Six Month Pictures

Here's just a few of the photos we had taken of Sophia at Target.  We bought the CD, so those of you (Grandparents) who are dying to see more, just let me know and you can come take a look at them and order prints if you'd like.  We can get cheaper prints because we bought the copyright and the CD.  Enjoy!

Six Months!!

We've made it halfway through Sophia's first year!  Time flies SO fast!  Especially when we're having so much fun!  We started her on "solid" food.  (Whoever named that stuff "solid" never actually saw it.)  She had some issues at first.  She would clamp her mouth shut so tight that I couldn't get the spoon in.  But then we started adding fruits and veggies and she decided it was okay.  Today we introduced applesauce, and she absolutely LOVED it!

This is the cleanest she's been while eating ever, because she swallowed most of the food this time.  We're definitely keeping applesauce on hand.

Her new favorite way to chew on her binky:

Pretty hilarious, huh?  In the video, I put it in her mouth that way, but typically, she's the one who puts it in her own mouth that way.

We also got pictures done at Target for her six month mark.  We splurged and bought the CD too, so when I get it back, I'll upload some of those pictures for you to see too.  We've decided it will be cheaper in the long run to buy professional photography lights and some props and backdrops, since Tim has all the other stuff we'll need to do our own "professional" photography sessions here at home.  Just another thing we want to save for.  :)

Just for everyone's curiosity: Sophia weighed eleven pounds, four ounces and was just over 24 inches tall at her six-month appointment the beginning of July.  She's in the fifth percentile for height, and she's rather off/below the percentile chart for weight.  She's tiny, but she definitely doesn't know it.  She is full of energy and strength!  And we love our little petite girl!

Other than that, life is just normal and fun.  It's so exciting to watch Sophia learn.  She can now roll back-to-front, and front-to-back.  She can roll herself right across the floor (and knock her head into things).  She is generally in a good mood, and I get lots of smiles and giggles out of her.  She's doing better at napping, most of the time.  Her nighttime sleep habits vary.  We're going to be moving her into her own room pretty soon, now that we've installed curtains.  Her room is on the east side of the house, so that first morning sun makes her room glow and prevents sleeping.  Hopefully the transition will be smooth and everyone can start getting more sleep overall.

It's a crazy life, but it's so wonderful too.  We're so excited for each new day and the wonders and joys it brings!

De Verdad

So, you may be a little skeptical, as my mother was, that this picture is, in fact, the real deal.  But I assure you it is.

I did put her in her crib standing up, but she is standing and holding herself up all by herself.  No one is holding her, and she is not propped up at all.  You can even see her little feet under the crib bumper.

Now if we could just get her to sit up on her own ...

Life is great!  We had a spell of sleepless nights, but we think that was because the weather got warmer, so we turned on the air conditioner and Sophia got colder.  Now that we have turned the cold air down a little and dressed her a little more warmly, she sleeps better.  Not back to her typical six hours, but at least not as few as one and a half.  And it helps with her napping as well, although she still has a hard time with that sometimes.

Tim works his butt off all day, then comes home and reads, sleeps, and helps with dinner.  He really needs an assistant at work, but we haven't thought of a good way to make that happen.  I am still, and always, enjoying being a mom.  Sophia is becoming so much more interactive and fun to hang out with all day.  :)

We're coming up on six months soon, and then we'll start her on solids.  I am pretty excited about that, although I admit that I'm more excited about the entertainment factor than anything else.  She's a little small to fit in her high chair, and we haven't figured out how to make the straps small enough to hold her, but we tried it anyway.

Hmm ... 

As soon as we start her on cereal, I'm sure we'll have some very funny pictures to post.  Until then, we'll just have to figure out how to get her to sit on her own.  :)

I'm So Cute

Please Pass the Toes

Sophia is now four and a half months old ... and she still only fits in 0-3 month sized clothing.  ;)  She weighed 10 pounds at her four month appointment and was just over 23 inches tall.  She has become a model citizen.  She helps with the laundry:

She reads:

And she's just adorable:

She sleeps good at night and we're working on translating that into sleeping good during the day too.  She is generally really happy.  

She loves to eat her toes.

And we just love having her here in our family!  Tim has been working hard, as usual.  He had to spend a night in a sleep lab to see if he has sleep apnea.  We'll get the results in a week or two.  I am loving motherhood.  It's a LOT of work, but also a lot of fun.  I love to make Sophia giggle and watch her learn.  We love to spend time outside, when the weather remembers that this is the month of June.  We're just having a great time being us!

Green Thumb

The weather finally cooperated and we planted our garden a few weeks ago.  We have garlic, anaheim peppers, jalapeños, tomatoes, cilantro, parsley, and oregano.  We are SO excited for fresh veggies and herbs!

We also purchased two indoor lime trees.  They are supposed to produce full size fruit in 9 to 12 months.  I can hardly wait!

128 Ounces of Liquid

Sophia has finally made it through the three-month growth spurt!  She can now go three hours between feedings during the day, and she sleeps six hours at night pretty consistently.  I took her to the doctor last Tuesday and she weighed 9 pounds, 9 ounces.  She is happy, healthy, and adorable!  :)

I had a really great "first" Mothers' Day.  Tim was so sweet and did everything he could to make my day wonderful.  He made me breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  He changed diapers and let me hang out with my family for the evening.  He is a truly amazing husband!  I am so blessed!

I went to the urologist last Wednesday.  They did a metabolic exam to see if they could find what was causing my kidney stones.  (Which are, incidentally, calcium phosphate, in case you were really curious about that.)  He told me essentially that my body's calcium, magnesium, etc. were at levels that were good for preventing stones.  I just need to drink twice as much water as I had been drinking.  He recommended drinking three-fourths of a gallon of liquid a day normally, but while nursing Sophia I should drink closer to a gallon of liquid a day.  128 ounces.  It's difficult!  He also said my citric acid levels were a tiny bit low, so I should add lemon juice to my diet.  Overall, I'm just grateful there wasn't a huge list of things I'm not allowed to eat.  But the water intake will take some getting used to.

Other than that, things have been pretty normal.  Sophia and I really enjoyed the nice weather last week and went on a walk every day.  We would also sit out on the front porch and just enjoy the sunshine.  I don't mind the rain as much as I do snow, but I am going to miss our walks until the weather improves again.  Tim works hard at his job all day, then does his five church callings, and is the HOA president (and maintenance person).  He amazes me with how much he can get done!  And he still finds time to help me out with the house, the dishes, the laundry, and the baby.  Again - I am SO BLESSED!

Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well.  We love you all!

She does better with tummy time ... sometimes.

We found this adorable chair - just her size! - but we weren't willing to spend $80 for it.