Oh Hello!

So it's been a million years since I last posted. Life has been a little crazy around here lately. Teething, a minor ear infection, and all THREE of us with the flu has really drained all my energy.

It's been a long week & this is the first night Sophia has slept in her crib since getting sick, so it's going to be a short post.

Here's some recent photos of my little So!

Sophia and I on my birthday! I'm definitely starting to feel old.

Cheering on the Dallas Cowboys with daddy on Football Sundays. Anyone that knows me well knows that I always wanted to be a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. Since I'm way past that point in my life, Sophia's DCC training starts now :)

Celebrating the first day of October with her little babyGap "Boo" dress! I actually bought that dress the second it was added to their website & waited until it was socially acceptable to put it on her. I'm dying over her tiny little pigtails. I can't wait until she legit grows more hair though!

Watering plants outside with grandpa.

Representing our great state in her Texas tee. "You can still dream big even if you're little." How cute is that?!

And modeling her Circus Peanut outfit.

In other news, today the hubs and I celebrated four years since we started dating and three years since he proposed. It's been a crazy ride, and our lives have changed so much since our carefree days in good ole' Waco, Texas!

Next up is a trip to Dewberry Farms for some pumpkin patch fun (and an early glimpse at the Christmas tree farm!!!!!) and some family pictures for our Christmas card. Anything to coordinate some cute outfits, right?

Have a good weekend!

Peek...

"People tend to forget that play is serious." -David Hockney

So as you already know, I recently started working at Peek & I'm loving it. I have officially become OBSESSED with the clothing, the celebration of children and curiosity the brand represents, and the incredibly nice people that make up the heart of the company. I cannot say enough great things about this company.

And Sophia has never looked cuter either.

I will do a post on our favorite Peek outfits once I get more pictures!

And yes, I know she looks so big in that picture. She is growing up way too quickly :(

She is such a smart little girl even though I'm pretty sure that half the time she thinks she's a dog. She starts barking when we're outside to "talk" to the neighborhood dogs. I've actually heard her carry on a "conversation" with a dog.

Her love for "The Sound of Music" continues to grow. She stands up and claps at the end of "The Lonely Goatherd" and waves along to "So Long, Farewell." For now, she only watches the musical scenes. She's definitely too young to understand the heavy storyline and the history behind it.

We also had our first official play date this week with sweet, little Aviana and her beautiful mother, Marissa. We met on IG & learned that we both live in the Houston area with baby girls only one month apart. We had a delicious lunch at the cafe in Nordstrom and did a little shopping at Peek, of course ;) Even though both girls were a little shy around each other, I think they'll be great friends after a couple play dates. And I love having a mom friend!

Now we're looking forward to the next week or so. Sophia finally has a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader outfit to cheer on her daddy's favorite football team. And my birthday is in about a week and a half. Sorry if my thoughts are a little discombobulated. I'm so tired :) Happy Saturday!

Tired

Hello. We meet again. It's been awhile, but you'll have to forgive me. I. Am. Exhausted.

I think I talk to more people in one day than I did the entire two months I took off from work. That in itself is tiring. Geez, I sound old.

But our store opening went well! I even got to bring Sophia in for the ribbon cutting. It was so fun introducing her to the Peek... family & watching her run around the store that I helped put together.

One negative? I already want every single baby item for Sophia...

...moving on. I'm so proud of her for adjusting to our new crazy schedule. Most of the time, she just runs laps, flips around, and pretends that she's a dog. Okay, so maybe she isn't adjusting so well. At least she's still cute.

Since I'm back at work, Sophia has been spending most of her time with my family. She even got to go on a day trip to Austin with them. 

How pretty is Mt. Bonnell?

Life Lately

It's only my first week back at work & I'm exhausted! Who knew opening up a new store was so much work? ;) 

No, but honestly, it has been so much fun. Today I got to learn visual merchandising & how to put THE cutest outfits together. DYING! I was giddy all day.

Here is a sneak peek of the baby display that I got to design myself!

However, I'm not so sure Sophia shares my excitement. She has been acting a little odd around me since I started. The first day, she cried when I tried to hold her as soon as I got home. Is that normal? I thought she'd be running towards me the second I walked in the door. Obviously, I'm still upset about it. And then she has randomly decided to bring crawling back into the mix. She hasn't crawled since she was 11 months. I'm not really sure what is going through her mind.

She has been doing some super cute stuff though. I've been teaching her to cover her mouth when she sneezes. So far, she covers her mouth when she fake sneezes. And forgets what to do when it is for real. Silly girl.

Sophia has also picked up two new phrases: "what's that" (pronounced watsdat) whenever she points at something & "oh dear" (odea) for when she drops, or rather throws, something on the ground.

Oh and somehow she has more energy than ever. She's energyenergyenergy in a tiny little package. Sophia runs laps around the couch & squeals every time she sees one of us.

She continues to copy what she sees around her. I make her stuffed animals clap & she'll make them do the same. Then, grinning, she will look to me for approval. It's adorable. I can't get enough of her.

She also tries to wear my bobby pins. She'll take them out of my hair and push it against her forehead thinking that's enough to make them stay. She doesn't give up or get frustrated each time it falls...I like her "I'll just try again" attitude. Babies are pretty cool like that. I hope she never loses that determination.

And according to Johnny, Sophia now puts the phone up to her ear and "talks." I can't wait to see if for myself :)

I could go on all day about her, so I'll just leave you with a picture.

P.S. I need to improve my Sophia photo taking skills. Any tips?

New Adventures

It's a new month, a new season, and time for a new adventure. Those of you that follow me on Instagram (@emilierivera) know that I announced this yesterday, but I wanted to officially confirm that I am once again a working mom. I was offered a position with Peek Kids. We are scheduled to open our first Houston store at the Galleria next week! I start tomorrow, and I am very excited about this new opportunity.

But, I sure will miss this sweet face.

Thank you all that have expressed their congratulations. I am forever grateful for your continued support. XO-Emilie

15 Month Update

15 months. 15 MONTHS?!?!

Sophia turned 15 months yesterday, and I don't really know where the time has gone. Didn't she just turn one yesterday? Whoa, it's been three months since her first birthday. And three months until she can start gymnastic classes. And one year until she starts a Mother's Day Out program...and..and..and {deep breathe} Okay mini anxiety attack over.

I feel like everyone always says this, but this month was my favorite! I think it is because of her increased awareness and understanding. She's so much fun and has the sweetest, silliest personality. Disclaimer: She is fun, sweet & silly...but only if she knows you. To anyone she's not comfortable around, she hides her face. Or she just stares. And doesn't make a sound. If she does that to you, please do not ask me why she's "mean" or "antisocial". She just doesn't know you. And I'm secretly glad she doesn't just laugh with and hug people she doesn't know. I would be concerned.

Moving on. Today was her 15 month check up, so here's a little update.

Age: 15 Months!

Favorite Foods: Watermelon, Bananas, Strawberries & Cheerios

Favorite Words: "Wo wo" for dog (and horses/ponies/unicorns, ha!)

Favorite Toy: Jellycat Bunglie Pink Giraffe & any stuffed dog

Favorite Book: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Favorite Activities: Playing/Watching puppy videos on Instagram with her bff (Auntie Melanie), Dancing, Kissing the family & all inanimate objects, Pulling mama's earrings out :O

Least Favorite Activities: Getting told "no," Waiting for anything

Nicknames: So, B

Signature Moves: Sticking her finger up her nose, Smelling her toes, Twirling her fingers in the air when she eats something she really likes

Biggest Change Since Last Update: Started growing some hair! Even though it's not very much, she looks SO bald when I look back at her twelve month photos.

And just for fun, one year ago Sophia & Daddy!

I will try to get some more photos of Sophia. For now, she is sleeping away the memory of those 15-month shots.

Dreaming of...

...a place to call our own. 

Lately we have been cleaning out the house. Boy are we a family of hoarders. Between us four girls moving in and out of dorms, apartments, and the house the last several years, we have quite a collection of junk. The house looks more like a giant storage unit than a home. 

So we clean. 

And I dream. I dream of a place to someday be mine. Mine and Johnny's and Sophia's. A place to make a house a home.

A place where Sophia can have a room of her own. A room to play and grow and learn and pretend. 

And be clutter free!

And, of course, a place that will rival the prettiest of places on my Pinterest board. 

But that reality is off in the future. So for now we clean. And enjoy the company of family.

And share some pictures of my sweet Sophia...

...stuffing her face with watermelon...

...running through the hallways like a maniac...

...sporting her new piggies...

...discovering her belly button...

...and attending her Auntie Melanie's White Coat Ceremony for Pharmacy School!! P.S. This photo captures their relationship perfectly.