7 Years...

I can't believe that today marks 7 years that Jeff and I have been married! I know it sounds cliche, but it feels like only yesterday we were walking down the aisle hand in hand so excited for what our future together would hold. After 4 years of dating and 7 years of marriage, there is still no one I would rather share my life with than my best friend, husband, and father of my daughter, Jeff. He is with out a doubt my other half and has been my rock and supporter through everything.
He held my hand as he said his vows to me, and held it again through 32 hours of labor to bring our daughter into this world, and he continues to hold it as we await the birth of our next child. I feel so incredibly blessed to have met such a wonderful man to share my dreams, hopes and goals with. He knows me better than anyone and can read my mind without me needing to speak a word. I feel so safe and secure in his arms and thank God everyday that He blessed me with such a wonderful person. Every day I fall more and more in love with him, and it melts my heart to see him and Sophia play together. Family is the most wonderful gift, and to look at my husband and then look at our daughter and see the family we have made together just makes my life complete. They are all I need and I am so happy and so thankful to be surround by so much love!

Me and Jeff on the Rogue River this last Sunday

Another Little Blessing on the Way...

For anyone who hasn't heard the news, we are expecting another little bundle of joy this February! After two long weeks of keeping the secret from everyone (until we got an ultrasound verifying that everything was okay, we told our parents the good news on Father's Day, just like we did when we were pregnant with Sophia. No, we didn't plan it this way, it just turned out we got pregnant around the same time as we did with Sophia. We went to our first prenatal appointment last Wednesday and found out I am 7 weeks along and that the baby is due February 14th, the same due date as Sophia! How crazy is that!? As of right now, I am feeling pretty good. I was feeling queezy and light headed the first few weeks, but have been feeling great this last week, so I am hoping the morning sickness is over! This pregnancy has been so much different than the first. I didn't really have any cravings with Sophia (only ice cream). But with this one, only certain things sound good to me. Like for dinner the other night, I really wanted lasagna, so I went to the store and got all the ingredients and made lasagna. But then the next day lasagna didn't sound good anymore, and only salad appealed to my taste buds. It's so strange. I have such specific cravings this time around.
We are so excited and can't wait to find out what we are having (though I feel it's a boy). We know what to expect, for the most part, this time around. And we are cherishing every moment! Sophia will kiss my tummy and say (baba), but I think she's just imitating us as of right now. She should understand a little more when the baby is born since she'll be around two. I already find myself wondering how I'm going to evenly divide myself between two children, but then I think, "that's why they have a Daddy too." I can't wait to see Sophia kiss the baby or hug it for the first time. She almost seems too little to be a big sister already, but she is so loving, so I know she will be a great big sister!

She continues to surprise us...

Sophia is continuing to soak up everything like a sponge lately, and has just added a new word to her vocabulary. Earlier this evening Jeff and I were watching Jon and Kate Plus Eight and the chef Emeril was on the show cooking with all of the kids. Jeff was imitating Emeril and saying "BAM!" like he does when he's hosting his cooking show. Then he started trying to get Sophia to say it. After a few times, Sophia caught on and started walking around the living room saying, "Bam-Bam!" It was so cute!!!
Sophia also has a new trick! I'm not sure exactly where she learned it, but last week we were at my mother in laws and we were just talking in the family room, and then Sophia came up and started patting the front of her diaper. Barbara then asked her if she went potty and needed her diaper changed and she patted it again and then came over to me to lie down to get her diaper changed. Ever since, she makes a surprised face and pats the front of her diaper when she's gone potty. It's hilarious! Then I ask her if she needs her diaper changed and she pats it again and comes over to me. We clap for her to encourage her to continue to tell us when she's gone potty, hoping this will eventually lead to some easing potty training. I may be speaking too early, but if she can begin to understand that something is happening and that she needs changed, then hopefully she will pick up on potty training fast. Here's to hoping, lol.
Sophia has also made some new friends in our neighborhood, which continues to make us go back and fourth about putting our house up for sale. Every day when I pull into our driveway after work, they come running up to the car waiting to see Sophia. Sophia can't get out of her car seat fast enough, and squeals with excitement when she sees them. It is so great to have so many young kids in the neighborhood for her to play with. They are always running around laughing and screaming and fill our neighborhood with life!

Sophia with her friends

Peeking out from my sunglasses

Sticking out her tongue

Trouble Sleeping and a New Hobby...

The last few nights Sophia has had a hard time falling asleep. Jeff and I have racked our brains trying to figure out what might be the cause, but we have yet to come to a conclusion. Both Jeff and I try rocking her to sleep and she'll be completely asleep in our arms, but when we lay her down in her crib, her eyes pop open and she starts grabbing onto us for dear life. We have come up with a few ideas such as: teething, separation anxiety, or even just the fact that it stays light so much later that it may be throwing her off? Or it could be a combination of all of these things. I just want her to get the sleep her body needs so she's rested and happy throughout the day.

She continues to love her sand box and has been recently playing in it everyday when we get home from my parents (where I work). She will sit in it for quite some time just filling up her bucket with sand, then dumping it out onto her feet and then doing it all over again. She also has a new hobby, watching golf with Jeff. I know this may sound pretty strange, but Jeff will turn on golf and when one of the golfers hits the ball, she points, gets so excited and says, "bah, bah, bah." And she will just sit there and watch golf with Jeff. He loves this, because I myself am not much of a golf fan. I admit, I'll sit down and watch it if Tiger Woods is in the lead, but other than that I have a lot more entertaining things on my list of exciting things to do, lol. They are two peas in a pod. Jeff couldn't be more thrilled that our daughter has taken an interest in his favorite sport, and yes, she already has her own set of golf clubs.

Sophia watching golf with Daddy

16 Months...

Where did the time go? I can't believe that last week on the eleventh, Sophia turned 16 months! She is busier than ever and is growing more independent every day. She can now feed herself with a spoon and loves to wipe her own hands and face with a wash cloth after she eats. She is understanding more and more, and now likes to answer us with a nod of the head, either up and down for a "yes", or side to side for a "no", when we ask her a question. She continues to have a very healthy appetite and has added a few favorite foods to her list. She now loves raisins and edimame. But her very favorite food continues to be strawberries.

Sophia still enjoys reading books and will go grab a book and come sit in my lap so I will read it to her. She also likes to sing and act out patty cake and the itsy-bitsy spider. She can identify her nose, mouth, eyes, hair, hands, toes, and more. She is still not fully talking but can say: mom (clear as day), da-da, bah (for ball), dah (for dog), mah! (for more), up, on, off, and gah-ma (for grandma), and ah-pa (for grandpa).

A few weeks back we got Sophia a pool and sand box with green sand, for our backyard. She loves her sandbox and will sit in it and play with her bucket and pail for quite some time. Unfortunately she has only been able to enjoy the pool once, and that was when we had our friend Courtney and her two little ones, Elle and Houston, over for a play date. Elle and Sophia had so much fun together, and after going in the pool and then into the sand box, they came out with green sand stuck to their bathing suits and looked like little oompa-loompas. It was so hilarious.

Sophia continues to be our life, and we can't kiss her enough. She is always smiling and laughing and she cracks me and Jeff up daily with her silly faces. She is teaching us so much, including patience and living in the moment.