Miss Sophia Randilyn

Birthday princess for one more day

2010-02-27T18:17:00.000-08:00

Happy 2nd birthday Sophia! We had a party at the rec center for her playgroup friends and some family members. There was a bouncy house and lots of ride on toys for the kids to play with. Sophia has a wonderful time. Thanks for all the great gifts and fun memories everyone! And thanks to Nick's cousin Ann Marie for the yummy cakes! Here are some pictures from the party:

Sophie being Sophie:

Friends:

The afterparty:

Grandma and Sophia's godparents came back to the house after the party and watched Sophia open a few gifts. She was completely exhausted and practically fell asleep opening them, but she was also really excited. We kept the party going with Sophia opening a few of her gifts each day that week. It was so much fun to see her so happy. Thanks everyone for making it a special day (and week)!

2 years: Happy Birthday Sophia!

2010-02-25T09:48:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe 2 years have passed already. It seems like it went so quickly and yet I feel like Sophia has always been in our lives. Our family is truly blessed. I am so thankful as well for having met such great mommy friends to spend this time watching our kids grow older together.
This month we have been getting ready for Sophia's birthday. She has been having her good and bad days, but she is mostly happy to be out and about playing with friends and going to her classes. She is acting more and more like a big girl - using the potty most days, counting, drinking from a cup without a top and communicating her needs much better, which means less tantrums :) She also has some new interests: Dora the Explorer (a.k.a. Dori), playing with her dollhouse, Barbie (yes, already), Rocky training scenes (Nick's influence) and you guessed it STAR WARS. She actually knows all the names of the characters including difficult ones to say, like Boba fett. Here are some highlights from this month leading up to her birthday...

Sophia enjoying the French story time at the bookstore. As you can see, I decided to cut her bangs myself. They got really short as I tried to straighten them for the 3rd time.

We took a demo gymnastics class, which was so exhausting because you have to run around after the kids. We had a lot of fun though. I think it will be better when she is 3 yrs. old.

Sophia learned lots of new tricks in the class and has been "practicing" at home.

Nick took Sophia on the carousel at the mall. When we first tried to take her, she would only sit in the chair and then finally she said yes to the horse that doesn't move, and now she loves the moving horse. Now every time we go to the mall, it involves a ride on the horsey.

We had a busy weekend with two birthday parties in one day. Sophia did great with only a quick nap in the car before Leyton's birthday.

And then it was off to see Noa, the first birthday girl from my original Mommy group.

Sophia had lots of fun with her friends and pretending she was a photographer.

Sophia and Layla being silly at open gym

I am such a wimp in the cold weather that this is only the 2nd time I took Sophia to play in the snow even though it has snowed all month long. She must be a wimp too because she did not want to even stand in it. We only lasted about 5 minutes before calling it a day. It may be that it was too close to nap time, but I think I will wait until the weather warms up to play outside again.

MOMS Club had a cute Valentine's Day party this month and Sophia danced, ate a lot of cake and then got into trouble with Layla. They ripped half the table cloth off. It was all in good fun though.

Happy Valentine's Day from Grandma! Sophia really enjoyed her Chewbacca card. She learned all the characters from Nick showing her his card collection. She is getting hooked... It is starting to happen..stay tuned.

Sophia went through a phase this month where she wants to clean. She will take a wipe and clean off all her toys. Unfortunately, I have heard this does not last long. Too bad, I thought I could get her to vacuum next.

My uncles were in town this month from Florida and China. It was fun to catch up and great that my grandmother felt well enough to come to the apartment from the medical center where she has been for the last few months.

I went to a baby shower one weekend, while Nick took Sophia to another party. Happy Birthday Maddie! We really have a celebration every weekend this month, which is fun. I do wonder if she will be surprised when April comes and there is no more pizza and cake on any given Saturday. When I returned Sophia had watched Star Wars with Nick. I thought we would wait another year but Sophia has definitely shown interest and is not scared of the fighting scenes. Is this really happening? Is she becoming a major fan of Star Wars?

Nick has also introduced Sophia to a few training scenes from the Rocky movies. She loves to watch them and even act them out.

Sophia is still very girly and really enjoys her new dress up clothes that she received for her birthday and even adds her own accessories to the mix with a tutu and snow hat.

Sophia also discovered Barbie this month. A neighbor had given her a book about Barbie being a maid of honor at a wedding and when we went into Toys R US with her Grandpa, she was very excited to see all the Barbies. We tried to get her to pick one of the "career" Barbies, but Sophia wanted this mermaid barbie with tatoos and pink hair.

Now she takes her Barbie everywhere and even gives her rides on toys.

Sophia has been practicing her counting skills. While she can get to like 14, she does still skip a few numbers. I find it very entertaining.

More Star Wars! She is definitely a fan. I just hope she doesn't want to start collecting action figures like her father.

Welcome baby Joey/ JJ/ JR! Ali had a surprise little boy on the 21st. Such a cutie!

Sophia's birthday was a lot of fun. It took her awhile to understand that it was her day, but then she loved all the attention...
At school, she dressed up like Snow White..

and got hugs from her prince, Tommy..

.. and then changed outfits before the class sang to her.

Sophia loved being a birthday princess for a day and eating her favorite foods - avocado, pizza and of course, cake. Happy 2nd birthday my sweet!

I can't believe I have been blogging for 2 years now. I am going to change the format again to a more sporadic blogging when there is something new and exciting to report, like her birthday party. Stay tuned!

Month 23: It's Party Time

2010-01-25T16:35:00.000-08:00

Sophia is a month away from turning two and I must say, I am exhausted. She is so full of energy and is so sassy. Her personality is exploding and it is really a lot of fun. .. at times. I am a little low on pictures this month - partly because I am getting lazy, but also because Soph has entered the tantrum stage where pics become harder and harder. She wants what she wants, when she wants it. I have learned that ignoring can help. We are experimenting with quiet time in the corner when she is acting up and needs to vent. It seems to help. What really helps though, is socializing. Sophia is a social butterfly. She craves attention and loves to play with her buddies, classmates, family, even strangers.

Here are some pics from her 23rd month.

Christmas celebrations continued at Aunt Mary Ann's house. The kiddos got together by the tree for a picture while the two teenagers decided they were too cool to be included.

Our old Friday playgroup got together for a holiday party at Ana's house again this year. Last year we missed it due to a stomach bug, but luckily this year, we have all been fairly healthy so far. The kids loved dancing and playing ring around the rosy. Sophia can name all of her friends and asks every morning who we are going to see that day. She LOVES to socialize.

Happy New Year! We celebrated 2010 in our usual style by hanging with our friends and Sophie's "godbrother." Paul is 6 now and Sophia adores him. She follows him around and copies his every move. It was interesting to see. We had Fun Fun Fun eating chili and watching The Hangover - most hilarious movie of the year.

Ryan's birthday party was this month and Sophia had a ball playing with all the fire truck toys. She doesn't really care about boy vs. girl toys, she likes it all..

See, I let Sophia eat sweets every once in awhile - even though she said cake cake cake for days afterwards.

Sophia started a music class with her friend Leah, who we don't get to see too often because her mama works. Sophia is OBSESSED with her and the two of them just giggled and played together the entire class.
Look at that bling! Sophia still loves her accessories and loves to eat pasta. I needed Amy that night to get out the stains, but it was worth it to see her digging in.

Sophia always enjoys a trip to the play center in the mall. Well, she usually enjoys it. This day she kept running out, but I did manage to get a few cute shots with her friend Ryan.

Sophia attended a gymnastics party this month and really enjoyed the rings and balance beam. We are probably waiting another few months to start her in a class because it is still a bit advanced for her age. And let's face it, she really just loves to dance the most and she gets that in music class.

Grandma and Nick's cousin Rebecca came over for dinner this month. Thanks Rebecca for all the Christmas gifts! Sophia also showed her new love for the monkey she used to be afraid of...

School was out and so we headed to the Children's museum with friends who are usually working. The kids had so much fun together as usual. Since I don't get to see them as often, it is so much fun to watch how they have grown.

Sophia used to be afraid of this drum, but after ANOTHER free music class, she loves it now.

Sophia is actually pretty sporty for a girlie girl. She pretends to play basketball...

and here she shows her batting stance.

and a little tumbling move.

followed by ice cream to celebrate Tyler's 5th birthday!

Sophia's got skills...baseball skills...

and putting on jewelry skills... She is also getting better at identifying colors and can count to 12 (sort of, she skips 4 and 7) and she can say her ABC's (well A B C...E....N....Z), but she is learning.
Can't wait for her 2nd birthday next month- stay tuned!

Month 22: Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T16:47:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Sophia had a ball this year.

All dressed up and waiting for Santa....

Santa came early and brought Sophia a present!

Christmas Eve dinner was delicious.

Sophia loved her presents but also wearing all the different hats.

Sophia had a fun Christmas, but she was burned out by the end of it. I think she loved mommy's new snuggie the best. Now it's time for me to wear it. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Month 22: Santa is on his way...Part 1

2009-12-23T12:12:00.000-08:00

What a fun month for Sophie. It starts out on Thanksgiving, where every year we put up the tree and ends on Christmas day, with lots of presents. We packed a lot in this month-- a few visits with Santa, lots of parties and good times. Sophia has really enjoyed this time of year and has all sorts of new words from it - Santa, snow, snowman, angel, Mary. I actually stopped counting since we reached 100 words and now she repeats just about anything. It is still two word phrases like All done, All clean, It's Over. She is also saying verbs this month -- running, walking, coming, going, kicking, cooking. Oh, she is starting to use the potty about once a day, so of course she has all the words that go along with that activity (no need to spell them out here). I absolutely love this age (with the exception of the word MINE being used all the time), but I think I say that every month. ..

Putting up the tree on Thanksgiving. ..and then finding out how much fun it is to play under the dining room table.

Off to Playscape -the only place where Sophia can ride a pink tractor and then dance around in a tutu.

Pop pop came over for some leftovers. Soph can now say his name, and it is different from my Dad who is Papa, which is very cute.

More pics in front of the tree, which Soph thoroughly enjoyed. We played the Charlie Brown ornament over and over and over..

We went with my mom to a winter street festival. So fun- we even saw Elmo!

We also saw a real reindeer

Sophia had fun running through the streets all crazy. Luckily, it was a nice warm day.

Soph went to her first garage party at her friend Noa's place. Along with Pike, the 3 kids had a blast.

Sophia bops in the car ALL the time. I am in the garage so you can't really see, but I thought this was too funny.

Sophia had a nice visit with her Great Grandma Nell. Soph started off in a bad mood, but she soon warmed up to her surroundings, and wanted to sit on the bed and play. Hope you feel better soon Grandma!

We took a trip to the mall to start our Christmas shopping with Sophie and managed to actually buy a few things in between the carousel ride and playing in the "germ pit."

I made the mistake of waiting in line for an hour at Breakfast with Santa. Sophia was fine the entire time (ate a bagel, tried to open all the fake gifts) until we got to the front of the line. She didn't want anything to do with Santa up close! Luckily I was all dressed up to be in the picture, yeah right, at least I wore red...

So I tried again with Santa and she had to keep her distance. Lucky for us, Mrs. Claus appeared. Now she was ok to hang out with. Must be Santa's beard that is so scary!

All of our decorations brought quite a laugh this year.

Soph at a birthday party having fun with her Daddy.

We went to a birthday breakfast party this month, which was a lot of fun. We were even able to get a good shot of all the kids watching a Christmas movie. You may start seeing a theme as we try to get group pictures taken.

Sophia put on a big show at her Grandmother's trimming the tree party at work. All the residents got a big kick out of watching her put ornaments on the tree.

We went to a little gymnastics/ music holiday party, which was a lot of fun. Soph is great at the balance beam.

Open gym continues to be a big hit in the cold weather months. We get to try all sorts of new toys.

Sophia learned her name this month. Her first present arrived (thanks Jennifer and Rob!) and she had so much fun unwrapping it that she wanted to do it all over again.

This reminds me of the story of Nick saving his money to buy bonds at the age of 4. Soph is well on her way. She loves to put money in her piggy bank.

Our first real snowstorm was a big hit. We went sledding in the front yard. Soph wanted to stay outside forever. I bailed early and left her to go walking with her daddy.
After I made her make a snow angel first.. see how happy she is!

My Aunt Julie and the gang came over to celebrate Christmas. We had fun playing by the tree. Soph got her first Tickle Me Elmo, which she LOVES. Thank you!

I watched Leah for 2 days and Soph was so happy to have a friend over. The first day, the girls were inseparable --giggling, holding hands and then dancing in the car.

The 2nd day was a bit more challenging and they fought over toys at the house. They are such girls! Once again, Open Gym saved me. Sophia even learned how to go backwards on the big kid tricycle.

This kids were mesmerized by Rudolph at our cookie swap playgroup.

...but Tommy was still able to make his move.

We went out for dinner to celebrate festivus. Nick got to experience Soph enjoying her edamame and BIG cup.

To be continued on Christmas Eve...

Month 21: "Kicking" off the season with Halloween

2009-11-25T20:18:00.000-08:00

Sophia loves this time of year and the weather this month was so beautiful- we had many chances to continue to play outside. At 21 months, Soph's vocabulary is expanding everyday. She is talking in two word phrases now -- "it's Daddy" or "a ball." Here are some of her new words this month: bread, block, nice, bad, milk, marker, clock, wheel, oh boy, cookie, bath, pop, rocky, spoon, fork, please, raisins, nut, snack, pepper, phone, papa, kriseeen, Paul, sophie, kick.
Along with her kicking skills, Sophia has become really good at throwing balls, stacking blocks & towards the end of the month has become obsessed with cups. She continues to be a good eater, eating almost anything I give her. Here are some highlights from month 21:

Out and About with friends:

We took a trip to a farm this month. After seeing all the animals and playing in the mud, Soph needed a break and then was off to play on the tractor.

At the mall, Soph has become more at ease on the carousel. She will now hang on (for dear life) by herself.

Mother Goose at the library continues to be a big hit this fall and Soph gets a chance to hang out with friends afterwards.

Computers start early with these kids - they probably already know more than me!

Halloween:

Soph had a blast as a Yankees cheerleader and the timing couldn't have been more perfect. Go Yankees!

On Halloween Sophia wore her outdoor costume even though it was about 65 degrees. Oops, I forgot the face paint. She had fun trick or treating this year (even though I didn't let her eat any candy :)
Nick carved some incredible pumpkins this year after having spent two months setting up a pumpkin patch at church, unloading, moving and cleaning up. He is the pumpkin man!

Soph attended a 2nd birthday party for Kayla (only 50 more to go!). She had a blast at Gymboree.

The Children's museum is always fun. Soph and her friend Layla discovered that they can scoop water out with those boats. Soph was soaked from head to toe after this. Hence, the outfit change for "bike riding"

Another birthday party... I let Soph eat cake, see I am not so bad. Yes, it was organic and whole grain :)

Another thing we are a fan of this fall is Open Gym at the rec center. There is a huge gym where the kids can run around and lots of toys to play with.

Soph enjoys going to story time at the local bookstore. She runs around the store with this magnifying glass, but occasionally she pays attention to the story.

At home with family and friends:

Soph has been a pro at stacking her blocks!

Soph has decided to call my Dad "Papa," so that is how I will refer to him now. Papa came for a visit and we had fun playing at home.

Great Grandma Nell is in the medical center now, so we went to visit. Soph ran all around the place into people's rooms and everything. Luckily, everyone wanted to see her and she brought smiles to everyone's face, including my Grandma's.

Nick's aunt and cousins were in town visiting their sick Grandma. It was wonderful to get together with them. Thank you for the gifts for Sophia (she is much less scared of that monkey now)!

Paul came over for a tea party with Soph (and the men) while the moms got a chance to go to the spa. ahh, so relaxing.

My mom came over for a visit at the end of the month, so Nick and I could start our Christmas shopping early. Soph always has fun with her Grandma who let her play with her glasses.

Soph had a play date with Noa while her mom went to school. Layla also came over for a visit. The kids played a hilarious game of hide and seek.

Soph is getting into the holiday spirit. With Thanksgiving tomorrow, she is picking out the gifts she wants for Christmas. The conversations we have make me smile.

Somehow, somewhere, Sophie learned to kick..maybe from kicking me on the changing table??

Ok, I am sold. Our next class is gymnastics and then karate as soon as she is able to go..

I am writing this on Thanksgiving, so HAPPY THANKSGIVING to everyone! I am so thankful for all of the blessings in my life, especially my wonderful happy family and friends who bring me joy every day.

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

2009-10-25T07:01:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-25T14:39:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-08-25T17:51:00.001-07:00

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

2009-07-25T18:06:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-06-25T06:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-04-25T19:20:00.000-07:00

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!

Month 13: Pointing and partying

2009-03-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe a month has flown by and Sophia is 13 months. She is now:

walking when she feels up to it, but still prefers to crawl or do the butt scoot

eating everything in site, but LOVES pasta, bread and is addicted to crackers

throwing all her food off the high chair to indicate she is DONE

finally enjoying a cupcake when it is someone else's birthday and even wore a party hat

loving to stack cups, build and put things in containers and take them out

really enjoying reading books, particularly upside down

"speaking" lots of babble, but no words yet

pointing to things she wants -- refrigerator when she wants milk, toaster for toast and cupboard for of course her crackers

drinking only cow's milk and really likes it

always hanging her tongue out of her mouth

loving to play her favorite games- cozy baby, drumming and peek-a-boo (always a classic)

rolling a ball (sort of)

watching her Little People dvd almost every day (she points to the tv to request it)

Highlights from MONTH 13...

More First Birthday Parties:

We celebrated Rylee's First Birthday!

Sophia actually wore a party hat...

..and enjoyed her cupcake with Noa

unfortunately, Rylee did not enjoy hers.

Next we celebrated Leah's First Birthday!

Sophia had a great time with her friends and all the musical things to do. Nice theme mommy!

Next up was Will's birthday bash...

...where Sophia almost kept a bow in her hair for 5 seconds.

And then Pike, Olivia, Syd and Sophia ALL turned ONE on St. Patty's Day.

Olivia and Syd loved their cupcakes and hats.

...while Pike and Noa went to town on the chocolate cupcakes

Sophia enjoyed playing with new toys and stayed clean that day while mommy ate her cupcake for her.

Layla turned ONE and Sophia turned 13 months at the "newcomers" playgroup, but her party is still to come later this week.

Out and About:

Hanging out (her tongue) with Andrew at music class

Sophia picked out her birthday present from Jennifer & Rob at Toys R Us. Thank you, she had a blast ...

and loves her new remote control and musical tea set that she got to pick out herself

We decided to go hiking because the weather was getting warmer..unfortunately, we picked the coldest day of the week and I was a big complainer because the pack was heavy, so our walk was cut short and we actually ended up at a cafe.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day mommies and babies! We went to Mother Goose to celebrate

and then out to the pub where the babies made a big mess under the table

Sophia was doing great until....

a scary leprechaun showed up. She lost her mind and we had to leave the premises.

On a sunny afternoon we ventured to the playground. Sophia did not know what to do until we found this little piggy ride. She loved it!

At home:

Sophia decided to stack her sippy in cup and make it a cozy.

Sophia's favorite games (and Daddy's too) are still peek-a-boo and cozy baby in various forms

Sophia watching her favorite DVD.

She will stand and walk on her own, until she realizes what she is doing.

Sophia was using the force to get more crackers.

She also can sort of roll a ball now...

and do stretching exercises

She loves to play on the zebra toy and can now get on and off herself

What a great month we had..looking forward to some nice spring weather activities for our next posting.

Week 53: Happy 1st Birthday!

2009-02-23T11:06:00.000-08:00

Got Milk? Sophia does. Since she is turning ONE, I am turning to whole milk. Luckily, she likes the taste of it and it should be an easy transition.

After a year of not taking a pacifier, this week Sophia has decided that this plastic key is now a good pacifier. She runs (scoots) all around the house with it in her mouth.

Happy 1st Birthday Sophia! She was up bright and early (around 5:45am these days) - ready to open presents. We let her open her Little People Birthday Party so that she could play with it all day. At One Years Old, Sophia is:

Standing alone for minutes at a time
Taking her first steps
Using everything as a walker around the house (chairs, boxes, whatever moves)
Pointing like crazy to things she wants
Playing appropriately with toys instead of just chewing on them
Taking her toys out and putting them away
Babbling all the time
Always dancing to her favorite tunes
Eating everything including all dairy and eggs now
Throwing everything off her highchair when she is done (early sign of tantrums to come)
Finally tolerating me brushing her teeth since I bought yummy toothpaste
Very social and loves other babies, kids and adults (as long as she has napped)
Taking two naps a day, but can be pushed to one in the middle of the day (I am not ready)
Calmed by the TV when nothing else works (especially if not feeling well)
Such a happy baby with a smile that brings me happiness everyday

The birthday balloons were intriguing and frightening at the same time.

Sophia wore her "Hurray, I'm One" Elmo shirt in the morning. Her hat stayed on for about 2 seconds, but she liked playing with it!

Sophia wore her birthday party dress one more time for (Ash) Wed playgroup.

Rylee was the first to arrive and was ready to party with her ashes.

Layla and Eliza came over as well and we had a small playgroup.

She loved hearing Grandpa's voice all the way from Colorado. The cell phone is very intriguing to her. She doesn't quite understand how the people fit in it.

I hung all of her cards up and she would point at them and say Oooh everytime she passed by.

Sophia enjoyed her first taste of pizza on her first birthday.

What is going on? Why do they keep trying to make me eat cake??

She enjoyed the pizza so much so that she had no room for cake. Oh well, that is more cake for mommy and daddy to eat.

Time for more presents. What a fun 1st birthday celebration, but it is not over...

On Friday, we hosted another playgroup for Sophia and Riley's birthdays.

It was a ton of fun and quite a change from our first playgroups when the babies would just lie on a blanket and not move.

We celebrated the babies first birthdays, as well as Ana's, who was turning 29 again. I made special avocado cupcakes with cauliflower cream cheese frosting. I know it sounds strange, but I liked them.

Sophia doesn't seem to like cake -- whether it is chocolate or vanilla... she would rather eat pizza or pasta.

Noa, Syd and Olivia enjoyed the cupcakes...or perhaps they just like to get dirty.

Pike is one of only 2 boys in our playgroup, but luckily he doesn't mind when the girls play dress up with him.

As the party was winding down, Sophia took a quick nap and then was back into the action. Her and Noa had fun playing tag. Sophia showed off her preferred method of moving this week -- the newly perfected butt scoot.

Sophia was very cute in her new Star Wars shirt, which she wore on the weekend, spending time with her Daddy. Unfortunately, most of the babies got sick (yes, again) following Fridays playgroup, but all seemed in good spirits for the most part.

Sophia is officially taking her First Steps (enough that we can get it on camera). It is so much fun to watch her walking. She gets happy about it too! What a great First Birthday...

This is my last post for awhile. I am going to make a book of the first year and then I will likely update every month or when something blog worthy happens. This has been the BEST year of my life and I had so much fun sharing it with everyone. I am sure it only gets better from here...stay tuned.