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I often wonder what Mom is doing clicking away on that funny machine she calls a "computer." But I think I just figured it out. She's been doing some internet shopping and she said if I'm not more careful, she's going to order me one of these.
Guess I'd better shape up. This could ruin me.
You see what these people do to me...YOU SEE? I give them nothing but happiness and winning smiles, sunlit days and moonlit nights (Ok, yah, there's the aching backs and poopy diapers too, but I think we all know what carries the most weight here). And what thanks do I get? Shackled and chained in this jail cell disguised with comfy padding and silly animals.
WELL. I can take a hint. I know when I'm not wanted. But be warned, I have not yet begun to fight.
This next diaper is going to be nice...and...full.
Do you forgive us Mom? Don't be mad. We weren't being naughty on purpose. Dad was just trying to get some work done and I was playing Super Zaya. I thought for sure I could reach that pretty green light on the baby monitor without taking a tumble off the bed again. C'mon, everyone makes mistakes, right? And I'm fine, really. The Pack 'N' Play broke my fall and I just hit my bottom. It didn't hurt at all. Ask Dad, I only cried for a minute.
Just look at these faces...we're really, really sorry. Either that or we just know how to work the camera.
Being the cute guy that I am, I can always find someone to share their lap with me. People are always clamoring to hold me and if I flash them a little smile, you'd think they had struck gold. But it's a bit more of a rare occasion when I get to snuggle in with my great-grandpa. That's why today was such a special day.
Great-grandpa and I are buddies. That guy really understands me. We play, we laugh, we nap and he tells me stories about great-grandma as a cheerleader in the war of 1812, it's great. What better way is there to spend an afternoon?
But much to my dismay, our bonding time today was invaded by a little fuzzy creature. He just decided that great-grandpa's lap had room for him too, so up he jumped and the next thing I
know, I'm face to face with a Gizmo. I was none too pleased, as you can imagine. I mean, sure this Gizmo is cute and all (relatively speaking - remember, I know cute). But I thought it was little rude and assuming of him to just join us without asking first. My time with great-grandpa is precious - take a number, Gizmo.
And apparently it wasn't enough for him to be in my personal space. He had to go and show off, too. I was minding my own business, untying great-grandpa's shoelace, and sure enough, Gizmo goes and grabs the other end. 
Of course, I think babies who can untie shoes are much more impressive than Gizmos who can untie shoes, but maybe that's just me. Anyway, I was annoyed, to say the least. But I tried to remain diplomatic and refrained from causing a scene. I didn't want to upset great-grandma, she really loves that Gizmo.
After an ongoing tug-of-war, I was just about to make it known that enough was enough when Gizmo decided to focus his attention on great-grandpa's other shoe. 
I think he figured out that it was really in his best interest to do so. He really wouldn't want to experience the wrath of Zaya. Don't let the adorable face fool you.
When Gizmo was tired of trying to show me up, he jumped back down to the floor and found some other people to play with. To tell you the truth, I was happy he was outta the way. But every now and then, out of the corner of my eye I could see him sneaking back, looking for an opportunity to jump up again. So me and great-gramps had to keep a lookout.
I don't know if Gizmos can read minds, but he seemed to guess that what I was thinking was, "Don't make me use my jedi powers, you ball of fur." And he was right.
I'm learning a lot these days about family, history and heritage. Remember that family party I mentioned earlier? Well, it was much more than just cake and balloons. Today I learned that there's a whole lot that was done in years past to put me where I am today. And there's a whole lot more people in my family than I realized!
Today we went to the Fillon Family Reunion at a little white church not far from where we live. But what looked like an old, tiny building on the outside turned out to be busting at the seams with memories made over 30 years ago. 
This was the church that my great grandpa Fillon built, where Nana & Papa were married, where Dad went every Sunday when he was my age (and apparently acted naughty so he could leave to get some french fries...some things never change, I guess).
From what I heard today, the building itself hasn't changed much at all. Everyone remembers it being bigger, but I think that's just cuz they were smaller. Everyone had a twinkle in their eye as they looked around at the windows, which apparently were cause for controversy at the time they were put in, but now seem to represent so much more than just windows (Wow, I can be a pretty deep guy on occasion).
Each of the family members who attended this church got up to say a few words about their memories (I got to go up to, but I decided to let Papa do the talking). Listening to everyone speak, I realized that it's really important to remember where you come from because it seems like it has a lot to do with where you're going. I paid close attention because I've got a lot of "going" to do. I also listened closely to the stories about my Dad because it sounds like he was pretty sharp from the get go. I'm thinking I'll try that crawling under the pews trick at church tomorrow morning.
I also got to meet cousins of mine that I had only heard about. I tried to get Mom to let me run around with them, but she kept saying I was still too little. Who's she kidding? I think I'd fit right in with these guys.
Now I'm not sure if this has anything to do with heritage or not, but there was this odd part of the day when Auntie Rose painted my foot yellow and then made me stand on a bunch of T-shirts.
Maybe you can help me, has this ever happened in your family? Does this sound normal? Wait, nevermind, our family is far from normal.
Anyhow, Mom said today was another one of those days that will be even more important to me as I get older. I guess I'll have to wait and see what she means. I asked her when we were going to have a reunion for her side of the family and she said something I didn't understand...something about not being sure if I wanted to open up that can of worms. 
Who said anything about worms? Sometimes it's like Mom speaks a different language.
Yet again, I kicked off the weekend with a very full Saturday. Now if you'll excuse me...
This is my shy face. This is the one I put on yesterday when I went to visit Dad at work. He wanted to introduce me to his friends there, but more importantly, he wanted to show me off. And who can blame him for that?
The office was kinda weird. It was so quiet when we walked in and there were all these little gray boxes. As soon as I came in the door, heads started to pop up out of the boxes and all these people started to come toward me, saying how cute I am. Not that I disagree, but it was a little overwhelming. Everyone was really nice, though.
Then Dad wanted to show me his box, where he sits all day. I don't think I could work there...I need my open spaces. I don't like being confined.
Oh, did I mention that I'm actually remote blogging right now? I'm at Nana & Papa's house. Had another sleepover last night. And I heard someone say we're going to a family party today so I'll post about all that later. Right now I've got to do some chowing down. I am a growing boy, you know. A really, really cute one.
...is good enough for me.
Welcome to global domination.
Welcome to the Planet Zaya Store.
Cha-ching.
Yesterday Mom and Dad took me to this place that was literally wall-to-wall books. I always thought there were a lot of books in my room, but this place that Mom called "the library" had WAY more. There were lots of people there, some sitting and reading, some studying at tables, some on the floor. But the main thing I noticed was that it was so quiet. Mom was afraid I'd blurt something out into the silence, but I decided to follow suit with everyone else. That is, until we got upstairs.
Upstairs had much more of what I was really interested in...other kids! There were signs everywhere that read "Quiet Zone" but far as I could tell, everyone was ignoring them. Sure there were lots of books, but of course I managed to locate the toys. I mean, I like a good story as much as the next guy, but I really like stuff that has pieces I can move around and parts that make clacking noises. There's nothing better.
I tried to make friends with a little girl at the library, but she was way too fast for me. I couldn't seem to make my legs go fast enough to catch up. Maybe this is what Dad means when he says that girls are always one step ahead of the boys.
Oh well. I can settle for clacking noises.
My rank on the cool meter just went up by at least two notches...I got my first pair of Chuck Taylors. Just ask my Auntie Rachel, she'll tell you that only the coolest of the cool sport Chucks. She came over to help with babysitting today (I don't know why they call it that...sounds dangerous to me) wearing her multi-colored pair so I just had to go put mine on.
Getting my first pair of big-boy shoes was a lot of fun. While Mom, both grandmas and Auntie Rachel were at a bridal shower on Saturday morning (which I didn't understand at all...Mom usually showers at home), me and the fellas went shoe shopping. I haven't been into footwear much, but when I saw this pair, I knew they were made for me.
Look out world. You thought I was cute before...get a load of these babies.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but are these or are these not girls pants? I mean, I'm not trying to be picky here, and I haven't voiced any complaints about the hand-me-down clothes thus far, but come on, guys. This just isn't fair.
The thing about being a kid is that you are subject to the (good or bad) judgement of your parents. So when Mom says all of my pajamas are in the laundry and she decides to throw on "any old thing," I end up looking like a little girl.
It was bad enough earlier this afternoon when Mom stuck this funny little brush in my mouth and started rubbing it against my teeth and gums. Apparently it's some kind of cleaning device...isn't that what my tongue is for?
I'm beginning to question the parenting skills in this house. I'm not sure these people really know what they're doing.
I gotta go, Mom's putting me to bed. Maybe that will give me an opportunity to wiggle out of these pants.
This has been a week of epiphany for me. I was just doing my normal one day, playing with the hippos, watching the ceiling fan spin, when it hit me (an idea, not the fan). I think I've been a bit too stagnant. I mean, sure I was a preemie, had to develop, all that jazz. But I'm big now, a capable, "can-do" guy. No more sittin' around for me. I'm on the move. I've got places to go and people to see!
So I figured I'd give this crawling thing a try. I've been scooting and rolling around a lot, but crawling is so much more efficient. I can get around faster than scooting and have access to way more things than I do when I'm in my walker. I could get used to this.
Then I realized that crawling really limits me. I'm only able to see things on the ground level. I needed to elevate. So I decided to find the nearest object to climb. The couch worked fine, it was just tall enough for me to grab on and pull myself up. It was fantastic! I literally had a whole new perspective on things (particularly all the things in the house that I shouldn't be touching - Mom will be so pleased).
Speaking of Mom, I'm not sure how she's handling all of this. She keeps talking about how fast time goes and how big I'm getting. I mean, I know she's proud and all, but I sense that I'm just advancing too quickly for her.
Today she even gave me a speech about how important it is to be still sometimes and enjoy the little things. I tried to oblige for awhile. I wanted her to think I was in "the zone" so I just stared at my feet. Surprisingly enough, sitting there in the quiet really gave me time to think about what's most important, what I really want.
And what I really want is to get back to that couch.
My uncle Wade is a pretty smart guy, much like myself. And, as I recently discovered, he's an artistic guy, too. He designed the picture on this shirt, which I happen to think is very cool. Granted, I am partial to elephants, but still.
Being the entrepreneur that he is, Uncle Wade has made this design available on many useful items, like shirts, hats, mugs and bags (I'd like to get my hands on one of those bibs, myself). Just click here and enter the House of Swag.
No, I was not paid for this gig, but I am entertaining reasonable offers. Just click the "comments" below to submit your proposal. And make it a number I'll like. (Hint: The bigger the number, the more I'll like it).
Yesterday was Dad's birthday. He turned 34 years old. I haven't quite figured out the concept of years yet, but near as I can tell, that's old. It was a Monday so he had to work, but he came home for his lunch break and didn't go back! If that's the way it works, maybe the whole getting a job thing isn't so bad.
Anyhow, I gave Dad a card that I made by myself (again, I'm the designer, mom does the manual labor). He had a hard time reading the envelope, for some reason. It can't be my penmanship...I think I write pretty well for an almost ten-month-old. Maybe he just needs glasses (I hear that's part of getting old).After the card ceremony, we went to the mall because Mom and Dad each had a gift certificate that they had never used. Dad needed a few things so we figured we'd look around. We looked at things for the kitchen and the bathroom. They didn't look too enthusiastic about anything. I got tired and took a nap. When I woke up, there were two bags of clothes in my stroller and all of the clothes were definitely too small for Mom and Dad. So somehow I ended up with Dad's birthday gifts. He says that's the way it works when you have a kid.I have to sign off now because my friends the hippos are ready to play with me and I hate to keep them waiting. Don't let the goofy smiles fool you, hippos can be SO temperamental. 
I'm beginning to realize that there's a lot more to this place than just Noah and the animals in my room. Mom and Dad have been taking me out on a lot of adventures lately, and the more I see, the more I want to see.
But first, it was off to a soccer tournament. Cousin Sammy from up north in Lodi (don't worry, I don't know where that is either) was down playing with his team, which I hear is the team to beat. After Mom lotioned me all up (something to do with blocking the sun) we sat and watched all these guys run really fast back and forth on a grassy field. At first, I wasn't so impressed. But then, I saw some of the guys kicking the ball and even hitting it with their heads! I couldn't believe it! Mom spends so much time protecting my head, she even talks about getting me a helmet. And here were these guys hitting their heads on purpose, and everyone was cheering. It was great. I've gotta figure out how to get in on this soccer business.
After the game, Dad drove around looking for something to eat. He and Mom didn't get to have oatmeal and bananas like me, so they were pretty hungry. After hunting for awhile (apparently, people in this Rancho place don't eat much) we stopped at a bagel place and then did some shopping at Borders. And the next thing I knew, we pulled up in the driveway of Trenton's house! I was so excited. Trenton is a big guy now, too and he shared all his toys with me. I checked them all out right away by putting them in my mouth. I always have to check everything for chewability. 
Trenton's favorite toy was this crazy looking ball with a dinosaur inside...I have no idea how that got in there. Trenton and I played for a long time and I showed him how I crawl around and stand up now. He looked like he was ready to crawl any second. Pretty soon, we both got hungry and had to take a lunch break.
I decided that since this was my first sleepover, I'd make a good impression so I let everyone sleep...for most of the night anyway. At least, I think they slept. Now that I think about it, Nana did look a little tired this morning. But I don't think that had anything to do with me. It must've been that silly dog.
Let me at her.
Top ten things I saw (most for the very first time) at the pier on Saturday:
6. Oh yeah, the ocean
I often wonder what Mom is doing clicking away on that funny machine she calls a "computer." But I think I just figured it out. She's been doing some internet shopping and she said if I'm not more careful, she's going to order me one of these.
You see what these people do to me...YOU SEE? I give them nothing but happiness and winning smiles, sunlit days and moonlit nights (Ok, yah, there's the aching backs and poopy diapers too, but I think we all know what carries the most weight here). And what thanks do I get? Shackled and chained in this jail cell disguised with comfy padding and silly animals.
(And neither does she - hee hee!)
Do you forgive us Mom? Don't be mad. We weren't being naughty on purpose. Dad was just trying to get some work done and I was playing Super Zaya. I thought for sure I could reach that pretty green light on the baby monitor without taking a tumble off the bed again. C'mon, everyone makes mistakes, right? And I'm fine, really. The Pack 'N' Play broke my fall and I just hit my bottom. It didn't hurt at all. Ask Dad, I only cried for a minute.
know, I'm face to face with a Gizmo. I was none too pleased, as you can imagine. I mean, sure this Gizmo is cute and all (relatively speaking - remember, I know cute). But I thought it was little rude and assuming of him to just join us without asking first. My time with great-grandpa is precious - take a number, Gizmo.
Of course, I think babies who can untie shoes are much more impressive than Gizmos who can untie shoes, but maybe that's just me. Anyway, I was annoyed, to say the least. But I tried to remain diplomatic and refrained from causing a scene. I didn't want to upset great-grandma, she really loves that Gizmo.
I think he figured out that it was really in his best interest to do so. He really wouldn't want to experience the wrath of Zaya. Don't let the adorable face fool you.
I don't know if Gizmos can read minds, but he seemed to guess that what I was thinking was, "Don't make me use my jedi powers, you ball of fur." And he was right.
I'm learning a lot these days about family, history and heritage. Remember that family party I mentioned earlier? Well, it was much more than just cake and balloons. Today I learned that there's a whole lot that was done in years past to put me where I am today. And there's a whole lot more people in my family than I realized!
This was the church that my great grandpa Fillon built, where Nana & Papa were married, where Dad went every Sunday when he was my age (and apparently acted naughty so he could leave to get some french fries...some things never change, I guess).
Each of the family members who attended this church got up to say a few words about their memories (I got to go up to, but I decided to let Papa do the talking). Listening to everyone speak, I realized that it's really important to remember where you come from because it seems like it has a lot to do with where you're going. I paid close attention because I've got a lot of "going" to do. I also listened closely to the stories about my Dad because it sounds like he was pretty sharp from the get go. I'm thinking I'll try that crawling under the pews trick at church tomorrow morning.
I also got to meet cousins of mine that I had only heard about. I tried to get Mom to let me run around with them, but she kept saying I was still too little. Who's she kidding? I think I'd fit right in with these guys.
Maybe you can help me, has this ever happened in your family? Does this sound normal? Wait, nevermind, our family is far from normal.
Who said anything about worms? Sometimes it's like Mom speaks a different language.
This is my shy face. This is the one I put on yesterday when I went to visit Dad at work. He wanted to introduce me to his friends there, but more importantly, he wanted to show me off. And who can blame him for that?
My rank on the cool meter just went up by at least two notches...I got my first pair of Chuck Taylors. Just ask my Auntie Rachel, she'll tell you that only the coolest of the cool sport Chucks. She came over to help with babysitting today (I don't know why they call it that...sounds dangerous to me) wearing her multi-colored pair so I just had to go put mine on.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but are these or are these not girls pants? I mean, I'm not trying to be picky here, and I haven't voiced any complaints about the hand-me-down clothes thus far, but come on, guys. This just isn't fair.
It was bad enough earlier this afternoon when Mom stuck this funny little brush in my mouth and started rubbing it against my teeth and gums. Apparently it's some kind of cleaning device...isn't that what my tongue is for?
My uncle Wade is a pretty smart guy, much like myself. And, as I recently discovered, he's an artistic guy, too. He designed the picture on this shirt, which I happen to think is very cool. Granted, I am partial to elephants, but still.
Anyhow, I gave Dad a card that I made by myself (again, I'm the designer, mom does the manual labor). He had a hard time reading the envelope, for some reason. It can't be my penmanship...I think I write pretty well for an almost ten-month-old. Maybe he just needs glasses (I hear that's part of getting old).
I'm beginning to realize that there's a lot more to this place than just Noah and the animals in my room. Mom and Dad have been taking me out on a lot of adventures lately, and the more I see, the more I want to see.
But first, it was off to a soccer tournament. Cousin Sammy from up north in Lodi (don't worry, I don't know where that is either) was down playing with his team, which I hear is the team to beat. After Mom lotioned me all up (something to do with blocking the sun) we sat and watched all these guys run really fast back and forth on a grassy field. At first, I wasn't so impressed. But then, I saw some of the guys kicking the ball and even hitting it with their heads! I couldn't believe it! Mom spends so much time protecting my head, she even talks about getting me a helmet. And here were these guys hitting their heads on purpose, and everyone was cheering. It was great. I've gotta figure out how to get in on this soccer business.
After the game, Dad drove around looking for something to eat. He and Mom didn't get to have oatmeal and bananas like me, so they were pretty hungry. After hunting for awhile (apparently, people in this Rancho place don't eat much) we stopped at a bagel place and then did some shopping at Borders. And the next thing I knew, we pulled up in the driveway of Trenton's house! I was so excited. Trenton is a big guy now, too and he shared all his toys with me. I checked them all out right away by putting them in my mouth. I always have to check everything for chewability. 
Trenton's favorite toy was this crazy looking ball with a dinosaur inside...I have no idea how that got in there. Trenton and I played for a long time and I showed him how I crawl around and stand up now. He looked like he was ready to crawl any second. Pretty soon, we both got hungry and had to take a lunch break.
This is Jonah. He's a little older than me. I like hearing about his adventures because I can get a sneak peek into what I'll be doing next.
This is Milly. Mom says she lives far away from here in a place called the "UK." Sure wish I could go there because it would be lots of fun to play with Milly.
I miss Gavin and Conor. They used to live nearby but moved away to the East Coast. I'm really looking forward to seeing them when they visit 'cuz I think Gavin could teach me some neat tricks.
Isabella is very cosmopolitan. She lives in the Dominican Republic and already works as a billboard model. I'm wondering if this means Mom's gonna make me get a job.
This is my buddy Trenton. He and I like to get together and relive our days in the NICU. Ah...good times. Trenton moved away, too. But luckily he's not too far. Next month is his birthday and I'm guessing there will be a party!
This is Kaiser. His Mom and Dad used to work with my Mom at a bookstore, but now they live in St. Louis. What's up with everybody leaving California, man?
My cousin Jordan lives in Hawaii and probably looks nothing like this now. He was born just 10 days before I was, so I'm sure he's a big guy, too. He's coming to visit me next month and I can't wait. Maybe he'll teach me to surf.
Becca and Natalie live right across the street from Nana and Papa's house. I have to get a little bigger before I can play with Becca. I hear she plays kinda rough. They haven't moved away...yet.
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