Making a list, checking it twice!

Here's my Sophi Jean at 20 months!!!!

Yes, I've already have started listening to Christmas music. I've even watched Frosty the Snowman and read Sophi some Christmas books. I may have bought her a bell necklace so she can sing, "Jingle Bells."
I'm glad I've started celebrating! My days and nights are super crazy. With my brother's wedding on Dec. 30th, I have so much on my plate. Not to mention planning/baking/wrapping/shopping for my family!! Just to add to the craziness, I got a job at Children's Place. Some have told me, I'm crazy! Which today is my first day, so I feel crazy!! But with all the extra expenses going on, (not to mention my HUGE car bill needing to be paid off ASAP), I am giving up some of my week nights and my Sundays. I am excited about my discount on Sophi's clothes and that I can get a pretzel during my break. I will be at the PV Mall on Black Friday at 4am working like a crazy girl while Deric and Sophi put up our tree. I do feel a bit of that mommy guilt and hope and PRAY that I will enjoy this season with my family. What doesn't kill me will make me stronger, even if I'm living off coffee and peppermint bark!

Speaking of my list... I'm so glad Shutterfly makes fast and inexpensive Holiday cards. I've picked this card:
With Love Chartreuse
I love how I can use different pics! I'm excited to use some pics from Sophi's pictures in her flower girl dress! :)
Shutterfly has made my life so much easier! I've made photo books for gifts, posted pics online, and printed pictures needed for Sophi's baby book. I love how their books are in "SCRAPBOOK" design. It's fun to change color, font, and add little embellishments. If you are looking for a gift or to send out holiday cards, check out their website! I plan on making a Disneyland book once the Holidays are over.
Here's 3 links to check out:
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards
OR http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/birth-announcements
AND http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery

BTW, I'm getting an awesome deal just for writing about them on this blog, so that is the meaning behind that. :)
You can get it to, just be clicking here: Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly, follow the arrow à http://bit.ly/sfly2010

I may be busy, but I won't be a GRINCH!

Disneyland!!!!!!!!

*In Minnie's House* Here's my short version of our adventure to Disneyland:

The rides:
We had so much fun at Disneyland. (Who wouldn't??) It was cold and rainy most of the day, so it felt just like Fall. We rode Peter Pan and Dumbo first. Then met our friends, the Rices (from Big Bear), at City Hall so we could get Sophi's "1st Visit" pin.
We rode Pirates of the Caribbean, which totally freaked Sophi out. She buried her head in our shoulders during the ride. Then, just b/c scaring our toddler once wasn't enough, we took her on the Haunted Mansion. What were we thinking??
After that we did not take her several rides b/c we knew she'd be scared.

Character Update:

She was so excited to see them, only if they were at a distance. Once it was our turn in line, she did NOT want to touch them. She kept saying, "NO!"
We met Winnie the Pooh, Mickey and Minnie. All the times she was scared. Today she will tell you, "Scared. Pooh."

The day went by so fast. Between Toon Town, the Tiki Room, and all the other toddler friendly rides, we were tired. I sure love the singing birds in the Tiki Room!! If you want a song stuck in your head, go to this place!

I go to Disney to eat and to imagine what it would be like to live so close to Disney that you could go get a cup of coffee with a girlfriend one evening and ride a few rides too!:
Many of you know I was looking forward to an endless number of churros. That was my main reason for having my garage sale the week before. However, when I got to Disney I wasn't that excited. I ate my Pineapple Sorbet right before lunch, ate TOO much at the Pizza Port, and just wasn't hungry. So.....
I only ate half of a churro. (I know, right?) I was really in the mood for other treats, such as a Pumpkin Latte and pumpkin muffin. With all the Fall decor and my long-sleeves, those treats really hit the spot. Deric enjoyed his mint ice cream and Sophi enjoyed her goldfish.

How long did we stay:
The park closed at 7pm due to Mickey's Halloween Party, which at first I was so bummed about. But, it ended up being the perfect amount of time- 11 hours at the park is plenty with a 19 month old.
Totally random, but, we were SUPER impressed at people's costumes. We had to do a double-take at some of them to make sure they weren't characters. People are very creative!

Sleeping with a toddler in the same room:
I was also so shocked how easy Sophi went to sleep in the hotel room. Deric and I just hid in the bathroom for a bit until she fell asleep. No crying at all. We were thinking, "This is way TOO easy!!" I'm sure next time we stay in a hotel she'll throw us for a loop and cry the entire night!

My overall rating:
9 out of 10
To all my friends, Disneyland is SO different when you have a toddler with you. You move at a much slower pace and really take in each moment. You find yourself not racing to be first in line for the best ride.
Your toddler will sit where there's the most dirt and then try to eat it. Plus, it's tough moving through the crowds with a stroller, and most of the time your toddler may want to get out. But it's nice to not have to carry a big backpack on your back for 11 hours.
And yeah, it kind of stinks that you can't ride Splash Mountain or Indiana Jones, but watching your child's face light up at seeing Goofy, will totally be worth it!

A big perk- your toddler is FREE! Why NOT go?? :)

I'm glad we took Sophi. I hope she remembers it, but if not, we will treasure telling her all about her first visit to the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!!!!!

Now when can we go again????????? :)

It's me, I'm still here.

Sophi weighs 23 lbs 7 oz. She did a big jump in weight since her 15 month apt. Sophi also grew 2 inches!
Sophi is talking more and more. It cracks us up with all the little conversations she's having with us. I will miss her "baby talk!"
We have entered a new leaf in discipline. I've encountered some meltdowns in public and have left in tears (Yes, both Sophi and I). She is a very independent girl, so telling her "NO" does not make her happy! (Wait, "NO" doesn't make anyone happy!) But, Deric and I have gained some parental strength and know there may be more tears, but we are ready! This is an area in parenting I need the most patience in. I'm sure all moms can relate when all you want to do is buy some TP and avoid a screaming child!

Well, as for me, between watching kids during the day, Bible Studies and Small Group at nights, AND trying to keep a clean house while having time for myself, life is busy!
I have found a new love....
I started in late July from the beginning and currently am in the middle of season 6. I'm seriously crazy about this show and know I watch it too much! :)
Well this is all for now.. trying to type and keep Sophi entertained....

3 weeks to DISNEYLAND!!!

Upside down!

It seems like my life truly has been UPSIDE DOWN! I'm the biggest blog slacker, I know. I find it funny how my last post was saying Sophi was 14 months. She's now 18 months!
Sophi is going to her well-check apt. this week, so (if I remember) I will post all her little updates.
Until then...

Sophi at 14 months.. almost 15.

Our little Jelly Bean is now 14 months old. Here are some things she has been busy doing:
*Sophi walks everywhere. We are now at the stage where riding in the stroller is brief. It makes our mall trips very quick or we spend half the time chasing her around the stores.
*Sophi continues her love (can I say "obsession") for Big Bird. Thanks to her Aunt Shelby, Deric and I had to put pictures of Big Bird on our cell phones. It is all she ever asks for. "BA BAHH!"
*Sophi now can sign the word "PLEASE." She has even gotten to where she will sign "PLEASE" without us having to ask her. Now we have to teach her that even though she uses "PLEASE" doesn't mean she will get whatever she wants. That's a lot for her 14 months old brain to understand.
*Sophi takes 1 nap/day. Usually 2hrs. I still give her rest time in the morning. Currently, 3 of her molars are coming in, so she has been falling asleep in the morning some days. When I tell her, "Time for Night-Nights" she marches right to her room and stands by her crib. SO CUTE!!
*Sophi still sleeps awesome at night! 7pm-7:30. One morning she even woke up at 9am!!! (Yes I let her sleep! It was the weekend and I enjoyed sleeping in too!)
*She loves to clean, just not taking baths.
*Sophi LOVES jewelry. She can make anything a bracelet.
*Sophi LOVES outside. Here new word this weeks is "OUTSIDE". I'm glad we are going to Nebraska this summer so she can enjoy the outdoors.
*Sophi continues to love reading books. She must have Big Bird or Oscar in every book. She enjoys saying "THIS" and pointing while I name whatever she is pointing to. Her little "THIS" is so cute. It makes me smile. :)


It's been so fun watching her these past couple months understand more and discover new things!!
We are looking forward to a busy summer. I am taking the summer off from watching kiddos. Sophi and I will be taking swim lessons and enjoying spending time together!!!
I am taking a vacation in 1 week for my 5 year college reunion. No baby for 5 days! It will be hard, but really fun!! Wisconsin here I come! :)
In late June we are headed to Nebraska. We will be spending half the time with my family and the other half with my best friend Jan and her husband. I am SO, SO excited!! Fireworks, the farm, parks, ballgames, grilling, and Runza!!!!!!
We will be home for about a week, then in middle July, all of us will be headed to Colorado. Deric will be at Jr. High camp and Sophi and I will be staying with my friend Stephanie and her 3 kiddos. I also am VERY excited for that. Sophi won't know what's going on with all the traveling!

We are looking forward to a very busy, hot summer. I am excited to be spending some one-on-one time with my sweet Sophi Jean and maybe get a bit of a tan. :)

A new love

Sophi is in love with Big Bird. Not just a little crush, but IN LOVE!!!

She wakes up saying "BA BA" (which actually could mean many a things, but she points at her books and her little Big Bird figure on her shelf).

Her new favorite movie is "Follow That Bird" where she says "BA BA" a million times. If I don't acknowledge Big Bird on the screen, she will repeat and repeat until you say, "Yeah, Big Bird."

She also says "Ah" for Oscar. She enjoys singing while Oscar sings.
It is quite cute having her love Big Bird. He's one guy I know won't break her heart! :)

Amazing Video

What's been going on?? Sophi now 13 months!

We've been going to the zoo!

Sophi is now a walker. Little steps between 2 places of interest. I can't believe it!!

Loving making the "VROOM" sound for the cars.

Here we are with my family at Easter.

Sophi had her first Easter egg hunt. She found all but 3 that morning, and found the rest the next day. The plastic eggs are her new favorite toy.

My Snuggle Bunny and I after a HOT Easter service.

Sophi playing with her palm branch we made for Palm Sunday.

Sophi has mastered her shape sorter. She has discovered they are the perfect size to whistle out of. :)

Sophi loves walking her baby stroller around the house.

Lovin' babies!

Sophi has become a pro-cup drinker. She nurses just 1 time/day. We are almost done!!

12 month update

Sophi's party was a big success! We had 30+ people in our house. It was fun and Sophi loved it! We are glad our family and friends could join us!

Here are some of Sophi's updates:

Weight= 18lb 12 oz *She did lose weight. Which I was shocked! But the dr. wasn't concerned. The dr. thinks it a mix between genetics and weaning (not getting as much from me anymore). I just need to give her a morning snack in addition to her afternoon snack. *
Height= 28.5 in

I'm in the slow process of weaning her. Over the past couple weeks she has started liking the sippy cup more and more. I'm currently nursing twice a day (7am and 7pm). My goal is to be done nursing by the end of May. (The first week in June is when I'm taking a girl's vacation, so she'll have to be done!) The morning feeding will be my most challenging! On a more mommy note- I will miss nursing her. It's crazy to think I've been doing this for a year and for it to not be in my daily routine will be strange. I will have to really watch my weight- I need to start working out more so I can burn those calories I would have burned with nursing. (Although I am currently happy with my weight. I've lost 50lbs, but only gained 30lbs when I was pregnant. I just need to tone.)

Sophi eats and eats. She loves pinapple, bread, and any veggie. She is started to be picky at foods- will eat it one day, not the the next. I'm glad she still likes the majority of foods. I'm always trying to be creative with her foods. She makes me a healthier eater!

Sophi still takes 2 naps. There have been a few days when I think she's going down to 1 nap, but the next day she definitely needs 2. I'm in no rush to make her drop the morning nap.
She continues to sleep great at night 7pm-7am. :)

Sophi's new word is "ball." Anything round like a balloon, circle, etc is called a "ball." It's fun to see her pic out a ball in a book!

She continues to be a book worm. Sophi loves looking at all her books. To keep her happy while changing her diaper, a book is required!

Sophi is starting to stand w/o holding on to anything. She also has taking joy in pushing her new baby stroller around the room. It's fun to watch her try to walk!

Sophi can sign "more" in sign language. She often says "ba" with the sign. The sign can mean "I want", "milk", and "more." It's super cute!!! It's really helped her not yell to get something.

Sophi continues to make us laugh, loves to laugh, and keeps us amazed. I'm ready for baby #2!!! (Don't freak out! We are not trying! Mommy has to wait for another year.)

Happy birthday Sophi!!

Well it's taken me almost a week, but here is the run-down of Sophi's 1st birthday!

First thing when she woke up, she got to have some of her gifts from Mommy and Daddy. She loves her new wagon!



We then headed off to Tot Spot (our church's playgroup). She had fun and her favorite part was getting the green balloon, which she calls "ball." (Pretty much anything round is a "ball" :) )

After having some lunch, we drove to Chandler to see my first friend, Allison, who was in town from Nebraska. She took our pictures over the summer and we had another photo shoot at her Grandparent's house. Once we get those pics in a couple weeks, I'll post some. The best shots (I predict) will be when we gave Sophi a cupcake in her diaper. It was so cute and funny!

Both Deric and I were so surprised during the day at Sophi's behavior. She slept the 45min. over to Chandler and that was it. She was so happy and didn't fuss at all!! It made it easy for pictures and for us to sit and visit with Allison.

Around 5pm we headed to meet my family for dinner at Logan's Roadhouse. Deric and I chose Logan's because it was the same restaurant we ate at the night before Sophi was born. We felt like we had to bring her back for some memories. (Although it was a different location, but same food). Sophi enjoyed eating bread (her current fav), carrots, chicken, and some mac 'n cheese.

With Gammy (the name my mom wanted to be called)

Practicing her writing with Grandpa

Uncle Josh (or Uncle Jim like he wants to be called-don't know why! ;) )

With Uncle Justin (Soon to be a married man!! )

After dinner we all saved room and headed for frozen yogurt. Reading Nienie's blog, she mentioned this new place Yodipity. Since it was right across the street, I had to try it. It was good. There were so many choices for toppings, I had a hard time choosing. In the end, I got vanilla, cakebatter, snickerdoodle, topped with cookie dough and hot fudge. Weird combo. The snickerdoodle was gross, but the rest was good.

Here is Sophi eating some of Grandpa's banana yogurt. She thought it was pretty good!

I can't believe Sophi is 1!
Daddy and his baby girl!

After yogurt we headed home. It was a fun and busy day! Sophi rode her wagon to her bedroom. We think she'd say it was a fabulous day! :)

I'll post about her party and other updates later.. time to get out of these pjs!

It's beginning to look a lot like Disney!!

Last Friday I volunteered at Glencroft Retirement Community's Annual Quilt Auction. The volunteer service was part of Disney's "Give a day, Get a day." It was funny to see the majority of the volunteers had the same "I'm a Disney Volunteer" badge on.
I was really fun working at the Quilted Cottage booth. Because it is a retirement community, there was obviously a lot of elderly people coming and going. There was a also a lot of families there too. I ran into my old college roommate and another family from my church-totally random. One couple that was volunteering with me, plan on going to Disneyland, then taking a 32 day cruise from Thailand to Alaska! CRAZY!
The best part of my night was when a man dressed in a vest, bowl hat, and small, round glasses came to the booth and bought a pair of scissors. He proceeded to tell me and the other volunteer that he loves old things. "That's why I'm buying these scissors. They look old." He also said, "I love the 1890's. It is a great time period."
After he left our table, we got a good chuckle. It was very obvious he loved the 1890's, he didn't need to tell us. He was sure proud of those "old" looking scissors.
My booth was inside a big white tent. At 7pm, the band started playing so we weren't as busy. It was so cute to see over 100 elderly people singing lyrics to songs I've never heard. (It reminded me of the music my grandparents play in their van!) I sat back, listened to the music, and enjoyed my kettle korn.
I really liked talking with the people and seeing how much people will pay for a quilt. The quilts sure are beautiful!!
Now it's time to plan my Disneyland vacation!! Deric and I will probably wait till Christmas time. Sophi will be almost 1 1/2, so it will be a great little vacation for our family.

Sophi at 11 months

Happy Valentine's Day!

So big at 11 months!

Sophi's little faces!

Here we are, just to approach the big number 1 for little Sophi Jean.
January has flown by and Sophi has seemed to changed from little baby, to little girl over night. Sophi is much more vocal, expressing her needs and demands! Little mini-fits have started coming around during bath time or diaper change time. However, she continues to have a sweet, funny spirit about her, making us laugh and treasure all those moments. I love when she gives me a brief hug or kiss! :)
Sophi's milestones this month included:
-crawling (Still loving the army crawl, but she can successfully crawl on all fours)
-pulling up and getting down from objects. There was a couple days were she wouldn't get down from things, but she now has the confidence to do it herself.
-Baby food, blah! We have pretty much weeded out the baby food. I just use it for supplement when needed. It makes my job a bit harder- making sure I have enough veggies and fruit in the house for Sophi to eat. I really want to make sure I'm giving her healthy options!
-Sophi continues to say, "Bye Bye" "All done" "Night-Night." She says all of these with a little wave, so we really have to listen closely!
- Her new word is "Hi!"
-Sophi can find her belly and hair. She can also find noses on her animals and other people. She just hasn't found her own nose yet.
-Exploring is Sophi's middle name. Sophi ventures into other rooms looking for paper to rip, or books to look at. She loves our closet. If our bedroom door is open, she makes a fast crawl to the room. Something about a big walk in closet is so fun for her. She pulls out all the hats, socks, and purses. It makes getting ready each day easy for us! (Someday I'll post a picture!)

Well, that's all the updates I can think of for now. Sophi Jean, my jelly bean, still the cutest baby ever. :)

Random pics

Currently Sophi has a fever, this means Mommy lets her have her pacifier during the day (not just at sleep time). Sophi wanted both pacifiers and she played with one hand, and held one pacifier in the other hand. Sometimes she'd switch pacifiers, it's like it was a new flavor or something.

Sophi is pulling up now on everything. We had to finally lower her crib because we found her one morning on her knees trying to pull up. She still hasn't gained the confidence to get down, so she yells for help!

Here's my final cake from my decorating class. Roses are fun, but a bit tricky to make. I'm overall happy with my final cake. It was a fun class. I'm looking forward to using my skills for future baking!!

Here we are out in the cold from our day trip to Prescott. We were hoping to get some snow falling during our pictures, but at the moment no snow was coming down!! (Just rain!)

We took Sophi to the Sharlot Hall Musuem. It was neat to see all the old buildings and learn about some of Arizona's history. Sophi slept 1/2 of the time, but she woke up to see all the old cars, carriages, and bikes.

Just a cute shot of my cute Snuggle Bunny!! Her hair is so long! :)

I've been awarded by Karilee!!

I love silly surveys, so here are 10 honest things about myself. In no particular order. :)

10. I love going to the mountains. Mostly because its normally cooler, but I enjoy hiking, boating, and the beautiful scenery.

9. I have to eat dessert every night before I go to bed. I know it's not healthy to eat right before bed, but Deric and I have a routine of eating dessert and watching a show in bed. My favorite dessert is always icecream, we have atleast 4 flavors in our freezer right now. :)

8. I am an extremely routine person. I also get very cranky when my routine is interrupted w/o warning. I have been a little more flexible since Sophi was born, but she's been in the same routine for almost 5 months now and she gets cranky too when things aren't the same.

7. My DVR (Digital Video Recorder) is my lifeline. I never watch a show live (unless it's The Today Show). It becomes so convenient, especially with kids here all the time. I love afternoon nap time, I can watch my recorded shows and eat. I also get very cranky when the shows "mysteriously" erase. When Deric and I were trying to figure out what to cut back "money wise" I admit, I had a little fit, demanding that the DVR will never leave this house!!! Call me crazy!!

6. I'm always ready to have another baby. I love kids in general. Being a Mom is rough at times, but the most natural thing that I am doing. My love for being a mom is reflective in my every day life. I read endless books, magazines, blogs, etc. on anything and everything Mom and baby related. I think pregnancy and child development are so fascinating.

5. I still have a small (small) crush on Justin Timberlake. He won my heart years ago and everytime he is on t.v. or has a new song, I have to check it out. Don't worry, Deric is still the hottest man I know. Justin just still is second. ;)

4. I would love to live in a small town in the Midwest. I do admit, we have a couple friends who are always keeping an open ear for job opportunities for Deric.
I love snow, small communities, and any temperature that is below 85.

3. I could watch Dirty Dancing over and over again. It is my favorite movie of all time. I'm never sick of it.

2. I have long-term goals of opening up a cooking school for kids. I love kids, teaching, and baking/cooking. My future sister-in-law is also a great chef, so I'm hoping I can convince her to go into business with me!!! If you have any great recipes, send them my way, I love trying new things!! (Especially if it's cute for kids!)

1. Deric and I rarely call each other by our first names. We have nicknames for each other, even for Sophi. I don't remember the last time I called Deric, Deric. Sophi, on the otherhand, I use her name more frequently, but it usually is accompanied with her middle name-Sophi Jean. It just goes together so well!!

I tag:
Stephanie
Krystle
Angela

Have fun!

Our house has WAY TOO MUCH cake!!

Cake decorating is hard! After my first class, my arms and hands were so sore. It really is a work out to decorate your cake all fancy!!
This class is very intense. You have to bring a cake each week frosted. You also have to bring a ton of supplies and 2lbs of buttercream frosting. It took me forever to frost my cake the professional way. I still didn't like it. I know I'm too hard on myself, but it looks so easy!!!
It took me awhile to get the hang of piping my border around the cake. Half-way I decided I didn't like it, so I made it shorter. We learned how to make stars, zigzags, write, and started the first step in making roses.
Here's my first cake. I hated it, but Deric said it was good for my first class!! The rainbow is made with piping gel. We learned how to transfer a pattern on a cake, avoiding free-handing it.
Next week I will learn how to pipe a clown on the top of my cake. Look for pictures!!

Sophi at 10 months

Clapping to the music!!

No more single digits. My baby girl has now reached the double digits in months. Sophi continues to be my little snuggle bunny. What I thought was a phase, has now developed into something more permanent. I'm okay with that, but it sure makes it hard some nights to get dinner on the stove!! She still doesn't like hugs, but she'll give you plenty of kisses!! Here are some things she is up to:
- Sophi still sleeps 6:30-6:30. Nurses 4 times/day. Eats 3 solid meals.
-Sophi is phasing out baby food and loves all finger foods we have given her, except for mashed potatoes. It's been fun making little bite-size portions for our big girl!
-Sophi still rolls, but army crawls even faster.
-She has started pulling herself up, but would prefer if we just put her to that object standing.
-Sophi can say "Bye-Bye" (with wave) "Dada" "Mum" and "Done"(with sign). I love how she calls me "Mum!"
-Sophi points to everything and says "Dat!" She loves looking at pictures.
-She can clap, raise her hand when we ask, "How big is Sophi?", and bounces to music. We think she'll be a musician of some type. Any music she loves to dance and clap to.
-Sophi loves cats, stuffed or real.
-Sophi loves to scream or squeal in excitement!

I'm sure there are more things she is up to, but I can't think of any at the moment.
I didn't really come up with a New Year's Resolution. I have some goals, but they were made before January. Deric and I have been doing a Game night once a week, however it had to be moved from Mondays to Thursdays due to the Bachelor. :) I'm going to be starting a Purity Small Group starting in March for some of the Jr. High and High School girls at our church. I'm really excited about that!! I've also been taking a cake decorating class at Michaels, trying to finish a little sewing project, scrapbook, work out, all between watching kids full-time! :)
Deric has been busy and has been able to be home earlier lately to spend more time with Sophi before she goes to bed. That's been great to have a little family time every day.
I'm also THRILLED that my brother Justin is getting married to Michelle. Finally he popped the question!! She is such a wonderful woman of God and has really brought out some wonderful qualities in Justin. They are perfect! :)
I hope your new year is starting off wonderfully too!!