Dear Zoe from Aunt Jess

Dear Zoe,
I am sitting in the Chicago Airport waiting for my plane back to New York and it is soooo early, but I am doing a lot of thinking of you! I had the BEST TIME hanging out with you in TC for Christmas. I only really got to see you for 2 full days and I always, always wish it was more time. You have changed so significantly since the last time I saw you. First of all, this was my introduction to "crawling and standing Zoe" and man are you so adorable. You zoom around the room and pull yourself up to stand by the fireplace or the ottoman. Then you play with whatever is there and you have little chippering conversations which leads me to believe that you know how to talk, but you've just created your own language and as we are not as smart as you we will have to spend some time learning it.



You are now completely interacting with your surroundings and the people in it. You have just recently learned to shrug your shoulders and let me tell you, my head just about exploded when I saw you do that because it is UNREAL how endearing it is. We shrug our shoulders and you copy us doing it, cut to you doing it again, and again and again. MAGIC! You also have a modified version up your sleeve of a one shoulder shrug that looks like the most pure adorable coyness of all time and space.

You are also so very occupied by the stairs, you like to climb up them and slide down on your belly which is completely and unequivocally hilarious because you are so small and awesome. We did this TONS together and had the best time, you smile and laugh and do your nose scrunch and then I melt into a puddle on the floor. Did I also tell you that you are probably the smartest person to have ever lived? Well, it's true. You love electronics and your Great Aunt Eileen and I are sure that you could take pictures with Grammy's new camera if only we would let you. And let's not even talk about how much you wish you could make out with computers, you find them to be the bees knees as it were. You have the cutest little neck move when you are REALLY interested in something - you extend your neck out and drop your head like a little turtle so you can get a REALLY GOOD LOOK at that digital camera screen.




Your dancing shall be hailed internationally as one of the wonders of the world. You got skillz girl, for real. You can dance standing up, sitting down, in the car seat, laying down. Step it up and ZO! AND, you have discovered how to give kisses and you even freestyled blowing a kiss to your mom when you and I were kicking it on the mall carousel. I got as many kisses as possible and I think I have contracted your baby cold from all the smooches, but do I care? No. No I don't, I would rather get Zoe kisses than have my health. It's like that. POW!

All in all, you are my favorite person on this planet and I am so grateful for the time I get to hang out with you best friend. Your tiny laugh is definitely the whole reason for human existence. I can't wait to see what you'll be up to next time I see you — maybe you'll be walking? Maybe you'll be doing a little talking? I do know this — whatever you next pull out of your bag of tricks next will be a show stopper and will BLOW. MY. MIND.



Love,
Aunt Jess

Big kid!

Zoe's turned into such a KID! I guess that's what happens when I let weeks go by without updating this blog.

I'm pretty sure only KIDS decide they'd rather climb ON the dollhouse, rather than play with it the traditional way.



She has also become very interested in imitating her siblings. Josie taught her how to rev her little bike. See below - watch her little hand on her handlebar when they stop.




She is getting to be a pro at standing up unassisted. She has taken ONE step so I'm sure she's not far fromt his walking business.



She has also learned to shrug her shoulders, which is ridiculously cute. She does it quite a lot - which makes us think she's just not sure about anything, really. She just has to get the "mmm...I dunno" expression down.



Zoe and I leave for Traverse City tomorrow after lunch. The big kids go back to their mom's after they open Santa presents here and we jet off for the frozen north. Merry Christmas!

How she naps

Zoe has been impossible to get to sleep lately, so I broke out the mei
tai and with some soothing music and a few laps around the kitchen,
she's out.

Sledding!

I took Zoe out in her new sled today. The temp rose about 10 degrees, so I figured we could safely venture out to get the mail. I bundled her up and we went up to the mailbox and slid around the cul-de-sac a few times and I thought we could call it good. No, ma'am. The minute I reached down to get her out of the sled she arched her back and screamed and screamed. So, more sledding it was!

I can't wait til we get to Traverse City where they have 3 feet of snow. She's going to love it.

First Haircut

Zoe got her first haircut today. I agonized over this decision because I didn't want to commit to her having bangs, but then I felt like kind of an ass for making her crawl around and play with hair in her eyes all the time (of course she pulls every hair-holding device out within minutes).

The stylist was great and the place was the hair salon version of Chuck E. Cheese. I can't say she thought it was fun, but at least she didn't cry.



And look how cute she looks!

FIRST BIRTHDAY EXTRAVAGANZA!

Zoe B is 1 year old! Hooray!

Here she is demolishing her cake.

Grapes and Gramps

exactly ONE year ago

So ready for my baby!

In from the frigid cold...

And shopping for tires with Grandpa.

We LOVE Target!

Dear Roadtripping Zoe

Dear Zoe B,

We went on a road trip this past week to Branson, Missouri. We all piled into the van and drove about 4 hours (you did great - thanks to your siblings and old school sesame street playing on your own personal dvd player) to Table Rock Lake and met up with your Grandma Jackie, Grandpa Russell, Aunt Jill, Uncle Mark and your cousins Caitie, Sophie and Dominic. First on our agenda was the Dolly Parton Dixie Stampede. I was a little leery of this due to it having the words "dixie" and "stampede" and "Dolly Parton" in the title, but you enjoyed it and you let your hillbilly Greene family roots shine through. You bobbed up and down to the music and seemed generally interested in the horses that I was trying my best to pretend weren't kicking up horse dust into my food.

Thanksgiving was to die for...no cooking and no dishes! Right up your mom's alley. We had Thanksgiving brunch at a posh hotel - it was sort of buffet style with an outrageously awesome spread, (yes, I just said 'spread' - don't make fun of me, nothing else fit) so everyone was happy with the food. Josie had mostly shrimp and crab legs. Dominic had french fries and bacon. Jack had mac n' cheese and waffles. You get the point. It was perfect.



On Friday, we went to Silver Dollar City. It was fun - not too many people - chilly but pleasant (for ME, anyway, your dad acted like we were in the north pole) - the kids loved it and you were happy to watch people from the backpack. There weren't many little kid rides, but you didn't seem to mind. I could tell you were a little peeved by some of the christian propaganda, but as your dad said on the way down - it's the buckle of the bible belt, baby.

When we got home, we decided to give you some of your birthday presents early because we are impatient people and this is the sort of thing we do. I mean - you were 11 days overdue - so anytime after your due date seems like fair game. We got you a little climber thing that you seem to adore. You like to go up the slide and back down over and over again.



I can't believe you're going to be 1. I know I keep saying that. Where has the time gone? I....no, I'll save the blubbering for your actual birthday post. This post was supposed to be about Thanksgiving.

I love you, bean.

Love,
Momma

What am I supposed to be doing in here?

At Silver Dollar City!

Two weeks shy of her FIRST BIRTHDAY!

Rice mania at Liz and Gabby's

Zoe got a job

It's full-time, a lot of hours and doesn't pay very well. BUT...it makes her deliriously happy.

Trouble

I get in trouble when I don't post. Truth is, though, we have been busy! We're no longer just sitting around at home...we're climbing mats and playing in tents at playplaces all over the city. Little Zoe B is no longer content to just sit home and play with tupperware as much any more. Closer and closer to being a toddler every day!

This past weekend we went down to Butler, MO, to celebrate Zoe's Great-Grandma Hilton's 90th birthday. She was the star of the party (well, second to the real star - G'ma Hilton) in her lovely fancy dress that her Grandma Jackie bought for her.



I will try to get back to posting regularly...it's just that a certain someone wants the computer all to herself...

Dear Almost 1 year old Zoe

ZOE B!

This post has been a long time coming, but you won't let me near the computer for any length of time these days. You love the computer. Unfortunately it's an "Of Mice and Men" kind of love...you love it so much you rip the keys right off the keyboard. Right now I have no B key, for example.

So much has happened in the last few weeks. Your Grandma Patty came to visit for a week and we were astounded by how many new things you did while she was here. It was like you were saving up all of your new tricks for her. You initiated a game of peek-a-boo, which you had never done before. You pointed to a bear in a book when asked "where's the bear?". You crawled all the way down the stairs backwards. You ate yogurt. Need I say more? I know your Grandma misses you like the dickens, so it was extra awesome of you to wait until she came to pull all of these tricks out of your hat. She was blown away!



We were both a little nervous that you wouldn't remember her and you would think she was a stranger. Pfft! You took to her immediately AGAIN and you were inseparable the whole week. She gave you baths and changed all your diapers and made you yummy food and read to you a ton. You were bosom buddies (by that I mean "fast friends" as opposed to men in drag, like in the Tom Hanks sitcom).

You are very expressive lately - you look at books or videos of yourself and make the best noises and facial expressions. It is making me so anxious for you to talk - I can't wait to see what you'll say. I have been doing some baby sign language with you since you were about 6 months old and you haven't done even one single sign. I imagine you thinking, "Mom, I'm not deaf, quit with the sign language. I'll learn to talk here in a minute." Which is fine, really. We understand each other just fine.





I am planning your first birthday party. I can't believe you're almost 1 year old. It's so bizarre that it seems like yesterday you were a little tiny baby yet I can hardly remember my life without you in it. Life is a trip.

You continue to be the light of my life, little Bean. I love you to bits.

Love,
Momma

peek-a-boo

On the carousel again

proof that she sleeps

Here she is with another hilarious sleeping pose...and actual proof that she does occasionally sleep.

AHHHH! I LOVE TO READ!

Zoe B reads her book from chelsea on Vimeo.

Staring down the shoe salesman

...as Grandma Patty tries on new shoes.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Grandma Patty flew into KC to celebrate with Zoe B!

Success!!

Last night was such an exciting night, little bean. We went over to the Holloway's for an election night party - to eat Choco-Barack OreObama balls and color in the states as results came in. Barack Obama will be our next president. I have to say I'm happy for me, but I'm most happy for you. We'll get things back on track and we won't be leaving your generation with a mess you can't clean up.

Zoe B. Talking Points

Zoe said her first word today - BALL. I had to fight back the tears. I was kind of hoping for "OBAMA" - but ball will do.

Zoe B vs. Borders

FIRST HALLOWEEN!

Zoe B. Pirate Skeleton with her Grandma Jackie the bee

Zoe B. Pirate Skeleton with her Pop, dressed as himself

Zoe B. Pirate Skeleton with her mom, a medieval knight

Dear 2nd time in New York before you're 1 Zoe by Aunt Jess

In this paragraph I compare you to Iron Man
OH. MAN. I mean, where do I even begin? You are by far the BEST person I have ever met and the crazy thing is, every time I see you, you become even MORE AWESOME. It's as if you have an awesome machine inside of you that just won't quit. You're like baby Iron Man (he has some weird thing in his chest) but you're way cooler and smarter and cuter. But you are definitely ALL POWERFUL with the awesome.



So you and your mom came to New York to cheer me up and it was quite possibly the best time ever. First you were a rascal on the plane (you were doing your mermaid screeching on the 2nd leg of the flight) and in the car on the way home from the airport you were just so fed up with being in that blasted car seat, you just started talking and talking and doing this totally cute thing that you do that sounds like "loooodloddodododododloododododdo". It made my heart swell to the size of a building. You are just so unbelievably cute in every way.

You are much more weary of strangers and people you haven't been around in a while (like me, you're best friend) that you were the last time I saw you. You have this hilarious stare, where you look at someone with the most serious face that has ever been worn by a human and what I think you are doing is....staring into people's souls.



You stared into my soul for about a minute and then you remembered that we are best friends and you were all "LET'S HIT THE TOWN BEST FRIEND". Phew, I was so glad that you remembered that we are soul mates and that we understand each other right down to the core. You especially like it when we dance around and slide from one end of the room to the other. You just laughed and laughed and it was indeed the best medicine for me in the whole wide world.



In this paragraph I compare you to a Baby Werewolf
I definitely concur with your mother, in that you have rightfully received the title of Baby Werewolf. You do all this super adorable growling and scratching and you get so excited when you "crash" things down with a sly attack. You're mom says "Crash them down Zoe!" and you squeal with delight as you knock over towers of tupperware. You are so excited in fact, that you shake your legs around and scream!!! I mean it is JUST SO MUCH FUN YOU CAN BARELY EVEN HANDLE IT!!! Everyone laughs and you laugh and then we set up the tupperware towers again and you get an amazing twinkle in your eye because you are so smart you know that you are going to knock them over again and THAT WILL SO TOTALLY RULE!







You also love the playground. You are definitely a woman on the go, and once out and about you are just so full of wonderment. It is such an amazing experience to watch how you take the world in, you are so curious about everything. It became quite chilly in NYC, so we had to buy you a little pink hat and it was so cute I thought my brain would explode. Seriously. Look.



In this paragraph I compare you to a mermaid
We were very busy here because you have TONS of fans in New York. We had visitors every single day! FJ had dinner with us twice. Well, he took you and he was kind enough let us tag along, he really only has eyes for you. You and Lynnel made fast friends and she took amazing photos of you (some are in this post). She calls you "little lady" and you were fast friends. She has a little nephew that she is organizing to be your husband because the cute overload of you together would solve world hunger and allow peace to prevail on earth. Irene came over and you played on the dishwasher with her for hours, I can tell that if she was around longer you two would have really broken life down for the rest of us. Roger came over and you gave him the soul stare and then you cried because a) you take longer to warm up to gentlemen (you like ladies better and who could blame you) and b) he tried to kiss your arm and you were all "dude, you have to work up to that" and started screaming like a mermaid. It was a lot of new people to meet at once and you are sooooooooooooooo in love with your momma that you barely have the patience for "your fans". Though you could do your mom a favor and let her sleep every now and then. Right now you wake up with your mermaid screeching and then put your head back down and go to sleep, then do it again and again and again. Then you wake up after about an hour thinking it's time for a new day filled with fun. You are so mad to find out, it is, in fact, still night that you screech. We think you are getting more teeth. Either that or you just have a lot of things to tell the mermaids about life "inland".



Oh Zoe, it was so amazing to have you here. The next time I see you will be at Christmas and I am pretty sure you will be winning a nobel prize by then. I look forward to meeting "Zoe at 1 year old". I really am just counting the days little girl....until we're best friends together again.




Much love,
Aunt Jess

athlete zoe

This photo cracks me up. It was taken in NYC - Jessie's roommate Lynnel took it while I was napping and she and Jess were playing dress up with Zoe B.

Bosom Buddies

Zoe sure loves her Grandpa David - they are the best of pals. He came over yesterday and today to play with Zoe B and let her Momma get some stuff done (this includes getting some sleep done - Zoe, your hatred for sleeping is amazing!). Here they are hangin' out.

Pilot Zoe

In the minneapolis airport play area.

On the way home!

Eating a bagel at LGA

At the park down the street

We visited a nearby park today while Jess worked. Zoe loved it.

It's chilly in Brooklyn!

At Motorino with Aunt Jess