9 Months Old!

Dear Zoe,
Happy 9 month birthday!  Dad made you a very special treat for your birthday breakfast - blueberry pancakes!  You ate two whole pancakes and loved them.  We had your 9 month appointment this week - you are now 18lbs 14oz and 30 inches long- which puts you in the 50th percentile for weight and you are still off the charts for height.  In fact, you are now the height of the average 14 month old....which explains why all your pants are floods on you!   You are losing some of your baby fat though - when I look back at some pictures from a few months ago, your cheeks were MUCH chubbier!

This month, you hit a lot of new milestones-

• You are crawling ALL over the place.  Your favorite places to go are anywhere that mama is at and the bookshelves...look out!
• All four of your front teeth are coming in.
• You are eating 3 meals a day!  Favorite foods are blueberries and bananas. 
• You are waving and clapping on command.  Everytime we are in the store or on the train, you wave at all the other people like you are on a parade float. 
• You have so much to say!  You are definitely most talkative in the mornings, where you tell us all about your dreams and what you want to do today (all subject to my own interpretation, of course).
• Even though you are not quite pulling yourself up, you can go from crawling to sitting upright, so Dad lowered your crib this weekend!
• You are quite the copy cat - if Dad or I blow raspberries, you do it too.  If we make a yelling noise, you do it too.  It is so fun seeing your mind work.
• Your memory is also developing.  I can't take something (my phone) away and hide it under the pillow anymore and have you forget, you go after it now!

9 months and SO happy!

Not so happy to share your chair/the spotlight with your dog friend though!

This may be my new favorite picture, so cute!

Ick, ma, no kisses!

Let's watch you grow...

This has been the BEST 9 months of my life.  You are the funniest and most charming little girl I have ever met, thanks for making Dad and I so happy!!

xoxo, the mama

Zoe the Conductor

Dear Zoe, you came out of your little shell today in Wiggleworms.  During one of your favorite jams (the ABC's), you made your way to the middle of the circle and began to conduct the rest of the room during the song.  You clapped at how good you thought all the other babies (and yourself) were doing.  Luckily, I got a little bit of it on film...

xoxo, the mama

We've got a crawler!

Dear Zoe,

For the past few weeks, you have been getting on your hands and knees and rocking back and forth, not quite sure what to do next.  However, after we got back from Michigan, you discovered that you could easily go from your army crawl to your hands and knees to sitting up.  Then...this past weekend, we were at Carly's house for dinner and you got on your hands and knees and took three "steps" crawling!  You went very slow, but you did it!  You are developing so much everyday, I can't believe how big you are getting. 

Yay for crawling!!

xoxo, the mama

Picnics in the park

Dear Zoe, summertime means picnics in the park!!

More blueberries mama!

Dear Zoe, Your favorite food at the moment is blueberries.  We got fresh ones from the farmers market yesterday and they are delicious!  We had some for breakfast, and you couldn't get enough! 

MORE blueberries, mama!!

xoxo, the mama

Zoe's First Vacation

Dear Zoe, After a week in Michigan on your very first vacation, we are finally home.  We had a great time with Carly, Dan and Emma and Jenny & Mikey.  We rented a house for the week in Union Pier and did lots of fun things.  We went to the beach, went swimming at the pool, played outside, went on walks, went wine tasting and beer tasting (more for mom and dad and Carly & Dan, but you ladies had fun too).  Here are some of my favorite pictures from our trip-

Playing on the floor with Emma

Hiding under the chair, and not looking too pleased when we found you

Double sink baths!

Mikey & Dad playing bags outside

Playing outside

I wonder where you get that face from?!?

I love my daddy!



More playtime with Emma!

Family Picture at Lunch

Your first driving lesson

Winetasting with Mom!

It was such a fun trip, but now we are back to reality.  Wiggleworms and playdates this week!

xoxo, the mama

I'm at the pool!

Dear Zoe, having fun on vacation at the pool!

xoxo, the mama

Week of Daddy!

Dear Zoe, we are in Michigan this week on vacation and we get to spend the whole time hanging out with Dad! I will never forget how excited you get everytime you see him coming.

xoxo, the mama

Vacation

Dear Zoe, one of the best things about vacation-- sink baths!

xoxo, the mama

Tuckered out

Dear Zoe, wiggleworms is hard work!

Down in the Park

Dear Zoe - Today we had a very special day at the park with Dad, Danny, Patrick & Shannon. 

Here are some of my favorite pics from the day-

xoxo, the mama

My Two Uncles

Dear Zoe - Today something happened that never happened before in your whole life - BOTH of your uncles were in the same room with you!

I LOVE my uncles!!

Danny, Zoe and Patrick

xoxo, the mama

Water Baby

Dear Zoe - Yesterday you went for a swim for the very first time.  I wasn't too sure how you were going to react, so we eased into the pool, but you loved it!  Our friends Tim & Steph invited us over for a 4th of July barbeque and they have a great pool in their backyard- we had so much fun, hopefully we can go back again soon! 

Zoe and Mom swimming in the pool

xoxo, the mama