Zara's new love; her guitar

She certainly knows her ice cream and she certainly loves her bike rides with mommy!  She is wearing a gorgeous dress that Missy and her mom gave her!  Amazingly, the dress said it was sized for a 6 month old, but I am so excited it fits her still.

Cmon Spring!

Zara was very excited to learn that she has a new little girlfriend on our street, Baby L moved in less than a couple of months ago.  Baby L is only 7 weeks old and precious!   Marni - her mommy- took this photo and emailed it to me today!  

"The first notable snowfall of the season"!  

Today, however, was a winner hitting 65 degrees, and we are expecting the 70 degrees mark on the weekend!  So how great is that???

Ushering in Spring

Jammin Java Kiddie concert

Here is Florence, Sitina and Zara - at the MR DON concert at Jammin' java in Vienna!  It was a veritable rock concert that you just had to see to believe -- all at 10:30am.

Here we are with Mr Don himself-- good thing we had our sought after back stage passes!

The cutie in pink is Florence, Gabrielle's daughter.  We met Gabrielle at our pool last summer and have some great pictures of them back then.  Gabrielle is from Australia and Florence is originally from Guatemala!  We all agreed that is was really special getting the girls together and they all got along so well! 

This gives new meaning to the term " the mosh pit!"... the three girls loved it!  As you can see here, we like to call Missy the "baby whisperer", as they all piled onto her lap!

Bed time rountine

Zara is very particular about her good night stories and picks them all out herself.

Making the Weight

Even though it's not confirmed by the doctor's office, I am confident to finally report Zara has made weight. She has passed the 20 lbs mark 

(for those in kg -  that is 9 kgs)  

 Amazingly, we were just at the doctor's less than 3 weeks ago and she was only 19lbs 9 ounces, and now we think she is almost 21 lbs! 

 Here she is at her official weigh in .. 

right in our very official kitchen!  Yes.. the scale was approved by the US Dept of Weights and Measures and ... Yes i realise she is fully clothed..but as you can see the scale says 22, so i'm adjusting appropriately for shoes and the like!

SNOW on the 1st of March!

Strange few days, went from 60 plus degree weather and a long awaited bike ride to a 6 inch snowstorm and our first ride on my Bulgarian sled!  Never thought we'd be able to do that this winter- but she was great and motioned to me with her sign language that she wanted more!

   Actually i "mispoke", the kid's sled was purchased in Sofia by my parents when they lived there; BUT it was made in the former Soviet Union, it's so cool b/c it says "Made in the USSR" on it- well not in english!   

Anyway, its a great ride, and Zara was able to hold the steering wheel as i pulled her back up!

Hours before March 2009

March  of 2007 was an amazing month. 

It was the month in which we met Chrissy and her son Te (in person) for the first time, and it was the month we learned that Zara would be a girl! 

 That was two years ago!!!

This past week!

We had a great playdate with Missy and Sitina, they are doing so well together- not that that is a suprise or anything- but i just love to see it!

Yesterday, knowing i probably wouldn't brave the cold and crowds for inauguration day.. i JUST HAD to take the scooter downtown to see the scene for myself!  It was the AMAZING MTV Obama's concert!  I even got to see Greg- which was a surprise since it was tough to maneuver around the crowds to get where you wanted to be!  (so for that reason alone- it was nice to be by myself).  I even saw Clinton outside the Palm as i scootered my way down!   Although is was barely above freezing i felt warm - even on the motorcycle.  I ran into a couple other friends and put vids on my Facebook account for fun! 

Two hockey games-- ONE year apart!

Michael Vanni recently got engaged to Summer!  We are so happy for them both of course and went to celebrate with them at a hockey game.  We replicated this pic from OVER  a year when we went with Zara and the Vanni's last time!  

so here are the THEN AND NOW snaps 

January 2009

Here is a fabulous shot of anthony (texted to me by Auntie Becs)  all the way from Morocco!  Anthony and Becs are on a week's surf holiday there in a small, simple, little surf town!  I believe this is a view from their room or hotel! Surf Maroc   check it out if you want to go- VERRY inexpensive!!!!  but you just gotta get there!     

GO Anthony!  looks gorgeously exotic!

Playing with my christmas present- the imac!

Mary Rose took this great picture of the Munch in front of the White House
You can see the grandstands on the left of Pennsylvania Avenue here prepped for Jan 20th
Strangely such a warm day...

We ventured down to see the National Christmas tree on the Mall

Here is the munch with her gift from Chrissie- a leap frog table-- very kind of Chrissie!  We called her in Cuba and thanked her on Christmas!

Mary Rose was visiting, so we took the opportunity to go downtown to 

1. see the grandstand being built for Obama's parade- which i doubt we will even get close to on Jan 20th, and 

2. to see the National Christmas tree on the mall.  It was super successful plus it was almost 65 degrees warm!

The Christmas Crazies

What an absolute blast it was driving out to Hagerstown to not only see Grandma and Grandpa rock and family but also play with Matt's sister Beth plus her 7 kiddies!   Zara learned fast from Nate, Jacob and Laurie how to play a toy basketball game; i was SO suprised!  I am just so happy she has so many wonderfully vibrant and sweet cousins to show her the ropes!   I often wonder if she is missing out with no siblings.. so i love the interaction with her cousins.

Christmas morning:  Zara discovers her baby grand piano and plops down on her new potty to play it! I have no idea how she didn't fall through the hole!   HA HA  ( its actually very cute with a toilet paper holder and its own magazine rack! Meg and Renee were with me when i bought it at the Frederick Crafts Fair)

This evening we skyped Uncle Anthony and Auntie Becs in the South of France- sadly they did not have a camera on; but it was great nevertheless!  Anthony and Becs are visiting her family and it is Anthony's first time seeing Bec's brother's new twins!  So sweet!

The ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS PRESENT!

Look who arrived just in time!!!!!

Missy's daughter is the most precious, perfect, smiley, gurgling little one...landing ontime all the way from Addis! Missy was all lit up inside-

even after 18 hours of flying!

A sweet reception party was waiting... Zara and I thank Missy and her family for letting us "suprise" them at Dulles. I won't write more now--- but I could tell that Sitinia & Zara

will have a lifetime friendship- almost like sisters!

Granny and Grandpa Zarr are back in the country!

the much with new arrivals...just back from Spain and Portugal- spending some quality time...

Missy arrived in Addis... and last we heard was trying to rest before meeting

Sitina for the first time! but nothing since, i am sure its whirlwind of emotions and she has no time whatsoever to be playing around on a computer!

MUNCH TOOK HER FIRST STEPS!

well this was not one of them.. she is propped up nicely though! LOL

she did however take about 2-5 frankenstein-like steps on our living room carpet.

I found this particularly poignant since i had just spent the entire afternoon( frustrated) on the phone calling Pediatric Therapists and the insurance company trying to get her in for hypotonia therapy to help her walk faster! Here i am all annoyed that they are telling me that they can only get me on 4-6 months waitlists to gt into weekly therapy and then ZARA pulls a fast one on me!

She is such a little trickster!

Missy is off to Ethiopia in "2 days and a wake up"!

that is military talk... or so Matt tells me!

How surreal it is that MISSY is Baby S's mother LEGALLY in Ethiopia! What a great moment it was when she told me the outcome of her court date!

Now she is counting the seconds until she will see her daughter face to face-the first time for both of them. I will be thinking of her and her parents who are going with her and can't wait for the 4 ( count them FOUR) of them to return. It's sooo thrilling it gives me chills.

Here is the funniest video- its about 4 mins- but the ladies may enjoy it most!

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1370868150/bctid3130509001

couldnt resist posting it... sorry