Sophia Ann

We have moved!!

2008-11-13T18:57:00.000-08:00

Due to some serious uploading annoyances on blogger, we have jumped on the bandwagon and Sophia's blog is now here: www.sophiaann.wordpress.com

Happy 2nd Birthday!!

2008-11-12T22:20:00.000-08:00

We had an early celebration for Sophia's 2nd birthday. We did it big this year! Piñata, cake, friends, presents and fun at the park. We had a wonderful time and thanks to Lindsey we have some awesome pics. Thanks to all of our friends and family for making it a very special day.

Ardenwood Farm

2008-11-12T18:17:00.000-08:00

Sophia and I took a trip to Ardenwood Farm in Fremont. I got to try out the new camera and Sophia got to run around and check out all the animals.

Family

2008-11-06T22:38:00.001-08:00

This week has been such roller coaster of emotion. We have lost a very important part of our family. Sophia's great grandmother, Barbara, passed away on November 4th. She lived a long and full life and she will live in our hearts forever. I am so happy that she was able to meet her first and only great grandchild. We are very lucky to have a large close knit extended family and I think my grandma really played a huge role in making our family the strong unit it is. I only hope that I can instill the same strong sense of family in my child that my grandma did in her children. We love you Grandma and we will miss you dearly.

Focused

2008-10-26T13:47:00.001-07:00

Slumber Party

2008-10-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

Sophia and I had an awesome slumber party with Stone and his Mama and Papa. The kids had a great time and the moms had an even better time (thanks again Garin). Stone and Sophia were born only 4 days apart so watching the similarities and differences in their personalities is very interesting.

Nothing better than playing with someone else's toys.

Story telling.

So handsome.

Squeaky Clean

2008-10-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

Two of Sophia's favorite things: babies and bath time.

Bedtime

2008-10-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

Big Girl Bed!

2008-10-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

Well, we did it. Sophia is officially out of her crib. Last weekend we took the crib down and set up her big girl bed. She was so excited about the whole process and couldn't wait to climb in. I was a little worried about what would happen when bedtime came but to my surprise there was no fuss at all. She climbed in said goodnight and went to bed!! She has slept in her bed every night since. One night she did ask to cuddle so I climbed into bed with her and 5 minutes later she was out like a light. SUCCESS!!
I do have to admit that I was just a tiny bit sad that my baby is now officially a "big girl". It is so hard to believe that she will be 2 years old in a month! She is growing up so fast.
We love you big girl!
(Pictures to follow shortly)

Eyeball

2008-10-07T23:09:00.001-07:00

Flutterby

2008-09-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

Not quite there yet

2008-09-19T21:15:00.001-07:00

Musical

2008-09-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

Nothing like a little jam session with Daddy.

Broken Rules

2008-09-07T21:45:00.000-07:00

When Sophia was born I made a rule, no Disney princess crap! Well it took almost 2 years but I broke the rule, in a huge way. Take a look.

Sentences

2008-09-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

Sophia's first sentence:
"I don't want that!!!"

Sophia's second sentence:
"I don't like that!!!"

Fun times!!

Golf Pro

2008-09-02T16:27:00.001-07:00

Over the 3 day weekend we decided to take Sophia to the local miniature golf course. She loved it. She didn't really understand the concept of leaving the ball on the ground but she did help to speed up the game by picking up the ball and putting it in the hole.
Just a few more lessons and I think we'll have a golf pro on our hands.

Snugglers

2008-08-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

Sophia has become quite attached to our cat Grace. She is constantly wanting grace to cuddle with her. Grace usually complies for a few minutes of affection but gets a little overwhelmed by all the "love" and runs for cover. Sophia gets very upset and yells "mommmmmyyyyy DACE!!!", alerting me so that I can find Grace and force her to cuddle just a little longer.

We love you Gracie!

Love me!!

Okay, that's enough!

Skoo update

2008-08-11T22:14:00.000-07:00

Well, we made it through the first week of daycare. Sophia seems to be adjusting pretty well. She did cry everyday when Joey dropped her off but we pretty much expected that. Joey and I are handling the change very well too. Joey is still a little uneasy about the drop-offs but I suspect he will get used it just as she will.
This week Teacher Karen is out of town so we are piecing together childcare with the help of family and Joey will be taking a day off. I am really hoping we don't have to start all over with the whole getting adjusted thing but I am pretty sure we will have to.
It kind of seems like Sophia is trying to get back at me (being just a tad hard to handle if ya know what I mean) for going back to work but I just keep telling myself that this too shall pass...right??? More skoo updates to come next week.

First Day of "Skoo"

2008-08-05T18:43:00.000-07:00

Ready for "skoo"

Today was Sophia's first official day at "skoo" (that's what she calls it). Drop off was a little rough for her but I think it may have been harder for Joey. I did pretty well at work, only thought about her every 2 minutes or so. When it was finally time to pick her up I was so ready to see her I was speeding the whole way there. I ran up to the door and the minute she saw me she got very excited and then started to cry. Seemed like kind of a release of stored up anxiety. I saw her face and I started to cry. So much for not letting her see me cry.

When we talked about her day this evening I asked her if she a good day. She said she did. Then Joey asked her if she cried at school and she said " Yes, I cry bye bye!" We also asked her if she wanted to go back tomorrow and she said she did.

I am relieved! I was pretty sure she would be fine but I wasn't sure how Joey and I would handle it. We did better than I thought. Yay Mom and Dad!

Bite the bullet

2008-08-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I have finally done it. I am officially rejoining the workforce on Monday morning, which means Sophia will be going to...DAYCARE! Okay so it's only for 5 hours 4 days a week but I am still just a bit nervous. I found a great woman with a small family daycare right down the street from our house.

I have done a ton of worrying and thinking and I have finally come to terms with the fact that this will be good for everyone. I think Sophia needs to be around kids her own age and I definitely need to be around adults. We have already decided that Joey will be dropping Sophia off (don't want her to see me cry). I'll let ya know how it goes. Wish us luck!

Huh??

2008-07-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

Little Swimmer

2008-07-14T21:50:00.001-07:00

Hanging with Gramma and Papa

I think someone has had enough swimming for one day.

Last Year

2008-07-13T09:12:00.001-07:00

How time flies!!!

4th of July

2008-07-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

We had a very nice 4th of July. We started the day out with the Redwood City parade. Sophia loved waving at all the people and squealed when she saw the horses. Then we had a great lunch a little taqueria downtown. After we filled our bellies it was off to the carnival where we rode some rides, played some games and hung out with friends. Finally it was nap time for everyone.
Nighttime came and it was off the Grandparents house for some BBQ. We finished off the day with some fireworks. Wow, what a busy day!!

Watching the parade with Daddy

Horses!!

Taking a ride on the train

Jaymason deep in thought

Jes and Me posing for a pic

Pals

2008-07-02T22:33:00.000-07:00

We have been making quite a few trips up to Sacramento lately and Sophia and Avery are becoming great friends. They still have their moments but for the most part they get along very well.

Bottoms up!

Swingers

"My turn!"

Cheese!

Aunties

Avery on a mission

New Friends

2008-06-26T09:53:00.001-07:00

Sophia and I have some new friends. Three days a week we take care of Baby Natalie and her giant Labradoodle, Tosca. The girls get along wonderfully and Sophia loves Tosca and talks about him constantly.

Such a smiley baby!

MUAH!

Such a handsome boy!

No wonder they have such a good relationship

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T10:56:00.001-07:00

Happy 2nd Father's Day honey. We love you!!

WaWa

2008-06-08T20:59:00.001-07:00

Today we went swimming in Jaymason's new pool. The kids loved the ice cold water and played for hours!

Filling up the pool

Jaymason and his Mom, Jesica

Bed Head

2008-06-05T21:49:00.001-07:00

Happy 2nd Birthday Avery!

2008-06-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

Our friend Avery turned 2 so we took a trip up to Sacramento to celebrate. The kids had a great time playing and swimming.

Avery the Rock Star

Auntie Emily plays lifeguard for Sophia and Tessa

Make a wish!

Folsom Lake

2008-06-03T08:14:00.001-07:00

We took a trip to Folsom Lake with Aunties Amy and Emily and their families. We had a blast!! Sophia went on her first boat ride and absolutely loved it.

On the boat with Auntie Emily and Tessa

"Driving" the boat

Tessa's turn to drive

First Beach Trip of the Season

2008-05-28T07:55:00.001-07:00

Hanging with Daddy

2008-05-14T08:13:00.001-07:00

BPA

2008-05-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I went to dinner a while back with a group of moms and the dreaded subject of plastic came up. I have to admit that I was a little ignorant about the issue. Well, not anymore. I went on site after site and read up on BPA and plastic baby bottles.
OH MY GOD! I have been poisoning my poor innocent child for the past 5 months or so. That is about the time I decided using the Playtex Drop-Ins was probably not very environmentally friendly so I switched to Playtex Vent-Aire. I swear I can't win!!
So yesterday I spent 45 minutes at Babies R Us trying to decide which bottle was the best. I finally decided on the BPA free EvenFlo. After I got home it dawned on me that all the bowls and plates Sophia uses are also probably toxic! I am so overwhelmed and feeling like I am drowning in a kitchen full of toxic plastic.
So, I have decided to ask the 4 or so readers I have (maybe 3) what do you use in the way of bowls and plates and sippy cups??

Strawberries!!

2008-05-12T22:03:00.000-07:00

Strawberries and cottage cheese, YUMMY!

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T22:56:00.000-07:00

I wish I had a really cute picture to post but I was too busy enjoying my second Mother's Day to take out the camera.
So instead I will say this: To all the wonderful Mothers I know and love, you are loved and appreciated, Happy Mother's Day!!

One Year Ago

2008-05-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

Reading to Baby

2008-05-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

For the past couple of months Sophia has become obsessed with her baby dolls. She pushes them in their stroller, feeds them, makes me change their clothes and diapers over and over again. She has about 6 babies and while she does have one certain baby she likes the most (not pictured here) she still gives each baby attention.

Watery

2008-05-01T22:40:00.000-07:00

We have been waiting for the water to be turned on at the park by our house for weeks. Well, today was the day and Sophia had a blast! Summer is definitely on it's way.

Cousins

2008-04-25T17:18:00.001-07:00

Last night Sophia's cousins came over for a visit. We handed down her old excersaucer to Cousin Josiah. She gave him a crash course on how to use it. I hope he gets more use out of it than we did.

Happy Hollow

2008-04-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

Today my Mom and I took Sophia and Mia to Happy Hollow. It was a first for both girls. The day started off with a ride on the lady bugs.

Then, it was off to Danny The (toxic, try to hold your breath) Dragon. If you have ever been to Happy Hollow you know exactly what I am talking about. Hopefully Danny will get a much needed overhaul during the park's renovation that is to take place over the next year or so. Anyway, next was the crazy octopus playground thingy. Sophia was a little unsure but gave it a try anyway.

We had a little lunch and it was off to the merry-go-round.

The goats were the highlight of the afternoon (well maybe not for Sophia but Mia had a blast!!!).

Not too sure what to make of the goats yet.

Definitely not loving the petting zoo experience!

I was amazed at how Mia was so comfortable just hanging out with the goats. It was like she was just spending time with old friends, very cool to watch.

By this time Sophia had had just about enough of Crappy, oops I mean Happy Hollow.

Mia was able to spend some time cruising around the park on her own.

Going down The Crooked House slide with my Mom (aka Gramma)

Ding Ding

Whew!!! What a day!! We had a great time (thanks for being such a trooper Mom)!!

Say Cheese

2008-04-20T21:35:00.001-07:00

Sophia and Mia cheesin' it up for the camera at Stulsaft Park

17 months

2008-04-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

The months seem to be going by faster and faster. Sophia is a very busy little girl. She is also a very opinionated little girl, knows what she wants and what she doesn't want.
Sophia is really into playing with her babies right now. She pushes them around in the stroller, rocks them, kisses them and feeds them. It is SO cute to watch her play mommy.
So far Sophia says only a few words that I can understand but she talks constantly! I can't wait until I am able to make out some of what she is saying, it sounds like it is some really important stuff!
I am still lucky enough to stay at home with Sophia and although some days are a little rough I wouldn't change it for the world. We are planning to put Sophia in preschool a couple days a week right around her second birthday so that she can socialize with kids her own age but for now the park seems to do the trick as far as socializing goes. We go to the park about 3 or 4 times a week and she loves it! She climbs and swings and plays with the sand and water, it's the perfect park for such a busy girl.
17 months has gone by faster than I ever could have imagined it would. I absolutely love this time in Sophia's life, it is so much fun to watch her grow from a baby into a little girl. I can't wait to see what is coming next for her.

Mommy and Daddy love you SO MUCH Sophia!!!

Sacramento

2008-04-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

Sophia and I made another trip up to Sacramento this past weekend to meet baby Brady. He is adorable! Avery and Sophia had a great time playing together. Sophia also got to spend some time with Tessa, she loves playing with the big kids. We had a great trip (Sophia slept the whole way there and back!). I love the fact that Amy, Emily and I practically grew up together and now our kids are going to be able to do the same.

Sleepy baby

Sophia and Avery getting squeaky clean

Tessa showing the little girls how to color in the lines

Ambidextrous

2008-04-03T19:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome Brady

2008-03-31T20:06:00.000-07:00

Auntie Amy, Uncle Mike and Avery have a new addition to their family!! Brady Michael Ross was born Wednesday March 26th. He weighed 8 lbs. 15 oz. and was 21 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great and Avery is a very good big sister! We can't wait to meet him!

Thief!

2008-03-31T20:02:00.000-07:00

Grandpa and Grammy Bliss' dog, Kenny

Love Bug

2008-03-26T09:47:00.001-07:00

(Photo credit: Auntie Emily)

Road Trip

2008-03-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Sophia and I went on a little road trip up to Sacramento for Auntie Amy's baby shower. We had a great time with Aunties Amy and Emily and Sophia had a wonderful time playing with Avery and Tessa.

Amy's baby, Brady, will be making his debut this Wednesday, we are very excited and can't wait to meet him!!

Hanging with Auntie Emily

Amy and Baby Brady enjoying a cupcake

Big sister to be, Avery

Getting a lesson in tree climbing from Tessa

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

New Purse

2008-03-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

For some reason Sophia finds purses fascinating. She carries anything resembling a purse in the crook of her arm like it is her prized Prada Bag. So during one of my weekly trips to Target I found this little purse in the dollar section (okay so it's no Prada). It was an instant hit.

Just tickled with her new purse

"Um, where's the money??"

San Francisco Flower and Garden Show

2008-03-14T11:34:00.000-07:00

The other day Sophia and I went to the 2008 San Francisco Flower and Garden Show with my Mom (a.k.a. Gramma). The gardens were awesome!! Sophia's favorite part was by far, the giant bunny rabbit. I think my favorite part was how good Sophia was since she had to be in her stroller for quite some time. Least favorite part, definitely the $6 cafeteria burger, brings back memories of hot lunch in elementary school.

We had a great time and got to spend some time with Gramma, good day!

Checking out the giant bunny

Container gardens

First Haircut

2008-03-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

Before

During

After

Loving...

2008-02-19T10:59:00.000-08:00

Grandpa

15 Months

2008-02-16T11:49:00.000-08:00

Sophia is really starting talk. Here's what she has says:

Knows the first 3 words of Row Row Row Your Boat (Okay, so it's the same word 3 times in a row but still!)
Uh-Oh (says it about 100 times a day, maybe more)
Cracker
SHHEESE (cheese)
Daayyee (Daddy)
Bye Bye Dada
Mama (FINALLY!!)
Kitty
Kack Kack (quack quack)
MMMMM (What a cow says)
MMM MMM (What a dog says)
Yeah
What?
Bwoon (balloon)
Yay (usually while clapping)

She has also learned how to:

Turn on the CD player and Dance to James Brown
Open the pantry and show me what she wants to eat
Take off her own shirt and Diaper
How to sign "more"
Throw things in the garbage when we ask her to
Follow simple tasks i.e. put things away, take a bath (she runs to the bathroom and tries to take off her clothes)

Sophia is growing up so fast, she amazes me everyday with the things she can do. I can't believe she is already 15 months old. Where did the time go???

Enjoying The Sunshine

2008-02-16T11:31:00.000-08:00

The weather has been amazing lately. We have been able to spend a ton of time outside over the past few weeks. Yesterday we played with Jaymason and his mom Jesica. The kids had a great time playing in the backyard and even played in the sprinklers for a while. It's hard to believe it is only February!

Not exactly what I had in mind...

2008-01-31T20:05:00.000-08:00

About a month ago Sophia's extra car seat was in our living room for a few days. She loved it. She played in it, around it and on it constantly. I decided it would be a great idea to buy her her very own Sophia sized chair. I searched on the internet, went to several stores and could not find the right chair. Finally one day Joey, Sophia and I went to target (I only go there about 5 times a week) and as we were cruising the store we came upon the most perfect little pink chair and it was on sale. We decided it was meant to be and brought it home. Sophia loves her chair. She sits in it with her babies and her blankey and just has a grand old time. Recently however, she discovered a whole new way to play with her chair...

Check Up

2008-01-23T22:09:00.000-08:00

Sophia went for a check up today and we learned a lot.

Weight: 22.11 lbs.
Height: 30.71 inches
Head: 47 cm.

The doc also told us that due to the fact that Sophia has SO many teeth(16), it is time for her to go to the dentist. Oh JOY! She also said that pretty soon we need to start thinking about taking the bottle away and using only a sippy cup. I think the night time bottle is going to be the one that will take the most time but we'll see. As far as everything else goes Sophia is right on track!

Park it

2008-01-18T15:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day so we went to the park with our friend Mia. The girls had a great time and it was nice to feel the warmth from the sun.

Running through the grass

Somersault (well not really, this is as far as she got)

A little help getting up the slide

14 months

2008-01-16T19:49:00.000-08:00

Today Sophia is officially 14 months old. The time is passing way too fast.

Updates:

-Crawling is a thing of the past, in fact, once Sophia started walking she pretty much never
crawled again! She is now starting to try running (usually away from us when we want her to do

something she doesn't feel like doing, she thinks it is hilarious)

-She has 16 pearly whites and loves to have them brushed.

-Knows where her baby's nose, eyes and mouth are and can show me where her own nose and tummy are.

-She loves our cat Grace and meows at her when she sees her, she also barks at any dog she sees or hears.

-Loves giving hugs and kisses!

-Tries to put her own shirt, socks, shoes and hair clips on. (Not even close to being able to actually do it but still tries very hard)

-Loves the park and gets very upset if we drive by one and don't stop to play.

-Can say "hi" and "Dada" (still doesn't say mama!!!)

-We have finally had a few nights of sleeping through the night!! (only took 13.5 months)

I am sure there are about a million things I am forgetting but it is hard to keep up with all the things Sophia is doing these days. We are having so much fun with her! She is becoming quite a spunky little girl and has an opinion on everything already! She is even starting to have a little bit of a "sense of humor".

We love you little one!!

Please note the yellow hair clip, she did that all by herself!

Amazing Discovery!

2008-01-11T20:42:00.001-08:00

Bellybutton!!

Love Hate Relationship

2008-01-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

Love the puppy

Hate the puppy when he won't follow

Swinging in the New Year

2007-12-31T19:00:00.000-08:00

Joey, Sophia and I spent the last day of 2007 at the park. Sophia really loves the swings! She has also become rather fond of the big slide. The temperature was a little chilly but it was nice to get outside in the fresh air.
Tonight Sophia had a feast of gnocchi and carrots, played for a while and finished off the night with a nice warm bottle of milk. Great way to end a year I think. Happy New Year!

Christmas

2007-12-27T20:33:00.000-08:00

This year we had a very nice Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve with Joey's family in Monterey. We went to church and then headed back to the house to open some presents. On Christmas day we hung out at home and opened presents. Later in the day we headed over to my parents' house where we had a wonderful dinner and opened MORE presents. Sophia is a very lucky girl and received some awesome gifts including a doll that looks like her, a pinwheel and some giant Legos. We had a great Christmas and are looking forward to a great new year.

Sophia opening presents with her Auntie Jamie

Sophia with her Grandma Sally

Joey, Auntie Jamie and Uncle Jordan playing some tunes

The Cousins

Sophia is already sitting at the grown up table

Our little gift

Still sick

2007-12-15T00:22:00.000-08:00

This is by far the worst cold Sophia has ever had! She really hasn't ever had anything but a little runny nose up until now. She spends most of the night crying, sleeping and coughing (in that order) and so on over and over until finally she is just too exhausted to cough or cry anymore so she sleeps. The days have been spent whining, sleeping and occasionally playing for a few minutes until she realizes she feels crappy and then starts the whining all over again.
I am so tired (still getting over the tonsillitis) and have almost lost it quite a few times. Then that mommy instinct or whatever it is kicks in again and I just do what needs to be done regardless of the fact that I am more sleep deprived than I have been since Sophia was a newborn. Thank God for instinct and coffee!!!

BUG

2007-12-12T21:13:00.001-08:00

Sophia and I are both sick, there must be something going around because it seems like everyone is sick! I have have a nasty case of tonsillitis and Sophia has a cough and a very stuffy nose, and just when you think the worst has already come...projectile vomit, great way to end the day!

Hat

2007-12-12T21:06:00.000-08:00

Welcome Josiah!

2007-12-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

Last night Sophia's new baby cousin, Josiah was born. I was lucky enough to be in the operating room when he was delivered via C-section. It was a pretty amazing experience. He weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz. and he is a very quiet baby so far. Mommy and baby are recovering well and we are looking forward to spending some time with them when they get home.

Baby in a basket

2007-12-01T18:21:00.001-08:00

Hanging with Gramsy

BOO BOO!

2007-11-29T19:54:00.000-08:00

Sophia got her first big boo boo tonight. She was walking across the living room and hit her face right on the edge of the coffee table. I watched the whole thing happen in slow motion, it was horrible! I swooped her up in my arms and held her tight, not really wanting to look at her face because I was afraid of what I might see. In less than 30 seconds the side of her nose started to bleed and a shiner appeared.

I think this may be the part of motherhood that I am going to have a hard time with. It killed me to see my baby hurt and for a minute I almost started to panic but Joey pulled me back into being calm and we were able to tend to the would with some ice and a ton of hugs and kisses.

Musical Genius

2007-11-28T21:18:00.000-08:00

All in the matter of just one week!!!

2007-11-25T21:26:00.000-08:00

Sophia has really started walking! She still prefers crawling because it is faster, but I have a feeling crawling is going to be a thing of the past very soon. (Please ignore the goofy voice behind the camera...yuck do I really sound like that??)
Anyway, DRUM ROLL PLEASE...

Taking Steps!!

2007-11-18T20:29:00.000-08:00

Sophia took THREE STEPS on her own tonight!!! We are so excited!
Video to follow soon, I promise.

More birthday celebration

2007-11-18T19:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had another birthday party for Sophia. We had a great time and Sophia got to see tons of family. Here are some of the highlights:

Playing ball in the yard with Auntie Amy, Daddy, Mommy and Avery

Tessa taking a walk in the garden

Observing with Daddy

Sophia, bored with the taking of the family picture

Bubbles

Opening presents with some help from Mommy and Jaymason

Eating crackers with Cousin Stephanie

Auntie Jes

Getting ready to blow out the candles

(a big thanks to Aunt Nancy and Uncle Dave for the use of their house!!)

Photo Credit: Auntie Em

Happy Birthday Baby!

2007-11-16T16:52:00.000-08:00

One year ago today my life changed forever. Joey's life changed forever. Sophia's life began. Sophia was born NINE DAYS late. She was very comfortable in the womb. In fact, even after my induction began it still took 20+ hours of labor and 2 hours of pushing to get her to come into this world. I will never forget the relief I felt when she came out. Not just because I was exhausted and really really wanted her to come out but because all those months of wondering and worrying (and heartburn!!!) had finally come to such a wonderful end...and a wonderful beginning.
I can't even wrap my head around how the time has flown by over the last year. I get a little sad when I think back over the year because I just wish I could slow things down. Before I know it my baby will be a big girl and I will really wonder where the heck the time went. It kills me just to think about it!! I get excited though as well. I love all the "firsts" and so many are happening these days. It seems like something new happens daily around here. Each "first" is just as exciting as the last and it keeps happening all the time. I love it!!
I love being Sophia's mom! We have great fun together. She has a very strong little personality and definitely knows what she wants and doesn't want. She loves her mommy and daddy and really loves her blankey. I feel like she is just like me but just like Joey at the same time. She is the perfect mixture of both of us. It blows my mind sometimes.

Well little one we love you very much!!! Happy 1st birthday!!!

The Hood

2007-11-14T17:04:00.000-08:00

Our new neighborhood is very different than the one we were previously living in. We aren't so close to the hustle and bustle and have a much nicer place to take walks. (no fast food joints or gas stations) It is great!! We live right down the hill from a really nice park. The walk there is rather hilly but it's a good workout for the hips and thighs (especially pushing the stroller). Today Sophia and I took a walk up the hill and spent some time at the park. I tend to be little paranoid at the park since Sophia isn't really walking so usually we just spend some time on the swings and call it a day. Today, however, we did it all!! I even went down the twisty slide with Sophia. She absolutely loved it and pulled me (walking and holding onto my hand) around the playground for quite some time. When I had finally had enough of the slide myself, I took Sophia to the little slide and just let her go. Boy did she go! She climbed up the slide and then slid down one her tummy over and over and over. She had a blast, I had a blast and then we came home and took a nap. It was great! (the park was great too)

Happy Almost Birthday

2007-11-10T23:15:00.000-08:00

Tonight we celebrated Sophia's first birthday a little early. We have a pretty big extended family so one party just wouldn't cut it. Sophia had a great time opening presents, hanging with the family but most of all eating her cupcake. She tore into that thing like crazy. I guess I really should have known she was going to go a little nuts considering she has never eaten anything with anywhere near as much sugar in it. I even got her to leave the adorable birthday hat on for a few pictures. We all had such a good time.
Happy almost birthday Baby Girl!!

Picking a present for Grandpa

PRESENTS!!!

Wow, that's a lot of chocolate!!

I think she may need some milk, what do you think?

Getting Settled

2007-11-06T12:42:00.000-08:00

We are finally getting settled into our new place. Sophia has adjusted to her new home pretty well. She doesn't seem to like to be left alone in a room here so she has been a very clingy girl these days. I was desperately afraid that bedtime was going to be an issue but as usual my little munchie surprised me and did very well.
We are still unpacking a few things and starting to get ready for Sophia's first birthday so we are very busy these days. Here's the first picture I have been able to take in days. There will be more to come shortly. Hang in there!!

Halloween Take One

2007-10-29T22:22:00.001-07:00

We went to a family fun night with Auntie Emily and Tessa the other night. Prior to the event we searched and searched for the right costume and finally I decided to get creative. I bought some face paint and put on an adorable outfit recently given to us by Christi (who we STILL have yet to actually meet, hint hint Linds) and...VOILA! Sophia The Clown was born!

Movin' on up

2007-10-27T22:21:00.000-07:00

It has been way too long since my last post. We are in the process of packing up our apartment. We are FINALLY moving! Yippee! I am very excited and stressed all at the same time. So I will try to post some new pics soon.

For now I will just give you a QUICK Sophia update:
New word, "bay" for baby
Very close to taking some steps on her own and walks like a pro if I hold her hands
We have started "brushing" teeth during bath time (she loves doing it and gets very upset when I take the toothbrush away when we're done)
New favorite things to eat: broccoli, snap pea crisps and gnocchi

Alright time to pack some more boxes...

11

2007-10-17T21:52:00.001-07:00

As of yesterday Sophia is officially 11 months old. I am absolutely floored that it has already been almost a year since Sophia was born!! This time last year I was as big as a house and quite miserable. What a difference a year makes huh? I am having so much fun with Sophia and I am very lucky to be able to stay home with her. I really love our time together!
As usual Sophia is constantly changing and growing, for example:

Sophia has 11 teeth (I think, I can't really get a very good look without putting my fingers in her mouth and that is just way too dangerous!)

After 10 months of waking up every 2 hours at night, we finally have bedtime down to a science!! At about 7:30 we start getting ready for bed, I give Sophia a bottle and we cuddle and then I put her in her bed with her blankie (the blankie is a key part of the bedtime routine) and say "goodnight" and leave the room and she goes to bed. She usually wakes up once around 3 a.m, has a small bottle and sleeps until 8. Oh my, can I tell you how wonderful it feels to get a whole 5 hours or so of sleep at a time!! I am a new woman.

I have a feeling Sophia will be walking around the time of her birthday. She is cruising all around the coffee table and loves to hold onto my hands and walk around the living room. I find this pretty amazing considering my little munchkin didn't even roll over until she was about 6 months old! Now there is no stopping her.

Pointing is another new thing. Sophia learned to point at things she wants or finds interesting and well, she is constantly pointing.

Well it is getting to be late and I think that's about it for now. I have been kind of lame about taking pictures lately so I will post some new ones soon.

Oklahoma Continued

2007-10-14T10:23:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pics from our trip to Oklahoma

Sophia's cousins

Sophia letting Granpa know she is not satisfied with the ending of "The Little Ladybugs"

"Excuse me I am bathing, I am not ready for my closeup"

"Okay now I'm ready"

Oklahoma

2007-10-10T17:08:00.000-07:00

Sophia had her very first plane ride last Friday. We took a trip with Grandpa and Grammy Bliss to Oklahoma for a Birchett family reunion (Joey had to work so unfortunately he was unable to join us this time). Sophia slept for the first flight and was a little more fussy on the second leg of the trip on the way there.

On Saturday we attended the reunion at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. The museum was actually very interesting, contrary to what I was expecting. We got to meet a few of Grandpa's long lost relatives and learn some pretty cool stuff about cowboys.

On Sunday we drove out to Tulsa and spent some time with my older brother Robert and his wife Jerrylene and their four children, Madeline, Craig, Erick and Natalie. We started the out the day by going to church. Then we went back to the house for some wonderful lunch and some quality time. I have to say that Robert and Jerrylene have four of the most wonderful children I have ever met! We ended the evening by going out to dinner with everyone. We said our goodbyes and headed back to Oklahoma City.

The following day it was time to pack up and get ready to head to the airport. On the way to the airport we made a stop at the local neighborhood Walmart. I mean what's a trip to Oklahoma without a visit to Walmart?

On the flights home Sophia was SO GREAT!! She slept through the first flight and laughed and played with Grammy Bliss on the second flight. It was a hectic trip but we still had a great time!

(pictures to follow shortly)

Say "AWE"

2007-10-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

As most of you probably know Sophia has been teething since she was about 4 months old. She seems to handle it pretty well although I sometimes wonder if her wakeful nights have something to do with the constant pain she must be experiencing. After the first 6 teeth I kind of stopped looking for new ones, that is up until last week. Sophia opened her mouth to let a out a big belly laugh and low and behold I see a huge molar just beginning to poke through her gums. At this point I decide to do a more thorough search for more teeth. I was quite surprised when I found another front tooth as well as a very swollen gum where another molar is just waiting to make it's debut. So in total there are 8 teeth that have broken through and at least two more that are going to break through any day now.
Now you might be wondering why I am so amazed by teeth but really think about it. I bet most adults would be moaning and groaning and for the most part my little one is quite a little trooper! So I guess what I am trying to say is this, once again I am in awe of all the growing and learning and changing one little tiny person can do in such a short period of time. Crazy!

DWI

2007-09-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

Driving While Infant

Playground

2007-09-27T18:25:00.001-07:00

Tunnel vision

Sophia's friend Jaymason (a.k.a. Spiderman)

Not so sure of what to make of all the sand

Window Washer...

2007-09-25T09:57:00.001-07:00

(picture taken by Emily)

Visitors

2007-09-22T22:23:00.000-07:00

Today we had a very full day! Aunties Emily and Amy came down from Sacramento for a visit. Sophia had a great time with their girls, Tessa and Avery. We hung out at our house for a bit and then headed to the mall for some eating and shopping. It was a bit chaotic with three strollers and three very opinionated children but we had a great time anyway.

Avery sharing some cheerios with Sophia

Auntie Em telling Sophia the ways of the world

Tessa preparing to write her very first novel

Vrroooommmmm!!!

2007-09-21T20:14:00.000-07:00

Eat your heart out Sean Preston!

"DUH!"

2007-09-16T21:06:00.000-07:00

Today Sophia is 10 months old! I say this every month but, I can't believe how fast the time is going!! A ton of things have been happening these days but the biggest and most exciting thing by far happened during bath time just 5 days ago.
Sophia has quite a few bath toys but her most favorite one is her yellow rubber duck. I always make it quack at her (meaning I make quacking sounds over and over until she stops thinking it's funny and I start to feel a little silly) then I ask her "duck, can you say duck? Say duck!". Usually she just ignores me in much the same way I am sure she will in her teen years. However, on this particular night Sophia decided to amaze me and as I begged her to say just one "duck" she picked up her duck, looked at it and said "DUH!!!" Thinking I might be having some sort of auditory hallucination, I asked her to say duck again and clear as day she said "DUH!!!". Now during every bath I show her the duck and she quickly tells me what it is. Can you tell that I am just a little bit proud?

So her very first word is "DUH", just kidding, is duck! Of course I wanted her first word to be mama but I am pretty thrilled with duck.

Such a little smarty pants!!

Stop and Smell the Roses

2007-09-13T21:26:00.000-07:00

I have recently started doing some power walking (basically I just walk far and fast until I am sufficiently red faced and sweaty) to try to get back in shape and back into some of my old clothes. Sophia loves our walks and always tries to reach out and grab the flowers and bushes as we pass them.

Perfect Little Profile

2007-09-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

Labor Day

2007-09-03T22:32:00.000-07:00

Labor Day for us this year was slightly different than in years passed. No BBQ, no beer, just some good old fashioned family fun at the park. Sophia spent most of the time swinging and laughing and Joey and I spent most of the time pushing the swing, laughing and relaxing in the shade. The weather was beautiful and we all had a good day .

Yum salsa (Sophia's Latin blood is already quite apparent)

A little nervous

"Look Dad swings!!"

Relax

I think she had fun

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

2007-09-02T19:08:00.000-07:00

Need I say more...

Peek-A-Boo

2007-09-01T22:54:00.000-07:00

(photos taken by: The Amazing Mia)

Stand Up!!

2007-08-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

Another rather new trick.

Sacramento Trip

2007-08-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

We are back from our trip to Sacramento. We had a great time. The reason for our trip was to attend a party for our friend John. John is in the Air Force and he is being deployed to Iraq in just a few weeks. We had a wonderful time at his farewell party! Of course I forgot the camera so you'll just have to take my word for it. We will be thinking about you John!!
On our trip we stayed at Auntie Amy and Uncle Mike's house. Sophia had a good time playing with their daughter Avery and their dog Madison. We also spent some time with Auntie Emily and Tessa. Sophia loved Tessa and they played very well together.
I really wish we all lived closer to each other because we always have a great time together. I am hoping we can move up there soon so our girls can all be as close as we are when they get older.

Avery and Auntie Amy (Where's your binky Amy??)

OOOHHHHHHH!!!

We were up very late and the mommies did funny things with the babies to entertain themselves.

Mohawk

On Our Way!

2007-08-24T16:04:00.000-07:00

We are all feeling a lot better, finally! Sophia and I are on our way to Sacramento tonight to visit Aunties Amy and Emily. Daddy is going to have a nice quiet weekend at home alone. ( He is still feeling pretty yucky so he is definitely in need of some down time)
Here are a few pics to hold you all over until we return from our adventures.

Working hard to pull up on the coffee table.

Can't get enough of those kitties!!

Sick

2007-08-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

We are all sick right now so here are some pics from our visit with Grandpa and Gramma Bliss last weekend. I will post some new ones when the snot stops running freely from our noses. Pretty Gross!!

Hanging out with Gramma Bliss

Now that Sophia is mobile she loves to chase the animals. (Adorable outfit courtesy of Christi)

Watch out kitty here she comes.

9 months!!

2007-08-16T11:29:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Sophia turned 9 months old. I cannot believe how fast the time is going. Sophia has grown and changed so much in the last 9 months!! In the past month alone Sophia has gone from a baby that really didn't move around at all to a mover and a shaker! She is now crawling and standing up in her crib (she is particularly proud of the latter). She can show me where Daddy is when I ask her to but much to my chagrin has no idea who or where this Mommy person is. Sophia has also developed a relationship with her blankey, she gets very excited when I give it to her at bed time. She loves to rub it between her fingers and on her nose just before she goes to sleep, very cute.

Joey and I have changed as well. We have learned to survive on 2 to 3 hour stretches of sleep at night (still haven't figured out the whole sleeping through the night thing). Joey has gotten over his fear of poop and changes quite a few stinky ones. Motherhood has given me an amount patience that still blows my mind (this really comes in handy on those sleepless nights let me tell you). Don't get me wrong we have our moments, as all parents do, but I think we are doing a pretty darn good job, if I do say so myself.

I have realized that I love being a mom more than I ever thought possible. Sophia amazes me on a daily basis and I love it!! I love the way she pats me on the shoulder when I pick her up. I love the way she lights up when she sees me coming down the stairs. I love the way she laughs at Joey when he pretends to bite her little fingers.

I love our little family!!