December video

I know not everyone can see the attached video and I apologize, but I wanted to put this one out there for the couple of people that can watch it.  Little 1 min. video of Sophia trying to crawl, smiling to be picked up, and hopping on the couch. 

We'll have a little time with vacation from work to hopefully get to some DVD's to send out with some recent video's to make up for those of you that can't watch this one.

Everyone have a Merry Christmas and if you want you can have some of the snow we've been having here in the greater Seattle area.  We're up to 12" here at the house!

Daddy

Ho Ho Ho!

I'm not sure how I feel about this Christmas tradition. I was able to hold it together for the five seconds that mommy thrust me into this strange man's arms. All I know is that mommy and daddy weren't very far away and I was glad that I didn't have to stay here for long. All I have to say is No No No... I mean Ho Ho Ho!

Family Picture

I'm a Pink Polar Bear.  ROAR!

daddy, me and mommy

Starting good habits early

Now that I have two teeth, daddy has introduced me to my toothbrush.  I am learning to brush my teeth twice a day.  Once after breakfast and once after dinner.  I like the way the bristles feel on my gums.  I enjoy this just as much as I like eating and that is A LOT.

Sitting up on my own

Every day I am getting bigger.  Every day I am getting stronger.  Every day I learn to do something new.  I have been on the verge of crawling for a few days now.  I get up on my hands and knees (sometimes hands and feet) and rock back and forth.  I can move slightly forward by hopping like a frog, but when I try to pick my hands up I tumble face forward to the floor.  My hands don't seem to want to move.  Since I can't move at crawling-speed yet, yesterday I decided to try something new and found that I don't have to stay horizontal all the time.  I learned that I can push myself up to sitting all on my own.  Unfortunately this means that mommy and daddy aren't as quick to come help me sit up now so I get quite frustrated.  But, I have a weapon...  I have found my whiney voice and this seems to get their attention pretty well.  Be sure to take the new poll and vote whether you think I will be crawling before the new year or not.  

Winter Wonderland

A few weeks ago I posted a picture of the Autumn view out our living room window.  This is a very rare Winter view out that same window.  We have had snow on the ground since December 13th.  Schools and daycare have been cancelled due to the weather and the top story on all the news stations is "Winter Storm 2008."  Mommy measured the snow on our back porch and we have 7 1/2" on the ground right now.  We were supposed to get sustained winds of around 20-30 miles an hour with gusts up to 60 miles an hour, but it was nice and calm last night.  The snow fell most of the night.  It is a pretty Winter Wonderland out there.  I think we might just have a white Christmas this year.  

My First Snow

The snow came early to the Pacific Northwest this year.  On Saturday mommy, daddy and I went and picked out our Christmas tree.  Daddy put it on the stand and set it out on our back deck so he could bring it in the house later that evening.  The tree looked pretty outside al naturale, but to make it even better, and befitting the night we would decorate, it started to snow.  When I woke up on Sunday morning, the tree was sitting in our living room, all decked out with sparkly red and white lights and all of our pretty ornaments.  There were even some packages sitting underneath it's branches.  Outside, the ground was covered in snow.  Everything was white.  The three of us trekked out to our back yard and since all of us were fighting colds, we spent only a few minutes outside, but I got to play in my first snow.

My first two teeth

I don't like to show them off much, but I have two teeth.  Every time mommy tries to look at them, I stick my tongue out and cover them up.  This is the best picture we have of them.  It just happens to be with me posing with my little lady bug doll that Aunt Lila gave to me for an early Christmas present.  (She asked grandma to make it so she could give it to me because she calls me her little lady bug.)  A special doll from two very special women in my life.  Thank you.   I love you both very much!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!  Today Mommy made a big Thanksgiving feast while daddy and I watched football.  She had everything:  Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole, Cranberry Sauce, Triple Corn Spoon Bread, Texas Rolls, Cornbread Stuffing, fresh green beans, gravy, and an Oven Roasted Turkey Breast from Honey Baked Ham.  For dessert she made a pumpkin pie with whipped topping.    This is me enjoying my pureed sweet potatoes.  They were yummy. 

Today we gave thanks for being able to have all of this food on our table.  We gave thanks for our little family sitting around the table together and we gave thanks for our extended family and friends who we love and love us in return.  Gobble Gobble!

First Tooth

I like weekends because I get to spend time in bed with mommy and daddy.  I didn't want to go back to sleep after mommy fed me early this morning so she took me into their bedroom and I got to lay between them.  We laid there and talked to each other for a while and then I decided it was time to share my little secret with mommy.  I grabbed her finger, stuck it in my mouth and bit down.  She gasped and turned on her bedside lamp and looked in my mouth.  She was surprised to see that my first tooth broke through over night.  The one beside it is even trying to break through too.  Surprise!

First week of daycare

Well, I survived my first week of daycare.  I didn't go on Monday because I had a doctor's appointment, so Tuesday was my first full day.  Mommy takes me in at 8:00 am and Daddy picks me up at 5:00 pm.  The first day was kind of hard.  I remember being there last week.  I knew that mommy was going to be gone for a while.  I wasn't ready for her to leave so I cried when she handed me to Miss Anna.  Mommy gave me a kiss and told me that she would see me later and that daddy would pick me up that night.  I was surprised to see both of them that first night.  I smiled when I saw daddy, but I wanted mommy as soon as I saw her.  Miss Anna told mommy and daddy that I had on okay day.  It was kind of rough, but I took my bottles and slept a little.  I played too, but I didn't really want to be there.  

The rest of the week went better.  I still whimpered a little when mommy dropped me off and I don't quite know what to think when daddy picks me up at night yet...  do I want to stay and play or do I want to go home?...  Miss Anna and Miss Kristin told mommy and daddy that I did much better the rest of the week than I did on Tuesday.  It's just going to take some time getting used to my new routine.  

I am a 1/2 year old

Last Monday (11/17/08) Mommy took me to my 6-month doctor's appointment.  I weigh 18 pounds 13 ounces and am 27 1/2" tall (95%).  My head is 16 3/4" around (50%).  The doctor examined me and told me that I am a very strong girl.  He bent my legs to check my hips and I pushed him right back.  He laughed and called me 'thunder thighs' because my legs are big and strong.  I watched him very intently through out the whole exam.  He told me at one point that I am so engaging that he forgets what he is doing and what he needs to do next.  He was happy that I haven't started getting stranger anxiety yet because he was able to enjoy holding me for a little while.   He checked my mouth and said that he didn't see any signs of teeth yet.  That made mommy happy.  She's not ready for me to have teeth yet.  

I did really well when the nurse came in to give me my shots.  I barely cried.  I got four shots and she gave me three Band-Aids.  They had roadrunner on them this time.  I pulled them off all my myself when mommy changed my diaper later in the day.  

My next appointment will be when I am nine months old.  

Soggy tags

Sophia's favorite new comfort item:

16"x16" fleece blanket with plenty of tags to suck on.

~Mommy sewed this for me last night.  I tried it out today and I LOVE it~

Mama Bird

Sophia has recovered from the chickenpox.  She had a very mild case of them.  They didn't even scab over or leave marks.  I kept her home from 'trial' daycare yesterday to give her one more day to heal... or was it so I could have her all to myself for one more day?  In any case, today was her first half-day at Montessori.  I dropped her off in the morning with enough food for two feedings and drove to my hair appointment in downtown Seattle.  (I have been getting my hair done at Halo Hair Studio for a couple of years now and figured since I am going back to work, I had better get my emergency-mommy-hair-cut looking  a little more professional.)  

It was a very surreal experience to be without my little tag-a-long for more than an hour.   I thought about her the whole time I was away.  At one point a fire truck went speeding by the salon with it's sirens blaring and for a split second I thought about covering her ears so the sound wouldn't hurt them, but then I remembered she was not within hearing distance.  A little while later I experienced a split second of panic and had to remind myself that I left her with someone who is taking good care of her.  This last thought was exacerbated by the fact that a couple of weeks ago I woke up crying from a nightmare where I had accidently left her at home by herself and I couldn't get back to her.  

I think the separation anxiety is getting to me right now more than it is affecting Sophia.  This morning when I left, I gave her a kiss and told her I would see her later.  She was sitting (yes, she is sitting by herself now) on the play mat on the infant room floor and she had already found a toy to play with.  She hardly gave me a second look.  When I went in to pick her up, she was jumping up and down in the jumper saucer and laughing like I have never seen her laugh before.  She was thoroughly enjoying herself.  

Ana is the head caregiver in the infant room and she told me that she did very well.  She ate a little in the morning and then took a half an hour nap.   A couple of hours later she took a full bottle and then she played in the jumper saucer and that is where she was when I walked in the room.  I scooped my little baby up and gave her a big hug and kiss.  We were both very happy to see each other.  

As I was putting her in the car to take her home, I leaned over to give her another kiss and in that instant I felt what momma birds must feel when they come home to their nest and realize that someone other than themselves had been handling their eggs.  It was disconcerting.  Sophia smelled different.  She no longer had 'our' smell on her.  She had spent time in someone else's arms and their scent had transferred to my little baby.  Luckily in the human world we can get past this and not abandon our young, but it's going to take some time for me to get used to letting someone else spend this precious time with her.  I love my baby bird.  

The view out our window

This was the view out our front window a few weeks ago.  Today, although not as colorful since all of the leaves have fallen, the time Sophie and I spent watching the wildlife out this same window was just as beautiful.  This is my last full week with her all to myself before I go back to work and I revel in each and every minute I get to spend with her.  When she lays down for a nap, I am anxious for her to wake up again so I can spend more time with her.  

She will be 6 months old on Friday and I wonder where the time has gone.  She can sit by herself now and I watch her decide which toy she wants to play with next.  To get anywhere on her own she rolls and inch worms on her back.  I can tell when she has made up her mind to traverse the living room floor to be closer to me.  My heart just melts when she snuggles into my neck and mommy is the only one who can comfort her.  

We sat at this window hanging over the back of the couch for about a half an hour this afternoon.  We saw a woodpecker pecking for bugs in the grass.  We saw two squirrels burying food for the winter and chasing each other around the cul de sac.  We saw crows watching the other animals and scavenging for the food that the others were hiding and finding.  Whenever one of them would move they would catch Sophia's eye.  I would tell her the name of the animal she was looking at and I could see the wheels turning in her head.

I have a new window to this beautiful world and her name is Sophia.  

Quarantined

Just one week shy of turning 6 months old, our precious Sophia has gotten the Varicella Virus, otherwise known as Chickenpox.  Today is day one with chickenpox spots.  She woke up in the middle of the night with a cry that said 'I am very uncomfortable.'  I went in to her room to comfort her and I knew something was wrong.  I thought it was only a stuffy nose because she has woken up before when she can't breath.  I cleaned out her nose, changed her diaper and fed her to try to calm her down.  She is usually satisfied by this routine and will fall asleep while eating, but this time it took about 45 minutes for her to calm down enough to fall back asleep.  

Sophia has a very consistent internal clock.  She falls asleep every night around 7:30 and wakes every morning around 7:30.  Sometimes she might wake once in the middle of the night, but mostly she just sleeps through until morning.  She loves to go to sleep at night and is very happy to wake up in the morning.  Her smile was there this morning, but as soon as I picked her up she nuzzled into my neck and that's where she wanted to stay.  She did not want to lay down on her changing table so I could change her diaper and take her jammies off but she did want to eat so she had her breakfast.  

We welcomed in the day like we do every morning by opening up the blinds in her room, the living room and our bed room.  Only then was she was ready to change into her day clothes.  The plan for this morning was to drop her off at daycare for an hour with a bottle to make sure she would take a bottle from someone else besides her daddy or mommy.  When I took her jammies off I noticed a few bumps on her tummy and her leg.  I thought that a bug might have gotten into her crib last night and munched on her.  After I put her clothes on she started to whimper again.  She nuzzled into my neck and hung on to me like she has never done before.  

I noticed that she had a runny nose this morning and was sneezing.  She felt a little warm to me too so I took her temperature.  99.1, then 100.4 and then 100.6.  It kept going up.  I gave her some Tylenol, to see if that would help her fever.  She whimpered for almost an hour straight so I decided to call her pediatrician.  I told the nurse about her runny nose, fever and continual crying.  She was going to put me on hold to ask the doctor if he wanted me to bring her in. Just before she was about to put me on hold I mentioned that Sophie has some spot on her that looked like bug bites.  She said, "Now that you mention the rash, guess what?  You need to bring her into the office."  We set up an appointment.  I called daycare to let them know not to expect us this morning.   

As soon as her nurse saw the spots she said, "I'm afraid that might be chickenpox, but the doctor will take a look and let you know for sure."  In the back of my mind I was afraid that was what they were going to say.  Sophie was just too irritable for it to be nothing.  Sure enough, her doctor came in and said that he was surprised to see chickenpox in someone so young, but that is what they are.  He laughed and said, "Well at least she won't need to be vaccinated for them now."  (She would have been vaccinated for them in another 6 months.)  He also said that he hasn't seen a typical case such as this in about 5 years because of the vaccine.  He prescribed some medication that will help reduce the affects of the virus, plus benadryl, calamine lotion, oatmeal bath and tylenol for comfort.   

I spent the rest of the morning calling her daycare and other friends and people with babies that we have come into contact with over the last couple of weeks.  She has only spent a total of two hours with her daycare class this week, but a letter will be sent home to each of their parents so they are aware that they may have been exposed.  

I wracked my brain trying to figure out where we could have come into contact with the virus and I finally resolved that we will probably never know.  We had spent time at the laundromat, had a couple of play dates, had breakfast with some friends, and spent time with other kids at baby bootcamp.  Of course at this age, EVERYTHING goes in the mouth, including licking tables at restaurants and all the communal toys she could get her hands on at daycare.  Finally, after talking with one of our friends, we concluded that she may have gotten the virus from someone who had a bout with shingles last week.  

RELIEF:  at least we have an idea when she may have been exposed and we can narrow down the list of people she has been around since then.  Plus, it makes me feel better that she got it from someone we know and not from licking something that she shouldn't have.  AND it's one or two less shots she will have to get at her one year checkup!  I will have to let you know if I have kept this positive outlook in 3-5 days when she hits the pox peak.  

Stay Well.  

Pappy Sings!!

I'm just now getting to some video material that was shot during my trip at the beginning of October to Kansas and Memphis.  First victim of these video's is Pappy.  In this one he's singing along with me and my favorite CD.  The CD comes with a book so he can read along and sing along with the music.  Well, that was the intent anyway . . . check it out :)

Oh, and pay attention to the astute observation that Neenee makes at the end of his "song".

Who's gonna be the next one to be seen on SophiaTV????

Happy Halloween

Today was my first Halloween and I dressed up like a lobster.  The day started off rainy, but as evening rolled around the sky cleared and the temperature warmed up so it was perfect for being outside.  This afternoon mommy and I went to the Edmonds Halloween Celebration where the Downtown Merchants hand out treats for safe Trick-or-Treating.  I got all bundled up in my costume and we met some fellow baby bootcampers down there.  I had lots of fun looking at all of the funny looking people.  I got lots of compliments on my costume. 

movin' and a shakin'; rollin' and a scootin'

I am not crawling yet, but I sure am rolling and scooting.  The other day mommy laid me on my blanket which is in the middle of the living room floor.  I rolled one way a few times until I hit the baby gate at the dining room door then I scooted on my back until I hit the TV cabinet.  I didn't stop there, however.  I then rolled and scooted across the room until my head hit mommy's foot.  I laughed and giggled all the way.  What freedom to know that I can get around by myself now!  

Mommy and Daddy's To-Do List

• Install baby gate at top of stairs
  
• Install Outlet covers
  
• Buy and install Electrical cord wire molds
• Buy and install fireplace hearth bumpers

Drinking from a Bottle!

This picture was taken back when I did not want to take a bottle, but now I am drinking from a bottle once a day and I drink the whole thing (5-6 oz)!  I did not go about drinking from a bottle in the normal way.  First I started eating solid foods from a spoon.  Then I took a few sips from a sippy cup.  Only THEN did I try a bottle and decide that it was okay to drink from a silicon nipple.  I knew I could do it all along.  I was just tricking everyone.  

Autumn Leaves

Welcome to Fall and Halloween is right around the corner.  Tomorrow is our last day at Baby Bootcamp.  That means the count down has begun for mommy to go back to work and me to start going to the Montessori.  The next couple of weeks bring trial days at daycare and some time at the mall shopping for Christmas presents.  But first, Friday is Halloween.  I will be dressing up in my very first Halloween costume.  Stay tuned to see what I am going to be.  

Over the weekend daddy spent a few hours raking up the leaves that fell from our maple trees in the front yard.  He practically filled up our yard waste container.  Today is Wednesday and as you can see from this picture, the grass isn't even visible because so many leaves have fallen since the weekend.  Mommy and I decided to go outside and play in the leaves.  I had to taste every single leaf that I could get my hands on.  This is my neighbor friend.  Her name is Juliana.  She and her mommy saw us playing in the leaves and they came over to play with us.  Juliana joined in the fun of eating leaves.  She is only three weeks older than I am.  

Flower World

Last weekend Mommy, Daddy and I drove out to Flower World.  This is a 'garden center' in Maltby, WA.  I say 'garden center' because it is so much more than just that.  They are located on 15 acres of land.  3 acres of that is covered retail space where they sell all kinds of plants.  The other 12 acres looks like parkland and they have chickens, ducks, swans, peacocks, pheasant and pygmy goats that stick their tongues out when they bleat.  We had fun walking around and trying to decide what types of plants we want to put in our yard next.  We got lots of ideas, but left the buying to some other day.  Here I am watching the chickens peck at the corn cobs that were scattered all over their pen.  

Play Date

This is my friend Violet.  (She is the one on the left)  We are almost the same age.  Her Mommy's name is Miss Christina.  (She and mommy used to work together) They came over to our house to play today.  We've met before, but this meeting was much more fun than they have been in the past.  We actually interacted with each other this time.  Our mommies helped us stand up and look at each other.  We found each other's hands and when we caught eyes we smiled.  It was like looking in the mirror except this baby didn't make the exact same movements as I did.  She even makes her own sounds.  We had several of our own conversations.  Our mommies must have thought what we were saying was pretty funny because it make them laugh, a lot.  Since I like to see what everything tastes like, I tried to lick pretty Violet, but she just tastes like a baby.  Not very edible, so we decided to be friends.  

Next Time Won't You Sing with Me? (By Mommy)

How many lullabies do you remember from your childhood?  When Sophia was born, Chris and I wracked our brains trying to remember songs from our childhood so we could sing to her.   We were only able to come up with a handful and even those were only partially committed to memory.  'Itsy Bitsy Spider' topped the charts.  

Both of us are book enthusiasts, so one day while perusing our favorite bookstore we came across a wonderful book that every new parent should have on their bookshelf (and in their CD player for it comes with audio).  It is called Humpty Who? A Crash Couse in 80 Nursery Rhymes for Clueless Moms and Dads  As it says on the back of the book cover, "HUMPTY WHO? is a crash course in Mother Goose (and more) featuring 80 classic poems, songs, lullabies, rounds and riddles." Plus a "Bonus Feature 35-song CD starring a rollicking mom's ensemble."  Now whenever we are at a loss for song lyrics, all we have to do is pull out this book for a little reminder.  

To our repertoire we have added the ABC Song, Alice the Camel, and Skip to My Lou which we sing on a daily basis.  These songs seem to calm Sophia down if she is in a particularly fussy mood (as Nee Nee and Pappy witnessed in the car while we were visiting them).  We even know the words to Pop Goes the Weasel and did you know that London Bridge has more than just one verse?  Some versions have up to 8!  

Now whenever we hear the ice cream truck driving around our neighborhood, we can sing along to the tune, "Do your ears hang low?  Do they wobble to and fro?  Can you tie them in a knot?  Can you tie them in a bow? Can  you throw them over your shoulder like a continental soldier? Do your ears hang low?"  Where do they come up with this stuff?

First Foods

Yummy, rice cereal and carrots!

All Clean!

Since my four month check up, I have been expanding my horizons by trying different kinds of foods.  I started out with rice cereal and sweet potatoes.  Then I tried prunes and pears which were both really good.  Most recently I have eaten carrots and found that I really like them, but they don't like me so much.  I will have to wait a while and reintroduce them to my diet once I get a little older.  Next I will try peas and applesauce.  Every evening I sit in my little booster seat and have fun getting messy.  Each evening I eat a little more than I did the night before.  It is exciting to find out what flavor will hit my tongue next.  

Family

Family:  What a blessing!  We are back from our wonderful trip visiting both Mommy's family in Kansas and Daddy's family in Tennessee.  I tried to sit down and compose some stories to describe what a great time we had while we were there, but it was hard to find the words.  Like the saying goes, 'a picture is worth a thousand words,' so I hope that a few pictures are worth even more.  I have posted some of my favorite pictures that we took along the way.  Enjoy!

Action Packed Adventure

The last couple of weeks have been action packed.  I took my first, second, third and fourth plane ride.  I have visited four of the 50 states: Washington, Colorado, Kansas and Tennessee.  And I have seen so many new faces...  Who knew that there are so many people out there that love me like they do: Great Grandmas, Gramma and Grampa, Great Aunts and Uncles, Pappy and Nee Nee, Mee Mee, Aunts, Uncles and cousins.  And I didn't even get to meet everyone.  Where do I start with my stories?  I suppose I will start from the beginning.  Stay tuned -- I can only write so much between my naps.  (btw:  this picture was taken in my Great Grandma W's front yard in Kansas.  The grass is my favorite color.  Isn't it pretty?)

I am four months old!

I had my four-month wellness exam with my pediatrician yesterday.  I weigh 16 pounds 2 ounces (95%) and am 26 1/2" tall (>97%).  My head circumference is 16 1/4" (70% - I was only 50% at my two month check-up).  While my doctor was examining me, I kept trying to stand up.  He thought it was cute that I would rather stand up and "see the world" than lay back and relax.  He told us that my legs are quite bowed, but my early standing ability has NOT caused this.  He checked my ankle bones and they are at the correct angle so he has no worries that my legs will straighten out on their own as I grow.  

He asked if I have been showing any interest in foods.  Mommy told him that I have.  Daddy let me lick an apple the other day and I have even tried a peach.   The apple was yummy and I liked the peach too, but it made me make a funny face because it was a little sour.  Since I am holding my head up and I can sit supported, the doctor gave me the go to start trying solid foods.  For dinner tonight mommy made me some whole grain rice cereal.  I liked it, but I was more interested in trying to hold the spoon myself.  After I took a few bites of the cereal, daddy mixed in a little bit of sweet potatoes for me to try.  I took a few bites of that too.  I gagged on one of the last bites.  I don't know if it was because I got a tiny chunk in my mouth or if it was the taste.  I guess I will have to give them one more try to see if I like them.  Mommy and daddy took a video of me eating.  They forgot to take a still shot of me and the mess I made, but if they can pull one from the video, I will post that picture later.  

The last part of my doctor's appointment was the worst.  They always catch me off guard with this part.  The mean nurse came in and stuck me three times with needles; twice in one leg and once in the other.  They say it's for my own good, but I'm not sure that I agree with them.  Mommy said that I was a brave little girl though because I hardly cried.  I cried a little once it registered that I had just been 'shot', but then mommy picked me up off the table and held me and I forgot all about the pokes.  I didn't even have to take any tylenol until after daddy got home last night.  My muscles were a little sore by then.  

Success with a sippy cup (by mommy)

As our avid readers are aware, Sophie has an aversion to bottles.  Today we had success with a sippy cup!  Well, at least a half success:  The cup was filled with two ounces of milk and she drank half of it without any drama.  It actually seems that she asked me to try it.  

We were playing and I paused to take a drink of water from my water bottle.  Her face was near mine and I looked at her while I was drinking and she was watching me, very interested in what I was doing.  I took the bottle away from my mouth and she opened her mouth like she wanted me to let her have a drink.  I moved the bottle near her mouth and she moved her mouth towards it.  Since she is still too little to drink water, I decided to make her a sippy cup of milk and she drank out of it.  Now we will have to try it again to make sure it wasn't just a fluke.  Good job Sophie!

Ready to go camping

Mommy and I went for a walk this morning and along the way we stopped at a couple of garage sales.  The good thing about mommy not working right now is that we can hit garage sales on Friday before all of the good stuff is gone.   We didn't set out to do any shopping, but how could we pass up this cute little tent and camping chair?  It is the perfect size for me to use over the next few years.  There is a matching sleeping bag too, but mommy needs to wash that before I can play with it.  Even if we use it just for backyard camping, it is going to be a lot of fun having a tent of my own.  

Always screw the lid on the salad dressing (by mommy)

It seems these days we don't get to sit down for dinner until after Sophies goes to bed.  Chris usually only gets to spend an hour or so with her when he gets home from work so we make the most of that time.  We spend it together as a family playing.  While I am feeding her and waiting for her to fall asleep, Chris is usually in the kitchen putting something together for dinner.  Last night we had buffalo burgers and salad.  

Chris has a bad habit of putting dressing on his salad and then setting the lid on the container without screwing it on.  He does this thinking that it will save me a step when I go to put dressing on my salad.  While I appreciate the sentiment, it is a really BAD idea.  A while back he did this and I picked up the dressing and shook it.  I got dressing all over the kitchen.  Needless to say, I wasn't very pleased with him and told him, AGAIN, in no uncertain terms that he needs to screw the cap on when he is finished.  

Well, last night he did it to himself and this was the result.  He had forgotten that he had already shaken the dressing and taken the lid off.  I had just walked into the kitchen as he started shaking it and SPLASH, I got a streak of dressing across the front of my shirt and a split second later, he splashed himself across the face and down the front of his shirt.  I looked at him in shock and we both burst out laughing.  I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes.

The good thing about always having a camera on hand to capture the cute Sophie moments, I seem to be able to capture the embarrassing daddy moments also.  I made him stand still until I could grab the camera and record this moment.  Before he could do anything else he had to wash the dressing off of his face and out of his hair.  Its a good thing that he didn't leave it on any longer than he did because for the rest of the evening he sported a red streak on his face where the dressing landed.  Kinda makes you wonder what it does to your stomach when it burns skin like this.  Bet next time he will screw the lid on the salad dressing bottle.  Thanks for the great laugh!  =)

Green Lake

We now have two matching adirondack chairs in our back yard!  They look really nice sitting on the flagstone patio next to our copper fire bowl.  Because mommy and daddy had already made one chair, they knew what to expect from the second one, and it only took them half the time to make it.  So...

...this weekend included some leisure time at Green Lake.  On our way to the park, mommy and daddy stopped to pick up a couple of sandwiches at one of their favorite sandwich shops, Port of Subs.  This sub shop is a west coast chain, and they usually have really good sour dough bread, except for this day.  It happened to be a little dry.  We took the sandwiches to the park with us and had a picnic while we watched the parade of people and their dogs walk by.  After we ate and played for a while, we walked around the lake ourselves.  One loop around is just shy of three miles.  We walked slow so it took us a little over an hour to make it back to where we started.

  

Boy, the park was hopping with some interesting people.  We saw people walking a tight rope that they had strung up between two trees.  We saw a group of men line dancing on roller skates to music blasting out of a jamb box.  And we saw a guy riding a bicycle with a seat that had to be at least 7 feet off the ground.  There were also lots of kids there playing soccer and volleyball on the grassy fields.  We all had one thing in common:  we were all there to enjoy the wonderful seventy degree weather that is September here in Seattle.  

3/4 of an ounce!

Boy, bottle feeding sure takes it out of me.  Mommy fixed me a bottle after my nap this afternoon and I drank about 3/4 of an ounce.  After eating, I played quietly on my mat for awhile and fell right to sleep.  

I must be growing.  I have been sleeping and eating a lot.  It's not an official weight, but mommy weighed me the other day and I have almost doubled my birth weight.  I am about 15 pounds now.  

First Swing Ride

Today after our workout class, mommy and I decided to hang out in the park.  The morning started out kind of cool, but by the time the hour was over, the sun had come out and the temperature was nice.  The park has a pretty elaborate play ground where lots of kids like to come and play.  They even have these neat chair swings that I can sit in and enjoy swinging.  Mommy tucked a blanket behind my back to help me sit up, but I didn't really need it.  I hung on really tight.  I had a lot of fun with my first swing experience.  

Weekend Warriors

Good thing it was a three day weekend because that is almost how long it took mommy and daddy to make this adirondack chair.  (Of course they didn't work on it the whole weekend because they played with me a lot.)  Mommy found the free pattern on line last summer and they just got around to building it.  They have plans to make a matching chair and table before it starts to get too cool.  They want to have a few more warm days to be able to enjoy sitting in them.

My first baseball game

Here I am at the ballpark.

Seattle Baseball

Today was my very first baseball game!  Mommy and daddy's company holds a summer event every year and this year it was at the baseball stadium.  Before the game started we had a catered lunch of hotdogs or chicken sandwiches, baked beans, potato salad and yummy chocolate chip cookies.  We walked around and talked to lots of people.  Everyone kept telling me how cute I was in my little pink Mariners outfit.  I got to meet a little girl named Sydney.  She is the daughter of one of my mommy's friends.  She is about a year and a half old and she wanted to share her cookie with me.  Of course I am still too little to eat cookies, but I found the offer quite touching so I gave her a smile.  

While we were out on the 'sun' deck eating, a rain storm came rolling in and everyone had to run to the concourse to take cover.  It sort of cut the pre-game lunch short, but there were those die-hard 'beverage' drinkers who stood in line, in the rain, to get that one last free 'beverage' before the game started.  

After lunch we headed up to our seats to watch the game.  Because it was raining outside, the roof over the stadium was closed and luckily our seats were dry.  I liked watching all of the flashing lights on the scoreboard and on the jumbo-tron.  Sometimes the crowd would get a little loud whenever someone did something good and this made me jump a little, but it didn't bother me too much.  Mommy would cover my ears if it got too loud.  I even got in a little nap while we were at the ballpark.  

Like usual, I didn't want to sit still very long, so after only an inning and a half we left our seats and walked around the concourse.  We discovered many things about Safeco Field:  There are family rooms near every restroom, there is a playground for kids to run off excess energy, there is a nursing room near guest services and the Mariner Moose poses for photos with kids right before each game and at the third and 6th innings.  We were lucky enough to catch the Moose right before he had to head out to perform during the seventh inning stretch.  I even got a certificate that says I attended my first Mariners game today.  Mommy is going to frame it along with the picture and hang it up in my room.  I had so much fun, I know we will be back!

Carkeek Park

Saturday was a very pretty day.  It was really nice outside so mommy, daddy and I decided to visit Carkeek Park.  It is a really nice park in north Seattle.  It is full of grass, shady trees, sandy beach front and trails.  Once we got to the park and saw what it was like, mommy said that we should have brought a picnic lunch to enjoy so we could stay longer, but we didn't so we decided we would hike a trail and leave when it was time for lunch.  I got all buckled up into my jogging stroller and we took a walk on one of the accessible trails.  We meandered through the wooded trails and followed one that wound long a creek called Piper's Creek.  We got to the end of the trail and... WALL-LA, there was a grocery store!  Mommy and daddy bought sandwiches, apples and bananas to take back to the park with us and eat.  It didn't take us quite as long to get back to the park as it took us to get to the end of the trail so before we knew it, we had found a shady place to sit on the grass and have our picnic lunch.  

There were lots of kids having birthday parties in the park and I liked watching them play their games.  Some were shooting lawn darts into the air, some were playing frisbee.  There was even a group of kids playing with a colorful parachute and having potato sack races.  We decided to pack up and check out the beach as soon as they strung up a pinata near where we were sitting.  We didn't know how wild they were going to get with the bat and we didn't want to stick around to find out.   

The only way to get to the beach was by taking a bridge with some stairs so I got to ride in my front carrier.  I like to face out so I can see where we are going.  We walked along the beach for a while until I almost fell asleep.  The beach was pretty busy with families playing in the sand and there were even some kids playing out in the cold water.  One of these days when I am older, I hope to come back to this park so I can do all the fun things that I saw the other kids doing today. 

Baby Hickeys (by Mommy)

Warning to all new parents:  Do not let your baby suck on your cheek no matter how funny you think it feels or you may end up with very visible baby hickeys on your face! (HEE HEE) Last Friday we gave Sophie a bath right before bed time.  It was a really warm evening so before putting her jammies on, Chris laid her down on the floor to play with her.  She giggles when we give her raspberries on her tummy and on her neck.  This time Chris was blowing on her neck and she turned her face towards his and grabbed hold.  He started laughing and let her keep sucking.  She finally let go and he gave her some more raspberries.  She grabbed on again.  It was pretty comical to see the two of them playing like that.  Neither one of us thought anything about it until a couple of minutes later when I looked at Chris and then busted out laughing.  I told him to look in the mirror and this is what he saw:  two little baby hickeys prominently displayed on his cheek.  Luckily this happened on a Friday so by the time he went back to work on Monday they had pretty much disappeared.  Lesson learned:  Don't let baby suck on your face when it is time for baby to eat.

Who is that Baby in the Mirror?

Daddy and I like to play a game called "Who is that Baby in the Mirror?"  It makes us both laugh.  We stand in front of the mirror in our bathroom and Daddy asks, "Who is the baby in the mirror?"  I look at him and then I look at the baby, then daddy laughs and I laugh and the baby in the mirror laughs.  Daddy must be magic to be able to hold me and the other baby at the same time.  

Exercise Baby

This is me all bundled up in my jogging stroller, the one that mommy and I take out every day to get some exercise.  Mommy joined a class with other moms and babies so she can get back into shape.  We meet at different places around the area and an instructor leads us in a variety of exercises.  We do everything from walking and jogging to pilates and yoga.  I usually fall asleep while we are on the move, but near the end of the hour when the moms are cooling down, the babies can get out of the strollers to roll around and 'play' with each other.  I really only stare and smile right now.  I'm just getting used to being around other babies.  Some babies can sit up.  Some can even walk.  I don't quite know what to think when other babies come up to me and touch my foot or my hand.  They must be as curious about me as I am about them.  

I really like getting outside like this.  The other day it rained on us, but I was very snug underneath my rain cover.  Mommy got wet, but I was nice and dry!   

If I get bored I play with my one of my favorite toys.  Mommy hooks him to my stroller so I don't drop him on the ground.  His name is Hoopy Loopy Dog.  You can see him in this picture sitting in my lap.  I take him with me every time we go out in the stroller.  He likes the exercise too. 

Weekend in the Shade

Boy, it was a warm weekend  It was much cooler outside in the shade than it was in our house so we spent most of the weekend outdoors in our backyard.  For most of the day on Saturday mommy and daddy did yard work while I played in my portable play yard.  I was parked under my favorite tree.  It is a thundercloud plum tree and it is full of pretty purple leaves.  I love to lay under it's canopy.  It is like a giant mobile when it blows in the breeze.  In the afternoon our friends Rachel and Balmiki stopped by to bring me a present.  They gave me two really cute outfits.  I can't wait to wear them.  Mommy and daddy had a really good time visiting with them and catching up on stories from their recent wedding.  

We spent half of the day on Sunday outside too.  Sunday morning we watched the Summer Olympics and all three of us spent some time napping since we got up so early.  It was pretty warm through the night and I don't think that any of us slept all that well.  We decided to get out of the house in the afternoon so we went to the flower store and bought a bunch of plants.  We came home with some hostas and ferns to plant in the shade under my favorite tree.  (this picture doesn't show the new plants because it was taken on Saturday)  I think mommy and daddy did a good job with the plants.  Daddy tells me that they did a lot of work to make the backyard look like it does now.  I am glad that they did because it is fun spending time out in our backyard.  

My new favorite toy

I have discovered mommy's glasses!  I have so much fun reaching up and grabbing them.  If I am fast enough I can almost pull them off of her face before she knows I have ahold of them.  I hear her say something that sounds like, "let go of my glasses," but I don't really know what that means yet.  My favorite thing is to leave little baby finger and hand prints all over the lenses.  Daddy tells me that mommy is pretty sensitive about her glasses, but I think she is cutting me some slack right now because I am so cute.  I don't know how long I have until she makes me stop, so I will take full advantage of the fun while I can.  

Sneaky nap

Here I am sneaking in a little tummy nap this morning.  I was playing on my mat while daddy watched the gold medal badminton game on the Summer Olympics.   I decided to close my eyes for a few moments and this where I landed.  

Crib Baby

I am getting big.  I am getting so big in fact that I have outgrown my bassinet.  I no longer sleep in the same room as mommy and daddy.  I have officially graduated to my own room and crib.  I have been there for a few nights now.  The first couple of nights mommy slept in the room with me just to make sure I was going to sleep okay.  She made a bed out of the cushions from the downstairs couch.  A single bed sheet fits them just perfectly.  She said they are very comfortable.  

I knew that I was getting ready to outgrow the bassinet because in the middle of the night I would try to stretch out and my hands and feet would touch the sides.  I would get frustrated and kick my feet and the whole bassinet would shake.  I am much more comfortable in my crib.  The mattress is comfortable and I have plenty of room to scoot around on my back and roll over to my tummy.  In fact, the last two mornings and once last night when mommy came in to get me, I was on my tummy.  I think I would prefer to sleep on my tummy, but all the 'experts' say that I shouldn't just yet.  Sometimes I try to sneak it in during naps while mommy or daddy can keep an eye on me.  

Eye Opener (by Mommy)

Chris and I saw a family yesterday with a baby boy.  This baby looked to be around two weeks old because he was all curled up in his car seat and slept very soundly.  He was very tiny.  He also had a sore on the top of his head that I assumed was from one of the sensors they commonly use during child birth to monitor how the baby is doing.  We were impressed that they were already out and about with a baby of that age.  Of course, this was their second child because they had a little girl with them who was about 3 or 4.  We thought that this was a good sign that it will get easier with subsequent children.  

As a new mom, I felt a connection with the other mom and went over and asked her baby's age.  I was feeling a bit nostalgic because Sophie is changing so quickly.  She is no longer a newborn and this baby surely was.  She said 'two months--today.'  I wanted to say 'don't you mean two weeks?' because I was shocked.  Luckily, right away she asked how old my baby was.  I hope I was able to hide the shock with my response and I told her 'two AND A HALF months...' That is only TWO weeks older than this baby!  We told each other how cute the other's baby was and the conversation ended there as someone else came over to talk with the family.  I was relieved because I didn't know what else to say to her.  

This was such an eye opener to both Chris and I.  We have come to realize why people say that Sophie is so 'alert' and aware of her surroundings when they find out her age.  The image of this baby has stayed with me since.  I suppose that there may be many reasons why the baby looked so much younger than Sophie, but this is probably the most logical.  Sophie was born two weeks late, so she had more time to develop in the womb.  This baby boy could have been born pre-mature which means he was much smaller than Sophie at birth and needs some time to catch up.  Whatever the reason, all babies develop at different rates and we are very happy and PROUD that Sophia is ours.  

 

Independent Tummy Time

Guess what I did today?  I rolled over onto my tummy all by myself.  Daddy had just given me a bath and I was wrapped up in my froggy towel.  I was laying on the floor and daddy was sitting next to me.  I rolled onto my side just like I have been doing for a couple of weeks now, but this time I was able to get my arm out of the way and I ended up on my tummy.  I laid there for a few minutes.  I was very comfortable and content.  I think I am going to enjoy laying on my tummy.  

On the move

Well, grandma and grandpa flew back home yesterday and the house seems really empty, well, besides all of my things that take up space in the living room right now.  What to do now?  I think I will work on trying to get around by myself.  As you can see, I am determined to do just that.  My legs are strong, but my coordination isn't quite there yet.  Mommy keeps telling me that I need to learn to sit up by myself or crawl before I can walk.  I just don't think I have the patience.  When I am laying down, I raise my head and legs to try to get enough leverage to sit up.  Sometimes mommy helps me by letting me hang onto her fingers and I take full advantage of this help by quickly straightening my legs and jumping to standing.  I'd like to see what all of you think.  Let me know by taking the new poll.  (By the way Cheese burger and shake tied with Bottle in the last poll.  I still haven't taken a bottle.  I may just go straight to eating cereal with a spoon and drinking out of a sippy cup!)

Food

Oh, I forgot to mention that we took grandma and grandpa to one of mom and dad's favorite restaurants when we were all in downtown Seattle.  It is called Pan Africa Market.  They ordered two dishes between the four of them and shared.  The dishes were Chicken with Apricots and Dates and Chicken Groundnut.  The first dish's ingredients are pretty much self explanatory.  It is mixed together in a sweet creamy sauce.  The Chicken Groundnut has Chicken and yams in a peanut sauce.  All the dishes are served with a yummy salad that changes quite often.  This time it had spinach, strawberries and oranges with some sort of sweet mustard dressing.  Grandpa thought the combination of flavors were 'different' but they grew on him.  Grandma thought it was quite yummy.

For dessert we bought some chocolate dipped macaroons from a vendor in the market.  They waited to eat them until later in the day.  I have heard they are some of the best macaroons around.  Mommy would like to find a recipe that is similar to these so she can make them at home.  

Fish, Boats and Water

The theme for today:  Fish, Boats and Water.  Grandpa has been wanting to have some good fish and chips so today we drove over to Alki Point and ate at Spuds.  They have some of the best fried fish in the area.  They don't skimp on the cod and it isn't dripping with grease like some.  After lunch we hung out on the beach and listened to the water lap up on the shore.  It was really relaxing and it made me sleepy.  We had fun watching boats go in and out of the sound.  We also watched people put kayaks in the water and paddle around.  

It was a pretty and sunny day.  We were able to see Mount Rainier as we drove over the West Seattle bridge back towards Seattle.  It was still a little hazy, but this was the first view of the mountain that we have had since they have been here.  

Our next stop was the Ballard Locks also known as the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks.  This is where boats can move between the salt water of Puget Sound and the fresh water of Lake Washington.  The locks also have a fish ladder where salmon come to spawn.  We arrived at the viewing room just in time to hear the park ranger give a talk on the Coho Salmon that are spawning this time of year.  We saw some big 30 pound fish swimming against the current in the viewing windows and we saw little salmon (called smolt) being pushed back out of the ladders so they can live to grow big and return again in a few years.  

The last thing we did before we left was watch boats come into the locks and travel from the sound to the lake.  The boats drive into the locks, the gates close and water floods into the locks.  This makes the boats rise to the level of the lake.  Then the gate on the lake side of the locks opens and the boats drive away.  Given the size of the locks and the amount of water that goes in and out, this all happens surprisingly quick.  It was another fun day playing tourist with Grandma and Grandpa.  

Downtown Seattle

Today we explored Downtown Seattle.  We parked our car in the garage under mommy and daddy's office building and took grandma and grandpa on a tour of where they work.  They got to see daddy's desk, but mommy doesn't have a desk there right now since she spending time with me.  They got to see the view of Puget Sound from the reception area.  It is a spectacular view.  

From the office we walked to Pike Place Market.  This is the place famous for throwing fish.  We watched some fish fly, ate some slices of fresh fruit and looked at all of the wares for sale in the booths.  Grandpa bought grandma another ring.  This one is made from twisted silver wire.  It has a pretty stone on it, but they can't remember what the name of it is.  

Next we walked to West Lake Center so we could take a ride on the Seattle Monorail.  It runs between the mall and Seattle Center.  Once at the Seattle Center grandma and grandpa went up in the Space Needle.  Mommy was going to go, but the estimated wait was too long and she didn't want to be away from me for that long.  So, while grandma and grandpa were in the Needle, the rest of us went into the food court to wait for them.  We ran into our backyard neighbors and they invited us to go the the Children's Museum with them.  They are members and they took us in as their guests.  It was a fun place and I can't wait to go back once I am big enough to play.

After grandma and grandpa came down from the Space Needle we met back up with them and went over to the International Fountain.  Lots of people were playing in the sprays of water.  I liked watching the water spray into the air.  It looked like all of those people were having a lot of fun.  It was a little cool for me today, but one day I intend to play in that water myself.   It was another full day for us during grandma and grandpa's vacation.

At the bottom of the falls

A nice man at the bottom of the falls offered to take a picture of grandma and grandpa and it turned out really nice.  Let me know what you think about this picture.  

Snoqualmie Falls

Today we spent the day at Snoqualmie Falls.  Before we left mommy packed a picnic lunch and took it with us.  We drove out there during my morning nap and I slept the whole way.  I wanted to be awake to enjoy the water fall and all of the trees and flowers in the park.  

We parked in the 90 minute lot and took a short walk to the upper observation deck which is near the top of the falls.  Grandma and grandpa didn't stay there long once they found out that there was a 1/2 mile hike that would take them to the bottom of the falls.   Mommy and I stayed in the park and waited for them to come back.  We set up the picnic blanket and had the food and water waiting for them when they came back up.  Grandma said the kid in her was stronger than the adult because once they got to the end of the boardwalk they jumped the rail and climbed down to the big rocks at the bottom of the falls.  Grandpa said that was really fun because they were close enough to feel the spray.  

Grandma and grandpa were both really sweaty when they met us back at the top of the trail head.  Mommy moved the car to another lot so we could stay a little longer and enjoy our picnic.  This is a picture of all of us as we sat under the trees.  

On our way back to the car we stopped at the gift shop and grandpa bought grandma a pretty stone necklace and a ring carved out of wood.  Her ring had little flowers painted on it.  It was really pretty.  I took a really long nap on the way home because I was exhausted.  It was another fun day.  

Where has Grandma and Grandpa taken me today?

Another exciting adventure with Grandma and Grandpa.  Today turned out to be a beautiful day.  The morning started out kind of cool, but around noon the sun came out and the sky turned blue.  It was a perfect day to take a ferry ride and spend some time at the beach.  

Around lunch time we hopped on the Kingston ferry and took grandma and grandpa to the crepery that mom and dad ate at a few weeks ago.   They got grilled chicken crepes and a veggie crepe and then for dessert they split a chocolate, coconut and almond crepe with a scoop of ice cream.  I napped while they ate.  Afterward we walked around a little.  Grandpa pushed me in the stroller, but the walk didn't last very long.  Sounded like they were all sore from their long walk yesterday.  (Six miles, up and down hills, my goodness!)

On the ferry ride back grandma, mom and I went upstairs to the solarium deck while grandpa watched the cars and trucks drive onto the ferry.  (As we were waiting to catch the ferry on the way to Kingston we watched three full logging trucks and a few other large trucks along with many cars get off the ferry.  I think grandpa liked watching to see how they can get so many vehicles onto those ferries)  The solarium deck was nice and sunny.  We could see the outline of Mount Baker to the north and Mount Rainier to the south.  It was windy up on the top deck so after watching the water over the side of the boat for a while we  stood under the sun roof and enjoyed the warm temperatures for the rest of the trip.  

On the way home we decided to stop at the beach again so grandma could take her shoes off and walk in the sand.  All three of them ended up taking their shoes off and wading in the water.  There were some kids actually swimming in the water but it was too cold for me so I kept my socks on.  The tide was coming in and grandpa had to keep moving his shoes away from the water so they wouldn't get wet.  At one point a wave snuck up behind grandma and grandpa and splashed them.  Mom caught grandma's reaction with the camera.  That was funny.  Where oh where will they take me tomorrow?

What a day

Today while daddy was at work grandma, grandpa, mommy and I decided to walk down to the Edmonds waterfront.  It was quite a walk.  Grandpa pushed me almost the whole way there and back in my stroller.  I liked the ride up and down the hills.  I liked it so much that I fell asleep on the way there. Eventually I woke up and wanted to be carried.  The first thing we did when we got there was walk down a pier where people were fishing and catching crabs in nets.  Grandma and grandpa stayed there to watch while mommy and I sat on a bench to eat.  When we were done we walked through the marina and watched some people load a couple of boats into the water with a crane.  Grandma was carrying me at this point and I got so comfortable in her arms that I fell asleep again.  I don't remember this, but apparently we walked to the beach and mommy took this picture.  I am asleep and because grandma is holding me she wasn't able to lean over to feel the sand with her hands.  Grandpa picked some up so she could feel it.  I think that they eventually laid me down in my stroller on the way home because I woke up again when we were almost there.  It looked like they had stopped at Starbucks because they were all carrying coffee cups.  Grandma and grandpa had never had Starbucks so they were initiated into the gourmet coffee world with a mocha frapaccino for grandpa and an iced vanilla latte for grandma.  They both thought their drinks were awfully yummy.  More about our adventures tomorrow.