The Healing Power of a Smile

I apologize for the delay in posting an update to Zoe's blog. We have all been sick over the past week and it's been rough. I got the cold first and had a lot of congestion. Then I gave the cold to Jeremy and Zoe last Sunday. They both stayed home last Monday to take care of each other. Tuesday we all went back to work and Zoe went to daycare. On Wednesday I felt sick again so I made an appt with my new family doctor. I have tonsillitis. Yuck. When I picked Zoe up from daycare that day, Ms Rita told me that she had several poopy diapers. It wasn't even 2 weeks ago that I took her to the pediatrician because she went 15 days without pooping! Well, poor little Zoe caught a gastro-intestinal virus and had diarrhea for a few days. Although she's still a cutie, this pic was taken when she was sick. I can see how sad and miserable she feels. Thursday and Friday Zoe and I stayed home to recover and rest. It was wonderful being able to spend extra time with her. We are all finally feeling better! We are looking forward to our trip to Colorado later this week. Our plan is to leave Thursday night and drive overnight so Zoe's sleep schedule won't get all screwy. We will spend the weekend in Colorado Springs at Grandma Linda's sister's house. We are looking forward to sharing Zoe with Grandma Linda on the long drive and seeing all our other family. She's found her hands finally! I often find her awake in her crib or bouncy seat watching her hand as it opens and closes. She can also grab her feet or socks. She doesn't know what to do with them once she's grabbed them but she'll figure it out. Her hands and fingers are constantly in her mouth. Usually gagging herself because she sticks them so far back in her mouth. I don't see any teeth yet but the slobber has begun! I've uploaded a ton of new pictures to the flickr account. Here are just a few of my favorites.... This was taken on January 6th on a day that was unnaturally warm. She's getting chubby rolls on her legs. This was during a play session on the floor with her old playmat. She got a vibrating moose for Christmas and she's surprised when it vibrates! You can see the legs of the moose in the upper left corner of the picture And this is what she is doing almost all of the time now! Finally, I have two new videos. She's actively playing with her toy bar on her bouncy seat now. Enjoy her laughing and making noises in the first video

Life is just getting better and better

So now that we've had a chance to relax and the holidays, I have some time to post. We had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed seeing everyone. Zoe hit 3 months old on December 26th. I was finally able to post some new pictures and video. Here's a pic on Christmas Day with Zoe and her cousin Breanna. Miss Zoe was very unhappy about the wardrobe changes. She's just started sticking her bottom lip out like this. It's so funny to watch! Zoe also has enough head control now that she can sit in her Bumbo for 10 minutes. Another recent change is the new facial expressions. This one is the face she gives us when we show her something she's not so sure about... She has the sweetest smile Here's another face that makes me laugh. This is her surprised face! Her new playmat has a leaf that's made of crinkly material. If you touch it, it sounds like a plastic bag. She loves the sound but always seems surprised when she hears the sound.

And now for some new videos... Here are some of Zoe's milestones as listed in the What to Expect The First Year Book: By three months, your baby..... should be able to: -on stomach, lift head 45 degrees yes .....will probably be able to: -laugh out loud- yes but she's not sure yet of what she's doing -on stomach, lift head 90 degrees yes but she shakes while doing this -squeal in delight no -bring both hands together no -smile spontaneously-YES! -follow an object held about 6 inches above baby's face and moved 180 degrees -from one side to the other, with baby watching all the day-yes .....may possibly be able to: -hold head steady when upright yes -on stomach, raise chest, supported by arms yes -roll over (one way) Almost!! -grasp a rattle held to backs or tips of fingers no -pay attention to an object as small as a raisin .....may even be able to: -bear some weight on legs when held upright no -reach for an object no -say "Ah-goo" or similar vowel consonant combination no -razz (make a wet razzing sound) no -keep head level with body when pulled to sitting yes thanks to Aunt Sharon showing her how! -turn in direction of a voice, particularly Mommy's- yes