First Food

Soon after we returned from Deleware, we decided to start Zach on some real (not rice cereal) solids. Like I wrote earlier, we started rice cereal at 4 1/2 months because he was ready developmentally and had started waking up much earlier due to hunger. The rice cereal did the trick and added back a couple hours to his sleep! After a month of just rice cereal we chose avocado for his first fruit (it is a fruit, technically, isn't it?) really for no other reason then I love avocado and thought Zach would, too. I was right!

Sushi

Greg and I have been fans of sushi for a long time. Armed with a sushi cookbook and tools Greg got me for Christmas and some encouragement from my friend about how easy it was, we made our first sushi. We did this while we were iced in and it sure was a nice way to break up the monotony!

Um, yes, we are pigs. I think that was 3 rolls a piece. Which ended up being too much, but Greg did say that it was the first time he was truly full after a sushi meal. Usually our wallets would keep him from eating to his hearts content.

Zach enjoyed it vicariously . . .

The Rest of Christmas

In the days following Christmas, we spent a day with my family:

Mom and Dad hosted Mawmaw and Pawpaw, Chelle and Allie, Uncle Dave and family and us for a day of eating, exchanging presents and playing on the Wii! Allie and Chelle each got a Wii for Christmas and Chelle also got the Beatles Rock Band, and we put them to good use . . . they really kept us entertained the whole day. And it was super fun watching the adults (Even with a child, Greg and I aren't in that category yet at family functions) playing the guitar and drums. My favorite part of the day was when Mom and Chelle sang several duets with the Wii . . . I love their voices together!

The following Sunday, we loaded up the car and headed up to Maryland/Deleware to visit some of Greg's extended family. The first night we stayed with his Uncle Mike and Aunt Nicole and Zach got to meet Gigi (his great grandma Betty, Steve's mom). Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of any of our time in MD, I was snapping away with someone else's camera.

The next afternoon, we drove an hour and half longer and made it up to Bethany Beach, DE for dinner! We stayed with Nana and PopPop for 2 nights and had a wonderful time relaxing (and shopping at the Rehoboth Outlets - DE has no sales tax . . . quite a treat!) and watching Zach interact with everyone.




Zach made it very clear while we were there that he was ready to start on some solids. We had begun giving him rice cereal right after Thanksgiving (when he was about 4 1/2 months old) but this child (much like his daddy) loves to eat and the rice cereal just wasn't cutting it. This picture doesn't capture the full energy of the moment . . . he was lunging at that cheesecake with all his might!

Christmas Afternoon

We spent Christmas afternoon w/ the Ross/Honea/Ross families and we had a blast! We always have so much fun unwrapping stockings and sliding some personal jokes into the general gifts as well. Really, it's all payback for some very awkward moments years and years ago. Kristie and I realized we might not have many more years to get these jokes in because eventually, Zach will be aware of what's going on around. But until then . . . =)

Steve showing off my mad parenting skills . . . somehow when I changed Zach's diaper, I put both legs in 1 pant leg . . . mom of the year award right here!

Nate got a teething ring!
Zach modeling Pops's driving hat
Zach and Nana getting in a fine after dinner snack of wrapping paper . . . Zach and Uncle Awesome enjoying some teething comfort

Christmas Morning

I'm not sure why exactly I have this need to post month old pictures . . . but somewhere in my mind is the thought that if I don't post pictures from all of our important events, that I will forget that they happened. Unlikely, but since I listen to the voices in my head far too often, here are pictures from our Christmas(es).

First off, Christmas morning at our house. *Disclaimer: We do not get dressed up all cute for Christmas morning. Someday, maybe I will start washing my face and putting on some makeup before the photo frenzy . . . but at the age of 25 that still seems like over doing it . . . maybe 26 year old Hilary will feel differently about it (but probably not . . . ).*

Greg got me a remote for my SLR that allows us to operate the camera from in front of it. First family self-picture with no timer!

And while this remote is super fun, it is not magical. I does not make your child face the camera despite how many pictures you take (in fact, Zach is staring at the remote in Greg's hand)

Nor does is keep your dog from invading said child's personal space.

But Greg's smile is nice.

Just thought I should point out something redeeming from the gross fest.

Zach got some sippy cups and spent a better part of the morning trying to figure out what they were for. Banging yourself in the head? Chewing on? Pouring water into your eye? As you can see, he did finally get the hang of it.

And Greg's contribution to the stockpile of pictures that morning. This is our back patio. Apparently the dying leaves on the blueberry bush were beautiful. Not that I can mock . . . have you seen my photog skills?

Oh, and here are Zach and I on Christmas Eve . . . he was looking quite studly =)

More CA Pictures

Zach meeting (great) Aunt Christy, Michael and Nate

Watching TV with Michael (keep in mind he was only 4 months old when this was taken)

Greg and Michael playing battleship . . .

Everyone playing Taboo

Brenden and Zach hanging out during "Elf"

Allie and Brian

Nicole and Zach

You can't tell in this picture, but Aunt Christy was getting Zach to really, really laugh!

Greg, Brendan, and Brian. Besides all of their faces being odd . . . this picture is funny b/c Brendan is nowhere near that tall . . . he was getting in a good vertical jump!

Laura and Zach =)

Grandma Nancy

Though the purpose of our trip to California was a very sad one, it was wonderful to be with family and for Zach to meet many of his west coast relatives.

Here he is with his (great)Grandma Nancy. He is the first great-grandchild in my dad's family and marks the beginning of the next generation to look forward to growing taller than Grandma!