Grandma and Grandpa and Koalas, oh my!

Grandma and Grandpa Maki arrived Down Under in good shape two days ago. They recovered from jet lag in less than 24 hours and seem to be enjoying themselves already. Zach certainly has been enjoying the extra attention from Grandma and Grandpa.

Brett took them for a drive to see the countryside this morning.

We headed north to the red gum forests of the Murray River to look for koalas this afternoon.

Zach enjoyed the view from his new backpack.

Although we think Zach is about the cutest thing to put in front of a camera, he discovered he had a little competition today.

We got some great family shots.

And good close ups, too.

The koalas were everywhere and everyone had a chance to get their picture taken with furry little critters.




And as we left the forest behind...







...the kangaroos came out to bid us g'day!

(Southern) Spring Equinox

Hooray! Spring has finally arrived again!



And the weather is warming up.



Spring showers are keeping things green, except for today when it rained mud. Literally.

The rain clouds were brown and the rain turned our blue car brown.

The same color brown as the cow that Zach sat on yesterday.

Par for course

Living on a golf course has its perks. Like early morning sunrises looking out over the fourth hole.



And the option of playing a few holes in the evening.



Or taking long walks along the fairways.

Dad tried giving Zach a golf lesson...



...but all he wanted to do was taste the club.

Instead Zach prefers to laugh at his dad while he practices his golf swing.

Even the kookaburras laugh at Zach's dad while he plays golf.

But they laugh at everything!

Quack Quack, Zach Zach

Bathtime becomes more entertaining with every bath. As you have seen, Zach has taken to the water like a fish. He also has taken to the water like a duck and has become obsessed with his rubber ducky. Take a look at how quickly he goes after it....

Although one duck is pretty exciting, it simply doesn't compare to four ducks. What's a little guy to do with so many rubber duckies?

What are the chances Zach's first words will be "quack, quack?"

He stayed in the tub so long his feet turned into prunes tonight. We have got to get him into swimming lessons!

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

Mom put me down in front of the mirror last night....

Who's that handsome baby?!

Hey, I can see my mum in the mirror!

What happens if I get really, really close?

A bit, wet, juicy kiss!

And what was Dad doing during all of this?



Putting 99 bottles of beer next to the wall!

City Scapes

Here are a few more pictures from our weekend in Melbourne.

Zach checking out the view from our (very high) hotel window overlooking the former Olympic grounds where the Australian Open is held in January.

The view from our window looking out over the Royal Botanical Gardens with Phillips Bay in the distance.

The Yarra River with calm waters and criss-crossing bridges is the centerpiece of the downtown district.

Flinders Station with its iconic Victorian architecture bustles with tourists.

We all went out for a nice family dinner, our first alone with Zacharoo. He was happy as long as he was sitting in our laps.

Father's Day

Brett celebrated his second Father's Day today...the lucky bloke. Australians celebrate their fathers in September and their mums in May--no extra Mother's Days for Anna. We were in Melbourne for the weekend so we started Father's Day with brekky (breakfast) overlooking the city.



Zach was very grown up sitting in the high chair but he was more interested in people watching than eating his banana.



An apri-breakfast pic. Sometimes it's scary how much they look alike.



We couldn't help ourselves! Two mochas to go, please.



Mom and Zach laughing at Dad on our stroll through the Royal Botanical Gardens on a beautiful spring afternoon.

Dad and Zach pose for another picture while enjoying the sunshine.

Playtime

Here are a few clips of Zach's playtime this evening. He spends a half an hour before bedtime playing on the floor to get the wiggles out of him.

Although his squeals may sound distressing, it's the sound of pure joy to us. There's nothing better than playing with his favorite mate, Dad.

Zach loves the camera. Loves it so much he could eat it.

He's working on his push-ups.

Bedtime

For seven and a half months now Zach has enjoyed sharing our bed. At first it was all the time because that is what it took to get him to sleep. Now that he's older he sleeps in his own bed at night. Mom lets him snuggle with her in bed for an hour or two every morning and Dad puts him down for a nap in our bed during the day. Once he started rolling around with ease, Dad placed pillows around him for safety, which worked for two months. But today, the inevitable happened....he fell out of bed while trying to take a nap. He was a little surprised at the time, but he doesn't seem to be worse for the wear. We, however, feel like awful parents and may be scarred for life. Welcome to parenthood. We're fast learners, though. From now on Zach only sleeps in the safety of his own bed. Except for the early morning snuggle time with Mom!



Zach doesn't always choose the most comfortable position for a nap but as long as his mouth finds his thumb he's happy.



Oh, Mom, do we have to get up and take you to work?



Wiggle time before bedtime!