What a fun visit!!

My family from Boise decided to come out for a visit one last time before we move. It was a quick visit but we did so much and had alot of fun.   

Oxbow having a picnic then visiting the zoo.

 

Castle Park was fun! Zahra spent most of the time in the big sand box. Blake had fun in the castle!

 

 

6 Months Pregnant!

So I had a really great 3 weeks…but unfortunately that was short lived. Oh well not too much longer. I keep trying to tell myself- enjoy it, enjoy it, it will be over before I know it!

 

 

Blake heard me talking about the Y with Jen on the phone and that was all he could talk about on the drive to MN so we had to go. The duck slide was a huge hit. Zahra talked about the Y and the duck for days afterwards and still brings it up. We are going to have to visit the Y one more time before we move.

 

 

Grandma came over for a game of scrabble

 

Chucky Cheese

Look closely and you can see Z in the corner of the picture. She was all talk- yelling his name from the table and then when he came over she ran the other way.

   

 

Holty family BBQ

   

 

 

 

MOA

     

 

 

So about 3 weeks ago I was telling my Mom that this is my favorite age that Zahra is in and how much fun she is. Well a 180’ happened a week or so after I said this and all of a sudden my little angel grew horns (kidding of course) And this is what we have been dealing with. If its not what Z wants (for example:getting off the ride) she lets you know and will proceed to throw things, hit, and lay flat on the ground with her face down. What is going on!?!?!

 

 

   I love this picture of Blake!

Up, up , and away!

 

 Yes another tantrum :(  she was laying flat on the ground face down screaming when Dad decided it was time to go in the stroller. 5 minutes later she was out. Ahhh finally. She never falls asleep anywhere but her bed & carseat~ she must have been exhausted.

Family photo…too bad you can only see the stroller and not the beautiful sleeping Zahra.

Its been forever!!

20 weeks

So I am way behind on blogging…opps. Things have been very busy around here. We had our big anatomy ultrasound done almost a month ago. Baby looked great and was growing well. My placenta is low so I will have another ultrasound next month to make sure that it moves up instead of down. I’m not too worried about it, typically it will move up but it will be nice to see my lil peanut again. This pregnancy I am so much more relaxed. I have alot of contractions and sometimes they are very regular but I had the same thing with Zahra and was always so worried I was going to go into preterm labor. This time around I now know what the real ones feel like and know that there isn’t anything to worry about. Luckily, at the 20 week mark I started feeling so much better and 21 weeks (where I am now) is even better- YAY!!!! Of course there is always something and now I am having some coccyx pain but I had that with Zahra too but I really am feeling a million times better  very rarely gag or throw up and my exhaustion has improved too. Its a good thing because we move in about 7 weeks!!

Zahra and I just got back from Idaho on Monday. We spent almost 3 weeks out there house hunting. We had success and found a beautiful home to live in! Now for all the fun stuff (sarcasm)….lenders, appraisal, home inspections, ect….   

 

Our favorite things about the house is that it is a single level custom home, has a great ‘Great Room’, its so cozy and fresh, its in a great neighborhood and is on a culdesac, has a big backyard, has just the right amount of carpet and wood floors, isn’t too big. I can’t wait to move in to it.  Here is the virtual tour http://tours.tourfactory.com/tours/tour.asp?t=730726 

We had a wonderful time in Idaho. Spent alot of time with family. Met with a friend of a friend, who will hopefully be a new friend when I move out there. Got 2 job offers in Labor & Delivery!!! Overall, it was a very successful trip. Anil met me out there for about 4 days at the end or our trip so we could decide on a house. I probably looked at about 100 houses before he came and narrowed it down to 10. We both picked this one was our #1 choice.

 Unfortunately, I left my cameras scd card in my computer at home so I didn’t get any pictures except a couple at the end of the trip when Anil came. Zahra had so much fun with her cousin, Blake. They went on a fun Easter egg train ride, did an egg scrabble at the Boise Zoo. Went to the park a couple time and just had alot of around the house time playing with cars when I was out with the realtor.  I am really excited for her to grow up around her Aunties, nephews, and Oma of course too! I must say her favorite person to talk about since we have been back has been her Uncle ‘Monty’ and Blake. She will just randomly fold her hands close her eyes and start praying for both of them. So cute.

Zahra has been talking about a storm lately, saying new words everyday. At Oma’s she got really good at saying ‘thank you’ (without being told) and ‘sorry’ for all the times she made Blake sad. She is so much fun these days and can be such a goof and make me laugh and smile all the time. Her personality is a fun loving, sweet, dramatic and sometime crazy little girl. I love her so much!!

Girlfriends

 

 

 

I watched a little girl a couple months younger than Zahra for a day. I loved having another child around to play with Zahra and it was a great opportunity for Zahra to learn more about sharing her toys and her Mommy. It was very last minute and Anil didn’t know about it. When he got up that morning I was already up with Esperanza. You should have seen his face he was so confused and thought I cut Zahra’s hair.

 

 

 

They were having a dance party here.

Sharing!

 Meal times are the most challenging thing for us right now. Zahra has a tendency to throw things when she doesn’t want something or when she is done. We were doing timeouts previously and they were fairly effective for this naughty behavior but its not working as well lately.  So I am trying a new strategy.  Zahra gets a sticker to put on her “Zahra’s been good at meal time chart”. So far for the week she has about 5 stickers on it. This morning she spent 5 minutes picking up cheerios from the ground….Hmmm I am just at a lost to what to do and how to fix this issue we are having.

 

 

 

 

Zahra loves, loves, loves to color.

Z is a very busy girl and most people will comment about it but there are a few things she will relax sit down and do: color, read books, and watch a show on the television.

So far Zahra is ambidextrous when it comes to coloring.

Look at that technique and concentration. Anil is worried we might have a ‘right brained’ more creative child. I hope so then she won’t become a physician or scientist like Anil is hoping and pushing already.

 

 

 

 

                                                                       We spent a night at the Young's house last weekend.

 

                                      Imagine that coloring again. Zahra was the last one at the table that evening coloring.

Bath time with Lulu!

 

 

 

 

           Road trip to the Children's museum in LaCrosse with Audrey & Brianna

 

 

 

  Yep, coloring again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                    Toddler bed!!!!!

One of many transitions! The next 6 months is going to be nuts at the Patel household.  We are buying our first house, moving cross country, starting new jobs, and having a new baby.  With all that Zahra will be turning 2 years old and will be going thru her own transitions. So we decided to start some of her transitions sooner rather then later in the midst of all the craziness.  The first of which is sleeping in a toddler bed. So far there has been no change in Zahra’s sleeping habits or any issues with her getting up. Thank goodness. One thing I really love about it is I get to lay down with her and cuddle with her for a couple minutes when we sing our song and say our prayers.

She is looking for her Ghetta (giraffe lovie). I have to hide him otherwise she wants to crawl up in her bed and suck her fingers when she is not suppose to. Fingers & Ghetta is only for naptime & bedtime. 

My sweet baby girl is growing up!!

Fly by the seat of your pants week

We  had a very spontaneous week this week. It included driving to Lacrosse three times, eating lots of pizza , having people over very last minute for dinner, going to Chucky Cheese twice, and overall just having  fun times with friends. The first drive to Lacrosse we brought lunch over to my friend Anna that had surgery. Then the next day we had a last minute trip to go to the Children's Museum in Lacrosse. Well that ended up being closed so we ended up at the EcoPark & Chucky Cheese. Zahra’s little outfit used to be Keziah & Emily's when they were little.

CHALK!

Zahra, Gavin, & Drew are all born within a couple weeks of each other.

Little trouble maker…she knows she’s not suppose to touch. Gavin looks too cute.                               Checking out the turtles.

  My friends Shea & Beth

Awww aren’t they so cute!

 Happy 2nd Birthday Lulu!

  So our 3rd drive to Lacrosse this week was going to Lulu’s bday party at Chucky Cheese.  We all had a good time. How time flies, it seems like yesterday we were at the hospital meeting this sweet little girl.

Getting some practice in….won’t be long and I’m sure Z’s Aunties are going to want to take her riding like I used to take them when they were Z’s age. Scares me to death thinking about it now. I don’t know how my Mom did it.

 

 

Zahra doesn’t have a big sweet tooth yet so I was excited when she ate some of Lulu’s bday cake. She loved the frosting!