Zoe is 6 Months Old!

I can hardly believe it's been 6 months already! And Zoe is growing and learning so fast. She sits up on her own now, she's mastered turning over, and she's doing really well with solid foods now, too. She laughs a lot more and really only gets fussy when she's tired. Or teething - I think she's getting her first one right now. She loves her daddy - he always gets big smiles, hugs, and kisses when he gets home from work. Zoe is a social baby - she always wants to be out and about seeing things. She loves church because there are so many people and so many things going on! This week she's started biting her lower lip and she said 'da' this morning when John was leaving the room.

We did pictures a couple of days after her birthday and they all turned out so great! Thanks Mom Woodbury for all your hard work, and thanks Mom Zincke for the adorable bow/feather band! Click here to see more of Zoe's 6 month pics.

My Little Chatter Box

On Thursday Zoe decided she wanted to try talking. In the past she would make noise when she was laughing or fussing but not much in between. Now she's 'talking' all the time. Here's a conversation she had with John this morning:

Zoe is 3 Months Old!

Zoe is doing well and still learning and growing. She's sleeping really well through the night now, for which we're really grateful. She's laughing now, too, but not very often. She likes meeting new people, going on walks, and taking baths. She hates getting the hiccups, being left alone, and having her nails trimmed. We're excited to go to Utah this week to see the Zincke's! (For the full album of Zoe's 3 month pics, click here.)

Zoe in the Morning

She might get fussy later in the day but first thing every morning Zoe is this happy:

Click here to see more pictures of Zoe from this month.

Pictures from 2 Months

Zoe saw her friend Graham's pictures last month and she was jealous... ok so I was jealous... So Grandma Woodbury got out her fancy camera and we did a little photo shoot with Zoe just before her 2 month birthday. She cooperated for the most part and I'm looking forward to her 3 month photo shoot in a couple weeks. I played with the fun effects in iPhoto on John's computer and I'm rather pleased with how they turned out. Now I just have to convince John it's worth printing, framing, and hanging a couple of these in her room... Click here to see all the pics in Zoe's 2 month album.

Happy Christmas, New Year, and One Month

I can't believe all that we've done in the last month! The holidays were wonderful and we had a white Christmas here in Colorado. I never did get out tree up in our new apartment, but I'm ok with that - I had a few other things to do!

We had the Zincke's come to visit in early December and we were able to bless Zoe in church that Sunday. John did a beautiful job and I was so touched by this amazing daughter we've welcomed into our family.

Zoe turned one month old on December 29th so we had a birthday party! Mostly it was just an excuse for me to make cupcakes... We had my family over for lunch and cake then we played Mario Kart on the Wii. Zoe's first party was a hit!

I think I'm finally settling into motherhood and I can't believe what a challenge it has been! I've learned and changed so much in the last month. Here are just a few things I've discovered since Zoe arrived:

I have more respect and love for my own parents
Being a mom is harder than I ever imagined
Being a mom is more amazing than I ever imagined
Having a baby involves a lot of pain but it's worth it in the end
Nothing melts your heart faster than your child's smile
Even 10 minutes of sleep is to be cherished
John is totally smitten (I wasn't sure he would be)
Family really is the most important

And now the pictures! (For the full album you can go here.)

Welcome Little Girl!

Zoe Mae is finally here! I was hoping she'd come early or at least while my family was in California for Thanksgiving, but she made us induce.

John and I went to the hospital at midnight on Monday night and they got me started. It was a long process and definitely one of the hardest things I've ever done. Thank heavens for epidurals! Zoe did great, though, and greeted the world at 6:37pm on Tuesday, November 29, 2011. She weighed 7 pounds and 2 ounces at 20 inches long. John and I were both teary eyed as we met our daughter for the first time. Grandma and Grandpa Woodbury were both very excited, too.

The next day John met the movers at our apartment to supervise the packing and we left town from the hospital the next day. Fortunately, my mom and dad traveled with us the next couple of days and helped out. Then we got to visit with Mom and Dad Zincke and they were also a huge help! I was really nervous about the move so soon after giving birth and it was hard but all the help made it easier.

We made it to Colorado and John started his new job. I've been getting used to my new job as a mom, too, and it has been interesting. Sometimes I look at this little girl and it still doesn't seem real! I worry about all sorts of new things now and I feel like an entirely different person - a person with a baby. And she's just so stinkin' cute!