Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
We're Back!
The Summer of Z continues here in Asheville! We survived the infernal heat of Miami and made it back safely on Saturday. Here's the scoop.
We arrived on Wednesday, June 17th to Atlanta without much screaming. Z slept for about an hour and twenty minutes. Then we hit Goats on the Roof, a campy little stop in the North Georgia mountains that had (drum roll please) goats on the roof! Zahra was well behaved for the rest of the drive. I mean, she complained at the end but this was a major improvement from the last time we did this.
The next day, we had Z get on her first plane ride! It went as smoothly as it could possibly have gone. We arrived on time at the airport, got checked in relatively quick and were seated on the plane comfortably. When the plane was taking off, Z had a look of excitement and terror all rolled into one. Fortunately for us, she immediately latched on to her mother and slept the entire flight.
When we arrived to Hialeah, it was smoking hot. Everyday we hit highs in the upper 90's. The heat index was well above 100 degrees. It was unseasonably hot! But that didn't stop my mother from loving on Z. The whole family was thrilled at having their little girl in Hialeah surrounded by Cubans. My grandmother and grandfather were overcome with emotion at meeting Z. Infact, my grandmother knelt and kissed her little feet! I'm glad we got that on tape.
It all culminated with the blow out fiesta at my mom's place on Saturday night. We had well over 60 people at the house. I had my friends and my mom had her friends and when you add that up, it spells party. Abuelo Patch roasted a 100 pound pig in the backyard, we had cases of ice cold Presidentes and the music was jamming. My mom rented a blow up bouncing house for the kids and had a pinata as well. All in all, it was a fabulous time had by all.
The rest of the time in Miami was spent indoors and relaxing. I spent time with family and friends, Shan and I got to go on a date, and we spent a lot of time just watching my mom fawn over Z. We also got to see Z's other two grandfathers. She met my dad for the first time. We also drove up to Boca Raton and spent some time with Shannon's father as well.
When it was time to leave, I felt a little sad. It was nice having my mom around to help with Z. In fact, it was a huge vacation for Shan and I in that we got to see each other a little more and also that we both got some time away from our girl and get some energy for the summer ahead.
Once we left Miami, we got to spend time in Atlanta and hang out with grammy Lanie and grandpa Larry. Z got to go on her first horseback ride (well more like a photo op) and went on yet another shopping spree (she had major presents at the party at my mom's house).
Now, after a few days of getting back to our regular lives, we are finally in sync with Asheville. But fear not, the Sumemr of Z is just getting started.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Hialeah, Here We Come!
Today, at 9 AM, we set off for our big summer trip. The drive down to Atlanta was 100% better than the last time (reference a post from back in March to recall the gory details). Z was an angel for most of the trip. She slept the first hour and ten minutes. Then she played for about another hour. She was cranky towards the last section of the trip but she was not screaming like a wild girl. We made it to grandma Lanie's pretty smoothly.
We spent the day at the farm taking it easy. Z played on this cool piano toy that lit up as she pressed on the oversized keys. Shannon spent the day reminiscing with some old boxes full of stuff from the past while I napped. We had a nice dinner and now we are winding down and preparing for the big flight! Yes, we are flying down to Miami with Z. Shannon has been worrying about this since I mentioned it almost six months ago! I believe everything will go well. We'll be those people walking onto the plane with the baby. I'm prepared to give everyone a nice return stare and crack some jokes.
Don't know if I'll keep posting from my mom's place so I'll give you a quick run down of events. Lots of eating, hanging with the baby, a huge party Saturday, my first Father's Day Sunday, some beach action, maybe a little shopping and then back to Atlanta on Wednesday. Whew!
We spent the day at the farm taking it easy. Z played on this cool piano toy that lit up as she pressed on the oversized keys. Shannon spent the day reminiscing with some old boxes full of stuff from the past while I napped. We had a nice dinner and now we are winding down and preparing for the big flight! Yes, we are flying down to Miami with Z. Shannon has been worrying about this since I mentioned it almost six months ago! I believe everything will go well. We'll be those people walking onto the plane with the baby. I'm prepared to give everyone a nice return stare and crack some jokes.
Don't know if I'll keep posting from my mom's place so I'll give you a quick run down of events. Lots of eating, hanging with the baby, a huge party Saturday, my first Father's Day Sunday, some beach action, maybe a little shopping and then back to Atlanta on Wednesday. Whew!
Monday, June 15, 2009
More Milestones
This past weekend, Z was at it again! She had her first swimming experience, made some moves on the ground and had her first major poo experience.
We'll start with the moving. We've been letting Z spend lots of time on the floor as she is growing up to get her to experience the magic of crawling. She's been having tummy time (or time on her belly) for quite a while now. However, only recently has she been able to actually move around. Granted, the moving has been limited to a few inches and it's usually her turning left more than going in a straight line, but it's progress. Shanon and I really want her to master the art of crawling before she's walking all over the place. Research shows it's an important developmental stage and helps with that left/right brain communication.
On Sunday, we took Z swimming for the first time! Pretty exciting stuff. We went to a friend's pool (Daniel, Sara and Orien) nearby and dunked Z in there. Well, it was more like me walking in the pool with her and having her float around. The water was a little cooler than she was used and I don't know if she knew she was suppose to have fun or not. She was a little hesitant about splashing and moving around. After a few minutes, she got a little upset so we took her out. The parents still had fun though and we enjoyed a warm mountain day at the pool as Z took a long nap. Swimming can be tiring!
Last but certainly not least was Z's poo. Now for those of you not in the know, I am a big fan of poo. I enjoy making them myself and actually enjoy helping Z clean up hers too. Well, I was a proud papa when I saw that Z was crappin out some solid poo! Now that we've been feeding her some solid fod, we expected the turds to come any day now. Well, Z had not laid a brown egg in over four days! We were both starting to get a little worried. We changed her cereal, we tried some water, we were even heading for the dreaded prune juice. Then, over the last 28 hours, Z has release three little baby poos for the world to see. Celebrate the summer poo!
We also hung out with the Anderson's this past Sunday night. Z has yet another little friend to hang out with!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Some Stories...
Last night, as we were trying to put Z in her crib, something amazing happened.
At night, as I have written before, we are slowly getting Z used to sleeping in her crib. Ususally, Shan will get her ready for bed and put her down in the crib, then I come in and deal with the screaming for a while. Shan will then relieve me and we keep this up until she is asleep. Last night was no different. In fact, last night was not bad because she went down pretty quickly. Inevitably, Z wakes up, starts to cry again. I go in tonight and comfort he rback down, she passes out again, no big deal. On her second awakening, I went in to calm her down. She was particularly upset to see me as I have no milk for her and will let her cry it out longer than Shan would. I have become pretty immune to the screaming. I even wear my headphones in there to drown out the noise. But on this night, Z did something she hasn't done before. After howling for a few seconds, she realized, I wasn't going to pick her up. So what does she do? In mid squeal, she paused and let out he mother's cry. She softly said "Naaaaanaaaa". I was shocked and amazed and at the same time stupified. Almost instantaneously, I hear Shannon make a slight cry of dispair and heard her footsteps storming towards the baby's room. Z has figured out how to call her mother.
Now this Naaaaaanaaaa sound (more like a yaya sound but with your tongue glued to the top of your mouth so it has a double L sound as in spanish) has been happening for a few weeks now and we really feel she has assoiciated that to be her mom. She will make the sound until mommy dearest takes her. It's almost as if she has conditioned US! Anyhow, that night belonged to Z. This girl is going to be something else.
At night, as I have written before, we are slowly getting Z used to sleeping in her crib. Ususally, Shan will get her ready for bed and put her down in the crib, then I come in and deal with the screaming for a while. Shan will then relieve me and we keep this up until she is asleep. Last night was no different. In fact, last night was not bad because she went down pretty quickly. Inevitably, Z wakes up, starts to cry again. I go in tonight and comfort he rback down, she passes out again, no big deal. On her second awakening, I went in to calm her down. She was particularly upset to see me as I have no milk for her and will let her cry it out longer than Shan would. I have become pretty immune to the screaming. I even wear my headphones in there to drown out the noise. But on this night, Z did something she hasn't done before. After howling for a few seconds, she realized, I wasn't going to pick her up. So what does she do? In mid squeal, she paused and let out he mother's cry. She softly said "Naaaaanaaaa". I was shocked and amazed and at the same time stupified. Almost instantaneously, I hear Shannon make a slight cry of dispair and heard her footsteps storming towards the baby's room. Z has figured out how to call her mother.
Now this Naaaaaanaaaa sound (more like a yaya sound but with your tongue glued to the top of your mouth so it has a double L sound as in spanish) has been happening for a few weeks now and we really feel she has assoiciated that to be her mom. She will make the sound until mommy dearest takes her. It's almost as if she has conditioned US! Anyhow, that night belonged to Z. This girl is going to be something else.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Anniversarys and More
Yesterday was our two year wedding anniversary and we celebrated as a family at one of West Asheville's quaint little eateries, Sunny Point. This was on the heels of Zahra's six months of life on earth. We all sat at the dinner table as a family with Z getting her first high chair experience at a restaurant. The three of us sat as a family and had a great meal. Then we strolled around the neighborhood and enjoyed a warm early evening.
Today is the last day of school for me. It's great having these past three days marking such wonderful events. Now begins the first Summer of Zahra.
In exactly one week, we will begin our first long range trip with Z as we travel to Atlanta and then hop on a plane to head to Miami and the rest of the Seijo and Bravo clan. We will be staying six days in Hialeah catching up with friends and introducing Z to the rest of her Cuban roots. The highlight will definitely be the encounter with her great grandmother and great grandfather. I predict much rejoicing and plenty of tears. Z will also meet her grandfather Tomas (my dad who is on of FOUR grandfathers for this child). We plan on having a huge Cuban style party on Saturday the 20th complete with a pig roast, plenty of dancing and lots of noise and hugs. And then there is my first ever Father's Day as an actual father. It's nice to earn another special day for yourself.
When we return, the Summer of Zahra will consist of mainly Asheville so we will find plenty of things to do to keep ourselves busy. Swim classes can begin at the Y. I'd like to incoporate some weekly or twice weekly hiking in our vicinity (since we are smack in the middle of some of the world's most beautiful landscape). I also need to get invovled with more music activities for Z. With school over, I can dedicate more time to the child and give Mom some necessary break time so she can do things as well. Should be a fun summer, we'll keep you posted!
Today is the last day of school for me. It's great having these past three days marking such wonderful events. Now begins the first Summer of Zahra.
In exactly one week, we will begin our first long range trip with Z as we travel to Atlanta and then hop on a plane to head to Miami and the rest of the Seijo and Bravo clan. We will be staying six days in Hialeah catching up with friends and introducing Z to the rest of her Cuban roots. The highlight will definitely be the encounter with her great grandmother and great grandfather. I predict much rejoicing and plenty of tears. Z will also meet her grandfather Tomas (my dad who is on of FOUR grandfathers for this child). We plan on having a huge Cuban style party on Saturday the 20th complete with a pig roast, plenty of dancing and lots of noise and hugs. And then there is my first ever Father's Day as an actual father. It's nice to earn another special day for yourself.
When we return, the Summer of Zahra will consist of mainly Asheville so we will find plenty of things to do to keep ourselves busy. Swim classes can begin at the Y. I'd like to incoporate some weekly or twice weekly hiking in our vicinity (since we are smack in the middle of some of the world's most beautiful landscape). I also need to get invovled with more music activities for Z. With school over, I can dedicate more time to the child and give Mom some necessary break time so she can do things as well. Should be a fun summer, we'll keep you posted!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Major Catching Up
OK, I have dropped the ball again. There have been MAJOR things going on in our world.
First off, Zahra has begun sitting up on her own. For those in the know, this is huge. She can sit and actually entertain herself for a lot longer. She can also explore more and has a lot of fun with her surrounding environment because of this milestone. She has also been switching things from her left hand to right hand and vice versa.
Z has also expanded her vocabulary and has been babbling more along with making funny new sound effects. She has been wolfing down solid foods such as bananas, carrots, avocado and even some peaches!
The Nap Wars have finally been going in our favor after months of battling. This past week, we have succesfully made our daughter take three naps a day, averaging about 90 minutes down. This has been fantastic for everyone involved. Z is less cranky and we are happier and gettingsome things done.
But the biggest of the new news is that Z is sleeping in her co-sleeper and not in our bed. We have been putting her to bed as a team and have slowly gotten her to fall asleep on her own. Shannon and I will take turns sitting next to her while we gently pat and reassure her. She is still fighting the sleep but eventually, sleep wins and she passes out and suddenly, Shan and I find ourselves with some time on our hands. Eventually, Z makes her way back into bed at around 1 AM or so but this is a major step for us. I had been fearing that Zahra would be in our bed for years. Now with summer coming up, I can be a more reliable sleep time helper. With Shannon staying home, she usually bore the brunt of the nighttime duties. Now, we are working in tandem to get this little girl in her crib. In fact, as I type these last few words, that is exactly where the baby is right now!
Z has also expanded her vocabulary and has been babbling more along with making funny new sound effects. She has been wolfing down solid foods such as bananas, carrots, avocado and even some peaches!
The Nap Wars have finally been going in our favor after months of battling. This past week, we have succesfully made our daughter take three naps a day, averaging about 90 minutes down. This has been fantastic for everyone involved. Z is less cranky and we are happier and gettingsome things done.
But the biggest of the new news is that Z is sleeping in her co-sleeper and not in our bed. We have been putting her to bed as a team and have slowly gotten her to fall asleep on her own. Shannon and I will take turns sitting next to her while we gently pat and reassure her. She is still fighting the sleep but eventually, sleep wins and she passes out and suddenly, Shan and I find ourselves with some time on our hands. Eventually, Z makes her way back into bed at around 1 AM or so but this is a major step for us. I had been fearing that Zahra would be in our bed for years. Now with summer coming up, I can be a more reliable sleep time helper. With Shannon staying home, she usually bore the brunt of the nighttime duties. Now, we are working in tandem to get this little girl in her crib. In fact, as I type these last few words, that is exactly where the baby is right now!
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