Tree Adventure

We had a great time going to get our tree with some friends. It was an adventure on the roads, but successful. Zoe had a great time decorating the tree this year. We only have one broken ornament...so far.

Thanksgiving 2009

Here are some photos from our recent trip to Jackson Hole. Zoe had a great time with her cousin Charlotte.

Finally Walking!

Over the past couple of weeks, Zoe has gone from barely walking (see 1st video) to totally cruisin'.

Finally, a new post!

Sorry it's been so long since the last post. We've had a very busy and fun summer, hence the lack of posts on the blog. Here are a few pictures of the last few months.

Zoe and Cousin Charlotte hangin' out at the beach.

We spent 2 straight weeks at Dabob this summer. It was an excellent vacation!

Alright, don't report me.

More

Zoe and Cousin Charlotte playing in the sand.

Zoe with her big cousin Maclaren.

The crew: Zoe, Eloise, Silas, Gin, and Caoimhe

And more

Happy Father's Day Neil

1st Backpack Trip

We are taking advantage of this unusually beautiful weather. Hiked Granite Mountain yesterday with Abby, Dan, Gin, and Silas. We had a great time and Zoe loved the backpack!

New Adventures

Crab Crawl

Easy bein' One

Ahhh, Baby's First Birthday

I think like all first time moms, I wanted Zoe's first birthday to be a hit, to be special, to be a Kodak moment. I had the vision of the first cake-eating, first taste of something sugary, first lots of things, right? Normal, right? Now one thing I have never been accused of is being a good cook. I am not a terrible cook - I actually like it a lot and can make some pretty yummy things. But I am very good at following recipes which is why baking is especially safe! So the Baby's First Birthday Carrot Cake recipe I made for Zoe's first birthday seemed like a safe bet. I mean, how hard is it to screw up a carrot cake, right?

We had a lovely, small, barbeque for Zoe today at a park to celebrate her first birthday which passed on Friday. It was great to celebrate with a sampling of the folks who have supported us over the past year. You can't choose everything that happens to you in life, but you can choose the people you surround yourself with, and man, we chose well. I am constantly in awe with the generosity, love, and strength shown by our friends and family. We consider ourselves extremely fortunate.

Anyway, back to the cake. So, we get to the birthday song and candle blowing-out part. After singing a lovely rendition of the birthday song to Zoe (if I do say so myself), Zoe nearly burns her fingers on the candle while trying to grab the flame to put it out. Then, to my horror, I realize that her cake isn't even cooked all the way through! Ha! I mean, raw, uncooked, not good carrot cake. You'd think the cream cheese frosting would make up for it, but it didn't. It was Nasty. So, I apologize to the guests who had to go to a birthday party without cake. I apologize to my daughter for totally blowing her first birthday cake.

But, I have to admit, it was pretty funny. And thank goodness she won't remember!!

Happy First Birthday Zoe!

Friday was Zoe's first birthday. Whoo-hoo! We spent a lot of time thinking back to a year ago - the fear, uncertainty, and the shock at immediately becoming the parents of premature infants. We had no knowledge or experience with preemies and, like most, never thought we would be in that situation. And now, a year down the road, it's hard to believe that was our life. Zoe is beautiful, curious, energetic, brave, and happy. When I look at her, I can only see a glimpse of the 1 1/2 pounder that entered our life on March 27, 2008. She is the greatest miracle. Happy Birthday Miss Zoe.

Naked Time

Nana and Zoe

Cover Girls

Should they be models for Patagonia or what? Zoe and Virginia Ronco

The Girls

The Princess Posse as we like to refer to them- Zoe, Virginia, Eloise, and Caoimhe.

Cold Update

Alright, sorry I never updated about Zoe's cold. She handled it really well. She never had any trouble breathing even though it was in her chest. February and March are the sickest months usually so we will be really excited to make it to the end of this one. Zoe's lungs are still catching up so we'll continue to have to try hard to keep her healthy, but the bigger and stronger she gets the better.

First Cold

Well, we thought we would escape, but turns out we are vulnerable to germs too! Zoe's got her first cold - doesn't seem to be too bad so far- mainly stuffed up and irritable. We are hoping it stays mild. We've obviously been trying to avoid this all winter because of the danger of RSV or other respiratory ailments. We will keep you all posted. Hopefully she will be on the mend in no time.

Isn't it sad though when kids get sick and they want their pacifier, but then can't breathe out of their nose so they can't have it? She can't figure out what is more important - pacifier or breathing. Hopefully breathing wins.

Driving Lesson

More Skiing

Blue Bird Day

What a great day. We took Zoe skiing for the first time. She was definitely a natural. Although she slept a good portion of the way up the mountain, she was awake for the most important part - the downhill. We toured up Hyak on Snoqualmie Pass and played around on some of the cross country trails. We got a few turns in on the way down too. The first of MANY ski trips we hope.

Zoe's Got a New Cousin!

Lincoln Andrew Young was born on January 27th at 9:20pm. Sylvia, Jay, Gabe, and Lincoln are doing great. Congrats to them!

Always Smiling

Zoe's Health Update - Good News!

On Thursday, Zoe had an appointment with one of her neonatologists from Swedish, Dr. Stolz. He runs a high-risk infant follow up clinic. He spent a ton of time with Zoe assessing her development, muscle tone, reflexes, eyes, ears, etc... He checked her out head to toe. And the verdict? She's doing amazingly well. He was very impressed with her progress and energy. Her development is right on target and she shows no signs of any deficiencies at all. The only slight concern is her size. She is definitely a little peanut, although her head is a good size, so she's got a good brain on her. She's pretty short, but Dr. Stolz says she'll have a couple of opportunities to catch up during growth spurts. So, we will wait and see what happens.

We also went to see the lung doctor and are happy to say that we get to get rid of the oxygen tanks in Zoe's closet finally! Making room for more clothes for....Mom. Just kidding. It'll be great to get those out and never need them again. The doctors were thrilled that she has not had any illnesses from being home from the hospital. That's a huge thanks to many of you who let us know when you're not feeling well and stay away. We all appreciate it! The lung doctor also said she's got much better reserves now so is able to handle illness a little bit better. So, we've got a couple more months of RSV and cold season, and then we'll be breathing a little easier (pun intended).

First Ski Trip

We took Zoe up to Alpental for a quick few runs. Well, we went skiing and she stayed in the lodge with one of us. I did ski down from the upper parking lot to the lodge with her in the front pack. I got some funny looks, but I think she really liked it. It actually worked out really well to have her in the lodge so we can't wait to head up again. Our friend Aaron taught Zoe a new trick in the parking lot too. He has three kids so we felt pretty confident that he would not drop her.

Zoe is doing so well. She is hilarious right now. Her personality is really starting to show. She's got tons of spunk and energy and is overall a super happy baby. We've got a big appointment with her neonatologist next week so we'll report to you all after that with an update.

Happy, Hopeful New Year!