Zoe, like most other kids her age, is a big fan of dogs. She’s constantly pointing out “doggies” when we’re out, and she squeals at the chance to pet or, even better, play with one. She was lucky enough to spend long stretches of time with her favorite little dog, Coco, last week – and she did a lot of laughing when he ran up and down the stairs, barked, shook and did other dog activities. (“You’re funny,” she would tell him as she crouched down beside him.) She also enjoyed presenting him with a little hedgehog that she had picked out and brought from home; from the looks of things, she found him the right present!

-M

Zoe, as mentioned below, had a particularly fun time hanging out with her cousin last week – and we captured on video one of their more joyous moments. Check out as Tanner entertains Zoe, who responds with numerous laughs and “you’re funny”s.

-M

One of the highlights of our Madison trip was the night we spent with Aimee (my cousin), Neill and little Tanner. Tanner and Zoe always get together when we’re in town (see their first visit at the bottom of this post), but now that they’re older, their visits are more interactive and entertaining. This time around, the two of them did a lot of playing, wrestling and laughing – and Zoe got a big kick out of Tanner’s two dogs. She was especially fond of the little one, Olive, as you’ll see below.

-M

Though our trip home was anything but smooth (bad weather and cancelled flights meant a 13-hour travel day for the three of us yesterday), our actual time in Madison was fun and relaxing. We were there for four full days, and most of Zoe’s time was spent playing, reading and snuggling with family. We still have some fun pictures to post of Zoe and her cousin Tanner; for now, here are my other faves from the trip.

-M

Riding in style:

School-time with Grandma:

All bundled up (in the bitter cold):

Warming up and relaxing:

“Peek-a-boo!”

Goofing around in the kitchen:

Lighting the candles:

“This seems like a good place to chill out.”

Snuggling with Sandy and Coco:

“Grandma’s baking… Yum!”

We are all having a great time in Madison, but I thought I’d let the pictures speak for themselves. More to come when we get back to San Francisco tomorrow…

Jon Q

Just sitting around with my buddies:

This looks like a comfy place to nap:

Chillin on the steps:

Our five minutes in the snow:

Group hug with all the girls:

Do I have something on my head?

Got your nose:

Vicki and Q ready for a night on the town:

Sandy with her two kids:

Zoe was pretty excited upon learning that we were going on an airplane the other morning. Took a few snapshots of her in her pretty nightgown…

Jon Q

Before the news:

After the news:

I know Michelle said she wasn’t posting any more monthly updates, but I thought a post wishing Zoe a Happy 25 Month Birthday would be appropriate…

Jon Q

There were a few weater related delays, but we finally made it to snowy Madison. We are expecting some more snow today and Zoe is very excited to go play in some. Zoe was especially excited to see Grandma (and stuffed animals) this morning. More updates to come…

Jon Q

Hannuakah came early for us this year. Since we knew the first night would happen while we were flying, we decided to light the candles a little early. Zoe had lots of fun turning on the “Hannukah lights”, singing Happy Hannukah to you while lighting the candles (and almost blowing them out), opening her own presents, and helping open everyone else’s, too! We can’t wait for seven more nights of fun.

Jon Q

We’re heading to Madison today, where the high temperature is expected to reach a balmy 5 degrees. (That’s 47 degrees cooler than today’s San Francisco high, and that already feels pretty cold to me!) It’s also reportedly very snowy and winter-like there, so to get in the spirit, the three of us made a little Play-Doh snowman this morning. Hopefully it will warm up during our trip, and Zoe can re-create it with the real, cold stuff.

-M

Zoe was very excited this morning to go shopping. She quickly grabbed her pink jacket and then had to put on her green coat (I guess she is preparing for Madison). After putting on her hood, she was ready to go. She looked so cute, I thought I should snap a picture and share…

Jon Q

Stanford decided to close its doors for two weeks this Dec. (a result of that pesky recession), which means a nice long vacation for me. Thursday was my last day at work until Jan. 5, and I’m looking foraward to relaxing and hanging out with my family. (We’re flying to Madison tomorrow to spend time with mine; after we get back Q’s parents fly out for a vist.) I’m also, of course, thrilled for some bonding time with Zoe. A quick look at the calendar shows that this is the longest break I’ve had since my maternity leave, and I’m already loving this lengthy stretch of uninterrupted time with Z.

-M

Before Zoe was born, as many of you know, we called her Sesame. We came up with that name from BabyCenter.com, which described the baby’s progress each week. For example, in week 5 we were informed that “at this point [the baby is] about the size of a sesame seed, and she looks more like a tiny tadpole than a human.” This time we looked in week 4 and were told, “your baby is an embryo the size of a poppy seed.” To keep with tradition, until we have a real name, we are calling the new baby Poppy! Since Poppy will have to learn to share with big sister we have decided to start early and share Zoe’s site. So, check back often for updates on both Zoe and Poppy!

Jon Q

Zoe has some very exciting news to share with everyone…Mommy is having a baby! Zoe can’t wait for her new little sibling to arrive in late June. We’ll know if it is a brother or sister at the end of January. In the meanwhile, Mommy is doing just fine and Zoe just loves talking about the baby and how it’s in Mommy’s tummy (see picture below for an illustration). We are all very excited!

Jon Q

As mentioned before, Zoe is always doing little art projects at Elena’s. She usually does fairly common things like finger paintings and holiday decorations, but she occasionally works on something a bit more creative. She recently came home wearing a homemade crown, and the other day she surprised us with a glittery cat mask. She was, of course, more than happy to show it off.

-M