Zoe Louise | 11 Months

Stats: No check up until one year.  

Likes: Still bugging Wally.  Wally's toys.  Bath time and being a rebel and standing in the bath.  Walks.  Playing chase around the house.  Dancing.  Pretend falling.  Reading books.  You actually get books now and come sit on my lap for me to read them to you.  I love when you want me to hold you even if it only lasts for short amounts of time now that you are a "big" girl.  Opening and closing doors.  In the mornings, you'll close the door to your room on me and I'll ask, "where's Zoe?" and open the door and you have the biggest grin.  Repeat, repeat, repeat :)  I love it and so do you!

Dislikes: Getting ready for bed. Having your nose wiped. Having your diaper changed.  Leaving Wally outside when we get home from daycare during the week.

Biggest Achievement This Month:  Standing on your own for quite a bit of time.  Going on your first plane ride and having 4 total.  You were an awesome traveler!

Biggest Challenge of the Month: Sleeping at day care.  Of course!

Secret Tricks: Redirecting you when you are upset with toys or Wally.  Walks outside.  I have no idea what we'll do when it's cold.

Sleep: You still take your last bottle at 7:30pm and are down by 8pm. You are then down for the night until about 6:30am or 7am. Your naps at daycare are about 40 minutes in length. At home, you nap much better and they last almost 2 hours still. You still nap on the way home from daycare if your naps during the day weren't good.  I usually let you sleep in the car (with the windows down) for a little bit when we get home.  

Temperament/Personality:  You really are so much fun.  Aunt Jodi is always talking about how you have the best personality and we tend to agree (although we might be biased).  You've started to realize what you are and aren't supposed to do.  If you are feeling really mischievous, you make a beeline for Wally's dishes.  I know that you know exactly what you are doing.  You look right at me, get a gleam in your eye and grin on your face and reach your hand in the water.  I know that eventually you'll understand when we tell you "no" or to stop.  But right now, it's so so hard not to laugh and giggle with you because it's so darn cute.  But I do my best to hide the grin be firm.  I know consistency will be the key to making you understand.

You do have your drama queen moments. You definitely have a fake cry and whine when something doesn't go your way.  You hate we go inside and Wally stays in the backyard.  You hate when I put you down to make dinner.  That's when your whine/drama cry shine through the most.  Right now, I find if pretty funny and have to try so hard not to laugh.

Eating:  Still 4 bottles. You are taking 6 oz. Right now your schedule is bottle when wake up, solids at 8:30am (breakfast), solids at 11:30 am (lunch), bottle around 1pm, bottle around 4pm, solids at 6ish pm (dinner), bottle before bed.  We are starting to replace one bottle a day with your sippy.  We'll see how that goes.  You are great with it for water.  And I'm assuming you'll guzzle it all the more when you have formula in since that stuff is like gold to you.

Your solids are getting better and better.

Foods you love: bananas, peaches, pancakes, egg yokes, nutri grain bars, veggie straws, gold fish, yogurt and sweet potato wedges.  You are starting to eat more pasta.  We tried quesadillas when daddy was out of town and you seemed to really like them.  I'll have to add them to the rotation.  You tolerate pears and sandwiches with cream cheese and jelly.

Randoms: All 12 month clothes.  You are in all size 4 diapers (day and night).   We bought you your first two pairs of real shoes!  And who knew they could be so expensive.  I'm hoping they'll last for a few months.  But I know right now, it's important for your little feet to have good shoes so we'll stick with Stride Rite for now.

Milestones:  You can walk with your toys. You are getting pretty good at turning them around when you get stuck too.  Still no real walking on your own yet.  You stand pretty well on your own.  You have 6 teeth.  I think you must be getting another because you've been gnawing on your fingers on one side of your mouth.

You are getting a lot better with "talking."  Still no real words other than Dada that I can make out.  I still don't think you know what dada means but you'll get there.  Now if only you'd say "mama."  Sometimes I feel like I sound like a broken record saying it to you :)  You make so many new noises though this month.  Squeaking, growling, etc.

You just more fun every day!  Mommy and daddy love you Zo Zo :)

Work/Life Balance...Is Hard

First, my company is awesome at helping with this.  Just wanted to throw that disclaimer out there since I'm friends with co-workers on FB :)

Going back to work was hard.  After spending 6 full months with Zoe, I didn't want to leave her.  Did I need a break once in a while for just "me" time?  Yes.  But did I want 40+ hours away from her?  No, if I'm being honest.  I realize I was extremely fortunate to have those full 6 months and still have a job to go back to.  We had a lot of saving to do before my maternity leave, but it was so worth it in the end.  We made it through the colic and anxiety (me not Zoe), got through to the "happy" side :), and still had a few months to enjoy. 

Six months into this journey, I had to go back.  Staying at home wasn't an option for us.  And I do believe that interaction with other kids and adults is good for her (or maybe I tell myself that because I can't stay at home...).  Thankfully, my work has a Tailored Work Arrangement program for parents and I was given free reign on what I could do.  You may think, "that's great!"  Except, how do you pick something when you have so many choices and have no idea what will work for you?  I was overwhelmed to say the least.  I talked to several women partners and associates who either are currently doing a TWA or did one in the past to get some ideas.  And most of them have done several different things.  I kind of pieced together what I thought would work for me and came up with my new arrangement.

I've reduced my hours to just over 43 a week (yes, in the accounting world, 40 hours is not a standard work week - although is it anywhere anymore?).  It came with it's consequences but getting to see Zoe before work, pick her up from daycare, and work from home on Fridays has been very much worth it. 

It took a while, but we finally got into our new "normal."  I have my schedule down pretty well for cleaning and laundry and grocery shopping.  Zoe is in bed by 7:30-8pm so that leaves plenty of time in the evenings to get other random stuff done as well.  I just have to make sure to soak up every ounce of those 2 hours we have after work before she goes to bed.  She's 11 months old and crazy as can be - crawling everywhere, wanting to walk but needing help, eating her favorite foods like a champ, throwing her toys everywhere, reading her books OVER and OVER and OVER (I have Llama Llama memorized), talking in her own language and sometimes using her demon voice as Aaron has dubbed it.  Running around with her can be exhausting, but it's SO MUCH FUN.  I get to relive my childhood through her and actually remember it all :)

We're now in the heart of our busy season which has had it's challenges.  I can't stay late just any day anymore.  I have to coordinate with Aaron to make sure it works in his schedule.  And since I can't do it often, I try to make those days count which means I'm staying until after 8pm.  Which means I don't get to see Zoe.  So far, I've only been doing it one night a week so it's doable.  But I miss her.  And it makes for a busy night when I get home trying to eat, and get things around for the next day and get to bed at a decent time since I'm up at 6am.  And throw in that I'm now trying to squeeze in a few hours when I'm home either when Zoe's in bed for the night or napping on the weekends makes for one tired mamma. 

Is it October 15 yet?  I keep joking with everyone that for better or worse, we have less than 15 days left.  That's what I keep telling myself.

And because no post is right without a picture of Zoe...

Go Tigers!

Zoe attended her FIRST Tigers game this year.  Beeba is OBSESSED with the Tigers (that might be an understatement) so they of course had to make sure to be there for the big day :) 

Zoe had her first snack before mommy even got her nachos!

It was the last home game of the season so only standing room tickets were available.  It ended up being perfect for Zoe.  She could stand and play when she got sick of being held.  We could walk around at anytime without having to make people get up out of their seats for us.  She could stroll around in her stroller when she needed a nap and we could leave her there once she finally fell asleep.

I'm a little bummed that we didn't get a picture of all of us at the front of the stadium by the Tigers statue, but I'm sure there will be many more Tigers games in her future.  We'll just have to make sure that Beeba and Grandpa come out earlier  in the season next year!

What dad?  I'm just standing here playing with my toys.

FINALLY taking her afternoon nap.

We Made It!

And of course, I worried for nothing.  Zoe was AMAZING.

We started off early Thursday morning.  Zoe was a little cranky in the car but soon enough was chatting away with Beeba.  Zoe decided to check out the planes for a little while before we took off.  We were a sight to be seen though.  I had so much stuff.  Thank goodness my parents were there to help.  I'm really bummed we didn't get a picture of our getup as we went through the airport.  Mom had Zoe and her c-pap machine.  Dad had two carry on bags.  I had Zoe's car seat on my back, her diaper bag over my shoulder, a carry on and then her stroller bag (when she wasn't in it).  I'm pretty sure I hit about ten people on accident with the car seat bag (it was HUGE).  It was very convenient though, and I'm glad we had it.

Zoe was only somewhat intrigued when got on the plane.  She was much more interested in playing with the TV on the back of the seats.  She did sit with Grandpa for a little while watching as we got ready to take off.  On her second flight, she even got her own seat.  The Delta staff were nice enough to rearrange our seats before we even asked since there were open seats and they saw that we had a baby in our group.

We got to Colorado and all piled into Auntie Jodi's Chevy Cobalt.  Somehow, almost everything fit in the trunk.  Beeba had the stroller at her feet and I had the diaper bag (I'm not sure how I got the front).

The weekend was filled family time, laughs, and trying to wrangle a 10 month old :)  I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Playing with Uncle Mark, playing cards, snuggles with Lambie, playing Guesstures.

Rafting, first taste of Olive Garden, frisbee from Scott, tuckered out after shopping.

Hanging with Aunt Jodi, at the airport way too early, enjoying her first taste of McD's pancakes, taking a snooze.

We can't wait for next year when we are ALL out there for the wedding!

Zoe Louise | 10 Months

I know I start every post freaking out about your age.  But seriously, I'm planning your birthday party and that feels so wrong.  I'm excited, but you are growing up way too fast little girl.

Stats: No check up until one year.  I really think you are starting to thin out a little now though that you are crawling like CRAZY.  And walking with your walkers.

Likes: Bugging Wally (pulling his tail, "petting" him (more like smacking and pulling his hair), poking his eyes).  Wally's toys (you even carry your toys around the house in your mouth while you are crawling like he carries his toys - it's cute).  Bath time.  Walks.  Playing chase around the house.  Dancing.  Pretend falling.  You are pretty much hilarious right now (unless you don't nap - then the world is ending).  You are also to the point where kitchen items are fun toys.  It's nice to plop you down while I'm cooking or unloading the dishwasher and letting you make music or chew on half of what I give you.

Dislikes: Getting ready for bed. Having your nose wiped. Getting dressed.  Having your diaper changed. 

Biggest Achievement This Month:  Cruising on furniture and walking with your walker toys and making it up the stairs (with help of course).

Biggest Challenge of the Month: Sleeping at day care. 

Secret Tricks: Laying you down on your belly with a few pats. Walks in your stroller.  Walks up and down the bock.

Visiting Great Grandpa

Sleep: You still take your last bottle at 7:30pm and are down by 8pm at the latest. You are then down for the night until about 6:30am or 7am. Your naps at daycare are about 40 minutes in length. At home, you nap much better and they last almost 2 hours still. You only have a third nap if your naps at daycare were horrible.   We've gotten rid of it completely on weekends and days off from daycare.

Temperament/Personality:  Girlie, you are hilarious.  You say "UH OH" really well now.  And in context.  You also throw your head back and get the CHEESIEST grin on your face showing all six teeth (yes, six).  You realized that we find it hilarious so you do it all the time and any time we request it :)  Cutest.thing.ever.  If only we could capture it on camera.

You also have started dancing to music.  You kind of just bob up and down at this point (I've tried teaching you a few of my moves - which I have none - but you aren't quite there yet), but you are getting there..

Eating:  Still 4 bottles. You are taking 6 oz. Right now your schedule is bottle when wake up, solids at 8:30am (breakfast), solids at 11:30 am (lunch), bottle around 1pm, bottle around 4pm, solids at 6ish pm (dinner), bottle before bed.  I need to start working on your sippy to try and get rid of a bottle or two.  You do awesome with water.  Your solids just aren't so great yet, so I'm fearful you won't get enough formula in a day to keep you full.

Your solids are getting better.  When you are getting sick (which I don't know is the case until you actually are but I look back and realize it), you want nothing to do with solids.  It's a huge struggle to get you to eat anything other than your bottle.  When you are healthy or in the middle of your cold, you do well.

Right now, you'll eat bananas, peaches, pancakes, nutri grain bars, veggie straws, and sweet potato wedges.  You kind of eat pasta.  We tried Beeba's mac 'n cheese but you pretty much just sucked the cheese off the noodle then spit it back out :)  Some days you'll eat yogurt, others you hate it.  We also tried grilled cheese and that wasn't too bad.

You LOVE puffs. 

You love your sippy with water though!

Randoms: All 12 month clothes.  Beeba and I just went shopping to get you 18 months clothes for the fall.  Thankfully, between the sales we scored and the clothes her and Nana sent, we should be good for a little while.  You still fit into size 3 diapers (just barely).  We only have a few left in the diaper bag.  Other than that, you are in size 4.  Size 4 still works at night. 

You fell down the bottom, two stairs this month and hit your head on the coffee table :(  Even though I knew you were ok, hearing your ear piercing I'm hurt scream was so hard for mommy and daddy.  Thankfully, it didn't last long and you were ok once we bribed you with every toy and completely distracted you.  I know these won't be the first owies, but wow is it hard holding it together when I want to cry right along with you.

Milestones:  You can walk with your toys. No steps on your own yet, but at 10 months, I'm very ok with that.

You now have 6 teeth.

Love you baby girl!!!  I try to tell you a million times a day.  I just hope you don't ever forget it.

Excited but oh so nervous....

In less than 48 hours, I will be venturing into the world of flying with a child under the age of 1.  Or should I just say child period?  Any way you put it, I don't think it would be easy flying with any age.  Newborn?  I'd struggle trying to nurse in public, calm the ear piercing colicky screams, and not have every passenger hate me.  Baby entering toddler hood?  How in the world do you keep them occupied sitting on your lap for 4 hours?  Toddler/child?  I don't even know but I'm sure there is something...whining maybe?? :)

I have my packing list made.  Zoe has 2.5 columns, I have a half a column.  It's organized into carry-on, diaper bag, and checked luggage.  Yes, I have OCD.  Unfortunately, Aaron can't make the trip with us, but thankfully my parents are being super grandparents and driving to us so that I don't have to fly alone.  I have no idea how I would make it through the airport with everything plus Zoe.

First, I really am excited.  I've haven't been out to CO to see my sister ever and this trip is LONG overdue.  Plus Zoe needs to be able to love on her auntie and uncle-to-be.

However, not only do I have OCD, I also have major, major anxiety.  Which means I've run through every possible horrible thing that could happen to us.  What if she freaks out on the plane?  She hates being held for more than 5 minutes and wants to venture on her own.  What if she poops and I have to change her diaper in the bathroom?  I hate peeing in there myself!  What if her ears bother her?  How am I going to feed her lunch and breakfast?  How is she going to nap (because her evil twin makes an appearance if she doesn't nap)?  Are the other passengers going to give me evil looks or worse actually make a rude comment to me?  And that's just the plane.  How is she going to sleep in a different time zone?  Does this mean she's going to wake up at 5am every day??  I am an ok morning person, but 5am everyday on vacation?  That's a little too early for me.

But thankfully Beeba knows just how to calm me down and will take over if any (or all...hopefully not) of the above happens.  Regardless, we'll have fun memories in the end.  And Aaron will owe me many weekend sleep-ins..... :)

Thankfully, she's cute so anything she does automatically gets erased from my memory.

Ten month update soon to follow.  We have been so busy lately! 

Zoe Louise | 9 Months

I am so over these pictures mom.  And these stickers?  Way more fun to take off than leave on.

NINE months!!!  NINE!  I'm already starting to think about your birthday party and that's just crazy to me.  I have no idea how I suddenly have an almost one year old.


Stats: 21 lbs. 6 oz (90th percentile), head 17.99 still in the 90th and height 2 ft. 4 in. in the 60th.

Likes: You are definitely a water baby as long as it's not too cold.  Miss Bear and Lambie.  Standing while playing.  Being outside either playing or on a walk.  Taking a big girl bath with your toys.  

Dislikes:  Getting ready for bed.  Having your nose wiped.  Getting dressed.  Being put in your car seat.  You basically always want to be mobile and are mad when you are being restrained.  I have no idea how I haven't gotten poop everywhere while trying to change you.  You are insanely squirmy!

Biggest Achievement This Month:  Napping at home for long periods of time.  FINALLY!  Your naps at daycare still are terrible, but at least you do well when you are home I guess.

Biggest Challenge of the Month: Sleeping at day care.  Another mom in our parenting group is fearful that the people at daycare just don't put you girls down because it seems like you aren't tired even though you are.  I think it's just you don't want to nap at daycare.  Considering it happened at your other place, I know it's probably just too much going on for you.

Secret Tricks: Laying you down on your belly with a few pats. Walks in your stroller.

Sleep: You still take your last bottle at 7:30pm and are down by 8pm at the latest. You are then down for the night until about 6:30am.  Your naps at daycare are about 40 minutes in length.  At home, you nap much better and they last almost 2 hours now.  You only have a third nap if your naps at daycare were horrible.  

Temperament/Personality:  Minus our camping episode, this has overall been a really good month for you.  You are so much fun!  I feel like I say that every month, but every month your personality just shines through more and more.  You are now talking even more and it sounds like you are trying to say "OH!" Or "Uh, oh!"  But it's pretty cute to wake up hearing you.  The way it comes out, it sounds like you were storing it up for hours and then are having a really hard time getting it out.  

Suddenly your crib is a playpen and it's so hard sometimes to get you to go down.  You like to stand and look over the rail, stick your arms out and TRY SO HARD to reach something near your crib.  Thankfully, you eventually lay down and fall asleep :)  It's cute watching you on the monitor though.  

I promise you guys will be BFFs soon enough and I won't constantly keep you away from him.

Eating:  Down to 4 bottles. You are taking 6 oz. Right now your schedule is bottle when wake up, solids at 8:30am (breakfast), solids at 11:30 am (lunch), bottle around 1pm, bottle around 4pm, solids at 6ish pm (dinner), bottle before bed.

We are working really hard with finger foods.  Some days are going better than others.  You are getting frustrated with me feeding you, but you can't always pick up the food you like on your own.  Half the food you can pick up, you don't like.  I know we'll get there and figure it out.  I just feel like we have a long way to go in 3 months :)

Right now, you eat banana wedges like a champ.  Your favorite food is your puffs.  Unfortunately, you can't live on those alone girl!  Sweet potato and potato wedges are hit or miss.  Some days you like them and some days you don't.  You're doing better and better with your sippy cup of water.  I know you are getting it in your mouth, but sometimes you have a hard time swallowing it all and it runs down your shirt.  At least it's summer and we don't have to worry about you being cold and wet :)

Things we've tried that you don't like (yet?): pasta, black beans, green beans, watermelon (are we sure you are my child?), blueberries, yogurt, kiwi, cheese.  Every once in a while, we'll try again to see if you've changed your mind.

I'm very fearful that you are going to be a picky eater!  I'm sure we'll get there though.  It wasn't long ago you wouldn't even eat purees and now you pretty much gobble them up.

Randoms: All 12 month clothes pretty much.  You can still fit in your plain 9 month, white onesies.  Your 12 month clothes just fit you.  I hope they last you through the end of summer!  I am not ready to purchase 18 months clothes.  You are getting too big too fast little girl!  You still fit into size 3 diapers (just barely).  We are on our last box and are moving up to size 4 once they are gone.  Size 4 still works at night.  

Milestones:  You crawl so fast now!  We have to watch you like a hawk.  I turn my head for one second and you are in a completely different room.  The gate to the stairs has been installed :)

You are now pulling yourself up 100% of the time.  Sometimes you'll pull yourself up before you fall asleep for your naps and get so worked up, you "can't" get yourself back to laying on your belly so I have to go in and give you a few pats.  Probably a bad habit, but I can't listen to you scream with those real tears falling down your face :(  We've caught you once or twice getting to a standing position without holding on to anything.  So not ready for that yet!

You now have 5 teeth and it looks like number 6 might be on it's way through.  I feel like you are going to have a full set sooner rather than later!

Love you so much Zo Zo!  It's so much fun watching you grow up and you light up every room you are in :)