Zoé the Climber

Open the link if you want to see Zoé's latest pictures; we hope you enjoy and see how beautifully she is coming along.http://www.pictage.com/669327

Life is good, the summer has kicked off with much needed help as we have a French BBsitter staying with us. She is lovely: neat, organized, super friendly, hard working, and most importantly great with Zoé.

Latest news:

-Zoé is now using a walker, which makes her more mobile and not so strapped in, as in the stander.

-Zoé has entered a new phase: anxiety separation. Could it be because her BBsitter is here and she thinks I am leaving her? I was told that though it is much harder to say goodbye when I leave, I must do it every time. If I slip out of the house unnoticed, Zoé will wonder why Maman has suddenly disappeared...it will worsen things if I don't use the "goodbye kiss ritual", she will become a highly vigilant child, needing her eye on me every time I am around.

-Zoé didn't qualify for speech therapy, she's only 17% delayed and that doesn't make her eligible for therapy. It's good, she's learning two languages at the same time, and her upper lip might prevent her from pronouncing certain words: dédé for bébé, dada for baba (her bottle)...well, she'll catch up in due time, I am not too worried.Even though oral motor skills are precursors for expressive language, she will manage to develop speech for she is quite the chatter box in her crib when she first wakes up. How I wish I knew what she was talking about... At least Speech Therapy will be one less place we'll have to go to in our already overbooked schedule!!!

-Zoé got her first pairs of shoes, hard to fit them over the braces and not very trendy, but who cares, as long as it offers more grip when she is in her walker, that is all that matters.

-Zoé will be serial casted when we come back from France in early September. It will be a real challenge, but I am willing to try is at it will offer Zoé a really good stretch on her tight foot and will hopefully enable her to walk in her AFOS (Ankle Foot Orthotics)with more stability.

-Last but not least, Zoé is an incredible climber: tables, stools, benches, rocking chairs, couches....probably anticipating Mt Everest....it is something she masters quite well, and she is absolutely determined to climb and walk...so patience is our motto and I cannot wait to write in a future posting that Zoé has taken her first steps.

-Zoé now stands up in her crib! A vision that keeps me dreaming and hopeful.