See and Read About Our 2009

To see a larger version of the slideshow you see to your left, click here.

Happy Holidays and Hello from Zogland!

I tend to be chatty. I also tend to find my little family of three to be extraordinarily interesting and special. Keeping that in mind, I've attempted here to write about the highlights of our year. But know as you read this that I was holding back. When I count my abundant blessings, my husband and son are at the top of the list. The tippy top.

If you are short on time, I suppose you could just skip to the summary at the end. No one will ever know. Note for newcomers to this blog: in an attempt to avoid showing up in Google searches, I don't use our names.

I am often asked how we like living in Chapel Hill. We've been here since May 2008 and it's the third city we've lived in since we were married in 2002. Here is my answer: Hands down the best town ever, in the history of ever, or will ever be. No need to discuss. Ever.

Okay, on to us...

As we end 2009, Daddy Zog is wrapping up his third semester of school. Only three semesters remain until his PhD is in hand (2011). Anyone who knows him will not be surprised to learn that he is excelling in his program. He is a dedicated and diligent student who receives high praise and marks from his professors. This year he traveled to five conferences to present his research papers, was accepted for publication twice, and was even cited in a Federal Court decision. Best of all, he loves his work and feels he was meant to be in his field. He spent his summer teaching, and those weeks reaffirmed that he is on a fulfilling and exciting career path. In addition to his fellowship work, Daddy Zog managed to squeeze in a trip to the NBA draft in New York in June thanks to tickets his sister scored. All work and no play just wouldn't be fair!

What a change we witnessed in Baby Zog in the last 12 months. We celebrated his second birthday in October. You can browse this blog to examine his adventures from the year. His biggest achievements this year were learning to speak in full sentences, counting to ten, and naming the players on the Tar Heel men's basketball team. He loves Grover, Kermit the Frog, Woody and Buzz, bacon, guacamole, sticks, hats, checking the mail, and saying "bless you." He hates wearing coats, eating veggies, and having his hair washed. He's enrolled full time at an exceptional child care program at a nearby church. He is thriving there and we are reminded each morning as he runs to greet his teacher that we've found the right place for him. A big event for Baby Zog was recent surgery to place tubes in his ears. The surgery was a success and the positive change for him was immediate. We couldn't be more pleased.

It was a year of new beginnings for me (Mommy Zog.) Late in 2008, I lost my job with the magainze publishing company in Birmingham that I'd been with since 1999. Most recently, I'd been working from home, which left me with literally zero local business contacts. So, I updated my resume and joined the networking circus that, in June, led to my new position as the Business Development Manager for a community bank. Yes, that's right. I'm a banker now. Crazy, I know. The story of how I found this position is even more crazy unless you believe in God's intervention in our lives, which I fully do. This new job is amazing. The work is challenging and rewarding, my boss is encouraging and non-micromanaging, and my schedule is my own to keep. In addition to this new position, I also worked as the Event Manager for the North Carolina Literary Festival from April to September. I was busy for those months, but the work was incredibly rewarding.

So, in summary, we are happy - the kind of happy parents wish for their children. We are content, living in a great town, working fulfilling jobs, and enjoying every single second with our precious two-year-old who asks to listen to "Santa music" in the car and loves to talk about Baby Jesus and his mommy and daddy, Mary and "Jofish." This Christmas we've especially realized what people mean when they say everyhing is new again once you have a child.

We hope your 2009 was also full of happy times and wish you a memorable 2010 filled with things you love.

Peace, hope and blessings to everyone from Zogland!

Open Door Policy

Twas the night of December tenth,
And all through the house,
A little bird was flying,
thank God not a mouse!

See, the child was nestled,
all snug in his bed,
While visions of the smoke alarm waking him
Worried his parents' heads.

So the front door they left
wide open with care.
In hopes that the smoke from burnt dinner
would rush out of there.

And the smoke, it did leave.
And the alarm did not sound.
But that darn little bird
He flew round and round!

Baby Jesus and Coach Roy

Baby Zog received a super fun Nativity set from his Sitti yesterday. He loves his new toy!

When asked by Daddy to identify the members of the Nativity, Baby Zog quickly pointed out Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, Ramses and Coach Roy. I'm sure there is a Tar Heel translation of the Bible out there somewhere that would show this is an accurate account of Christmas. Right?

So far, Baby Zog's imagination has directed Baby Jesus to nibble on hay with the barn animals, Mary and Joseph to ride in the Little People school bus, the wise men to take naps and go to time out, the shepherds to kiss the angels, the camel to say "woof" and ride on the donkey and everyone to go inside the "farm" - i.e. stable. All of his new friends are getting along splendidly with Grover and Elmo and I think they will all get together for the holidays and exchange gifts.

Grover and the Operating Room

Yesterday was special for Baby Zog. After suffering through 13 ear infections, countless rounds of antibiotics, bottles of Motrin and daily ear drops we finally decided to proceed with surgery and put tubes in his ears. The surgery was yesterday morning. We were all a little nervous (and Baby Zog was hungry - rare occasion I know - no food or drink for over 12 hours going into surgery.) The procedure was quick and everything went according to the doctor's plan. In all, we were only at the surgery center for about 2.5 hours.

As he always manages to do, my sweet boy put his own "stamp" on the routine surgery. You see, Daddy Zog went back with Baby Zog to hold him until the anesthesia knocked him out. When Daddy Zog returned we realized Grover wasn't with him. I laughed and said, "I think Grover is in surgery right now!" A few minutes later, our wonderful Doctor confirmed that, yes, Grover had done great during surgery and was now in recovery with Baby Zog. We went to collect both of them.

About an hour after we arrived home Baby Zog seemed back to his normal self. After a very lengthy nap, he actually seemed better than normal. That is continuing today. We can already see a positive change in his behavior. We just know he feels good now. He is so happy and content and lively. That is how is should be. Also, I never thought it was possible for him to talk more or better than he did, but Daddy Zog and I have noticed an increase in his conversation already too. I had no idea his ears were affecting his behavior or hearing that much. I am sorry he suffered for two years, and beyond relieved to have found a solution.

The photo above was taken outside yesterday afternoon. As you can see, surgery didn't keep him down at all!

Afternoon Exuberance

Happy Sunday everyone! We had a very enjoyable weekend and I am trying to hold on to it by watching this video over and over. This is the result of a 2.5 hour nap followed by two sugar cookies at Harris Teeter. (Note to the grandmothers: Yes, we took him for a professional haircut yesterday. I'm sorry. It was a mess and getting in his eyes. His curls will grow back, I promise -- and they will grow back evenly this time becuase I was not the master of the scissors!)

Confession

My intention for this blog is to chronicle my son's life and in some way create a journal for him to look back to later on. For this reason, I feel I need to include the following little story...er, confession.

Many readers of this blog were also in attendance at Baby Zog's 2nd birthday party last month. Those party-goers might have been confused by the sequence of events that seemed to go as follows:
Gather guests around to sing
Bring Birthday Boy's cupcake to table
Light candle on cake
Help Birthday Boy onto his chair
Birthday Boy starts crying - hard - for no reason
Calm Birthday Boy down enough to sing to him
Birthday Boy is happy again and enjoys cupcake

Here is my confession: There is a missing piece to that sequence of events. Right between "light candle on cake" and "help birthday boy onto chair" we need to insert: Birthday Boy's mommy burns Birthday Boy's hand with blown-out match while helping Birthday Boy onto chair. Yep, that's right folks. I accidentally burned my kid at his own birthday party. See the above photo? See where he's pushing on his right palm with his left hand? That would be the spot where I burned him. Poor, sweet boy. Do I hear a nomination for Mother of The Year? Man, did I feel horrible.

Luckily, he was just fine and didn't even have a burn mark that lasted after the initial sting went away. We actually already look back on this as a "funny mom story." To me, the best part is that we have the photo with him holding his hand and crying - all with the "2" candle in the background to never let us forget which birthday it was. I love the look on his face, it seems to say, "gee, what did I do to deserve that?"

Maybe next year, Daddy should be in charge of all things related to fire.

For more photos of the birthday month, click here.

Two-Year-Old Doctor Visit

We are so happy to have had yet another "glowing report" from a Well Child check up at the doctor. I am so proud of Baby Zog and his development and feel very blessed by God to have a healthy, intelligent, happy, thriving child. Sometimes I just hold him and try to soak in the blessings from this precious boy. I pray we can raise him to fulfill his potential!

Here are the stats:

Height - 36 inches exactly (88%) -so according to the old wives' tale, he'll be exactly 6 feet tall as an adult.
Weight - 28.8 lbs (62%) - much better than in August when we were in the low 50%.
Cuteness - off the chart :)

Trunk or Treat

Tonight was a great night to "test drive" Baby Zog's Halloween costume at the annual "Trunk or Treat" held at the church where he attends daycare. Of course, being a church they insist on saying this is NOT a Halloween celebration. Riiiiiiight...it's a night where we decorate with pumpkins and ghosts, hand out candy, yell "trick or treat" and dress up in costumes. Definitely NOT a Halloween celebration whatsoever!

We joined in the fun by decorating our trunk (our theme was the oh-so-original "pumpkins") and passing out candy. Baby Zog and Daddy Zog went around from trunk to trunk and Baby Zog seemed to figure out what he was supposed to do - i.e. reach for candy, place candy in bucket and then say thank you. It seems if he has his trusted friend, Grover, by his side, he can accomplish anything. I really enjoyed watching my son experience something new and have fun with his little two-year-old friends. Click here to see a few pics of our family, featuring Baby Zog in his Woody costume (minus the red bandanna which he loudly refuses to wear around his neck.)

Round two will be on Saturday!

Happy Birthday Baby Zog!

Our sweet boy is two years old today. We celebrated with a party at his daycare yesterday. The out of town family members started arriving last night and will all be here in time for his big party on Saturday. Here is the video from his party at school. More to follow soon. Happy Birthday Baby Zog! I love you more every day.

Yo Ho, Yo Ho a Game Day For Me

I shot this video last week. It was supposed to feature Baby Zog in his new pirate hat. The hat is the newest addition to his growing collection of hats. We have cowboy hat, fireman hat, safari hat, construction hat, fishing hat, numerous baseball hats, and now pirate hat! (It was supposed to be a birthday gift, but I'm not good at being patient with surprises.)

Anyway, the video turned into a little bit of everything, including his rendition of Sunny Days (the Sesame Street theme song.)

The game you hear in the background is not, thank goodness, the awful Tar Heel loss of that day. :(

Enjoy

Seasons

What a difference a year makes in the life of the smallest fan!

September 2008

VS.

September 2009

Under Means To Look Below

When Baby Zog was born (almost two years ago if you can believe that!) I remember Daddy Zog being overwhelmed by the simple fact that the baby knew nothing. "It's our job to teach him E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G," Daddy Zog remarked.

And so, we set out to do just that. Lately, Daddy Zog's lessons are often missing the mark in age-appropriateness and they make me laugh. But I applaud his efforts. Teachings I've heard imparted to my 23-month-old this weekend include:

"Safe means to no longer be in danger's path."

"Under means to look below."

"When someone does something that assists you, you should tell them they are appreciated."

But the purpose of this blog post is to brag on the new thing I taught Baby Zog! I couldn't be happier with the time he wakes up in the morning. It is often after 7:30 a.m. which is wonderful in toddler world. However, I was starting to grow weary of the way he woke up - crying and crying until we'd rescue him from his crib. And so, a few days ago I began starting each morning with a lesson: "You don't have to cry when you wake up, son. You can say 'I'm awake. Come and get me!'" I explained.

Well, this morning, guess what we heard through the monitor (at 7:55 a.m. no less):

"I'm awake Mommy. Daddy, come get me!"

So far, I haven't heard Baby Zog tell anyone he appreciates them, but the day is young.

P.S. This photo is of my boys enjoying college football yesterday. I'm sure Daddy Zog tried to explain "running the option" to Baby Zog while they were sitting on the couch.

This is how we know we're alive

Most of you don't know this, but I've spent the last six months working as the Event Manager of the Children's Area for the state Literary Festival that happens every two years. Yes, I know, I started a new job in June. I've been doing both!

The Literary Festival has been a lot of work - especially in the last month - but I really enjoy event planning, so I am happy for the experience and the new line on my resume.

The festival was this weekend and we couldn't have ordered a more wonderful, successful event - or more perfect weather! I am pooped (as my mom would say.) As I sit here typing, my wrists ache, my eyes are heavy, and I am contenplating cutting off my feet to get rid of the pain.

But here's one thing I've realized. Hard work reminds me that I am capable of more than I do on a daily basis. Getting out of my routine and reaching a new goal expands my ability to succeed in other areas of my life.

And then there is the high of my family coming to see me at the Festival - coming to see the result of my work. Watching Baby Zog hug Clifford the Red Dog, give high five to the Berenstain Bears, make a character mask and dance to new music was so inspiring. I love to watch him try new things, go to places we don't visit every weekend, meet new people, and find humor in unfamiliar places.

I thrive off routine probably more than the next person, but every now and then I think I'll try something that brings a new element to our lives and creates a weekend that will always live in my memory instead of slipping away. It makes me feel like we are actual LIVING.

Where does he get these things?

So this afternoon Baby Zog and I were sitting on the playroom floor building a house (as we do EVERY afternoon these days.)

Well then, I got a tickle in my throat and began to cough. Baby Zog walked over to me, patted me on the back a couple times and looked down into my face and said,"Everything okay here?" like a cop checking in a a domestic dispute.

Oh, he is so precious and so funny. Where on earth does he get this stuff?

Sorry for the "puffy eye" pic. It's the only one I have from recent days. His eye looks much better now. The cut is healing quickly and the swelling is gone. We're down to just a deep, dark purple bruise across his eyelid.

Night Night Tar Heels

It's almost September. I love September because everything is new again. I know I should get this feeling in January, but between being a student until I was was 22 (and for one miserable year later on), being married to a perpetual student, and having parents who are teachers, I have always operated on the school calendar instead.

This September newness can bring excitement about a variety of things, but in our house, front and center is the glorious new sports season. First football, followed by (but second to) basketball. I am aware of the long list of other sports, but here in Zogland, these two are the important ones. (Daddy Zog wishes I'd cave and include baseball in that list, but I just can't get into a sport that doesn't involve a play clock.)

Even more exciting than sports in general is college sports. For a girl who didn't grow up loving sports and didn't go to a big college, I sure do get excited when I hear the music that means ESPN Game Day is on my television. I admit that husband has officially converted me. And these days, in this house, college sports means one thing: GO TAR HEELS! Everyone in Zogland is ready and waiting for the new season of Tar Heel sports - even the littlest Zog. We are beaming with pride that he can name everyone on the '09 Championship Team, he even knows the coaches. We just need to work on his pronunciation of Ramses:

A Little Fall

Yesterday afternoon the Day Care Director called (never a good thing):

"Baby Zog had a little fall. He might need a little stitch. You should come get him."

So, to the daycare I went, worried about my son (and also worried about the $150 copay we'd have to dish out for a ER visit.)

Turns out - according to the five teachers that swarmed me to show concern - that he was playing with another child, tripped and fell and hit his face on the corner of the lunch/craft table. Thankfully, these tables have very rounded corners. Also good that he didn't hit his actual eye.

Because the injury is on his face, our pediatrician said we needed to take him to the ER in case a plastic surgeon would need to be involved. Not wanting to ruin his perfect, handsome face forever, we headed to the ER.

I'll save you the details, but I have to give props to the Pediatric ER at University Hospital yet again. We were in and out in under an hour. They were all kind, professional, caring and thorough. The doctor explained that he needed to make sure the area around the eye wasn't fractured, etc. I hadn't even thought of that! We left with no stitches and were told all should heal well with a minimal scar that will fade as he ages.

Oh, and the Day Care quickly made sure I knew they'd reimburse us for any out of pocket expenses. (Hmm...they must remember that Baby Zog's daddy is still a barred attorney. hee hee hee.)

He slept like a champ last night, and doesn't seem too bothered by the injury (unless he touches it on accident and then he just says, "ow.)

Although I do think he remembers falling because so far this morning, as we sit and play, Baby Zog is playing that his toys are falling. "Grover fall. Michael fall." I tell him that we pick up Grover and give him a hug and then the doctor says everything will be just fine.

We were lucky this time. I know he's going to get hurt - especially as we go through the next few years. I just pray they will all be like this one.

Funny Dance

So we were at a birthday party yesterday and while enjoying his celebratory cupcake, Baby Zog decided to break out his new "move" for the crowd. We have no idea where it came from, but it sure is funny. The best part is he KNOWS it's funny and is still doing it for us today.

Thummus

It's about 6:40 p.m. in Zogland and this is what you'll see - pretty much every night. Take a close look. Yes....that is a tub of Hummus. This is what Baby Zog eats for dinner nearly every night. In fact, these days, it's one of the few things he will actually eat. The child loves Hummus - or "Thummus" as he refers to it with hunger in his voice. We offer him a variety of other foods daily, but this is the one that lights up those brown eyes and opens that adorable mouth.

Now look even closer. Yep! You are seeing correctly. In his left hand is a tortilla chip and in his right - indeed is a spoon. As you might suspect he doesn't actually eat the chip (and thankfully he doesn't try to eat the spoon.) He merely uses these two devices as shovels for transporting the hummus to his mouth...rapidly.

Many of you are now thinking, "oh, great, he likes hummus, you can get him to dip veggies in it." Um, wrong. I've tried. He's not falling for that trick.

So, to summarize: my child eats hummus straight - with a spoon. At least 6 days a week. About a third of that tub will be gone in one meal. We live in fear of running out of hummus and keep a ready supply in the fridge.

Alas, at least he's eating...

Picture This

Thursday night I pulled out a stack of old photos to search for a cute baby pic of myself. We have to take them to work for some secret purpose (but I happen to know there is a surprise staff appreciation day next week and I'm sure these two pieces of information are connected.)

Anyway, I found this photo of a 3-year-old me. But then at the last minute I found a better photo and this photo was left on the kitchen counter.

As all things on the counter do, this photo magically found its way to the kitchen floor by the next afternoon. Baby Zog picked it up, held it up to us and said, "That's Mommy!"

He has never seen this photo before and was asleep when I was rummaging through them the previous night.

I was speechless for a brief moment and finally congratulated him on his correct observation (and for being a kind boy and gently handing the photo back to me.) All Daddy could say was, "WOW!"

So now, I have to wonder: Is this how he sees me? Do we all look like toddlers in the eyes of an actual toddler? Does he see past the age on my face to the basic elements that are still buried there somewhere? So many questions.

Regardless, it was pretty cool that he knew it was me!

Poe-Tay-Toe and Surprise

Baby Zog has two new things. Well, really I feel like he does something new daily, like today when informed Daddy it was time to go pick up Mommy from the gym. Anyway, here are the two new things:

1.) First, he is obsessed with his Potato Head toys. When we tried to teach him the word "potato," his daddy broke it down phonetically for him and it just stuck. So, they are lovingly referred to as Poe-Tay-Toe heads.

2.) Second, he has learned to show the expression of surprise. The funny part is that he doesn't know when to appropriately use it. For example:

Mommy: "Would you like some milk, son?"

Baby Zog: (opens mouth, inhales loudly and shows element of surprise)

Good stuff.

So now, enjoy this video which displays both (lucky for you, I edited out the part where he instantly throws a fit becuase he wants to see the Poe-Tay-Toe Head on the camera. Yes, he is almost two...)

Sitti + Ainee + Baby Zog = Fun

Baby Zog is sleeping soundly at the moment - blissfully exhausted from five days spent under the care of his beloved Sitti and Ainee. (Mom and Dad got away for few days). I could write about the new toys, fun trips to the kids museum, new Ernie video, bowls of frozen yogurt eaten, new songs learned and endless fun they had, but really this photo of Baby Zog wearing his Sitti's glasses sums up their time together perfectly. He had a blast being silly!

Snuffy's Fate

I've received a lot of inquiries regarding the fate of Baby Zog's new Snuffy doll. See the first video in the post below if you are not sure what I'm talking about.

If you are curious about Snuffy's fate, watch this:

Dethroned

This theory is only a mere hours old, but it would appear that there is currently someone under our roof who Baby Zog finds more desirable than daddy. Yep, that's right. Move over Daddy, Uncle E is in town!

Uncle E was requested to help him out of the car seat, Uncle E has to play the games. Uncle E brought fun toys (more on this below). Uncle E needs to join Baby Zog for dinner, bathe him, read to him. Hmm...Mommy is thinking she might cash in on a little "me time" this weekend. Being third in line for Baby Zog's affection leaves one with plenty of time for a pedicure.

Uncle E did not come unarmed. He had shipped his secret weapon and it arrived yesterday. In this "magic box" were two new members of our rapidly growing arsenal of Sesame Street plush toys (Happy 40th SS!). Watch the video below for the unveiling. Bert went over with a smash. Not so much for poor Snuffy...




And below is a little montage of Baby Zog playing with Uncle E and just generally being silly. (Thanks for the t-ball Sitti!) I love how Baby Zog shows off for the people he loves - I also love that my in-laws say he's "just like his daddy was" and my parents say "he's just like his mommy was." Guess he comes by it honestly.




Stay tuned - Uncle E is here until Monday!

Yummy Again

Last Sunday was quite possibly the perfect day. It seemed like there were more than enough hours in the day and we had a relaxing, happy, productive day. We shopped, napped, played, went to the pool, had popsicles outside, played some more, did laundry, displayed perfect two-year-old manners, and even found time to cook an amazing dinner! Really, it was just one of those days when you feel all covered up in God's blessings and you wonder just what you did to deserve this much happiness.

Here's a little video of Baby Zog enjoying his very first Pop Ice that afternoon. I wish the sound was better. He keeps saying, "Yummy again" as a way to ask for help with it. Maybe I should have tried to teach him the word "slippery."

It really was a "yummy" day and I wish we could have "yummy again" over and over and over.

Know Your Place

Around 7:30 this morning I headed upstairs to greet Baby Zog in his crib. "Daddy coming?" he said. "Daddy's sleeping," I said. "Let's go wake him up!"

A few minutes later mommy and daddy were laying in bed and Baby Zog was playing between us. Really, he was playing on his Daddy.

He crawls over to me and I'm thinking, "Okay, he's coming over here to play his game with me now too." Um, not so much...

Baby Zog looks at me, points to the hallway and says, "Go make food!"

Priceless.

Prince of the Pool

Our friend Dave took this pic while we were all enjoying the pool on Saturday afternoon. His comment about Baby Zog: "he looks like royalty sitting there on his throne while you deliver juice and graham crackers to him after kindly wrapping his highness in a towel." Yeah, he's probably right. Oh the luxury of being first-born.

I love you

So by now, I have certainly figured out that children learn phrases by repeating what they hear adults - usually their parents - say to them. Over and over. Baby Zog learned things like "Night Night Daddy," or "I see you" or "Go to the car" from us. First by repeating, and then eventually just saying them on his own.

Well, the other night he initiated a phrase that he has never said without first hearing it said to him. He finally said, "I love you." But, guess who he said it to?

One clue. His name starts with a "G" and rhymes with "over."

Hmmm....I'm still holding my breath for Baby Zog to go through his "I only want mommy phase" (see blog post dated May 27th for more on that). I guess I can hold my breath and wait for my turn with this too.

Four For the Price of One

So, this post is about a video. And truthfully, it's a video that will be most appreciated by proud grandparents, but I just have to share it with you all. Baby Zog was a fountain of tricks and knowledge tonight. He finally conquered climbing onto the sofa on his own (we'll blame the short legs he inherited from Grandma Donna for the delay in that milestone). He also has started counting, attempting to sing the alphabet song and, well, just singing in general. Often. Loudly.

If you are familiar with the lyrics to the ABC song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, AND you are fluent in "toddler speak" you should be able to understand most of what he's singing. He's my favorite soloist.

So I present to you the video I have dubbed: Four For the Price of One - Couch, Numbers, Letters, Songs. Click here to enjoy the video.

Southern Moon

At some point in the life of most toddlers the famous book "Goodnight Moon" will enter the picture. We were given about 27 copies of this book when I was pregnant and honestly, I never thought it was all that great. So, as the universe would have it, of course Baby Zog LOVES to read the book he affectionately refers to simply as "Moon" every night before bed.

But tonight, I thought it WAS all that great and here's why: If you'll look in the photo above, you'll see on the table what is repeatedly referred to in the book as "a bowl full of mush." My sweet boy pointed at this bowl full of mush on the first page tonight, turned his head to look at me and said, "I see grits!" Oh how my southern heart swelled! Of course you see grits son, of course you do.

The best part is that he said, "I see grits, I see grits" (which sounds more like "I see gits") throughout the entire book. He must have said it twenty times. Every time that bowl full of mush showed up, my boy was ready to proclaim his excitement for one of his favorite foods. Meanwhile, I think I have a new favorite book.

Mom Zog Update

Please accept my apologies for my long absence from the blogosphere. I am - for those of you who don't know - a working woman once again, and boy am I busy. Many readers of this blog know the story, so here is a quick rundown for those of you who don't know. I'll steal a page from my dear friend Matt's recent blog post and just list some stats:

Day told my position at SPC was being "eliminated": November 19, 2008

Last day of work at SPC: December 20, 2009 (after 9.5 years with them)

Number of hours spent at the Unemployment office: 3 (not too bad really)

Number of networking groups/sessions attended weekly during job search: at least 3

Number of new people met in the job search process: over 150

Number of months spent without a single interview: 5 long ones

Number of companies that eventually interviewed me: 2

Number of positions I was ultimately offered: 2

Day I started my new job: June 2, 2009

So, in the end, I was offered two very different, but very good positions. One at a bank; one at an ad agency. Ultimately, work/life balance desires won me over to the bank. I just couldn't bear the idea of late nights, some weekends, and business traveling right now. I would miss things like the photo above or afternoons like this. With the bank, I am done every day at 5:00 and pulling into the parking lot at Baby Zog's daycare by 5:20. God is good.

It feels great to be working again. The compensation is not as good as my last position with SPC, so the purse strings are still a little tight, but living without the fear feels so good. I am settling into my Business Development position at the bank and think I'm going to find it to be exciting and rewarding. I couldn't ask for better coworkers at this small, privately owned bank with only four branches and 60 employees. It's an enjoyable environment and so far, I wake up ready to go to work. I'm learning to "be a banker" pretty quickly and feel more confident everyday.

Thanks for the prayers, emails, thoughts, and resume passing over the last six months. This experience has taught me so much about expectations, best laid plans, attitude, perseverance, the goodness of strangers, and the grace of God. I'm sure you'll hear more about it from me in the coming months as I process everything, but for now, as I said, God is good and I am happy.

No Big Whoop

Despite my occasional browsing of celebrity tabloids, my new obsession with Tori Spelling's reality show, the one time I operated the rice steamer with no water in the appliance, and a recent loss of my cell phone in my own home, I am a reasonably intelligent woman. I KNOW toddlers go through phases that they neither initiate nor choose. They are toddlers. They know not what they do.

I have loved Baby Zog from the moment the little stick showed a + sign. He is part of me, grew in me, makes my faces, has my big brown eyes, yada, yada, yada. He might not know it yet, but he loves me. At this point in his innocent life, he doesn't know he has a choice not to love me (bonus for me!). This I know. Remember, I am a reasonably intelligent woman.

However, I am also a first time mom. And lately, this means it's my first time experiencing the "daddy infatuation phase." Boy oh boy is Baby Zog in that phase. When I gather him up from school, he runs to me, looks around, and says, "Daddy?" This afternoon, while I was at aerobics he had an hour of true two-year old tantrums and bouts of will against his father, and yet, when I picked him up for a hug, he cried for Daddy (seriously, Daddy hasn't given you your way for an hour and you still prefer him?)

The one that really hurt was at bedtime. I'm fortunate that - for the moment - his love for books is strong enough that he'll overlook me as the reader. We finished Polar Bear Polar Bear, Good Night Moon, Hippos Go Bezerk, Chugga-Chugga Choo Choo, and Doggies. All was well. I put him softly down into his crib, tucked him in with his beloved Ernie and he looked up at me and said, "Night, night Daddy."

"No buddy, I'm mommy," I said, curious about his memory lapse. "Can you say night night Mommy?"

He looked up at me, shook his head furiously and said, "No? No. Night Night Daddy!"

So now, I am a reasonably intelligent woman with a bruised ego. I'm resisting the urge to take it personally becuase I know the "mommy phase" must surely be coming soon.

Dancin' Man

Enjoy a recent compilation of our man in motion! Click here.

Professor Daddy Zog

If you are a follower of this blog, you know chances are good when you log on (or check your RSS feed) that the newest blog post will be about the merry adventures of Baby Zog.

However, there are two other Zogs living here in Zogland and I am particularly proud to be married to one of them!

Daddy Zog had quite a month. He finished his first year of the PhD Program (with flying colors), got accepted to three academic conferences (and counting), and is now teaching summer school Media Law - mostly to juniors and seniors who failed previously or just haaaaadddd to take it in the summer.

The best news related to all the above is that we have Daddy Zog back! The photo above is my proof. Exhibit A: Daddy Zog holding Baby Zog and Baby Zog's best bud (a.k.a. 56 lbs of baby) at a Blue Grass festival last weekend. We went out as a family and enjoyed ourselves! No studying or paper writing for Daddy Zog. No Mommy and Baby Zog wandering around Target on our own to kill time so Daddy can type in peace at home. We are very happy to have him back. And Mommy is happy to have him return to household chores that he excels in such as dishwasher unloading and garbage collecting.

WE ARE PROUD OF YOU!!!

Opposites

Since the day we started reading to Baby Zog my mom has told me that one day soon he'll begin to memorize the books and we'll think he's brilliant for "reading" at a young age. Well, the day has come. Forget what mom says, he IS brilliant and I'm certain that he has the ability to read (and not just the ability to memorize what word comes next based on the pictures in the book.) :)

Here is a video of Baby Zog and his daddy "reading" his opposites book. Each page features two words that are opposites.

Now that he's mastered reading, I guess we'll start teaching him physics.

Enjoy!

6:45 p.m.

Since all of our family members live out of state, sometimes I like to video tape a little bit of "normal life" here in Zogland. So, here is a video of this evening - post dinner, pre bath. Baby Zog has been quite chatty this week and it's pretty amusing.

Click here to enjoy!

Mother's Day

Between the ongoing Ernie passion, a newly formed attachment to his Daddy and fascination with his visiting Papa, Baby Zog's affection is spread thin these days and I wasn't very optimistic for a large helping of it on Mother's Day. But, I was pleasantly surprised. We enjoyed gifts (for me), book reading (to him), a trip to TCBY and a yummy Mexican Dinner. I even got this great photo out of him!





Also, my sister and her sweet baby Josie were in town so we were able to share her first Mother's Day with her over a lovely brunch that Josie slept peacefully through - snuggled next to her mommy in a sling. We are two blessed girls - loving husbands and beautiful children. What a great celebration!

MY JOY

Once again, my joy is sweet Baby Zog. I love his undying devotion to Ernie (seen here tucked under his arm). And I love watching him learn and love new things. In this case, it is sidewalk chalk which our friend - and Baby Zog's main squeeze - Laura brought over last week. It brings me joy to see him reach for it and say, "Chalk? Chalk?" and then run to the door to go outside. Happy, happy Mother's Day!

Further Ernie Evidence

Every morning, Baby Zog wakes up around 7:30 a.m. and plays with the toys and books in his crib. This play usually results in everything in the crib being triumphantly tossed to the floor. When he runs out of toy entertainment, we hear, "Mooommmyyyy. Daaaadddyy," through the monitor and drag ourselves out of bed and up the stairs.

But this morning, I opened his door and couldn't help but laugh. As usual, all the "friends" in his bed were on the floor -- save one. Look in Baby Zog's hand. See who was saved from the brutal toy tossing?

I looked at him playfully and said, "Why don't you throw Ernie down there with everyone else?" Based on the reply look he shot me, clearly I have lost my mind and was talking complete nonsense that didn't even dignify a verbal response.

So I ran and grabbed the camera.

Attachment

For 18 months now I have been amused by and somewhat boastful of the fact that Baby Zog hasn't formed an attachment to anything. He never really took to a pacifier. He was never attached to his bottles and giving them up was not a problem at all. He welcomes new people to play with. He has favorite books, but will read all of them. There is no blankie, no lovey, no woobie.

UNTIL NOW.

The family Zog has a fourth member and his name is Ernie. He goes everywhere with us, eats our food, slides down our slide and tries to jump into our bathtub. If he is not with us at Whole Foods, Baby Zog loses...his...mind.

As I type this, Baby Zog is frantically pacing the house with a concerned note to his voice saying, "Ernie? Ernie?" (Don't worry, I know where Ernie is - under the kitchen table where Baby Zog left him about 30 seconds ago.)

I actually find it sweet that he's in love with Ernie. I just fear the day we lose Ernie....

Mommy Tricks

Here is what I learned last night:
If you offer Baby Zog a honey sandwich on whole wheat and say, "Here buddy, want to eat your sandwich?" he will run away, shake his head and say, "No. No."

But if you offer Baby Zog the same honey sandwich on whole wheat (the very next second) and say, "Here buddy, cookie," he will open his mouth for the first bite and proceed to take down the whole thing saying, "Cookie. Yummy," over and over again.

Hmm...I am a smart mommy.

April photos are posted over in the photo album section to the left. Enjoy!

Random Rant

Parents, please teach your children proper elevator etiquette so when they are all grown up, they will be polite citizens. There are too many uninformed adults out there. (I'm giving the the benefit of the doubt by assuming they just don't know better.)

Let's review: When you enter an elevator, you allow the people exiting the elevator to get off BEFORE you push your way on.

Doh'

I KNEW this would happen! For many months now we have been attempting to avoid saying certain words around Baby Zog. Of course, we don't use the common four-letter varies, but we're also trying to avoid words that children should not use like "shut-up," "mine," etc.

So yesterday morning, we were dressing Baby Zog and I said, "Should we wear these shoes with this outfit or does Daddy think that will look stupid?" Of course, I said it more to Daddy Zog to get his opinion, but regardless, I said it.

Baby Zog looked at me, curiously cocked his head and said, "Daddy? Stupid?"

Argh! Bad Mommy. Bad. Bad.

18 month check up

18th Month Stats:
Height: 34 inches (91%)
Weight: 26.25 lbs (56%)
Head: 18.7 inches (42%)

In the last four months, his weight has gone from the 83rd percentile down to the 56th. We were a little worried about that, but the doctor says it's totally normal. He's just getting tall and skinny. He grew nearly two inches in the last two months. I understand where he gets the "tall" from, but not sure how the boy wound up with "skinny!"

All in all a good visit with a very well behaved 18 month-old, although he is still fighting a sinus/ear thing he's had for a month now. The doctor finally decided she thinks allergies could be the culprit, so in addition to starting the THIRD antibiotic he's been on this month, Baby Zog is now also taking Zyrtec daily. We hope this will help. Poor boy.

MY JOY

This will be a first for Zogland, but I've decided to start a reoccurring post. I'm going to call it MY JOY. I can tell you it will be simple, as the most joyful things in my life are simple. I can also guess that about 95% of the posts will have to do with Baby Zog as he is the ultimate characterization of my joy. I remember hearing a Sunday school teacher once say that happiness was outward; joy was inward. I like that.

So, here is MY JOY, the first post:
I love this photo taken last Sunday before church. First, we were surprised by this lovely Azalea bush in our front yard (see, we know nothing about plants, so until the flowers popped out, we'd never really noticed this bush.) Second, check out Baby Zog's eyelashes. I remember holding him when he was mere hours old and falling in love with those eyelashes. Next, his hair. Of course it's awesome and curly and unruly. How can it not bring joy?

If you'd like to leave a comment and tell me what brings you joy, I'd love to read them. Grown up life can get us down (see yesterday's post), but the sun rises the next day and the choice is mine anew. I'm going to find joy...and hopefully a job too!

Grown Ups

I was nearly six when my baby sister arrived. For me, it meant a weekday sleepover at my friend Laura's house and a baby living in the empty room at home. I was unaware of impact on my parent's lives - the new responsibility, love, and fear.

For 9th grade, I left my private school and went to public school. Some financial reason was the culprit, but I realized some buddies were headed there too, and was satisfied. I'm certain if you asked my parents how the summer of 1991 treated them, they would recall more details.

I once remember my mother being upset when a friend passed away. However, she still cooked dinner, read me a story, and took me to school. All was well.

The summer of my 15th year, my mom had back surgery. I was away on a trip at the time. I returned home and mom was walking again. No big deal.

When I was 20, my dad had to fly out west to handle the division of his father's estate after his passing. I had not been close to my grandfather and since the trip didn't affect my collegiate activities, this is all I can tell you about it.

When did hardships and tragedies stop being things that happen to our parents and start being things that happen to us? I've become a grown up, and it's hard. All of a sudden it's ME who is out of work and wondering how to keep my kid in school. It's MY friends who are fighting for their lives against cancer. Its MY generation who have to pace waiting room floors while their children undergo operations. It's people MY age who deal with injuries that keep them from emotional and physical happiness. I'M the one who pours over financial documents and then smiles and makes grilled cheese for dinner while singing the ABC song.

I haven't sorted what this means to me, but lately I've realized that things I was always sheltered from are now mine to endure as well. I was duped into thinking "becoming your parents" meant twirling your glasses in that funny way like your dad does (yes, I do this) or scraping your plate with your fork like your mom does (not yet doing this.) I'm starting to clue in that it's so much more than that.

So here I am. No turning back! Onward we press, etc. There is no choice but to embrace the small things that bring me joy (such as Baby Zog), work damn hard to make a happy life for my family, keep positive, and say lots of prayers. I want to be the best grown up I can be, not only for those I love, but for myself. I can do this. I can handle this. I can deal.

Right?

Love at First Sight

I finally got to meet my new perfect niece last week. I went and spent five days getting to know her and helping her mommy and daddy around the house. I even helped her mommy with Josie's first outing to a very important place in any girl's life: Target. Given that she is seemingly a perfect newborn and a champion sleeper, they really didn't need that much help. But it was a great visit anyway and I am totally in love. I can't wait for Baby Zog to meet her and love her too.

Baby Josie looks cute when she yawns, don't you think? I can't believe she'll be a month old this Thursday. Of course, I can't believe Baby Zog is eating strawberries with a fork as I type this. Funny thing about time: it's gone as soon as it arrives.

EASTER

Easter 2008 versus Easter 2009. Is it possible that only 12 months have passed? (Hmm...and he's still being outfitted with sweater vests purchased by his Sitti. Maybe someday we'll be able to afford new clothes on our own. In the meantime - THANK YOU SITTI!)

Easter morning got off to a discouraging start. Baby Zog woke up with a very swollen right eyelid. A call to the nurse concluded it's probably a bite of some kind. So we pressed on and donned our Easter best (sans bonnets) and headed to church where Baby Zog promptly got his entire right hand stuck in an elevator door. Seriously? Yep. Thankfully, the hand seemed okay, and he was content in the nursery a few minutes later. Meanwhile I'm left thinking, "Can we please just have one day -- really I'd prefer a whole week -- where he isn't sick or hurt in someway?" This is one of those infamous things about parenthood for which you can never prepare. The constant worry followed by feeling like you are always being "kicked when you're down." Daddy Zog and I were feeling pretty blue.

But the sun's glorious rays were touching my skin and the service touched my heart. I was reminded through beautiful music, moving words, and quiet prayers of the power of the Resurrection and the promises it holds for me --and for my small son, swollen eye and hand in all. No matter what you believe, I hope you too were uplifted in some way this beautiful Sunday morning.

We concluded our festivities with some friends who joined us for brunch and an Egg Hunt in our front yard. For an 18-month-old, Baby Zog seemed to understand hunting eggs. Maybe next year we'll actually hide them.