RandomStuff

I guess the official countdown to Christmas is here. My Oh My.  Today is a Monday and I worked. I am off for the next nine days and then work one followed by four more off. I think I can handle that. Totcollege is closed this week and today the kids went to Carol's. They will also go on Wednesday and I will focus on the arduous tasks of packing and wrapping. Whopppeeee!

I think our weekend was good. We had our most wonderful Gingerbread Making House Party on Friday. Saturday we went to a party at some friend's house, Ann and Harry. We didn't get home until after nine, which is really late around here. Yesterday we were too pooped to pop as Mackenzie might say. Before bed we all drove around a little bit and looked at some lights. Mackenzie wanted them all on her side. I think Zachy even got the idea, somewhat.

Saturday and Sunday we made Grandma presents. Mackenzie painted frames. She did a lovely job. Then Sunday Mackenzie and Zachy made sweatshirts with their handprints. That was an experience. They turned out cute, definitely made by little hands. It's the thought that counts, right?

A couple random points...

• Over the weekend Zachy decided he likes to walk backwards. Why? Because he can. He thinks it's pretty funny. So do I. I also happen to think it's really cute too.
• Tonight when I got home from work Mackenzie was in the bathroom doing her #2 thing, waiting for me to get home so I could help. Love that not so much.
• I think, yes I think, Mackenzie finally cares about Fisbee the Elf.
• Zachy is communicating up a storm. He understands so much. He follows simple commands. Watching his communication skills develop is a blast.
• When Zachy gets upset he throws a little tantrum. Usually this involves walking across the room and laying down face down. It's sort of sad. And sort of cute.
• Mackenzie is in a phase where she gets scared of things, like being alone in the dark. Or in the light for that matter. She just really does not like being alone.
• Zachy tries to run now. Given that he still has somewhat of a wobble walk thing going, I find his 'running' effort pretty impressive.
• Mackenzie set up a picnic for her and her baby this evening. It was sweet.
• I asked Mackenzie how Zachy did at Carol's today and she said,  'I protect him, Momma.' What a good Big Sister she is!

That's all I got. Nighty-night time for this Momma!

SimplyMagnificent

We made it through our respective days on Tuesday; Me at Work and the Kids at Totcollege. I got out in time to pick them up, which I always get excited about since I don't get to go there much. Dad and I spied on Mackenzie for awhile playing outside. She ran across the playground a couple of times and then got a bike to ride around. Fun to watch her in her totcollegeworld. Then she saw us and came running over. Almost right past me. What am I? Chopped liver? But then she remembered her Momma's fragile ego and ran right back to me for a big hug. Wait, it gets better! Much better. We all then moseyed on over to the Toddler A room to pick up Zachy. And there he was, Momma's Little Boy. Busily yelling at a chair he was trying to crawl under. Then he saw me and started crawling over looking so happy....crawled right on over, right past me, right to his favorite teacher. That's right! Guess he's adjusted to his Toddler A Peeps. A little too much! Just kidding. He did eventually actually make his way over to Us, his Second-Fiddle-Family. I found the whole incident to be rather  funny. A bit shocking. But funny. I THINK I read stuff in books or on blogs or something about that kind of thing happening to 'other' Moms back when Mackenzie was his age and I used to try to read about her 'developmental stage' each week. But, with her, stuff like just didn't happen, so I couldn't relate. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. I have no insecurity surrounding his attachment to me. It is clear. He's attached. And I know they get confused because they are in their 'other' environment and learning to attach to their 'other' caregivers. Moreover, I rarely pick him up and never drop him off, so my face in that environment is really baffling to him! Bottom line, I am delighted that he is attaching and so comfortable. A true indication of a securely attached tot, all around. Gotta Love That!

Zachy drove home with Dad and Mackenzie with Me. She and I had a lovely chat during our long drive home. She talked to me about she planned to take off her 'work shoes and pants' when she got home. She talked about naptime and where everyone sleeps. Sounds like they have to move them around at times when they get two together who try to stir things up, little tot rascals. Sounds like they move a lot of kids away from My Little Darling Tot Rascal Instigator. Not surprising to me, since I deal with her naptime behavior, five days weekly. Have I mentioned it is likely pretty close to time to just let go of that? Her napping. I think I did. I'm seriously considering it. But then she is going to have to accept quiet rest time, away from me.

The night of course went fast. It always does on worknights. When Zachy got home he saw BuddyCat and immediately started chasing him. I gotta hand it to that cat, he's got some patience. RufusDog was very excited to see Zachy and knocked him down. Zachy got his feelings a little hurt. But they made up. Zachy fought bedtime, of course. He just wants to play. Play. PLAY!

Mackenzie fought it as well. She ended up out at the table with Me eating a bedtime snack while Dad worked on getting Zachy to sleep. Zachy and I have not quite weaned but are both close to ready so having a really hard time figuring out sleeptime together. It's a little hard for Me to let it go. Him too I think.

Oh, so Tuesday night Mackenzie and I had a nighttime snack together and then went to bed together. She was in a silly mood and started to call me Poo-Poo. So, I called her Pee-Pee (I know...don't encourage the Beast!). That went back and forth and then I mixed up and called her Tooty-Pooty. We both started to crack up. Rolling around cracking up. Right about then Dad got out from getting Zachy to sleep and we got in a bit of 'trouble.' It was funny. Then we started to call each other different silly combinations of things. I would call her 'Brocili' and she would call me 'Carrot;' I would call her 'Chair' and she would call me 'Table.' I would call her 'Yellow' and she would call me 'Purple.' We thought we were hilarious. At least we thought so.

The best thing from Tuesday...When we went to pick up Zachy in the Toddler A room, after he graced his family with his presence (just kidding Zach), he stood next to Mackenzie and she started to gently pat his back. That girl of mine is sweet. Deep down sweet. Miss Sara had said when we picked Mackenzie up that earlier in the day she had said she missed her brother. Awwww....

Wednesday was a Nutso Day. Zachy was crabby. Although generally I would not describe him as a crabby-tot, he's sort of been crabby a lot these days. A Real Lot. He's stuck in that 'Push-Pull I want to be separate and independent, no I don't phase.' For Mackenzie that ended pretty much as soon as she walked (although she tends to be the more temperamental of the two). But, for Zachy, this phase seems to be going on and on and on. And On. Relentlessly. Painfully. Sorry Zachy, but it poops me out! The thing is, nothing pleases him. He wants me to hold him and then he fights to get put down; I put him down and tugs at me and cries until I pick him up; He wants everything and nothing. But, that said, when he's doing his thing, he's insanely cute, funny and enjoyable. Last night we played a bit of chase. He just loves that. And then sometimes he walks around and laughs, for no apparent reason. Because he can. Because he's One and he walks now. Then he went outside and played. There is a spot in our backyard slopes very slightly. A lot of work getting up and down with balance for our new walker. But he kept going up and down. Practicing. He has Patience at times. Patience and Determination. Love that about him.

Mackenzie woke up happy yesterday. She's a spitfire that Girl. She is working hard right now on asking for help when Zachy is pestering her, which he does frequently throughout the day. She will ask me to 'Save'  her or her toys from him. I have suggested she ask me to 'Help' instead of her pushing or hitting him, but 'Save' will work. She did not take a nap yesterday and managed herself well. I'm not totally sold on her not needing naps, but am going to take it day by day. I feel bad right now because with as clingy and crabby as Zachy is, I worry that she takes the brunt of the stress that creates generally speaking with him being all consuming and then with me being more irritable because he's crabby. I try to give her a bit of special time here and there. And really work on remembering to Praise her for all the good things she does do. It's tough being Three and a Big Sister.

Yesterday wiped me out for sure. But both went to bed at night fairly easily and I got to watch a little TV, which I rarely do.

Today was the second half of  'our' work week. Mackenzie had a good morning. After I got Zach ready, she looked at him and so lovingly said, 'He looks so cute. He's a-handsome! And now I going to get dressed and I going to be a-dorable.!' Have I already mentioned how sweet she can be?  The beauty of kids is, the young ones at least (maybe the older ones too, but mine are not old yet), is that no matter how crazy they drive you, they do something SimplyMagnificent or hysterical or heart tugging just in time. Just in time to give you a much needed break from the insanity. Yesterday Zachy said 'Jack-et.'  He hadn't said it before. It sounded adorable. He'd been driving me absolutely crazy, but that made me smile. SimplyMaginficent. Mackenzie waking up in the morning, groggy with her tousled hair, SimplyMagnificent. Zachy patting Mackenzie's back as she pretends to be baby and hides in the tunnel. SimplyMagnificent. The two of them laughing together engaged in some random game they have figured out together. SimplyMagnificent. Thank Goodness for SimplyMagnificent!

MorningTotBanter&EIEIO

Mackenzie woke up this morning crying, which is unusual for her. She used to wake up crying all the time, it was her 'thing,' but not so much anymore. Even when I'm not in the room with her. In fact, the other day she came out and found me and very cute-groggily said, 'Momma, I look for you all over the bed. You weren't there.'

This morning, her first comment was, 'Momma what happened to me and Zachy's airplanes? They flew away. Can we go find them?' I'm thinking just maybe she was dreaming.

After Zachy woke up, she very matter-of-totfactly stated, 'I not going to knock him down today. I just going to give him kisses for waking up!' It was sweet while it lasted...

In other news...

Zachy loves music. He likes the song 'Old MacDonald' and has his own very cute way of 'singing' E-I-E-I-O. It goes something like, 'EYIII-EYIII.' Always right on cue.

I admire his persistence. Sometimes he almost crawls because it is faster for him still, but then it's like his mind says, 'NO!' and he gets up and walks, his wobbly walk. Proudly. Just like a Rockstar.

TwoGoodThings...

1. Mackenzie and I jointly deciding that when we get mad we need to take deep breaths. We practiced together and tonight, instead of melting down at bedtime, we did our 'Just breathe' together. It worked!
2. Zachy happy-yells all the time when he is walking. It's like he's saying, 'Here I come!!!!!!'

NoCrankies!

Dad is working this weekend, so it was me solo with the kids. We had a really good day. We went to Walmart this morning. Of course, you never know how an hour drive each way trip is going to turn out, but we did okay and got some of the fixings for Thanksgiving and a few other needed odds and ends. Dad will finish up the official grocery shopping tomorrow after he finishes working!

Mackenzie and Zachy both got lots of  'Awww they're so cute' looks and comments. Mackenzie was hopping beside the cart for awhile and was saying she was 'Exercising.' Then she decided to do the tot-run and play chase. She thought it was a lot funnier than I did. That ended her up in the back of the cart sitting on cans for awhile. Don't get me wrong, she was pretty funny and cute, but I, of course, get really scared when she is not in eyesight. After having to sit in the back of the cart, she went back to compliantly hopping beside. On the way home Zachy fell asleep and I got a bit nervous because keeping him asleep once we got home depended on the cooperation of the three year old totgirl. And cooperative she was! Phew! Success.

Zachy slept for TWO total HOURS! He was a happy, not-at-all cranky boy this afternoon. LOVE IT! Mackenzie seems to only be napping about forty five to sixty minutes, but that works for her and she's still napping, so NO complaints on that. She too was a happy, not-at-all cranky tot this afternoon.

After naps, she got right into preschool character. After awhile she decided she was Bucee's mom and was bringing her to me for childcare. Our conversations went something like this...

Mackenzie: Baby Bucee has poop. You need to change it.
Me: I already changed it.
Mackenzie: She had two poops.
(Me thinking...darn, she got me.)
She goes to 'work' and comes back a few minutes later (wish I had her job!).
Mackenzie: How was Bucee's day?
Me: Her day was good.
Mackenzie: Oh, she not cry or anything?
Me: No. She was very happy today.
Mackenzie: Oh, she cried yesterday.
(Me thinking...she's taking this really seriously!)
She takes Bucee home and then brings her back in the next day.
Mackenzie: Bucee needs to make a craft.
Me: Okay.
Mackenzie: Put her down now and do it.
(I don't move fast enough, apparently.)
Mackenzie: Put her down and do it now.
(So, I do, don't want to get in trouble twice from the bossy totmom!)
She goes to 'work' and comes back a few minutes later...still wishing I had her job.
Mackenzie: Do she have a poop rash? I think we go to Arizona. We go to Phoenix on Monday.

It was a riot. I think she was replicating what she heard me and Zachy's teacher talking about the other day. Perceptive little girl she is.

And, here's a picture of babyBucee in my 'classroom' doing her 'craft.'

AFewGoodThingsFromToday...

• Blowing bubbles for Zachy while he took his bath. I mentioned yesterday how much he loves bubbles. He was trying to catch them. So intent. And he sounds really adorable when he says, 'Bubbles.' The thing about Zachy and his words is, he might not have too many, but he loves the ones he has and uses them not only frequently, but wisely.
• Mackenzie putting on a baseball cap and saying, 'I think I look very cute.' And, for the record, she did.
• Mackenzie and I having such awesome teamwork when we got home. We High-Fived and everything. So was amazing. She did just like we talked about. And when it was her turn to do down for nap, she did so without a fight. She was a Good Egg today, For Sure!
• Zachy brushing his teeth before bed while I read him Good Night Moon and then not wanting to stop brushing his teeth. If he keeps this up, he'll have the best tot-teeth EVER!
• Zachy loves tuna noodle casserole.
• Mackenzie referring to her baby as 'Buc.'
• The two of them playing with the 'racetrack' together and working out a way to do it together so that each got to have a job. Seeing them together...playing...that's what it's all about! I have Good Kids. LOVE IT! LOVE THEM!

Lastly, I would have to say ZACHY IS IN FACT A WALKER! He barely crawls and when he does he switches back over to walking pretty promptly. He's still pretty wobbly on his feet, but determined. Smiling, Yes I Am.

FotoFriday11.19.10

Not a Bad Week At All...In Fact, it was a Pretty Fine Week in Our World!

Mackenzie playing with the fall leaves.

Later in the week, Zachy rediscovered them on his own.

Zachy playing his 'game.'

The one where he catches the spoon his mouth and won't let go!

Note the mischievous grin and twinkle in his eyes!

Mackenzie's first 'person' drawing!

Working on her Treasure Box.

 Zachy sifting through the remnants of our tomatoes.

Mackenzie painting her pumpkin.

And her face.

Proudly displaying her finished product.

Doing a ballerina dance for Zachy and I.

The FIRST STEPS Moment!

And also the first Teeth-Brushing Moment.

Yay Zachy!

Carrying the zoo animal visor, BECAUSE I CAN!

Yep, I'm a Rockstar! I WALK!

Sister lending a helping hand.

Why? Why not?
Monkey See...Monkey Do!

It's....Music Time!

HappyHumpDay

Getting home from work last night was awesome. GoodThingNumberOne (from Tuesday)...

• Zachy 'walking' to greet me when I got home with his 'I'm a Rockstar' expression. Yes, you are a Rockstar my almost-walking Zacharoo! I know I keep gushing about it and will continue to do so, even later in this very post, but his 'walking' is precious. I could SCREAM it's so cute.

I was also greeted by Mackenzie calling out to me from the bathroom. 'Momma, I pooping. Come see.' If your not a Mother, this probably sounds gross. Not that if you are a Mother it's something you look forward to, but it's all in a day's work. Yep, that's Motherhood, all inclusive: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

Zachy continued to practice his walking, but was pretty tired, so taken to bed fairly early. When I got out from putting him down, Mackenzie was still playing away. Resisting her bedtime. She was playing, what else, 'Preschool.' At (real) Preschool, the kids are immersed right now in art projects. Next month they have a special Parent's Night set up so we can come and see our kid's work. I can't wait.  (Hmmm...tonight Mackenzie said that tomorrow they have 'music class.' Maybe the kids will all sing a song together for the special Parent Night? Oh, how lovely would that be!) So, last night she was having me 'paint' objects. She, of course was the 'teacher' and I was the 'friend.' When I would finish, she would take My Masterpiece (hey, I can dream, right?) over to the drying area, tell me in her 'teacher voice' that I had done a 'Good Job' before sending me home for the day. Then calling me back to do it all again, of course.

She finally got into bed, but just would not fall asleep. I had been up early, so decided to go to bed with her.
 GoodThingNumberTwo (from Tuesday)...

• Mackenzie whispering, 'I love you too. No more talking.' before rather quickly falling to sleep.

Today was a fine day. Zachy practiced his walking a lot today. He is 'there.' Favoring crawling a little still, but not too much longer. I love seeing him walk over to me. Such a different sight than I am used to. Again, the look on his face just makes me smile every time, smile and feel a little like (happy) crying at the same time. He wants to practice his walking in any way he can. He pushed a walker around for a bit. He figured out he could transport stuff on it. The random things he would put there was hysterical. He was walking with his walker, saw a bib on the floor and said, his always favorite word, 'Ut-oh,' picked up the bib and put it on his walker. Very thoughtfully. Then just transported it all over to nowhere. He also likes to walk holding hands like I have mentioned. And, of course, he did a lot of solo, unsupported walking. As I think about it, he might have actually walked more than he crawled today. The balance just might have already shifted. When he is walking unsupported, he likes to carry things in his hands. Because he can. Again, random things. A zoo animal visor, a purse, a block, a sketch a doodle. You name it, he'll carry it. He even tried to 'kick' a ball while walking. Whoa, Slow Down Buddy! Kicking balls come much later! And now that he is walking all over, he is MUCH LESS clingy! I'm telling you, there's a little push-pull resistance to independence that happens right before walking.

Mackenzie was an absolute delight today. She is getting so good with her brother. I know it pains her at times, but she really tries. She said 'actually' today. I Love when toddlers start saying 'actually.' Because, when they learn that word, then they actually start to say it all the time! She also kept using the phrase 'on purpose.' We discussed whether RufusDog pushed her over 'on accident or on purpose.'  She was convinced it was 'on purpose.' Today we painted her Pumpkin. Carved off the top and painted it. Yes, I realise it is way past Halloween, but the beauty of having a three year old is that she doesn't totally know what goes with what. I take that back, today she said, with a big glossy-eyed consumer driven expression, 'I sure hope Santa brings me A LOT of presents!' How does she know that? Speaking of Santa, I told Mackenzie that maybe he would bring her a new bed. Her own bed. She loves the idea. So, now she is sure Santa is bringing her a bed. Oops, Momma should have thought before suggesting such a thing was possible. Possible to a three year old means it's happening. I'm in a bit of a bind, if Santa doesn't bring her a bed, will she forever be disappointed in Santa? It all sounds great, Mackenzie in her own bed, but would she really do it? So, that's my latest and greatest dilemma.

Our HappyHumpDayGoodThings...

• Mackenzie loving being teased by neighbor Rich. I love when she gets to interact with people, enjoy herself and show off her fun n sparkly self.
• Zachy shoveling sand into a bucket and dumping it out. He is so studious; his fascination with things is never ending.
• Playing music together. All of us, experimenting with different instruments, Mackenzie singing and Zachy applauding.

Walking&Talking

I work tomorrow after being off for six days. I'm feeling a little sad, missing my babies already. Granted that first day off was awful, but the rest have been pretty good. Today was great. We had a wonderful Monday. Everyone played well, I was able to keep the house in 'relative' order and get down and play too. Naptime went well. No complaints.

I only work two days, but it still feels hard at times. Overall, I think it provides us all with some balance. I have mentioned before that we live in a rural area, so the socialisation is great for the kids and for me at work as well...getting a little adult time. But, I still miss them on my days at work. I miss them a lot.

Zachy practiced his walking again tonight. None during the day, but tonight he was trying. And doing great! Mackenzie loves 'helping' him along. He loves when we both hold one hand and walk with him. Maybe he'll officially be a full walker in a couple of weeks?

Mackenzie took her first steps on her first birthday and was a full walker at thirteen months plus two weeks, to the day. She seemed to do a lot of things at precise times. Rolled over the first time at four months to the day. Rolled all over (to get from point A to point B) at six months exactly...that kind of thing. Oh, but with the full blown walking thing. She did not walk much between twelve months and thirteen and a half months, but then she woke up one Wednesday and walked, all day, as if she had been walking all along. She never crawled again. Actually, it was a bit odd. But cool. I thought she might do that same thing with Potty Training. But I was wrong. That was much more of a 'process.'

So, who knows when Zachy will actually walk-walk? Or how his walking will evolve? But, it's fun to watch. I think walking is the by far the biggest and most exciting early milestone. It represents a huge developmental leap. From there they start to develop rapidly in other areas. It's like their brain energy is freed up to learn new things. Don't get me wrong, Zachy is learning plenty of 'other' things right now too. It's just I think the whole walking thing takes quite a bit of focus. Another thing that I recall happening after Mackenzie learned to walk-walk, was that she became less fussy and less clingy. My theory is that there is a bit of push and pull that goes along with learning to walk, since it represents a 'step' towards independence. So, they fight it a little by being more clingy and dependent right before they are ready to 'take off.' Just a theory. Maybe not a new one, I don't know. But I've seen it now with both.

The next really exciting time comes when their language takes off. Mackenzie is there right now. She's been there for awhile, but it just continues to grow, obviously. You learn about your kids in a whole new way. It's awesome. Mackenzie talks all day. I mean all day. No matter what she is doing, she is talking. Living in a fantasy world. Her imagination is incredible. Watching her talk is downright fun and somtimes comical, always (almost always) endearing.  Not only is it the words she uses, but the way she says things. The Tone. The Facial Expressions. The Body Language. The Hand Gestures. The Phrasing. The Whole Picture. I Love hearing her talk (most of time anyway!). And I Love the chance to develop a whole new kind of Relationship with her through Language.

I guess the whole thing is exciting. You really do get to see life again through a child's eyes. Sometimes Mackenzie will do or say things and I can see myself having done those same things. As I respond, I can hear my Mom responding. Things I long forgot about. Seemingly little things, but BIG to a toddler. Sharing these experiences really is pretty magical.

TwoGoodThings...

1. Zachy nodding his head up and down, like he is saying 'yes.' Maybe he is, I don't know. But, along with his adorable smirk, I love it.
2. Mackenzie taking her 'newborn' the hospital and having the doctor (me) examine the baby. I congratulated her on her new baby. She bent forward just slightly, her eyes got really big, she smiled a huge pretendish smile and said, 'Yah, it was great. Thank you for the ogratulations.' Her facial expressions are priceless.

TwoGoodThings11.13&14.10

Had problems with the Internet yesterday, so I was not able to post this.

Yesterday's TwoGoodThings....

1. Mackenzie is a mini-me. She likes to follow me around and do what I am doing. Tonight I had to change Zachy's diaper and get his jammers on. She brought in one of her dolls (Bucee) and did everything I was doing, said everything I was doing, laughed when I laughed. It was really funny.
2. Zachy made the funniest expressions tonight. I can't even explain them. He gets so animated. At one point tonight he was crawling back and forth behind Mackenzie just laughing. He thinks he is really funny. He is really right. Then he started with the downward dog. And he was looking at Mackenzie and I through his legs, upside down. Yet again, thinking he's a riot and once again, he was right!

And, for today...TwoGoodThings...

1. Making a Treasure Box with Mackenzie. I went to the mall yesterday and got a shoebox. Today Mackenzie and I went to the Dollar Store for some additional craft supplies. When I was getting ready, I had put on a -shirt and some casual 'lounge' like pants. Not quite sweats, but comfy. She said, 'Momma you can't wear those to the Dollar Store. You need to put on clothes like for work (which means jeans...haha!).' She is a riot. So, anyways, after her nap we got started. It was a blast. I'm not too crafty, but what we have done so far looks cute. A bit of a patchwork covering since we just had one size construction paper, but I think it's working out nicely.  And, most importantly, we're enjoying it...To-Geth-Er!
2. I already said the Big News about Zachy, which was he TOOK STEPS! Tonight we had Steak Night. Zachy doesn't quite do steak yet, but he gets into the Spirit of the Family Dinner thing. Sitting on this Throne. After dinner, Dad and Mackenzie went and got ice cream. Mackenzie, Dad and I started to enjoy our ice cream at the table and Zachy was crawling around playing. But he caught on. Yes He Did. He came over and pulled up on me, I gave him a taste and it was aaalllll oooovvvveerrr from there! He was on lap within a couple seconds sharing my serving and clearly enjoying every bite. Maybe that's what gave him the boost for those first steps!
3. OneMoreGoodThing....Zachy and Mackenzie were taking bath together. Next thing you know he starts to hand her the foam letters and she throws them at him and they both start laughing hysterically and he hands her another and she throws it at him and so on and so on.

A Good,  Good Weekend for Us. Quiet. Did not have any real plans, but a Good Weekend.

YayZachy!

YayZachy! He took his FIRST Steps today. Whoot-Whoot! Six days shy of fifteen months.

I wish I could package the look of pure joy and pride on Zachy's face as he took those steps! Priceless. Absolutely Priceless. I'm Smiling just thinking about it.

Here's how it went down. Zachy was 'brushing' his teeth for the first time. Yes, two firsts in like two minutes. Overachiever! He was soooo excited when I gave him his toothbrush. He knew EXACTLY what it was for and started brushing away. We were sitting down. He decided to stand up. Multitasking. Just like his Momma. Then he almost took a step. I thought to myself, I think he's still a couple of weeks away. Well, I think he has Extrasensory Perception (ESP) because right then he took a step. WOW! He did it. He took a step! Yippppeeee! With his left foot. His right foot tried to follow and he almost fell into a center split, but then caught his balance and, ByGosh, he stepped with his right foot and then his left foot and took about six to seven more steps! All with a toothbrush in his mouth (Bad Momma I know, but I was not about to ruin his excellent moment over a silly technicality!). He was so PROUD of himself. The Look. I LOVELOVELOVE that Look! It's the BEST! Mackenzie got the same Look when she took her first steps. Come to think of it, they were both about the same place in the living room.

He took a couple more steps, but was too excited to focus at that point. So, he took my hand and then Mackenzie's and we walked with him. That pleased him.

I suppose this means he is officially a Totboy. Some say it is when they turn One; Others say it is when they Walk; I say it is when they do Both. I don't know if I would say he is actually walking just yet, but he's far enough into being One that I think that along with Steps counts. So, yah. He's a Totboy.

In other Zachy news:

•  I have mentioned before how he LOVES to be outside. He now brings his shoes to me as a way of 'asking.'
• I think he is almost saying 'Mommy' in addition to 'Momma!'
• Have I already mentioned that he says 'Up' when he wants Up?
• He competes with Mackenzie for my attention. If she is trying to sit on my lap, he will start saying 'Momma' and then starts to push her off.
• Nobody makes him laugh harder than Mackenzie. When they are in a zone together, they are in The Zone!
• Oh, and he only pooped three times today. His poor bum is covered with diaper rash, but this is an improvement. Praying it is even better for him tomorrow!

Not new news, but I Love Him. I Love watching all the New and Exciting things he is learning to do and watching his Personality evolve. I Love his Humor and his Sweetness. I Love His Being. Gosh, I am Lucky! Incredibly Lucky.