Simply Sophia

It is fairly obvious who has captured our hearts... she's pretty much all we think about. I thought that it may be time to do a mini-update on what she's up to these days.

She enjoys tummy time with Daddy and Mommy. This is how we had to do tummy time prior to her losing her cord. Now we can start practicing tummy time on her boppy and playmat! She has crazy awesome neck strength & is starting to move EVERYWHERE when we hold her. She's a wild lady! You gotta watch her- she's quick!

We tried out the Bumbo seat for the first time this weekend. It's pretty cool for about 60 seconds. We're going to work on that throughout the next few weeks. We can't believe how big she looks sitting up in her Bumbo. Too big, too fast!

She enjoyed weekend snuggles with Mommy. She's still trying to fight of RSV & is spending a lot of time sleeping. The good news is, she is starting to feel, act, and sound better. Her cough is productive, and it's even starting to go away. We can't wait until it's gone for good!

She also enjoys being read to during the day with Mommy. We need to start reading to her more at night. I've decided that she's pretty much the cutest kid I've ever set eyes on. ;-) If you're a parent, please feel free to disagree with me... haha!

Sophia gets to meet her extended family at the end of this week... we are all so excited for that! We can't wait to finally be able to share our silly girl with everyone.

That's all I have time for now... someone woke up stinky & hungry!



Like a Champ

Sophia has acquired her first illness- and is handling it like a champ. Unfortunately, her well-baby visit last week resulted in a RSV diagnosis this week. Our doctor's office has a separate waiting room for healthy infants under 9 months of age, but we still have to walk through the main waiting room to get to it. It's an imperfect system, and sadly the stupid germs decided to set up camp inside our little girl.

For the most part, she is still being super sweet. She still is smiley and good natured for much of the day. Isn't she a cutie-pie?

But, she does get upset a lot easier. When she decides she needs something- she needs it NOW.

And, if she doesn't get it right away, she gets upset a lot more quickly. She very rarely cries a real cry when she's well. Since she's been sick, we've heard REAL cries a lot more often. It is absolutely pitiful. She also takes a lot longer to calm down (like 5 minutes instead of 30 seconds). Even then, she's still such a good baby.

Her cough and labored breathing are absolutely heartbreaking. I am so thankful that she is not running a temperature and that she is acting like her sweet little self for the most part. The doctor told us what to watch for, but right now her symptoms are mild enough that no treatment is warranted. I pray that it stays that way!

Please join us in praying for our little girl to recover quickly. She's far too little to have a cough this big.

The good news? She's now 8 pounds 14 ounces... up from 8 pounds 8 ounces last week. So, she's gaining weight well and staying hydrated. Please also pray that she maintains her appetite.

Thank you!!



Morning Snuggles with Mommy

When Andrew leaves for work, if Sophia is awake, we will get the boppy & I'll move over into Andrew's spot so the boppy can go where I sleep. Confusing? Anyway- after I am done feeding her, I will put her in her boppy, and she normally falls asleep on her own. Once she's asleep, I normally drift off for about another hour or two before waking up for the day. We spend quite a bit of our days here- and Andrew thinks we're an adorable pair. I will read, blog, and snuggle the little one. I normally get up for the day around 11 (tough life, huh?!) because she normally sleeps the afternoons away. During this time, I will get ready for the day, do laundry, clean, that kind of thing.

I absolutely LOVE this time with Sophia. We do not let her sleep in bed with us, but it is really special to have this time with her each morning. I try to soak it up as much as I can. I think that I will miss this the most once I return to work. We've become pretty good buddies over the last four weeks. I am a very blessed momma! I pray that we are always close, and I hope she never gets too old for morning snuggles with me.



Honey Baked Salmon

I promise that I do still cook. Although, if you ask Andrew, you may hear a completely different story. I will be the first to admit that I haven't cooked as much as I used to since moving to New York and finding out that we were expecting. When we lived in the barn, I just had no desire to do anything. Then, when we moved into our home, I was too exhausted with everything else going on. Now, I try to cook more often, but I am still trying to find a balance between caring for Sophia, resting when she rests, cleaning, and cooking. It's a work in progress. Anyway, I did cook last night (not specifically for Valentine's Day), and it was pretty good! It's one of our favorite meals, so I thought I would share.

Salmon

Place salmon in a lightly greased baking dish (or on aluminum foil to go on the grill). Lightly top with salt and pepper and drizzle with honey. Bake (or grill) according to instructions.

Salad

We prefer mixed greens. I topped it with shredded cheese and a pecan & cherry blend. I then drizzled it with natural pomegranate dressing. Delish!

Asparagus

Wash & snap the bottoms off of the asparagus. Place in a lightly greased baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil & sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. I like mine a bit more firm with a nice crunch, so I take them out closer to the 10 minute mark. It's all up to you!

So, there you go! That's what we enjoyed for dinner last night. Quick, easy & healthy... just what this new momma needed! I hope you enjoy it as well. I also hope to post more blogs like this in the coming days... don't hold me to it though.

Four Week Stats

Sophia Claire is four weeks old today! Wow- where has time gone?!

She is now 8 pounds 8 ounces and 21 inches long. Yay for gaining 1 pound 1 ounce & growing an inch!

She is wearing 0-3 month clothing- which means I really should pack away her newborn sizes.

She graduated to size one diapers yesterday.

She has YET to lose her umbilical cord... which makes those size one diapers tricky. Ugh.

She is alert more often during the day.

She is starting to sleep a little longer at night (knock on wood).

She is beginning to smile at me when I walk in the room or talk to her. Precious!

She loves weekend cuddle time with Daddy... she doesn't get enough of that during the week.

She is able to hold her head up in the Bjorn carrier- this happened in a week's time.

She is a funny, funny baby who makes many faces & keeps us laughing.

Oh & her cheeks are as chubby as ever. We love them!

Sophia's Latest News

I am a bit behind on blogging about our sweet little lady. She has been so much fun & I just haven't taken the time to sit down at the computer to load pictures and blog. So... here's her last week in a nutshell.

She has been quite the little Houdini. I swaddle her VERY tightly for naps and bedtime, yet she is somehow always able to free this hand. We can help but to laugh because this is EXACTLY how she was laying in the only face shot we got of her during the 20 week ultrasound.

See? She's always got to have those hands by her face.

She has graduated to big girl clothes this week. She is now wearing 0-3 month clothing! Although this bow is a bit ridiculous, she looks really cute in her new wardrobe. Don't worry, I put a smaller black bow on her.

A nurse from the county health department came to visit. Sophia is doing very well... and so am I. She even tried to recruit me as an SLP. You never know- it would be nice to work with kids again.

She enjoyed Saturday snuggles with Daddy. We like having him home all day. Why does the work week have to be five days long anyway?

She wore jeans for the first time! She looks like such a little grown-up in these! This is officially my new favorite outfit of hers.

Her blue eyes are only getting bluer. Instead of being mega dark, they are turning into a gorgeous bright blue. I wonder if they will be like her dad's eyes. His sure are gorgeous!

We went on an impromtu date to Red Lobster. She did wonderfully & slept in my arms during the whole meal. It was so good to get out and about. We went to the mall first so I could walk around. We walked about 2.5 miles before enjoying a nice dinner together. I absolutely LOVE time with my family!

She definitely let me know that she had had enough of picture taking. That little yawn is way cute!

We have also been enjoying Bible time with each other. Sophia likes to listen to Daddy reading the Bible... she has loved it since she was in the womb. I am so blessed to have a husband who is such a wonderful spiritual leader.

It is hard to believe that she will be four weeks old in just a few days. She is growing up so quickly, and she changes every day. We have an appointment with her pediatrician on Monday. I'm anxious to see how much she's grown & gained in the last four weeks. Oh, how I wish there were a way to slow down time!



Bits & Pieces

... of her mommy & daddy!

Which bits and pieces did she get from each?! You decide!



Snuggles with Nana

My mom came to stay a week with us when Andrew went back to work. She was such a blessing to have here! She kept herself busy cleaning the house, cooking dinners, grocery shopping, and so much more. I would hand her Sophia every morning and take my time getting ready just so she would do what she came to do- snuggle her grandbaby. We so appreciated everything that she did for us while she was here, but I hope she was able to get enough cuddle time in!

Sophia really enjoyed snuggling with her Nana. Every evening, she would fall asleep in Nana's arms. In fact, on Sunday evening, Sophia was sleeping in her arms, and all of a sudden she started laughing! We have no idea what she could possibly dream about that was so funny, but it was so precious to hear that little laugh. She has done it one other time since, but I wish she would do it more!

It was a pretty teary day on Monday when she pulled out of the driveway. I am loving this time with Sophia, but I miss MY mom too! I can finally appreciate the love my mom has for me... because it is the same love I have for Sophia. My mom is such a blessing to my life, and I hope that I can give Sophia the same love she's shown me during my lifetime.

Thank you for everything, Mom! It was such a pleasure to have you here... and many awesome memories were created! We love and miss you SO much!