January 31, 2003
Toy Story 2
Zelly's watching Toy Story 2 and she knows all the characters. I came in to see how she was doing and she excitedly explained to me who was on the screen and what they were doing. Then she told me that she was Bullseye, the horse, and then added that I was Woody and Mama Honey (wendy) was Buzz Lightyear. Ha, kids are the funniest people I know.
January 26, 2003
Drawing People
This picture is a detail from a larger work by the young artist. To our knowledge it's her first drawing of a person with appendages. Her style is a little abstract and seems to be from the "Egg People" school of artistic expression. The 'skirt-like' arches at the bottom of the egg are actually its mouth, as this person is mostly face without much body.
Actually, upon closer inspection I wonder if this is a human at all... has Zelly been in contact with aliens?
Zelly and her pool
Zelly loves water so much, she must be part fish or maybe part dolphin. This is a shot taken last July, in our back yard. Zelly recently started a new round of swimming classes at the YMCA. She's an Inia now, the last class she will attend with Wendy. After this she'll be ready for the Pike classes and her moms will be relegated to the viewing room.
I was in the viewing room this Saturday, watching as Zelly and Wendy practiced swimming skills and played with water toys. For the first time, Zelly willingly floated on her back and kicked, assisted by a 'noodle' flotation device. She's been resisting the back floating exercises until now, so this was a big breakthrough. She continues to be fearless when jumping from the side of the pool and grins hugely through the whole half hour lesson.
I researched the name "Inia" and will share with you the fruits of my curiosity. The inia geoffrensis, also known as pink river dolphin or boto, is a native of the Amazon River. The name 'inia' was given to it by the Guarayo Indians of Bolivia. This dolphin is the largest river dolphin on earth and is greyish when young, growing lighter and pinker as it gets older.
Now you've had your Zelly update and National Geographic Moment and you still have time for your chores ;-)
Katie and Zelly, July 02
This is a fun shot of Zelly and her cousin, Katie. They're having a blast playing together at Grandma and Boppa Combs' house during July 2002.
January 23, 2003
Three Year Check-Up Results
Zelly had her annual check-up today and the results were exciting. Miss Hazel Jeanne is finally on the chart for weight as well as height. Her 24.4 lbs puts her in the 3rd percentile for weight and her height of 35 inches places her in the 5th percentile for that category.
Zelly had her first vision and hearing tests today. I think her hearing was a little impaired by congestion, but mostly she had trouble following the nurses directions. She was great with the vision test (it helps that she knows her left from her right). The vision test for kids that age is identifying shapes, rather than letters (although she'd probably do pretty well with that). Overall, the doctor was pleased with her development physically and mentally, and was quick to reassure us that her small size wasn't a problem -- something we haven't been worried about in a long time.
For more about growth charts, here's a good article explaining them.
Zelly thinks she's 3
Zelly has always been big for her britches. This picture from February 2000 shows the 2 month old trying to convince us that she's 3 years old.
January 14, 2003
Merry Christmas
Zelly and Cole pose for us on Christmas Day, 2002. The outfit Zelly's wearing is a gift from Auntie Dawn.
Playing the Organ with Nana
Zelly and her Nana (Wendy's mom, Sharon) play lovely organ music to delight us all during Christmas vacation.
Zelly and Cole
These blondies are the best of friends, sharing their own private jokes and big adventures. Here they are spending quality time in our sunny backyard, resting between escapades during a Memorial weekend visit, May 2002.
Happy Birthday, Zelly
Zelly celebrated her third birthday in December with family and friends. She generously shared her cake with the rest of us and is a pro at blowing out candles without spitting.
She had a great time with her special guest, Conner. They took all the new toys out for a test drive but the most popular toy of all was the 'previously loved' Fisher Price grocery checkout stand purchased for $2.50 at a garage sale.
January 11, 2003
Counter Girl
Zelly hangs out on the counter while helping make dinner.