A Year with Zani-Lee

November 8, 2012

One year ago, on the eighth of November my heart as I had known it changed forever.  We were so excited to meet the little being that had been wiggling and hiccuping in my belly.  We wanted to learn his face, his toes, his fingers, his nose, his likes, his smile, his dislikes, his laughs, his cries, his passions, his temper, and his love.  We were so ready to know him.

December 2012

He entered this world with his signature screech that can silence a restaurant to this day.  Our little Zani-bug was so alert and ready to eat.  We set about the business of learning this new little monkey in our lives.  We learned that Zanis is mostly patient, fussy in the evenings, and was supper snuggley from the start.








                                                                        


                                                                                           

January 2013

Bringing him home felt natural, like we had always had a place in our home for him, we just didn't know it yet.  Yes there were some rough days, like the first time Mommy was home by herself with two boys and big brother made himself projectile vomit at the dinner table (over vegetable soup which he had eaten on multiple occasions before), which Mommy reacted terribly to, which made Zanis cry, all the while three dogs were trying to get to the vomit. Mostly though, those first few months were spent cuddling, playing, and settling into our family.

February 2013

In December, both boys were sick and poor Z was my first child to have to go to the hospital.  Nothing in the entire world makes a Mommy feel quite so helpless as seeing a newborn sick.  It all turned out ok, in fact the whole ordeal helped Raivis' love for his little brother grow.  As Raivis had pretty much refused to touch Z prior to that, it was a big deal.


                                 

March 2013

Zani grew and grew and grew.  He loved loved loved his swing.  Hated (and still does) his car seat.  His hair fell out in weird patches but stayed long in the back.  All of the dogs loved baby Z.  Grover was always within a few feet of the baby, Millie even allowed a little snuggling, and Brody... I think that Brody loves Z as much as he loves anybody, letting Z pet and maul him all of the time now.  Z has always loved to be outside, even at 2 months old he loved a good walk.

April 2013

Z does all things passionately.  He loves with gusto, eats with joy, and enjoys a good tantrum. He has been absolutely in LOVE with his brother from the start, we are pretty sure that Z thinks that whatever Raivis does is the BEST idea EVER.  (we are in so much trouble).  Z didn't mind tummy time, I think he knew that the sooner he got that down the sooner he was going to be able to keep up with that brother of his.

                   

May 2013

My Z can be so so so serious, taking in the world.  Yet, he can be the goofiest, silliest little ham.  Z loves a good joke, a good game of peek-a-boo, and a good game of "uh-oh".

                     

June 2013

 From the first day of his life, this boy had something to say.  He is so expressive, he is so full of "words".  At the end of his first year his list of words are: "Mum mum mum" (mamma), "Da" (Daddy), "ba" (Ball), "Bay Bay" (Baby),  "up up up", "Go Go" (Grover), "Bo-o-o-o" (Brody), "Buh" (Brother), "num num num" (food), "Ee-nk" (Drink), "Mo" (more, you get about 27 seconds to respond to this one before the screech comes out), "na na" (banana), "uh-oh".

July 2013

Z is my curious baby.  Always pushing the bounds of his environment, discovering new things.  He loves to climb the stairs but isn't to interested in learning how to come back down. He is always trying to climb, open, lift, and/or move something.  The little man loves to show us his "amazing feats of strength", with moving heavy to him things all of the time. 

Z already gives the best little hugs.  He tucks his hands in front of him and will hug his body close to mine,  makes his Momma's hear melt.  

  

August 2013

My boy was a good eater from the start.  He didn't fool around when it was time to learn how to eat, that baby was business when it came to his latch.  When it came time to start solids, he was pumped.  This baby loved rice cereal from the start and didn't meet a baby food that he didn't like.  He will eat just about anything from the table.  By his first birthday, the only thing that he would spit out consistently was lima beans. His favorites are bananas, strawberries, waffles, carrots, sweet potatoes, Cherrios, raspberries, apples, and mandarin oranges.  He is starting to show preferences for textures but for the most part, if goes in his mouth, he is game.    

September 2013

Oh the poop stories we have for this little man.  He has had some of the biggest blow outs in the car that I have ever seen. My favorite happened on our way home from breakfast on a Saturday.  Nik had taken the wrong exit so we ended up going the long way home, which wasn't a big deal.  We were just enjoying each other when all of a sudden Raivis starts saying, "something stinks, it really really stinks." Shortly after that of course, we start smelling it too.  No big deal I though, the baby's pants just need to be changed when we get home.  No sooner the I could finish that thought, Raivis was screaming, "It's poop! It's poop! It's on his hands!"  So I quickly unbuckle so that I could see how bad was.  It was bad... there was poop everywhere.  I wiped what I could and crossed my fingers that we could make it home.  Then from the back seat, my little reporter said, "It's on his hands again! It is on his face!" it was everywhere, it was all over his head, on the door of the car, all over his car seat.  At this point all I can do is play defense and keep the poop out of the babies mouth.  We get home and decide that it would be easier to just take the whole carseat out of the car with the baby in it and go straight up to the tub.  I have never never never seen that much baby poop EVERYWHERE.  I don't think that I have laughed that hard my entire life. 

October 2013

I have decided that there is nothing quite so wonderful and frightening as the sound of our son's making each other laugh hysterically.  I love that Z is always ready to laugh at his brother and he LOVES to make his brother laugh.  A loves his Grandma Carol, she often has the magic touch for him.
 Z has always been somewhat of a Daddy's boy, just as long as his Daddy doesn't try help him back to sleep in the middle of the night.  His daddy makes him laugh almost as much as his brother does. He is a Momma's boy when it comes to comfort though.  If he needs to feel safe or needs comforting he is all Momma all the time. (which means Momma gets the best of the snuggles).

November 8, 2013

It has been such a wonderful year with our Z.  So, my little Z bug, don't stop loving without bounds, insisting on attention when you need it, laughing, and  exploring. You are ever so loved by your family.  Happy first birthday little love!