Tiny Creatures

BFF

2011-12-23T18:07:00.002-05:00

Isabel and Zak were having one of those silly sibling arguments at dinner tonight. "She's my mommy!" "No, my mommy!", ad nauseum. Determined to win the fight, Zak ran up to me, looked up with his big brown eyes, and asked, "Mommy, you my best friend?"

BFFs for as long as you want me, little buddy!

Leaves

2011-11-13T14:16:00.001-05:00

We have one maple in the back yard that accounts for 95% of our fall leaves. This year we put the kids to work raking the yard, but they managed to have fun with it.

Halloween

2011-11-13T14:05:00.001-05:00

After much discussion, speculation, and one long trip to the costume store the kids finally decided on (drum roll, please) Super Girl and Buzz Lightyear! They looked too cute but could barely stay still for the obligatory pictures.

Zak didn't remember what this Halloween thing was all about, so Isabel led the way. He caught on quick, though after the first house he asked me about 10 times "We go nutha house mama? Mama we go nutha house?"

I expected Isabel to go the distance, but was surprised when Zak wanted to keep going after we hit all the houses in the cul de sac. I kept asking him if he was tired until he finally replied indignantly, "I not tired! I just happy." That's parenting gold, folks.

Oh, and just for the sake of completeness, here's what I wore to the company Halloween party:

Pumped for Pumpkins

2011-11-13T13:52:00.001-05:00

Pumpkin season! We went back to the Circle S farms on a windy fall day and did every family-friendly hay-themed activity you can think of... hay maze, hay ride, even hay slides. The kids picked out some pretty pumpkins along the way.

Last Day of Soccer

2011-11-13T13:46:00.001-05:00

Unfortunately I don't have action shots of Isabel playing soccer because Kyle coaches the games and I chase Zak around. You'll just have to take my word that she improved so much since the last season. She was much more aggressive and seemed to understand better where to put her body to get or block balls. It was fun to watch her play. Here she is getting her end of season trophy.

The Race

2011-11-13T13:26:00.001-05:00

It's so nice to work in a building that has a gym on the ground floor; I have no excuses. I'd been working at improving my 5K results, and now it was the day of reckoning... the Game Day 5K. We had perfect weather, cool and sunny. My fan club came along for support.

About half way through I started thinking, would it be so wrong if I just walked the second half? But two things kept me going... my family was waiting at the finish line and the teenage whippersnapper hot on my heels.

I was so happy... I ran a personal best 23:47 and was the top female finisher! But the best part was when Kyle told me afterwards that Isabel had said someday she wanted to be fast like mommy.

Perfect Fall Day

2011-09-17T21:25:00.001-04:00

It was gorgeous today: 70 degrees and sunny. We took advantage of the weather to go apple picking. I was afraid there wouldn't be enough to keep the kids interested but they loved it. They both thought it was so cool to pick their own apples, plus there was a "barrel train", a hay ride, a corn maze, and lots of food. Zak, who has never been that crazy about apples before, was begging for more on the way home. They taste so much better when they're fresh off the tree!

The Tooth Is Dead; Long Live the Tooth!

2011-08-27T13:42:00.003-04:00

Isabel lost her first tooth yesterday while eating her breakfast pancake. Her new tooth is already coming in.

And in case you were wondering, the tooth fairy brought her a pack of Pokemon cards.

Summer Vacation

2011-08-27T13:08:00.004-04:00

August 18-24, we packed up and visited NC. The travel gods were smiling on us; we managed to miss an earthquake (we were in the air) and a hurricane (which is passing through NC as I write this). The weather was wonderful; it's normally hellishly hot there this time of year but during our trip is was very pleasant. We spent quality time with my mom, her boyfriend Dan, my brother Danny, and his girlfriend Randi in Sanford (cue Sanford & Sons theme song). We visited the Depot park (Zak is still talking about the choo choo) and Adventure Landing in Raleigh.

After a few days there, the Keepers and my mom headed for the beach. Zak was terrified of the waves but enjoyed the sand. Isabel ran right into the ocean, although she preferred the pool overall. Other than my hair being a disaster the entire trip, everything went smoothly and we had a fun last hurrah before heading back to OH in time for Kindergarten to start.

Blackmail Material

2011-08-17T10:15:00.003-04:00

We've been working on and off with Zak on potty training. To make the experience a fun and pleasant one, I've been reading him books while he sits. But Isabel has taken over that role; she likes to read him books and he loves listening. Maybe I can use this photo on his graduation day...

The Big K

2011-08-17T10:02:00.003-04:00

You might not think to look at it, but this is a sad picture...

Today I dropped my only daughter off at Kindergarten. And it wasn't even REAL Kindergarten, just a 2 hour meet-the-teacher/child assessment but it still made me cry on the way home. Isabel didn't seem sad, however. Excited, nervous, and then happy to see a buddy from her daycare, but not sad (as the picture will attest to!). I'm so proud of her, I know she'll do great today... but in the meantime I'm counting the minutes until I can pick her up.

Call the Tooth Fairy

2011-07-30T13:08:00.004-04:00

When I got home Thursday night, Isabel had some exciting news for me: "I have a loose tooth!"

I was stunned. In my mind, my baby girl is too young for such a monumental milestone. My eyes actually got a little watery but I kept it together for her sake. Lucky girl gets to show off the hole in her mouth on the rapidly approaching first day of kindergarten. Now the tooth fairy has some serious thinking to do... how much is a first tooth worth?

The Potty King

2011-07-11T21:45:00.002-04:00

Today I walked into Zak's classroom and as soon as he saw me he yelled, "I go potty!" His teacher confirmed it; my little man used the potty for the first time today! I know from experience we've got a long way to go, but this is the beginning of the end of diapers.

At home, Zak, Isabel, and I spent a good 20 minutes in the bathroom together. Zak sat on his little potty while Isabel and I read books to him. Isabel is such a sweet big sister (well, most of the time); she was so encouraging to him and did a wonderful job making bathroom time "fun" for him. Hopefully in 6 months... maybe a year (sigh) he'll be all toilet trained.

Worker Bees

2011-06-25T15:59:00.002-04:00

Cleaning the floors: backbreaking chore or fun game? Somehow I've managed to convince the kids this is a treat; they were begging for more this morning. Now that's good parenting!

Pomp & Circumstance

2011-05-29T13:26:00.004-04:00

I don't know how she managed to get so old already, but we suddenly find ourselves the proud parents of a pre-k graduate! Her school had a little ceremony for the kids, with robes, caps, diplomas - the whole bit. Isabel did a wonderful job during the event.

Next year, our gal will be attending half day public kindergarten/half day at Goddard. Her mother may not be ready for all this but I guess I have the summer to get used to the idea!

Mother's Day Weekend

2011-05-29T13:10:00.003-04:00

I may be behind on my blog posts, but at least this one is getting written in the same month that the event took place! Mother's Day weekend was really wonderful this year because my mom and her "super boyfriend" Dan came to visit. As a surprise gift to her, Dan arranged for my brother to come to Columbus as well. And what did we do with my mom once she was here? We made her cook! It wasn't all work, though; we also went to Isabel's soccer game, Inniswood Gardens, and the zoo. And it goes without saying that Isabel and Zachary loved all the extra spoiling.

Do Not Disturb

2011-05-09T21:46:00.002-04:00

Zak takes nap time very seriously. He always sleeps like this!

Good Eggs

2011-05-09T21:29:00.004-04:00

My dad and Pam were supposed to visit in March during his spring break, but once they heard the whole house was infected with a virulent stomach bug they wisely rescheduled for Easter. The weather wasn't great (rainiest April ever, lucky us!) but we managed to have plenty of indoor fun.

The Big D

2011-04-26T21:49:00.002-04:00

Today on the way home from school, Isabel was asking questions about death and dying. Being the calm, reasonable mother I am, I answered them truthfully in a way that I think a five year old could understand. She wanted to know why Kyle's grandfather had died, what exactly made people die, and whether everything dies. She seemed satisfied with my answers and I was pleased with the way I handled it. I didn't freak out or scare her, I told her the truth, A+ effort for me! (In case you're taking notes, the abridged version of my answers were: because he was very old, because when we're very old our bodies run out of juice like batteries, and yes. I may have even used the phrase "circle of life").

She threw me the curveball while we watched Dancing With the Stars. "Mommy," she asked sweetly while watching some D-list celebrity do the cha cha, "why does Jesus want us to die?"

So much for the A+. Gonna have to give myself a C- on this one.

Zak's Second Birthday

2011-03-19T21:00:00.004-04:00

As of February 28, 2011, our little dude is officially no longer a baby, although he really hasn't been for a while now. But his second birthday made that official. We decided to celebrate up in Cleveland so we could also meet our new nephew, Kortland. We were going to take Zak and his cousins to Chuck E Cheese but unfortunately, everyone within a 50 mile radius seemed to have the same idea. The place was so full they weren't letting anyone else inside. We then had the awesome job of telling 4 children that no, they were NOT going to go to Chuck E Cheese that night. Crying ensued.

We managed to cheer everyone up by going out for pizza, and then back to Oma and Opa's house for general mischief. Zak liked opening presents...

...but didn't quite grasp the concept of blowing out the candles.

He tried to touch the fire instead. Crying ensued.

The cake and ice cream cheered him up!

Four Names

2011-03-12T15:07:00.001-05:00

Isabel was asking me why people with the same name spell it differently. I told her there are all kinds of ways to spell names. As an example, I said I could think of 4 ways to spell my name. She asked, "Jacqui, Jacquelyn, Mama, and what else?" I've had many nicknames over the years but Mama is my favorite!

March

2011-03-12T15:03:00.003-05:00

It's high time for a March update! First up, Miss Isabel. She's quite the little social butterfly with birthday parties scheduled out the ying yang. But she's oh so much more... like a smarty pants! She's learning sight words at school and loves writing down words that she knows or asking me to spell words so she can write them. A few weeks ago she read Green Eggs and Ham to her class; she's a little show-off, just like her mama!

As for Mr. Zachary, he has taken turning two in stride. It seems like suddenly he is saying many more words, and saying them all more clearly. He's a charming, funny little man who is prone to sudden tantrums where he beats his heels on the ground and screams bloody murder. Luckily they're short. He's getting too tall/heavy for me to carry easily; I'm going to have to start hitting the gym even harder to keep up with him!

5 and 2 Year Stats

2011-02-21T19:47:00.003-05:00

Today we took Isabel and Zak in for their well child exams. I don't know why the idea of scheduling their appointments together never occurred to me before; rookie mistake, I guess. In any case, Isabel's percentiles are starting to more resemble her mother's, while Zak continues to steamroll the competition. The doctor actually asked if we thought the nurse was able to get an accurate weight because she was surprised at the pounds he's managed to pack on!

Isabel

Weight 37 lbs, 30th%
Height 41.5", 30th%

Zachary

29 lbs 10 oz, 70%
34.75", 65%

Barticle

2011-02-06T15:25:00.003-05:00

In what is surely just the beginning of a disturbing trend, Isabel came home with a newfangled word that all the kids are saying but of which I've never heard. Apparently among Isabel's little friends at our local daycare, it is all the rage to say the word "barticle" when someone farts. As in, "Something smells. Who barticled?" Or if you're the perpetrator, you could simply announce "barticle" and everyone will take a few steps away from you. But it's not just for the kids; I'm sure it will catch on at the classiest of events... "Excuse me, Madame Secretary, I just barticled."

Isabel Is 5!

2011-01-23T13:19:00.007-05:00

Happy birthday to our best girl! Our resident princess is 5 years old today. And how does a princess celebrate? With a swim party, of course! We've been alternating the types of parties we do for her, family-only one year, school friends and family the next. This year was friends and family and it seemed overwhelming to have everyone over to the house. After some research into different venues (Chuck E Cheese, Kingdom of Bounce, etc.) we decided on a swim party at the Westerville Community Center.

The staff there did a great job with set-up/clean-up. Once pizza, cake, and ice cream were consumed, the birthday girl opened gifts. Afterwards, she got to lead the squirming line of sugar-happy kids to the pool. And then, something happened that I've never experienced before: Isabel took off with her friends and I barely saw her until the party was over. She had a great time but it was disconcerting to watch her spend more time with her pals than her mommy. However, that gave me more time to play with Zak, who gave up his nap time in order to attend (and who let *everybody* know about it as the afternoon went on!).

Today, Isabel's actual birthday, she and I put coats on over our pjs and picked up donuts for the family from the Tim Horton's drive-through. Kyle decorated the kitchen for her while we were out so she had a nice surprise when we returned home. Our gift to her was a pair of tickets to Disney Princesses on Ice. We let her dress up in her royal best and then it was on to the show. It was a girlie glitter overload and she loved every minute.

New Year's Eve Picture Extravaganza!

2010-12-31T14:27:00.011-05:00

Once again I've been lax with the blog posts. Lo siento. Here's what's been happening over the last month, all rolled up into one super spectacular blog post. Eh, maybe not so super or spectacular, but there will be lots of pictures.

First up, Thanksgiving! My mom and brother came to visit. Mom bribed me with lots of delicious home-cooked meals so that I would promise not to post any pictures of her.

Next, the kids' pictures for the Christmas cards. Getting them to sit together was an epic failure, but their individual shots really captured their personalities.

The fact that no one was injured while this picture was being taken is a Festivus miracle.

Then there was cookie decorating with friends...

And now, the main event: Christmas!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Niagara Falls

2010-11-14T19:42:00.007-05:00

It had been quite a while since Kyle and I had gone on a trip together, so we decided to get away for a long weekend. We chose Niagara Falls; it's a convenient drive from Cleveland (where the kids would stay with their grandparents), I'd never been to Niagara Falls, and Kyle hasn't been in years. We left on a gorgeous, unseasonably warm Friday morning and in no time we were crossing the border into Canada. The view from our hotel room could not be beat.

We spent the rest of the day walking along (and underneath!) the falls.

The next day we did some geocaching. We found several cool caches including one that us scrabbling down a cliff, at one point hanging onto a rope. But it was worth it for the view of the whirlpool.

After that adventure, we decided to head to the decidedly more mellow town of Niagara-on-the-lake, where we visited a historic fort, window-shopped, and toured a winery. We topped off the visit this morning with a beautiful sunrise over the falls!

Angels & Devils

2010-10-31T13:08:00.005-04:00

Happy Halloween! This is my favorite holiday partly because I've always felt that you can get a glimpse into someone's personality by looking at the costume they choose. So what do these costumes that say about Isabel and Zak???

Actually, I should've dressed them BOTH as little devils! They both loved trick-or-treating. I thought Zak would be scared but once he saw Isabel do it once, he got the hang of it. Actually, he was a little too comfortable; more than once our neighbor would open their door and he would run inside their house. Then he figured out that the things they were giving him were CANDY and he settled down.

Belated 18 Month Checkup

2010-10-22T11:53:00.003-04:00

Oops! The other day I realized we were almost two months behind getting Zak's 18 month checkup. The appointment was today and let me tell you: he is NOT a fan of medical personnel. He did not want to weighed, measured, or examined in any way, and made frequent use of his favorite new word (NO!) to let everyone know his displeasure.

On the plus side, he's growing like a weed:
Weight: 25# 6oz (45 percentile)
Height: 33 3/4" (70 percentile)

I had to resist asking if she got those percentile numbers mixed up. He feels like a ton of bricks, I just don't understand how he's not in the 100th percentile for weight!

New Look

2010-10-22T11:04:00.001-04:00

I've finally fulled my promise to update the look of the blog. I can't take credit for it, it's just a slightly modified Blogger template. What do you think? It's a bit busy but I felt like Tiny Creatures needed to shake things up.

Hell Has Frozen Over

2010-10-16T11:44:00.003-04:00

That might be what some of you are thinking as you read this. Jacquelyn Keeper née Pando, professional couch potato and eater of bon bons, ran three miles. In a row! In a RACE! And got a medal!!! Don't believe me? Take a look...

Time: 27:19 (5k)
Place: Second in age group

Great Wolf Lodge

2010-10-16T11:26:00.004-04:00

For all those who've been nagging me about updating the blog (you know who you are), I hope you enjoy the next few posts! I know they're long overdue; I can't believe how fast the summer has flown by.

So let's start with Labor Day! We had a big, kid-tastic weekend but the most exciting part was our trip to Great Wolf Lodge. This is a hotel chain with an indoor/outdoor water park, and there's one conveniently located just 90 minutes south of us. The room was actually better than I hoped for - very large with plenty of room for all of us. We hit the pool as soon as we could. Zak was not a huge fan at first but he warmed up to it. And our little mermaid Isabel couldn't get enough!

In the evening, the hotel had "story time" for the kids that included an animatronic show followed by a book. Both kids were mesmerized. The next morning we hit the pool area again as soon as it opened, swam all morning, ate lunch, and then hit the road. It was a perfect trip for our little munchkins: close to home but still getting away from our normal routine.

Soccer Mom

2010-08-29T13:20:00.003-04:00

We all knew this day would come, but I didn't expect it to arrive so soon. I've officially entered the demographic known as soccer mom. Our little Isabel is playing in a real league with uniforms and everything. So far they've only had a few practices, no games yet. Kyle is the assistant coach on her team, which I think makes it even more enjoyable for her. Isabel really seems to like it, going so far as to sleep in her soccer jersey. Is there anything cuter than this kid???

End of Summer

2010-08-29T13:09:00.003-04:00

I know my blog post frequency is way down, but here's what has been keeping me away from the computer!

Summer Visit

2010-08-29T12:53:00.005-04:00

Back in the first weekend of August, we were lucky enough to have some out-of-town visitors: my dad and Pam! The kids loved having them here. Isabel got to spend a fun day with them at Easton, and we packed in a family visit to the zoo as well.

And of course when those guys come to visit, something crazy *always* happens...

Going Green

2010-08-18T21:27:00.004-04:00

Today Isabel says to me, "When you have gas, it makes the planet kind of stinky."
Me: "Ummmmm..."
Isabel: "Mommy, when we have gas it makes the planet stinky."
Me: "Well, I guess that's true..."
Isabel: "We read a book called Going Green at school today and it said that when you have gas it makes the planet stinky. So that's why you should walk sometimes."
Me: ...blink...blink...blink...
Me: "OH! You mean when we USE gas. Yes, we should drive less and walk more, sweetie."

#1 Girl

2010-07-09T10:49:00.005-04:00

One of the nicknames I have for Isabel is "my number 1 girl". This morning as I was getting her out of the car I asked, "What would I ever do without my number 1 girl?"

She replied, "I don't know... find me, I guess!"

Wink, Wink, Nudge, Nudge

2010-07-02T21:14:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago, Isabel came bounding into our room at an ungodly hour and breathlessly informed me: "Mommy, I can wink!" This highly prized skill had been eluding her up until now. What was she doing, laying in bed all night practicing? I'll never know, but here's the result of all her hard work:

* For you detectives out there, yes, that IS her bathing suit she's wearing in the morning because yes, I let her wear it in lieu of pajamas after much negotiating on her part.

Bottles No More!

2010-06-27T20:45:00.004-04:00

It's that time again... actually, it's past that time. Zak is almost 16 months old and our pediatrician advised us to stop giving him bottles at 12 months. But there just never seemed to be a good time; someone was either travelling or Zak was sick or having tubes put on his ears. But the main reason was that we had finally gotten Zak to sleep well and we weren't in a hurry to mess that up. I was starting to imagine a 5 year old Zak still going to bed with a bottle... it was time to give it up.

But in the end it turned out we had no reason to worry. Zak didn't mind giving up his bottle in the least. No more bottle washing! No more expensive formula! More free space on our counters! The downside, of course, is something that's been our minds; Zak's not a baby anymore. He's turned into a little boy right in front our eyes.

Like the Sign Says...

2010-06-20T20:50:00.004-04:00

Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before

2010-06-12T21:09:00.002-04:00

For you Smiths fans out there, I actually said this today:

"Zachary, don't touch Mommy's Morrissey tapes!"

Zoo Babies

2010-06-12T20:52:00.003-04:00

We had a great Memorial Day weekend. Saturday we took the kids to the pool. After several rounds of swim lessons, Isabel is an old pro and jumped right in. This was Zak's first trip to the pool, however, and he was unsure of himself at first. I could see his point; when we walked in there was a sensory overload of children screaming, water splashing, and lifeguards blowing their whistles. By the end of the trip, though, Zak was standing on the edge and jumping into our arms, whether or not we were ready for him. Unfortunately, we don't have photos; we decided it was probably more important to make sure our kids didn't drown than it was for us to use the camera!

Sunday we decided that since Zak's a bit older it made sense to get a zoo membership. Then we loaded up the fam and headed to the zoo, along with most other citizens in the Columbus metropolitan area. The Columbus Zoo is really great, but much too big for the kids to see it all in one day. We hit a few highlights and then went home before it got too hot and crowded. I think the petting zoo was Zak's favorite.

Barber Shop

2010-05-29T21:35:00.006-04:00

We've given Zak a few haircuts at home, but it was time to see a professional. Good thing, too; as the gal was checking out his hair she mentioned how it was "all different lengths". She started the haircut by using the clippers. Let's just say Zak was not a fan.

But then he remembered he had a lollipop (his first ever!).

And he ended the appointment looking quite debonair.

Bath Hijinks

2010-05-22T13:09:00.004-04:00

Why is Isabel so happy about wearing a bucket on her head?

Because she's forcing the fashion on her brother, too!

But this ensemble she kept all to herself...

Happy 33!

2010-05-22T12:57:00.003-04:00

Mother's Day

2010-05-15T12:52:00.003-04:00

First of all, I want to say thank you to our moms for all that they've done and continue
to do for us!

Mother's Day 2010 was a bit of a mixed bag. The positives: Isa and Zak made gifts at school which I just loved. Isabel made a sand art vase and Zak had a little container with his picture on it. Isabel also filled out a questionnaire about me (with her teacher's help) which made me laugh out loud. Kyle got me some lovely gifts and even went out to get donuts for us all. We managed to get out of the house and visit a park, and then Kyle and Isabel made dinner. And best of all, KYLE CLEANED EVERY SINGLE TOILET IN THE HOUSE.

The not-so-positives: Zachary is getting more teeth (molars, specifically) and he is very unhappy about the process. He's drooling like mad, grouchy, and woke up every hour the night before Mother's Day. And when the baby's not happy, ain't nobody happy. Still, in between the fits of rage and food tantrums where he threw spoons in my general direction, he had periods of happiness during which he was his normal cheerful self. At this point, the best Mother's Day gift of all will be a good night's sleep!

Update: turns out Zak's problem wasn't his teeth so much as the hand, foot, and mouth disease he caught. Give us another year or two, he'll have contracted every virus in the book!

April Happenings

2010-04-26T19:37:00.003-04:00

We've been very busy in April but I'm determined to write at least one post this month! So here's what's been happening...

First up, we celebrated Easter. We stayed home this year, but the kids still had a great time waking up and hunting for eggs. Actually, only Isabel looked for eggs; Zak took advantage of her search by raiding her Easter basket and running off with her fully wrapped candy in his mouth. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, so Isabel did even more egg hunting outdoors. As for the Easter dinner, well, it wasn't my best Easter effort but at least I managed to cook something.

Isabel has started up swim lessons again after a long lapse. The first few classes she sobbed during the portion where they have the kids jump off the well. But sometime between then and now, a lightswitch went off and now she jumps off the wall and is often first down the water slide (previously another source of terror). She's so proud of herself when she achieves these things, it's really cute to see and I'm proud that she stuck with it.

We took our first family trip in a while: El Paso! My two nieces (well, technically they are my cousins but with the age difference it's easier to think of myself as their aunt) were getting baptized. There is no direct flight between Columbus and El Paso; Isabel did great but Zak was... a "challenge". There were many snacks, drinks, and games of pattycake. Once there, we had a whirlwind visit but it was nice to see that side of my family and have everyone meet the kids. The baptism was lovely (though I distinctly heard someone say "uh oh" into the microphone... baptism misfire???" Isabel even got in a mini-swim lesson at the hotel pool. No trips to Juarez (aka Murder Capital of the World!) on this visit but one of these days I'd like to take the kids to Mexico.

And finally, I had a short but sweet girls' getaway to Cincinnati (and bonus: I learned how to spell Cincinnati). Some Columbus friends and I left our kids with their dads and drove down for 24 hours of eating, drinking, dancing, and shopping. I know I for one came back with a much more relaxed attitude, so I think it was a win for everyone!

Zak's First Word

2010-03-24T21:42:00.001-04:00

And the winner is...

"Uh-oh"

That totally matches his personality!

Lake Tahoe

2010-03-23T21:59:00.007-04:00

Kyle and I recently took a trip to Lake Tahoe to attend a destination wedding for some old pals of mine from college. While the kids enjoyed time with their grandparents/aunts/uncles/cousins, Kyle and I used the wedding as an excuse for some R&R.

Since Kyle was flying in from a Hong Kong business trip, he arrived a day before me and got in a few hours of skiing. By the time I flew in, it had snowed and he was told he couldn't drive his rental car over the mountain pass because he didn't have chains on the tires. When I left the Reno airport terminal, I hailed a cab and asked if he would drive to Incline Village. He said yes so I hopped in. He belatedly decided to call his dispatcher to find out the road conditions. After a long conversation in a foreign language he got off his cell phone and informed me, "Incline Village - very, very dangerous!" It was white-knuckle ride: road signs warning of avalanche zones, snow blowing off the mountain and making it impossible to see, and the driver's hand on his gearshift ready to downshift if he started sliding.

But I made it there safe and sound! The hotel was nice, and Kyle and I enjoyed the buffet and sports betting in the casino (both of us lost!). Then the wedding. It's so enjoyable to see a really great couple get hitched. And the reception was so much fun, the wedding guests danced the whole time until the dj stopped playing music. The next day we spent more time with the newlyweds, managing to score brunch and dinner invites,

In between mooching off the happy couple, we did a first for me (although Kyle's an old pro): snowmobiling!I can't believe they let you drive those things without a license. Kyle and I shared a snowmobile and I started driving because I figured they'd go slower in the beginning. I am the first to admit I was a bit of a chicken; I felt like I was going really fast but the other sleds were way ahead of me. After a while I turned control over to Kyle. I'm not sure if he didn't hear my screams to slow down or if he was getting revenge for my ill-advised bet on Vanderbilt basketball, but either way there were a few moments I was terrified of flying off. It was all worth it though for the view at the top of the mountain.

Happy Birthday, Zak!

2010-02-28T12:27:00.005-05:00

Our little dude is 1 today! I can't believe how quickly the last year has past. To mark the occasion, we celebrated a day early with a birthday party for Zak and make-up party for Isabel (a case of chicken pox caused her party to be postponed until now). We had:

Two cakes: pink strawberry for Isa and chocolate for Zak. Zak chose to eat and wear his.

More gifts than two kids can handle

A fashion show put on by our little divas

An impromptu dance-off started by none other than Zak

The house is a disaster now but it was worth it (although I haven't dared go to down to the basement yet, who knows what's waiting for me there!). Here are some highlights of the evening:

Winter Games

2010-02-16T08:57:00.006-05:00

February has been a much better month for the Keepers, health-wise, but it's been very snowy outside. What's a housebound family to do? Well for starters, we give the baby a hair cut...

try on hats...

put the kids to work...

and just bundle up and play (or in Zak's case, gaze longingly out the window)!

Worst Month Ever - Part II

2010-01-29T12:23:00.004-05:00

Thanks for the supportive emails/comments on the last post. A lot of you are parents too, and it helps to know that other people have been through situations like these and survived with (most of) their sanity intact!

WORST WEEK EVER (cont.)
Wednesday: When we last tuned in, our heroes (ok, me and Zachary) were on their way to the Children's Hospital ER. I find it without any trouble but the parking is confusing and let's face it, I'm probably not thinking that clearly. There's a sign for ER Valet parking, but no valet. I circle around several times trying to figure out what I'm supposed to do. Am I going to have to park in the very distant visitor lot and carry my husky boy the whole way? Thankfully, someone leaves one of the 12 (12?!) non-valet ER parking spots and I snag it.

The pediatrician has called ahead so the ER is expecting us and we have to wait only a few minutes before being taken to an exam room. Zak is examined by a nurse, another nurse, and the resident doc. I've brought a bottle and a jar of baby food but I don't want to set Zak on the floor (it's a nice hospital but still.. ick) so I perform a balancing act worthy of a circus performer while preparing his food and holding him simultaneously. He is really grouchy - he's sick and has been poked and prodded by at least 4 different people so far. My arms are killing me; this kid is heavy! A nurse comes back in and sucks out his nose with a wacky vacuum device, and now Zak is even grouchier. Then he gets a chest x-ray. The results come back pretty quickly. Good news, it's not pneumonia, just a bad case of bronchialitis. The head doctor comes in and examines him. She says that I can take him home but I need to buy a nebulizer and give him periodic breathing treatments until he improves.

After four hours in the ER, we're finally back home. Zak screams through his first nebulizer treatment and then conks out. We are both drained. Thankfully reinforcements arrive - Kyle's parents drive in from Cleveland! They are a huge help. Later that night, Kyle gets home early from his business trip. It's great to have everyone there.

Thursday: I go back to work as I'm still new at my job and have already taken several days off. Kyle takes Zak to the pediatrician. She asks him if his wife is doing ok - I must have seemed pretty panicky the day before! Zak's breathing sounds a little better

Friday: Kyle takes Zak to the ENT (Ear, Nose, & Throat) specialist. The doctor says that he would put tubes in that day if he could. Zak's ears are still infected! But because the procedure requires anaesthesia, his bronichialitis must clear up, and then the ENT will wait an additional 4-6 weeks before they will put the tubes in. This is disappointing, we really want this done sooner so Zak can start feeling better.

Saturday: Zak is feeling better. He and Isabel are playing in the dining room while Kyle and I clean up the kitchen. Suddenly we hear a loud THUMP THUMP THUMP. Zak has just fallen down the entire flight of stairs! Unbeknownst to us, he climbed all the way up and then fell down the whole way. Luckily he is not hurt, just scared. 30 minutes later, he tries to climb up the stairs again.

Sunday: Kyle buys a gate for the stairs.

WEEK 3
Zak is doing so much better! We want to make sure he fully recovers, so since Kyle is travelling again and I need to work, Kyle's dad volunteers to come down to Columbus *again* to watch Zak during the day. The week begins smoothly enough. I'm a little stressed because I'm trying to get everything ready for Isabel's birthday party that Saturday. I notice that Isabel has a few red bumps on her hip and back. She says they don't hurt or itch. I think maybe it's an allergic reaction. She has her 4 year checkup with the pediatrician next week, and since it isn't bothering her it can wait until then.

Friday I'm out to lunch with a friend when I get a phone call from the daycare. Remember those harmless little bumps? The daycare staff thinks it might be chicken pox. What? She's had the vaccine! I pick her up and examine her... it doesn't look like chicken pox, does it? And she never had a fever. And her birthday party is tomorrow. It can't be chicken pox!

It is chicken pox. The doctor confirms it Saturday morning. We call all the would-be guests and tell them the party is cancelled. Then we have to break the news to Isabel. Poor kid! She cries but takes it better than expected. We still have a small party, just me, Kyle, Zak, and the spotty birthday girl. We get her a Razor scooter and it's even warm enough for her to ride it outside. That night we have cake and ice cream, but my stomach has been hurting all day so I don't eat any.

Saturday night, my stomach hurts more. Uh oh, feels like a stomach flu. Kyle starts feeling it in the middle of the night. Sunday we both feel terrible. It is tough taking care of kids when both parents are sick! Kyle's dad comes down *yet again* to help us out. Even though Isabel's chicken pox is so mild because she'd been vaccinated, she is still contagious and can't go to school. Oh well, at least she feels ok!

Around 2AM Monday morning, I hear Isabel calling, "Mama! Mama!". I walk into her bedroom to find her standing in the middle of her bed. I ask, "What's wrong"? She responds by barfing all over the bed. Oh no, she got chicken pox AND a stomach flu for her birthday! We change her sheets and clean her up. She throws up all over the bed again. We change the sheets again and this time bring a bowl for her to puke in. Kyle spends the night in her room to watch over her. He still feels sick that morning so he delays his business trip and he, his dad, and Isabel stay home while Zak and I go to school/work.

WEEK 4 - TODAY
As of this minute, everyone is healthy... although January's not over yet! Kyle is back in town and we've finally let his dad return home to Cleveland. Kyle's mom and dad have been lifesavers; thank you so much, we wouldn't have made it without you! To all my friends who have or plan to have children, I have this piece of advice: MOVE CLOSER TO YOUR PARENTS. It is so hard not to have help close by. We are lucky that Kyle's parents are only 2.5 hours away but it would be so much easier to have relatives in town. (Both my mom and dad demanded that I move to NC or Chicago respectively after this whole adventure!). It has been a tough month for everyone; I'm surprised my hair did not turn completely gray because I feel like I've aged 15 years.

Looking forward to February!!!

Worst Month Ever - Part I

2010-01-27T21:23:00.005-05:00

I hope I'm not jinxing myself by posting about a month that's not done yet, but I think it's safe to say that 2010 has not been a banner year for the Keepers thus far.

FIRST WEEK
The first full week of January, Kyle went on the first of a series of business trips. It's hard on him to be away from the family, and even harder on us. Getting two kids fed, bathed, lunches made for the next day, put to bed, woken up, wrestled into clothes and off to school is tough with two adults. For one person it can be pretty daunting. Also, I felt like I could never give either Isabel or Zak enough attention; one needed to fed while the other one's bottom needed to be wiped; one wanted to be rocked and the other wanted to play games. On top of it all, there's the additional pressure of me being at new job. This sets the stage for...

WORST WEEK EVER
Monday: It's the second week of January and Kyle is gone on his second trip of the month. While out for lunch with a friend, I get a call from the day care: Zak has a fever. I go pick him up and he is burning up with a temperature of 102.5. On top of that, he seems to be breathing a little fast, although I assume that's just me being a paranoid mom. I call the pediatrician but the earliest appointment I can get is 5:15. Later that afternoon I pick up Isabel and head to the doc. I should be back home in time for the kids' usual 6pm dinner, right?

Wrong! The doc's office is full, tons of sick kids. We don't get into an exam room until 5:45. Zak has an ear infection, and the doctor doesn't like his wheezy breathing. They give him a breathing treatment with a device called a nebulizer. It doesn't hurt him but Zak screams and cries and a nurse has to help me hold him down. They also give Zak a shot for the ear infection and tell me he'll need tubes in his ears because this is his fifth ear infection in 5 months. Isabel is being a trooper but we've been there an hour and she's hungry. I hadn't planned on being there so long but luckily there's some food in the diaper bag. I'm sure it's stale, it's been in there for ages but she gobbles it up.

The pediatrician gives us a prescription for an inhaler so now we all have to go to the pharmacy. I walk outside to the car. Great - it snowed while we were inside so I have to scrape off the car windows. While I'm doing this, a little old couple drive next to me and ask if I need help. I must look pretty pathetic.

We get to the pharmacy and they tell me it will be a 20 minute wait. Isabel is hungry and wants a treat. Chocolate for dinner? Ok, she's earned it. Finally we get the inhaler and go back out to the car. Crap. It snowed again, gotta scrape the windows. We finally get home, I do the whole nighttime routine and try to give Zak his inhaler. Not surprisingly, he hates it.

Tuesday: Zak is clearly not doing well. He's always a smiley guy even when he's sick, but this time he seems really out of it. I take Isabel to school and then go to the doctor for Zak's recheck appointment. Breathing still sounds bad, he has to have a breathing treatment and once again it takes me and a nurse to hold him down. Ears still look bad, he has to have another shot.

Once the appointment is done, I bundle him up, take him to the car, and strap him into his seat. I go to open my door but... it's locked! What? I didn't lock the door! I frantically try all the doors but somehow they've locked and I can see my keys resting in the cupholder of Zak's car seat. It's 20 degrees outside. I panic. Thankfully, I still have my purse with the cellphone inside and call 911. A few minutes later the police show up, slim jims ready. But the cop takes one look at my car and says, "Nissans are tough". Damn. They try for a while but it doesn't look promising. So one of them stays with Zak while the other drives me to my house where I have a spare key. Zak sleeps through the whole drama. I ♥ the Westerville police.

Wednesday: Zak is still not doing well. I drop Isabel at school and we go back to the pediatrician again. His breathing has not improved much. At this point I really am worried and lose it in the exam room. The doctor calms me down but tells me that Zak should go the ER at Children's Hospital as a precaution. Actually I'm not too sure what she said, what I heard was "blah blah blah ER blah blah blah". I race home, throw some stuff in a bag because I might have to spend the night at the hospital, and then call Kyle to tell him the latest news. He is really worried and books an early flight home. He also calls his parents to ask if they will come down to help.

To be continued...

Home Movies

2010-01-03T14:27:00.004-05:00

A couple of home movies for your enjoyment. The first is from way back in September. We were up in Cleveland for Kierstyn's birthday and paid a visit to this place that had blow-up slides and obstacle courses. As you can see here, Isabel exemplifies the old saying "slow and steady wins the race". It takes her a while to get to the top of the slide, but with a little old fashioned cheating she gets to the bottom first.

I took this next video this morning. They walk! They sing! They dance!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-03T13:22:00.009-05:00

Well, it's the end of a whirlwind holiday season. We celebrated Christmas at home a day early. Zak seemed to enjoy it although he had no idea what was going on, and Isabel loved the gifts, even the ones which weren't hers. Actually, everyone seemed to like their gifts and it was a lovely Christmas Eve morning.

After breakfast, we packed up (our sedan is getting too small for all of our stuff!) and hit the road for Cleveland. The kids loved playing with their cousins and grandparents, and the weather was actually pretty nice - no lake effect snow, hooray! Everybody opened gifts Christmas night after visiting Kyle's Grandma. Saturday, Kyle and I continued our tradition of having a "grownup" night out at the movies/hotel while the kids enjoyed time with Oma and Opa.

Sunday, Kyle and I had to go back to Columbus because we had to work. Since the kids' school was closed, Kyle's parents graciously volunteered to watch the kids. I hope Isa and Zak behaved themselves! It sounds like they had great fun with their cousins as well as a trip to Chuck E Cheese. While the mice were away, the cats (that would be Kyle and I) got to play by taking in another movie (Two movies in a week! Unheard of these days!). But we missed the kids terribly and smothered them with kisses when they got back.

I had to work the next day but Kyle, his parents, and the kids went to a New Year's eve event at the Community Center. They had a bouncy house, juggler, arts & crafts, even a countdown at noon. I'm sorry I had to miss it, sounded like fun! Neither Kyle nor I managed to stay up til midnight on New Year's eve, but we did celebrate with champagne and friends on New Year's Day while watching the Rose Bowl. Happy New Year!!!

Mad Skills

2009-12-20T15:16:00.002-05:00

Zak continues to dazzle and delight us with new skills. In the last two weeks, he has started:
* Playing peekaboo
* Taking a few steps
* Splashing in toilet water (we don't like this one so much)
* Clapping

As for the last item, he did a really cute thing yesterday. I let him sleep next to me after his 5 AM feeding. I woke up and he was starting to stir so I said his name. He smiled, eyes still closed. Then I said his name again. He opened his eyes, saw me, smiled, and clapped his hands. Can you imagine being so happy to see someone you clap? Well, it melted my heart and I thought of it often during the day as he almost continuously got himself into trouble.

My Turkeys

2009-12-07T19:48:00.006-05:00

Thanks-giving rolled around again, and my Mom and brother came to visit. The weather was unseason-ably warm in Columbus (though still too chilly for Mom's taste) so we were able to get outside a few times. We spent most of the time eating, though... we had a huge, delicious Thanksgiving feast, courtesy of my Mom (although I did help!). And Danny made some breakfast burritos for everyone, with my Grandma's chile on the side. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of my Mom because, as usual, she refused to be photographed and hid behind any convenient object (Zak, the turkey, etc.) whenever a camera appeared.

We crammed a lot into the weekend: COSI (our science museum), geocaching, a movie for the grownups, home repairs... but one of my favorite things was just hanging with Danny and my Mom at the hardware store. Also, it had been a long time since my brother had seen Isabel, and he'd never met Zak before, so it was really great to see them all interacting. The only bad part of the weekend was that it reminded me how unfortunate it is that our family lives so far away!

Baby Season

2009-12-07T19:40:00.002-05:00

Don't drink the water, ladies... everyone I know is getting pregnant or giving birth! It's actually been really fun for me to watch some of my closest friends and family members go through this. And selfishly, it gives me more breeders to commiserate with and get advice from. So to all you new moms and mamas-to-be: congratulations! And when you're up at 2, 3, and 4 in the morning, just remember, the rest of us are probably up with you!

Poop In The Tub: The Next Generation

2009-11-15T18:29:00.001-05:00

Zachary Keeper, Producer

One of Life's Great Mysteries

2009-11-05T21:38:00.000-05:00

Isabel: How do you trick-or-treat in space?

Halloween x 2

2009-11-03T09:01:00.007-05:00

Halloween just rolled around. Isabel's a pro by now, but it was Zak's first. We bought pumpkins for everyone, but after carving Isabel's we decided one was enough! Isabel helped with exactly 1% of the actual pumpkin carving, then decided it was too yucky. The kids got to dress up on Friday for their school festivities, and then again on Saturday for the big H. We actually spent Halloween in Cleveland this year, and Kyle dressed up hoping to scare the kids!

Physical Fitness

2009-11-03T08:41:00.003-05:00

Since my last post Zak has made leaps and bounds in his mobility. In a very short time he's gone from rolling, to military man creeping, to crawling, and even to being able to pull him self up to standing!

Crying It Out

2009-11-03T08:32:00.003-05:00

Zak is not the good little sleeper that Isabel was at that age. This is probably our fault; we have not been nearly as consistent with him. He'll have a good night, followed by a week of bad nights. Saturday and Sunday nights he woke around 1AM and it took over an hour to get him to go back to sleep in his crib both nights. Finally, we'd had enough... time for some tough love.

The plan: at the first sound of a cry we'd go in and make sure he wasn't wet and give him his pacifier. If he fell asleep, great. If not, we'd go in every 5 minutes to make sure he had his paci and pat his back, then let him cry. Isabel was the wildcard; Kyle and I agreed that if she woke up, it was game over and we'd pick him up to keep him quiet and let her sleep.

The night started off badly. Kyle and I were watching tv at 9ish and Zak woke up screaming. Not a normal "I woke up and I'm not happy about it" scream, but one we hadn't heard before. Night terrors maybe? I went ahead and picked up him up and rocked him back to sleep. I don't consider this cheating on the plan, this was not normal crying people! Fast forward to 3AM. Zak wakes up crying (normally this time) and we execute the plan. And it goes... well! After about 20 minutes of this he fell back asleep and didn't wake up until after 7AM, and Isabel slept through all the racket. Now I'm not going to lie, it was an agonizing 20 minutes. A baby's cry is exactly tuned to cause the maximum distress to his parents' ears. But we stuck to it, and hopefully it will lead to better sleeping for all of us.

Moms: Go Away!

2009-10-14T17:07:00.002-04:00

So, fellow moms, here's something you might not have heard... Moms need vacation, too! If you can carve out a long weekend or even a day just for yourself, you'll come back refreshed, less grouchy, and more smiley (and in my case, hungover), and your loving family will dote on you and tell you how much they missed you. It's a win-win.

I want to say thanks to my wonderful husband for taking on both Mom and Dad jobs while I was gone, and to my kids for (mostly) behaving for him. And to my pals, thanks for a fantastic weekend! It felt great to be lazy, eat delicious food, stay up til 4 AM *by choice*... you girls (and very tolerant guy) are the best.

Zak Goes To Chicago!

2009-10-04T14:33:00.006-04:00

Well, the rest of us went too, of course, but this was Zak's first trip to Chicago... or anywhere for that matter. Packing for two kids is a pain, and getting them through the security line is even harder (it seems so sad to me that we are required to take off baby shoes and screen them in the x-ray machine). But the short flight to Chicago was a breeze.

It was a fun trip, and we did some things we hadn't done on previous trips: playing on the beach by Lake Michigan, an architecture tour by boat (thank God the kids fell asleep so Kyle and I could actually hear the tour guide!), and eating a "pancake flight"... ok, that last one was just me, but it was delicious.

Besides visiting my Dad, Pam, Licha, and Tony, we were also there so Kyle could participate in the Chicago Half Marathon. He and Tony both ran and it was fun to cheer them on... and even more fun to stuff our faces afterward.

Summer Roundup

2009-09-23T15:41:00.004-04:00

Summer's officially over, but here are a few miscellaneous pictures to remind you of summer fun.

Chuck E Cheese

2009-09-07T19:39:00.004-04:00

Isabel was invited to a birthday party for a classmate. At Chuck E Cheese's. We feared for our sanity but packed up the fam and went. It was not as crazy as we feared (tip to other parents: schedule your parties at 10 AM for minimal kid mania). Isabel had a blast and got up to dance with Chuck. Even Zak enjoyed himself and managed to fall asleep despite the noise.

Isabel's favorite ride in the place was a mini schoolbus. The kids can be the bus "driver" or ride in the back where there is a toy phone. Isabel had the bus to herself and Kyle overheard the following conversation she had on the phone: "Hello? There's no one driving the bus! Bye!"

Funny Face

2009-09-07T19:23:00.004-04:00

Over the last few weeks, Zak has been making some hilarious faces. My camera always seemed a second too slow to take the perfect picture, but you can get the idea...

Saturday we discovered the reason for his grimaces: a tooth! A little pearly nub has appeared on his bottom gum. It has come, unfortunately, with a mild case of the grouchies, but we hope he'll be feeling like his normal smiling self soon.

Tiny Creatures Time Out

2009-09-01T14:26:00.004-04:00

This is Kyle, and I would like to interrupt this broadcast to bring you an important announcement...

I want to wish Jacqui a very Happy 7th Wedding Anniversary!!

She's the best partner/wife/mom/friend a person could ever hope for and I'm the luckiest guy in the world!

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming....

Liar, Liar

2009-08-31T16:24:00.003-04:00

The other day I was telling Kyle about an interview with Po Bronson I heard on NPR regarding interesting studies on childrearing. Part of the story was on how to deal with young children when they lie. The author talked about how all children lie and it's a sign of intelligence because they have to hold two worlds in their heads, the real one and the one they made up.

That very night, Isabel showed her "intelligence" by telling a whopper. The rule in our house is that she doesn't have to finish her dinner, but she can't have any snacks until she does. I didn't witness this one myself but Kyle gave me all the details. She told Kyle she was all done with her food, so he was getting her a treat. She shifted in her seat, and suddenly the carrot that had been hidden in her dress fell to the floor. Kyle looked at it in disbelief and Isabel said, "I want to eat it!" And then, she burst into tears and eventually confessed to her crime.

So it begins. I hope she's always such a bad liar!

Once More Unto the Pool!

2009-08-21T07:18:00.003-04:00

My company had our annual summer picnic at the Zoo/Water Park this past weekend. This time around, Isabel owned the kiddie pool. She was all over that place, sliding, floating, splashing, having a blast. Zak enjoyed being out in the sun and wiggling his toes in the water, and then took a nice nap. It was a perfect day! Kyle and I each got a few precious minutes to relax on the lawn chairs. Even the extraction went well - tantrum free.

Guest Post: Grandpa & Pam

2009-08-08T19:41:00.004-04:00

Pam and I visited this weekend. We had a great time. Isabel was a princess, and Zak couldn't stop smiling. Mom and Dad were exhausted, but Pam and I couldn't get enough. Some of our activities: Isabel running in the sprinkler at Easton Mall, followed by dining at The Cheesecake Factory; Isabel's first time down the slide at swimming lessons; watching the exciting bike race in Westerville; Isabel and Pam playing in the tent; numerous games of Chutes & Ladders; Grandpa and Isabel playing in the sandbox; Grandpa and Pam accompanying Isabel on her trike ride; Kyle's company picnic....As you can see, it was a jam-packed weekend, and it's not over yet!

Zak Eats!

2009-07-25T14:19:00.003-04:00

Zak has been eating "solids" since about a week before he turned 4 months old. He had been sleeping terribly and finally I took him in to the pediatrician. She recommended giving him a little rice cereal at dinner time and voila! sound sleeping was achieved. He's progressed to THREE meals (fruit or veg and rice cereal) plus 5 bottles a day.

Awkward Conversation

2009-07-23T19:37:00.003-04:00

This conversation took place a few days ago on the way home from the kids' daycare:

Isabel: How come when I was two, Zak wasn't here?
Jacqui: Well, he wasn't born yet. He wasn't even in my tummy yet.
Isabel: How did he get in your tummy?
Jacqui (thinking I've got this one down): Well, Mommy and Daddy loved you so much we decided to have another baby.
Isabel: But how did Zak get in your tummy?
Jacqui (stalling): Well, let's talk about this later.
Isabel: Ok
(pause)
Isabel: But I want to talk about it now!

Yikes! Gonna have to come up with some better answers!

Isabel's Best Quote Ever

2009-07-13T20:31:00.002-04:00

"Mommy, you're a great mommy."

Zak Speaks!

2009-06-30T12:51:00.003-04:00

Zak's 4 Month Stats

2009-06-30T12:39:00.004-04:00

Zachary had his four month checkup yesterday. While we were waiting, he was squealing so loudly and happily that it made the staff laugh. He's growing like a weed. Isabel has stayed pretty constant in her percentiles, always around the 50th or so. Zak on the other hand has shot up from the 5th/10th percentile to:

Weight: 50th percentile (14# 15oz)
Height: 30th percentile
Head Circumference: 75th percentile

He's thinking some deep thoughts with that big noggin!

The Law of Conservation of Mass

2009-06-15T19:18:00.002-04:00

Isabel posed a fascinating and difficult question to me this morning as she sat on the toilet:

"Mommy, how did so much poopy fit in my butt? My butt is small!"

Roll Over Beethoven

2009-06-13T12:33:00.005-04:00

Ok, so maybe Zak only made it 99% of the way over. That pesky arm got in the way! Isabel was very excited and proud of Zak.

The Dentist

2009-06-13T12:21:00.004-04:00

Isabel went to the dentist for the first time last Thursday. Kyle was drafted to take her. We were concerned the night before; would she be freaked out when the dentist came near her? Well, after her appointment Kyle reported back: she had behaved fantastically! And even better, she has zero cavities. The dentist examined her teeth, she was flossed, and she even let the hygienist use the tooth polisher tool (although she wasn't a huge fan). Afterwards she visited my office for the first time. What was she most impressed with? Here's an exact quote from Isabel about the breakroom: "This is a big kitchen. TWO refrigerators?!"

Guy Smiley

2009-06-03T19:45:00.001-04:00

Some pictures of our happy little dude.

Jam Packed Memorial Day Weekend

2009-06-03T19:24:00.005-04:00

Like the subject says, we were super busy that weekend! Kyle's parents came down on Saturday and we spent a nice afternoon at Easton window shopping and watching Isabel play in the fountains with a bunch of other kids. Then Kyle and I got to go out on our first date since Zak was born. Isabel seemed suspiciously eager to see us go on our way; as we walked the kids and Kyle's parents out to the car she kept asking me, "Why are you here?" I wonder what kind of shenanigans she talked Oma and Opa into while we were out for the night! Dorks that we are, we chose to go see Star Trek, and loved it.

The next day Kurt, Ben, and Devon came down and the kids played together really well (though our house will probably never look the same again!). We took the kids to the community center pool. Isabel and Ben loved it, Devon enjoyed himself after he had time to warm up to the idea, and Zak slept through the whole thing. I think Kyle's dad had the most fun, though; he impressed the crowd by doing flips off the diving board!

On Memorial Day, we spent 45 minutes rounding up and dressing the kids to go watch what turned out to be the nation's shortest Memorial Day Parade. It lasted about 5 minutes. Isabel didn't know she was getting gypped though; she told me, "That was a long parade!" Since we had some time to kill, we took the kids to the park before heading home for some food and fun in the back yard.

Back in Business

2009-05-28T18:51:00.003-04:00

Tuesday marked the end of maternity leave and my return to work. I was pretty good at getting both kids dressed and off to school on time already. The new challenges:

1. Packing food/bottles, sheets, blankets, and extra clothes, bibs, pacifiers for two kids instead of one
2. Can't roll out of bed and into the closest mostly clean tshirt anymore! Now I need to do my hair and have ironed clothes on. However, this gave me an excuse to get my hair cut and buy stuff for my wardrobe.
3. Saying goodbye to two kids at school

Luckily both kids were really good that first morning. I've gone back to work at a good time, too; it's not insanely busy and I can slowly ramp up. This is a good thing because my brain is not at 100% yet (if it ever was). Here's me after the first day back. The smile hides a very tired mama.

School Days

2009-05-18T08:35:00.003-04:00

Today is Zak's first day at school and the first time he has been away from me. Isabel was very excited to show Zak the ropes today and promised him he wouldn't be scared. Getting all their gear to school was a chore. I had to schlep around three bags plus his car seat... there's definitely room for some process improvement there! Isabel was bouncing around the infant room while I put away all his things. And how did Zak handle the excitement? By falling asleep! I laid him in his crib and Isabel and I blew him kisses before heading to her classroom.

I did fine at the school but must admit to shedding a few tears when I got home. I hope he does great. He's a pretty mellow little boy so I'm sure he's fine... but I'll be picking him up early every day this week to make sure, not to mention I want to squeeze in some more baby-love time. While he's at school, I'll be running errands, cleaning, and getting in some "me" time. By the end of this week my atrocious mom hair will be gone and I'll hopefully be presentable for work next week.

Update: Zak had a great first day at school. However, his teacher told me that "he, um, had a lot of gas"... Ha! You don't know the half of it, lady!

Which Is Cuter?

2009-05-06T13:19:00.002-04:00

I couldn't decide...

Fighting Dirty

2009-05-04T14:24:00.002-04:00

Zak has launched the first of what is sure to be many attacks of sibling warfare. We were bathing him yesterday and Isabel was eager to help. We gave her a washcloth and she was gently rinsing the soap off of him. How did he repay her? By peeing on her nose. Don't worry, buddy, she'll pay you back in spades soon enough. In the meantime, she handled this shocking turn of events with grace, more so than I would have!

Q & A

2009-04-30T11:51:00.003-04:00

Isabel was upset with me yesterday because I wouldn't let her bring her talking toy to the dinner table. I told her that dinner was family time when we could talk about what happened during the day.

Isabel (little miss bossy): Mommy, you can ask me FIVE questions about my day.
Kyle (laughing): Mommy can ask you five questions?!?
Isabel: That's one question, Daddy.

Where did she learn how to be such a smart aleck? Oh... right... me and Kyle.

Zak Stats

2009-04-27T09:09:00.005-04:00

On April 16th, we took Zak to the pediatrician for his six week checkup. He's doing great:

Height: 21 inches long, 5th percentile
Length: 9 lbs 2 oz, 10th percentile
Head circumference: 15 1/2 inches around, 50th percentile (wowza! He's definitely a Pando!)
Hitting his milestones, like smiling and even squealing in delight now and then

Here he is just after smiling. Darn camera, we keep getting him just before or just after a smile, but you can still see how happy he looks!

The Morning Zoo

2009-04-24T10:50:00.007-04:00

Mornings are pretty crazy at our house, and that's without me trying to get ready for work! On a good day, I shower and let my hair remain in its natural, untamed, and unkempt state. On the other days... well, you might see me and run the other way. Zak usually eats at 6 or 7 AM and then conks out again after his diaper is changed.

Isabel travels from room to room with a nest of 5 or 6 blankets and a similar amount of stuffed animals. She eats her breakfast in our room while watching Blue's Clues (and oh, if only I could get that infernal theme song out of my head!). Then I get her dressed. This is where things can go horribly wrong. If it's too cold for a dress, or all the dresses are dirty, she will sometimes throw a huge tantrum because she doesn't want to wear pants. Sheesh, what a girly girl! Sometimes it results in me having to strap her into the car seat half dressed, at which point she calms down enough for me to finish the job. Today was not one of those days however; it's warm and sunny and she had a new dress from Gaga to wear, so all was right with the world.

The Stink

2009-04-18T16:28:00.002-04:00

Our little Zachary has gas. Not just any gas; there is nasty, sulfurous, adult-sized stink coming out of this boy's bottom. It's painful for the whole family, especially for whoever happens to be feeding him because then you're stuck in the stink. I asked the pediatrician about it but it seems the only solution is a gas mask. Isabel never smelled like this... it must be a boy thing!

Easter Fun

2009-04-16T15:43:00.011-04:00

Well, we just celebrated another Easter and this year the weather cooperated; it was cool but sunny. On Saturday, Isabel and Kyle participated in the Westerville egg hunt. While it was not quite the disaster of last year, Isabel only got two eggs. This was partially due to the large number of participants and partially a result of Kyle's overly-complicated (to a three year old) strategizing; he told her to ignore the closest eggs and go for the ones further in the field, but by the time she got there they were mostly gone. When she got home she told me, "I got two eggs but that was NOT enough". She was appeased by some egg-dyeing fun.

On Easter morning, Isabel was super excited and had a blast hunting for her basket and eggs in the living room. Afterwards we had pancakes and eggs. Kyle attempted a bunny-shaped pancake for Isabel... it was a noble effort. Zak participated too, in his own way.

After her nap, Isabel got into her Easter dress and went for yet another egg hunt in the back yard. I'm so happy the weather was nice enough for her to do that. It was fun for her and allowed Kyle to snap these pretty pictures.

Visitors

2009-04-15T16:12:00.005-04:00

We've had lots of visitors since Zak was born and we wanted to thank you all for coming! So thanks to: Oma and Opa (Kyle's mom and dad), Gaga (my mom, not pictured here because she is a camera-phobe), Grandpa (my dad) and Pam, Kevin, Kristy, Kurt, and the kids. We appreciate you coming all the way to Columbus!

Zak Smiles!

2009-04-05T20:30:00.002-04:00

Zak was laying in his swing, quiet but alert. Isabel and I looked in on him and I said, "Zak, can you give us some smiles?" Isabel and I made funny sounds for him and lo and behold, he smiled at us! Kyle the skeptic didn't believe us at first but then he witnessed a smile too. Yay for Zak! I will definitely try getting more smiles out of him this week.

Pink Eye

2009-04-04T19:09:00.003-04:00

Isabel and I both have pink eye. Ugh. I'm washing my hands constantly to prevent Zak from getting it. The fun never stops at the Keeper house!

The Hospital Experience

2009-03-29T16:13:00.007-04:00

While home with Zak, I find myself watching tv. A lot. The other day I saw an episode of Scrubs that had me laughing out loud. It's relevant to today's topic so I'll quote it here. In this episode, J.D. is describing the realities of childbirth:

You'll fart, pee, puke, and poop in front of ten complete strangers who'll be staring intently at your vagina which, by the way, has an 80% chance of tearing!

Hilarious and disturbing! For those of you wondering what to expect from childbirth in a hospital setting, here are some highlights:

The nurses are the ones who do almost all the work. With Zak, the doctor was present for about 30 minutes of my 36 hour stay.
That being said, my nurses were awesome and extremely competent. I can't imagine why anyone would want to give birth at home, they really do a great job taking care of you in the hospital.

Meals are served at old people hours. Breakfast is at 7AM, lunch at 11AM, and dinner at 4:30PM.

Moms get all the attention. Dads have to sleep on the equivalent of a park bench with a cushion, so you fellas might want to bring a pillow.

Did I mention attention? Moms get a LOT of attention... at all hours of day and night. Nurses come in to poke and prod you every few hours, sleep or no sleep.

If your hospital is like ours, there are all kinds of free things you can take home. Almost everything in the baby's bassinet is yours to take: diapers, wipes, a bowl for sponge baths...

For you technonerds out there, the hospital likely has free wi-fi so bring your gadgets

Your prize for a successful delivery? Adult diapers and disposable underwear! You can tell Kyle thinks it's very sexy.

Naps

2009-03-25T16:54:00.005-04:00

I've always been a light sleeper, but with Zak's arrival I find I can nod off at a moment's notice. And Kyle's always been good at taking time out for some much needed shuteye!

And speaking of sleep, Zak is a good little sleeper. He sleeps around 3 or 4 hours between feedings at night, so when you throw in a nap for me during the day, I'm feeling pretty well rested. However, as the pics show, some days we are more tired than others!

Big Sis and Little Man

2009-03-25T16:51:00.002-04:00

What are these two up to???

Yay Me (almost)!

2009-03-18T12:28:00.001-04:00

Tried on a pair of pre-pregnancy jeans today and lo and behold, they fit! Of course, they fit a lot better if I leave them unbuttoned... details, details.

More Zak Pics

2009-03-16T11:21:00.002-04:00

Sleeping in the boppy, first sponge bath at home, and wrapped up in the bili blanket to correct his jaundice.

Two Weeks Old

2009-03-14T09:44:00.003-04:00

Zachary is two weeks old today! Over the last 14 days I've gotten much better at changing boy diapers - the trick is to hold a washcloth over the danger zone to catch any sudden sprays - but sometimes he slips one by me. Today... well, there's no nice way of saying it. Today he managed to pee on his face. I'll make sure to embarrass him with that story when he's older!