What is Ms. Zoe Zoo up to?

This girl is changing still every day. She is doing new things and becoming more independent...so much fun!

• Zoe weighs about 25 lbs and 21 months this month. She has beautiful blonde hair and big blue eyes.


• Zoe has almost all her teeth. In July she got another new tooth on the bottom right side and has about 3 more on the way.


• Zoe sleeps in her big girl bunk bed every night from 8:00 to about 7:30/8 every morning....sometimes longer! And she takes one nap most days for 2 hours.


• Zoe has a great bedtime routine. Every other night, she gets a bath and then we clean her room and get dressed for bed. She climbs into bed and we read a book, usually Pete & PJ (the book from KinderMusik class). We then say our nighttime prayer and give kisses and hugs.


• Zoe wakes every morning screaming Mommy and then very quickly asks for Minnie. She will not get down from her bed without Mommy's help.


• Zoe loves to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse every morning...without fail. I have been trying to incorporate more shows for my sanity. She has started to watch Jake and the Neverland Pirates more....but asks for Minnie the entire show.


• Zoe loves her milk, "duk" and breakfast in a bowl every morning! She loves bananas and cereal (fruit loops) and "baffle" (waffle). When she hears the toaster pop up, her face lights up and she runs to the kitchen.


• Zoe loves to play outside but it has been so hot lately, so I try to take her out in the evenings to swing or play with her stroller or balls.


• Zoe loves to draw. She asks to color by saying "book" and pointing to the hall closet where the crayons and big coloring pad is. She also loves to draw with chalk on everything outside....and I mean everything!


• Zoe loves to eat! We have 3 meals and 1 snack a day normally. We eat dinner as a family at the table. I just love singing our grace before eating. We all hold hands and Zoe smiles the whole time. Right before we finish, she claps her hands together and is ready to scream "Amen". So cute!


• Zoe loves babies. Her baby dolls are always close. She has been swinging them a lot in the swing and loves to undress them and then have me put their clothes back on. She holds them close and whispers to them and pats their backs. She also lays down a blanket on the floor and goes "night, night" with the baby.


• Zoe loves to lift my shirt and kiss the baby. She also likes to stick anything she has in my now flat belly button. Her favorite thing lately is the electrical outlet protector plug. It hurts!


• Zoe loves ice cream!


• Zoe says "share" when she doesn't want to share with someone and she is reminding them to share with her. I try not to laugh.


• Zoe loves the pool. We can completely dunk her and she comes up smiling. She loves jumping from the side and blowing bubbles.


• Zoe loves when we pretend to put salt of pepper on her food. She likes to be just like Mommy and Daddy.


• Zoe will take your hand, and not let go, and lead you where ever she wants to go.


• Zoe has really started to jump. She loves to jump from different surfaces (carpet to hardwood) even if there is no change in elevation. She raises one leg, but not both yet. Zoe loves to jump on the bed and couch!


• Zoe now ask for her bows and loves to brush my hair.


• Zoe says "play" when she wants to go back to her room and play with her toys.


• Zoe says "cheese" when she sees the camera, but will not smile. She is obsessed with the flash popping up when ever I take a picture.


• Zoe loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and knows all the characters. Both Mickey and Minnie are "Minnie", Donald Duck is just "Duck", Clarabelle Cow is "Belle Cow, Moo", Daisy and Pete are just "Daisy" and "Pete". I think Pete is her favorite character and she loves Mickey in Wonderland! She says "coocoo" for the bird! And she says "toodles"....it is hilarious.


• Zoe dances by shaking her hips and swinging her arms.


• Zoe loves to play with her Daddy...it is a jungle gym the minute he gets home and she screams and laughs until bed time.


• Zoe sometimes need what I call "quiet time". If we only have 1 nap and we are close to the 6 o'clock hour, we sometimes have a grumpy kid. I tell her we are having quiet time and I put her in her room. She gets upset at first, but then calms and relaxes for a little bit. It is a very good thing for us!


• Zoe loves to drink her "wa wa". She likes juice, but does not get it often enough to beg for it. She begs for "wa wa".


• Zoe is a snuggler and I just love it!


• Zoe says so many words! She can effectively communicate anything she wants. Her talk usually is babble and then a real word at the very end. It is really funny. She really dramatic at times, especially when she hears a funny sound or there is something scary on the TV. Zoe also loves to whisper.


• Zoe loves to clap when she gets really excited....like when she sees Mickey Mouse walk up the sidewalk or when Daddy gets home and she screams "Yay!"


• Zoe does really well putting words together to make simple sentences. It is so cute when she says "I did it!"


• Zoe knows where she is these days. She knows Grammy and Papa's house, my Kroger store, Daddy's work, the nursery at Church. Right when we get to these places she tells me where she is. It is amazing what they know so young.


• Zoe still sucks her thumb.


• Zoe loves bath time. Her favorite thing that her Daddy started is when Zach pours cold water on her....she dies laughing and asks for "more, more".


• Zoe makes the funniest faces, especially when she knows she has acted up. She already milks us for all we are worth.


• Zoe does well eating out, but we have to be in a booth. But if dinner is too late, it just isn't worth it...I am exhausted afterwards.


• Zoe's new favorite food is green beans.


• Zoe can point to all her different body parts. The only one she still mixes up sometimes are her eyes and ears.


• Zoe says "teeth" when she wants to brush her teeth.


• Zoe is liking to sit on her potty more and more. Sometimes she goes in the bathroom to sit on her potty when Mommy is not in there. Every time I go to the bathroom, though, she is right there. The other day, I started giving her a sheet of toilet paper while she sits. She stood up and started to wipe the whole potty with it....so funny. I also found her baby doll in the potty. I think us talking about it is sinking in and she is getting the point. Now we just have to wait for her to understand when to tell me she needs to go. Baby steps.


• Zoe is doing better and better in the car. There is rarely a struggle anymore. Praise God!


• Zoe is doing really good with names of friends and family. But she will not say her name for anything.


• When Zoe gets hurt, she wants you to kiss it right away. If she hurts one foot or one hand, she will want you to kiss both.


• Zoe has started to be more interested in what is on the counters. She backs all the way up until she can see what is up there. She also likes to help cook or bake now. I let her help me stir and she just loves it.


• Zoe loves puzzles!!!


• Zoe loves to make anything into a hat or bracelet.


• Zoe has learned a lot about "time out". I am very consistent and Zach is even more. He will through into time out really fast. But it is working! The main reasons time out occurs is if she does something that will put her into danger (going to close to the road after we tell her to back up, rocking on the chairs) or if she doesn't clean up. If we are playing and it is time to pick up and she clearly gives me her look and bats her eyes and I ask her to clean up and she laughs at me....say hi to time out. It is really not an issue as much now. She is getting better and better.


• Zoe loves to help me unload the dishwasher. She gives me ever piece one at a time and we talk about what they are. The know knife, fork, spoon, bowl, cup. She thinks plates are bowls. She also likes to help put clothes in the washer and switch to the dryer. Mommy's little helper!


• Zoe knows hot and cold. And she knows many things that are either hot or cold. She says "brrr" or "hot,hot,hot" in a whisper.


• Zoe loves to look at books and point out everything she knows on the page.


• Zoe knows a lot of animals and makes their noises.


• Zoe is extremely careful, especially with stairs. She know can go up and down on her own...very slowly.


• Zoe loves to spin around and she runs everywhere she goes.


• Zoe hates having things on her hands or feet. We wipe her hands at least twenty times when eating.


• Zoe can use her utensils eating, but prefers using her hands.


• Zoe is learning her colors. She can say them, but doesn't know which is which. Everything is "lelow" (yellow).


• Zoe is really learning independent play and not having Mommy by her side for everything. This I know will be important very soon. She closes the door to her room and just plays and plays.


• Zoe is very polite and says "please" and "thank you"...most of the time :)

As you can see....this girl is changing all the time! I just love everything about her. She has quite a personality and is just growing more and more every day! I love to see what each day brings with her. There is never a dull moment and I would have it no other way!