Zoë has a few new behaviors. First, she likes to climb up on the sofa or recliner and sit/play up there. I think she enjoys the higher view of the world.

Secondly, she gives kisses. If you pucker up and make kissy noises she'll give you a kiss. A big open mouth baby kiss. The kind that gets you wet. On the subject of the baby giving kisses, she was grabbing my glasses two days ago. I told her "Glasses! No glasses!" She grabbed again, I grabbed her hand and repeated myself. (I was holding her in a store at the time so putting her down wasn't an option.) She grabbed a third time, I grabbed her hands and said more firmly "NO! NO GLASSES!" She gave me a kiss. Like "I love you Mommy."

Thirdly, if you take something away from her that she wants she flings herself on the floor, face down and cries. I wonder where she gets that? ;)
posted by Amanda Snyder at 10:24 PM

Well, it's supposedly autumn. Not in So. Cal. though. It was 85 degrees yesterday. This doesn't make any difference to women's magazines. This is the time of year they put out issues regarding "Winter Beauty Regime". It'll look something like this: "Now that winter is upon us it's time to be even more vigilant in the battle against aging. We know that you used an SPF of at least 25 all summer. Don't let the fact that the tempertatures have dropped lull you into a false sense of youthful security! With the dry, blasting warm air in your office, home and car your skin will lose precious moisture. It more important than ever that you get in those eight to ten glasses of water a day. Invest in a great moisturizer and apply it faithfully morning and night. Get a smaller tube to keep at your desk and give your skin a drink just before you leave for lunch. (Insert a blurb for some cream here.) When participating in all those fun winter activites like making snow angels, don't forget your sunscreen. Snow will reflect the sun's rays, putting you at twice the risk for sun damage! Your skin isn't the only part of you that will be thirsty. Those gorgeous tresses of yours need a conditioner that will go the distance this season. Deep conditon once a week to keep your hair healthy and shiny all winter long. (Insert a blurb for hair products they like here) Remember, blow dry on low heat until your hair is barely damp, then let air dry. " There will be pictures of beautiful women looking in a mirror, putting on moisturizer and playing in the snow. Some other things that will happen this season are: Vogue will run their annual pictoral on furs and get angry letters, Cosmopolitan will talk about "Winter Sex" whatever that means, Glamour will test try on sweaters and heavier pants, boots will make a comeback and they'll all run recipies for a low-fat but rich tasting soup.

posted by Amanda Snyder at 8:01 AM

We went to the L.A. County Fair with my dad the last Saturday is was on, September 28th. (Or something like that.) My dad said he'd pay for parking and admission. I drove through the ATM on our way so's we'd have some cash for hot dogs and such. Then I left my wallet in the car. My father picked up the tab for our entire day. I told Scott "I'd say I feel like I'm six but my parents never said yes this much when I was six." He was always asking "You guys need another lemonade? You want some fries? Let's get a donut." I said to Scott as we were leaving "If I eat one more thing I'll throw up."

A few days later I was laying down with the baby to take a nap. Someone was using a leaf blower just a few minutes later. Now, it was a perfectly reasonable hour to be using a leaf blower. However, in my dozy, half-awake state I found myself thinking that it would be perfectly logical for me to circulate a flyer around the neighborhood explaining that I have a baby and please refrain from certain activities during the hours of noon to five. The activites included would be: using power/yard tools, reving motorcycles, playing loud music, shouting, rattling garbage cans and please push all cars with large engines to a respectful distance away before starting . Oh yeah. I know how well that would go over.
posted by Amanda Snyder at 9:09 PM

Zoë is leaving babyhood behind. She's on to bigger things now.

Walking. She walks all over the place. She's a walkin' fool, that girl o' mine. When we take her out to eat she's not content to sit in the high chair and watch the world go by. She wants to be out and walking around. She's barefoot most of the time but when we go out she wears shoes. They get along okay, but I know that Zoë would prefer to have her toes free in the breeze.

Eating. She doesn't want baby food. She wants whatever we're eating. We went out to this chinese buffet place tonight (they had pizza and jello among other things, but I digress) and she ate a bunch of little pieces of chicken, broccoli and a few bits of pizza. She eats macaroni and cheese, cheesy hamburger casserole, crackers, pasta and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (I cut them up into little pieces). You can only give her 2 pieces of food at a time. She likes to shove in as much food as her mouth will hold and as she doesn't really have the chewing thing down we develop issues. Oh, and she loves loves loves fries. I'm so ashamed.

Drinking. Well, sort of. We give her a sippy cup of diluted juice in the morning. She knows it's hers and reaches for it when she spots it. She sucks the juice out and then backwashes it back into the cup. After 15 minutes or so there's debris in it. Ewwww. But, she carries that thing around with her, so I let her have it. We have discovered that a cheap way to make wine is to fill a sippy cup with grape juice and then leave it in a hot car for 2-3 days. Yummmmmmm.

Stuffed toys. She's got this new thing where if you hold a stuffed toy out to her she's grab it and give it a hug. Then she carries it a few feet before dropping it in favor of something else. Pretty cute.

Pointing. When she wants something she points at it. This makes my life much easier. Takes some of the guess work out ya know.

Non-napping lifestyle. She's down to one long nap a day. Maybe a short snooze in the moring. But, one long nap in the afternoon and bedtime at eight o'clock. I find myself racking my brain trying to find things for her to do. I have been known to put her in the car and then drive around, desparately trying to get her to take a nap. Doesn't work.

She's turning into a little person. Not a baby, a person. This freaks me out some. This whole mom thing is really hitting home. I'm going to sew emotional buttons on her just like my parents did on me. I'm going to attach identifying patterns to my daughter not of her own making. I'm never going to get it right. But I can love her. That I can do perfectly.
posted by Amanda Snyder at 10:59 PM