Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Zayd I.Am

My little man is full of surprises, but I guess so am I!

After reading SuperBaby while pregnant, I decided not to let the lentil watch TV until he was two. I still think that is a great idea but with a baby on the way, I decided that having the ability to get 5 minutes with Zayd wrapped up in something else would be AWESOME. So, around 14 months we set out to see if the Z would watch some Sesame Street. Heck no. No TV for this guy, he'd rather run. Sam has been slowly introducing him to YouTube Sesame Street clips of songs and Mr. Mammen has hit the jackpot! A week ago I commented to a friend that Zayd watched nearly one minute of a YouTube clip that day. Today, we can't get the kid away! What's better, he dances the whole time!




We've watched this about 25 times today and Zayd was this excited everytime:


Friday, July 27, 2012

Raspberry Kisses

The little lentil is obsessed with my burgeoning belly. He likes to look at it up close many times a day. And he is a little interested in my belly button that getting pulled flatter and flatter. I had to explain today that it is not a peanut storage locker. Literal peanuts. Its tricky to explain why we don't put nuts in mommy's belly button in one-year old vernacular. "Peanuts go in our mouths." Oops! "Peanuts that haven't been in mommy's belly button go in our mouths." Its a hard message to articulate without going NOOOOOOO, which I try to avoid unless there is real danger.

If I ask where the baby is he knows and smiles so big when he comes face to face with my belly. It makes me wonder what he could possibly understand. I'm betting its more and distinct from anything I can wrap my head around.

He also likes to compare our bellies. I show him mine and then he always shows me his. I am winning.

He also LOVES to give raspberry kisses to this little Z2. There is a part of me that thinks he just likes the expanse of skin but a bigger part that hopes the kisses will continue for years to come.


Thursday, July 26, 2012

San Antonio Children's Museum

I am excited to be back with the Z and spending our summer exploring new things. My favorite purchase this season has definitely been the San Antonio Children's Museum membership I got for the Manny and I. Z is still free since he's under 2 and Sam seems more like a motorcycle museum kind of guy. :)

This first exhibit turns out to not translate well at home when your child is only one. "Yes, its fun to cook at the museum." "I'm afraid we don't turn on the gas stove when mommy is making lunch."



I think I have a little Russian Chess Master somewhere deep inside the Z-Monster.



But maybe he is all monster...


Zayd loves the grocery shopping and Mommy loves that he picks out all green veggies and a single can of Chef Boyardee Ravioli (for daddy I'm sure).





There is also an earth friendly house to teach us drought-survivors how to work with the lack of water in SATX.






Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Zayd Leads Storytime

This week we went to Toddler Story Time at the library like we do almost every Tuesday.
Normally Zaydie sort of enjoys it. He loves the songs, hates the sheer number of kids, and could care less about the books. This week was lightly attended (a miracle) and Zayd was mesmerized with the whole experience. I think being away and not seeing toddlers for a week made a difference too.
He did every dance, whereas he normally wont leave my lap. He never took his eyes off Ms Karen the songstress though two weeks ago he spent the half of the time signing "please leave" to me with those pleading eyes. He even  ventured out to meet other tots and touched them all gently on the shoulder.
Here's a photo of him towards the end of storytime; he decided to help Ms Karen lead the other kids in a song. Ha! He is Nani's grandson!

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Baby Z, does he even miss me?

Auntie Andie watched Zayd yesterday so Nani and Nana could get some work done.
She sent the cutest video and he was so happy and throwing his head back with laughter! Then I realized - this little stinker doesn't even miss me! Oh well, if the lentil is happy everyone is happy. And he sure looks thrilled!


Sunday, July 15, 2012

I AMsterdam

Well, the Z-less Mammens are almost to Warsaw and what a journey we've had already. Its technically 6:45 in the morning but Holland would rather I believe its just before 2pm and I'm playing along. I might make a few grammatical mistakes though so pardon those!

We left Houston with only a few tears as it finally hit me that not only would Zayd not see me for nine days, but I wouldn't see him! Boo hoo!

We were beyond lucky, or maybe we just have a fantastic travel agent, but our first flight took us straight to Amsterdam in an 8 hour "overnight" shot. My midwives had warned me how long plane rides were tougher with a growing uterus and they were right! I definitely have some edema and cankles to prove it! I'm going to write up the travel deets (must be tired, have never said deets before) in my professional travel blogging venue, this is for mommy and Z stories. I couldn't sleep like I'd been hoping because I've hit that pregnant wall where you aren't quite as tired as trimester one so you just can't  sleep. Watched This Means War, 1/2 of the lorax, and 1/2 of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. I can't wait to finish Marigold on the flight back.

We got pretty rained out in Amsterdam. The two+ mile walk through Old Town and the Red Light District ended up being a shorter shuffle through the rainy streets looking for lunch. I, of course, had already picked our lunch spot and included it on our itinerary but it was a little ways off the beaten path and I didn't want to trek there and risk a worse downpour on the walk back!

Our first coffee house dedicated it's first menu page to pot, One Joint, Two Joints, or Four for a discount. The whole town was gorgeous though a little pot-stinky but Sam was adamant that a pregnant lady and two travellers subject to random drug testing back home shouldn't eat in a pot den.

A little ways down, we found Old World Hotel and enjoyed pancakes with cheese! Beemster! Delicious but not what I was expecting.

After a nap on a huge beanbag in (I would vehemently argue) the worlds best airport lounge area I'm ready to take this last flight to Warsaw!

No photography from the city but I'm happy to share a photo from my Schipol Airport lounging spot!



Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Balloon!

Thanks to Auntie Amanda for sending this photo from our time in Utica!
This little man LOVES a good balloon!

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Now premiering for the general public

One crazy day back in April, I wrote to my best friend and said, "I am pretty sure you are pregnant." She was confused, and I simply said, "I don't know, I just feel it." I was wrong.

We talked about it all morning and she said she really didn't think so and we let it go at that.

Around came first nap and when I had some quiet time to myself I realized...wait a minute, maybe its me! Nah! Then while getting ready for our day, Zayd took the lone lost pregnancy test out from under my cupboard and handed it to me. Honestly. It was bizarre. "Good idea, lentil. Better test than sorry!" I took out a test from oh so long ago, and before I could set the stick down for the dreaded "two minute wait" a little blue plus arrived. Ah! This was definitely good news but a shocker.

I scooped up Zaydie, through on my running shoes and sprinted to the grocery store. I loaded up the stroller with two different tests (why do women always do that, the test is the same, the brand only designs the packaging!) and headed to check out. In my insanity, I hadn't brought my wallet. That was another trip to Mahncke Park. Some time later, I had my two test minimum and told little Zaydie he was going to be a big brother.

Now, on to telling the biggest Mammen. Hmmm. I did the photo booth last time so I definitely can't bring Sam within 100 feet of one of those without him suspecting something... I also thought I should incorporate the lentil somehow.

So, on April 5th when Sam got home, Zaydie and I were having a grand old time playing in his new t-shirt (created with love by my favorite Mahncke Park mama). 










I should have gotten a photo of Sam's face. The 2010 version is pretty spot on.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Ugh...

With each new tooth, comes a new sleep struggle. Please let the new littlest Mammen be a sleeper.