Zoe's Top Ten Right Now

Oh my sweet Zoe. Why has it taken me three days to come up with a Top Ten for you? In my defense most of Saturday was spent caring for and cleaning up after you 'cause you got a bit of a stomach flu. Then yesterday I had to prepare for a big meeting. Today I have a ton of work to do, what better time to blog about my baby?

1. Right now, Zoe's most constant and defining trait is her love of books. If she finds any one of her adults sitting, she'll pick up a book and plunk herself in your lap in one swift motion, and hand the book to you, like "Read to me now, puhleez!" After you read it, she'll get up, pick another book and sit right back down again. You have no choice, you must obey.

2. Zoe surprises us several times a day with her new words and will repeat almost anything you say to her. Among her ample vocabulary are words such as: apple, shoe, cracker, all done, night-night, milk, mine, sister, kitty, book, dog, duck, baby, up, out, nose, fish, sock, Elmo and the list goes on and on.

3. She calls Mimi "Ma-Ma" and me "Mamm-Ma" ...there is a difference...I think...

4. At any given moment she is apt to lift up her shirt and say "Belly!" Usually prompting her father to do the same.

5. Stuffed animals are her thing. Zoe likes to grab her animals and bury her face in their soft fur. We had an unfortunate accident this weekend where one of her favorites, the bear that nods and sings "You are my sunshine," was thrown into the washing machine with the crib bedding. Now his head spins maniacally to an eerie cacophony of jumble high pitched notes. (It really freaks Mimi out, which is why she will probably find it in her bed tonight).

6. The other day at dinner, we were trying to get Zoe to say everyone's names then point to her and saying "Zoe!" She shook us off and pointed to herself with both hands and said "Bay-Bay!"

7. You keep using that word -- I do not think it means what you think it means. She loves to say the word "No" usually in response to us saying "No" to her. She'll repeat it again and again in a sing-songy almost mocking tone as she continues to do the exact thing you don't want her to do.

8. She will fling herself backwards over the couch if not properly watch. She loves to be upside down or spinning or flying like an airplane or high in the air, she has no fear.

9. She has recently discovered the power of laughter and is so delighted by it. If she gets a laugh out of you she will do the same thing three more times with even more joy.

10. It is almost one year since her surgery. With her bright eyes and peaches and cream complexion, there are many times a day when she simply takes my breath away. I cannot believe her beauty.