Videos at nearly 10 months

With a bit of spare time on my hands and a playful Zoe in our TV room, I've captured some new videos:

Temporary bout of sleepy eye awakened by seeing herself on the computer:


Zoe has now taken to carying around soft objects like stuffed animals (she was carrying around the doll that Nana gave her just seconds before.. the same doll that spent about 5 minutes in her mouth as she walked around hands free ;)



A tired Zoe.. hanging out near the bing bags...



Zoe playing with a ball:

Teething... a mystery

Ever since Zoe was 3 months old, I've thought, hey, maybe she's teething... mostly because everytime anyone sees Zoe drooling, or chewing on something, they say she must be teething.. at almost 10 months, she has no teeth. I think the drooling thing until she was about 6 months old, was just about her learning to swallow it (I read that somewhere, but in only one of the books I saw, it should have been in all of them).. She occasionally has these unexplainable boughts of crying and fussing, which are either belly pain or teething pain, but still no teeth. It is a great mystery ;)

Baby-proofing

I'm not sure how many of these kid gates I should buy.. our house has a sunken living room, a stone fireplace and a wrought iron railing, each with their own special element of danger.

Last night we had our first dinner party, Werner from Vienna was in town and stayed with us, so we had Shawna (Brian's wife), Sven, Rachel and Jan over. It went well.. Zoe had the opportunity to play in the frontroom where she never spends anytime... but it means someone has to be constantly over her, due to the two steps into and out of the sunken frontroom.
She still doesn't want to go down the steps backwards, feet first; she'd prefer to just hold someone's hand and go for it, or alternatively, just go for it herself.

So the debate is, 3 gates or 4? Fixed or removable? It would take so long to explain which ones.. part of the trouble is the opening are wide.. its about $150 for the large openings.


Well.. speaking of trouble.. Zoe is awake (yes, 2nd nap went late, 5:30pm) and although she is playing well by herself in her crib (which I'm very grateful for.. she likes to play in her crib), I should go get her and get some dinner on.

Throwing a fit...

Ah, the problem with having a brilliant child who is ahead of the game is that she is also very head strong, and know what she wants. She has now perfected throwing a fit.. she hangs her head back and wails... I should get it on tape. So I've started this thing where I mock her (hang my head back and say "waahhh".. she finds it hilarious, and sometimes it will get her out of her funk.. but about half the time she just goes back to where she was, typically trying to get the thing (pen, paper, etc.) I took from her.

The other thing she has started doing, is that when her dad leaves and shuts a door, she bawls, throwing her head back, like someone pinched her hard or stollen something of hers. She has now done this at home (this morning) and in my office (twice just today). She also did it once this morning when the door between the bedrooms and kitchen/frontroom/diningroom was shut.. she cried as though I had locked her in .. I couldn't tell whether she though I was on the other side or not.. she was quite overwhelmed and hard to console.

rocking and cartoons

Yesterday Zoe learned that if she shifted her weight just right, she could make her high chair rock like her exersaucer.. she was eating strawberries that her dad bought her.. she loves, loves, loves them.

This morning Zoe woke up at 6:30, we usually get to sleep in until at least 7:00 or 7:30.. so we played for a bit with the toys in our bedroom, then headed to the shower. Previous mornings, I put her in her bath tub, sitting in the bottom of the shower, and then I sit next to her and shower myself. Today I decided just to shower and let her play with her toys outside the shower within the confines of the bathroom.. but that didn't last long, she wanted to be playing with the water. So I ended up holding her in the shower... I think the shower kind of scares her, she get really quiet, but she does sort of enjoy it too (but would prefer her tub). Then we ate breakfast.. I usually give her cherios, while I make eggs, canadian bacon and toast. I make her a slice of meet, and a fried egg, then I peel of the whites and just feed her the yokes.. she loves it.. she also had stawberries (of course). Then another short bath in the sink to get the breakfast mess off, and add freshly clean (but not for long) clothes.. then we went to the tv room, and I turned it on.. cartoons came up.. she was instantly hypnotized.. but she was also very tired.. she sat on my lap and we watched about 10 minutes worth before she fell asleep.. so cute... I need to record Seseme street on the PVR.. we should start watching some. (if Dad has anything to do with it, we'll also find teletubies!)

New photos online

I've finally updated:

zoegooch.shutterfly.com

type in

preciousZoe

when it ask for the security phrase.

Shameflully, the new ones go all the way back to March.

climber..

Zoë's new fascination is climbing.. she loves to climb up the front of her stroller, she climbs the restaurant high chairs....

We finally went for a hike while in Banff, and stopped for a feeding, after which she climbed up a stack of logs (where her dad was sitting).







The day's events also included Zoë and her dad spending several hours together while I chaired a session at the conference... he has been really good at trading off with me at the conference.. it is a hard thing having both of us in the same area.

That hike nearly took it out of all of us.. we had to carry Zoë all the way... she's about 20 lbs and wiggly! Zoë was asleep by 8:10, I feel like I'm not far behind
.. just toying with the idea of getting presentable after my post-hike shower and joining the werewolf game down the hall...

sleeping..

This post has been edited to keep it about me and no one else.... it is after all about me, and no one else.

Here is one post, which is sort of just a dump from the mom on being mom.... here I am, 9pm at night, sitting on the "veranda" of our sort of hotel, baby monitor at my lapel, watching a ferret /mink run along the nearby stone wall, staring at the gorgeous mountains at Banff, gondolas in the distance, waiting for that illusive bigger wild animal to just stroll by, me...alone; At 8pm I'm in the small dorm-like room to bathe and put Zoe to bed, wishing I had the time or energy to go hiking, exploring, even swimming at the pool... not to mention that I forgot to bring either a swimming suit for either of us or a backpack to put Zoë in for a hike. Being a mom is a thankless and isolating job.. its not that I regret it, or that I'm not rewarded by the cuddling baby, who comes to me when she's happy, or sad, or scared... but that is not very reassuring when alone with a sleeping baby, who at any moment could startle awake and you are the only one who can put her back to sleep...

I'm not sure I really want to post this last topic that is on my mind for some time now, afraid of what people will think, but writing has always made me feel better.. oh what the heck...On the topic of sleeping, although Zoe does pretty well, with the twice nightly wakings for a quick suckle (and a long one at 7am), it did take me forever to figure out that the nights when she was waking up and screaming, and wouldn't go back to bed except at my side was mostly due to being afraid of the dark.. a nightlight has fixed that one. I felt so relieved that I hadn't listened to all of the pressure from everyone (ie anyone I talk to) who has anything to say on how you and your baby should spend your nights about the crying to sleep method... with fear of the dark, it would never have worked. I've got to stop reading those stupid baby books... "Your child should sleep through the night now, let them cry it out or you'll regret it".. really? Did you know that "sleeping through the night" is 5 hours straight according to some book I read.. only saw that in one of the books.. what else do they conviently leave out of the other books?
I think the nightlight thing could have slipped right past us, I think that would do more damage. I've decided that parenting of my own sort without the knowledge (ie stress and should-of-s) of those books seems to fit better.. reading and getting advice just makes me doubt myself, I feel awful... parenting is stressful enough. So -- no --even though you have a strong opinion on parenting, I don't think I want to hear it. I feel so snipey by saying so, but sometime my skin gets too thin.

Conference girl

Zoë is now attending her third conference... Computational Aesthetics. Well, Mom & Dad are trading off watching Zoë as she explores the Banff Center campus. (Her first conference was actually the GraphVic Workshop, the second I3D in Seattle, next up: SIGGRAPH!).

Zoë is a good traveler.. she did well on all of our flights of late (Chicago last week, Calgary this week).. typically sleeping for at least 2 hours (to Banff she slept on the 2 hour shuttle ride from the Calgary airport).

Banff is beautiful.. the mountains (strange that they are part of the Rockies that I grew up within) are higher and steeper than any I've seen.. pictures to follow soon.

Update on Zoe toys....
her favorite toy: books or stacking cups (similar to this)
her favorite books (they have fuzzy bits and cute animals): Peakaboo Kisses and Puppy Love

Yesterday I saw for one "first": Zoë putting thing back where they belong.. she has always been a "unpacker"... pulling things out of bins and throwing them over her shoulder. Last night she was playing with a News Stand, throwing papers out.. but then she tried to put them back... Newspapers today, cleaning the house tomorrow (yeah, right.. a Mom can hope).

Mirror baby...

Pointing... and animals

I forgot to add the other thing that Zoë learned when she was about 8.5 months old.. she starting pointing at objects. She now points as we stroll.. when she sees bunnies, ducks and especially dogs, she points, and screams (as though the dog must hear that and come running towards Zoë, instead of what they usually do [run the other way]). It is so cute. I also have it on tape where I swear she said something that sounded like "bunny" when we were bunny hunting (there are bunnies all over campus).

The other part of the pointing, if the puppy goes out of sight (and occasionally bunnies), she screams like someone has pinched her. In one instance, she cried for two blocks, until I was able to distract her.

Speaking of being on animal watch...
Today we saw a huge grey owl grab one of the baby bunnies on campus. (yes, at 1pm, in the middle of the day).

We also have 3 deers in our neighborhood.. Bruce saw them this morning on his way to campus.

And I've seen a raccoon in the backyard scaling the pine trees.

Zoë walks!

Zoë has nearly perfected walking more than a few steps at a time. At the beginning of the week, she would just walk about 2 adult strides worth, between pieces of furniture.. but she will now cross the TV room, cross the kitchen, cross Home Depot Isle.. etc. I'll grab some footage tomorrow.

I also forgot to add that during our trip to SLC, she learned to shake her head and use spoons or sticks as tools (to smoosh cherios, dig, etc.).

Her current favorite car toy: Happy Baby Colors (Board book)

Zoe climbing...

I tried to capture Zoe the climber, she was trying to get up on the shelf in my office... but then she saw herself on the computer.. and starting coming over.

Pics at almost 9months

Wedding... family..

Below is a collage of pictures from the wedding of Rebecca and Hang. It was quite a festive occasion... the place (Franck's) was fabulous, the weather couldn't have been better (okay, picky people might have said it started off a bit warm), the people had great fun (Conga line, YMCA) and the wedding couple seemed happy (Lady and the Tramp-like cake exchange.. so cute!). Everyone looked beautiful.




(the man in the yellow hat is Zoe's uncle Jeff leading the crowd in YMCA!) ;)

update long over due

We stayed at Amy's parent's house (Nana and Grandpa); Nana assembled a rocking horse for Zoe to play on... she loved it!













In SLC, we went to the Zoo for the first time with Zoe. [pictured here with her cousins Brooke (5 yrs) and Barton (7yrs)]












Well, in the time we were in Salt Lake City for my sister's wedding (9 days), Zoe perfected clapping, standing up on her own (from sitting on the floor, no support), and walked a few more steps.. she still prefers for you to hold her hand while she walks. She also has learned to crawl under things (tables, chairs) and now has a new favorite toy: the Fisher Price Crawl'N Cruise which we bought at a second hand store.


























We've moved into our house, Zoe has her own room (which she sleeps in about 85% of the time (until 4am when she refuses to lay back down). We still live in box-ville, but we are starting feel like progress is being made.

Zoë also is really clearly saying kitty and I think doggy is close too.

more on the wedding next...