Mother MAY I??

Happy Mother's Day to all!

This May marks my very first mother's day as a mom. We probably won't do much, but I wanted to say a few words on the subject. I have several mom's in my life, and love each like crazy. I feel blessed to have these 3 lovely ladies in my life. My own mother is one of the most KIND-hearted people. She will do just about anything for anyone. I spent some time recently going through old family pictures, and created a slideshow for her for mother's day (I can't get it to post because the file is too large). I also took some pictures of her with Zoe. You can see that we had a blast! I am also
blessed to have an AMAZING mother-in-law. Everyone out there should be jealous. The woman is super sweet and thoughtful, and loves her children and grandchildren with all her heart! Finally,  Zoe's nanna (my dad's long-time girlfriend) has always been there for us. A friend if there ever was one! Love all these ladies!

Zoe just turned 5 months and is more active than ever! She loves to kick her feet when she's excited
(she does this alot in the bath or when she sees a bottle-see video), she talks all the time, rolls and scoots everywhere, and grabs things to put in her mouth. Mommy stays busy!

I have had several people ask lately if I ever get bored staying home with Zoe. The answer is no. The truth is that I absolutely love every second of it. I stay incredibly busy, and am hardly ever caught up on housework, but that is ok! I know that Zoe is getting everything she needs. I did recently start teaching swim lessons again at the Y for about 4 hours a week. I take Zoe to the day care at the Y while I go, which gives her some social interaction. (I did, of course, cry the first time I left her.) I just love
teaching swim lessons, but I am still watching and deciding whether this is a good fit for us.

Here is a little of what Zo is up to this month:


Favorite Thing to Do: She recently got some little cloth baby books at the store...she just loves looking at them!
Favorite Food: Moms Milk. :-)…Per APA recommendations, we will not be trying cereal until 6 months!
New This Month: Rolling and scooting EVERYWHERE...If you put her down on her tummy she rolls around until she gets where she wants to go!
Growth: No more 0-3 month clothes, and it looks like 3 month will soon be gone. Time to shop for some 6 month clothes!
Sleep: We are getting so much better with our sleep schedule. She sleeps through the night once or twice a week now. She's still not very consistent, but overall has improved drastically!
Speaking: Zoe unofficially said her first word- "Hi." Andrew was saying hi to her and she repeated it back to him! She also says "mama" on occasion. We are pretty sure it's just coincidence... but still fun!
Movement: She is our little roll polly. She just rolls around everywhere! She also kicks constantly! It's so fun to go get her out of her bed in the morning and she starts kicking because she's excited to see me!
Behavior: She is a happy baby…until she’s tired or hungry. She doesn’t give much warning in those cases, and can throw some pretty intense fits!

4 Month Update

Well April has arrived, and a routine is slowly starting to re-emerge in my household. Moving was chaotic and way less than fun with a little one. We were delayed at the last possible second, with all our things on the moving truck, so we had no clothes, beds, or basic supplies for living. We made it work, and are now mostly unpacked in our new home in Moore. We love all the space, and have been busying ourselves with projects (with the help of family, we put a new wood floor the weekend we moved in).

It's strange to think that this time last year, I was finding out that I was pregnant. We have come so far. They are right when they say "having a baby changes everything." You get a lot less sleep, your diet changes, your body changes...EVERYTHING

changes, but it is sooooo worth it. I wouldn't trade any of it!

With all the moving and changes in our lives, Zoe has been completely thrown off her routine. We also transitioned her to her crib during this time, since we were getting her used to a new house anyway. Her sleep schedule has been crazy- some nights she wakes every 40 minutes, other nights she'll sleep 6 hours at a time. We are hoping she adjusts soon, and are trying to be much more strict about her sleep and eat schedule. Fingers crossed.

Despite the chaos and lack of sleep, she has been growing and learning at an alarming rate. She talks up a storm (she loves to have conversations with her Daddy when he gets home from work...see video below), and

is also doing really well using her hands. She has almost figured out how to put a binky back in her mouth, but would much prefer to suck on her hands. She now rolls both ways- back to front, and front to back, and can sit in her bumbo for extended periods of time. She has also recently started kicking her feet, so we have some shoes with rattles on them, as well as a jumper for her. She loves to play, especially in the bathtub!!

We survived her first cold last week (they put her on antibiotics because her congestion and fever were so bad)! :-( She has pretty much fully recovered. We also had her 4 month visit with the pediatrician! According to them she is quite small 11lbs, 5oz (10th Percentile). She is 24.5" (50th percentile), and her head is 16.54" (85th percentile). He said everything is wonderfully normal and healthy, but that I should continue to supplement with formula (something I started a few weeks ago).

This is what Zoe is up to this month:


Favorite Thing to Do: She just loves bath time! I think she’d spend an hour in the tub if I let her. She just kicks the water and sucks on her rubber ducky!

Favorite Food: Moms Milk. :-)…Per APA recommendations, we will not be trying cereal until 6 months!

New This Month: Kicking her feet

Growth: The 0-3 month clothes are quickly becoming snug, but she is still wearing them. Still comfortable in 3 month clothes!

Sleep: We are still having trouble sleeping because of the move. Some nights she sleeps 4-6 hours without waking, and others she wakes up as often as every 45

minutes!

Speaking: She talks when she wakes up, and loves to talk to her daddy when he gets home. I swear she is sitting there telling him about her whole day!

Movement: She still is sucking on her hands and I have pretty much given up on trying to stop her. She rolls both ways now, but doesn’t really like to be on her stomach! She loves to straighten her legs and stand on our lap.

Behavior: She is a happy baby…until she’s tired or hungry. She doesn’t give much warning in those cases, and can throw some pretty intense fits!

March Madness: 3 Months!

Well little Zoe is now 3 months old. I think to myself everyday how fast time is going by. In a few short weeks, I will be coming up on the 1 year anniversary of finding out I was pregnant with her. What an amazing shock that was. She has been such a blessing to us!

Andrew and I are moving to Moore in just one week. I am very nostalgic about our first home we purchased; the place we brought Zoe home to. I am excited, however, to have the extra space. Zoe will have a playroom/office for her toys! This home purchase has been a stressful one for us, so we are just praying that this last little bit goes off without a hitch.

 Zoe has learned a lot this month, and so have I. I finally figured out that I needed to have a rough schedule of what we do each day, in order to make sure Zoe gets certain things like books and tummy time, and I get time to clean, do paperwork, etc. So far, it is working great for us. This month, Zoe has learned to roll over (front to back), is talking up a storm, and is attempting to use her hands (see videos below)!

This is what Zoe is up to this month:

Favorite Thing to Do: She loves to talk while I am on the phone with people! She thinks I am talking to her! She also loves to play with the things that hang on her play-mat!
Favorite Food: Moms Milk. :-)

New This Month: Rolling over (back to front), and reaching for things with her hands!
Growth: 0-3month and 3 month clothes still! I think she may have another inch or so on her!
Sleep: We have been having trouble sleeping because of the move. She is now sleeping in her own bed (yay!), but is waking up every 4-5 hours :-(
Speaking: She has become quite the talker. She loves to make different sounds. We are working hard to get her to say mama and dada!
Movement: She still is sucking on her hands and I'm having a hard time getting her to stop. She is using her hands to try to reach for toys and things, so I'm hoping she can reach for that binky soon! She's doing great putting weight on her legs when we stand her up!

Behavior: She is a serious little girl. She smiles, but has yet to laugh. She really enjoys watching Sprout, and still loves spending time with Daddy!

Zoe's First Photo Book!

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Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day from Zoe Christine!

Yesterday was Zoe's 2 month checkup with the doctor. She did really well with her shots, but I sure hated seeing her in pain!

According to the doctor, Zoe is currently 10 lbs, 14 oz; 23 1/4 inches long, with a 15 3/4 head circumference. Her percentile rankings are 32nd for weight, 74th for height, and 88th for head circumference...long skinny baby with a big head! :-) The doctor said she is perfectly healthy girl!

Thanks to the snow that has stuck around from Tuesday of this week, we were able to take some lovely Valentine's Day pictures...Check them out! (A special thanks to her Aunt Stormy for the fru-fru dress!)

2 Months!

 Can you believe it?! It seems like a week has passed since "Zobot" has come home from the hospital, however, she is already 2 months old!! I just can't believe how big she already is. I really have no idea when she quit looking and acting like a newborn!

I feel like our lives are becoming slightly more routine. Zoe is doing great with her sleep schedule (her routine is now 6-7 hours between feedings!). We are still going to bed early, between 8 and 9 pm, but that is not that different than before I was pregnant!

As you know, I recently resigned from my job to take care of Zoe. It has been the best decision we ever made. I love watching how she changes each day. Things are about to get really busy, however, because we have decided to move (after all that work we put into the nursery!) We have sold our home, and purchased a slightly larger place in Moore (better school district). I am sad to leave the home that has so many memories for us, but will be glad to have the extra space! Let the packing with a baby begin!

Zoe is definitely learning and growing. She is officially out of newborn clothes (sniff. sniff), and is sporting 0-3 and 3 month outfits. She is getting in her eyebrows and eyelashes which seem to be from her daddy's genetics (yay!). She is talking now, but she is the quiet type, and only talks when she's excited. She also smiles at people she recognizes!

This is what Zoe is doing this month:

Favorite Thing to Do: Eat (still) She also really likes to sing songs!
Favorite Food: Moms Milk. :-)
New This Month: Talking and responding to people she recognizes
Growth: 12lbs? (2 month appointment is next week!)- 0-3month and 3 month clothes.
Sleep: 6-7 Hours
Speaking: She makes lots of different sounds, and loves to coo!
Movement: She has been sucking on her hands, and she is still straightening her legs! She has also been doing pretty good in her Bumbo seat!
Behavior: She has been recognizing both of her grandma's lately! She also loves when her daddy talks to her!

1 Month

One month has passed since Zoe joined our family. She is getting so big!

We visited the doctor last week, and Zoe is already 9lbs! According to the doctor, Zoe is in the 88th percentile on head size, 68th percentile on length, and 58th percentile on weight. She's a big girl!

This week, Zoe has been much more active. She keeps her eyes open more now (which are very clearly going to be brown- just like mine), and is noticing noises and voices. She definitely recognizes her mom and dad, and she even gave me a half-smile late last week (after a rousing rendition of the hokie-pokie). She is also trying to use her hands on occasion, and she straightens her legs when in my lap like she wants to stand up! Also new this week, we have been trying to get Zoe on a sleep schedule, which has been difficult. Usually, we get her to sleep 3-5 hours before she wakes up to eat, but sometimes its more like 2... If only it was consistent!

This is what Zoe is doing this month:

Favorite Thing to Do: Eat!
Favorite Food: Moms Milk. :-)
New This Month: Smiling and responding to voices.
Growth: 9lbs- almost in 0-3month clothes.
Sleep: 3-5 Hours
Speaking: Lots of Grunting, and the occasional coo.
Movement: Using her hands, lots of kicking, and straightening her legs! Has really good head-control!
Behavior: She loves her momma!