Sofia's First Christmas

Baby's First Christmas PJs:

... and exhale. Whew... what a whirlwind it has been! We have officially survived Christmas of 2010 :) It was wonderfully chaotic and crazy and I don't even know where to begin!

First off, Sofia attended the Bucks Holiday Kids party which was awesome. She got to hang out with Bango and meet Santa for the first time. The highlight was definitely meeting Santa - she would not stop staring at his beard! When she went to sit on his lap, she seriously was mesmerized! She was so excited to be partying, kicking and squealing and laughing. And of course Mike and I were totally giddy and proud parents. She even got to eat some mac n cheese and big people food. She was so excited to do this that she did not chew and proceeded to puke in my hand at the party... again unphased :)

Family pic with Santa (Sofie staring at the beard)

The next week was spent finishing Christmas shopping and getting ready for our trip to Houston. Everything was stress free and smooth sailing until the day before we were scheduled to leave Milwaukee... that Sunday Sofie woke up with a fever and had been a little more irritable than normal. So, since her dr's office was closed, we had to take her into urgent care. Turns out the poor baby had a double ear infection and yucky cold virus that likely caused it :( Fortunately we were able to get her some antibiotics before we took off on our trip and all was good. I think this ear thing is going to be a constant struggle due to her dad and I'd histories.

Once we got to Houston, it was 100% excitement and insanity for all! I think we finally figured out why Sofie doesn't sleep great when she's at Grammie and Grampie Lu's house and that is all of the excitement she doesn't want to miss out on :) It was a wonderful trip as always and she got to meet her Great Grandparents on my mom's side which was very special. My grandma was crazy over Sofia (literally :)) and Sofie handled it well although sometimes needing some quiet time. I learned that Sofia really does enjoy her "me" time while we were in Houston b/c if I took her into the room and read her some books, she would immediately calm down.

Sofie chillin on the front porch with Grampie Lu. What a sweet moment.

Once Christmas Eve day came, we were all able to relax a bit more and enjoy it. We went to church as a family and then had a little gathering at our place complete with family, friends, delicious eggnog, delicious Mexican Christmas fare (tamales :)), wine, and an appearance from Santa, or as I called him - Pancho Claus. Sofie was a little unsure of Santa this time but probably b/c it was past her bedtime and she'd been pretty much overstimulated the whole day! But, she was a trooper nonetheless.

With Great Grandma and Grandpa on Christmas Eve:


Santa's visit. She was OK once she got her gift!

The next day was Christmas Day and Sofie was so excited she got up at 4AM! Not the best considering we were traveling that day to Chicago, but hey - it was Christmas, what could we do?! :) We woke up, opened a few more gifts and just enjoyed each other that morning. Then, it was off to Chicago for Round 2! Unfortunately at this point, I was catching Sofie's cold and not feeling so hot so I did not bring my A game to the Schnieders Christmas although I definitely had a blast, despite having a head full of snot.

Christmas Morning with Grammie Lu

Cousins opening presents in Grayslake


We headed home the day after Christmas and although it was decidedly the best Christmas ever - we were so happy to be back... home sweet home. Even Sofie settled into her bed (for 12 hours) our first night back and said "ahhhhh"....

Opening her gifts at home:

Some updates:

She is definitely waving and doing "La Linda Manita" which is a Spanish song where babies learn how to wave their hands.

She got a 5th and 6th tooth.
She is starting to clap.

She is reaching for people to hold her.

She immitates laughter.

She throws tantrums, fun fun! Don't take her toy away from her!

She cracks herself and us up :)

Happy New year everyone! Cheers to a wonderful 2010 and to an even better 2011!

8 Month Photos

Lots of pics so you have fair warning... enjoy!

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=cb83280c8ac321476276141d224b0f78&sid=8AYt2LNw5bN31w

Sofie Rocks

As I mentioned before, Sofie is attempting to crawl and now doing lots of rocking. Check it out in the video below.

Also, just a couple of pics from December so far. It's been a cold, snowy December so we're looking forward to some warm weather in TX! :)

August and Sofie in their snowsuits:

Sofia's new favorite toys - kitchen bowls and spoons

Trying to crawl:

Other updates:

She is on a much better sleep schedule. Great naps and nights. Of course b/c I "said" this out loud, things will change again :)

She cut a fourth tooth! so, she now has two bottom fronts and two tiny top front teeth.

She kind of dances now. When she eats she kind of does this jive move with her head and it's pretty funny. She also did it in the store today while we were shopping and she heard the Christmas music. Baby's got rhythm!

She looooves to eat and will try and stuff as many Puffs/Cherios in her mouth as possible.

She is in her big girl car seat. This is a relief in that it's way more comfy for her but definitely poses different challenges for me as I don't have that awesome infant carrier to rely on any more! Plus, I lost my car and now drive the family-mobile :)

She is currently getting over her THIRD cold. Ugh! Snot all the time...

...and the dreaded weight update - nothing lost, nothing gained. I'm stuck. Going forward, I'm only going to give an update if I have lost b/c I'm tired of saying the same thing each time! I suppose I can more or less say I've met my goal. 3 pounds away. My clothes fit and I feel great. I do have to say my body is totally different now, kind of crazy how things are redistributed! I'm happy though, and have come to terms with my new bod :)

We are Thankful!

So we hosted our very first Thanksgiving and also celebrated Sofia's first Turkey Day :) We are thankful for so many things this year. Of course at the top of that list is the best blessing we've ever recieved and that's Sofia. I also continue to be thankful that I get to be with her every step of the way, each day. I could not imagine it any other way, honestly. I'm thankful for my wonderful husband who I love watching be such an amazing father. There is so much more we are thankful for and I won't bore everyone with a list ;) When things get a little challenging, I always remind myself how blessed we really are.

A few new things Sofie is up to:

• Waving - not always in the right context but she's learning!
• Making sounds with her mouth - whether razzies or flicking her mouth with her hand to make blubbery noises - so funny
• Immitating certain things we do
• New upper tooth just came through
• Rocking back and forth on all fours - wants to crawl so bad! I think her little gut might be making this more of a challenge :)
• Eating puffs by the handful - kind of how Daddy eats popcorn. Baxter hangs out under her high chair -smart dog!
• Putting her hand down to Bax while she is eating and then cracking up laughing b/c his whiskers tickle her
• LOTs of squealing - she talks to herself for a good 10 minutes before going down for her naps

I wonder if I've been putting off writing this blog b/c I don't have a weight update. I guess at least I did not gain anything over the holidays but I still have 3 lbs to go. I'm so complacent about it b/c my clothes all fit again and really what is 3 pounds? Still, I really hope by the next update I can say "I'm back" but we'll see!


I'm in full holiday mode now ... and P.S. it is snowing here. YAY! :)

And now for some photos (if you click on them you can see them larger - sorry, experimenting with picture sizes):

Sofia's first Thanksgiving


Playing with spoons on Grandpa's lap

Yummy dinner


The table all set, complete with a container of Puffs





Our turkey - delicous! Thanks for the help, Mom :)

Post Thanksgiving lake trip - trying to get a pic with the Grandparents = comedy

How Babies Change Your Life - just a few reasons!

This is just a list I found today. I get daily emails from babycenter.com. It used to tell me what fruit my baby is in my belly :) Now I get all kinds of Mommy advice. This list was so cool and true. I maybe disagree with a couple but for the most part.... soooooo true.

What changes when you have a baby? A better question may be: What doesn't change? Here, writer and mom Rebecca Woolf lists her most notable post-baby observations. Then scroll down to read our favorite comments from readers about how their babies changed their lives.

1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.

2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid. [See a reader's perspective in #22, below.]

3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.

4. You respect your body ... finally.

5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.

6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.

7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.

8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.

9. Your heart breaks much more easily.

10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.

11. Every day is a surprise.

12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)

13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.

14. You become a morning person.

15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.

And from our readers...

1. "You discover how much there is to say about one tooth." — Ashley's mom

2. "You finally realize that true joy doesn't come from material wealth." — Anonymous

3. "You now know where the sun comes from." — Charlotte

4. "You'd rather buy a plastic tricycle than those shoes that you've been dying to have." — Sophie's mom

5. "You realize that although sticky, lollipops have magical powers." — Roxanne

6. "You don't mind going to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday night." — Kellye

7. "Silence? What's that?" — Anonymous

8. "You realize that the 15 pounds you can't seem to get rid of are totally worth having." — Brenda

9. "You discover an inner strength you never thought you had." — Ronin and Brookie's mom

10. "You no longer rely on a clock — your baby now sets your schedule." — Thomas' mom

11. "You give parents with a screaming child an 'I-know-the-feeling' look instead of a 'Can't-they-shut-him-up?' one." — Jaidyn's mom

12. "Your dog — who used to be your 'baby' — becomes just a dog." — Kara

[Many readers begged to differ, saying things like, " I disagree with number 12. My dogs are my additional children," "Nothing about previous babies, whether two- or four-legged, changes when a new miracle comes along," "My dog will never be 'just a dog," and "This is sad to me. My dog is still my baby too."]

13. "You take the time for one more hug and kiss even if it means you'll be late." — Tracey

14. "You learn that taking a shower is a luxury." — Jayden's mom

15. "You realize that you can love a complete stranger." — Dezarae's mom

16. You find yourself wanting to make this world a better place. — Arizona

17. If you didn’t believe in love at first sight before, now you do! — Ciara

18. You start to appreciate Sesame Street for its intellectual contribution. — Anon.

19. You have to quit watching the news because you see every story from a mother's perspective and it breaks your heart. — Brooke&Boys

20. You just plain love life more - everything comes together and becomes better because of one tiny person and your love for them. — Anon.

21. You finally find out the real reason you have those breasts. — Anon.

22. In response to #2 [above], I'd say that where you were once afraid, you're now fearless. I was always very timid and shy and let myself get walked all over … but now where my kid's concerned, I'll speak my mind and really connect with my inner "b"! — gummismom

23. The support you get from other people surprises you, because the people giving it are not always the ones you'd expect. — japanese_macaque

24. Nothing is just yours any longer. You share EVERYTHING! — DylanLsMom

25. No matter what you've accomplished in life, you look at your child and think, "I've done a GREAT job!" — Anon.

26. You want to take better care of yourself for your child. — Treasor

27. You can have the most wonderful conversation using only vowel sounds like "ahhh" and "oooo." — littlehulk2008

Happy weekend everyone!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas?

Yes, we have already started the festivities. We attended a tree lighting ceremony on Friday as a family and it was so much fun! Way cooler than we ever expected it to be. There was live music, snow fairies, toy soldiers on stilts, train rides, carriage rides, nutcracker characters and Santa himself! And of course the huge gorgeous Christmas tree. As I said before, I've realized that being able to relive the holidays through your children is such a touching experience. I know she's only 7 months old, but seeing Sofie's face and eyes light up watching all the Christmas activity around us literally brought tears to my eyes. She may not exactly know what's going on but I think all children feel the "magic" of Christmas. I was holding her in my arms and the red and green lights were reflecting on her face and making her eyes twinkle as she had a total look of wonderment on her face, and I couldn't help but get excited for Christmas even though it was only November 12th :) Don't get me wrong, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays so we will not let Thanksgiving get the shaft...just excited for the holiday season!

Here are some pics from the night and video of the tree lighting...

Milwaukee dodged a bullet this weekend but came close to having our very first snow! I'm sure it's coming sooner than later but I just can't believe it's already time for snow. I always LOVE the first snow of the season and look forward to Sofie seeing snow for the first time.

Even though we felt like children again for one night, we did a very adult thing this weekend and opened up a 529 for Sofia. It feels so good to know that we're saving for her future. It is scary how much college is going to cost by 2028 - yes, that is the year she'll be going to college!!!! And we want more kids! Yikes.... well, we are starting now and saving what we can and hope to be able to give our kids the life, future, and education they deserve.

Lots of "New"s

Sofia's up to lots of new things lately so I had to do a quick update with some pretty entertaining videos. She now recognizes Daddy without a doubt when he comes home and squeals with delight, squirms and beams at him. He has got to love that...sometimes we watch him come in through the front window and as soon as she spots him she kicks her legs and starts smiling. It's awesome to watch her become a little person every day and start to understand what's going on around her. She is truly amazing.

She's also definitely much more talkative these days. She's saying dadadadada way more than Mama! It's her favorite thing to say in between razzies. She is starting to immitate us as well... this started on the changing table with her and daddy. He would shake his head back and forth and she would smile and do it back.

She also immitates fake coughing which is hilarious. She finally can eat her puffs on her own! It's sometimes hit or miss, but she can definitely get them in her mouth now most of the time. It is also great at restaurants now b/c I just put down her little placemat and some puffs and it keeps her busy and she loves them.

Needless to say, she is getting smarter every day (and cuter!) and she plays peekaboo with us instead of the other way around. She will put her head down and if you say "where's Sofie?" she peeks up and then puts her head down again to play more. Daddy started this with her a few weeks ago and now she's a pro at it. Such a smart little baby!

On a not so fun note, the whole family was sick with colds last week and Sofie's turned into an ear infection - her first :( I just knew something was up b/c she was waking at 4:30 AM and one night was crying inconsolably. I told Mike - I think she has an ear infection...goes to show the power of a mother's instinct! Luckily, I had an appointment the next day for her flu shot and had the doc take a look. Sure enough, she had an infection. Poor thing, but she was mostly happy - the nights were just a little rough. I know this is most likely the first of many ear infections which sucks but I guess it's all part of baby-hood.

As far as sleeping, she's been a little "off" at night/morning since turning back the clocks so I don't know if it's that or the ear infection but we haven't been sleeping as great these past few days. 4:30-5 wake up calls are no fun! But, she goes right back to sleep...however, I miss the 7AM wakeup time! I'm giving it some time and doing some reading up in baby sleep habits and actually reading that if she has an earlier bedtime and better naps during the day, she will sleep better. I put the theory to the test last night and put her down at 7:30 and sure enough, this morning she was up at 6... so we shall see.

THREE MORE POUNDS!!!

Eating puffs:


Where's Sofie?

Lucky 7

Sofie is now 7 months old. Pretty crazy and amazing to watch her change and grow each day. She becomes more and more of a joy as she gets older. I know that will one day come to a screeching halt so we're soaking in these moments now while we can ;)

The biggest thing I'm so excited to report is that she said MAMA! Last Friday, Mike and I were out to lunch with Sofie and she got a little fussy and suddenly said "mama". Now, who knows if she know what she was saying but it was the sweetest sound in the world and Mike and I looked at each other, wide-eyed and then at her, and then at each other. It was such a cool moment, and the coolest is that I had a witness! :) Now we are working on "DADA". She's definitely experimenting with the consonant sounds so it's pretty funny to hear her babble now.


Sofia's first Halloween was pretty busy! She was a busy little bee... we thought it appropriate since she really is always busy into things now. She's always got to be moving, playing, talking, wiggling. She got some good use out of her costume - she wore it 4 times the week of Halloween: once at our Mom's chat Halloween party, once to lunch with Daddy on Friday, to her playdate with friends on Friday, and then on Halloween to visit August and to hand out candy to trick or treaters :) Mike and I were saying how we can't wait to take her trick or treating when she can actually appreciate it. So much fun! Although Mike and I were already very much "kids" before, it's true that having kids makes you appreciate holidays so much more and kind of allows you to relive them as a child. So wonderful...

Here are a couple of pics of Sofie on Halloween visiting her buddy August (Scooby)

Sofie had her last swim class last Saturday and we have her certificate hanging on the fridge. Such proud parents. She did awesome, and did an underwater swim! I had to do this without Mike so it was a little scary but she did it! She popped up from the water with a complete look of shock and then cried a lot, but stopped quickly. I had to push her to the instructor, who allowed her to go under for a split second, then caught her. Then, she pushed her back to me. Sofie wasn't a huge fan, but was quickly smiling again after it was done. The class was so cute and supportive - we cheered for every kid b/c it is a scary thing going under water that first time! We all loved swim class so much that we signed up for another session. Fun!

As most of you saw on Facebook, Sofia went to her first Bucks game on Saturday with Mom and Grandma and Grandpa! Opening night, so exciting! She was fascinated by all the activity (thanks Daddy!) and really had a good time, even though she was up waaaay past her bedtime. She never got fussy or antsy b/c there was just so much to look at and listen to! Towards the very end she did try to sleep on Grandpa's lap but she would drift and then kind of smile b/c she could not sleep... kind of funny like she knew it was silly to try and sleep at the game. We got to go down before the game to wish Daddy good luck, and she got to watch Mom and Dad participate in a Flash Mob!

Side note - if you want to watch the flash mob, the link is below. fast forward to 3 minutes. Mike and I join in midway into "I gotta feelin" (watch for us when they say "and then we'll do it again"... we run in at the bottom left hand corner.) I'm in a light green shirt and jeans and Mike in his suit and headset. We're the very last ones in the back row. Mike got lots of jumbotron time, surprise, surprise! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxYY1vxX-P8

Sofie and I both had colds this week :( No fun, but it could have been much worse. I just hate that she can't blow her nose! she had so much snot and I bought a cool little elctric snot sucker and some boogie wipes for her to help ease her breathing. She has remained happy overall, just had a couple of tough nights but she definitely woke up much better this morning. Just a little cough that will hopefully go away soon.

One last update on "new things"... she now rolls around in her crib which has proven to be a challenge. At first, she had a hard time falling asleep when she would roll over but now she'll fall asleep on her belly at naptime. She seems to like sleeping on her belly or side much more now. It's funny b/c in the mornings she used to wake up and hit the button on her crib soother to play the music, so that's how we always knew she was awake. Now, she's pretty quiet b/c she'll just roll onto her belly and hang out... she's such a good happy little girl in the mornings!

We're hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year so wish us luck! We are definitely excited. I'll see how creative I can get with baby Thanskgiving food :) With the weather definitely turning colder, and the days getting shorter, it's starting to feel like the holidays - the best time of the year!

Speaking of the holidays, I really hope to get my weight back to pre-preg by then b/c pigging out will inevitably ensue from November 25th through December 31st. Who am I kidding, it already has with Halloween candy! I made Mike take everything left back to work! I kind of am at a standstill since getting back from Houston. I'll be honest - since all my clothes fit again, I've kind of lost motivation but if I can just get back I will be happy. I feel great now which I guess is why I haven't been as vigilant in going to the gym! So... at 5 pounds to go now...it can't be that hard!

A couple of Fall pics of Sofia in the leaves



And lastly a video of her checking out the crunchy leaves :)

Travelin Fools

Well Sofia and I are back from our Houston trip and it was so so so wonderful. Such a relaxing time and so great to spend quality time with Grammie and Grampie Lu and Uncle Matty. It was also a blast to hang out with friends and have Sofie hang out with her mini friends :) It was so hard to leave but we were definitely ready to get back home to Daddy and Baxter. It is good to be home.


As far as the flights went, Sofia did SO GREAT. Anyone who knows me knows that I have flight anxiety as it is... I usually have to take Xanax to fly but with nursing, I can't take them. So... flying alone with Sofie was a little nerveracking but she certainly gave me no additional reasons to stress. All went smoothly and she was a champ. She slept for about half of both flights and so we played for a bit and then landed! It was so great and such a relief that I wasn't "that woman with the baby". The only glitch we had was on the way back, I was changing her and she peed everywhere. All over the changing table and all over herself. Pretty funny, yet a little stressful b/c the Houston airport bathrooms are just kind of gross (she went straight in the bath after both flights!). Milwaukee's bathrooms on the other hand are so clean and great - in fact, we used the family bathroom and it was so super nice. Otherwise, all went so well and we were complimented by so many people about how cute she is and how good of a little traveler she was. On the way home it was really great b/c the attendant sat me in a 2-seat row by myself so Sofie got to sit in her own seat for a bit. If I could fly like that all the time I would! I don't know what's more stressful - my flight anxiety or the stress of bothering other people. I do have to say my personal anxiety was a little less b/c I was more concerned about making sure Sofie was OK - a welcomed distraction!



Such a good flyer (best toy ever = water bottle)

In Houston we did so many fun things. We visited our friends at the Rockets, and went to lunch with Tamara at Discovery Green. So nice! Then, we went to the zoo with Mom's friends and kids (a mob of about 15 people - basically a field trip! HA). Then, Sam's one year birthday party was on Saturday and it was a super fun tutus and bowties birthday party where Sofia got to play with all of Mom's BFFs and their babies :) What a blast... but a little overwhelming for Sofie. She let us know when she was ready to go. She's definitely not used to all that activity and craziness. My mom, Sofie and I were completely wiped out after the party! You would think we had just run a marathon! Grammie Lu took Sofie Lu and I to the Children's museum and that was so much fun. They had a great infant area and I can't wait to try the one here in Milwaukee. Sofie played and played and was completely worn out afterward. We also got to try the Gymboree in Houston and Sofie loved it as usual. It was also so cool that we got to see Uncle Matty play baseball and Sofie came all decked out in her Lamar gear. She was a hit! Sofia also got to visit with Mom's friends Kelly and Katie and meet Katie's son Noah. What a cutie - he gave Sofie lots of kisses and was so sweet.

Having a blast at Uncle Matty's game

Ready for the tutu party!

Sofie in the fort we built for her at the Children's museum

Goofy pic at the museum. I literally fell on the floor laughing taking this pic. As soon as Sofie's little face appeared in that hole, she started smiling... she is a hilarious baby.

Visiting with Kelly and Katie and Noah

I also got to meet out with friends at night and have some cocktails which was a blast to catch up and have that time that I rarely get any more! Thank you SO MUCH to Grammie and Grampie Lu for all of your help. The hung out with Sofie Lu while I had some adult friend time. It was so great... AND Grammie Lu saved me a lot of sanity and sleep b/c Sofia decided she's going to stop sleeping through the night while we were in Houston! So, Grammie took her in the early mornings after I fed her so that I could get a little more sleep. I don't remember the last time I had slept until 9AM but it felt soooo good. Thanks Grammie! We hope it was just her being in an unfamiliar place but our first night back and was a little rough again but not like the nights in Houston were. She was getting up 1-2 times and each night at home has gotten better... only time will tell. She did cut her second tooth in Houston so that was exciting!

morning nap with Grammie

While in Houston she tried blueberries which she pretty much hated. She loved peas and carrots so we're thinking she's a veggie girl. Strange but good, I guess! The only fruit she really liked was bananas. I'll have to try and think of a good one for her to try next...

Lastly, a weight update and as predicted my Houston trip set me back a little. Luckily not as much as I thought it would. I am 6 pounds away now. When I left I was only 4! AH! I will get back on track though.

A few more pics...

Visiting with GG, so special

Proud Uncle Matty


Lunch with Grampie

How Bout Them Apples

I just wanted to do a few quick updates before we head to Houston on Wednesday (so excited slash nervous!) Sofia and I will be tackling this trip just the two of us so wish us luck :) We will miss Mike sooo much but luckily he has plenty to keep him busy. We can't wait to see Grammie Lu, Grampie Lu and Uncle Matty - not to mention all of our friends! Sofia will be attending a Tutus and Bowties party for her friend Sam's one year birthday!

So, Sofie has started scooting. Nowhere near crawling but she does move a little, mostly backwards. She also does 360s (gradual) on her belly when she's playing on the floor.

She's moved on to fruits now and likes bananas a lot. However, she does NOT like apples or apple juice! See picture below. I have never seen her make a face like this. She was completely disgusted and mortified that I put those pureed apples in her mouth. Mike and I were peeing our pants with laughter and he compared it to taking a really bad shot of whiskey. She would make the bitter face, then slam her hand on her high chair and get watery eyes. Poor thing... but it was hiLARious...Otherwise, she loooves to eat her food and gets super excited for each and every bite.



She's also eating those Puffs things I mentioned and still is working on getting those from hand to mouth. She works very hard at it but hasn't quite developed that coordination yet. It's so cute to watch b/c she loves them but she pretty much just keeps them tight in her fists! Such concentration...

AND... I have SIX pounds to go until my goal (pre-preg) weight!!!! I have been working my BUTT off and am happy to see it's finally paying off. Doing lots more running outside with Bax and the stroller while the weather is still nice. Everyone says the last bit of weight is the hardest and man is it ever true... it definitely is the most stubborn. Hopefully Mike will let me treat myself to a new pair of jeans to celebrate finally meeting my goal. ;)

Lastly, here is a funny video of her nighttime crazies. She gets real slap happy right before bedtime and here you can get a taste of it. Lots of razzies...

And a few more pics...



Fall Fun at the pumpkin patch and a pic of one of the many reasons I love Fall in Wisco.

Fun in the backyard with bubbles, and a sweet little hand reaching for me. Love.

6 Month Update

Well I was right! Sofie got her first tooth the morning of her 6 month birthday. I could feel it coming and she had a random wake up at 1AM (which is rare these days) and I felt around and there it was! Such a cute little nub... you still can't even see it but it's definitely there.

Fall is officially here and I'd have to say it's my absolute favorite time of year here in Wisconsin. We never really had a REAL fall in Texas... I mean, the weather got nice and all but here... it's so different. The leaves turn all kinds of shades of yellow, brown, orange, and red - so vibrant and beautiful. Then there's the smell in the crisp cool air of burning leaves and it's just the best. Bust out the sweats, crock pot, and hot cider...ahh. Just some of the things I love about the fall: the clothes, the smells, pumpkin foods, pumpkin beer, pumpkin patches, all things pumkin, the beautiful colors, football, apple picking, honey crisp apples, apple pies, soup, halloween, and all the fun fall activities. If only it didn't mean winter was waiting right around the corner. We'll enjoy what we've got now!

Sofia is definitely enjoying the fall. She takes it all in on her walks, and we did our first apple orchard trip last week. It was adorable, and she really enjoyed it. I don't know if it was all the colors or what, but she was kicking and laughing away. It was hilarious! She hung out in the Bjorn while I did all the picking, although she did pick at some leaves and branches of her own. So funny and cute. I will definitely be making some apple sauce for her from the apples we picked. Pics below!

We took Sofie to her first wedding this weekend in Minneapolis. She was so awesome in the car both ways for a 5.5 hour drive. She had a great time at the wedding and we had a blast at the reception! :) Sofie and I almost did not make it to the wedding b/c our sitter backed out Thursday night! We were scheduled to leave the next day! But, thank goodness for wonderful grandmas who "adopt" another baby for the night. A friend of ours offered up his mother who was more than happy to watch Sofie while we partied the night away :) Turned out to be a GREAT and super fun weekend and Sofia is just quite the little traveler.

Today she had her 6 month checkup and we will have to start babyproofing soon. Yikes! She's liking her food and trying new foods every few days. This month she can try a little bit of juice each day, and start snacking on some "puffs" (think baby cherios that melt in baby's mouth).

Stats:

Height - 25 3/4 inches (50th percentile) (apparently she was overmeasured the last time, the dr. said there's no way she did not grow the past three months!)
Weight - 18 pounds, 8.5 ounces (90th percentile)

Other stuff she's up to:

• She finally rolled over and now she's a little roly poly :) She still looks a little confused each time it happens.
• She closes the book when we're reading to her now.
• All of her toys... well all of anything in her path gets put straight into the mouth.
• Crying when Mike or I leave the room (not every time, luckily!). She actually cried twice when Mike had to leave for work and it broke both of our hearts!
• Smiling for the camera; she really hams it up.
• Staying super busy all the time - she doesn't like to be still at all any more.
• Trying to eat with her spoon - usually turns out to be sooo messy, but hilarious.
• As always, keeping us cracking up and loving her more and more each day.

...almost forgot the weight update. Trucking along. 8 pounds to go!

Race for the cure, Sofia's first 5K






Checking out her apple





Wedding in Minneapolis

Half a Year?!

Sofia will be 6 months old next Thursday! Insane... they weren't kidding when they said time flies. Every day that I have with her I am so grateful for and am amazed to watch her grow and learn before my very eyes.

Lots has gone on in the past few weeks!

Last weekend, Sofia started her first swim lessons! She loved them and I think she'll definitely be a water baby. It was so cute - a Mommy (and Daddy) and Me class. Dad wasn't able to make the first class but we'll be going as a family for the rest of the classes. Thank goodness b/c it was a little intense going at it alone. Just imagine trying to get yourself and a slippery baby in and out of a pool, swimming, showering after (required), and both changing into dry clothes in the locker room. Whew... I did it but it was definitely a challenge! She did great though...

Last post I shared a video of her first solids. She's been doing great with just cereal but the past couple of weeks she's been introduced to veggies. It was definitely amusing watching her face as she tasted avocado for the first time! Avocado was her first veggie and now she is on to green beans. As long as we mix it into the cereal, she likes it OK. She still gets the "what the heck is this" face and an occasional gag which we can't help but laugh about.

On that note, I'm actually taking a stab at making my own baby food. I figure it will be cost effective as well as healthier for Sofia. Only the best for Sofie Lu! I made some pureed green beans last night so so far so good! It was kind of exciting to have it come out just like I thought it would. Green mush :) After a few more veggies we can move on to fruit!

We feel like teeth are right around the corner for her. I am so not ready for them! Mike and I are absolutely in love with her gummy smile and teeth just mean she's growing up. OK, I know she has to grow up and of course I want her to, but this little baby girl is seriously growing so fast. Time for another one? hahaha... KIDDING. Any way - I also am a little afraid of how nursing might change when teeth are in the picture. Considering Sofia already likes to give me little bites now and then, I can only imagine when she decides to experiment with her new teeth. Scary! I can feel them right under the gums right now and she's had some moments where I just know she's uncomfortable from it. But... no teeth yet. Waiting!

Some other new things she is doing are making raspberries with her mouth, sitting up for a longer time unsupported, grabbing anything and everything in her line of reach, laughing more and more, and (my favorite) caressing faces. It's so sweet and makes me feel like she's telling me how much she loves me. She especially loooves to feel Dad's beard, and I just love watching her gaze at Daddy and touch his face.

Next up: a trip to Houston solo w/ Sofia. That's in October and I am sooo excited and also slightly nervous about traveling alone with her! I know we can do it and that she'll be a perfect angel as always...(pray!). It will be so hard being away from Mike all that time but I'm excited to have some quality time at home with Sofie. Can't wait!!

Weight loss: 9 pounds to go. Slowly but surely... I am starting to feel like myself again and fitting into my clothes! Even my jeans! YEA!!! :)

And now for the pics, everyone's favorite part...


Sofia's face after some delicious avocados




At the zoo... she loved the goats!


Sofie and her friend August (We met August and his mom Ali at Mom's Chat through the hospital) . They are one day apart!

At our block party - can you tell she loves to party? uh oh...


Sofie Lu and Bango! She LOVED him...