11 months

I can't believe we're one month from our baby's first birthday! It's hard to imagine that it's been almost a year since we saw her sweet face for the first time. What a bittersweet moment her first birthday will be! Since last month, Zoe now...

• has 3 bottom teeth, and 2 are ready to break through on top


• can say Mama!


• sign for more when she's eating


• When asked "How big is Zoe?", she responds by raising her arms up high when we answer "So big!"


• can cruise holding onto furniture


• say ba-ba (byebye), when waving (only happened a few times)

Zoe had her first ear infection this past month, which was a pretty sad milestone. She had a fever that would not go away, she was super duper clingy and fussy, and she really lost her appetite (even with nursing, which was when we knew something was really up). We took her to the doctor and sure enough, she had a pretty bad ear infection. She got a mild case of hives from the amoxicillin, so she's probably allergic to it just like her mommy is. In the last few days Zoe has started looking for things a lot. She will raise up on her tippy toes to try to see something when standing, or when crawling around, she'll peek under the couch, ottoman, chair, or anything really to see if there's a missing toy or paci she needs! Her new favorite toys are these little animals that have wheels on them. They're just her size, and she loves to have one for each hand at all times. What a cutie. She is so, so curious, and has recently discovered Mark's bookcases. Uh oh. This morning I caught her with Francis Shaeffer's book on Baptism : ) She also has become very affectionate, especially with her momma. She loves to wrap her chubby little arms around my neck, or grab my face with her hands, and give me a big 'ol opened mouth sloppy kiss. I love it! Next month we'll be celebrating her birthday with a family party in Ohio, and then on her actual birthday we'll be doing something small here in St. Louis. This has been the most challenging yet the best year of our lives! We love our little monkey so much!