And Now For A Work Break. Two and A Half Minutes of Zachary Kicking With His Pants Off

Me and Z

Me and my buddy. Thanks for teaching so much these last three months. You've been a joy to care for little Z.

I officially go back to work tomorrow. Zachary and I spent our last few days together by hosting fashion shows of my favorite outfits, seeing some great friends, and getting weighed for his 3 month birthday.

Zachary is such a babe and he's getting more fun each day. There's nothing like seeing your kiddo smile each morning and I can only hope Zachary knows just how much I love him. Hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do.

For those of you that know Kyle, this should make you smile. Like father, like son.
The 3 month weigh in with Grandma. Zachary is officially 11 lbs 7 oz. Just look at the rolly guy on that scale!







Kirsten is a great friend and made a special trip to meet Zachary before heading back to South Africa.
Zachary loves chatting it up with the fish while he swings.

Play-dates

We're nearing the end of my maternity leave this week. I'm back to work on Friday. I'm getting so sad because Zachary is getting so fun! He is truly my favorite friend and I'll even admit I'm a little crazy for him. You can be sure I'll be the girl with 300 photos of my kid in my cube.

This past week was pretty fun. My friend Mandy met Cara and I at my house for our first play-date. All of us had boys within days of each other. Austin was born on October 28, Rylan was born on October 29, and little Zachary was born on November 5. It was great to enjoy a glass of wine while laughing about motherhood. I'm hoping they come back soon!
Austin looks like he's ready for Kindergarten! What a big guy!
We lined the babies up in order of height. I told Zachary that his mom was always at the end of the line with tall kids, so he fits right in with me.
Sweet Rylan was getting over this photo shoot. Zachary passed out.
Cara and Mandy.
Zachary watching Sunday football.
Overalls. You know it.

Sunday football night. Luis was our Guest bedtime reader after bath time.

Mom Hair

Uuugh! I got my hair cut and it's WAAAY shorter than what I wanted.

I'm too embarrassed to post a photo of it, but to give you an idea, I look like an old pal from Waynes World.

Seriously. There goes my goal of returning to work and not having 'Mom Hair'.

I Have THE Happiest Baby!

Zachary LOVES to smile, laugh, and kick with his pants off. He's Mommy's favorite little man!
I can't get enough of these shades. Can you?






Thanks for this super cool toy Auntie Shannon!

I watched him look at this rattle, pick it up and shake it. What a big guy!

Oh No

I'm getting ready to go back to work in just a few weeks. I ordered name tags for his clothes and bottles. I bought extra diapers. I bought extra bottles. As prepared as it sounds, sometimes I feel completely unprepared. I've been with Zachary 24 hours a day around the clock for the past two and a half months. I know how he likes to be held. I know how to make him smile. I hope the women at daycare hold him for just a little longer than he needs it. I hope he meets some baby friends. I hope he doesn't forget how his mom holds him.

and then the other side........

I caught myself telling Kyle about Zachary's big booger this morning....in detail. This was the big news in my day. I can't tell you about current events or fashion trends, but if you asked me how big a baby booger can get, I could be an expert. What's happened to me? I used to be the girl that knew all of the celebrity gossip. I knew all of the news thanks to Matt and Meridith. And now, the only thing I know is what a healthy poopy diaper looks like.

I can guarantee I'll cry my face off when I drop Zachary off at daycare. I can also guarantee that I'll enjoy a Starbucks in the morning without thinking about when I need to make a bottle next. I just hope there's enough tissues at my desk to handle being a new mom.

2011

Happy New Year! A little late, I know, but our family has a lot to look forward to in 2011!

2010 was an incredible year for our family. We were blessed beyond our wildest dreams. Kyle continues to excel in his career and most recently received a certification to be an Associate Member of the American Society of Appraisers. He worked very hard for this certification, taking lots of classes and long test and he now has a huge diploma, a shiny pin to wear at secret meetings (I'm kidding about the meetings) and more acronyms after his name.

We were also blessed with Zachary. I'm still amazed at the experience we had with him. I'm amazed at what my body accomplished. I'm amazed how he's changed me for the better. I'm amazed that Kyle and I created the cutest kid I've ever seen and I'm amazed how he now just fits in to our lives.

For New Years Eve, our family passed out by 10 pm, which was a change from what we're used to, but we had an exciting New Years Day. In the morning, I put away all of my maternity clothes in large bins. This process was certainly with mixed emotions. I would hold up my favorite items and ask Zachary, "Do you remember this one? You and I wore this in Florida.". "Do you remember this one? This wasn't such a hot day". As I closed the large bins that held memories of my pregnancy, I felt a sense of sadness and relief. For the majority of my pregnancy, I was happy and in love with my body and my baby, but now moving into 2011, I'm also excited to have my body back and start to enjoy pleasures like red wine and hot yoga.

In the afternoon, we went to visit Pam at work for a weigh in. When we put Zachary on the scale, Pam, Kyle and I watched the scale in anticipation as the numbers inched up. Zachary clocked in at 10 lbs 6 oz. There was laughter and smiles as we took our little '10 pounder' home afterwards.

I'm ready for 2011. I believe that attitude and perspective is everything in life and I'm starting the year with hope, optimism, love, and passion. I hope our family continues to grow together with love and support for each other. I believe this year can be just an incredible as the last one. I hope I'm able to spend even more time with loved ones and have time to show Zachary things that I love.

So, cheers to you 2011. I'm looking forward to you.

The big weigh in.
His Aunt Alicia said this best. The cardigan says "I'm an intellectual, but the skulls say I'm down to party."