Baby Zoe,
Sitting on the couch, reading a book, as we often do, I asked: "Zoe, how many buckets are on this page?" You pointed at each one, and counted "one, two, three." Also, you almost mastered the alphabet from A-Z.
Papa, I, and the Sesame Street have been eager to teach you the numbers and the alphabet. Don't think it's all work and no fun. We bought colorful letters and numbers that stick on the bathroom wall. We sing the ABCs during bath time, and you enjoy it.
You used to resist our attempt to stretch your foot to lengthen your Achilles tendon. One day papa started singing the alphabet as he did the stretching. When he was done, you offered your other foot, and asked him to sing again, and again, switching feet with each replay. This is how we discovered that you liked to sing the alphabet. Over time, you joined in the song, and now, you can sing almost all of it on your own.
Love,
Mommy.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Your first snow, and all about shapes
Baby love,
We went on a ski trip, where you saw snow for the first time, in Breckenridge, Colorado."White white" you said, pointing at things around. "Cold" you said, holding your upper arm with the opposite hand. In the mornings we dropped you off at daycare - the hardest part of the day for me and you - and papa and I went skiing. We picked you up at 3:30 and the party started! We went sledding in the red sled we bought at the local grocery store. Imagine going to a grocery store in Texas - what recreational activity equipment can we buy?
We relaxed in the outdoor hot tub, overlooking snow covered peaks, walked under the stars pointing at them as they twinkled, played in the snow, making snowballs, cuddled at night to sleep all together, and woke up to make breakfast. At the hotel room, you enjoyed drawing with your crayons, making shopping lists, and playing with the little soaps and shampoo bottles. At daycare, you stopped crying once I was out of sight - I know, because I called them every day. You created artwork with colorful crayons, hand paints and glitters, played with blocks and read books. Every day you went on a buggy ride, watching the skiers and the snow, which you loved. Your teachers noticed your musical talent. You made a musical instrument, and I'm told that you danced to the beat. Overall the daycare was ok. By day 3, which was your last day, you didn't cry at drop off, and excited to show me what you did. One thing bothered me about the daycare - that when I called and picked you up, each teacher said you had a wonderful time, that you ate great, and slept immediately and that you were having a lot of fun. Liars. I figured you weren't suffering and that you were moderately content, but you were not having an awesome time. In fact, one time I called a man answered the phone and said that it was nap time and that you were fussing a little and that the teacher was reading you a book to calm you down. And when I went to pick you up, the teacher made no mention of this and said you had a wonderful day, you ate and slept great. Liars. I know my baby.
The best part of the day for you was spending time with your sled. You didn't leave the hotel room without it, and dragged it behind, on snow and asphalt. In one of the slopes the sled accelerated and flipped over with you face down on the snow. You cried a little and jumped right back on to sled. We had a visitor friend who said his son would have cried inconsolably had this happened to him, forget about getting back on the sled. And there you were, asking for "more more" in your sign language, as well as speech.
In this trip we also discovered how much you knew about shapes. We've been practicing with shapes since you were a little baby, and I knew you could say circle, heart, star, but I didn't know the extent of your understanding of other geometric shapes. We were eating at Modis, a nice restaurant that charged the same dollar amount for pig cheeks and lamb fillet, which annoyed papa, since pig cheeks are supposed to be cheap and affordable by the poor. I picked an empty plate on the table and said, "look Zoe, this plate is square." To which you replied "circle," and made a circular motion around the circular plate you had in front of you. Then, you took the square plate, flipped it over, and said "oval" motioning the oval shaped stamp at the back side. You are too young to know these things. We have to get you a good education and you have take advantage of your brain. Don't waste it, baby love.
Mommy
We went on a ski trip, where you saw snow for the first time, in Breckenridge, Colorado."White white" you said, pointing at things around. "Cold" you said, holding your upper arm with the opposite hand. In the mornings we dropped you off at daycare - the hardest part of the day for me and you - and papa and I went skiing. We picked you up at 3:30 and the party started! We went sledding in the red sled we bought at the local grocery store. Imagine going to a grocery store in Texas - what recreational activity equipment can we buy?
We relaxed in the outdoor hot tub, overlooking snow covered peaks, walked under the stars pointing at them as they twinkled, played in the snow, making snowballs, cuddled at night to sleep all together, and woke up to make breakfast. At the hotel room, you enjoyed drawing with your crayons, making shopping lists, and playing with the little soaps and shampoo bottles. At daycare, you stopped crying once I was out of sight - I know, because I called them every day. You created artwork with colorful crayons, hand paints and glitters, played with blocks and read books. Every day you went on a buggy ride, watching the skiers and the snow, which you loved. Your teachers noticed your musical talent. You made a musical instrument, and I'm told that you danced to the beat. Overall the daycare was ok. By day 3, which was your last day, you didn't cry at drop off, and excited to show me what you did. One thing bothered me about the daycare - that when I called and picked you up, each teacher said you had a wonderful time, that you ate great, and slept immediately and that you were having a lot of fun. Liars. I figured you weren't suffering and that you were moderately content, but you were not having an awesome time. In fact, one time I called a man answered the phone and said that it was nap time and that you were fussing a little and that the teacher was reading you a book to calm you down. And when I went to pick you up, the teacher made no mention of this and said you had a wonderful day, you ate and slept great. Liars. I know my baby.
The best part of the day for you was spending time with your sled. You didn't leave the hotel room without it, and dragged it behind, on snow and asphalt. In one of the slopes the sled accelerated and flipped over with you face down on the snow. You cried a little and jumped right back on to sled. We had a visitor friend who said his son would have cried inconsolably had this happened to him, forget about getting back on the sled. And there you were, asking for "more more" in your sign language, as well as speech.
In this trip we also discovered how much you knew about shapes. We've been practicing with shapes since you were a little baby, and I knew you could say circle, heart, star, but I didn't know the extent of your understanding of other geometric shapes. We were eating at Modis, a nice restaurant that charged the same dollar amount for pig cheeks and lamb fillet, which annoyed papa, since pig cheeks are supposed to be cheap and affordable by the poor. I picked an empty plate on the table and said, "look Zoe, this plate is square." To which you replied "circle," and made a circular motion around the circular plate you had in front of you. Then, you took the square plate, flipped it over, and said "oval" motioning the oval shaped stamp at the back side. You are too young to know these things. We have to get you a good education and you have take advantage of your brain. Don't waste it, baby love.
Mommy
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Your new bedtime routine
Baby Zoe,
For months, after bath time, papa and I spent an hour each night, trying to get you to sleep, dealing with every demand you had to avoid lying in bed - milk, water, Elmo videos, book, book, book, toy, song, "more more" song... When nothing helped, we lay down on your carpet, pretending to sleep, making a floor bed for you between us, using you comforter as a mat, and covering you with a blanket. You brought your little pillow, Kitty, and Elmo to our floor bed, and we all waited for you to fall asleep. It's been slow and exhausting.
We gave up... We decided to watch TV in the dark, and let you join us. When I noticed you were tired, I asked, Zoe is it time to sleep? You disappeared, and came back with your Kitty, Elmo, pillow and a blanket. Then you went back inside, and came back, dragging comforter, to use as a mat to sleep on. We couldn't believe our eyes. You were tired and ready to sleep, but didn't to be alone in your room. So we prepared you a bed on the couch, between us, where you slept. This kept happening night after night, and now, it has become the norm. Lately, if you get sleepy in the car or on a trip, you say "mat, blanket, sleep."
Kiss,
Mommy.
For months, after bath time, papa and I spent an hour each night, trying to get you to sleep, dealing with every demand you had to avoid lying in bed - milk, water, Elmo videos, book, book, book, toy, song, "more more" song... When nothing helped, we lay down on your carpet, pretending to sleep, making a floor bed for you between us, using you comforter as a mat, and covering you with a blanket. You brought your little pillow, Kitty, and Elmo to our floor bed, and we all waited for you to fall asleep. It's been slow and exhausting.
We gave up... We decided to watch TV in the dark, and let you join us. When I noticed you were tired, I asked, Zoe is it time to sleep? You disappeared, and came back with your Kitty, Elmo, pillow and a blanket. Then you went back inside, and came back, dragging comforter, to use as a mat to sleep on. We couldn't believe our eyes. You were tired and ready to sleep, but didn't to be alone in your room. So we prepared you a bed on the couch, between us, where you slept. This kept happening night after night, and now, it has become the norm. Lately, if you get sleepy in the car or on a trip, you say "mat, blanket, sleep."
Kiss,
Mommy.
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