Like most kids her age, Zoe is a big fan of the mirror. The other morning, as I got ready, Zoe spent a good chunk of time staring at, talking to, flirting with, and kissing the image in the hotel mirror. I couldn’t help but snap a few pics. (I only wish I had taken video!)

-M

So, our trip to Chicago was short but fun. We lucked out on the weather on two of our days there (mid-40s on Wed. and Thurs). and on getting back home when the weather turned sour yesterday. (More than 250 flights out of O’Hare were cancelled because of snow; our plane only left an hour late.) We also had some good food and a fun time strolling around the city.

As mentioned below, Zoe had never been to Chicago (outside of O’Hare) – but she had several other firsts, as well. She rode in a taxi for the first time, met our good friend Dan for the first time, and bundled up in her warm, marshmellow-like coat for the first (and – thanks to her growing stomach – probably last) time. She didn’t have time to eat deep-dish pizza or visit the Art Institute or Navy Pier (nor did she get to drive up to Madison to visit family), but we’ll save that for next time!

-M

“Are my thumbs in here?”

Meeting new friends

Partying on the hotel bed

Striking a pose with Daddy

Pouting, instead of posing

“I like this chair!”

When Zoe and I learned that Q had some business in Chicago, we jumped at the chance to join him and make a little family get-away out of it. This was Zoe’s first trip to the Windy City, and she packed in a lot (read: shopped a lot) during her few days there. We have lots of pictures to post; for now, here’s one of her watching over a cold and wet Michigan Ave. this morning.

-M

Almost everyone loves spring, and Zoe is no exception. In honor of the first day of the season, I thought I’d post a picture of Zoe sporting some new shades. She’s clearly very ready for some sunny, spring-y days!

-M

PS- The three of us are in very NONspring-like Chicago right now. We’ll post some pics soon.

We spent a good portion of Saturday visiting local nurseries (we’re hunting for some trees and flowers for our backyard), and I happened to trip over a stick and stumble forward while carrying Zoe through one of them. I quickly caught myself and kept walking, and I would have thought nothing of it had Zoe not had such a strong reaction. I must have made a funny face when I lurched forward, because she started giggling… and wouldn’t stop. She seemed to think it was the funniest thing in the world – and I, of course, had to do several reenactments, which only made me her laugh harder.

Later that day, I couldn’t help but reflect upon Zoe’s reaction to my stumble. Instead of getting scared or flustered (which she easily could have – since she was in my arms), she found the humor in the situation and just laughed. She really wasn’t fazed or upset at all, and it occured to me how much happier we would all be if we reacted to life’s little (or big!) stumbles in the same way. At the risk of sounding cheesy, I felt like Zoe gave me a little life-lesson (the first of many, probably) – and I’m hoping I can remember her giggles the next time I encounter one of life’s unpleasantries.

-M

This time of year is always fun in San Francisco with the nice weather rolling in and, of course, Purim time. (For those of you who don’t know, Purim is a Jewish holiday where we dress up, eat, and celebrate the story of Queen Esther.) Today we headed to Zoe’s first Purim carnival, and she went dressed up as a fairy princess. Check her out down below.

Jon Q

Getting ready to go:

Dressing up is fun:

Nothing like a moon bounce:

Carnival games are easy:

I’m big on dates and anniversaries – as readers have probably already figured out – and I was excited to discover today that it’s been exactly a year since Zoe and I began hanging out with Polly and Miles and Susan and Zander. I actually met Polly at a childbirth prep class before Zoe was born; we began spending time together after our babies were born, and we met Susan and Zander at a sing-along at the library last March. We were so excited that our babies were born within days of each other (Zoe is the youngest by a hair), and we quickly launched our Friday get-togethers. It’s been so fun watching all of them grow together.

Today’s get-together was at a park not far from my house. It was a cloudy, cool morning, but that didn’t stop the three from swinging, running around and digging in the sand. The latter was actually Zoe’s favorite part, and I figured I had to post a few pics.

-M

I stumbled upon this video from several weeks back and thought I would (finally) post it. The quality isn’t great (it’s a little grainy for some reason), but it provides a glimpse of what Zoe often does when she’s supposed to be napping – namely, bounce up and down, chatter and even “roar.” Enjoy.

-M

Pop Pop isn’t the only word in Zoe’s vocabulary; she’s been doing lots of chattering and word-repeating this week. The other day I asked her if she wanted a grilled cheese sandwich, to which she replied, “cheese;” later I pointed out the color of her toy and she said back to me, “blue.” This morning she said “nose” (while pointing to hers) for the first time, and she continues to say “dog” (or “daw”) all the time.

Zoe’s a big talker and (still) a big eater. Hm… Maybe she takes after her mom, after all!

-M

Pop Pop! Yesterday morning she was playing with her little phone, and I asked her who she was talking to. “Is it Safta or Grandma?” I asked. “Or maybe it’s Grandpa or Pop Pop.” She looked up at me and said “Pop Pop” and then repeated it. Later, I had her say it for her dad so we knew it was legit.

Pop Pop, you’ll have to visit soon so you can hear this for yourself!

-M

I had a real treat waiting for me at Elena’s today: Zoe in pigtails! Ms. Drama Queen Mom literally squealed in excitement when she saw her; Zoe looked like SUCH a little kid and such like, well, a little girl. Pigtails might not sound like a big deal to the average reader, but Q and I have been trying for some time now to put Zoe’s hair in clips or bows or something that tells the world that she’s a girl (the head-to-toe pink isn’t a good enough indicator for some) – and we haven’t had any luck. (Zoe normally rips everything off her head.) Elena did a great job of styling her hair, and the end result made my day. Seriously. I think I smiled the entire ride home. Wouldn’t you?? (See below.)

-M

The weather was gorgeous yesterday, so the three of us grabbed a late brunch and drinks at this fun outdoor restaurant near the ocean. The sun was warm, a band was playing, and plenty of dogs and kids were running around – plus we ran into our friend Tonja – so there was a little something for all of us. After we got home, Zoe, who looked a little like a green apple in her cute lounging outfit, spent some time frolicking around the house and then snuggling with her dad. It was a great way to cap a fun weekend…

-M

Zoe spends a lot of quiet time by herself, and it recently occurred to me that we have very little video of this. I managed to get close to a minute of her playtime yesterday morning, and I captured a few classic Zoe moments in the process: a little talking (:08), a little thumb-sucking (:23) and a little dancing (:25). Oh, yeah, and the video also captures her use of a random object (in this case a cloth letter) as a necklace (:15). (She loves putting things around her neck.) This video isn’t action-packed, but it provides a nice taste of Everday Zoe.

-M

Last week at this time, I was in LA – spending my first night (ever) away from Zoe. It was the first time since BZ (before-Zoe) that I flew alone, and the entire travel experience was so mellow and easy compared to my recent flying experiences. I didn’t have to worry about schlepping and getting through security a carseat, stroller, diaper bag and oodles of other important items, and I didn’t have to worry about watching or entertaining or caring for anyone in the airport. I could just sit and *be*; I actually read a magazine and just sat there, doing nothing. It was nice… but it was also a little lonely.

I surprised myself by missing my little travel companion (and the big one, too, of course) as much as I did. I couldn’t help but watch the little babies around me in the airport and think of Zoe; I spent a long time watching one father struggle with his very young, very unhappy baby in the airport – and instead of feeling relieved that I wasn’t in his shoes, I actually felt a little envious. I even felt that way on the plane, when the baby wouldn’t stop screaming. Old Michelle would have been extremely annoyed, but on this trip, I just smiled at the thought of comforting my own little (well, big) baby. (I also made sure to give the dad a few “I-know-what-you’re-going-through/don’t-worry-about-it” looks. I really felt for him!)

I’m fond of saying that motherhood hasn’t changed me *that* much, but experiences like this tell me otherwise. I know traveling will never be quite the same again, and I know I will forever feel a bit of loss when I’m away from Zoe. But I also know that’s okay – I just feel pretty lucky to be able to feel like this!

-M

Zoe’s had another good week, and she’s been in a particularly playful and happy mood. She showed her more mellow side this morning, though, when she grabbed her tiny yellow pillow (one of her favorite playthings) and used it to take a little rest. She bounced up just a few seconds after this picture was snapped (you can’t keep her down for long) – but at least she had a few quiet moments.

-M