2009 Update

Once again I'm ridiculously behind on updating the kids' blog. Blame it on the holidays, work, having two kids, life, whatever you want really... I'm still vastly behind no matter what the excuse. So here is a short update for you on the kiddos.

Zan is a growing boy! He's grown 2 inches since this fall and is proud to tell that fact anyone who will listen. He's acting so grown up now. He loves to ride his bike when the weather permits (which isn't much) and plays video games with Daddy and draws with Mommy. He's still a fantastic big brother to Zo, though he gets easily irritated with her getting into his stuff and trying to eat his food. He's gotten really great at putting his thoughts into words, which has helped everyone a lot! He's definitely a boy, rather than a baby now. Sigh.

Zoey is growing, growing, GROWING!! She weighs over 20lbs now and is already starting to grow out of her 12 month clothes. This spells trouble for all of us who bought ahead for the summer. Yikes!! In the last few weeks, she's really started to blossom. She babbles nonstop now, even calling us mama and dada. She crawls at top notch across the room to whatever she wants, pulls herself up and cruises along the furniture, can let go and stand for small stints and walks really well holding onto our fingers. She can clap and will wave hello/goodbye to people. She really loves to play now and enjoys playing with us or quietly on her own. She even got her very first haircut today- she's now the proud owner of some cute little bangs. They make her look so grown. It's hard for us to believe that in 2 months she will be a year old!!!!

FYI- I have yet to start planning either child's birthday party (Zoey turns 1 on May 7 and Zan turns 4 on June 1), as the time just kind of snuck up on me. I suspect we will be doing a May 9 party for Zo and a June 6 party for Zan, for those family members wondering what to mark on their calendars.

Pictures of the Month

I've been incredibly neglectful of my blog as of late. Ok, honestly, since the very beginning, lol. So here is a short update and some pics for you!

Zoey turned 8 months old this month and at her doctor visit last week she weighed 19lb 7oz and was 26.5 inches long. Growing girl!! She's already filling out size 12 months clothes. She's getting so close to crawling now and is able to scooch herself all over the place using arms and legs, as well as rolling. She loves to walk everywhere holding onto our fingers. She is great now at sitting up and playing with things. Of course, her favorite thing is still eating, and she' thoroughly enjoying her foray into the world of big people food. So far there's not much she doesn't like.

Zan is the typical 3 year old boy. Full of energy and deep into the "why?" stage. Every explanation of why is followed up with another why, which is sometimes fun and sometimes insane. He's really great at understanding things now, drawing conclusions and problem solving. He also loves to entertain us with stories he makes up and little skits he puts on with his action figures.

Life around our house has been pretty insane lately. I'm still trying to finish up our New Years cards (I gave up on Christmas cards at the beginning of December) and get them out before February hits. Sigh. I'd like to say things are slowing down, but I'm not really sure that's true. That's ok though, it's all par for the course. ;)

And now for some pics!!

Above: Miss Zo loves to chase the camera.

Below: Zan and Zo still seem to totally adore each other!

Above: Zoey piggy tails!

Below: The cousins spend some time together at Grandparents
Tichenor's house for Xmas.

A couple of holiday shots!!

Update and Pictures of the Month

Since it seems I haven't updated this thing since October (yikes!), I figured I'd better get on here and do something!! So a quick update is in order. And yes, I changed it from "Pictures of the Week" to "Pictures of the Month", because now I'm being realistic. ;)

Zoey is coming up on 7 months old this Sunday and is just growing up WAY too fast. She's got 6 teeth now and is currently working on more. Zan only had only one or two by her age, so of course, she's already trying to outdo her big brother. She LOVES to eat and eats all sorts of baby food now, as well as a few table foods like breads, crackers and mashed fruit. We joke that with all of those teeth, she'll be eating steaks by the new year, lol. And with all that eating, she's closing in on 20lbs!! BIG girl! By comparison- Zan is only 29lbs. She sits up really well now on her own and rolls all over the place. She can also scoot herself forward with her back legs when she really wants to. I see crawling in her very near future! Watch out kitty!! As you can see, her hair is getting longer now and I am finally able to put it up into two cute piggy tails. She, of course, hates this. But I'm determined to get her used to it, as I've waited far too long to get to this fun part of motherhood. :)

Zan is 3 1/2 now and every bit the three year old. He's SO independent, sometimes to a fault. He dresses himself from head to toe, wants to try and get his own food and drink, does all his nightly chores himself (brushing teeth, going potty, etc.), and even if he can't do it, we still hear "let me try!". He has also REALLY reached the "why?" stage. It's fun, but often exhausting. Sometimes we just have to tell him "because that's the way it is". He likes to observe and comment on everything he sees, which leads to lots of interesting hypothesizing on his part. He's so smart and we often forget that even when he doesn't seem to be listening, he's listening. This is usually evidenced by some statement or action he does later. Fortunately, he hasn't really picked up on any bad habits by doing this... yet. He is still a smart ass though, just like his father. I often think that Zan is so much like Scott that it's scary, in both his mannerisms and the things he likes to do. Scott has definitely created himself a little "mini me". It will be interesting to see how he changes as he matures. Right now he's all about comic book characters, Star Wars, video games, soccer, watching football with Daddy, and fighting with his nerf swords. He's all boy. Except he likes to wear his mommy's shoes. ;)

Pictures of the Week

Saturday we paid a visit to The Great Pumpkin Patch in Arthur, IL. I'm so slow with getting things uploaded lately, that I'm just going to link these pics rather than upload them. They're a little pixelized as a result. Once I get around to actually uploading them they'll look a lot better. :)

So many pumpkins, so little time!! We told Zan he could pick out one big pumkin and he chose three little ones, which cost less than one big. AND he said one was for Zoey. Such a sweet boy!!

Zan on the giant pumpkins. They don't look as small anymore now that he's gotten so big. His first trip to the GPP was when he was Zoey's age.

Mommy and Zoey onthe giant pumpkins. She looked so
little in that sea of orange globes!!

My sweet little punkins in the pumpkins. :)

How tall this fall? For Zan, VERY tall!! I'll have to dig out an old picture of Zan's first visit to the patch.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

It's amazing to me how fast time has flown since Zoey was born. Or, for that matter, since Zan was born!! I have to admit, even though these last four months have been pretty difficult (learning to juggle two kids, living without sleep or free time, etc.), I have really had a blast. I know a lot of that comes from blocking out the bad stuff, but that's really what you have to do as a parent. It's a survival technique.

So, as I said, time flies when you're having fun.

On the 7th of this month, Zoey turned 4 months old, a fact that still astounds me. She had her 4 month well baby appointment shortly thereafter and weighed in at 14 lbs 4 oz and measured 24.5 inches long- over average in both departments! No wonder she's already in some of her 6-9 month clothes!! She's a growing girl!!

She's getting so big and so very close to mobile!! She already rolls, but she also tries awfully hard to sit up and she's doing her best to learn those all important motions for crawling. As it is, between rolling and a tiny bit of scooting, she is never in the same place we left her in the crib, playmat or floor. That, of course, means keeping a MUCH closer eye on her nowadays!

As part of her "growing up too fast" campaign, she got her very first tooth on the 13th and her second on the 18th. She is now the proud owner of two mommy biters! This explains the insane amount of drooling she'd been doing and the fact that she was trying to shove her entire fist in her mouth. I had been worried that if she were drooling and chewing this bad right now, how bad would it get before she got a tooth?!? Well, it turns out, not much worse- instead she just got the tooth. We were pretty surprised despite all those signs, as Zan didn't get his first tooth until he was nearly 6 months old. But it seems Zoey is well on her way to growing up. Next thing we know she'll be 13 going on 30 and I'll need some anti-anxiety medication.

On top of all this, she also started on solid food this week! When we'd met with the pediatrician she'd let us know that once Zoey stopped sleeping through the night (she'd been sleeping 6:30pm-6:30am EVERY night- yes, we are blessed) that we could go ahead and start giving her solid foods a little at a time. Well, Zoey must have been listening, because shortly after that (say 1-2 days) she started waking up a lot and eating a TON more during the day, never seeming full. So, on Thursday we started her on rice cereal. And I'll admit, since Zan was already on jar food at this point in his life (and the pediatrician said we could do so at our discretion), I felt like it was ok to add in some sweet potatoes as well. Otherwise that cereal just tastes like paste to me. And unlike some kids, I never liked paste. I had forgotten how fun it was seeing your baby take its first bite of food. At first she seemed disgusted and made all sorts of funny faces and pursed up her lips, refusing to let the spoon in. But, being a patient mommy (sometimes), I knew that as much as she liked to eat, she'd eventually enjoy this process. So we waited a bit, took some bottle, and then tried again. This time she seemed to realize what was going on and suddenly she couldn't get enough to eat! She'd grab my hand and pull the spoon into her mouth, giggling and gurgling and cooing while she downed a whole little bowl of food. After that, since her first meal left her such a mess, we had a long, splashy bath (she was such a mess that even Zan felt he had to help) and then she went blissfully to bed, where she slept all night. Yay!!!

Zoey tries her first food- rice cereal with sweet potatoes.

Mad that Mommy stopped feeding her to take pictures.

Happy baby post bath. Zoey loves baths and the splashing involved. She generally doesn't like getting out of the bath, but this time she didn't seem to mind and flashed her grin for the camera.

Zoey with her post bath afro. She got her Daddy's curls and since Zan volunteered to brush her hair after bath this time, she got especially bushy. Poor child.

I have to say, with those rough first few months behind us, I am really loving my sweet little girl. She really is such a layed back, happy baby. She's content to sit and cuddle when we don't feel like doing much. Or if we want to go out, she's fairly good about hanging out and taking a bottle or a snooze. She loves to sit and "chat" with anyone and breaks out the big smiles every time someone looks her way. I know she's going to be the typical chatty girl, as she will babble away at anyone or anything. Tonight she had a 20 minute conversation with one of the stuffed animals on her playmat while the rest of us had dinner. I'm looking forward to when she says her first words and wondering what they would be. As much as she loves her brother, I'm wondering if Zan will be her first word. Already she said to me this morning with a giant smile "Pllbbbbtt....Zah!!!" So she's just one consonant away. We'll see.

Since it wouldn't be fair for this entire post to be about Zoey, I have to give a little update on Zan as well. I have to be careful to not ovelook how much he is growing and changing. Though Zoey's growth is physically noticeable, Zan's is more subtle. His is in his changing interaction skills. His ability to communicate has really gotten great lately. He's started being able to talk about his feelings and it's been fun to hear him say things like "I love you too much Mommy", "I missed you so much Daddy", "I'm excited to go to big park today" and all about the things that make him happy or sad. He loves to tell you what went on in his day and continues to surprise us with the details he picks up when we think he's not paying attention. Just last weekend he recounted his first football game with daddy, telling me all about how the guys got points and then got to kick and there were fireworks and that two bad guys got hurt. I didn't realize till after when Scott told me that two of the opposing team members had gotten injured during the game. So he basically told me all about the game he'd seen. It was pretty cool.

We've had a good time this summer, when the weather is nice, going to the parks and playing outside. We recently rediscovered Carle Park, which is a really shady park in a nice neighborhood in Urbana- a big difference between the treeless park we usually go to. Though Meadowbrook Park is super nice with all the play structures, Carle Park has the trees and made visits to the park more appealing on those hot summer days. It's also much better for Zoey, who enjoys riding around in the Bjorn (front pack baby carrier), as she isn't forced to wear her giant sun hat, which blocks not only the sun, but also her ability to see anything. The other perk of Carle Park is that my friend Christine lives on the same street and we've gotten to get Zan and Annaliesa together quite a bit in the last few weeks, which they've both enjoyed.

Well, I'd better end this post, as it's gotten much longer than I'd planned. That's what happens when you rarely update and your kids don't slow down in growing!!

Labor Day

Well, I suppose I should keep trying to update this thing! I started this post a week ago, but things got hectic. More on that later.

Our little family decided to attempt the 8 hour drive to my family reunion in Iowa over Labor Day weekend and I'm happy to say, we survived... though just barely. The drive there was excellent with Zoey sleeping the entire drive and Zan behaving great. The drive home... well... it was, in a word, LOUD. Let's just say that when not sleeping, Zoey does NOT like to travel. And since Zoey only slept about 40 minutes total of the 8 hours we were in the car, she screamed the other 7 hours and 20 minutes. You might assume I'm exagerating. Trust me, I am not. It was painful. Even Zan, who was quite well behaved, was asking her to be quiet. I'm not sure why she refused to sleep, though the fact that she has a cold had, I'm sure, something to do with it. So by the time we all got home, we were on noise overload. Poor little Zoey cuddled up in her bed and zonked out for the rest of the night. We were all glad to be home again.

But we did have a great time in Iowa and I've got the pictures to prove it! :) For those of you who don't know, each year we drive to Northern Iowa to my aunt and uncle's farm to get together with my dad and his sister's branches of the family. It makes for a full house and we always enjoy spending the evenings laughing together in the garage turned rec room playing games and eating desserts. Our days are spent in various outdoor activities- fishing and hiking, working in the veggie gardens, driving the tractor (yes, even I've done this!!), cooking, playing games, relaxing on the porch, and generally having a good time. It's especially fun for us city folk to do the farm activities that country folk do each day. This year Zan got to help haul wood and dig up potatoes, which he really enjoyed.

We all enjoyed the gorgeous weather and the relaxation.

Camp fires, and the end of the weekend bonfire, are always a big part of our Labor Day get together. There's nothing quite like sitting by a roaring fire on a starry night. Zan always enjoys this experience for so many reasons, from learning about the science of the fire to eating the snacks we cook using it.

Yes, my child is covered in marshmallow. VERY sticky marshmallow. Each night we were there we lit the fire pit and toasted marshmallows. Zan LOVED this part of the evening more than anything. And of course, his enjoyment of it is visible all over his little face.

There is no denying my sister in law Haley loves babies! That means that little Zoey is totally spoiled by her.

Alexander LOVES his Uncle Kent. My brother claims to be uncomfortable around kids, but Zan doesn't seem to notice this or care. For some reason Zan claims with each visit that he must fight him. Hilarity ensues.

While we are on the topic of people who adore each other, I have to say, Zan and Zoey are the best of buds. I continue to be amazed at how great Zan is with his sister and how much he seems to love her. She, in turn, lights up every time he enters the room. It's just too darn cute. Scott and I adore each other too, even after 8 hours of driving. Amazing.

Zan adores being an ornery little camera ham.

PaPa adores his newest grandchild! And she's pretty fond of him too. :)

I really do have more photos to add, but for the sake of getting this online before NEXT Labor Day, I'll hold off.

I've got to get NAKED!!!

Those words are being uttered more and more frequently by my son as he arrives home each afternoon from daycare. This is quickly followed by a full strip show and the inability to get him back into pants until bedtime brings about the jammies. What spurred on this need for nudity I don't know, though my mom tells me she had the same problem with me as a child. The fact that I have grown out of this affliction saddens my husband greatly. Whether it's genetics or just the way kids are doesn't matter. The fact is that it happens. My son is a nudist. And quite a proud one at that. God forbid we have company stop by when Zan is going through his nakey time, because he will gladly prance around for anyone and everyone and shake what his momma gave him. And if we're really lucky, he'll shout "Look everyone! Look at my BOOTY!!" Aaah, yes, children keep you humble.

Pulling a Full Monty for family and friends aside, I tend not to care whether my child wanders around naked. Now don't get me wrong, I'm cautious about it. He's only allowed to be naked indoors. There are far too many pervs out there for running down the sidewalk sans pants like I apparently did as a child. Perhaps being a former child nudist myself has helped me be comfortable with the notion that kids just don't like clothes. My husband, on the other hand, is totally wigged out by the idea. He'll spend his entire evening trying to coax Zan back into a pair of pants. Secretly this makes me laugh harder than the prancing naked child. I'm not exactly sure why, but it does.

I think really the only thing that bothers me about this new stage of his is that sometimes I worry people will think my child is always naked. This is not a huge worry in the grand scheme of things to stress about, but it does occur in my mommy mind. Mostly because every single time my brother and his wife pay us a visit, my child is naked. It's like he can sense Uncle Kent and Aunt Haley are traveling east and the closer they get, the more clothing he shucks. It never fails, but by the time they are there, planned visit or not, he's naked. Perhaps it wouldn't worry me so much if my brother and sister in law had kids of their own. Then they would know how the mind of a three year old works (or as much as any of us can truly know) and know it's just a kid thing. Instead I worry that they're secretly as freaked out by it as my husband is; which means, in the end, Zan and I are the odd ones for finding the whole thing totally normal.

Upon typing that sentence I realize life is never really normal once you have children. I guess my definition of normal has just evolved to include a child who walks around with a sticker stuck to his forehead and socks on his feet- but nothing else.