Aqua Blue

Zoé is ready for our next destination: Paris Charles de Gaulle. The aqua blue glasses are her new fashionable look. Ready for French adventures.
We send you our love and will get back to you when we return.

I speak, you speak, he/she speaks

Zoé had her second speech evaluation today. Funny enough, this is the ONE area I have no concerns about. Zoé is a chatter box and a real singer. She had the therapist crack up as she was singing:
"In the jungle, the midy jungle, the lion seep tounyt...awimboe, awimboe, awimboe..."
and she finished off the session singing her classic "Frère Jacques". The therapist mentioned putting Zoé on YOU TUBE!

To sum up, I was told that Zoé is slightly below her age group, but considering she is bilingual, she is doing GREAT!
That's done! (Check mark)

Tomorrow comes her second pair of glasses, we almost went for the Harry Potter look, round, but opted for the more fashionable rectangle eyeglasses, and went for aqua blue. (Check mark)

We bought her 3rd pair of shoes, for the trip to France: pink and white, with velcro (Check mark).

She had her clinic apt, the 6-month visit to see where she is at, she is walking, so that was an A+. Of course, I should let you know that Zoé cannot walk miles, but at least 10 to 15 steps alone. She will in time, be quite independent. She always finds a way to go about, holding doors, tables, walls, counters...endless opportunities to explore the world at hand. (Check mark)

So as the days go by, we check the list of all the wonderful milestones Zoé has accomplished (Singing, painting, stringing Cheerios into necklaces, having fun at the zoo), and eagerly await the future ones.

On Tuesday morning (3/10) we are driving up to Shreiners Children's Hospital to see an orthopedist surgeon. Two opinions are never enough. David is taking the day off and we are going for a family day trip. It should be fun to visit U.C. Davis and the surroundings. We will then decide what to do in terms of surgery: Stanford, Oakland or Sacramento...when we get back in April.

As some of you may know, we are leaving for France very soon, next Wednesday, to see our family and regroup. I will try to keep you informed in the interim, but if not I will make sure to keep you posted on Zoé's progress as soon as we return, on April 15th.
Till then, we send you hugs and kisses!

Friendly visitors

We have had friendly visitors these past couple of weeks: Liza, has come to stay with us for 3 weeks, helping out A LOT!!! And adding fun activities to Zoé's daily routine: arts and craft, play dough, music, and fun outings to the park among other things.

"Uncle Christophe" came from NYC and stayed with us over the weekend. We spent Saturday in Napa and Sonoma wine tasting and exploring vineyards. Zoé came along and had a blast.

Voila for now dear Blog readers...need to rest up for another busy one tomorrow: PIP and Therapy!

Exploration Mania

She did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, Zoé is walking. You have read it right: W.A.L.K.I.N.G...unaided, alone, solo, and she is so proud, there is nothing else to say. She needs to flap her arms a little to keep her balance in check, and I like to think of a little fragile chick or birdie that has just come out of its shell and is about to take off.

Zoé even pushes my hands and simply wants to explore, walk across the living room, along benches, from right to left and left to right, straight upfront...it is beautiful.

February 26th will forever be marked in stone.

BBC NEWS--BREAKING NEWS:

1969: Man takes first steps on the Moon
American Neil Armstrong has become the first man to walk on the Moon.
The astronaut stepped onto the Moon's surface, in the Sea of Tranquility, at 0256 GMT, nearly 20 minutes after first opening the hatch on the Eagle landing craft.

Armstrong had earlier reported the lunar module's safe landing at 2017 GMT with the words: "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

As he put his left foot down first Armstrong declared: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

PIEDMONT AVE--BREAKING NEWS:

2010: Zoé takes first steps alone. "I knew I'd see this in time, but didn't think it would happen so soon." said her teary-eyed mom.
As Armstrong opened the hatch on the Eagle landing craft, Zoé's little legs took off, carrying her out of her tight nest, into this new world of independence and freedom.

You should see her as she plays the pinball machine: from daddy's arms to mine, from mine to daddy's, from one friend to the next.
Her caregiver at daycare told me that two of Zoé's friends, Amelia and Kathy, held her hands to help her walk. I wish I had a picture to document these momentous events.

"That's one small step for Zoé, one giant leap for her favorite cheerleaders, Daddy and Maman."