Merry Christmas! (Our Virtual Newsletter)

Merry Christmas!
Welcome to the second annual installment of the Christmas Newsletter. I really did search for actual paper to send in the mail with the Christmas Card but after visiting 6 stores and finding NOTHING I just decided to include a link to our blog! I may actually even update if people visited! :D
Anyway, we've had a wonderful year. Our family gained a new perfect little member in Maxwell Owen! He was born in March and has turned our world upside down in the most wonderful ways. He wasn't named til he rang in his very first 24 hours! We couldn't agree and though we thought we had settled on a name last Christmas we changed it last minute. To us, he's Max, unless he's being a stinker, though that's not too terribly often. He is truly one of the happiest babies I've ever seen! Whereas his sister would study the camera and immediately stop smiling when I turned it on, Max prepares for his photo op all the time! If the camera is out he'll smile and strike a pose! This is good for Mommy since I started a photography class this summer. I've learned a lot about my camera that I never would have figured out on my own and I can't wait to take what I've learned and apply it as I continue in my snap happy ways!
Max just turned 9 months old and I am amazed at how quickly the time has passed! Everyday he gets closer and closer to crawling. He's been a late bloomer but he just takes his time and doesn't want to be pressured into doing anything! He's quite smart though-he knows that if he whines long enough his big sister will get tired of listening to it and will go and get him whatever toy he wants. Why crawl when you can use your cries to get your way?
One thing he does do well is EAT! This boy loves his food! We had to-and still do-fight Hannah for every single bite of food whereas Max is an equal opportunity eater. If it's on his plate, it then goes in his mouth. Heck, if it's on the floor, it then goes in his mouth. He can consume 1/2 a can of peas in one sitting and still finish off a peach or pear. We figured we'd go in for his 9 month well-child check-up and they'd tell us he jumped from the 25%ile for weight to the 90%ile! Well, he dropped for the 25%ile to the 5%ile! He's such a little peanut! Perhaps one day Paul and I will get our chunky baby but that's yet to happen! The only rolls I see are the ones I feed Max!
We're still wondering where he gets his looks from. We've heard a few times that he looks like "both of us", a handful of times that he looks like "Hannah", but more often than not he looks like "well, neither of you!" He's got light brownish blond hair and big, bright, beautiful BLUE eyes! Coming for a dark haired, brown eyed family of 3, he's our little oddball but I just adore that about him!
Hannah is growing and amazing us more and more everyday. This girl is SMART and I'm not just saying that as her mommy...at least I don't think so! ;) She talks non-stop now and truly amazes us daily with the kind of things that she comes up with. Just yesterday she came up to me and alerted me that "people don't live in trees mommy! Red-eyed tree frogs do though!" Ok...where do you even get that from? I don't even think I know what a red-eyed tree frog looks like! *blush* If you asked her today what she'd like to be when she grows up, I'm almost 100% certain it would be an architect. She has abandoned her dolls and tea parties (well almost), for blocks, blocks, and well, more blocks! She could build all day long. Anything from rocket ships to princess castles, houses to ramps, if it can be built she will find a way to do so! She has the patience and steady hands that I would not expect from a 2 1/2 year old. She knows her ABC's and can (kinda) count to 20--though she gets stuck on 17 a lot! She loves to read Brown Bear, Brown Bear to her brother though her favorite thing to do with books does not involve reading them. She LOVES to make "train tunnels." She turns her books over and makes train tunnels through her bedroom and all the way down the hallway. If she sees a big, thick book, her first thought is not to read it, it's how great a tunnel it'll make!
She's become a huge fan of Mickey Mouse this year, though as expected after I rushed out and bought her every Clubhouse toy imaginable for Christmas she decides that she is starting to like Princesses more than anything. Though in true Hannah fashion she loves all gifts! I know that any Mickey Mouse gift I could give her will end with her opening it, getting a big smile on her face and saying "cool!" She's still as active as ever. If I could bottle her energy.... She loves to dance, spin, jump, and run. I get tired watching her!
Hannah loves her brother. She has adjusted extremely well and much better than I could have ever hoped for. She's made up this whole new "voice" when she talks to her baby brother. An almost 3 year old-not too far from a baby herself-has developed her own little "baby talk!" Poor Max isn't even going to know his real name for the longest time! He's Maxagoogle, Maxie Waxie, Maxwellington, and Boy according to Hannah.
And Max couldn't be more smitten with her. His face lights up when he sees her and I'm sure his second word (dada was his first) will be NANA instead of MaMa!
Paul's still working hard at Michelin. It's been a tough year but hopefully this one coming up is much better! I have gotten my certificate for Medical Transcription but haven't been able to find a job despite countless applications. Though, it has been a good thing since the kids definitely keep me on my toes!
With their birthday's coming up in a couple months: Hannah first wanted a Mickey Clubhouse birthday but now she's switching to wanting Disney Princesses. 3 year olds can be so indecisive! Max will ring in his first birthday with a pirate theme--check here for pictures!
We just cannot wait to see what every day brings! The kids learn and grow and change right before our eyes, it's so amazing!

I'll try to keep up with the updates moreso now, make sure to comment too so I know you're reading--that might entice me to update more often! :D

Halloween!

Paul's too interested in the MSU game but Max is too cute!

Straightened her hair-she looks way older than 2 1/2!

My very first Halloween!

My Mickey and Minnie!

We took the kids trick or treating! It was soo cold! Max had on 3 pairs of socks and a pair of shoes and we got home and he was still ice cold...poor little man. Hannah had fun but she was full steam running from house to house in the beginning so she wore herself out! After the first hour she said she was done and didnt need any more candy! They were both so cute. I loved making their outfits this year and I think I'll make their outfits every year from now on-there are so many more possibilities! Oh, and I just got my new sewing machine in the mail so I'm excited to see what else I can make. Here are some pics from Halloween!

Conversations with a 2 year old

We're outside and she's carrying around her blanket cause she said she was cold. While eating Strawberry Shortcake tonight I asked her if she'd like to pick strawberries again sometime soon:

Maybe we can pick strawberries on Saturday. Not today. It's 'possed to rain in coupo minutes. Right now, the rain is in the cwouds sweeping. Pretty soon it's gonna rain and tunder, rain and tunder, rain and tunder. Where's sunshine at?

After putting up the new bird house:

The birdies can libe in there. Puts her lips up to the hole in the house: Hello in there! And the birdies say (in a different voice) Hello Hannah, hello! Birdies house gonna hang down and maybe it's still on the thing ober there (the shepherd's hook).

What did you do yesterday, Hannah?

Pwayed at grandma's house and I pwayed with Woocy (Lucy). We got the car ready and we go home. Then, I swide down the swide and then I swide down with my bwanket. And I say WEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Pretending to be a princess:

(Puts a blanket on her head:) I'm a pwincess out here. They libe in they house and they pway. And they pway hopcotch like this (jumps around). I'm walking to my park and I'm gonna pway pwincess. They kiss a frog and they go inside a weeeeeeery big house. They kiss a frog MWAH like that and then the frog turns into Donald Duck (an episode from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse).

Sandbox:

Inside are toys to dig and a bucket to make a mountain. Papa and Gramma make mountains with me. And I make mountains of dirts.

Come on bwanket. Wet's Go! Vamanos! (let's go in spanish).

Still carrying around her blanket:

I'm cold. Wiw you tuck me tug in a bug in a rug in a bug in a rug?

See's a plane: Pwanes fwy. (Do they do anything else?) Pwanes fwy and that's it!

Can I make noise outside? (mommy replies yes). OK! WHOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO. I make the noise WHOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!

I gotta eat my stwabewwies. I'm hungry for stwabewwies!

Max cries: No Max! Top crying. Dere's no crying outside, in the bath, in my bedroom, in this room (depending on where she was at the time).

Fatty Fatty

How does one little man wreck your body so badly? Sure he was only 8 lbs. 4 ozs. at birth but he made his loft comfortable for his 9 month stay and now I'm paying the price. I've been on Weight Watchers for a month and being more active but apparently my body thought the re-modeling job was something to hold onto. Only losing 13 pounds in 6 weeks is NOT cutting it for me. Apparently nursing mothers aren't supposed to lose it quickly but I can't stand this flab! My little man is worth every roll and stretch mark but why does it have to be one or the other??

It's A BOY!

Maxwell Owen "Max" was born on Saturday, March 7, 2009 at 1:48 pm. He weighed 8 lbs. 4 oz. and was 20.5 inches long.
Birth Story:
I went in Friday, March 6 to be induced. I was given the gel and just sat in bed for 12 hours. It was definitely nice to play board games w/ Paul and visit with Kaylene when I was forced to just sit there.
Saturday I woke up and was still 1 cm. They started pitocin at 8:45 am. The contractions started to get a bit painful around 11 am. By then, I was only a 3 even though they were sooo painful! It was much more painful than I remember w/ Hannah. The epidural was taking too long but it finally got there and it was soooo nice! Shortly after I got to a 5 cm and Paul left to get some lunch. The way I had been progressing before then made it seem like he had more time. By the time he ran down to get food and came back upstairs to start eating I was fully dilated and ready to push. Unfortunately the dr. wasn't ready for me to push and the nurse had to yell at her to hurry up and get ready. She made me breathe through 2 contractions even though I wanted to push soooo badly! I wanted to yell FORGET THE BOOTIES, just get over here! I took a deep breath in like I was supposed to push and she told me to stop, he was 1/2 out. I took another deep breath and just had to let it out again since he was all the way out. The labor was 5 hrs. and 3 minutes long and no pushing! It was a miracle labor!
Max is of course perfect. He's such a great baby. Very easy to please and happy. He smiles a lot! Hannah is adjusting very well. She loves her little brother and makes sure he's content all the time.
Hannah's doing wonderfully too. She loves to sing songs and read books.

Vocabulary!

Hannah's language skills have really taken off. Both Paul and I talk about how amazed we are w/ how well she talks. She now is making complete sentences and it's blowing us away!
I love that now she can tell us if something is bothering her. She'll say, "teeth hurt, medicine please mommy". She says please and thank you 99% of the time without even being asked. If someone sneezes (or coughs or burps) she says, "bless you".
Sometimes she says things that make me wanna laugh and swat her butt at the same time. If I ask her to pick up her toys she says, "noooooo, vacuum (dac-doom) mommy!" I tell her that I'm not gonna clean them up by myself and she says "ok, Kellan help you". What a stinker!
She has trouble with the F sound so it usually comes out more like SH....she likes to smell showers and pours cah-shee to drink. The other day she was pushing a basket around. It overturned and she said "Uh oh! Basket Shell, Memo ok, Elmo hurt. Elmo bruise". I cracked up til I cried! If I ask her to walk up the stairs on her own she asks, "Kellan heaby? Hannah walks, mommy". She always says Hannah help boo and will pick up.
She loves to count to 10-1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9,10. She's getting there!!!
She's learning her colors but everything except pink and white are "green".
If it's cold outside she runs to the car saying COLD, yunning Mommy's car!" Once inside she asks for a blanket (or bank-it).
She knows everyone on Sesame Street's name except for Rosita--she just isn't a fan! It's funny to watch her wave and say HI to each character as they come on the screen.
It's been such a blast to watch her learn and grow and I can't wait to watch her when her little brother arrives. I think she will be the BEST big sister any little man could ask for!

Christmas Newsletter 2008

Happy Holidays! It seems like this year has just flown by! I never thought we'd join in on the Christmas Newsletter but since we don't see or talk to people as much as we'd like, it was the easiest way to update everyone on us (mostly Hannah).
Hannah is now 21 months old. She turns 2 at the end of February and she just keeps growing! She's still tall and skinny (like her daddy). She's up to about 15 teeth now and she's not afraid to use them! She talks constantly. Around 18 months, she had a few favorite words that she used over and over again (mostly EAT and DADDY), but since then her vocabulary has begun to expand exponentially. She has flash cards that she has us quiz her on all the time. Appletus (Octopus) and Melonwater (Watermelon), as well as Tibra (Zebra-she's confused by it's tiger-like stripes) and Dacdum (Vacuum) are some of her more amusing attempts. She has a few favorite books that she doesn't like to read, but instead point to each object on the page and tell you what it is.
Her first birthday was a Princess Theme party and she feels it necessary to carry on that title throughout the year. From her birthday and Christmas last year alone, she has a playroom bursting at the seams with toys. But she doesn't take it for granted, she reminds both Mommy and Daddy who got her the majority of her gifts. She still loves her babies (Susan, Janet, Maggie, Ramona, Campbell Evelyn, and Barbara) but now she has moved onto her latest love, cooking.
She loves to help Mommy and Daddy cook every meal but mostly she loves to cook in her own play kitchen. She'll special order any meal you'd like but just remember, “it HOT!” The chef doesn't stop there, she'll gladly blow on your food until it reaches a temperature you're comfortable with.
Hannah had her first plane ride experience in October and Mommy claims there won't be another one until she learns the true meaning of the terms: “no kicking the seat in front of you” and “no yelling”. She had fun meeting her family in Colorado and visiting her uncle and her baby friends in Oregon even though the 2 and 3 hour time differences could have fooled a lot of people into thinking she didn't have much fun! We don't see any of our family nearly enough so it was nice to have an excuse to go out and visit!
For Halloween, Mommy made Hannah an Ariel costume because she just LOVES Ariel from the Little Mermaid. She loved going up to everyone's door and saying “Tic-Tee” and Day-du (Thank you).
She loves Sesame Street and knows each character by name. She would sit and watch Youtube videos of her favorites all day long if we'd let her. The beginning of December we took her to see Sesame Street Live and she was in awe. Her mouth hung open for a good 10 minutes while she realized that just a few feet away from her were the loves of her life! First Ernie and Bert..well that was great enough but they were followed by Bird Bird and Abbadee and Oscargr and Telly? No way! Not to mention Elmo and Ah-Bla-La-La (Cookie Monster)! Once she got over the shock of it all, she had a blast dancing around in the aisles. We couldn't have had any more fun watching her. She also likes The Backyardigans, but only the songs at the end where she raises both hands above her head and spins and dances in a circle until she is falling over dizzy. She also loves Spongebob (or Bobbie as she's adoringly started calling him). And don't forget Patrick or Gary or Did-Did (Squidward).
We found out on the 4th of July that we were expecting another little Zandarski and we were thrilled. In November we found out it was a baby boy and we're ecstatic. We are pretty much set on a first name but the spelling of the first and an actual middle name have us battling back and forth! Mommy should win though, right? I mean she is the one giving birth!
Paul is still working hard at Michelin and bringing home the bacon for the family. Liz is a stay-at-home-mom for the time being but she's also taking on line classes for a medical transcription certification. She's almost done with the classes and then hopefully she'll quickly find a job while staying at home with the two little ones.
We love to stay in touch with family and friends so in case you don't have our email addresses, here they are: Liz: msuliz33@gmail.com Paul: zandars2@gmail.com
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! We love you!