Happy New Year!

Zev has had a good week. He has caught up on the sleep he lost, and he is starting to feel a lot better. Today he went to the movie for the first time to see "The Princess and the Frog." He loved it! He was mesmerized. He kept turning around to try to see it.

In this short video, he was playing while I got his lunch ready, and then when I came back he had his foot like this! I don't know how he did it because I couldn't even get it back in.




Here is Zev playing with a bucket of toys in his room.



Zev really likes to eat that bucket...


Tonight Zev will sleep right through the new year. Hope everyone's new year is great. This has been a fantastic year for us with a new baby, a new home, and lots of new friends. Hope next year is just as great, and I don't see how it can't be with 12 months of Zev instead of just 7.

7 months old-ish...

This is very very late because last week on Zev's big 7 month day, we were busy in Tyler. So here he is, 7 months old-ish!

Christmas!

Zev had a great first Christmas. He got lots of gifts like a swing, books, clothes, and a hat from Pops and Gram. Then he went to Lisa's and there he got a new outfit with a dog to match from Lisa and the Aces, an outfit, toy, and video from Grandma and Grandpa, and a fun soccer ball from Keaton. He loves the soccer ball and gets so excited when he sees it, but then he gets so angry that he can't get it in his mouth. He LOVES all his new presents!

About to open gifts

Looking at a new book with mom

Wearing his new hat

This is his Christmas breakfast all over his face because he thought it would be fun to blow raspberries in the spoon (and it was...)

I need more pictures of our Christmas day, but here is one of Stacy (Gram). Then there is one of Lisa and I. We ate a big breakfast that was delicious, opened presents, and played games all day. Ari was awesome at the Wii, beat the pants of Grandpa and Mike with my dad as his partner at 42, and then kind of lost his winning streak playing Nerts...

Zev just being cute..

I am sad that Christmas is over, and I am back home cleaning the house. Zev got a bad cough and cold, so this week we are hoping to get over that and get him back to sleeping more regularly than he does when he is out of town.

Everyday Activities...

Here are a few pictures of our day to to day life. Zev is now sitting in the cart at the grocery store, but he needs a little assistance. I tuck a blanket around him, but sometimes he still gets a little tired.

As shown here...

Here is Matt visiting with us. I don't know why I didn't get a picture of Emily and her belly too!

Today we went to the park. Zev has tried swinging twice before, but today was the first time he enjoyed it. He was smiling and blowing raspberries the whole time. He is so busy blowing raspberries lately that his shirts all end up wet and slobbery.

This will probably be our last post before Christmas. We are getting all packed up to go to Tyler to spend time with our family. Hope you have a happy holiday.

Zev's big present

This is what we got Zev for Christmas and Hanukkah. It was his big gift, and a good year to get it since he is too small to mind that it isn't a toy! (Plus he got plenty of toys from all of this grandparents and great grand parents.) My very talented cousin Ashlyn painted it for him. It was blank when she started, and she made it beautiful. It is just what I asked for, and we could not love it more. She also did the painting for free as her gift to Zev, which you know makes Ari happy. She also makes paintings, clothes, and lots of other stuff. Here is a link to her site in case anyone is interested.

http://cuteasabuttontyler.com/

Pops

My dad came in town on the 18th for my brother's college graduation. I need to get a lot more family pictures at Christmas, but here is one for now. I think they look a little bit alike...

Hanukkah, part 2

Today Zev opened up some Hanukkah presents from his Mimi. He was a few behind from being out of town. He loved all his gifts especially the cat that went with the book "If You Give a Cat a Cupcake".

Zev likes looking at the candles.

He also really likes his present from Buby and Buster. He just wishes it was easier to get into his mouth!

This weekend, Zev and I flew to Orlando for Becky's wedding. I had so much fun. It was absolutely beautiful, and the bride could not have been more gorgeous. Who gets to have fireworks at their reception?

Sunday, Zev and I went to Magic Kingdom with Buby and Buster. Here he is wearing his first visit button, and then he is mad about his first visit button!

Right after that, Zev fell asleep. While he napped, Buster pushed him around the park, and Karen and I rode on Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain. Then Zev woke up, and we rode It's a Small World. Zev loved the music and all the colors.

Then we rode the Snow White ride (no pictures..) and then went to meet Mickey Mouse. Zev liked the line with all the cartoons and colors. Then we got to Mickey, he started flapping his arms and smiling. When it was his turn, he reached out for Mickey's nose. He was smiling at him the whole time.

After Mickey Zev went to meet a few other characters. He really liked them all.

Zev hated Philhar , but he liked the Enchanted Tiki Room (expect for the thunder...) Then he got to tired to really do anything else. We had a great time. Sorry for the bad picture, when we got around to taking pictures in front of the castle, it was so sunny.

We went back to the hotel for a rest, and then to dinner with Karen's sister Robin, her husband Todd, and their kids Amanda and Matthew. We went to the California Grill on the 15th floor of the Contemporary, and I have never been there before. It was delicious, and the view of the Magic Kingdom was beautiful. Then today we came home. It goes worth noting, that Zev slept all of the flight to Florida, and almost all of the flight to Dallas. He is truly the world's best baby!

Hanukkah

Today was Zev's first night of Hanukkah. As a crazy plan, I decided Zev would make Ari a menorah hand print. I knew he would try to eat the paint, but I put a bib on him, used washable paint, and gave it a shot. It turned out pretty good, except Ari had no idea what it was supposed to be. Oh well. Below is what Zev's shirt looked like when we were finished. We will not do art for a while...

Here is Ari lighting the candle with Zev watching. Grandma Mimi gave Zev a new menorah that has kids playing musical instruments. It is cute.

Eating his present from Buby and Buster.

Helping open it...

Playing with the paper

Showing off his new gift!

We leave in the morning for Florida! Hooray!