Spring Has Sprung

Zach
Favorite words:

• "uh-oh" 
• "Dada" 
• "bye, bye"
• "Mama" - maybe "maman" in Urdu
• "Hi"
• "Night, night"
• Emily W. told he said, "Not my ball," at the park in early April when she told him he couldn't take another child's ball. 

Zach has, on a few occasions, tried to envelope me with his mouth after I kiss him on the cheek. It's like he's trying to kiss me. He's so cute! Love that little guy!

Walking over to daycare to pick Zach up and take him in. In mid-March, it was in the snow, and now we have to take advantage of this fine spring weather to get out together. I love not having to put him in the car. We've also stopped in at the store or drugstore when we need something, and he loves people watching during errands.

Zach loves being outside, so the mornings start with breakfast and then insistence to put on his jacket and head out. In the evening, it's hard to get him to come in and eat dinner at 6:30pm because he just wants to be out!

He's become much more of a hand holder. I think it was the ice and snow that convinced him a hand from Mommy or Daddy could be helpful, and now he will reach for our hands! Cute!

The winter boots have lived on as spring rain boots. He loves to play in puddles in them!

What's making him laugh:

• Watching animals slide down from the top of his tent
• Being held by his feet and sliding down a slide or being pulled through a tunnel
• His ball with soft bell sounds when it tumbles coming down the stairs
• Blowing air out our noses together

What's new:

• Marching and dancing
• He loves playing in his car seat box. For a few nights, he'd hide in there and pop out to surprise us!
• He's gotten a little fussy eating sometimes. He'll point and say, "Mama" insistently, but is never satisfied. He seems to rely a lot on his pacifiers.

School pictures. Delightful as usual. Ashraf is the only one with a smile in the class picture.

The new director at Childtime tells us Zach is Ava's new best friend. She's 13 months and not yet walking. He brings her her favorite Elmo book in the mornings. When another child took a ball from her, he got it back, and she goes home at night and says, "Zach, Zach, Zach" over and over! 

Took him to a park with tunnels, and he's static electric! Look at that hair! He's getting a lot of, "She's so cute," these days.

Funny Starbucks Experience
We stopped in at Starbucks just to give us more time together and him more looking around time. So many people were so nice to him. An older man said, "hello." A woman held the door for us. The cashier said he was adorable, and a man held the door for us at the end. A couple people said "beautiful kid" and "beautiful child" or something similar, and there was a general sentiment of kids are good; they're important, etc. 

Frank and Susan
Went to see Peter Bradley Adams at Jammin' Java. His opening act Lullannas was great too!

Friends & Family

• Gamma and Daddy Bob and Grandad have all visited
• Auntie Em made us black beans and beef stew, and we had a nice adults coffee date
• Jaclyn and Golden West Brunch and a walk in Hampden, Roland Park, and Guilford
• Uberbuddies and Kathleen's birthday
• Janna and a visit to Old Ox
• An overnight with the Pages
• Finally meeting Andy!

Food Slump

• Still making bread and granola. I'm trying new variations on the bread and milk, butter, and apple sauce make for a slightly moister bread
• Old favorites are not really getting it done...goulash, pasta e fagioli, and tv soup...kinda strange

Professional Life

• My new Learning Coordinator started, and she's a ray of sunshine for me!
• Connecting regularly with many friends and former colleagues: Emily R., Emily F., Yvette, Sofia, Pam, Resa, Angeline, Susan C., Beth M. (new), degreed folks - Vince, Katie, and Patrick on important professional things. Thank you all for your time!