Z Gallery

Our Baby is 1!!!

2012-01-14T21:43:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Tripp Taylor. Our youngest is 1! It is hard to believe it has been a year since Tripp was born. We've had an amazing year of huge smiles, two dimples and baby blue eyes. We love you Trippy!

We try to get a picture at the exact time our boys were born each year. Here is Tripp at 9:57am. Shelly snuck into his room during his morning nap and he woke up with the cutest sleepy eyes.

We had a party for Tripp today and Shell did an amazing job making cup cakes for everyone.

Each month we take a pic of Tripp in his month-specific onsie. We lined all of them up on our mantel to see how he's grown so much over the year.

He was in a good mood today!

Tripp is so close to walking. He can stand up by himself, but is just not ready to take that first step. It seriously should be any day now.

A quick family shot.

There is something so special about a mother and her youngest child!

Tripp getting ready for his first birthday cake!

Dane was helping Tripp get ready for the main event!

He was a little pensive at first, but then really enjoyed the frosting!

He then made the mistake rubbing his eye and it was all down hill from there.

The final full body shot with all the damage!

Christmas

2011-12-29T20:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas was a blast this year. We traveled to Sioux Falls, SD on Dec 21st to meet our new nephew/cousin, Benton. He is ADORABLE!!!! Perfect in every way!! We were able to attend his baptism and get some snuggles in for a couple days. We returned to Minni on the 23rd to prepare for Christmas (it's a lot of work making it magical for the kids...I now appreciate all my parents did when I was younger!!).

Here is the tree after Santa visited our house. We had always placed our tree near our front window to see it from the outside of our house, but we moved it into the living room this year and loved it. We enjoyed it so much more because we could view it from the kitchen too.

Tripp was the first one up on Christmas morning. We got some snuggles in before the bigger boys woke up. My sister, Wendy, was in town for Christmas this year and she woke up early with us. She wanted to see Dane's reaction when he came downstairs and saw the tree with presents under it. Matt & I agreed that our favorite part of Christmas was being up in the morning, drinking our coffee and waiting for the boys to wake up (well, Tripp was already awake, but he had no clue what the fuss was about). Our favorite was hearing Dane & Erik on the monitor. Dane said, "Erik, it's Christmas morning! We get to go downstairs and open presents!!" It was absolutely adorable hearing him whisper that to Erik. And look what else was adorable - Tripp's smile :-)

Erik loved every present he opened. Big, little, toy, practical...he was excited for it all.

Dane is obsessed with Disney Cars 2 Shake n' Go cars, so he immediately looked under the tree for anything resembling one of those. Then he proceeded to shake every present in hopes of discovering something that would shake. It was hilarious. For the record, Santa did send him several Shake n' Go cars, and Dane loves them.

I love this picture. Erik had just ripped off the paper and was throwing it behind him. Such an action shot!

Aunt Wendy helping Tripp open his present from Santa. This is the only picture we got of all 3 boys in their matching PJ's! I love, love, love them in matching jammies :-).

We headed to Matt's parents' house for Christmas dinner. We stayed way past Tripp's bedtime, so he was exhausted and fell asleep on Grandmas shoulder. He rarely does this anymore, so it was a treat!

We hope everyone had a magical Christmas and a Happy New Year! We have some fun New Year's Eve pics that we will post soon.

Tis the Season

2011-12-18T18:43:00.001-08:00

We have been busy celebrating the most magical time of year! It has been really fun watching the boys this year. Dane is absolutely beside himself every day knowing that Christmas is right around the corner. Erik is super excited just knowing that Dane is super excited :-). They have both been doing advent calendars and are well aware that THE BIG DAY is less than a week away. Matt and I are also well aware of that fact because we have tons left to do before Christmas morning!!! We hope you are done shopping and wrapping, and that you are just sitting back and relaxing until the 25th.

Tripp did really well meeting Santa for the first time. He didn't flash his double dimples, but he didn't cry either. A success in our book!

Erik screamed last year, so we were surprised when he was the first one to approach Santa this time around. He sat in his lap and posed for the picture like a pro!

Dane was on a mission this year. He wanted to make sure Santa knew what shake n go cars were (he even brought one with him to show Santa...just in case he hadn't seen one before :-).

D also brought several lists that he had been compiling over the last few months. He was so precious reading them to Santa. I just love this picture!

We attended the Holidazzle parade in downtown Minneapolis. We staked out a great spot in the skyway, grabbed Starbucks and then just enjoyed the show. Oh, and we waited in our spot for two hours before the show began. That's what we get for wanting to watch from inside the skyway :-)

Here is a picture of all the people lined up outside. I love the thought of watching it outdoors. Maybe next year??

Here are two pictures from the parade. The boys loved it.

We made sugar cookies a couple weeks ago. I wasn't feeling totally up for the mess, but I'm glad we did it. Even though we're still finding sprinkles and little balls on the floor, it was worth the memories. Erik mixed all the frosting colors together to make brown, and Dane dumped TONS of sprinkles on each of his cookies. We have been enjoying them each day, and I like to have a couple with my morning coffee. Yes, I will have to detox once the holidays are over.

Here is what I found in our tree the other day. Dane thought it needed a few more decorations. Ha!

We hope you are enjoying the holiday season! We have loved receiving everyone's cards and letters. Only 6 days to go!!!

Boys in ACTION!

2011-11-29T07:45:00.002-08:00

We are a very, very busy household. And by busy, I don't mean over-scheduled. I mean we are running, racing, scooting, sliding, building, climbing, running and did I mention running?? Our boys LOVE to run around the house (in their underwear :-). We once tried to enforce a no-running rule for a number of reasons...mostly because Dane kept running over Erik...but also because they were running into furniture and making tons of noise and just going crazy in general. But our no-running rule lasted for a day and then we just had to let them continue racing around the house. It's just what they love to do! But I digress...

Here are a few recent pics of our active boys. This is Erik trying on some swim goggles (these have been a favorite between the boys...and we don't even swim that much...maybe that's why they love them).

Erik and Tripp go to ECFE every Friday. The LOVE it. This is what Erik does the entire time. He goes over to the counter and pushes cars, trucks and tractors around. He still loves cars and anything with wheels.
Sporting his Movember nutella mustache. He looks like this EVERY DAY. He requests nutella & jelly toast for lunch every day and ends up with some variation of this look.
Erik's parking ramp :-)
Dane has started playing hockey! And he likes it! He didn't care for soccer last summer, so we weren't sure how it would go, but he's loving it so far. The goal is to have fun and learn to skate, so they do lots of fun drills on the ice. They don't even use sticks yet because they need to learn to skate without using the stick for support. But here he is posing for a shot - stick and all :-)
On the ice (yellow helmet).
Tripp is such a big 10 month old. Well, not in size but in action. He seriously tries to hang with the bigger boys. If they are running, he will crawl right into their running path so they have to go around him. Or if they are wrestling, he will crawl right onto their legs or backs. It's funny. We keep saying he's the perfect 3rd born because he doesn't wait for an invitation to be included...he just includes himself :-). We love him so much. He eats peas, carrots and green beans from the can. He loves all baby food and he loves puffs and mum mums.
Look at his chubby tummy hanging over his pants. Oh, and his cute smiling eyes!
We still take pics of Tripp every month. This last month didn't go so well. He was tired and teething, but we tried anyway. Dane tried to help too :-)
Here are the boys decorating our new pre-lit Christmas tree. The decorating process went so much faster this year because it was pre-lit. We all loved it!!!

We're looking forward to a season filled with gingerbread houses, cookies, lights, Santa, elf on the shelf, snow and of course, Jesus!!!

He's on the move!

2011-11-10T06:22:00.000-08:00

Tripp started crawling about a month ago. We got this video on one of the first days where everything came together. For a while, he would get up on all fours, rock back and forth and then fall back on his tummy. Here he is on the move!

Boo!

2011-11-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!! Here are our little trick-or-treaters just before heading out. The weather was awesome, and the boys had fun visiting all our neighbors (Erik is the cul de sac's phantom door bell ringer, so he had an especially good time...getting to ring doorbells without being reprimanded :-).

Spiderman Dane showing us his awesome muscles.

Pausing for a picture at our neighbors, Mary & Joseph's, house (yes, their names really are Mary & Joseph :-). Looks like someone had an itch that couldn't wait to be scratched. Ha!

What up peeps? Who's the super hero now?

Cutie pirate #1.

Cutie pirate #2 (for the record, we tried to get Dane to be a pirate too, but he was ALL about spiderman).

My favorite part of the night was watching the boys come back to our house!

Of course they got candy at home too :-).

Both E & D absolutely loved handing out candy. They were more excited for that than trick-or-treating. It was so fun to watch!!

Tripp's Dedication!

2011-10-30T08:10:00.001-07:00

Tripp was dedicated to the Lord on October 2, 2011. It was such a fun day for us!! We had tons of family & friends make it to the ceremony. Tripp did amazing...the ceremony took place during nap time, but he powered through.

We captured two pics from the actual ceremony. Here I am saying "hi" to Auntie Krissy - very professional :-).

Erik (and his La Croix) decided to join us up front.

Praying for Tripp - loved this moment!

Lon & Mindi Stroschein are Tripp's Godparents. I have known Mindi since 3rd grade, and we have been best friends practically my whole life. She's an amazing woman and one of the best mom's I know. She & Lon are about to have their 3rd baby in mid-Dec! Their other two cuties are Grace (7) and Dawson (6).

Tripp with Grammy, Grandma & Grandpa!

Thanks to everyone who came out to support us on T's dedication day! We are sooooo blessed!!!

Apple Jack Orchard

2011-10-24T20:04:00.001-07:00

We had the best weather and spent a day at the apple orchard last weekend!! Hans was visiting us from LA. We had FUN!!

Tripp's baby blues...are still blue at 9 months old!

Erik requested an apple donut for lunch :-)

Dane and dad loving the new jumping pillow!

All 3 boys (with some assistance from Hans)!

Small.

Medium.

Large.

Some Random Stuff...

2011-08-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

It's been a while and we keep taking pictures, but just don't seem to have enough time to post it all. So here are a few fun moments over the past couple months.

Whenever my dad (Matt's) golfs, he manages to find quite a few golf balls in the process. He gave Dane and Erik a grocery bag full and the boys love playing with them.

Tripp keeps getting bigger and bigger. He had his first solids a couple weeks ago and has taken to eating really well. His poops are now equally impressive. He's up to carrots, peas and rice cereal now. Here are some shots from his first supper

There was a stretch where it was insanely hot here...almost couldn't go outside. Erik and Dane have enjoyed popsicles and we made some ice cream cones for them. Definitely needed to strip the boys down to nothing and their bath shortly followed. The chocolate mustaches were money!

Tripp is the only one in our family with blue eyes. We're hoping he keeps them forever! Shelly snapped this one while he was sitting in Dane's blue chair. Makes his blue eyes POP!

Tripp is in the process of mastering sitting up. All of a sudden he just got it! Still has the occasional face plant, but they are becoming more and more infrequent.

Tripp's six month pictures. Dane wanted to get in on the action too!

An example of the aforementioned face plant!

I love it when babies start chunking up and getting fat. One of my absolute favorites is knee fat. Tripp is growing some awesome knee fat. Babies are just awesome!

Tripp has also been eating his toes recently. Great photo op! His skin looks so creamy smooth in these pics.

Dane and Erik love playing with the hose during the hot days!

Up North

2011-07-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun in Ely over the 4th! Traveling there is one of our favorite things to do each year. Not only do we get to spend lots of quality time with each other and our friends, but we also get to experience the beauty of Minnesota. The lake, the trees, the air, the sunshine...it all comes together in perfect harmony up in Ely. We truly sit back and drink it all in. And then we play in it! This year, we went swimming, kayaking, sailing, fishing, cliff jumping and kite boarding. We watched fireworks, played volleyball and bocce ball, danced to a very special 4th of July mix :-), ate great food and ended each day in the oh-so-fantastic sauna. We are so thankful for the Madden & Scott families. Without their generosity, we would not get to create any of these beautiful memories. Here are a few pictures from our time up North...

4th of July Parade

2011-07-16T06:52:00.001-07:00

We traveled up to Ely, MN for the 4th again this year! The weather was PERFECT, and the boys had tons of fun. We have hundreds of pictures of our time there. Here are a few from the 4th of July parade. Highlights were the lawn chair drill team (of course), the saw dust dig (Dane found FIVE quarters), cotton candy, anyone playing the drums and all the rescue vehicles (Erik loves fire trucks right now). The parade started at 1, so the boys were pretty tired by the end. There are some pretty sleepy eyes in some of these pictures!!

Haircut

2011-06-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

A certain 5 month old needed a haircut (already!). He was beginning to look like a mad scientist, so we took him to Snip-Its. This is what his hair looked like when we took him in. He also had a nice, long rat-tail in the back.

They put him in a bumbo and covered him with a smock. He had no clue what was going on, which actually worked in our favor. No tears!
He looks so little in the chair!!!
All done! The finished look is much better! Less mad scientist...more rock star...all cute :-). Matt and I got a little sad when it was all done. It was our last, first haircut (sniffle, sniffle).

He's two!

2011-06-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

Erik turned TWO on May 27th!!! Here is his annual birthday picture, taken at exactly 0753. As a present to his parents, he gave up his nuk (notice how you can't see any in the picture??). Way to go E!!!

The day of Erik's party, he came downstairs to find a fun present waiting for him. Just look at the precious look on his face!
He got a new "bike!" He can't quite reach the pedals yet, but he enjoys pushing it around with his feet. We're hoping he can use the pedals soon...before it starts snowing again :-)
Here he is opening a fun present at his party. He opened every gift all by himself. He is such an independent toddler!
I love this picture! All three cousins are super excited about the train set!
Blowing out his TWO candles! He took his time...blew about 20 times...
...and finally blew them out!!! Such a stud.
I love this picture...just enjoying his CARS cake! Erik is so cute at TWO. He is sweet and snuggly. He wants to do everything himself. He is starting to talk, which is exciting because he's pretty much been grunting and growling until now. He LOVES cars and never leaves the house without one clenched in his little fist. His favorite foods are strawberries, fruit strips and cheese. He has a beautiful smile and gorgeous brown eyes!!! God has blessed us with an amazing little man!!!

Happy 33rd Honey!

2011-05-08T14:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to my AMAZING hubby!!!! Matt, I love you so much and am extremely thankful for you!!!! Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :-)

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-28T21:42:00.001-07:00

Last week we had our Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Bob and Wanda's. It's a great tradition and over the years, has grown to the point where we've had to split it into two hunts. One for the little tykes and one for the adults. While the adult hunt is all candy, there are fun toys, books and other trinkets for the kids to pick up.

We had a plethora of photographers snapping away as the kids ran about collecting goodies. Here is the entire group of youngsters.

Does someone look just a little determined?

Here he is in action!

As you can see in the pictures, I recently got a GoPro video camera and thought it would be fun to have Dane wear it this year during the hunt. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this video is worth a ba-jillion. It gives a completely new perspective...one of sheer joy as Dane stays laser focused on his one and only purpose...not toys, not books, just EGGS!

Gummy Smile Tuesday

2011-04-19T20:09:00.001-07:00

Tripp is interacting with us more and more each day. We were able to get some really good smiles from him yesterday. I just love big gummy baby smiles. The dimples are a nice touch too. Quite often, his smiles start out crooked. He prefers to hang the lower lip a little to the right.

With Tripp getting so much attention from Shelly and I, Dane and Erik needed to get in the action as well. Kisses all around! What a lovely "Bromance"

3 Months...

2011-04-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

Tripp is 3 months today. Can't even believe it. He is a great boy...sleeps really well, listens to his mom and Dad and does all his homework on time. We took some pics right after the boys woke up this morning. I thought only adults looked like this before they had their coffee.

Both Dane and Erik really love their brother. Whenever he wakes up from a nap they say hello and give him little snuggles. Today was no exception! Erik was actually the first one to get up, and when Shelly brought Tripp down, he got so excited! Can't you just imagine Tripp yelling, "GET OFF OF ME!!!"

This is how excited Erik got after Shelly asked him if he wanted to hold Tripp in the chair.

He's learned to say, "Cheese" whenever Daddy has the camera pointed at him!

Though Erik is still not even 2, his feet look so big compared to Tripp's.

Dane then wanted a turn with his youngest bro. This was just after he woke up, and he still looks like he's waking up :-)

Not sure what Dane is thinking in this one. Tripp is definitely saying, "Little help please...Little help."

And here is the money shot. Shelly did an awesome job of getting him to smile. Love those dimples!

Unfortunately, the photo shoot was cut short when he realized he hadn't eaten his breakfast. FEED ME!!

Below are just a couple random shots.

Are YOU yawning right now?

Uno, Dos, Tres, Quatro...

2011-03-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Dane. We cannot even believe our oldest is a 4 year old.

I went into his room at 6:39am to take his picture (our annual tradition), thought he was asleep and just as I was about to snap one, he whispers, "Dad, what are you doing?" He quickly figured it out and tried to pose. Sweet Birthday Hair Dane!

I then reminded him that it was his birthday and he replied, "Yes, it's my birthday, but I'm still three." I responded, "No, Dane you're now 4." To which he reasoned, "No, I'm still three because I haven't had my cake yet." Oh, wouldn't that be nice. I'd forgo cake for many years if it meant I didn't have to age.

This year, Dane really understood the simple equation...Birthday = Presents. He loved opening them and was grinning from ear to ear the entire time.

He got a hockey helmet with a facemask...though it appears that the helmet is too small. He requested one after he face-planted on the ice last Oct. If you ask him what happened, he'll nonchalantly tell you, "Daddy, pushed me over!"

This picture about sums it up..."Look out world. That's right, I'm 4!"

A few Pics...fewer words

2011-03-10T20:58:00.000-08:00

Life is crazy...so little time!

1 Month Later

2011-02-16T20:13:00.000-08:00

My how time flies. Tripp is now 5 weeks old. We've been having a lot of fun with him. The boys have too! Here are a few of the thousands (yes, literally thousands) of pictures we've taken these past few weeks.

Unlike Dane and Erik, Tripp was born with a lot of hair. Right after his bath, it gets sooo fluffy and looks remarkably like Derek.

We had Tripp's 1 month photoshoot last weekend. Same chair that Erik had his monthly pictures taken in. Can't believe how small he is in the chair.

He has really blue eyes. We're kind of hope they'll stay. He'd be the only one in the family with them.

Naturally, Dane and Erik saw us paying attention to Tripp and wanted in on the action. We were able to get some fun shots of all three boys. I still can't believe we have three little boys.

They do love their little brother!

Erik had had enough, and Dane tried hard to keep him around. "Not so fast little bro!"

This is what got Erik's attention...not sure he'll be too popular at the Karaoke Bar with his current technique!

Dane was able to get some additional cuddle time with Tripp.

This is a great perspective on just how little Tripp, and all newborns are. The difference between Toddler's hand and a newborn...they change so quickly!

On a completely separate note...they boys love putting on Dane's Wobble Goggles.

Happy 1 Week Tripp

2011-01-20T21:41:00.001-08:00

It's been 1 week since Tripp officially entered our lives. We've had a great time photographing him this past week and wanted to post a couple favorites. Happy 1 Week birthday Tripp. We are so blessed to have you in our lives.

Check out all the wrinkles...he's like our little shar pei!

How comfortable does he look here. Oh the life...

Good one of the dimple.

He passed his hearing test with flying colors.

The Z Boys meet!!!

2011-01-15T20:36:00.001-08:00

Dane and Erik came to meet their little brother yesterday! Dane was SOOOOO into him and couldn't wait to hold his little brother. He kept petting Tripp's hair and inspecting his hands. It was absolutely adorable watching him hug his littlest brother. We tried to select one photo to post, but we couldn't choose just one, so here are five :-).

Erik, on the other hand, wasn't that interested in his new little brother. And who could blame him at just 19 months. He did have tons of fun playing in the shower though and checking out the hospital room!

Here is Shell with all her boys...They are lucky to have such a great mama!

And here we are in our first photo as a family of FIVE.

Introducing Tripp Taylor Zitzlsperger

2011-01-14T13:41:00.000-08:00

He arrived yesterday, Jan 13th at 9:57 am. Tripp Taylor Zitzlsperger. Weighing in at 6lbs 13 oz and 20 inches long. Below are a few pics showing his life's journey so far!

We headed to the OR right at 9:30. It is so weird walking down the hallway to go pick up your baby.

This is just after he was born...still in the OR. He transitioned really really well. No problems at all. We were surprised at his weight. He was much smaller than both Dane (7 lbs 8 oz) and Erik (7 lbs 5 oz). Our doctor said it may just be him, or it may have been the 2-vessel cord...not getting as many nutrients from the placenta. We'll never know, but he is our littlest peanut for sure!

A quick family shot with mama!

While Shell was finishing up in the OR, I headed to the nursery with Tripp to get a more complete check-up.

Shell got to hang out with him in the post-op recovery room. Their bond was instant!

Cute feet...love the footprints!

I like to call this the Pirate shot! "Arrrrr....me hearty!"

He's got two dimples...so fun!!

Thus far, he has really been a dream baby boy. He's nursing well, sleeps a ton and is really chill. Thanks for everyone's prayers during the pregnancy and delivery!!!

Tres Dias Mas...Ole

2011-01-10T18:29:00.000-08:00

How Many Days???

2011-01-08T11:58:00.000-08:00

That's right, 5 days until Baby Huffington is here. Our boys are jumping for joy getting ready to meet their little brother or sister!!!

Christmas Eve Snowman

2011-01-05T12:06:00.000-08:00

We live in a snow globe! At least that's how it feels lately. With all the snow we've been getting, Dane had been asking me to make a snowman for weeks, and I kept telling him, "Mommy doesn't have any snow pants that fit, so you have to wait for a weekend when daddy is home." Sounds easy enough, but most of the weekends in December were COLD. Finally, on Christmas Eve day, it wasn't too cold and daddy was home, so Dane got to make his very first snowman!!

Step 1: Capture a cute picture of the boys in the snow!

Step 2: Spray the snow to make it stick. Unfortunately, the latest snowfall had been really fluffy and not at all sticky. But a little water made it stick okay...they couldn't roll the snow into balls but at least it stayed in a mound. It would just be a blob snowman :-)
Step 3: Decorate the snowman with creative items. Clementines for the eyes, a carrot for the nose, sticks for the mouth and arms.
Step 4: Capture the finished product! Love the smiles on these two!
Yay! We are proud to say this was the only snowman on Alvarado Lane during the holidays. Dane named him Max. He also named our minivan Max...it is a favorite name for some reason.
I had to include this picture because you can see Matt snow blowing behind the giant mound of snow in our front yard. The funny part is that our Honda Accord is parked behind the mound of snow, but you can't see it at all. Seriously, SO MUCH SNOW!!!!

Best Buy Holiday Party

2010-12-21T18:46:00.001-08:00

We went to Best Buy's holiday party last Thursday. We got to see Matt's new office, and we got to see Santa!! It was fun and crazy busy with all the little kids. Here is Dane with Santa. Check out his awesome smile :-). He told Santa he wanted a watch for Christmas. We'll see...

And here is Erik! He was less than thrilled to see the man in red. He has been going through the stranger-danger phase right now (which has also applied to people he knows and sees every week - awesome :-).

Then....Santa asked to take a picture with me, and I immediately thought, "What the heck?" But then he took out a stethoscope and checked the baby's heart beat. It was sort of cute. Now the baby has it's first picture with Santa :-)

And this is a fun one of Matt & I with Kenneth the Elf (he's in the Best Buy commercials right now). I love it!
Have a very Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Camera Clean-Up Part 2

2010-12-13T11:34:00.001-08:00

I found some more pictures that I wanted to post. Some of them are from September, so if Erik looks little or if I don't look very pregnant, it's because the pictures are old :-) We just have soooooo many photos that we haven't had the chance to go through. But we are catching up! To start things off....here is our little climber on top of the train table. As you can see, the boys use it for toy storage more than for trains. And lately, Erik has taken to climbing on EVERYTHING. He climbs on every chair and table he can find, and he even pushes chairs around the kitchen to reach certain items or open certain drawers. It's cute but dangerous :-)

This pic was taken back when there were leaves on the trees! I love the lighting in the picture, and of course, I LOVE the open mouth kiss!
This picture was taken the day after Dane took a MAJOR spill on the ice. He was skating with Matt and face planted. Matt thought Dane may have broken his nose (that's how hard he fell), but luckily he walked away with only a fat lip. We decided not to skate anymore until we invested in a hockey helmet with face mask. This adorable face needs to be protected!
I'm posting this picture because I actually like the way I look in it. HA!!! I was 26 weeks pregnant and love the dress and lighting. I am now 34 weeks pregnant, which is probably why I like this picture. I am HUGE now and would rather not post any pictures in my current state :-)
I am frantically trying to get Erik's baby book done before January, and because I have been working on it so much, Dane has taken an interest in his baby book. It's adorable watching him go through it and hearing him ask questions about "when he was a baby." Photo books take a lot of time and energy, but I'm so glad I have the option to make them (since I am not into scrapbooking).
Lindsay came to visit in October!!! We had a girls' weekend and spent time shopping, eating and going to the movies. She also got to spend some time with Dane and Erik. It was such a great weekend, and I'm very thankful we had the opportunity to spend time together before our babies are born (my c-section is scheduled for Jan 13th and hers is scheduled for the 14th :-). I can't wait to call her from my hospital bed. It will be such a neat experience to have kids one day apart!
I love this picture of Dane! Grammy gave him TWO old guitar hero guitars, and he loves playing them (or pretending to play them, since we don't have guitar hero :-). He is still very into music. The drums and guitar are his current favorites. I don't think we've ever posted a picture of it, but his Papa & Nana gave him a real drum set for his 3rd birthday. He plays it every day and can even do a drum roll. We'll have to get a picture or video of that soon.
Unlce Hans came to visit us in November! It was so much fun having him in town. He was the easiest house guest in the world. He played with the boys and was content just hanging out. He was even willing to watch House Hunters and Divine Design :-) Here are a couple cute pics of him with Erik and Dane. Oh, and he's the reason Dane can do a drum roll!

Camera Clean-Up Part 1

2010-11-29T19:48:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope yours was festive and filling! We got together with the Zitzlsperger clan and had all the cousins together. Here are all 9 turkeys: Dane, Rocco, Maddie, Simon, Robbie, Erik, Cruz, Chelsie and Adele. Baby Huffington's (what Dane calls the baby in my belly) arrival in January will make it an even 10. Unless someone decides to go for another...NOT us :-)

Our first snowstorm of the season! We got the boys bundled up for a quick trip outside. Neither one of them liked it. Boo. Erik was annoyed with his mittens, and Dane said his cheeks were too cold. Then he asked for bandaids for his cheeks, which we gave him, and he stayed out a few minutes longer. Until his bandaids got too cold. Ha! That's seriously what he told us...his bandaids were too cold, so he had to go inside. Side note: you can see the side of our new minivan in this picture. We did it!!! And we love it!!! Let's face it, it's not the coolest car, but it has heated seats and doors that I can open from my key chain while walking to the car. Those are pretty good features in this tundra of a state we live in. Oh yeah, and it has ample room for baby #3. That's pretty important too :-)
I have been frantically trying to get Erik's baby book done before Baby Huffington arrives. While I was working on it the other morning, the boys brought their laptops over and we all "worked." Dane copied CDs and Erik just took the keys off his keyboard. Thanks to Grammy for supplying the extra laptops!!
I had to include this one because of Erik's dark brown eyes. I love them!!
Erik likes to clean with me! He usually just vacuums and helps empty the dishwasher, but he saw me dusting the mantle and wanted to help out. Love it!
I hope the next two pics make you smile. Dane is in LOVE with the show "Imagination Movers," and one of the guys on the show has these things called wobble goggles. They light up and allow him to see through walls and stuff. Anyway, one night, Dane asked me to put on his goggles to pretend they were wobble goggles. Here he is examining his helicopter with his super vision-enhancing goggles. Quirky and adorable :-)
Another shot of the goggles. They were wicked tight, but he wouldn't let me adjust them. I guess he thought I would break them and ruin his play time. I love the entire look of this picture. The crazy hair, the camo sweatshirt, the CDs and the goggles. Gotta love this kid!!

Happy Halloween

2010-11-03T07:59:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe it's been almost 2 weeks since Halloween! Time flies!!! We had the best Halloween ever this year. We had several activities to keep us busy. The weekend started off with a costume party at Dane's preschool. We met up with our good friends Bruce & Kari. They have two little girls, Katie (Dane's age) and Anna (Erik's age). Even though the kiddos don't look like they are having fun in this picture, they had a great time :-)

Here is Matt arriving with the boys. Thomas the Train and one cute chicken. The boys were a bit in shock at the party. There was a DJ, dancing and tons of treats. They just stared at everyone for a while. They finally cut loose half way through...after the sugar kicked in.

We carved pumpkins the Saturday before Halloween. Dane's teachers came up with a great activity where the kids had golf tees, a hammer and a pair of pliers. They hammered the golf tees into the pumpkin and then used the pliers to get them out (they did this over and over for fun). We decided to let Dane do the same thing at home, and then we carved the pumpkin. It became our polka-dotted pumpkin. Here they are admiring their handy work.
We try to get together with all the little cousins each Halloween. Here are the boys with Simon (2) and Adele (10 months). Cruz and Rocco were sick and couldn't make it :-( Simon is really into transportation vehicles, so it was no surprise that he went as Thomas as well. He and Adele have such cute smiles!
Here are the boys trick-or-treating at our neighbors house. Dane held a small (ok, maybe more like a medium length) conversation with everyone at the door, while Erik just grabbed the candy and left. Dane is our social bug and Erik is our task-oriented guy. At least for now :-)
Here they are arriving home. They rang the doorbell, and it was so cute to see them standing at the door in costume. I just love them so much!!!!
But this was my favorite part of the night. Dane LOVED answering the door for trick-or-treaters. He would grab the candy dish and RUN to the door. He would yell, "Moooooooom, there are kids at the door!!!!!!!!!!" Then he would wait for me to waddle to the door and open it. Then he would put candy in each kids bag. It was adorable. Like I said before, he is our social bug :-) We hope everyone out there had a great Halloween as well!

All about Erik

2010-10-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

The last couple postings have been about Dane, so we decided to dedicate this one to Erik. He is still so smiley and seems to be on the verge of talking. He loves climbing up our stairs and staring at himself in the mirror. He will also offer up kisses as seen below.

He had his first brush with the brick fireplace. Just a little scratch under his chin, but he left the band-aid on.

We went to Dane's Preschool open house and he was showing Erik how to do fabulous art projects. Erik loves watching his older bro. (side note: check out Dane's rooster hair do :-)

We went to Minnehaha Falls with Leslie (Shelly's sister) and her boyfriend Dan. Erik loved climbing on the rocks with his Mama!

As I mentioned, Erik is still really smiley, but the way he smiles only shows his bottom teeth. You might not even know that he has upper teeth, but he does have some pretty big chompers.

What a fabulous GAP between the two front ones!

The other day, I got some nap time with Erik on my chest. I hadn't had the chance to do it in a long time, but he just laid on me and napped...it was the best thing ever.

We found an old camera that we don't use anymore and Dane loves to take pictures with it. Talk about a close-up!

This one is fun because you can actually see Erik on the LCD of Dane's camera.

Dane loves to cook with us. When we make soft pretzels, he helps with the kneading of the dough. Erik joined in the last time too. They both seem like naturals.

Showing his little bro the tricks of the trade.

E loves to show off his tongue!

Ice Skating

2010-10-07T22:50:00.000-07:00

We took Dane ice skating a couple weeks ago. It was so much fun! We literally had the entire rink to ourselves. Dane really enjoyed his time and we were so proud of him for trying. We ended up going to the rink 3 times in 1 week. I'm sure it will be the first of many, many visits to the rink.

The rink had a bar that Dane could skate behind and allow him to get his feet and stay upright.

Sometimes the bar just wasn't enough.

He started running on the ice pretty quickly.

When he did fall, he usually still had a smile on his face and would get right back up.

Had to stop for a kiss from his biggest fan...Love you Mom!

His body language in this one is like, "Yeah, I got this...no problem!"

Through all the up and down, his pant legs got pretty wet.

It was a little late for Erik, and he was getting tired, but he did like watching his big bro.

Here are a couple videos

First Day of Pre-School

2010-09-15T14:39:00.001-07:00

Yay!!!! Pre-school has started for Dane! He was pretty chill about the whole "first day" thing. Matt and I were MUCH more excited and kept telling him how awesome he was going to do and how he'd meet all kinds of friends. He just took it in stride and was like, "What's the big deal?" It was hilarious. Here he is posing for his first day of school photo...we had to use reverse psychology to get him to smile, but it worked. Cheese!

This is blue steel for sure. Not sure why he turned and made this face, but we are thrilled he did. TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL!!!
Erik was beside himself that Dane was leaving for the morning. Uh, not really. He was just mad that Dane had his arm around him. Dane has a tendency to encroach on Erik's space, and lately, Erik has been letting Dane know when it's too much. I guess it was too much :-)
Dane's teachers asked us to bring in a recent family photo, and we didn't have one! So we took one this morning and it actually turned out okay. Three blondes and a brunette.
We were told to show up with a BIG backpack, and Dane picked out this red one. He seems to be liking red lately, which is a nice change from pink & purple :-)
Here is Erik practicing for next year's school photo. Keep working on it E...you'll soon master blue steel too.
Walking into school...
Another shot of the ginormous pack.
Here we go!
And this is at pick up time! He ran out and bee-lined for dad. Mom who??
Oh wait, he did come back for a quick shot with his proud mama.
But THIS is a cute picture. Two amazing smiles!! We hope you have a great year, Dane!!!

Five on Friday

2010-08-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

1. It's been over a month since our last post, so you're probably thinking, "Only 5 pictures???" Believe me, we have hundreds, but I'm going to try and post a few pictures more frequently. That's the plan anyway :-) Here is a picture of Dane waking Erik after his nap. Dane loves to run into Erik's room before we do, and Erik always loves to see him. It's so darn cute! And I love Erik's hair all messy in the back....perfect nap hair :-)
2. Here is Dane with cousin Robbie. They filled TONS of water balloons at cousin Cruz's birthday party. It was Dane's favorite part of the party. He didn't even go inside for cake. And that's a first!
3. Here is Erik helping me clean the house. Vacuuming has become one of his favorite activities. Seriously, if I'm having a tough day with the two of them, I just vacuum and then everyone is happy. Erik follows me around with his toy vacuum and Dane plays CDs while singing extra loud. Peace and order are then restored :-)
4. Dane drew his first sunshine about a month ago! It was so cute. He looked up at me and said, "Look mom, a sunshine!" I love that he drew a smiley face in the middle. Dane LOVES to draw and write. He can draw stick men, smiley faces and sunshines. And he can write Dane, Mom and Dad. He can write pretty much any word if we spell it out for him, but he can write those three on his own. Preschool, here we come!
5. Surprise to some of you! We are expecting our third little peanut in January. I'm currently 19 weeks along, but this picture was taken at 16 weeks. I'm HUGE this time around. I popped instantly and have just continued to grow at a rapid pace. My doc says it's normal and that I'm right on track, but it feels so weird to be this big this early. We have an ultrasound in a couple weeks, but we're not going to find out the gender. I selfishly want a little girl so I can master pig tails and teach her a back flip, but then I selfishly want a boy so that Dane & Erik can grow up with another brother. So either way, God knows best and will give us what we need. We are just super excited to complete our family and buy that minivan all our friends talk about. Ha!!!!

4th of July - Part 2

2010-07-14T18:56:00.001-07:00

Finally, part 2!! While up in Ely, we attended a 4th of July festival/parade. Dane participated in an event where he dug for quarters in saw dust. He found one quarter and then stopped because he was all dirty. The saw dust was wet from a morning rain storm and got in his crocs...wah!!
Two tired mamas enjoying a day in the sun!
The parade was AWESOME. It was just right for young kids....nothing too big or crazy with tons of candy and fun prizes. Dane came home with new sunglasses and a brown bag full of candy. He didn't know what to do with all the goodies. Here he is inspecting a never-before-seen Now & Later. Yes, mom has been holding out on you Dane :-)
Erik loved the parade as well. Ha!!! Can you tell he is beyond tired at this point?
There were fire trucks and police cars at the end of the parade. Dane detests super loud noises, so he plugged his ears the entire time. And, at one point, he even ran into a random backyard to escape the noise. Luckily, we were watching at THE moment he ran into the backyard, or we would have freaked out not knowing where he had gone.
This is random, but there was a "Lawn Chair Drill Team" that rocked the crowd. Gotta love small towns...and homemade tie-dye!

4th of July - Part 1

2010-07-07T12:16:00.001-07:00

Happy belated 4th everyone!! Our great friends, John & Jen Madden, invited us to Ely, MN for the holiday. We spent the long weekend lakeside and enjoyed every minute of it. Dane loved the water this year and had tons of fun "swimming" with Grace. Erik worked on his walking and enjoyed the baby pool. Matt flew his kite in the water for the first time (no pictures...darn!). And I took in the scenery, napped a few times and enjoyed the boat rides. It was so relaxing...even with two kids!

Here are the Madden & Zitzlsperger kids. Grace (2), Emma & Nick (9 mo), Erik (13 mo) and Dane (3).
Hey Erik, are those pants or shorts???
Testing out the waters.
Dane found a turtle in one of the ponds. He would look for it every morning and carry it around for a few minutes each day (until we would make him put it back). Here he is proudly showing it to Erik.
Here is my mama's boy giving me some snuggles. What a cutie!!!
Dane spent the majority of the weekend naked. He was all about his swim suit until he saw Grace swimming naked, and then it became a battle to get the suit on. So we just went with it. Of course, we had to slather on the sunscreen with his Twilight-ish skin :-)
Again, naked! Even with his dee dee.
One of the best smiles ever. When Erik is happy, he is happy.
Dane's FAVORITE park of the weekend was singing karaoke. Does this surprise anyone??? :-)
We hope everyone had a great 4th! I'll post Part 2 soon!

Happy Birthday Erik!!!

2010-05-27T19:32:00.001-07:00

Today, Erik turned 1! We can hardly believe it. Never has a year seemed to pass along so quickly. Erik has truly been a great child...super smiley, super happy, rarely complains, loves his older brother and has just the greatest demeanor.

We celebrated his birthday last weekend with a little get together for family. Erik didn't seem to be himself and was in a little bit of a funk that day (teething!). We got some great pics below.

Happy birthday Lil' E. We love you!

His eyes got HUGE when he saw the cake, so we were hopeful he would like it.

Dane helped him blow out the candle on his cake. Check out E's hand going for the orange balloon :-)

Hmmm...what do we have here??Too sweet! We did place a puff on top of the cake to entice him to eat it, but he just ate the puff and then wouldn't touch the cake. It was comical.
Big brother Dane was more than happy to help Erik out in the eating of his cake. Dane went and got the fork himself and got some of the best bites. Notice the fork full of frosting!

After a few minutes, this is what it turned into. Clearly not his day. He wanted out of the high chair NOW!!

We tried his birthday hat, and he left it on for .000000001 seconds. Long enough to get this pic (way to go Matt!!).

A fun picture with his parents. Erik, turn that frown upside down! Aging isn't all that bad :-)

And one with the entire family. We got a partial smile!

We've been pretty diligent about taking monthly pictures of Erik in the same chair. We printed them out so everyone could see the transformation. We'll post them to the blog soon.

Erik LOVES books, so we got him a few as a gift. Books in a box! Doesn't get much better than that!

Once again, Happy Birthday E! This past year has been so much fun. We pray that you continue to grow, develop and keep smiling. We love you!!!

A few recent pics...

2010-05-16T20:11:00.001-07:00

Here are some recent pictures of Dane and Erik. Dane has hit his stride as a 3 year old. A few people have told us that the 3's are tougher than the "Terrible Two's" Right now we would tend to agree. Dane certainly knows what he wants and is willing to let us know when thing aren't going exactly the way he'd planned. He is such a sweet boy and still loves his music.

Erik turns 1 in a couple weeks, which just doesn't seem possible. It has been fun to see how both boys are similar and different at the same time. We love them and truly feel blessed to be their parents.

Enjoy the pics!!!

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to Shell and to all the other mothers out there! We snapped a couple quick shots of Mom and the boys today. Big D and Lil E are so lucky to have such a great mom. Thanks for everything you do for me and the boys Shell!

Loves

Dedication

2010-04-22T05:21:00.001-07:00

Erik was dedicated to the Lord on April 17th!! The dedication took place at 6:30pm on a Saturday night, so it was a bit tough on Erik (he still goes to bed at 6pm). He was tired and not so smiley. BUT he didn't make a peep, and he even let Pastor Sara hold him while she prayed for him. It was super cute and a wonderful moment for our family.

Dane was a handful up on stage...the microphone, drums and guitars were SO tempting. He wiggled his way through the entire dedication. Matt did what he could to control him, but it was tough. At least he entertained the congregation :-)

Here we are in the beginning. Things are going well....
...and this is toward the end. Erik looks bored and Dane is being distracting. Ha!
Oh well. Here is the man of the hour with his happy parents :-)
And here is the best family shot. Thanks to Krissy for taking such great pictures!
We invited our family & friends over to our house following the dedication. Here is a cute pic of Erik with his Aunt Ashley. So cute!!
And I love this picture. Everyone looks so happy. Well, everyone except a very tired Erik :-)

Happy 3rd Birthday Dane!!!

2010-03-18T07:59:00.001-07:00

WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!

A Few Random Pics

2010-02-24T21:13:00.000-08:00

Well hello there...
Our cuties sort of play together. The majority of their "playing" occurs in the ball pit...yes, the ball pit is back. Pictures to come...
Dane began soccer....on Saturday mornings. His group is the THUMPERS. Great energy release right before nap time. Perfect timing. Thank you soccer.
We need to get Paige and Lindsay out here for some pointers. Gosh Dane, you look so big. Like a boy...not a toddler anymore.
OMG, you look so big. Please stop growing already!!
The ole parachute. Even soccer can't resist its charm :-)
Frisbee in February? Yes, please.
Mommy taught him to do this. So fun to eat something off the ground. Stay away from the yellow stuff :-)
Smile. Sigh. Smile. Love. Love. Love.
LOVE.

The Meltdown

2010-02-11T20:43:00.001-08:00

Someday Dane is not going to be too thrilled that I posted this, but until then we all can enjoy a good laugh!!!

8 Months!!!

2010-02-03T17:33:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since we've blogged. Almost a month, too long. The boys continue to get bigger and we truly cherish every single day we have with them. Erik is now 8 months old and continues to just melt our hearts when he smiles. Fortunately, that is a lot of the time. Erik absolutely loves watching his brother. I bet he is going to run before he can walk just so he can keep up with Dane. We took some 8 month pictures last weekend. I can't even believe it. Enjoy...

Dane wanted to get in the action. He won't let us take his picture, but wants to get involved when we take Erik's. He started playing a little game of Peek-a-Boo. You can see how much Erik loves his big brother!

After Dane was finished Erik was like, "Hey dude, where are you going?"

Erik has been standing a little bit (with our help of course). He did a great job standing by himself. Check out the fatty thighs...

Of course Shell was ready to make the save...Great catch Mom!!

As usual, Dane started a song (these days it is Michael Jackson's "Beat-it") and began dancing.

Sweet Jazz Hands Dane!

Caught a cute moment when Dane was sitting on Shell's lap. At first he wouldn't look at the camera and we got him with the old, "Don't look at the camera! Whatever you do, don't look at the camera." Boom, Pow, Bam...Busted! Like butta!!!

Christmas! Finally!

2010-01-06T07:36:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas season started with a trip to see Santa! It was soooooo easy this year. Santa came to Dane's preschool during a pancake breakfast fundraiser. It was a very calm and comfortable environment compared to the mall last year. Even so, Dane did not know what to make of the man in red. Erik was fine and managed to pull Santa's beard pretty hard. Luckily it was glued on. Sorry Santa!
The weekend before Christmas, we had a quiet celebration as a family of four. We made cinnamon rolls and took our time opening presents. Dane was fun to watch this year! He noticed the stockings right away and was super curious about them. After he was done opening everything inside he said, "After my nap, I can do more stocking." :-)
Erik got a stocking too...full of practical things like baby lotion and bottle nipples! But he loved everything...especially the wrapping paper...
...and the bows!

Dane got a cozy coupe and LOVES it!!! The first thing he said is, "It's just like Katie's." And the second thing he said is, "It's a minivan." Ha ha!!!

Erik with another bow.
With some new books!
Erik trying to help Dane with the paper.
Such fun memories!!
Aw....sweet Christmas snuggle! Jammies off already :-)
The next morning we packed up the car and drove to Decatur, IL to visit Papa and Nana. The drive took about 10.5 hours each way. The boys did really well, which was amazing. They did have several poopy diapers though, so we had to stop a lot :-) Some highlights were: Erik getting TWO teeth, Dane learning to play pool, Erik meeting his great-grandma Hooten, spending our first night in a hotel as a family of four and seeing all our Indiana and Illinois relatives! Here are some pics of our trip...

The Hooten Clan.
Erik meeting his Great Grandma Hooten! She is such a positive woman - truly a blessing to everyone.
Dane trying to hit the ball.Erik trying to give Nana a kiss :-)Erik getting a bath in Papa & Nana's bathroom sink - perfect size for his little body.
Abby, Serenity and Dane in Papa & Nana's awesome new tub!Matt reading a book to all of us...staged scene, of course :-)
Papa with the Z boys (apparently Papa was the only one who could peel his eyes away from the exciting Max & Ruby episode on TV).
Dane trying out his new camera. It is awesome! It takes pictures AND videos. He is still learning how to use it, but wow, once he does he is going to LOVE it.
Erik enjoying a box!
We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is having a great 2010!!!

Wild Boys

2009-12-09T11:28:00.001-08:00

Aunt Wendy participated in a silent auction and won some Wild hockey tickets. But she lives in D.C., so she decided to give them to us!!! LUCKY!! She helped a great cause and four boys had a super fun time at the game. Here are some pics of Matt, Dane, Uncle Josh and Cruz at their first father-son hockey game.

Dane kept his hood up the entire game because he thought it was too loud in the arena. He kept saying, "Next time, I'll just put some ice skates on my ears and it will be much better." Ha ha!! Ice skates? On your ears? Ok.
The boys enjoyed the freebies!! Next time the boys attend a game, they will have to take Erik and Rocco too. Then the moms can go have a cocktail :-) Thanks for the tickets Wendy!!

What Dane is Thankful For!

2009-11-26T06:20:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Today, Dane wants to let everyone know about somethings he is thankful for. We recently took off the front of his crib to create a "Big Boy Bed." We are heading to Illinois to see Shelly's Dad for Christmas and will likely need to stop and stay in a hotel half way. Knowing Dane will be in a bed (lil E will have the Pack N Play), we thought it would be great to get him used to sleeping in a bed at home versus in a hotel. Let me tell you...he absolutely loves his new big boy bed. More than anything, he likes to use it as a trampoline. I'm not exactly sure how long it will hold up, but for now he is extremely "Thankful" for his new big boy bed!

Looks a little strained on the way down!!!

Sweet ups Dane!!!

Here he is the first night he slept in it. To our knowledge, he hasn't fallen off yet.

Dane is also thankful for his "Snuggles with Mommy!" The other day he said, "Hey Mom, you wanna snuggle on the white ottoman? Mom you wanna snuggle?" How can you say no to that? So Shell and Big D got a little quality time on our spare ottoman. Such a cute moment.

Dane even went and got a blanket to keep Shelly warm.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone again!!! From Big D!

Say Goodbye to Non-smelly Poops!

2009-11-15T17:34:00.001-08:00

Just one of the many great benefits (from a Dad's perspective) of infants who are nursed is the lack of stench associated with their poopy diapers. When Dane first started eating baby foods, I remember the foul odor hitting me in the face like a Mack Truck. Totally wasn't ready for it. Well Lil' E had rice cereal for the very first time today. While I can't speak to the changing odor just yet, I know it is coming soon. Instead, we celebrated by documenting this momentous feat.

We put him in the bumbo and, as usual, he was all smiles.

This truly is bite number one.
Didn't quite keep it all in!
His attention quickly turned to the spoon that mommy was using to feed him.
Give me that!!!
There were a couple times when he wasn't totally psyched about the experience.
But by the end of it, he was back to his usual smiles.
Congrats on eating your first solids, Erik!

5 Months!!!

2009-11-07T19:14:00.000-08:00

Erik has turned 5 months old and we took some pics today in his 5 month onesie.

Last week, Shelly found an old video of her making Dane laugh. He was less than one and was in his high chair. Shelly was popping out of from behind a chair, the classic "Peek-a-boo!" When Shelly found the old video on the computer, Dane wanted to watch it over and over. We kept telling him..."That was you when you were a baby!" You could see him trying to process in his mind, what he was seeing. Well during the photo shoot, Shelly tried the "peek-a-boo" trick on Erik to see if we could get some big smiles. Once Dane saw what was going on, he wanted to get in the chair too. Result is below...

Lately, it seems like Dane never gives us that big of a smile. Too bad the trick didn't work on Erik! He was not amused :-)

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T05:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Here is the cutest spider you ever did see attending his ECFE class.
Yes, Little E was a Spider this year for Halloween. He was all smiles.
Mmmmmm! Candy!
Dane and Mom went to Target. This year he picked out his own costume. Shelly was trying to persuade him to be a Candy Corn, but he said "I just want to be a pumpkin." So here is our little pumpkin boy. We made a last minute effort to try and paint his face orange. Note to self: Allow more time for proper face painting!
Here is a group pic with (left to right) Shelly & Erik (Spider), Cruz (UPS Delivery Guy), Kristin and Simon (Tigger), Dane (DJ Grumpy Pumpkin...notice the portable CD player in his hand), Kelly and Rocco (Bear).
Cruz getting ready to deliver his package.
So when we actually went "Trick or Treating," Dane would not let go of his portable CD player and CDs. I would have to carry his candy in between every house. I'd give him his pumpkin as he would walk up to the door. Notice there aren't any headphones...he can't even listen to it, but it goes with him everywhere.
Til next Halloween...

Pumpkins and Face Paint

2009-10-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

Grandma Cherrie treated us to a fun filled day at Apple Jack Orchards last weekend! It was THE Fall experience we were all looking for. Cool weather, sunshine, kids happy to be outside and lots of pumpkins (including pumpkin guts all over one Zitzlsperger kid...can you guess which one??).

Dane started the day by feeding this goat....over....and over....and over again. Seriously, Dane should know by now that force feeding doesn't work. His parents have tried it on him several times...
The family shot. We tried. Sigh.
On the way to the pumpkin patch. Someone's having fun :-)
The moms bringing up the rear...chatting about the coffee we desperately needed and should have stopped to get on the way to the orchard.
Mom, would you please pay attention?!?! I can't see a thing!I'll still smile for you though because that's the kind of baby I am :-)
Maybe this pumpkin? Nah, too big for Big D.
This one is much better!Dane: OH NO! I got all dirrrrrty.
Mom: What happened Dane?
Dane: I slipped down!
Mom: Uh, you sure did :-)
Dad (from behind the camera): It's okay, we have wipes in the stroller.
(Notice the rotten pumpkin guts in the background...ew)
All cleaned up and walking back to the car with Grandma. He LOVES his little pumpkin. Thanks Grandma!
We do heart Apple Jack orchards!
This was Dane's first face painting experience. He sat VERY still.
And this is the most precious face. The girl who painted Dane's face was probably 12. When she was finished, she held up a mirror for Dane to see his smiley face. This is the look Dane gave her after he saw his reflection. I just think it's the sweetest smile...sort of like he's in awe at what she'd just done.
And here's the finished product!!! Two sweet smiley faces on two sweet boys!!!
Happy Fall everyone!

A Visit from the God Parents!!!

2009-10-08T19:42:00.001-07:00

Dane's God Parents and our good friends, Mike and Lindsay Keough came to visit us in September. They brought with them their precious daughter, Winter. It was my (Matt's) first time meeting her. What a little cutie. She is definitely going to be a heart-breaker when she gets older. Mike and Lindsay requested that we head to an Apple Orchard, so we took them our usual spot. What a cute family!!!

Daddy and his little girl!

Here are the ladies with their little ones. Winter is about 2 months older than Erik.

We took our annual picture by the "How Tall This Fall" sign. We get one every year. It will be fun to compare as the boys get older!

Lil' E showing off his tough guy pose!!! "What are you starin' at?"

Dane estimating how tall he was last year.

Mike took a family pic for us. As usual, Dane was not wanting to participate.

Next, we headed to pick some Apples. Our favorites are the Honey Crisps. If you haven't tried them, I highly highly recommend it.

Dane had a blast picking the apples off the trees.

It doesn't get much fresher than that. He ate the entire thing, core and all!

Dane and his God-Father!

We had a photo shoot with Erik and Winter. Winter's eyes are the prettiest shade of blue. What a cute baby couple.

We took some 5 month Pics of Winter as well.

Love the chunky thighs.

Uncle Hans' Visit

2009-10-02T19:29:00.000-07:00

We've had an extremely busy September. Lots of visitors came to town. It was so much fun having folks visit and allowed us to take tons of pictures. Now we just need catch up on our blog posts. September started with Hans coming to town over Labor day. One of the first things he did was show Dane how to properly hold and play the guitar.

Dane played for quite a while.

Watch out Keith Urban!!!

Dane took a minute to daydream about a future Billboard chart topping hit and subsequent triple platinum album.

We also headed to Como Zoo. Dane followed Hans around everywhere and the two had so much fun playing together.

Dane was interested in all the different animals that he's seen on Go Diego Go, but not in actual life. This puffin definitely looks cooler than it does on a TV.

Just like the plains of the Sarhara!

Uncle Hans got some good pictures with the boys.

We also got a good family shot!!!

Here's a last one of Hans and Lil' E!

Thanks so much for coming to visit Hans. Dane is still asking about Uncle Hans and wants to know when you'll be back.

4 Months

2009-09-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

Erik turned 4 months old today. We resurrected Dane's old exersaucer and Lil E actually did pretty well in it. He would stare so intently at all the toys. He's not too good at reaching out for things just yet, but he surely didn't complain about his new space.

We also had our standard monthly photoshoot in his onsie on the brown leather chair. This month was by far the easiest month in terms of trying to capture his smile.

This is a little bonus. I found him like this one night. Honestly, I went in to peek on him and immediately sprinted to get the camera. By the time Shelly got home, it had fallen off, but I was able to get the proof. It's even more impressive knowing that his hands are pinned to his side in the Miracle Blanket.

First Day of Nursery School

2009-09-21T06:29:00.000-07:00

Dane started school last week! We had the best time getting him ready for his first day. Our favorite part was giving him his new Diego backpack. He LOVES it and takes it everywhere with him. We tried to put it on his back, but he was all about the wheels!

Here we are walking to the school. We were lucky that daddy was able to stay home from work for the big day (and to take tons of pictures :).
It is standard protocol to leave your backpack in a giant bin as soon as you arrive. In this pic, one of Dane's teachers is asking him to put his backpack in the bin. He promptly said "No, I want to keep it" and carried it all over the playground. It was hilarious. It didn't leave his side. The cutie in the skirt and hat is Dane's friend, Katie. We're so happy they are in class together!So....Dane did really well when we left and even did well on the playground, but his teachers said he was tearful the entire time in the class room. Here is what we found at pick-up time. Sad!!!!!!
A few minutes in mom's arms, and all was well. He was definitely ready to leave though :-)And here's our school boy with daddy!!! Hopefully things will be easier for Big D this week!

Waking up!

2009-09-13T18:58:00.001-07:00

He can't talk, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have something to say!

3 Months and Counting!!!

2009-09-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

Little E turned 3 months last week. We did our monthly photoshoot in the usual chair. Erik is definitely filling out and he is even starting to get chunky thighs. So much fun...

Love it when his toes are curled!

I bribed Dane with a Fruit Strip if he would pose with Erik as well. Of course, as you've probably noticed, Dane was just in his Diaper. I don't even know why we buy him clothes.

I love Erik's eyes in this one...

...and his focus in this one.

Grabbed this one while Dane was playing with his CD player. He let me get really close and just snap away for about 5 minutes.

Little E sleeps in a "Miracle Blanket." This thing is essentially a straight jacket for babies. Some friends of ours recommended it and Erik really seems to sleep well with it. I would recommend it to anyone.

Erik's lower lip pouts out while he is sleeping.

Dane has been testing us recently. We'll ask him to do something, and he'll either run the other way or just stand there and look at us in total defiance. The other day, we were playing outside in the cul-de-sac just before bedtime I told Dane we had to go inside. He immediately ran over to our neighbor's lawn and laid down in protest. He was in a really calm mood, however, and I happened to have the camera with me.

We had a memorial service last week. Dane's second CD player was finally laid to rest. The service was quick and deliberate and Dane's "eugoogily" was perfect. An air of respect permeated the event and I know Dane is ready to move on. The Paparazzi showed up too!

R.I.P.

Not to fear, Grandma Z had a spare CD player for Dane. He has already prayed a blessing over his new best friend and has figured out the new buttons.

It's been a while...

2009-08-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

...but we're back! We've been taking tons of pictures this summer, but we have not been good at posting them. It's been busy, to say the least! Does anyone else out there think it's crazy that it's the end of August already??

Erik is 3 months old today and is just growing and learning new things every day. He likes his play mat, going on walks, his bumbo, facing forward in the Bjorn (first time was yesterday!) and watching tv. Yes, I know tv is not good for kids under 2, but Dane has to get his Diego fix everyday...and can I help it if Erik squirms his little body around until he can see it too? His eyes seem to change with the light, but at the moment, they are a greenish gray. He has started spitting up a lot recently, so bibs have quickly become a diaper bag must-have. Here are some pics from last weekend.

And here are some pics from roughly a month ago. Tummy time has gotten a little better since these were taken :-)
This was taken in early July, so it's quite old, but I had to post it. Look at that dimple!Papa Bob came to visit a few weeks ago. He is back from Egypt for good! We are happy he's back in the states - we'll get to see him more!! Dane loved seeing Papa in person (and not via Skype) and quickly asked him to help him "climb trees to get the coconuts." Dane had just watched the Backyardigan characters climb palm trees for coconuts...love the imagination!
Dane has had a busy summer, but I have to say I feel badly that it hasn't been more exciting for him. I definitely feel he got the short end over the past three months. It's tough getting outside and playing with a newborn! We have not been to the park as much as we should have or gone swimming as much as we should have. We've spent tons of time in our front yard...but I still feel like he missed out a little. I'm thankful he likes his CDs and music so much. If being outside playing with balls was still his favorite, we'd be in trouble!

Here is Dane on his "new" motorcycle. It was a gift for his birthday back in March, but he just now started riding it. He calls it his "cool motorcycle." Of course Deedee (his blanket) and his CDs are along for the ride.
Lindsay's parents sent Dane and Erik bibles. They are so cute...blue with their names engraved in the leather covers. Dane LOVES his. He asks to hold it and pretends to read it. He flips through the pages really quickly and then says "the end." If only it were that easy!
Here are all the Z cousins at Cruz's 2nd birthday party!
Here is Dane playing with his lawn mower. He LOVES to mow the lawn...and the driveway...and the street :-)
Finally, here are Dane, Cruz, Matt and Josh playing in Grandma & Grandpa's pool on the 4th of July. It wasn't the warmest day here, and the boys were shivering from the cold air, but neither of them wanted to get out of the pool. What is it about kids and water and never feeling cold? I wish I was like that!

Introducing Dane Matthew...Country Music Superstar!!!

2009-08-07T07:35:00.001-07:00

It is no secret that Dane loves to listen to his CDs. Recently, we've caught him mumbling the words to songs while staring out the window as he's playing his CDs. The other day Shelly found a play microphone on clearance at Target and VOILA...a star is born. Watch out, Ryan, Randy, Paula and Simon, your next Idol has arrived!!!

Naturally, I was taking pictures as Shelly was shooting the video. Here are some still shots as well. So much fun!!!

Anyone know a good vocal coach? :)

Aunt Wendy's Visit

2009-08-05T18:56:00.001-07:00

Dane and Erik's Aunt Wendy came to visit a couple weeks ago. It was Erik's first time meeting his Aunt. Dane and Wendy got some quality time together as well. It was such a fun and relaxing weekend.

Uncle Tom and Aunt Leslie came to visit too. It was T-Bone's first time meeting Lil E! Dane loves hanging out with Tom and Les.

Wendola, thanks so much for coming to hang with us!

Two Months

2009-07-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

Erik is two months old! How did that happen? It's going faster the second time around for sure. We put him in his two month onesie for a quick photo. He's so much stronger already!

His doctor said he was just the right size. He is 50% percentile all around! 50% for length, 50% for weight and 50% for head circumference. He's just our sweet little peanut. He smiles and coos all the time. My favorite time is just after he's eaten. I will prop him up on my legs so he faces me, and then we'll just talk to each other for a bit. He smiles and makes all sorts of cute faces & sounds. It melts my heart. I love being his mom!

Here he is with his cousin Rocco (who is 2 weeks younger but much bigger!!). Aren't they adorable?!?!

What it's like coming home from work!

2009-07-25T06:49:00.000-07:00

Getting home from work is the best part of my day! My family makes me feel so loved. The other day, Dane and I had a pretty good conversation upon my return home. The video is a little long, but is very amusing.

Enjoy...

Bathtime!!

2009-07-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

Our little peanut has become a fan of bath time. He is seriously so good. He sits really still and just lets us wash him. We're so thankful he doesn't cry the entire time! Here are some pics of our handsome 7 week old getting a bath last Sunday night.

It's really tough washing his hands because his fists are clenched the whole time.
We've been trying to capture this smile for a while now. You can sort of see the dimple on his right cheek. So cute!!
So patient with us. Aw.
There's that dimple :-)
Even calm getting dried off. Maybe he will be calm kid all around. We're hopeful!!!

6 and Counting...

2009-07-12T21:15:00.000-07:00

Today is our 6 year Anniversary. We celebrated by going out to a movie and had dinner at a great Italian Restaurant. What is even more crazy is that we've been together as a couple for almost 10 years...almost 1/3 of our lives.

A blast from the past...

And here we are...6 years and two boys later!

Sisters ROCK

2009-07-07T06:10:00.000-07:00

Ashley and Leslie came into town two weeks ago to meet Erik! Ashley flew in from DC and Leslie drove in from Watertown. It was sooooooo great to see them. They got to cuddle with Erik and play with Dane. Plus, Matt watched the boys for a couple hours so we could go to lunch - just the girls! It was great. Thanks for coming you two!

Here is Ashely enjoying her first snuggle. Ashley is amazing with kids...everyone at work asks her to babysit. I wish she lived closer so we could ask her to babysit.
I love this one...a brief moment with his eyes open that day!
Leslie is also super with babies. Erik didn't move a muscle in her arms. I wish he would still do that! A lot has changed in two weeks!This is Leslie's signature look. It's very flattering all around.
A close up of our sweet boy!
Here we are trying to get Dane to sit with us for a photo...
...success! Doesn't he look like he's enjoying the photo op with the ladies? Yeah, he was down in 1 second flat. I'm surprised Matt was able to get the picture.Thanks again for coming you two! MISS YOU!

Excuse me, but are you two related???

2009-06-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

These two pictures were taken 2 years, 2 months and 11 days apart (when each was 2 weeks old). Do you think they're related?

For Today

2009-06-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Taking an idea from a friend.

For Today...I'm hoping to get the dishes done and thank you cards written.

Outside my window...several robins that keep running into my window.

I am thinking...how can Erik sleep through Dane's crying, screaming, laughing and squealing?

I am thankful for...my two healthy boys and coffee!

From the kitchen...lots of fresh fruit ready to be eaten at every meal.

I am wearing...gray sweat pants, a light pink tank top and a gray hoodie.

I am reading...Real Simple magazine and the newborn section of "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child"

I am hoping...to get a good nights sleep tonight!

I am creating...our 2008 family photo album on shutterfly.com

I am hearing...Dane sucking his fingers and smelling his blanket and Erik shifting in his swing.

Around the house...there are toys and Dane's CDs littering the floor, and I'm okay with it for now.

One of my favorite things...my morning coffee with French Vanilla creamer in it and watching the Bachelorette on Monday evenings. I am in love with Jillian's zest for life!

A few plans for the rest of the week...swimming at Grandma's house, attending a park play date and sending out Erik's birth announcements.

A picture to share...

Happy One Month Little E

2009-06-27T20:10:00.000-07:00

Erik is 1 month old today. Here he is in his 1 Month Onesie (eleven more of these to come thanks to Mike and Linds). We can't wait to take his picture in this chair on the 27th of each month!

Sunday Night Summary!!!

2009-06-21T20:14:00.000-07:00

Dane still loves his balls. He was playing with Grandpa in the cul-de-sac. Wish I got the same pleasure out of something so simple.

Nana came to visit and meet Little E. Dane got the chance to cook with her. He loves donning his apron and helping out.

We went walking down in Wayzata near Lake Minnetonka. It is a great place to hang out and grab a Starbucks. Dane had a great time drinking his chocolate milk and playing with Ivy that was growing on the outside the building.

A train came by. I think it was Dane's first...the first that he could remember anyway. He usually doesn't like loud noises, but with Nana's help, he was able to deal.

The sun was at just the right height to create a cool reflection off the tracks. Trying to expand my bounds of creativity.

We had a 2 week photoshoot for Little E. He's been doing really well and is a great boy. He is still up a little bit at night, but all in all, we can't complain.

My older sister Kelly had Rocco just a couple weeks ago. Erik and Rocco are only 12 days apart. I know they are going to be such great friends as they get older. We thought it would be fun to get some picks of these two together.

Cruz and Dane wanted to get in the action too. Cruz loves giving kisses to everyone. I just love the expression on Dane's face.

The Boys!!!

2009-06-15T20:39:00.000-07:00

It has been a while...as I'm sure you can guess, we've been busy. We have a ton of new pictures, but just haven't had a lot of time to post them. We'll try and get better.

Here are a couple cute pictures of Little E sleeping on my shoulder. There is nothing better than when a newborn sleeps on your chest. It's my absolute favorite.

One Dane's new favorites is running in circles around his toy computer. He'll play the same song over and over, "This old man, he played one..." Then he'll ask us to whistle the tune as he runs. After a little bit, he'll ask us to take off his clothes and he'll continue running in his diaper. Here are couple snapshots and a video showing the whole process.

Here is the video...

With the weather finally getting nice here in Minnesota, Dane has thoroughly enjoyed his swing and loves to go really high. He'll have a great time at the amusement park rides when he gets older. The pic below gives a great perspective on just how high he gets.

After one of our recent swinging sessions, Dane wanted to go on a walk and was getting impatient with Dad, who kept stopping to take pictures.

A few days ago, Dane said "Wanna hold Lil' E" So we set him on the couch and put Erik in his lap. As you can see, he's already begun torturing him by pulling his hair.

Mom stealing in a couple late night kisses.

And here is Dad with "The Boys." It is so fun to say "The Boys!"