess! I can dream. I hope to meet him again. Thank you, Mr. Glen Keane, for making the dolls value go up by adding your autograph and for you kindness and time.

Disneyland fun

2011-11-06T00:36:00.001-07:00

We are so blessed to have been gifted annual passes and so we were able to enjoy Disneyland with our girls and our sweet friend. Here are some pictures of our fun adventures in Disneyland.

Sweet girls

2011-09-23T18:50:00.001-07:00

I love these sweet, loving, cuddly little girls. Emma who loves to sing and make up songs, jump all day long, talk and talk til she drops. She makes me smile. Bella with her lovely demeanor. Plays along with whatever Emma does. She is always smiling and giddy. She loves to cuddle and snuggle. She is starting to say words and follow the leader. She now says buh=bye, hi, hola, duck=book, ree= read, muck=milk.

Be Like Papa!

2011-09-17T02:56:00.000-07:00

Bella with my grandpa.

Click the pic to enlargen.

Happy Birthday,Sweet Emma!

2011-08-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

Sweet Emma. Happy Birthday my sweetheart. You are a blessing to me and bring me much joy. I love how you sing,dance, and make up your own songs. I enjoy how you know the lyrics to all the Fresh Beat Band songs and how you pretend to play the drums like Marina and pretend to talk to Reed on the phone.

I love what a great helper you are. You are precious to us and to our Lord. We pray for you daily. Love, Mama and Daddy

fun,sun, and the ER?

2011-07-15T12:21:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday, Bella Rose!

2011-07-07T10:32:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast time wizzes by. Bella girl is so sweet and a joy. Her smile glows and lights up the room. I am so blessed to have this sweet little one to care for. May she grow to be a woman who fears the Lord, loves his word and keep it hidden in her heart. May she honor him all the days of her life. That is my hearts desire for her. For now.. she's one. She started walking a week ago and loves to be with Emma. I remember the first time seeing her in the NICU and holding her. It is amazing to see her now.

Update

2011-06-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends and Family! Just wanted to update you on what is happening on the job front. By God's grace I have found temporary work in Sun Valley. There might be an opportunity to get hired but nothing is solidified as of yet. I guess in that regard we are still in a state of limbo. We still covet your prayers and thank you for lifting us up in prayer these past months. May God bless you richly in His love and grace.

Happy Fathers Day!

2011-06-21T15:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this is late. But I wanted to write something anyways because of how much I appreciate my husband and the father that he is.

To my sweet daughters.
You don't realize right now just how blessed you are. You have the most loving and adoring father. He wakes up at night no matter how tired he is if he just hears you cry. He rocks you to sleep and watches you play and in you he delights. He prays for you daily and looks out for your safety and works hard to provide.
The most grand part about him is that his heart belongs to Christ.

Life as we know it

2011-05-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

So... what to say? Lola here.
Here is a sneak peek of what's to come...

I have resumed my business as a Makeup Artist. So if you know anyone getting married, doing a Photo shoot, or know of another Makeup Artist looking for an assistant or something.... Keep me in mind and send them this way. =)

My dear friend Rebecca Lovy and I are launching a business, Lola and Lovy-Hair and Makeup Artistry.We have been working hard. We hope to have our website up by June.
You can email lolaandlovy@gmail.com with questions or for Further information. Look for us on Facebook or check out our blog, lolaandlovy.blogspot.com, later this month.

Jon is taking students for Guitar Lessons. He is also available to do music for special events.
Well that is the happenings for now. Keep praying for us.
Much love, Lola

God Provides

2011-04-24T23:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Resurrection Sunday! Fitting that on this day God reminds us that He conquered the grave and that scripture is fulfilled through the provision of the Lamb. God incarnate. On this day I/we are reminded that the living God, one true God, provided the way to be made right with Him. HE provided! In this truth of Christ Resurrection and the provision of the forgiveness of sin and renewal of life through Him, we rejoice!
We also rejoice in the little things that God provides daily. From food, diapers for our kids, clothes to wear... to the biggest things weighing heavy on our hearts, i.e. How are we going to pay the rent? How will we pay the car? How will we cover the utilities?
Silly right? Why worry when the LIVING GOD who always keeps his promises because He is faithful and soooooooooooo loving is with us and cares for insignificant us. Because we are sinners in the hands of the most wonderful God.

Well, we found ourselves shy of what we needed for rent. We cried to the Lord and He heard our cry.
HE PROVIDED!!!! We continue to pray for God's leading and provision of a job and what ever else may arise. BUT right now we PRAISE!!!
much love- Lola (on behalf of Jon,Emma, and Bella)

P.S. We are selling furniture and other house stuff. If you know of anyone in need send them to our blog once pictures are up.

Update and Prayer request

2011-04-20T01:50:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to have wonderful friends and family that surround us and pour out thier love upon us. We know that it is only because of Christ our Lord and Savior that we have all that we have. It is because of Christ that we have the freedom to know what true love is and to experience the difference from the love that is shown on television and films to the love that is shown to us through those whom know and love Christ.

I say that because it is true and because each and everytime we spend with our sweet and precious friends is such a breath of fresh air to our souls.

Up above are some more fun pictures. Our friends The Hunters are the most fabulous and genuine couple that ooze out talent, creativity, love, joy, generousity, and did I say talent? We love them so much and were so blessed to have spent an evening with them.

There is also a picture of my cousin who was visiting from Spain. It was so much fun and such an adventure spent in Santa Monica where my Sissy was able to meet up with us and the kids.

Okay, so now comes the update and prayer request.

Jon is still on the prowl, looking for work. Please pray for us and our family.

Bookin' Bella

2011-04-12T00:29:00.001-07:00

Sisterly LOVE

2011-04-10T02:24:00.000-07:00

Watching these two interact is so much fun and fills my heart with joy. They love each other so much and enjoy being together.

First Visit to the Dentist

2011-04-10T02:13:00.000-07:00

We are so thankful to have such a wonderful Dentist! Dr. Andy Tran @ Saugus Dental.

Some more catching up to do...

2011-04-10T02:09:00.000-07:00

I just love this smile!

My little Diva... shades just like Mommy's

Feeding the ducks

My little Sweetpea

So loveable!

My dearest friend

Emma's BFF!

Look who has teeth! I love that smile!

Sisterly love

Crawling

Playing

Singing

Some more catching up to do...

2011-03-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

So in the past couple of months, some big changes have occur in our lives.

Jon lost his job and has been on the hunt ever since.

Bella has been growing. She has gone from giggling to babbling. She can now say Dada and Mama, boy has she found her voice. She can be so LOUD. She signs for milk and for more. She is also crawling now and can lift herself up to hold on to the couch.It all seems so strange because she is so tiny.

Emma is expressing herself much more. She now can tell me what is her favorite color,etc. She still loves to dance and run around. Her favorite show now includes The Fresh Beat Band.

Emma is building friendships. We are actively working on that. =)

Bella eating her toes.She loves eating her toes.

Bella's smile before teeth...

Emma and Minnie. Her favorite.

Here she is with Mickey and Minnie both are her favorite.

Emma's favorite ride,which she will only go on with Daddy.

6 months already! Recap...

2011-01-08T03:15:00.000-08:00

Hi! Sorry for the lack of family updates and blog posts but our computer broke down and we've been managing to use an IPOD for internet access in the meantime. Thankfully my wonderful Inlaws have lent us thier laptop for the night and so here I am posting.

Emma is now 2 1/2 years old and has entered into a very fun stage with its moments. She is a wonderful helper, when I can get her to pause and listen to the words coming out of my mouth. She is very aware when I don't want her to be and when I do she doesn't always want to listen. She makes me laugh with her funny sayings and none stop activities. She is so smart and sometimes I wonder if she is a teenager trapped in my little two year old's body. Oh man I feel like she's growing up too fast and I am not liking this one bit. I love when she holds on to my hand when we go out, tells me that she loves me berry berry much.When she uses spanglish to talk to me, as though if she said please in english and spanish the answer would be yes.
She is super attached to her NANA, is the only one that can get Bella to laugh hysterically, makes up songs all day long and adds her own lyrics to music of some of her favorite tunes, adores Dora the Explorer, loves to read books (she makes them up as she flips through the pages) and has grasped the "let's pretend" playtime just recently. She loves to dance ballet and tap, loves to go to her class. Oh and she loves to play with Mommy's "makeups" as she calls it. "I can do it" or "No, thantu I do it" are phrases I hear often through out the day. Tappy shoes and Ballerina dresses are her favorite. I adore her sweet smile and the mischevious glimmer in her eyes. She is my sweet loving girl and such a great big sister. For Christmas she would stop singing "feliz navidad" top of her lungs. When Bella is sleeping we have our special time and do Zumba together or draw and color.

Bella is six months old yesterday and she is my tiny little kitten. She can still fit into 3 month old clothing but I put her in clothes that are bigger so she won't be hindered in her growth. She just found her feet a couple of days ago. She is more aware of her surroundings now. This last month she learned to roll over onto her tummy from her back, she copies the baby signs though I'm not sure if she's using them yet, she gives kisses, and is starting to eat solids and licks the spoon before she eats it like a little kitty. She laughs so hard when her sister is around and loves to watch her dance and sing. The moment Daddy comes home she now makes sounds and won't take her eyes off of him until he holds her. She is just now starting to play with the toys we give her.

Merry Christmas!

2011-01-08T03:14:00.000-08:00

It's Bella's very first Christmas and Emma's first time with her newly aquired present unwrapping skill. Enjoy some pictures.

Catching up, the last 3 months.....

2011-01-08T02:36:00.000-08:00

Well our sweet Bella Bella, as we affectionately call her, is growing and trying to catch up. She was 20% in all her stats from her two month visit. She is always smiling and cooing when she is awake and we just love that.

Emma is a chatterbox. She spends the majority of the day singing. LOL! She has a best friend now, Grant Prince. I just love the way they play and he watches out for her. So sweet. They love each other so much and Emma asks for him constantly.

We've been trying to get over a virus we got for almost a month now and though we are feeling much better Jon and Bella are still fighting the remnants along with my Mom. I am praying that we won't go through it again with our whole household. It's tough when we get sick and worst for Bella because she is so little and doesn't have a normal immune system. When she gets sick it gets serious.

So much is coming up for us. We move in a month and our 4 year anniversary is just a few weeks away, not to mention Jon's Bday. What a fun month November is! Not to mention THANKSGIVING is coming. It has to be my favorite holiday by far!

2010-08-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

This morning, Emma was eating pizza on the bed. A piece of sausage falls off her slice and rolls on to the bed.

“Oh wow,” Emma shouted…”Pizza went caca!”

She grabs a wipee and picks up the sausage from the bed. She then runs in to the bathroom and drops the “caca” in the toilet.

That’s my girl.

Bella Rose Perdido

2010-07-16T22:42:00.000-07:00

Jon here. On July 7th, Lola was 34 weeks and in the recent days had been feeling worse than her entire pregnancy. She went in for a scheduled doctor's appointment. Dr. Frields walked in, asked what she has been experiencing, and immediately told her that he wanted her to be admitted to Labor & Delivery.

Lola and I walked over to Labor & Delivery. Emma was with us and they didn't allow her to come in. So I had to leave her behind and take Emma home. Coming home, I gathered items to take in to the hospital expecting an overnight stay. This was the fourth time at Labor & Delivery and I thought that they will observe her overnight and release her in the morning.

During this time, Lola's blood pressure was recorded at 151/103 and then 160/103. She was developing pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH). This is a very dangerous state where her blood pressure skyrockets and she began having toxemia and her organs started to fail. Both Lola and Bella were in danger. Dr. Frields made the call that the baby needs to come out for both of their safety.

Meanwhile at home, I'm making sandwhiches for the overnight stay and I get a call from Lola. "Don't stay any longer, they're preping me for surgery in 30 minutes!" I thought, "I takes 30 minutes just to drive there?!"

I drove fast hitting 80, 90mph. When I got to the hospital, I got to the room and it was empty. "Oh no!" They already took her in to surgery. I thought that I would miss the entire surgery. Lola's mom, Charo, flagged me down and helped me to put on my scrubs. As I finished, the doctor walked up, "Ah, so you made it." Lola was surprised as I walked up to her,since they had already started the csection without me there.

In about 20 minutes in the operating room, a little cry like the sound of a cat can be heard. It was Bella Rose. She was breathing the outside air for the first time. Lola and I were overjoyed and began to cry.

God has preserved Bella all this time and now she is born on July 7 at 7pm. 6.6 lbs. and 6 weeks premature. She is currently in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). They are keeping close watch over her. She has since been taken off of oxygen but is still having a hard time eating the 5ml they are trying to feed her. She is not responding well to feedings. Still has jaundice. Still needs to grow.

Bella Rose has some growing to do. Mommy has some healing to do. Daddy has some serving to do. But God has blessed the Perdido family again.

We covet your prayers and we asked that you would join in our praises.

With much love,

From Jon, Lola, Emma,...and Bella.

4 Year Ago on this day...

2010-04-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

Jon here. 4 Years ago, a Paola (Lola) rocked my world by accepting my proposal to marry me. The setting was at Cambria, CA on a secluded bluff overlooking the ocean with rose petals on the ground. I'm always grateful for God's great gift in my wife and I adore her very much. God has made my life rich and full.

Here's a video after she said yes.

Duke Ellington and I go way back...

2010-03-30T09:45:00.000-07:00

Jon here. In 1969, the David Frost Show presents Duke Ellington and friends play a rendition of his composition entitled..."Perdido." Should we be receiving a royalty check? Enjoy.

Potty Training

2010-03-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

(Lola) I was talking to a friend last week and she was sharing with me that she has successfully potty trained her daughter, who happens to be just a couple of months younger than Emma. I was in awe and just had to know how she did it. She shared that she just had her daughter watch a japanese potty training cartoon. The next day I had Emma watch the video thanks to Youtube and ... lo and behold... she totally got it! She actually loved the video, understood what was going on, and wanted to watch it over and over again. Ever since we have been successful in our attempts and working on her telling me when she needs to go. She seems to be waiting for me to take her to the potty to go. I am praying that we will be able to have her potty trained and off diapers by the time Baby P is born. Here is the video, it made me laugh so hard, you can go to Youtube and get the one with subtitles.

Place your vote!

2010-03-12T12:02:00.000-08:00

We have now added a poll to our blog. Guess what we are having. We will let you know the results in a month.

Mama's little helper, Little Miss Chatterbox

2010-03-05T09:10:00.000-08:00

Emma loves to help me. She cleans by wiping down with her wipes as I disinfect the house w/ Lysol wipes. She throws all the trash and diapers into the trash for me and she loves to help vacuum.

She is also talking up a storm, so much that I don't totally understand all that she is saying. She is talking in 3-4 word sentences and will even answer herself at times. Her humor is starting to show, as she will burst out in laughter and then say "Oh, how funny!"

She is such a blessing.

Yesterday we spent time with Sandi Luciano and Baby Jakob. So much fun. Emma just loved baby Jakob was doting over him. He is such a cutie pie and I thank God for Sandi.

On another note... Emma went to Chuckie Cheese for the first time with Tia Rocio this past Wednesday. She was so scared at first after hours of being there she was so comfortable and payed more attention to the songs and shows than the games. Her favorite game was the mini bowling one.. I think it's called ski ball or something like that. I hope to share more pictures soon and videos.

I also have to share about her time at the park with Joy and Grant,last week. Emma and Grant are great playmates and good buddies. Emma learns so much every time she is with him. This time since she was able to watch Grant go up the jungle gym she did it all by herself too and went down the slide and continues to grow in her sharing skills thanks to Grant.Grant is a great sharer and so sweet with Emma. Joy is such a blessing also. Spending time with her is like picking up from the last time as though time hasn't even passed. It is also so sweet and always feels like being with family. She blessed us with the most beautiful flower hair clips ever. You should check out her site joyfulblooms.etsy.com.

videos and pics to come... now I'm off to change a diaper. =)Ciao

Emma's 1st Time on the Swing

2010-02-23T00:28:00.000-08:00

We found a really cool park near our house with Little Tykes Jungle gym made for toddlers. Emma enjoyed her time there and didn't want to leave. We saw a swing set and we took her there. Here is a video of Emma's swing experience. Notice her nervousness that turns into a big smile of joy.

On the swing prt.1 from Jon Perdido on Vimeo.

Worth Your 90 Seconds

2010-02-22T16:12:00.001-08:00

Pretty Creative

Before the Morning by Josh Wilson

2010-02-18T09:47:00.000-08:00

Came across this song that was very encouraging. It's called "Before the Morning" by Josh Wilson.

Here are the lyrics:

Do you wonder why you have to
Feel the things that hurt you
If there’s a God who loves you where is He now

Maybe there are things you can’t see
And all those things are happening
To bring a better ending

Someday somehow you’ll see you’ll see
Would you dare would you dare to believe
That you still have a reason to sing
Cause the pain that you’ve been feeling
It can’t compare to the joy that’s coming

So hold on you gotta wait for the light
Press on and just fight the good fight
Cause the pain that you’ve been feeling
It’s just the dark before the morning

My friend you know how this all ends
You know where you’re going
You just don’t know how you’ll get there
So say a prayer

And hold on cause there’s good for those who love God
But life is not a snapshot
It might take a little time but you’ll see the bigger picture

Once you feel the weight of glory
All your pain will fade to memory

It’s just the hurt before the healing
Oh the pain that you’ve been feeling
It’s just the dark before the morning

-----

Here's a video telling the story of a family that inspired the song.

Encouraging to hear them say, “If we can trust God for our eternity, we can trust Him for our now.”

Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

18 months old

2010-02-11T10:02:00.000-08:00

Emma is 18 months old now, as of Feb 1st. She is a crack up, high energy, and so lovable. She has been adding to her vocabulary like crazy, though not many people can fully understand what she is saying all the time, Mama does.

New words include: Pickle, Tomato, Blue,green, red, yellow, purple, elephant, remote, phone. (I can't remember the other new words, shes always talking though)
She sings.. "read your bible pray everyday", "I love you, you love me"
She does all the movements for "if your happy and you know it" and boy does she love to dance.
any music she hears she'll start dancing.

She understands instructions well and is now my little helper. Yesterday I told her something was trash and it was the first time she has ever grabbed it and put it in the trash. After I noticed that... I started asking her to take stuff to the trash and she would.=) She loves to clean and wipe things down. She can bring the remote or telephone =).

Here is another first...a couple of days ago she was watching her favorite show,Mickey Mouse Club house. In the beginning of the show Mickey always asks " Would you like to come to my clubhouse?" Emma shouted out a loud and excited... YES!!

Let me share another little story that made me laugh so hard. Emma was asking me "What's that? What's that? What's that?" I was busy and though I heard her it didn't register. then Emma said " I don't know!" with a big shrug. I couldn't help but stop and laugh.

Happy New Year 2010!

2009-12-31T14:06:00.000-08:00

December was filled with many blessed memories and a wonderful time at WDW with our good friend Scott and his loved ones. God blessed us with a nice early Christmas present while we were there. Here is what we are looking forward to in 2010.

Merry Christmas to all!!!

2009-12-25T10:31:00.000-08:00

No, she didn't get electrocuted.

John MacArthur in His Study

2009-11-30T17:26:00.000-08:00

Jon here again. Even more powerful.

John MacArthur - Study Video from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

Jake & the USC Football Team

2009-11-28T20:04:00.001-08:00

Powerful.

Following in Daddy's footsteps....

2009-11-11T18:01:00.000-08:00

"The...wheels on the bus...

Super-Man

2009-11-10T17:40:00.000-08:00

In an era of where superhero movies dominate the screens, real life men are over shadowed by false portrayals.

Here is the real life account to honor my real life Super-man.

If you would look at Jon or pass him by on the street you would never ever know what a gem he is. You might see the kindness of his face and think "he's a nice guy". But he is so much more. He is faithful and selfless. A hard worker and loving father. He is servant minded and loves to help. He is the guy that is quietly serving in areas you would never even know or see. He is a brilliant musician with a love for his lord and savior Jesus Christ that makes me love my savior more. He gets up early though sleeping minimal hours and goes to work daily without ever complaining and comes home to love his wife and daughter with great love and fervor.

I can say that Jon is a SUPERMAN because he seeks to be a man after God's own heart. Because he is found in Jesus Christ and covered completely and made a new clean creation spotless and blameless by Jesus Christ the only real life SUPERMAN who is GOD. Jon is a wonderful husband and father. I am so thankful to share laughs with him, and to enjoy every moment alongside him. To be his wife is a wonderful blessing and I am so thankful to share life with him until our Lord returns or takes us home.

Happy Birthday to my sweet Super-di-dooper man. I Love you.

Anniversary #3

2009-11-04T09:52:00.000-08:00

3 years ago today was a Saturday. It was about 4:05 in the afternoon. Darby Hughes, Roberto Miranda, and Tim Hunter is playing magnificently one of Darby’s original. Kurt Gebhards pulls me aside and prays for me. I’m waiting behind a door, waiting for my bride to be to walk down the aisle. I still remember that moment of quiet anticipation. All dressed up in black with a cream tie, I take my place. Doors open. She is escorted in. My heart is overly glad.
My life changed that day, for the better.

I am a sinner who is deeply flawed, yet loved and welcomed by a holy God only because Jesus died the death that I deserved and lived the perfect life I could never have lived. Then God applies what Jesus did to count for me. Salvation is already more than enough for this life and the next. On top of that, he has chosen to bless me even more 3 years ago in marriage.

God is keenly wise that He knew that I needed Paola. She has been my encourager, prayer warrior, helper, counselor, and dear friend. I adore her and I wake up daily thanking the Lord for her. She is authentic. She is humble. She loves Christ. She is a loving mom. She enjoys life. She loves to laugh. She understands me. She is patient with me. She is gorgeous. She is a gift. I brag and boast because God has been good for giving me a tremendous gift.

I celebrate today God’s goodness for not only what happened 3 years ago, but what has happened since then. I am a better man for it. I have grown to know the gospel deeper. I treasure Christ more.

Praise God for His Goodness.

Blissfully Yours,

Jon

She's got rhythm!

2009-10-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

Jon here, I know that it's been a while since we posted. But we have some great things for all of you to see. Life's been well. Lola and I have been sick with cold these past few days. We are now part of Foundation Bible Study on Friday nights at Grace Church. I help with leading worship for the Bible study. I also am helping with Awana leading kids during the singing time.

During one of the practices on Friday night, Lola let Emma play with a shaker and we were shocked that she was able to keep time. We have a future Shiela E. on our hands. If you don't know who Shiela E. is, then I have just dated myself.

ONE!!!

2009-08-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

Emma is ONE! She took her first two steps on her actual birthday. She loves Barney. She sings, although you have no idea what she is saying. She dances by bouncing up and down. She smiles by squinting her face, peruvians call it chinitas. Now she understands direction better. If I tell her to look she will, turn around, obey. Now today she walks a lot. She rather be walking and exploring than be carried. She likes to feed herself, and is just a joy to be with.

11 months old

2009-07-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

Emma is 11 1/2 months old. We are excited that in two weeks we will be celebrating her first birthday. Grandpa Eli and Grandma Annie have been singing Happy Birthday to Emma everyday, and teaching her what to do when she is asked, How old are you?

This month Emma has developed in learning things so much quicker. She is now asking "what's that?" and says "right there" ,"all done", "Hello/Hola", "Buh-bye", light, bird,she says "happy" for us to sing her happy birthday.She'll say grandpa, papa, daddy, dada, elmo, and... Chado.....=) (my mom's name is charo so that is her attempting to say charo.)But still won't say mama.

She loves to play peek-a-boo, now she hides herself and then will pop out and say a-boo!She will walk while holding on at least with one hand. She has mastered the art of crawling. I love watching her stand up with out holding on to something,she spreads her legs out wide to keep her balance. HAHAH! She bites so we're working on that. No biting people or anything other than food. She starting to get it. =)

Show me your tongue!

2009-07-11T02:37:00.000-07:00

With kids, I'm finding that there are many moments that light up and warm up my heart.

Emma found her muscles to control her tongue. If you tell her, "Emma, show me your tongue." This is what she does.

10 months old!

2009-06-19T00:26:00.000-07:00

It just keeps getting better and better. She is now associating things together. She does hand movements to her baby songs, and tries to copy sounds of words and sometimes actually says the word (rare but it happened) She points for things she wants, and is starting to communicate her desires. Oh and she is a total Daddy's girl.

She plays so well with Grant Prince.He's her buddy, her first playmate. He is such a sweet boy. He is always sharing with her. He teaches her how to play with his toys or the toys where we are. I was so surprised while at the mall, there were lots of kids all bigger than her and she didn't mind them at all, she crawled from one side to the other watched how they used a toy and then do it herself. Joy and I were cracking up! I thank God for Joy she is such a kind and loving all weather friend. She's a great mom also and is doing such a great job instructing and guiding Grant.

Here Grant is showing her his cars.

Here they are at the mall.

This picture is how she is... smiles, big smiles. She is so playful and loves to learn. In this picture she had just walked with Grandma Annie from the inside of our apartment all the way to the middle of the courtyard outside. That was her first time walking! Look at the smile of accomplishment. Doesn't that face just say it all?!?!

Emma at her very first concert... Seeds Family Worship @ Grace. She was so sleepy but didn't want to miss out on all the action and worship.

Here Emma is with the singer of Seeds Family Worship (Her first music album ever, which I would play while she was in the womb)
She was wondering who he is...

She LOVES to eat.. Miss Independent rather feed herself than be fed.

eating yogurt melts in her pack-n-play while watching Your Baby Can Read video.

Bye-Bye we leave you with a video to watch...

9 Months Old

2009-04-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

She laughs and talks to herself in the mirror and will wave as well. She loves other babies.LOVES to people watch, and can eat all day long. She wants to touch everything and eat everything.

On 4/18/09 she went to Disneyland for the first time. Jon and I got to share this experience with our dear friend Scott Potratz. It was surprising to me how much she enjoyed herself. She loved watching all the people and looking at all the lights. The rides were another story. She actually used that time for naps. It was hot and there were a lot of people there. We got annual passes and now can enjoy this time more often with family and friends. I always seem to catch something when I go... wonder what I can do to prevent it next time.

Emma is 9 Months Old... this past month (8 months Old) was so much fun! She is so interactive, loves watching her video of YBCR. She has learned to wave, clap, laughs when you tickle her, puts her arms up and down upon request.She officially has 4 teeth on top and three on the bottom.

Emma is so active. Let me share with you a memory that I want to treasure in my mind forever.

In the morning after Jon goes to work and Emma wakes up I am usually so tired and I will bring her with me to my bed and we both fall asleep. Lately I am awakened by little hands hitting my face and rasberries on my arm or even my tummy, I open my eyes to a beautiful smiling face and my little Emma clapping. She clapping that Mama woke up.

Another one is... One Saturday Morning I woke up to a very loud "DADA!!!! DADA!!!! APPO! DADA!!! DADA!!! APPO! DADA! APPO!" I went to check if everything was okay only to find Jon asleep on the recliner with Emma hitting him and yelling. I don't know if she was saying apple or what, but I found that to be so funny and sweet.

Here is a video (for you Abuelito Juan).. Emma clapping.

Late but worth the wait....

2009-04-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

Emma is about to turn 9 months and since our computer has been out of comission, I have been unable to post her what happened as a 7 month old going on the 8th month report. Next week I will post the 8th month happenings... I know people probably don't read this, if you do.. thank you.

So here goes...
She started crawling in the last week of her 7th month going into the 8th. She got 3 top teeth. She started watching the "You're Baby Can Read" Program . Started crawling. I found out she was mobile. Started eating "puffs" and yogurt melts. Laughs... with the cutest laugh I have ever heard. Plays peek-a-boo with you.Can feed herself her puffs and yogurt melts.

On another note... I've been very ill. In severe pain, at times unable to walk or care for my family. I have several testings to go through including a biopsy. Please keep us in prayer. Pray that God will help me get healthy. I am so thankful that Philippians 4:13 has come to life for me... in more ways that I could have even imagined... I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.

7 months old

2009-03-22T18:49:00.000-07:00

She has 2 teeth on the bottom, which cut through at 6 months exactly.... She is crawling. She has stood up in her crib all by herself, I keep finding her in her crib on her knees and standing up a couple of times til last night. She now has started to stand up all by herself in her crib very often... Here is a Romeo and Juliette photo of Emma standing in her crib looking down at Ryan.(My friend Nicole's son.)

She loves going out, this month she has been to the park and felt sand on her feet for the first time, felt grass, and sat in a high chair.

She's been eating solids more often and just tried puffs for the first time ever this weekend. I had no idea what they were til Nicole introduced them to us. Melt in your mouth food... who knew!?!

She's also talking like crazy and gets so upset when you take away the phone or remote. She points at things, and is understanding a little more. She recognizes voices on the phone. Loves playing with her Grandparents. She loves eating bananas just like her Grandpa Eli. She like eating, her favorite foods are veggies... but her ultimate favorites are the corn w/ sweet potatoes and carrots. The first time we fed her fruits was in February when her Abuelito Juan was visiting. She tried Apples and didn't like them at all. She made a sour expression with Apples and with Pears. Her Abuelito Juan fed her a banana, it was her first time ever having a banana. She loved it.

My favorite moments with my sweet Emma have been... all of them! Her high pitched screams of objection, her clicking her tongue, watching her interact with other kids, playing peek-a-boo with the blankets, feeding her, laughing with her. Singing songs with her.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T02:46:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! We just got back from an awesome night. We went to a concert. It was so nice to get out, we had so much fun. We love music so much, so it was an extra special treat.
We saw Poncho Sanchez @ The Conga Room. We had dinner with our good friend Scott then went to the concert where I ran into several people from my past and even a famous actor!A special unexpected blessing was that we picked my Dad and Step-Mom up from the airport. Unfortunately they are here due to a family funeral. None the less... I am so excited to have my Dad here so that he can see how much his grand daughter has changed and grown it has been 6 months since he's seen her.

Emma is teething and her two lower front teeth are sharp. Man do they hurt when she bites! They are still coming out. Another new thing this week... She flipped over from her back to her tummy and now she is starting to crawl. All in one week. It's fun to see her develop. I'll post pictures soon.
Til Later- Lo

Emma is 6 months old!

2009-02-02T01:01:00.000-08:00

The 5th month has been a big month for us... lots of growth and changes. We have many videos to share with you. We will be posting them very soon. Many of "Emma's First" caught on video. Later today we shall go to our 6th Month check up. We'll be going in for vaccinations and all that fun stuff. Oh how I personally dread this day.

Emma's character,thus far as it unravels, is very curious and alert.She loves to play and watch Mama do all her household duties. She is so aware and loves to feel the fresh air on her face. She has become very attached to me, and looks for her Mama. For example... the other day I left to run an errand and called to check up on her. When she heard my voice on the phone she cried until I got home. Another one is when she is with her Daddy, she will cry and say Mama if I leave the room. Only to be comforted in my arms. It is so sweet to see her reactions. Her reactions to people and to her toys. She finally realizes she has toys and loves to play with them. She also loves to laugh and is a very happy girl.

Oh... and her teeth are finally cutting through, you can feel them more than you can see them. I continue to pray for her health and salvation...and wait to hear if we need to get surgery to open her tear duct.

This is a peak into a mother's heart. My heart. Good night.

2009-01-12T23:08:00.001-08:00

Emma started doing this at 3 months, but at 5 months, she's got it down! Haha.

2009-01-01T18:51:00.000-08:00

Happy New Years!

2009-01-01T12:33:00.001-08:00

Today is the first day of 2009 and our precious little girl is 5 months old today. How amazing it is to see how fast time passes. As I reflect on what God has done in 2008, I am amazed and in awe. Christmas Day a Year ago we found out we were expecting, just a year later we have a precious five month old. So that is how 2008 started for us with the knowledge that we might have a baby... the year met us with hardship, trials, and triumph. All to the glory of our God. My difficult pregnancy had me home on bed rest for most of the year. Many of our friends got married. Many of our friends became pregnant. We moved in April to our current 2 bedroom heaven on Earth. Paola celebrated her 29th birthday. She also celebrated 5 years at Grace to You in June. Our little Emma came into the world one month earlier than expected on August 1st. Paola stopped working for Grace to You to be a full-time wife and mommy. Jon lost his job a week later. Come October, we took our first family vacation in Cabo San Lucas. We celebrated our two year anniversary. Jon celebrated his 32nd birthday. Jon got a job in Woodland Hills. He got another job 2 weeks later at Grace Community Church. Emma celebrated her 1st Thanksgiving and Christmas, now New Year.

Christmas Eve and Christmas day marked Emma doing new things we have never seen before. Christmas Eve her Tito Mike noticed that she was signing "milk", and sure enough she was hungry. No more crying when she wants to be fed, now she asks us for milk with her little hand. If we don't realize it then she'll scream. Christmas Day I heard her via her monitor as she baby talked and seemed to grumble. I went to check on her to find her attempting to turn from her tummy to her back, as she tried and I encouraged her, she would look at me and smile then go back to pushing and wiggling. She did that until she accomplished it. Later that day I heard her laugh for the first time. It's a joy to watch Emma grow and learn new skills. We're still trying to teach her to say Mama or Dada on demand, but all we get is "Aaaaaah" with the occasional "mama" when she cries.

We are looking forward to all that 2009 brings. Wishing you the very best. Thank you for your friendship, prayers, and love.

The Perdido's

Christmas Photo

2008-12-27T18:31:00.001-08:00

Free Holiday mp3s from Amazon

2008-12-15T23:02:00.000-08:00

Amazon.com has a sweet and festive deal. From December 1st to the 25th, they are giving away a Christmas song for FREE each day. You can download all of the ones that they have posted. Click here to download them. There are some pretty good songs.

4 MONTHS OLD!

2008-12-09T23:57:00.000-08:00

Emma's first Thanksgiving.

Emma is now 4 months old. She is growing and looking more and more like a toddler. She loves to talk in her own little way. She oohs, aahs, girgles. She loves to smile and has such a beautiful smile too. She enjoys playing with Mama, which she can say, not always but she said it!!! She is so smart. She even sings when mama sings to her. She loves it when her daddy plays the guitar. She loves being around people. She loves music. She enjoys watching her Baby Einstien videos and is learning sign language.She plays with Grandma the close/open game and now opens and closes her hand on request. She has just today learned the up/down game and now lifts her legs up and down upon request. Mommy is working on having her lift up her arms upon request. Grandma seems more successful with those games. Her Nana bought her a bumbo chair which she enjoys up to a point. She loves sitting up and hates lying down on her back. She will actually pull her legs into her chest and try to sit up.She has now started eating cereal from a spoon, although not much is actually consumed. She does have the swallowing down and doesn't have a problem with that. She also has the spitting it out part down.She loves to sleep with a pillow. She doesn't cry much at all. Unless she's at her Nana's house. She did amazingly well with her 4 month vaccinations. She didn't even cry with the first one, the second one was a different story. She had some fevers after that and wasn't feeling so good,but, she never ceased to smile. She loves Momma's kisses and hugs. She's not bothered by them at all. She loves to be in her Daddy's arms. She had a wonderful time with everyone on Thanksgiving. She loved being with her Tio Hopi. She observed everyone and everything. She's so alert and teething. She love blowing bubbles with her saliva as she tries to copy mommy and daddy.

Our sweet little precious girl...

She is truly a blessing from the Lord.

Lola gets quoted by major news channel.

2008-11-19T05:31:00.000-08:00

Jon here. Lola's was on the news...well sort of. She was quoted by a reporter during a report on Carter's baby clothes. You can hear the reporter quote Lola around 1:33 into the video. It's not long, but it's there.

You can see the video by clicking on the picture or clicking the link below.

Video

2 years ago...

2008-11-04T10:25:00.000-08:00

Two years ago today I went before God and man, made a vow to my best friend. To love,cherish, serve, and cheer on. To be his helper, his lover, his friend until the Lord comes or takes us home.

Two years ago today we celebrated the work that God did!

I am so amazed and thankful for the gift I have in Jon. He is God's blessing and gift to me. He is an answer to my prayers. He is kind, patient, loving, and wise. He is a wonderful leader and friend,selfless, humble, unmoved by various trials, faithful, and above all... a man after God's own heart. I thank God that He is the one who has made Jon into the man that he is. I am thankful that he is the one who is Growing him. I am thankful that this love will only grow more love. I am thankful that He made us one.

Happy Anniversary Jon! I love you!

3 Months Old!

2008-11-01T04:11:00.000-07:00

(already on the phone!)

(already making faces)

(already swimming)

(already posing)

(being silly)

(loving the water)

Lola here. Our sweet little girl is 3 months old today. I hope you don't mind as I journal via this blog. This past month has been wonderful as we watched her grow and do new things.

Emma is 13 lbs 5 oz, 95% in weight and length . Her Doctor said she is tall. Which made me very happy.

Emma is ...

Smiling, Cooing a lot, last night with Grandma she said Mama for the first time (I wish I would have been there to hear her, I've been working on having her say Mama for the past two weeks) She pulls her legs into her tummy and springs herself forward to sit up, she watches the tv (fox news) truly enthralled, I woke up yesterday to her screaming "WOW" I couldn't believe it. She moves her head up and down and side to side. I laugh and wonder if she has any idea that it means yes and no. Probably not. She knows when we are leaving and cries. She recognizes her Mommy and Daddy's voices. She started sleeping in her crib, in her own room, and no longer in the bassinet. She sleeps 6 hours straight. She enjoys sitting in her bouncer. She shrieks in laughter.No longer wears newborn clothes. She likes to be sung to and loves to carry on a conversation even though it's just babble. I just wonder what she is trying to communicate. She kicks off her blanket while sleeping if she's warm and covers herself when she's cold. She covers her eyes with her hand when it's too bright, holds her legs up ready to be changed. She drools a lot and signals us that she is hungry by eating her hand or usually by putting her hand to her mouth like sign language. We found out she has a milk allergy.She is a good girl, she doesn't cry without reason. Loves to cuddle. She's a Daddy's girl. She went on her first plane ride and slept the entire time.

All this to say she truly is a blessing from the Lord. I am so blessed to be her Mommy. I love holding her, and seeing her laugh. I love it when she talks to me( though I don't understand).I love how when I feed her she holds my thumb with one hand and my pinkie with her other. believe how fast she is growing and changing. I pray constantly for her. May God draw her to himself at a young age and allow her to know the riches there is in knowing Christ as Lord and Savior. May she be spared the life I lived . May she be blessed.

Perdido Family Vacation & Hurricanes

2008-10-09T15:43:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

This marks a momentous occasion for the Perdido family. We're on our first Perdido "family" vacation. We're in Cabo San Lucas because of a generous gift from our mom. We are staying at the 5 star resort, Pueblo Bonito at Sunset Beach.

Lola and I are falling in love with Cabo. My favorite part is the short 2 hour plane ride. I'll be writing more and posting more pictures. Little Emma has been a very good girl. It's very humid...and hot down here so we have to make sure to keep her hydrated.

As I said, it's very humid becuase of the incoming hurricane. But no worries to everyone, they say that it will hit land 350 miles north of where we are. We're just getting some rain, that's all...well, we hope that's all.

More to come later.

25 Signs that You have a Newborn...

2008-10-03T16:47:00.000-07:00

Jon here. Looking back these past two months of having Emma, I have come up with a list of 25 signs that show you are caring for a newborn. This also would give you a glimpse of what we have been going through....

25 Signs That You or Someone is Caring for a Newborn:

1. You feel guilty that you overslept an hour totalling 4 hours of sleep.

2. Your computer hard drive is half full of pictures and video.

3. You somehow feel that you have been in a sleep deprivation experiment.

4. You have fallen asleep while feeding your baby.

5. You think that sleeping 6 hours is a great date night.

6. Your DVD collection now has a baby section.

7. You have memorized the layout of your local Wal-mart.

8. You think that a box 237 diapers is not a large amount.

9. You have experienced the 3 P's (pee, poop, & puke).

10. You have to change your baby's clothes (as well as your own) more than 5 times a day.

11. You know what SIDS stand for and have at least once been worried about it.

12. You believe that "The Diaper Genie" is the one of the best man made inventions.

13. You can change a diaper while your eyes are closed (or while sleeping).

14. You hear a cat cry and think that it's your baby crying.

15. Your shoulders hurt in conjuction with how your baby grows.

16. You wonder when does the cleaning and washing end?

17. You cheer when you hear a burp.

18. You have a new large collection of AA batteries.

19. You have mastered the art of sanitizing anything...and anyone.

20. You take credit for how people think how cute your baby is.

21. You cut your hair shorter so your baby won't pull on it.

22. You love having your parents around...so they can care for their grandchild.

23. You know how to maneuver a car seat.

24. You expand your vocabulary with cute blabber.

and lastly...

25. You wonder with joy how you ever gone through life without all this.

P.S. For my sweet & beautiful Lola...

2 months Old!

2008-10-01T23:24:00.000-07:00

Our sweet little Emma turned Two Months today. I can't even believe how fast time flies. I took her for a check up and her vaccinations. Oh my sweet girl. She did so well with her vaccines. I was more upset about it than she was. She is now weighing in at 11 lbs 14 oz. (I had just fed her right before going into the office so I think that she may actually weigh less.)

She had a slight fever, but it went away. The next day, she was feeling much better by her smiles. She's starting to smile a lot more now. One of these days we will capture her cute grin on camera.

CATCHING UP

2008-09-30T01:11:00.000-07:00

It's been almost two months since Emma was born and our last update. A lot has happened in these past two months. Even more so a lot has happened that we have not been able to blog about through out the pregnancy, birth, and post birth.

(Top: Dr. Frields, Middle: Nurse Jennifer, bottom: Nurse Emily)

Where do I start? Let me start with all that I am thankful for. While I was pregnant I was placed on strict bed rest and was in and out of the hospital til Emma's birth. We were blessed with great nurses that cared for me while I was in the hospital awaiting Emma's arrival. I am so thankful for all our friends who brought us meals while I was bed ridden. I am thankful for the ladies of our bible study who came, brought delicious meals, and stayed for fellowship. The James' Family helped Jon sort through all the clothes that we got at our first shower. Mike and Christina Roe helped my Mom and Aunt set up Emma's Nursery while I was in the hospital. We were blessed with 3 baby showers. The first one was a family shower and we were given mainly clothes and bedding. What a blessing. The Second one was a shower from our Mainstream bible study,friends from Foundry, and Jon's family. They blessed us with many gifts including a group gift of a Car seat and gift card. The third one was from my friends and co-workers from Grace To You. They blessed us with so many wonderful gifts for Emma including a group gift of a swing and gift card. Emma has been blessed by such out pour of love from ALL of You! We are overwhelmed by God's goodness to us through you all.

Emma is growing well and she makes us laugh daily. She is still mostly sleeping, eating, and well you can guess what else. We are so thankful to our Lord for keeping her and growing her for we know that it is all in His hands. We are learning through a process of elimination of what her cries mean. God is really teaching me continually patience and selflessness. I am so thankful for what a precious gift she is and even more so for what a precious gift I have in my husband. He has been such a tremendous help through this time of healing and learning.

As I mentioned earlier I had an emergency c-section. Post surgery has been such a difficult ordeal for me. I never would have imagined the ways I would have needed my husband. I didn't know what was in store for me and give great applause to the women who choose to go through it. It was the worst pain I have ever felt in my entire life. I am so thankful that it was just a brief moment and that I am almost through this stage. I am still recovering and still not 100% back to my old self. But little by little God is helping me heal. I must admit because I didn't listen fully to the doctor's instructions and over did it, I am paying the consequences and was placed on a temporary bed rest again. (sigh) I am desperate to resume my role as my husbands helpmate and new role as Mother. I know the Lord is using all of this to humble me and to remind me to be thankful. Most of all I am learning the true meaning of trusting and leaning fully on Jesus Christ my Lord.

I am able to see my husband's Christ like love. He truly lays his life down for Emma and I daily. Praise God.

Jon lost his job. Due to caring for Emma and me. It was a week after we came home from the hospital. Please pray for him. I am praying for God's direction, provision, and wisdom. We need His hand in our lives as Jon seeks employment and begins school.

Please pray for me. I have found myself this very day struggling in trusting God. Which is horrible because God has proven himself faithful, just, abundant in grace, love, and kindness.

You won't believe this but God has provided for us from before we even knew Jon lost his job. He used Grace To You, my employers to provide money that we were able to save and use to pay the past two months worth of bills. My father to provide for the month of September. My mom to provide for various other needs, Jon's family to provide Emma's diapers and Wipes. Showers to provide all that we would have never been able to buy and clothes for our baby girl. OH... and on top of that. We also have the great blessing of enjoying the gift of our first family vacation. A gift from my Mom ( as a belated birthday present to me). We are all ,as a family, going to CABO!!! ( My mom, Aunts, Jon, Emma, and I)

Please Pray for God's provision for all our bills and expenses for the month of November. We are hoping Jon will have a job by then ,but if not,pray with us for God to provide through other means.

More on Emma... Jon and I have truly enjoyed these past two months of being parents to our little Emma. She loves being up at night and sleeps all day. She loves music just like her mommy and daddy. She is starting to make sounds, oohs and aah. Some other funny sounds as well.

She is so strong. She holds her head up all by herself. She moves around a lot. She even switches sides while she is sleeping. Oh and she loves sleeping on her tummy especially on our chest. My favorites are... she tucks her legs in under her body and curls ups... like a little potato ball. My mother in law says she's like a little frog. I love it. She just started to smile and reminds me of an Anime cartoon character. I just can't wait til she has more control over her face movements. She loves her mobile and every time she goes to her crib she looks straight at it, as a hint to me to start the music. She stares at it for a long time. She received her first toy... a musical glow worm and play mat. she loves hitting the toys from the play mat. She stretches and sleeps in the funniest positions. She'll place her arm holding her head or sometimes her hands covering her eyes. I can't wait to see her little personality come out. So far she has confirmed that we are all sinners from the womb. Oh and she is mostly serious. You will notice in her pictures.

Till next time....Fist pump!!!

A week after...

2008-08-08T03:30:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, Jon here. It's been a very busy couple of days since our last post. We were finally discharged last Tuesday night and it was good to finally be home with our whole family. We are appreciative of all the help that God has blessed us with. Since being admitted to the hospital a week before, sleep has been a rare commodity. But we are doing better.

Please be in prayer for Emma. Two days before being discharged, Emma has been diagnosed with Jaundice. It's a condition that most baby's have. The body produces billirubin which is a red blood cell waste product. The liver usually filters this out, but in some babies, the liver isn't as developed and it cannot filter out the waste product fast enough. If the level of the billirubin is too high, it is not good for the baby and the baby turns yellow.

For the past four days, Emma's billirubin count was going up and up. Today, our pediatrician saw fit and ordered for her to be admitted to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). She will be treated there for the next couple of days.

Please pray Emma's recovery and good response to her treatment. Till then, I leave you with some of my favorite pics of the past few days...

"Mommy & Me Time"

Trying on some new fashion:

One of my favorites:

Happy Birthday Emma.

2008-08-02T01:14:00.000-07:00

3:30pm, August 1, 2008, Emma Christina Perdido was born to Jon and Lola. After trying to induce labor for a natural birth, it was conceded that it wasn't working with the medications and that a C-section birth was needed to take Emma out.

STATS: out of the Glendale corner
coming in at a whopping 10 lbs. 1 oz.
with a length of 20 & 1/2 inches
and a head of 14 inches.

Remember, she's 4 weeks PREMATURE! Big baby indeed, but most importantly in good health. She did not have to stay at the NICU, even though she was premature.

Thank you all for your prayers, comments, and well wishes. I know you're dying for some pictures, so here are some highlights of today.

Me waiting before the operation room...nervous.

Some cleaning after the birth.

Baby and mommy seeing each other for the first time.

After she was checked over, I followed Emma to the Recovery room where she was weighed, measured, and treated. Mom was still in the operating room. I love this pic because it reminds me of Karate Kid..."Miyagi!"

Mom was then reunited with baby in Recovery Room.

Emma not used to being clothed.

The Family MySpace profile pic shot.

Some singing...

She hits the high notes...

Phew! I need to rest.

Ride up to Mommy's room.

addy holding Emma in a Perdido Burrito.

That's it for now, but there will be more pictures and videos ahead. Can't wait to introduce Emma to you all. :)

First hand update

2008-08-01T04:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a first hand update from Lola.

Poor girl. She hasn't been sleeping for the past couple of days. As I write this, the epideral has taken effect and she is sleeping. Every 15 minutes, she is awaken by the blood pressure cuff waking her up. ;) More updates to come. Maybe pictures. Maybe, even a baby!!!

Thanks Mike & Christina for stopping by!

Turn of Events!!!

2008-08-01T03:38:00.000-07:00

Here's an update of what's happening with the pregnancy.

Summary:
Lola's developed Pre-eclampsia/ toxemia.
It will get worse and will be harmful for Lola and the baby.
Doctor has decided to induce labor to get the baby out.
Baby will be born within 24-48 hours!!!
Please pray for Lola.
Please pray for baby Emma.

Baby Watch 2008 update!

2008-07-31T09:07:00.000-07:00

This is our new home away from home.

Jon here. Sorry for not updating lately for all the 2 people that read this blog! Haha. As of today we are 36 weeks into the pregnancy and part of the reason that I've been lagging on blogging is that we have been in and out of the hospital for the past few weeks. Since turning 28 weeks, Lola has been having contractions. The staff at Glendale Adventist has been able to prevent her from going into pre-term labor. They ordered her to be placed on strict bed rest and gave her Turbutelin to try to stop the contractions. Unfortunately, she still has them from daily and it's now hard to find a comfortable position to rest. She has not been able to sleep through the night, and walking has been hard without having pain.

As I write this, we're in the hospital again and we will be here until she gives birth. The medical staff is closely monitoring Lola and the baby. We'll see, I have a feeling that the baby might come soon. Who knows. :)

2008-07-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some lyrics to a song I've been listening to.

And Jesus alone my atonement is known
I stand on grace
And Jesus the king my salvation he brings
I stand on grace. Stand…
I stand on grace

And Jesus alone my atonement is known
I stand on grace
And Jesus the king of my salvation he brings
I stand on grace…
And Jesus your grace is all I need
Its all that I need
Yeah
And grace upon grace
Its all that I bring
Its all that I bring

And Jesus alone
My atonement is known
I stand on grace

And Jesus the king
My salvation he brings, I stand on grace
And Jesus your grace, Its all that I need, Its all I need
I need
And grace upon grace, Is all that I bring , Its all that I bring
Yeah

And Jesus your grace, Its all that I need, Its all that I need
Yeah
And grace upon grace, Its all that I bring, Its all that I bring
Aye yeah

And Jesus your grace. Its all that I need, Its all that I need
And grace upon grace Its all that I bring Its all that I bring
Yeah

And Jesus your grace. Its all that I need. Its all that I need
Yeah
And grace upon grace
Its all that I bring. Its all that I bring

And Jesus alone my atonement is known
I stand on grace

32 Weeks! 8 weeks left til Due Date!

2008-07-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

Yeah!! 2 Months to go. I am actually shooting for 5 more weeks of her staying in my belly. As you may already know we've been experiencing contractions since 28 weeks, so Praise the Lord! He is keeping her and taking care of her. We still have yet to find out if she may have cystic fibrosis. We are praying and you can pray with us that she doesn't. The doctor says that she is growing well and is healthy. She is growing above normal so that is nice to know in case I go into labor early. I can't wait! A little scared, Excited, nervous, exhilarated, happy, tiny bit anxious... all rolled into one.

OH... Prayer Request: Pray for a new job with good benefits for Jon and for his upcoming start in school.
PRaise: God's Provisions, Blessings with meals, help cleaning, fellowship, and for Grace To You!

Oh by the way....

2008-06-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

Latest and Greatest

2008-06-23T01:58:00.000-07:00

Well... the past two weeks have been crazy. The day I turned 28 weeks exactly I (Lola) started having a wierd sensation... I woke up around 7am-ish with the worst cramps I have ever had. I stayed in bed semi curled up as they came and went. As Jon got up to get ready for work I asked him if he could please look on Google and type "How do I know if I am having contractions?". Yes. Believe it. We resorted to GOOGLE. =) Well... it kinda helped a little but not totally. Before I knew it I was "cramping" more frequently and well in alot of pain. So we called the Doctor. (after hours of waiting and eventually timing them) Being that they weren't stopping and about 5-6 minutes apart I was told to go to Labor and Delivery. Once we got there They hooked me onto a machine and confirmed that I was having contractions. We spent about 8 hrs in observation. Recieved two shots of Tribulatine... (I don't know how to spell it just say it.)wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything during that time. Finally got sent home but was put back on bed rest, this time strict. Yep. back on bed rest, no biggie now. Well... I continued to have daily contractions and have had to go back to the hospital. Last Tuesday was the worst pain I have felt as of yet.I was given another shot, an IV, and other examinations. By the time I arrived to the Hospital this time I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes and the whole way over to the hospital I was praying "please Lord let this be it!!" Praise God he didn't answer that prayer with a YES. I came to find out from the nurse the danger that there is in having the baby this early.I am so glad that they were able to stop the contractions and keep her in my belly longer. Most of all, I am so glad that He(God)knows whats best for me and our baby. I am praising Him that we are in His hand, and under His control. I am thankful that when I've been having contractions His peace which surpasses all understanding consumes me. I have not felt worried or fearful, just pain. I pray that I can be an example of Christ and allow His power to be more than evident in me through what may be the worst pain I will have ever felt. The day I am ready to deliver. I write this all with a huge smile on my face because God is so faithful, His goodness endures forever, He is steadfast in His Love. I alone am frail and weak, but with Him I am strong.

I am 30 weeks so far, and I can't even believe God has seen me thus far. I am amazed by all the miracles He has been doing in our life and the blessings upon blessings.
I find myself these days with a great urgency to use my time wisely while in bed.

God has brought us faithful sisters who have brought us some meals. So delicious and made with such love. He has answered the desire of my heart and sent me fellowship, which my heart yearned for. He sent someone to help clean my home. What an amazing miracle.

I am thankful.

On another note... Just to fill you in on all that has been going on here in our household. Jon is applying to The Master's College Degree Completion program. He will be applying for a Degree in Organizational Management. We are praying that He not only gets accepted but that he(we) get financial aide. I praise God for this is an answer to prayer. We prayed for direction and God clearly gave it. Now we pray for a new job for Jon and for his schooling as he seeks to be obedient to God and be best used for the Kingdom.
Why a new job?? Well we thank God almighty for providing the job he has now and if God wants him to stay there so be it. But well... we will be needing benefits eventually and alittle more income. If God wills. May His will be done in our lives.

Baby Couture

2008-06-04T23:18:00.000-07:00

Infant high fashion.

28 weeks so far! We're almost there. The baby's kicking hard and is at times VERY active. We've nicknamed the baby "happy feet" for its quick feet shuffles. Will the baby be a future Soccer player, Dancer, Runner, or Tap Dancer? We shall soon see.

Click Here for Baby Perdido's P.O.V.

2008-04-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

Came across this Korean band. Love the drummer. He totally stole the show.

..a Little Help from our Friends.

2008-04-23T13:58:00.000-07:00

Found this picture that best described our move two Saturdays ago. Photo courtesy of Tessellar.

The picture really describes it all. Many people literally carrying our home on their backs. It’s weird these past two weeks, because it feels like we’ve been there for months. We already feel settled in our apartment. The living room is not filled with boxes stacked to the ceiling. We’re at home. Right now, we are in the process of fixing up the baby’s room.

We were so blessed by the kindness that our friends showed in helping us move. Mucho thanks to Mr. Kwong, Ted, Benjamaniac, Ipster, Earl, Nancy, Ayemi In-Sein, Kuya Mike, Dad, Christina, Drew, Jennifer, Allan, & Sandi for giving to us your time and energy. At the end of the day, not only did they help us move, but they helped us settle in by setting up the bed, hanging the clothes, unpacking the boxes, installing the curtains & putting up the pictures. They especially ministered to Lola so that she didn’t have to move or unpack much. When I came back that same evening to our home, we were pretty much settled in.

Ted saved the day by bringing his shoulder dolly. Poor guys, he and Steve lifted most of the heavy objects and furniture. Not one complaint. Ayemi got us Boba. Christina brought over lunch. Everyone chipped in. Most of all, we just enjoyed their company.

Lola and I recognize that it was God showing us kindness through these dear friends. With much gratefulness, we appreciate you all.

Lollicup

2008-04-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

Upon our move, we have come to realize (thanks to Ayemi Sein) that there is a Lollicup franchise about 2 blocks from our home. When moving two weekends ago, Ayemi bought some slushies for us.

Lola now is a fan, not of boba, but of their Passion Fruit slushie. The only problem is the occasional brain freeze that comes with drinking from a fat straw. The fat straw is needed for the Boba to be able to fit through when drinking/ eating boba. What is boba? Click here for an explanation.

I am a fan of Boba. In the words of Ayemi, drinking boba, especially fast, is akin to a "machine gun boba." Me, Taro Root Smoothie with boba hits the spot....aaah....ooh, brain freeze.....aaah. We already have a frequent buyer card...more brain freezes and enjoyment to follow.

Baby Pics from the Woooomb!

2008-04-18T17:17:00.001-07:00

Jon here. Lola and I came back from the doctor's visit. Everything looks good with the baby so far. We're both excited because we got to see some more pics of our baby today via sonogram. Wow, even from the womb, the baby's already photogenic.

Here's the baby with a profile pic. I think the baby's chillin'...

Here's a 3D rendering of the face...

The Baby is looking straight at the "camera." I think he/she is singing. Maybe a praise song?! I think I see that hand raising up...woops, not here at Grace. Hahaha.

Here the baby is looking down and to the right (3/4) view. It does look like that the baby doesn't have a right side of the brain, but I assure you that the it's just the 3D rendering that makes it look like that.

After the doc's visit, what does one do? --> Go to Porto's Cuban Bakery of course!

We have a HOME!!!

2008-03-31T13:05:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord Oh My Soul and all that is with in me! Praise is Holy Name!

He is the great provider always saving his very best for His children. God has given us a 2 bedroom 2 full bathroom apartment, near our bible study and near friends from bible study. I am so thankful! And the very best part of all... it's 5 dollars less than what we pay now. Absolutely incredible. We move in two weeks April 12th!!!

www.Blissfultrips.net

2008-03-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

We have started a home based business. I am now a Travel Agent. Well... I have been one since November of 2007. But I am so excited to get back to business. I am feeling better now and so excited about travel!

We just updated our new website making it soooo much easier to use. Which I think is absolutely fabulous. Our powersearch technology is like GOOGLE but for travel and searches over 200 websites to find the lowest prices on the web.

Even more exciting than that is... our travel Club. Called "DREAM TRIPS" dream trips for dream prices... usually wholesale or better. I am dying to plan our first Dream trip after I give birth. I still need to find out if I can travel prego... If I can, man it's so on!!!

Prayer REQUESTS:
We are still waiting to find out if Baby Perdido has Cystic Fibrosis.... and I am the AFP test this thursday. That's a test that will check and see if our baby has a disease or will have a deformity. Please pray with me for a completely healthy child.

Our other prayer request is.... We need to Move this summer. We were hoping to find a place by May or June. Please pray that we will find a place that we can afford that has a washer and dryer in a safe neighborhood.

Oh on another note.... My due date is 8/27/08

Well... bye for now!

We are 15 weeks now....

2008-03-06T21:35:00.000-08:00

I can't even believe it. Almost 4 months already.... we are one week shy. Boy I can't wait! I've been having horrible morning sickness and have been bedridden almost the entire time of my pregnancy thus far. I switched vitamins to a liquid one and notice that I get great energy when I take it and my emotions aren't so out of control.

These past two days have been a rollercoaster for me... I personally HATE being this way. It's too much of the OLD dead Lola coming out... I've been reading Exodus and praying but find myself praying without ceasing. It's been tough.
But I absolutely love how my husband, his presence it has such a calming effect. He's the sweetest, kindest, most gentle soul. His even keel really blesses me. I love him so much. I can't wait to see him as a father.

I had the chance to speak with some good friends and ask them parenting advice. What a blessing it is to learn from the wisdom and experiance of others. Tips and ideas. I absolutely love to fellowship and am so blessed to have such Godly people to go to.

It's been hard on us being away from the body due to my sicknesses and injuries. Looking forward to returning to a more normal lifestyle. We were able to attend Church on Sunday, that was another blessing. I hope to be feeling better by Saturday and enjoy a day with my dear missionary friends. We dream that one day we will be able to go and assist them in ministry one way or another. We will find out on Saturday how we can do that and start looking at a way to get to that point in the future if God wills it.

I can't wait to see what the Lord has instore for us. We pray that His will shall be done, and that Christ will be glorified in our lives. In the small things and in the Big. All that we do, we do for him.

I am reminded of Luke 9:23...

Bye for now!
Lola

Where we are at...

2008-01-24T14:02:00.001-08:00

Jon found this online and thought it would be neat to post it up on our family blog. So here it is.

Yep it's true! We're having a baby.... lord willing.

2008-01-07T09:25:00.000-08:00

So we found out on Christmas Day that it was certain, we are pregnant. What a wonderful day for it to be confirmed.
Ok this is how it went down. I actually had the flu really bad for about a week before Christmas, but felt so horrible on Christmas Day that I made Jon take me to Urgent Care.
And it was confirmed that I was pregnant. The Lord is so good. Please Pray that I can carry this baby full term, for a healthy baby, and for his/her salvation. Those are all my prayers of late.

What a blessing!!!

2007-08-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

So we've been looking at sectionals for months now. Checking out prices and all that fun stuff,and we thought there was one that we liked at Simply discount furniture (but I think what we liked about it was the price.) UNTIL.... this past week. What a blessing...

Well , while at work my co-worker mentioned how she found a couch on the web . Of course a light bulb went off in my head and I decide to search and see if just maybe we found something affordable.

And the first picture that pops up, is the ideal couch for us. The exact color and kind that I would envision when I dreamt about decorating my home. I was so excited! The price was more than three hundred dollars less than what we would have spent, and that's not including the delivery charges and taxes! So I started to pray and give my desires over to the Lord. Knowing that His will is perfect and what he has for me is exactly what I want. So I know that you are probably thinking"what do I care whether getting a new couch, everyone does that at one point or another!" or might be rolling your eyes, but there is a point to the couch story. I promise.
On Wednesday 8/15/07 Jon and I went to see the couch. The owners, who just moved out to LA from Florida , were so kind and not only chose us to give the couch to. There were several people interested in the couch, but they chose us. They also allowed us to pay it in two payments, which was a huge blessing to us. But the biggest blessing of all was that at the end of our time with them we found out that they are believers!!! God's sovereign hand evidently at work using a small material item to bring his body together. How beautiful is that!?! It was clear to me that our Lord is and was at work, I hope to be able to keep in touch with that family. Their kindness has meant so much to us. It also shows that God is in the little details and cares, because he cares for us. Praise the Lord for his kindness and grace that overflows our cups.