HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZACH!!!

Happy 1st Birthday little man! Oh, how you have grown!

Zach's anti-South Beach Diet

Despite the current craze of avoiding carbs, Zach is attempting a new dieting trend. All carbs, all the time. He's been given strict instructions by his doctor to load up on bread, rice, pasta, or potatoes at every meal. These are desperate measures for a boy who weighs too little... especially after his sickness last month.

We were worried that he might become a carb addict, but amazingly, he still avoids those carbs. Sweet potatoes are a favorite food, but the only way we've gotten him to eat the white variety is mixed in shepherd's pie. After making a whole batch of blueberry pancakes, he pulled out the blueberries while refusing to eat the rest of it. And given a plate of bowtie pasta with homemade alfredo sauce with peas, the peas are picked out and popped into his mouth, while half of the pasta ends up on the floor. But the great news is that his big cheeks are back, his appetite is bigger than ever, and he is in great spirits wreaking havoc while redecorating our house.

Since eating has become a major event in the day, here are some of our latest favorite food shots... (beware those with weak stomachs).

Zach eating his first whole banana and trying to figure out how to eat from a bowl. And our personal favorite... Zach eating chili! Note the fancy German bib which includes sleeves and covers his entire body. The spoon is only an accessory that Zach feels is vital to hold while eating- that is, until he needs to use both hands and he tosses it on the floor.

Zach's pet mouse

Zach has a new buddy, his still unnamed mouse. He likes to take his pet on walks all over the house. Sometimes he carries both the mouse and the leash, but normally he holds the leash and tries to turn around watching the mouse be dragged behind him as he walks.














A few weeks ago when Zach was still learning to walk, we thought he had a future in furniture moving. He managed to use many objects around the house as a 'walker'. His favorite is this toy from Ikea:

but he also walked with chairs, laundry baskets, wrapped Christmas presents, boxes, plastic bins, and trash cans. Basically any object stable enough to be pushed around was game.

Now that he is walking on his own, we realize his calling is in interior decorating. And even though he can't talk, he has expressed to us very clearly that our decorating style is unacceptable. Somehow shoes end up in the kitchen and measuring cups in the bedroom. Kevin's clean socks are decoratively strewn all throughout our bedroom and hallway, and Zach's toys end up in nearly every corner of the house. The mixing bowls in the office are a nice touch- he strategically matched the bowls with the silver knobs on the desk. We don't understand exactly his plan, but he seems focused and he's keeping out of trouble (trouble = the toilet and shower) so we just follow his lead.

Now we just need to teach him to put the items away after he's finished with them.... at what age will that happen?

Happy Holidays!

(Click photo for full size image)

At long last we our posting our Christmas card. After ordering them very late, mailing them to Jenny's sister in Denver, two blizzards which closed the airport, and Jenny's sister and fam moving permanently from Denver to Phoenix, our Christmas cards are officially lost. If we ever recover them, we'll save them for next year and actually get them out on time! Hope this electronic one will suffice.

We had a wonderful Christmas and New Years in Colorado despite all the snow on the ground. Jenny's parents came to visit and we spent Christmas afternoon/evening in Colorado Springs with some of Jenny's extended family. It was very special to be so much family for the holidays.

After the excitement of Christmas, Zach came down with some sort of stomach bug which kept him from being able to eat for 2 days. After a trip to the emergency room and spoonfuls and spoonfuls of Pedialyte, he seemed to be back on track the third day (just in time for Jenny and Kevin to come down with a similar sort of bug!) A week later and we all seem to be back to our normal selves again. We realized that we had been taking all of Zach's smiles for granted and really missed it after not seeing it for 3 days!

For New Years Eve, Kevin and Jenny spent the evening in Denver at the Nuggets basketball game with Scot and Heather. Scot scored some amazing first row seats that really made it a fun game to watch! After that we headed back to Scot and Heather's for some relaxation and good eats. It was a perfect way to bring in the New Year, although since we were all just coming back from our sickness we barely made it to the midnight!!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Front Row Seats!