December 8, 2008 and December 2007

So, here is the side by side comparison for the Santa Claus pictures.  Of course, to the left you will see the current 2008 photo with Sophia at 14 months.  On the right you will see Sophia at 3 months in 2007 ast her first visit with Santa Claus.   It is amazing to see how much she has changed.  Is this the same little girl?  

Yes, Sophia had dark hair this time last year.  It all fell out in February and it came in a lot lighter.  Can you believe it?

December 9, 2008 Burning the midnight oil at 1:26AM

So I just have to say, I am burning the candle at both ends working all night and working around the house and taking care of Sophia all day.  It is now 1:17 AM, yes, AM and while most of you are fast alseep in your warm cozy beds, I am wide-awake wishing the Sandman would visit our house.  This working until midnight everynight is a little rough when you have a 14- month - old in the house up between 6AM or 7AM.  35 hours of work plus 24 hours of taking care of Sophia times seven days a week, wait a minute.  Somehow, I need more hours in my day to calculate this.   Now, you understand the reason for me being a slacker on the Blog. Sleep has become a high priority along with of course, taking care of Sophia.  Blogging has become last priority lately.  Although it is time-consuming, it is also good to recap the events of our busy lives. I am hoping to get the last few weeks posted really soon since lots of amazing life changing events have happened and our little Sophia is growing up right before our eyes.  As soon as I get a chance to get the photos loaded onto our home server, I will post them to the blog from Thanksgiving until now.  Work has been crazy since Thanksgiving so maybe I will get a chance to sit down and get the pix online.  My goal is to get them done before Christmas although I am not sure that is realistic seeing as I only have very few days off between now and then.  

December 9, 2008 Proud Girl in her New Pretty Training Pants

Sophia was pretty excited to be sporting her new pretty princess Pull-Ups.  She is so excited every time she goes on the potty chair. I told her next time we went shopping, we would buy "Big Girl" pants as shown her in pink rather than diapers like little babies wear.  She seemed to be proud to wear her new pull-ups as you can see in this photo.  What a big smile she is showing here.  

December 8, In Search of the Perfect Claus...Ho Ho Ho!

Scott and I packed Sophia into the car and told her we were going out in search of Santa Claus. She needed to be really good so that Santa would want to see her.  We drove to Mid Rivers first. We jumped out the car packed the stroller with all the necessary stuff and a couple cameras, video recorders, etc.  We walked the length of the mall and suddenly Santa was right in front of us in the middle on the mall. I hurried over to get in line with the stroller and Sophia in hopes of not being there all night.   Just then, Scott strolled around the corner and whispered to me if I had seen the Santa.   I told him that I just jumped in line, never thinking that I should check out the Santa Claus before I got in line.  

Scott told Sophia and I that wasn't the "real" Santa Claus because he wasn't fat and jolly, but rather skinny, frail, and very old.  He said to Sophia, "That is just one of Santa's elves!" he said very quietly so as not to let the other kids know.   "We are onto him!"  "Let's go find the real Santa!"  

So, we packed everything in the car and put Sophia back into her carseat and zoomed off to Chesterfield Mall.   We rushed into the mall in hopes that real Santa would be there at the North Pole.    Magically, we arrived at the North Pole as quick as a flash when we parked the stroller at the Exit sign.  We saw Christmas trees and snow and a street sign that said, "North Pole."  Sophia was really impressed with the snow village feel of the surroundings. She was smiling and checking out the scenery.  I showed her the sign that read, "North Pole" and exclaimed with excitement, "We are here the North Pole!" She smiled from ear to ear.  She rounded the corner in her beautiful little velvet red Christmas dress and got "snow on her shoes as we trodded around the village. Santa was just ahead..  " Santa, we brought Sophia to see you."  She would like a photo with you and she would like to tell you what she wants for Christmas.  

"Ho, Ho, Ho, come and sit by me Sophia and we will get a picture and you can tell me what you would like for Christmas!"  

In a flash, she hesistantly walked over with mommy and daddy to talk to Santa. She was a little scared. Once, Santa told mommy and daddy they could come sit on his lap, Sophia got the idea.  Now, I can't tell you for sure if mommy and daddy are on the "Naughty" or "Nice" list, but I heard Santa tell Sophia she was on the "Nice" list.  He even gave her a "Santa Stop Here" sign to put in the window so he remembers to stop at our house on Christmas Eve.  He showed Sophia his jingle bells and told her to listen for them on Christmas night.  (No worries folks, I bought some jingle bells at the store yesterday that Santa can ring when he gets to our house Christmas night to announce his arrival.)  We assured him that we had a Santa plate for cookies and mug for milk. 

The photographer snapped the picture above and we thanked Santa for the visit.   On our way out, he gave her a little stuffed penguin and a jolly, "Ho, Ho, Ho!"  As we chose our photo we were magically transported back to the Chesterfield shopping mall for some Christmas shopping and a trip to the carousel like last year.  Sophia rode the reindeer.  I told her it was one of Santa's reindeer.  She was a little scared, but I assured her that the carousel was very fast and that is the reason Santa must take the sleigh so he can carry all the toys and not fall off the reindeer like she kept trying to do.   We stopped in Borders and daddy found a book about Christmas, "Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house.......  Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!"

December 4, 2008 Eating Clementines - Baby Oranges

Today I asked Sophia if she would like an "baby orange" a.k.a. clementine with her lunch. I handed it to her while I was making her lunch. I didn't really think she would try to eat it with the peeling on it.  I figured she would look at the little orange ball for a second. When I looked up to check on her she was biting into the clementine peeling and all.  This was just too funny not to post.  I eventually did peel it for her and slice it up, but it did give me quite the laugh when it happened. 

November 27, 2008 Thankful for Pies and the Potty Chair on Thanksgiving

Many of you may or may not be aware that Thanksgiving is my all time favorite holiday.   I have loved it since I was a very small child. I love it for several reasons, getting together with family, eating, watching parades, and watching my mom cook in our kitchen Casatha Pies.  Mom has turned over the reins several years ago to me to make the Casatha Pies. So, I make them now.  The recipe has been passed down in our family for many years from my late Great Aunt J.  Mom would frantically scurry about the kitchen making these pies every Thanksgiving while we all watched the parades before we went to Grandma's house for the Big Turkey.  I cannot tell you how to make the pies, I can only make them for you since the recipe is done strictly on taste with no exact measurements, however, I think I may have figured out a starting point for the measurements. If I buy at least two or three honey bears, and somewhere between 8 to 12 eggs, and at least 3 lbs of Riccotta cheese along with several other ingredients, I might be able to make 4 pies.  Well, anyway, I will just have to teach Sophia how to make the pies as I have been taught so she can pass this one down to future generations.  It is mixed based upon taste, so Sophia plan on eating some pies. 

This Thanksgiving we have many thing to be thankful for our health, our family, our homes, our pets, etc.  But this one if especially going to stand out for me for many years to come because Sophia used the Potty Chair for the First Time ever.  

Over the past few weeks Sophia has taken a growing interest in this new potty chair that arrived in our bathroom. It is just her size and she has been tearing it apart and carrying the comfy seat all around the house.  It is funny to see her put it on her head, but I tell whiel trying very hard not to laugh, that it doesn't go on her head or her feet, she puts her bottom on it and sits just like a chair. So, we practiced for several weeks now just sitting on the potty in her diaper. Anytime, I went near the bathroom, I would tell her lets just take a break and go sit on the potty for a few minutes.  I rented a couple videos with kids sitting on the potty chairs, etc.  

I knew we were on the right track a couple months ago when Sophia learned the sign language sign for "potty".  You just shake your fist back and forth in the air.  She watched her "Baby Signing Time" video and learned the sign there.  The first time I realized she understood what that meant was when she and I took the doggy outsire.  I instructed the dog to go potty. Sophia watched and shook her hand signing potty as the dog did her business.  I almost fell over into the street when I saw her telling the dog in sign language "potty".  Once I knew she understood, I figured it was time to start teaching her about the potty chair, we went to the library and borrowed books and videos.  Apparently, she was really learning this even though I though it was falling on deaf ears.  They showed babies sitting on the potty chairs and even teddy bears and stuffed animals.  So we showed our stuffed animals how to use the potty chair.   "How does a baby learn so much in such a short time?  Can she possibly really understand what this is all about?  

So, on Thanksgiving morning, I had been introducing Sophia to all the familiar traditions of the parades, pies, etc.  Little did I know that as I showed her these family things, she was going to surprise more than I could have imagined.   Sophia walked into the bathroom for her morning bath. I took off her diaper and told her. " If you try to go potty on the potty, I will put some bubble bath in the bath water for you."  I never expected her to understand what I actually said.  So off went the diaper and down on the potty she sat. We talked and sang funny songs, some of our old favorites, "Itsy Bitsy Spider, Bingo, Old MacDonald.  I also played a quick game of peek-a-boo a longtime favorite of Sophia's.   We read a couple baby books and when we were done, she stood up and walked across the floor and peed some more on the lineoleum but just a drop or two.  So, I looked into the potty chair and she had used it. I was astounded and almost speechless. I clapped and made a big deal out of it that she was a big girl.  We called daddy in to see how good Sophia did.  He clapped and made a big fuss over it too to let her know we approved and were delighted to see this important event in a baby's life.   As soon as we finished, I told Sopha we had to call her grandparents and tell them what she did so they too could praise her for her accomplishment. She smiled and was excited over all the attention she was getting for making such a huge step into toddlerhood.    Oh, and I did make good on my promise by making the best bubble bath one has ever seen. Sophia loved the suds and bubbles while mommy sdmired her newly in training for potty chairs little one. 

December 3, 2008 The Potty Chair again at 14 1/2 months

Okay, So it seems that Sophia is getting the potty chair thing down. Today when she awoke from her nap, I asked her is she wanted to us her potty chair and she replied in that sweet little voice "Yee-ahh" (yes)!  It was so cute. So mommy and Sophia scampered into the bathroom really quickly so Sophia could sit on the potty chair.  I handed her a few books and told her mommy will sit on the big potty fully clothed,  while she sits on her little potty and we will read our books until she is ready to pee. It didn't take long at all.  She did it and stood up when she was done. This time none got on the floor. She even started tugging at her little pant leggings that she was wearing under her dress as if she knew how to pull them up.  Little Sophia, I am so proud of you.  you are such an intelligent little girl. You amaze me at how quickly you learn things.  Your brain seems like a little sponge and you just absorb everything you are exposed to.  I love you baby girl. 

November 26, 2008 A Whole New Play World, Playing at the Mall Play Area

Scott and I took Sophia to Mid Rivers Mall to play in the play area.  She was really bored at home so I thought we could let her burn some energy at the mall. This is the first time she has been there since she began walking.  As you can see it took her no time at all to get the full effect of playing and sliding down the slide. This happened back in November but I am just getting around to blogging about it. 

November 23,2008 "Ups and Downs" at Great Grandma's House

Sophia understands the words "Up and Down" and uses them correctly in context.  Here she has made up her own little game at Great Grandma's house. She is walking back and forth from the dining area and back into the kitchen.  The previous owners of this house built the kitchen floor up with too many layers of floor resulting in an uneven ramp from the dining room to the kitchen.  Sophia discovered it and had to dance around and take advantage of the opportunity to play her "Ups and Downs" game.  She went back and forth into each room exclaiming, "Up and Down! Up and Down!"  Isn't it funny how easy it is to entertain toddlers?

"Down!"

"Up!"

"Down!"

November 23, 2008 Sporting the New Winter Coat, Size 3T, What?

Sophia seems to have trouble standing up when she wears her new winter coat. Everytime I put it on her,  it seems like her legs turn into noodles.  I am not sure why she does this, but she falls on the floor.  In the following photos we are trying it on for the first time.

Here she looks rather happy that she has a pretty new coat.

In this photo Sophia is holding onto the table so that she doesn't fall down.  What gets me is that the coat is super-light weight.  It is not like the old heavy wool coats we used to wear. This is made of ultra-light synthetic fabrics and down.  I guess it throws her off balance to wear more clothes in the winter. 

Here is another picture of her standing and holding onto the coffee table for balance.  Can you believe this coat is a 3T?  Sophia is 14 months and wearing a 3T coat.

November 14, 2008 More Walking and Playing

Sophia is just walking around the house and playing in her pajamas.  She looked so happy to be walking around, I thought I would take some pictures and post them for all to see.  She also sat in her Elmo chair which I snapped a picture shown here. It is a little blurry because it vibrates and laughs and it was hard to get a still photo of it.  

She also has her Saint Sophia medal on today shown in the photo that is looking up at her from the floor.   If you click on the photo it will maximize and you can see it. Sophia's name means wisdom. One of my mother's best friends gave her this very thoughtful gift for her Baptism a few months back, but I just realized we never took a photo of it so here it is.   I cried because it was such a beautiful and thoughtful gift.   I hope Saint Sophia looks after my little Sophia.  

Here is a copy of the excerpt given to Sophia along with her Saint Sophia medal:

 SAINT SOPHIA THE MOTHER OF ORPHANS

Celebrated June 2^nd

Every mother wins the “Mother of the Year” award in her own family, but if a vote were taken for the “Mother of the Thousand Years of the Byzantine Empire,” the unanimous choice would be a valiant woman named Sophia who turned a personal tragedy into a triumph of the spirit in the name of the Lord and so glorified His name in her every thought and deed that she was sainted by popular acclaim. She symbolizes motherhood in the purest sense, sanctifying the role all mothers play in the daily grind of raising a family, elevating the mothers of the world to a sacred level in the eyes of God and giving them their due recognition in the divine plan of the universe. A woman acquires a spark of divine grace in bearing a child, and thereafter in caring for it she labors not only for herself but for the property of the Almighty as well, for we are the children of God.

The Noble Sophia came into the world with every advantage, including wealth of beauty and intelligence, as well as an abiding faith in Jesus Christ, and at maturity she left nothing to be desired as a model wife. When she married, she took leave of her parents to make a home of her own with the prayer that she would be blessed with children, a prayer which was answered. She became the mother of six children, all of whom she loved deeply and none of whom lacked the religious fervor of their mother.

It was in her thirty-fourth year, when her happiness knew no bounds, that her greatest joy turned to stark tragedy. A plague swept over the land and she watched helplessly as one by one her children died; and when the pestilence had spent itself she had lost all of her loved ones, including her husband. In numbing grief she yearned to be stricken and join her family in death, but then her Christian faith asserted itself, reminding her that there was much she could do, not only for the Lord but in memory of her family. She returned to her empty house intent upon putting it to good use, and her life thereafter came to be a total commitment to the glory of the Savior.

She lost no time in seeking out the clergy of the community and announcing plans to dispense her wealth among the poor, keeping enough to maintain her house, which she hoped would shelter underprivileged or orphaned children. In a span of twenty years, Sophia’s house became a haven not only for little wanderers but for the dispossessed on any age as well. She actually adopted over one hundred children in this period, raising each of them as though it were her own child and sending them out into the world full of the love of Jesus Christ and quite prepared to make a useful place in society. She came to be known as the “Mother of Orphans,” marveled at by other mothers of the empire whose burdens were made lighter when they compared their cares and worries to those of the woman who had the strength and grace to make her life worthwhile after suffering a loss that would have overwhelmed the average mother.

Many stories of tenderness and sacrifice are attached to Sophia but the one that stands out as an example of her proximity to God is the one concerning the bottomless wine pitcher, if it can be called that. Her hospitality extended to all comers, and when adults sought refuge in her house she customarily poured them a glass of rare vintage from a Grecian urn. After she had first filled the urn, she noticed that no matter how much she dispensed for her guests, the wine was always at the same level when she went to use it again. At first she presumed that someone had surreptitiously refilled the urn when she was otherwise engaged, but she soon realized that it was a phenomenon that could not be explained. She mentioned it, however, to no one.

Reference  

http://74.125.95.104/search?q=cache:http://www.antiochian.org/1116815026

November 12, 2008 Sophia walks

Sophia walks.   She finally did it, she walked from the TV all the way around the family room all by herself and Daddy caught the moment with the camera. Scott and Sophia were hanging out playing while Mommy was at work.   Sophia just decided to get up and get moving. Here she is walking around the room trying not to trip on all the toys scattered across the floor. She looks pretty proud that she can finally walk.  She is smiling and having a grand time showing off her new skill for daddy with the camera.  

Dearest Sophia, 

Mommy is so proud of you.  I have been waiting for this moment for the past couple months and here it is. You have finally decided that you can walk.  I am sorry I was not home when you chose to do this, but I am still very proud of you and all your accomplishments.  I love you very much and look forward to all your future firsts.  You are the best little girl a mommy could have.

Love you lots,

Mommy 

Here is a slideshow of Sophia's first steps.

November 7, 2008 Sophia just standing around playing with Sophie doll

Sophia is playing with her Sophie doll. She was holding onto me and then just let go and stood there for a few minutes hugging and playing with her doll and giving her kisses.  

November 6, 2008 Sophia playing dress-up with cat

Sophia was playing with a headband that matches one of her dresses.  She decided to put it on our cat Brittany.  Then, she leaned in and gave the cat a kiss on the nose. She is so loving, it is so sweet. I didn't know little girls started dressing animals this early, but I guess she was having fun.  

I know my mother, Sophia's Grandma used to dress up the family dog when she was a little girl but I do not know how old she was when she started dressing the dog.   When I was younger, I can remember our family Chihuahua, Cricket wearing many sweaters to "keep her warm".  

November 5, 2008 Sophia watching Babaloo

We went to Babaloo at the Pottery Barn Kids in Chesterfield today. Sophia and I were in the back because  I wasn't sure how she was going to feel about the show.   There were lots of toddlers, dancing and singing up in front. Sophia watched for a few minutes.  She smiled while the music played but she is a bit too young to stay focused on the show for a long period of time.   I think she enjoyed it though.  Here are just a few pics of her watching the show. 

November 4, Day of Firsts, She Walks, Eats White Castles

Sophia and I went to the park today Election Day. The weather was beautiful and Sophia enjoyed herself at the park. She was very good today so I took her out to lunch. In honor of her late Grandmother Sally Sikes, who loved the mini burgers from White Castles, I took her for her First White Castle Burger. She ate the burger like a big girl. She took the sandwich and ate it like she has been eating burgers forever. She also said "George" while watching Curious George for the first time. 

When we finished lunch we went for a nice bike ride all around our neighborhood. It was so pretty that we just rode around until I could barely pull her up the hills anymore. My legs were burning and I finally decided to call it quits.

We came home and Sophia had a nice sippy cup full of juice and then it happened. She was standing next to me as I sat on the couch resting from our bike ride. She reached over and started shredding a box of Kleenex. Then, she turned around and took four steps holding the shredded tissues in hand, she WALKED. She forgot to hold onto something because the tissues were in her hand. Then, she grabbed onto me because she realized she was walking. Yeah Sophia! I am so proud of you.

November 2, 2008 Modeling the Duck Costume Great Grandma

Sophia and her Soap Box

Great Grandma and Uncle Mike came over to see the Lil' Ducky. Sophia was playing on the floor next to all her toys with her new found interest in a box of soap. This new toy was all the rage after our return from Costco. She pushed this soap box all over the floor for hours. Then, when she was modeling her costume for my grandmother, Sophia's Great Grandma she once again started playing with this soap box. Isn't it funny what entertains kids. You can buy them the fanciest, coolest toys in the world and they still play with boxes like this. She had more fun with this box scooting around in her duck costume than I thought possible.

Sophia enjoyed playing with her Great Grandma and demonstrating her ducky moves. It was an awfully hot night for a furry warm costume so Sophia started to take it off by herself. Even Great Grandma got into the fun and tried on the ducky hat. I know, I know, where is the air conditioning Mom? Sorry, I am not that good at costume making yet or will I ever be for that matter. I hear they do have coolants in those character costumes they use in the big theme parks and such. How was I to know it would be in the 70 degree temperatures for Halloween. It is always cold or raining or snowing in St. Louis. This unseasonal weather made it too hot for the poor furry little duck dressed for a cold night

November 3, 2008 Tonight I went to work......

Sophia stayed home with Daddy while I went out to my new evening job. I was nervous about it all day, but I see Sophia must have taught Daddy how to get her ready for bed. She is all settled in and sleeping in her pajamas that I had laid out for her this evening before I left. Well, the pajamas were on backwards but at least they were and Sophia was all snuggled up in her bed. Yeah! Good Job Scott!

October 31, 2008 Happy Halloween Sophia - Trick or Treating

Happy Halloween Sophia! We took pictures of Sophia Halloween night in her Lil' Ducky Costume. I chose to make a duck costume because Sophia can say "Ducky" and "Quack Quack". As I sewed frantically trying to make her costume in just a couple weeks, I broke two sewing machines. Unbelievable! I still managed to finish the entire costume with all the adjustments for size and shape before Halloween night.

I enjoy sewing but don't often have the opportunity. I thought this was the perfect excuse to practice my skills. I chose a really difficult fabric to work with, fur. Need I say more to anyone who has sewn before. Ugh. It was shedding all over my work area and got caught in the bobbin and the feed dogs several times. I have vacuumed the carpet several times and I am still finding yellow flecks of fur around the house. I tweaked the costume just a bit to make it fit better, but I think in the end it all worked out. I added a few embellishments to make it cuter than the original pattern showed on the envelope. I really enjoyed making this for Sophia and plan to make all her future costumes.

Sorry about last year Sweet Sophia, mommy just wasn't up to sewing your costume last year for your very first Halloween since you were just a month old and mommy was just an overwhelmed, tired new mommy.

As a tribute to my parents who always made my costumes, I have a new found respect for all the work that goes into getting the costume done by Halloween. May I say, "Big Bird for me and Oscar for Mike", and "Strawberry Shortcake" were some of the really tough ones. Whew! Next year, I will start much earlier in case I have any set-backs like broken sewing machines, etc.

Pictured in the slideshow you will see us getting Sophia ready to go out Trick or Treating. Uncle Mike is showing Sophia how to play the piano while I answer the door to give out candy to all the little ghosts and goblins running around our street. Also, Scott took the camera out and followed us around the neighborhood as Sophia and I went Trick or Treating at our neighbors' houses. I think Sophia almost understood what we were doing. Although, she was trying to give her candy to our neighbors rather than take candy from them. Too funny. She also liked playing with the candy wrappers because they make a funny crinkle sound.

Although it was a lot of work, I feel happy with the results of making her costume and think Sophia had fun being a Ducky for Halloween. She even said, "Quack Quack" a few times with her costume on while Trick or Treating. Thanks to Sophia's Uncle Mike for stopping in to watch Sophia go out Trick or Treating. This was a great Halloween!

October 30, 2008 Halloween Party with Playgroup

This was Sophia's first Halloween party. I think she had fun once she got used to the idea of wearing her costume.