July is Flying By

It's been a long July. This is the final week of the seventh month and we are savoring it. Z has been growing and has mastered the stand (with a little help from someone holding her hands). Her legs seem to have gotten stronger. Maybe it's all the swimming? (Z's last swim class was brief on account of weather but one of the instructors took her for a minute and had her floating like a champ. I was amazed at my daughter's ability to float effortlessly while the instructor gently cradled her head.) At any rate, she can straighten those chubby legs and stand up. It's mazing watching her progress like this. Her weight has been increasing, as evidenced by the sore muscles in my back and arms from lifting her. She continues to eat well and enjoys her fresh veggies and fruit. We went to the Farmer's Market to today to pick up some local produce. It was nice to be out and purchase locally grown foods. Man, those carrots we bought are gorgeous!

Earlier this week, Shan and I went on our second date. Our friend Paula baby sat for us. We got to enjoy another dinner and some dessert and strolling downtown. It was so nice to get away and have each other. I think Shan and I are doing a nice job at keeping our marriage working well. Sometimes we have our moments (everyone does) but we are generally happy together. Sometimes it's hard to come to consensus on what to do because we do enjoy different things. But we love to eat together! So dinners are happy escapes.

Right now we are waiting for the big weekend that lies ahead. Shannon's family is coming to town. We'll have Uncle Chris, Grandpa Capezzali, Grandma Lanie and Grandpa Larry. Also joining in the fun will be Shannon's sister Julie and her family, husband Harold and their two daughters. We have an action packed weekend planned with hiking, water activities, the Biltmore and downtown living. It should be a lot of fun to have major family time for Z. Just another opportunity to pass her along and get to know folks and feel comfortable around lots of people. I know Z is going to have fun. I predict much time in Aunt Julie's arms as she's never even had the chance to meet her in person.

Enjoy these cute pictures of the smiley child. I swear, everywhere we go, people are always falling for this child. She gives that smile out and people just bend to her will.

Beautiful Living

Bele Chere (or Beautiful Living) festival weekend has come and gone. Z and I made it out on Saturday for some daddy/daughter time. We had a blast. Z can really party. she enjoys being out and about among the natives. We checked out Your Mamma's Big Booty Band, some reggae and some blues. It was nice to get away with her and enjoy some fun together.

Other than that, we've been taking it easy. The family spent time together in the yard, out on walks and cleaning up at home. I apologize for the lack of pictures lately. I'll get some glamour shots here in a bit. Right now we are anxiously awaiting Shannon's visit to the dentist tomorrow afternoon. She has to get lots of work done and may be in pain so Z and I might have to fend for ourselves while mom recovers. Hopefully it will go well and things will run smoothly.

Super Foods

It's been a slow week here in Asheville. Z's been growing, Shan's been cooking and I've been working.

Shan and I got to go on our first Asheville date. We dropped off Z at the Essylstyn's and went to go have some sushi. The time flew! It was nice to be alone with each other for a little bit.

The big thing that's happened this week though has been the Super Foods movement. Actually, it's a book that Craig and Tania (THANKS!) loaned us on making your own food for your baby. Now that Z is full on eating (man that girl can put it away!), we wanted to get her going on the best we can get her. After trying some raw foods (bananas, avocados, peaches, sweet potatoes) and some organic jar stuff (carrots, peas, squash) we needed a plan. Shan has been pouring over this book and has discovered lots of great things for Z to try.

This is not the best part though. This Summer of Z has spawned even healthier eating for her parents! I thought we ate relatively healthy. Shannon has always been a health food nut. Speaking for myself, I have been weaned off fast food and most junk food and have been eating a fairly consistent diet. Well, this Super Food book has made us reexamine our own eating. When we went to the store to stock up on things, we purchased 80% of our food from the produce and bulk item section. The only things I got that were canned or boxed was some anchovies and chunk light tuna. This week of eating has been AMAZING! Not only is Z getting in on some raw foods that are NOT processed and full of vitamins and free of crap but so have we! Salads, veggies, fruits, grains. It's been awesome. The key is to now keep this going when I get back to work. I know the girls will be fine. Thanks again Z, your presence in this world has made us healthier eaters! (Yes, I am geeking out over food here people!)

More Video!

Wrapping Up the Weekend

The weekend we just had was fun and action packed. Saturday Night's action led us to Leicester where our friends the Mahoney's have a wonderful piece of property. We spent the afternoon and evening relaxing near their pond enjoying bar b que and a campfire and music. Z was partying hard and didn't want to go to sleep. On Sunday, we enjoyed a local community event to help raise money for one of our local farms in town. The Pisgah View Farm is located in one of the toughest community housing projects in the city and is home to many of our students at Hall Fletcher. We were treated to lots of local goodies from the vendors on Haywood Raod including ice cream and beer and hot dogs. I'll be posting lots of video here so enjoy Z playing the guitar, practicing her keyboarding skills and soaking it up at the event this past Sunday.

Super Week!

It's been an action packed week so far here as we hit the mid summer point.

Wednesday saw our friend Craig and myself take down a 75 foot pine tree on our new piece of land. It was an epic adventure that had Shannon scared out of her mind and Z watching with amazement. After four hours of toiling with the chainsaw and axe, we finally managed to take her down.

Thursday was all about Shannon painting a mural for our friends the Essylstyns. While mommy was painting, Cindy, Z, Hattie and myself went to the Western North Carolina Nature Center. It's a small zoo that contains all sorts of local critters from small deadly Black Widow spiders to enormous black bears. We checked out the petting zoo and the butterfly exhibit while we were there, too.

Today has us attending one of Asheville's best community events, Downtown at Five. A section of downtown is closed off to traffic and set up with a large stage for live music. Local vendors sell food and drinks and a tasty selection of Asheville beer as well. We should be rocking tonight.

As for Z, she is continuing to grow right before our eyes. She has had great progress with sleep. She is also diplaying much better hand eye coordination. Her temperment continues to be all smiles for about 90% of the day. Z is also showing that she might be making the move towards crawling. She is showing the confidence to thrust her body forward from a sitting position and make it to the ground. I swear she has gained a pound because she is heavier. She is eating well, too.

The rest of the weekend looks busy as I am trying to push for a camping adventure (probably not going to happen but I have to dream, right?) and more local events including a slow eating movement event that we'll hopefully blog about in a few days after we've experienced it.

UNCA video from Monday's post

Head of the Class

Z's first swim class was awesome. She already outperformed all of the children in her class. She was floating around like a sponge, kicking like a frog and paddling like a white water rafting guide. Her aquatic skills were a sight to behold. Even the teacher was amazed. Shan and I had a great time with Z in the water. Z was her usual cheery self as the other children melted into tantrums. Do I sound like I'm bragging? I may have altered the facts a little on this post, but most of the stuff is pretty accurate. No pictures of the event as we were both in the water but I will post some video soon.

Monday Concert

The Summer of Z is in full force this week! It's a busy one and we have lots of great activities planned. The big thing is to GET OUT OF THE HOUSE! Ever since we have returned from Gatlinburg, we've pretty much been holed up here. Well, we've put a stop to that! After Sunday's party, we decided that some outdoor music activities were necessary. So we went to the UNCA (University of North Carolina Asheville) concert on the quad event. It's an outdoor, free music series that is a family affair. The weather was picture perfect. 75 degrees, cool with a nice breeze. We set up our blanket and busted out the picnic supplies and sat back to enjoy some good food, music and friends. Did I mention friends? We saw a ton of folks we hadn't seen in a while. And we also got some more loving from Cindy Mama and Hattie. Z was having so much fun, she passed out! This left mom and dad with a little date time. Perfect evening.

Now we are gearing up for our big swim class today. We are really excited and will post some more later. We also have another concert to attend this Friday as Asheville is the place to be in the summer time for those kinds of events. Rocking on!

Don't Let Me Go To Toys R' Us Alone

So I went out this morning to purchase a gift for Juliana. It was her birthday party today and Z wanted to get her something, this being her first chance to attend a birthday party and all. So I went on her behalf to the place where kids can't get enough of. Surely I'd find something here for a five year old. After much strolling, I found a neat little gift. Problem was, I wasn't done. I'd seen several things I'd wanted for Z as well. How about some athletic equipment? The footballs were too large for her small hands so I opted for some whiffle balls. I also got tennis balls in case she grew tired of the whiffle balls. Z had enjoyed playing with some of Hattie's little toys so I bought her a few of those as well. Then I figure I need to get her some more instruments, just to round the kid out. So I get her this colorful xylophone made of wood. By the time I got to the cash register, I had my hands full. This form the guy who swore he wasn't going to buy his daughter any toys until she could ask for them. Riiiiiight.

Anyhow, we went to Juliana's fifth birthday party today. It was hosted by the Floriani Family and it was a blast. Z had a good time surrounded by tons of kids and plenty of tasty treats. As usual, our party animal daughter soaked up the atmosphere and behaved great, even after taking two shorter than usual naps. That girl can party.

Z has also mastered the sippy cup (somewhat). She likes to chew on it more than drink but she is finally getting herself hydrated with more than just the water from food and drink. She is also eating a ton. We keep wondering if we are feeding her too much but by the look of her, she is fine. I am also not going to mention any more nap/sleep stuff because everytime I do, it results in a bad night the following day. Just when you think you have a sleep routine figured out, life tries to mess it up for you.

Other than that, we are preparing for the weeks ahead. I am going to make my way back to work and try and do about 2-3 hours of work every day during the week for the next three weeks. I will plan out next year and get started on a bunch of projects. Meanwhile, we begin swim classes next week with Z so that will get a full report soon. Shannon is planning our deck with vigor and has completed yet another design that will make you want to come and visit us once it is complete. The Summer of Z marches on!

What Day Is It?

When the Summer of Z is rolling along, you have no idea what day it is. I've hit that point in the vacation where I have no idea what date it is and I don't really care. All I know is that our little girl is getting bigger and better every day and we are enjoying her all day.

Today we got a visit from Shannon's parents. Z got to hang with Grammy Lanie and Grandpa Larry. It was a fun filled day as we went to the WNC Farmer's Market, strolled downtown West Asheville for a little wine tasting at Hops and Vines and enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Admiral. We also did a lot of discussing of our new property. We have added some land to our modest plot and are planning a screened in deck on the side of the house. Shannon has been working meticulously on the design using Sketch Up. Now that the land has been added, about 1800 square feet to the south side of our preoperty, we are looking at breaking ground in the next few weeks. Should be lots of fun once it's done and a party will be happening to christen it so if you are around, we want you here!

We have also spent the last few days in town watching the groundhog that lives in our backyard come out and eat up some dandelion. We have named him George and Z, Shannon and I were enjoying his furry antics in our side yard.

As for Z, she is growing steadily every day. She has also been sleeping like a champ at night in her crib. It can be done people! I'm glad we started the move out of the bed in the summer time and right now before she got too attached. The girl is also eating like a tank! I've yet to see her turn away food. Sometimes I feel like we may not be feeding her enough. I'm curious to see when Shannon will begin the weaning process. I think our goal was at least a year of nursing so we are hardly there yet but Z has really taken to the solid foods. No complaints really except she is still hating car rides. Enjoy some grandparent pix and a shot of George.

Back Again

Our trip to Gatlinburg was great! We stayed with family and friends in a beautiful cabin nestled in the mountains. Shannon, Z and I arrived Tuesday afternoon and enjoyed some trails and the cabins comforts, including a pool table (where Shannon beat my behind!). At around dinner time, Roxanne, Jose, Kevin and Victoria showed up along with Caroline and the Bakers. We went over to the pool area and Z had her second dip in the water. This time, things went much better. Z was kicking and smiling and genuinely enjoying herself. We had a delicious dinner later that night and then hung out by the hot tub and soaked in the full moon. Z did not nap all day so when she went down, she was out. When we awoke the next morning, we hung out some more and then made our way back to Asheville. We survived the drive back even though Z was fussing for about the last thirty minutes.

It was great spending time with my cousins from Ohio. I'm also glad Z was able to see them and get to know them, even if she may not remember them completely. Now we are hanging in wet Asheville. Grammy Lanie will be here this weekend so we look forward to more family time. The summer of Z has been full of love and caring for this child. She is definitely not short on that! Unfortunately we didn't take many pictures while we were gone but we'll get some more here in the near future to post.

More Adventures

The Summer of Z is in full swing folks. We kicked things off with our first major trip to South Florida and Atlanta. Now, after some days of reacclimating ourselves to Asheville, we are ready to get on the road again. This time, we are heading to nearby Pigeon Ford to hook up with my cousins at a cabin. We'll only be gone for a day so it will be a minor trip but for Z, it will be yet another state she's never been to! We'll have photos when we get back!

As for the sleeping, Z has gotten it back together (or I should say I have gotten it back together) last night and slept ALL NIGHT in her crib. She was perfect. I am keeping track of her naps and sleep times in a journal to help me keep track of things. If we can continue this routine and be consistent with it, I am confident our little girl will be enjoying many peaceful nights in her room.

Z has also moved on to pears and sweet potatoes in her diet. She is inching towards more food every day. She is such a good eater! I have yet to see her turn away food or get fussy while she eats.

Check in Thursday for the next installment of the Summer of Z! In the meantime, check out her scooching! Mind you, this video doesn't do justice to her real scooching abilities. I think she moves half an inch here but trust me when I say our daughter can really slide across that floor!

Pictures of Z at the Lake

We had a fun Fourth of July Day yesterday. Z got to experience her first lake adventure. We also hung out with some great friends and enjoyed meeting some new ones as well. All in all, it was a great day. Enjoy some of the photos!

Zahra Milestone

Our daughter can scooch! I guess you need to know what that means for it to mean anything, huh?

Yesterday, we took Z to get some professional photos done. While we were waiting for the photographer to come along and set things up, Z and I sat on the floor and played with some toys. Typically, we set her on a carpet or blanket. Since we were only going to wait for a few minutes, I set her on the hardwood floor. Right before our eyes, our child started to kick her legs. In doing so, she made her self move backwards from a sitting position. She was smiling and moonwalking with her butt! We were laughing and smiling like to kids at a fair! It was hilarious. We tried it a few moretimes and Z was enjoying her new ability to move. Hence, the scooch was born.

It's the Fourth of July so we are heading for Lake Powatan for some R & R. More to come!

OK, Maybe Not Exactly

So I jumped the gun. I counted my chickens before they hatched. I was counting the sheep I was going to see jump over the fence in my dreams. You get the point. Zahra was up a lot last night and I was too tired to keep her in the crib before Mom jumped on the scene and placed her back in bed.

I was pretty upset about the whole thing this morning but now as I type, I am having a cathartic moment and realize that we get to try again tonight.

We are also going in for the official pictures today. Yes, we will place Z in front of a professional photographer and buy a bunch of pictures to place around the house and give to family and friends. At first we were opposed to this idea. We thought it was a little unnecessary with all the technology we have today. We couldn't imagine not having enough pictures. But as time has gone by, we see why it's nice to have a "good" set of pictures capturing her as she looks today. IT will be something to cherish in the future.

We are also gearing up for our Fourth of July holiday weekend. I would love for Z to enjoy some fireworks but Mom has other ideas. I guess we'll have to wait to teach her to play with fire and explosives for another year!

OK, Our Child is a Genius

I will begin to celebrate now. Zahra just completed her second night of independent sleeping in her own CRIB! Shannon put her down at 8:30 PM last night. Z woke up for a feeding at about 10:45 PM, then we briefly heard from her about 15 minutes later as she was trying to get back down. Shannon and I got her down rather quickly and then it was a wonderful six hour stretch of sleep. Shannon brought her to bed to feed at 5 AM. This girl is smarter than I thought! I had better get a cirriculum going for this child because she is a fast learner.

Enjoy more South Florida pictures! Here she is enjoying time with some of the men in her life down south.

Lauging Louder

Sleeping Accomplished (for now)

Before we begin today's post, doesn't Z look so happy to be surrounded by her cousins? That's the Perez family when we were down in Hialeah. OK, back to the story.

At the beginning of my summer break, I told myself and lots of other folks that I was going to dedicate the month of July to getting Z out of our bed and sleeping in her crib. While the sleeping in the bed part didn't affect my sleeping, I knew it would be a problem in the future. In fact, Shannon has been the person most affected by Z being in the bed. While she enjoys her daughter's company in bed, Z did not make it easy to sleep. So when I tried to get started last night, I had no idea how this would go.

It started innocently enough. Z had been tired most of the late afternoon (we think it was a side effect of the immunization she took Monday, her fourth shot). She went down at her usual bed time range, between 8PM and 8:30PM. We have not been strict with the times she goes down. We just make approximations. She will usually sleep for an hour and then wake up. I went in at about 9:20 PM or so. I got her down again. Then she usually sleeps for a little longer. She didn't wake up again until after 11:30 PM. Now comes the hard part. At this point, we let her cry a little as I pat her and let her know I'm there. We prefer this to the just leave her there alone method. I came prepared with my ipod. I sat with her for about 20 minutes of crying until she just fell silent. I waited as I knew she was going to awaken again shortly. This is where this would get tough. We would usually give in and bring her to bed because I'd be exhausted and needed sleep for work and Shan was equally tired. But it's summer time and I'm good to go! Z woke up about 20 minutes later. I let her cry for about 5 minutes to give her some self soothing time. I went in and calmly got her to sleep again, this time only having to sit with her for about half the time. I went to bed after midnight thinking the I'd be doing this all night. I was tired.

The next time I awoke, there was a huge flash of light as thunder bellowed over the mountains. I glanced over at the clock. It was 4 AM! I jumped out of bed. I carefully made my way through the darkness to Z's room. When I opened the door, I saw a sleeping baby. I couldn't believe it! I just stood there for a few seconds and let it all soak in. I had to be ready in case she woke up was my first thought. Should I cover her with her blanket? Then Z moved and I almost fell over. She was still quiet and had merely shifted. I tiptoed out of the room and went to bed, again preparing myself to help her sleep when she awoke.

I felt Shannon's arm reach over and wake me up. It was about 5 AM and she wanted to know where her daughter was. I told her she was still sleeping. We both exchanged groggy looks of disbelief. Shannon got up to check her and found the little angel still fast asleep. It wasn't until a whole hour later that Z finally began to arise from her deep slumber. Shannon went to get her baby and begin the morning feeding time.

I am not going to celebrate. Z spent the entire night in her crib on my first real attempt at getting her there. That doesn't mean she will do it so nicely tonight. We'll keep you posted.