Obsession

During my pregnancy Jody and I each got fixated on different baby gear. I'm guessing we got preoccupied with the gear to get our minds off the huge life change we were about to experience. I was all about finding a cute crib set and Jody was all about strollers.

After I finally picked out a crib set, my obsession quickly disappeared. But, Jody's stroller obession has continued. We now have a fleet of strollers for Zoe to hit the town in style.

This past weekend, however, I think Jody's stroller obsession finally came to an end when he got a sweet deal on a Bugaboo. He's had his sights on a Bugaboo from the get-go and I knew he wouldn't rest until he got one. We haven't taken it out into the world yet, but here's a peek at the new Boo. (Look how happy Jody looks!)

Bathing Beauty

Bath time is not Zoe's favorite time. But, she sure does have some cute bath accessories thanks to Steve and Jeremy who brought her a little chicken towel, along with some yummy foods for Jody and me from The Goddess and the Grocer. Thanks guys!

Big Brother

The protective big brother.

Thinking about eating Zoe, but deciding he loves her too much.

For all who have asked, Charlie is doing pretty well with the big changes happening at home. He's adapting to big brotherhood like a champ. He's a little sleep deprived, getting only about 15 hours a sleep a day vs. his usual 20 hours, and he gets very concerned when Zoe cries. He sniffs her quite a bit, but really he's been nothing but gentle around her, which is a huge relief.

When people come to the house, Charlie's been a bit more protective and barky, especially when visitors hold Zoe. He is especially skeptical of people who are standing up holding her. For some reason he chills out a bit more when everyone is sitting down.

Anyway, so far so good. I'm eager to see how Charlie does walking with the stroller, which hopefully we'll get to do this week if the weather cooperates.

Pink Lady

We've decided to give the blog a little makeover to celebrate the addition all things Zoe being a hot topic for our blogging fodder. Since we didn't know that we were having a little girl we mostly have a lot of gender neutral baby stuff. So, we're all about pink right now. Thus, I made this blog a big pink mess for a little while. Bear with me please. I'm just super excited to have a little girl!

I'm sure we'll get sick and tired of all things pink, so the blog will likely change again. But, for now it's all about pink power!

Pillow Fight

Seriously, I had no idea how many pillows and pillow configurations it would take to figure out how to nurse a baby comfortably. Silly me thought all I needed was a Boppy. Here's a look at the land of pillows...

What's In A Name?

Ah, my first blog since Zoe's arrival! That must be a sign that things are calming down, right? Jody's taken over blogging duties and I've been quite impressed. He is the master of posting new photos, isn't he?

So, I just wanted to write a quick blog to share how we came up with Zoe's name. Jody and I decided before her arrival that if we had a girl we'd name the baby after my side of the family and if it was a boy we'd name after his. So, since it's after my side, here's the scoop on how we came up with Zoe Emma...

In Jewish tradition, you typically do not name after people who are still living. So Zoe is named after both of my grandmas. In our case, we decided to name Zoe after my grandmas based on their Hebrew names. My Grandma Ida's Hebrew name was Chaya, which means life, and the name Zoe means life as well. Then my Grandma Ar's Hebrew name was Etel, so we chose Emma as her middle name using the first letter from Etel. When Zoe receives her Hebrew name, she will be Chaya Etel. Both of my grandmas were amazing women and I am so proud that Zoe will be carrying on their names.

Making her birthday even more special is the fact that she was born Feb. 15th, which was exactly 30 days after my Grandma Ar passed away. In Judiasm, 30 days marks the end of mourning and the beginning of new life, so Zoe's birth was truly the most perfect way to move from mourning to celebration of life. Little Z knew what she was doing holding out for Feb. 15th.

As for her last name, I was certainly hoping to sneak Schirel onto the birth certificate. Didn't happen. Someday we will be The Schirels. Someday.

Super Grandma and More Pictures

Super Grandma Grandpa and Zoe

Proud Papa

Baby Burrito

Family Portrait

Today is Zoe's original due date. I am happy to report that Diana and Zoe are doing well. D is learning the rigours of breast feeding and Zoe has learned that she will only sleep if swaddled.

We would not have made it here without the help of Diana's mom: "Super Grandma" Barbara. When we arrived home our two person home was transformed into a baby ready condo. She set up a temporary crib (pack'n'play), changing station (kitchen table), and organized Zoe's closet. Then she ran around town picked up all the baby items we needed, cooked, cleaned, did laundry and did pretty much everything sleep-deprived us couldn't do.

We have not posted in a while, so here are some more pictures:

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