In the bag...

Time to lower the crib!!!

Day at Millennium Park

We decided to go and hear one of the bands practice at Millennium Park on a Sunday afternoon...what they don't tell you on the website is that they also water the great lawn in front of the stage at that time...we had a hard time staying dry!

Zoe's favorite part of any toy...THE TAG!!!!

We found a shady spot to have a picnic and play.

Ruffles on the butt!

The Lurie Garden

Chris' new office building in the background...before he knew his company was moving!

 Obviously we need to come back to the water area when Zoe can really enjoy it.

A day in the life of Zoe Bauer

The day started out with a visit to see Daddy at his work for the first time.  Zoe has narrated the pictures below for your reading enjoyment.

"Let me help you with that project Daddy."

"Hmmm...What can I get my hands on here???"

"oooooooo... a shiny object with a cord!"

"Got it! Daddy looks worried because he thought I was going to delete something, but he should know that kids know more about computers than adults these days."

 "Daddy, is that REALLY how you want to word that press release?"

 "Me and my Daddy.  We make a great team!"

"I told Daddy he should cut out of work early so we could go to lunch."

"Here we are at the park for a post-lunch bottle"

"My first time on a slide...don't worry, Daddy was nearby to supervise me."

 "It was my 8-month birthday, so Mommy and Daddy decided to take me to a bar."

"Daddy tasted my squash...isn't he silly?"

 "Here we are, just the three of us."

 "Mom and Dad, Miko's Italian Ice is open...can we stop?....Pleeeeeeease?!"

 "Here I am, getting ready for a bite of Mommy's Italian ice."

"Mmmmmmmmm"

"That lime flavor is a liiiiiiiiitle sour...but I still like it."

"Since the people of Chicago think it's a good idea to water their sidewalks, I got a little sprinkle on the way home.  All in all, it was a great day!"

8 months!

Dear Zoe,

You are 8 months old! Here is what we want to remember about you:

-You  FINALLY starting officially babbling!  Mom modeled "mamamama" for you over and over for 2 or 3 weeks and then.....you started doing it on your own!  And you didn't just pick any consonant for your babbling, you picked "/mmmmm/", the one that Mom had taught you AND the one you need to say "mama".  So far you have said, "mom", "mum", and "mama".  We think it would be kind of cool if you started using "mum"... things said with a British accent are always cooler.

-You started trying finger foods and are definitely not sold on them yet.  When you eat cereal puffs you carefully pick one up, place it in your mouth, let it sit for a second, make a disgusted face, and then give a big raspberry to spit it out.  Then you pick up another cereal puff and start the whole process all over again.  When you were given whole peas you just shook your head no, and that was that!  You will get the hang of it soon!  You better, because opening those baby food containers is pretty messy as they usually spit at you when you open them, not to mention the impact of all that plastic on the environment. 

-You had your first overnighter on the 4th of July.  You stayed with g.mama so that Mommy and Daddy could go to Kim and Rob's wedding.  She said you went to bed early, but we have a sneaking suspicion that she let you have your first Coke and stay up until midnight.  She also set up a tree swing and put you in it (which gave Mommy and Daddy a heart attack and which you enjoyed swinging in very much).

-Lately you've been patting Mommy on the back when she picks you up and places you over her shoulder...it's like you're saying "Mommy, you deserve a pat on the back!".

-You are definitely getting harder to keep occupied.  You are enthralled any time we are out and about, so we try not to spend that much time at home!  You go to swimming class, music, and storytime at the library.  As soon as you start to complain...it's in the stroller and out the door you go!  You also love helping out in the kitchen.  One day you will laugh at how very interesting you found a wooden spoon to be...we're talking at least 20 minutes of high curiosity.

-You are so excited to see your daddy when he comes home from work each day.  No matter how fussy you have been you smile, bounce, and wave your arms all around when Daddy says hello. 

-You cry when you hear a loud noise, like a dog barking or kids screaming.  It's heartbreaking!  Guess you are a product of a very serene one-child and no pet household.

-You are able to roll a ball back-and-forth and are so good at it!  You catch it with your feet and then let go of it so it can roll back to your partner.  No one is going to believe this, but tonight when we asked you if you wanted to play with the ball you said "ball".  

-Zoe, you make us laugh every day.  Thanks for bringing so many smiles into our lives

Pretty in pink

Okay Mommy, I'll humor you and let you put this bow in my hair...

Mommy's little helper

What did your mother tell you about playing with your food?

Shake your maracas!

Zoe is attending the Wiggleworms class at the Old Town School of Folk Music. The photo is blurry becaaaaaauuuussse...SHE'S SHAKING HER MARACA!!! What a musical prodigy. She really beams during the "Hello" song..." I have a name....I have a name....I have a name and my name is Zoe!" She stands and flails her arms all about. She even gets to strum Dave's guitar at the end of each session...which she does very carefully. She enjoys it so much, we may have to bring Dave and his guitar to a very special girl's 1st birthday party.

If all of the raindrops were lemon drops & gum drops....

We interupt this Zoe program to bring you an important message...Uncle Kim and Aunt Rob got married! (inside joke)

Yes, we left our beautiful baby for a day (Independence Day) to celebrate the marriage of Kim and Rob.  And when those lovebirds get back from their Honeymoon, they better get ready to do some babysittin' !

So many boys, so little time...

Chase got a kick out of meeting Zoe.  Zoe was her typical self...played it cool.  Technically they can date, but if Kim is an honorary Aunt, then Chase is an honorary cousin and that just wouldn't be right.