BATHTIME QUEEN AND PRINCESS

Erica got some inspiration before Natalie's bath time, and so please welcome ....

HER MAJESTIES! Queen Smileyface and Princess Bubbles (oh .... and please forgive the lowly camera servant).

These ladies are pretty and silly ..... and pretty silly!

As you can see, the beautiful princess was very, very pleased and ready for her close ups!

PINK ADVENTURER

Donning her pink survival gear, Natalie Raye Zook, the famed navigator, nature guide, and all-around outdoorswoman prepares to lead Mom on a harrowing adventure over the frigid Texas tundra to the fortified realm of Tar-jey! Will they escape peril and be the first to claim the fabled Christmas twinkle lights? Tune in next week....

Economy Stinks? Take Cheap Family Portraits

CHALLENGE: Hold a camera at arm's length and capture a great digital image of your entire family.

RESULTS: Laughable but sweet. Need to hire a pro ASAP.

[Wow - can't even see my eye in this one because of my schnoz! Natalie - I hope you get Momma's nose when you grow up!] - mz

2.5 MONTH-OLD TUMMY TIME PRO!!!

Okay, so Dad and Nat had been putting in long hours of training this past week on the ol' toy-mat. I've been trying to teach Natalie how to reach up and grab the legs of her little stuffed animals when she's on her back. She's been loving it! (her favorite is "Mr. Red Monkey" - she hyperventilates whenever she manages to grabs his legs).

Then, I've been putting her on her tummy and trying to teach her how to find the same toy she was just playing with while on her back. I thought, well it's far too early for her to figure any of this out, but it's still fun. I mean c'mon, she's only two and a half months old, right? I shouldn't expect much.

Boy was I wrong! When Erica came home on Friday after work, I thought maybe Natalie was up to showing off a little for Mom. Natalie showed off and then some! She was so determined to crawl over to Mr. Red Monkey and teach that sucka what was up! I had Erica get the camera and the rest is history. Enjoy!

I hope I've got a little time left to baby-proof the house before she actually figures out how to crawl! She's not even three months old yet but check out the vid!

CHEF NATALIE

Last weekend (Nov 8), Natalie decided to help Mom out in the kitchen! She's such a good helper! I think that she was better at cooking with Mom than she was at painting with Dad out in the garage. You all can make that call. Maybe she's cut out to be both a designer/decorator AND a famous chef! (or maybe she just holds on to whatever we give her, like paint brushes and spoons :)

Tummy Time with Mom

Here's a few pics and a vid of Natalie doing her daily "tummy time" with Erica. What a cutie! Her eyes are getting very big and pretty like her Mom's and her eyelashes are getting way long too. This is a good thing because it makes her look more girly - she is still often mistaken for boy because of the bald noggin. But, her hair is starting to come back too.

As you can see, she's holding her head up high and looking all around (especially at shiny things like the camera). She's so curious about everything and often has such a serious expression on her face, like she's concentrating so hard on figuring it all out. She rolls herself over on her back during tummy time alot actually - but she didn't feel up to showing off her gymnastics this time.

Maybe later.