Zoe Estelle Schiappacasse

Picking Olives!

2008-10-29T21:28:00.000+01:00

On Sunday, we went to David Bowen's house outside of Rome to pick olives. Zoe really took it seriously for about 20 minutes and then proceeded to run around on the grass and play with the cats.

Latest pics of Zoe

2008-07-03T21:33:00.000+02:00

Zoe hanging out with her best friend Eva.

Max and Zoe spending some time together.

Zoe happy to have pig tails on.

Massive Update

2008-05-08T15:24:00.004+02:00

Sorry to not have updated Zoe's blog for over a year. Can't begin to cover all that time but we'll try a month-by-month approach to bring it all up to speed...

Most recent pics from May 2008 - Zoe's finally getting a bit more used to Max being around, although she does get jealous from time to time (understandibly). She's speaking both English and Italian now and seems to always be singing and running!

Loreto showered Zoe with gifts during her visit, including this pink Easter bonnet that Zoe absolutely loves. Stylish puffer vest was a gift from Norma and Juan. (Zoe is thrilled to be spoiled by all her grandparents!)
She's naturally become quite maternal with her dollies since Max's arrival -- it is a riot to watch her copy Amy exactly in the way she holds Max and sings to him or changes his diaper. So far she hasn't tried to "nurse" her dollies yet...

San Francisco

2007-04-26T09:27:00.000+02:00

We were so lucky to have Mike & Julie open their lovely Noe Valley home to us, once again. How many great vacations have we had so far at Casa Clipper?? We had fabulous weather while in the City so we all headed to the SF Zoo one day, where Abigail led the way to all the animal hiding spots...

It was fantastic that Tyler and Sonia were able to join us, too, with little Jackson and Anna.

We finally catch up with an actual peacock -- Abigail's award-winning Halloween costume!

Zoe was in love with Abigail...and vice versa...

Another insanely beautiful SF day... Daddies and their little princesses at the beach at Crissy Field. Does the view get any better than this??

We always have fun (and get a bit nostalgic) going around to all the real SF haunts, like this famous butcher in Noe Valley. Clearly Zoe loves the City as much as we do!

Of course it wouldn't be a trip to SF without a crab feast. Zoe's first introduction to an actual live crab...

We also finally got to meet baby Sofia -- the beautiful little bambina of our good friends

David and Lisa. SF has some great parks for kids, like this one in Diamond Heights overlooking the City's skyline. Another slide expert (Abigail) showing us how it's done on the twisty-style...

Thanks to Steph Kitz for the Harvard sweatshirt -- it really came in handy with the bay breezes...

All in all, another wonderful trip to our favorite City...

Brad, Flo and Adriana

2007-04-22T09:37:00.000+02:00

Check out this amazing park in Santa Clara, a block away from the house our friends Brad and Flo just bought. Lucky bums get to take their little girl Adriana there every day!

Adriana showing us her sliding expertise...

Daddies and little girls on a double slide run... How long before they ask for ponies?

Now it's Adriana's turn to show the mommies how it's done!

Party in San Jose

2007-04-21T09:01:00.000+02:00

After Dan spent a week in Las Vegas "working", we all stayed in San Jose at Juan and Norma's house and they were kind enough to host a party for all our friends. It was quite a feast of Mexican food and chicken teriyaki skewers.

It was nice to see so many old friends, including some of Amy's old work friends, Ed and Jen.

This is a great picture of two Gabis, two Sofias and one David! A special thanks to the older Sofia and younger Gabi for helping with the delicious chicken skewers.

It was incredible to see so many college and Bay Area friends all at once...and all with kids. Just a few shown here -- Melissa, Julie, Carol and Phil all supervising their little carbon copies.

The weather didn't cooperate for a bbq, so it was pretty wild and crazy for a while inside the house... muchas gracias to Juan and Norma for being such gracious hosts through it all...

Our little party girl...

Gymboree

2007-04-18T09:19:00.000+02:00

One of the great things about being home is all the fun stuff available for kids. We went to a free "trial" session at Gymboree so Zoe could play with some other kids her own size -- what a blast, look at all the cool stuff they have!

Flying in Style

2007-04-12T07:42:00.000+02:00

Our flight to the US was long but uneventful. Amy and Zoe were able to fly in Business Class while Dan suffered in the cheap seats. So far we are enjoying our visit to the US visiting with family and friends.

Playtime... a.k.a. Kill the Bunny

2007-04-06T20:05:00.000+02:00

Giggle Girl

2007-04-06T20:03:00.000+02:00

Playgroup with Sasha

2007-03-31T10:00:00.000+02:00

Stubborn Little Bull

2007-03-13T20:45:00.000+01:00

10 months old

2007-03-12T18:38:00.000+01:00

10 months have flown by and we can't believe Zoe is almost reaching her first birthday! Eating is still not her favorite pasttime (except mom's milk), but certain things always get a wide open mouth and a smile: yogurt, ricotta cheese, avocado, pears with oat cereal, pumpkin and prunes (preferably worn as a goatee)

We are still busy with playgroups, music classes, yoga, etc. Zoe and Sasha are about the same age and have known each other all their lives! Sasha's mom, Alison, plays referee over the toy "sharing"...

A good shot of the Birth Center play room, with all the kiddies lolling around...

Not her first time OTR, but certainly the first time beer caught her attention...

Special Delivery: Baby in a Box!

First signs of spring...

2007-02-22T17:43:00.000+01:00

The winter cold is finally starting to thaw and the sun is shining more and more each week. So we had our first outdoor bbq of the year and Zoe got to try on the sun hat she got from Eric and Melissa...

Daddy's little girl...

Sharing a laugh with mommy...

Chileans!

2007-02-22T17:31:00.000+01:00

Lots of family and friends from Chile have come to visit this year. (Thankfully they are helping Zoe improve her Spanish!)

We were so happy to have Dan's cousin Francisco and his wife Vivian here with their beautiful daughter, Trinidad, to celebrate New Year's. Trini has the bluest eyes we've ever seen!

Mario and his two sons were here in January -- unfortunately right as Zoe started showing first signs of "stranger anxiety."

But eventually she warmed up to them and gave them lots of cuddles, while Mario made us some fantastic dinners...

9 months!

2007-02-12T22:55:00.000+01:00

It's hard to believe 9 months have already passed by. Zoe is still charming us everyday, especially during bathtime... Can you see her 2 little teeth? We think more are on the way soon...

Zoe is still not crawling but seems to be more interested nowadays in learning how to reach those toys at the far end of the room...we'll see what develops!

Page Turner!!

2007-01-15T19:57:00.000+01:00

Here's Zoe enjoying one of her favorite activities - Mommy reading books...

Updating the blog

2007-01-13T09:25:00.000+01:00

When we told Zoe we hadn't updated the blog in a couple of months, this was her reaction...

New Year's Day!

2007-01-01T09:20:00.000+01:00

New Year's was spent at the lovely home of our good friends David and Neva in the Castelli Romani (where the Pope spends his summers!) We were so happy to also have Dan's cousins visiting from Chile -- Francisco, Vivian and their gorgeous little girl, Trinidad (age 14 months), who has the most beautiful blue eyes we've ever seen...

Mom and Zoe swinging in the new year on January 1st, 2007...my how time flies!

We had such a nice visit with Francisco, Vivian and Trini -- it's a shame we live soooo far away from each other...

Buon Natale from Roma!

2006-12-29T00:23:00.000+01:00

Zoe's first Christmas Eve was spent at our friend Salar's house...

As you can see, Zoe thinks Christmas presents are delicious!

Buon Natale da Roma!

7 months old!

2006-12-20T17:23:00.000+01:00

On Dec. 12, Zoe turned 7 months old. We celebrated with dinner at our local Ethiopian restaurant -- now we all get to eat with our hands!

Even though the winter in Rome has been fairly mild this year, Miss Z still gets suited up in her snow suit for daily outings in the stroller. Does she look like a puffy pink astronaut?

Zoe also had her first train ride this month -- such a Euro-baby...

A week after Zoe passed the 7 month mark, she got her first tooth! The tiny (but sharp) little tooth was quickly followed by another right next to it, so now she's got the 2 little bottom teeth in front and we're hoping teething will take a break for a while (so we can all get some sleep)...

Stay at home mom

2006-12-10T17:59:00.000+01:00

As most of you know, Amy left work permanently to be at home full-time with Miss Zoe.

Although Amy does not miss the daily grind, she does miss all the nice friends she met at IPGRI, especially her boss, Annie Lane, the nicest Aussie you'll ever meet and a truly wonderful boss. Zoe clearly agrees!

Amy and Zoe spend all day together at home and going to yoga, baby exercise class and play groups -- life is good!

First Thanksgiving

2006-11-23T00:23:00.000+01:00

Zoe enjoyed her first Thanksgiving in Rome with some good friends, especially Giacomo...

While Zoe cuddled with Zia Laura, the rest of us were put to work in the kitchen, slaving over a turkey with all the trimmings...

First Meal!!

2006-11-18T23:46:00.000+01:00

6 months old!

2006-11-12T23:15:00.000+01:00

Half a year already -- Zoe has learned to sit on her own and still "talks" up a storm. She's also ready with a smile for everyone, giggles when tickled and has already taken 8 flights and
attended 3 weddings...! Weight at 6 mo appointment: 7.9 kilos (approx. 17 lbs)

Zoe sitting on her new rug and (below) hamming it up with Alicia -- Gerry & Laura's gorgeous daughter (age 11 months). Zoe makes a visit to mom's favorite restaurant, Cul de Sac, while Erik Korpiel was visiting from Japan.
Below, Dan and Zoe out to brunch with friends from baby yoga class, Gina and her beautiful little boy, Declan. Gina is originally from Watsonville, CA -- such a small world!

Family and friends

2006-11-11T22:54:00.000+01:00

Sorry to be so bad about keeping up with posts... Here are some catch up pics from the US visit... Zoe getting a seranade from Uncle Emmett -- a tune written especially for her!

The Schiappacasse-Valenzuela clan -- Abuela Loreto with Uncle Chris

Zoe loved cuddling with Auntie Barbara! Here they are getting ready for Halloween trick-or-treaters at Grandma Marcy's house (over 175 kids came to the door that night!)

Even though it's been a while since Aunt Diane held a little baby, the memories came right back and she was a natural expert once again -- a perfect comfy perch for baby Z...

Another expert mommy cradles Zoe like a pro -- with cousin Patsy it was love at first sight!

Hanging out with Abuela

2006-11-04T20:05:00.000+01:00

Zoe sitting!

2006-11-03T11:56:00.000+01:00

Catching up - CA trip

2006-10-21T22:37:00.000+02:00

After the weekend in San Jose with Juan and Norma, we headed up to San Francisco to stay at the beautiful Victorian home of our best SF friends, Mike & Julie (a.k.a. Casa Clipper). Dan attended an Oracle conference downtown for most of the week while Amy and Zoe roamed the charming streets of Noe Valley everyday...ahhh paradise!

Every evening we got to hang out with Mike & Julie and their adorable little girl, Abigail. At 20 months, she is already quite the charmer, here performing a little ballet number (with ball) for us all in the kitchen.

We also finally got to catch up with Steve & Ellen and their son, Jack -- old SF buddies who we miss a lot. Here Steve is using Zoe to show Jack what a little sister might be like -- since baby number two is due in January!

And of course no visit to SF is complete without a stop at our favorite greasy spoon, The Pork Store on Haight, our old stomping grounds. And it didn't take much to convince our friend Jason to join us for breakfast before work...he lives across the street! Zoe clearly enjoyed it as much as we did, too...

Hanging out at Casa Clipper... life is good!

First trip home

2006-10-19T16:31:00.000+02:00

Dan attended an Oracle conference in San Francisco, so Amy and Zoe tagged along for the ride. It was also Zoe's first trip home to California. The weather was beautiful during the entire week, and we really enjoyed showing Zoe the sights and sounds of the San Francisco Bay Area including Mexican, Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai food; Nordstrom, Banana Republic, JCrew and Macy's; San Francisco, San Jose, and Sacramento; and even our old SF apartment on Grove Street.

Zoe finally meet the Nonni!

Zoe really enjoyed all the attention she received during her stay. The nonni were so proud, they invited many of their friends to visit and meet her. Of course she was thrilled considering she received so many beautiful presents.

Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to see many friends but we were lucky Brad and Flo and their beautiful daughter Adriana were able to stop by for a quick visit.

Dan also had to introduce Zoe to Mi Pueblo (a Mexican market). Check out the tomatillos, peppers and cactus leaves!! Welcome to a life of heartburn...

Having fun with Zoe

2006-10-13T23:26:00.000+02:00

Standing tall (albeit a bit wobbly)

2006-10-12T23:47:00.000+02:00

For a few weeks now, Zoe has been able to stand with a little support from us -- she loves the view from "up there." Check out the cool t-shirt from Auntie Julie -- un bel piatto di spaghetti...

She's also on her way to sitting. Even though she has a room full of toys, she prefers to play with a simple ol' water bottle...of course!

Though she does like to spend some quality time with her best friend Elmo...

5 months old -- how time flies!

2006-10-12T12:03:00.000+02:00

Our little sweetheart is 5 months old today. She is still talking and chattering a lot, and has started to get more balance sitting and standing with our support.

We had a doctor's appointment yesterday -- her weight is 7.4 kilos (16.3 lbs) and her length is 64 cm (30 inches).

So far, Zoe is consistently in the 95th percentile on her weight (she gets that from her papa, wait until we post some of Dan's baby pictures! You'll see what I mean...) and about the 75th percentile on her length.

She has been totally healthy so far and has lately been sleeping through the night -- she'll sleep for 5 hours straight, wake up for a small feed, then sleep another 5 hours. She's gone for as long as 8 hours without waking up to eat, so we think she's on her way (and growing up so fast!)

Belated pics from Paco & Kara's wedding in Tuscany...

2006-10-06T23:57:00.000+02:00

Just after we returned to Rome from New Jersey, we went up to Tuscany to celebrate Paco & Kara's wedding.

The wedding party and friends stayed at this beautiful hilltop villa in the middle of Tuscany's gorgeous vineyards near Montalcino. It was just before the crush, so all the vines were heavy with San Giovese grapes.

Our good friends from Cal Poly days, Derek & Carol, came out for the wedding, too, with their adorable little boy, Ronan (age 3). Ronan has the longest eyelashes I've ever seen -- why do the boys get all the luck?

The happy couple, Kara & Paco, minutes after taking their vows...Paco's saying, "Break out the champagne!"

Zoe started out the evening in her party dress, but quickly opted for comfy PJs once dinner started...

Cuddly girl

2006-10-04T23:19:00.000+02:00

Zoe is really getting cuddly with us. She is happy to stay in our arms forever it seems.

Jabbermouth

2006-10-01T13:03:00.000+02:00

Jersey Wedding

2006-09-27T21:10:00.000+02:00

Finally some more pics from our trip. Here is Zoe all decked out in her party dress for David & Lisa's wedding...notice the satin slippers, too... Of course she started to kick them off before I was even done shooting these photos!

Our friends David and Lisa got married on the beach in Manasquan, NJ. It was a beautiful ceremony overlooking the beach. Here are some shots of the wedding -- Dan was "Co-Best Man" along with David's twin brother, Morgan.

Mike, Julie and Abigail sporting shades under the NJ sun!

The whole family at the wedding reception...

Making faces

2006-09-21T23:15:00.000+02:00

Jersey Shore

2006-09-06T21:04:00.000+02:00

During our trip in the US, we did a ton of shopping for Zoe. It is so easy and cheap compared to Italy. Here's Zoe playing with one of her new toys.

We spent a week and a half on the Jersey shore with our best friends from SF -- Mike and Julie and their beautiful daughter Abigail (age 18 months).

While there, we spent most of our days at our friend David's incredible house in Manasquan.

Check out the ocean view from the house.

The main event was David and Lisa's wedding on Saturday but the festivities started Friday night with a cocktail party at their beach house.

Here Dad and Zoe are having a good time at the party while people are trying to figure who has more chins.

More NYC...

2006-08-31T23:58:00.000+02:00

Our beautiful and glamorous Aunt Maryellen holding Lucia...

Cousins and cousins in the Big Apple! Empire State building in the background...

Hand to hand combat?!

New York City!

2006-08-31T23:47:00.000+02:00

From DC we drove to NYC to see Amy's cousin Annie, whose daughter Lucia was born about 6 weeks before Zoe. Annie's husband, Alessandro, is originally from Rome -- in fact, his family lives less than 10 minutes away from us. Che piccolo mondo...

Finally the baby cousins meet face to face!

Lucia is a doll -- so animated and super friendly (a lot like her momma!)

Cousin-aunt (?) Amy gets a cuddle while Lucia shows us which fingers she likes best...

Zoe loved splashing around in Lucia's bathtub -- check out the Buddha belly!

Washington D.C.

2006-08-28T23:10:00.000+02:00

So sorry we haven't posted anything in awhile...here's some catch up pics from our trip to the US, starting with our stay at Howard & Rosanna's beautiful home in Chevy Chase, MD (near Washington, DC). Ro spoiled us with her excellent cooking and we had a great time getting to know little Stefano (age 3) -- why didn't we take any pictures of him??? Chalk it up to jet lag I guess?

While in DC, we visited other friends in the area -- Dante and Tracy, with their two little ones, Andrew and baby Olivia (who is about 3 weeks older than Zoe).

Here Papa Dante shows his expertise with the ladies!

Tracy with gorgeous Olivia...

Here Zoe and Olivia are obviously thrilled to pose for the camera...

We also visited friends from Cal Poly days -- Steve and Stephanie and their two darling girls, Mercedes and Nora. Zoe was happy to get some cuddles in Steph's expert mommy arms.

Papa Steve proudly carrying little Nora, who's also only 5 days older than Zoe!

Giggling!!

2006-08-25T23:21:00.000+02:00

Flight!!

2006-08-24T22:59:00.000+02:00

We were all relieved once the 9-hour flight from Rome to Philadelphia was over. Overall, the flight went pretty smooth. We were assigned bulkhead seats and provided with a bassinet, so Zoe was able to stretch out and sleep. We were seated next to two couples who also had babies - one was a day younger than Zoe. The only tough moment was when we descended and Zoe started crying, most likely due to ear pain. Luckily, one of the couples gave us some drops that took the pain away.

The toughest part of the trip was definitely the 3-hour drive after our flight to visit our friends Howard and Rosanna and their son Stefano in Washington D.C.

Ferragosto and Bath-time

2006-08-20T01:09:00.000+02:00

As Zoe celebrated her 3 month birthday, we decided it was time for a photo in downtown Roma

August 15th is a huge holiday in Italy, "Ferragosto," so we headed for the beach!

We also had a picnic with Gerry, Laura and their two kids, Pablo & Alicia. Here Gerry is using Zoe to show Dan how an experienced daddy holds a baby.

Bath time has become a favorite for all of us. Zoe just loves splashing around with Papa.

And of course, she loves to mug for the camera, too...

But most of all, we love to wrap Zoe up in the adorable pink bunny towel Auntie Julie sent!

Naked pushups?

2006-08-10T20:30:00.000+02:00

Yakkin' it up!

2006-08-09T21:20:00.000+02:00

Fashion show!

2006-08-07T20:48:00.000+02:00

Zoe got a new hand-knit dress from Norma's mom in Mexico -- que linda!

Is she flirting already??

The smiles just keep on coming!

Cuddles with friends

2006-07-30T20:33:00.000+02:00

Jane, Alessia and Steve (and 1 year old Phoebe) came over for a bbq and lucky lil Zoe got some cuddles in their expert parenting arms...

Zoe and Jane's daughter, Maja, have the same birthday! Only Maja is 4 years ahead...

Alessia, can you remember when your little Phoebe was this small??

Papa Steve cuddles Zoe like a pro!

Zoe discovers her hands!

2006-07-29T12:32:00.000+02:00

And finds out they're good for sucking too!!

Amazing tricks

2006-07-24T23:32:00.000+02:00

It's amazing what you can do with a two and a half month old and superglue!

Making some noise

2006-07-24T23:15:00.000+02:00

Zoe is now making all sorts of sounds. Hear some samples below:

2006-07-23T11:17:00.000+02:00

The big developments this week are that Zoe is now being carried in a Bjorn and she seems to like it...

and she's also holding onto things better, like her yellow rattle (a bit big for her still...) .

Her hair looks red in these photos but it's only cradle cap, which will hopefully go away soon.

Zia Toni came by to give the new rocking chair a spin...

This weekend we went out to a lake near Rome with our friends. It was a lovely day and Zoe seemed to enjoy being away from the heat and humidity of the city!

The gang, from left to right: Rohan, Toni, Jordan, Amy (little Z), Stefania, Ilja

A weekend at the beach

2006-07-16T23:47:00.000+02:00

Our good friends David and Neva invited us down to their summer beach rental in lovely San Felice Circeo for the weekend. We started off with lunch at their place -- Giacomo and Gabriele are digging into the antipasti of prosciutto and cantaloupe being dished out by papa David.

Dan with David & Neva's charming boys, Giacomo and Gabriele...the four Italians still beaming from the World Cup win (well except Miss Zoe who's busy catching a nap in her favorite spot -- Papa's arms)
Zoe's first real Italian beach experience, safely in the shade of course.

Mom making googly faces with little Z after a swim in the Med -- ahh summer!

Golden Gala Competition

2006-07-14T23:14:00.000+02:00

We all went to the Golden Gala competition at the Olympic stadium which attracts all the best track and field athletes. Every summer the top athletes compete in ten European cities with the potential to win a million dollars if they win their event in every competition. We watched Jeremy Wariner run the fourth fastest 400 m ever (his medal ceremony is pictured below) and Asafa Powell run the 100 m in 9.85 seconds.

We got to the stadium late and were frustrated to find that there was no elevator to get to our cheap bleacher seats with the stroller (ah Italy!), so we asked one of the officials for help and she showed us to a shorter flight of stairs leading to some open seats -- little did we realize it was the winner's circle! There we were with all of Rome's VIPs, and Dan got chummy with Marion Jones and her coach while taking Zoe for a stroll... Unfortunately the photo is blurry from the protective glass in front of our seats, but the woman in blue sitting down is Marion Jones, and the man next to her is her coach.

Two months old!

2006-07-12T22:56:00.000+02:00

Our little Zoe is now two months old!!

We finally received our shipment from the US, which was full of gifts and clothes for Zoe including the baby gym pictured below. She loves it!!

Developments...

2006-07-08T08:53:00.000+02:00

We had our friends - Gerry and Laura and their two kids, Pablo and six-month old Alicia - over for a bbq. Alicia was looking to high five Zoe but Zoe was wondering when the burgers were going to be ready.

Zoe has now started putting things in her mouth ... beginning with her bottom lip...

... and, unfortunately, has also become fussier, especially in the evenings. Luckily, walking her around the house seems to calm her down until she's ready for bed.

Bye bye Abuela Loreto, Zoe's first 4th of July and other pics

2006-07-05T13:46:00.000+02:00

A big hug goodbye to Abuela Loreto -- see you in California maybe this winter!

Zoe has gotten really good at focusing on things and following them with her eyes -- and she loves to practice on her swing

Zoe also celebrated her first 4th of July by watching more of America's national pasttime - World Cup soccer!

For the grandparents ...

2006-07-02T08:51:00.000+02:00

Trying to beat the heat...

2006-06-28T17:08:00.000+02:00

The Roman summer has started with high temps and humidity all day and night... Zoe and Earl clearly have the same technique for keeping cool (but who taught who?)

Last week Zoe gave us her first smile! Now we also get a kick out of her newest trick -- a wink and a smile ;-)

Zoe also attended her first bbq on the terrace, in honor of Julia's visit from Zimbabwe (we miss u!)

Zoe asleep in her crib with the lovely personalized blanket sent by Zio David and Zia Lisa from California.

Zoe's also really loves the swing on loan from Steve, Alessia and little Phoebe -- grazie mille!

Some last Umbrian pics...

2006-06-27T16:12:00.000+02:00

The day after the wedding we all went for a huge lunch at a nearby agritourism farmhouse. Amy and Zoe try to cool off in the shade, eating strawberries with Abuela Loreto.

Umbrian Wedding

2006-06-25T10:14:00.000+02:00

This past week was a week of firsts for Zoe: first wedding, first road trip and first overnight in a strange bed. From June 21-24 we celebrated the wedding of our good friends, Toni and Rohan, along with a great group of about 50 Australians -- their wonderful friends and family. The wedding was held in Titignano, a private medieval village that Toni and Rohan rented out completely for their 3-day wedding do.

Toni enters the chapel on her father's arm.

The "handoff" from father to groom...Rohan, are you ready?

The deed is done! Friends and family shower the happy couple with white rose petals.

A view of the lovely chapel and courtyard of Titignano as the group head for champagne to celebrate. Zoe fell asleep on my shoulder and then slept through 6 courses of the 8 course-meal, not bad! The pink sweater she's wearing was hand knitted by her Abuela Loreto.

Papa and Zoe trying to escape the disco beat and get Zoe back to slumberland... Finally back in the arms of Abuela to get some real sleep while mom and dad continue the dancing in the main villa...

Abuela is here!

2006-06-20T13:17:00.000+02:00

Abuela Loreto (Grandma to the non-Spanish speakers) is here and Zoe loves cuddling with her.

Meanwhile, Dan insists on getting Zoe excited for the World Cup. Here she seems somewhat interested in the match between her two nationalities -- Italy vs. USA. (Unfortunately, Zoe's third nationality, Chile, didn't make it to the World Cup this year.)

But obviously Zoe prefers just hanging out with her Abuelita!

More catching up...

2006-06-15T15:16:00.000+02:00

The World Cup has Dan mesmerized in front of the TV.

Meanwhile Zoe says, "yawn"...

Zoe's US Passport arrived after only one week!

A nice walk in Villa Pamphili park on Sunday morning...

Sacked out with Papa!

Zoe loves her adorable Mary Jane socks sent by Gayle from Tacoma, WA

Catching up the past few weeks

2006-06-14T14:31:00.000+02:00

Sorry to not have any new posts for awhile. The Blogmaster went back to work and the

Asst. Blogmaster was pretty busy with Miss Junior Blog Star...

Out on a walk for our Sunday cappuccino...

Papa's off to work :-(

Gossiping with the girls! A visit from the Annas (aka Sherwood and Norell).

A nice visit with Jenny from California (who has single-handedly provided Zoe's wardrobe for the next 2 years!)

Cuddles with Jenny's mom, Jane, who made a lovely Italy collage for Zoe's room.

And our good friends from Holland stopped by during their beach holiday --

Erik, Astrid and darling Rogier.

4 Weeks Old!

2006-06-09T09:07:00.000+02:00

What a week for Zoe. Today she is four weeks old and is doing well but most importantly she is waking up only once during most nights.

She is spending more time observing her surroundings, staring at our faces and is definitely more vocal with a wider range of sounds.

Last Tuesday, we attended a birth class reunion at the Birth Center. We were able to see everyone's babies and hear their stories. There were actually quite a few great stories including twins born in the car on the way to the clinic and a breached baby who was delivered naturally. A couple of the babies had more hair than Dan and one even looked like Elvis with sideburns. Unfortunately, there were also horrific stories of doctors pressuring mothers to have a Caesarean. In fact, it was announced this week that Italy has the highest rate of Caesareans in Europe.

We also found out this week that our midwife's son (Adriano) is a friend of a friend and stayed with us at our house during a visit to San Francisco. What a small world! His wife Vittoria, who is already overdue, is in the picture wearing orange.

This week we also started giving Zoe a bath, and she actually enjoyed it (most of the time). During the first week we tried giving her baths but she hated it so much we gave her sponge baths instead.

We also started massaging her with almond oil and making sure we oil her skin folds to avoid rashes - she already has a pretty nasty rash on her neck.

The other big news this week was that we registered her birth abroad with the US consulate, so Zoe is officially an American citizen. Her passport will arrive in two weeks. Poor Zoe almost ended up with my two last names - Schiappacasse Valenzuela - since the Italian birth certificate names both (long story). After an hour discussion with consulate personnel, a form was finally found that allowed us to drop Valenzuela from her official US name. We weren't allowed to bring our camera into the embassy, so there are no pictures commemorating the event.

Grandma Marcy has also been a big help this week cleaning up after all of us.

Gotta go, it's time for Zoe to take a nap. She loves her sleep sacks sent by Carola and Hernan (gracias!!)

Videos of Zoe at 4 weeks old

2006-06-09T05:14:00.000+02:00

Grandma's here and other pics

2006-05-28T22:50:00.000+02:00

Zoe's got much more "alert time" these days...

and is enjoying Grandma's visit

as well as the occasional walk around Roma...

and visits from friends, like Zia Laura.

Making googly faces with Grandma!

Adventurous Day!

2006-05-23T22:51:00.000+02:00

We decided to introduce Zoe to the beach today.

It was a bit too windy so it was just a short visit...

Later we took Zoe out in her stroller for the first time...

Mom's movin' so fast she's just a blur!

On a whim we decided to try for a meal at our favorite neighborhood trattoria...success!

Update

2006-05-22T21:05:00.000+02:00

Nothing special occurred today though we did figure out she prefers the right breast over the left one. No picture available.

First Drive

2006-05-21T12:16:00.000+02:00

Today we went for our first drive in the car...

...to meet our friends - Alessia, Steve and Phoebe - in the park.

Amy tried on the sling today for the first time.

The midwife also visited our house to take blood (see bandage on foot)...

...and weigh Zoe.

Zoe is now 3.1 kilos - she's already gained .2 kg (almost half a pound)!!

We also bought a nifty new sling.

Video of Zoe

2006-05-20T22:58:00.000+02:00

My first visitors

2006-05-20T20:18:00.000+02:00

At least while I was awake!

Zia Toni & Rohan

Linda & Massimo

First Walk Outside

2006-05-20T13:53:00.000+02:00

Today we went for our first walk - a 45 minute wander through a park near our house.

Sign outside our door "E nata una bimba" (A baby girl was born).

When asked what she thought of the walk, Zoe responded only with a smile.

1 Week Old!

2006-05-19T23:15:00.000+02:00

Snoozing with the pink blanket Franca knitted -- grazie tanto!

polkadot cocoon

tough life, eh?

Zoe toes

are my eyebrows gonna look like that someday?

um mom, could you stop posing for the picture and feed me? I'm starving over here!

Super Dad! Papooshka pouch to the rescue!

Our newest favorite pastime -- burping...

Midwife

2006-05-19T12:08:00.000+02:00

Our midwife - Valeria

Valeria and her assistant Lucia, who participated in the birth. Sitting is the pediatrician preparing for an examination of Zoe.

Birth - Timeline

2006-05-17T20:50:00.000+02:00

5:00 am - Amy feels something like menstrual cramps but feels otherwise normal and goes back to sleep.

8:00 am - Cleaning lady arrives at our house. Dan leaves for work.

9:00 am - Amy's menstrual cramp feelings come and go but seem to lessen with movement, so she decides to go for a walk.

9:30 am - Amy walks around the neighborhood, stopping for a croissant and to buy a pair of shoes.

10:00 am - Amy returns home after an hour walk. Cleaning lady is still working.

10:30 am - Handyman arrives. Amy helps him measure some windows for mosquito screens. Menstrual cramp feeling is getting slightly stronger but still comes and goes.

12:15 pm - While paying the handyman, Amy feels a sharper, more instense cramp, then a small gush of water. Rushing to the bathroom, she starts to suspect her water has broken.

12:20 pm - Amy calls Dan. No answer on his cell phone. Dan is just starting a nice hour long jog through the hills of Rome.

12:25 pm - Still trying to get rid of the handyman, Amy feels a wave of nausea and runs to the bathroom clutching her cell phone. After vomiting, she calls her midwife, who says she'll be right over.

12:26 pm - Amy tries Dan's cell again - no answer. Handyman, still waiting for Amy to come out of the bathroom, finally gets a clue and leaves.

12:30 pm - One more try to reach Dan but still no answer.

12:45 pm - Midwife and her assistant arrive. Amy is crawling around on all fours in the computer room (strange choice since it is the one room in the house she hates on the rug she also hates)

13:30 pm - Dan finishes jogging and sees 6 missed calls on his cell phone. Immediately calls Amy and is confused why the midwife is answering Amy's phone. Dan is told that labor started and to come home quickly.

13:45 pm - Dan receives a call from the assistant saying that Amy is pushing so he'd better fly home. Dan proceeds to run through five straight red lights -- not uncommon in Italy.

14:00 pm - Dan arrives home and sees Amy on her hands and knees wearing a t-shirt that says on her back, "Beer: it's not just for breakfast anymore". The room is dark and has a very calm atmosphere.

14:20 pm - Doctor arrives and takes a seat in our living room (our midwife was responsible for the birth - the doctor was present in case of emergency).

14:25 pm - A gush of blood spurts out of Amy and no one is sure where it came from. Midwife tries to find the baby's heartbeat but can't.

14:31 pm - The midwife then tells Amy to stand and squat down and push hard during the next contraction.

14:33 pm - And with one big push, Zoe enters the world.

More pics of Zoe!

2006-05-17T20:07:00.000+02:00

A day in the life of Zoe

2006-05-16T13:36:00.000+02:00

A day consists of...

sleeping,

crying,

quickly followed by eating (picture censored),

more sleeping,

and then a nap with Papa.

Some more pics of our little darling

2006-05-14T22:25:00.000+02:00

Zoe Estelle

2006-05-12T21:24:00.000+02:00

Zoe Estelle Schiappacasse was born Friday, May 12th at 2:33 in the afternoon (Rome time) at home. She weighed in at 2.9 kilos (6.5 lbs.) and was 49 cm. (19 inches) long. Amy is doing great after a very quick labor.