Happy New Year!

Caught at the computer again!

Here are some pictures and videos to close out 2008. Happy New Year everyone! Hope it is your best year yet! :) Check out the fact that I have imaginary conversations with Zach. Also he is an unabashed drooler.

gab

maybe he has "the gift of gab" like you did!! maybe he will be talking by 6 months!! lots of love, kelly

pop up video (i sang that as i typed it-you know from vh1)

Here are some more videos. Zach is doing some new things....like trying to rasp...and blowing lots of spit bubbles...he has unfortunately learned how to scream...and he also does this weird fake cough thing...I haven't figured that one out yet...is he maybe trying to laugh? Or maybe, just maybe, he is trying to learn how to SWALLOW some of that saliva....

You can hear his piggy noises.

Thanks for Zach's Christmas presents. TO explain what I said on the video....the cheap monitor we have doesn't always work so I wanted to get a good one. The bottle warmer is b/c 1) we're in alaska...and 2) we honestly think he is getting brain freeze when he drinks them sometimes, lol. He really appreciates all of his gifts, I know it! And he is the most spoiled boy ever. :)

Daddy took this one....yes, Zach has learned the screech. And he like to screech at his toys...you know, let them know who is boss...he also does that by eating them...when I am around and he does the screech I tell him he sounds like a girl.

You know every mom gets all sentimental when they watch their baby sleep....well I'm no different...except I film it and force other people to watch it! *evil laugh*

Christmas Pictures

Hi, The videos from Christmas are adorable! I can't believe the Santa outfit - I laughed when I saw it. The car is precious - and his little feet underneath it were so cute. By the wear, I'd watch that Redskins pig, Chris sounded pretty jealous!

Love, Karen

Pictures.

I put the videos up, now here are some pictures. Most are from around the house on Christmas Eve and Christmas...then there are some with Zach on his first playdate with his friend Jared (Jared is five and a half months)...there is also one that is a familiar sight; us on the webcam with the grandparents....also a picture of Zach in his Tigger robe...looks like something Will Truman would wear. Finally, there is a picture of me in a Jeep for no particular reason. Just in case you are wondering...I am sick AGAIN (omg)...Smokey is sick too...and we have to clean up after him if you know what I mean...makes changing Zach's diapers seem like pure bliss. the house was clean and is now full of Christmas-stuff...so like...it's not clean anymore lol. But on Monday I will start working on that. WHY OH WHY can't Anchorage have a container store? I would SOOOO be there. They don't have a goodwill either...hopefully the salvation army will be willing to take our truckload of donations...Well I need to go take a shower because I am pretty sure I smell like a mix of pee, poop and spit up. Ah, the life of a Mom...and dogowner.

More Christmas Videos!

Here are some more videos. All in all Christmas was great! I may have burned the pancakes and we may have had to clean up a lot of dog poop (Smokey is sick sick sick)....but we were together and it was so great having Zach around for Christmas. And I know Chris at least liked some of his gifts!







In this video watch how Smokey is looking for me but can't find me. lol.

Smokey opens his presents.

Zach gets a present!

Zach gets more presents!

Well I couldn't put everything on here but Zach got a lot of lovely gifts and so did we! Thanks to everyone. We love you and miss you. Hope you had a holly jolly Christmas. XOXO

Christmas time

Merry Christmas! I have a lot of videos to upload so I will let them do the talking. Btw Zach is rolling over at night now! Waking himself up....also the office and kitchen look much better now.

more to come later!

Moved in - Yay!

It's great that you are in your house now! I know you must be very happy; exhausted, but happy. Poor Smokey - he looks pitiful! He is probably the happiest of all of you! I bet he will be eating good the next few weeks!
Love, Aunt Karen

Moved in!

Well all of our stuff has been delivered. We got a lot done today even though it doesn't look like it. They are coming back tomorrow to unpack us. Basically they take everything out of the boxes and FORCE us to put it all away, lol. Zach had his first day at a babysitters today. Her name is Jennifer and she is very very nice and took excellent care of him. I honestly was really really busy so it didn't affect me as much as I thought it would...I did miss him though! I walked in to see him just like this:

So it seems like he got along fine without me (whatever!). She said he was really good. I couldn't believe it at first but then I remembered that, you know, she has three boys. A small little baby is probably easy compared to the energy they have! lol

Here is Zach again...his first meal at his new house. Forgive me for looking like a walking zombie...b/c that is pretty much what I am at this point. We also got to get Smokey back! Hooray! Yes, he lost like twenty pounds but it feels good for everyone that he is here with us. He is tired and hungry. And we have carpet everywhere....pure heaven for him! :)

Video of today's events.

Here are some videos/pictures from last week.

Moving!!!

This may be the first post where I don't have any media to put up! Sorry! I promise we will resume to the boring-except-to-mommy videos soon! :)

Tomorrow we are moving into our new house. We've got all of our stuff here at the hotel packed up and we're ready to go! We actually get free daycare for two days to assist us! Isn't that nice? Zach will be down the street (well like a mile down it I think) in another house in our neighborhood...a nice lady named Jennifer wil be watching him. I am trying not to think about it too much. I am going to miss him but I keep telling myself that we've both been really lucky to have been able to spend so much time together...other mommies and sons aren't so lucky. And all of the moving/unpacking will go a lot faster if we can just focus. I want to get the Christmas stuff up too. Luckily the people who are delivering our stuff will also be helping us unpack. The nice people who packed us informed us that we can request an unpacking as well! Heck yeah man! The best thing about that is that they will take the dang boxes with them! It was so awful last time...we weren't allowed to put them on the street so Chris would take one or two a day to the dumpster at work.

I am very excited about all the decorating. I have lots of plans. The first thing I am going to tackle is painting/decorating the small half bath downstairs. That's a good place to get my feet wet since it is really small. Lol. Next will probably be our bedroom. I am thinking of painting it too. You see I can't live in all white walls for four more years. I am OVER WHITE WALLS. Excuse me. Anyway...we have cherry wood furniture in the bedroom...so I am going to make us a headboard, put some sepia photos of our wedding and some shelves w/ candles....I am also stealing this idea from HGTV.com....this woman framed a really sweet card she got from her husband but she did it in this cool way

....yeah, that's going to be in our room too! I just have to figure out what color the walls should be!

I need to find a thrift store b/c I need (want) a table wall, a long table to go against the back of the couch, a small table to put in the entance of the house for us to drop all of our stuff in/on....and other things....

And then there is the wildlife room...so Chris wants our front room to have some Alaska in it...like landscape/wildlife pictures in it...so I need to find some stuff...we already have a picture of horses riding in the sunset so I need to try to find them in the same colors....and I am going to frame some antique-looking maps of Texas/Alaska...and we'll just keep adding as we go. :) I think it will be neat. Once again, HGTV has given me some good ideas from keeping it from looking like a zoo or a taxidermist's office. They do scrimshaw carvings here...I think that will be a nice (although expensive) addition.

I plan on not being able to do any of them for a long time lol. You see my plan is to have everything fully unpacked/put away by Jan 1. Do you think that's going to happen? One can hope!

Thanks to everyone for their cards/gifts/etc and holiday wishes. We sent lots of pictures but kind of skipped Christmas this year on account of time/location/money. I'll make it up next year with super duper calendars. :)

Zach is really trying to laugh nowadays. He does this thing where he sucks in the air and makes this strange noise...in conjunction with a smile. Anytime now!

Talk to you soon!

I was looking through some old pictures I had scanned for some reason and it's hard to tell...but if you try...you can tell Zach has my nose! And the same surprised look. lol.

LOL

Someday Zach will regret this picture. But let's all have a laugh in the meantime.

I'd like to talk to you...

Here is a video fo Zach from today. Usually when he talks it is kind of long winded and squealy...today he felt more in the grunting mood I guess. Also...watch him grabbing for his elephant. :) And you may catch the way he puts his hand on his knee...it's really funny...like he's an old man sitting in his sitting chair....:)

ID Card

OK, the ID card is hilarious! I love where your hands are holding him up for his picture! lol

I'm so glad you are getting your house early. That's wonderful and I know you will be happy to have Smokey home for Christmas. That will be your present!

Zach's pictures where he's laughing are so cute. That's a wonderful stage.

Love, Karen

He's Alaskan!

Well it's official...we're Alaskans now. I was sad to give up my Texan driver's license...but I guess the whole "you can take the girl out of Texas but you can't take the Texas out of the girl" will always be true. As usual, Zach was the hit of the DMV...and he got an ID card! He is the most identified 3 month old ever...he has his birtch certificate, his SS card, an ID card and a passport!!!! Ridiculous! I wrapped up his Christmas presents tonight. :) One is from Santa!

Check it out it says 2 feet and 14lbs...that is hilarious.

Here are some pictures from the last couple days.

We have really good news also! We are getting our house earlier than we thought. We move in a week from Monday....the 22nd. So we have to hurry and get everything unpacked. I am so excited...you don't understand...I have created a floor plan of my kitchen in powerpoint and planned where everything out. I have done the same for all the rooms and decided where all the furniture will go. I have come up with some decorating plans. Yes....I am ridiculous.

I am really excited that we'll get Smokey. I feel bad because it has been like 0 degrees here so we can't get him out of the vet (we aren't allowed to bring him in our room) so I am sure he is sad. :(

In any case...as of the 22nd our new address will be:

6906D Anderson Circle

Elmendorf AFB, AK 99506

Btw....do you know how many times I've had to scratch out Elmendorf, TX?

Sigh. :)

Happy 3 Month Birthday!

Today Zachary turned three months old! Can you believe he's been with us for that long? If you can't, I have the hundreds (maybe thousands by now) of pictures to prove it! Anyway, here are some recent pictures.

Here he is talking to his Grandma. It looks like he is clicking the mouse key with his toes!

Holding is friend...I don't have a name.

This is today...Doesn't he look big in his big boy clothes?

This look says I am so over all these pictures.

This one says....YOU CAN'T be serious!

This one says I love my Mommy!

Well here are some new pictures and videos. Zach refuses to really do it for the camera but he is "talking" up a storm. You wouldn't believe it when you get him going! He also squeals in delight, very close to a laugh!!! :) We have had real dinners every night if you can believe it...and also broccoli twice in one week. (my family will find that hard to believe) I have to confess I pretty much blew the swiss steak...ugh...and I gave Smokey the leftover Spaghetti...but other than that my cooking has gone no-trips-to-the-hospital-well!!! Apparently there are like 12 grizzly bears hibernating here on Elmendorf...and like 50 more in Anchorage. When you come from San Antonio you get very spoiled by the transportation system...you know...they have all the highways and loops...here they have streets...and lights...a lot of lights...that aren't really in sync...the town is pretty small but it still takes the same amount of time to get anywhere as it would have in good ol' SA. :)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We put up our mini tree. :) It looks like Christmas outside.

Playtime!