Some Real Daddy Fun

Chad was a real daddy this weekend.  He mowed the lawn, went to home depot, then blew up Sofia's new pool.  Followed by taking her to a birthday party and chasing her around!  

I think that he had some fun with all of his daddy chores though.  Our neighbor Ben came over to help blow up the new pool that she got from her Grandma for her birthday.  It is so cool, it has a slide and a spray tunnel.  Ida Jane came over after her nap to enjoy some pool fun with Sofia.  

Sofia wore her "daddy shirt," to the birthday party to show her appreciation for all the hard work her daddy did this weekend.  It was another birthday gift from her Great Granny.  I don't know if you can read the writing but it says, "My daddy's the big Kahuna!" Here are a few pics of the world's best dad.

First Post Baby Race

So I finally did it. I ran my first post baby race on Saturday night. Thank heavens for Josh who talked me into running it, although he smoked me! It was the Rockville Twilight run. This is a great race for the summer time. It started around 8:45, and it was HOT!!!!!!!!! It was 5 miles around the new town center. Hands down it is one of the harder races, but a I think it is definitely my favorite race around here. I didn't get the chance to train like I had wanted to. It is really hard chasing a one year old, picking up, making meals, nursing, and still fining time to run. I did okay, my official race time was 48 min, 7 seconds. I plan on weaning soon, and start training for either the PF Changs half marathon in January, and definitely the marine corps marathon next October! Here are a few pick. I also added a pick from last years Twilight race that Chad ran.


Chad an I (and Sofia) at the race last July


Sofia and I at the race this July


Josh and I (the runners) at the race

An hour and 10 minutes!?!?!?!?

So as you all know Sofia is just too busy to take a nap, this is the situation since she was born. I have read books, asked advice, tried all sorts of different "sleep methods," all in search of something that resembles a "nap." Who knew that blaring a radio would be the key to a good nap.
It all started when I wanted some background noise, but not the TV on. I don't like her watching TV. So I found the Radio Disney XM station, and started to blare it. We were singing, and dancing and having a great time to the silly music, when she started to fall asleep. So I put her in her crib and an hour and 10 minutes later she woke up. I had to go in and make sure she was still breathing! This is the result, as you can see she is happy and well rested! Thank heavens for Radio Disney!

The Swim Team

Yesterday we went to the pool with Celine, Luka, Lars, Gabe and Celine's cousin Lucinda.  We had a great time.  The babies are so cute together, and Luka and Lars were so sweet to play with Sofia.  It was fun to get out and enjoy some sunshine, and get into the pool.  Sofia loves the water.  Here are a couple of cute pics.

Walker?

Ida Jane was very kind and let us her walker toy, in hopes of Sofia starting the walking process.  She is a REALLY fast crawler, and has the drunken sailor down.  However she doesn't seem to interested in walking proficiently.  

Well here is what she is doing with the walker, I think we may have some progress?  She does prefer to push and crawl more than walk with it.

PS Sorry about having to watch it with your neck crained.  This whole camera video thing is still a little new to me:)

Friends meets Sesame Street

I just love staying home!  Of course it has it's challenges, such as never eating, or going to the bathroom without fear of what Sofia is getting into.  But I just LOVE being with her and doing all of the mommy things.  Yesterday we went with Amy and Ida Jane to a music man at a coffee shop in Silver Spring.  It was very fun.  The girls look very like Sesame Street meets Friends, with their table at the coffee shop, eating cheerios and drinking out of sippy cups.

They both danced and played instruments, while Harper (Ida Jane's little sister) mostly slept and watched the older two dance and play.  My soy latte was actually really delicious....let me back up.  Sofia we have found out has a serious milk allergy, so until she is completely weaned I also have a serious milk allergy, it isn't too bad yet.

I love you Ida Jane!

Sofia's looks forward all day to spend time with her neighbor, Ida Jane.  Whenever we are outside, or if you can see her house through any window, Sofia points and say, "Ah, Ah,"  which I am assuming means, "take me to Ida Jane!"  

She loves her so much.  She does everything Ida Jane does.  In fact today she wouldn't try blue berries at lunch.  Amy (Ida Jane's mommy) said that Ida Jane loved blue berries.  So I filled a bowl and as soon as Sofia saw Ida Jane eating them, she tried them (I am not sure if she liked them though). 

 

So here is my first video(!!!!!).  They are playing together in Sofia's playroom.  They really make Amy and I laugh.  I think one of my favorite things about them playing together is Ida Jane saying Sofia's name, she calls her "Fia."

The 30 minute nap

It is no secret, Sofia is a great baby, but a HORRIBLE napper!  She has gotten to be consistant with napping at 11:00 and 3:00, but it is usually about a 30 minute nap.

Since this is not a good time to nap, nor is it very long, I had a brilliant idea today.  I held her off until 1:30 to put her down for an hour nap.  That went... well awful.  It is was my fault because I also thought that since she would be really sleepy, she might also be able to be tired enough to practice "crying it out."  Well I won't bore you with details, but all of the above was a BAD idea!

So we had a lot of time to play, and play and play!  We tried out a new hair do, we cooked together in the kitchen, and then we played with Sofia's very favorite person, Ida Jane.  So here are some pictures to prove our very busy day.

Tiny Elvis the Baby formerly known as the Bean

Poor Sofia, she has just had a plethora of nick-names from the moment of conception.  Chad and I decided that we didn't want to find out what we were having.  Well one scary night around week 5 of my pregnancy we had to go to the emergency room (LONG story).  But they wouldn't let me see the baby because I was well...a tad hysterical.  So I asked Chad after the sonogram tech left, "Well what did it look like?"  His reply, "Actually kind of like a bean."  So from that day forward until July 30th, 2007, she was affectionately called "the bean. "

Well it is a year later, and rarely does this child hear her real name.  Most of the time it is Tiny Elvis.  Another nick-name given by her daddy.  Since she was a baby, when she enters or exits the building her fans always want more!  She is a character, and her wave (it resembles the queen) will prove it.  She is also called Little Girl (this is mommies nick-name) or Cutie Bean (another mommy nick-name).  Her cousin calls her Sopie,  Ida Jane next door calls her Fia, and family and friends call her Sofie.  Whoever she is, she is my fabulous, wonderful, little princess Sofia:)

Us. Who are these people really?

Sofia Smith was born July 30th 2007, and our lives fortunately has never been the same.  This last year has been a whirl wind of adventure.  I did 7 tortuous months of work after a long maternity leave. (It was the hardest thing I have EVER had to do.)  I have sold my first baby, a torch red convertible GT mustang.  I have been thrown up on, pooped and peed on, and occasionally gotten somewhere where yes, I did find dried pureed chicken on my designer shoes.  

The mommy and the daddy...or at least we refer to ourselves in this cliche way now all the time:) We have been married for 6 years.  We live in the DC metro area, not a place we would have chosen, but have grown to love.  Chad (the daddy) is working on his PhD, and working at his dream job currently.  I (Katie/the mommy) was a school teacher for 5 years.  Chad and I both love to be outside doing anything.  We love the pool, and running (when we have time, which isn't a lot lately), taking walks, and Chad loves to play golf.  We have been very blessed by all that God has given to us in the last 6 years, and our biggest blessing of all is Sofia!

I love every minute of being a mommy.  Sofia is my world!  I am one of those people who thought I would never be a wife and mother, and never be a stay at home mom.  Well I am all of that now, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  I am constantly humming a nursery rhyme, sesame street song, or some silly song I made up earlier to entertain my princess.  

One of the motivations for this blog is for those friends and family who do not live close to us.  We have been so blessed that we have been brought to the DC area, but this also brings us far from "home."  The grandparents are always getting funny stories, but not a lot of pictures or videos to match them.  So I am finally giving into the craze!  I hope you all enjoy these funny little stories of the little girl that I have grown to love, adore, and especially learn from.