T-Minus 3 Months...

...and counting until Sophia's first birthday. Holy 9 month baby!

In the last 9 months, Sophia has developed the sweetest & craziest little personality.

Some updates on our little So:

• She is everywhere. Girl can crawl...and fast. You cannot look away for even a second. And Auntie Tiffany thought it would be a great idea to teach her how to climb the stairs. I had a minor heart attack when I found out.
• Sophia has two little bottom teeth. So sweet, right? Wrong! She bites. 
• She smiles the sweetest smiles when someone she recognizes walks into the room. For right now, that list consists of Johnny, my dad, my mom, and myself. Occasionally she'll get excited to see her aunts as well. They visit often enough (and FaceTime/call her on the phone) for her to remember them.
• Girlfriend likes to talk. And she has lots to say. She can carry a conversation with anyone that will baby babble back. It's more of a high-pitched squeak, but it's incredibly sweet.
• Sophia has been to the zoo three times now. The zoo has free admission the first Tuesday of every month, and my parents have become obsessed with taking her to see the animals. She loves them, especially the fishies...except she still spooks easily and cried today when the sheep made a peep.
• She touches/reaches for everything with just one finger.
• She loves blowing raspberries and then giving sloppy wet kisses. She thinks she's hilarious.
• Her last "first" holiday (Easter) is quickly approaching.
• Sophia is on the verge of walking alone. I want to find her some cute little shoes that will provide some support for her little feet, especially since they turn in. And it always looks like she's twisting her feet when she's standing. Johnny wants some daddy-daughter Converse. I want some moccasins. Check out these sweet moccasins that I'm dying to get her. I just can't decide on a color! Too many choices!
• She can't wait to go swimming. Okay, really I can't wait to take her to the pool. Baby swimsuits are too precious (although Johnny got upset when I tried to buy Sophia a bikini. Apparently it is unnecessary for babies to wear bikinis).
• I also can't wait for her to be old enough for dance and tumbling lessons. We need activities to use up some of this little girl's energy!

We took some 9 month photos of Sophia in her Cubs onsie because it was the first thing Johnny bought when he found out we were having a girl (of course!). Auntie Daisy made the tutu and headband to match it when Sophia was a newborn. The outfit finally fit, so we just had to put it on her.

Of course, Sophia will no longer hold still, so taking photos of her has become infinitely more difficult. Most of the photos ended up with her either looking down or crawling away.

At least the fluffy tutu still makes for a pretty picture!

Cabin Fever!

Oh. My. Goodness. Time is flying by so quickly! It's pretty much February, and we've survived 8 months as parents. But I am in no way ready for Sophia to be O-N-E yet!

Now that she is so active, I am looking for some activities to burn some of Sophia's endless energy. I'm thinking swim lessons or a gymboree class. Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations?

Little Rascal

The little rascal, more affectionately named Sophia, is mobile! And there isn't a moment when she stops moving. She crawls everywhere with her tiny hiney wiggling around in the air. And she can push herself into standing position on the couch...yikes!

Where did my baby go?!

So now it is a constant chase to keep up with this toddler! 

I got the updated Bumbo with the seatbelt in an attempt to keep her seated. I bought one while I was still pregnant, used it once or twice when Sophia was barely big enough, and returned it when they got recalled a couple months ago. So far it seems like she's enjoying it.

Sophia turned eight months yesterday and has been busy with so many activities, including attending fancy weddings...

...holding town meetings...

...weathering some cold temps...

...visiting her animal friends at the zoo...

...and her alien aunts in Austin!

My two favorite holidays, Valentine's Day and Easter, are coming up! And then Sophia's 1st birthday. My plan is to have a more permanent home, so I can give her a big girl/playroom for her birthday! We'll see how it works out. This era of social media makes me feel guilty for not having Stepford-esque, Pinterest-worthy projects completed for my daughter. But that's a different battle for another day. For now, I'm going to rest until the little rascal wakes up from her nap.

2013!

Okay, so I know I am super late with this post, but hello 2013! I'm not sure how it will top 2012, but I am excited to see what this year brings for our little family...like Sophia's first birthday (umm..how are we ALREADY even thinking about this?!)

2012 was a big year for us.

We found out we were having a GIRL!...

...celebrated our first wedding anniversary...

Photo from the amazing Taylor Lord!

...introduced Sophia Rose Rivera (the sweetest, cutest, best baby ever) to the world...

...and celebrated seven months of her perfect little life!
And this year, I've set a resolution to be around more for Sophia. I don't want to be the absent mother that is always at work, missing out on all the big moments in her daughter's life.

Hopefully this year also brings us our first house and a chance to make that house a home. We also get to celebrate Johnny's 30th, Sophia's 1st, my sisters' college & grad school graduations, several of our friends' big days, and all the moments in between.

Cheers to 2013!

Sophia's First Christmas

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas. Sophia had a lovely 1st Christmas!

 She enjoyed looking at Christmas lights with a few of her furry friends.

And she loves her new little wagon. Every morning Auntie Tiffany takes Sophia and her little passengers on a daily stroll to say good morning to the townspeople (my dad).

 Sophia even gets story time in her wagon.

Then on the 26th, this little beauty turned 7 months old! Ack, it is going by way too fast. She is eating sweet potatoes, butternut squash, applesauce, and pears! And her new favorite thing is her own reflection. Her bathtub is right next to the mirror. When she catches a glimpse of her reflection, she breaks out in a giant smile and tries to climb out of the tub to talk to herself. What a hoot! Sophia changes so much every day. But no teeth and no hair yet for this little babe. I'm okay with delaying the whole teething experience, but hopefully she gets some hair soon. I'm ready to clip some bows to that sweet little head.

Now it's time to prepare for Sophia's 1st New Years!

Christmas Fail

So I had visions of grandeur for this Christmas season...so many plans to make this the best Christmas that Sophia won't remember. But work is relentless this time of the year, and I'm barely staying afloat. But I did manage to bundle up Sophia for some morning errands.

We made a fun trip to Target (one of my favorite places!!) and finally bought Sophia some Christmas pajamas. A couple other stops later, and Sophia was tuckered out!

We still need to put up the mini "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree Johnny and I got last year for our first apartment together. My sister nicknamed it the "Charlie Brown" tree because it is a sad, skinny, little tree. But it's our first family tree, and I love it! In the meantime, I leave you with this photo taken by the Cheng Family Christmas Tree.

Happy December!

It's finally December and the best time of the year! Merry December and Happy Christmas! It's time to deck our halls, trim the tree, and elf the shelf (maybe? I still can't decide if it is creepy or cute).

6-month-old Sophia is all ready for her first Christmas season.

She gets to meet Santa soon...I've been putting it off because I can't stand the thought of spending my day off in a crowded deal-seeking frenzied mall. And because we never know what to expect from our dear Sophia. There's a strong possibility that she'll cry the entire time...like she did when my sweet friend, Chelsea, tried to take her Christmas card photo. I couldn't even set her down for a second!

Exhibit A of Sophia's photo shoot meltdown. 

But check out Chelsea's blog and little baby Max!

In other milestone news, Sophia is sitting up like a big girl! And rolling over from tummy to back and vice versa. Rolling has proved to be a more efficient mode of transportation than crawling for her. She's also going through a phase where she is learning to talk and fascinated by the sound of her own voice. She just sits and squeals (squeaks) loudly. And she'll talk to anyone who will listen. I wonder who she got that from...

Sophia loves watching cars drive by, looking at her reflection and her shadow, listening to music, and chewing on the tags of her stuffed toys. She also loves to sleep on her tummy. I will set her in her crib on her back, and she'll roll over before she can fall asleep.

What's next for her? A trip to the Christmas tree farm, more solid foods, and lots of holiday festivities!