13-month update
They say some things (wine, certain cheeses, etc.) get better with age – and that seems to be the case with Zoe. She is just so much fun these days: so active, curious and happy. She’s always zipping around, playing, laughing, getting into things… It’s hard to keep up with her at times, but the payoff is so worth it.
Zoe spends most of her time cruising around and exploring areas of the house. She loves pulling books (and other objects) off of shelves, unfolding laundry and other objects of clothing, and reaching for her biggest objects of affection: phones (cell and land-line) and remote controls. A few of her favorite things are off-limits – like pulling out her diaper wipes from their container, throwing toys in her Diaper Champ or pulling the lid off her wicker hamper. When she’s doing something she’s not supposed to, she usually looks at me for a second and waits for a response. Then, she usually does it anyway. And smiles. (sigh)
The majority of Zoe’s time is spent on her feet; she loves to stand, often sucking her thumb while doing so, for long periods of time. We know she knows *how* to walk (she frequently takes a few steps forward on her own) – it just doesn’t seem like she really *wants* to yet. I think for now she’s content getting to where she needs to go by crawling or walking while holding on to the furniture.
As mentioned above, Zoe is at a really fun, happy age. She recently started saying “hi,” which she now says all the time and to everyone, and she also often repeats words that we say to her. (The other day, for example, she said “thank you” back to us.) She’s constantly singing and clapping, and she tends to get very excited (with giggles and flailing arms, etc.) when one of us walks into the room. On the flip-side, she tends to get very sad (with big tears and wails, etc.) when one of us leaves. She never has a problem being dropped off at daycare in the morning (thank goodness!), but she does does exhibit classic signs of separation anxiety here at home.
The only other time we see Zoe’s less-than-pleasant side is when we take something (usually an item she shouldn’t be playing with) from her. It’s now common for her to cry, grunt or even shake in anger when that occurs. We have our little tricks to minimize the outbursts, but I do occasionally long for those days in which she barely noticed things around her!
As for physical stuff, Zoe is just under 24 lbs and 30 inches. She still eats a lot, and she’s grown a little pot-belly (which, of course, we love). She has only four teeth, though the doctor said two more top teeth on on her way. I kind of like her gumminess; it makes for cute, wet “kissies” (which, of course, we also love).
-M