I've got a surprise for you!!

Okay, so today was my very first day at my new babysitter's house. That's right, mommy went back to work today. And do you know what???? I handled the whole situation better than mommy did. I got to eat, sleep, and watch the cool kids play...what more could a little Zander hope for? Mommy told me that it wasn't that easy for her, she was very sad to have to be gone from me all day. Just to make her feel better I gave her my biggest, brightest smile when we got home. She told me that my smile made her feel happy...I'll have to remember that in the future:)

Anyway, here's a picture of me this evening. Yep, I'm really tuckered out because I didn't sleep very much at day care. I was so excited to see my new friends that I watched them play almost all day. I even played along with them, only they can run standing up....I have to run laying down. But I can get my feet moving just as fast as those big kids!!!

But.......that's not my surprise. Look very closely at this picture of me. Do you notice anything???? Hmmm...maybe that I don't have a nose hose in my nose??? Oh yeah!!!! Mommy got a call from my doctor today and my Dr. Clark said that I didn't have to wear my oxygen for a whole week. Do you know what I think? I think she's testing me to see how well I do without my nose hose. My mommy told me I was right so I've decided that I'm going to work extra hard all week so that when they come to download the information from my monitors again, my Dr. Clark will see that I do just great without that stinky nose hose!!!! Isn't that exciting???? There might not be anymore pictures of my handsome face covered by a hose...from now on, you get what you see! I don't know about you, but I'm overjoyed to not have something sticking in my nose all the time.

Well, it's about time that I put mommy to sleep. I think I might have to lay down next to her since I'm a little sleepy myself. Besides, I need all the rest I can get....I don't want to miss a thing at the babysitter's house!

Relaxing and Loving It!

Since coming home from the hospital, mommy has been really easy on me. She lets me eat when I want and watch TV and pretty much do what I want to. She always let me do whatever I wanted to before I had surgery, but it's different now. I guess since I have my first surgery under my belt, I feel much older. Anyway, I got this cool Boppy thing at the baby shower last weekend and it's come in handy. Did you know that I can see the TV really good from this position??? That's right, I'm watching Cartoons. Mommy's friend Julie asked her what my favorite cartoon was and mommy told her I like all the cartoons that are brightly colored and fast moving....:) my mommy knows me so well!:)

Alright, I'm going to go for now....I think I can talk mommy into giving me another bottle before I go to sleep...it's so nice having her wrapped around my finger!!

Surgery is not fun!!!!

Here's me after my surgery on September 19th. And before you ask, NO IT WAS NOT FUN! Daddy kept telling me we were going to Disney World, but come on...I don't know any rides that hurt a baby at Disney World...and I haven't even been there before!

Actually I'm told surgery went very well, I was in the Operating Room for a whole 25 minutes and there were no complications. I did have to spend 24 hours in the hospital, but it was kind of fun because all my girlfrien/Nurses from the NICU snuck in to see me. However, I didn't get to eat for 6 whole hours before surgery and then the Nurses wouldn't let me eat afterwards either. All I was allowed to have was this pedialite stuff...it was okay, but not great tasting like my milk! I guess I survived though:)

Party!!!

Hey Everyone, I got to go to a baby shower on September 17th....and guess what??? I was the guest of honor!!!:) Oh yeah, there was lots of good food and new people to hold me. I definately made the rounds with all the lovely ladies that were there. I did my best to charm them with my good looks!! And who would of thought, I got lots of neat presents too....I got clothes abd books and bed stuffs and stuffs to suck on and play with....I have to tell you, these lovely ladies sure know how to shop for little ol' me!! I had an awesome time:)

Mommy lost the bet! I won:)

I had a pre-operation appointment on Wednesday of this week because I'm having surgery on the 19th. Anyway, my appointment was also a weight check and mommy was sure I was at least 11 lbs. She thinks I'm heavy.....and both my grandmas keep telling me that too. So anyway, mommy bet me that I was somewhere between 11 and 12 lbs.

Haha mommy, I win:) I weigh 10 lbs and 8 ozs. That's right, I'm 10.5 lbs which means I win the bet! Mommy couldn't believe it and thought that maybe she would get in trouble for not feeding me enough. But you know what? My doctor loves me!!! She said I look wonderful and that I am gaining approximately 1 oz. per day. She wouldn't stop gushing about how well I'm doing and how great I look. You know, I already know that I am awesome, but I like to hear people tell me so I let her keep talking.

And....you know what else???? I've been smiling a lot lately, it's kind of an addictive thing...I have noticed that when I smile at someone, they get a silly grin on their face and ask me to smile lots more times. I don't always grant their wish, because if I smiled all the time it wouldn't be as special as my random "Zander Smile". This weekend I'm going to show lots of lovely ladies my best smile and watch to see their response:) My Grandma Domo says that I get more cute every day...I think she's telling the truth, but I won't let it go to my head....yeah right:) Oh that's right....speaking of going to my head...apparently most of my weigh gain has been in my head. I'm 22 inches long now, which is only slightly longer that my last appointment. You know, I'm in the 50 percentile for height and weight, but guess what....my head is 41 cm in diameter...my head is the only part of my body in the 75 percentile, so I'm not kidding when I say I let things go to my head! Mommy says my head is big because I have lots of brains which make me smart. I think she's telling the truth too:)

Okay, I promise I will write again real soon. This weekend I get to meet lots of people so I'll have lots to talk about after Sunday afternoon...until then, HUGS!

It's my other grandparents!

Here's a picture of me with my Grandma and Grandpa Orr. I am so lucky to have lots of grandparents! Did you know that I also have lots of great aunts and great uncles too? I haven't gotten to meet them, but they send me letters and mommy talks to some of them on the phone. I've decided that they are just as special as my grandparents are....so from now on, they're all my grandmas and grandpas...YAY!!!

It's my grandparents!!!

Hi everyone, Sunday was Grandparent's Day. I got to see both sets of my grandparents on Sunday. Did you???? This is me with my Grandma Domo and Grandpa Bob. I get to see them at least once a week, sometimes more!!! I'm going to see their house for the very first time this coming Sunday, and I get to meet all their friends and neighbors:)

Uh oh, daddy wrecked MY "cool car"

Life has been pretty busy and exciting the past few weeks.

First off, mommy and I got a call late at night from daddy saying that he was in a car accident. (this was way back on August 26th) Mommy and I threw ourselves in the car and went to make sure daddy was okay. He was mostly okay....his ribs and shoulder and leg hurt, but he didn't know why. Mommy says it was because the airbags deployed...I'm not really sure what that means. Anyways, daddy wrecked the "cool car" that I was going to inherit. Okay, it's not "cool" like some cars, but it was an old couger and it was an awesome red...oh well! But I tell you what, that weekend was the most exciting for me...

I got to first go to the crash site and talk to the sheriffs and then mommy and I took daddy to the hospital just to have him checked out. Daddy got lots of x-rays and guess what....the x-ray technicians were the same ones who did all of my x-rays when I was in the hospital. We reminisced about old times:)

Daddy didn't do much that whole weekend because he was sore. I tried to get him to play with me, but he always cringed when I kicked him in the ribs....I mean really, if you don't want it kicked, don't put them where I can reach!!! Mommy said she felt like she had two babies to take care of. But we made it through the weekend all in one piece. Mommy got lots of phone calls over the weekend. She tried to explain this whole insurance thing to me, but I just don't get it. But what I did get is when mommy told daddy that because his car had low mileage, we got extra money from the insurance company....so on that Monday I got to go to the insurance company, and then visit my "cool car" at the Salvage yard, and then I even got to look at different cars for daddy to drive. Daddy said he wanted another old "cool car" even though they're not really family cars. Daddy said mommy could drive the family car...I think I should drive the family car, but they didn't like that idea.

Mommy made me laugh because when we were looking at cars, daddy found an explorer that he really liked (because it was green). He told me that it had low mileage and was not a gas guzzler because it was only a V6. Who knows what he was talking about. All I know is that mommy told daddy that he just bought himself a family car. I gotta tell you though, it's not much of a family car because I haven't gotten to ride in it yet!!!!!

And then on Sunday I had my amazing play date with Emma and her brothers, James and Kyle. You'll have to read what I had to say about that! I had so much fun and we got our picture taken together.....yeah, I really am a ladies man!!!

Okay, so that was my exciting weekend...do you know that I did more in that one weekend than most babies do in their entire babytime???? That's right, I'm awesome!

Lets see, the next week mommy and I went shopping for babysitters for me. We found one that takes good care of babies and she doesn't live very far away. We visited her home to meet the other kids and to make sure it was a safe home. I was satisfied that I could have a good time there. Mommy isn't going back to work quite yet, but it's getting close. She's not to excited about that so Grandma Domo and Grandpa Bob say that they are going to have to "ween" mommy off of Zander time. I guess they think she spends too much time with me. I guess I have to agree with them, because I've heard mommy say that she doesn't think she can last a full 8 hours without me. Doesn't she know that I'm still going to be hers all the other times?????

I had another doctor's appointment this week. I think I told you that I have to have surgery on a hernia on the 19th of September. They were going to circumcize me at the same time so I had to go see a Urologist....I'm not really sure what circumcize or Urologist means, but I don't like the sound of it! Anyway, I went to see him and he was checking out my man parts and I didn't know why. Mommy says that I did have a huge smile on my face when the doctor said he would not do the circumcision on the 19th because he doesn't want me to be under anestesia for too long....I think that means he's not going to cut my man parts! Mommy was kind of upset and I couldn't figure out why...I was happy about it. She tried to explain to me that now I would have to have another surgery when I was 1 years old.....and she said I wouldn't like it. Well, I'm not sure what surgery is, but I figure I have 7 more months to divise a plan for postponing it again!!!!!:)

So yeah, on the 19th of this month I get to see my favorite nurses again. Mommy and daddy say that I have to spend the night in the hospital...I think it's some kind of sleepover for the cool kids! Mommy tried explaining to me that I wouldn't be staying in the NICU for the night, rather I'd be on the peds unit. I figure they're next door to eachother, I'll just sneak on over to see my NICU Ladies!!!! The only thing that I'm not happy about so far is that I don't get to eat....um, hello....I like my food, hands off!!!! Mommy told me not to worry about it.

Mommy and I have been working hard to clean up the basement. Apparently mommy and daddy stopped after they unpacked the upstairs and left everything downstairs in disaray. Well, we have successfully finished the unpacking and have a neat little family room where I can play and eat and sleep and do whatever I want to. Grandma Orr is going to bring over my walker and we're going to put that and my swing downstairs so I can get my move on!

I've been turning my head from side to side lots lately....and when I say lots, I really mean lots! Mommy laughs at me because when she puts me down for my naps, I don't know which way is more comfortable. She says that before I actually fall asleep I turn my head over about 6-7 times and then I'm out like a light bulb. Whatever mommy, don't make fun of me! I can do what I want to:)

Grandpa Bob came to visit me on Tuesday and he ripped up the carpet in our bathroom. We're still not sure why there was carpet in the bathroom, but it needed to come up because when mommy and daddy shower, the carpet gets wet and I guess that's not good. Grandpa Bob was having so much fun...he first ripped up the carpet and then he ripped up some flooring that was green with pink speckles...I told Grandpa Bob that we could not have pink in my house....Except when my girlfriends come to visit, because they look good in pink. So after Grandpa Bob ripped everything up, he found a spot on the wood that needed to be replaced due to water damage, so he's coming today (and bringing Grandma Domo) to replace that wood and then put tile down so our bathroom is all nice again!!! I don't know about you, but I think Grandpa Bob is a Guru with the home improvement....he's awesome!!!!

Grandma Domo was going to help mommy clean the basement, but since I already helped her....I think I will require Grandma Domo to hold me and love me and feed me all afternoon. She does a great job of that so I have to take advantage of her when she comes to visit!!!! Grandma Domo told mommy that she had to be gone from me for 4 whole hours.....*grins* yeah right, as if mommy could really do that!!! I think I will kick mommy out for a little while so I can have Grandma Domo all to myself! Daddy has to go to work so he's going to miss all the fun.:(

Oh my gosh, I forgot to tell you....I got an announcement from my cousin Cicily....she's like a model or something because she sent me this really cool head shot and then you turn it over and there's more pictures of her. And.....get this....she must be pretty special (I already thought she was anyway) because the US Post Office made Cicily her very own stamp....can you imagine that? My cousin's face is on a stamp!!! WoW,I am in awe:)

I am such a ladies man!

On Sunday I had another play date, but this time I got to see Emma and her two older brothers James and Kyle! They came to my house with their mommy and daddy to visit me. Emma is bigger than me...but that doesn't mean she's stronger! She cried because she got the hiccups and apparently she doesn't like them. I tried to tell her that I get the hiccups all the time and they eventually go away. Emma is pretty cute and we looked good together, so I'm thinking I'll have to date both Emma and Adalie:) Mommy and Tammy (that's Emma's mommy) laughed because if we had Adalie here too, there would be a big baby, a medium baby, and a small baby....wouldn't that be a cool piture!!:) Emma's older brothers, James and Kyle approved of my book collection and they really liked my room. They played for a long time in there. Jason (that's Emma's daddy) hung out with my daddy and talked about computers and the internet...daddy refers to Jason as his own personal IT Guy....I don't really know what that means but I guess it's a good thing.

Emma's older brother James was starting Kindergarten the next day. That's right, he's a big boy and he's so lucky he gets to go to school! James was telling me and mommy all about the things he will get to do in Kindergarten and I can't wait until I get to go. Mommy says it will be a long while before I get to go....not fair!

Emma's other brother Kyle and I have lots in common. The most important thing we have in common is we both love elephants. Kyle refers to elephants as Enyas....I think he's on to something...Enya is a lot easier to say that elephant! Did you know that Kyle and James got to ride on an elephant???? They really did...I saw the picture! Mommy says when I grow up a little bit more we can go to all the fun places that James and Kyle go to....the circus, the zoo....the possibilities are endless!!!!

Size Matters!

In case it's hard to determine exactly how much I've grown since April 10, 2006...I am putting the first picture of me with my army beanie baby, and a picture of me with my army beanie baby today. I think it's clear to see that the tables have turned and I now have the upper hand:) He is the size of a fly compared to the awesome size of me...Super Zander...AKA Chunky Monkey:)!!!!

Chunky Monkey

Hello everyone!:)

Today I went to my doctor's appointment and guess what??? I weigh 9 lbs 4 ozs today!!! My doctor was so excited that I gained 1 lb 1 oz since my last doctors appointment two weeks ago. Mommy has started affectionately calling me a Chunky Monkey because I really like eating!!! I'm also 21 and 1/4 inches tall. According to my doctor, I grew 1 inch. It's funny, I don't remember growing any time in the last two weeks....I just remember eating, sleeping, and cuddling:)

I don't have to go back and see that doctor for 3 whole weeks!!!! I do have to go see a Urologist...I don't know what kind of doctor that is, but I don't think it's good. I heard my doctor telling mommy about my privates and then I stopped listening...whatever she started to say, I don't think I wanted to hear it!!!!!

And what's this surgery stuff? Mommy told Grandma Orr that I have to have surgery on Sept. 19....it's too bad I can't read yet, or I would thoroughly research all these words that the doctors say to mommy and daddy. I am beginning to think there is a conspiracy going on and no one is letting me in on it....naughty mommy and daddy!!

Hanging out at home

Here's mommy and me hanging out at home. We do that a lot lately because it is hard sometimes to take my oxygen and monitors with us every where!!! Plus, I really like hanging out with mommy:) Daddy says mommy spoils me by holding me too much....I personally believe that I spoil mommy too much by showering her with my attention. Come on, I'm just trying to butter her up so I get my way always in the future...I think I have her wrapped around my tiny fingers already!!!1

It's all mine!

Sometimes My mommy doesn't feed me quite like I want her to. It's those times when I decide to take the bottle into my own hands. Here am I taking charge of the situation and feeding myself!!! I only show this awesome strength once in a while...usually I let mommy and daddy, or whomever else is feeding me do most of the work:)

Playdates are fun, fun, fun

I had my very first play date last Thursday. My little friend, baby Adalie came to visit me at my house. We played for a little while...okay, we really just layed next to each other...then she cried so we decided to eat something. It was very fun!!!! Notice how big I am compared to her? She's little, only 5lbs 9ozs in this picture...I am a giant!:)

The Long Awaited Graduation Photo

Here's my newborn picture from the hospital. Do you know that they didn't even take my "newborn" picture until the day I was discharged???? I was over three months old by that time!!! I don't get these picture people....taking a picture of a 3 month old and calling it a "newborn photo"....Crazy!

Anyway, Mommy found the perfect outfit for my graduation from the NICU....a graduation cap and gown, complete with a little diploma. The nurses loved it and so did mommy!! I personally thought that picture time was a great time to take a cat nap before I was discharged, that's why my eyes were closed. Mommy told me that I had to have a graudation outfit because I fought long and hard to make it this far and I needed to remember for always how strong I am. She says I'm a fighter....not like beating people up, but really just a strong and tough little man who fought his way through some very tough moments in life...Mommy says I am definately one of a kind!

Mommy was sitting next to me today and was looking at some of my old pictures. She says that looking at me today, you'd never know how much I had to fight to stay alive and be here today. She told me that I don't look anything like that tiny little man in the early days, because now I'm getting big and strong. I told mommy that I couldn't have been so strong and tough without all the prayers that everyone said for me. You are all AWESOME!!!:)

I Own Daddy

Hey everyone:) Daddy says that he owns me now because he got my tiny foot prints tattooed on his arm. He's been talking about it for a really really long time....basically since he saw my tiny foot prints when I was born. So he finally did it....Daddy now has my foot prints on his arm, along with my name and birthdate, and even my birth weight!!! He's such a silly daddy....to think that he owns me, doesn't he know that I own him forever and ever???? That's right, my tiny feet have branded him for life and he's all mine!:)

Grandma DoMo Is Naughty

Okay, my Grandma DoMo is not really naughty, but she has been trying to talk mommy into taking a picture of me without my nasal canula covering up my face for a lot of weeks now. So today, Grandma DoMo and mommy gave me a bath, and since mommy had to change my face stickers and nasal canula, she allowed me to keep my oxygen off for about 10 minutes. I'm supposed to wear my nasal canula all the time, but mommy has to admit that I don't really do that. It's not her fault, it's really mine...because I pull and push at my nasal canula so much that it rarely stays in my nose anyway.

Grandma DoMo wanted a picture of me so now she has one. I did really good without my nasal canula on my face for the whole ten minutes....maybe my doctor will ween me off of the oxygen so that I can be done with my nasal canula once and for all!!!

I can't give you an update on my height and weight today because I haven't seen my doctor since last Wednesday. I weighed 8lbs. 3ozs. last Wednesday and I know I weigh more today, but I don't know how much I've gained. I won't find out until next week when I go back to see my doctor.

I got fed today by both Grandma DoMo and Grandpa Bob. Mommy didn't hold me for a whole five hours! It was hard for her not to hold me, but she knows she has to share me with others. Besides, now that daddy works evenings, mommy usually gets me all to herself until after daddy comes home from work. We snuggle and talk to each other, and then mommy gives me tummy time.

I'm working really hard to roll over these days. I can do it, but not every time that I try. I think I might be able to fly before I can roll over every time I try. Mommy loves to watch me try because I stretch out my legs and lift up my whole lower body in the air and then rock from side to side. It almost looks like I'm trying to fly, rather than roll over. Maybe I'll have mommy take a picture of me pretending to fly and show every one on here. But for now, I need a nap:)

My Grandpa Bob

Today Grandpa Bob and Grandma DoMo came to visit me. Grandpa Bob wanted to see me sit in my vibrating chair, but mommy told him that I use the chair so much that the batteries were dead. Grandpa Bob loves me so much that he went out and bought me new batteries. Don't get me wrong...mommy and daddy love me too, but we don't leave the house too often because where ever I go, so goes two monitors and an oxygen tank. It's easier to just wait until we need a whole bunch of stuff and then I go with both mommy and daddy. It's fun to go on outings with mommy and daddy:)

Anyway, Grandpa Bob bought me some batteries and then my vibrating chair once again worked wonderfully! Grandpa Bob listened to the music that the chair plays and watched as my little body vibrated. He was so impressed:)

Up, Up, and Away

Here's me sitting in my very own swing. My grandma and grandpa Orr bought me the swing and I just had to try it out. I'm still too little to sit in it without having blankets wrapped around me....because I can't keep my head up straight all the time. Sometimes I like to lean my head to the side and my body just keeps following my head, because of that, mommy places a blanket around me to keep me in one place.

It was weird swinging inside my house. I got to see everything from a different perspective. Usually I'm sitting on mommy or daddy, or I'm laying on the floor looking up. In my swing, I see things right in front of me....but, everything seems to move closer to me and then pulls back. Mommy tried to explain that it was really me that was moving because I was in the swing and the swing moves back and forth....but, I don't think mommy knows what she is talking about, I know what I see....I see things near and then far. At times it makes me tired and a little bit dizzy....maybe it will just take some getting used to.

Me and My Daddy

Here's a picture of me and my daddy hanging out at home. We like to sit in the recliner together and watch some television. My daddy takes good care of me, and I love hanging out with him.