Bucks Holiday Party

Every year the Bucks put on the most amazing kids party for the holidays. This year with the lockout we were a little concerned that it might not happen! I'm sure it would not have had a season not resumed. So, lucky for us we had what I consider one of my favorite parties of the year this past Monday. And boy was Sofia ready to party. We knew she'd be overjoyed to see Bango (she loves him sooo much) but we weren't sure about Santa. Luckily, she had no problem at all sitting on his lap! In fact, before it was her turn to go up, she was running towards him! Yay! I've attached some pics from the party and a video of her having a blast. She also met Mini Bango for the first time and was completely enthralled. As you can see, she was so excited to party, she wouldn't pose for the group pic. Also, some pics from our Bango holiday photo shoot :)

HALFWAY - WHAT?~

This week we had our 20 week ultrasound. I cannot believe I am halfway done with my pregnancy! I feel terrible that I haven't taken any "bump" pics. Maybe I will do a few. It's just that I'm less excited this time about my body transforming b/c now I know what can happen in the end! I become a huge scary whale! And I don't want to document it yet again! But... it's not about that - it's about the baby. :) Mike always asks what I'm going to tell Baby2 when he/she asks why didn't I take bump pics and I tell him I'm sure he/she will not care. Regardless, I'll try and add a few eventually!

Back to the point - we had the 20 week ultrasound and got the "A plus" from the doctor. It's such a relief to know that everything looks healthy and well at this point. I am so happy that this baby is doing great and am getting more and more excited to meet him/her. We obviously have chosen to be surprised again as far as knowing the gender. It was just way too much fun to be surprised at the birth and I want that feeling again. There was nothing like that moment right after Sofia entered the world when Dr. Lawrence said "It's a GIRL!" As if she was surprised herself! :)

I've been trying to talk more and more to Sofie about the baby and she totally doesn't get it but it's fun to talk to her about it. She does kiss my belly when I tell her to kiss the baby so maybe she kind of gets it??? I am pretty anxious to see how she reacts to a new little baby in the house. I hope she's as sweet and loving as she is with us and Baxter. I have a good feeling b/c she has been around other little babies and has been very good and gentle.

I'll try and add some pics soon, but just wanted to chronicle this important milestone in pregnancy #2!

Name and ABCs, Blowing nose and Words

I am obviously going through videos that need to be posted :) Here are a couple of my favorites.

What's your name? And ABCs...

Blowing Mama's nose and lots of words

Gymnastics

Sofia has been going to gymnastics the past 9 weeks and we LOVE it. I love it for so many reasons - she learns how to follow directions, how to wait her turn, and how to behave in a class setting. Plus, it's pretty entertaining to watch. She loves it b/c she gets to run off all that energy. And she loves circle time songs. I think the thing she loves most is trying to jump. She tries her little heart out, but can't quite make it yet. The day she can actually jump will be a HUGE day! She also is learning all of the things she can do with her little muscles! It's a great activity and I've actually seen her make a lot of progress since her first class which is so cool. Now, when we arrive, she gets so excited and says "GYNA-TICS!" It's awesome. My favorite class we've done for sure. I think Daddy may become the swim class guy ;)

And now of course - for some video!....there are a lot so choose wisely :) Most of them are pretty short (less than one min. each).

This one is the first part of class. They always sing some songs and do some "warm-ups" in circle time and there's always a new prop - a block, a scarf, balloon, etc. This day it was a ball....

Here is one of the obstacle courses in the next part of class...

In this part of class, the teacher helps with some "skills". Sofia trying out her flip...

"hanging out"

These two videos show Sofia's favorite things - the trampolines. If you only watch one video, watch the second trampoline video. Well worth it :)

Lastly - Circle Time - singing "Goodbye Friends"

Sleepy Baby

Sofia was quite worn out from her Indy trip, along with the time change....

Indy Trip

We're taking advantage of this crazy lockout and enjoying our family weekends together! As part of that, we took a road trip to Indianapolis to visit the Schnieders clan. Most of Mike's 18 cousins and all of his aunts and uncles on his Dad's side live there and we thought it would be a fun time to go. As an added bonus, Erin and Gavin were visiting so we thought it was the perfect time to go. We usually only go to Indy for special occasions and events so it was so much fun to be there for just a 'regular' weekend. We stayed with Mike's cousin Jamie, her husband Andrew and their two girls Molly and Kate. The girls are 2 and 3 1/2 so, needless to say, Sofia was in HEAVEN. I loved seeing her constantly play with her 2nd cousins. It made me so excited for her to have a brother or sister! It's the first time I can say I was more excited than terrified about it! :) Other than enjoying Sofie play with all of her little cousins, Mike and I had such a great time with all of the family. Lots of laughs as always - thanks for the hospitality everyone!

Day 1 in Indy: took a field trip to Sullivan's hardware store to visit Uncle Paul and the bears.

Later that day, Jamie and I went with Aunt Sue to a consignment sale and left Mike with all three girls (only for maybe 15 min before Uncle David and Little David came to help out.) When we got back, they were all in princess get-ups! Sofia was Sleeping Beauty...

Day 2 in Indy: big cousin party. Here is the little cousin table who happen to all be girls. So sweet...

Sofie really enjoyed their Tickle Me Elmo, here she is imitating him:

Seconds

I was just realizing that as we have celebrated lots of 'Seconds' this past year for Sofia, we now will be celebrating a second baby! So exciting. . . I know everyone already knows but I had to update the blog since I was so vigilant the first time! I'm sure I won't be able to do everything I did the first time around, but I'd like to try. So, I am now 15 weeks and feeling so much better overall. Aside from having a nasty Halloween cold, I've finally felt "normal" again after the morning sickness went away. It was BRUTAL this time around. Yuck. And, worse that I felt like such a terrible mom with no energy with Sofia. Luckily, I'm getting back to the old me with Sof :) She keeps me on my toes, that's for sure!

So, on that note, I had to share some adorable Halloween videos. Enjoy!

Random Lake House Fun

Last week, Adam and Jes invited us to join their final weekend of vacation. Any time we can hang out with them and let the cousins hang out is a good time so of course we said yes! Here is the dance party that happened the first night...total chaos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s94CzfM8d0

And here are Sofia and Drew with the famous lake house moose.

Sofie loves cherries.

State Fair

Had a blast at the Fair last week. We took Sofia down the big slide twice! She liked it... or so we think. I definitely would not have taken her down if I hadn't talked to Ali knowing she took August down no problem. Also, going down all the slides at the Dells helped! Saw lots of animals which Sofia knew almost all the sounds to make. She really is enthralled by animals, but I guess what toddler isn't? We also went on quite the food tour as well. Let me see if I can run down all we ate. Started with some delicious flavored milk which, needless to say, Sofia really enjoyed. I think her favorite was banana. Mine was the root beer! Then we had some deep fried mac n cheese, then moved on to fried PBJ, a brisket sandwich (the only non fried thing we ate), deep fried mashed potatoes, deep fried snickers, and deep fried oreos. YUM.

Sofia's had at least a bite of almost everything. I kind of felt terrible giving her all that fried food, but it was the fair! :) Her favorite were the deep fried oreos. She is her mother's daughter after all.

Oreos...finger lickin good

Sofie drinking her flavored milk with Daddy

What's this deep fried mac n cheese all about?

post-Slide - so exciting!

Wisconsin Dells

Who knew how much fun we'd have at the Dells this past weekend?! It was Sofia's first time there, and mine as well. What a blast. We were very fortunate in that our sister-in-law, Jes was having her family reunion there and they had some extra rooms at a great rate so we decided to take advantage. I'm so glad we did - I have really never seen Sofia have so much fun. The Dells are like Las Vegas meets Disney meets water. I always had it in my head that it would be super cheezy, and maybe it is... but in an awesome vacation way :) We spent Friday and Saturday night with the fam, and had so much fun we decided to stay one more night and went to the Kalahari resort. So nice!!

We took Sofia wayyyyy off schedule but she didn't seem to mind in the least. She couldn't get enough of the water parks - it was so great! She also just wanted to play with all the kids. Perpetual motion, I tell you! I wish I could have gotten more pics of her in the water, but the way all the parks work - there's literally water EVERYwhere and my camera would have been ruined for sure! So, I'll post a few other pics.

Here are a couple of pics we took of Sofia and Addison in their matching outfits from Grandma. I can't get over how cute they are. Sofia has taken a turn from wanting to play with Drew to wanting to follow Addison and do everything she does. It's pretty adorable.

Here's Sofia coming down a slide with Daddy! I was sooo nervous do to this but I actually took her down first and Mike couldn't believe it! She loved it.... I think!

Our last day we decided to visit the Aquarium. What a disapointing, yet hilarious experience... what memories are made of, that is for sure. All that mattered is that Sofia loved the fish. Even in the murky brown water that you could barely see through. Here she is checking out the creepy fisherman.

Lastly, a video to show just how much fun Sofia had. This was 10 minutes into our drive home. She slept the whole way home! Tried to capture the snoring, but she stopped right when I started filming!

Back in Business

I know it's been a long while since I've written so instead of trying to catch up, I'm just going to add some highlights from the past couple of months and just pick up where we've left off :)

A few pics I had to show of an impromptu naked bath in the pool during our family vacation in July. Hi-larious. Sofia loves bathing al fresco.

Also, she's talking up a storm. She now repeats almost everything, it's pretty amusing. Here is an example of one of her words. Teehee....

Lastly, just to show just how funny she is. At least we think so.

Houston

June 1-6, we took a family trip to Houston for Uncle Matty's graduation from high school. We're so proud of him and it was a fun trip home, as always. Lost of going, going, going and it's always a relief to have Grammie on hand for the early mornings! :)

Our first full day there was spent at the pool due to the 100 degree heat. Man, I forgot what that felt like - brutal! I can't complain though - I've been begging for summer for two months now :) Mike made tons of fun of me b/c I just can't be pleased when it comes to the weather. Is 80 and sunny all the time too much to ask? Sheesh....

We got to spend time with my grandparents - Sofia's great grandparents - which was of course very special. They love her and really enjoyed watching her stumble around and talk and talk and get into everything at my parents' house.

It was awesome that we got to spend time with my bff Patricia's daughter and her sister and her daughter as well. So special and so much fun - the older the girls get, the more fun it is. I still can't believe we all have girls! I love it. They are pretty funny all together, and I can only imagine what kinds of things they'll get into together in years to come.

Lastly, was Matty's graduation. Such an important day and our family could not be more proud of him. I can't even believe he's already going off to college. I seriously remember taking him to his first day of kindergarten with my mom. I started college the next week! So proud of my little brother.

Sofia was a perfect angel at graduation, despite totally skipping her afternoon nap. She was a trooper overall. I know I always say that but I keep just waiting for that meltdown when she's had it! She also did so great on both flights there and back which is ALWAYS a relief. She seems to be lulled to sleep by takeoff and when she gets up we just have to make sure to have lots of milk, snacks, and books on hand. Such a seasoned traveler!


Sofia in the baby pool with Daddy

Sofia attempting her first ever popcicle. She loved it.

Sofia's playdate with Sam. CHEEEEZ!

I love this pic - Sofie with her two Great Grandmas

Sofia at graduation with Grammie and Great Grandma and Grandpa

Walking!

Well, it looks like we have got a walker on our hands...her first steps were officially a couple of weeks ago but today she took a good solid 5-6 steps towards Baxter and I've been making her do it ever since :) And then I thought for a second how my life is now going to change. yikes...she doesn't seem to be wanting to do it all the time yet. I still have to coax her into it. But, it's still pretty fun to watch her stumble around like a drunken sailor once I let go of her hands.

Memorial Day Weekend 2011

We had a fabulous weekend at the lake. Even though the weather was not great for the majority of the time, we got to spend some good times with the family. I really have been blessed by marrying into this family. I know not a lot of people can say how much they love their in-laws but I truly do. We have such a great time together and it's also so wonderful for Sofia to get to spend time with her grandparents, aunts and uncles, and best of all cousins. Being able to go to this lake house as often as we do has been SO AMAZING. We love it and it's definitely my happy place! Thanks Mom and Dad S :)

The weather did not cooperate, but that didn't stop us from having fun. It was still a relaxing weekend with some true quality time. The sun finally came out today so we all stayed a little longer than we normally would have. We did go to the beach on Sunday and Sofia had a ball with Grandma splashing in the water. Later that day, she had a giggle fit with Daddy in the swing. Videos below!

May

Just had to share a few adorable pics of the Sof.

Gorgeous Spring day playing outside with Daddy. They went around the entire block with Sofia pushing and then I guess she needed a break :)

bathtime - bubble goatee - what happens when she tries to drink the bath water

We had a neighborhood garage sale this morning and Daddy bought her an Elmo. She held on TIGHT in her stroller the whole morning and kept holding on through diaper change and then had to nap with him. "Ummuh" I really would have preferred throwing him in the wash before giving him to her but oh well! I don't think she's going to let him go for a long time.

Milestones

Sofia is certainly surprising us with all of her 'speaking' abilities. So, Mike and I were talking over dinner and he said I needed to be sure and write all of her words down. ALSO - she's so close to walking. She took her first official "step". A very wobbly one step followed by a collapse into my arms :) It was Thursday, May 12th. She's also standing very solidly on her own. She just does not want to move! She does think it's hilarious though. Must get a video up soon.

As for her words, she's parroting a lot, and she says quite a few things on her own. She's still doing great with her signs (food, more, all done, banana, diaper, and bath). I'm trying to teach her more and more bc it's so nice to allow her that ability to communicate.

She's saying these words regularly and will very often try and repeat lots of other words...

Mama

Daeyyyy!! (Daddy)

Baca (Baxter)

Book

Duck

Baby

Duh-puh (diaper)

Keh-Key (kitty cat) - said in Des Moines every time Dexter came around

Muk (milk)

puk (cup)

Bana (banana)

Ummuh (Elmo)

Up

Bee

Bzzz

Ah Ah (for a monkey noise)

A couple of things have actually amazed me - she says AB when she gets one of her ABC books in her hand. I was seriously in awe! Then, today she pooped and looked at me and said "dupuh" It took me a while to get why she was saying it and then I figured I should change her! I mean - totally could have been a fluke but I'd like to think she's a little baby genius :)

Mother's Day

So I'm a little behind... but wanted to be sure and share a Mother's Day post :) Mother's Day was perfect. We were in Chicago for a wedding with Adam and Jes so all the cousins got to hang out while Grandma and Grandpa watched them over night! So much fun :) It had been almost a year since Mike and I had an over night away from Sofia so it was quite nice. Especially the sleeping in part. Ahhh....8:30 never felt so great.

We woke up on Sunday morning, grabbed Starbucks and headed back to Grayslake for a delicious family Mother's Day brunch. Then, we drove back home to Milwaukee and sat out on the patio at Bar Louie for a YUMMY bloody mary. The rest of the day was pretty much lazy for me but exactly what I wanted. Quality time with my family and not having to do anything ;)

Right before we all hit the road, we had an impromptu photo shoot with the beautiful spring tulips and gorgeous weather in Grayslake. So sweet!

I never appreciated the importance of Mother's Day until I became a Mom myself. Now I know how special a day it is. I told Mike it's even more special than my birthday b/c I actually DID something to warrant celebrating this day. Definitely an honor to be called a mother.

Drake Relays weekend

Last weekend we took a road trip to Des Moines to visit Mike's brother and family. We had such a great time, I just had to share a few pics! It was Drake Relays which is a big alumni weekend but our version was a little different than years past :) We arrived on Thursday night and had dinner and hung out. Then, on Friday the boys played golf while the girls had a "girls trip" (Addison's words) to the zoo. It was a PERFECT day out and actually the whole weekend turned out to be amazing weather despite terrible forecasts!

Friday night, Adam and Jes had lots of friends over for a barbecue and Sofia enjoyed it so much she threw a FIT when it was bedtime. On Saturday we headed out to campus for brunch and for some relays action. Another phenomenal day....then, we came home and rested up a bit before the sitters came over and we all got a night out to celebrate relays. Talk about a fun weekend. To top things off, Adam and Jes have an amazing house and Sofia had such a great time there with her cousins. She also was a champ on both (6 hour) drives. Thank goodness for the McDonald's playland at the exact halfway point! Although disgusting (maybe I'm a slight germaphobe :)), it was a lifesaver b/c she got some energy out. we hope to make this an annual trip!

naptime - rest up before heading to campus!

On Daddy's shoulders watching the races

cheese! partying at the barbecue

girls at the zoo

Easter Weekend

Happy Easter! It was a phenomenal day spent with great people. The weekend started off to a not so great start so we're thankful to have our little Sofie be happy and healthy again. She had a super high fever that completely freaked me out on Friday so I rushed her to the doctor and it turns out she had a bad ear infection. I've never been so relieved! Fevers can be so scary... but I was just glad we were able to figure out what it was and get her medication ASAP. I knew she was sick b/c all she would do was lie down on me and she was burning up hot. It was the saddest thing, and even though I loved the cuddle time it broke my heart at the same time b/c I knew she felt so bad she didn't want to do anything at all. Bless her little heart. Having a sick little one is one of the hardest things to deal with.

On a happier note, she woke up the next morning like a new baby so we took advantage of the gorgeous day and went to the zoo and out to dinner! I was so thankful she was feeling better and she had a great day. Back to happy little Sofie Lu.

It occurred to me that this Easter was not a "first" for Sofia. Her first "non-first" haha...but, her birth will always help me remember the true meaning of Easter b/c she certainly represents and gave us "new life" and helps us celebrate that since her birth was just days before Easter.

She was just days old last Easter so it was quite different. Definitely different at church, that's for sure! She is starting to be a handful but we usually get through it! So, this morning we woke up and went to early mass, came home and got ready for our big Easter brunch. Before everyone got here, we opened up our Easter baskets and let Sofia hunt for eggs. We weren't sure how that would go, but she actually got it! She found the eggs and would shake them, so we would open them up and she would eat her treats :) Brunch was so nice; we had about ten friends come over and everyone brought something delicious. Luckily, even Sofia had a playmate, Kendyl - she's a little older (three) but they had a great time together!

Even though we of course missed our families today, having wonderful friends around to celebrate the day made it a very special day - as Easter should be - a joyful celebration!

Here are a few pics and a video of Sofia on her egg hunt.

Easter Bunny, Kids Fest

This past weekend was the first weekend Mike has had off since January! Sad that the Bucks did not do better this season, but SO HAPPY to have Daddy back! :) So, we did lots of fun stuff including an neighborhood Easter party on Saturday and Kids Fest on Sunday. We know how much Sofia loves Bango so we were pumped for her to meet the Bunny, but we're starting to think maybe she's only a Bango fan and not a mascot fan in general.

She did love the Easter bunny from a far but up close... she was a little tentative until he let her play with his nose. The party was fun - we ate some yummy food, hung out with the Easter bunny, and did an Easter egg hunt! Fun times...

Kids Fest is basically a huge event at the WI Expo Center with all kinds of kid stuff (vendors, activities, shows, etc). Sofia's favorite part was the Family Farm. She just loves looking at animals!

Happy Easter!