Friday, May 14, 2010

My Baby is 1/2 a Year OLD!

I could cry.....time goes way too fast...but I am loving every minute of My Little Zoe's Life! She is such a joy....and changed more this month than any prior to.
  • Zoe is wearing 3-6 and 6 month clothes and Size 2 diapers.
  • Zoe is nursing every 3 1/2 - 4 hours and eating oatmeal or rice cereal twice a day....about 3 tbsp a feeding.
  • Zoe tried real food this month.....sweet potatoes, pears, cantaloupe.
  • Zoe can remove her pacie from her mouth and put it back in.
  • Zoe loves to look at her hands and turn them front to back and back to front.

  • Zoe was quite the traveler this month going to Nashville, TN and Fairhope, AL.
  • Zoe is sitting up by herself!
  • Zoe is rolling tummy to back and back to tummy.
  • Zoe has grown to love her thumb more and more.
  • Zoe has started to really hate her pacie....I think she knows we are trying to shut her up with it or that it is bedtime...and she will have none of that.
  • Zoe went swimming for the first time this month.....and LOVED IT! My little fish!
  • Zoe is feisty!
  • Zoe is definitely heavier...not sure exact weight until next week at her check up.
  • Zoe loves any toy that has lights and plays music.
  • Zoe eats her feet constantly.
  • Zoe sleeps but randomly. I try to let her set her on schedule day by day....and I watch her signs of sleepiness. But typically...she goes to sleep around 7pm, sleeps until 5:30am, feeds, and then sleeps until 7:00am. Naps are usually between 45min and 1 1/2 hours 2 or 3 times a day.
  • Zoe is obsessed with watching us eat and tries to grab for our food, drinks, utensils. cups, napkins....for anything really.
  • Zoe is REALLY teething....hope to see a tooth soon!
  • Zoe has beautiful blue eyes.
  • Zoe totally cheeses it for the camera. She has a fake smile she does right when she sees the camera and hears the flash go up.....
  • Zoe is learning to use her sippy cup, when I remember.
  • Zoe has a million facial expressions....and I love every one of them.

  • Zoe has about 3 or 4 bottles of formula a week and still likes them.
  • Zoe loves when I dance for her and is quite the fan of Miley Cyrus and The Jonas Brothers....I had no influence on this.
  • Zoe chews on EVERYTHING!
  • Zoe has a fake cough and if you cough at her, she will do it back. Hilarious!
  • Zoe loves any noise you can make with your month.

  • Zoe loves to blow her lips.
  • Zoe LOVES to swing at the park.
  • Zoe fights sleep so much....she doesn't want to miss a thing!
  • Zoe still favors her Daddy....and he will be the first to tell you.

  • Zoe loves when you clap for her and really knows her name.
  • Zoe loves to stand up and she is getting really strong.
  • Zoe got to celebrate her 1/2 birthday with Grammy and Papa & Grandma and Grandaddy....such a treat!
  • Zoe giggles a lot.
  • Zoe loves to talk and has gotten really good at the "Da Da" sound.
  • Zoe's hair is growing and hopefully the "rat tail" will be a distant memory soon.
  • Zoe kicks her feet like crazy when trying to fit falling asleep....but when she finally gives in she rubs her face from her ear to her eye...back and forth.
  • Zoe also scratches to calm herself to sleep, whether it be her sheets, her glow worm, my face or arms....
  • Zoe got to meet her Great Aunt this month.
  • Zoe traveled really well.
  • Zoe is my pride and JOY! Love HER!

Things that helped me survive this month:

  • I am making Zoe Jane's food.....so much easier for me and so much more cost effective. I cooked one sweet potato and got 7 servings! As a gift at one of my showers, I got this:

and These:


They have been the best thing right now! Great gift! The spoons are more flexible and the tray pops the servings right out!

  • I also got Coppertone 70spf spray sunscreen and that worked great in Fairhope. We were outside for a long time and there was no sign of sun on Zoe. I also got a special face lotion.

  • I had a couple rough times, emotionally, this past month. I think one thing that is really important for Moms is to be secure in their parenting. Zach and I are the 2 people that know Zoe Jane the BEST.....And this makes me so happy. I am so glad I get to experience everything that Zoe goes through! In my parenting, I know that what I do for Zoe Jane is what is best for her....despite other's advice or wants for her. I know what she needs, what each cry means, what makes her smile.....I do! And I need to stick up for this....I, unfortunately, let others effect me negatively because I wouldn't let my guard down on something that I know was best for my Zoe.....I learned that I need to stand firm....because ultimately I do everything for her!

  • I got a pedicure for the 1st time since Zoe Jane has joined our family.....should be a law for mothers to get a mandatory monthly pedicure.

9 comments:

Joy said...

Rebecca, your statement about knowing what is best and standing up for it struck a chord with me so I felt the need to comment on it. As a new young mother my son took a pacifier. It seemed that all my friends and anyone who knew my name back then felt the need to tell me that he did not need to be using a paci. I can remember how they made me feel. I was insecure and I would feel so bad after they said this to me. Later, my second child, was a thumb sucker....guess what these same people thought we should be making her take a paci because she was sucking her thumb. Anyway, long story short, I learned to say that we made the decisions for our child-we would talk and pray and when I could lay my head on my pillow knowing I had done everything possible to make the right decision-then that was that. No, they weren't always the right decisions but we knew we could say...we did they best we could.
Hang in there during those times....I can tell you are a great Mother! Zoe is a beautiful and happy baby.

crystal hollyhand said...

I already miss that fake cough and beautiful smile!! She is growing soo fast! Happy 1/2 birthday beautiful girl!!

Christina said...

Zoe looks so much like you! I definitely understand when you say you know what's best for your child. I always have random strangers come up to me telling me that I'm doing something wrong (haven't pierced her ears yet, she's not dressed warm enough, should be sitting up/shouldn't be sitting up...the list goes on!).

Phillips Family said...

Happy 1/2 year B'Day Zoe!

momofbugs said...

You are absolutely right that you know best. Everybody else just has opinions or they know what worked best for them but that doesn't mean it is the best for Zoe. Just filter it for what works for you.

I think she is starting to show more and more Byrne features....especially her ears...poor baby. You have posted a few pictures where I could see one of your expressions in...so cute!

Lauren said...

OH MY GOSH! Becca, Zoe Jane looks EXACTLY like you!! Especially that first picture... She has grown up so much, happy 6 month birthday precious little Zoe Jane!!

Mama Kayla said...

Wonderful! 6 months is such a fun age!

Sassy Amie said...

Happy 1/2 birthday to your baby girl! I love the Fairhope pics. I live close to Fairhope and enjoy running by the pier!

kimberly t. bowling said...

Mom knows best. Period. Experts write books, and we read them. Other moms offer advice and we process it. But in the end, it is our heart, soul and mind that pours over the decisions that are best for our child. Not every child. Just our child.

And what really gets my goat is folks who do not have children who offer their critics on parenting styles. Seriously?

You're doing FAB! And she's totally too cute to boot!