Happy Halloween

Anyone got some candy for me?

Jude Meets the Pattersons

Jude meets the Patterson family - Adrian, AJ and Erin.

AJ, aka Elmo, promised to teach Jude the ways of little boyhood.

One Week Old

A whole week has passed since I was born.
I've learned a lot and everyone says that I'm doing great.

Here I am with Mommy and Daddy in our first "formal" photo.

I'm sure many more will follow.

Wouldn't you say that Grama and Grampa look happy?

Grama says that this is her current favorite photo of me.

My mommy prayed I'd have a sweet disposition and here it is.

Daddy and I are nose to nose after my bath. This is the best part.

Grama and Mommy just love looking at me.
They think that I'm very handsome.

I think I'm really going to enjoy this bouncy seat,

especially with all my animal friends looking at me.

Judah is 6 Days Old

This smile is a token of more to come.

Now who are you again?

Judah is Grama's sunshine.

Kisses from Grampa as promised.

Jude with Momma and Daddy on day 6.

Judah is in his 5th Day

What a great night I had! I'm learning how to nurse and

am so happy and content. I only threw one tantrum last night

and Mommy, Daddy, and I slept in until 10:30! Wow!

Judah and his Lion

Jude meets his lion. The lion was given to Jude by his grandparents, Helen and LeRoy, before anyone knew that Judah's symbol would be a lion! By the way, the blue light under that blanket is the UV blanket used to lower his bilirubin count.

After His Bath

Judah recovers from his bath with Grampa Sam.

He knows he will LOVE his bath in a few more months.

The Long Journey Home

A happy momma returns home with precious cargo in tow. What a blessing!

Auntie Sarah and Grandparents Sam and Deborah surprised the new family with a welcome home sign.

Surprise, surprise, that's Anna crying in the back seat upon seeing the welcome home sign. Jude was unaware of the trip he was making.

Leaving the medical center.

Leaving the Hospital

B prepares for the most important drive of his life.

"Sweetie, I thought you read the directions on this thing."

The queen and her prince.

Getting Ready to Go Home

All ready for the long journey home (about 3.0 miles). Notice the lions on the blanket. That's the symbol for the tribe of Judah.

Removing the baby lo jack.

Momma had this gender neutral jumpsuit ready many weeks ago. Looks pretty good.

In a couple, out a trio.

Getting Some Sun

Here comes the Sun, little darling!

After Jude's bilirubin count came back a little high (an early indicator of jaundice), Grandparents give Jude some sun. We later learned that the windows don't pass UV light. Oh well, we tried.

Lazy Eater

In technical terms, Jude is a lazy eater. He hasn't quite figured out that he has to work, modestly, for his food. Making sure his systems get running, we're giving him a little breast milk.

The Little Family

Welcome to the clan, kiddo. Ready for fun?

A New Rotman

Can the world handle another Rotman?

Bonding with Chew Women

Jude's support team. He's a lucky guy.

Auntie soothes the little guy.

Auntie Sarah Meets Jude

To Jude's great pleasure, Auntie Sarah arrived from DC about 1:15 pm on Friday.

This is the making of a great relationship. Jude is impressed by all of his supporters.

It's Official

Dad makes it official by signing the birth certificate - Judah Rotman Sanchez has arrived! Houston, we've got.......a little Texan. Time to get boots and a six shooter.

Jude's First Bath

About 10:00 pm, we moved to the recovery room and Jude was given his first bath. It was not a welcome experience.

Not a happy camper.

All is well that ends well. Nice to see you again mommy.

Jude Meets Grandparents Rotman

After six hours of seclusion in our birthroom with no cell phone coverage, we started calling our family with the good news of Jude's arrival. We found Sam and Deborah waiting in the lobby of the hospital. Auntie Sarah was so anxious for the news that she had already rescheduled her flight to come in from Washington first thing Friday morning. Uncle Simeon was thrilled to hear it was a boy named Judah.

A proud new dad makes the call to Santa Fe where Grandparents Helen and LeRoy were eagerly awaiting the news. Helen and LeRoy were overjoyed, to say the least. They look forward to making the trip to Houston soon to meet little Jude. Aunt Holly in Denver was estatic about becoming an aunt for the first time and said she was so excited for Jude to meet his cousins Cebo, Dacia and Danika. Uncle Conor in Washington, DC said he looked forward to making many memories with his new nephew.

Jude Arrives

At 7:50 pm, following nearly 20 hours of labor, Judah Rotman Sanchez made his debut. Almost all predicted a little girl, including our incredible midwife Titi. As you might imagine, mom and dad were pretty surprised when she was a little he.

Jude, as we call him for short, weighed in at 7 lbs., 6 oz. and is 19.5 inches. Thanks to the skillful coaching by midwife Titi, Dad caught Jude on his way out and put him on Mom's chest.

Our midwife Titi coached Anna to a smooth, all natural birth. Titi was raised and trained in the UK and was a wonderful blessing. Titi later said to one of her fellow midwives that Anna had one of the most beautiful births that she has witnessed in 23 years. This is not to say that birth was easy by any stretch. Bryan told everyone after that he had never seen such human strength. He's pretty impressed by his bride. He was very proud to administer oxygen to the breathless mommy during the final and arduous stages of pushing.

Grandparents Rotman Arrive in Houston

Sam and Deborah just off the plane. They received the call just after 5:00 am and made a 7:50 am flight. When Sam answered the phone, clearly in a deep slumber, Bryan said, "Sam, this is the call you've been waiting for."

Grandma and Grandpa Rotman arrive just in time to see Anna and Bryan off to the hospital. Anna had been in labor since 12:30 am and active labor since about 6:30 am. Anna was pretty uncomfortable in this photo.

Having Fun to the End

Now, does this look like a woman that could give birth to a full term baby at any moment? A & B at Warehouse Live for the Dubrowski/Bering wedding extravaganza.

Making a New U2 Fan

Not deterred by 39 weeks and 1 day of pregnancy, Anna and Bryan do their part for humanity by introducing TeddyDora to U2. As indicated by the many kicks during the concert, it's clear we have a new Bono fan.