Christmas in Virginia

We made our long journey to Virginia and have had several great days here. Tomorrow we head to Ohio for several more days. Then back to Atlanta to celebrate Christmas with my family. We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!
Jase did amazing for his photo with Santa. We just were on pins and needles knowing that he would just lose it once placed on Santa's lap. To our surprise he sat there and looked at Santa and then at the camera for. The cousins, Austin and Bailey, joined in for a family shot. Of course Zach just was cozy right on that jolly old man's lap.

Jase checking out Zach's new toy.

Jase didn't want to sit still for this shot and this is the best one we got. Zach just cooperating and not caring as long as someone is holding him.

A little while later having a fit for who knows what reason. A toy probably wasn't cooperating with him. Jason thought it would be funny to capture the moment on film.

He got so many things that it was all so much and we had to help him in order to get them all open.

One of his favorite toys, the Birthday Thomas train. He is doing ChooChoo with his mouth.

Uncle Brian trying to talk to him and pestering him...he was not amused.

Enjoying his snow globe.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Zach is as sweet as he can be. He loves to be held all the time. He sleeps pretty good and wakes me up a couple of times in the night to eat but falls right back to sleep as soon as he is finished. He sometimes snuggles up with me in bed which I love! Jase is so sweet and loving to him and will tell me "Baby Zach hug" in the morning when he gets up which means he wants to give Zach a hug.

He is all smiles and laughs and coos.

What a big boy jumping in the puddle. He is talking so much and says many funny things. He pretty much repeats the same things and will wake up in the middle of the night saying the same things over and over. His favorite show is Dora or Diego. They are quite educational and he really gets into them by repeating the words they tell them to say, even in Spanish. He knows when to use the words later when not watching the show as well. For instance he will be eating and say "delicioso" which is delicious in Spanish. He will say "empuje" when he is pushing something. He remembers the different shows and the story lines. It's amazing what a cartoon has done for his language. He is sleeping in his toddler bed so good and will wake up and work on his puzzles and get back in bed and wait for us to get him. He was always good in his crib and would wait over an hour at times for us to get him without freaking out. As I say that, he is going through a not so fun stage and is really getting frustrated with many things and hasn't figured out how to express his frustration with anything other than crying out, jumping up and down, shaking head and saying "no no no no no no". He does this when he doesn't like what I am making him do or if his toys aren't doing what he wants them to do. I will be so glad when this stage is OVER!

Playing in the backyard with one of daddy's duck decoys.

He gets very excited when showing his love and will squeeze very hard and add his teeth to it. Here he is giving me a kiss with his teeth. NOT biting but pressing them against me. Little rascal. He has been sick several times this season and the past few days have been pretty nasty with yucky runny nose, coughing and now his eyes are bloodshot with green goo coming out. UGH! Today Jason took Jase to the movies to see Bolt and last weekend we all went to see Madagascar. He does really well in the theater. We bring his booster seat that he uses to eat in and strap him in so he doesn't try to get down. We bring him snacks and drinks and he hangs out. My sister was with us for over a week and I have tons of photos but they are on the other computer! Sorry Maria! We miss you and can't wait for you to come back and visit our crazy house!

Big Boy Bed!!!

After much discussion we have decided to change his crib into a toddler bed. The last couple of days he has climbed over the side onto the floor of his crib. This morning he climbed over after waking up and he was so quiet and hardly said anything in his room. I was so tired that I just turned up the volume so I could hear if he complained. Nothing! When Jason went into his room to get him up he was just laying on the floor reading his books...in the DARK. So cute. This evening I reorganized his closet and put things away and put a safety door knob on his closet door so he couldn't get in. We still need to put latches on his changing table drawers. Jason changed the crib into a toddler bed. Jase climbed and jumped as Jason worked. Jason sang to Jase for bed and when he put him down Jase got out of bed and was upset following Jason to the door. Jason told him he needed to go to bed and closed the door. The previous owners of our home had already switched the lock on the bedroom door so the lock is on the outside. We have locked him in so that he is not wandering out in the rest of the house. He took a while to fall asleep but this is not unusual for him. We shall see how this goes but I have hopes it will be good. We have a video monitor so it really helps give a peace of mind to see him in his room. It doesn't show every nook and cranny but it will be neat to watch him in his room at a "different" angle!

Jase investigating his new arrangement. This is prior to him throwing all the toys out.

I think he really enjoyed climbing out of the crib and was trying to get that same effect here.

What a big boy.

Curled up in snoozeland.

I still can't believe this has happened so soon. sniff...sniff...

two years and two months

Zach had his two month checkup yesterday the 5th. He weighed one ounce shy of 15 pounds which is 97 percentile!! We make some big babies. He got his three shots and the liquid med and did so good. Watching your children get shots is awful. Jase got his second round of his flu shot as well and he barely flinched. He asked for stickers afterwards because he remembered that last time he got stickers after his shot. What a brave boy to get a shot on his birthday at that! We went to mexican for dinner and I so wanted to get the waiters to sing to him but we didn't have our camera so I decided against torturing him. Tonight he has decided to climb out of his crib!!! We shall see how the next couple nights go and we may have to go ahead and transform his crib into the toddler bed so he can get back in. It was so cute and humorous dealing with him. He never said a word when we would go in the room. At one point I was telling him it was dangerous and a "no no no" and he tried his hardest not to giggle. He cracked a smile and a small giggle but tried to stay serious and I almost lost it because he looked so adorable. Finally the last time Jason went in and Jase had already tried twice to climb back into his crib but couldn't get back in. He was laying on the floor reading a book. Jason laid on the floor with him and rubbed his hair and soon he was snoring. Cross our fingers that he doesn't decide to get out in the middle of the night. (Any advise is highly welcomed since we are totally clueless on what to do and what may work) I was not prepared for this at all.
He sure does look a lot like Jase did at this age but with brown eyes.

Look at those cheeks!! Mama's milk does a baby good!

Two years old and there is no denying it! Who ever said boys are easier to raise is full of caca. If it's true then I am in big trouble when I have a girl.

Jase opening his birthday present from Grammy and PawPaw...a very cool wooden train set.

1 Owl, 2 Turkeys, 1 Cake and some tears

Two weekends ago we went to visit with Jason's family for Thanksgiving part one, this past weekend we visited my parents for Thanksgiving part two. Zach is getting so big and has his two month check-up this Friday. Jase turns two on Friday!!! We had a little family party for him this past weekend and it was interesting to say the least. He has started to scream "no no no no no" when he doesn't like what is going on. Even if it's his toys not cooperating with him. We hope this will become a quality of being a perfectionist. Jase says every word imaginable and is saying several word sentences! Wow! Soon we will be able to have conversations. I just can't wait. Dropping him off at school is still in tears but he recovers quickly. I believe that him being around other children has helped him speak so well.
Jase loves to line up his food on the table and count then put them back on his plate.

Jase loves to count and here he is counting the grapes.

The Ames' Family getting ready to chow down.

Jase thought it would be fun to put on his cousin Bailey's headband. Hmmmm...is this what our daughter will look like. (if we have one)

He had good times playing outside with Grammy and PawPaw joined in also.

He wanted so badly to slide down this ramp that was not a slide.

I wonder what they are talking about. No one can say no to those eyes...Big Trouble!

Tasty curls, nose and lips

Jase watching his Dora videos with cousin Austin.

Look how big Zach looks in his Bumbo

Jase and Zach lounging with Abuelita.

This is Jase hamming it up for all of us.

Big mouth like his mama, so thrilled with us and his cake except...

He was so happy until...

...we sang to him. Isn't what we expected to happen this time!

This was his reaction after singing and opening his first present. He threw it and screamed then wanted it.

Jase was so upset with all the singing and gifts, I guess it was system overload.

After all the traumatic events Jase was finally happy playing with his pirate ships. sheesh

We are a family of four! (Zach was smiling at the little toys in front of him...sooooo cute)

I was not around but looks like Jase had fun with daddy and Abuelito getting a Christmas tree.

What a pitiful face because he didn't want to stand on the tailgate of the truck.

Jase with the blowup Santa Claus in our yard, which he calls "Sissy Claus."

This gorgeous owl was on our back porch and I was able to capture some great photos although it was through a window and screen. It was amazing.

Jason playing the guitar and singing to Zach who is laying on a pillow on top of the desk. sigh. so freaking precious!

I got my hair cut off and this is the only pic I have to show it off. Of course this is right after coming home from salon so it's perfect looking. Anyone willing to donate to the shiney hair fund can do so at any time. It takes a fund to afford the products she used on my head.

Maria gave Jase a bath and afterwards he wanted to sit on the couch with her. This is her hair later that evening after getting hers cut as well.

This is a shirt that I won on the ResaDesign blog for Jase. I ended up ordering a Little Brother shirt for Zach to match Jase's. And wouldn't you know that Zach will outgrow his in a week or so and it's a size 3-6 month!! I should have known better. Check out the adorable hat that he kept on because it was velcroed around his neck. I just now need to figure out how to keep baseball hats on his head. Velcro may look a little silly then.

This is his fake cry face. I am so glad I was able to catch it in action.

Holy cow! Who is this man holding my baby???? Well, it's Abuelito with a shaved face and all his hair chopped off. This was a little traumatizing for everyone in the family but we are getting used to it. Jase wasn't too sure about him at first and I think it sent him into a crying fit after they arrived. It's the only thing I can think of to explain how Jase was acting when they got here.

My mother had taken Jase for stroller ride earlier in the day so it was still sitting around the house. Jase was pushing it around and thought it was a perfect spot to place it and sit in to watch his favorite show Dora.

Here is Abuelita tenderizing the deer meat that Jason killed that morning. I would put a picture of the deer but that may upset some people, especially since it was missing it's body!! ick. Way to go Jason...it was a big one!

Jase made an indian headband at school Monday. Who knew that a little bit of construction paper would make a mommy proud.

Our little chunk of love!

He is smiling like crazy and cooing and there even have been some noises that almost sound like laughs! So sweet and very patient baby. Thank Goodness!! Two weekends ago Zach and I went to see Saw V with a friend of mine. He didn't make a peep and I can't wait to take him back to another movie.

Titi Maria holding that precious bundle of love. (cute hair Maria!)