Friday, December 31, 2010

The last day of 2010

I couldn't let today pass without mentioning the most incredible day yet: the day when Zoe first laughed.  Hard.  True to form, Zoe cracked up for the first time at her dad.  He tickled her and played with her this morning and instead of the usual static, he got giggles.  It was pretty sweet and made us both laugh really hard.

Then an hour later, the child cried louder and harder than we have ever heard her before.  That set the tone for the rest of the day.  Many tears and lots of grumpiness.  Could this be what we have to look forward to?!  Manic moods?!

I think she's just upset that her year is over and that we're one day closer to going back to normal work.  Ugh.

Happy New Year.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Zoe's First Christmas!

It's a week later, but Zoe celebrated her first Christmas last week.  While she didn't quite "get" what was going on, everyone around her sure did.  She got a whole. lotta. pink.

Christmas Eve was spent at the Torborg grandparents' with both sets of grandparents and We Vermilyea Three (WVT from now on). Mom made a delicious standing rib roast, gouda mashed potatoes, roasted veggies, and  Yorkshire pudding.  Yummmmm!

AND, everyone surprised me with a sewing machine!!!! I have wanted one for a while, now.  I guess my saying so finally came at the right time. My plan is to become a sewing genius and to start a business (even if it's small) to add a bit more income.  Right.  That's my plan.  I guess I'd better learn how to sew.  Or at least plug the thing in.  I'm sort of scared of it.

Then on Christmas morning, WVT had a nice, quiet time opening presents and watching Z sit in her bumbo chair, looking all around.  She got some baby powder, a pacifier case, a pacifier clip, two outfits...it was sweet.  Then the TGs (Torborg Grands) came over to open gifts.  Pink.  Then we went to the VGs' (Vermilyea Grands) to have presents and enjoy a family-wide cookie swap.  More pink.

This family can cook! Can bake!  I swear I have never seen so many cookies in one place, and I'm Doris Torborg's granddaughter (we used to have some serious dessert tables at Christmas with the Torborgs).  Jod's got three sisters who all baked and cooked and a mother who baked and cooked and a wife who baked and cooked and let's just say I have subsisted on Christmas cookies, bread and cinnamon rolls for the past week.

We are so enjoying our time off with the Z-Bird.  She's so much fun to be with and to watch learn.  She has begun to giggle a tiny bit--it sounds like static--and has begun to grab for things.  She got a few sweet toys for Christmas and has been holding them and seems to like rubbing on the fleecy monkey Diane Brown sent us.
Thanks, Auntie Diane! I love my monkey!

Now it's time to celebrate the close of 2010 and the start to 2011.  It's never been my favorite holiday, New Year's Eve, but this year we have a lot to be thankful for.  AND, a lot to look forward to in the next years.  May you have a happy and healthy start!!  And perhaps I'll get my act together and send our Christmas cards tomorrow...

Happy New Year! 
Love,
Kate, Jody and Zoe
Charlotte and Rusty, too

Enjoy the photos.

The Zoe Flip Book






Z's first stocking
Z's first Christmas gift
Bored? 
Death of the Squeaky Toy took less than 5 minutes
More powder?

Pacifier clip. Nice.
Everyone loves to snuggle with Daddy!
Baby's First Christmas!


Grammy Pammy/Pamma got Zoe a Carole doll whom we've named Chloe!

Dad got a custom-made birdhouse from all of us made by our friend, Russell Tucker
He loves it.
Before...
...and after.
Our new favorite pose. Hands in mouth, feet up in air. Truly a happy baby if I have ever seen one. 

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Three months

Mrs. Claus
I turned three months old on December 18th! As of Dec. 16 I weighed 9 pounds and 15 ounces.  Perhaps by now I have gained that 1 ounce to put me into double digits!!

I love going to my group where I see my friends, Emma, Emerson, Owsley, Caleb and TWO Lilys!  There are always new babies to see and I love to see my friends, some of whom I have known since I was two weeks old when we first started going.  Of course I love to go because I love anything having to do with eating.

Last week Mom made a dessert and brought it to group.  Everyone else brought delicious treats, also.  After we went to our group a few of us went to The Storybook Shoppe for their grand opening and to hear Santa read!  I don't know who this Santa dude is, but he was a good reader!! I enjoyed listening to the story while Mom fed me some delicious milk.  Did I mention I love to eat? I looooooove to eat.

When I went to meet Santa I wore my Christmas outfit that my Grammy Pammy got me.  I didn't really like being held by Santa, mostly because I was sleepy.  He sort of looks like my grandpas.  I love men with white beards!

Mom and Dad keep telling me that this thing called Christmas is soon. I'm not sure what that means but if it's like the other days of my life, I'll enjoy it a lot.  I really do have a nice little life.


My pal, Emma, who is almost exactly one month older than I am!



What is this?!

I don't like this!!!

He doesn't even have milk!

Mom!!

My peeps

I love my parents :0) (and my friend, Mrs. Kelly, who took this picture)!

Christmas outfit

My Aunt Cindy sent me this adorable Christmas outfit.  My mommy dressed me up and she and her friends took pictures of us for their Christmas card!  Check me out:
Santa Baby with mousy blanket
Mom calls me "Squish."  I wonder why.

Mommy loves my feets.  She kisses them a lot and says they're stinky!

I love my Auntie Paige

Mom's friends and me.  We're pretty hot.

Why are they all looking at me?

They all blew me kisses!  Then they used this for their office Christmas card!

I love my mom--especially when she walks around and lets me see what's going on!

What??!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

In between

So...many of you know that Zoe is a peanut.  But she is definitely growing.  At her 2 month checkup she measured in the 10th percentile for weight and the 5th for length.  This week at our breastfeeding support group we weighed (like we do each week) and she had gained 5 ounces.  She weighed 9lbs, 9.5oz.
Note the belly

I took some photos the other night after she ate and had a full belly.  I can't resist the full belly.  Just too precious for words.  And she actually looks like she's bigger and isn't too scrawny anymore!

SO...all this boring information leads us to the fact that Zoe doesn't fit into many of her clothes.  She has a closet full of clothes (most of which are 0-3 months) and can't wear most of them.  She's still in some of her newborn-sized items and there's a good amount of room in her 0-3s.  I'm DYING to put her in some new outfits.  (And so is her Pamma who declared one of my favorite outfits boring and used).

In any case, we have to dress the child in something, mostly because it's socially acceptable to bring your child dressed to church.  That, and it's pretty darn cold out there.  So...we put her in this darling purple and brown bear outfit.  You can't see it well in these pics, but there's a sweet bear face on her fanny.  :)
What? There's a bear on  my bum?

We are just sitting around right now on this dreary Sunday afternoon.  We're going to have to get dressed at some point because we have my department's Christmas party this evening.  Gotta get the wee one dolled up and in the Christmas spirit.  We have a Santa outfit that Aunt Cindy gave Z, and a suit that Pamma gave her that has little holly berries all over.  I think she'll rock her Santa Baby outfit.  She's too precious in it.

Okay. Like I said, I'm rambling about nonsense, mostly so I can post a few cute pictures of the ever-changing child.  Hope you'll forgive me!
Santa Baby

Christmas decorations

As promised, here are some photographs of this year's Christmas at Zoe's house.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Zoe's Christmas tree that was mine as a child!
Our tree




Bowl of jingle bells!
Bruce, the Christmoose on top of the lamp!
In our sitting room--fiberoptic tree





The garden table as you enter the house


The kitchen bar