Littlest Penquin

Mr. and Mrs. David Wall (plus Zach)

We are back from the whirlwind wedding weekend of Dave and Tami! We roadtripped to College Station on Friday for the Bridesmaid luncheon and didn't get home until lunch time on Sunday. It was a long, Wall-filled weekend. Let me tell you about it.

Friday night was the rehearsal at the church and it did not go well for Zachary. He did in fact sit down in the middle of the aisle and start to cry. Unfortunate. I scooped him up and we walked down together. I felt this was for sure not a good sign of things to come. My parents took him to the rehearsal dinner where my dad played photographer while my mom played nanny.

I am just going to stop here and say that I could not be more thankful that my parents drove to College Station to help me with Zach. Alex was in the wedding so he could not be of much help and I had to rely on my parents to do much (OK, all) of the heavy Zach lifting. They bathed him, fed him, comforted him and put him to bed the entire weekend. Alex and I would have had a much different weekend without them.

Back to the weekend - once the wedding day rolled around, Zach was tired from being up for the rehearsal dinner (where he put his little head down on the table) and was not in his best form. Again, thank heavens for my parents, it took all three of us to get him into his little tux and to the church.

Things did not get better once we got there. Though he did get to see his "Ami" and "Dav". He especially liked his Ami's dress. And she did look beautiful as always. I don't know how my parents got Zach down the aisle but I believe a pocket full of cheese was required.

But he did it! He walked down holding his Grandpa Vince's hand and looked like an angel. He even smiled for some pictures with the groomsmen and his Ami. Truthfully, he was as good as you could expect a 20 month old to be when he was up hours past his bedtime, eating food that was totally out of the norm for him and wearing a tuxedo. 

That pitch

I was really getting the sense that people don't truly understand the pitch of my child's scream. I say he is loud and really, really shrill and people just nod and smile at me condescendingly as if to say, "all babies are loud, Kinsey". I am here now with proof that he is different - and not in a good way this time.

The back story is that I once, ONCE, let him watch himself on the video monitor and now when I pull out my video camera he wants to watch it again. That is why he keeps saying "Baby" and I keep saying "Baby is night, night". Usually it works to tell him anyone or anything is night, night, but not this time.

You might want to turn down your speakers. I am not kidding. And please imagine this scream in a closed space like a car or bathroom.

XL

This weekend Zachary will be a ring bearer (or flower boy, as his Grandpa Vince calls him) at his Uncle Dave's wedding. The tux that Alex bought at Al's is a size extra large. This really led us all to wonder - what must the small look like? And what crazy person is buying that? I think putting a 20 month old in a tux complete with vest and tiny bow tie is on the semi-coo coo list, but it is not my party.

In addition, I have successfully worked myself up into a full tizzy about his behavior walking down the aisle. Here is my short terror list: him sitting down and refusing to move, him assuming the poop squat and himrunning down the aisle screaming Mommy! There are a myriad of other things I can come up with that would make my future sister-in-law regret asking him to participate. I have asked Vince to be stationed at the back, my parents in the middle and me at the front so there is a good line of defense to snatch him up at a moments notice. But let's be honest; I can't exactly bend down and snatch anyone in a black cocktail dress and Spanxs so I am going to be relying on my parents to do that. In fact I might just pretend I don't know him - I mean we don't look a thing alike - and sneak out the back. Some time alone at the maroon Whataburger sounds lovely right about now.

Those are my shoes, Zachary

Zachary is obsessed with shoes. Putting them on, taking them off, handing them to you. About 90% of the time when I pick him up from daycare he is only wearing one shoe (his left). But don't think you can just take your shoes off when you please. No way, Jose. Zach would like for everyone to be near their assigned shoes preferably holding or wearing them. This is especially unfortunate when I am laying in bed trying to pretend like he is not awake and he walks over and hands me my shoes. In my bed. Gross me out.

But this week he figured out that he could walk in my shoes and some of Alex's. I was sitting in the living room visiting with my cousins Randy and Erin and I hear this clomping noise coming at me. Zach has walked in my black flats, while drinking his milk, all the way from the back of the house to the front. He was a sight to see.

Moral of the story - don't try to take off your shoes in my house unless Zach is not wearing shoes. You will be sorry my friends.

He's always Alex to me

One thing that has struck me recently is how odd it is that Alex is now "Daddy". I mean yes, he is technically his Zachary's father and all but this is Alex, the guy I have known for 10 years. I feel like we are still 22 and just playing house. Especially when he is taking out the trash or when we watch him mow the lawn (yes, we, Zach and I watch him mow the lawn and wave. The entire time.) I have seen Alex drunk and silly, serious and sad, and all phases in between. When I look at Alex that is what I see. Or I see the person that is driving me crazy at any given moment.

Back to my original point - It was strange enough to start thinking of Alex as my husband when we got married. That took a few work parties and such to get used to the sound of it. You would think after 18 months of calling him Daddy with Zach I would be used to it. But it has really just been in the past 2 months that Zach has confirmed who that blond guy living in our house is. And oh how Zach loves to talk about his Daddy. "A Daddy?" (translated to where is Daddy?) is a constant refrain around our house. Then when Alex is in the room he likes to point at him and confirm "Daddy?" like perhaps he was mistaken the 800 other times he asked if that was his father. I feel my fidelity is challenged by my son.

So each day we talk, sing, point and yell about Daddy. And when Daddy comes in the door, oh the joy that is in our house! I will be posting a video later this week of what occurs. But I just can not help thinking, he is not my Daddy, (the name I still call my father) he is Zach's Daddy and it is just weird, weird, weird. Am I making any sense? I feel like I am in some sort of strange mom-land and someone needs to tell me that I am NOT crazy...anyone? anyone?

Belly to Belly

One thing Zach really likes to do is to show you his belly and see yours. With me, he prefers to climb into my lap, try to push me down and lay on my belly -getting off to lift up my shirt to see the belly. I don't really know why or when or how this started and though I do think it is slightly odd, I just go with it. Unless it is in public then I let him know that Mommy's belly has not seen the light of day in many years and we need to keep it that way. And then I tell him to go show his daddy his belly, he has been asking to see it.

My sister and Dewayne came to stay this past weekend to take care of Zach and being that she is 8 months pregnant I knew Zach would LOVE her belly. I was 100% correct. Apparently he made her get down so he could put his belly to her belly and then took to hugging it as well. So sweet since he is actually hugging his cousin Chuck in there!

2 Days is all it takes

Monday night Zach's right eye started swelling up. I was not really that concerned. I mean the boy had just wandered in drinking his sippy cup while wearing my black work flats - he totally could have tripped. But I was suprised that I did not hear him go down or the aftermath of the fall. Alex tries to get worried (that is his job) but I just make a "pffft" noise and put Zach to bed. One caveat - I did go check on him once he was sleeping thinking that perhaps his eye was swelling becuase his brain was swelling. What? Where do I get this?
I was sure the next morning it was going to be swollen shut, but it was just the same puffiness. Anyway, off the doc we went, me in my work makeup and clothes to find out that Zach has pink eye and I will not be going to work for a few days. At least. Well this is just awesome. No, really I did think it was awesome!

In my heart of hearts I am constantly sure that I am meant to be a stay at home mom. I mean I love to cook and bake, I craft, I sing, I read books about games to do - how could I NOT be? Well let me tell you all it takes is two days with my child and I am reminded that no, I am a working mom. Well, a part-time working mom. And I love it.
I am just not cut out for the stress of entertaining and teaching my child all day. I have such high expections of myself - well of his school and I just know that his school is doing a much better job than me. We didn't do art or music class these past two days. We went to the vet and to lunch and to the park until I wanted to die and had to hussle him home. I keep wishing and thinking that someday I am going to become a SAHM but I am just not cut out for it. I need to keep my day job.

Zach at lunch Zach & Norm before our trip to the vet where both boys pooped in the exam room.

At least I only had to clean up after one of them.

The vet said I could use the table Norm had just been on, they would clean it first.

Word Confusion

Zach has figured out how to say 'yes' and 'no'. And I literally mean he can say the words. Using them in context is proving to be a bit more challenging.

Kinsey: "Zach, can you say Granny?"

Zach "Yes."

Alex "Zach, do you want to feed Norman?

Zach "No." As he runs to the dog food

Kinsey: "Zach, can you give Norman your cheese?"

Zach: "Yes." As he eats the cheese

Surprisingly enough he can use 'no' when you ask him if he is ready for bed, needs a new diaper (the smell would say otherwise) or wants any veggie. And he can use 'yes' when you ask if he wants to go outside, have his milk or watch the Choo Choo.

PS This photo was taken when Liv hijacked my future sister-in-laws bridal portraits with my son. We are all just thankful Tami didn't end up with cheesy fingerprints on her georgous dress. AND that she is just that sweet to not mind Zach trying to steal the show.

Backyardagain

Zach got pretty excited when he figured out he could fill up his pool himself. And equally excited when he figured out that by sticking your finger into the water hose he could make the water shoot over the place - including on Mommy. Not so funny, said Mommy.

PS Please note my child is wearing pants.

PPS Please note these pants were removed 2 minutes later when I felt they were causing him trouble climbing in and out of his hot pink pool.

PPSS Please note these pants are too small for his huge belly

An unfortunate turn of events

As mentioned previously, Zach spends time with me in the kitchen "helping" while I am cooking. This week I left the cabinet containing all my spices and extra kitchen gadgets open (note the unused child proofing on the door) and Zach had a field day. He pulled out every single thing he could, including an old Raid trap, a knife sharper and three meat thermometers. Big, big safety no. On the positive side, the bottom of that cabinet has never been cleaner.

All Dressed up and no where to go

Zachary's great-grandmother Rowena bought him the below overalls and shirt combo:

As it was an 18 month size and that size is becoming tighter and tighter around Zach's belly; Liv and I wanted to put him in it ASAP.
He did not seem to be bothered by the fact that after his bath he was put right back into "real" clothes and shoes. Especially when he was allowed to stay up a bit longer to hang out with his cousins.