17 Months

I say this every time I post about Zola, but she is changing and growing so fast. Now she is fully walking almost everywhere she goes, chatting up a storm, and getting MOLARS! She is kind of a bully and goes WWF SmackDown! whenever she doesn't get what she wants (and sometimes just for no reason.) We always take her hand gently and say "be nice" and pat ourselves with her hand softly. So, yesterday... she hit her dad's leg and then said "nice" and patted the same spot gently all by herself. I think we might have taught her that hitting is somehow nice.

Her favorite position to sleep in is on her knees and elbows with her bum high in the air. It's so funny and I have tried to take so many pictures that don't quite do it justice. You have to see it for yourself.

She must have seen me doing this. Periodically, she comes up to me and just rubs my tummy. It's very precious. Especially when she puts her cheek up to it and pats it like she can't wait to give her little sister a hug. But, when she's mad, she smacks my tummy. And that ticks the sequel off so she kicks back. And then everyone is beating me up! (And by the way, sometimes this exchange will bring tears to my eyes, since my skin is stretched to it's limit at this point and having my clothes touch it can be enough to feel like it's burning and splitting.)


Last weekend, Caleb, Zola and I went to the desert to visit my friend Tiffany. While we were there, we drove out to Death Valley to tour Scotties Castle, drove past the sand dunes, and climbed a few miles into Mosaic Canyon.

Zola learned how to slide down the marble rock in the canyon and this beautiful, tucked away natural wonder was my favorite spot.