Drool Trail

Zoe is officially on the move. I set her down on the bed while I was installing the air conditioner in the bedroom. Every time I turned to check on her, she had squirmed herself to a different spot. I guess those workouts in the Exersaucer are paying off.

She's not sleeping as well as we would hope but I can understand that. The world is just too exciting to miss...

and with a face like this, who cares!

She kinda looks like an Ewok!

Fun with Emma and Candace

We were so excited to have our friends, the Lanings, over to the new place last week. There's no one better to explore the new neighborhood with. Candace and I were stoked when we spotted a 7-Eleven. SLURPEES!!! We grabbed some cheap but tasty Mexican food and took our tacos to the park and chilled with the babies.

Sweet kisses from Emma but Zoe still looks concerned

The diaper hat gives new meaning to the term "butthead". Too cute!

Watch out Emma!!! Look behind you!!!

Too late...

We hope to have more fun days in the park with our good friends.

The Jabber Jaw

Zoe is very fond of conversation. Once you get her going, there's no stopping her. Much to Aaron's chagrin, her favorite time to strike up conversation is just before 7 am when I am leaving the house for work and Dad's hoping to sleep in just a little while longer. NO WAY! Zoe is ready to start her day and that means you better turn over and chime in.

It's hard for me to leave the house when she is cooing and grabbing her feet to stick them in her mouth. She just figured out that not only can she reach her toes but they will fit in her mouth. I think she actually bit herself the other day and cried for a minute. Those two bottom teeth are awfully sharp.

This video shows what a great mood she is in, even under circumstances that are not ideal. We are truly blessed with a happy baby.

The Big Move

On Saturday, June 5th, we made the big switch to our new place in Bushwick. The movers showed up just before 7 am and they had everything unloaded by 12:15. Best money we ever spent. I can't believe we even thought of trying to do it ourselves.

It was weird seeing the old place completely empty. It still seemed so small, even with nothing in it but Little Z.


Zoe is great at securing boxes


When did Zoe sprout antlers?

We are slowly unpacking the new apartment. Most of the big stuff is put away, it's just the little stuff that needs storing. I am still blown away at the prospect of having two dining tables. There was a time when we didn't even have one and were eating off the coffee table. Good times...

So here is a short tour of the new place. I had to break it up into three parts to get it on the blog. Please excuse the mess... we are workin' on it.

Fun in the Park

We got together with friends before the big move to play Cornhole. For those who are not acquainted with this game, I can only hope you come to know its greatness and to assist you, I will refer you to playcornhole.org.

Due to the obliteration of the current Cornhole set by some friendly yet destructive kids in the park, we are now attempting to construct our own. It should be awesome.

Dad has apparently mistaken Zoe's arm for a real sausage.

Ah... the perfect teething ring.

Bath Time

So before we dropped off the face of the earth, I was uploading some bath videos. Okay, so we didn't dropped off the earth. We just moved to a bigger apartment. Same thing. I'll give you the grand tour a bit later.

Of course Zoe is doing a lot of new things and I will do my best to get everyone caught up. For now, enjoy the great bath videos and I will get my act together with more to follow.

More Playtime Videos

Have I mentioned how much fun Zoe is? SO MUCH FUN! She does so many amazing things. She likes to talk up a storm and she has been practicing her laughing skills. Almost there.



She grabs her feet and tries to stick them in her mouth. She takes her hand and sticks it in her mouth. Did I mention she likes to stick things in her mouth?

Back to Work

So maternity leave has ended and I am doing better than I thought. I still miss her when I am away but my anxiety has diminished in light of the great care she is getting from Daddy and Kellie. If it can't be me caring for her 24/7, it is wonderful to know that the very best have stepped in to take my place. At least, for a few hours.

Everyone has been very welcoming at work and excited to see pictures of Zoe. I kindly oblige, of course. It helps to be able to gush over her a bit during the day. And I thought I rushed to get home before. The trains definitely don't move fast enough. On a side note, I sure miss getting a seat on the subway. Not pregnant, good luck. Oh well, at least I can climb the stairs like a normal person.

Zoe makes her debut at the University Club!

Zoe and I decided to trek into Midtown to visit my co-workers at the University Club. I thought it would be a great opportunity to introduce her before returning to work on Sunday. I want to apologize to all those who held Zoe but did not get a picture taken. Due to the "no photography" policy at the club, I was only able to squeeze off one shot of the person who held her first. Zenia was the lucky winner. Quite fitting, considering they share the same first consonant.

Everyone was so happy to see her. I still greatly appreciate everyone's excitement. She is definitely worth all the "hubbub". Despite a relatively short nap, she was in a good mood during the visit. Next time she comes to the club, we may choose the morning instead. I hope to be able to share Zoe with everyone in the future. She really does give the world a good spit shine. Thanks to everyone who took the time to fuss over her!!

2nd day with Nanny Kelly

So Zoe seems to be adjusting quickly. If only we could be as resilient as our little ones. Zoe, Kelly and I took a nice long walk in the sun. It ended up being about 4 miles. Zoe got to try out her big girl stroller that Great Grandma Dodie got her. It was like riding in a Cadillac and she loved facing forward. The walk gave me the chance to get to know Kelly better. She is a very focused young person and a great choice to look after Zoe.



I have been worried that Zoe would not take a bottle. She really does not take one from me consistently and yesterday she absolutely refused to take one from Kelly, even though she had not eaten in 5 hours. Well, today was a big victory for us. I couldn't help but document the occasion. She took a bottle from Kelly while sitting in her bouncer. My friend Candace told me she had a similar situation with another baby so I felt reassured.

Even though I would love to be the one to stay home with her, I am feeling more settled during this time of transition and I am grateful to all who have helped to guide me safely through the beginning of parenthood.

Zoe meets Nanny Kelly

Reality came crashing down on me today when Zoe and I began to prepare for my return to work next week. I have been dreading this for a long time but it was inevitable. I had interviewed Kelly before leaving to go West in April and I offered her the job while we were away. I was relieved when she accepted the job and was looking forward to getting acquainted with her. She is studying nursing at Medger Evers and she is a very sweet girl who is already very fond of Zoe.


Today was kind of a rough day for Zoe. I think she is very tuned into the situation and she senses that things are rapidly changing in our home. She is doing her best to adapt but I know it must be difficult. Kelly is spending the week with us before she goes solo next week. Watching Kelly with Zoe today, I feel even more confident about my choice and am grateful that we are able to provide her with one-on-one care.

I am confident that tomorrow will be a better day and that we all just need the time to adjust to the changes ahead. Let's hope those changes include more time with my precious daughter.

Fun with Friends on Fulton

Zoe and I had such a wonderful afternoon hanging out with Barbara. She was my prenatal yoga instructor and was so excited to meet the little one she helped to strengthen during my pregnancy. It was so great to see her after so many months. She had exciting news of her own as her daughter just gave birth to her second child, May Rainbow, on May 1st. Her granddaughter Story got to pick her sister's middle name. What a great idea. Barbara is a special person with a special practice and I thank her for helping to guide me through a healthy and centered pregnancy. I have such an appreciation for the practice of yoga and hope to continue in the future.

We love a lazy weekend!

Every once in a while, you get to treat yourself to a lazy weekend. We finally got one! Yesterday, Aaron and I went to see Star Trek while Nana Debbie stayed with Zoe. We came home and got sushi down the street. Not too many more chances to eat there before we move.

It has been cloudy all day today, so I made breakfast and we just hung out. Zoe is really good at it.

She's also good at napping. Super chill.

We even got to enjoy story time with Daddy.

That Harold. He sure knows how to think fast with his purple crayon.

Good Times

One of the places we spend a lot of time is sitting at the computer. She'll eat, I'll check e-mail. She'll eat, I'll blog. She's taken to chewing on my arm and just last week, she gave me the biggest hickey. Here is a clip of her in action.




People say that when you have a baby, it is like discovering the world all over again. I find this to be very true. It is amazing the things you never noticed or found interesting until your child sees it for the first time and all of the sudden, it is the most interesting thing in the world. Take for instance, a screen saver. Nice but not the most exciting thing: until Zoe discovers it.

To play or to cry...

So Zoe and I are always looking for new things to explore and see. She really likes black and white and she is starting to enjoy more colors now. The bouncer and the floor gym have been great additions to her "stimulus package" but I can see that she already needs a bit more in the playtime repertoire. Check out this video.