...my life's miracle...

Boys will be boys

2009-03-21T11:26:00.004-04:00

Here is some video of Kevin acting like a kid again, too funny. All while Zak is chasing him to get the truck back. You know what they say, boys will be boys, and Kevin is loving acting like a little kid again.

January 5, 2009

2009-01-05T09:03:00.002-05:00

Happy, late, New Year!!!

I can't believe that 2008 is already gone.

My New Years Photo Resolutions:

Take more "everyday" shots of my family.

Actually print the shots I do take.

Work on getting good focus, skintones, and learn to use custom WB and my camera in manual mode.

Learn to use my flash effectively.

Learn to use Photoshop.

So, farewell to 2008, and "Cheers" to another wonderful year with all the fabulous people I've been blessed enough to have in my life this year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-01-02T12:45:00.002-05:00

I wanted to take this time to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! I hope that 2009 will be good to each and every one of you.

With the new year here, I'm working on setting some resolutions. One big resolution is to start blogging on a more regular basis. I have said I would start doing this before, but I mean it this time. I would love to blog at least once a week (hopefully more).

So - stay tuned to see more updates to the blog on a more regular basis...

Video of Zak in the mountains

2008-12-29T10:58:00.004-05:00

Scroll down to the bottom and pause the playlist so you will be able to hear the sound.

Christmas Photos - Part 2

2008-12-28T23:04:00.006-05:00

Here are more photos from Christmas 2008

Our Christmas Tree

Ornaments from our tree this year

Zak Christmas morning

Another Christmas Photo

2008-12-11T15:56:00.003-05:00

Was going through more Christmas pictures that I took the other weekend and came across this picture of Rusty. Just had to post it. Zak loves it.

Christmas Photos

2008-12-10T16:13:00.007-05:00

The other week we went down to visit my parents so I decided to get some photos done in front of their fireplace. Here are just a few that I have been through so far and have edited. I have more to go through and will post more later, keep watching...

This one is of Zak. I gave this one a vintage fill.

This one is of Shirley. And here is Jordan.

FAMILY of ELVES - CHECK US OUT

2008-11-21T16:17:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

3 - The Disco Dance - ElfYourself

2008-11-21T15:15:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

2 - The Country Dance - ElfYourself

2008-11-21T15:14:00.003-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

1 - The Charleston Dance - ElfYourself

2008-11-21T15:14:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

21 months on Nov. 8....late but here it is

2008-11-20T08:14:00.003-05:00

Clothes: 18 month shirts. 18-24 month pants.

Shoes: in between 6 and 7.

Sleep: goes to bed about 8-8:30pm, wakes up between 6-6:15am during the week, then on the weekends he sleeps later (till about 8am). He is still taking about a 2 hour nap from about 11:45am - 1:45pm (sometimes longer, depending on what all he has been doing)

Eating: He LOVES food! However, his favorites are pancakes, pizza, fries, chicken nuggets and anything he can dip

Favorite Toys: his dinosaurs and cars, oh yeah and his 4-wheeler

Favorite show: Gerald McBoing Boing, Tom and Jerry, and The Chipmunks

Words: he can say almost anything we ask him to. He says his name when you say it (will mock anything you say, so you have to be careful what you are saying around him). He is starting to say little two word sentences, like Oh Man, Get It, Right There, and much more. (and has been doing all of this since the last time I posted his milestone - 20 months old, so we are going on 2 months of all this)

What he is doing: *says moo if you ask him what a cow says* will make chicken sounds when you ask what a chicken says, and while doing this will flap his arms like wings* says vroom vroom sounds if you ask him what sounds a car makes* when playing with his airplanes he will make sounds like it is flying* and much much more

Vote 2008

2008-11-04T14:56:00.002-05:00

Looks like Zak has decided who he is voting for.

Art work...

2008-10-28T16:28:00.003-04:00

"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures."
~Henry Ward Beecher

Check out his footprint corn...isn't it too cute.

Boy has his little hands grown....

Blog Improvements

2008-10-14T15:58:00.002-04:00

I'm in the process of making some much needed blog improvements. So stay tuned to see what the new blog improvements will be...

20 months old....a little late, but better late than never

2008-10-13T10:50:00.008-04:00

Wow it is so hard to believe that my little baby is 20 months old. I cannot believe how fast he is growing up. He is starting to get more and more Independence and it is breaking my heart each and every day that he does, but I'm happy all in the same.

What Zak is doing at 20 months old:

Clothes that he is wearing: He is wearing 18 month (and some 24 month) shorts/pants, however some of them still seem to fall off of him. Wears 18 month shirts.

Shoes that he is wearing: Size 6 - he has 2 pair of "skater type" shoes, Nike's (that look just like daddy's) and some others.

Sleep: Zak goes to bed at about 8:30 or 9pm and gets woke up at 6:15am (during the week Mon. - Fri.) to get ready for day care. On the weekends things are a little different, and he knows it. He goes to bed around 9 or 9:30pm and wakes up about 7:30 or 8am (sometimes later). His naps usually last about 1hour and half to 2 hours, goes down any where from 11:45am or 12pm.

Eating: Zak loves just about everything right now. He is obsessed with Mac n' Cheese, Cheese Puffs, Pizza, and Cookies. He loves to eat veggies (which surprises me), and loves some fruits - not all.

Favorite Toy (at the moment): His dinosaurs and loves to ride on his 4-wheeler. He has also just learned how to ride his Hot Wheels truck that we got him for his 1st birthday.

Favorite Show on TV: At the moment he loves to watch Gerald McBoing Boing

Words: Here are words that Zak is saying on a regular basis (due to him having such a wide vocabulary I know that I am leaving out some words, I'm going to start writing down words so that I will be able to update with a better list.): bus, truck, car, light, puter (computer), up, move, bubble(s), night night, mama, dada, papa, nana, hey, bye bye, love you, please, thank you, excuse me, nasty, gross, meow, moo, ball, NO, juice, quack quack, more, eyes, nose, mouth, ear, head, toes, baseball, football , plane, coco (that is what he calls our dog Dakota), mine, me, milk, copter (as in helicopter), raffe (giraffe), saceros (rhinoceros), roar, Joey, Rileigh, nanny, pizza, kickin (chicken), eww, banket (that is what he calls his blanket), outside, night night, book, boo, pee pee, potty, the names of the kids in his class, and much much more...

Here are words that Zak has said once or just a few times: rabbit, I don't know, doggie, Adam, lion, bear, (I'm sure I'm leaving a few out)

Zak understands these words and meaning, but may not have said them yet: blanket, outside, inside, ride, duck, kitchen, food, cookie, puffs, hug, kiss, all done, night night, bed, bedtime, hungry, foot/feet, airplane, look, up, down....(I'm sure that I may be leaving some out, because he is getting to where he understands so much)

What he is doing at this stage: * knows most of the kids in his class by name (and he can say their names) * can tell you the sounds that animals make when asked * learning to sign (signs for more, eat, and juice/milk) * learning to say his ABC's, numbers, colors, and days of the week * runs * trying to jump * tries to skip * has A LOT of teeth now, and is in the process of cutting more * waves hey and bye * calls the animals * will motion for you to "come on" * shakes head in answer of yes or no on what he wants (but will say no when he shakes his head no) * plays peek a boo * dances, like a "dance machine" * lets you know when he is ready for a nap or bed * lets you know when he is done with something * is getting more independent by the day * will lay down on his tummy to take a poop * obessed with airplanes when outside, if he hears one he is searching in the sky for it and will point it out every time he is outside * loves the outdoors, and hates to come inside when it is time * loves riding the 4-wheeler (and also loves riding on the big boy 4-wheeler, with daddy of course) * starting to learn to use the potty * and much more

Fall card preview...

2008-10-13T07:34:00.003-04:00

As promised here is a preview of the fall card that I have made. I'm going to get these printed out and send to some family and friends.

Fall card preview to come...

2008-10-12T00:16:00.003-04:00

I am working very hard on creating a fall card that I'm going to have printed and send out to friends and family.

So stay tuned to see a preview of the card...hopefully I will updated the blog with the preview later on today (seeing how it is after midnight already).

Fall is here...

2008-10-11T23:30:00.004-04:00

To start off I just want to say, sorry for the delay in blogging. Things have been so busy lately that I just have not had a chance to get to blog. I'm going to start doing better with that though, so for now here is an update.

We took Zak to the pumpkin patch last weekend and had such a ball. He enjoyed everything, but mostly the tractor ride to the pumpkin patch. I was able to get a few good pictures of him picking out his pumpkin (or as Zak would say "puntkin").

Here are just a few of him in the "puntkin" patch.

Bad Blogger....

2008-09-30T15:53:00.001-04:00

I have been such a bad blogger lately. I logged on today to update my song list on the blog and noticed the last time that I posted anything was back in August.....WHAT AUGUST!!! I cannot believe that it has been that long.

So even though I could blame it on 100 different countless things, I'm not going to do that, all I am going to say is that hopefully by the end of the week I will be blogging again on a REGULAR basis.

Till then....enjoy the new songs that I added today....

"Better in Time"...

2008-08-14T11:24:00.006-04:00

I have found the perfect song to go with what I am feeling at this moment. I have been listening to this song over and over, and even though it is talking about leaving a guy, and that is NOT what I'm going through at this moment the words in the song really fit.

Leona Lewis Better In Time
Songwriters: Martin, Andrea; Rotem, Jonathan

** Scroll down to the bottom and click the pause button to stop the music from playing, or you will get conflicts and will not be able to hear it. Then click the Play button below to start the video and song **

Our trip to the NC Zoo...

2008-08-11T14:10:00.010-04:00

Saturday Aug. 9 we took a trip to the NC Zoo. We thought that with Zak being a little older than the last time we went (back in April 2008) that he would enjoy it much more, and boy were we right. He had so much fun, and so did we. Here are just a few pictures from our trip.....

I have not finished editing the pictures from the zoo, so there will be more to come later (hopefully tomorrow).

18 months old...

2008-08-11T13:40:00.006-04:00

Wow it is so hard to believe that Zak is 18 months old. I cannot believe how fast my baby is growing up. He is starting to get a little Independence and it is breaking my heart, but I'm happy all in the same. Everyone told me how fast the time would fly by, but I never imagined it would fly by this fast.

"Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional." ~ unknown.

What Zak is doing at 18 months old:
Clothes that he is wearing: He is wearing 18 month (and some 12 month) shorts, however some of them still seem to fall off of him.

Shoes that he is wearing: Size 5 - Nike's (that look just like daddy's) and brown sandals.

Sleep: Zak goes to bed at about 8:30 or 9pm and gets woke up at 6:15am (during the week Mon. - Fri.) to get ready for day care. On the weekends things are a little different, and he knows it. He goes to bed around 9 or 9:30pm and wakes up about 7:30 or 8am (sometimes later). His naps usually last about 2 hours, goes down any where from 11:45am or 12pm.

Eating: Zak loves just about everything right now. He is obsessed with Mac n' Cheese and Cheese Puffs. He loves to eat veggies (which surprises me), and loves some fruits - not all.

Favorite Toy (at the moment): His dinosaurs and ride on 4-wheeler

Favorite Show on TV: At the moment he loves to watch Gerald McBoing Boing

Words:
Here are words that Zak is saying on a regular basis (due to him having such a wide vocabulary I may leave out some): mama, dada, papa, nana, hey, bye, love you, please, thank you, nasty, meow, moo, ball, NO, juice, quack quack, more, eyes, nose, mouth, baseball, football (but in his words buttball), plane, coco (that is what he calls our dog Dakota), mine, me, milk, copter (as in helicopter), raffe (giraffe), saceros (rhinoceros), roar, and much much more...

Here are words that Zak has said once or just a few times: rabbit, I don't know, milk, ear, head, doggie, Joey, Adam, lion, bear, (I'm sure I'm leaving a few out)

Zak understands these words and meaning, but may not have said them yet: blanket, outside, ride, duck, kitchen, food, cookie, puffs, hug, kiss, all done, night night, bed, bedtime, hungry, foot/feet, airplane, look, up, down....(I'm sure that I may be leaving some out, because he is getting to where he understands so much)

What he is doing at this stage:
* runs * trying to jump * has 8 teeth, 4 on top and 4 on bottom, and is cutting 4 more * waves hey and bye * calls the animals * will motion for you to "come on" * shakes head in answer of yes or no on what he wants (but will say no when he shakes his head no) * plays peek a boo * dances, like a "dance machine" * lets you know when he is ready for a nap or bed * lets you know when he is done with something * is getting more independent by the day * will lay down on his tummy to take a poop * obessed with airplanes when outside, if he hears one he is searching in the sky for it and will point it out every time he is outside * lovesthe outdoors, and hates to come inside when it is time * loves riding the 4-wheeler (the big boy 4-wheeler, with daddy of course) * and much more

** His doctor puts stickers on him because it makes it easier for her to check him out. He
gets to playing with them and forgets about what she is doing. **

** Here he is trying to take the stickers off. **

** Zak telling me to come on. **

Post-op Eye Visit...

2008-08-07T15:41:00.005-04:00

So yesterday was our post-op eye visit. Turns out the surgery went well, and the results are great. THANK GOODNESS!!!

The doctor also did an eye exam while we were there to check the alignment of his left eye. When Zak looks at a distance it looks like it has straightened up a little (but not much), and when he looks close at something it is still going inward and has not straightened up much at all.

He said he is not ready to do surgery at this point but wants to see him back in 5 weeks. We go back for another eye exam in Sept.

Next appointment will be tomorrow...18 month checkup...can't wait to see how big he is getting!!!

Here are just a few pictures that I was able to get of Zak while at our eye doctor visit yesterday.

Post-op Ear Visit...

2008-08-05T08:31:00.007-04:00

Yesterday we went in for our 2 week post-op ear visit, and we received good news!!!!

The doctor came in and checked Zak's ears and said the tubes look great and the placement is just like it should be. He then sent him for a hearing test. The results were great!!! He is just where he needs to be in his hearing, heck he could even hear pitches that I could not hear. The doctor even made the comment that Zak acts 100% better than what he had been, and that he thinks he feels better than when he did not have ear infections...doc I think you are correct on that statement!

I'm hoping that this is going to be the end of the chronic ear infections, and a move to getting better.

Wednesday is another post-op visit, with the eye doctor. I am praying that we will get good news at that visit as we did yesterday with the ear doctor. Then Friday is Zak's 18 month checkup, and I can't wait to see how much he has grown.

"The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving." ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

He has me wrapped...

2008-08-04T11:37:00.005-04:00

My little baby has me wrapped and he knows it.

Last night (around 8pm) we were putting sheets on the bed and Zak was helping us. When we were done he wanted to get on the bed. I put him up on the bed and he just laid down and looked at me, covered up and laughed. I asked him if he was ready to go to bed, he looked at me with those big eyes of his and said "No". Then when I asked him if he was ready to go back in the den, he said "No". So what is one to do.....just let him play on the bed till he was ready to go back in the den, which was all of 5 minutes.

I just love him so much, and he has a way of melting my heart.

"We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today." ~ Stacia Tauscher

Momma's little astronaut...

2008-07-28T13:03:00.007-04:00

Zak has a new favorite toy, it is a clear box that my craft scissors came out of. He will take that clear box and put it on his head and walk around the house laughing. Kevin loves to play "hide n' seek" with him, he will put the box over his head and Kevin will start "Where is Zak, momma have you seen Zak". Zak just laughs, then he takes the box off, and Kevin will holler "There he is!". He LOVES to play this game with his dad.

Yesterday I was able to capture a picture of him in the "astronaut helmet". Hope you enjoy...

Oh yeah, I know - 2 posts in one day! Until next time (which will be tomorrow - have more pictures to post of our visit to Chuck E. Cheese this past Sunday - but I need to edit them).

"Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand." Neil Armstrong

Just a few pictures from Zak's surgery...

2008-07-28T12:45:00.008-04:00

I was able to take a few pictures of Zak before they took him back for his surgery.
Here they are:

Believing is just the beginning...

2008-07-25T12:10:00.006-04:00

I have been in the process of learning Photoshop, which is not as easy as one would think. Ttoday I took some older pictures and had some. Here is what the outcome was:

I love these two girls very much, and I hope that their parents will enjoy these pictures.

Long nights.....

2008-07-23T08:50:00.005-04:00

First off I want to start with an update on Zak and the surgery. He is doing really well, other than being a little cranky (which is to be expected). When the ear doctor finished his part and came out to let us know how it went, he told us that he did have infection in the right ear, and that his adenoids were also infected. Now that the tubes have been replaced, infection sucked out, and adenoids removed; he should start feeling better soon. That part of the surgery took about 30 minutes.

About 10 to 15 minutes later the eye doctor came out. He told us all went well, and he was able to open up the tear ducts without any problems. He told us that there is a 10% chance that they will close back up and if that happens they will have to go in and place balloons in the ducts to help keep them open. We are not going to think about that, we are going to keep our hopes up that he will not fall in that 10%.

So for the past few nights, they have been very LONG ones. Since the surgery Zak has been a restless little one. We are lucky if we get a total of 2 hours sleep at one time. It is like he is having nightmares about the surgery, and he is constantly pulling at his left hand (as if he is trying to pull something out, which is the hand the IV was in). I hope it soon gets better, which I'm sure it will.

I will continue to keep everyone posted on how things go.

"When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure."
-Peter Marshall

**Sorry no picture this post - will post a picture tomorrow**

Life is all about timing....

2008-07-18T11:48:00.011-04:00

Well we finally reached two milestones with Zak.

One, he has now learned how to walk down the steps without any help. It is so funny to sit and watch him as he thinks about how he is going to successfully get down the steps, without getting hurt. Once he gets down, he looks at you, laughs, and claps, all while saying "YEA....ak" (Because he has not yet mastered saying 'Z's).

Two, he is now able to ride his spiderman 4-wheeler without mommy and daddy having to hold the button down for him. WOOHOO.....no more "broken back" while he rides his 4-wheeler.

"Life is all about timing...the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable becomes available, the unattainable...attainable. Have the patience, wait it out. Its all about timing."
-Stacy Charter

First day with blog post...

2008-07-17T10:15:00.007-04:00

Okay so today is my first real post on the blog. I'm going to try my best to keep this thing updated on a daily basis (but not sure if that will work out like I would like, life sometimes has a way of happening and things don't go like what you planned they would).

Anyhow, I was getting ready for work this morning, trying to find something to wear (I know I know, I should lay my clothes out the night before, but I didn't) and get ready before Zak woke up. That did not work out like I had planned. I was in the closet getting a shirt, and I heard a laugh. I thought it was Kev, but nope, it was Zak - sitting straight up in the bed and laughing at me. I don't understand how that kid can wake up in such a good mood like he does, but it never seems to last long at all in the mornings. All he had to hear was the sound of the water running for his bath. I don't understand why he is having such a hard time with bath time. He just does not like it like he use to. Hopefully all this will change once the surgery on his ears is over and he starts getting better. (I can at least hope it will)

Well we got ready and boy did his mood change from good to plain out BAD! He was fussy while I was getting him ready, fussy drinking his milk before leaving for daycare, and boy did he lose it when daddy walked out the door to go to work. Once I got ready and we walked out the front door to leave for the day, he was fine, like his normal happy self. That did not last long either....

Got to daycare this morning, and got him out of the car, he was still in a good mood. Walked in to his class, still fine. Put him down to put his glasses on him, still fine. Got to talking with the teacher and another mom (who was dropping her little one off), he was still fine. They got ready to get on the buggy to go for a ride, and he LOST it again. Good son gone bad.....or should I say upset. He was so upset that he turned so red from crying so much, because he knew I was getting ready to leave.

He is so much smarter than I can even imagine. He picks up on things so well. He knows the routine, but he still does not like it a bit. He knows that in the mornings when the teach says "Zak, lets go look at the trucks outside" or "Zak, want to go on a buggy ride" that mom is leaving him. Just breaks my heart so much. She reassures me that shortly after I leave he is fine, and you would have never known he was so upset.

Kids, they are so funny......until tomorrow.....I leave you with a picture. It is not a "recent" picture, from a few weeks ago. I'm still in the process of editing our beach pictures. I hope to have some more recent pics of Zak later this week. Hope you enjoy!