As many of you know from personal conversations with me or from various entries in this blog, Sophie and Sleep didn't work well together. For many weeks, I'd get a pit in my stomach as we prepared for bed because I didn't know what to expect. Doug and I would take turns rocking, feeding, changing, swaddling, and comforting Sophie to no avail. She would fall asleep in our arms, but when we attempted to set her down, she'd wake up and cry, cry, cry. There were nights that we'd start our bedtime routine at 7:30, and we were thankful if she was sleeping in her crib by midnight. She'd wake up exactly 4 hours later and we'd be at it again. Tears were shed by all three of us! It seemed that every one of my girlfriends was either blessed with a baby who had no sleep problems...or they were blessed with short term memories and couldn't remember what life was like during the first 8 weeks with their children.
Well, D and E Whitfield Blog readers....we've turned a HUGE corner! I hesitated about even putting this into writing because I didn't want to jinx us, but after nearly 2 amazing weeks (with a few bumps along the way) I am here with a grand announcement: Sophie Marie Whitfield is now sleeping THROUGH the night! I'm talking about 8-10 consecutive hours of sleep. Our bedtime routine is now peaceful and enjoyable. I look forward to hearing those morning cries through the monitor, because I've missed her so much through the night. One morning, I even begged Doug to wake Sophie up because I worried about how long she'd been sound asleep!
Doug and I feel like we have made it--we've survived!
In other amazing SMW news, Sophie continues to love music. We play songs on some of her toys and her body wriggles around. She smiles and looks at her dorky parents who are also dancing all around the room. I'm tone deaf so the songs sound pretty good to me, but Doug, (who has an adept ear for music) grimaces at the songs/sounds. Regardless, all three of us love music and play time. Our evenings are spent dancing, singing, entertaining, and reading. Our theory: wear her out so she sleeps! It works!
She has also fallen in love with an octopus toy. He has big eyes and a smile that captivate her. She and Occy (D's pet name for this octopus) lock eyes and communicate as only a baby and plush toy could :) It's adorable, but she gets quite upset if I try to pick her up and interrupt her time with Occy. I have taken about 30 minutes of video to document this unlikely friendship between Occy and Sophie! Someday, I'll force her husband to watch the video footage of her first true love (besides her mum and dad, of course).
Her stats: 11 pounds, 4 ounces as of Friday, a smidge over 23 inches long, and even more beautiful and strong than ever :) Sophie has a way of charming her pediatrician and the nurse. I'm sure they heap praise on every new baby, but Doug and I convince ourselves that it's just our daughter who receives those compliments. After the appointment this Friday, we got in the car, high-fived Sophie for her unbelievably amazing behavior with the doctor, and then, we proceeded to repeat every comment and compliment that the doctor and nurse gave Sophie. We repeated them multiple times to one another as if the other person may have not heard or forgotten during the time it took to leave the clinic and get in our car....I've already stated it in this post, but we're pretty dorky parents.
The long length of this blog should reinforce the idea that Doug and I are well rested and have much more free time now that our wonderful daughter sleeps!
Sophie and I got bundled up to take a walk outside. It's been beautiful weather so we've been running/walking every day. 
She has a beautiful smile and gets very animated and excited; her legs and arms move around with energy. But, photos like this capture the sincere thoughtfulness of this baby girl. She is so aware and observant of the world around her. This mature thoughtfulness is matched with a love for blowing bubbles and drooling--quite the combination!
Our baby is chubby, chubby, chubby! Her cheeks and thighs continue to pork up. I can't change her diaper without pinching those thighs. They're irresistible! As she gains ounces, she loses more hair. She's bald except for a tuft of mullet-like hair on the back of her head. Watch out boys!
Sophie and I hosted our mommy-baby PEPS group at the house this past week. Although she continues to exhibit an amazing, yet slightly disturbing, obsession with the toy Octopus, we've discovered that she's truly drawn to eyes. During our PEPS meeting, she thoughtfully and deeply stared into the eyes of all the babies. Some of the girls seemed a bit creeped out, but the boys seemed to like the way my chubby, bald daughter watched them....
Sophie (and Louie) were serenaded by Bono...I mean, Dad. Sophie and I started our first music class this week. It's an hour of babies, songs, dance, and "instruments". She was the youngest in the class and seemed more concerned with staring at the other children's eyes than pounding on her drum. 
