11 months.......GASP!!

So I figured I should get the 11 months update done in a timely fashion...because next month I'm going to be in total denial and will most likely refuse to make that dreaded bittersweet 1 year post. Sigh.....

I simply cant believe (or I refuse to) that my baby is growing up so fast! Everyday she learns something new and perfects something she been working on. She can pull to standing on anything, she cruises around on furniture, can stand alone momentarily, gives kisses on command, sometimes waves bye bye on command too. She knows how to shake her head "yes" and "no" and seems to know what they mean. However, if you tell her "no" but she wants to do it anyway she will shake her head "yes" and do it. hahaha

She loves to be chased! The tile floor and my knees don't get along that well tho so she actually crawls faster than me :) She squeals and laughs as she "gets away" :) She is all over the place and getting into everything!! I try my best to keep the floors clean of pet hair...but occasionally those sticky little fingers find some still and she gets it in her mouth and gags a little. Its funny, but not. lol No matter how much I clean this house she can always find a dirty spot! It doesn't matter if its on the wall, floor, table, door.... she finds it. I cant help but to feel judged when she sits there tapping the dirty smudge on the wall while looking at me. She sure is observant for 11 months old. :)

I guess I have gotten over my fear of Zoe choking. I have been offering her bites of real foods and she likes most everything. She has finally started getting her 2nd tooth in but she still just gums things. Its kind of fun to sit at the table with her and share. I still plan of eating my Fruit Loops late at night though....once she finds out that sweet rainbow colored "cheerios" exist.... its over!

....Sigh........ 11 months....and counting..........

PS... When Zoe was born we received a flower arrangement that was delivered in a small Radio Flyer wagon. I knew right away that wagon would be perfect for her July monthly photo. It worked out perfectly! I put her inside the wagon so she couldn't crawl away from me! hahaha





PSS.....My background is gone...that sucks. I will find a new one when I have time...

9 & 10 Month Update

So apparently I am pretty lame at this blogging thing. Zoe is almost 11 months now and I am just getting around to her 9 and 10 month updates..sheesh!

To begin with, Zoe had a repeat EEG and it came back normal again! She seems to be growing out of the weird head bob thing she was doing and seems to be doing it on purpose now when she does it. She has continued to advance developmentally at a fast rate. Her doctors have decided the best thing to do is just watch her close and hold off on further testing. I feel in my heart she is going to be ok and I thank you all so much for the prayers, I know they were heard! :)

Zoe is freaking hysterically funny!! I love this kid so much! She did pop a tooth finally....and that one tooth has been hangin solo for a while! Her hair is growing fast so her curls are getting kind of crazy :) She can crawl!! and FAST! She uses one knee and one foot...it looks so funny! Today she started crab crawling :) she can sit herself up and pull up to stand...and is even walking a little! (assisted of coarse) She babbles nonstop and seems to be saying several words!! Monkey was her first big word! (monkey is her blankey with a monkey head) She tries to repeat a lot of words you say to her.

The kid is also developing an attitude! I'm not sure what I am going to do about that.

We just got back from a trip to Michigan to see family. Zoe was a trooper for the flight and all the driving we had to do!! She just went with the flow and adapted to the change in her schedule and never complained once! She may be getting a 'tude but she is well behaved when it counts, Amen!

8 Month Update

Again, Im a little behind with the 8 month update. Its been quite a month! Zoe is the busiest baby ever! There is so much to be doing so sometimes taking time out to eat or nap isn't on her agenda. (but mommy eventually convinces her ;) Its amazing to me how quick she is learning! I love all the neat little tricks she can do now! She can say ma-ma and da-da (and da-dy) amongst lots of other non stop babble. She can clap her hands now too :) Pulling to standing and crawling is what she is working on now. She loves to jump on our laps and bounce on her butt. I sometimes stack her shape blocks for her and she would love to knock them down. But lately she has decided to very carefully pick off the top block without knocking down the rest! So skilled :) She loves feeding herself puffs, and now she is wanting to grab the spoon and help feed herself. She is just a bucket of laughs and smiles! ETA: She can also slap 5! I hold my hand out flat and say "give me 5" and she slaps my hand!

Shes been teething really bad. While at the Dr's we spotted a tiny white dot so she should have a tooth soon! I hope! She was kind of miserable on picture day so we didnt shoot for to long. I had to take what I could get though. At least I got one smile out of her :)

In other news, most of you already know about our health worries for Zoe. She was doing something odd so I took a video to her Dr and she was worried it was Infantile Spasms. Sounds innocent, I know. Its not. She had a normal EEG so we are a little less scared about it being that, but her Dr is still worried it may be some other form of seizure disorder. Zoe will be seeing a neurologist in a few weeks for further evaluations. She will also be seeing and ENT to rule out an ear issue causing it. We are worried sick for our precious girl, but we are trying really hard to have faith and stay optimistic. She seems so happy and healthy, we just want her to stay that way. Keep her in your prayers please. I will hopefully know more next update.

7 Months Old

Little missy sure is full of herself these days! Her fave activities include, but are not limited to: pulling mommy's hair, trying to eat mommy's face off, spitting food at mommy, bouncing on mommy's belly, beating mommy up in general, screaming, oh and jumping around like crazy in her exersaucer. :)

She loves to sit and play with her toys. She is trying really hard to crawl but hasn't quite figured it out yet. A few inches backwards is all she has managed so far. :) You know, I just might not let her learn! I'm not ready to be chasing her around all day yet! :)

Eating out in restaurants has become alot more interesting, to say the least!

Since the weather has been so nice we have been able to go for walks everyday. Zoe really enjoys it and mommy really needs it. Previous walks were thwarted by the sun in her face so we got her tinkerbell sunglasses. She actually leaves them on!!! (most of the time) She looks so cool strolling around in her shades! :) It gets a lot of attention. Well, that AND the fact that she is just so darn cute!! :)

Happy St. Patty!

6 Months! Wow, Time Flies!

This is a little late, I kinda forgot about updating here! Anyhow, our little chunky monkey is 18 lbs of pure joy! She is so happy and silly, not to mention curious about everything! She wants to grab for everything in site, and then taste everything she gets her hands on. She loves to sit up and bang on her toys. I'm happy to report that she likes peas now....however, blowing razzberries while eating is still her fave thing to do. I tried to teach her a lesson and I razzberried peas back into her face......this royally pissed her off! ;) It was funny though.

While she has been an absolute joy, she has also given us a few terrifying moments! While out to dinner one night we let her gum on a piece of celery. She broke a little chunk off and then proceeded to choke on it. She was strapped into her carseat at the time so it was a panic to get her out. She eventually started vomiting and got the chunk out. A few days later she scared us even worse!! We are not sure what happened really but she started freaking out when I tried to give her tylenol, which she has never minded before. Her crying was a different tone and i could tell something wasn't right. Next she started vomiting. Before we knew it she was barely breathing and turning blue. We had to scream at her and pinch her leg to keep her trying to cry until the ambulance arrived. (which felt like a freaking eternity) Because that was at least moving some air. She was starting to come out of it by the time help arrived, and was completely normal by the time we got to ER. Don't know what happened but we pray to God it never happens again!!

We love our daughter more than words can express. She is the light of our lives.

5 Month Update!

Our little girl is 5 months old! She is full of personality and fun! She has really enjoyed eating "real" foods, and peaches and bananas are her fave so far! Peas did not go over so well, however. The first few bites went down fine but then she started making a gagging face with each bite. It was kinda funny! Zoe also thinks that while eating is the PERFECT time to blow razzberries. Mommy does not agree, applesauce in my eye is not funny. :) She can sit up for a good amount of time (when she wants to) but standing is her new fave thing to do. Its hilarious because her little butt wobbles back and forth and it reminds us of Elvis dancing. :) I'm pretty sure she is capable of rolling over but just doesn't care to. She would rather stand. She may skip crawling and go right to walking.....lol...jk.

And so it begins... Food on a spoon, and the mess it creates!

Zoe's Dr. said we can start solids! Before we bring on the colored foods (fruit and veggies) i figured we should get the hang of eating from a spoon with non staining food. Rice cereal! I have mixed it in with her formula before, but this was the first spoon feeding attempt! So, camera in one hand and spoon in the other...this is how it went....








As you can see, we need more practice! Maybe if the food tastes better it wont get rejected so much. :)

Over the river and thru some snow, to Nana and Papa's house we go!

Our little girl sure surprised us! We made the 7 hour journey to Martinsville, VA (and back) without a single crying episode!! Zoe sure took to her great grandparents and started showing off for them right away! We had a wonderful visit and enjoyed visiting with family. There was still snow on the ground from the winter storm the week before, so it was a great chance to toss the baby in the snow for pictures! Haha.


Zoe loved to stare at Nana's beautiful Christmas tree, and it made for more great pictures!


I hope everyone had a great New Year! Zoe stayed up to watch the ball drop with us!

We can SIT!!!

She can stay up for a good 15 seconds or more before falling over! So proud!

Zoe's First Christmas

Our first Christmas as a family was perfect! I know Zoe is still pretty young but I'm sure she enjoyed it too! We spent the day with family, enjoyed a great dinner and received some wonderful gifts! Zoe got lots of really cute clothes and some neat toys. She seemed very curious and intrigued by the toys! We look forward to next year when she is a little older and will be able to do more.

We hope everyone had a blessed holiday! Happy New Year!!

4 Month Update

Zoe is growing up so fast! She keeps her daddy and I laughing with all her new tricks! She has the cutest squeal and giggle!! She has gotten really good at catching her feet and is SO CLOSE to being able to sit up unsupported! (Any day now!) She can be quite the babbling chatterbox when the mood strikes her! Next up, food on a spoon and test driving the sippy cup!

Her 4 month checkup isn't til January so I have no clue how much she is weighing these days, but she feels a good 14lbs! I will update with that info after her checkup.

Our little turkey is 3 months old!

Its true what people say about babies getting to be a lot more fun around this time! Zoe loves to smile and laugh a lot. She has gotten really good at holding her head up by herself, and she is working on sitting up now! She is so much fun to play with and she keeps us laughing! She is not fussy much these days and she is still sleeping through the night!! We have gotten ourselves into a good routine so the days go a lot smoother! She does not have a check up this month but im guessing she weighs around 11 or 12 lbs. We are looking forward to her first Thanksgiving!!

She enjoys tummy time more now and she is learning to push herself up!


We got her a Bumbo Seat to help her get stronger at sitting up. She thinks its pretty awesome to sit up without any help from mom or dad!
Happy Thanksgiving from the Keck Family! We are so blessed and so very thankful for our beautiful and healthy little girl!! Gobble Gobble!! :)

2 Months Old!

Zoe sure has changed! She is up to 10 1/2 lbs and is still right in the 50th percentile. :) Its funny to me that "my" baby is trying to be "normal" or "average"! Haha! I don't see it lasting...she was born into a too far from normal and average family!! ;) She had to get to shots and she took them pretty well. The second one was worse than the first, and it hurt her later in the day. I felt so bad for my little girl!

This last month has gone really well! Zoe is all smiles and coos, its so cute!! She cries less and sleeps more at night, mom and dad are lovin' that! We all spent her first Halloween in Daytona Beach, and dressed as skeletons. She did really well all weekend even though she was being held by lots of new people! Cute babies get a lot of attention! :)

I hope all of you had a safe and fun Halloween!

We're off like a dirty shirt!

Growing up, I remember my grandfather would always say, "We're off like a dirty shirt"! every time we would get in the car to go some place. So, that is what I told Zoe as we headed out for her first road trip! Our first family trip was a five hour drive to Headland Alabama to visit Zoe's grandparents. The drive there started off good and Zoe just slept but then we had an hour long screaming fit due to gas. She eventually settled down and we arrived safe and sound.



Zoe is still to young to play with the goats or to take a donkey ride (sorry, Gabe.... maybe next time!) but we still had a great time. The grandparents just ate Zoe right up! She is so cute, how could they not? :) I just wish I wasn't so tired and feeling like a zombie the whole visit! The weekend went by so fast and in a flash it was time to pack the car back up and head home. Zoe slept nearly the entire drive home! It was a wonderful first family trip!

Ready for my close-up, Mr. Demille!

When our beautiful baby girl was one week old we had pro pix taken. Despite our best efforts to keep Zoe sleepy and happy we had a cranky baby on our hands! She would finally settle down and then it would be time for wardrobe change again! We eventually were able to get some really nice photos of her. I cant wait to frame them and proudly hang them on our walls! Our daughter is so beautiful! Here are just a few.

ONE MONTH OLD!!

We can hardly believe how fast time if flying by! Our baby is already one month old! Her one month checkup went well, she is in the 50th percentile. She is finally starting to sleep better at night! 6 hour stretches! Unfortunatly, I seem to have insomnia issues on those nights! Talk about unfair! Here are her one month pix!

This is how I stroll

It was a beautiful late afternoon so we decided to take Zoe for her first stroll around the block in her new stroller. She watched us wide eyed and curiously as we got her all strapped in and buckled. I pushed the stroller to the sidewalk and stopped for a quick picture...... only to find that the poor kid never made it past the driveway. :) We walked around the block twice anyway for the dogs. It was nice to get some fresh air. Zoe woke up as soon as we got home, of coarse, so I told her about all the things she missed while sleeping through her first walk.


I love being home with Zoe all day. I am so blessed to be a stay at home mom! It is seriously a demanding job but worth every bit! When Austin gets home from work he looks forward holding his daughter after missing her all day. Even though he has worked all day he comes home and takes over to give me a break. I am so thankful for him doing this and I know Zoe loves the time with her daddy. It is easy to see that she is absolutely a daddy's girl :)

We've survived! ...So far!

I am happy to report that this new mommy and daddy have survived the first two weeks! It has flown by fast and I can hardly believe Zoe is already two weeks old! It has been an exhausting and joyous time for all of us. Zoe is getting a little more used to her new surroundings and we are getting a little more comfortable with the ropes of parenthood.

We are so in love with our daughter. She is the most precious and beautiful thing to ever consume our hearts. She is so curious (when she is awake :) and she makes the cutest facial expressions as she takes it all in. I am going to love seeing the world for the first time again through her eyes. "On the night you were born, Every star, In every sky, Shown down in jealousy, At the twinkle in your eye"



Daddy was so excited to watch their first Michigan game together! She felt pretty confident about who would win so she decided to nap through most of it. Maybe her special onesie is a luck charm because Michigan won and daddy was very happy about that. Now if we could just find her a Detroit Lions shirt maybe they would stand a chance! :)