Memorial Day weekend...a bit late, I know.

We spent Memorial Day weekend in Florida introducing Zoe to Jeff's parents. I took a shameful lack of pictures, but here are the good ones I did get.

My little traveller kickin' back in the stroller waiting for our flight. For the record, we are totally spoiled now that we have flown to Florida. Driving will be torturous next time now knowing what a one hour flight feels like.


Zoe and her Granddaddy. I don't know how I didn't get any with her Grandma (known as Neese on that side of the family)


Cousins Brian, Audrey and baby Elijah. Zoe is intrigued with the baby.


And thanks to an empty flight on the way home, Zoe had her own seat like a big girl.


An arial view of Melbourne during take off. Its a little disturbing how they take off and land from Melbourne. They come and go over the ocean with a great big U-turn. I've never been on a flight that banked that sharply.



Now we are home and resuming normal life.

Lazy blogger...

Zoe at her physical therapy evaluation. This is the first time she was ever in a crawl position without crying....yeah!!! Now it happens regularly. No actual crawling, but we're getting there!

Zoe has been feeding herself large things for awhile, but this was her first time to pick up her banana. They're slippery, you know.

Here she is completely exhausted! We set her down and down she went!
I looooove the close ups. Look at that sweet girl. Love of my life.

The Daycare Quest

Yesterday, I finally signed the papers and committed ourselves to a daycare. I pretty much knew which one we were going to use from the beginning because of the daycare's location. Oh, wait....excuse me...it's not a daycare, it's a "learning center". They even corrected me when I used the horrible word, "daycare".

I visited the one we eventually chose a couple times already, and then just to be sure, I visited another. The other daycare made me feel soooo much better about our first choice. As I was leaving choice #2, I wasn't sure whether I wanted to cry or throw up. I'm sure it was fine, but it made me realize how much better my first choice was.

Before signing the papers and handing over the big check, they let me hang out in the baby room for awhile. I stayed for about an hour and visited with the ladies who will be taking care of Zoe for me in the day time. I also got to meet Zoe's new friends and one of the other mothers. After that, I feel so, so, sooo much better about leaving her there. The ladies are all older, loving, and very attentive. The other mother raved about the place, and the babies are all cute, active, and seem to be happy. Even Zoe had a good time hanging out in there with the babies.

My only problem (other than the fact that she has to go there at all) is what they feed these kids. In the baby room, I can take whatever I want her to eat, but in the young toddler room (where she will go when she can walk and use a sippy cup) she has to eat what they provide. The menu is full of fried meat, canned veggies (high sodium), and canned fruit (high fructose corn syrup). For snacks they even eat sugary or salty things. I know they have to go the cheap route, but the least they could do is let me bring in a lunch. I do have the option of choosing a vegetarian menu, which I may do. It's not much better, but at least it's not hamburger/chicken nuggets/fish sticks/ or fried beef sticks. What the heck are fried beef sticks anyway????

So close to crawling..

Zoe gets closer and closer to crawling all the time but hasn't been able to make the leap yet. For now, she is my little rolling Queen. She's started rolling with direction, which is fun. If Mom has a snack.....roll, roll, roll...here comes Zoe!!





And just because she's so cute, here are a few more pictures. She was kinda mellow all day and then Mama whipped out the camera, and look....SMILES!

My First Mother's Day

Time in a bottle..

I have so many moments in the day that I wish I could bottle up and savor later. My camera or even the video camera will never be enough.

I want to forever remember the way she pats me in the middle of the night when she wakes up. (I'm sleeping with her right now...I'll blog about that some time.)

I want to remember how she gently rests her hand on my chest and looks up at me when I hold her. All the cute sounds she makes when she sleeps. The way she yells out noises from the back seat so we don't forget she's there. (As if!!) The look of joy on her face when she tastes something delicious. Or the look of concern when Mommy is eating something and not sharing! The way she hisses through her teeth when she's being playful. Even the way she smells sometimes. And how happy she is in the mornings.

So many things stop my heart during the day.

Sorry, and random things

I know I've been a terrible blogger, but spending time with baby and keeping my life in order must come first. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't struggling. I am. I don't know how long it takes normal Mommies to get their act together, but it is taking me quite some time. I have random thoughts on things I should blog about, but no time to organize my thoughts. Here are a few things swirling in my mind right now.

1. My pre-baby life must have been one of the most lazy self-indulgent ones around. Try living like that for 37 years and then add a baby. Wow, it is a serious adjustment! I miss my previous life, but know that this one is infinitely more fulfilling and purposeful. I'm just so very tired all the time.

2. I think we must have been given the most wonderful baby in all the world. She is happy, charming, and easy tempered. She almost never cries unless sleep is somehow involved. We're still having much trouble with sleep...staying asleep, specifically. But even when she sleeps, she smiles.

3. I am constantly reminded of the movie "Raising Arizona" when Holly Hunter's character cries, "I...Love...Him...So...Much!" Yesterday, I cried simply because I love her so much.

4. I still have a month home with her, but am already dreading going back to work. My little brain is working overtime on how I can possibly avoid it. I keep putting off the day care application, because I can't stand the thought of other people raising my girl.

5. Our bonding is going so well. Although it complicates things, she fusses when I put her down or leave a room. It breaks and melts my heart at the same time.

6. Eventually I will have to make a decision about this blog. Close it down? Password protect it? I'm not sure right now, but soon, I will have to pull the trigger on something.

Even with food all over her face, this girl is adorable