Picture Post

It's been a while since I posted pics, so here are a bunch from this past weekend. (Thanks, Auntie Jill, for the beautiful dress! It was perfect for the luau party!). These are from Sophia's cousin Abbey's 5th bday party. Sophia wanted to do all the things the big kids were doing and crawled into the circle to "help" Abbey open her gifts. Also, Sophia climbed some steps for the first time! They have two steps from the family room to the kitchen, and she went right up them, across the kitchen floor, and into the front room where all the kids were. Guess I better get that gate put up at the bottom of the stairs.







playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey:






opening presents:








being silly with Papa:

I swear she's mine!

Here's a cute pic of Sophia and me that they took at her center. If I wasn't there when she was born, I wouldn't believe she was mine! I think she looks NOTHING like me and exactly like her dad. See for yourself...



UPDATED 7/31: Just for reference, here's a pic of daddy and "Oprah" at the wax museum in Vegas. Nic Cage and Jodie Foster are in the background :-)

Nine months old!

My baby girl turned nine months old last week. She will be one in less than three months. I can't believe how quickly the time has gone. I will try to take some more pictures and get them posted this weekend, but here are a few updates:

• One of her top teeth is *almost* through! She was crabby all last weekend, but (knock on wood) has been sleeping through the night for the past few nights. I worked this morning, so we were up early, and I actually didn't take a nap today! This is a VERY big deal for me.

(UPDATE 7/28: Apparently, I spoke too soon. Last night was one of the worst nights with Sophia since she was itty bitty. She was awake, and crabby, from midnight until just after 4 a.m. Then up for the morning before 8. Oy. But that darn tooth is through the skin now. Hopefully, tonight will be better. Mama needs more than 4 hours of sleep!)

• She is crawling all over the place, and she is fast! I walked to the garbage can in the kitchen and she was all the way across the room. We really need to finish baby-proofing the house.

• After Labor Day, I will start working three mornings a week. Sophia is having a great time socializing at "school" and really enjoys going. This morning, for the very first time, I put her down to play with her friends and she turned to me and waved "bye-bye"! It was sad that she didn't need me, but was also nice because I know she is fine there while I'm working. And when I came to get her three hours later, I picked her up and she waved good-bye to her friends and teachers. That's one smart girl we're raising!

Every girl has her parade

Last night, we took Sophia to her first parade and she had a blast. The horn on the firetruck startled her a bit (it made her pee her pants), but she loved all the bands, both marching and regular. And she was fascinated by the waving royalty. Here are some pictures. I think I might enter on into the local contest for pictures of people taken during the events this weekend. Which one do you like best??

Pop Art

Look what I did last night after Sophia went to bed! I'm still perfecting my technique, but I think it turned out pretty good.

Crawling...

On Friday, Sophia started crawling! We thought she was just going to go straight to walking, but I think the time she's been spending with the other babies at "school" (aka New Horizon) has been a good influence on her. She seems to learn something new almost every day!

Here are some random pictures of the princess. Pleased to enjoy...

Just hanging out:
















A girl and her dog:
















Let me out of this darn thing!

And, she's up!

Last night, I ran into the garage to get Nelly's dinner, and about 30 seconds later I came back into the family room to find Sophia standing at the coffee table. This is the first time she's pulled herself up without any help. Of course, I had to document it :-) Unfortunately, it's dark and kind of hard to see, and sideways. I am not the best videographer. But you'll get the idea:




Also, here's a little video of Sophia and Nelly playing together. They have a great time together, but can both get a little rough. Now that they're the same size, I'm not sure which one I need to protect!