15 month update

Z Salz doesn't look too happy in the picture above, but he had a blast at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens WOW park.  This was the one moment where he got in the middle of two kids jumping up and down in the water and splashing him. A priceless reaction.

The long cold winter is over and the weather has warmed.  Time for some fun in the sun!  We have enjoyed the days out at King Family Winery, Veritas, Carter's mountain, the Botanical Gardens, and numerous playgrounds.

The transition to the toddler room at Daycare went better than I expected.  He's taking great naps (2+ hours on average), singing, and learning new words.  He has a vocabulary of  about 18 words (some including: done, mama, dad, ball, bye bye, juice, Abby, eye, teeth, woof woof, meow, vroom).  He loves circle time and singing at school and it is so cute when he sings the "Wheels on the Bus."  He sings and motions the round and round part, and sings and motions "ish ish ish" for the wipers on the bus.  I'll get it on tape soon.

We had our first full blown temper tantrum this month as well!  Zach was angry at me for telling him that he had to get dressed if he wanted to go outside and play.  He became so frustrated that the got down on the floor with his face towards the ground and kicked and screamed arms and legs flailing.  It was all I could do to contain my laughter.  I had tried to calm him before the massive breakdown occurred, so when this happened...I figured my best bet was to ignore it.  He cried for 25 minutes straight before realizing that it wasn't getting him anywhere.  I'm SO glad this happened at home and not out in public.

We broke down and bought a portable DVD player for our cars.  After several 3+ hour trips in the car by myself with him, it simply had to be done.  Zach hates car rides, and Mommy hates long car rides with Zach. Yo Gabba Gabba (and nothing else) keeps him mesmerized for hours.  It is insanely scary how tuned in to the screen he can become.  We try to use is minimally and only for long trips. He thinks he can have it at all times and even when we remove the screen from the back of the seat, he'll point to the seat and say "woof woof" (because we got an RCA player that shows a dog before the DVD starts to play).  We don't feel confident enough to try headphones so Adam and I get to listen in for the whole trip....ugh.  I must say though, it is better than a screaming baby.

Camp Be Be, Pop Pop

It has been 8 months since we left Zach for a night alone together. And ohh my gosh,WE NEEDED IT! We love our son dearly, but every now and then, it is great to get away as a couple.  Adam and I planned a romantic getaway to the Inn at Little Washington, and then went on to "Big" Washington where we visited the Newseum, and met up with some friends for dinner and libation. 

Zach, in turn, spent the weekend at Camp Be Be, Pop Pop.  They spoiled him rotten. He went to the Virginia Aquarium, visited a petting zoo, spent time at the park, had breakfast at Cracker Barell with his great grandparents, and lunch with his great Bubbie.  He had a GREAT time, and his face says it all.

Spring time fun

I'm a "Wee bit Irish"

His Mother's maiden name is McPherson you know! Happy St. Patricks day!  While we won't be partaking in Green eggs and ham (and green milk) or green bagels for that fact (thanks for all the wonderful memories mom), I did get in the spirit and dressed my little irish lad up in a spiffy green outfit.  We put it on the afternoon before the big day so we could take some good pictures while the weather was nice.  He'll wear it to school tomorrow.

More separation anxiety this month.  Apparently this isn't uncommon around this stage as they learn to walk and explore a little with more independence, still wanting reassurance from Mom that everything is "Ok."  He gets a little upset when I drop him off at daycare, and has become increasingly upset with Adam taking care of him at night with his bedtime routine.  While he's fine with me holding him and reading a book before bed, he throws a tantrum if Daddy tries to do it.  While it is sad to watch him get so upset, it does reassure me that he feels secure and bonded with his Mommy.

No new words this month, but plenty of new teeth. He's got six teeth now, three on the bottom, and four on the top. We got him a little play lawnmower and he's had a great time pushing that around.  The snow finally melted this month, so we've been able to play outside and running around on the driveway is his newest favorite thing to do.  He's not so steady on the grass yet so he can't appreciate it the way he can the driveway and garage! 

He's growing so fast. Zach will be sleeping on a cot in  the toddler room at daycare for the first time tomorrow...can't wait to see how that goes.

13 months: Walkin' and Talkin'

On your mark.  Get set. GO! Vrrrrm, Vrrrrmmm.....Annnnnnd, He's Off!  Our little man started walking the day he turned 13 months old.  He started taking a step or two to get from one object to another about a month ago. He even surprised us with about 5 straight steps to my mother on his 1st birthday, but not much else until Februrary 16th.  I'm not sure if there is something in the brain that just "clicks" or if he just didn't have the confidence to try it on his own until then, but once he started taking a few steps (when there was nothing close to him to get to), he became a pro in less than a day's time.  He is now walking everywhere and crawls only when he trips and needs to find the nearest object to pull himself up on to take off again.  He hasn't figured out how to stand up on his own without the help of a stabilizing object, but he's working on it.

Zach has started talking much more this month.  He prefers to verbalize noises that animals or trucks make over real words, and I think it is just hillarious.  When asked what "Abby dog says?" He replies "Woof, Woof." He also say's meow, Vrrrrmmm (for truck), ball, bottle (although I can proudly say we put those away for good two days ago), bubbles,cheese, Abby (sounds more like Adda), Momma, and Dada.  He points at everything and says "Wassdat."  or "dat" I'm not so sure that he is actually asking about what the object is, but we humor him and repeat over and over the name of the thing he is pointing at (usually a ceiling fan or light switch).

He is being transitioned into the toddler room at daycare this month, so they have started him on one nap a day. I'm not too thrilled about the one nap thing, I don't think he's ready yet, but I love that the toddler room is going to be more stimulating for his growing brain. They do arts and crafts every day, have circle time, reading time, and music time. 

Zach still has four teeth (3 on the bottom, and one on the top).  I keep thinking that a few more are going to pop through any day, but it has been a month since we've had any teeth action.  Maybe we'll see a change in month 14!

12 months = 1 Year!

Dearest Zach Man,

One year ago you were yanked brought into this world by Cesarean after 20 hours of induced labor.  You were 10 days past your due date, and must have been so warm and comfy in my tummy that you never wanted to come out.  You had a great set of lungs and started SCREAMING as soon as they took you out. You then proceeded to scream for the next 30 minutes.  Your father and I looked at each other as I lay on the operating table thinking..."What have we gotten ourselves into?"  I'm sure that is a phrase we'll use a lot in the next 17 years.

In the last year we've learned so much about you, your personality, and how you view the world.

You are an affectionate little man.  For the first three months of your life, you wanted to be held (while moving) at all times.  Your father and I may have permanent indentations in our skin from the amount of time we spent wearing you in various baby carriers.  You still love to be held and carried, and much prefer this method to sitting in a stroller or shopping cart.  You've become accustomed to being held and since you've gotten older, have decided that you will point your way to where you want us to take you.

You LOVE music and lights. You have danced since the day you were born.  From the mobile that streamed animals on the ceiling, to the colorful blinking star on your playmat, music and lights had you hooked from day one.  You dance to music now, clapping your hands, stommping your feet, and shaking your little head.  It is too cute.  One of your favorite pastimes is to have your father or I carry you around the house to various light switches so that you can turn them off and on.  You stare at them and then point at the light and go "Oooooooh."  Honestly, nothing seems to fascinate you more than light switches,ceiling fans, or singing animal toys. This fascination with music has been much to the delight of your father and me.  We can't wait to start you on your first instrument and we've been talking about what you'll play since before you were born (Dad wants you to learn the Sax, and Mom wants you to start with piano and then choose whatever suits your fancy).

You are very opinionated. You have never been shy about letting your feelings be known, and have the personality of a true first born!  You grunt anytime someone does something you don't like or find amusing (something you inherited from your dear mother). I find your grunts amusing and usually laugh at you, which only makes you angrier, especially when I copy you and echo your grunt right back. When you are very frustrated or mad, you dump buckets of toys upside down and then proceed to throw them at me. I don't appreciate this behavior, so we're going to work on proper expression of feelings this year. Ok Zach?!

You are well adjusted and trusting.  You haven't gone through the separation anxiety phase that most little ones your age have.  While you love your Mom and Dad, and squeal with delight when we come to pick you up from Day Care, you NEVER cry when we drop you off.  In fact, the other day when I dropped you off, I asked you if you would say goodbye to me.  You promptly crawled away towards the toys while waving your hand goodbye at your back without even looking towards me!  You love to be with your grandparents, babysitters, and just about anyone who will give you the time of day.  You don't like to be left alone, but as long as someone is in the room you are a happy guy.

You are an explorer and like to test your limits. The word "No" makes you laugh.  You look at me and shake your head no at the same time, and then proceed to attempt to do whatever I just told you that you shouldn't do!  You can get very frustrated when you don't get what you want, and if not properly distracted, have been known to pitch fits I thought were only capable of toddlers twice your age.

Like your father, you seem to have a "go with the flow" attitude.  Being in new environments doesn't faze you, in fact, you enjoy it. You are great in restaurants, good with new people, and love to play with other children.  We can, and do, take you everywhere and usually don't have a problem with you settling right in. You are a delightful baby.

Your father and I have had so much fun watching you grow into this sweet, playful, opinionated, trusting, explorer of a boy. You brighten my day with your kooky 4 tooth smile. You make me laugh. You make me smile.  At times you make me frustrated. But you always make me so happy and grateful that I have you in my life!  I couldn't imagine life without you my darling boy.

Love,
Mommy