Monday, December 31, 2007

Zoe's First Christmas

Blink! Tomorrow becomes yesterday.

Zoe's first Christmas is over. It was a great experience. Jess' parents came out from the 19th to the 24th. They played with Zoe, and Zoe was able to play back. She's such a unique little spirit. She's got a classic doughbaby smile. She's got pink cheeks, and wide-open blue eyes. Just holding her in my hands makes me feel impossibly gifted. The ridiculous reality of it is, she's there every morning! I wake up to her grins, her coos, her happenstance calls to the air in general. Someone always rises to answer her calls. She's got a trust in the world that only a child can securely adopt. I love her. I love trying to relate to her view.
She had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa. We took her for her first trip to the pool. She cautiously dipped her feet in the water. Her eyes were unafraid. I expected reluctance. Instead, I witnessed her unique personal replacement, studiousness. She studied the water matter-of-factly. She watched it ripple. When it splashed her mouth, she extended her tongue to explore it. She continued licking her bottom lip until she felt she understood the sensation. Then, she came alive. She kicked. She grinned. She was passed from grandma to grandpa to mom to dad around in a circle. It was a great time. Here's a picture:



She had many great experiences with Grandma and Grandpa. She is able to sit up by herself. And that offered her many new opportunities to play original games. She could play with her Christmas gifts all by herself. Sitting up, shed pick up her blocks, or her rattling-toys and wave them around. She was having a ball.

The day before Jess' parents left, my sister Molly and her husband Jason came into town from San Antonio. Molly was so excited to see Zoe. She wouldn't let her go. She wanted to hold Zoe, change her diaper, give her a bath, play with her, feed her bottles, feed her solids. She crammed six months worth of babysitting into 4 days. Zoe loved her time with Aunt Molly. She had seen Molly before, but she was pretty young, barely even able to smile. Now, she was really interacting and laughing and tickling and cuddling with her auntie. Here's a picture:



What a joy! 2007 was a great year. I sit here enraptured by nostalgia. And maybe my emotions overtake me. But I have to declare 2007 my best year ever!! I can only hope that 2008 will be as great.

Happy New Year to all!

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