monday, monday

...and then another week starts.

Today Mommy & I are taking care of chores around the house. We have a few things to complete before we get to go on vacation.

Mommy, Daddy, and I are going on my first vacation! We are going to Frankenmuth tomorrow, and coming home Thursday. Even though I spent a night in Bay City for my Great Grandma's funeral and a night at a hotel in Detroit, we have never been on a real vacation! I am really looking forward to spending time with them in a new place.

I'm sure I'll write you about my new adventures real soon!

my first thanksgiving

...and yesterday I celebrated my very first Thanksgiving.

While Mommy & Daddy enjoyed a Turkey dinner with all the trimmings, I ate sweet potatoes and cranberries with apples. It was really yummy. I had a good time watching others eat their dinner too!

Today we are getting family pictures taken at Sears. It's that time of year to get Christmas pictures, and Mommy & Daddy say that today is a perfect day. Hopefully I smile :)

8 months old

...and today I am 8 months old!

I went to the pediatrician on Monday for my 8 month check up. The stats are as follows:

16 pounds 12 ounces
26 1/2 inches long

I can wave and clap my hands. I also got my first tooth a few weeks ago, and there are more coming in. I say "baba", "papa" "nana" (to Mommy's breast), and "mama". I am able to get on my hands and knees and scoot backwards. I can transfer from a seated position to a crawling/scooting position and back again. In fact, I scoot and roll all over the floor. Pretty soon all be crawling, and then WATCH OUT!

Every day is another adventure, and it's so great to share them with you!

Tomorrow is my 1st Thanksgiving. Daddy bought me a jar of cranberries and apples so that I could participate in the eating festivities. I can't wait to see my Gramma (since I call Mommy's breasts "nana" we've changed her name) and Papa tomorrow. Aunt Kelly, Uncle Ed, and Emma will also be there. It should be really fun.

It's also snowing today. I was born on a snowy day. My Aunt Sarah called me "snowy Zoe". Funny huh? But I don't remember the snow then. It's really fun to look at now!

busy baby

...I am such a busy baby!

Wednesday we met Miss Jessica and Miss Lily at the Coffee Bean again! Such fun. We had such a great time :)

Thursday I saw my 3 favorite girls: Mary Rose, Emily and Katie! But Daddy was also quite sick. Poor Daddy!

Friday I visited the Secretary of State with Nana and Mommy. Then we went back and I got to play with Nana for a couple hours.

Yesterday and today were also so busy, but the best is that I was able to spend it with my Mommy & Daddy!

This week is a special one - my first Thanksgiving. I can't wait!

mama

...today I said, "ma ma"!
My Mommy was really excited to hear me say it. And it wasn't completely babble either. I was mad at her for taking a toy away so I cried, "MA MA"! Then Mommy encouraged me to continue to say it. It was really fun!

I even said it to Aunt Kelly and Daddy over the phone. Hopefully this is a start to many more words with meaning!

busy weekend

...another busy weekend full of adventures!

Friday Mommy & I spent time with Miss Monica & Asher. We went to Target and to Bath & Body Works. Asher has really grown since we saw him last. He fell asleep and Mommy and Miss Monica talked for awhile. Then on Friday night Uncle Joey came over. He brought me a blue ZOE cup and I love it!

Saturday I went to Kindermusik with Daddy while Mommy taught lessons. Then the three of us went to Whole Foods. After not taking an afternoon nap, we went to Nana & Papa Brown's house for Aunt Kelly's birthday party. I never did take a nap. But I was in good spirits, even though we had to leave a bit early.

Yesterday we went to the Martin Seasonal Soiree at Grandma & Grandpa Martin's house. There were people I knew (Aunt Sarah, Uncle John, Teri and Tim) and many people I had never met. It was really a fun time - and I fell asleep on our way home!

Uncle John Grandpa Daddy

Aunt Sarah Grandma Mommy & Me

This week is a bit less busy for us. This morning Mommy cleaned house. Daddy stayed home from work because he is sick. He's going to the doctors soon - but he's still working from home. After my nap Uncle Joey is coming over to hang with me. He has the day off of work - Veterans Day observed or something. We'll probably go to Starbucks - my favorite place. Then this afternoon Nana comes over to babysit while Mommy teaches.

The only other thing besides Mommy teaching this week is Wednesday. We are seeing Miss Jessica and Lily at the Coffee Bean again! I can't wait!!

silly mommy

...my Mommy is a silly woman.

She never buckled me into the bouncy seat - so that's why I could roll over! How silly is she?!

Today Mommy teaches three piano lessons and Grandma & Grandpa Martin are coming over for dinner!

the coffee bean

...yesterday we met our friends Miss Jessica and Miss Lily at the Coffee Bean in Plymouth.

Mommy & Miss Jessica had coffee drinks and Lily & I shared our toys and babbled with each other. Mommy & Miss Jessica have already scheduled another meeting next week at the same place. I can't wait!

Monday Mommy worked and Nana babysat. Today my Mommy is getting her hair fixed, so Nana is coming to visit again. Since Mommy is growing it out from a crazy short style, she goes once in awhile to get it fixed.

Tomorrow my Grandma & Grandpa Martin are coming to visit! What a busy week!

hello first tooth

...and then I started to get my first tooth!

Friday, during bathtime, Daddy discovered a point of a tooth coming in! Today it is a full ridge! Yes, I am finally getting my first tooth. Mommy says I'm getting the Lower Right Central Incisor.

This is a busy week for Mommy & I. I can't wait to share all my adventures!

bubye bouncy seat

...and then I had to say goodbye to my bouncy seat.

Mommy always puts me in the seat when she takes a shower. I usually play with some toys and we sing songs. But yesterday I noticed I could roll over in the seat. I've been rolling over for quite some time now, but I thought I'd try and see what happened if I rolled over in my seat. I got stuck, but it was possible to roll over! I cried, so Mommy helped me sit right again. Mommy thought I got caught because of the bar that holds a hanging hippo, mirror and elephant. So today I sat in the chair without the bar. Once again I decided to roll over in the seat, and once again I was stuck and crying. So Mommy decided that we need to retire my friend, the bouncy seat. I feel bad to say "goodbye," and Mommy does too. This means I'll have to play in my walker during her showertime. Sorry Mommy!

Happy Halloween

...and then I enjoyed my 1st Halloween!

Yesterday was Halloween! I was a kitty! My Daddy took these pictures with me and Mommy!

We carved a pumpkin and it was really scary!

I enjoyed passing out candy with Mommy & Daddy, but this year I didn't go door to door trick-or-treating. Mommy & Daddy say that next year I'll be able to do that too!

the end of a week

...and just like that another week is over!

This one has been really busy. Monday was my pediatrician appointment, Tuesday Mommy got our basement piano tuned (yes we have two pianos) and we went to Target, Wednesday we met with Jessica and Lily (our new friends), Thursday (yesterday) Mommy had to go to the dentist but her tooth is fine now and then we went to Babys R Us, and today we went to lunch with Papa Ray. Phew! A lot of stuff happened!

On Tuesday Mommy's best friend, Keli, had a baby! His name is Naythan David. He was 10 pounds 10 ounces and 22 inches long! Mommy and Keli always wanted to have a baby in the same year, and 10 years later they did just that!

Other than that, the week has been quite calm - haha!

Mommy says the time changes this weekend - we "fall back" on Saturday night. This means we get an extra hour on Sunday - 25 hours in the day! Of course Mommy is worried that my sleep/nap schedule will be screwed up. But I assured her that everything will be just fine.

7 months old

...yesterday I turned 7 months!

I went to the pediatrician today. Dr. Ajay said that I'm really doing well, meeting all my milestones and I was a very healthy little girl. My stats were as follows:

26 1/2 inches long (50th percentile)
16 lbs 5 ozs (50th percentile)
17 inch head

I gained 5 ounces and a 1/4 inch in my head during the last month. Of course between 5 and 6 months I grew 2 pounds and 2 inches. Dr. Ajay said that growth starts to slow down at 7 months, so I'm right on target!

I can sit up alone for minutes on end, transfer objects from one hand to the other, do the beginnings of a downward dog (butt in the air), scoot/roll all around, do push ups (where I love to faceplant into the floor, say Ba Ba and Pa Pa, do raspberries when I poop (followed by a Pa sound), and laugh at the baby in the mirror (me).

I eat veggies for lunch - usually 1/2 to 1 First Foods jar; and cereal (2 TBS of oatmeal or rice mixed with breast milk) and fruit for dinner - usually 1/2 to 1 First Foods jar. I get two naps a day and get lots of breast milk still from my Mommy.

hallowe'en nights

...and last night Mommy & I went to Greenfield Village.

By defalt (Aunt Kelly was sick) Mommy & I got to go with Nana to Greenfield Village for the Hallowe'en Nights! It was really fun. Mommy and Nana thought it was a bit scary, but I really had a great time seeing all the people in costume!

We've had a really fun time! I'm dressed as a black cat - just like my kitty, Mia!

another week ahead

...at least today is a sunny day!
Today begins another week and Mommy seems to have our schedules planned again! It looks like we have plenty to get done around the house as well as a few errands outside of the home. On Wednesday we are getting together with Miss Monica and Asher, Saturday we are seeing Grandma & Grandpa Martin and Aunt Sarah & Uncle John for Aunt Sarah's Birthday, and Sunday Mommy has her Halloween piano recital. Lots of stuff to do...hopefully I'll stay awake for most of it!

busy day

...once again Mommy & Daddy plan so much to do that I get too tired to continue with them.

I am so tired right now, and no thanks to Mommy & Daddy. They love to plan a ton to do over the weekend! I think they forget how quickly I can get tired...but I was eager to let them know my distress an hour ago.

This is me, yesterday, playing with the pumpkins that Mommy & Daddy bought last Sunday. I sure love the fall - so do Mommy & Daddy. I know that I'm too small to really enjoy Halloween this year, but I will still get dressed up and help Mommy and Daddy pass out the candy/pretzels to the neighborhood children. But year I'll have fun going out and begging (as Papa Ray calls it) for myself.

another cloudy day

...yes, another cloudy day for us in Michigan.

Mommy and I went on a few errands this morning and yesterday afternoon, but mostly we are staying inside because the weather has been so crummy! Of course Mommy says that this is what fall is like in Michigan - cloudy and dark. Since I was born at the end of March, I was lucky enough to enjoy spring and summer for most of my life. I love being able to take walks and play outside. Mommy is worried that we'll be bored this winter. I think we'll be fine! We'll just have to shop more!

yogurt

...and then Mommy made homemade yogurt.

Mommy decided to incorporate yogurt into my diet. She made me Organic Whole Milk Yogurt in a machine. It was really yummy! I could eat yogurt all the time!

We also got our pumpkins over the weekend, and Mommy put up the rest of our Halloween decorations on Sunday. Since Halloween is Mommy's favorite holiday, she really enjoys having the house all spooky and fun.

no blueberries for me

...apparently I'm not ready for blueberries or Stage 2 foods yet!

When I went to the doctors for my 6th month check up Dr. Marcus told Mommy I could start Stage 2 foods. Stage 2 foods are the next step up from the most simple fruits and veggies. Anyway, Mommy and Daddy bought two fruit combinations that contained blueberries: Bananas and Blueberries & Apples and Blueberries. I ate a combination of blueberries 3 nights in a row. Then on Wednesday I started with the loose stools and gas. Needless to say, when Mommy talked to Dr. Ajay (her favorite Dr.) he said that we should wait until I'm 8 months old to try the Stage 2 foods.

I still love peas, so bring on the Stage 1 foods!

refining the routine

...so I helped Mommy refine my new routine.

I think it works much better. Uncle Joe said that Mommy sounds like our house is a business with how she has me on a schedule. He said it sounded like it came from upper management. Even though Mommy is the COO and Daddy is the CEO, they empower their employees - me! In business school, Mommy learned MBO - Management By Objective - and this helps employees set realistic goals and such. So I refined the routine based on my desires.

7:30 - 8:00am - Wake Up
10:30 - 11:00am - Settle Down for Morning Nap
12:00 - 1:00pm - Lunch
2:30 - 3:00pm - Settle Down for Afternoon Nap
5:00 - 6:00pm - Dinner
7:00 - 7:30pm - Bath Time
7:30 - 8:00pm - Bedtime

Since I helped Mommy create this refined new schedule, I'm able to better meet the benchmarks of my day:)