Almost 8 months

Zoë is a happy, healthy and very talkative almost 8 month old. She will be 8 months old in 2 days. Her three words that are very clear to date are bye-bye, ma ma, and GiGi. She calls to us on a regular basis. She is trying to crawl, but she is much more interested in trying to pull and stand and loves walking with you holding her hands. I'm not sure if she will be much of a crawler, she would much rather walk. We have finally graduated to her sleeping in her baby bed in her room, upstairs! Mind you this was not her not being able to sleep upstairs in her bed, but my unwillingness to let her or try at all. So finally, Genia and I discussed how hard it would be to keep waiting to try, on her, not me. So 2 weeks ago we tried and do you know that she did not cry one time or fuss at all! Too bad I can't say the same about myself! I cried. It was so hard not to be able to look at her beside me sleeping and being able to check on her, cover her up, etc. I know I shouldn't complain b/c she is such a wonderful sleeper and I do have video monitor so I can see her in the day or night.

Have I mentioned what a happy baby she is? Smiles, laughs and talks constantly! She is such a people person. She has only really met one stranger that she didn't like, sorry Mitchell! I love the fact that she smiles, laughs and sometimes squeals when I pick her up from Aunt Debbie's in the afternoons! It just makes my heart happy.

First Words

Zoë never fails to surprise me! She does new things when I least expect it. Of course I have been working and saying words to her, hoping that she will say them, but I must admit I really have been focusing on trying to get her to crawl! She just is not interested. For those of you that know her, you know how she constantly talks to herself is baby babble. She is the most content little thing to sit and play and she talk and entertain herself. Well, I get off of work at 2 on Fridays. Usually I take my sister in law to WalMart on Fridays, but we have missed a few since Christmas. Friday, we set out for our weekly outing to pick up a few groceries and baby food, but mainly just to take Aunt Debbie grocery shopping. Zoë and I walk around looking and picking up a few things, talked to a few people we knew while she sat up in the buggy like a big girl for the first time. We had been there about an hour when I got ready to go. Aunt Debbie wasn't done, but we could wait for her in McDonalds. I got everything on the check out counter, went back to push the buggy forward as Zoë started to fuss. I thought she had been patient long enough, so I'll give her a break, get her out. So I asked her, as I have always talked to her about everything, "Are you ready to go?" and she answered in the most plain little voice, " Bye Bye". Let me say that I almost fell in the floor!!!!! I proceeded to ask her, "What did you say?" and yet again she answered plainly "Bye"! AMAZING! She has used her first word many times since then on appropriate occassions. Then Sunday, yesterday, she was frustrated b/c I was not picking her up out of the playpen when she wanted and she was past due for her morning nap. I bent over to pick something up off of the floor where she could not see me and she said "mama". Again, I was shocked as she continues to use MaMa some, but less than bye bye.

At our 6 months check up last week, a month late b/c of sickness, she weighed 17 pounds 10 ounces and 28 inches long.