Big Boy Zog and the Weight Gain

This post is a sequel to Baby Zog and the Calories which I posted in January and can be read here.

For the last three weeks we have seen a wonderful positive change in BBZ's eating. He still gravitates toward crunchy/grainy snacks, fruit and dairy products. We still sneak high fat and high calories like cream cheese or yogurt smoothies into his daily diet. However, he has definitely expanded his "food portfolio" lately and seems more willing to try new things. For the most part he remains to be what I call a "food purist" - meaning that he'd rather eat foods in their pure form than foods that have been combined into a certain dish or meal. In other words, he's likely to eat a slice of bread, a slice of cheese and some turkey, but not if you put them together into a sandwich. In fact, at school he pulls the cheese off and eats it first; then he eats the bread. However, every now and then he'll surprise us in a major way. Last week he ate celery with pimento cheese and yesterday he ate an entire half of an egg salad sandwich. I about fell on the ground when his teacher told me that. Never underestimate the power of two-year-old peer pressure to make a kid eat!

The biggest change is that he consumes LARGER quantities of the foods he loves. We stopped counting his calories back in March because we found it to be very stressful and not all that helpful. We have a good idea of what he needs each day and lately he seems to be getting it! The anxiety is starting to wane and we are very encouraged. We can actually dine in a restaurant and just order off the kids' menu for him. It sounds simple, but that is such a great feeling.

Given this recent progress I was about as excited for his 30 month check up this week as I was for the sonogram I had at 19 weeks pregnant. We got checked in and Nurse Maria asked, "are there any issues you'd like to specifically address?" My reply was simple, "If that scale says at least 30 lbs, we have no issues because it means he's gaining weight again." Maria coaxed BBZ onto the scale and flashed me a grin that said we were in the clear. Here are the glorious stats:

Age: 2 years, 7 months
Weight: 30.86 lbs (60%)
Height: 37 inches (73%)
BMI: 15.85 (37%, healthy weight)

So basically, he's tall and skinny, but healthy and gaining weight again. We'll keep on keepin on...

I wouldn't do justice to my pride if I didn't also mention that after a robust five minute conversation with BBZ during which he told the doctor all about his friends at school and pointed out his colors, numbers, letters, animals and shapes - including his favorite, the octagon - our pediatrician looked at us and laughed and said, "you two are in trouble. This kid is smart." Apparently, he's even smart enough to know he needs to eat!

In The Trees

Being a one-car family (or in our case a one-old-paid-for-covered-in-cracker-crumbs-SUV family) actually has advantages that out-weigh the disadvantages. Saving money and a little piece of the planet is nice, but my favorite advantage is that we log some quality family time while making the rounds each day.

Daddy and Mommy go to work, and BBZ goes to daycare - or "school" as we prefer to call it. Since my job requires me to have a car during the day, I am the elected morning driver who safely delivers her men to their destinations. During our travels, we have discussions about everything we see, what we hear, and where we are going.

Every morning we drop Daddy Zog off on campus and about eight hours later we collect him again. The hours of his day are spent in an office, library, or classroom as he reads, writes or teaches. All pretty routine stuff for a PhD student.

However, a few months ago, as we were slowing down at our drop off spot - see photo above - BBZ shouted, "Daddy go to work in the trees!" Hmm. Okay. Sure Buddy, if you say so. But it wasn't a one time observation. Since then, it has become apparent that BBZ fully believes that his Daddy works "in the trees." If you ask him what his Daddy does, the reply will be, "My Daddy works in the trees. Yep, in the trees." It's hilarious! Yes, Daddy Zog's campus is covered in many large, beautiful trees; however, Daddy Zog has never climbed them, manicured them, or studied them. Moreover, BBZ has been to work with his daddy, played in his office and watched him work. And still, the "in the trees" theory persists.

But here is my favorite part: We fully embrace the theory. How precious to be a toddler and have all sorts of wonderful, creative and exciting ideas in your head! Who are we to take that away from him? At this stage, it's not important for him to know what Daddy really does. The daycare director knows where to really find us and that is all that matters. I wish I could climb into my small son's brain and attempt to follow the logic that led him to the conclusion that his Daddy works in the trees. Unfortunately, I'll never know how his little mind brought him to this, but I'm certainly not about to ruin the fun - his and ours - with the truth. Someday he'll know that his daddy is "a doctor, but not the kind who helps people." Someday we'll drive onto campus and his sweet observation won't occur. Someday he won't have any interest at all in where his Daddy works. But until that day, we'll let him enjoy thinking his Daddy is special enough to work in the trees.

Elmo's Green Thumb

BBZ enjoyed his first live performance show this morning with Sitti and Mommy. We took him to See Elmo's Green Thumb. Unfortunately, Daddy was on his way home from a conference and wasn't able to join us. My sweet baby was the perfect audience member, sitting in his seat like a good boy, clapping when they said "clap," waving when they said, "wave" and otherwise staring in a comotose state trying to take it all in. The photo above pretty much sums up the concentration he maintained through the enitre 90 minute show. He loved every second of it and spent the rest of the day asking, "where are my friends?" We just kept telling him they had to rest so they could do the show again for other little boys and girls.

Photos are here.

Photos of May

We had quite a busy month here in Zogland, and it was a month of many firsts for BBZ. First time holding a newborn baby, first time planting things in the earth, first time successfully posing for a photo for mommy, first time getting a boo boo that required a band-aid (a fate that, according to BBZ, also befell poor Grover later that day, thus requiring him to need a matching band-aid. See above photo.) All in all, a great month! Click here for photos.

School Boy

Thursday was Picture Day at BBZ's school. I don't know how the professional photos will turn out and if we'll choose package A or D, but I sure do love the ones I snapped before we piled into the car that morning. We even got a great shot of Mommy and her baby and Daddy with his little man. I couldn't pick just one to share, so enjoy an entire photo album here. I would share my heartfelt mommy comments about how grown up he looks with his shirt tucked in or how I'm wondering where my baby disappeared to, but I'm in the middle of what I've dubbed "The Most Productive Three Day Weekend Ever," and must be off to scratch more things off my task list!

I Wanna Hold Your Hand

When I was pregnant with Big Boy Zog I got loads of advice about how to handle pregnancy, child birth and parenting. But perhaps the best advice we received in those nine months was from people who had managed to get married, have children, stay married and above all...be happy. At its core, the message was, "Put your marriage first, above jobs, above circumstances, and yes, even above the children. If your marriage is solid, loving and on track everything else will fall into place."

My own observations on this topic could result in a second blog dedicated solely to the subject, but at the end of the day, I agree with this philosophy 100%. Of course as any parent knows, daily practice can be challenging. "Honey, I want to sit on the deck shile sipping wine and having an indepth conversation about our dreams and goals and the steps we'll take together to reach them, but right now this diaper really needs to be changed and there is spilled milk on the rug." So, we've learned to find small ways to stay on track.

One thing we are dedicated to is spending time together, away from BBZ. We were a couple for 11 years before he came onto the scene, so it's nice to reconnect and remember why we fell in love...long before he was the #1 joy in our lives. We grab dinner out on the town as often as we can, but we also like to get away for a few days from time to time. Since BBZ's birth 30 months ago, we have traveled alone to Philadelphia, PA; Boston, MA; Aurora, NY; Blowing Rock, NC; Biloxi, MS; Raleigh, NC (I know it's close by, but we were gone overnight so it totally counts!) and - this past weekend - New York, NY. Thanks to generous birthday gifts from my Mother-in-Law, we were able to travel up to visit Daddy Zog's sister, Deenie. We hung out, ate, laughed, went to the Met, rode the subway, and just generally had a great time. I kept telling Daddy Zog, "This is so fun...we don't have to worry about BBZ running out into the street, so instead you can hold MY hand!"

Of course, coming home on Mother's Day to our excited favorite person who tried to run up the down escalator at the airport when we saw us headed his way was just as wonderful as seeing Renoir at the MET or enjoying an apple martini while sitting rooftop amid the NYC skyline. It's not about one or the other, but a balance that makes me feel like a great mommy and a very happy wife. What else could I ask for on Mother's Day?

Click here for pics of our trip to NYC.

Daily

Baby Zog is a full-blown two-and-a-half now. In honor of this milestone, he will now be referred to on this blog as "Big Boy Zog" or BBZ. If he had any idea I was calling him BABY Zog, he would furrow his brow, shake his head and say, "No Mommy! I not a baby. I a big boy!"

Our Big Boy continues to be our greatest joy. He appears to be a typical two-year-old, but has a pleasant disposition and inclination to behave...most of the time. Most of my amusement regarding him comes from looks he gives me, voices he uses, or funny dances he does. These things are difficult to communicate via blog, but lately I've also noticed some funny repetitive things to share. He does something new just about every day, but like the rest of us, he has certain activities that work their way into his routine daily. A day spent with BBZ will most likely include the following:

Being told not to hug or kiss him.

A conversation regarding how his daddy works "in the trees." (We have no idea...)

A complete and utter meltdown if you attempt to put him into his car seat. This task is only to be completed by BBZ. ON HIS OWN!

Observing him consume milk, cheddar Sun Chips, and popsicles made from frozen yogurt smoothies.

Pretending to eat plastic ice cream cones with plastic cutlery - and being ordered to return to said activity if you stop too soon.

Watching and trying not to memorize Doggie Ducky Dinger Jamboree.

Falling for his claim of "I made a messy" and then realizing he really just wanted attention and the "messy" consists of one cheerio or pretzel he has gently placed on the floor.

Grover and Elmo dolls acting "not nice" and being placed in time out.

BBZ asking for a "listening sticker" for his chart - a reward he may or may not have earned, but will ask for regardless.

Two tubes of chapstick - purple, then orange. Then purple, then orange...

Conversations about Marco, his friend at school that he tells "no get me in trouble, Marco!"

Being served a piece of wooden birthday cake, participating in conversations about birthday cake or eating actual birthday cake.

Funny, unexpected statements from BBZ like, "Oh hi Daddy, whatcha got there?"

Innocent but loud observations at the park such as "that little girl has two mommys."

Stalling tactics at bedtime that are actually quite clever.

Impromptu statements of "I love you Mommy" that will make it the best day of your life.

Easter and Jo Jo's First Birthday

We had a quick, but great trip up to VA to celebrate Baby Zog's cousin's first birthday and Easter. See pics here

Beautiful Nap Hair

I just remembered this photo I took on Sunday after Baby Zog's nap. I love it when he sleeps deep and gets a little sweaty and his gorgeous curls show up as a result. Same things happens when it rains and then he plays outside in the humidity. I wish he could hold on to his curls forever, but I have a feeling he won't...

What's going on in that head of yours?

Baby Zog seems to have reached a new level of cognition recently. He makes believe like James Cameron and tells stories like Aesop. More than ever I wish I could order a transcript from his daily thoughts. We were riding in the car on Sunday and he started to laugh. I mean deep, wonderful belly laughs. I asked him what was so funny and it turned out he was recalling something funny he had seen hours earlier and reliving it in his mind. To my knowledge, he's never done that before. "Mr. Noodle had to give Elmo a tissue!" he yelled while continuing to laugh. It seems that thinking about this skit was just as funny to him as actually watching it.

Toddlers are such amazing creatures.

This morning, he woke up ready with a rambling monologue of a story: "Mommy, I hear a doggie. The doggie talked to the kitty. The kitty saw a bunny. The kitty pushed the bunny. Not nice to push. Not nice kitty! Kitty goes to timeout. It's okay kitty, it's okay. Kitty needs to hug bunny. I hug Grover. Okay, time to change my diaper, Mommy!" I just stood there nodding and thinking, "Oh wow, here we go..."

Hello March, I'm Ready For You

Here in Zogland, February seems to, well....stink. (The caption on this photo can be "and don't bother coming back, February!" We don't know if it's self-fulfilling prophecy at this point, but for the last four years, we have not enjoyed the 28 days of the second month nearly as much as we enjoy the other 336 days. Yes, I know my birthday is one of those days, but it doesn't seem to help anymore. We are happy people, but we really struggle to maintain that in February. Oh sure, there are good days in February, but they aren't able to overcome the general yuckiness of the month. One of Daddy Zog's professors said, "February might have the least amount of days, but trust me, it's the longest month."

For example, 2007: I was one month pregnant, tired, dizzy and grouchy. It snowed a lot in DC that month and I was perpetually cold. Oh, and I turned 30 that month. Needless to say, we could have done without that month. Celebrating the big 3-0 with non-alcoholic margaritas is not the same.

February 2008 (this one is the prize-winner): Baby Zog (4 mo old) gets stomach flu. Daddy Zog gets stomach flu while visiting Georgia for PhD interviews and has to go to hospital for dehydration. He somehow flies home while still sick. Mother-in-law buys $600 emergency plane ticket to come help us care for sick people. Day after she arrives, Mother-in-law gets stomach flu. As if that weren't enough for that month, just one week later, Daddy Zog is in NC interviewing for his PhD fellowship and Baby Zog gets RSV and Bronchiolitis. Scary pediatrician (not our usual one) leads me to believe that my infant might stop breathing in his sleep and instructs me to use a "breathing machine" on him every 15 minutes while he is awake. I spend the entire weekend sobbing. Did I mention it was Valentine's Day?

February 2009: Me = unemployed for three months and not a single interview. There's plenty more, but I'll spare you. Bread-winner of the family being unemployed is enough.

February 2010 followed suit. The proof is that I have no photos to upload from Feb 2010. Not a single one. Let's just say no one wants to see pics of a family who have all suffered from bronchitis for three weeks and had raging cabin fever from the perpetual snowfall. Again, perpetually cold.

But as I mentioned, we are generally happy people. And here is the happy part: March is always WONDERFUL! The sun is out, the windows are down, Baby Zog's cough is finally gone. Yahoo!! I like to think of March as a verb - as in "March out and conquer the world and be happy." Here's to a great 31 days!

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!