August in New York

Zoe's enjoying playing with her friends. This is little Ava Turley who is a month younger. She's a sweet baby!

We met them in the park last Friday and Zoe&Ava both enjoyed the swings together. Fun times! It's so thrilling to see them squeal such happy squeals.

I'm beginning my second week off work. It's been soooo lovely to be with mylittlefamily fulltime. We've been alternating days with Dadda and days with friends. We've had many play dates with friends and many trips to museums with Dad. We particularly love those suggested donations venues in the city!! Des has seen a lot of modern art, sculpture, African artifacts, and animals behind glass-- he loves the Natural History Museum.

Zoe has begun to wake during the night again so my latest strategy, I've had a string of them, starting this week is to move out fulltime to the livingroom. We'll keep this up for at least two months and then slowly move back in. It worked with Desi, though he was much older, but I'm hopeful!!!

About two weeks ago Zoe's little personality suddenly seemed to emerge fulltime. We don't know if it had to do with having Vanessa around for 4-5 days as an adoring companion or that she simply had surveyed enough of her surroundings and was ready to join in. She's been markedly more smiley and vocal. She has this cute little squeally/squeaky laugh (will try and get it on video soon) where she will throw her hands up in the air then double over with delight and squeal into her belly. So cute. When she sees me she will usually welcome me with a large smile and laugh and reach out happily and when I come to her she grabs onto me desperately and pulls me too her laughing. I love to do this on the bed with her where we can bury our faces into each other and kiss and cuddle. I love her so much!!

Desi has been playing ring-around-the-rosies with her. We do it on the bed where I hold Zoe around the waist and Des takes her hands and they sway back and forth while DPJ&I sing the song. He usually lets go when he falls down but even when he doesn't she actually loves it!! She loves him so much and he, more often than Nate and I, is the one that produces such interest and laughter from her.