end of the summer

With Megan and Haidyn as well as Jenny B in Barrington Rhode Island!


Here is Staci-a clark univ buddy! who lives in Maine now- and her sweetie kids!

Since Zara had me up at 5am in Maine i found myself taking a lot of sunrise pictures!

















Zara wearing some beautiful clothes that Jen, Sammy and Richard picked out for her birthday.. and here is Megan's home all decorated for her daughter Lily's birthday! What perfect chance we were there for it!

Leaving Booth Bay Harbor and driving south!!!

Here's a great shot of Jenn (my college roomie) with her daughter, Sammy with Zara!

Rocks and Zarrs Still enjoying Maine

zara rock as rasta baby
her first ice cream cone... the nutrionist said she can have as much full fat ice cream as possible- wish i was a picky eater too!
we went to LL bean in Freeport maine with auntie becs!
bubbles
here she is in booth bay at the boat shaped bar-- having icecream and clam chowdah!

We Wish Aisha Happy Birthday in Holland today!

She definitely did not have her sea legs yet!
loves to shop in town with anthony!
...still not liking the lifevest nor the boat...
Becs found a beach for Zara!
the amazing view! Breakfast on the deck is a must ... so gorgeous!

Matt Arrives in Maine!

Here's the Munch at Megan house and her cute kids in Rhode Island. Jenny B was there too!
Granny Z with Baby Z .. what a view ... its beautiful here!

Above the house my Dad was able to rent for us, its is so nice, we love it!
...and below is the Munch very proud of herself after eating so well this week!

Baby Made It To Maine

This is Matt substituting for Jocelyn. Jocelyn and Zara left on Tues. of this week for a long road trip to Booth Bay Harbor, Maine. The girls spent 2 days in Philly with Cooey and Jeff. A quick lunch with Eileen and Mary on Thursday and on to Megans in RI whare she met up with Jenny B. On Friday she drove to Boston to where Jocelyn met up with Anthony and Rebecca, they flew in from London. Zara is doing great. SHE IS EATING. We don't know why but we are just happy that she she is eating, I think it has something to do with Ant and Becs. In the pics above you will see Zara with her Aunt Mary, Granny, and Ainur Ford. I will be joining them in Maine on Thurs for a week, can't wait. Jocelyn will probably update the blog then. See ya.

Mommy's pick

She just gave up with the spoon thing.. and dove right in.

Small Impromtu Birthday party for Zara

Zara's One year Doctor appt.

Our little skinny mini had a rough appointment, poor thing, her weight was only up about one pound from three months ago, which the Doctor really concentrated on...(In fact, i have been given instructions to see a nutritionist).
Since the Doctor wanted to draw blood to see if there was any reason for her poor appetite, we tried both arms and her left foot to find a vein; but no luck. Since we didnt get any bloodwork and the poor Zara was crying.. obviously, we opted not to try again.. thank goodness. We will attempt in three weeks time.
The doctor really felt that Zara should be at least cruising along furniture and was concerned that when standing Zara locks her knees and becomes quite rigid. Also, when she sits she splays her legs out to support her body, showing no core strength...Turns out we believe she may have a mild form of hypotonia... I found a nicely written explanation below...Matt and I both believe this makes sense and she is a classic case when looking at some of the symptoms.
Anyway.. sorry the description is long- check it out if you have time...

A child is said to have low muscle tone — hypotonia — if his muscles are on the loose, floppy side. You may find it unusually easy to move your child's arms and legs when they are relaxed, or that he seems to slip through your arms when you pick him up. Although hypotonia is not a well-understood phenomenon, children with low muscle tone often have delayed motor skills, muscle weakness, and / or coordination problems. While low muscle tone in an infant can be caused by a variety of fairly serious problems including hypothyroidism, Down syndrome, or a neurological problem, if your child was not diagnosed with the problem until after his first birthday, his problem is likely to be milder. In some cases, doctors are unable to identify a cause for a child's hypotonia and it gets better over time without treatment. The clinical name for this form is benign congenital hypotonia. Interestingly, many children with benign congenital hypotonia will have a parent or sibling who likewise had low muscle tone during their childhood, suggesting a genetic connection. Because your toddler needs to build muscular strength and agility, it's important that he be as active as possible. It doesn't much matter what he does — whether it's swimming, gymnastics, or general running around — as long he does something that gets him going. Pick an activity he likes to do, simply because he's more likely to stick with it if it's fun. Although physical therapy is sometimes recommended for children with low muscle tone, few studies have been done and experts disagree on how effective it is. Mild hypotonia typically improves over time with or without therapy. You may, however, have to lower your expectations for your child's future athletic prowess, since children with mild hypotonia are more likely than other children to have coordination problems and may well be less adept at — and therefore less interested in — sports during their grade-school years. A non-competitive environment that focuses on enjoyment and self-improvement rather than performance or winning will help your child participate enthusiastically without feeling penalized if he's less agile than some of his peers. And it's important to keep in mind that even if your child isn't destined to be a Little League star, he'll be able to have a fine life in many other ways.

Zara at One Year Old, 16 lbs 15 oz, 29 inches long

Goodbye Alewyd Uchaf...you can barely see the cottage... it s the white spot on the slope just to left of the peak of the little mountain.. just on the ridegline....sad to go....

Flying home

We had a long drive back to London about 7 hours.. and then time went even faster. Justin and Sharla had generously let Zara and me stay in their home yet again! Thank you both so much. Aisha came from Holland for a quickie lunch date- that was a feat! Then Caugie stopped by for about 20 minutes from his home around the corner! What chance! Caugie is my high school roomie- Cooey's brother! Here he is with Zara! She was a big fan as you can see below!

Anthony and Becs brought me Dinner the night before we left...tasty sushi.. and it was so nice of them to keep us company, and help watch Zara while i packed up! Becs even came the next day to drive me to the airport! It was all due to her expert driving and getting me to Heathrow early that USAIR changed my seat assignment to a bulk head seat... early bird gets the worm- even on a full flight! Below is what the bassinet looks like- it's latched into the bulk head and you can see she is laying suspended right in front of my seat. She slept for about 3 hours in it! It was a life saver!

Sunday August 3 2008

Zara kite surfing baby style in her carriage! super high winds...
We went to this picturesque beach with Anthony, Becs, Sharla, Justin and Will and the walk back was just fabulous.. low tide and the sand was super hard and we just glided across it!

Last few days in England

Justin holding the babies!
Trishie and Zara
When Matt arrived, we drove around the Isle of Anglesey and went to see a Beaumaris, where there is a huge castle and one of the oldest homes in the UK dated from 1400!
Vix, Uncle Johnny and Matt in front of the amazing double rainbow!
Zara competely recognized Aisha!!! Aisha was so courageous and came to London just for the day to have lunch with us before we left! We took the underground from Marble Arch to Liverpool Street station and met up with Anthony for lunch! Aisha is one incredible individual, battling cancer and yet still willing to push herself to make this outrageously fun visit! Thank you Ai!