Starting with 3

Ok, I know I missed months 1 and 2, but why not start with 3? I thought this idea was really cute, so I decided to give it a whirl. I wanted a way to capture Zoe each month, and I think this is perfect. She is changing so so much each week/month, and it's hard to remember what she was like just a few short months ago.

It's funny how different things are with Zoe. With Evan I was always so eager for him to reach the next milestone, the next step, and he tried my patience taking his sweet time doing things his own way. Not much has changed. :)

I want Zoe to be my baby forever.

I think she has other plans.

She may be one to prove me wrong too, but she seems a little bit more eager than her big brother was. She is very strong, has quite a bit of height on her side, and the physical tasks seem to come a bit easier to her. She is also a very smiley little girl. It is so easy to get her smiling and cooing at us.

All of us, Evan included, are enjoying her more and more every day. Evan prefers that Zoe be awake at all times (watching him, of course) so much so that he has even gotten into trouble a time or two for trying to physically open her eyes himself. She doesn't like that too much, but she is usually very tolerant of him messing with her.

Here is a highlight of our 3 month old, Zoe!

Mullet, be gone!

Just shy of 3 months, Zoe already got her first haircut. Well, I don't know if you could really call it a cut, but we trimmed the very back. She has rocked a pretty good mullet since she was born, but we thought it was time we evened it out a little bit. We kept it a little longer just so it doesn't look like a little boy haircut.
For those of you who hadn't seen it, it was quite impressive. It basically hung down to her shoulders in the back. I figured that it didn't make sense to keep it quite so scraggly when it was going to have to be cut eventually.
So, we cut it tonight.
I think it looks super cute!
Here she is modeling her new do.

What a big boy!

I hate to speak too soon, but after 2 years and 8 months Evan is finally interested in the potty!
Right after the new year we had our first success and they have started to increase a little day by day. He by no means has this mastered, but we are working in the right direction.

I have been a big proponent of letting him accomplish this in his own time. You all probably know that I would like to control this situation too, but knowing my child and that just wasn't going to happen. So, just like we thought, in his own time he decided he would give it a shot.

We have encouraged, and encouraged, and encouraged.
We have offered all sorts of treats for successes, he even got a few for attempts.

This last week I started thinking that he might be one to enjoy a way to visually see what he has accomplished. So I made him a potty chart (it's nothing fancy). He gets a sticker for each time he goes in the potty and after 5 stickers he gets a treat! This morning he got his 5th sticker!

and what did he ask for...

a lemon cupcake.

He's never had a lemon cupcake, but that's what he wanted. So, what did Zoe and I do today...find Evan a lemon cupcake!!

I know what you're thinking. A treat after every five stickers, he is going to get a lot of cupcakes! The idea is that we will stick with this for a little while and then change the parameters over time. Once he starts going more and more we will make it more challenging to get a prize. It is so much fun to watch how excited he gets and how proud of himself he is each and every time.

Baptism Day for Miss Zoe

Zoe was baptized this past Sunday, January 8. Our church only does baptisms a few times a year, but she was actually the only baby being baptized during the 9am service that day. She ended up having a very personal baptism and it was perfect. She did great and didn't fuss at all. What a big girl! Check out our newly baptized beauty!

Let's Try This Again

Ok. So I'm not a very good blogger, it's just a fact. I don't think about updating it, I get annoyed trying to make it look pretty, and by looking at it you wouldn't even know I was expecting a second child, much less already had one; but nonetheless I'm going to give this a go...AGAIN. That being said, I have a lot to catch up on to get to a place where I can move forward and try keep up.

For starters, we were blessed with our sweet Zoe Elizabeth on October 26. She has been such an awesome addition to our family, and two months in I can't imagine our world without her. Evan has adored her from the start, and not much has changed. I know it won't always be like that, so I'm definitely enjoying his love for her while I can.

Day One.                                                                      Still crazy about her.

Evan continues to be such a joy and a little stinker all at the same time. He is at such a fun stage and is constantly saying things that make us laugh. I have posted a video that really highlights who Evan is right now. So silly.




Zoe is a growing girl. We just had her two month check up on the 5th, a little late, and she is a healthy baby. For those of you that don't know, we spent 10 days in December in the NICU at Texas Children's with Zoe. She had a bacterial blood infection that she had to receive intravenous antibiotics for. No fun. Fast forward to today and she is one happy, smiley, cooing baby. She actually gave us her first "real" smile in the hospital once she started feeling better. At 10 weeks she was 11 lbs 4 oz (50%) and 24 1/4 in long  (95%). She is one tall girl!

 

I'm hoping to be able to keep up this year and highlight the changes, adventures, and excitements that we have to share in 2012.