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 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.

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.)

Need a Smile?

My sister Julia shared this with me today - I thought it was so fun!

New Discovery

While Steve and Jessica were in town last week, Jessica showed me a new website. I am now totally hooked on Pintrest! It's a social networking site where you 'pin' links and pictures to things you find online. Each person has different 'boards' or categories when they pin their pictures/links. You can follow all of one person's boards or just specific ones you're interested in.

I've found the coolest recipes and craft ideas on this site! And some really beautiful pictures as well as some fun things to make me laugh.

So check it out and let me know if you decide to join!