"My Ma-ma"....

Here is a video of Sophia saying "My Mama".  When she is tired, frustrated, mad or sad she will look at me and say "Mama" or "My Mama".  She will put her arms out for me to pick her up or crawl to me for a snuggle.  It makes my heart melt.  She also talks to herself in the morning and when she is ready to get out of bed she will start to yell "Mama" really loud!

When she is happy, excited or wants to play she will whisper "Dada" and look for Adam and then squeal and yell it louder.  She is too funny!

3 more days until CUBA bound!!!!

Busy baby girl!

Sophia is one busy/social bee!

She has play dates almost everyday with Max and Emma (her buddies).

She has birthday photo shoots almost weekly with the size of this family!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RELIC!!!!!

Bath-time, nap time, play time, flu shot time :(, snack time.  The list goes on and on!

Despite it all she is one happy, healthy girl!  She is growing so quickly and changing before our eyes!

She says "Mama" and "Dada" now, waves, claps, signs "all done" and sometimes "more", crawls backwards on her hands and knees, crawls forwards commando style, yells "yee-haw" when excited and plays a sound mimicking game with her Mom and Dad all the time.

She is so much fun.  I wish I could bottle all these moments up and keep her small for even longer.  It is exciting to watch her change and grow but makes my heart ache that she isn't going to be a baby for much longer :(

Latest stats at just shy of 10 months:

Weight: 17lbs 15 oz (20th-25th %)

Height: 28.5 inches (65th %)

5 more sleeps!!!!! CUBA CUBA CUBA

Sophia and Max: A Love Story Begins.......

Sophia and Max first met when Sophia was one week old and Max was 3 weeks old.  That is where the love story starts.....

Or the forced interaction starts.....

I met Audrey (Max's mom) a couple of months before the babies were born while walking Finnigan.  We figured out we were due a couple of weeks apart and just by chance they ended up actually being born a couple of weeks apart (we both had the babes early).  After the babies were born we started hanging out lots and supporting each-other through those GAWD awful first few weeks.  We made it through breast feeding HELL, baby blues, and all the other discomforts that come with having a new baby.

We started taking LOTS of pictures of Sophia and Max together for their future wedding slide show!  They don't know it yet but they will get married someday!

Although it was forced interaction between the two, they have actually grown to really love each other.  They talk (or babble and yell random words) to each other on speaker phone every morning and have play dates virtually every day.  When they set eyes on each other they both get the biggest smiles on their face and squeal at each other.  They are starting to have squabbles over toys but for the most part play really well!

Thank goodness for Max's mummy!  I wouldn't have survived the first 6 months without her!

Thanks Max and Audrey!

Love, Sophia and Sandra

We have a SORT OF CRAWLER.....

Here are some photos of Sophia practicing her latest trick.  She is a sort of crawler now.  She can move forwards one or two crawls now but the real trick is that she crawls BACKWARDS.  She will actually get up and her hands and knees and ,without even knowing it, crawl backwards before she catches on and lays down.  Sophia is a busy girl but a bit on the cautious side.  I think the only thing holding her back from just GOING is a little bit of fear of falling or nosediving in to the ground.

As you can see from the other photos, Sophia looks as though she is doing yoga.  She gets right up on her side in a plank position and will actually balance on one arm.  She will also hold an 'upward facing dog???' position too.  Too funny!

We also officially have a talker!  Sophia says "mama" and "dada" completely appropriately now.  When she wants me she will YELL "Mama" and when she is just happy to see me she will whisper it and put her arms out for a hug.  When Adam comes home from work she will freeze, whisper "Dada" to me and shift her eyes around until she sees him.  Then she will flap her arm in the air and YELL "Dada"!  Melts our hearts!

This morning I kept saying "CUBA CUBA CUBA" and she would try and copy and say "Ba Ba Ba".

11 days!!!!!  Yipeeeee!!!!!  Sunshine, beaches and yummy drinks her we come!!!!

Laughing at Daddy as usual!

Lately, Adam is Sophia's favorite person!  She squeals when she sees him in the morning, when he walks into the room and especially when he gets home from work.

She thinks her Daddy is the funniest person around.  I'd like to ask her what she thinks 14 years from now!!!!

Anyhow, here's a video capturing a pretty regular after dinner scene around this household.  Sophia laughing at her Daddy as usual!!!

Sophia a Finn.... True buds!

Look how far these two have come!  

Finn was not too sure about Sophia the first time he met her but quickly turned on his protective doggy role!  He has become very protective of Sophia and anything that has to do with her.  Protective of her stroller, the yard, the house, you name it.

He has a pretty loud bark but it's the growl that gets me.  He just started that a few months ago and if he thinks a hears something in the house, he will stand up, gently walk past Sophia towards the noise, hackles up and the deepest, scariest growl emerges.  At first I tried to stop it and punish him when he would growl and bark but now I think it is a good thing.  Nothing will get between  him and Sophia.

Wait....that's a lie!  A ball will get between him and Sophia.  That is the only way someone could get into our house.  Toss Finn a ball and Sophia is chopped liver... Oh well!  He loves her so much but will always be a retriever at heart and that I can never take out of him!

These two are going to grow into the best buds.... I can already see it!  And that makes me smile :)

Pajama baby!

Here are some photos of Sophia playing in her crib and watching her Daddy put up some shelves just before bed.  She is such a ham and is turning in to a busy little baby girl!  Keeps me on my toes!  The baby gate is going up on the stairs permanently as Sophia is now up on her hands and knees 'rocking' all the time, can go from her belly into a sitting position no problem, can go from sitting into a crawling position no problem by nose diving forwards, and can still scoot backwards and in circles around anyone!  She's quick.

Her latest stats are:

Weight: 17 lbs 7 oz (still 25th %)

Length: 28.5 inches (70th %) (she's getting long!)

Not much else new except that Sophia has decided she really likes her bottles of formula more than nursing.  I was having lots of mom guilt and anxiety about it but am now just rolling with it.  She is happy and I guess I finally get my body to myself!  We are down to once or twice a day and even that is dwindling... It is like pulling teeth to get her to pay attention long enough....

Hope all is well and 3 1/2 WEEKS YO!!!!!  CUBA!!!!!

Happy 9 Month Old Birthday and Halloween 2009!!!!

Happy 9 months to our beautiful little girl!!!  Can't believe she has been with us that long already.  Time flies when your busy having fun!

Happy Halloween to all!!!  We had a Halloween party last night and had a few friends over to celebrate!  Many a martini was drunk, drank, ???.... Fun was had by all!

As you can see, Adam dressed up as a midget downhill skier and I was supposed to be 70's disco queen but looked more like a dolled up chick from 1981... Oh well... It was fun!

Sophia is changing every day and is so much fun.  She has really settled into our new home and is back to sleeping through the night again.  She is soooooo close to full out crawling and will rock on her hands and knees.  She still loves to stand and is able to balance herself for a good 20+ seconds now!  Pretty cute to see such a peanut standing up.

She is loving entertaining anyone who will watch her.  She will wave and giggle at strangers and play peek-a-boo with people at grocery stores.  I often here people say they have never seen such a BIG smile on a baby!  

Sophia's latest is learning sign.  We have only been using a few basics but she has started to lift her hands to say "all done" while shaking her head "no".  She has almost got the "more" sign down as well.  Pretty neat to watch and I am hoping it will help her communicate more of what she wants and needs to me.  

Hope everyone is well.  Exactly 28 days 'till CUBA!!!