Sweet Child O' Nine (Months)

Go Utes!

Zoë hit the 9-month mark today. She's 25 pounds, wearing 24 month clothing, too big for her cloth diapers (it's an issue with the circumference of her delicious thighs), crawling everywhere, "couch-walking," pulling herself to standing and even trying to balance on her own every now and again.

She's got object permanence so I really can't be away from her for more than an hour. 

Proud to say she's still nursing, though we have given her the opportunity to play around with solids a little (fresh fruits and veggies -- she's unofficially a raw-vegan, unless you consider breastmilk an animal product.) I say unofficially because she tried to steal a onion ring off my plate at a Micro-Brew in Ogden. 

Holden is still an awesome big brother to her. He's a little rougher with her than I prefer, but she giggles when they wrestle and I really love that he pays attention to her. 

I felt the first of her two bottom teeth breaking through this week - which I think is great because I didn't have to go through all of that "I think she's teething" nonsense. 

She's also doing great with her "pottying." And yes, I know plenty of you think it's ridiculous to potty train this early, but it pains me her ("one-size-fits-all") cloth dipes don't fit, and so I am trying to do everything I can to not waste. Plus, it helps with diaper rash, and we're not being crazy about it. 

She may be three before she stops wearing diapers too; but it works for us -- so to each their own, eh? 

She's got a sweet disposition. 

We only have 60 more days until the election. Our lives are crazy and she is such a good sport. She's spent a few meetings on my lap, and crawling around on the floor. I've even breastfed her at the office... sometimes in a back room, and sometimes just in front of open-minded and sensitive colleagues who I am so grateful allow us a way to "make this work."

Love this girl.

We Don't Need No Education (um, no actually, we do)

"It’s been a big week for Education in our home. Yesterday I attended Scott [Howell's] press conference on education at the University of Utah, tonight was preschool orientation for my three year old, and it seems like all my social media channels are abuzz with first day of school pics."  That my friends, is from last week's contribution for the "WE Blog." I encourage you to check out the entire post -- and then make sure you're registered to vote.  

The truth is, I'd like to add to those obligatory "first day" photos. On Tuesday, Holden, Zoe and I hit up Holden's intro to Pre-school. It's the day where they meet their teachers (with the parents), get their 'cubbies' and their bags, and can play with the toys for as long as they want in a 2-hour window (which in most cases means, as long as their mom's will let them before they have to run more errands.) We stayed almost an hour.  

I asked Holden that morning if he was excited for pre-school. His response? "I'm excited for PG-firteen movies." 

Here's pic of him getting adjusted into his new environment.

For the record, Danny loathes those play contraptions. He said growing up he could never do them. I have a different philosophy. My Father in Law gets very stressed about kids hurting themselves -- and he's very protective (a wonderful attribute, though I know I drive him crazy because sometimes I let "natural consequences" play a role in parenting  -- gravity is really an amazing teacher). Anyway, my hypothesis goes like this. Dave told Danny not to play on them -- worried he would get hurt. Danny never played on them, worried he'd get hurt. Danny tells Holden he shouldn't play on them, because he'll get hurt. Holden plays on them anyway -- because I let him -- and Danny freaks out the whole time thinking, "I can;t do them - how can he at only 3?!?!

Anyway, he played and remained unscathed. 

Fast forward to Thursday morning -- first official day of school.  Holden takes the obligatory photo-op, though we have yet to put on his shoes, and I wonder why we're taking it at the front door, when Holden's not walking or leaving from the front door and his shoes are in the basement, next to where he'll put them on before he walks to the car to drive to school. 

Danny says you take first day of school pics at the door. So alas:

Proud to say we had no trouble with the drop off -- Holden jumped right out of the car and neither of us cried. 

When I picked him up he had tear stained cheeks so I asked him if he had cried at school. 

"Um yeah," he said. 

"Well what happened?"I asked

"So I was playing in the dirt, and they wanted me to come inside and I wanted to live in the park and they just wouldn't let me."

"So, you wanted to stay and play outside but they wanted you to come in?"

"Yeah - I didn't want to work it out." 

But apparently he did. He learned a song about a Jack in the Box and even brought home his first Art project from "Children's Discovery. It's a mixed medium piece titled "Jack in the Box." He said he'll try again next week.