Happy Birthday, Grandma!!!

Zoe wanted me to post a very special message to Grandma:

...and now on to the pictures!

It is with GREAT pleasure that I report that Zoe is now officially a big girl

and has slept in her bed -- through the night -- for the past few weeks.

She wakes up a few times but puts herself back to sleep...something we 

had never experienced and (I think it's safe to say) we all enjoy much more

than the previous routine of sleeping in chairs together.

She's even been sick and wakes up coughing but settles back down on her own.

Some of the credit goes to her Baby Doll and some to her blankie -- both of which 

seem to help, but Zoe should take most of the credit herself 

because she figured out how to sleep like a big girl.

In the days leading up to this wonderful development, Zoe would ask to be put 

in her crib (which she never did before) and would show us she 

knew how to lay down and go to sleep on her own.  

Needless to say we were overjoyed.

Who's a big girl?  I am.

Zoe's other favorite past time is to pull out her step stool from under her bed

and plop it down wherever Mommy and Daddy are, climb on it, and help explore 

all the fun drawers and desk-tops that were previously out of her reach.

She loves to grab this picture of Grandma and Grandpa and talk to it.

Apparently they have some funny things to say.

I can see outside!

The last big development is that Zoe now eats with a fork!

January was full of visits with friends.

We went over to Megan and Will's house and were treated to an AMAZING

Greek feast.  Zoe even tried Tzatziki for the first time...

...and LOVED IT!

Then our friends Bobby and Laura came over -- and they brought Benny!

Zoe and Benny got along famously.

Zoe thought that Benny's bed looked comfy...

So she climbed in!

Look at our city girl -- her dog in a handbag and her phone out.

Typical.

Zoe then invited Benny to join her for the post-dinner 5k around 

the dining room table.

We also had fun trying on hats

                                          

We had fun trying on Mommy's socks and shoes

Fun stomping leaves

Fun being tourists with Jon and Laura who visited from Austin

(but somehow escaped photographic evidence)

Fun riding our horse...and giving her hugs, too!

Fun calling Daddy on the graham cracker phone at lunch.

Apparently I had a lot to say

We had fun going for drives in Zoe's convertible

Enough of this sidewalk stuff...let's drive on the road!

We had fun coloring!

We had fun playing basketball

Zoe thinks it's gotta be the shoes.

We had fun lifting weights

We had fun turning on and off the light

                                        

                                               

We discovered DIRT and had a lot of fun playing with it

                                          

Dandelions, too.

Fun playing Peek-A-Boo!

Peek a boo!

Fun raiding Mommy's closet.

And of course...fun reading.

Grandpa and Grandma fly out tomorrow to come join the fun.

Zoe hopes you can all visit soon, too!

Zoe called Grandma the last night.  She wanted to be
the first to wish Grandma Happy Birthday!