10 months

Really? 10? Double digits? Are you serious?

My big guy. You turned 10 months old on a Monday. It was the first day back to work/school after a nice Christmas vacation. After we'd made you CIO (cry it out for those not in the know) during your overnight wake-ups for the past few days. You were tired and not really in the mood for a 7am photo session. But you are still adorable.



You are also in desperate need of a hair cut which I can't bring myself to get you yet - it is too cute, even if it is in your eyes. But the back. It is getting curls! Do you see that? Curls!



Your onesie (from your besties Hannah and Hunter) says it is for a 24 month old. Either you are really big or Gerber's sizing is wack. And in case you forget, or your preferences change (ha!), at 10 months old, that book in the bottom corner of that picture is your current favorite. Peakaboo kisses. If I dare to even try to read you a different one at bedtime before doing this one you will reach down off the chair to get this one. That elmo one in the basket is also a big favorite. It's a fun one for mom and dad too because it has a finger puppet elmo. Who could ask for more?

You finally learned how to clap (after months of us trying to get you to do it). And you couldn't have started at a more perfect moment (While enjoying a great New Year's Day tradition of watching PSU in their New Year's Day bowl game with a bunch of our favorite friends and eating pork and sauerkraut). I didn't make you try sauerkraut yet, heck, I only half force myself to eat it so I don't have bad luck all year.




I have to say, so far we are loving having a 10 month old. You are so much fun and learning new things every day (should we talk about this sleeping thing some more? You are rocking it, kid! Thanks to your aunt Crystal for holding my hand through the hardest day - it's been mostly smooth sailing ever since). You even graduated from the duckie to the big kid tub (well, the duckie popped a leak, but you don't seem to mind one bit).

I can't wait to see what the next month brings!

A new year - FINALLY a new blog post

It appears *someone* took a vacation from not just work, but also anything related to computers and technology. I'm so behind on my photo uploading and blogging it was like my poor kid skipped Christmas or something.

I promise you, he did NOT!


Zane's first Christmas was definitely one to remember. Well, he won't remember, but the rest of us certainly will. And there are plenty of photos to remind of us his first pair of cute little plaid Christmas jammies (and slippers), how he tried to eat the cookie that he was supposed to be leaving for Santa (shoved that thing RIGHT in his mouth), and that his favorite present was the tickle me elmo (fitting since I received one myself, many Christmases ago from my sneaky college friends the year it first came out and people were going crazy for them. You know they were good friends, since they probably could have made some cash off of it, but instead they kept it and actually gave it to me. I wonder where that elmo is today?)

And here it is, 2010 already. A new year. It will be hard to top 2009, that's for sure. I mean, Zane arrived and we bought our first house. What's left in the big life decisions after those two? I'm not a big "resolution" person. I don't do a great job of keeping them anyway (a rare exception was the year I turned 30 I actually joined ww and lost the weight - which I have since gained back but also gained a number of wonderful friends from that adventure). But, this year, I'd like to take a bit more time to sit back and truly enjoy the gifts I've been given in my life. Enjoy the little moments with my husband and my fantastically adorable son. And always try to carry a cute purse :)

Christmas Traditions

Christmas is definitely my favorite holiday. I think because it is a season ripe with holiday traditions. People tend to do the same things over and over again, year after year because they are fun and comforting and familiar. To some this might seem boring, but I adore traditions and well, I never was really good with change.

My mother will tell you that I hold long and hard onto holiday traditions. Case in point - the advent calendar. We had a big advent calendar on our wall each Christmas season and each day had a pocket that held a little piece of paper. Every morning my brother and I would race to the calendar to see what piece of joy the paper held. Sometimes it said "A Christmas Treat!" which might be a little debbie christmas tree cupcake (yes, I still love them, bought them at target yesterday in fact) or "Go get our Christmas tree!" or, on December 24th each year it would say: "Read a Christmas story together". Needless to say, my poor Mother had to keep buying treats for this tradition long into our adult years. Last year she gave the advent calendar to me, and while Zane is still a little young to care about the fun goodies and events that might be tucked into the pockets, I am just overjoyed at thinking about the fun we will have together in Decembers to come.

If I were filling out those little pieces of paper already, last Sunday's would have said "Christmas Time in the City!". Enjoying Christmas in the city (with a trip to Center City Macy's and their annual Dicken's Village display) is a tradition that Mahmood and I started before Zane was born, and we got to share it with him for the first time this year. Sharing this with Zane and watching him take in all the lights and sounds was so much fun and isn't that what traditions are all about anyway?

9 months

9 Months. That is how long we waited for you. We watched my belly grow. We picked out names (Hard to imagine you as a Nathaniel or a Micah now...you are definitely a Zane through and through). We put together toys and furniture. We kept watching my belly grow. It seemed like an eternity. And then you got here. And now? 9 months have flown by.

You completely light up our lives. You make us laugh with joy and amazement each and every day. You worry us too sometimes, but that's just what parents do. You entertain us with your new games. Right now you're all about peek-a-boo. You show everyone. The check out guy, the waitress, Santa. They all get to play peek-a-boo with you. And they do. You have two teeth. You move around a room with the precision of an assasin. You're eating new foods everyday and showing some definite likes (banana, mango, avocado, chicken) and dislikes (corn! How can you grow up in PA and not like corn?) and some things that you unfortunately are allergic to (lentils - who gives their baby lentils anyway, sorry about that one kiddo! and peas). You love your toys (especially your fisher price farm) and are starting to not like it when someone leaves the room even when you are happily playing all on your own (and for our own good probably, since now if we leave the room you can get into some serious trouble what with that whole moving around thing and all). You love eskimo kisses (or forehead rubbing - who knows what tribe expresess affection that way) and big giant hugs and we hope you never stop being the super-cuddler that you are now.

9 months is a long time to get ready for a baby. It seems like an eternity. But then you get here and time starts wizzing by in a flash. Suddenly you're becoming a big kid and before I know it you'll be running after me and another 9 months will fly by. Don't let it pass me by without stopping for a hug now and then? Ok pal?

Love you!
Your mom and dad

p.s. here's what you looked like on your 9-month birthday. Your cousin Aimee made you this super cool lion onesie all by herself. She's pretty crafty isn't she? if you look REALLY closely at the picture you can see those two shiny new toofers.

A quick post-November update

Oh November, where did you go?

November was a big month for Zane. He graduated to a new big-boy car seat (which he seems to really like a lot), got two front teeth (guess Santa came a little early for Zane), started picking up finger foods and feeding himself, and started scotting around the floor mission command style. Yep, watch out folks, we are mobile.

And I wonder why I had no time for blog-writing?! I barely had any time for picture-taking. But, I managed a few. Here's a quick look at some fun November days.

Showing off his standing skills. Working on his "music". (this reminds me of a Friend's episode with Ross and his terrible keyboarding).


A little fun in the leaves while Dad rakes on a pretty fall day.


Some Thanksgiving day fun. I pretty much kiss Zane every time I pick him up. He's started "kissing" back. Or maybe he's a cannibal? By the way, that's Dallas in the picture in the background. We were trying to get a picture of Zane next to the picture of Dallas. It is pretty amazing how much he looks like D did as a baby.

Taking a picture of an 8 month old...

....while sitting in a chair takes a great amount of patience and an empty flash card.



*Mr. Universe onesie made by the wonderful and talented Jay. I think Zane takes the Mr. Universe title very seriously, don't you?

A little bit of fall-time fun

So, even though October ended on a sad note, despite our deepest wishes and prayers, we still managed to sprinkle in a few moments of joy. All in thanks to one fantastic little guy.

We missed the first trick-or-treat night in our new house (thanks to Mark and Candy for handing out our candy and letting all the neighbors know that the new kids on the block are not haters. Thanks to you, our pumpkin remained intact and there was no tp in our trees when we got home on Saturday). We were probably more sad for ourselves, since Zane wouldn't remember his first door-to-door trek around the new 'hood. Instead we visited our local mall a few days before Halloween so that Z could step out in his costume.

M's knickname is Mouse. Has been since college and I'm pretty sure I knew him as this, and not his real name for a couple of months until I finally learned his real name. So, it was only fitting that Z (who I used to refer to as mini-mouse before we knew what his name would be) dress like a mouse. I'm pretty sure this will be the last year that I'll actually get to select his costume for him. Next year I have a feeling he might have some strong opinions on the matter. So, for now, I present you with the world's most adorable mouse:

He also dressed up as Superman in honor of his Pop3.

And it wasn't all costume fun. We took Z to his first pumpkin patch (where he got to "pick" apples out of a giant bin which I made into his favorite snack, applesauce) and made his first art project at school (handprints on a pumpkin and footprints turned into ghosts).



Hard to believe that November is here already. I'll be back later with pictures of our *8* month old. GULP.