INCREASINGLY MOBILE

Zoe is going to be nine months in four days! She sure is growing up fast.

Still, being the content kid she is, she has yet to hit one of those milestones I expected by this time... crawling. She's been just fine watching the babies at her childcare conquer that phase (while laughing at their efforts). Even the countless hours watching Rich and I crawl around and moving her arms and legs to demonstrate the proper form have been merely met with a large grin and a look of What the heck are you doing and why?

Sure, she's been growing increasingly discontent with being plopped down somewhere with a few toys. In the picture below she's yelling MAMA at me and telling me her playpen is NOT all that fun.

Finally, last weekend, she gave me reason to believe we will soon be chasing her around the house. Though my mother has told me repeatedly to lower Zoe's crib mattress, I figured there was no hurry since she rarely managed (or cared) to move more than an inch or two from where I put her. Surprisingly, I walked into her room in the morning to find this.

Thinking it was just a fluke and figuring she had simply wriggled into this position on her butt, I moved her to the back of the crib, adjusted her toys and went back to my morning routine. A few minutes later I heard THUD, THUD, THUD. NO...it wasn't Zoe falling out of the crib. Instead, I went into the room and saw this...

She was up on her knees, pitching toys so far across the room they were hitting her nursery furniture (thanks to Dziadzia for showing her how to pitch)!

I was actaully thrilled she was finally showing some interest in moving around (besides rolling) and she was VERY proud too!

Since then, she tries to pull herself up on just about everything. She also scoots on her tush at the rate of about an inch per five minutes. Nothing to worry about YET, but I see her carefully studying and I know that very soon we will be rearranging and locking up everything that isn't nailed down. I can't wait!

I know, I know...all you veteran parents are laughing your ass off because you know in the near future I will be shaking my head and wishing for the days her butt was stationary.

Zoe's Mama