A Quick Trip Down Memory Lane

I always get sappy this time of year. Sophie's birthday is April 15, and although it is so exciting watching her grow and develop, I'm reminded that she continues to move further and further away from babyhood. Who am I kidding? There really aren't any traces of baby left in Sophie, except that she will always be MY baby. That's actually a little joke between us. Sophie will point to herself and say "baby?". Then she laughs, shakes her head, and squeals "noooooo". Next, I hug her and say "You'll always be mommy's baby", to which she murmurs "baby". I think 2 is hard because they just aren't babies anymore. Her vocabulary exploded over Spring Break, and it has continued to expand. She is using compound words and phrases, and she has picked up new words at lighting fast speed. I find myself shaking my head in amazement. The connections she is making are just astounding. Sophie has come a long way since that little newborn who would only sleep if she was being held.

So, in celebration of the upcoming birthday, here are some of my favorite pictures of Sophie since birth.  Looking at them makes my uterus flutter...... The only time of year I give serious thought to baby number 2. :) XOXO

Skin to Skin in the OR, 4-15-11

Those hands..... So cute. Sophie about 2 weeks old

Our first tummy time, with Hunter, guard dog

5 months old, ready for church

Halloween 2011 6 months old

Sophie at 6 months

9 months

Little Gym,  11 months. I love this photo.

Mommy and Me, at one year and one week

What a difference a year makes! 

Abby and I with Sophie & Ella as newborns

At one year

At almost age 2, March 2013

March 2013

Sophie, movie star. March 2013

Spring Breakers

Spring Break 2013 was a smashing success. If you'd told me 15 years ago that one day I would be excited to spend Spring Break in Houston with, gasp, my parents, I would have thought you were crazy. Thankfully, we stupid teenagers grow into smart adults who have finally learned to appreciate our parents! Sophie and I did our first solo road trip, with Hunter as our co pilot. She was so good in the car. We only stopped once for a diaper change, dog walk, and for me to put a new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD in the laptop. Sophie never cried and was happy the entire trip, which we made in less than 4 hours.

Riding the train at Hermann Park

Grammy & Sophie

Sitting in a real tractor with Aunt Britt

Tuesday, Sophie, Grammy, and I met my friend Gina and her two boys at the Houston Zoo. Gina and I have been friends since junior high, and it is always such fun to spend time with her and her sweet boys, Matthew and Collin. Who are the sweetest and best behaved boys I've seen! The zoo was fun, and the best part was taking Sophie on the famous train at Hermann Park. There has been a train at Hermann since my mom was a girl, and I remember riding the train frequently as a child. It was so special for my mom and I to take Sophie on the train that we both rode as children. She loved it, and has been saying "choo choo" ever since. Tuesday evening we left to visit Grandma and Grampa Miller. My mother in law designed an adorable nursery for Sophie and her cousin Caroline, and spent so much time picking out wonderful toys. Sophie's face lit up when she saw the room and all the toys. We had dinner at Houston Country Club, and Sophie discovered the great playground at HCC,which she would play on four times during our 7 day visit. We spent Wednesday morning at the Children's Museum followed by a great lunch at Hungry's, one of my favorite Houston lunch spots. The best part was seeing Sophie bond with her grandparents, and I'm pretty sure they had as much fun with her as she did with them. I had a much needed facial during nap and then we went back to my parents to get ready for our big Thursday at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo.......

Driving cars with Ella

Abby, me, and our girls

Our first strawberry ice cream

If you've never been to the HLSR, you are missing out. It's a first class operation, with thousands of volunteers. We took Sophie to the petting zoo, and she and her BFF Ella rode the only three rides they're tall enough to ride at the carnival. The tractors were their personal faves. Sophie tried her first Fletcher's Corny Dog, a cinnamon roll, two chocolate chip cookies, and strawberry ice cream. She loved every second! The best part was getting to spend time with my friend Abby, and her daughter Ella. Abby & I were pregnant at the same time so we refer to our girls as "in utero BFFs". My sister took a day off from work in order to go with us, and it was fantastic being with her as well.  Friday we did a picnic at Hermann Park, and Sophie rode the train again. My dad was able to spend time with Sophie Saturday morning with a visit to the park and Sophie's favorite restaurant, Chick Fil A. Then we met Dad at the Miller's, followed by the Sunday morning baptism of our niece Caroline. 

Aunt Ashley & Grandma Miller with Caroline at her Baptism

Too much Spring Break

We had a great week, and it was wonderful spending time with both families. Sophie is so lucky to have two sets of grandparents who are healthy and love her so much. It was the perfect family Spring Break!

Movie Star

What It All Means

Most of the time, I am pretty positive, but I'm also a realist, and when it's hard, I let people know it's hard. I struggle sometimes with the glass half full concept. I don't typically trust people who are happy or pretend to be happy, 100% of the time. It's ok to get frustrated, as long as you don't allow the negativity to stick around too long. But lately I've found myself really struggling. The past few weeks have been hard. Up until this week, Sophie has challenged me to the brink practically every second of everyday. Even when my mom was here for a week helping me every second, I was challenged. I feel like I suit up to go into battle everyday. Nothing prepared me for having a toddler. It is unbelievably difficult, but this week and in particular last night, I was struck by what it all really means.

Ready for her closeup, and Disney in May!

Since Monday, Sophie has been relatively easy. She's been cooperative, happy, agreeable, delightful, and totally fun to be around. Those of you familiar with toddlers, well those of you who aren't one of those perpetually shiny happy people or on Xanax, know that life with toddlers is not always happy and agreeable. But after the last few weeks, I needed this past week. It's like God has given me a glimpse into the delightful person my Sophie will become when we come out of the toddler phase. It's a safe bet that she's going to be pretty darn amazing. This week she told me she loved me.  Sophie will come up to me and throw her arms around me, just because. She will lean in and kiss me and exclaim "MUAH", followed by giggles of pure delight. I can't really explain it, but in the last few days I have caught glimpses of a child, not simply a toddler. Then last night. Oh last night. She was up from 10:30 until 2:30. We don't know why. Steve finally put her in bed with us. Sophie rolled over and cuddled up to me. She put her head against mine, and I began stroking her face. Sophie in turn, began running her hand up and down my arm. She looked at me and smiled, then leaned in for a kiss, sighed contentedly, and fell asleep. That, people, is what it all means. I lay there, fighting back tears, and prayed this one simple prayer over and over. Please Lord, never let me forget this moment.

My little Minnie, and the first tulips of the season! Praise God!

And now pictures. We are in the midst of preparing for the best Minnie Mouse Little Gym party in history...... Meeska Mouska Minnie Mouse!

XOXO