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