17 Months!

Dear Zoe,

You're 17 months old, pumpkin! My, how time flies. You have become so much fun. Although it's sad thinking about how fast you're growing, I can honestly say that every new stage is more fun than the stage before. You are doing so many new and exciting things.

First, in terms of physical development, you're getting your 5th tooth. You've handled teething really well. Besides drooling like crazy and chewing on your fingers, occasionally, you wake up at an odd time in the middle of the night or you'll be a little clingy, which I attribute to teething, but you have not experienced any extreme discomfort...at least not that we're aware of. You're becoming very skilled at going up and down the stairs. In fact, you literally try to walk up and down the stairs now. Mommy and Daddy watch you very closely. You've pretty much mastered crawling up and scooting down the stairs. You can point to 15 body parts (hair, ears, eyes, face, nose, teeth, belly, belly button, hands, arms, fingers, legs, knees, toes and feet), and you can point to the same body parts on Mommy and Daddy.

Your speech is really starting to explode. You have added "down, sit down, sit (sounds like an expletive), more (along with sign), "nah" (no), hi and bye (instead of simply waving), up, hot (which sounds like "ha ha hot" as you fan your hand), chicken, "tay" (okay), jeans, spoon, shirt, shoes (also sounds like an expletive), book and bow." Also, when we ask you questions, you respond with "mmm hmmm" (which is your "yes"). It's so cute! Sometimes you also respond to questions or directions you don't understand by responding "hmm" (huh?) until you figure it out. You can understand and complete quite a few multi-step directions. You've mastered five animals sounds--cow, sheep, bird, duck and dog. ("Tweet tweet" is Mommy's favorite....you sound so cute saying it (sounds more like "teet teet"). You're such a fast learner and you're so observant. You amaze us, Zoe.

Oh, you love talking on the phone. Your phone conversations go like this: "Hi! Mmm hmmm, mmm hmmmm, mmm hmmm, Bye!" It's hilarious! You think everything is a phone--remote control, your hand, and recently you used a computer mouse as a phone. LOL.

You continue to use your sign language, although Mommy and Daddy haven't done a good job of adding new words now that you're talking more. The funny thing is the sign for "all done" has become a universal sign for you. In addition to signing "all done" when you're finished eating, you also sign "all done" when a game is getting old to you, if Mommy kisses you one too many times, if you're tired of being chased (which you still love), etc. Sometimes you add "nah" to the "all done" sign....that's when we know you're *really* "all done". LOL.

You love to color. You started art class in June and since then you've wanted to doodle nonstop. Mommy and Daddy bought you an art easel for the house, which you love to stand at to doodle. (We hope this will save our walls...fingers crossed) The funny part is sometimes you try to color with your crayons and pens wrong side up. When Mommy and Daddy attempt to turn your writing tool around, you flip it right back over and try to continue with your doodling. It's pretty funny.

Zoe, you love to dance. You've got rhythm, girl! Recently you added twirling to your dancing. You're becoming such a big girl! You really love music, especially participatory songs. You love to hold Mommy's and Daddy's hands and twirl for "Ring-Around-the-Rosies" and you fall just before "we all fall down" and say "down" as you're falling. You can do all the hand movements for "Itsy Bitsy Spider", you point to the relevant body parts for "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" (although there's always a little delay) and you bark when you hear "B-I-N-G-O". You're hilarious!

You're still a little peanut (you weighed 20 lbs. and you measured 31 inches at a recent doctor's appointment). You're a picky eater, although you like to eat things that are good for you. Your favorite foods are broccoli, green beans, yogurt, rice, black beans, various types of fruit and pasta marinara. You're suspicious of meat, but occasionally you'll surprise us and down some chicken or fish.

I'm sure there are many things I missed, but these are the highlights I jotted down over the past month. Zoe, Mommy and Daddy are in awe of you and remain incredibly proud of you. I can never say it enough....you are the light of our lives. We love you so much, sweet girl. I can't wait to see what the next month holds in store!

My love always,
Mommy

Our Little Shopper

***To my family and friends (if you're still out there): I'm sorry this blog is so grossly outdated. Life is busier than ever for some reason. Rather than catching up, I'm going to "keep up" and work on Zoe's old monthly posts as time permits. Now, on to the post...***

Zoe enjoys pushing things. Chairs, her stroller, doors, whatever. If it can be pushed, she's pushing it! We recently visited a grocery store that has small grocery carts to be pushed by its smallest of patrons. Zoe had a blast pushing her grocery cart. She had a few crashes along the way (which she acknowledged by saying "boom"), but there was no stopping her....until we got to the bread and candy aisle. Zoe does not eat candy, but she was determined to place three bags of chocolate in her cart. When we removed said bags from her cart, she politely picked them back up and returned them to her cart. LOL. I think a toy shopping cart of her own will be added to our toy "wish list" for Zoe. (We're trying to pace ourselves so our home doesn't become a mini toy store, but it's hard to do with so many cute toys on the market) Zoe also enjoyed pushing the cart against the shelves. Price tags were flying off left and right, but Zoe, being the sweet heart that she is, made sure to stop and pick up the debris she was leaving behind. As a friend aptly pointed out, pushing the cart against the shelves probably helped her keep her cart going straight; good point. Zoe's one smart cookie!

Zoe also enjoys riding in the shopping carts that have little cars attached to the front. She's so proud to "drive" the basket around the store. If the car has two steering wheels, she takes great pleasure if driving with both steering wheels. That's what I call talent!

Zoe returning her chocolates to her cart:

Zoe "driving" through the store:

Our Budding Artist?

Zoe started her first "art" class on June 14. The class is called Dri.bbles and Scri.bbles and is offered at the children's mus.eum. The program theme for the summer is "Carnival of Animals." Each class starts with a quick story time and ends with music and instruments. The toddlers are exploring different animal shapes using different art media. Unfortunately we had to miss week #3 because Zoe wasn't feeling well, but in the first two weeks we've used finger paints, regular paint using brushes (at the art easel), paint dotters and painting with toilet paper rolls (who knew?). Each week Zoe creates a new piece of art and is supposed to add something to her personal canvas. At the end of the eight week session, she will have a canvas that contains a sample of each art medium used. Although this is supposed to be Zoe's art class, it feels like Mommy and Daddy are taking art classes because we're doing more art work than Zoe. Go figure! (But Zoe is personally adding to her canvas (except for a few dots from Daddy during week #2), so it'll be fun to display her art in her future play room) This class is confirming that Zoe, at least up to this point, is a girly girl because she does not like getting paint on her hands. It's pretty funny.

After each art class, we spend time playing in the children's mus.eum. I was able to convince my dear friend, Julie, to enroll her daughter, Kendall, in Zoe's art class. It's so fun watching Kendall and Zoe explore and play together.

Our Budding Artist

(Zoe loves spending time at the easel)

Week 1 Masterpiece (plus Zoe working on her canvas)

Scribbling with the "dotters"...Zoe wouldn't "dot" the paper.

Distressed by the paint on her hands.
Relieved to be washing her hands.

Week 2 Masterpieces

Playtime at the children's mus.eum

Zoe and Kendall...notice that Kendall actually looks like she's been to art class...I love it!

Zoe enjoyed squeezing the cow's teats at the museum's little farm

Standing at the silly mirrors....look at those legs