No!

So the title of this post is appropriate not only because we picked up the kick-ass, fun for the whole family, They Might Be Giants CD No!, but also because Zoa is now saying "no." This morning I am staying home a little longer than usual because I finally feel caught up at work. So, I was offering Zoa more peach for breakfast, and she said, "no, no, no, no." And so it begins....

Finally, some family fun

I have been meaning to write something since this weekend, but my schedule is just too hectic to keep up regularly with the blog anymore. I think that I will be lucky to write something every couple weeks.

This past couple weeks Zoa has really been thriving in her new daycare. The women at the daycare are both crazy about her and she is already giving them cuddles and kisses. The quality of care that she is receiving is so much higher than the last daycare she was at; I actually have trouble now believing that we had her at the last place for 6-weeks.

Besides daycare turning around, Brian and I are starting to feel a little better. Brian has pretty much stopped coughing; and besides the headache I have had for almost a week straight, I am feeling a little better too. So, this past weekend, we took advantage of the nice weather and went to Arbor Day Farm (Yes, Nebraska is the official home of Arbor Day). We got to test out the backpack that my parents gave us (Zoa absolutely loved it), and we picked up some really tasty apples and apple-based treats from the orchard. When we asked Zoa if she wanted a apple, she said apple for the first time right at the orchard; it was so cute. All of her new words and smarts continue to amaze me. Last night as I was reading her a bedtime story, she pointed at a picture of an owl and said, "owl." Are all babies this smart, or is it just mine? OK, so I am sure that most babies her age are doing similar things, but it is just so cool to see her little mind working and acutally be able to witness her learning so much.

Hopefully, as we get more into the groove of our new routines, we will be able to have some more family weekend afternoons together. Life right now is hectic, so the time we have together seems more precious. I am not sure if that is good or bad, but it is just how it is right now.

Busy, sick, busy, sick

Well, the title says it all. we have been so busy and then whenever it feels like things are getting better, one or more of us gets sick. This week it was me and Zoa. I got a cold that stayed on all week, and Zoa was sick too. Yesterday she started running a fever again too, which she still has today. We are hoping that it is teething related this time as she is getting two molars, but she has a runny nose as well, so who knows.

There is too much news to report it all, so I will give a quick rundown. Last weekend, my parents and grandma came to visit. I had a lot of fun having them here and it was so nice to have some help with Zoa and with cooking as well. They even babysat for Zoa while I went to work last Friday, so Zoa did not have to go to daycare. Anyway, it was a great weekend despite having kind of bad weather and a stinky house as we got our hardwood floor finished (finally).

Zoa started her new daycare this Friday. The first day went well. Zoa did not cry once and ate, played with the other kids, and napped well. I was amazed and so were her new daycare providers. I don't know how I feel yet about the new place. I am sure it will take a few days interacting with them to get a better sense of how things are going. However, they are very nice people and very open. They also provide much more information about Zoa's day than I got at the last place, so that makes me feel better already.

Here are some pictures from the past week. The one with Zoa in her highchair is one my Mom took when they were babysitting that I thought was really funny. There is also one of Zoa running across our beautiful, new living room floor.

First hair "trim"?

Well, among other events this weekend Zoa had her first haircut. I am not sure that it felt like that big of a milestone as I really just took two snips off of what someday might be bangs. It did not really feel like a haircut, rather a trim; although we did save the little bits of hair that floated to the floor. There is photographic evidence here of her dramatic transformation. Note that she looks extremely tired as her hair was snipped just before bedtime on a "no-nap" day. Also, no that is not a zit on her forehead; it's a mosquito bite.

This past weekend Zoa and I spent a lot of time together as most days at home she completely refuses to nap. I actually was completely worn out by Monday night. We did have a lot of fun playing outside and there are some pictures here of her going a mile a minute. Our favorite Zoa move lately has been her "take-off look ." She bends her knees and throws her arms back right before she starts to run. I have a picture of it here, but not as good a one as I would like. It is hard to capture on camera due to the high-speed lift-off the move gives her.

In other Zoa news, she had her 15-month check-up and more shots. I had to take her in by myself this time and was brave as she got poked and prodded. Zoa still continues to be very tiny as she only weighs 18 pounds and is still below the growth charts for weight. She really needs to gain some weight in the next 3 months, or she may have to get a complete work-up for failure to thrive. I am really not too concerned; I think that she is just small. However, she has begun to absolutely refuse to drink milk, so instead of the 16+ ounces/day the doctor has said she must start to drink, she drinks more like 4. I substitute a ton of whole milk yogurt, yogurt smoothies and cheese, but it is still hard to get her up to enough calories. I think that this week we might buy some toddler formula to supplement her diet with, just to make sure she is getting enough calories. After worrying for several months and the beginning of Zoa's life about her not eating; it feels weird to be starting to worry again.

Zoa and I were together again today as her daycare was shut down due to a death in the family. So, I brought her into the office and actually accomplished quite a bit of work considering the situation. She behaved herself wonderfully and I was the hit of the office for the day as everyone was smitten by having a baby around again. It makes me feel good that I am able to bring her into the office without anyone really caring. In fact, my department chair played with her today while I met with a student. I have a feeling that there may be many other days like this in our future, so it was a relief to see that it is doable.

There is more Zoa news, but I am too tired tonight to write anymore. I have to go get some sleep.