Goose Bumps

March Already....

2009-03-01T07:27:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how fast this year is already going. It is already March and I just got the hang of writing 2009.
Well, we have been doing really well at the Zak household. Julianna is reading and getting smarter than her daddy everyday. Ansley is trying to crawl, although using her head to push herself around seems a bit odd.
Nanni, Papa, Tara, Dawson, and Lauren came for a visit a couple weeks ago. We took the kids to Portrait Innovations to have their pictures taken. The kids did such a great job. Of course, after we spent all afternoon with the kids and spent way too much on pictures, we had to buy frames for them. So I finally have pictures of my girls hanging in the house. We have been in the house for almost 2 years, and only had 1 picture hanging. I changed that last week. We now have pictures everywhere! I love it.

The kids had such a great time hanging out together, as always. Dawson did have to go to the emergency room though, for croup. But, I did get some pretty cute pictures. He is such a funny kid. At one point, when the doctor or nurse hadn't been in the room in a while to check on him, he said "what kind of hospital is this?" We couldn't help but agree.

Last week Julianna went to Build a Bear Workshop and got a black dog named Snowflake. Now her favorite animal is dogs- not sure that she will ever have one in real life, but we will let her have the stuffed kind. She got a much needed haircut yesterday from Jason's barber. I know, a barber? But it turned out really cute.

Ansley is doing well. She went to the doctor twice this week. Once for shots and the next day for a cough and suspected ear infection. Her ears were perfectly clear though! She just pulls on them when she is tired when she scratches her head. She now weighs 14.9 pounds. She is an itty bitty. The doctor said that she should be drinking 24 ounces a day, but to get that much in her is a struggle. She is way too busy to eat. I am questioning if she is really my baby.

I know I am biased, but seriously...

2009-02-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen anything this cute?

A Southern Snow

2009-01-25T09:03:00.000-08:00

Well, this week we had our first (and probably only) snowfall of the season. We got about 3 or 4 inches of snow and didn't have school on Tuesday and then had a 2 hour delay on Wednesday. It was nice to just hang out in our jammies and watch the presidential inauguration. I know that all the northerners make fun of us for not knowing how to drive in the snow and for stocking up on milk and bread, but do you really mind a day off for snow once a year... Julianna played out in the snow for about 30 minutes. Her feet were "frozen" so the fun didn't last too long. By the end of the afternoon I had a little cabin fever, so we went out to dinner at one of our favorites- Qdoba.
The girls are still enjoying spending time with Grandma Campbell, and I think that the feeling is mutual. Grandma said that she missed them since she didn't come on Monday and Tuesday. I wonder if she will be feeling that same way in May when Ansley is getting into everything and Julianna has Spring Fever.
We are still trying to get Ansley to sleep through the night- if anyone has any suggestions, I will listen!
Yesterday we went to Diddy and Susan's house to celebrate our birthdays. Julianna always has so much fun playing with Diddy- he is such a big kid himself.
Today Julianna is going to a birthday party at a roller skating rink, and she is very excited about it. I know she will have fun.

It's About Time...

2009-01-17T07:19:00.000-08:00

I am sorry that I haven't posted in a while, things got busy when I went back to work last week.
We had a great Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve at my parent's house again because I am not quite sure that I am ready to give that up. Santa came and brought Julianna a bike! She has been riding it when the weather permits and doing a great job without her training wheels. Santa brought Ansley some little toys and books. The girls got lots of beautiful clothes from their grandparents. Apparently Grammie has discovered the joy in buying girlie clothes (and I love it). Christmas day we spent time visiting family and enjoying lots of good food and company. I love that even as I get older, the excitement of Christmas doesn't fade.
On the 26th we headed to Ohio to visit our colder family members and to celebrate Christmas with them. We had camp Christmas one night, and the Price family Christmas one night, and had lunch with Grandpa Ron. Last year there were no "babies" in Ohio and this year there were babies all over the place. So much fun. Dawson and Julianna had a great time playing together, like always. He is so sweet to listen to everything that she says and not argue! No wonder she is so sad to leave. Ansley and Lauren had a good time getting to know each other. I was hoping that Lauren would tell Ansley about sleeping through the night, but I guess she is keeping that secret. The day that we left (New Year's Eve) it snowed a few inches. Julianna and Dawson had fun playing in it, while we packed up.

We celebrate Christmas with Grandma Fran and Grandpa Ed when we got back into town. The girls were spoiled again with lots of wonderful and thoughtful gifts from them!

I stared back to work last Monday, and waking up was quite a shock to the body! Grandma Campbell has been taking care of Ansley and Julianna after school and the girls seem to love it! Julianna is disappointed in the afternoons when Grandma leaves to go home.

We had a little Panther Party for the playoff game last week. We wore our Panther gear and made a Panther cake (which I now refer to as Looser cake). Grammie and Grandpa came over and we ate dinner and watched the game- at least we had fun getting ready for it.

We did find out that Ansley has baby "acid reflux" which explains the spitting up and fussiness. Dr. Laramie put her on Zantac this week and things have been a lot better. She still isn't sleeping through the night, but she isn't waking up inconsolable either! I hate that we didn't know sooner, and that she was in pain for a while.

Julianna is back in the swing of things and getting smarter than Daddy. She has been reading to us every night. I can't believe how quickly she has picked it up. The ability to read is life changing and I am so excited that she enjoys it. Jason ran into Mrs. Fenimore (Julianna's teacher) this week and she said that "Julianna is wonderful and we should be very proud of her." We are!

Cookie Night

2008-12-22T08:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went to church with my parents and my sister and Graham. Julianna went to Children's Church- because she and I both learn more when she is in there. As I sat in the row with my husband, baby, parents, sister, and Graham (and knowing that Julianna was only a couple rooms away) I felt that our family was complete. Not that there won't be more kids or changes, but at that moment I felt totally at peace. I remember feeling that way last year on Christmas Eve at my parent's house.

Last night was the annual "Cookie Night" at my Grandma Hazel's house. It is probably one of my favorite days of the entire year, and definitely one of my favorite memories growing up. Every year the family goes to Grandma and Grandpa's house for dinner and then we make Christmas cookies. Grandma has always made homemade dough and icing. All of the brothers and sisters, cousins, and grandparents gather in the kitchen and watch the magic. There is always a little friendly trash talking about who will win the contest- although there is never a winner!
Last night I didn't make cookies. I sat in the sun room with Ansley Claire and watched from the quiet room. It was like a movie with the carols in the background and the excitement just one room away. I saw my daughter making cookies with her dad. My sister making cookies with her fiance. And my entire family together.
We are so blessed.
4 Generations

Party Time

2008-12-14T09:09:00.000-08:00

Thursday was Julianna's 6th birthday- I know, I can't believe it either. She woke up early and came and got in bed with me while Jason got ready- she was very excited about her day. Grandma Campbell came over and watched Ansley Claire while I went to Julianna's school to pass out snack. Since she doesn't like cupcakes we brought in cookies. Julianna picked Bella to help her pass out the snack. I was only there about 15 minutes, but that was long enough for me to realize what a saint Mrs. Fenimore is. Seriously, I don't know how she does it everyday!

Thursday evening Julianna didn't think that we were going to do anything special, but I had invited all the grandparents over for dinner. Jason took her out for a little while and I got ready for the party. Jason took her shopping for a necklace at Hand Picked. She picked out a necklace with blue beads on it- very sweet. No more plastic jewelry for her anymore. When she got home all the grandparents were here and she was surprised. We had spaghetti for dinner and a cookie cake for dessert. She got lots of nice presents, but her favorite was a $4 pointer that I got for her at the school book fair. Apparently it is what her teacher uses to point to things in the classroom. Julianna practiced running a classroom with the family as her students. She had her hands full with us.

Friday evening Jason and I took Julianna to see "The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever" at the Imaginon Theater. Diddy came over and watched the baby. The play was wonderful. Julianna was so disappointed when it was over. I need to try and find the movie for her.

Last night was the sleepover. Wow!!! We had 4 girls come over for the party. We ate pizza, decorated and ate cookies, and made jewelry. Jason stayed with the girls in the bonus room (since it isn't really connected to the house) and I stayed with the baby. I think this was probably the first time Jason wished that he could nurse. The girls watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and played. They had a lot of fun. This morning we planned on having waffles for breakfast. When Jason told the girls that we were having breakfast they requested pancakes, eggs, and bacon- I guess next time we will know!

Ansley Claire is doing really well. She has taken a bottle everyday this week- I don't want her to forget how. She has been rolling over and sleeping in her own crib. The first night I cried myself to sleep, but I think that she sleeps better in her nursery and I definitely sleep better. She tried green beans for the first time yesterday- not so sure that she will be a fan of those, but at least I got some cute pictures!

Kids Questions

2008-12-09T04:55:00.000-08:00

Last night I was helping Julianna get ready for bed and she asked, "Mom, how do you meet a man?" She said she needed to know for when she is older...way older according to her father!
Isn't it funny the things that kids are thinking about. I am kinda glad that I can't read her mind!

Lately...

2008-12-07T16:09:00.001-08:00

Well, honestly, we haven't been too busy to blog, I am just currently addicted to Facebook. The girls in the neighborhood were talking about it, so I checked it out, and now I need some sort of group to help me stop...
The girls are doing really well. Brian, Katie and Megan came down for Thanksgiving and stayed with us. Julianna and Megan had an awesome time hanging out together. They played so well with each other. I wish that they could see each other more often. While they were here they made Christmas ornaments, watched movies, played, and wrestled with their Daddies! Ansley Claire (I think we are going to call her by both) took a bottle from Uncle Bri Bri and from Daddy- we are making progress. Erin and Graham were also in town for Thanksgiving. Erin had an early birthday present for Julianna- a real wedding veil- you can tell by the pics that it was perfect.

Tuesday evening we went to Chuck E. Cheese with Grandma Hazel and Papa. They took Julianna and Mason there for their birthdays. The kids had a great time playing games and eating pizza. They didn't have birthday cake (neither of them like it) so instead they had Krispy Kreme donuts with candles.

Julianna got a report card this week and she had straight S's (that is kind of like straight A's for a kindergartner). We are so proud of her. She really loves school!
Grandpa Allen came over for a little while on Friday and hung out with me and Ansley Claire. We hung out and Ansley Claire almost rolled over!!! Friday evening we went to the neighborhood Christmas party. Santa Claus was there for the kids to see. Julianna and Ansley Claire sat on his lap and Julianna told him that she wanted a diamond necklace for Christmas (no, we aren't high maintenance). Ansley Claire also rolled over for the first time on Friday evening, but I missed it!

Saturday morning I gave the SAT at school. Jason stayed home with the girls and Ansley Claire took a bottle- no fuss, no muss- like she has taken them everyday. Yeah, we are finally there!!! I only have 4 weeks until I go back to work, so that is great news (especially for my grandmother).

Church

2008-11-24T16:13:00.000-08:00

Well yesterday I decided that it was time for us to get back to church. It has been a while since we have been, in fact I almost made a wrong turn on the way there- luckily my mom was with us. I have been concerned about taking Ansley because I don't want to put her in the nursery yet. Julianna, Ansley and I picked up my mom and headed to church. Julianna went into her class and mom and I took Ansley into the sanctuary. Ansley really seemed to enjoy the praise and worship part. There are lights that flash on the ceiling and loud music- she was very stimulated. But as soon as the pastor took the stage, she started loosing it. So mom and I took her to the "Family Room." They have large screens with the service playing and rocking chairs. She was a little fussy in there, but we managed. She did pretty good considering it was rigiht in the middle of her nap time.
After that we went and got Julianna a Christmas dress. I can't wait to get Ansley's and to have their pictures taken.
Last night Julianna was playing with a nativity scene that was given to me when I was about 9. She showed Ansley the baby Jesus and said "Ansley do you know who this is? This is baby Jesus." Well Ansley got fussy right as she told her that it was Jesus, so Julianna changed her mind and said "I was just kidding, this is baby Ansley Claire." She thought that Ansley was upset that it wasn't her. It was really funny.

This afternoon Julianna came home from school and said that she missed her old school. I asked her why and she said because she misses touching people. She said that at her new school she can't hold hands and help people like she could at her old school because it is a school rule that you can't touch each other!

Christmas Spirit

2008-11-23T05:45:00.000-08:00

We are getting in the spirit here at the Zak house. Last night we decorated the tree, put out the garland and the Santas and played the Christmas music. Julianna and I had a lot of fun decorating the tree, and we (I) only broke one ornament. After all the hard work we laid on the couch and watched tv and fell asleep. Having a Christmas tree up makes everything more exciting. Even watching tv and sitting around the house is more fun with a Christmas tree!

On a very cute note- the other day Jason and Julianna were discussing her sleepover birthday party. Jason explained to her that they would be sleeping in the bonus room and that he would sleep in the bed and all the girls could sleep on the floor (our bonus room isn't really attached to the house). Julianna said "Daddy, I am going to sleep with you in the bed." Jason explained that it wouldn't really be fair if she were in a bed and they were all on the floor. Julianna's response- "It's my birthday, I can sleep where I want." Well that it is. I told Jason that there are not many years that we will even be allowed in the same room as the party, maybe after the girls fall asleep she could climb in bed with him!
Ansley has been very busy lately, trying to suck on her toes. She is always trying to find something to put in her mouth and the newest thing is her feet!!! It isn't always easy to suck on toes, so I try to give her a paci, but no, she would rather fuss over those toes!

Lately...

2008-11-21T07:10:00.000-08:00

Well, all of the days have seemed to blend together lately. Last Sunday I went to see Chicago with the girls in the neighborhood and I was gone for 7 hours- a normal day, but not for a nursing mother, whose baby won't take a bottle. Well Ansley (and Daddy) did fine. She took enough of a bottle to get through the day but I think that she was relieved to see me- I know Jason was. It was really nice to get out for the day though.
Julianna is doing well. She is getting excited about her birthday and Christmas. This weekend we are going to decorate the house (a little early, but we are celebrating next week with the family). We have decided on a sleepover birthday party for the big girl. I guess we will have pizza and Julianna wants to decorate cookies- since she doesn't like cake. It should be fun. Daddy will have to stay in the bonus room with them since the room isn't really attached to the house. I would like to be a fly on the wall that evening!
Julianna is really learning a lot in school and we are practicing reading and spelling at home. The past week we have focused on words that have an "oo" or an "ee" in them. We say the word and she spells it for us. I may be biased, but I think that she is really smart! She really loves learning which is wonderful. At night when I read her story I hold Ansley and we read together. Ansley just watches and listens- unbelievable! Mom says that she will be reading by the time she is two years old if I keep reading to her. Right now I am not concerned with having a genius- just a baby that sleeps through the night and takes a bottle!

oh, and I am finally admitting that the baby looks JUST LIKE her daddy...

Happy Veterans Day

2008-11-11T07:37:00.001-08:00

Happy Veterans Day to all the veterans including our Papa, Grandpa Ron, and Grandpa Tony! We are all home and spending the day together!
This weekend Julianna had two sleepovers. Friday night it was a birthday party at Bella's house and Saturday night one at Avery's. She had a great time at both parties and was exhausted by Sunday afternoon. Yesterday Julianna brought home an award from Art class. It was an award for behavior- that is 3 awards in only two months of school. She has gotten more awards this year than Jason and I received in our 26 years of school combined. We are very proud of her.

Ansley is doing well. Still not taking a bottle. I thought that we had found the "one" but apparently I was wrong. Saturday I picked up a Nubby cup and tried that- she wasn't interested. We went to a friend's house on Saturday night and tried their Dr. Browns bottles- nope on that one too. Oh, and then on Sunday I picked up a Nuk bottle at Walmart- apparently those aren't like breastfeeding at all!!! Guess we will go straight to a big girl cup at this point. She has been enjoying cereal though. I figure that if I need to go anywhere, Jason can at least fill her up with cereal while I am gone.

Jason and I are doing well (except for fantasy football- don't ask). I have a sinus cold though, and he was sweet and stayed home with me on Monday. Of course the baby was great and practically slept all day. But it was still fun to lounge around the house together.
Oh, in the best news ever- my Grandma Campbell is going to be watching Ansley when I go back to school in January. It all came together last week and I couldn't be happier. I feel so much better knowing that Ansley will be in such good hands! Thanks again Grandma!

Fun Times

2008-11-03T09:17:00.001-08:00

This weekend we had a lot of fun with the Halloween festivities. As soon as Julianna got off the bus on Friday she asked when Halloween started. I told her that it started that morning, but she was talking about the trick or treating part. I told her that started around 6:00, which seems like an eternity to a 5 year old. When went out for dinner, because lets me honest I had been snacking on the candy already and I wasn't really in the mood to cook. I always start out motivated on Monday and somehow loose that as the week progresses. After dinner Julianna got dressed in her Sharpay costume. We curled her hair and put some makeup on her. She looked great! She went trick or treating with Addie and Avery (her neighbor friends). She trick or treated for a couple hours and then came home to pass out candy to the other trick or treaters. Ansley sported her pumpkin hat and bib that Grandma Fran got for her- next year she will be able to enjoy it a little more (and next year I can get her candy!)
Saturday morning we counted Julianna's candy for her homework assignment. She had 206 peices!!! I am glad that she isn't keeping track of it because I have been helping her eat it without her knowledge. We also ventured to BJs on Saturday. We stocked up on diapers and wipes for the baby, so we shouldn't need any for another couple weeks- that is actually exciting for a mother! We also went to a deli and Ansley got her second taste of ice cream. She actually had the nerve to get fussy when I stopped sharing it with her- the girl already knows what she likes.
Sunday, figuring that if Ansley likes ice cream she may also enjoy a little rice cereal, I bought some and tried it out. No such luck. I know that she is a little young, but I am trying to get her excited about something besides nursing. The neighborhood girls are going to see Chicago in a couple weeks, and I had planned on going, but now I am thinking that I won't be able to. She refuses to take a bottle, and I am too much of a softy to push it. We will keep working on it though.

2 Month Check-Up

2008-10-30T17:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Ansley had her 2 month check-up and the start of her immunizations. Grandmother Leete (Ansley's great-great grandmother) went with us for emotional support (for me). This is our 4th trip to the doctor's office and each trip has been awful. Ansley screams the minute we walk into the office and doesn't stop until we leave. This trip was completely different. She only got a little fussy right before the shots (it had been an hour of waiting), and right before she got the shot she fell asleep. Of course the shot woke her up, but she feel asleep again before we even made it out of the office. I think that our new scheduling has been working. She is really learning to self-soothe. Dr. Williams reassured me that I was doing everything right. We love Dr. Laramie!!! We are breaking up her shots, so we have to go again next week, but that is okay with me. She weighs 10 lbs 7 oz and is 23 inches long. She is only in the 25-50th% for weight, but her head is in the 75th%. So I guess that she is going to be an itty bitty with a big noggin- it could be worse.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-30T17:45:00.000-07:00

Julianna has really been wanting to carve a pumpkin this year, and I have really been avoiding it. I always remember it being quite a hassel and pretty over-rated. This afternoon she came home from school and asked when we could carve her pumpkin. I couldn't put it off another day being that tomorrow is Halloween, and I didn't want her to end up in therapy as an adult because her mom never let her do anything messy-so we carved two pumpkins (to make up for the fact that I don't allow paint, glue, glitter, and other messy stuff). A friend "Booed" us earlier in the week and gave us a pumpkin carving kit, so we pulled that out and got started. We carved one ghost and one jack-o-lantern that Julianna designed. I have the pumpkin seeds drying out so that I can cook them tomorrow. We had a really good time and I have the pictures to prove that I am not always afraid of mess!

Catchin' Up

2008-10-27T05:25:00.000-07:00

Things have been great at the Zak house the past week. Jason didn't have class, so I had extra help in the evenings- very nice for the frazzled mom! Julianna is still loving school. Thursday was "Special Person" day at ther school, so Ansley and I packed up and headed to Porter Ridge Elementary. It was great to see her in action with her class. She shared her poetry book with me and the class sang a couple songs. Julianna also had to write on a leaf why the person that was visitin gher was special. She wrote on her leaf "you make me brownies." Little does she know that I made those for her afterschool snack because I was craving brownie mix! After that we made a tissue paper fall tree together. Her teacher said that she is such a little teacher. Last week her job was to be the paper passer outer, and before she would pass the paper out to students she would say "I'll give you your paper when you are quiet." I am not sure that she will be the most popular with the other kids, but her teacher loves her! (I have pictures, but I can't seem to be able to rotate them clockwise on this laptop).

Saturday morning the girls played together on our bed. Julianna read and did puppet shows for Ansley. Ansley watched her for about 45 minutes. I can't believe how crazy she already is for her sister. Julianna is quite the big sister and so sweet to try and entertain the little one.

Friday night Julianna went with her friend Avery to see HSM 3. It was her first time going to the movies with a friend and she had a great time. Ansley and I went to have dinner with the grandmas for Grandma Linda's birthday. Ansley was a bit of a fuss pot at first, but then after Grammie introduced her to ice cream she seemed to settle down- thanks Grammie. Ansley won't take a bottle, but apparently she has no problem with vanilla ice cream!

Ansley and I are working on getting her on a schedule. She has only been able to fall asleep by being rocked or in her swing since she was born. I have been that mom that prays that when I lay her down she is asleep enough not to wake up. And when she is fussy and I can't calm her down I am a little to quick to breastfeed her-even when she is not hungry. So Sunday I decided that it was D day. For her afternoon nap I put her in her bassinet and allowed her to cry. I read that most will cry about 15-20 minutes. Not my baby. ONE HOUR! Yes, she screamed for an entire hour, and then finally fell asleep for an hour! I did check on her every 15 minutes to tell her that I loved her and that I was sorry. That afternoon she fell asleep again in her bouncie seat (she's never done that) and on Grandma Fran's shoulder. Last night I put her down and she screamed for an hour and a half before finally falling asleep for an hour. When she woke up in the middle of the night, I fed her, rocked her and put her back down while she was still a little awake and she managed to settle herself down. We'll see how today goes. I hate to hear her cry, but I really hate not being able to eat dinner out or go to the mall without nursing or swinging her car seat back and forth until she falls asleep. I am hoping that she is a quick learn and that it won't be too bad!

Cradle C(r)ap

2008-10-17T11:09:00.001-07:00

Okay, so Ansley has finally gotten over the baby acne, but we have moved into new territory- Cradle Cap. Or Cradle Crap as I like to refer to it as, because it looks so awful. I have been kind of picking at it- I know I shouldn't do that. The other afternoon I was talking with my neighbor about it and she said to rub baby oil in it and brush it. I did that before her bath that evening and noticed that it was better the next morning, but there was still a good amount of flaking. That morning I soaked the poor baby in baby oil and brushed her hair- but she was so greasy looking that I had to make her wear a hat all day. Poor thing- good thing she looks cute in a hat!

Wild Weekend

2008-10-16T06:04:00.000-07:00

This weekend Papa and Nanni and Erin and Graham were in town for a visit. On Friday we had a Jeans Party. Since Ansley had her first pair of jeans, Aunt Erin decided that was reason enough to have a party- and I am always up for some cupcakes. It was funny, because a lot of the neighbors were outside wearing their jeans, so they were invited too. They probably think that we are a bit nutty, but it was fun.

On Saturday I decided that I was going to fix dinner for the entire clan. A neighbor made homemade pasta shells for us after Ansley was born and I loved them, so I thought that I would make them. It did take all day, but it was worth it. My husband was impressed! Grammie did some shopping while she was in Florida for Goosie, so she is now rocking some really cute fall outfits- if we could just get the fall weather to cooperate.

Sunday Ansley and I went to meet the family for pancakes to see Erin and Graham off. The baby slept the entire time- thank goodness. Sunday afternoon Daddy watched the baby while Julianna, Nanni and I went shopping. Nanni bought Julianna her Halloween costume- Sharpay from HSM. We also got Goose a couple pair of shoes to wear with her new outfits. When I got home Papa was feeding Ansley a bottle- this is a really big deal. She has only taken a few bottles in her short life. Papa is so good with the little girls! Sunday afternoon Julianna and Papa went to the park together and had a fun time. They found a rock and Papa cut it in half and put a hole in it. Julianna decorated hers with paints and glitter. Papa is going to fix his up in Ohio.

Forever in Blue Jeans

2008-10-04T16:58:00.001-07:00

I have been dying to get Ansley a pair of blue jeans- all girls need a good pair. Yesterday we went to The Children's Place and I got the cutest little pair for her. They have little ruffles at the bottom. I washed them as soon as I got home and couldn't wait to put them on her this morning. Jason gave the SAT at school, so while he was gone and Goose was playing dress up, Ansley had a photo shoot in her new jeans. Oh, and then she pooped in them...nice.

Baby Wise? Not Really.

2008-10-03T05:51:00.000-07:00

Things at the Zak house are going well. Julianna is still loving school. Every morning Jason walks her to school and tells her "not to go getting smarter than him." It is a cute little thing that they do! The other night at dinner she tried to stump him with the question "What colors can you not make?" His answer was white and black. I thought that the answer was blue, red, and yellow and Julianna agreed, so I guess that she is getting smarter than him. She has stayed on green everyday, gotten to get a treat out of the treasure chest a few times, and received awards for being good on the bus!
Our only worry is that there is a little boy in her class and on the bus that tries to kiss her. She came home last week telling us about him. We told her to tell him that her mommy would call his mommy if he didn't stop. I am not sure that she is really concerned about it because when she tells us that is is going on she smiles and giggles- yes already. Poor Jason. This is a picture of her school picture. Don't worry, I'll get real ones to you all! Things are going well with Ansley. We went in for a weight check with Dr. Laramie this week. Ansley weighs 9 lbs. 2 oz. Laramie said that she is gaining about an ounce a day. Ansley sleeps in her swing for most of the day and I was a little worried about that, but Laramie said as long as she can fall asleep in her bed that is okay. Well, yesterday, just to test I laid her down in her Pack and Play for her afternoon nap and she slept in it for about an hour. I was so excited- we don't have to be dependent on the swing(s)- although we have 3 so we will be using them! I am also trying to keep her awake after she nurses during the day. That is a little harder than you would think. She falls asleep while she is eating, and lets be honest there isn't too much to do with a 6 week old. Although, this week she has really started smiling and cooing. We have discussions during the day and she actually agrees with me about everything. That will last until she learns the word "no".
It seems that the consensus is that the baby looks like Jason when she is smiling, and like me when she is pouting...nice.

Bathing Beauty

2008-09-26T04:47:00.000-07:00

Ansley had her first bath last night! I know, she probably should have had one a long time ago, but I have been comfortable with the sponge baths and reluctant to give her a real bath on my own. Last night my mom came over and suggested that we give her a bath. Ansley is great during the day, rarely cries unless she has gas, but in the evenings she is fussy and has a hard time settling down.We gave her a bath and I don't know that I have seen her this happy ever (granted she is only 6 weeks old). She absolutely loved it. I actually think that she was smiling during the bath. Grammie and Julianna helped bathe her in her Aveno and lavender bath (who wouldn't enjoy that?). After the bath I took Julianna upstairs for her bath and stories, by the time I came down Ansley was fast asleep in Grammie's arms. The rest of the evening was a lot smoother. I think that we have a new wind-down activity.

The PROTECT Our Children Act

2008-09-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!
I am not sure how many of you watch Oprah (I really haven't since she had the "Pregnant Man" on the show last season, please don't get me started). But last week she had a program about sexual predators. It was disturbing to say the least. I haven't stopped thinking about it and just yesterday my neighbor and I were discussing it. She mentioned that she had written to her senator (as I had as well) and that she posted it on her MySpace page. I am not a MySpace user, but I am a mother who blogs, so I thought that all you other mothers could read this and write to your senator.

Hundreds of thousands of children are victims of sexual abuse each year. Due to the sheer lack of resources, law enforcement is unable to follow up on the majority of leads they have.

The PROTECT Our Children Act will:

Authorize over $320 million over the next five years in desperately needed funding for law enforcement to investigate child exploitation.
Mandate that child rescue be a top priority for law enforcement receiving federal funding.
Allocate funds for high-tech computer software that can track down Internet predators.

You don't have to write your own letter, Oprah has one pre-written, just cut and paste. It only takes about 3 minutes. If you get a chance go to http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20080911_tows_predators

Thanks! I promise not to fill the blog with political information and stuff like this, but if you saw the show you understand the urgency.

You Spent $10 on What?

2008-09-20T17:22:00.000-07:00

Today Julianna went to Festival in the Park with Diddy and Susan (my dad and step-mom). Festival in the Park is one of my all time favorite things to do in Charlotte and really gets me ready for fall- but with a newborn in tow we decided to skip it this year. Luckily for Goose, Diddy wanted to go and take her. I gave Julianna $10 to buy anything that she wanted while she was there. They have arts and crafts, kid's stuff, food, really anything that your little heart desires. Well her little heart desired tri-colored hair and a tattoo. Both of which she knew that she would not be allowed to purchase if I were along for the ride. As I watched her play outside this afternoon with her purple, blue, and pink hair, all I could think about was the fact that she may choose this same look at 15 years old with permanent dye. Let's hope not....

Check out these Wheels...

2008-09-16T06:13:00.000-07:00

Julianna's buddy, Addy, got some new wheels for her birthday- a hot pink mustang. The girls have had quite a time driving up and down the sidewalk. Addy is sweet because she rides shotgun and lets Julianna drive her around. This little battery powered car may be an alternative to the high gas prices! Maybe I could borrow it to go to Target!
Speaking of wheels, Jason and Julianna have been practicing riding a bike without training wheels (Julianna is practicing, Jason is supervising). Sometimes she gets very frustrated and gives up, but yesterday as soon as Jason got home from work she told him that she wanted to try again. And she was able to do it. She was so proud of herself, and we are so proud of her!!! I'll take some pictures and post them soon!

Hanging with the Gmas

2008-09-14T07:25:00.001-07:00

Friday night the girls and I went to have dinner with the Gmas. For those of you that aren't aware that is short for the Grandma's. We went with Gma Leete, Gma Linda, and Grammie. Grammie never misses an opportunity to see her girls (and no, I am not included in that anymore). If Julianna could drive I think that my mom would be fine with me sending the little ones on their way to visit. After dinner Julianna and I went to Target to get a birthday gift for a party on Saturday. The Gmas watched Ansley for us. It was really nice to just have the two of us in the car together. Usually when Ansley is with us I am trying to keep things relatively quiet so that once we get to the destination she is happy. But on Friday night I turned off the radio and Julianna and I talked- about what you ask? Well the topic of the evening was "If you lost all of your teeth, what could you eat?" My girl has lots of imagination! On the way back the the Gmas Julianna said how nice it was to leave Ansley while we shopped. I agree- we all need a little time away! But when I asked her if she just wanted me to leave her there for the evening she didn't. Thank goodness!

3 Week Checkup!

2008-09-10T16:17:00.003-07:00

All went well today at Ansley's three week checkup with Dr. Williams. We LOVE Dr. Williams! Ansley is now 7 lbs. 10 oz. and 21 1/4 inches. All that eating is paying off. She is growing so fast. It is amazing that she is already 23 days old. The first night home seemed to last a year, and now the past two weeks have flown by. I am having so much fun getting to know her and spending time with her (and obviously taking pictures).
Julianna is doing really well. She is loving kindergarten. She has a new friend that she has been talking about for a week now, but she didn't remember her name. Today, the first thing that she told me when she walked in the door was "Mom, her name is Bella." She was excited that she had remembered it. She wakes up ready for school (no moodiness) and tells me all about her day when she gets home.

Too Cute...

2008-09-10T05:22:00.000-07:00

1st Week of School

2008-09-06T08:59:00.001-07:00

Julianna had her first week of kindergarten this week and she loved it. Her teacher is Mrs. Fenimore (from Ohio) and she is young and sweet. She loves to dance, she coaches cheer leading and she loves hugs- perfect for Julianna. Daddy took her to school each day and she rode the bus home in the afternoons. Her favorite part of her day is actually the bus ride. There are a couple cute pictures from her first day.
Last night Julianna cheered at the Porter Ridge High School football game as part of the cheer camp that she attended this summer. She didn't think that she should cheer in the rain, but we explained to her that cheer leaders cheer in the rain, snow, wind- whenever there is a game they cheer. She was so excited and she did a great job cheering the Pirates on (although no amount of cheering could help the score). My mom and dad came over and watched Ansley. I never thought that I would be the kind of parent that is nervous to leave her baby (especially with my own mother), but I checked my phone every 5 minutes and I called home once in an hour and a half.
All is well with Ansley this week. We have finally found a bottle that she will take (Born Free). Of course they are the only bottles that are not free. We were given Platex bottles, Avent bottles, all kinds of bottles that she will not take. But have no fear, mom found the bottle that she will take and we give her one bottle of formula once a day, just so she can start getting used to it. She can nurse for an hour and a half each time, so this gives me a little break every now and then.

She's Here!!!

2008-09-02T06:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, well she has been here for 2 weeks now, but life is busy with a newborn. Ansley Claire was born on August 18 at 10:02 am. She weighed 6 lbs. 12 oz. and was 20 inches long. The labor was nothing like I expected- it went really well and was virtually pain free (I mean there were pains, but I was expecting a lot more). We came home last Wednesday and since then have had a lot of visitors and we are trying to get on a little bit of a schedule. Sometimes I think that she has her days and nights a little confused! At least I don't have to be anywhere in the mornings. We try to be really quiet at night so Daddy can still get some sleep. She is sweet and beautiful, and I can't get enough of her!
This weekend we tried using a bottle and finally found one that she would take. I just can't handle nursing for 12 hours a day which it what is feels like sometimes. So I figure a bottle a day will help a little, plus Daddy or Big Sis can help feed her.
I am not sure that you all really want to know all the details, probably just pictures, so here they are!!!

Parenting Class- Teacher: Julianna

2008-08-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

On Sunday evening I was reading what every mother to be reads, What to Expect While You are Expecting. Julianna asked me what I was reading about and I told her that I was learning about how to take care of her sister. She didn't need to know that I was reading about cervix dilation and contractions. I guess that she was a little concerned that I was not prepared for a baby, so she offered to give me a Baby Class.
We had our baby class tonight. She taught me about feeding the baby and using a pillow underneath the baby's head (good tip). I also learned about burping, using burp cloths so that I don't get it on my clothes, bathing, and diapering the baby. She was actually VERY informative and I know that she will be VERY helpful when the baby finally decides to come. Here are a couple pictures from the baby class. If you have any questions about parenting, please feel free to call me and I can pass the phone to her.Oh, something else funny about how much she actually knows. Since I have been pregnant she has made comments about how the doctor will cut on the line on my belly and the baby will come out. I am going with that- I don't think that she needs to know about labor and delivery at this point (in fact I think the less I knew the better off I would be). But the other evening she said, "Well mom, sometimes you just push three times and the baby will come out of your peeps." Oh really? I didn't really know how to handle the situation, so I just replied with the "Oh really." I know bad mothering probably. The thing that makes me laugh is that it seems like she has been withholding this information from me for my benefit, and that it finally just slipped out.
Finally, baby update: NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! 1 cm dilated, she hasn't dropped, she seems happy where she is. I was hooked up to a fetal monitor this morning for a while and she is active and her heart rate is great. On Friday I will go in for an ultrasound to make sure that there is still enough fluid around her and that she is still doing well. If she still hasn't come on her own by the 20th, we will talk about scheduling me to be induced! I am so ready to have her, but I would rather her come on her own. Hopefully sooner than later.

The Nursery

2008-07-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I suppose that the nursery is ready for baby. Last night my dad came over and hung the curtain. A girl from my mom's school actually made all of the bedding and the curtain for the nursery. She did such an amazing job, and it is all one of a kind. Her clothes are all washed and hanging for her. The blankets are all folded and ready. The only thing that we need now is for her to make her appearance. But that should be a few more weeks at least.
I would have never believed this thing about "nesting", but let me tell you, from a woman that is already a little anal retentive, I have never been this bad. I have managed to clean out the linen closet, the junk drawer, the kitchen cabinets, the pantry, the baskets downstairs, prune the rose bushes. Anything that I can get my hands on and clean, but things still aren't perfect. Nor will they ever be. We have just accumulated too much stuff. And I have already realized that even though the baby isn't even here yet, she has accumulated lots of stuff. She has more clothes than Julianna and I combined. Don't worry Goose, we'll go back to school shopping soon!

Baby Update

2008-07-13T15:41:00.000-07:00

Well, the update is actually from my last visit which was on the 30th, but all is well. The doctor said that the baby is doing well and that she weighs about 5 pounds- so doc what accounts for the other 20? She is in the 48th percentile- which of course is about average. I am not shooting for a record here- average is just fine, I can plump her up when she gets here. As of today we have exactly a month!!! A month!!! We worked on the nursery this weekend and it looks great. I hope that she likes it as much as we do. We will post pictures of it after we (my Daddy) hangs the curtain. We had a baby shower today and we received lots of beautiful things for baby. We can't wait for her to get here.

Beach Fun

2008-06-29T17:57:00.001-07:00

This past week we went on our annual Harris family beach trip. This year there were 17 of us in one house- one very large house. Julianna and I went down on Saturday after her recital, and Jason followed on Tuesday morning. One night we had a dance party, we spent many days at the beach, we (Julianna) rode rides at Broadway at the Beach, we enjoyed homemade ice cream almost every night, we played in the pool, Emma and Mason came to visit with Rhonda, we played with our cousins. We had a great time. In fact, we were so spoiled by the activity that we have had a hard time getting back to normal life. Julianna is pretty bored without 5 cousins running around and constantly entertaining her. We are already looking forward to the trip next year!!!Julianna doing "the worm" at the Dance Party

Synchronized Jumping with Logan, Sarah, and Mason

Future Packer (it fits her well)

Hanging out with Emma at the Beach

This one is for Dawson

Riding the cars with Evan at Broadway at the Beach

Recital

2008-06-29T17:40:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Julianna had her dance recital at Porter Ridge High School. The title of the recital was: Through the Garden Gate. She was in two performances- in the first she was a blue butterfly (ballet) and in the second they dressed in raincoats and tap danced to Singing in the Rain. Both were great. She was great. She knew all her moves and made us very proud.

More Cruisin'

2008-06-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

The pictures from the cruise were too great not to include more...And no, the grandparents aren't taking applications for new grandchildren!

Cruisin'

2008-06-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

Last week Julianna went on her first annual Grandchildren's trip. Every year for about the last 15 years, Grandpa Tony and Grandma Hazel have taken their grandchildren on a fabulous vacation. We have been to the Outer Banks, the Grand Canyon, the mountains, and many other wonderful places. This year the kids were lucky and they got to go on their 4th cruise with Grandma and Grandpa. Since I no longer go (too old and married), now Julianna gets to go. The first great-grandchild to go! There were 7 kids and the grandparents on a cruise to the Bahamas.
Julianna had a wonderful time. She snorkeled, ate steak three nights, went to shows on the boat, and enjoyed the cruise life. She and Mason had a great time together making each other laugh. Grandma said that they spent an entire dinner telling each other "knock-knock" jokes and laughing hysterically at each other. That is hysterical in itself if you have ever heard one of these jokes.

We'll Miss You Mrs. Johnson

2008-05-28T16:40:00.000-07:00

Today was Julianna's last day of school with Mrs. Johnson. When I picked her up from school today she said that Mrs. Johnson was moving to the Bahama Beach. I asked another teacher and found out that she is really just moving to Myrtle Beach, but either one is too far away from Goose. She has spent most of the night sulking and crying about how much she misses Mrs. Johnson.
Mrs. Johnson was a special teacher. Julianna absolutely adored her! Just last week Julianna fell and knocked a tooth loose while doing the sack race at school. The tooth was loose, but not like the others that were just hanging on by a thread. Julianna asked Mrs. Johnson to pull that tooth out yesterday- and she did. On the way home from school yesterday, she said "Mrs. Johnson pulled out two of my teeth." It is true- she has let her pull two of her three loose teeth this year- that is love. When Julianna falls outside and gets a boo-boo she always wants to call and let Mrs. Johnson know that she has gotten hurt. When her tummy hurts, she wants us to make sure that Mrs. Johnson knows.
We have been so lucky this year to not only have a teacher that taught our daughter sooo much, but to have also had a teacher that showed so much love to her. Thank you Mrs. Johnson!!!

Grandparent's Day

2008-04-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

Friday was Grandparent's Day at Julianna's school. Grammie and I went and watched Julianna's program. They sang a song called "I Love Bugs" which Julianna kindly informed me is not necessarily true. She did a great job with the words and all the motions. I was in the balcony, so I got a few pictures, but they aren't that great. After the show Julianna took Grammie around to see her classroom. They also had snack together and visited with her other friends.
We had a really good week- the weather here has been nice. Thursday evening Julianna and I went to dinner with Katy, Lauren and her son Jack. Katy and Lauren are two of my sorority sisters from college. We ate dinner downtown (uptown for you northerners) at Brixx. Julianna stood outside and commented on how it looked like the big city- New York. She wants to go downtown another time and walk around like she did in the big city- my cultured well traveled daughter! Julianna and Jason rode bikes together this week. They had such a great time and they both slept well that night- I may have to send them out riding more often.
I also included a pictures of Jason and Julianna playing Chutes and Ladders. Wednesday night after dinner I played a game with Goose and it only lasted about 4 minutes because she kept getting ladders that eventually took her all the way to the top. Jason had a lot of work, but reluctantly agreed to play a game- it only lasts 4 minutes, right? Well, they didn't have the luck this time. As soon as one of them would get to the top, a chute would take them right back to the bottom- it ended up taking them 20 minutes to play one game. But it was worth it!

Our Weekend

2008-04-06T15:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had a great time spending time together. Weekends are about the only time of week that we are really all together for meals and fun time, with Jason in grad school, and me nannying. Friday night we took Goose to her dance class. She did a great job as always. After that we enjoyed dinner at our new favorite Mexican restaurant and ice cream at Bruester's. Apparently I went to bed way too early, because heartburn woke me up at 2am- just one of the joys of pregnancy. Thank goodness for tums.
Saturday we went to the mall for lunch, got some new crocs for the missy, and got her haircut. The girl that cut Julianna's hair was really sweet. When I walked back to the sinks to check on Goose, she was chatting away with the stylist about her new baby sister, her cats, and her plans for the rest of the day. I thought that she would feel uncomfortable and want me to sit with her- I don't know what I was thinking. If she had the cash she could have handled the entire process on her own. She loves her new cut. She keeps checking herself out in mirror (or glass doors, or car windows). Apparently Gabriella from HSM also has shoulder length hair.
Today we went to church and had lunch at Brixx pizza. Then we went shopping and bought a few onsies for the baby (they were on sale). While at a store Goose found some mascarade masks, and I just happened to have my camera. If I have learned one thing as a mother, it is to always have a camera with you to capture those everyday moments.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...

2008-03-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

Jason and I went to the doctor on Thursday for our first ultrasound. It was absolutely wonderful. The ultrasound technician spend about 30 minutes with us and took about 15 pictures of our new little fetus. We told her that we wanted to know the sex, but asked her if she would write it on a piece of paper so that we could look at it when we left the office. She did, but it took her the entire time to get the baby to cooperate enough to get the right pictures.
After we checked out of the doctor's office, we ran to the car - it was the excitement of Christmas times a thousand. We opened the envelope and read that we are having a GIRL!!! We cried, laughed, and I am still in a little shock. I was for sure that the belching and gas oozing out of me for the past month had to be from a little boy.
This is my favorite picture.
We called Julianna (she was visiting her grandparents in Ohio) and told her that she was going to have a little sister. She said "oh, I love girls!" and then asked if we could name her Rainbow Rose.

Here Ye, Here Ye

2008-03-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this weekend we went to a Renaissance wedding. Yes, a theme wedding. No, it wasn't my family- it was Jason's. The invitation asked that we all dress in typical Renaissance attire, but we decided that hats would be the extent to our dressing up, although we did allow Julianna to wear her Belle gown.
The wedding was interesting to say the least. The bride was over an hour late for her own wedding. The entire bridal party was in costume as were most of the guests. The reception was held in a room behind the church with long tables and two wooden bowls per seat. Dinner consisted of a large platter of meats- turkey, beef, venison, corn on the cob, fresh bread, yams, and steamed potatoes. All family style. A pregnant woman's worst nightmare. Family styles means that you have to be polite and allow all of those people around you to be served, and then you delicately fill your plate praying that the rest of the table ate a healthy lunch. We did have silverware (although I was told that we were lucky to have that as they did not have it in the Renaissance period) but the bride forgot the napkins, so we kindly used the tablecloths.
I have been to a lot of weddings, I have been in a lot of weddings, I have watched a lot of weddings on tv- I have NEVER seen anything like this wedding in my life.
Today Jason took me to CiCi's Pizza. I had to remind him that even though last night I was accommodating and even though I didn't fuss too much when he suggested CiCi's, that I was still the same pretentious woman that he married, and the next meal out I would expect us to need leave a tip.

Here are some pictures for your enjoyment...The Lovely Bride and Groom
The Wedding Party's Feast

Grandma, Grandpa, and Julianna

What Not to Wear...

2008-03-16T15:45:00.000-07:00

Today my mom, Julianna, and I went shopping together. It was a lot of fun, and I think that my mom instilled some life long fashion lessons in my daughter (and reminded me of them as well). Before I became a mother I thought that I would be incredibly anal and not allow my child to wear anything wrinkly, mismatched, or too large (or small). Then reality and hit, and as long as we make it out of the door and are dressed relatively well for the weather, I am happy. As long as tears have not ensued on any given morning, I am happy. As long as hair has some sort of order, I am happy. My mother, on the other hand, has not become a mother all over again. Being a grandmother is much easier and much more fun. She isn't here in the mornings or when we are rushing out the door to make it to church. She buys white shirts for 5 year olds (granted they are very cute white shirts)!!!
Julianna has a tendency to love anything with sparkles, bright colors, cut-outs, anything that some chick on high school musical would wear. So today, the three of us went to Kohl's. My mom had gotten Julianna some spring outfits, but we decided that a 6x would probably fit better, so we all went to exchange them together. After Julianna showed my mom some her favorite outfits (including a hot pink, polyester, layered dress with a large cutout in the back, sparkles all over it and a big hot pink flower), my mom decided to teach a little fashion lesson. My mom showed Julianna what nice cotton felt like opposed to cheap material. She also pointed out things that little girls shouldn't wear- cutouts and "older" girl clothes. Then being the teacher that she is, she quizzed Julianna on her new fashion knowledge. Julianna loved it. She wanted to do it all afternoon and she was so proud of herself for picking out the "sweet" outfits.
The only thing I am worried about, is her calling me out on my polyester maternity shirt tomorrow morning! Hopefully she won't notice.

Catching Up

2008-03-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

I don't know of a worse time of year for a high school guidance counselor- March and April. And on top of that I am trying to do a year's worth of National Board work in 2 weeks...pray for me!!! Oh, that is my excuse for not updating in a while- I know, I am full of them.

Julianna is doing great. We have officially moved to the Friday night advanced dance class. Last week her dance teacher told me that Julianna was going to be a ballerina, and that she had girls in the class that were still working on things after 2 years that Julianna picks up in one lesson. The class is one and a half hours long and she absolutely loves it. I think that it is much more challenging and she appreciates that. We watch her from the window. She is always so focused. We are so proud of her.
Oh, and she is READING!!! She has been working on 3 letter words for about a month now- spelling them and reading them. She loves to write letters to people and mail them. If you haven't gotten one lately, check the mail, I am sure that one is on the way. This weekend Grandma Fran had some great little books that are for first readers and Julianna read 3 of them to me. She was so proud of herself. It is so neat to see how kids learn. From learning the alphabet, to sounds, to reading...
Here are just a couple pictures. One of me in all my pregnant glory and one of Goose in a cute new shirt that TT got her.

Life's Little Sparklers!!!

2008-02-28T15:24:00.000-08:00

Things are about the same around here. Oh, I did gain 2.5 pounds this week. Jason is so sweet about it and says it is good for the baby. Maybe it is, but it isn't good for my butt!!!

We have laid low lately. This past weekend we were really lazy. The weather was cloudy and chilly so we spent a lot of time inside. I guess with all of the down time, Julianna has been very creative and decided that she wants to be a songwriter. The other night I was tucking her into bed and she sang me a song that she made up- it was about kissing a boy (don't tell Jason). I told her that she was really good at writing songs and she said that she wanted to make songs for other kids to sing. How creative is that??? When I was 5 I had no idea that people made up the songs that we sing, and that it was possible that I do that. I am raising a creative genius.

My sister did a sweet thing on her blog that I wanted to share. Life's Little Sparklers!!! Her list was 125 items long, I will just list my top 15:
1. Being called Mommy
2. Being called Aunt Stephie (thanks TT)
3. Having a baby in my belly- and feeling like Christmas everyday
4. Being hopelessly in love with my husband- it is probably the hormones
5. Finding myself becoming more like my mother everyday
6. Having 2 dads that are both amazing in their own and very different way, and both being what I need.
7. Being within 20 minutes of my entire family
8. Oreos (especially the Spring ones)
9. Grandma Campbell's genes
10. Autumn in Charlotte
11. Having a house (bills not included)
12. Worship service at church
13. Law & Order
14. My Grandmother Leete's wisdom
15. My sister's ability to see sparkle in everything!

Wild Weekend

2008-02-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

We had the most fun weekend with Papa, Nanny, Aunt TT, and Dawson visiting. The weather in Charlotte was perfect, so we enjoyed the parks, playing outside and taking walks. Since spending the weekend with her cousin, Julianna has decided that she would like a brother. I would be happy either way- but if I had a little boy like Dawson, I would be thrilled. He is so much fun!!! Here are some pictures from our weekend. We look forward to them visiting again, although Uncle J would like Dawson to be potty trained first!

Hard to believe that this time next year, we will have 2 more to fit in the picture!!!

He is a big boy- he has options!!!

How sweet is this...

Are You a Hot Girl?

2008-02-14T14:57:00.000-08:00

According to my daughter, I can't be because I am preggers!!! But to all of you that have hope- these are the rules:
1. You have to stand like a hot girl, duh (see pictures)
2. You can't bite, hit, or punch people.
3. You have to be nice.
4. When a Hot Boy walks by you have to look at him like you want to marry him.
So, no this isn't the newest craze- just something that Julianna and her friends have made up. But she is very into it. Everything is "hot girl" this and "hot girl" that.
We have had a really nice week. Tonight is Valentine's Day, but Jason has class- so we enjoyed a romantic dinner of hot dogs and baked beans. I will probably gorge on candy later and watch Law & Order- sounds like the perfect night to me.
And to all of you that want pregnancy updates- things are going really well. I feel great, getting bigger everyday. I have gone to maternity clothes and I am not looking back- I love them. The pants are amazing. Today marks the last day of the 1st trimester (according to my journal). I have been eating about 20 peperocini peppers at lunch each day- can't get enough of them. I don't know if that is "normal" but I did read that Halle Berry also craves them (and she is pregnant too). At least it isn't chocolate milkshakes!

Gentleness

2008-02-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

We're back!!! So sorry to all of you that look forward to the Julianna blogs. The past couple months I have not had the energy to make dinner, clean, much less do a blog- but we are hitting the 2nd trimester and we are back!!!
Last week we got a note from Julianna's teacher, Mrs. Johnson, that Julianna was receiving a special award in Chapel this week. But it was a surprise- so Jason and I didn't say anything all week. This morning I went to Goosie's school and waited for her in the Chapel- she was very surprised to see me. She said "Mommy, why are you here?" I just shrugged my shoulders- I didn't want to give it away. The classes and the parents sang about 3 praise songs (the kids danced to them). Then it was time for the T-K classes to get up and perform a song that they had been practicing. I was "Jailhouse Rock"- about Paul and Saul. She has been singing the song (with the moves) all week. After that Mrs. Johnson got up and presented Julianna with a certificate of gentleness. Mrs. Johnson said that Julianna has such a gentle spirit and that she is so kind. I thought that "gentleness" was such a neat word to describe her. As a parent I would describe her as kind, loving, funny, smart, goofy- many things but I so appreciate that her teacher notices something new and special. We will always remember today- the day our girl was recognized for her gentleness.

Princesses (and Daddies) on Ice

2007-12-16T16:37:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrated Julianna's birthday at the ice skating rink. She had 7 of her friends come, along with Grandpa Ed, Grandma Fran, Diddy, Grammie, Grandma Campbell, and Grandmother Leete. Most of the girls had never been ice skating before so Jason got a good workout this afternoon. He helped the girls get their balance and their confidence up enough to skate on their own by the end of the afternoon. And just to toot his horn, because you know he will toot it anyway- Jason skated for 3 hours and NEVER fell- yes, I married a stud. He dominated ice skating. Julianna had a lot of fun skating with her friends and she even managed to get Grandma Fran and Grandpa Ed out on the ice. All in all- great party, few injuries, and happy faces. Can't beat that.

Happy 5th Birthday!

2007-12-13T04:30:00.001-08:00

Tuesday, Julianna celebrated her 5th birthday!!! We can't believe it. She celebrated her birthday by taking a big cookie cake to school to share with her friends. She was very disappointed when I started cutting the cookie and told her that she was going to have to share- I think that she thought that it was for HER snack!!! After school Grandpa Tony and Grandma Hazel took Julianna and Mason to Chuck-E-Cheese to celebrate their birthdays (Mason's was on Monday). Grandpa said that together they went through 150 tokens!!! We picked her up from Grandma's house and brought her home to open all of her packages from family (when we picked her up Grandma informed us that she had been wearing her princess earrings and Birthday crown-compliments of Amy- all afternoon). She opened so many beautiful and wonderful presents. She loves them all and tries to decide every night which one she will play with for the evening.

Day at the Dentist

2007-12-06T16:17:00.000-08:00

Today Julianna had her first dentist appointment. I was a little concerned because I had an appointment at the same time, so I knew that I wouldn't be able to sit with her in the office. I explained to her on the way there what the dentist will do and nervously asked if she was excited, she said "I'm not scared, Dora went to the dentist". Thank God for Dora!
She did a great job while there. She went right back and got in the chair and Judy cleaned her teeth while Goose wore sunglasses (because the lights are so bright- they have never offered me sunglasses). The dentist said that Julianna's teeth looked great and that she was an official member of the "No Cavity Club". She even got her picture put on the bulletin board in the office. Oh, but the big news is that there are 2 loose teeth- the Tooth Fairy may be paying a visit to the Zak house soon!

She's Creative All Right...

2007-12-02T08:24:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we tackled the mall and went Christmas shopping. While we were out Julianna found one of those plastic thingies that goes into a men's dress shirt. She tends to pick up things off the ground wherever we are, calls them treasures and keeps them (last week in AC Moore it was little pieces of garland and broken ornaments at school it is always rocks and nuts). We asked her what she was planning on doing with this newest find and she said that it was a crown. After a couple hours of shopping we got in the car and she began designing her crown with her crayons and stickers that were in the backseat. We were amazed with her creativity. We passed a minivan on the way home with a kid watching a DVD in the backseat and Julianna asked when we were going to get a car like that. We explained to her that if she were always watching tv in the car she would miss out on the fun stuff like making crowns out of treasures that she finds.

Christmas Time is Here...

2007-11-29T16:20:00.000-08:00

Tonight we spent some time decorating Julianna's Christmas tree. We put it up in her room on her desk and let her put the decorations wherever she wanted on it. For an extremely "particular" mom it was a little difficult at times, but she did me proud. She was beaming when she was done and said that it was the prettiest tree in the house. I would have to agree...

Turkey Time

2007-11-26T14:03:00.000-08:00

Yes, I realize that Thanksgiving was last week, but things have been busy at the Zak house. Thanksgiving was absolutely wonderful. Grandma Fran, Grandpa Ed, Uncle BriBri, Aunt Katie, baby Megan, Grammie, Grandpa Bob, Auntie Erin, Grandma Campbell, and Grandmother Leete all came to spend the holiday with us. The food was great thanks to all the help from everyone. I guess that we will actually have to make a tradition of having Thanksgiving at the Zaks (well I have about 360 days to decide that). The nicest part is that everyone left the leftovers at my house. I haven't had to cook in 5 days!Friday evening we celebrated Christmas with Uncle BriBri, Aunt Katie, and Megan. Once again we enjoyed eating way more than usual. Julianna and Megan had so much fun playing together this past week. We are going to have to make more trips to Columbus so the girls can visit.

Can't I Pretend to be Sick?

2007-11-18T14:02:00.000-08:00

Today Uncle Brian, Aunt Katie and cousin Megan came to our house for a visit. They are down from Ohio for Thanksgiving. We all had lunch together and went to the park. Megan and Julianna had so much fun coloring, playing babies, and playing at the park- they were both so sweet with each other. When Megan left to go back to Grandma's, Julianna asked why she couldn't go with them. We explained to her that she had school tomorrow, but that we would see them all on Tuesday. It was then that she asked "Why can't we just pretend that I am sick tomorrow? Last time Mrs. Johnson didn't miss me that much!" She is already too smart for us....

November Already?

2007-11-12T06:36:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that next week is Thanksgiving. This past week really flew by. Tuesday night Julianna went to the advanced gymnastics class. She said that she didn't really like it because she did not know how to do the advanced stuff, but we will see tomorrow if she decides to go back. It is hard to know whether to challenge her, or to just make sure that she enjoys herself and still likes going.
Saturday afternoon Julianna's friend Avery (with her at Halloween) had a birthday party at an indoor pool. Julianna had a great time swimming and now can't decide where she would like to have her birthday party- Monkey Joe's, swimming, ice skating, roller skating...so many decisions. We have been trying to make sure that at least a short nap is on the agenda for Saturday afternoons, since she still gets up at the crack of dawn and I am worn out by 11:00 (that is am). Here is a really cute picture of her napping with Chubs. Jason and I went to a friend's wedding this weekend. Julianna spent the night with Grandma Fran and Grandpa Ed. Julianna and Grandma made decorations for the Christmas tree out of dough. We have to finish painting them so that when we put up the tree we can hang them on it.

Happy Halloween

2007-10-31T18:09:00.001-07:00

Tonight was the big night. Julianna got all dolled up as Dorothy and we went trick-or-treating with the neighborhood kids. She did almost the entire neighborhood. As they rounded the street towards the house, Jason was getting geared up to go another round when the kids announced that they were tired and ready to go home. It had been almost an hour and a half of trick-or-treating- which is more than enough candy for our little missy. Grammie and Grandpa Bob came over to see Dorothy and to help pass out candy while we trick-or-treated as a family. What a fun and memorable night!

Proud Parents

2007-10-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight when I picked up Goose from dance the owner of the dance studio pulled me aside. She asked if Goose had ever taken before and I told her that this was her second year. The instructor was amazed and asked how we felt about moving her up to a more advanced class. Jason and I had been thinking that she needed a little more of a challenge, but were worried that maybe that was just us being "proud parents". Guess we were right. Next week she will start taking an hour long gymnastics class and then an hour and a half dance class. The owner of the studio said that she was a natural!

Julianna had a great weekend with her Papa and Nanny. They went shopping, colored, played at the playground- pretty much did anything that the princess wanted. She is having a hard time adjusting to real life now! Here are just a couple really cute pictures from this weekend.

Teacher Conference

2007-10-24T17:05:00.001-07:00

We have had a busy week this week. Tuesday morning Jason went to a parent conference with Julianna's teacher, Mrs. Johnson. Mrs. Johnson said that Julianna was a sweetheart. She said that she is doing a great job in school learning her numbers and letters. Mrs. Johnson also said that sometimes throughout the school day she will feel a little body standing beside her and it will be Julianna standing beside her wanting a hug. How could she not be the teacher's pet?
Oh, and just so everyone knows- when Julianna turns 5 years old, she won't be scared of "nothing". Not lions, tigers or bears- not even lightening! (that lightning thing is a big one).

Great Grandmas

2007-10-21T16:26:00.000-07:00

We had a really fun weekend with lots of visits with grandmas. Friday evening we went to dinner with Grammie, Grandma Campbell, Grandmother Leete and Uncle Scot. Julianna said that three grandmas was not that many- coming from a girl that got 5 new ones this summer! I think that the highlight of her evening was making her own ice cream sundae! Julianna didn't have too much to say to Uncle Scot, but after finishing her ice cream the shyness started to wear off. Funny how we are so much more sociable after a little sugar. After dinner Grammie took Goose out and bought her a new dress with ballerinas on it that Julianna picked out herself.
Saturday Julianna spent the night with Grandma Fran. They made snicker doodles and watched The Wizard of Oz movie two times. Goosie said that she wished that Dorothy was real so that she could meet her. We went to the grocery store this evening and serenaded everyone around with the "lullaby league" song.

Sweetness

2007-10-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Julianna and I had a fun afternoon together. I picked her up from school and she wanted to go to her favorite store, Target, to buy a toy (imagine that). Instead I talked her into going home and making brownies. The one thing that she loves more than a new Barbie is chocolate. We had fun licking the bowl- as you can see. We just got a little chocolate on the new "convertible" (aka reversible) dress that Grammie got her. Oh, and tonight Julianna volunteered to say the grace at dinner (never before). She prayed for Jesus to tell Papa and Nanny that she loves them and she also prayed for all of the sick people in the hospital. She is so thoughtful. What sweetness!!!

Dancing Queen

2007-10-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

Last night Julianna had dance/gymnastics class. She really looks forward to it every week. She takes the class with her friend Emma, although both are too shy to speak to each other, they still
seem to enjoy seeing each other. Before dance we went for dinner at Quiznos. As any mom knows, any quick place that serves a free dessert and toy with the purchase of some semi-healthy food (Sun Chips are healthy, right?) is a thumbs-up. We took a couple quick pics of Goose posing before class.

We're New at This

2007-10-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, here we go...I am a new blogger, but we really want to keep family up-to-date with how everything is going in the life of our ever changing Goose. She is doing really well in school- everyone tells us that she is "so well behaved". She brings home a smiley face everyday and has never had to turn her card to yellow- we are very proud.

We had a really fun/chilly weekend in Ohio. Julianna spent a lot of time hanging out with her Nanny, Papa, Aunt TT, and cousin Dawson (who she enjoys bossing around). It was Dawson's 3rd birthday, so we enjoyed the awesome (and very Martha) dinosaur party that Tara planned. It is always hard to leave Ohio and her family, but in only two weeks Nanny will be visiting and getting in some quality time with Goosie. She is already counting down the days.