Christmas Day!

 Zuri's first official Christmas we enjoyed a leisure morning at home and then went to my mom's for dinner.  Pedro had to work, so he didn't get to go with us.  Zuri had a fun time at my mom's because there are lots of things she is not suppose to play with, so I had to watch her as she was trying to run off and get into things!  But really she had a good day besides the part where she wouldn't eat anything that I offered her and at a last resort I offered her a pizza and she ate almost the entire thing.  Funny how she knows what she wants!  If she would just talk (or walk!) that would be great!

Zuri loves to pose on her side, it makes me laugh, especially when she does it when she is in the tub!

Zuri stuffing her face with the pizza she devoured.

Merry Christmas!

Loved the stance and foot of this one...I love Santa...

A present!

After I left my moms Zuri fell asleep almost immediately.  I was hoping she would wake up because Pedro wanted to open presents with her when he got home from work.  Luckily she rebounded quickly at home.  Here she is opening a present from Pedro's dad, she knew there was a doll in there and seemed to really like it!

We told her to give the baby a kiss and she would give a big kiss...

Zuri had a great First Christmas.  She was pretty happy the whole time and she enjoyed all of her great gifts!  She didn't know how to open the presents and actually wasn't that interested in the paper from the presents.  Little does she know that she has a big BIRTHDAY coming up where she will have more fun!

Christmas Eve!

Zuri had her first Christmas Eve!  It was a long day for her, but she did AMAZING!  She enjoyed all of the people and wanted to crawl around everyone.  

This year Pedro had to work both days, but he made it to Christmas Eve to see her open her present from Addison, in the kids gift exchange.  She got a dollhouse, which she really wanted and was really excited to get it (seriously)!  I thought she might like one since she plays with one at the gym all the time.  

The rest of the time she just played with some of the things that Ashby got and wanted to just crawl around everywhere.  

She really enjoyed her Christmas Eve and has been loving her dollhouse!

Santa...

We went to take a picture with Santa today.  It was a LONG wait.  By the time we saw Santa, Zuri was about 40 minutes past her usual nap time (or attempted nap) and over an hour late for her lunch.  She did drink her sippy and had a pouch, but still not her usual quantity of food.

I had to hold her the entire wait, minus about 5 minutes.  It was about an hour and half or longer.  I didn't want to look at the time!  I couldn't let her crawl around because there was way too much stuff to get into.  I'm tired from just being there.

Santa didn't scare her.  However, she wanted to stare at him and not the camera.  The picture choices were not stellar, as she wasn't smiling, she was looking at Santa or as seen by the picture we got with our phone, her tongue is out (of course). The one we bought she looks pretty much the same but without her tongue sticking out.

I took a picture of Pedro and Zuri while we were waiting....

I understand that photos with Santa are something that people like, but remind me of this next year when I don't want to stand in a line again!


For her birthday she got a chair and ottoman.  I forgot since it is Christmas time orders get sent early so we have already gotten it!  She sat in it yesterday and seemed to enjoy it.  Today she liked it even more.

Pedro works Christmas Eve Day and then Christmas Day, so Zuri and I will be spending the holiday together!

11 Months!

Zuri turned 11 months on our last day in Mexico.  Everyone in Mexico thought she was like 2 years old, until they saw that she didn't walk!  She is such a HIGH ENERGY child.  I'm pretty sure that is why she loved the beach and the non-stop entertainment.  Plus she was with her mom and dad every minute.  Which has made it hard for her to go back to her normal life.  Yesterday she didn't want to go to the gym because I was leaving her.  She was not a good daycare child yesterday.  Hopefully she gets back on track!

This month Zuri has become a speedy crawler and it still surprises me when I turn around and she is standing there holding on to the stove, baby gate, whatever she can get her hands on.  She definitely wants to figure out how to walk, but her confidence is not there.  She can stand for a good amount of time, if she doesn't realize that she is standing alone.

Her favorite thing to do when she gets fussy is crawl to me and pull herself up on my legs and cling to them crying.

She has also learned to give kisses.  She won't always do it, but she does know how.  She has given me a lot of big slobbery, tooth involved kisses.  Pedro says she gave him one last night, so that was his first kiss.  He had been really sad that she wouldn't give him kisses!

Zuri is starting to point at objects.  Sometimes she just points and jabbers away.  I don't know if she is pointing and "asking" or just learning the idea of pointing.

I have posted most of her most recent pictures, but here are a few more.

11 month stats:
Height: not sure, doesn't seem that much taller
Weight: I would guess about 21lbs 8oz or so..(scale at gym was 22.1 lbs with clothes)

11 month likes:
PAPAYA,
She loved my smoothies on the beach too!
CHEESE and BREAD
Will eat some turkey.
CHRISTMAS TREE! (said in an exciting voice),
Books
Cars- things that can fit in her hand while she crawls
Froggy
She also usually loves her sippy cup.
Standing
Go swimming
Did I say Cheese?


11 month dislikes:
Diaper changes
Me not holding her when she is fussy
Shoes
Socks
Getting her hair done for the day
Ponytails

Mexico!

Our first real family vacation was a great success.  We went to the Riviera Maya and stayed at the Ocean Coral and Turquesa.  We stayed in their top room, the royal master suite and had plenty of space  so that Zuri could sleep in a separate area from where we slept.  It also had a nice balcony with an ocean view and a jacuzzi.  The temperature was absolutely perfect, not too hot or humid.

Zuri's 11th leg on a flight went pretty well.  She always resists taking a nap on a plane and screams for a few minutes before falling asleep.  She slept for only 45 minutes, which was sad for me, since I was holding her and while she was awake she was like a little jumping monkey.  Climbing, jumping and crawling across the seats.  Thank goodness we had a whole row.

We arrived and the hotel was super nice and the beach was great.  We were lucky and had their upgraded stay which allowed us a cabana on the beach.  This was great so Zuri and I could sit in the shade and she could crawl all over the bed, instead of always being in the sand and sun.

Zuri LOVED the beach.  She loved the waves, so on days that the water was really flat, she was sad.  We took her out in her floaty into the ocean a lot.  The other times she liked to sit or crawl on the edge of the water.

She loved the people everywhere as she is very social.  She also loved the food.  I'm pretty sure she ate more than I did.

Each day we were woken up super early because the sun came in through the curtains and so Zuri thought that meant time to wake up!  And since her crib was very dangerous and she could have very easily jumped or fallen over the railing, when she was up, I was up.  We played in the other room for a bit and Pedro slept a little more.  Then we would go to breakfast and get a cabana for the beach.

After breakfast we would go to the beach, Zuri would get excited when we were walking to our cabana.  She knew it was time for the water!  Pedro would take her out swimming and I would read for a few or just sit there.  Then after swimming Zuri would play in the sand and beach.

After awhile she would get tired and tell us that it was time for a nap.  So, I would get another drink (my no alcohol bahama mama) and we would go to the room for a shower and then a nap.  While Zuri napped I would sit on the balcony reading my book and Pedro would stay sunning at the beach.

View from the balcony

After Zuri's nap, it was time for lunch!  We would go to lunch and then either the beach or the pool area.  Zuri would get tired sometime in the afternoon and we would follow the same morning pattern and she would take a shower, nap and I read on the balcony.  Sometime during her nap, Pedro would get tired of being in the sun and return and we would sit outside or watch tv in our room.

Once Zuri got up, it was time for dinner!  We had reservations each night and the food was ok.  I wouldn't rave about the food.  After dinner we would go get coffee or walk for a bit then go back and Zuri would go to bed and so would we.

It was a fun trip.  Definitely different, as I had assumed.  Our main fun was having fun with Zuri.  She had a great time and only had one screaming fit, after she didn't nap long enough.  It was also hard if the waiters took too long with our food, as she would be hungry and didn't like just sitting there for so long.  All in all it was a great trip.  I loved Zuri's super curly hair in Mexico and she loved the beach.  I am also quite jealous as she is tanner than I am and she had sunscreen on every minute.  She tans so nice and brown, unlike my "red" tan (and no I did not get sunburned).

Everyone thought she was so friendly and happy on the trip, people loved her.  It was an easy trip for us, with the direct flight that was only 3.5 hours and an all inclusive trip so we didn't have to leave our hotel.

Her 12th flight home was good.  She did the usual scream for a bit and then slept for a good 2.5 hours.  Which is hard not to move too much with a sleeping baby in your arms.  But much easier than an awake crawling, jumping and moving baby.