twenty-five months and discovering little people

 Someone challenged me to take Zane’s monthly picture until he is 20 years old. I said I would do my best at chasing him around his college campus with a camera on the 27th of each month, but also made the correction that he would not be 20 years old, but 240 MONTHs.Today he is 25 months and actually wanted his picture taken. No, really. He pointed to my camera and said, “Cheese, Mama!”  So, I quickly jumped at the opportunity!And by ‘little people’ I mean Fisher-Price.  Zane got a Fisher-Price farm set for his birthday and it came with a free DVD called Discovering Animals. I really didn’t think much about it until I found it in a drawer in his room on Sunday.

We just might start referring to life in terms of Pre- and Post-Little People.  It’s a 25 minute video, consisting of 5 short episodes. IN CLAYMATION!, which totally creeps me out! I don’t even like the Rudolph movie because claymation is creepy! Back to the LP. The episodes have the little people characters…….If you’ve ever wondered, their names are Michael, Maggie, Sonya Lee, Farmer Jed, Sarah Lynn and Eddie. Zane watches it over and over and over! It seriously haunts my dreams. And, get this, Aaron Neville sings the theme song and an intro about the main character in each episode. Youtube it. See what Zane’s obsessed with.He refused a nap today. He REALLY needed a nap. I REALLY needed him to nap. When naptime comes and goes and he’s still awake…..uh, he turns into this:A devil in disguise?  I dunno what happens in his little head, but he starts whining and crying and pointing but never using words and i have no idea what he wants or what’s wrong with him and it drives me crazy! And then he becomes so clumsy. It’s like he forgets how to walk, trips over things, flips his rocking chair over and falls out, etc.

When everything else fails….bring out the Little People! I was looking at the cover of the DVD and realized it said ‘Volume 3’. Ah ha! That means there are more of these creepy things out there! I decided to get online and try to find the other videos but kept getting interrupted with, “Mama, UP! Ane’s room. Mama, MAma, MAAAAma, MaMAAAA, MAMAAAAAAA!”

So I  Youtubed it and sat him on the couch.  I think it worked a little toooo well. Because now it’s 5:30pm. Too late for a nap, too early for bed, and he’s asleep. Now what???

He looks so cozy. And he totally uses the fact that he’s so darn cute as a defense mechanism. Cause watching this little angel (that’s right, no longer a devil) sleep melts my heart.

discipline?

Sunday night we all went to dinner to celebrate Tyler’s birthday and my birthday.  Me, Matt, & Zane, Erik & Lindsey, Tyler & Lacey, DeeDee & Skeet, and Mama Doot.

Happy Birthday, Uncle TyTy! They are so cute.Afterwards, we all came back to our house for made-from-scratch red velvet cupcakes with made-from-scratch cream cheese icing.  Made by my husband, not me. Oh, so delicioso.

Zane thought that wearing glasses would help him read the kids’ menu.  Now, Zane is a really sweet boy. He rarely gets into trouble…..however, he does like an audience. And showing off.

With the whole family at HIS house, he thought it was the perfect time to show his Nascar skills on his Handy Manny Truck. This includes getting it up to stop speeds (Flintstone style) and then coasting straight into the walls. Over and over again.  I had already told him to stop, so on crash number 4 or 5 mommy decided it was time to really get stern.

I got down on his level. Got a really good grip on his arm. My nose inches from his nose.

“Zane Bell! Mommy has asked you to STOP running your Handy M……..”

At first he gets this really guilty look on his face. Then he looks up and gives me a big ole kiss on the lips!

I was done. Whatever. Do whatever you want. How do you discipline something that cute?!

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Here are a few pics from the past week or so. He looked so cute this day and I wanted a pic. He was NOT having it!

Still cute, even with ketchup-face.

These are from my phone, so they’re not great.

This is what we spend a LOT of time doing: Playing Fuhfuhs in Ane’s room! (tractors)

His “fuhfuh” shirt from Aunt Lindsey

After he ate a pancake and banana for breakfast, he put his sheep in the high chair and ‘fed’ it a donut and banana (the banana is in his hand). Then he threw his hands in the air to let me know that the sheep was “all done!” I love seeing his imagination play out.

my two year old

               It’s hard to believe that it was just two years ago that Baby Zane came into our lives.  While his ‘birth’ day played out totally different than I had ever imagined it would, the result was the most beautiful baby boy that I had ever laid eyes on. I fell instantly in love with those big brown eyes.   

His first birthday was a definite milestone, for him and me! It was the hardest, most challenging, sleepless, yet rewarding year of my life.  

So, here we are….two years old! At first I didn’t want to accept that he isn’t a baby anymore.  And then I decided to EMBRACE it! Two year old Zane is so much easier and more fun than Baby Zane.

When I think back to Baby Zane, I remind myself that he was SO unbelievably cute and sweet and perfect. And cranky. And cried 90% of the time. And never let me put him down. And NEVER slept. And that I had to do everything I possibly could to get that kid to crack a smile. And NEVER slept. Did I mention that he never slept?

On a good night, Zane fell asleep in the car or the swing and was successfully transferred to his bed.  And, not to beat a dead horse, but he was up every 2 hours. At least.

On a bad night, I would rock him, sing to him, walk up and down the hall bouncing him for HOURS while he fussed and cried. He would eventually crash around 11.  It really seemed like fiction when I would hear other parents mention watching a TV show or movie, or doing housework after their baby went to bed. I couldn’t run to bed fast enough when Baby Zane went to sleep!  I had to hurry and get my ‘nap’ started!

Let’s compare that to Two year old Zane.  He’s happy. He’s funny. He’s smart.  He’s still unbelievably cute. And he sleeps!  While still not the most consistent sleeper….I’m not walking a hole in the floor at night anymore.

The other night I got home at 10pm. We thought he was asleep….until we turned on the monitor.  He was sitting up in bed playing. I went in his room to tell him good night. He said, “Hi Mama! Up, Mama?”  So I picked him up. “Mama room?”  And, well, Matt was working all night, and while Zane never sleeps with us, I thought it couldn’t hurt just this once.  “Mama, TV?” 

Oh, alright.  So, he was up late.  But we were snuggled in bed watching cartoons. And he would occasionally reach over with his little hand and rub my cheek or my arm and say, “Oh, mama.  Hi Mama.  Ooohwah, Mama.” He is my bestest little friend.

A few more…

 Christmas pictures!

Zane was a little attached to Maci :) 

I don’t what this face is about, but it’s cracking me up!

Zane and his Aunt “Zindsey”

Zane opening presents & zoned into Toy Story 3!

Oatmeal.

 On mornings that Zane decides to eat, he likes to eat oatmeal. He also likes to ‘help’ me make it. First, we pour the oatmeal into his Elmo bowl. He always sneaks a few bites of dry oatmeal, just like his dad. Then he tells me, “Hot, Mama!”, which means it’s time to put the milk or water in the microwave and then add it to the oatmeal.

Zane got this kitchen for Christmas. He loves it.

Yesterday, Z went and got a package of oatmeal out of the cabinet. He threw it in here:

And then told me, “Hot, Mama!”  Funny boy! I guess that’s one way of letting me know he’s hungry!

Christmas Day

 

Zane Bell decided to sleep until 8:30am Christmas morning! He must’ve been worn out from the Christmas Eve festivities. He was so excited to see that Santa had brought him a train table, Jeep Rubicon, Rex, Slinky Dog, blocks and other goodies! He must have been a really good boy this year!

Who is that?!

 Oh, it’s Zane Bell!

 

Couldn’t leave out the puppy dogs & their new coats!

 

Then we put our, um, boots? on and headed to south Arkansas to see Nana, Pops, and Uncle Bob!

We had dinner with the Chambliss, Patterson, & Shankles families. Zane got an assortment of hats and once again got to play in a box!  

We went back to Nana and “I”'s house to open gifts.But before Zane was half way through with his enormous pile of gifts, he got a little sleepy…. So, the next morning….Santa came to Nana’s house! This time he brought a shopping cart & groceries and a JOHN DEERE TRACTOR! Zane’s very own ‘shushu’!  

He looks like he’s doing some serious farm work!

More Christmas 2010 to come….