Zingo Zoey is TWO!

My baby girl is TWO! Two years have gone by even faster than they did with Barrett, and I can't believe my last little baby is fast becoming an independent child. Zoey thrives on independence and laughter. She's always reached physical milestones early. She's never liked high chairs, she walked at nine months, climbs to the highest point she can possibly manage, and has absolutely no fear! She surprises me daily with her physical strength and fearlessness. One defining characteristic that I love the most is her sense of humor. This girl is hilarious! Once you gain her trust, she will have you in stitches if you pay attention. She's constantly gauging our moods to see what kind of laughs she can get out of us. She would rather play a joke on me and be goofy than snuggle and give hugs and kisses, but when those moments do happen they are even more special. If we ask for a hug or kiss she says "NO!" but not in a defiant, toddler way, but in a funny, joking way. When she does give in to the serious, sweet moments, she will pat my back, touch my face in the sweetest way, cover us up with her favorite blankets, and tell us "I love your heart". She will also cry real tears when people have to leave our house. Lately, she has randomly asked for Na-Na, Ash-Ash, Pops, Logis (Logi with an S), and GiGi. This baby girl has changed our world for the better and we love her deeply.

Zoey calls herself Zozee, loves to dance, can't go long without her favorite blue blankets (one of which was Barrett's baby blanket with his monogram), and thinks her big brother is absolutely hilarious (especially when he teaches her potty words). She sleeps through the night consistently, but will talk to her monitor camera saying "Mommy!!" or "DaDa" when she "accidentally" throws her paci and needs us to get it for her. She still won't sit still long enough even to eat a meal. She's a grazer. We will all sit at the table for dinner, but she will be in and out of her chair a hundred times going back and forth to our chairs or moving a stool around to step up and down.

She calls us Mommy, DaDa, and Bubba. Her verbal communication is taking off and I'm loving her sweet little voice. Her hair is starting to really come in, but it's mainly only in the back. I put bows on her most days and she loves them. She will tell me "Mommy...bow, I don't like it!" whenever she doesn't feel like wearing one. Most days she asks for a bow once I get her dressed. She is a girl who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to let me know and I love it! Her smile has always been contagious and the older she gets, the more contagious her joyful personality becomes. She has seven first cousins who are all boys and a high energy brother. This girl was born strong, so I think she will be just fine surrounded by all of these wild boys! She does have one girl cousin, Kyndall, who she already looks up to and loves, and I'm so very thankful for their relationship!



Here are a few of my favorite two-year-old pictures of our Zoey.

18 Months

Zoey Laine turned 18 months old while on our big family vacation in California. This precious girl is shockingly laid back but also completely hilarious. She almost always goes with the flow; she's happy and content as long as she has access to her blankets and snacks. Physically, she's still stronger than she should be. We bought a mini trampoline with a bar and she loves to play on the "poline" and can hold herself up with her legs completely up in the air and swing for quite a while. Barrett tries to do this and can't come close to what she can do. I think we have a gymnast/cheerleader/powerlifter on our hands.

Zoey became attached to her blankets very early on. Target used to sell the softest blankets made by a company called Tiddliwinks. They cannot be purchased anywhere, except an occasional find on eBay for an insane amount of money for a baby blanket. We have two that were Barrett's baby blankets that she is completely obsessed with. Nordstrom sells a similar one so she has four total that she loves, but will always go for the two originals if they are around. She is still a paci baby just like big brother was, loves to eat all day long, and still wakes us up occasionally through the night. She's also mostly a mommy's girl. She loves being right in the middle of my routine of getting ready. I do my hair and makeup sitting on the floor, and she likes to sit right in my lap and go through every single thing in my makeup bag. I usually end up having to hide each thing that she picks up since she imitates everything I do. She will run up to me and laugh while I'm blowdrying my hair and won't stop until I play back. At 18 months, she is still mostly bald with a tiny curl in the back. She loves when I brush her "hair" and has a serious love for bows and shoes. She says quite a few words on her own everyday. "Mommy" and "K" are my favorites. I will explain something to her and say "Okay?" and she always answers with "K". It's the cutest!

Her deep, raspy voice, growling when she laughs or talks, going out of her way to make us laugh, and her physical strength are her unique characteristics that stand out to us. Zoey is fearless, tough, and full of joy! I love getting to know her more and more everyday and love every part of her quiet, hilarious personality.

Zoey At One

I am extremely behind on all the blog posts I've wanted to do (surprise, surprise!). I will quickly write down notes and add my favorite pictures to a file that I know I want to document, but never get around to taking the time to lay it all out in a blog. Steven is on vacation this week, so one of my goals for the week is to catch up on blogging my favorite moments from the past few months. I wrote all of the following when Zoey turned one. She's changing fast so I MUST keep blogging for all the photo books I swear I will eventually make!

Zingo Zoey, your first year was full of surprises for our family. Finding out you were a girl was the biggest shock of our lives! Then on February 2nd, after being in labor all night long, you made your appearance almost two weeks early weighing exactly the same as your big brother. You showed us immediately that we could love another little human unconditionally, and you made our family feel complete. Barrett is so proud of you and has loved you fiercely from day one. You and Barrett are opposites in many ways, but also alike and extremely special in your own ways. Your brother is an entertainer and you are starting to find your voice and tell all of us that you will have your own spotlight. You will be surrounded by all boy first cousins and the more we get to know you, the less we worry about you holding your own as the only girl. To our strong, joyful, beautiful girl with the most contagious smile, we love every part of you!

At one you are practically running, lifting heavy objects, and climbing on stools. You love to be on the go, but always take little play breaks to sit in mommy's lap. You do not sit still for long and will only pay attention to tv or movies when a good song is on, which is exactly how Barrett was. You love to play with mommy's make-up and sit in my lap when I'm trying to get ready. You love to dance and copy our sounds. Your first word was "high-five" or “high-pi" in a growl voice as you say it. You say mama when you are needing something or sad, dada, bye-bye (and wave your little hand), yelling bubba, and your new favorite word is batman. You love being outside, your babydolls, when we are all singing and dancing, and when bubba gets in your crib to play. 

You are so physically strong and we talk about you being a gymnast one day. We think you will like lifting weights like Mommy. Your daddy talks about how beautiful you are all the time. He loves the sparkle in your eyes and says you have a regal beauty. You make us smile every single day and we are so thankful for your happy, playful temperament. 

Barrett's first birthday pictures/ Zoey's first birthday pictures

1

Watching trolls upstairs and she loved all of the music

Poor Sophie lol!

One of my favorite moments of the day. Barrett loves getting in her crib to play, dance, and sing.

First time to swing.

The only way I can half way cook a meal is to let her open and destroy the spice drawer.

Matching bows with her babydoll from Na.

Looking up to her brother

Just walking all over the place at her one year check-up

Trying hard to escape the doctor's office room

She didn't feel great but still smiled for me. Best baby girl!

Zoey's First Birthday Party

All birthdays are special, but there is something about a first birthday party that tugs at my heart. I remember Barrett's first birthday party and it still holds a memorable, special place in my heart. One was the sweetest year ever for our little Bear. Every response we got was "YES!", he started holding full conversations, and just instantly transformed from a little baby to a toddler. One year olds are just pure sweet! With Zoey being our second child, we looked forward to her turning one because of our experience with B. This birthday party was just as special and also a little bittersweet knowing it's my last first birthday to experience.

Zoey is the easiest, sweetest, happiest baby ever (except while in the carseat!), so her birthday party was a dream! Planning a girly, pink, sparkly party was a lifelong dream come true for me, and her sweet reactions to everything will forever be a favorite memory. We hired a new photographer I had never met until the day of the party and she was amazing! Our babies grow so fast, and pictures are the only tangible thing we have to relive life events. Hire the photographer for family pictures, hire the photographer for life events you want to experience over and over again. I will cherish these beautiful pictures forever!