As if I wasn't cool enough before...

That's right, people. Meet my new Chucks. Those of you long time readers may remember these.

Back in Business

Ladies and gentlemen (but especially you ladies)...I'M BAAAAAAAAAACCKKK!!!

Don't touch that dial. Do not attempt to adjust your screens. This is the real deal. After taking a two year hiatus, my blog has returned. After much negotiation, some legal consultation and the batting of my eyelashes, my personal assistant (sometimes known as "Mom") has agreed to resume her position. So thanks to her swift fingers and my quick wit, I bring you the rebirth of PlanetZaya. Please hold your applause until the end.

I hope you didn't come looking for cute stories about drool and baby wipes (though Mom would have me tell you that I'm still in diapers, but I see no reason to get into that here). I'm a big boy now, those are things of the past. These days I'm all about french fries, Pippi Longstocking and rock 'n' roll.

I've taken a liking to a little something called gymnastics. Have you heard about this? You get to run around and around, tumble, jump, stretch, bounce...pretty much everything I like to do. I'm still getting adjusted to the taking turns thing. And Mom insists that when Coach Marcy tells me to sit down, I have to stay seated for more than two seconds and quit running around like a "mad man" as she likes to call me. But other than that, gymnastics is a pretty cool deal.

The biggest news I have to report is that I'm a working man now. Yes folks, as of yesterday I am officially a wage-earning, tax paying citizen. Thanks to my good buddy Robert (ok, maybe he's Dad's good buddy, but he still deserves a shout out) I was signed to a talent agency in November. Mom and Dad weren't too sure about it. Frankly I can't say I was surprised that they pulled out a contract right then and there. Since then I've been taking trips every now and then to the studio. Mom calls them "auditions." She thinks they're a big deal, but basically all I have to do is stand there, look cute (which comes pretty naturally for me most days), say my name and jump around a little. Piece of cake!

Last week Mom and Dad were talking pretty excitedly about an audition for a Target commercial. I didn't really know what that meant. We headed out to Beverly Hills and everything seemed like business as usual. Stand on the blue line, say your name, smile for the camera. Then the next day, Mom gets a phone call and tells Dad I'm "booked." I'm not too clear on the details, but what I can tell you is that yesterday was pretty much the coolest day in the whole three and a half years that I've been on this planet.

It started with a long ride on the freeway to this place called "Encino." We got to this park, got out of the car and right in front of me was a truck and lots of tables full of food. Mom mixed me up some of the best oatmeal ever, topped off with almonds, berries and brown sugar. I never knew you could get such good food in a parking lot.

Before I knew it a van pulled up, we hopped in along with some guys Dad called "the crew," and we were on the road again. The van took us to a little street where some big trailers were parked. They looked like regular trailers from the outside, but inside is where my star treatment began. Right away I got to see James, the other little boy who had been "booked," and his mommy and we met this cool guy Jeff, our "set teacher." He played all kinds of games with us and kept us pretty busy all day.

It wasn't long before I was hopping from trailer to trailer...had my hair and make up done, got to put on some brand new clothes. Then next thing I knew we were in another van on our way to a house. This was not your ordinary house though. It was all done up with lights and cameras and there were people everywhere. Most of the time we were in the house I just played games with Jeff and James. But then my new friend Bob (Dad says he was the "1st A.D." which apparently makes him a pretty important guy) came over and said, "Are you ready Isaiah?" and he took me, Mom and Jeff to another room of the house that everyone kept calling the "set." It looked like an office to me.

Everyone paid a lot of attention to me on the set. Bob said all I had to do was run into the room, bang on the desk, shake a toy duck around to distract George, my TV dad, and then run away. Running, shaking and distracting? Those are pretty much my specialties. So I did that over and over again while all these very important people standing around watched on a screen and murmured to each other. But everyone kept saying I was doing a great job so I must have done it right.

The rest of the day involved a lot more playing with all my new friends and some more "working" on the set. I almost lost it once when they walked me through the backyard right past the coolest playground I'd ever seen and told me I couldn't play on it! But all in all it was a really fun day.

Oh, Mom and Dad want me to tell you to watch for the commercial. It's supposed to be on TV all over the country so everyone should get to see it. I think it's gonna be one of those Target commercials with the happy music. It's called "New Day, New Ways to Save." Mom says my scene advertises an office chair. And here I thought I was the star of the show.

Anyhow, it's been an pretty exciting week. My friend Chris at the agency is excited and says hopefully I'll get to do a lot more cool jobs like this one. Sounds good to me...I'm always ready for my close-up!

New and Improved

Remember this guy, folks? That's right, it's the Zaya you all know and love. Well get ready...allow me to introduce you to...Zaya Version 2.0!

Is it possible? Could this guy actually get better looking? Just throw in my very first haircut and voila, the new and improved Zaya appears, right before your very eyes.There's a bit of controversy over my first haircut. I realize that many of you were particularly attached to my soft, silky curls. I thought I was too, but one look in the mirror after today's trip to the barber, and I can't deny this big boy look really suits me.They even gave me an award for bravery and courage. It says I've graduated from Babyhood! I don't even remember attending. But I graciously accepted anyway. Even though they spelled my name wrong.

Look out, ladies. I may have a clean cut image, but I'm still wild at heart.

Life's a Beach

That's right, I said BEACH! Why didn't anyone ever tell me about this place before? WOW! There's sun and water and, my personal favorite, sand. I know you're dying to ask and the answer is yes. I'm not ashamed to admit that I took a taste of sand. C'mon, you know we've all done it. But if you're anything like me, you only tried it once. Not so tasty.

Whenever the weather seems intolerable inside the house, the folks and I head for the shore. I was a little worried at first because that water can be pretty loud. Sometimes it sounds like it's coming to swallow me up, so I have to keep a safe distance. Mom and Dad both gave it their best shot, gettin' me in that water. Mom was pretty sneaky, she was holding my arms, letting me jump up and down. Then next thing I know, my feet are wet! I quickly said no thanks and headed back to my spot on the sand. I just don't know what that woman is thinking, sometimes.

Dad says he thinks I'm destined for a career in demolition. He was trying to build something called a "sand castle" but I kept knocking it down. I couldn't help it, the sand was calling to me. It wanted me to dig it up and smash it down, I swear.


What's great about summer is that you are not limited to daytime beach trips. Sometimes Mom will pack a picnic dinner and we'll head to the park just above the beach. It's pretty neat to watch Mr. Sun go to bed in the ocean. I never knew that that's where he sleeps.
As you can imagine, the beach is a popular place this time of year. I can sure see why. It's kinda like escaping to a different world. I don't have to think about all those stress factors, like putting my toys away or getting my diaper changed. Blech...who needs that? I'd much rather drift off in Dad's arms, listening to the waves.

As long as we don't get too close.

Hot Fun in the Summertime

Here's what you've waited for all winter, folks. You wanted it, you got it. Me in my swimsuit! Aww, yeah. It's the season for bare skin and waterplay, and I'm game for both. Grandma Aida got me this cool "splish splash" pool, which as you can tell is no ordinary water toy. But then again, I'm no ordinary guy.But summer is about much more than just water. Take a look here, for example. The park has all this neat stuff that you can climb up and slide down. I used to think it was just grass and trees. Maybe Mom and Dad thought I was too little for all the playground stuff. As you can see, that's certainly not the case.Another great thing about summer is that there are lots of opportunities to get together with other kids. The Folks recently took me to something called "StoryTime." I overheard them talking about it ahead of time, apparently Mom, Dad and this "story time" thing go way back. There was this lady who sang silly songs and read some books and made funny faces. But for me it was all about the kids, man. A guy's gotta have friends, and this was a good place to find 'em.

So if you've been loungin' around the house, take my advice. Get out there, get active. There's a huge world to see.

And who knows, you just might catch a glimpse of me in my swim trunks.

The Many Faces of Me

Candid

Joyful

Contemplative

In Charge

Don't Mess With Me

Playful

Thrilled

Annoyed

No Autographs, Please

Carpe Diem

Enjoying the weather? I sure am. Trips to the park four days in a row ain't half bad. There's a new treehouse there. I've made it my goal to fully test it out for them. Consider it my contribution to the Parks & Recreation service.

So far so good, guys. Even Dad likes it.

Spring into action

Hey, did you hear? Spring is here! If I sound excited it's because, well, I am. I mean I loved Christmas and this past winter was a pleasant one, but I for one have been cooped up too long. The warmer Spring air means only one thing that I care about...I can get outside and see the world. Running in the sunshine, watching shapes pass by in the white puffy clouds, yep, that's for me. I never did like staying inside much (which is what caused the whole preemie thing, as I'm told).

Apparently Mom and Dad noticed the change in the weather too because we've been heading out on more adventures. This week we went to a new park. Not just the same old kind of park I usually go to, but a special place where people bring their dogs to run and play just like kids do! It was great. There was one section for little dogs and another one for the big guys. They were having so much fun, chasing balls and running free. It was inspiring. In fact, it inspired me to do a little running myself.

Watching those dogs made me realize a little more freedom would do me some good. I mean, I am a big boy, after all. I don't always need a hand to hold. Plus it's good to get out there and stretch my legs...literally. Especially because we're gonna be doing a lot of walking later this month for WalkAmerica 2006. Mom says this year me and my buddy Trenton get to cross the finish line on our own! That's a big step (so-to-speak) for two preemies. I guess that's appropriate, we're sorta what the whole WalkAmerica and March of Dimes things are all about.

The cool thing about walking is that it takes you places. We were just going along, enjoying the blue sky and cool breeze when all of a sudden our feet were moving through sand. I looked up to see a playground that was so inviting I couldn't pass it up. I went on the swings, down the slide a few times and took a ride on the back of my friend froggy. It was the perfect way to spend the afternoon.

If this season has lots more days like this in store, I'll be in good shape. Speaking of good shape, I just overheard Mom say that the WalkAmerica course is five miles long. I'm not really sure how long that is, but Mom's face looked tired just talking about it. I'd better get back to running my training laps around the living room.

Public Service Announcement

Hello there, friends. After another new experience yesterday, I feel it is my civic duty to inform you about a particular breed of scam artist out there, inconspicuously called "the dentist." I haven't quite figured out what the scam is, exactly, but take it from me, these guys are smooth operators.

The first thing to remember is not to be fooled by the pleasant nature of the dentist's office. Mom, Dad and I went to one yesterday that was painted in fun pastel colors. It had toys on tables that were just my size and a train suspended from the ceiling that went around the whole place. There was even a little-guy sized door between the waiting area and the next room. And everyone there was so smiley and sunshine-happy. I believe this is how they lure unsuspecting kids to their establishment. But don't fall for it, it's all trickery. Smoke and mirrors.

I fell right into the trap and got more excited when they called my name and I went into the next room. This place was even better than the waiting area 'cuz it had two of my favorite things - cartoon animals painted on the walls and lots of machines and equipment. I couldn't wait to get my hands on some of that stuff, but the farthest I got was a big funny looking chair. That's when things started to take a turn. Dr. Hamilton (he called himself "doctor" not realizing that I had already heard he was a "dentist"...sounded shady right from the start) talked with Mom and asked if I had any health problems or stuff like that. He even mentioned that preemies sometimes have more problems with their teeth than other kids. This guy obviously hadn't done his homework on me.

So one minute I'm sitting comfortably while the big folks are chatting, and the next thing I know, I'm being held down against my will while the "doctor" pokes around in my mouth with some crazy mirror on a stick! I know, scary, right? And all I can think is, "Hey, Mom's a smart gal, she'll catch on," but she cooperated with the whole thing. In fact, I discovered later that this whole deal was pre-planned and Mom scheduled for them to do this to me AGAIN in six more months! Aren't there laws against this type of thing? Sheesh.

After Dr. Hamilton brushed my teeth a little (his toothbrush wasn't nearly as cute as my own at home), I was thankful to be done with that place. He did say that everything looked great and I did a good job (naturally). And he said I should keep brushing my teeth twice a day and then he gave me a new toothbrush to take home. That part wasn't so bad. I mean who doesn't like a free gift now and then?

But seriously, I'm convinced this dentist place is just a new way for the parents to attempt some control. And they took me off guard for this first trip, but boy will I be ready next time. Yesiree, you can't get one past...(yawn)...Isaiah....I will be alert.....zzzz.......and prepared.........Dr. H is no...match for ...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......

360 days later

Here I thought that all the time Dad spends on the computer, he was working. Apparently he's really just fooling around, and the results look a little something like this.

Believe it or not, the Zaya on the right was taken March 13th, 2005 and the Zaya on the left was taken today, March 8th, 2006. Yes folks, that is the exact same shirt. As you can imagine I'm pretty proud of my slim and trim physique. Mom says we'll hang onto this shirt to see if I can still fit into it next March.

All I have to say is, thank goodness my hands are free from those awful mittens. Definitely a fashion no-no.

Nature AND Nurture

My house is like a corporate headquarters these days. Dad's busy working on his new business plan and Mom is having meetings and writing grant proposals on deadline. So today was an unexpected treat when we took the afternoon off to visit the Hopkins Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach.

Who knew there was so much nature in our own backyard? One minute we're driving on a main street and the next we're lost in the woods! It was pretty neat. Our first stop was a campground table for lunch. I tried my hardest to get my hands on that huge cookie for dessert, but I had to make do with animal crackers.











After lunch we hiked the many trails that run all through the park. Actually, Mom and Dad did most of the hiking, I was pretty much along for the ride. There were lots of trees and birds and...well, you know, nature stuff.











My favorite part was when we found a pond with ducks. Those guys crack me up the way they hide their heads in the water and then pop back up. I tried calling them by name, but apparently my "duck" sounds just like "dog" so they weren't paying much attention to me.

As we were leaving the pond to head up another trail, Mom spotted a little family of turtles. That was really cool. It looked to me like the littlest one (who really wasn't all THAT little) was trying to get out on his own and show some independence, but his parents were following close behind. Boy, do I know how that is.

I have to say, though, that hanging out with the folks isn't all that bad. I mean, they live for my every word (even my mumblings) and smile. So if I can keep them entertained, it's worth it. Plus (I can't believe I'm going to admit this), they're actually kinda fun...in a goofy sort of way.

Honorable Mention?

Mom just informed me that we did NOT get the call from Regis & Kelly. You can probably see the shock written all over my face...my Most Beautiful Baby face, that is. So there will be no flight to New York City...no photo shoot for Parents magazine...no cash prize. Big deal. Personally, I think they were just afraid of the stiff competition. It wouldn't exactly be a fair race with a Super Preemie in the mix, now would it?

This works out way better for me anyway. Now I don't have to find a sitter for Noah's animals.