Mad Skills

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

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

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

Zachary Keeper, Producer

One of Life's Great Mysteries

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

Halloween x 2

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

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

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!

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!

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

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

Chuck E Cheese

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

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

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

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!

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

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!

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

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

"Mommy, you're a great mommy."

Zak Speaks!

Zak's 4 Month Stats

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

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

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

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

Some pictures of our happy little dude.

Jam Packed Memorial Day Weekend

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

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

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?

I couldn't decide...

Fighting Dirty

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

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

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

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.