Costa Rica

With many thanks due to our parents, Kyle and I were able to take a vacation to Costa Rica in December. Costa Rica is a surprisingly short plane flight from Texas (3 or 4 hours) and in the same time zone, which makes it a nice get-away-from-it-all destination opportunity. Kyle generously cashed in his airline miles allowing us to fly there for the cost of only the flight taxes, and we were fortunate enough to fly first class no less, as it was right before the start of busy season in Costa Rica. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip, but we were of course glad to get home to see Zoe again - ten days is a very long time! She grew both physically and emotionally while we were gone.
And now, on to a few posts summarizing our wonderful adventures!

Old School

We've been listening to a cassette tape in Zoe's room.

Yes, a real live cassette tape.

Sick

Well, on the Sunday after her marathon buffet, Z bird pretty much stopped eating, had a 103 fever, and nearly passed out while I was changing her diaper - definitely not healthy. We went in on a Sunday to the clinic associated with our doctor and were sent home with a nebulizer and instructions to go to the hospital if breathing didn't improve. The next morning we went to our pediatrician, who had some x-rays done and listened a bit more closely in order to actually diagnose. Some antibiotics (it was bacterial pneumonia in her left lung) and more nebulizer treatments later, our bird is back to her regular self. Some would say that on Tuesday she was even almost all the way there, as evidenced by this chatty video.

Though, I'd say she wasn't totally healthy until Thursday - you could tell she was feeling better as her appetite slowly returned. Glad to have her back to normal.

Here are some photos of her on Monday - definitely not her normal self.

Doesn't she just look sad and uncomfortable? Poor thing.

Mom, put down that camera and take care of me!

Hungry Little Bird

And for Friday dinner she ate

• 12 oz milk
• 6 asparagus
• plate of leftover turkey
• 3 strawberries
• two handfuls of blueberries
• bowl full of chickpea stew
• bowl full of rice
• half a banana

and she was still hungry!
(Note: The Bird only ate half a banana for lunch, so that may have something to do with it...)

Christmas recap

'Twas the day before Christmas, and Zoe tries to mail herself to
Grandma & Grandpa's house.

Boxes have been arriving from them for the past two weeks,
so she figures that must be where Santa's workshop is really located.


Luckily, she's a few dollars short on postage.

Christmas morning: Zoe receives books, toys,
a doll (which she opens, says 'No' to, and tosses aside), clothes, and ping pong balls.
The big hit? The ping pong balls.
But of course. Thanks Fletcher.

Zoe helps out Mom and Dad in the kitchen
in preparation for our

Christmas brunch with friends.

The guys show off their Decem-beards

And we end the day ends with some time at the park.