Top 5 at 5 (months)

Here are 5 of our favorite developments of our 5 month old daughter:

1. SMW loves to grab our faces; she holds on to our cheeks and pulls our faces into hers. It is so sweet.

2. SMW turns her head and smiles whenever one of us walks into her room. Whether it is her mummy or her daddy, Sophie still shakes her torso, kicks her legs, and flaps her arms in excitement! She especially lights up when Doug comes home at the end of the day.

3. SMW now grabs and reaches for toys with a purpose! She will look into her box of toys and intentionally grab one of them (or so it seems...!!). Also, if a toy falls out of her hands, she remembers it and will grab it again. She continues to coordinate the timing of the two hand grab. Sophie's days are filled with hard work: all of the toys must find their way into her mouth. Hours and hours are spent reaching, clutching, and biting.

4. SMW laughs and laughs when we "peep" or "moooo" or "meow". Anytime she sees our lips about to form into a funny shape, the giggles start.

5. SMW becomes coy when she looks in the mirror. She'll see my funny face and laugh, but when she notices the "other baby" in the mirror, she drops her head, smiles, and snuggles into the nape of my neck as if she is shy.

(On a side note: Teething is horrible, but rice cereal is amazing!)

(On a 2nd side note: I asked Doug to help me with this Top 5 at 5 list, but he said that he loves everything she does and couldn't even begin to limit it to 5...)

Super Soph!

Saturday's weather was beautiful, so we hauled all of Sophie's nearest and dearest possessions (toys, bumbo chair, the Pack N Play, balls, stuffed animals) out in the backyard. I gardened, Doug made a yummy bbq lunch, and we all enjoyed spring. Sophie loved all of the activity--birds, planes, lawn mowers, lady bugs, grass!

She is sitting in her Bumbo chair in this photograph, but she's only a week or two away from sitting up unassisted. She's a strong, chubby girl. We've been doing some exercises to work on her core strength...haha.

After a day in the sun (covered with sunscreen, a hat, and an umbrella....), Sophie finally had a "real" meal. Preparations for this big event started weeks ago; she had been sitting in her high chair while we ate dinner, I've been letting her play with her spoons and bowls, and she got to hold the box of rice cereal during our entire trip to the grocery store.

Here is the before shot (take note of her Olympic themed bib):

She loved her rice cereal! It didn't get too messy, and we all had so much fun. She would fly her arms all around and slap them on the high chair in excitement as Doug's spoon sought clearance to land on the runway. Sophie is SUPER!

Quote of the Week

Doug: "Sophie, I'm about to make a very unsanitary situation, sanitary."

4 1/2 month check-up

Stats for the doting grandparents:

14 pounds, 13 ounces

24 1/4 inches long

1 tooth here, 1 tooth close behind (!)

Rice cereal, here we come!

Sophie, Meet Spring!

Sophie did her required reading at her desk in preparation for....

....her first trip to the Aquarium with Mummy and Daddy!

Louie and Sophie both enjoyed the open windows and sunshine this week!

They did not enjoy me interrupting their celebration of Spring by taking photos. (Look carefully at Sophie's facial expression in this photo; I can just imagine her giving me this same expression in 16 years when I try to hang out with Sophie and her friends or boyfriends!!)

Sophie's #1 pastime: finding ways to stick everything BIG or small into her mouth.

Sophie's #2 pastime: grabbing her toes. Wait until she realizes that she can stick those toes in her mouth, too!