Stalking my baby

via my awesome video monitor. I tell anyone who will listen how much I loooooove the video monitor. It was great when he was tiny as I could just look on the monitor to determine if I really need to go in there. I could see if wrapped in his blanket, chocking on his pacifier or someone was trying to take him. All totally normal things a sleep deprived new mom is worried about, while sleeping 6 feet away.

And now that he is bigger I just like to watch him on the monitor. You can turn the volume off and just watch the lights. If he gets in the red, you know you are in trouble. We have it hung on the wall above his bed, so we get a birds eye view of him. I watch him standing up and banging on the crib rail, sitting up and taking off his socks, laying down and rolling back and forth and eventually sleeping. Oh the sleeping is just the sweetest thing. I always, always want to go in there and scoop him up - but I obviously never, never do.

My neighbor across the street can stalk him too if she carries her monitor into the front of her house. You can't have too many eyes on your baby I say.

A New Year; Same Baby

We spent New Year's Eve with our friends Scott and Jen and their son Tyler. Tyler is about 3 weeks younger than Zach and they are most always doing all the same things (silence on what that says about my son). When we arrived both boys were in the pajamas and getting ready to go to bed. However, once they caught sight of each other there was no winding down to be had. Zach took the opportunity to climb the stairs and try to steal all the remotes and cell phones in sight. Tyler thought he was loony for continuing to head for the stairs, after all Tyler gets to climb them all he wants. But he sweetly climbed up as well, chatting the whole way.

Tyler also was a good baby and let us take a pic with the hats I purchased (of course I did). Zachary could simply not be bothered, what with all the stairs to distract him. I am really starting to dislike this baby having a mind of his own and the ability to move away from me and my paparazzi lens.

Tyler looking so angelic in his hat, Zach in the background eating a tag from the hat he refused to wear.

The clappers I brought were a huge hit. Mainly for banging into the floor and each other.

Darling boy in his feathers!

Merry 2nd Christmas

I really can't be sure that it counts as his second Christmas since he was only 2 days old and we were still in the hospital for his first. But technically, this is his second one. We spent the morning in Denton with my family and the evening in Houston with the Walls. Zachary received entirely too many gifts, everyone was overly generous so we are stocked up with toys for the next few month. I plan to dole them out slowly.

Everyone really wanted Zach to tear at the paper and throw around the tissue paper. Instead he focused on one thing - usually a very intriguing white tag and refused to have anything to do with anything else.

Loving his trike from Uncle Dave - note that his feet are no where near the pedals, but he loves to hold on like he is not strapped in.

With his sweet Auntie Charldean

Pretending to sled - MUCH better than the actual sledding attempt

About 2 seconds before he ripped the antlers off his head

Trying on his Papa's hat

Snow x2

Seriously! Snow! Again!

While in Denton for Christmas it snowed about 3 inches on Christmas eve. Real life, sticking to the ground, swirling around snow. Since it was real snow it was also really freezing and obviously, I could not go out there - it was entirely too cold for me. So I sent Alex out with Zach to get some pictures. Oh and my dad who had to take the pictures. Each time I yelled for Alex that the snow was perfect and to get his coat, my dad would sigh and go get his parka and ear muffs. He is a good, good man, my dad.

After dark (not sure why then) Alex took Zach down the hill to try out the sled that my mom has had waiting 15 years for just such a moment. You can never be too prepared in her book. The sledding was a terrible idea, none of us but Alex thought it was a good one. But it was not as bad as the picture looks....seriously, it looks like one of those ads for the Army National Guard.

Party People

Zach's party really was only fun because of all the people who attended. How could I complain about having a ton of people in the house if no one showed up? What would I talk about then? Well, we all know I would complain about them NOT showing up. But that is really not as much fun. Not even close.

My sweet friend Sonia came with my buddy Hayden and his sister, the equally yummy Evelyn (and her husband Brian on the side). My playgroup showed up in force too, dragging their husbands along for the trip. I do love those girls. They have talked me through many a Kinsey emergency. (That would be something that has to be dealt with right this minute. Everyone stop what you are worrying about and tell me how to fix this!!)

My sister flew in from Dallas that morning. When I set the party date she made her flight arrangements within hours - leaving her sweet husband asking if he was invited. She just shrugged at him and said that someone had to watch the dogs. What would I do without that girl? She totally made the party possible. She is a supportive and loving cleaning machine. By 2 hours after everyone left you would not have even known a party happened except for the renegade confetti floating about (I do LOVE confetti).

Alex's 20-something work friends came. You could find them cowering in the kitchen at a safe distance from the children and married people - leaving only to grab a beer and a Chick-fil-a nugget then run back to the safety of the kitchen. All our friends from when Alex and I used to be fun were in attendance. I love friends that have made you get back in the car when you were sure your lipstick was totally fine (after being on the ground), did not let you sleep on their lawn when it was oh so comfy, discussed how much this boy (now husband) liked you - does he like me like me or just like me-want-to-make-out-with-me like me, and have stood by us through thick and thin (literally. I gained a LOT of weight while pregnant). They are a special group of people that our lives would not be the same without. And there would be puke in my hair.

My, my I feeling awfully sentimental this week aren't I? Must be something in the air, or all the drinking. Whatever it is I better be back to my snarky self soon or people are going to start getting concerned...

How many people were at YOUR first birthday?

Because there were 35 adults and 9 kids at Zachary's. A bit much you say? I would totally agree if this were not the norm for my life since marrying Alex Wall. That is how the Walls do it. If 6 people are good - 16 are better. Don't just have a small dinner party with your fine china when you could have a huge one using 3 full sets of china from your equally party crazy grandma.

But I digress...this is not about me. It is about my son, the very big, two teethed, scooting/slider who is now a whole year old. The party was a ton of fun - not so much for him, but for Alex and I it was great. As much as I complain and freak out about it, apparently I dig having big parties.

The problem for Zach was that when he went down for his afternoon nap there were 3 people here - me, Alex and my Godsend of a sister Lauren. When he awoke there were the above mentioned 35 people and 9 children. All staring at him and smiling. A bit daunting for anyone much less a groggy baby. But he rebounded in time for the scoot/slide competition and the judging of the "Future First that Zach has to Look Forward To" contest. Jennifer Prewitt won that one with the "First 'Hey' just like his dad".

Alex - always dressed up for the occasion. Zach - wondering what the H is going on here. Kinsey - sorority smile is always appropriate.

Some of the pictures of Zach's "Firsts" he did this year

Wanting nothing to do with his cupcake. Good thing I didn't kill myself making them, I let the good people at Randalls do that for me.

A Year in Time

A year ago I didn't know if the baby in my belly was Zachary or Caroline,

Now I feel like he was always Zachary.

A year ago I didn't know what type of mother I would be,

Now I am the type of mother who whispers in her baby's ear that she loves him, who kisses him constantly even when he is snotty and who lets him fall and then tells him he is fine. Because really, he is.

A year ago I didn't know what it was like to be totally exposed to an operating room full of people.

Now I know that next time I want Alex in there with me sooner than he was allowed this time. He was the only thing holding me together - not literally, that was Dr. Faro's job.

A year ago I didn't get to hold my baby,

Now I get to rock him each night and cuddle him as he falls asleep.

A year ago I was worried that Alex would be horrified by the changes in my body,

Now I know that I didn't give him enough credit.

A year ago that same man who also doesn't like to talk about anything related to my lady parts helped prop me up to pump milk for our baby in the NICU, advised me on which side was still producing, then hustled it down to the NICU, every 3 hours.

Now I know that my husband would do anything for us.

A year ago I lay (in my drugged out stupor) looking at my It's A Boy sign and thought "it's not a boy - it's Zachary",

Now I can't believe how Zachary is turning into a little boy.

A year ago I told my son that we were going to have soooo much fun together,

Now I know that being with him is (almost) always fun. Watching him change and grow; discover new things and new sounds; and become more independent each day makes my days fun.

A year ago I saw entirely too much of my in-laws.

Now I would not make it without their (welcome) interference.

A year ago I didn't have any clue what a gift I was about to receive.

Now I realize that though that gift is often messy, boring, gross and tedious, I don't ever want to be without it.

A year ago I wanted a picture of my baby with his eyes open,

Now I want a picture of my baby asleep, as that is the only time he still looks like a baby.

A year ago I thought it was OK that I live 4 hours from my parents,

Now I want them to move closer. And to take my dog. (Sorry, Norman)

A year ago I couldn't imagine how my life was going to change overnight.

Now I have a hard time remembering life before him. Well, sleep I remember. And staying out late without wanting to put your head down on the bar. And being able to drink more than 2 glasses of wine without feeling tipsy. Maybe I do remember....

A year ago I thought that moms who cried on their kids birthday's were sappy and silly.

Now I just want to bury my head in the covers because my baby is a whole year old. At the same time I want to rush out to play with him because he is a year old! He can do so much and is getting more, and more, and more fun by the day.

A year ago I thought mothers of boys were lying when they said they didn't mind not having a girl,

Now I know I was an idiot.