Zoe got an early taste of Halloween when she attended a costume party at UCSF on Sat. The party was actually a reunion for those children who had spent time in the ICU, and Zoe got to see lots of other, now-healthy babies (including the little boy whose isolette was right across from hers). It was a real treat for us to be back at the hospital with a *healthy* Zoe (my only regret is that we didn’t see any of the wonderful nurses who cared for her) – and it was also a fun excuse to get her into her little bunny get-up. You’ll see more pictures in about 10 days, but here’s a sneak-peek of Zoe’s costume.

-M

I failed to mention it here, but last week Zoe stood on her own for the first time. She stayed up for one or two seconds, max, but she managed to stay standing a bit longer on subsequent tries. Then this morning, she did the next big thing: she stood up on our bed and took two steps forward (on her own!) before taking a face-dive into the pillows. Q and I looked at each other with very wide eyes and said, “wow!” We’re now coming to terms with the fact that Zoe might become a little walker very soon!

-M

Yesterday was a fun day for Zoe. First, some shopping:

Baby, got some new shoes:

Having fun on the way home:

Then, when she got home, she played with Grandpa:

and had some fun bubble time with Daddy:

Finally, she got a fun present from Grandma and Grandpa before calling it a night:

Sounds like a full day!

Jon Q

Elena got a break yesterday and today – because Zoe’s grandma and grandpa babysat while Q and I were at work. I hear that the three of them had a lot of fun playing with toys, exploring the neighborhood and swinging at the park. And I know Zoe is looking forward to more adventures this weekend…

-M

I came across an interesting tidbit today on BabyCenter.com (my baby bible). “At 10 months,” it read, “your baby’s personality is becoming more defined, and you can start to more accurately imagine what she will be like as she gets older by observing her actions and disposition in different situations.” If this is true, I guess we’re going to have a happy, independent little girl, who doesn’t like to cuddle or sit still but loves to run around – and eat a lot.

I could handle that!

-M

Zoe was excited to wake up and see Grandma and Grandpa this morning. She got to spend the whole day with them and go on two walks. She told me all about it when I got home…

Jon Q

OMG, I just looked at the top of the site and noticed that Zoe is 327 days old today! How did she get so old?

Jon Q

This past weekend, Zoe got some visitors. Her cousin Rachel came over to watch some football with Zoe. Zoe taught her all about fantasy football and Rachel was impressed. Then as a bonus, her friend Jack came over to help her play with her toys. Pumpkin patches on Saturday and visitors to play with on Sunday, what more can a little girl ask for?

Jon Q

Well, Zoe graduated from her baby bath to the big-girl bath this weekend. She was excited to have so much room to move around – it was like a mini swimming pool for her! Check out how much fun she was having.

Jon Q

Our second stop in Half Moon Bay was at a real pumpkin patch. Here are a few thoughts from Zoe while picking out her very first pumpkin!

Jon Q

“What’s this used for?”

“Looks like a big orange!”

“I have to choose just one?”

“I could get used to this…”

I’ve wanted to go to the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival for years. It’s a big event – typically attended by more than 250,000 people – and it always seemed like a fun way to kick off fall (and prepare for Halloween). With Zoe around, we had no excuse *not* to go this year – so the three of us headed down and spent the morning looking at, sitting on and picking out pumpkins (and doing other cool stuff). No pony rides or hay rides for little Zoe this time around – but there’s always next year!

-M

Zoe and I braved the cold and rain and headed down to Stanford this morning. It was my day off, but I wanted my co-workers and friends to see Zoe before she gets even bigger. (She’s only been to the office once before.) Zoe got a taste of my commute and then spent some time meeting new friends, exploring the office and observing my co-workers in action. I think she enjoyed herself and, who knows – maybe our trip will inspire her to pursue a career in a medical field, too!

-M

“This commute just wipes me out.”

“Where am I?”

“Hey, this doesn’t look like Daddy’s head!”

“I’m Mommy’s new assistant.”

It’s been a pretty uneventful week for Zoe, but we couldn’t let any more time pass without posting a picture. Here she is the other day: just hanging out – and showing off her little rabbit teeth.

-M

Zoe had a fun relaxing weekend. She got to spend some time in the park with her good friend Zander:

She had some time to lay around and watch football:

And of course there is always time to horse around:

Jon Q

Zoe is catching on quick… First “good”, then “no”. Check her out in action:

Jon Q