"What I Love" Month 13

1. I love that he thinks its fun to play in the dogs' kennel.
2. I love that he wasn't interested in riding the merry-go-round at the State Fair. Its a reminder that he isn't going to like everything I expect him to like and I can't push if he isn't ready.
3. I love that he loves the corn dogs at the State Fair.
4. I love that he has discovered the recycling bin in the garage and pulls out all my diet coke cans to carry around.
5. I love that when we play outside he will pick up a piece of sidewalk chalk, look right at me, and take a bite. Then immediately spit it out. Then do it again.
6. I love that when we leave his school we MUST touch the scarecrows in the nose. All 5 of them.
7. I love his huge smile when his dad and I have a "kiss fest" and kiss him at the same time on each cheek before he goes to bed at night.
8. I love when he claps at the end of each song on the Nursery Rhyme CD we listen to in the car...even though we listen to it over and over and over.
9. I love that he has tried eating sticks out of the yard. Several of them. It reminds me that everything is brand new to him and is worth exploring. Or in this case, worth tasting.
10. I love that his face lit up each and every time we greeted a trick-or-treater at the door on Halloween.

ZCC

In the true spirit of being a little boy, Z has been

trying all sorts of new things lately.

Like eating sticks.

And carrying my Halloween dish towels out into the yard.

And playing chase around the cars.

And sitting in the back of his dump truck while eating an apple.

Push momma!!!

Halloween Preview

Here is a quick Halloween preview!

Zach the Dinosaur!

From the front

and from the top

and the back

and with the dad

ZCC

Z looks more and more like his dad every day

Enjoying some cinnamon toast his dad made

Relaxing on the way home from school

Running around the house laughing at nothing

Yum! French fries

Becoming more and more adventurous!

Picking Pumpkins 10.4.08

Last weekend we took Z to pick pumpkins

Here he is with mom

And mom and dad

When can we carve it?

Macy loves the pumpkins too!

"What I Love" Month 12

1. I love the way he archs his back and bends way over backwards because he wants to be picked up and turned upside down over my shoulder.
2. I love the way that when he finishes his bottle at bedtime, he tosses it down, turns over on my chest, and goes to sleep. Just like its supposed to happen that way.
3. I love that he sits in my lap every morning while I put on my make up in front of the bathroom mirror.
4. I love the way he will pick up a book, walk over to where I am, turn around, then back up until he touches me, then plops down in my lap.
5. I love when we are playing outside and he purposely picks up Macy’s favorite toy, then he takes it to her, touches her in the mouth with it, and then takes off the other direction. He is so trying to get her to play with him.
6. I love how both Mollie and Macy are becoming his real playmates.
7. I love that he still loves Maggie and he still loves Willa.
8. I love that he has discovered how to make a "tripod" by placing his forehead on the ground and letting go with his arms.

"What I Love" Month 11

1. I love when he “freezes” whenever something or someone is new to him.
2. I love his stutter giggle.
3. I love when he sits on his knees to play with his toys. It serves as a reminder that he is growing up and not a baby anymore!
4. I love the way we MUST stop at the fishtanks at school when I drop him off in the mornings. He loves pointing at the fish.
5. I love that he loves bananas so much that he tries to stuff all the pieces in his mouth at once and tries to eat them in the peel as soon as I put them in the grocery basket!
6. I love that he loves ice cream cones.
7. I love that he loves to sit at his picnic table and actually color with crayons.
8. I love that he was so hesitant to be messy with his birthday cake, it reminds me that he is his father's child.

"What I Love" Month 10

1. I love the way he gets so excited to climb the stairs, like he is doing something he knows he is not supposed to!
2. I love the way he likes to climb to the back of the couch and stare outside, like he is going to spot a squirrel before his dogs do.
3. I love that he fell asleep in his stroller on two of our evenings walks, I love that they relax him.
4. I love the way he is SO interested in the refridgerator and has to check it out every time its opened!
5. I love that he discovered the toilet paper holder this month and how he thinks it is so funny to unwrap the paper.
6. I love the way he tries to "taste" flowers instead of trying to smell them.

"What I Love" Month 9

1. I love when he is about just about asleep and he lets me place my hand on the back of his head and rub with my thumb behind his ears.
2. I love that he is so interested in watching his Grandma's chickens in her yard.
3. I love that he loves to hug Maggie, his Grandma's great pyraneese.
4. I love that he loves to play in his swimming pool in the backyard.
5. I love that he likes to go for rides in the laundry basket!

"What I Love" Month 8

1. I love the way he laughs when he sees Macy jump in the car when we get home each night from work.
2. I love the way he lays his head on my shoulder for a quick “rest”.
3. I love knowing that once I lay him down in the crib, the next time I check on him he will be 180 degrees in the opposite direction
4. I love when he plays peek-a-boo with the curtains in the living room.
5. I love when he plops down flat on a floor pillow or climbs to the top of a mound of towels.
6. I love when he laughs when I blow him a kiss.
7. I love how he “huff huff huffs” when he gets excited.
8. I love that he likes to chew on the bottom end of water bottles, just like his puppy Macy.
9. I love that he learned to crawl this month!
10. I love when he plays "tug-o-war" with his puppies and their toys.

"What I Love" Month 7

1. I love the way his face lights up when he’s playing in his crib and he sees me for the first time in the morning. He kicks his little legs and thrusts his little arms to his sides and giggles.
2. I love when I pick him up from school and he instantly turns around at the sound of my voice.
3. I love the way he puts his silkie blankie over his face when he sleeps.
4. I secretly love that he wakes up at 5am every morning….even when I am tired and cranky and take it out on Max. I love that I get that extra time with him in the mornings instead of having to rush around before work and school.
5. I love that he smiles in anticipation of the tickling that comes with the “last little piggie”.
6. I love the way he moves so fast in his walker up and down the driveway, like he is sprinting.
7. I love that he goes on "squirrel patrol" with his puppy dogs by staring endlessly out the back door into the backyard.

"What I Love" Month 6

1. I love that he learned to clap this month!
2. I love to watch him play with his toys, especially his yellow duck that "quack quack quacks".
3. I love that he sat in the steering wheel of Papa Ron's old '56 just like his mom used to.
4. I love that he is fascinated with Willa, Papa Ron's donkey.
5. I love that he had a poopy diaper when he sat on the Easter Bunny's lap at the Baldwin Easter Egg hunt.
6. I love that he loves to look at and point to thing in his 100 First Words big picture book before bed.
7. I love that he tried Grandma's homemade chicken and noodles for the first time!

"What I Love" Month 5

1. I love that when he really gets to kicking and bouncing in his jungle bouncing chair he lets out a high pitch shreak of excitement.
2. I love that although he can barely move forward and backwards in his walker, he never tires of it out on the patio.
3. I love that he loves to pull his own socks off and can be entertained by this for quite a while.
4. I love how messy his face gets now that he is eating real foods.
5. I love that he can finally get his toes in his mouth!
6. I love that he wobbles back and forth like he is drunk when he is trying to sit by himself.

"What I Love" Month 4

1. I love that he likes to "splash" by kicking his legs in the bathtub and he smiles when the water hits him in the face.
2. I love that he is starting to be interested in toys, like his "taggy" ball from Grandma Sally, his large giraffe from Aunt Annie, and his "horsie" from Granmom.

"What I Love" Month 3

1. I love that he hates to wear hats and tries to remove his stocking cap as soon as I put it on his head.
2. I love that he clings to "monkey man" while he sleeps.
3. I love that he enjoys the johnny jumper.
4. I love that his Grandma was the first one to feed him rice cereal.
5. I love that he "found" his feet this month.
6. I love that he smiles when I kiss the crook where his neck meets his shoulder.

"What I Love" Month 2

1. I love that he stares at himself in the KitchenAid stainless steel mixing bowl while I am changing his diaper.
2. I love that he clings to "monkey man" from his jungle playmat. We take him wherever we go.
3. I love that he enjoys being outside.

"What I Love" Month 1

1. I love that when I look away for just a moment while he is sleeping I can look back and his frobbie is in some funny position on his face, anywhere except for in his mouth.
2. I love he lets his Grandad hold him like a football, tucked under his arm and near his stomach.
3. I love he cries when I put on his Halloween costume.
4. I love that he is more awake this month.
5. I love that he smiled at his Dad first, then his Grandma.

"What I Love" Month 0

1. I love that when he is crying and I have no idea what is wrong I can calm him down by singing Carrie Underwood while dancing around the kitchen.
2. I love that when he is crying and his dad has no idea what is wrong he can calm him down by turning on the hand vacuum.
3. I love his “café au lait” spot on his chest, I know he’s “mine”.
4. I love that his little legs still fold up like he's sitting indian style.
5. I love that it never fails that when we are exactly 1/2 way through our morning walk and the farthest distance away from our house is when he decides to cry and want to be held.

State Fair or Texas 9.27.08

Recently we took Z to the State Fair of Texas.

Here he is with "Big Tex".

Z had his first ride on a merry-go-round! Okay, so he tolerated his first ride anyways. There was no way he was going to let me actually sit him on a horse, so we stood next to one instead. Maybe next year.

Heaven is a corn dog at the State Fair.

Zach enjoyed the petting zoo, but not this huge camel that decided to come lay next to him when he walked up to the pen.

A day at the State Fair makes for one sleepy boy by lunchtime.

Monthly "Favorite Things about Z" List

When Z was born I started jotting down all the things I loved about him and I have kept the practice up because it helps me remember all the special little things he does that I would otherwise forget due to the phenomena of "momnesia". I will be posting these lists soon and then will post a list each month of all the incredible things I love about him as he grows.

Hello! Hello?

Now that Z is a year old, I wanted to create this site for two reasons. First, to chronicle all the amazingly wonderful things that I love about him, month by month and secondly, to be able to share them with our family and friends. I am grateful to everyone that indulges me with my weekly picture updates, but I am sure that scrolling through 70 photos a week isn't fun for most people (except for his dad and I of course). This site will allow me to share the life of ZCC, but now only when you choose. :)