Rhythm Nation

Recently, it has become clear that we are one step away from having a full rock n' roll band in this house. As many of you know, Daddy Zog is our resident guitar player and mommy dabbled a bit on the keys in her younger days. Well, it would seem that Baby Zog has the Rhythm deep in his soul. In the last few weeks, we have caught him numerous times turning his toys into drums. If there are no toys around, the floor or sofa will do. He also seems to have the rhythm in his bones and will often be seen stomping and dancing along with his current favorite DVD which is a Sesame Street DVD that features the cast of STOMP. I love to watch him imitate every move they make. Here is a quick video. It doesn't show him in his fullest drumming glory. I think he was conflicted because he wanted to watch, but he also wanted to play. I'll try to get a video of him stomping because that is great to see. If you are wondering while you watch, the answer is "Yes. He set up the pots like this by himself."

Here IS the Snow!

Here Comes the Snow!

Baby Zog and the Calories - a Nutrition Update

Baby Zog consumed 1,478 calories yesterday. Most would wonder why I'm counting a two-year-old's calories or why this matters. The reason is because, in Zogland, 1,478 made yesterday an exceptionally good day.

You see, Baby Zog has developed an aversion to eating. Ten months ago it just meant he was becoming a picky eater. Six months ago it meant he wasn't gaining weight so the doctor suggested adding some high-calorie nutritional drinks to his daily intake to help him out. One month ago it became an active problem because he lost nearly 3 lbs over the holidays. Now, most of us would rejoice at seeing the scale slide down in the month of December, but for a growing two-year-old who was only in the 50th weight percentile, losing nearly 10% of that weight is something to discuss.

"So, he just doesn't eat at all?" This is what concerned friends often ask. This is also what the nutritionist our pediatrician referred us to asked. According to the nutritionist, it is pretty common for toddlers to be picky eaters. However, "picky" usually means the child will only eat a handful of foods - but they will eat LOTS OF those foods. The parents of these kids go crazy feeding them chicken fingers and mac n'cheese meal after meal, wishing they'd eat a green bean and wondering how to get vitamins into that pasta. But their kids continue to gain weight.

Baby Zog is a little different. Although he refuses to eat most "kid" foods like pasta, mashed potatoes, pizza, quesadillas, hot dogs, sandwiches, etc, he will eat a variety of foods. For the most part, he enjoys crunchy/grainy foods, fruit, dairy, and bacon. I mention bacon as its own category because it holds the distinction of being the only meat product he will eat. (We're thinking of letting him just go vegetarian.)

Food variety is not our challenge. Our challenge is delivered to us in two forms:

1. Baby Zog eats a variety of foods, but he eats very small amounts of those foods.

Not whole servings, but one slice of apple, 3 nibbles of a cookie, 2 chex, 1/2 french fry, etc.

2. On any day, Baby Zog will refuse to eat any food that he has previously enjoyed. This one is tough because it means we have to keep a giant variety available at all times and try to guess what's going to "hit the food jackpot" that day.

If you are wondering if we throw away pounds of uneaten or barely-nibbled-on food, the answer is yes. I try not to convert the wasted food into dollars in my mind.

The nutritionist visit was good and we'll return soon. She helped us devise a "plan." Here it is:

1. While we were previously throwing all our effort into getting 1,000 calories per day into the boy, for his age and height, he needs even more - around 1,300 per day. Try harder.

2. Most of the foods she usually suggests to bulk up calorie counts for kids are foods Baby Zog won't eat, so she told us to search for foods that are high calorie & high fat that we think he'll try. If those food have protein and fiber, all the better. So far our best new finds have been Organic Pop Tarts and Cheetos.

3. Stick with whole milk (she prefers organic) and stop cutting his juice with water. He needs the calories in 100% juice. This goes against everything we've been doing, but we'll return to low-sugar someday when he's gaining weight again.

4. Give him liquid nutrition drinks daily. (Of course, this gets tricky because he gets tired of them and then refuses them.)

5. Let him eat whenever he requests to - if that should happen.

6. Continue to give him daily vitamins.

In addition to offering reassurance and guidance, so also mentioned something that made both Daddy Zog and I relax a bit. She said if Baby Zog was actually "malnourished" he would stop growing taller. He is growing up like a weed - pants that fit a week ago are often too short today. So, we liked hearing that.

The unexpected side-effect of visiting a nutritionist was that we made it our mission to fatten the boy up. Our house is full of fattening foods and we work to the point of physical exhaustion trying to get Baby Zog to consume them. After a few days of charting progress (how do you calculate the calories in 3 bites of rice?) we realized that our extreme anxiety was affecting Baby Zog and he was eating less than ever. Tuesday, 603 calories. Wednesday, 756 calories. Ugh.

This brings me back to yesterday's 1,478 calories and why it's such a big deal. We decided to take a different approach for the weekend. Relaxation. We'll give Baby Zog the food and then back off. No bargaining with him. No comments like, "Baby, take another bite," "Baby, don't you want to eat this?" "Baby, show Grover how big boys drink their milk." No comments at all.

If there is anything I've learned in my 27 months of parenting it's that This Too Shall Pass. The issue we're tackling will soon be a memory. I want to chronicle our "calorie journey" because it will always be a part of Baby Zog's past. But mostly I want to be able to read back when this is behind us and we've moved on to a new challenge and say, "look, we conquered that one, we can do anything!"

Yesterday, the relaxation plan worked and my boy ate. Here's hoping today follows suit - it's 9 a.m. and we've reached about 200 calories so far. One day at a time...

Weekend With The Cuz'

What a great time we had this weekend. Not only was it a three-day weekend, but we had a nice long visit from Baby Zog's cousin, Baby Jo Jo (oh, and the baby's mommy and daddy, Aunt Katie and Uncle Jim were here too!)

While Baby Zog is certainly a little hesitant to share his favorite toys with a 10-month old who doesn't quite understand "mine" and "yours" it makes me proud to see how sweet and loving he can be with his cousin. Often he'll give her a hug, pat her on the back, tell us how cute and silly the baby is, or take a toy to her.

We had a great weekend. We played, napped, went to the park twice (finally out of the bitter winter cold), enjoyed family meals, ran around campus, devoured TCBY (a first for baby Jo Jo), and generally just relaxed. Oh and the adults even got to enjoy a wonderful Sushi-filled Saturday night out!

Click on the photo above for pics from the weekend.

Here is a video shot early Sunday Morning I like to call "Cousin Love":


And here is one from Monday afternoon. Baby Zog was displaying his beautiful singing voice for us when Baby Jo Jo decided to check out the situation:

Talk To Me

As any parent knows, being able to communicate with your child makes most situations, well, just plain easier - and more enjoyable. We have been fortunate that Baby Zog has been very verbal from a very early age. What started with "Da Da," "ball," and "bat" progressed quickly into "Mommy I dropped Grover on the floor. I need him." (Said yesterday in the car.)

Since his surgery in early December, we seem to be in the middle of a conversational typhoon. He just talks and talks...and talks. And we actually understand most of it. However, since this blog has turned into my personal record of thoughts and stories for Baby Zog to enjoy someday, I have to mention my current favorite words he uses. The few that he can't quite get right. I'm trying to remember how adorable I find this because I know soon he'll move on to something else, having conquered these. During Christmas, it was "Juggle Bells" and "Jofish," Baby Jesus' father. Now, we've got new ones...

Mommy Zog's Favorite Mispronounced Words:

Hell-a-funt - that's Elephant to the rest of us

Tang-a-rang - that would be Orangutan

Pat-a-killer - the Very Hungry one Eric Carle created

Fa-bam-a-ly - you know, Mommy+Daddy+Baby = fabamaly

Current heart-warming expressions:

"That's so cute!" - as in "oh, mommy, that puppy is so cute."

"So good, so good." - usually said in relation to food while chewing

"Bless you Mommy." - not just reserved for sneezes - coughing or blowing your nose will garner a blessing from Baby Zog too. I just got one. :)

"I need to..." - he doesn't use the word "want;" everything is a need. "I need to go play," "I need chex mix," "I need to watch Dora on the tv."

We have entered that phase where we never know what will be uttered by the boy, and much of it just makes us laugh. So fun!

P.S. The above photo was taken during a Christmas parade in December. Baby Zog had never been to a parade, and as you can see he was concentrating to take it all in. This photo really has nothing to do with this post except that it features the post author and subject -- oh and we are all bundled up which is appropriate since it is currently 17 degrees outside!

Piano Man

Whew! Is it really January 2010? Seriously? I guess that means Christmas is over and we are back to reality. We traveled nearly 1,600 miles by car to visit family in GA and MS over the last 10 days of 2009. That is over 25 hours in the car if you're wondering. What's remarkable is that Baby Zog only made a fuss for a total of about 20 minutes in those 25 hours. What a trooper!

One highlight of Baby Zog's visit to Grandma's house was the discovery of her piano. My first piano lesson was around age three so maybe we'll need to look into that for him. Perhaps he'll be a famous pianist - or a famous organizer - someday. You can judge for yourself here.

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.