A Lot Can Change in a Week....

....Especially in the life of a 17 month old. This week Sophie has started:

• Saying words we had know idea she knew. Like balloon, puppy, black, white, purple, yellow, grass, etc. She strings them together into incoherent sentences and tells us stories. It's ridiculous and adorable.


• Calling my growing belly 'Baby'. She kisses the baby, pats the baby, and even places her mouth against my belly to talk to the baby. Eliot, I hope you appreciate all of the love now, cause I don't think she'll be nearly as excited once she figures out what 'Baby' really means.


• Eating with a spoon. She successfully ate more than half of a bowl of cheerios with milk using a spoon. Of course, when it got hard toward the end, she resorted to the good old standby fingers, but it's a step into littly ladyhood. She did much better which a fruit and jello cup, if you don't count the jello that I'm still pulling out of her hair, even after a bath.

I'm enjoying our time together more and more, and, while I'm anxious for Eliot to arrive and my pregnancy to be over, I'm going to really miss this Sophie-time. I feel like I don't get enough time with her as it is after working full time, and soon I'll have to split that time with her little brother.

Stinky Toys

Stink Bug, Stink Bug. What are you trying to do to me?

Last night after dinner for Uncle Ted's Birthday, we brought you home for bath and bed time. You were playing so good with your bath toys that Mommy felt free to put away some toiletries that were acquired earlier in the week but hadn't yet found their home. In the 30 seconds that Mommy was out of the room, you decided that your harmless plastic toys just weren't enough, so you created some stinky toys of your own. 30 seconds. That's all it took. But it took another 30 minutes to drain the tub, remove your deposits (including the ones you had thrown on the floor), give you another scrub down, and get you ready for bed. And it was not exactly easy to do with Mommy's super sensitive pregnant nose, cause they (and you) were extra stinky.

You have earned your nickname.

...And you're lucky you're cute...

Rooming In

Last night, Stink Bug, while you were trying to fall asleep in the nursery, some jack*** in our neighborhood let off some fireworks. You were so scared, you didn't want to be alone. Mommy has always been firm in letting you cry it out when you were frustrated or angry, but these were tears of fear and screams of panic. Three times we tried to calm you down and get you to go back to sleep. Three times we failed. I couldn't let just let you be that scared.

Daddy offerred to sleep on the couch and you snuggled up with Snuffles, Glowy the Glow Worm and me in the big bed. I was so afraid that you'd fall out of bed or I'd roll over on you because I am such a sound sleeper that it took me hours to fall asleep. How silly of me to worry. Did you know you kick your feet in your sleep? Did you know that it doesn't matter to you what you kick, like mommy's face or your baby brother in mommy's belly? Did you know that mommy loves you so much that, although there was definitely an internal struggle, she decided NOT to pick you up and carry you to the bed at 2 a.m. so she could finally get some sleep?

Do you remember waking up and climbing up on my pillow to kiss my forehead and wake me up? Do you remember giving me a big hug when Daddy came in to start our day and bring you some milk?

So it wasn't all bad....but next time I may just try sleeping on the floor of your room for awhile instead. Or closing your window the entire months of June and July. I love you Stinky. Tonight you are sleeping alone.

Farewell Ragamuffin

Just as a frame of reference, here's what Bug's hair looked like last week.

Yes, the curls were cute....but only right after washing her hair. After a few hours she quickly became this.... ...What I can only classify as a Ragamuffin. Well after a lovely evening at Miss Lizzie's house, Sophie came home looking like this....

With a little inverted bob kinda like Mommy's. It is so cute and so much easier to manage. And we can go back to bathtime once or twice a week, which is saving my patience and my back. I tried to get her to model her new do on a trip to Home Depot this weekend, but she didn't quite get what I was going for at first. The little Ham.

For the 4th of July, our family band was playing a festival at Ault Park. Sadly, it rained all day and our only audience was people that we were related to. At least that made up about 40 once you counted all the siblings, cousins, nieces, aunts, uncles, etc. Luckily, Gma Jane and Aunt Fay brought their canopies so we could all stay somewhat dry. Of course, Bug, in her love for all things water, HAD to run around outside. Gma Jane had also brought along Aunt Nikki's 20+ year old raincoat (why she kept it, even she doesn't know). It was a little big, but that made it even more adorable. After a struggle to get her to understand this yellow contraption, off she went into the great wide, wet open.

Looks like Mommy's going to have to go slicker shopping!

It's a BOY!!

We had our ultrasound yesterday, and Daddy insisted we find out. I think it was mostly because he wanted a little boy. And it looks like he's got one! Most importantly, of course, is the fact that he is healthy and progressing along quite nicely. The technician estimated the due date to be October 25. Here are some pictures of our boy.

That's a little face looking up at us, with a little fist next to his chin. This is a bit clearer, but rotated. Now, the weird 3D picture that they gave me where he looks like he's carved out of cotton candy. Apparently this is the kind of picture you get when the baby's in motion. In the center of the pic, you can make out a face looking to the left...we have one eye, a nose profile and a slightly opened mouth. Don't feel bad if you can't see it...it took me a while, too.

So Daddy, how do you feel about having a son?

Sophie, how do you feel about getting a baby brother?

Okay, maybe we aren't all excited just yet. But she'll get there. Stinkerbell's princess crown will remain in tact. We celebrated with breakfast at First Watch and a little coloring. We are so very proud that she's figured out that crayons are less for eating and more for coloring.

I leave you with some parting photos of my little devilish diva. I think she's plotting something, but we haven't yet figured out what. I hope it's not more laundry.