Our Family Zoo!!: Chloe - Then and Now

Time for the monthly update again ... I know I always say it, but time really does go by quickly! This has been another busy month for us, with Chloe reaching 35 months in September! I can't believe she was born almost 3 whole years ago! This month has been fun and we've had some big accomplishments, as well as a few challenges. One of the Chloe's biggest steps this month was that she decided to throw away her binkies! She threw them into the trash can all by herself and was rewarded with a trip to the toy store and allowed to select a new toy. After perusing Toys R Us for nearly 30 minutes, she settled on a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse toy, no big surprise there!! Joe traveled a bit this month and Chloe also came down with a mild case of croup, so between that and giving up her binkies, we have been having some more sleep challenges. Chloe needs to learn to soothe herself back to sleep now that she's given up her binkies and she has had some trouble staying in bed when we put her to bed as well. We would appreciate any suggestions you have for these, as well as your prayers :-) We just started trying with a sticker chart, so hopefully we will get some positive results with it!

We went to a friend of Chloe's had a bowling party for his birthday last weekend and Chloe had a blast! Check out those stylish shoes!!

Daddy helping Chloe to roll the ball down the lane.

Chloe dancing and while she waits her turn.

What a face!!

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September 2007 - Last September, Chloe turned 23 months. She liked her schedule and did best when we kept her on a regular schedule for naps, meals, playtime, bedtime, etc. Actually she still does best when we do this, though it's a little harder these days. She really loved Elmo and the Wiggles and was also fascinated with taking pictures with our digital camera. Chloe took her second trip to the beach last summer to one of our favorite beaches, Emerald Isle, North Carolina. Most of the pictures below are from that trip.

Joe and Chloe standing at the edge of the ocean. I think this was toward the end of the trip, as the water looks calmer than it did earlier in the week. It had churned up quite a bit following the Tropical Storm that rolled in on the day we arrived at the beach.

Chloe helping Joe build a sand castle. She loved playing in the sand and spent a lot of time covered in sand from head to toe! Notice the seaweed flags and shells adorning the castle!

We stopped in Cary, North Carolina on the way to the beach and ate at Red Hot and Blue, one of my favorite BBQ places. There was someone making balloon animals there and Chloe loved the balloon animal they made for her!

We took advantage of the yucky weather to visit the newly renovated aquarium. Here is a picture of Chloe and I in front of one of the beautiful murals at the aquarium.

Chloe trying on Joe's shoes ... what can I say, the girl still loves shoes!!

She also loves to eat!! Looks like it was some chocolate dessert, so she didn't have to be asked twice if she wanted any!

I just love this picture! That dress was one of my favorites!

Joe, Chloe, and I at Cap'n Charlies, one of our favorite seafood restaurants!

Back at home, Chloe is putting Joe "night-night" and rubbing his back.

We managed to squeeze in one last trip to the lake last September and had a good time. Chloe looks incredibly uncomfortable in her straight jacket, I mean, life jacket with Uncle Chris above, and helping Joe drive the boat below.

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September 2006 - Chloe turned 11 months old in September 2006 and it was becoming apparent to us that she was no longer a little baby. She crawled and cruised at mach speed. She would also take several steps at a time, but preferred to crawl and cruise because she could get around much faster than walking. She was saying some words at this point, but definitely not carrying on a conversation, so we continued to work with her on signing and it really helped with the communication!

She loved going into the den and going through all of Joe's things!

She looks so calm and serene in this picture, which she was most of the time!

This is one of Joe's favorite pictures of her at this age. She has the remote in her hand, although she really wasn't into TV at this age.

A couple cute bath time pictures. I actually can't believe we kept her in her baby bath tub this long ... she looks so big in it! She was really excited when we switched her to the "big" bath tub just a couple days after I took this picture.