9 months old

I'm so glad it's Leap Year because otherwise I would have had to do Zoe's picture on March 1st! You probably can't tell in the picture, but little miss Zoe has been sick as a dog for the past 5 days. She had just recovered from Strep when her big sister gave her the stomach flu. We went to the doctor yesterday and found out that she also has an ear infection! So she has had 2 big shots in the past week. Fortunately her 9 month check up doesn't include any vaccinations. She doesn't go for her official check up for another couple of weeks, but they did weigh her at her sick visit. She's a whopping 19 lbs 6 oz! They didn't check her height, so you'll have to check back to find out where she stands in comparison to other 9 month olds. There's not too much else to report. The only new things that she does is say "hi" and "yay". She can move around in her own clumsy way, but I wouldn't call it crawling! As much as we have tried to prolong the inevitable, I think that she will be chasing after Sophie in the next week or two, so keep checking back to see her in action!

Giraffes!

Of course no visit to Tucson would be complete without experiencing the giraffe feeding exhibit at the Reid Park Zoo. This time Sophie just wanted to watch, so Zoe got to feed one for the first time. Then Chase had a turn. He did a great job giving the giraffe a cookie. Before we went to the zoo he was a little concerned that "tall Andy" would have to pick him up so he could reach the giraffe, but he did just fine all by himself. Finally Aunt Michelle got a turn, and we all agree that she was more excited about the experience than anyone! She took a little extra time to pet the giraffe, and while she was doing that the zoo keeper gave her and Chase some extra cookies to feed them. Our day at the zoo was a lot of fun. This time we had lots of sunshine, so Zoe had to wear a hat. Unlike her sister, she actually left her hat on the whole time! At least Sophie had her new sunglasses to help her see.

Four All the Same

One morning we took the four cousins to get their pictures taken at JC Penney. Grammy bought them matching green shirts, and they looked so cute with their jeans. The pictures turned out great, but we have to wait awhile to get them. That afternoon the three older cousins played outside while Zoe took a very long nap. Don't they look adorable in their outfits?

The Playground

Sophie and Zoe got to take their cousins to their favorite playground. It wasn't the warmest or sunniest day, but Chase and Tanner were thrilled to be able to play outside without mittens and hats and all their winter gear. All the kids had fun climbing and running around. Even Zoe took a turn on the swings and went down the slide. Sophie is getting really good at climbing, but it was nice to have Grammy there for encouragement and reassurance! Chase would have stayed at the playground for a lot longer, but the little ones were getting tired and needed to head home for lunch and naps.

Special Family Visit

Last week the girls got a special visit from Grammy Harriet, Gump, Aunt Michelle, and cousins Chase and Tanner. It was a lot of fun to have all the cousins together. Grammy arrived with presents for both girls, and she bought more once she was here. One of Sophie's favorite presents was a battery operated pig that snorts and walks when it is turned on. One afternoon Grammy and I noticed that Sophie had been very quiet for awhile. I decided to investigate...and found her in my bedroom "feeding" her pig cat food, which she had carried all the way from the laundry room! Sophie had a lot of fun playing with her cousins. It was funny to watch how differently boys play than girls. Sophie quickly caught on and discovered that she could make her voice loud and run and jump and play in the dirt! The cousins all had fun playing at the house, and in the pictures you can see that our wall is almost finished! Next time the boys come to visit we can leave them to play in the backyard without worrying about them escaping!

Sweater Weather

Today we woke up to chilly temperatures and lots of rain. Normally this would be a relief, because sometimes it's nice to have an excuse for staying inside all day. However, Sophie has been sick for the past week so we have been stuck inside long enough! The good thing about the cold weather though is that the girls got to wear their new winter sweaters. And we didn't stay inside all day. We all made a trip to the mall where Sophie got her very first real haircut - meaning not just trimming her bangs. She got a couple of inches trimmed off the back and she now sports a bob. Sophie did a great job sitting in the chair thanks to Grammy Harriet's suggestion of giving her a lollipop to suck on while the stylist did the cutting. It worked like a charm. She was so fascinated by the swirly red and blue sugary concoction that she barely noticed what was happening. Zoe spent the whole time trying to get the lollipop out of Sophie's hand! After their naps today the girls spent some time coloring. Well, Zoe just spent time putting markers in her mouth and then dropping them on the floor, but Sophie decided that she stays in the lines better when she wears her glasses...I mean Mr. Potato Head's glasses. The day continued to be full of surprises. During dinner Zoe fell asleep in her high chair - for 45 minutes! This is what parenthood is all about - rolling with the punches and trying to have fun along the way!

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day started out with a bang for us---literally. Sophie was playing in the laundry basket on top of the bed. When she decided to get out, the basket tipped over and she fell and smashed her face into the foot board of her bed. Needless to say there was a lot of blood and even more tears. Her lip is very swollen and sore, but thankfully she didn't need stitches. We spent most of the day hanging around the house playing, and Zoe spent a lot of time practicing her newest skill: waving "hi" and "bye". Sophie says lots of new words everyday, but my current favorites are "tippy toes", "piggy" and "Amy". Amy is the girls' new sitter. She comes Mondays and Wednesdays, and occasionally for date nights. Having her is a huge help to me, and the girls adore her. We are very happy to have found someone who we trust and also takes such wonderful care of our daughters.

The First Tooth

Last week Zoe got her first tooth. She had been a little fussy and wasn't taking great naps for about 3 days. I suspected a tooth may be on the way, so I kept sticking my finger in her mouth to feel for it's arrival. Last Friday after she woke up 20 minutes into her nap and wouldn't let me put her down, I felt her gums once again and was surprised to feel something sharp against my finger! It's too small to see except when she smiles really big, but here's the big girl enjoying her teething ring. I think you might be able to see her tooth a little bit in the picture. Now we're waiting for it's partner to arrive. I suspect it will be here any day because once again Zoe is not her usual cheery self. I'm glad that as adults we don't remember getting our first teeth!