Zach update

Perhaps it's obvious, but in case it isn't, I'll point out that we created this blog not only to keep our distant friends and family up on our adventures, but also as sort of a "baby book" (toddler book?) for Zach. So bear with me while I document a few things about Zach for posterity...

Zach is still obsessed with anything involving letters and numbers. He can say the entire alphabet (he left out either M or N for a long time!), and while he gets lost between 14 and 18, can count up into the 30s. He continues to seek out letters everywhere he goes, and since Scott has been teaching him to "spell" with his toy letters in the tub, he wants to know what everything spells. The other day he was reading the letters etched on the toilet handle (who knew there was a word there?), G-E-R-B-E-R, and then he said "spells cat!" And he was so proud of himself. It was hilarious. He also rearranges the magnetic numbers on the fridge regularly and then asks me what it spells.

Most of our Zach adventures continue to revolve around the things he says. He's up to 7 and 8 word sentences, usually pointing something out to one of us, or narrating what's happening, ie "mama, girl said thank you!" That's a favorite of mine, when he refers to someone he doesn't know as "girl" or "guy" - kind of embarrassing, since they can usually hear him loud and clear. He's gotten to the point that he is trying so hard to communicate that he has to slow down, you can literally see him struggling to get the words out. So much to say.

He also loves to look at blogs - including our own. He constantly requests to watch the two old videos of him that we have on our blog, and now Ava singing Jingle Bells is a big favorite. Zach has always loved looking at pictures of people he knows, as well as talking about who "goes" with who. For example, we ask who "goes with" Aunt Mandy, and he'll list his cousins Bryn and Maryn. What cracks us up is what he says when we ask him who goes with Uncle Andy... instead of saying his cousins Chase and Sophie, he says Uncle Mick! He's always done that, connected his two uncles, who I think have only met once, at our wedding. But according to Zach, they go together! :)

Books continue to be the most popular toy in our house, although he's always thrilled to play any kind of ball, or with his little people animals. He's got way too many of our books memorized, and often randomly quotes them - lately "zoom boom rockets shoot by", from his book Jamberry. I have no idea why he says it, but we hear it regularly.

Zach is also learning a lot of new songs, especially lately. A favorite is Old McDonald, or as Zach says it, "Ol Dee Donald". He often gets hung up in the same spot - moo moo here, moo moo here, over and over again. He now loves Take Me Out to the Ball Game, although we have to interrupt as he's counting the strikes, or he just keeps counting past three and forgets the rest of the song.

Whew. I think that's enough for now!