Words, words, words...

My seniors are currently studying Hamlet.  There is this brilliant scene in which Polonius asks Hamlet what he is reading.  Hamlet sarcastically and slyly responds, "Words. Words. Words." Hamlet loves to play with language to manipulate the people around him. By no means am I relating my 2.5 year old daughter to the complex character of Hamlet, but I am obsessed with her playful use of words and her often sarcastic and inventive conversations. 

Sophie loves to read.  She will trace her index finger on the words on the page and narrate the story that she reads.  The other day, I peeked around the corner to ask her what she was reading.  She replied, "A book, mommy.  With words."  Then she snapped her head back down quickly indicating that I was wasting her time! She definitely made me feel like an idiot :)

"Mommy, I was reading books and Whitney (her nanny) was singing and she detracted me.  I tell her stop singing."  Obviously, Sophie meant "distracted" as opposed to "detracted" but I also found it hysterical that she seemed so annoyed that Whitney would have the gall to sing while Sophie read books!

When Doug is out of town, Whitney arrives very early since I'm at work by 6 am... One morning, around 6, Whitney heard Sophie crying in her room.  Knowing it was much too early for Sophie's wake-up call, Whitney waited a few minutes to see if Sophie would fall back asleep.  She heard Sophie say to herself, "I just don't know why Mommy won't open the door."  It was such cute sentence construction.

"Drive carefully, Mommy.  Be a good driver like Daddy."

This command didn't go over well....

"Stop talking, mommy and daddy.  It's my turn to talk."

Again, another command that didn't go over well...

This sweet high school boy befriended Sophie in line for dinner at Chipotle.  He was on a date with a girl, but he and Sophie conversed about Jamba Juice smoothies, numbers, her favorite color... I told him her name was Sophie, but she corrected me and said to him, "I'm Ernie.  Call me Ernie."  After we all got our food and parted ways, Sophie insisted "I don't want him eat with that girl.  I want to talk more."  Later, she stated, "I want to make a new friend." Is she 2 or 22? How is she already experiencing the life cycle of a crush?

While reading a book, I made note that, unlike the nearly 12 lovies that she sleeps with, the elephant going to bed only had 1 lovey.  Her response? "That's just ridiculous, elephant."

"Auntie Ali should name her baby Recess.  Or maybe Egg Candle. Recess rhymes with baby brother's name."

A.  I have no idea how she knows what recess is....
B.  HINT: "Recess" does sound a lot like baby brother's name...

We were making a joke about the title of the book, Slummy Mummy, that a friend sent me.   Sophie thinks that it is the funniest thing EVER to call me "Slummy Mummy."  We were taking turns calling one another that name when I flipped open the book jacket to the photograph of the lady on the inside cover (the woman who wrote the book).  I said, "That lady is a Slummy Mummy!" Sophie immediately stopped laughing and corrected me, saying, "No, mommy.  You're wrong.  That's the author." You can't get anything past this child...

To celebrate "Clean Plate Club", Daddy asked Sophie what letter does the word "fork" start with.... She said, "Hmmm, that's a really tricky one."

"What starts with J, Sophie?"
"Jaywalker."
Who taught her that word?!

In the middle of a game of pretend at the park: "Let me be a homemaker. I'm going to be a homemaker."  She honestly wanted to make homes...building them with sticks.

Sophie sings and dances all the time.  She makes up her own songs, and they're absolutely hysterical.  Just for fun, I'm including a short video from the park this week. D and I are not the most consistent in taping her antics, but this video will have to do!

AND, I'VE SAVED THE BEST "WORDS, WORDS, WORDS" FOR LAST:

After church every Sunday, we make a trip to Starbucks.  Doug didn't join us today, because he is spending every waking hour on our remodel.  So, prior to our departure, Sophie took Daddy's Starbucks order.  When I asked her what he wanted, she replied "Um, Daddy wants a blond wife."

I assumed she meant a "blond roast".... My dad always told us that it's the little words that matter...

Ready

When pregnant with Sophie, I eagerly awaited her arrival. For the last two months of that pregnancy, I had butterflies in my stomach, because I was so excited to meet her, to love her, and to become a mom.  I cherished everything about being pregnant; even when I complained about things like swollen ankles and puffy fingers, I still loved being pregnant.

This time, I am just ready.  Obviously, I can't wait to kiss his little cheeks, to wrap him up in my arms, and to welcome him as the 4th member of our family.  But, I'm just ready to be done waiting.  This pregnancy has been so different and so much more exhausting that I'm honestly struggling to find the joy in the journey (one of my mom's favorite phrases!).  I'm ready to meet him.  I'm ready to nurture him.  And I'm ready to no longer be pregnant with him!  Doug is ready for me to stop nagging him about the timeline of our remodel, and I'm sure he'd gently say that he is ready for me to have more control over my emotions!!  And Sophie is ready to "tell baby brother about elephants and show him teeth because babies don't have teeth because, um, they just eat milk." Sophie thinks it is hysterical that baby brother won't know the alphabet or his numbers.  She also is so sweet when she rubs my belly and feels him kick.  She has been asking a million questions about what she did when she was in my belly, about her birth ("Mommy, tell me again the story of when we met"), and about the things she did when she was a baby.  She is ready to be the most amazing big sister (2nd only to me as big sister....).

And just as exciting...baby brother will have a cousin (only 2 months younger) who will also be a BOY!!  We are so excited for my bro and sis-in-law!  Those two boys are going to have to deal with the ever-so-sassy yet ever-so-cute Sophie bossing them around.  I. CAN'T. WAIT.  I'm ready.

Sophie had the greatest week with Grandma and Papa.  It was a week filled with lots of playing and reading, daily adventures, laughter, ice cream, cuddling, and love.  Sophie said that her favorite parts were "the popcorn party in Grandma and Papa's bed" and "playing in the third floor and riding Chicago (rocking horse)" and "taking no naps".  Here is the cutest photo of Sophie and Papa on a dinner date.

According to Sophie, she had a burger, fries, and a milkshake "with sprinkles and ice cream on top of it, mommy."  Doug and I enjoyed our week, too, but we were very ready to have the little girl back home!  We're so appreciative that she/we had that week! A huge thank you to my parents for all that they did to make the week possible.

And finally....me (the Super-Sized-Shamrock) at 31 weeks:

(We enjoyed a visit from two Australian friends, Daniella and Michael.)

D and E

D and E. The Original 2.

Sophie, the ruler supreme of our household, is spending this week with Grandma and Papa, so Doug and I are freeeeeee!! We are free EXCEPT for the fact that we're both still working during the day, I'm growing a massive child in my belly...

31 Weeks (and the shadow on the wall doesn't help...!)

...Doug is rapidly trying to finish the remodel...

...and our list of to-do and to-buy continues to grow......  But, we're free to go out to dinner without scheduling a babysitter or without asking for crayons with the menu.  We are free to run errands on our terms.  We have been looking forward to a few days of D and E time.  February and March have been extremely chaotic for us with a lot of travel for D, many visitors in and out of the house, and a baby quickly making his arrival to a house in construction, so I'm appreciative of this time to be both productive and lazy and to enjoy time with my adorable husband. And, we know that Sophie is having a wonderful time with her grandparents.

BUT...

We are still counting the hours until our master, Sophie, returns to her rightful spot in this house.  We spent a week away from her last March, too, but this time seems more difficult. She can actually have real phone conversations, telling me about her day and asking/answering questions. She's been so sweet on the phone that I always hang up in tears wondering why I was excited about a week without her?!!

Then I look in the mirror and realize that I need some D and E time to gear up for an even busier spring and summer!

Weekend of Whitfield

The Whitfield women (Doug's mum and sister) visited our home this past weekend.  Sophie (and I!!) were spoiled by all the love and attention from MB and Auntie Pippy.  It was a really relaxed weekend that included a trip to the "fun bookstore", yummy food, a pedicure, early bedtimes, and lots of potty talk (potty training continues....).  Doug was out of town until Saturday night, but it was great to have the Whitfield family together.

...I'm massive...

Sophie finally seemed to conceptualize that MB was Daddy's mummy and that Auntie Pippy was Daddy's sister.  She asked MB to tell stories about Daddy and to tell stories about MB's own Daddy and Mommy.  It was very sweet.  Sophie asked MB, "Where's your Daddy live?"  MB replied, "Heaven."  Sophie answered with her fabulous intonation, "Oh, heaven?  Does he love you?"  Sophie's questions were so pure, so genuine, and unknowingly, so insightful!

At Sunday School, Sophie colored a little book that narrated a Biblical story.  As she sat on the public toilet at church, she pointed to one of the little book's pictures and said, "These are the nice lions and this is the God, Mommy." At that moment, I experienced one of those out-of- (BIG) body-moments---here I was, with my blessed, big belly, squeezed into a public toilet with my daughter who was successfully using the potty and talking to me about "the God."  It's probably blasphemous to place peeing in the potty and recognition of God on the same level, but I was overwhelmed with pride for her growth, with joy for her personality, and with dismay at the quick passage of time.

(With these hormones, I'm sentimental at just about everything.  Without discounting the significance of that moment in the church bathroom, I must admit that I cry while watching reality tv and while reading Puff The Magic Dragon, too! I joked with my dad that it's not coincidental that the increase in Doug's travel occurs as I enter the final 10 weeks of pregnancy!)