Month 20: Apples, finger paints, haircuts and more!

At 20 months, Sophia is acting much more like a toddler - drawing, jumping, dancing and yes, also throwing tantrums. This is no surprise to most. Sophia has a BIG personality, so when she is happy, she is HAPPY and when she is mad, she is MAD. And when she wants a cracker, there is no stopping her. Cracker, cracker, cracker... she will go on all day, until she gets what she wants.
I am still writing down her new words, but it is getting harder and harder to keep track since she is repeating new things by the day. This month though she has really picked up on some of her friends' names - Ryan, Zachary, Tommy, Riley/Rylee, Leah and of course Oscar and Grover from Sesame street. She even has called her Daddy Nick, which is pretty humorous. Other favorite words this month are: back pack, bible, happy, amen, yes, balloon, cake and beans. She actually loves reading her Children's bible (this month anyway) which is why she has picked up some of these words. And I almost forgot -- BOOTS! Here are some highlights from this fun filled fall month.


Nick's Birthday:

Nick had his 35th birthday on Sept 28th. I made a rice crispy cake upon request. Although Sophia is in her high chair here, by the end of month, she wants nothing to do with it. She now sits at her booster seat at the table.



Fun fall playgroups:

We went apple picking at a farm this month and it was so much fun to see the kids actually picking (and eating) the apples, watching the animals and running around. It was a beautiful day, almost 70 degrees.

Sophia has been too afraid of the carousel up until this month. She thoroughly enjoyed the ride at the mall with her friend Leah.

You will see a theme this month and that is Sophia's BOOTS! She loves to put them on and wear them everywhere.

Walking into "school" Sophia gave the kids in the picture a big high five!

This month was Sophia's First finger painting experience. She learned to dab, dab, dab and has been saying it ever since -- with paint, glue, crayons... you name it.

Ahh, playscape. I forgot about this place. An indoor play area where the kids can run around everywhere and not get into trouble. A must for the winter time!

It was still warm enough to meet up at the park for slides, more apples and running around.

We went on a hayride to a local pumpkin patch and Sophia was not scared one bit. Last year, she would cry everytime she came near a pumpkin. Aww, she IS growing up.

Sophia surprisingly has very good balance. She was able to stand on this cylinder for quite some time. This was her first gymnastics class and it proved to be a real challenge (for me having to run around after her). I think it will be a great activity for the winter session.

We attending a fall BBQ which was so much fun. Sophia is the youngest one here, but she does well keeping up with the older crowd.

More BOOTS! This time she has my boots on. Sophia loves to play dress up. I think she will like Halloween this year.

Back to playscape with some of the working moms on a holiday Monday.

Sophia will turn anything into a hat. Her Dora slippers complete the outfit.

Everytime we go to the children's museum, Sophia runs to this particular water table. Now she can finally reach it.

Sophia's music class is really cute. She is such a good helper putting away the blanket, but she always wants to stand up and get right in the teacher's face... She is learning.

We went to another indoor play area with friends and they literally tore the place up! Sophia stayed clear from any of the inflatable toys -- she still has a fear of those bouncy houses.

Sophia has quite a few boyfriends among the older crowd.

Another fun day at the park. No, this is not a jail that we put them in!

Family Time:

We had a fun BBQ at Simon's this month where Pete's band played and Sophia got to dance.

Sophia is so amused by Nick's security badge. .this is all we need to get her for Christmas for hrs of entertainment.

Grammy's birthday and the anniversary of her passing was this month. Sophia left a flower for her... We miss you Mom, but know that your spirit is with us always.

Nick planted a new tree to replace the one that we took down and also created a beautiful fall garden.

We met up with Nick after he finished unloading pumpkins at church. She was a bit skeptical at first, but she soon warmed up to them.

Sophia is sneaking around the corner to find her friend Chuck.

Nick and I had our golf tournament on Oct 1st and we raised over $12k for lung cancer research. Sophia stayed at home with my mom, but I got a chance to play with Kim and Lisa.

We went to visit Great Grandma Nell in the hospital earlier this month and Sophia gave her big kisses. Feel better soon Grandma!

Sophia and Elmo enjoyed their first trip to Colony pizza! She did great in the restaurant while we waited for the food (it is not a fast place).

Our old church celebrated its 150 yr anniversary this month and we had a chance to visit with friends.

Snow in October! It is hard to tell here, but we had our first snowy day. Hopefully this is not the beginning of a long winter.

Sophia is starting her karate training early, or is it ballet?

Nick and I had our first overnight trip to a wedding without Sophia. We had a very nice time, but of course we missed the boo.


First Haircut:

Sophia loves going to the salon. She did so great sitting for her first (complimentary) haircut. It only took 15 minutes since she doesn't have much hair to cut. I have a feeling her and I will have a lot of fun at mommy-daughter day at the spa. Sorry Nick,

Month 19: First flight and final days of summer

At 19 months, Sophia is learning more and more everyday. She has lots of new random words including: car, yeah, up, broccoli, banana, Amy, Ernie, More, bird, boat, sit, Choo-choo and chicken. She added sheep to her list of animal noises and "drives the car" when we are walking in the stroller. She also signs when she is hungry, which is really helpful to both of us. She is such a smiley and happy girl and such a joy to be around. Here are some highlights from 19 months:


Trip to Colorado

I took Sophia on her first flight to Colorado to visit my Dad this summer. We flew with the Siscas and had such a crazy adventure. I will never forget the comments from the people on the plane, the car stalling or almost running out of gas. After 12 hrs door to door, we finally arrived..

We had a wonderful visit. The weather was beautiful and we got a chance to swim, hike and visit a few farmer's markets and outdoor concerts. Sophia adapted quickly to the time change and had a ball playing with my Dad and Babbie. We discovered that she loves mardis gras beads and broccoli, not to mention Dad's famous BBQ chicken. Here are some pics from the trip:

Beads, beads and more beads please

Once she discovered that the cabinets opened, she would sneak in and look for fun toys to play with. She was really good about looking to me for approval for what she could play with. She would leave the glassware and take out a plastic measuring cup knowing that it was ok.
Just like her mommy and grandpa, Soph loves her broccoli.

There was a fun pool and playground nearby, perfect for little ones.

We enjoyed two outdoor concerts while we were in Colorado where Soph got a chance to run around and strut her stuff.

We took two hikes where the sites were really impressive.

One last farmer's market for some fresh kale before we go.

Bye Grandpa! We had a great time. Looking forward to our next visit.

In the meantime, we will keep in touch on the computer.

Playing Outside

We have been enjoying the outdoors this month while the weather is still nice. Every chance we get we run to the park. I think this is still Soph's favorite equipment at the park. Her least favorite is the swings, where she only lasts about 30 seconds.Soph is definitely Mama's girl and loves the beach.

We enjoyed a few more warm days at the end of the summer with Soph's summer romance, new Will (sorry old Will -- you will always be her first boy friend in playgroup).

We had a nice hike to a nearby lake with some of the kids from mom's club. Even after living here five years, we are still exploring new areas.

Happy Labor Day! With a few of the moms going back to work, our (very first) Friday playgroup is no longer happening. We had one last big get together before school starts (they are all teachers) and we still get together on the weekends or evenings during the school year.

We played at Casey's house and then enjoyed a little bit of the labor day parade, where Sophia danced of course.

We had a couple other mom's club town activities this month, trying to enjoy the nice weather as much as possible.

We went out to sushi with Ali & Layla and the kids behaved great. The trick is the chop sticks! I think I will keep a pair in my bag for an emergency toy.

Playing at home

Sophia has learned to give big kisses. Now with flu season approaching, we have to teach her to air kiss on the cheek.

Soph has a new game called "hat," which I do not like very much at all. All of her dishes are easily turned into a hat and food is spilled all over her head.

Soph had Noa over for a playdate and she was so happy to share all of her toys and food with someone other than teddy.

Playing dress up is Sophia's new favorite game. Forget peek-a-boo... give this girl a hat (any hat will do) and some big shoes, and the kid is set for entertainment.

Soph gave her Daddy an early birthday present-- A new watch band. Not very exciting for 35 yrs, but that is what he wanted (We got him a few other things later too).

Out and About

We celebrated my friend's (former career coach) birthday this month with a wonderful dinner at a nearby restaurant. At the party, she asked her family & friends to give to her 3 favorite charities instead of giving her a birthday present. The Randy Cappiello Foundation was one of those charities and we were honored to be a part of such a special and generous occasion.

We attended a little goodbye party for my cousin Kara who left for the Peace Corps this month. She will be in Africa for over 2 yrs. Good luck on this incredible journey!

We got together this month with Kerrie and Shawn. Thanks to Shmers' mom for letting us wreak havoc in their house. I can't believe how big the kids are getting..left to right is youngest to oldest, but as they get older, it is harder to tell!

Off to a BBQ with our backpack and of course, Elmo.

Pre-nursery School

Soph on her first day of "school"

Sophie started a "magical" pre-nursery school class where the mommies (or Daddies) go with the kids to play, do a craft project, learn about different colors or animals each week in "circle time" and enjoy a snack. Sophie loved the class right away and is picking up new things all the time. When the bell rings for circle time, she is the first one there waiting for the fun to begin...and when class is over she can hardly contain herself waiting for the gift (she knows it is a balloon). We are both enjoying this structured and fun time together.

At the end of this month, it was time for pumpkins to arrive already. I can hardly believe it, but Halloween will be just around the corner now. Stay tuned for more favorite fall activities!

Month 18: Wow, 1 1/2 years old!

This was a big month for Sophie turning 18 months old. We had her doctor's appointment and she is still in the 75th percentile for weight (25.8 lbs) and height (31 3/4 inches -- hmm, she shrank from her last appt--- where they actually incorrectly measured her).

Soph is such a toddler now and has new words every day. This month she learned: blueberry, Elmo, water (wah wah), baby (bebe), avocado, beep beep, oh no, night night, fishy, cracker, glasses, hat and book. She amazes me every day with alll the things she is learning to do. She can pick the correct fruit from her shopping basket when I ask her to bring it to me. She seems to understand so much more now. She is also running and jumping and full of energy. So of course, I am exhausted, but have found lots of ways to entertain her this summer. Check out the highlights below..



Family and Friends time:

Great Grandma Penny (GGP) came to visit for a few days after staying with Nick's cousin Rebecca. Thanks for the Little People Happy Home - Sophia loves to play with it!

We spent a nice morning at the beach with GGP, where Soph loves to play in the water and on the little jungle gym in the back. She likes to drink out of real water bottles now.

Nick had some time off so we went to the mall where Sophia is now very comfortable playing in the germ pit (public play area) and can go on the slide all by herself. We also spent a VERY HOT afternoon at the zoo and got the VIP treatment from Nick's niece who works there. See GGP on the carousel looking very amused in the 95 degree weather.

Chuck came over for a visit and then we had a BBQ with GGP and family. Nick made a new fabs potato salad without mayo that will be his new signature dish for BBQs.

We went to a few concerts in the park this year and had fun during the children's program and listening to the bands. Soph loves to dance to the music.

We brought Sophia to her first baseball game. It was too bad that it was 95 degrees outside and our seats were in the sun. We made the most of it and spent some time in the gift shop and walking around. I think Soph may be a cheerleader for Halloween since she loved playing with these pom poms.

Our friends Erin, Scott and Jack came for an overnight visit. Soph loved having a new buddy in the house. Thanks for the Little People bus!

Udette and George also came for an overnight visit. We went to the concert in the park and then Soph and I went into the city for a day of play with Kerrie and had lunch with Udette and Krissy. Thanks for the visit Udette - Soph loves her new clothes!

Chris, Lina and Bella came over for sushi one night. Bella is one year older than Soph - it was fun to see what Sophia will be like a year from now. From what I can tell, she will entertain herself more and eat less.

Uncle Pete was visiting this month all the way from China. We spent the afternoon all together at Great Grandma Nell's house. Soph's second cousins are 31/2 and 7 months. It was fun watching them all interact.

Grandma was over for a visit too and played outside. Soph's new favorite food is raisins, only organic of course.

Summer Playgroups:

The gang spent a lot of time at Mother Goose this summer. And we got a chance to see Will one more time before he moved to Boston.

Sophia learned to blow bubbles at a 2nd birthday party playgroup - ok, she mainly ate them and spilled them on the floor.

The aquarium was lots more fun at this age now that they can run around and appreciate the animals up close. Watch out for that monster turtle!

We spent a few rainy days at the mall on the rides. Sophia was a little territorial regarding her space ship. She certainly has no problem sticking up for herself. This month she also pushed an older boy out of the way because he was taking too long to go down the slide at the mall.

We had lots of adventures at different parks around town. Yes, we did sneak into this one park before it opened (why would a park open at noon anyway??). Hopefully this is the last time the girls are seen behind bars.

Soph also had some fun on new toys at Shannon's house while the mommies discussed some business.

We had another trip to our favorite Children's Museum where Sophia got to make her own bubbles.

We went to a fair in town and Sophia got her first face painting, but on her arm. She rubbed it off about an hour later.

Soph rocked her 80s surfer girl outfit all summer at various beaches around town with her friends. She is so happy to see them now that she will give hugs and kisses and they actually are starting to play together now (not just side by side).

Here is Sophia puckering up for a big kiss!

Soph also made a new friend this summer, another Will. They had fun at the beach and at the mall (on the carosuel and train) on their first chaparoned date. he he.

Soph enjoyed playgroup at a real Kindergarden classroom. She had fun with Riley and Pike, playing in the kitchen and having a tea party.

Soph loves accessories. She is such a girl with her sunglasses.


I only booked one class this summer since we could spend so much time outside. This picture sums up her Sign and Sing class. Soph was a crazy girl running around everywhere. She did manage to pick up a few signs (more and food).

That is all for Soph's 18 months! Summer is ending fast and school is starting soon - Soph will be in a Mommy and Me Two's program. Many of her mommy friends are going back to work, but we will make an effort to see them any chance we can...

Month 17: Summer vacation and beach time

The summer is flying by and Soph is now 17 months. Her vocabulary is starting to expand with a few more words such as bubbles, ball, apple and cheese. Yes, those are a few of her favorite things. ..She is also saying more animals sounds (cow, horse, duck, pig, monkey) and can immitate dance moves in songs (wheels on the bus and happy and you know it). It is really enjoyable to watch her learning something new everyday. .

Here are some highlights from month 17:


SUMMER VACATION:


Great Grandma Ginny was in town for our family reunion and we all got together to celebrate my cousin's graduation and my other cousin going into the Peace Corp. It was a great party.


The next week we all went away on our annual family reunion. Thanks to Great Grandma Ginny and Bill for a wonderful trip. Here are some pictures from our summer vacation week:




We celebrated Bill, Denny and Pam's Birthdays and Sophia stayed up way past her bedtime. She was a real trooper that night. ..every night after that though, she crashed early to make up for it.

Happy Fourth of July!! We celebrated with trumpets in the morning, a parade and fireworks at night.

Sophia ate A LOT of fruit on our trip. Her favorite was watermelon, as you can see...

Sophia loves the beach. It was much more enjoyable for me as well this year. She is able to play on her own in the sand.

Sophia enjoyed running around the amazing gardens.

We got in quite a few hikes to the top of the mountain this year since Soph was up so early in the morning, and there was no food available before 7am. We even climbed up the watchtower this year....Don't look down Nick!

When given a choice, Soph will now prefer to drink out of my water bottle as opposed to her sippy.

Walking up and down stairs was a major activity this year.

She also learned to twirl by watching an older girl.

Of course we had to take group photos in our matching reunion t-shirts.

We had a little wine tasting at a local winery (not a vineyard).

Striking a pose for the camera!

Bye-bye Mohonk! See you next year....

Sophia now climbs on the couch to play. She took a few head first dives, but now seems to be able to get OFF the couch as well.

FAMILY AND FRIENDS GATHERING:

A visit with Grandma (who had great success putting Soph to bed) and a mom's night out for me!

Sophia had her first trip to the city for Ryan's 2nd birthday party! Alex was there and looks almost as big as Soph and he is 4 months younger. We had a great time Ker, and thanks for the goodies.

Aunt Regina had a super 50th birthday bash where Soph made 3 outfit changes for swimming, raquet ball and bed...a great time was had by all, though I was a bit exhausted after all that changing.

Happy Birthday Aunt Krissy! We celebrated with a yummy family dinner and new hair styles!

Soph and I had a fun day at the beach visiting the newly wed Karen. After a HUGE downpour, we managed to salvage the day by relaxing on Beer Island. That last pic is a pure Nick face.

PLAYDATES:

Sophie had a fun time strawberry picking and then playing in her sandbox with Layla.

Our first playgroup at the beach....if you're happy and you know it, shout hurray!

After the beach...she put the sunglasses on herself and then passed out!

July brought 2 trips to the Children's Museum where Soph learned a ton. First she went with Ryan where she brushed teeth, said "ball" and enjoyed opening and closing this little door a million times. Then we went back with our playgroup and Soph learned to read and climb up a slide.

We saw Will at Mother Goose and had a few more laughs before it was time for him and Melissa to move out of town...

Unfortunately, Will's last playgroup at the farmer's market brought him to tears. We will miss you Will!

We went to a fair in town where Soph got to play instruments, see a horse and feed the goats (even though she decided to put the food outside the gate).

More fun with Noa at Mother Goose at the library, at the park and finally at the toy store (where we just window shopped, even though it was hard to resist this baby carriage).

Sophia has learned many of the Mother Goose songs and now dances with her friend Leah.

We are having a great summer so far, and there is only more fun to come!

Month 16: Camping, Father's Day, Dancing and Fun!

At 16 months, Sophia has turned into this little girlie girl, playing with necklaces and pocket books over trucks or balls. She is pretty independent and will play for a long time on her own, but she is also really social and likes to be the center of attention at any party. When she wants something like food or rest or change of scenery, she will definitely let us know with some major screeching or a full out rolling on the floor temper tantrum. But that is what makes Sophie, Sophie...



AT 16 months Sophia:

• is climbing in and out of small chairs
• climbing on to the couch without assistance
• has 15 teeth
• is catching (sometimes) when you throw a stuffed animal to her
• loves to boogie, especially the chicken dance
• says Uh oh, Dada, Mama (rarely), NO, teeth, shoes and I think she is saying other things that I can't decipher yet
• REALLY enjoys playing drums, "driving" her toy car and wearing Daddy's baseball hat

Here are some highlights from Month 16:

At home:

Sophia loves to dance. When she hears a familiar song, she will start to bop and do the chicken dance





Playing the "drums" is also one of her favorite things to do at this age







Sophia cannot get enough of her little car. She sits in there and pretends to drive, honks the horn, even grabs her snacks and brings them in there to eat.







Sophia actually found a hat that she can tolerate wearing. .Daddy's baseball cap!







She also LOVES to help her Daddy update his fantasy baseball teams on the laptop.

Sophia can eat with a spoon and her bowl now, although it is still very messy. I have also found that if I keep putting the spoons on the high chair with food on them already, she will pick them up and eat from them.







Grandma visiting this month and playing with the musical toys .

And Chuck came for a visit too for the start of the summer Dexter's chili burger.

Nothing beats playtime with Daddy.

Even finding a place to sit where you are not supposed to is not nearly as fun.

Merry Christmas in June! Yeah, Sophia's First Christmas 2008 ornament from Lenox finally arrived, having been on back order for 6 months. She loved it so much that all she wanted to do was play with it. Thanks Jennifer & Rob for making Christmas come back for a day...you are right, it was actually EARLY since it was supposed to come in July!

Father's Day:

Sophia wished her Daddy a Happy Father's Day early by giving him a movie he couldn't wait another day to see. Fan Boys -- of course he loved it since it is about Star Wars fans trying to break into Sky Walker Ranch.

Pop pop came over for a Father's Day BBQ and Sophia enjoyed extra playtime with her Daddy too. And Happy Father's Day to Grandpa in Colorado!

Camping:

We had quite a camping experience this month. Ok, we actually slept in Ali's cabin while everyone else slept in tents, but we still ate smores by the fire, so it is camping.

On the way to the cabin, we taped Sophia saying one of her first and now favorite words, NO. I guess she learned that from hearing me, but I am going to try to explain things rather than use that word as much so I can save it for something really important.

When we arrived, we had to put on the music and boogie. Sophia started to perfect her chicken dance.



Then it was time to cool off in the pool.

Here are all the babies on with their Daddies (and Jodi since they have twins) before we went on a fun and tiring hike.

After the hike, Sophia had her first whole apple and loved it since it was also entertainment for her.

Dinner time brought more singing and dancing before the babies went to bed and all the grown ups got to party! We had such a great time.



Playgroup Friends:



Playgroup at Pike's house was a blast. Sophia had so much fun driving the boat and playing with all the other outdoor toys that she had to take a rest on this chair for a bit.

Sophia with all her friends at an indoor playspace that was supposed to "completely change our world," but it was just OK.

We also went to the Stepping Stones museum which actually did change our world. The toddler section and water room are perfect for their age. The outdoor playground was also loaded with fun toys.

The summer concerts in the park started up again and we all went for some pizza beforehand.

We spent a nice Sat afternoon at the park with Leah. Since Randie will be off work in the summer, we are looking forward to more days like this soon.

We went to the zoo this month

One Friday playgroup we found a new park to play in with a jungle gym that was the perfect size for toddlers.

Sophia loves any kind of toy that she can sit on.

Sophia and her friends at another children's museum. She is just like her Daddy and doesn't like when other people drive.

We went to a music demo this month as well. She was not happy until Amy showed up. She ran over to her and spent the entire class in her lap.

Sophia used to be scared of the big drum but now she really likes it.

So that is all for month 16. We had a lot of activities and there will be even more this summer as we enjoy the nice weather.

Month 15: Walking, chairs, trips and more

At Sophia's 15 month doctor's appointment she weighed 24 1/4 lbs and measured in the 90th percentile for height at 32 1/4 inches. .out of nowhere, she is going to be tall, right? Wrong. We measured her at home and turns out she is barely 30 inches. . .there is not much accuracy in these measurements at the doctor's office. Anyway, she is doing great this month:

-walking everywhere, with rarely a crawl or butt scoot in site
-chattering up a storm, with barely a word that is understood
-loving her Daddy and saying his name constantly
-happy as always, blowing kisses, smiling all the time and making funny faces and sounds to make people laugh

Below are some highlights from month 15:

Mother's Day: Happy Mother's Day (to me) and Grandma too! Sophia bought me a small vacuum specifically for her cheerios mess. Thanks booba! We spent some time outside in the garden remembering Grammy and then went off to my mom's house for a little CPK celebration with Aunt Krissy.

Out and about:

While Grandpa was here, we made a trip to see Great Grandma Nell. Sophia had fun with her fam and playing with the animal farm toys. She has learned where her mouth and nose are!

The beautiful spring weather brought the start of many trips to the park...

..and to the beach! We got all excited that the weather was 75 or so and ran to the beach in early May. wooha, it was freezing cold! It didn't stop Layla the beach bunny from having a good time.

Casey hosted a special Boden playgroup. Sophia enjoyed the toys while I got to shop (Don't worry about my budget Nick, I ended up having to return everything).

Sophia went to her first tea party, where we took some pictures for Janelle & Melissa to remember their CT playgroup friends.

We then traveled all around town taking more fun pictures. Thanks Casey for such great shots!

Music class now consists of Sophia running around the room and becoming distracted by things like this colorful picture where she loves pointing at the policewoman (future job perhaps?)

We made it out to an actual restaurant this month. Sophia did really well, but we did eat super fast and it was 5:30pm.

Sophia and Layla had fun shopping at Trader Joes.

Trip to the Zoo:
Some of the mommies and babies took advantage of a beautiful free day at the zoo.

After the zoo, Sophia's hair was so oily from sunscreen that she could easily sport a mohawk.

Trip to Old Saybrook beach:

A few mommies and babies took a trip to Old Saybrook to enjoy the beach, nice weather and have a relaxing time for two nights...ok, so it wasn't that relaxing chasing babies, but at least we got to do it together and at the beach! Here are some pics from the trip:

Sophia had a great time playing on Noa's train.

Sophia loves hanging at the beach just like her mommy and Grammy. It is like a giant sandbox. She had a ball.

Who's hat and sippy cup is that Sophia??? Not yours! Everyone shared everything on the trip.

Yes, I did cover Sophia up in an 80s retro wet suit while the cool kids wore pretty bathing suits. When you look back on this in 10 yrs, don't hate me honey, I didn't want you to burn!

Sophia always liked to sit & bop, but her dancing is improving now that she stands.

Yes, we kept making the babies take group pictures. But Jodi, aren't you glad!

Playtime at home:

Look at those teeth! Sophia's canines started breaking through this month. She is now at 13 teeth. And yes, she will not keep a bib on so it is a constant battle with the stain remover.

Visiting with Grandma on a nice day, which was still a bit chilly for May..

Climbing into chairs and sitting and playing is Sophia's favorite thing to do this month. Too bad she still topples over, ouch!

Sophia can't get enough of this zebra spinning toy, and she likes to say weeeeeee all the time.

Sophia has a fun sandbox outside. She prefers to stand outside of it and play, which works for me since she doesn't get sand all over her.

We took some pictures in the garden, Nick's masterpiece.

Parties:

Our Friday playgroup got together at my house for a farewell BBQ for Janelle & Rylee and Melissa & Will who are both moving out of state. They will be missed dearly!

Sophia finally got to meet my friend Jennifer at Liz's BBQ. Somehow she managed to turn Sophia into a Met fan for a day, but don't worry as soon as we got in the car, we put on a recap of the Yankees victory!

We went to Angel & Carmen's engagement party and Sophia was a trooper. We had her up until 9:30pm and she had a ball, cruising the dancefloor and playing with her new doll- Thanks Emily!

Sophia's first Daddy & Daughter dance. how sweet!

That is all for month 15. My little pooper is certainly becoming a little toddler- full of energy and lots of giggles and babble. She has a lot of exploring to do and wants to get into everything. This is going to be a fun fun summer!

Month 14: All grown up?

Ok, maybe not ALL grown up, but I don't really consider Sophia a baby anymore. She is walking, rolling balls, stacking blocks and communicating in her own way.

By her 14 month birthday, Sophia is:

• Walking more than crawling, but not all the time


• Stacking 3-4 blocks


• Using the shape sorter correctly


• Rolling and throwing balls


• A social butterfly


• Saying Hi and Bye with meaning


• Waving and clapping constantly
  

Here are some highlights from month 14.


Easter celebrations:

Sophia and Rylee visited the Easter bunny who was conveniently just hanging out at the mall one day. Unfortunately, it was a disturbing experience for everyone. I was even a little scared.

Sophia woke up Easter morning to find that the Easter bunny was actually nice and had brought quite a few presents. He went a little overboard this year, but it was a lot of fun to see her eyes light up at her new Little People toys, fluffy bunny and photo album.

It was Grandma's birthday on Easter as well. Sophia gave her a little photo album.

Aunt Krissy also came over to play

We also celebrated Pop pop's birthday which was 2 weeks ago

Sophia enjoyed opening more gifts and playing with everyone..

Playing at home this month:

Sophia had 2 colds, 1 ear infection and a stomach bug this month. SO we had a lot of quality time playing at home. Here Sophie is wearing mommy's new shirt around the house.

On a gloomy day, there is nothing more fun than looking at rain fall on the deck...

Well maybe watching TV is more fun. And we sure watched a lot this month while she was sick.

Grandma came over to visit and watch Sophia while I got a day to go out.

Just like mommy and Daddy, Sophia likes to take a break from the long day and lounge

Sophia's first word is officially Hi- if that counts as a word

Sophia can now throw balls...

and can stack 3 or 4 blocks at a time. Wow!

She has also learned to take her bib off. I had been so impressed by this Baby Bjorn bib that she could not take off because it does not have Velcro. Oh well, foiled again!

Playing hide and seek is still a favorite in this house...

...but we also have a new game of watching the baby doll walk. It always gets a good laugh.

Our friend Chuck did some work on the deck this month and Sophie spent the entire time staring at him our the window, mesmerized by the carpentry skills.

Sophia is doing a lot more walking this month. By the end of the month, she seemed really confident that she can walk across the room on her own. She still falls down though, so I am thinking of investing in some knee pads.

Grandpa and Babbie came to visit at the end of the month. Congrats on their engagement! It was a beautiful weekend of 80 degree weather. Here we are waiting outside for them to arrive and then the next day walking around the "block," or as they say in CT, down the "street."

Hanging out with her playgroup friends this month:


Sophia was in a race at Layla's house and actually won, which just goes to show you how fast she can be with her butt scoot when she wants her mommy. I am sure Maddie would have won using her walking skills if she was going the right direction.

Then we took some pics inside and outside in the nice weather

We went to the park one day. Layla showed off her new glasses and we went down the big kid slide, which Sophia did not love. She is a little apprehensive about moving fast and furiously (unless she is trying to get to mommy). I do not think she will be a race car driver.

We did a music demo this month, which was fun. Sophie's favorite part involved scarves.

We did go to a fun indoor playspace on this one rainy day. The kids had a ball playing with all the fun toys. The "roller coaster" was a bit scary for Sophia and we found out (twice) that she really hates ball pits for some reason.

Ana hosted a playgroup one week before Easter and we had a fun activity where the kids tried to draw a picture but ended up just eating crayons.. so we went to the playroom and Sophia had a ball with all the fun toys.

We spent a nice Friday at the park again where everyone shared a little pizza crust.

Next we played in the sand with trucks and shovels.

Sophia did not love the tire swing, but she hung in there for a few seconds.

She liked the big slide a lot more this time. Amy's trick is key to pull them up so their feet dont get stuck.

Out and about during month 14:

Sophia went to her very first hockey game and had a great time. I thought she would be antsy, but she was mesmerized by the hockey puck going back and forth, the tiger mascot and all the cheering.

We also went to Brooklyn this month to drive Kristin home and visit with Karen, Lucia and her new baby Violeta. I forget how little newborns are and she was just too cute. We went to the park and got a chance to play outside before the long drive back.



We continued with music class this month - again playing with scarves is probably her favorite part. By her last class this month, she was loving class and walking all over the place!

Luckily, Sophia was sick during the rainy days of the month. We had some incredible summer weather on her 14 month birthday, which also happened to be her third cousin Amanda's 9th birthday and my friend Kerrie's (30 something) bday. Happy bday everyone!

Daddy managed to get Sophia to wear her (my) big hat.


Grumpy or just hot?

Now there's a smile!

A little hula hooping outside leads to..

cooling off inside with Amanda and baby Christian

Next we made it to another BBQ where we ran into Craig and Christina and their new baby Leyton. Wow, he is almost 3 months already- what a big boy!

Sophia played on all the fun toys at the party - what a treat! Unfortunately, the Red Sox scored a run and Sophie started crying so we had to make a quick exit. Happy 14 months - you will always be my little boo!