I once mentioned that food is the best way to get to Zoe’s heart. This was proven yesterday, yet again, when Grandpa shared a snack with Zoe and was treated to a sweet thank-you kiss.

-M

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to bed…the 3:30am wake-up call comes along! Although getting woken up at 6am sucks, putting her into bed with us and sleeping until 7am is nice. However, nothing is fun about getting a visit at 3:30am. We had to gently explain that it was too early and put her back to bed. After about an hour of story telling, she finally fell asleep and luckily there was no 6am visit. Hopefully, she’ll be on a nice routine by the time Poppy comes along.

Jon Q

So, I think I spoke too soon when I said my worries of Zoe waking us up early were unfounded. For the past two mornings, Zoe has gotten up and come into our room VERY early – before 6. Needless to say, I’m exhausted – and I hope we can re-train her to stay in bed until at least 6:30!

Yawn.

-M

Zoe has some new playmates around the house: her grandma and grandpa arrived from Madison last night for a visit. They’ve already gone on several walks and played with lots of toys and books… Here she is playing Legos with Grandpa and enjoying a pre-nap story with Grandma.

-M

It happened. After a week-plus in her new bed, Zoe finally figured out she’s able to get out on her own. (At first, she would just sit there and call/cry for us when she woke up in the morning – like she used to do from her crib.) Just before 7 this morning, we heard the squeak of a door opening and watched as Zoe walked into our room and, without a word, climbed into bed with us.

I was always sort of dreading the no-crib phase; I worried that Zoe would constantly get out of bed, walk around the house and/or wander into our room at odd or early hours. Though she could still wind up doing this, I’m feeling okay with what has happened so far. I got to stay in bed longer than usual, and the three of us got to snuggle for a few minutes. It was a great way to start the day!

-M

It was a chilly, rainy weekend, and the three of us spent a good chunk of our time just relaxing and hanging around the house. Yesterday morning, though, Q had some projects to do in the garage – and he enlisted the help of Zoe and her “baby dog.” Here they are, hard at work.

-M

Feeling ambitious, Zoe and I walked down four flights of stairs (from her doctor’s office to our car) the other day. As we were heading down, Zoe suddenly stopped and started kicking out her back leg – somewhat resembling a male dog about to go to the bathroom. “Zoe, what are you doing?” I asked her, and she grinned back to me. “I dancing!” she said, and continued kicking her leg. Needless to say, it took quite awhile to make it all the way down.

-M

This is Zoe’s third Valentine’s Day and to keep up with tradition (check out past ones) we thought we’d post our favorite photo of Zoe with a rose. However, this year we can’t decide which one of the photos from this morning’s photo session is the cutest. Help us decide… and of course, Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Jon Q

Picture 1?

Picture 2?

Picture 3?

Picture 4?

Zoe received her first Valentine in the mail yesterday, and she was super excited to discover stickers inside. (Thanks, G&G.) Here she is playing with her little gift.

-M

Though Zoe remains excited about her new bed, she’s having a little bit of trouble staying in it. Ever since the switch, we’ve found her curled up on the floor (often several feet away from her mattress) at some point during the night. Zoe has always been an active sleeper, and she must be rolling or wiggling her way off the edge of the bed. Though she looks awfully cute on the floor, here’s hoping that she’ll stop wiggling around and start staying put sometime soon. If she doesn’t, we may never be able to get that mattress off the ground!

-M

We made a big switch this weekend: we took down Zoe’s crib and moved her into a “big girl” bed (for now, a twin mattress on the floor with princess-themed sheets and comforter). The move was long overdue (I was the one who dragged my feet), and Zoe took the change like a pro. Although she loved her crib, she wasn’t at all upset as she watched her dad disassemble it – and she now seems equally fond of her new bed.

As Q said to me after the switch was complete: “It’s official. She’s no longer a baby.”

-M

Another Saturday morning at the zoo for Zoe and her dad. The theme of this week’s Little Learners class was giraffes, and Zoe spent her time learning all about the animals and then playing/jumping around with the other kids. Here are some pics.

-M

Making giraffes:

Feeding the giraffes:

Dancing time:

Petting a chinchilla:

Yesterday I received a chipper little e-mail from BabyCenter.com. “You’re at the halfway mark,” it read, referring to the 20-weeks of my pregnancy. “Congratulations!” I stared at my computer screen for a few minutes before doing quick math in my head. Halfway mark? Already? Really??

I’ve had some (pretty typical) low points during this pregnancy, and I’m still tired and somewhat grumpy most of the time, but the weeks have really slipped by. Let’s hope the next 20 (or fewer, hopefully) weeks go as well!

-M

Our friends Russell, Ellen and Anona are in town from Texas, and we got to spend some time with them last night. As it turns out, Anona (who is a few months older than Z) shares with Zoe a love for the “bouncy house” and all things pink – and the two of them became fast friends. They’re pretty cute together, huh??

-M

As Q mentioned below, Zoe has had a busy past few days – starting with a trip to the playground with friends on Fri., a visit to the zoo (and a peek at the week-old baby giraffe) on Sat., and a football party on Sun. Here are some pics.

-M

Fun with Zander:

Just hanging around:

A new pet for Zoe:

Up close with the lions:

“Baby” giraffe:

Ready for some football (and cheerleading):