Precious Moments

Moments when I get to snuggle with my sweet girl are getting fewer and farther between. She's growing into a little toddler and she wants to be on the move most of the time she's awake. And she doesn't sleep in my bed, so I can't snuggle with her there either. Ever since she was a teeny-weeny, just two weeks old, we've been putting her in her crib to sleep. Most of the time it's great because she's used to laying down and going to sleep without any coaxing. The downside (for me) is that she sleeps alone with the exception of her blanky. If I try to lay down with her, it's playtime for her. Not sleepy-time.

So today when she wanted to sit on my lap and snuggle for a little while, I took full advantage of it. It only lasted about ten minutes, but I probably kissed her little head about 50 times. I have to get all my kisses in when I can, she doesn't sit still for very long.

I know she's growing fast and I want to soak up each precious moment I have with her. Speaking of precious... here's a sneak peek of what you may see on a Christmas card.



I'm so excited to see the pictures we had taken recently for Christmas. I do have the best photographer ever, so they should be great!

Sophie's First Birthday!

Wow! Time has flown. Just one year ago I was experiencing the miracle of a new baby in my arms while trying to figure out this whole new motherhood thing. In this first year, I've learned that motherhood just happens. You can read books and take advice from other moms, but there are times when you're on your own with baby and you figure out how to do it. It being a mother. And you get this overwhelming sense of accomplishment that bubbles inside you. You just want to yell, "Look Mom, I did it! I did it all by myself! I'm a mother too!"

As the months go on, motherhood sinks in and becomes a natural feeling. Diaper bag inventory is written on your brain, feeding and napping queues become obvious, and you can read your child like a book. Making your way through the obstacle course that is your living room becomes your new aerobics class. And lullaby music through the baby monitor is your new coffeehouse jam.

Nonetheless, I wouldn't trade my little Sophie-bean for anything. It's been an ajustment this year, but I feel like I'm finally fitting comfortably in my role as a Mommy.

In my role as a party planner, I still need a little adjusting, but I think her parties went well this year. Sophie had two birthday parties - one small (we couldn't completely skip her actual birthday) and one big.

The first one was on the 30th. We had a super-cute strawberry cake with strawberry icing, topped with chocolate dipped strawberries. Can you tell what Sophie's favorite fruit is? We also had her favorite dinner - turkey tacos. We had fresh tortillas, ground turkey, cheddar cheese, black beans and avacado. Of course the adults had Sheldon's homemade salsa. Yum!















The second party was on Halloween! We had a baby costume party. Everyone was adorable. Instead of describing everything, I'll just let you see for yourself.

















All of the gifts were awesome and Sophie had a great time opening them. She seemed to enjoy every bit of each party. I was so happy she didn't get cranky... I should have known, she's my little social butterfly.

Happy Birthday my little sweetheart!!

New Favorite Toy

Sophie's great grandpa showed up at our house for Sophie's birthday party with a brand new red wagon. Sophie and I were in town shopping and when we got home and she saw her new toy, she was immediately drawn to it. She wanted to know how the door worked, how the wheels worked, and how the handle worked. She investigated everything about it and finally sat down in it ready for her ride.

As with all her other toys, I thought she would lose interest within a couple hours; however, four days later she's still lovin' it! We took Sophie on a walk in her new wagon and she sat contently for about 40 minutes while we walked around the neighborhood.

She sits in her wagon while I cook dinner. She sits in her wagon while I clean the kitchen. She sits in her wagon while I fold laundry. And tonight she wanted to be carted to her bedroom in style... in her wagon. Thanks Granpoppa Anderson! We love our new toy.

A parent's job is to monitor, right?

With Sophie growing in and out of phases so quickly these days, I began to wonder when we wouldn't need to use a monitor in her room anymore. And then I thought, what would it hurt if we left it in there until she moves out? When she's old enough to know what the monitor is, I could just hide it under her bed. Yes, yes, this could work! I was starting to like my sneaky little plan until I realized I would be sending my daughter to college some issues. Possibly paranoia.

So I guess I'll be taking the monitor out of her room at some point, I'm just not sure when. The teenage years are when it starts to get interesting though...

First days with two babies...

It’s been an adventure so far. Sophie is adjusting to having another baby in the house. Josiah is adjusting to having a curious little kid picking at him all the time. Sophie is learning the word “gentle”. Josiah is learning that the word “gentle” apparently means something other than gentle.

I’ve had all extremes this week. Both babies sleeping… ah sweet silence. Both babies screaming, one tugs on my leg while the other is in my arms. Both babies quietly playing and one baby awake while the other sleeps. When there is chaos however, it usually only lasts a short while. I’m adjusting to a new schedule and so are the babies, but it has been a lot easier than I thought it would be. My sanity is still in tact… at least for now.

Some improvements have been made. Monday, Sophie was totally put out that I was feeding another baby; but today however, she lay on her own pillow and fed herself her bottle while I fed the littlest one. One eye was always on Mommy though. Sophie still throws little fits when I’m holding Josiah, but they’re getting shorter so I’m hoping we’re making progress in that area.

Side note – this morning when Sophie was throwing a little “hold me, not him” fit, I realized that it’s naturally impossible to have babies as close in age as Josiah and Sophie are. There’s probably a reason for that.

No matter what happens during the day though, both babies are loved very much. And that’s why I can’t stop taking pictures of them! They’re so cute! Here are some of the ones I took this week.









There is chaos and there is peacefulness. At the end of the day we all had fun and we’re all exhausted, especially the Mommies.

No Tears

Yesterday I dropped Sophie off at school (Mother's Day Out) and she didn't cry... at all. Not one tear. That's supposed to be a good thing, but Mama misses her girl. She's doing great though. This week was the third week of school for Sophie and she's come a long way.

On the first day of school everyone in the building clearly knew that the world was ending from the way my child was crying. It broke my heart. I had to walk away and tell myself that she would be taken care of and have fun. The second day the world wasn't ending, but the sky was definitely falling. The third day, a small little "wah" snuck out, but was quickly haulted once Sophie saw her new friend playing in the classroom.

So we're at the end of the third week and my sweet girl didn't even look back, even when Mama said goodbye. It's bittersweet. She's not afraid to go to school anymore, but it's one of the many times she'll let go of Mama in her life. That's what every parent wants - for their child to be independent, that doesn't make it any easier for the mamas and daddies when their babies leave. At least I still have 17 years before she's really on her own!

Our big girl is finding her freedom in other ways too. She finally has a tooth! She has been eating finger foods since she refuses to let Mama or Daddy feed her from a jar. This week she tried strawberries, cantaloupe, guacamole, cheese ravioli, and grilled chicken. All successes except the ravioli. Like her mama, Sophie's favorite finger food is bread.

We bought Sophie's first walkin' shoes this week. She's so close to walking! It's exciting and a little sad. My baby is slowly becoming a toddler. She loves her new "big girl" shoes. The first day we bought them I was changing her diaper and had to take them off. It struggled to get to diaper back on because she was fighting me to put her shoes back on. She gets this big smile when we have to put her shoes on to go outside. Here's a picture of her cute, new shoes. And some pictures of our cute girl.

So, um...

I haven't had much motivation to write lately. I'm still looking for a teaching or writing position; however, I dread the thought of leaving my baby girl at daycare all day. Getting used to living on one salary instead of two (yes, I'm still getting used to it after five months) has caused us to tighten our belts and live on a budget, which in turn has caused a temporary spending freeze. Good friends moved to another city and more good friends are leaving the country soon!

On the upside, two beautiful babies were born this month to dear friends of mine and another is due any day now. My little girl continues to be full of surprises. And I'm still trying to make the transition from career-minded woman to stay-at-home mom, but I'm cherishing every moment I get to be at home with Sophie.

Here are some fun, recent pictures.


Sophie, just chillin' before her nine month photo shoot. Such a rock star.


Miss Thang loves to cruise around the couch and end tables.


Friend Ian holds Sophie's water for her. Such a nice little guy. We miss you!