Talk Talk Talk Talk

That is all this child does lately!!  If you looked up "jabber jaws" in the dictionary, his picture would most likely be next to it!  I LOVE it!!  Although, when I'm trying to talk on the phone, it can be a bit trying.  I usually have to put him on speaker phone so HE can talk and then afterwards I can talk.  I took him for his 15 month check up last week and his pediatrician said his vocabulary is that of an 18 month old.  I thought that was pretty neat.  He has one phrase that he uses all the time, "oh wow!", and about 10-15 words in his arsenal.  Today he actually used "no" and "yeah" in the correct context.  I was pretty impressed!  My cousin Don said that Zach is practicing to be a southern Baptist preacher because he talks to much and he uses his hands like a maniac!  I thought I used my hands a lot to talk, but this kid has me beat!  I guess I can say he comes by it honestly!

While at his appointment, he was weighed and measured.  Currently, he weighs 24lbs 2oz and is 32in long.  He's pretty tall, but I think that was expected.  He ended up getting two shots which did not fare well with him, but who can blame him.

He's pretty darn cute these days!  He has become mommy's little helper.  He LOVES to help me put clothes in the dryer, take groceries out of the bags, dust, vacuum, and put the dogs in their crates when we leave.  I corral them in their separate crates and close the doors and he gives them their "cookies".  He drops them in there and says "bye bye doggie".  Tell me that's not cute!!  The other day I was trying to rush him out the door and I helped him with the cookies and walked to the living room to get our things and I was calling for him and I could hear him talking, but it wasn't to me.  I walked in the kitchen and he was laying on the floor, on his belly, in front of Abby's crate with his hands and mouth going a mile a minute.  As cute as it was, I had to scoop him up so we could leave.  He made sure to wave and continuously tell them goodbye.  He is TOO funny!!

He is quite independent.  He doesn't want to hold my hand when we walk, doesn't want to sit in carts in stores (he would rather push them from the bottom and dare me to stop to look at things), and the restaurant/high-chair situation is not going well.  He likes the booster seat, but only for a short while.  He would rather get down and go table to table telling everyone "Hiiiiiii!!".  Thank god the folks at the Mexican place we frequent know him and can tolerate his incessant messes and non-stop babbling as he follows them around (within reason!  I don't let him go in the kitchen or anything!).  They just smile and talk back.  That's good customer service (shout out to Santa Fe Grill in Suffolk!)

Other than Zach growing up incredibly too fast, all is well here.  Doug just finished up a conference for the Model United Nations.  His school (ODU) hosts a high school conference every year and this year he was second in charge.  Needless to say, we haven't seen him much during the months of January/February.  I'm hoping that now that it's over, we will see him more.

The ball is bigger than him, but he HAD to have it!

I love this picture.  Since Doug is working and going to school and not home much, Zach likes to be near him when he is.

Reading time with daddy

Independent eating at its best!  Macaroni and cheese night!  As I was taking this picture he was saying "Cheee!"

Say cheee

 These pictures were at Blue Bird Gap in Hampton, VA.  Zach loved all of the animals and barked at almost all of them.  He knows that cows say "moooo", but when asked, every animal either says "mooo" or "bark bark"!

umm...do you see that?

bark bark!  bark bark!

 My cousin Lauren turned 21 this month, so my little family and my in-laws took her out to eat to celebrate!

Happy 21st Birthday, Lauren!

That's about it for now!  I hope everyone is doing well!

Love

Sarah