Leaps and Bounds

Zoey seems to have taken a nice developmental leap in the last week or so, and it's thrilling to watch her intellect unfold. She is fascinated by her fingers, and even more so by our fingers. Her current favorite toy is Mommy's hand. She'll grab the pinky with one hand and the thumb with the other hand, and after studying it for a bit, pull my whole hand onto her face. I especially love when she weaves her little fingers between my big fingers. She's playing more with dangling toys, too. Her favorites are the little soft toys that hang from the handle of her car seat. She can't even reach them, but her whole face just lights up when she sees them and she gives them a big smile.

She has also discovered her toes! Just the left ones, though, and only when she's on the changing table. She's not quite as interested in the right ones just yet. For a few days there, she was also sucking on her top lip, but only while on the changing table. Now she's past that, it's old news already. :-)

Zoey's absolute favorite way of viewing the world is upside down. The girl loooooves to hang her head upside down -- off our lap, off the side of our arm, off the end of the sling that I hold her in to go to sleep. She remains quiet and content the whole time that she's looking at things that way.
She still loves to be outside, too. Can't get enough of those trees! It would be so great to find a mobile that has sticks and leaves on it. I'm sure they're simple to make, I just don't have the creative brain to do something like that.

Another thing that she seems to want to do more and more is sit upright. Her head wobbles around a bit as she is working on her balance in that position, but she's getting better and better. We pretty much hold onto her the whole time at this point and just make sure that she is well supported all the way around in case she topples over.

And the big development of the week -- giggles! Real giggles. Daddy got them first, and then when Mommy got some, she broke down crying because it was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard. Mommy is such a softy that way... Zoey is pretty much giggling about once a day now, and we're trying hard to get a good video clip of it. She gets distracted by the camera, though. We'll send it out to the whole world when we get it on video, believe me.

Jason is about to start school again, working on prerequisites for paramedic school while working almost full time for Metro West ambulance company. I am also starting school, but on the teaching side, with two classes at Seattle Midwifery School. I'll be taking Zoey to Seattle with me two days a month through December to teach in the classroom, and in the online classroom for the rest of the time. I've decided to not take any classes for my Public Health degree this quarter, as it would be too much to juggle.

That's all for now -- hope everyone is enjoying these late summer days!