Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Humongous Week for Team Cross

Happy three month birthday, Zack!

We all went back to work this week, including Zack.

Jeff dropped Z off for his first day of daycare, where he is a hit! The staff there love to tell us that he is such a content and smart little guy. It's great. Knowing he's somewhere safe for five hours a day makes me feel much better about being away from him, and actually, I'm really liking the structure of the day.

And a huge plus: Zack sleeps through the night for real now--like from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m.!

This is after we organized the giant piles of work that awaited me upon my return.

I have an ideal part time situation, except that I really don't enjoy my job too much. But I like the people I work with, and I pick up Z at noon!


California law requires that employees have a private area to pump breast milk. Look, here's mine:

That's right. I get my Pump In Style on in the supply closet. Oh yeah.

Zack with amazingly cute accessory


Somewhere in the middle of last week, Shannah sent us this unbelievable hat, which she made. You can see more of her awesome work here.

Zack AS amazingly cute accessory

Z, post eye doc and ready for closeup

Z went to the opthalmologist, who proclaimed him perfect. He has physiologic anisocoria, which means unequal pupils! His left pupil is slightly more dilated. He is now competing for the title of Baby Who Has Seen the Most Specialists Just to Determine He's Absolutely Healthy.

He was so incredibly well behaved and charming at the appointment--just smily and cute as could be, even while getting eye drops to dilate his pupils. I'm so glad he's okay, because my heightened sense of drama kept telling me that his wonderful behavior was just too good to be true, and our happy lives would have to be interrupted by a horrible diagnosis. But nope, he's great! Whoo hoo!

Just a little background, I didn't want to even take him to this appointment, but then my pediatrician convinced me to go to rule out a "growth." Like a tumor. A brain tumor. Yes, that's what she said to me!

I knew there was no way he had that, but after that conversation I made sure we got in as soon as possible so I could just stop thinking about it!

Waiting in the producer's office with Wes & Marion

After his appointment, Z was in a television pilot with his friend Wes! These two finally got themselves jobs. Slackers.

On the monitor

A closeup featuring drool!

I suppose we can't say much about the show, because we might be breaching confidentiality. But there was a dancing transexual. That's one thing.

Zack was so completely mellow during the whole weird experience. But maybe not as mellow as Wes, who slept through it.

Basking in the strangeness

Between coming with me to commercial auditions where I have to sing and mess my hair up to look like I'm on a desert island, and visiting Daddy at his weird job, and now this odd pilot...I kinda think Z will want to run with his arms flailing from the entertainment industry when he grows up. And that's just fine with us!

Wide shot of the strangeness and Z more interested in his own feet

When we got home, I was telling Jeff about anisicoria. It's hereditary. And what do you know? For the first time in over two decades, I noticed this about Jeff:

The left one is bigger! Z has Jeff's eyes!

At Daddy's workstation

Jeff worked at Robot Chicken and we got to see the weeklies on Friday and meet Seth Green. Z was much admired by Seth, who appreciated the "irony" of Z's Darth Vader shirt.

We've arrived!

Sunday we went to the local farmers market. When Jeff was coming down here for visits, we went there and decided we had to have a child so we could come back and show him off to all the Studio City entertainment industry yuppies who shop there. So finally, we achieved that goal! There we were, in the beating heart of it all: kids wearing Obama tee shirts, tots with names like "Maya," boatloads of organic produce, and hundreds of different kinds of strollers and baby carriers. It was fun! Can't wait until Z is old enough to appreciate the petting zoo. I've also seen Ed Begley Junior at this Farmers Market. He had a booth where he sold his green cleaning products.

Picking avocados from the "Land of the Lost" booth

Yes, we even took the baby to Starbucks

Sunday night, Robyn and Brad had us over for dinner, and Avery and Z fell in love. Maybe she could tell he's already got money in the bank.

You might think we're exaggerating, but really, Avery was into Zack.

And her feelings were reciprocated. Later they spent some time cooing at each other. They were having a full on conversation.

Sorry I can't be wittier right now but the action isn't letting up over here and it's time for bed!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Man, that is a cool hat. Clearly I should be more communicative with Shannah. I'm not sure how much my kids would wear a wool cap in the South, but I believe they should learn to make sacrifices for the sake of style.

Julie said...

Yep, it's 90 degrees here but Zack is wearing that damn hat!

DKC said...

OMG - the hat rules! Way too adorable. Is she mass producing yet? Because I want in on that list.

Thanks for the catch-up, I missed you guys this week! I'm so glad Z wore that cute orange stripey shirt for his tv debut, I love that shirt.

Very happy to hear that he continues to be healthy despite all the doctors dire predictions. Weird about the pupil thing.

Love to you all!

Anonymous said...

Ohhhhh....Shannah is sooooo busted. Vivi needs a monster hat! I hope you're reading this, Obsidian Kitten....Ashley

miko564 said...

I cannot reconcile in my own mind the pics from just a short time ago, and these pictures!

Have you been feeding the boy GNC "Mass-Building" products? You took a different kid home from day-care and didn't notice?

He is big, and chubby and all those great baby things! Make sure you send a psychic message back to yourself during the "projectile vomit" days and tell yourself not to worry; the boy WILL put on weight.

He really is beautiful, congrats on your DNA.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful details about getting back to the "real world" after maternity leave. Thanks Julie, enjoyed all the news and the beautiful pictures. Zach's a handsome guy!!! and now that he is working, right on! Why didn't we think of that????
Love, Nana

Anonymous said...

dude, is z hanging out on that tv show in the orange top and blue sweatpant outfit i got him??

Obsidian Kitten said...

dude -- Z met *seth green*?

i LOVE robot chicken.

more hats at obsidiankitten.etsy.com (shameless self-promo) -- no monster hats yet but i love Z's so i should definitely make more of them.
honestly, i didn't think of it until Zack--something about the whole I Love Monsters thing...

Julie said...

I'm editing the post to include Shannah's website so future viewers can see her stuff!

Jennie, you got Z that outfit?? It's one of my favorites.

Octopunk said...

The only drag for me with the new schedule is that Zack wakes up in such a great mood, and while I'm changing him into his day clothes he's all smiley and "Yeah! What're we doing today, man? I'm gonna move all my limbs around!" And then I put him in the car and drop him off.

He's happy as a clam at daycare, of course. But Daddy wants to play, too.

Anonymous said...

yep -- i got him that outfit. i remember because i hate most baby clothes, and that was the only outfit in the store that i thought i might wear myself. (girls' clothes are worse. i hate getting leyla dressed for things because there just aren't good options like the orange shirt, blue outfit combo. i just end up thinking, how is anyone going to take her seriously in that outfit? poor thing! she looks like a circus clown.)

i admit, though, i was sad to see no blankets were on the set. you know which one i mean ;)

Julie said...

Hm...I believe I got Leyla a tie dyed onsie with a heart. I hope that wasn't too clowny! I avoided the little ruffly skirt that went with it....

I'll have to look for some hip sporty clothes for her in the future! Or maybe a little three piece suit, so people will take her seriously. And a little briefcase.

JessieM said...

I love the pictures of Zack and Avery! Ahhh... young love.