Dear Zoë,

Just let me say sorry that I missed last months letter to you.  You are a trooper and a good sport.  I am sure someday I will have to pay your therapy bill because you were the second child and you will feel shafted in some ways.  I can’t blame you.  I am the oldest child in my family and I know there are things that I got that my brothers didn’t but you have your brother to love you and look out for you and when he isn’t busy playing Kung-Fu Panda with you he’s a pretty good big brother. 

These past two months have been pretty awesome.  You are screaming less and that is a good thing, but you are still at the stage that Noah’s emotions are your own and that makes for a bit more work for you mom.  If Noah is upset then you are upset.  If Noah needs to be held, you need to be held, etc.  This is more problematic lately as we have taken away Noah’s binky and we are attempting to de-spoil him.  We won’t have that problem with you–you aren’t nearly as spoiled as Noah and I won’t make that mistake twice. 

Now, don’t take this the wrong way Zoë, but you are a trouble maker and I mean that in the most loving way possible.  One of the funniest things you do is to take something, that someone else needs/wants and then you slowly back up as they ask for it back.  You shake your head no, turn and run as fast as you can laughing the entire time.  It is hilarious.  Then when they–and by they I mostly mean me–catch you; you again laugh like mad.  While it can be frustrating it is more cute than anything. 

You have taken to questioning me on your body parts.  You point to various things–eyes, ears, nose, tongue, head, etc., and wait for me to correctly name the part before you move on.  If I give you the wrong answer you shake your head and point to the same place again.  I find this hilarious because often when I ask you to point to a body part you get it wrong–or maybe you just aren’t trying.  See what I mean, troublemaker. 

You have this fetish about your hands and smelling them.  Every time you touch something new (see pic above) you have to smell your hands and you like them to smell good and you don’t think goat smells good.  We have a bottle of rose water in our bedroom and you are obsessed with having that put on your hands.   I must but it on your hands 8 times a day and after each application you put both hands up to your nose and take a big smell and then smile.  I think you must get this from  your father he too is a bit of a hand smeller.  Um…

You are fearless–well I thought you were until we went to Orlando and Mickey and Minnie attempted to touch you.  While you liked them from afar and in one way couldn’t wait to see them you didn’t want to get close.  It is nice to know you have a little fear in you as that is not really apparent in our everyday life where you don’t hesitate to climb on something or attempt to do exactly what your older brother is doing. 

Zoë you continue to grow and change and your personality is really beginning to blossom.  Raising you is going to keep me on my feet and I am going to love every minute of it.  Your laugh is infectious and your smile is both sweet and mischievous.  You stand up for yourself and have stopped letting Noah push you around–you now push back.  Keep it up baby girl. 

Love you,

Mommy

Dear Zoë,

You have been home with us for just over 7 months now–you have now officially been with us longer than you had been in agency care in Ethiopia.  It is a glorious moment and I have a hard time remembering what it was like before you entered our lives.  Maybe that is becasue you have been with us since we were in Ethiopia picking Noah up.  That is when your daddy looked at me and said “I want a baby girl.”  As soon as we were home, we began the process to add you to our family.  I hope that you will someday know exactly how wanted you were/are.  I want you and your brother to both know and understand just how much we wanted you all in our lives and not because we want your gratitude, but because I want you to be strong and confident and that will come from you understanding just how important you are to us.  

You have started to play the harmonica and it is really cute.  You walk around blowing into it and smiling at yourself and giggling like a school girl.  You continue to follow your brother and dad around as though they invented all the cool things in your world.  You and your brother are inseperable and are total buds.  You pal around together all day and Noah only pushes you around sometimes and you are perfecting your fake cry so that Noah gets in trouble and you get the attention.  It’s quite girly of you and it scare me for what those teen years are going to bring. 

Life has been crazy this month and very busy.  You are easy going and just roll with all the ups and downs.  You are quick with a smile and a laugh.  You love to snuggle and drink coffee.  You haven’t met an opportunity to eat that you haven’t taken advantage of.  You sit for minutes and attempt to put on your socks and shoes–even though you already have shoes on.  You scream to let me know you want something, that you are unhappy, or that you are happy.  You are an equal opportunity screamer and while it is often cute–sometimes it makes me want to gouge my eyes out and let my brain explode.  But you never fail to make me smile. 

Your rock our world Zoë and I can’t imagine my life without you nor can I remember what life was before you. 

Love you,

Mommy