Life is Full

More Photo Shoot Pictures

2012-02-28T17:34:00.008-08:00

Thanks Great-Grandpa Jim & Great-Grandma Bev for my cute flower shirt to wear for these photos!

12 3/4 months!

2012-02-24T13:29:00.012-08:00

Since I missed our 12 month post, at this point, we'll just call it what it is....12 3/4 (almost 13!) months. :) I do want this month documented though as the 1st Bday is a big milestone in development!

I feel like the past 2 months, Sophia has exploded in her gross motor skills and communication. In the past 2 months, she has gone from sitting up and minimal rolling over to pulling up, cruising, standing with no hands, dancing on her own, climbing and walking with assistance! Our girl is on the move! Over the weekend, she walked pushing the little baby-walker ON HER OWN! big stuff people! She is so proud of herself and loves the cheering she gets from Mom and Dad!! We couldn't be prouder either! :) I took a little video to show her new mad skills off which I will post soon!

Ok, 12 Month Stats:

Weight - 21 lbs 12 oz - 56%

Height - 30 1/2 inches - 84%

Head - 45cm - 43%

Eating: She continues to be our good eater most days. Like most pre-toddlers (still getting used to not saying BABY!) some days she scarfs food like she is starving, other days, she plays more than eats and doesn't really seem too interested. She seems to really ENJOY eating though and makes a "YuMMMMMM" sound for food and while eating. She knows the sign for eat as well and signs MORE for almost everything these days. This month, she added "drink" and really got "please" down as well. When she signs "please", I don't care what she is asking for, my heart melts! Sweetest thing ever with those big, brown eyes looking up at me!

Her absolutely favorite foods right now are: pasta with tomato sauce, citrus fruits (even fresh lemon/lime believe it or not!), peas, frozen blueberries, avocado, and cheese. Other foods she really likes: crackers, cottage cheese, raisins, beans, potatoes, broccoli, and of course anything SWEET (which she has only gotten little, LITTLE of...I mean, I'm talking diluted juice being big stuff around here)

*she is "talking on the phone" in the pic below....it is soooo cute! She will use my actual phone, puzzle pieces, crackers, or as a last resort, her hand, to pretend to be on the phone. most of the time, she is talking to "dada"*

Sleeping: She still takes two naps (usually around 8:30-9am and 1 pm) and goes down at 7 pm for the night. She still has night wakings at least once or twice, most of the time I nurse her, but sometimes just rock for a bit and back down. At her 12 month check up, the Dr. reminded me that she does not need to eat at night and the longer we continue this night waking habit, the more cemented it will become as we continue into her 2nd year. She talked about methods and it boils down to sleep training like we did when she was 6 weeks. Let her work it out on her own, check on her every 15 min to ensure that she isn't sitting in wet pjs, dirty diaper, her leg isn't caught in crib rails, etc. SIGH. I'm not really thrilled about doing this, but I do believe it is best for her sleep wise. I'm going to wait until mid-march when we get back from our trip to Seattle. I don't want to put us through a few rough nights only to experience travel, jet lag, being away from home which always throws a kink into her sleep patterns anyway. Over all, though, she sleeps wonderfully other than being on the light sleeper end. She must get that from Eric. :)

Clothing: She is wearing 18 month clothing and some 18-24 month pants to fit her long legs! Her feet are size 4 but she really does NOT like to have shoes on so until she is walking outside, we aren't really worrying about trying to keep them on. She is cruising and pulling up fine just wearing socks. :)

Teething: YES. 1 bottom molar in and another cutting through....

Our typical day:

6:30-7 am wake up, nurse, get dressed

7:30 am breakfast while Daddy eats his and Mama makes his lunch

8-9 am play time, read books

9-10:30 am nap

11 am nurse, diaper change, errands, visit a friend, lunch with Molly, church, usually "on the go" this time of day

12:30 pm lunch, independent play

1:30-3 pm nap (it is usually 1 1/2 hr - 2 hrs long)

3 pm nurse, diaper change

3:30-5 pm grocery shop, walks outside, playing in her room while I clean the house/fold laundry, etc

5 pm snack while Mom prepares dinner

5:30-6 pm Daddy's home!!! really gives her a second wind when he gets home

6 pm family dinner

6:30 pm bath time, reading, bed time routine

7 pm nurse and put in bed!

Sophia, sweetheart, you are pure infectious JOY in our day! Daddy enjoys dancing to music with you in the living room, playing guitar for you, and our family breakfasts on Saturday at Chickie-Fil-A! I enjoy your wet kisses and playing "Mama's gonna get you!" game together while your laughter is heard through the whole house. We both love your hugs and cuddles, knowing this precious time with you is such a gift!

First Bloody Nose!

2012-02-21T17:09:00.000-08:00

Sophia got her first bloody nose this week! She was cruising along the furniture in our living room, lost her footing/slipped, and went face first down onto the hardwood floor. There were some tears, but she is a tough girl and recovered quickly with some cuddles from Mama & Daddy. I noticed immediately the stream of blood coming out of her nose, so I cleaned her up with a warm, wet washcloth. It's kind-of crazy to me that she got her first bloody nose at 12 months (since she is generally very cautious) but as you can see from the pictures, she was smiling and our happy girl again bloody nose and all!

Winning the Lottery!

2012-02-20T18:26:00.000-08:00

I feel like I won the lottery today....I booked my flight to Seattle to visit sweet little Juliet and I leave in 2 short weeks! Sophia is coming with me, so my prayers for a smooth travel experience have already begun! I used Eric's frequent flyer miles from his trips to India - they sure came in handy! We have really been blessed with frequent flyer miles; I feel like we do more flying on FREE tickets than on PAYING tickets. I am so grateful!
AND I found out tonight that MARIA is coming to visit me like TOMORROW!!! She flies in on Wednesday and I am sooooooooo excited!!!!!!!!!!! She is here until Friday late afternoon so we get like 2 1/2 days together! This is the best week!
Within 2 weeks I get to see Maria and Katie which just thrills me to no end. :) Ahhhhhh happy.

1-Year Photo Shoot!

2012-02-19T20:02:00.001-08:00

We had pictures taken yesterday as a family (although Sophia was of course the STAR!) by a friend and very talented photographer, Jennifer R. She did a great job and I am so happy to have this special segment of Sophia's life documented. My baby is growing up too fast! (http://www.jrcenturyphotography.blogspot.com/ )

Here are the two previews we've seen so far...I can't wait to see the rest!

Felix

2012-02-14T11:56:00.001-08:00

Today is a strange day. A week ago, not a thing was out of place at our house. Over the weekend, we noticed that Felix was sleeping a LOT. It's hard to notice something like that because our cats sleep 22 out of 24 hours a day. But Felix stopped sleeping at Eric's feet at night and he didn't seem interested in food, even when I opened a can of tuna on Sunday after church. Monday morning he didn't come running to badger Eric for some of the milk in his cheerios. Very odd behavior for our little feline food-monger. Monday afternoon he seemed a little thin to me so I weighed him on the scale...hmm...he'd lost a couple of pounds (and starting out of 10 lbs, that is a large percentage of weight loss!) The more we observed him, the more it became apparent....Felix was sick...really sick really fast. We didn't know why or what was causing it, but he was not himself. Last night, I saw him eating kitty litter. He was literally licking pebbles up off the floor. I thought, 'this is a really bad sign.' I called our vet first thing this morning to take him in. Since we both sensed that he was in really bad shape, even though it was a quick deterioration, Eric said goodbye to him before leaving for work, just in case I would have to make any decisions about him that morning at the vet. After his physical exam, the vet said she suspected FIV (feline HIV basically) and/or anemia. She said we could do a quick blood test to confirm whether it was either of these. He tested negative to FIV but positive to SEVERE anemia. He had a fever and heart murmur as well. I guess normal red blood cell % in cats is 30-40%. Felix's count was at 9%. Unfortunately, the cause of his severe anemia wasn't apparent so we were looking at very extensive testing and bloodwork to pursue possible treatment. Even then, it could be cancer, kidney failure or a plethora of other un-treatable issues. Eric and I knew going into it that we weren't going to spend thousands of dollars on testing/treatment; financially even a hundred or two (knowing the exam alone would cost $45!) would be a stretch. The vet said we could do anti-biotics and steroids to try to fight off a possible infection, but that if it didn't work, he was so low on oxygen in his blood that we might see him start to really struggle, like panting, etc. I shook my head at the idea, there is just no way I could possible stand by, bearing to watch him struggle or suffer. So, I had to say my goodbyes to him. As I rubbed his ears, pet his head, and told him that we loved him and were sorry he was so sick, he starting purring. This was a miracle, because he only purrs for Eric and absolutely never purrs at the vet since he hates being there. Maybe it was his way of saying goodbye to me too.

Felix was the quirkiest and most entertaining cat I've ever known. He was fiesty and FULL of personality. He loved milk (would literally edge you out of your own cereal bowl), cheese, popcorn, doritos (dragged countless unopened bags from the pantry to a hiding spot to tear into), and flour tortillas. He ate all kinds of other stuff too. He purred sooooo loud for food. He would "mark" my coffee cup and his food bowl to save it for later. Poor thing was very uncoordinated and off-balanced (we joked that he missed his kitten "how to jump" training) and had a very high pitch little meow. One of my favorite quirks of his was his love of water. He would unexpectedly jump in our showers and baths (uninvited of course) because he loved water so much. You could dump water all over his head and body and he couldn't care less about being drenched. It was really fun to have a cat that was so much of a goat, dog, cat, weirdo combination.

The house is feeling empty today without him. Marzell doesn't seem to phased by his absence (big shocker, yeah right). I'll miss his sweet little face looking for scraps and him being my buddy at my feet while I cook. We loved you, Felix!

As a kitten, chewing on my keys.

Sunbathing on a bed of sweaters - his favorite.

Helping Marzell break in Sophia's crib/bedding before she was born

Attacking a pizza box.

He LOVED cardboard boxes. Eric spent 20 min building him a fort with tunnels made out of boxes one time....I think it took Felix about 30 seconds to destroy it

Swiping a dorito while he thinks no one is looking...

The sink, a common nap location

His all-time favorite nap location...dining room chair cushion

We loved you, you crazy "wild man" cat!

New Cousin!

2012-02-10T09:59:00.001-08:00

Sophia's new cousin was born yesterday in Seattle..... Juliet Elizabeth Walker!! We are so excited for them as they are now a family of FOUR! Big bro Luca has a sweet pea sister! After a very LONG labor, she arrived 6 lb, 9 oz and 19 inches long. Both mama and baby are doing fabulously and recovering well. Now Sophia and I just have to find a way to go out and visit them! This is when it is sooo extra hard to live far apart from a dearly beloved sister!

We are so happy for John, Katie, and Luca on their beautiful new addition to the Walker family!

Good eatin'

2012-02-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

Our girl loves to eat! It is the only gene I am positive that comes from me. :)

Spaghetti night at our house....

Also, she is so proud (read: determined) to eat with a spoon by herself! She is feeding herself oatmeal for breakfast...what a big girl!

Fun with Mimi being here for the week!

2012-02-09T08:15:00.000-08:00

Sophia loved having Mimi here all week! It was special to have her celebrate Sophia's birthday and spend time with us. Sophia was so cute; she would wake up from naps reaching for the door, knowing Mimi was out there waiting to play! Pops, thanks for holding down the Sonne fort! We wish you could have been here too!

We went out on 2/2 for Soph's birthday lunch at Chick-Fil-A....granted, she ate green beans, crackers, and oranges from home but she still loves going out to sit in restaurants with us. :)

Chilling on the couch...daddy taking a nap

Mimi with the birthday girl

Going for a wagon ride on a beautiful, sunny day! I think Mimi was ok with having 50 degree days here; meanwhile back at the dorm, it was bitterly cold with temps below zero!

More Birthday Shots!

2012-02-09T07:46:00.000-08:00

These pictures are from Mimi's camera....thanks so much for taking them!

Opening presents....Sophia's sweet cousins were glad to lend a hand! :) Sophia received her very first baby doll and will have fun learning to be a "little mama".

Me and my girl! before she got dressed for the party in her tutu...

This is by far one of my FAVORITE pictures of the whole day!! I LOVE her big smile having everyone sing 'Happy Birthday' to her! She was excited about her cupcake too!

Yum yum yum....

The BIRTHDAY Girl!!!!!

2012-02-05T16:37:00.000-08:00

Sophia is officially ONE! A 12 month post is coming...but first I had to get some pictures up of our celebration this afternoon! It has been wonderful having Eric's Mom in town for the week. Wish everyone else could have been here too!

I made Sophia a special apple spice cupcake....of which she LOVED. The recipe was dairy-free, egg-free, and sugar-free...but would anyone expect any differently from a baby-wearing, breastfeeding, cloth-diapering Mama? :)

All the adults and kiddos > 1 yrs old got funfetti cake with cream cheese icing. We had two different cakes decorated keeping in line with the lady bug theme...I was pretty happy with how they turned out considering it was my first attempt at cake-decorating!

Sophia had that cupcake in a death grip! Hah!

Happy Birthday, our dearest LoveBug, Sophia! Mama & Daddy love you more than you know!

Remembering...

2012-02-05T14:00:00.000-08:00

our little one who two years ago today went straight from my womb into the arms of Jesus. Your Mama and Daddy's hearts still ache for you on earth, but we look forward with expectant joy to meeting you on the other side of eternity. We miss you, sweet one; our love runs deep for you. Some days the tears are fresh and flow freely. Our hearts will continue to heal with the passing time, but will not forget - you are never forgotten. Mama sends her kisses towards heaven tonight. I love you.

Cream of Anything Soup

2012-01-30T07:29:00.000-08:00

I found this mini-recipe (substitution) today while doing my meal planning...I'm so excited about it that I have to share this treasure! I have plenty of recipes that call for "cream of mushroom" soup and/or "cream of chicken" soup. Well as much as I love those recipes and the lovely thickened, saltiness those soups bring, have you ever stopped to read the ingredients in those soups?? Very frightening!! Unfortunately you can't just omit them because then the recipe is majorly lacking something. But fear not, there is a solution! Happy Day! I plan to try this soon!

Condensed “Cream of Anything” Soup

1 cup cold milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper

Instructions
In a small saucepan, whisk milk and cornstarch till well blended.
Stir in butter, bouillon, salt, and pepper.
Heat to a boil, stirring frequently. Simmer on low for one minute more to thicken.
Use in recipes to replace one can of cream of anything soup.

CONDENSED CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP:
Stir in a drained 4 ounce can of mushroom pieces to the recipe above.

CONDENSED CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP:
Stir in 1/2 cup cooked chicken pieces to the recipe above.

Reflecting on this time last year...

2012-01-27T17:58:00.000-08:00

For the 10 days I was past my due date (but really anytime after 39 weeks) I was THE crankiest person on the block. maybe in all of Greensboro! 40-41.5 weeks pregnant was uncomfortable in every way possible. I wasn't sleeping (believe or not, life-with-a-newborn-sleep was way better than end-of-pregnancy sleep), Eric was accusing me of "hogging" her to myself (hilarious in retrospect...but my sweet husband was just so ready to become a Dad!), heartburn, back pain, having 40 extra lbs on my frame, I was practically watching the minutes tick by on the clock. Quite a few people told me, 'don't worry, you can't stay pregnant forever!' but it really felt as though I might. More than anything, I was just so ready to meet my precious daughter and hold Sophia in my arms at last... I remember being so full of the fear that I'd come so close to having a child only to still experience loss in the end. I remember sharing these prayer requests with a friend on my due date (10 prior to birth): for patience on the Lord in His timing, for strength to handle delivery/labor, and for peace that the Lord has not brought us thus far to abandon us now. Oh how faithfully He answered each of those requests!
Well, one year later, I am so thankful. That I indeed did not stay pregnant forever! all those well-intentioned (but driving me crazy) people were right! thankful that I have gotten to hold, kiss, dance with, snuggle, zerbert, and a million other joyful things with Sophia every single day this year. thankful that Sophia is so much wonderful than I could have even dreamed her to be. thankful that I have a loving husband, who also happens to be an AWESOME Daddy for my little girl.
one year ago I was the crankiest person you could come across. today, I am perhaps the happiest. it's been a good year. the countdown to Sophia's birthday is....T-6 days! I'm very nostalgic these days so more reflections are bound to come. :)

New Wagon!

2012-01-26T12:09:00.000-08:00

Mimi & Pops gave Sophia her own Radio-Flyer wagon for Christmas and she LOVES it!!! Eric had fun putting it together and wheeling her around the house. We know many good memories are to come in this wagon and we are so thankful to have it! Thanks Mimi & Pops!

Smoothie/Mash Ups

2012-01-21T08:54:00.001-08:00

Sophia has been into these smoothie/mash up/squeezable fruit/veggie things lately. They go on sale sometimes so I buy them for when we are out and about (so much easier than taking messy Tupperware with homemade food in it). When she was first eating solids, it would take her 2-3 attempts to finish the whole thing. Now, she sucks it all down in one breath practically and then looks at me like, 'where is the rest?' It is fun that she can do it on her own now. Also, she is very interested in the lid and tries to screw it on and off herself (she did get it off successfully once alone!)

This morning I made my own smoothie for her...fresh organic spinach with beets and frozen banana. I used prune juice to combine it all (gotta keep my girl regular!) :) She seemed to really enjoy it! the beets make the smoothie a gorgeously beautiful color but super stain-able so Mama put her bib on nice and tight. :) Now she can eat to her heart's content since I made a whole blender's worth!

Look who is pulling up!!

2012-01-21T08:35:00.000-08:00

Sophia pulled up to her feet this morning! She has been pulling up to her knees for a while, but has finally mastered how to get to a standing position on her own! She was helping Mama pull things out of the dryer and something was in the back that she couldn't reach from her knees, so she popped up to her feet! Then it looked like she wanted to climb right in... maybe another day!

She continues to be our cautious girl, only going for it if she is really confident she can do it. Eric and I tend to both be a bit cautious, so it is interesting to see either her personality matches ours or her environment encourages caution despite me trying not to put her in a box based on my own tendencies. I have to admit though, caution is not something I am disappointed with if it translates into wise, well-calculated decisions as she matures! We can only hope & pray!

Look at this cute little HINEY! I can hardly stand it! so squeezable!

Surprise Date!

2012-01-19T11:52:00.000-08:00

Eric surprised me with a fun date this past Sunday night. He had Monday off for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and it was before the molar-teething-madness started. Being the sweet romantic that he is, he printed off my first email to him TEN YEARS ago when our long-distance courtship all began. :) We went out to a new favorite restaurant of ours (Lindley Park Filling Station). We only discovered it a month ago, although I've been hearing good things about it for years, I don't know why it took us so long to try it. We had a coupon which made the night even better. Eric hadn't told me what we were doing that evening (only that it was a surprise) until he presented me with flowers and the babysitter arrived! He even had an appetizer for me in the car on the way there - Doritos. :)

It was a fun night!

Ellie, our babysitter, took the picture. Rare for us to get a picture of ourselves these days!

FIRST WORDS!!

2012-01-19T07:49:00.000-08:00

That's right, people, we have first words! Big excitement in this house! She has been saying both for a week or two, but Eric and I have looked at each other, wondering, is she saying what we think she is saying?? is that coincidence? but on Monday she said one word and then yesterday another, both CLEAR AS A BELL.

drumroll.....and her first word is.....KITTY!! mama is so proud! Also it cracks me up that neither mama or dada were first! Eric and I have been jokingly arguing about that since she was born. We were both wrong! hah.

When she says kitty, it sounds more like, 'kke-kke' like two 'k' sounds together. she points and hold her hand out when the cat is in sight, lights up with a smile, 'kke-ke!' that's right honey, kitty!

Another cute story of her saying it this week. We took friends who just had a baby, Matt & Erin, dinner on Monday. It was fun to see sweet little Holden, he slept the whole time we were there. While Matt was holding him, we brought Sophia over to him and said, 'look, Sophia!' she got quiet, gasped in wonder at the little bundle, and reached out to touch him, 'kke-ke!!' We were like, no sweetie that is a BABY not a kitty. both are cuddly and soft though so I understand her mix-up. :)

her second word is....ALL DONE! of which she also uses the sign (actually she still signs 'all done' more than she says it, but its starting to be both!) It is actually very handy to know when she is all done! Communication is exciting!

Also, though it isn't technically a "word", she can also roar like a lion when prompted (especially if you roar first). Sophia, what does a lion say? "ROOAAARR" :)

Signs she continues to use:

-milk

-more (claps her hands together as variation)

-all done

-kiss (this is the sweetest one!!!)

-please (used it a few times, still working on using it more)

-eat (hit and miss)

and then she is good at pointing or reaching an out-stretched hand towards what she wants

Going for her favorite kitty! He is safe up there for now...she hasn't figured out how to climb yet :)

Cutting Molars

2012-01-18T12:20:00.000-08:00

So this week Sophia has been cutting some new teeth (four to be exact from what I can tell)! Since she has 6 so far, we are talking about almost doubling her quantity of teeth! I can see the gums bulging on the top two teeth on either side of the four she already has, and on the bottom side molars. Those look like they will be big teeth! Needless to say, the nights have been unusually rough the past few days. Last night I think I was up with her 4-5x to comfort and nurse her. Unbelievably, this was a tremendous improvement from the prior night, which she refused to sleep at all unless in Mama's/Daddy's arms (so we co-slept for part of the night). In the dark of night, as she is laying passed out in my arms, I kiss her soft cheeks and listen to her breathing. Even as my eyes burn and head pounds from interrupted sleep, I am reminded what a gift it is to be my daughter's safe place and source of comfort. These days are short and I don't want to miss the opportunity to soothe and comfort her when she's hurting. Along with Mama & Daddy's cuddles, infant advil has been our friend... :) so glad it relieves the soreness and pain for her enabling us all to get some good rest.

Sophia - crawling!

2012-01-05T07:08:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n3xjKjvyxU&feature=g-upl&context=G2b8311bAUAAAAAAAAAA

or click HERE to watch!

PS please excuse her trashed room - she was having fun pulling toys off the bookshelf!

11 months!!!

2012-01-03T05:43:00.000-08:00

This is my last monthly post before the big "1" yr birthday! Craziness! My baby will no longer be a 'baby' this time next month!!!! Sophia, you are growing up toooo fast!

*BIG news this month* on Christmas Day, Sophia Grace started crawling!!! She had been scooting herself backwards for a while, but this was full-fledged, rocking on all fours, crawling full-steam ahead! It is so fun to watch her see something across the room and then just go for it! It was really neat to have both sets of Grand-parents get to witness this milestone with us. She seems so much happier now that she can MOVE!

*She still loves imitating sounds back and forth, blowing bubbles, sticking her tongue out & blowing, clicking her tongue, and she has started giggling at body noises (oh gosh! it begins!) like blowing your nose, sneezing, burping, farting, the works. Eric's child 100%. :)

*While in Germany (shortly after arriving), we got thrush. AGAIN. thankfully meds cleared it up after about 2 weeks. definitely seems to be linked to travel/stress somehow since we get it each time I fly with her

*Still responds to her favorite song: Chris Brown- 'Forever'. She has even miraculously figured out how to turn it on my phone (by herself!!) and lights up when she hears it begin! She also starts 'dancing' when music comes on...she moves her torso back and

*Nursing 4 times during the day and while in Germany 2x at night. Now that we are home we are experimenting with her overnight diaper since she really gets soaked by being in the same one for 12 hrs. The past 3 nights I have tried a disposable w plenty of zinc oxide cream on her and she has sttn! I'm going to try an extra liner in her cd to see if that keeps her dry enough

*The month in Germany she napped 3x a day, one long morning nap (2 hrs) and two short afternoon naps (1 hr each) but her bedtime wasn't usually until 8:30-9:30 pm while we were there. Now that we're home, she is back to her normal 7p-7a with two naps (usually around 8:30 am and 1 pm)

*she has become quite a ham since all the attention in Germany! She will do something adorable then look around like, 'is anybody watching to see how cute I am?' makes us laugh (which of course is the reaction she was hoping for) :)

*loves playing peek-a-boo and will initiate with her lovey, daisy! her eyes get so wide while she is 'hiding' and sometimes she keeps one of the only partially covered like she wants to keep an eye on what is going on even though she is hiding. Then when she reveals herself, we yell "BOO" and she jumps then starts belly-laughing! such a fun game

*Eric taught her to give high-fives! and this week she learned that when we ask, 'how big is Sophia?' she puts her hands way up in the air - 'SO big!'

*when she is concentrating, she opens her mouth and forms her lips into an oval "O". She does this when she is really excited too, like playing w an i-phone or other electronic device

*Nicknames: peanut, sweet pea, love bug, 'bug', Soph, Sophers, and poo-nut (that one is all Eric)

We are so thankful for how you are growing and developing, Sophia! Our hearts overflow with love for you!

This month's pictures accurately display that life doesn't stop these days....constantly on the move! ;) no time for pictures, Mom! time to explore!

Sitzenkirch

2011-12-31T03:57:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos I snapped on a walk with my Mom of the town where they live. Sitzenkirch is a sleepy farm town that is cozy and nestled in the valley of beautiful hills. It is where BFA used to have their elementary school (now it's their middle school) so I have many fond memories of being there every day as a child. Down the street from my parents, a German neighbor has a little farm stand with a coin box. Every Friday she bakes fresh bread and other pastries (like Linzertorte - it was delicious) and has various other farm produce....feldsalat (type of lettuce), apples, potatoes, walnuts, etc. Across the street from her is a barn that has about 10 cows and a 2 week old calf. Each morning at 8 am and evening at 6 pm, you can find the farmer in there milking the cows for about an hr. For 50 Euro cents (about 65 cents US), he will dip into the fresh, warm milk and fill up your own glass liter bottle. My Dad and I would go a few times a week (often with Luca & Sophia) and get 3 liters of fresh, raw milk (3/4 of a gallon). I was in awe that it is just down the street from them and thankful to enjoy that milk all month! Seeing the baby calf was fun too - so cute. :) As maybe a TMI side-note of my own personal reflection: having breastfed Sophia for 11 months now, I do not take any milk production for granted - those sweet cows worked hard for us to be able to have it!

Sledding!

2011-12-31T03:32:00.001-08:00

Sophia went sledding for the first time!! She did great! I'm not sure who had more fun, Sophia or Eric/me, but it was a very fun memory to make this Christmas!

If we had made a Christmas card this year....it would have looked something like this! Maybe we'll get one out next year. Thank you everyone who sent me one - I enjoyed opening them all when we got home. Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Snow, snow, snow, snow, SNOW!

2011-12-31T03:18:00.000-08:00

Once Eric arrived, we spent a few days/nights up the hill at Sonne dorm with his parents & Donnie. It was fun to have all the Shillings together and an early Christmas present was a bunch of SNOW!!! The German hills became transformed into a beautiful Narnia... simply gorgeous. Debbie, Eric, Sophia, and I all took a walk through the magical breath-taking forest & town of Marzell - what a treat!!!

Katie & Luca

2011-12-31T02:49:00.000-08:00

It was such a joy to overlap my time with Katie's while at my parents. Granted, two kiddos on jet lag made my parents' apartment a tad snug (snug is an understatement), but it was fun to be in such close quarters and to be all together.

Some of my favorite memories of Luca while we were together:

- he loved Basel and would have gone there every night if we could have! When he saw the trams/trollies, he would say, 'ding, ding, ding! hello everybody!' it was so cute and never got old

- he did NOT like the taste of mineral water...too bubbly I guess. Sophia on the other hand DID like it, well she would make a funny face from the bubbles but then go back for more! Luca being the big-boy cousin looking out for her would say, 'don't drink that, Sophia! It's too sour for you!' in a sweet, warning voice.

-Katie was singing "wheels on the bus" with Luca one morning and together they were improvising new verses, like what does Mommy say on the bus? what does Aunt Betsy say on the bus? what does the rooster outside say on the bus? well she also asked him what does Sophia say on the bus? and his response so astutely captured her on jet-lag...he said she says 'waa, waa, waa' unfortunately she did a lot of that the first 10 days. I'm happy to say that once she started sleeping again, Luca made her laugh a LOT and he would ask her, 'are you happy now, Sophia?' it was really cute to see them together

-Luca & my Dad would sing a song together every morning that goes, "It's a Happy Day! and we thank God for the weather....it's a Happy Day! and we're living each day for the Lord! it's a Happy Day! and things are gonna get better....'cause we're living each day by the promises of God's Word' and I loved hearing it! His sweet, singing voice cannot be measured. I'll have to ask Katie to get it on video. I'm glad Popeye taught us all a new song

-walking around Sitzenkirch and talking to all the animals...there were goats, horses, chickens, cows, dogs, birds, cats, roosters....all within a 5 min walk! kind-of fun to be in a farm town! :)

out to eat at a beloved German restaurant in Kandern....the Ochsen...yum

Luca giving Sophia a Christmas present! He is helping her open it since she was too little to know what to do with it....a book in German! I love it! thanks Luca & Katie!!

We look forward to seeing what Luca's little sister will look like! Thanks Katie for coming and making that long trip by yourself while 33 weeks pregnant! You are amazing and I'm so glad we could share our time there. Highlights were lunch out just us (while Nana & Popeye babysat), walk up to Sausenberg (pics on K's blog), and our 2 am "party" in the living room! I wish I had snapped a photo of EVERYone in the house up at 2 am because of jet-lagged kids! at least we all got a laugh (it was either that or cry!) :) Love you!

Katie's blog

2011-12-13T01:51:00.001-08:00

Katie did a much better job updating....see her blog for what we've been up to. :)

www.borninseattle.blogspot.com

10 months post....a month late!

2011-12-13T01:36:00.000-08:00

jet lag and international travel set us back a bit....For some reason, my parents' computer wouldn't let me hit the "publish post" button so I have MUCH to catch up on! First things first, here is our 10 month update!

- napping twice a day, one in the morning & one in the afternoon

She is usually up between 6-7:15 am then 1st nap around 8:30-9a and 2nd nap at 12:30-1p. she goes down for the night around 6:30-7p (this is all in GSO before we left, not our schedule in Germany!)

-she started waving bye-bye! sooo cute! she usually doesn't start waving though until we are out of sight so people usually miss it since they are already gone! :) hah mid-December I was driving and said to her, wave bye-bye to Basel Sophia! and I saw her waving in the backseat! so she obviously knows/comprehends what I'm saying too! so fun!

-She has starting making diaper changes a challenge - flips to her stomach so fast it is amazing! changing clothes has become semi-dramatic. really dislikes the whole process...

-kind-of back to not liking the car. if she has cheerios or mum-mums (crackers) to keep her entertained, she is fine unless she's tired. music also helps

-She loves to clap!! and is so proud of herself! its adorable and brings a smile to our faces!

-b/c of Eric being in India for 2 weeks and then us coming to Germany 10 days before him, she has REALLY become a mama's girl! doesn't like me to be far (out of eyesight). I do enjoy being 'wanted' and there is nothing in the world I'd rather do than be close to my girl

-still enjoys baths - loves splashing and kicking. latest thing is to flip to her tummy, then go face down into the water (not sure what she thinks will happen but she comes up blinking the water out of her eyes and sputtering) doesn't cry though....usually just tries it again! silly nut

-has started liking funny noise....like when you slurp or gulp a drink, blow your nose, zerbert (blow raspberries) on her neck or tummy, click your tongue, lick your fingers, wash your hands and squeeze the water so it squeaks (she has greatest belly laugh w this activity)

-hangs on when I am holding her on my hip. sometimes she squeezes her legs around me, but mostly grips on with her sweet hands. when she is sleepy, she will lay her head on my chest and hold on so tight. melts my heart.

-for naps and bed, she cuddles and chews on her lovey, daisy. daisy is starting to look very "well-loved" at this point!

-has started sleeping on her tummy. I still lay her down on her back, but most of the time when I come to check on her or when she wakes up, she is either on her tummy or sometimes on her side. A few times, she is laying in a strange position that looks like she was sitting up and leaned forward to fall asleep so she is kind-of jack-knifed.

-still sucks her bottom lip when tired or uncertain of her surroundings (lots of new people or new place). she holds tight to mama in those situations too

-experienced jet-lag for the first time.....a whole post could be written about it! oy. it was TOUGH and considering 12 days later she is still going to bed at 10 pm, I'd say we are off our normal schedule, but sooooo much better than that first week! much harder than I imagined. I am glad we made our trip to Europe for such a long time so that the period after adjustment made it worth going!

this month has included: waving, sitting up from laying down position, pulling up, standing with minimal support, "leaning" out....our girl is getting so big! love when she crinkles her nose to smile! :)

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2011-11-29T05:46:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas! And what I am most excited about this year is being in KANDERN (Germany) for Christmas! Couldn't think of a more special way to celebrate Sophia's 1st Christmas with us. Here are some Christmas pajamas getting us in the holiday spirit! Thanks Tiff!

*also notice who's standing on her own??*

I love the shot above, even though it is a phone pic

Getting her jammies all ready for Christmas morning!

Latest snapshots of our life the past week....

2011-11-22T06:56:00.001-08:00

HE'S HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sophia's cheeks must have hurt her the day he came home....her smile was ear to ear for hours!

It is good to have Eric home. After being back a week, he is finally starting to feel better. We are both relieved to have him feel like himself again.

Here are some pics of the latest in our world....

Look at that fun personality coming out! love it!

Meal time is messy and fun! finger painting or eating? sometimes its hard to tell. :) Here Sophia is having avocado and oranges for dinner while I cook. I love having her company in the kitchen!

Our little Miss up-and-ready-to-face-the-world. She usually wakes up happy from naps and nighttime...bright eyed and bushy tailed - all smiles that someone came to get her up ;)

One of the evenings I was still waiting for Eric to come home, I got to witness an absolutely beautiful sunset. Sophia and I just sat outside the bench enjoying God's gorgeous artwork. It was amazing how the colors progressed/changed by the minute...a wonderful reminder that God's mercies are new every morning.

Next up....we have two new skills....CLAPPING and STANDING! trying to get the clapping on video - she is so proud of herself (so are we!). We have so much to be thankful for!

Being "Mr. Shilling"...what a rigamarole

2011-11-13T17:48:00.000-08:00

So usually Eric and I remember to notify our bank when we are leaving the country so that when we go to use our debit card that the location is already in their system and doesn't automatically shut down our card account of fraudulent activity. Well, we forgot to do that this time so Eric called me today and asked that I would take care of it (since he has very limited international $ to call the US). That way, when/if he needs to use his debit card, he can do so without problem. This evening, I called the bank and the first representative asked me for my name, acct#, pin, etc. I gave it all to her and then explained the situation, that my husband was in India and would need access to our debit account. She told me that she couldn't discuss his card access because of confidentiality so he would need to call himself. EXCUSE ME?! did you just understand what I said? I am calling about MY HUSBAND for a JOINT ACCOUNT that we BOTH have equal access to. You basically just told my right ear that I need to hang up and dial back because you can only talk to my left ear. So Ridiculous. So I told her (I was in no mood to be messed with. Mama Bear is feisty tonight!) that I would be hanging up, calling back, and since I have all my husband's info, there was no way she could prove I wasn't him. Haha. SO THERE. I felt childish hearing myself tell her my plan but her response was even one step further. She actually had the gall to tell me that now she would recognize my voice and that I had already told her that I was "elizabeth" and not "eric" so my plan wouldn't work. As IF I would be directed to the same representative twice! (*sidenote: I've never had such a weird convo with a rep before) I responded sarcastically. "What, you are going to put a note on our account not to let someone calling in with a female voice have access despite having all the appropriate privacy info?" Why was I fighting with a customer service bank rep again? So I hung up and since my husband needed me to take care of it, dang it, I was going to do what I had to do! I called a second time and got a male rep - PERFECT. definitely not the same lady I had just talked to. I answered all the questions correctly; he was very friendly and polite, never questioning why my voice was an octave above the average male's. He filled out the appropriate travel form, so Eric has access to whatever funds he needs from our bank during the remainder of his trip.

At the end, the rep said, "Thank you for your business. Have a wonderful day Mrs. Shilling.....errr, Mr. Shilling"

HAHA now that made me smile. :) Will the real Mr. Eric Shilling please hurry home to me?

Missing Eric

2011-11-09T09:37:00.000-08:00

Eric is in India on a unique opportunity with Greensboro Day School. He has been gone one week and has one more week before he's home so we are officially halfway thru the two weeks.

We sure miss him in a big way!!!

Sophia and I have both had a cold this week, I think we are starting to come out on the other side. Last night was the worst night sleep-wise so far....felt like I had a newborn in the house again. She, pardon me, WE were up at least 5x. and at one point it was in half hr increments. sigh. nothing a good cup of coffee and prayer time couldn't fix this morning though. :)

The cats have been extra crazy with Eric gone too. Its like they know something is off and potentially are getting less attention than usual as I focus on little sweetie-pie 100%. Here is a picture of where Marzell started napping this week. Both cats slept in the crib before Sophia was born, but once she moved in, they were outta there! Now Marz is back...I think it's a jealousy sign. Of course Sophia thinks it's the BEST THING EVER to find a cat in her bed! haha she loves it and squeals/laughs, which is very effective at getting the cat OUT! :)

Here is some fun with Daddy just before he left. Makes me sooo thankful he doesn't travel often for work. I knew I would miss his help with Sophia since he is such a hands-on Dad, but what I am craving more than ever is his company during the evening after sweetie-pie goes to bed and it's time just the two of us have together. Looking forward to next Wed!

"Oh the fun things I do with Dad!"

9 Months!

2011-11-04T18:17:00.000-07:00

3/4 of the way to Sophia's 1st birthday?? WHAT?! I've been too busy to notice because she is at such a FUN age! Her personality emerges a little more every week and we love every bit of it! Even the whiny, whimpering for the object she wants but can't have (usually mouse, remote, keyboard, etc) because it means her brain is making connections and her communication center is up and running! Hopefully we'll be able to turn those whines into "please" and "thank you"s.... :)

*as previous post states, Sophia has 6 teeth in now...4 top, 2 bottom. she definitely knows how to use them! Has been "experimenting" a little with biting recently....I think to see what Mama & Daddy's reaction is going to be when she sinks her teeth into one of us. We are practicing our stern faces with a clear "no" - she gives us the biggest smile like 'wasn't that fun?' little stinker

*nurses 4 times during the day, about every 4 hrs. She is still getting up usually twice a night (only since the last month or two). I am not sure why all of a sudden she started doing that but I think partly she is distracted while she nurses during the day with everything going on around her so she makes up for it at night. She only gets up for 10-15 min and is still sleeping 12 hrs (6:30-6:30pm usually) so the mid-night cuddles are a short season that I will just enjoy while they last.

*Weighing 21 lbs and wearing 12 month, 12-18 month, and 18 month clothing. It is interesting because her weight doesn't "match" the clothing size. For instance, 18 month clothing is supposed to be 24.5-28 lbs but some things fit her perfectly. I have always said that her volume is greater than her mass. She definitely is starting to "thin out" because of the mobility increasing (don't worry, still plenty of rolls to go around) :)

*babbles alot....mamamama, BA! BA!, lalalala, sticks her tongue out, moves it side to side and makes noise...hilarious. Also something that resembles a combination of "tsk, tsk" and a chicken clucking....love when you imitate what she's doing, then she does it, then you do it, etc

*really high pitched squeaks and shrills, loves going back and forth with this too

*Still loving bath time. Has started something new that I am NOT thrilled about, but just part of the territory...Sophia gets really relaxed in there, lets it all out, so I get to handle a squirmy, slippery, wet baby while I scoop, then clean the tub of brown residue, and re-draw the water. not the best but Sophia isn't phased a bit....she is always confused why I interrupt bath time to drain and re-draw the water. loves to splash and is super laid back about water in her face...

*Has amazing belly laughs. She doesn't give them out "easily" so when she's really laughing hard it is the greatest gift to receive!

*Still loves music...random, but she breaks a huge smile out for "The hills are alive with the sound of music...."

*Down to two naps a day! (most days, every once in a while its still three naps) It has been GREAT for being more flexible to do things in terms of bigger blocks of awake time

*loving food still. recent favorites: cheese, sweet potato, cheerios, peaches, banana, avocado, zucchini/squash, and peas. She loves to feed herself peas one at a time! so cute. Pincher grasp is really good at this point! so thankful for this skill - don't take it for granted!

doesn't seem to like apricots. so far it's the only thing she has really refused every time I try it. guess we'll shelf it for down the road.

*even though she is on the move and is our little wiggle-worm who doesn't sit in one place for long, she still enjoys sitting in our laps to read books!

*separation anxiety starting....

*loves the great outdoors! favorites include walks and sitting in the grass, especially while Daddy plays her guitar music in the backyard

We love you so much, sweet pea!

Toothy Grin!

2011-11-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

Sophia has 5 1/2 teeth (6th one is technically in, just hasn't come down far yet)....she loves to show them off! These little choppers sure have come in handy food-wise!

*breastfeeding has taken an interesting turn with those top teeth in, but with only a few painful biting experiences (yowza!), we are so thankful to continue going strong with mama milk!

More Fall Fun

2011-10-27T07:21:00.001-07:00

We went to a farm (Razz and Tazz) that has some fun fall things for kids to do. In Sophia's case, her mission was to try to eat as much hay without Mom/Dad noticing. Boy did she love all that hay. As she gets older, I'm sure it will be even more fun, but we still enjoyed it this year too. The weather was perfect!

Eric and I took turns taking Sophia on this cow ride-train. We were cracking up how much enjoyment we got out of it! It dawned on me that things like THIS are exactly why kids grow up thinking their parents are dorks....because we are! :) But what can we say?! Holding Sophia while sitting in a cow car being pulled by a tractor was fun! :)

Walking buddy

2011-10-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

Sophia had a walking buddy today, her friend Zach. They enjoyed talking back and forth from their strollers and looked very cute all bundled up (it was 39 degrees out this morning!). I sure enjoyed my time with Zach's Mommy (Katie M) also. :)

Sophia looks more zoned than she was. Her little eyebrows look furrowed in worry, but she was maybe just sad Zach had to go into his own stroller rather than hanging out in hers. :)

What a joy and blessing these two are. Praising Jesus for them both.

Carving a pumpkin

2011-10-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

We got a pumpkin from the farmer's market yesterday. Eric carved it with Sophia's help. We had a lovely time enjoying the beautiful fall afternoon together.

Look out world - she's got eyes as beautiful as the ocean is deep...

Sophia wants to taste everything she touches these days....the pumpkin was of course no exception! :)

The finished product! Eric (& Soph) did a fantastic job! The inspiration to this year's design came from none other than our sweet pea herself. Can't you see the resemblance with the little buck teeth and comb-over hair style? :) Very adorable combo.

Halloween preview...

2011-10-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

so anyone who knows me should already be aware of the following about me:

-didn't celebrate Halloween growing up

-dislike the holiday in general

-extreme dislike for anything scary

that all being said, there is nothing cuter than an excuse to dress my girl up like a flower!

Fun times with Daddy

2011-10-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

I love seeing these two together!!

BEAUTIFUL weather!

2011-10-08T04:53:00.000-07:00

It has been so nice out the past couple of weeks. Fall is here and there is coolness in the air, but the sun still feels warm on your skin. Perfect weather really. Sophia enjoys being outside too!

Marzell & Sophia

2011-10-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

Marzell and Sophia have developed a sweet relationship. He tolerates her being near him and on occasion, even initiates attention by going over to sniff her and check out what she is doing. If she is crying, he often follows me into her room, like he is trying to figure out why she is upset (or maybe it's how to make the loud noise stop, I'm not sure which). Felix on the other hand doesn't seem to know she exists, nor does he care. Likewise, Sophia doesn't show much interest in him either.

Anyway, it is really cute to see her light up when Marzell is within arm's reach. She smiles really big and especially likes it when he rubs his tail in her face. It will be interesting to see what happens between them when she becomes mobile and can actually go after him....in these pics, she was playing on the couch and he came up to her (which made her day) and laid down next to her. Eventually she got a little too rowdy for him so he left, but it is sweet that he is proving much more tolerant than I expected him (or any cat) to be.

8 Months!

2011-10-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

Something is stealing my baby away from me right under my own eyes.....TIME! She is growing faster by the day and she is already 2/3 of the way to her 1st birthday ~CRAZY~

Oh what a joy each day is though! I feel like her personality is really coming out! The other day at the grocery store, I was letting her hold a box of cereal and she started chewing on the box. I gently took it out of her mouth and let her know that cardboard wasn't for eating. Since she refused to hold it without trying to make it into a snack, I put the box into the cart and said/signed, "all done". She LOST it on aisle 5 - I'm sure people 3 aisles over could hear her unhappy tears. TEARS! I actually had to smile because such a reaction could only be generated out of her brain working and processing...knowing what she wants when she wants it! Of course she didn't get the cereal box back, but after 30 seconds she decided her rattle was an ok substitute so the drama ended soon after it started. :) Oh I know that is only a taste for what is to come, but boy, the human brain is quite a marvelous thing!

*Sophia has rolling over (from tummy to back) DOWN. She has rolled from back to tummy but doesn't do it very often. Because she rolls easier from tummy to back than the other way around, she has still never gotten stuck in bed without being able to flip herself back over

*About a month ago, she started waking up in the night again. I don't know if it was brought on by a growth spurt, teething, or just to enjoy some warm milk & cuddle with Mom in the middle of the night...lately it has been just getting up once (a different time every night). Early on in parenthood, I remember that getting her to sleep through the night was such a HIGH priority. And while I do appreciate my sleep as much as everyone else, in the last month I have really been enjoying my middle-of-the-night nursing/cuddle sessions. She's only up for about 10-15 min. and in the quiet, dark room, she is soooo sweet. I've realized STTN is not the end-all goal and have cherished the sleepy girl calling out for me to come snuggle her even if it is 3 am.

*She now has 4 teeth - 2 bottom incisors, 1 top incisor, and 1 incisor lateral (right). The other top middle incisor is right under the gum

*LOVES movement...dancing with her in your arms, being thrown gently into the air, being whirled around in a circle...she will laugh and smile with glee!

*Still napping 3 times a day. that last nap is a quick 45 min cat nap usually naps around 8, 12, and 3:30

*Sophia loves her cousins and being in the church nursery....really just being around other kids! She always takes such good naps after church and after we visit Molly at school bc she is worn out from all the fun playtime

*She made her first sign - "milk"! Sooo fun to see her communicating

*She lost all her beautiful dark hair over the summer, but now it is starting to grow back in. It's still brown but much lighter than what she was born with

*She still loves to read and will sit very contently in your lap to look at books together. She likes to turn the pages and loves books with "touch-and-feel" features

*She has gotten good at transferring objects from one hand to another and examines the toys, shakes them, turns them around in her hand. She likes Eric's phone, the head lamp, my water bottles, her cloth rattle, pens, and the wireless keyboard/mouse especially. who needs "toys" when so many household items are so interesting to play with! Child-proofing still need to be done and probably soon!

*She is really trying to figure out how everything works and wants to touch EVERYthing I am touching or working on. If I am making Eric's a sandwich, she will grab the piece of bread and yank it out of my hand. If I am turning on the light in a room, she wants to try the light switch too. If I grab a pen to write a note, she will go for the pen and if that is out of reach, the paper. :)

*Sophia still loves bath time! She splashes herself in the face and it doesn't faze her at all. She kicks, splashes, and plays with her ducky and the Michigan cup I use for washing her hair

This is such an INTERACTIVE age and we are having so much fun with our love bug!

We love having a sweet little girl!

Sick day

2011-09-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

Sophia had a cold last week. Who knows where she picked it up but I suppose we are heading into cold/sick time of year. Hopefully she will continue to get those antibodies through nursing; we have been so thankful for how healthy she has been so far. She has since gotten over the cold and neither Eric nor I caught it.

Anyway, it was very sad to see how uncomfortable she was, I mean, who doesn't feel miserable when sick? We could hear her coughing at night to try to clear her stuffy/runny nose and felt bad we couldn't do more. She was up a lot through the night and it made me remember the newborn days. :) Humidifiers and saline drops only get you so far. She never had a fever so thankfully no doctor visit was necessary. One day I made homemade chicken soup and blended it up for her - she seemed to really like it!! Nothing better than hot soup on a day you feel lousy.

Anyway, she looked so pitiful, but still cute as ever.

So glad to have her back to her healthy, chipper self!

Peek-A-Boo play

2011-09-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

Sophia really loves the game of peek-a-boo. She hasn't figured out how to initiate it yet, but starts smiling/giggling the moment you start the game with her.

During lunch, I gave her the lid to her baby food freezer tray and since it is see through, she was figuring it out and enjoyed "hiding" behind it.

By far my favorite shot of the day -

Her sweetness keeps me smiling

Helping Mama in the kitchen

2011-09-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

My hope is that someday Love-bug is going to grow up and love to cook like her Mama! We are starting early, spending time in that room together! :)

As you can see, she is busy starting to familiarize herself with cookware and utensils...the orange Tupperware container is what I freeze her individual portions of baby food that I make. Today we froze a batch of steamed Sweet Potato-Zucchini-Red Pepper all from the farmer's market - yum!

Haircut

2011-09-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

I have a new look - one that takes 8 min to do in the morning and still somehow manages to fit back into a ponytail (with the help of a few bobby-pins). I am really happy with my new 'do! :)

Maria's visit!!

2011-09-14T07:07:00.001-07:00

Maria came to visit us this past weekend and of course the time came and went too quickly!! We had such a good time and I wish she could come over every day. Sophia needed no time warming up!

One of the best parts of the visit was our endeavour to re-create the dessert "Banana Spring Rolls" from PF Changs. It was a MAJOR success in every way!!! Wonton wrapped bananas with honey drizzled over them with pineapple-coconut ice cream....OH YEAH! We also created a delicious spinach-ricotta-tomato-pasta dinner that I will definitely make again soon. Food is so enjoyable with someone you love and especially with someone who also appreciates delicious food!

Thank you for coming Maria! The only thing I would have changed is to have cancelled your flight home indefinitely! :)

Love and miss you!

Michigan fan in the making...

2011-09-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

To my own demise, Sophia was exposed to her first football game last week (a whole 5 min of it). Eric boasts that it will be one of many....I beg to differ. Well, I guess we'll see in the years to come whether she turns out to be a natural fan or whether she turns out like her Mom, completely indifferent to the sport in every way, shape, and form. I will be trying to lure her into the kitchen to help me bake cookies instead. :)

For now, she looks pretty cute in the socks Uncle Chris bought her even THOUGH he is a Spartan, not a Wolverine...it's all the same Michigan family, right?

On behalf of the house in which I live....GO BLUE!

7 Months!

2011-09-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

Sophia is 7 months and loving life!

Our sweet pea is 7 months old. I say it every month, but the time is going by so quickly. We do not take even one day for granted with Sophia and I especially am so thankful to get to spend the whole day every day with her. I am thankful to have a hard-working husband who provides for us and for all of the wonderful blessings the Lord has given us.

This past month Sophia has learned so many new things!

*She is now sitting independently! She was sooo close for a long time, but now has a good sense of finding her balance and tips very rarely! I still have cushions or pillows nearby just in case

*She is scooting around on the floor! She lays on her back looking up at the ceiling and uses her feet to push herself across the floor....only moves one direction (Eric compares to her to a one-way track train) and can't see where she's going. Once she runs into something, she can't move anymore until we help her start over again

*Sophia twirls her toes and feet around CONSTANTLY. She looks like she is rolling her ankles and toes around to give them a good stretch. She also does it as a sign of excitement or consentration. :) It is REALLY cute.

*Still LOVING foods....esp. fruits & avocado but does well with the oatmeal/milk mush, tomato, potatoes, and squash. I need to incorporate more greens probably. She also loves bread but we don't give her it often. Mealtimes: when we do baby-led weaning approach and I let her feed herself, it is MESSY! but she has a ball trying to get the food into her mouth. When I spoon-feed her, I think she tolerates it even tho it isn't as "fun", because I am faster as getting food in her mouth than she is. Though we are working on the sign for "all done", she currently communicates not wanting more by blowing on the food/spoon as it comes near her mouth (or even better sometimes once the food is in there, she will blow it out). Another way she lets me know she's done is that she'll gag as if one more bite has sent her over the edge. Though we will keep working on the sign language, it is neat to see how she is beginning to communicate in her own way!

*She has so much fun in the Jumperoo - she would practically stay in there all day! When she is finally done/sick of it (which takes a while) it is really cute because she will start whining and making sad noises but just keeps on jumping away! as if she doesn't know how to make the ride stop :) apparently she doesn't realize she is in control of the jumping

*Rubs eyes and yawns when sleepy. Once I hand her Daisy (her pink giraffe lovey), she'll snuggle and rub it back and forth over her eyes or start sucking on part of the blanket. She is such a cuddle bug and I enjoy rocking her before naps (though she doesn't fall asleep until in her crib). Something she has just started doing is playing with my hair near my neck when she is being cuddled (face to face). She just touches it and plays with it when sleepy, doesn't pull it. I love to feel her little hands against the nape of my neck.

*Nurses about 5 times a day still, up at 6:30am ish and eats every 3 hrs until bedtime at 7:30pm ish. Still taking 3 naps

*two bottom teeth in, and one barely cutting through the top!

*likes to sleep on her side best but is usually curled up with Daisy whether on side or back. She has never rolled over to sleep on her tummy (YET). :)

*Still really loving books. Definitely has her favorites - "Moo, Baa, LaLaLa", "Dear Zoo", and "God Gave Us You"

*Still plays on her own well, on her back/tummy on the floor, in the exersaucer, jumperoo, bumbo, sitting up... and is patient for quite a while so I can clean, cook, fold laundry, etc

She is our happy girl who also brightens our days!

This is a funny new gritted teeth look....I think it is because the top gum is bothering her as the tooth is cutting through, but it makes for a cute facial expression :)

Here is the smile we love to see!

Three Videos

2011-08-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

Bath time - click HERE She sure loves splashing around! We do bath time every night to keep that yeasty neck clean and because its so fun!

Sitting up - HERE

And finally....the infamous JUMPEROO - click HERE.

The girl loves to jump! So much so...that we have to record her first sport injury! She jumps so happily and contently that I let her go as long as she wants to...well I noticed after a few days of having the jumperoo that she was developing a blister on one of her big toes - poor thing! too much fun jumping! we have been taking a little break from it to give her toe time to get better before going back to it. I have been putting socks on her when she jumps from now on as to avoid any more blisters... :)

So many other great videos, but I'll stop there for now. She is pure joy added to our days.

Guess who's sitting up??!

2011-08-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

Overnight she went from tipping all over the place and face planting after a few seconds to independently sitting up on her own! Crazy! Soooo fun to watch her learn how to find her balance!! Watching Sophia develop humbles me and makes me so thankful for many valuable skills that, until now, I have taken for granted. I know this is just the beginning of getting to watch so much energy, focus, and learning take place!

Katie & Luca visit

2011-08-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

This pretty much sums up how Sophia and I both feel about Katie & Luca coming to visit...HAPPY!!!

Sophia watches Luca so intently when he is around - he cracks her up (just like he cracks us all up!) In this pic, Luca was pushing Sophia in her swing - such a sweet big boy cousin! He also frequently would get toys for her and wanted us to intrepret what she was "saying" (very cute).

Sophia loves her Aunt Katie a LOT!

Having fun at the science center....

action shot! a little blurry!

Katie & Luca - thank you so much for coming!! We had such a great time! miss you already!

Red Pepper...yummm

2011-08-24T08:36:00.000-07:00

This girl loves food! She is truly a girl after my own heart. So far, everything I have tried has been met with open mouth. Oatmeal, avocado (she loves!), apple, pear, peach, broccoli, peas, banana, strawberry (loves!), potato, trying to think of anything else I've given her. Anyway, here she is enjoying a little red pepper...

She holds it in her hand and waves it back and forth like she is figuring it out before stuffing it back in her mouth. :)

*Disclaimer for any worriers out there: Mom is always on hand to intervene if she gnaws off too big of pieces...so far she has done really well!*

6 Months!

2011-08-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

Is my baby really halfway to her 1 year birthday already? REALLY?! Aiyayai!

*she eats 5 times a day - nurses very efficiently, usually only 6-12 min total. In the morning, after going 12 hrs since her last feeding, she eats a bit longer, usually 15-20 min total. She wakes up for the day around 6-7 am, eats every 3-3.5 hrs and goes to bed around 7-7:30 pm. Still sleeping beautifully through the night!

*Sophia is getting SO CLOSE at sitting up on her own...she can do it for 2-20 seconds, but is still pretty tippy and will face plant/fall sidewise without warning :) She will sit propped up for much longer and happily plays in that position

*Still sleeps on her back for naps & nighttime even though she can and has rolled over back to front, she doesn't choose to very often. She does sleep on her side a lot

*SO VERBAL - we love love her sounds, squeals, coos, babbles, jabbers, all of the above. Every once in a while, her babbling will sound like a word perfectly placed in response to us...yesterday when Eric was flying home, I said to her, 'Sophia, are you ready to go to the airport to pick up Daddy?' and I swear her response was 'yeah!' hah :)

*Her attitude when it comes to solid food? Can.not.get.enough! I'm not talking purees & baby oatmeal, she'll take a bit here or there of that stuff and make a yuck face, but actual solids (slice of peach, bite of banana, red pepper stick, gnawing on carrot, strawberry, you name it, she loves it) My goal is to incorporate more veggies, but so far everything I had given her, she goes to town. It is amazing how those two little bottom teeth come in handy! Also, she manages to suck all the juice and "pulp" off the fruit/veggie and leaves the peel. pretty cool.

*Wakes up happy (unless sitting in a dirty diaper) from naps and Eric and "fight" about who gets to get her up! She kicks her legs like crazy and grins ear to ear when she sees you!

*Sophia is so aware of everything around her...has grown to love watching dogs/cats in the room, wants to pet them, tries to touch/play with anything you are holding, of course everything goes to the mouth for her to taste. It is fun to watch her figure things out and concentrate so hard to learn different textures, feel, looks, color, etc.

*still my little cuddle-bug and sits so contently in my lap when I read her books or just want to cuddle. I hope she stays this way forever!

*Oh, and in the past 2 weeks, she lost most of her hair and is currently bald! It is so strange to see her this way since she has had a head full of dark hair from birth!

She is such a delight...see what I mean?

She found her bow....and decided she was done wearing it....

She's cute as a bald-y too :) Wonder what the hair growing in will look like....dark, light, wavy, straight? PS look at those TEETH!

Beauty

2011-08-08T12:13:00.000-07:00

Sophia has the tiniest, daintiest little feet...they are so cute.

look at that smirk! makes her look old to me somehow

the profile of an angel!

Rolls & rolls

2011-08-08T11:48:00.000-07:00

those little bottom teeth poking out...they are SHARP!

I love these thunder-thighs! So thankful for a healthy, growing girl!!

FENCE PROJECT

2011-07-26T06:11:00.001-07:00

It is complete! And boy does it look AWESOME! Eric and his Dad put in a lot of work last week...and it has really paid off!!! We hired a great guy off Craigslist to dig the posts (and whew! that was sooo worth it!) then Eric & Marty got to it putting up the boards. Debbie, my Dad, and I all jumped in various times to help as well.

Now we can look forward to Sophia having a fenced in yard as she grows...she can go in and out of the side door without us worrying, and who knows...maybe a pup is in our future? *clearing throat* Eric?

My garden is now protected from neighbor dogs, rabbits (maybe not entirely, but at least much more so!), deer, and various other intruders.

Here are some before, during, and after pics. Enjoy!

Eric's Bday Bash!

2011-07-26T06:00:00.001-07:00

We had fun celebrating Eric's birthday this month! It was the big 2-9....last year in his "twenties"!

We had a great day playing disc golf, eating tacos (Eric's all-time fav'), ice cream cake (another fav') and going to a Grasshopper's Baseball game. He lucked out landing his birthday on a Thursday this year....you know what that means....thirsty Thursdays of course! $1 & $2 draft beer at the ball game...we all got a taste! My Dad and Eric's good bud, Josh Morin, hooked him up with a beer in each hand before the game even started! It was SO fun to hang out with family, friends, enjoy a beautiful summer evening, and celebrate Eric's life!

Here's to another wonderful year!

My little laundry helper...

2011-07-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

BANANAS....YUM!

2011-07-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

Sophia has added a new food to her diet besides breastmilk! BANANAS! And she loves them! If she is gnawing on a piece and you take it away, look out! We are currently working on the sign "all done" so she knows what's coming... :)

In a couple of weeks, we will start introducing solids full-force and we are excited! She definitely shows interest....staring at others eating and will watch you take your food from the plate to your mouth. She has also starting chewing on the side of a cup and will actually drink some water from it! Granted half of it ends up on her bib, running down the side, but she is learning!

Visit to Florida

2011-07-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

Sophia took her first long road-trip this month! We drove 9 hours in the car, down to Jacksonville, FL for a Parrett side family get-together. Sophia got to meet her great-grandpa Parrett, DeDe, Aunt Sandy, Uncle Pepe, Aunt Kari, Megan & Joe, Jena, and of course spend more time with Uncle Donnie and Mimi & Pops. It was very special to have 4 generations together...next time we'll remember to take a picture of the whole group!

We had a blast staying with Aunt Sandy/Uncle Pepe and getting to hang out at Aunt Kari's beachside condo that she rented.

Ready for a game (or 68 games) of peek-a-boo...to stay entertained? :)

She continues to love her "daisy" cow lovie...so sweet.

getting her diaper changed and stretching out a little at a rest stop...she really did so well being content for the most time in her car seat! she didn't nap that much, but out of the 9 hrs, less than 1/2 - 1 hr was spent fussing/crying! we thought that was doing GREAT! She is at such a fun age, where she can really engage in being read books, playing peek-a-boo, being sung to, tickling, playing with a rattle or teether....she LOVES when someone sits in the back with her and keeps her company!

Meeting everyone was a little overwhelming...she was her usual sweet-dispositioned self, but a little more reserved that usual, just trying to take in all the new smells and surroundings away from home

Aunt Sandy getting some smiles while Jena was sweet to hold her

Meeting her great-grandpa Parrett! What a special memory! Before we know it, she'll be trading in that bikini for a snow suit and learning how to ski out in Colorado with her Great-Grandpa!

First time in the big pool! It was so fun; wish we had one to go to in NC!

Doing gymnastics....no, just kidding. Everyone was attempting to defy gravity and physics instead...

What a fun family to be part of and spend time with!

Celebrating 6 years!

2011-07-13T12:03:00.001-07:00

Eric and I celebrated 6 years of marriage on July 2nd....what a lot to rejoice over this year! My parents graciously babysat Sophia all day so that Eric and I could go on what we called our 'interval dating' (which meant going out to do things/eat but having to be home every 3 hours for Sophia to eat) :)

We started the day with breakfast at Ollie's bakery (YUM) and ate our croissants & coffee while playing disc golf. Then we came home, Sophia ate, we got cleaned up and then went to Proximity Hotel (Printworks Bistro) for lunch (MAJOR yum). Then we came home to feed Sophia. We were going to go back out so we could catch a movie matinee but the timing just wasn't lining up so we decided to go to a 9 pm showing since we knew Sophia would already be down for the night at that point. In order to prepare for our late night showing, Eric and I both took an afternoon nap, which was great! :) Then we had dinner with Mom & Dad, popped in the wedding video and reminisced about a fun wedding week. Both of us said though, for how fun the wedding was, the relaxing week in Mexico for the honeymoon definitely was what we would want to do again. Who needs to renew their vows when you can take a 2nd honeymoon?

Then off to the theater where we watched Transformers in 3D (very cool) and munched on popcorn. It was so fun to be out to a movie!

It was different than any other anniversary celebration but we had a blast and are so thankful as to WHY we didn't go away somewhere this year. We are so happy to have Sophia join the family we created 6 years ago and what we really started 9 years ago (when we started dating). We can't wait to see what the next year holds, but we can't imagine how the next 12 months could be any better than the last 12 months!

Here are some shots of our anniversaries over the years...

the day we became our own little family...

the dream honeymoon...who wouldn't want to go back HERE?!

celebrating 1 year in NY

2 years at the beach in FL

Hmm....I can't find our pics of 3rd year anniversary - we rented a beautiful cabin near Boone, NC. It was lovely.

4 years in Italy, Switzerland, Paris, Germany...that was another nice trip I'd like to re-create soon :)

celebrating 5 years at Grove Park Inn...technically Sophia was with us here :)

And here we are this year, out to go play disc golf! Eric, you are the love of my life and will always be so thankful for you!

5 Months!

2011-07-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

It feels like I am updating another month birthday every other day...it is crazy. Sophia is literally changing and learning before our eyes! I didn't think I would notice the growth as much since I see her every day but it is so apparent to me on a daily/ weekly basis just how big my baby is getting!

*One of our biggest milestones between 4-5 months has been cutting two bottom teeth! They are sharp!

*She is great at grabbing toys, hair, fingers, shirts, anything! and bringing them up to her mouth

*very aware! has become distracted while nursing...has to quiet or she will turn her head to pay attention to what is going on/sound rather than eating

*still sleeping through the night gloriously. (teething has thankfully not affected sleep or mood) we feel so blessed by her great sleep! still taking 3+ naps depending on the day...usually a morning and afternoon nap lasting 1.5 - 2.5 hr and then another 45 min cat nap to get her to bedtime

*we stopped swaddling before naps/bed on her 5 month birthday! she still loves to cuddle and be tucked close, but our double-swaddle "aka straight jacket" is no longer necessary...

*eats 5 times a day, usually 7a, 10:30a, 2p, 5p, and 7:30p at bedtime

*nothing sweeter than her laughter and giggles. loves zerberts and raspberries and thinks its HILARIOUS when you breathe like darth vadar :) no idea why but we do it for the joy of her giggling!

*blows raspberries A LOT and due to teething, drools like crazy. amazing she gets in enough fluids to produce that much drool!

*smiles and laughs when Eric plays guitar and sings to her

*starting to sit up on her own! still have the leaning tower of pisa thing going on so we have to stay very close, but she is getting stronger!

*continues to add new sounds and 'vocab' sounds all the time. currently pulls her mouth down like a platypus and says, "blar, blar, blar, blar" it is adorable. she has also said "mamamamama" twice! ah! the day is coming when she associates and knows me by name!

*with help can roll back to tummy and tummy to back but just isn't that interested in being mobile. would rather chew on a teething toy or her hands and stare at objects above her

*she found her feet! grabs her toes and pulls them up in the air

Sophia - you are joy to us every day! We can't get enough of you!

Playdate with Zach

2011-07-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

Sophia has a very special friend, Zach! We love him very much! They get to hang out a lot but we don't have many pictures of them together yet. Glad we took a few last week! Zach and Sophia have been destined to be good buddies....the Lord brought them into the world on the same day in the most amazing, unbelievable story of grace.

Also, it is so fun to see them both growing to be so healthy and *ahem* "sturdy". Zach and Sophia weigh about the same, both in the 90% percentile for their age and wearing 9-12 mo clothing as 5 month olds. I love it!! Two peas in a pod!

They were being so sweet sitting together, holding hands... :)

And one more because they are both just so darn cute!

Time with Dad

2011-06-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Sophia and I have been enjoying the summer...most of all because it means more time with Daddy! Eric continues to tutor throughout the summer but has a much more flexible schedule to be home with us! It is the time of year that I LOVE being married to a teacher! :)

Eric was being silly and Sophia's expression reads, 'uh, Mom, what is up with Dad?' it made us both laugh to look through the series of these pics...

saved the best for last...ahhh my heart!

Exersaucer Fun!

2011-06-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

It has been so neat to watch her figure out the different toys as she plays and starts putting more weight on her feet while she's in it.

Pool Party!

2011-06-29T09:21:00.001-07:00

It has been HOT hot hot here in Greensboro. Temps in the mid-upper 90s and it is only JUNE. We decided to get a little kiddie-pool so that Sophia could spend outside without suffering heat stroke! We got an umbrella also to keep her in the shade. It has been so fun! She wasn't sure what to think the first time she got in the water, but she soon relaxed and kicked her feet like she does during bath time.

loving those rolls! she was stylin' in a bikini...the only one she'll ever wear. ha

Sophia's Dedication

2011-06-21T17:58:00.000-07:00

Sophia was dedicated at our church on Sunday, which made for an even more special Father's Day celebration for Eric. It was such a great day. Sophia could not have timed her naps and eating throughout the day better. She took a nap before church, was perfectly awake and content during the dedication, fell asleep in the nursery, and then took great naps all day once we got home. What was really neat was having both sets of grandparents present as well as Josh/Meg & their kids. We had many good friends come to support us and join us in prayer over the dedication which we really appreciated so much! Even though we have dedicated Sophia to the Lord daily from the early days of pregnancy, it was special to do so publicly and give thanks to God for our sweet girl. We had family over for lunch afterwards to just hang out. It was a day that we will never forget and cherish always.

The verse we prayed over Sophia is Psalm 22:10 , "From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God." We pray every day for Sophia to know and love the Lord as her God. That He would be deeply routed in her heart from birth. O Lord may it be so! That our sweet one would know and delight in you!

** also fun tidbit, Sophia is wearing a dress that I wore as a baby too! I was a little older than 4.5 months when I fit me though... :)

Pastor Don praying over Sophia. We are so thankful for our blessing from God!!

Cutting TEETH!

2011-06-21T17:47:00.001-07:00

How is my 4.5 month old getting her first teeth already??!? I'm not ready for this!!!! I thought I'd have 6, 7, even 8 months before the first pearly tooth would make its appearance!!

Sophia has been such a trooper, just as delightful and sweet as always, with a very minimal amount of fussing. What HAS increased is her amount of drooling - she could practically swim in it! And everything, I mean EVERY thing, goes into her mouth these days to chew on, gnaw on, suck on, and taste. But oh the drool. so much drool. :) We are counting our lucky stars that we haven't encountered fever, inconsolable crying, interrupted sleep, and the other notoriously unfortunate teething symptoms. Sophia continues to amaze us at being the sweetest baby known to man! wow!

I have yet to capture a picture of the two teeth coming in (bottom front). One has cut through the gum and just has to come up and the other is still working its way through the gum (how has she not been more cranky? that sounds so ouchy!) it is hard to get a picture through all the drool and chewing :) will keep working on it...

AHhh...Sophia slow doooowwwnnnnn!!!!

Pops & Mimi visit!

2011-06-16T18:22:00.000-07:00

Eric's parents arrived on Tuesday night and got to meet Sophia for the first-time!! It has been so fun and special to have them here - Sophia has been enjoying them too! She has gotten to see them over Skype, but there is nothing like being together in person to do things like: giving a bath, changing a diaper (she is a lot of fun on the changing table), blowing bubbles together, reading a book snuggled up together...
They have already jumped in being ever so helpful, as usual - folding laundry, washing dishes, grocery shopping - its so nice!! We are looking forward to having more time together this summer.

Sophia's first "taste" of a teething ring....her face says, "oo that is cold! what the heck am I chewing on? do I like this?" :)

Pops & Sophia doing tummy time together :)

My little snuggle bug giving love. I'm so happy she loves to cuddle!!

Four month photo shoot outtakes...

2011-06-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

4 Months!

2011-06-12T05:48:00.000-07:00

These updates need to get back on track; we are already 10 days into her fourth month for goodness sake! Sophia's personality is definitely emerging and we LOVE it! She is so much fun! She is an interesting combo of her parents (usually happens that way, right?) in that she is laid back in some ways but has a streak of drama! She goes from 0 to 100 in irritation and it always takes me by surprise! She will be totally calm, cooing away, playing happily and then within a matter of 3 seconds she is DONE! I have a hard time not cracking up just because her switch gets flipped so quickly between being happy and being so DRAMATIC! It is pretty cute right now...not sure how it will play out as a teenager but we have a while before we have to think about that ;)

*She LOVES to laugh! and will smile at even the slightest encouragement....ahh, we love our happy girl! she is ticklish and lets out good belly laughs! she also laughs and smiles anytime Eric pulls out his guitar to sing to her and entertain her. makes daddy feel really good! :)

*Sleeps through the night, she goes to bed at 7:30-8 pm and sleeps until 6:15-6:45 am. so nice!

*Still eating great...and has some juicy thighs! we loves the rolls though and are thankful for such healthy growth! She is growing out of 6 month clothing into 6-9 month and 9 month sizes! She is hard to keep up with! :) She eats every 3 - 3 1/2 hrs during the day and usually gets in 5-6 feedings

*4-month check up stats:
Weight - 16 lbs 9 oz (90% percentile)
Length - 25 inches long (65% percentile)
Head circumference - 16 inches (30% percentile)
Good ol' Adams' genes in there....fat and happy with a little head! :) that's my girl!

*She has started SQUEALING/SHRIEKING out of the pure entertainment of listening to her own voice! It is really funny! She isn't upset (usually although see above) :), she just likes to exercise her ability to join the conversation. We definitely don't forget that she is with us! :)

*She stopped hating the car!!! yayy!! this is such a big relief! She doesn't mind riding, just looking out the window if she's awake, and if she's sleepy, she just dozes off! It is so nice!

*She still loves the bath and kicks around playfully (along with a few shrieks and laughs). We got her a kiddie pool to use as we have had 90 temps the last 2 weeks and it is only June. I think it will be a nice way to still be outside without any of us having a heat stroke! can't wait to try it soon

*she has recently discovered her own hands!! it is so cute. she holds them RIGHT in front of her eyes, so close sometimes she goes cross eyed trying to focus, and then brings them to her mouth to chew/suck on. like yes! these are mine!

*Sophia is constantly trying to sit up! It's so funny because it looks like she's doing an ab crunch or sit up! if you hold both hands and help her, she will use her tummy and lean forward until she is sitting up! I think she is ready to take in the world around her more than just from a laying-flat-on-her back position. She wants to see what else is going on!

*she is the HAPPIEST baby when she wakes up! both in the morning and after each nap (most times anyway), she gives us the biggest smiles and gets so excited that its time to get up! Eric and I jokingly fight over who gets to get her up because of how fun it is to be the first person she sees!

Sophia, we love you sweet thing! What a blessing you are!

It happens in a blink!

2011-06-12T05:24:00.000-07:00

This week I went to my niece, Molly's kindergarten graduation. It was so special to be there with Sophia, where we had enjoyed many weekly lunches together (Sophia got to experience those while she was still cooking away in my belly). Mol is getting so big! Annie & Owen are too.

While there, I heard a song called "Blink" (by Revive) and it fits how I am feeling these days so well!

The lyrics of the first verse and chorus:

Teach me to number my days
And count every moment before it slips away
Taking all the colors before they fade to gray
I don't want to miss even just a second more of this

It happens in a blink
It happens in a flash
It happens in the time it takes to look back
I try to hold on tight, but there's no stopping time
What is it I've done with my life
It happens in a blink (x2)

To listen to the whole song, click HERE

These moments and days are each so precious, we don't want to take even one for granted! I cherish every sweet snuggle when Sophia buries her face in my neck as she gets sleepy and closes her eyes in full contentment/security. Or the laughter and squeal over a simple fish face or blubber lips in our efforts to earn the delight of her entertainment. Even when her eyes are red-rimmed from being overtired/waking early from a nap, as I see crocodile tear streaks down her cheeks, it is indescribable to be the one she was hoping would come find her and rescue her from the isolation of her lonely crib. each day brings so many gifts. so many opportunities for joy, growth, humility, and the Lord's grace. I am on my knees daily for strength, wisdom, patience, and the supernatural ability for Eric and I to parent Sophia in the deepest of Love. She changes and grows every day; I don't want to miss any part of it. Because as we all know, 'it happens in a blink'!

Seattle part 2

2011-06-07T10:16:00.001-07:00

Popeye introduced beads to Sophia, she seemed to like them! :)

She loves her cousin, Luca! She is so entertained by him...we all are!!

We saw the most beautiful peacock at the zoo! God's creation is awe-inspiring! The colors were so vibrant...amazing that the bird has strong enough muscles to support it all!

Seattle

2011-06-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

old school bath tub in the kitchen sink! :) look at those rolls!

we went to a lovely tea to celebrate Mother's Day! it was delicious!

Silly Cat

2011-06-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

These pics of Felix crack me up. We have such a weird cat who LOVES boxes. They are by far his favorite thing over than food. He plays in them, sleeps in them, chews on the cardboard, hides out to ambush Marzell...boxes are so versatile in their entertainment for Felix. This was a narrow box I didn't think he would be able to fit in, but he proved me wrong. I'm not even sure how he "sat himself" in there, but he did look pretty cute hanging out like this...

Busy weeks!

2011-06-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

Time has felt fast-forwarded these past couple of weeks. Sophia and I went on our first big trip together - out to Seattle! I will post some of the pics we took; we had such a blast! It was so fun to see Luca, John, and Katie as well as getting some time with Popeye and Nana!

Eric is finishing up school this week, it always feels like each week gets crazier and crazier leading up to the end. I am looking forward to what a fun summer it is going to be together as a family!

Somebody's ticklish...

2011-05-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

You know you're a Mom when you shoot 30 pictures within a 2 minute time span and you think all of them are too good to delete... :)

Sophia rolled over!

2011-05-18T11:38:00.001-07:00

for the first time today!!!! I happened to have my camera handy and she was rolling sloowllly so I got some still shots. She kind of rolled halfway so she was sideways, paused, and then let her weight carry her the rest of the way onto her back. It was very exciting! :)

Hey Mom! Ready to be impressed? Watch this!

Ok, here I go!

Let's just pause a second to talk about how FUN this is!

And...drumroll.....TA DA!!

Let's do it again!

Strawberry Picking

2011-05-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

Last week Sophia and I went strawberry picking with our friends, Jessica & Clara. The weather was beautiful and the strawberries were PERFECT! Deliciously sweet and irresistably ripe. It was hard to pull ourselves away to leave because the berries were begging to be picked! Sophia took a nice nap in the Ergo the whole time we were there.

It has been fun to make yummy desserts (shortcake topped with sweetened cream, trifle made with homemade pound cake, etc), to put them in salads, and just to snack on them by the handful. Hopefully we'll go again soon!

Saturday morning run with Dad

2011-05-14T07:39:00.001-07:00

Here they are off for a morning jog! I am so proud of Eric for taking up running this year and doing so well! I got my jog in early this morning while Sophia took her first nap. My friend, Michelle, and I did 4 miles together! That is the farthest I have run in a long time and it felt great!

Sophia's Mobile!

2011-05-14T07:29:00.001-07:00

It is finished! Only took me a few weeks to finish...but I am proud of it and Sophia seems to like it. It was cost friendly and now that I've done one, it would be easy to adapt to any type of shape/colors. The lighting was weird since it was a cloudy day and didn't have much natural light coming in her window. I'll try to take some more pictures that turn out better but here is the idea of what it looks like!

View looking up....from Sophia's perspective...

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-09T11:28:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day. After a few years of Mother's Day being one of the harder days for me, this year it was such a joy to spend time marvelling at the sweet gift & privilege of being Sophia's Mom. The day started off with a sweet card and breakfast "from Sophia". It was a pumpkin cheesecake muffin from my favorite bakery in Greensboro (Ollie's). I also got to spend the afternoon putting in my veggie garden and the day ended with Eric & Sophia picking up our favorite Thai take-out so I didn't have to cook or clean up dinner.

The BEST gift Sophia got me though wasn't planned...she is such a sweet girl and picked the perfect day to start laughing! The little high pitched squeaks and squeals are so precious! I caught some of it on video but since I wasn't paying attention to the filming, it is a little off-center. What you can hear is more important than what you can see.

(*note: sorry about the stray breast pad laying on the couch...!) such is our life these days....

Click HERE to watch!...

3 Months!

2011-05-03T12:40:00.000-07:00

My baby is officially past "newborn" stages by all definitions. She turned 3 months old yesterday! Where does time go?

*Sophia still loves staring at the fan and lamps. :) It is so cute. She also really likes the mobile I made for her crib!! I was very proud of myself since I am not crafty. AT ALL. Eric kept laughing at all the silly questions I had as I put it together. I am very happy with the way it turned out though! When I showed it Sophia and said, 'what do you think of this, do you like it?' she smiled big at it! success!

*She is still a great eater! Still doesn't go for the bottle though...we'll keep trying! So thankful for a healthy milk supply and that she nurses so well

*She has fallen into a nap routine of a really long nap in the morning (usually around 2 1/2 hrs long!) then three more naps that are much shorter (45 min - 1 hr). By around 5, she is usually up a couple of hours before bed and then "crashes" for the night. Bedtime is between 7:15-7:45 pm.

*We cut out the "dreamfeed" (where I would feed her before I went to bed without waking her up) two days before she turned 3 months! Mama was a little sad since that was sweet time cuddling and it means she is growing up, but she just didn't seem to need it anymore. She is sleeping 9-11 hrs straight at night and then eats longer during the day at each of her feedings. She eats about 5-6 times a day.

*Her little hands are very grabby these days! ANYthing that comes into contact with them gets held onto with quite a strong grip! She has gotten Daddy's arm hair quite a few times! :) And Mama has to be just as careful with her longer hair, earrings, necklaces, etc. We are so thankful for that wonderful strength in her hands!

*She loves to suck/chew on her hands. She is still not a fan of the pacifier (I feel like she has an aversion to plastic nipple shape?) but loves to put fingers and her fist in her mouth. She has become a drool monster! And blowing spit bubbles are usually a telltale sign of someone getting sleepy!

*Sophia is still my little cuddle-bug and loves being held close and snuggled. She still loves the Ergo, Moby, and Seven sling....I think because she is rocked by movement and held tight. They are perfect for when we are out and about because she will still take a short nap in them.

*She is wearing 6 month clothes. :) Glad she is such a growing girl!

*Is on the CUSP of laughing....I can see it coming any day now!

We love you sweet pea!! I mean, who could resist with a face and personality like yours??!

Crazy Hair...

2011-05-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

Last night I gave Sophia her bath before bed. Normally I dry then smooth down her hair so it all faces forward in the same direction. Well last night she was getting really tired and impatient, so I was trying to hurry so I could just get her into bed for the night. I just dried it quickly (taking a soft dry cloth, I gently rub it back and forth on her head....its not like we need a blow-dryer to get all 20 hairs dry) but I didn't smooth it at all. I figured it probably wouldn't matter......

I was mistaken....

turns out that is an important step after all...

in case you are wondering, yes, it does still look like that after she slept on it 12 hrs. As you can see, she is still too cute, even with her hair sticking up all over :)

Molly-Moo is SIX!

2011-05-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

Eric, Sophia, and I all had fun going to Molly's "horse-themed" party last Saturday. It is so hard to believe she is already six years old! It is so special to get to be part of birthday parties and other special events in their lives. Sophia had fun hanging out with Owen while the girls were busy swinging at the pinata. It was such a nice day to hang out at the park to celebrate such a beloved, sweet niece! We love you Molly!

Weekend at the Lake

2011-05-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

Sophia spent her first two nights away from home and we all enjoyed the view of a beautiful lake with our friends. Their son, J, was born 10 days before Sophia at the same birthing center. It was fun to see them together and to be hanging out with another couple who is on the same taking-care-of-a-3-month-old schedule. Their daughter, N, entertained J & Sophia all weekend! :)

I didn't get any pictures of the lake, but it was very relaxing to be away for a few days. Sophia slept the longest record yet while we were there...12 hours straight. It was awesome. :)

Hanging in the jungle together...it was so cute, they are both in the stage of where they tend to grab and hold anything that came near, so often they would end up grabbing each others hands and holding them, haha.

PJ Time...

2011-04-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite times of the day is putting yummy-smelling lotion (Calendula smells so good!) on Soph and getting her into her PJs. Then we read, rock, sing, and pray together before she goes down for the night.

She looks so cute in her cozy PJs...these were given to her by Eric's math dept head, Trish. She has been really sweet in her excitement for us and turns out to have great taste in baby clothes!

I cannot resist the sneeze shot! Makes me smile every time! :)

Goodnight everyone!

Easter Dinner

2011-04-27T11:26:00.000-07:00

For Easter dinner, we went over to Josh & Meagan's house. They graciously invited us over for the 5th year in a row! I would say that grilled salmon dinner at Josh & Meg's on Easter has become a wonderful Greensboro tradition!

Their girls and Owen had a fun egg hunt in their backyard. Sophia watched and sat in grass for the first time! Meg took some great pictures of her! We had such a great time!

**Who can handle that bottom LIP??? Ahhhh....love her!

Easter 2011

2011-04-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

Our Savior LIVES! And we had a wonderful time celebrating the gift of LIFE this year! I felt like I related to Mary in a new way that I had never before - as a mother. To see her first born suffer and die before her eyes must have been the epitome of sadness and pain. We all recognize what a sacrifice it was for God (not that I am diminishing that by any means!) but we rarely talk about Mary's pain at Easter. Not that Jesus was hers to control, but it could not have been easy to watch it play out the way it did. Just as her pain as a mother was piercingly deep, can you imagine the JOY she felt when she saw Him in the flesh, that He was RISEN from the dead!! I can only imagine the tears of relief and joy she wept over seeing Him conquer death! And her prayers thanking God for His faithfulness with His promises.

Eric and I also spent some time thanking the Lord for His faithfulness and for all He has done in our lives.

Sophia looked adorable for her first Easter. She is already wearing 6 month clothing...this cute dress was given to her by my sweet cousin, Julie, up in MN. Because the dress is size '6 months', I thought it would be a dress she would wear in July, not in April! :) But it turned out to be the perfect dress for the occasion! Good thing NC has some great warm spring weather to wear these cute summer dresses! Easter was 80 degrees and beautiful this year!

I just had to have her wear a big white bow to church on Easter morning....we do live in the South after all!

Being Outside

2011-04-23T08:05:00.000-07:00

Sophia loves being outside whether it is on a walk, just taking in the fresh air, or in the jogger keeping Eric company on a run. It is so nice to be able to go to the park and for walks with a happy baby.

Here she is sitting outside with me while I hang up the diapers to dry in the sunshine.

It's so bright, Mom! I can't keep my eyes open!

Here we are headed out for a walk around the neighborhood on one of the warmer days we've had...mid-80s!

I love staring at those big beautiful pools of dark chocolate. We all knew she was destined to having brown eyes...turns out they complement her dark features perfectly. :)

My Pretty Girl

2011-04-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

Bumbo Seat

2011-04-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

Sophia has started using the bumbo! Crazy that our big girl is already "sitting up on her own" with support. She still has a big of the bobble-head going on but is really gaining good control of her neck!

SNEEZE!! I love it! Also, this is my husband's face when he sneezes too! She is a little mini-me of Eric! Makes me love her even more!

Well this is getting boring and I'm getting tired....WAIT....what did I just find?

OOOOooooo FAAAANNNNNN.......I love you, fan. I could stare at you all day!

Daddy's Girl...

2011-04-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

This chica sure loves her Dad!

Stuffed Zucchini

2011-04-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

It has been a LONG time since I've posted a recipe on here! But as I get back into meal planning and cooking, I thought I'd share a recipe that is a favorite in our house! It is easy and absolutely delicious! It's a great summer meal bc it's light and the perfect way to use abundant zucchini from the garden!

Stuffed Zucchini

1/2 cup quinoa

3-4 medium zucchini

1 15-oz can of white beans (I use Great Northern, could also use Cannellini or Navy)

1 c. grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered (I also just use reg. tomatoes chopped)

1/2 c. almonds, chopped (optional, we leave this out bc Eric doesn't love nuts)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3/4 c. grated Parmesan

3-4 Tbsp. olive oil

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a saucepan, combine the quinoa and 1 c. water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and water is absorbed, 12 to 15 min.

While the quinoa is cooking, cut the zucchini in half, lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Arrange in a large baking dish (I use 9x13), cut side up.

Fluff the quinoa and fold in the bean, tomatoes, almonds (if using), garlic, 1/2 c. of Parmesan, and 2 Tbsp. oil.

Spoon the mixture into the zucchini. Drizzle with the remaining 2 Tbsp. oil and 1/4 c. Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake until the zucchini is tender, 25-30 min. Remove the foil and bake until golden, 8-10 min.

ENJOY!! YUMMMMY

New Videos of Sophia

2011-04-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

Tummy time (near the end, she wasn't so happy about it) HERE

Cooing at me on the changing table HERE

Enjoy! :)

Growing Girl...

2011-04-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

Sophia is getting so long, she is growing right out of her outfits! She seems lean (other than in the cheeks, there is nothing lean about those rolls!) :) bc there is still room around the middle, but her legs are shooting out the bottom! I'm glad I have such cute clothes in the bigger sizes waiting for her or I would be really sad to "retire" some of my favorites so far! (I'm still sad, but this is what I am telling myself so I'm not TOO sad about how fast she's growing up already)

--insert Eric's eyes rolling when I start talking about how grown up she is already--

Ugh, Mom? Hello? Does this look like it's comfortable? What look are you trying to go for here...?
It's ok though, I'm still as happy as can be, even with my pants being too short! :)

Two Months!

2011-04-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

Time is flying and her two month birthday has already come and gone!

*Sophia is SMILING! a LOT! We love it! She lights up a whole room with her beautiful smile!

*She is also started to COO...so precious! She spends a lot of time "talking" to me while she is on the changing table...ahhh, oohhh? *gurgle* ahhh

I am trying (unsuccessfully) to get that sweet little voice on video to share!

*Sophia loves to stare at ceiling fans, lights, mobiles..she only has a mobile for her swing, not her crib, SO I am tackling a craft project (new for me!) to make her one! I'll post pics once it comes together

*She doesn't acknowledge the cats at all...they come up and sniff her, she could care less (and I think the cats feel the same way about her!) :) Someday they will be tempting, fluffy soft things to chase around, but right now, she is oblivious

*At two months is sleeping up to 8 hrs in one stretch at night! Usually goes to bed between 7-9 pm, wakes up once around 4 am, then gets up for the day around 6:30-7:30 am

*Her wake time after eating is still only about 45-50 min before she shows signs of sleepiness. For naps she gets swaddled, rocked, then laid in bed awake. For bedtime, she gets pjs, swaddled, rocked, sung to, prayed over, then laid in bed awake but hopefully very drowsy.

*Still liking the bath! Enjoys lotion massage afterwards when she isn't feeling cold! Throwing a blanket in the dryer to wrap her in after always makes her happy!

*Getting better in the car! Still not a huge fan of the car seat, but she is starting to fall asleep in it which makes it SO much easier for me to do errands/grocery shop

*She is very tolerant and loves to be held by others! She will happily be passed person to person and just stare up at new faces, taking it all in! Usually makes for a good nap afterwards :)

We love you, sweet girl!

THRUSH!

2011-04-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

Well I think Sophia and I are FINALLY saying goodbye to all our thrush/yeast infection problems! (hopefully forever!)

I started seeing symptoms and realizing what they meant and now, FIVE WEEKS LATER, after multiple types of treatment, oral meds, probiotics, creams, drops, pills, diet changes, many MANY loads of laundry in hot water to kill the yeast, we are both finally showing signs of improvement! We are taming the beast back! So so so so so happy for both of us!

Mama & Sophia

2011-04-01T08:03:00.001-07:00

I feel like the luckiest Mama in the world spending my days with my sweet baby girl. She loves the Moby Wrap, being all tucked in and held close. It is hard to get pictures with us together...didn't think I would continue the mirror shots like I used in pregnancy, but its the only way to take them so we are both in it!

And here is an adorable after bath time shot! I love Sophia in this cute bunny towel!