I very much believe in signs and little messages from the universe, and I’m pretty sure I got one a few nights ago, when I was still feeling tired and frustrated and generally emotional from Zoe’s sickness and subsequent sleep problems. I was flipping through a parenting magazine that had arrived that day when I landed on an article entitled “Sick Daze.” I was hooked by the first line – “Birdy is sick again” – and I happily gobbled up the author’s words about life with a sick child (and how tough it can be). But it was a paragraph towards the end that really got to me. The mom wrote:

“…The trick is not to be jaded. I try to remember how it felt when they were new and I longed to be the very muscle of their hearts so that I could be sure the blood would get pumped properly through their veins. I try to remember there are parents everywhere, wheeling and dealing with God over their children’s lives, for whom a garden-variety virus would be something like a gift. I try to remember that these snuffly little annoying children will leave us one day.”

I knew right then that someone was telling me something, and I’m pretty sure I went to sleep feeling a little less tired and frustrated. Thanks, “sign.”

-M

As mentioned below, Sun. afternoon was spent at the zoo. Zoe enjoyed playing with the animals, and the video below shows her interaction with one. (I love how she waves and takes off when she’s had enough of him.)

-M

So, Zoe is finally sleeping better – which means we are too. Feeling relaxed and rested, we took advantage of this weekend’s nice weather by wandering around and dining al fresca at a fun, nearby neighborhood on Sat. and hitting the zoo on Sunday. Zoe had another good time with the animals; she had so much fun, in fact, that she wore herself out. Good thing her stroller reclines!

-M

Most holidays are all about family, food, and music – and, as you’ll see in the video below, Zoe really got into the spirit of things last weekend. Watch as she shares a particularly fun Passover song with her dad.

-M

It’s taken us a few days, but we’re finally posting some pictures from our time in Washington. During the trip, Zoe did lots of celebrating, playing, cuddling (with both relatives *and* her little toy dog) and, of course, eating. She also got to show off two new holiday dresses, including a very girlie (and pink) one from her GG-ma and Aunt Wendy. (Thanks, guys!)

-M

Lack of sleep is something you get used to (or, at least, learn to live with) when you have a newborn. We’re long past the caring-for-a-newborn stage, though – which is why this past week, during which Zoe has not slept well at all, has been so difficult. (I had forgotten what it felt like to have a screaming child wake you up, repeatedly, in the middle of the night.) I was absolutely bleary-eyed when I took her to the doctor’s for a check-up this morning, and I was also very curious to hear what Dr. Fernandez thought might be the problem. (Could her ears still be bothering her? Could it be teething? Might she still be on Eastern time? Or might she just be torturing her mom and dad?) The verdict: teething. Her ears look good (hurray!) but all four molars are coming in at once, and the doctor suspects they’re causing Zoe much angst. Poor thing – and poor *us!* Here’s hoping the teeth pop through quickly – this mom needs some sleep!

-M

Per Pop Pop’s request, here is the now famous video of Zoe “running around the store and checking out every pink dress with flowers that she could find.” Enjoy.

Jon Q

When Zoe turned one, I considered scaling back on these updates. I thought an every-other-month format might make sense, as there would probably be fewer month-to-month changes in Zoe. I’m glad I pushed away these thoughts, though, because I would have missed out on recording some very fun stuff! The truth is that we still see incredible changes in Zoe from month to month, and she feels like a different girl each time I write one of these.

With that said, there is plenty to report from this past month. Zoe said lots of new words, including “shhh” (complete with the finger gesture), “peek-a-boo,” and most recently, “fish” and “chicken; made for the first time the sign for bird (something Q has been working with her on for awhile), started lying on the floor and/or grabbing her little pillow after hearing the words “night night” from us, and followed other simple commands. (My favorite is when we ask her to put dirty laundry in her hamper – and she does it!) She has also become a huge talker – she’s almost always jabbering away about something – and she recently took up singing. She’s especially fond of the ABC song – though she tends to just sing the letter “b” over and over again.

Another big change is her dropping of the morning nap. Zoe hadn’t taken an early nap at daycare for months, but she still held on to one at home – until recently. Except when she’s sick or traveling and off-schedule, she now sleeps around 1.5 hours in the afternoon. She is just fine with this new schedule; but *I’m* still missing that morning nap!

Zoe has a love for typical toddler-activities: running around and jumping, reaching for and exploring anything she can get her hands on, and throwing the occasional tantrum. She likes doing quieter things, too – like read (while pointing out every dog and baby in the book, of course), bird-watch, play with her cherished pair of REI wool socks (I’ve never seen someone get so excited by socks!), brush her teeth, and try on one of her many purses. (One of her favorite things to do is swing a purse over her arm and then wave “bye-bye” to us – probably because she’s seen me do that so many times.)

I’ve always known Zoe was head-strong, but we’ve seen even more flashes of independence recently. It’s not uncommon for her, at times, to resist sleeping, eating and being changed – and to let us know that she’s not happy with us. The other day, as example, I started singing her our naptime song – a song she’s heard for more than year and something that normally sooths her – when she looked up at me, shook her head and said “no, no, no, no!” I couldn’t help but laugh (she was terribly cute about it, and it was just so unexpected), and needless to say she didn’t go down for a nap at that moment.

I can’t wait to see what *next* month brings!

-M

After a bumpy start to our travels (i.e. a 3-hour delay out of SFO), we made it to DC on Fri. night. We’ve been pretty busy – spending time with family, celebrating Passover, shopping, etc. – since then, and we’ll post some pictures when we’re back (and caught up on rest). We take off tomorrow, and Q and Zoe have another little jetway walk to look forward to…

-M

Well, Zoe is getting ready this morning for another plane ride! This time she is going all the way to Washington, DC. We’re crossing our fingers that she is feeling better for the plane ride, and so far so good. She seems very excited this morning. We’ll be sure to take and post LOTS of pictures…

Jon Q

As mentioned here before, Zoe is a big fan – both of touching and saying the name of – certain body parts. As it turns out, she isn’t alone. Her little friend Zander is also intrigued by one such part – the nose – and he couldn’t resist exploring Zoe’s the other day. This picture was taken just before Zoe got sick, and I thought it would be fun to share here.

-M

Zoe wasn’t feeling 100% this weekend, and we found out exactly why yesterday: she has a double ear-infection. She was sick (also with an ear thing) just a few weeks ago, and I feel so bad that she has to deal with another one so soon. I also feel a bit exhausted from all the scrambling this week; it was a busy work-week for both me and Q, and we were forced to play the who-can-stay-home-and-take-care-of-her? game. Luckily it all worked out (I stayed home yesterday, Q’s with her today), and Zoe’s medicine (hopefully) is kicking in. Now, I’m just crossing my fingers that we can stay away from Dr. Fernandez’ office for awhile!

-M

As Michelle has pointed out in previous posts, Zoe has become quite a talker. Since she already loved playing with her phones, it is only logical that her new favorite pastime is talking on our phones! I managed to catch Zoe walking around the house while talking to Pop Pop and Safta and thought you’d enjoy…

Jon Q

When I first moved to San Francisco (ten years ago this month!) I felt like I was on a vacation every weekend. The weather was usually sunny and (relatively) warm, and there was always something to do – an outdoors festival, concert, etc – or somewhere to go. Luckily, things here haven’t changed *that* much: our weekends typically include an activity (now of the family variety) or two, and the weather (at least this time of year) tends to be cooperative. This weekend was no exception, as the therometer showed 80 and our itinerary included an outside kids concert at Dolores Park and a picnic and gardening in our backyard. Zoe wasn’t feeling the best, but she still managed to have fun – see the pictures below. (And note that Zoe has developed quite the green thumb!)

Ever since Q began pointing out birds to her – and she learned to sign the word – Zoe has been practically obsessed with looking out the window and bird-watching. A gorgeous sunny day meant open doors and windows today, and Zoe took full advantage. (I don’t think she actually spotted any birds, but that didn’t stop her from looking.)

-M