License and Registration, Mam?

Okay, okay, we've been delinquent bloggers.  The past few months have been a blur.  We'll try to fill in the details in due time, but here's a quick glimpse of the here and now...  Below is a very, very new trick: Frankly, it's pretty darn close to walking, and we're kind of amazed.  (Steering isn't wee Zoe's strong suit quite yet.  Or maybe it is?)

She's motoring along... sees a big shoal... and stops the boat.  Then, she powers on directly into the big shoal!  Someone get that girl a Shoalfinder!

Ah well, these things come in time.  And it's time I get to work!
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Zoe's Spring Break

There once was a girl named Zoe Mae.  Zoe Mae had been a very good girl, so as a special treat, she got to  spend Spring Break at Grandma and Grandpa's house all by herself.  After a few days of good old fashioned bonding with the grandparents,  a refreshed Mama and Papa returned from their getaway, and Zoe Mae was very excited to tell them all about the fun she had had.  Then, she got up to some more fun...

At Grandma and Grandpa's, there were lots of fun new toys to play with...

And of course, Rocco was there to make sure that she didn't get bored.

Zoe quickly made herself at home in her Mama's old high chair, and she even perfected the fine art of drinking with one hand... tricky.

After relaxing at Grandma and Grandpa's for a few days, the whole family packed up and headed to Long Island to visit Zoe's Great Great Aunt Jean.  While there, she got to meet her cousin Jacob.  As you can see, they had a grand old time together.

Being the older cousin, Jacob wanted to impart the wisdom of his years on wee Zoe.  He was excited to show her that books, in fact, are for reading, not for eating.

Jacob also thought it was essential to show wee Zoe how to play it cool. What else are big cousins for?

As you can see, Zoe Mae returned from her trip a wiser and even happier baby than before.  It must have been all the good company, fresh mountain air, and home cooking.  Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

Our Busy Bumble of Joy

So you've all seen evidence of wee Zoe Mae's crawling and standing skills, but we thought we should share a few more photos to show you how many new skills she really has.  Each day she surprises us with something new-- it's a blast!  Because these pictures speak for themselves-- we'll keep the commentary to a minimum...  Here we go!

Zoe Mae always carefully plots her next move...

...and then executes with certainty!

She's got this standing thing down.

"Look Ma!  One hand!"

She loves to chase after Rocco's tennis balls...

...and sometimes she'll even share.

She's also been perfecting her downward facing dog...

...and she's a master at giving high-fives.

Finally, she knows how to be coy,...

...how to be a ham,...

 ...and how to be darn cute!

Look Who's Standing!

Ladies and gentlemen, Zoe Mae's newest trick:

She was mighty proud of herself...  we're just not completely sure if the smile was because of her new acrobatic feat or because of the present she left for mama in her diaper... Either way-- Success!

Movin' on Up

Baby steps...  Everybody's got to start somewhere, and last week Zoe finally mastered the art of crawling.  She'd gotten quite proficient at hopping around, but with the whole alternating-leg thing came infinitely more range.  Now she can get pretty much wherever she wants to go, assuming there aren't stairs or public transportation involved.

She's picked up a fair bit of speed since this we shot this video, but for now she's a happy, crawling little girl.  Mind the drool.

A belated Christmas post

Time really does fly when you're having fun.  Here is a short, but sweet, post to keep you coming back for more.

Zoe Mae had fun practicing unwrapping presents before Christmas morning.  Paper is soooo cool.

So are fun new toys!

Baby laptops are pretty fun, but let's not underestimate the awesomeness of envelopes...

Then came Christmas morning.

New bibs!!  Yay!!

And a pint-sized pint glass.  What fun!

A successful Christmas was had by all-- Zoe is ready for next year!

Another New Year!

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A very happy new year folks!  We'll be doing our best to rock the peace, love, & joy, and we hope you do too!  Have a good one...
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A Christmas Story...

On a clear, cool Saturday afternoon after Thanksgiving, the Costello family decided it was time to participate in the age-old tradition of cutting down a Christmas tree.  Since this was to be Zoe Mae's first Christmas tree, they all took on their roles very seriously.  Zoe's role, of course, was to dress in camo as ferocious bear, while donning her well rehearsed skeptical look.

On the Christmas tree farm, Cara's role was to interpret Zoe Mae's gurggles and kicks so that they could find the conifer that was destined for their living room.  After careful inspection, Zoe settled on this one:

After the tree selection, Tommy's role was to chop down the tree with his bare hands.  And by chop, we mean "saw", and by bare, we of course mean "mittened".

Tommy's secondary role was to entertain wee Zoe to distract her from the cold.

While Tommy had the tree measured and bundled, Zoe Mae shed her fur coat and waited in the warmth of the wee box.  Even though she was warm, Zoe started to become impatient as she waited and waited...

But then, she discovered something wonderful.  The stick shift!  Her enthusiasm for manual transmissions is commendable, especially in this day and age, but she still has a long way to go before mastering the art of shifting without the clutch.

After Zoe's first driving lesson, Tommy engineered a way to pack himself, Zoe, Cara AND the tree inside the wee box for the trip back home.  After all, why strap a tree to your roof when you can enjoy the fresh scent of pine all the way home?

Back at the homestead, Zoe Mae supervised while Tommy and Cara decorated the tree.

And that is the story of Zoe's first Christmas tree.  And Santa, if you're ever looking for someone to be your apprentice, we know a wee little girl who might be interested... She's already got the belly and cheeks for the job, and she's been practicing her "Ho Ho Ho" noises.  

Happy Christmas!!

The Attack of the Cousins (times 2)

Nothing says "holidays" more than family.  And nothing says "fun" more than crazy cousins to entertain our wee Zoe Mae.  This November was packed full of festive family fun- starting with a visit from the west-coast cousins and Grammy and Grandpa Costello. We celebrated an early Thanksgiving here in Pittsburgh and decided to show James and Mills some of the city's highlights for kiddos.  Of course, there was a trip to the zoo.

In between snoozes in her carrier, Zoe had her first glimpse of some pretty cool creatures...

After the zoo, we ventured to Phipps conservatory.  Zoe Mae took it all in... including a healthy dose of oxygen which prompted wee Zoe to swiftly fall asleep.

Back at the homestead, Zoe was endlessly entertained by cousins James and Mills.  At first, they approached baby Zoe with caution.

But soon, they threw caution to the wind.

A tackle or a hug?  You decide...

Zoe had a grand old time with the Costello family, and after sleeping off the fun for a few days, we packed her up and headed to Neversink for Thanksgiving madness- Part II.  This year, Thanksgiving happened to fall on Grandma Phillips' birthday.  To celebrate, all the grandkids gathered on her lap to "help" her blow out the candles.

While at Grandma and Grandpa's, Zoe had fun practicing her new found sitting skills alongside cousin Gavin.

In fact, she was pretty happy to sit and watch the madness go on around her the whole time we were there.

Of course, she also enjoyed a good round of airplane now and then...

So, what did Zoe think of all of these visits with her cousins?  We can't be sure, but we think she's ready for more.