The Baby Pfund

Introducing

2010-12-11T10:59:00.004-06:00

Delaney Ann was born at 8:17am on Friday, December 10 weighing 7lbs 11oz (considerably smaller than Sophie was) and 20 inches long. The first day was a little rough for me but we are both doing great today. She is such a cutie and has a full head of hair - much more than Sophie had when she was born. In fact, the girls look nothing alike. Delaney is my little Lebanese baby. :-)

Anybody out there?

2010-12-01T21:21:00.005-06:00

Hi. It's me. I know, I know, I've disappointed some of you by not keeping up with the blog but Facebook is SO much easier and faster so maybe y'all should sign up and find me on there. There are funny photos and videos out there.

Anyway...for the couple of people that still actually check this little blog and I think there are only two of you, surprise, I'm pregnant! Ok, you already knew that but here's proof.

This was two weeks ago when I was 36 weeks

As you can see, I'm VERY big just like I was with Sophie but the good news is that I weigh 5 pounds lighter than I did with her. It's the small victories that make a pregnant woman happy. And just like Sophie, this little stinker is also breeched so we have another c-section planned for Friday, December 10th. I figured it was slim chances that I would have another breech baby but apparently I have a funny shaped uterus and I grow big babies in the wrong direction. :-) If I had another pregnancy, that baby would probably be breech too. Go figure.

The pregnancy has gone very well but I am to the point where I am ready to be done. Only 9 days to go! We will be sure to post photos on here later that day.

Thanks for still checking the blog. Here is a little treat for you!

Sophie sings the ABC's

2010-03-29T21:47:00.004-05:00

I'm not trying to brag or anything but she is one smart cookie! Remember, she is only 20 months old.

And if you follow her videos, she seems to do her best work in the bath tub...or maybe it is because she is oblivious to the camera then so we can record it.

Milestones and a bunch of photos

2010-03-13T21:27:00.002-06:00

At (almost) 20 months you:

still have way more energy than I thought a girl would have.

know you are one years old and will hold up one finger.
call yourself Sopie. You're getting better at that. You went from referring to yourself as baby to Bopie to Sopie. Maybe in another month you will get the "h" in there too.

are learning to count. You repeat the numbers after us but on your own you say: 1-2-6-8-9-10

can say a-b-c by yourself. That's a start!

make loud "smack" kisses. It's the cutest. thing. ever.

used to eat everything but you are getting pickier now and definitely have preferences for certain things. You love toast but will only eat it with jelly. You like to use dipping sauces, especially ranch. We had to come up with that trick to get you to eat some of your veggies.

have tantrums. Lots of tantrums.

use the kitchen table as a fort.

learn about 3 new words a day. So far we have only slipped up once and said a naughty word (but it wasn't too bad) but of course you repeated it because you are in that parrot stage.

love to sing the itsy bitsy spider song and Ring Around the Rosie (with stuffed animals accompanying)

On a side note. I have taken on a year long project of taking a photo a day (POTD= picture of the day). I have an album to put all the photo and journaling in and so far so good. Rob even gets in on the action and takes some of the photos. We are finding that this is a fun way to document our life this year and hopefully, our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will enjoy looking at what life was like in 2010. I will try to post some of the POTDs on here occasionally. In fact, most of the photos in this post are POTDs.

Sing Along with Sophie

2010-02-27T13:54:00.003-06:00

Sophie has always loved music but now she is starting to sing her own little made-up songs and try to sing along with us. This is one of her new favorites.

Revenge of the Nerds

2010-02-22T11:53:00.004-06:00

We were having a knee-slapping, foot-stompin' good time. Sophie was having so much fun that she got an attack of the nerd giggles.

Tortilla Soup

2010-02-06T08:00:00.001-06:00

Chef Rob does most of the cooking around here - yes, I married a great man - but he made this one recipe this week that was fabulous! It was so good that I felt the need to share it with y'all. Bon appetite.

Rob’s Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients
4 tablespoons oil
4 boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
1 onion
6 cloves garlic
1 cup fresh cilantro
1 large can (29 oz) petit diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
5-6 big handfuls tortilla chips (crushed)
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper
Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
Sour Cream

1. Season chicken with 1 tbs chili powder, 1 tbs cumin, salt, and pepper
2. Brown chicken in 2 tbs oil in a large pot such as a Dutch oven
3. Remove chicken after fully cooked
4. In same pot add remaining oil
5. Cook onion, garlic, and cilantro over medium heat until onion is tender
6. Add diced tomatoes (undrained) and bring to boil
7. Add chicken stock, tortilla chips, remaining chili power and cumin, bay leaves, and cayenne pepper
8. Reduce heat to Simmer 30 minutes (now's a good time to shred the chicken)
9. Shred chicken while soup is simmering
10. Remove bay leaves
11. Blend with stick blender until velvety smooth
12. Add Shredded Chicken and heat through
13. Serve topped with shredded cheese and sour cream
14. Garnish with a bit of fresh cilantro

Note: You can also use a roasted chicken from the grocery store and save some time.

This is for you, Kathleen

2010-02-05T19:56:00.005-06:00

My sister-in-law, Kathleen, found this fabulous book for Sophie for Christmas. It has become a favorite for both of us and I highly recommend that everyone get it.

My favorite verse:

Every tushy's in the back.
Every tushy has a crack!
Where would you put underwear
if your tushy wasn't there?

Relaxing before daycare

And speaking of tushy cracks, Sophie has discovered hers. It's quite a sight to see her sticking her fingers in it.

Was that TMI?

Monkey on the bed

2010-01-18T17:16:00.004-06:00

Her latest trick...

Table: 1, Sophie: 0

2010-01-11T21:27:00.004-06:00

Sophie had a run-in with the coffee table at daycare and the table won. Poor kid.

Caught on tape

2009-11-18T18:38:00.003-06:00

I did it. I figured out how to trick Sophie into being taped. She does better than this with her animal sounds and body parts but she was distracted (and silly) when she saw herself. Check out how smart our Peanut is!

It's a jungle out there

2009-11-01T07:41:00.004-06:00

It was a successful Halloween night. Actually, more so than I thought it would be. I expected Sophie to get tired pretty fast and not be interested but she loved all of it. She even wanted to go back out for more. She didn't want to give up her treat bag either. I tried to carry it for her since it was getting heavy but she whined when we took it away. Smart kid! She can't say trick or treat yet but she did say hi to everyone, then thank you for the candy and finally she waved bye and blew a kiss. That's our little charming zebra!

What did I get?

She got a little tired walking so Daddy carried her to each house.

This guy creeped her out a little so she was nervous walking up to the next house.

We hope everyone had a fun Halloween!

Try, try again

2009-10-27T20:30:00.000-05:00

Rob and I could use a little prayer. We were getting excited to announce to everybody that we were pregnant but I, unfortunately, had a miscarriage last week. We were lucky - or blessed I should say - to get pregnant easily so we are hopeful that God will bless us again when we try later this year. While I am thankful for everyone's prayers, I don't think I'm ready to actually talk about it so please understand when I say I can't handle phone calls about it right now. I'm getting tearful just writing this! But I can read emails and just knowing you are praying for us is enough.

On to happier topics, here are some cute photos of our Peanut.

You think my tractor's sexy.

She kept throwing the "ball" on the ground. Needless to say, we didn't buy this one.

Hello? Anybody out there??

2009-10-22T20:43:00.005-05:00

Hi, it's me. Remember me? The one who doesn't blog. My name is Julie in case you forgot.

I absolutely adore this stage that Sophie is in right now at 15 months old. She weights 24lb 4 oz (60%) and is 33" tall (97%...yup, she clearly got that from someone else in the family). She knows a LOT of words. The kid is a chatterbox, a quality that she did get from me. The doctor was very impressed that our little peanut has over 30 words when it is normally closer to 10 words at this age. Our little overachiever! My favorite thing is to ask her about animal sounds and body parts. She knows her mouth, nose, ears, eyes, teeth, hair, hands, feet and the best one of all...her tushy. It's hilarious when she pats her tushy. I've been trying to catch this on video but this is what happens anytime we pull out the camera (or computer or cell phone)....

And in case you were wondering, this is my way of telling you that it may be awhile before we get any good videos of her again.

Step right up and get your baby fix

2009-09-03T16:17:00.003-05:00

You have to check out this post on my sister-in-law's blog The Littlest George. Sophie and her cousin are ridiculously cute! But her Daddy is going to have to speak to her about kissing boys already. Ryan was not her first kiss....

A walk on the beach

2009-08-30T16:10:00.003-05:00

We are recovering from a week at the beach with my family - all three of us ended up with colds and poor Sophie had a fever the day we traveled back but it was all worth it. We had such a good time! Our fearless child LOVED the water. She would have kept walking right into the Gulf if Rob and Mimi had not grabbed her hands and held her back. I hope she keeps up this enthusiasm for trying new things. It will take her far in life.

Photo collage created in Picasa.

Random Sophie facts Part 1

2009-08-06T07:00:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe that Sophie is now 12.5 months old. That's 55 weeks. 387 days. That's over a year, people. There are so many fun things about her too.

She weighs just shy of 23lbs and is 30.5" tall.

She says kitty, mama, dada (rarely though), mimi (that's her grandma), nana, papa, hi, no-no, uh-oh and her latest is "ucky" (you know like "Gross Sophie, that's ucky. Don't put that in your mouth").

She thinks it's funny if you balance something on her head or yours, especially if she puts food on her head. (Click on the photo so you can see it bigger and you will notice the banana on her head.)

She just got her 5th tooth and the 6th & 7th are not far behind.

She walks...all the time! Even when she is tired, she just walks aimlessly around the house.

She has daily tantrums now and they can come on quite quickly. Take something away from little Miss S and she collapses on the floor just like this. Walk away from her to make her dinner, collapse on the floor. You get the idea.

She has mastered the sippy cup.

She can crawl up steps - all 14 of them from the basement to the main floor.

She still sleeps on her belly with her little feet crossed and her tushy in the air.

She has signed "milk" for awhile but now signs "eat" and "more". She is also a big eater, not just in quantity but in speed as well - she takes after her Daddy in that department.

She is signing "more".

It's a whole new world

2009-07-02T19:23:00.005-05:00

We have just entered a new stage called Toddlerhood and it's a little scary. Sophie took her first steps before she turned 11 months but now she is walking....a lot. I'm off to do more babyproofing but see for yourself how good she is at her new trick.

Grab some popcorn

2009-06-18T21:58:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe that Sophie will be one in less than a month. She is learning a lot - it seems like she does something new every day. Enjoy some sneak peeks into our world.

Her favorite thing to do in the bath...splash!

Taste testing

Her first word a couple of weeks ago was kitty - she says it in the video but it might be hard to hear. She adores the cat but the cat does not feel the same about her. On a side note, that was my first word too. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

And finally, she has taken her first steps this month, even without the walker. She seems to be fearless so it won't be long before she ditches the walker for good.

9 month portraits

2009-05-01T20:04:00.003-05:00

Three Quarters

2009-04-27T09:57:00.001-05:00

It's going too darn fast. It seems like yesterday that we brought our little girl home with her tiny little fingers that I was too chicken to use nail clippers on and her tiny little newborn cries. Now she's nine months old with a big girl voice - she sure gets loud - her monster hands that grab for EVERYTHING and a wonderful, friendly and curious personality.

At her 9 month check-up last week, the doctor said she was a very happy, healthy and loving baby and she was very pleased. How does the doctor know she was loving? Well, Sophie kept giving me hugs and sloppy wet kisses. She is now 19lbs 15oz (60th percentile) and 28.5" tall (75th percentile).

She has learned so many new things over the last month...

At eight months she started holding herself up on her hands and knees (if we put her there) and would sometimes rock back and forth. On her 9 month birthday, she crawled and I'm so happy that she did it at home so that I was the first to witness it. She started out doing an army crawl and within 5 days, she was doing a typical crawl. Now, just one week later, she is crawling ALL OVER the place and getting into everything. Rob put the safety gate up yesterday so that is a relief.

Army Crawling

Cruising

She is learning how to feed herself. She can manage Gerber Puffs and bananas but seems to choke on everything else because she is a little chipmunk and stores them in her cheeks instead of chewing and swallowing.

Now that she can crawl, that also means that she can sit up in her crib. She does this A LOT! Sometimes she will sit in there for a half hour and play. Luckily, she now lays herself back down when she is tired and goes back to sleep. Those 4:30am days where she sat up and wanted someone to play with her got old real quick.

She also knows that all her toys are in a basket and she can get on her knees to get them out. Before she could sit on her knees, however, she would crawl over to it and simply tip it over to get what she wanted. Let the messes begin!

She also cut 2 teeth in April within 5 days of each other. The amazing thing is it didn't seem to bother her too much except to cause an awful diaper rash. I think she will be getting some top teeth pretty soon too. Let's hope those come in as easy as the bottom teeth did.

The police would never believe she wasn't drinking...

2009-04-08T21:11:00.005-05:00

Warning: If you are in a bad mood, you run the risk of improving your attitude after watching this video.

Help Wanted

2009-03-07T09:37:00.004-06:00

Butt-sniffing bunny seeks another rabbit to help with the work load. Must be willing to be chewed on, rolled over and tossed around but still come back for more. Employer is an adorable 7 month old girl that may occasionally spit up or even throw up on you but not to worry, you will get washed. Excellent benefits package include free room and board in a comfy crib, all the hugs and sloppy kisses you desire and the chance to develop a strong bond with a happy little girl. This is a long-term commitment so high quality applicants only please.

7 months old already!

2009-02-23T21:45:00.008-06:00

Where is the time going?! Sophie turned 7 months old last Monday and we are finding that this is such a fun stage.

She went to the doctor's office with Daddy last week for her second dose of the flu shot and she was such a trooper. She didn't cry or even flinch! She was showing off for her Daddy because when she goes with Mommy, she has elephant tears. Of course Rob got off easy with her only getting one shot - when I take her it's 3 and 4 shots.

She loves to jump...

She is also experimenting with her voice and has now perfected an inside voice scream which is usually amusing but sometimes can get out of hand...

I have more photos to post so I will try to get those up this week. I've been a terrible blogger...I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post! I promise I'll be better.

Freezin' for a Reason

2009-01-29T21:31:00.006-06:00

I have this list of things to do in my lifetime - things like go skydiving (did that...my parents were very mad at me), complete a triathlon (just a mini one, mind you), travel to Europe (fabulous!), milk a cow (I don't know why) and experience the crazy Wisconsin way of jumping into freezing cold waters just for the heck of it. As some of you know, I have signed up to do the Polar Plunge this year....I know I'm crazy. But this benefits Special Olympics of Wisconsin so it's a good thing. I'm asking you to please support me in my crazy plunge and click here to donate...every dollar counts!

Plus, if you don't donate, I won't share any photos with you.

Half Way to One

2009-01-18T21:29:00.004-06:00

Our little Stinkerbell turned 6 months on Friday. We are both amazed at how fast time goes by. At her check-up today, the doctor was very pleased with how strong and healthy she is. She gained 2lbs in the last two months and is now 16lbs 10oz which is in the 75th percentile. What blew us away though is that she gained 3 inches so she is now off the charts at 28" long. She must have gotten my Dad's genes. She has lots of new tricks...

She can now get the binky in her mouth by herself as well as hold her bottle.
She is getting better at sitting up on her own but is such a busy body and always reaching for something so she tips over pretty quickly.
She can roll both directions and from her back to her tummy and back again.
She loves to stand and has started to jump when held or in the jumperoo at the sitter's house.
She LOVES food but isn't too crazy about bananas yet.

Enjoy the photos from The Picture People this past weekend!

Nothing today

2009-01-15T09:00:00.002-06:00

It's-s-s-s-s t-t-t-too c-c-c-cold to t-t-t-t-yp-p-p-pe.

Temp: -16 right now
Wind Chill: -39
Schools are closed today.

Due North

2009-01-14T21:00:00.002-06:00

Sophie is up to her Houdini tricks again. We put her in her crib in one direction and when we check on her later, she's facing the other direction - due north to be exact....maybe it's fung shui for her. This has happened 3 nights in a row now and last night, we finally got to witness the transformation and it only takes a few minutes for her to rotate! It's a process that includes a lot of back arching, feet in the air and once she's sideways, she pushes off the side of the crib with her feet. It's very amusing and worthy of us finding a video camera so we can record it.

On a side note, I had a half day of work on Monday since I work this Saturday and I enjoyed a little me time. What did I do with my time, you ask? Do you really have to ask?? I scrapbooked of course! I'm already behind in Sophie's album which is amazing to me because most of the album was already put together for me by the talented ladies at Archiver's as a baby gift. Anyway, I worked on that. Here is one of the pages that I accomplished...

New Year, New You

2009-01-08T14:07:00.000-06:00

Sophie's resolutions:

I will sleep until at least 6am before I wake up hungry so Mommy and Daddy can get another hour of sleep. They don't seem to like my new thing of getting up at 5am.

I will try new foods and like it and show Mommy & Daddy how much I like it by saying "mmmm" after every bite. So far so good with the sweet potatoes...I hear bananas are next.

I will try to keep my shoes and socks on more instead of kicking them off EVERY TIME they are on my feet.

I will make Mommy play the Dora the Explorer Remix video for me every day so I can dance.

Rob's resolutions:

I'm tired of watching my hair fall out so I'm taking matters into my own hands. I may go shorter than this but I'll try this length first.

I will finish the basement details (the bathrooom and put a sink in the bar) so Julie gets off my back. :-) We'll post photos soon...

Julie's resolutions:

I WILL clean and organize my craft room...soon (watch for after pictures later).
I will scrapbook more often so that I can document our family's life.

I will lose 20 pounds - 10 of baby weight and 10 of pre-baby weight.

I will be the best mom that I can - that means making homemade baby food (never thought I would do that but it's really easy), giving her lots of love and cuddles and playing with her to help her learn new things and grow big and strong. Don't worry Rob, I'll be the best wife I can be too.

The Wrong Side of the Crib

2009-01-07T20:40:00.002-06:00

Sophie used to sleep through the night until she was 4 1/2 months old. Then she didn't. It's actually pretty common for babies to do this around that age. Anyway, I got used to not having a full night of sleep anymore so when I woke up at 5am this morning, I realized that I felt refreshed because she had slept since 7pm last night. I then got up and walked across the cold, dark house to make sure my sweet pea was still alive (it's a mom-thing). She was. I went back to bed after that with a smile on my face.

This morning, she didn't wake up at her usual 6:30am so Rob had to go in there to get her up. We have learned in the past not to actually wake her up by touching her and saying her name. She wakes up on the wrong side of the crib then and is crabby. Instead, we go into her room and start making noise - we open the closet to get her clothes out, open the dresser drawer to get a diaper...you get the idea. She wakes up because of the noise but it's on her own terms so she wakes up happy and a happy baby is a good baby.

She has something to say...

2008-12-26T10:13:00.002-06:00

Snapshots of Christmas

2008-12-25T15:51:00.012-06:00

We hope everyone is having a blessed holiday. We are having a wonderful time visiting with my parents who haven't seen Sophie in 4 months. She adores Mimi and Poppy.

It's been a very snowy Christmas with well over 6" in the last 5 days or so. There is a lot of snow out there evidenced by the burial of our mailbox. This is a view from our front door. I was too wimpy to go outside and take a photo in the 11 degree weather.

I'm told that my tree rivals Michelle's. It's a pretty big tree. :-)

We started with a snack before opening presents....brunch for the adults while Sophie napped and then a bottle for her when she woke up.

Poppy surprised us with a Wolfpack onesie. I knew he had bought her a onesie but I assumed it would be of the Tarheel variety. What a good Poppy - he put his preferences aside and got the RIGHT team...and look how happy it makes her!

Someone had LOTS of presents under the tree. She is a well-loved baby and loves all her toys.

I got a fabulous new camera lens from Rob so I was playing around and taking flying baby photos.

We love everything you all gave us and give you a big thanks and a hug. The best present of all was the awesome toy from Sophie's Great Aunt Mary Ann. This is entertaining for all of us, especially Rob.

I wanna Hippotamus for Christmas

2008-12-21T13:50:00.004-06:00

Sophie was an angel today when I took her to see Santa. She loved looking at all the decorations and watching all the kids around her. She kept flashing that giant gummy grin at everyone because she was so happy. She even gave us a good smile while she was on Santa's lap (notice how she's holding his fingers). Of course next year might be a different story once she's old enough to get scared of him...

We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

This little piggy ate roast beef

2008-12-09T12:00:00.001-06:00

It's hard to believe we all used to be this limber...

No Charlie Brown tree here!

2008-12-08T19:58:00.007-06:00

We went as a family this past weekend to cut down our Christmas tree. I was a little worried what Sophie would think and if she would be cold but she did great! It took us about 15 minutes to find the perfect tree then Sophie and I waited by it - I wasn't going to let anyone else claim it - while Rob went to find his Dad with the chainsaw. While we were waiting, I thought I would get a cute photo of our little peanut in front of the tree. You can see where I built her a little snow seat...well, it was more like a wall behind her to keep her sitting upright. Isn't she cute!

And here is the photo I took for her scrapbook. She can't sit on her own yet and managed to pitch herself backwards causing a handful of snow to fall on her face. She was a little surprised but she never cried. I snapped a quick photo before I ran over to pick her up. Yup, I'm a true scrapbooker. Picture her little arms sticking straight out and waving back and forth. It was priceless! Sorry kiddo that you got cold and wet. :-)

Some other photos from that day...

Finger lickin' good

2008-11-29T13:27:00.011-06:00

Day One...Sophie's not sure what's getting ready to happen here.

...but she's definitely not happy about it afterwards...

Day Two...this bib is kinda fun!

Day Three: Now we're getting the hang of it.

Day Four...she likes it!

Starting Sophie on solids has been fun but the hardest part of feeding her is trying to keep her hands out of her mouth in between bites. As you can see, we have to hold her hands down.

This little piggy

2008-11-21T21:23:00.006-06:00

She has found her feet. Whenever she is lying down, whether it is on the floor or the changing table, she immediately starts doing baby crunches. You can't hear it very well on the video but she is actually grunting as she tried to reach out for her toes. Just think how hard it is for us to do this movement and we have more developed abs than her!

Not her best moment

2008-11-16T12:00:00.000-06:00

This is what happens when you do tummy time too soon after eating. Yup, she did a face plant into her spit up.

It's inevitable

2008-11-15T10:02:00.012-06:00

It was bound to happen...our little sweet pea is growing up and will be 4 months old tomorrow and the poor thing has a cold. She had her check-up this past Tuesday and she is 14lbs 10oz (smaller than I thought) but 25 inches long! For those of you keeping track, that means she put on 3 inches in the last 2 months. Maybe she got Poppy's height. She is in the 75th percentile for both. :-) She was pretty sleepy for a couple of days after her shots - that's what wailing and not breathing will do to ya. When I brought her home from the doctor's office, I left her warm and snuggly in the car seat until she woke up.

What new things has she learned? Well, she is practicing sitting in her high chair since her pediatrician told us we could start her on rice cereal in the next few weeks. I might wait a little longer though until she shows more interest in us eating.

She learned how to vote...it's not hard here in my little town. No electronic voting machines, just connect the 2 lines with a pen.

She didn't go trick or treating but she did dress up in her mummy onesie and greet all the little kids. She loves to watch kids.

She is sleeping through the night from 7pm until 6:30am. Occasionally she might wake up but she just needs the binky reinserted. No, she doesn't keep it in all night long but she needs it to fall asleep. We're not complaining at all...it's easier to reinsert a binky than to have to be up for a half hour to change her diaper and nurse her. Some people would suggest breaking her of this habit but they don't know Sophie. Ever since she was born, she is a baby that prefers to suck on something because it soothes her so I'm not going to attempt to take the binky away from the kid. This keeps all of us sane!

She has also learned to blow raspberries and spit everywhere. It makes us laugh every single time...especially when she does it during church. Enjoy it for yourself!

Now if only kids were born knowing how to blow their nose. Since she can't, it's time to get the aspirator and suck out the snot while she coughs up a lung on me. Until next time...

She didn't even vote for him

2008-11-04T09:09:00.004-06:00

Sophie received a greeting from the White House. Not that she (or her Mommy) voted for him but it was still nice. It's going in her scrapbook so years from now she can look at it and we can teach her about democracy and how you get to vote for who you want to lead the country.

If you want your own greeting for a birth, new marriage, 80th birthday (or beyond) or 50th wedding anniversary and beyond, then click here.

Happy Voting Day to everyone!

Chatty Girl

2008-10-29T12:33:00.006-05:00

I can't believe I'm posting this because I look awful! I may not be wearing any make-up and my hair isn't done (the carpet installers were here bright and early this morning) but at least I've taken a shower!

I posted this though because Sophie has something to say...

Shhh, don't tell her

2008-10-29T08:58:00.004-05:00

We gave Sophie her Christmas present early. It's because she's trying so hard to sit-up so we thought peanut would like it. She does! She won't remember but Rob and I agreed to not take any photos of her in it before Christmas so years from now, she wouldn't know that she got it early. Well, obviously I didn't follow our plan. She was just too cute and I had to share it with everyone!

3 months old already!

2008-10-19T21:47:00.005-05:00

Sophie is 3 months old and growing fast! She finally rolled over for me (without bribery) and Rob got it on video another time. We have to edit the video down so hopefully that will get posted soon.

She is constantly chewing on her hands so it makes me wonder if she is starting to teeth. She has always sucked on them a bit but it's up a whole new level now. Sometimes her fingers are red because she's chomped on them so hard. It might be that she can control her hands a lot better now and can get them to her mouth whenever she wants. She definitely has preferences for toys now and LOVES her Psycho Dolly.

But she also loves the atomic duck (thanks Ginger!)

She prefers to sit up these days as opposed to laying back in the bouncy seat or swing when she isn't tired. When you hear lots of grunting, you can usually turn to find her doing this...

...so every once in awhile, I will prop her up on the couch with some toys (while I'm in the room of course). It makes her look like a big girl...especially with the hand on the knee. Put a beer in her hand and she's the spitting image of her Daddy on the weekends. Just kidding Rob!

And finally, Sophie and I went pumpkin picking this past Saturday while Rob worked in the basement. She was awake long enough to have pictures taken at Nana's house but slept through the pumpkin patch experience. Don't you just love how she's leaning against the pumpkin like "yeah, this one's mine."

Rolling, rolling, rolling...

2008-10-07T10:03:00.006-05:00

Last week she rolled over on two different days. Once with Mommy and 5 times with Daddy while Mommy was at work! I think he bribed her or something. We haven't been lucky enough to catch it on video or in photos when she's doing it by herself but here is her attempt at it one night.

She has learned a lot!

2008-10-05T21:13:00.012-05:00

We have had lots of firsts in the last couple of weeks.

Sophie is strong enough (and can control that big noggin of hers) so that she can sit up with support now. Here she is at a friend's house in her baby's Bumbo. I thought of getting one for her but I don't know how long she would fit in it since our little peanut is such a chunker.

She can hold the bottle herself. Ok, just kidding. She happened to put her hands on it one night and it was so cute. Isn't it sweet how she is staring at her Daddy?!

She has discovered her toys and that she has hands that can bat at them.

Sophie's first time at a wedding.

Her first time driving a car!

And a few other random photos...

She's growing up so fast!

2008-09-22T16:03:00.008-05:00

**************************************Update**************************************
Duh! I forgot to give the important 2-month check-up info....our Peanut is a chunker weighing in at 13.6 lbs which puts her in the 97th percentile (our little over-achiever) and 22" long which is only the 40th percentile of girls her age. This was a week ago Monday so I'm guessing she's 14 now.
***********************************************************************************

I can't believe Sophie is 2 months old already...ok, 2 months and 1 week...I'm behind in blogging. She is already very different from when we first brought her home. Not only is she bigger but her face has changed and of course she seems to learn something new everyday. Here are a few random photos from the past few weeks...

Sophie with her teddy bear in her chair. We are using Teddy for her monthly growth comparison photos.

Another Packer game, another Packer outfit.

Mommy, the human recliner.

This is how I found her when I checked on her during her nap in the crib today - which is a first I might add. Sophie sleeps great in her crib at night but isn't a fan of it for naps during the day. She prefers her bouncy seat or the swing for daytime.

He's teaching her early...

2008-09-15T21:15:00.007-05:00

It's inevitable, Sophie will be a Packer fan if Rob has anything to say about it. He bought her three - THREE - Packer outfits for this season.

These photos were taken at the baptism party of Sophie's newest cousin, Alyssa. She's obviously the little one who is HALF the size of Sophie (literally) and only about 6 weeks younger. The other little girl is 2 year old Leah who is Sophie's bigger cousin and who helps with our little peanut when they are both at Nana's for daycare. Yup, I'm back at work now and it stinks.

Rubber Ducky, you're the one

2008-09-06T18:37:00.007-05:00

Sophia used to hate bath time. I mean hate it! She cried like we were pulling her toenails off one by one. But thanks to Rob's cousin Jeff (see the link to their blog off to the right there...Behind the Scenes with Nella and Jeff) giving us some good advice - increase the water temperature and cover her with a towel while bathing other parts - she now sits quietly and waits for us to finish. Then she would cry when we put lotion on her but I started breathing on it while it's on my hands to warm that up as well and she's happy. We'll do anything to keep this stinker happy.

And of course we had to have a tushy shot. Check out those thighs!!

Hitting the gym

2008-09-05T11:24:00.009-05:00

The amount of baby products in our living room almost equal the amount of furniture we have in there. Seriously. Our living room contains a couch, chair, coffee table, end table, big TV, and media bookcase. Our living room also now contains: bassinet, swing (best $30 we ever spent!), bouncy seat, floor gym and every surface has at least one baby accessory on it including but not limited to: burp cloth, bib, rattle, binky, wrist rattle, crazy baby doll (Rob thinks it's scary) and busy blanket. For someone so little she sure needs a lot of stuff!

Sophie has been pumping some iron lately. We got her a floor gym a few weeks ago for something else for her to do when she gets bored. She wasn't too crazy about it the first time she was on it but she spends a little more time on it every day. She even fell asleep on it last night! Her favorite part? Looking at herself in the mirror.

Miss Sophie also gets tummy time daily and she is definitely not a fan of this. She endures it for the first couple of minutes but after that, she is done. But being the good girl that she is, she holds her head up even when she's crying. And look how high she can hold it!

She's a happy baby

2008-08-29T12:12:00.005-05:00

This kid is happiest when she wakes up or after Happy Hour. This is for you Mimi and Poppy because I know you miss her!

Waking Up or as Mommy calls it, Funny Face Time

2008-08-28T18:18:00.007-05:00

Sophie is so funny as she wakes up. Well, let's face it, she's always funny - except when she doesn't want to go back to sleep at 4am. She makes lots of faces as she wakes up and I have named most of them. She has been doing this since she was a week old and we're now finally getting it caught on film.

I call this one the Turtle and it is by far my favorite. She'll be sound asleep and suddenly she lifts her head really high without opening her eyes and grimaces. Sometimes she includes a grunt.

Y-M-C-A...notice the pursed lips. Or now that's it's Packer season...Touchdown!

"I know, I know...pick me...I know the answer!" or maybe it's "I know, I'm so darned cute but please, stop. My ego is getting too big."

Then once she's awake, it's a giant yawn and lots of smiles...unless she's famished and then you better get your butt in gear and gets this kid to the bar (i.e. - Mom's boob)! Now if you try to change her diaper before she has finished all her yawns and stretches then you better watch out because there are lots of LOUD toots and she is filling the thing up. She's peed on the changing table more than once because I didn't wait long enough for her to finish.

Burrito Update

2008-08-28T18:04:00.002-05:00

After weeks of being burritoed - yes, it is a verb - Sophie doesn't even fight it anymore. She just lays there doing the occasional whimper but she lets us do it. I think she has finally figured out that it is what's best for her....or it's too tiring to fight it. Plus, Mommy has gotten much better at wrapping her up so she can't Houdini her way out of it so quickly.

I know it's been awhile since I updated this but I'm working on it now. Check back soon!

How to build a Baby Burrito

2008-08-17T13:01:00.008-05:00

Step 1: Watch The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD to learn the proper technique.

Step 2: Have your husband do this because he has no mercy.

Step 3: Lay blanket on fur covered floor or couch. A little kitty fur never hurt anyone. Besides, the kid needs to get used to it.

Step 4: Fold down corner of blanket and commence DUDU - the acronym for folding.

Step 5: Pin down left arm and fold blanket Down. Ignore whimpers and cries.

Step 6: Pin down right arm and fold blanket Up. Again ignore whimpers and cries and now kicking feet.

Step 7: Fold blanket Down. Keep blanket tight while baby is now full-blown crying and kicking furiosuly.

Step 8: While baby has resigned herself to being wrapped tight like a burrito but still crying quite loudly, fold blanket Up (or actually across).

Step 9: Kiss the baby burrito and put binky in her mouth. Now jiggle or place in swing and you have a happy baby. It really does work!

The Power of the Swing

2008-08-17T12:39:00.006-05:00

This is what I think goes through Sophie's pretty little head...

Oh thanks Mom (or Dad). You know I love when you swaddle me.

Um Dad, the swaddle is a little tight......but it reminds me of
Mommy's tummy.

Why do they keep calling me burrito? What is that?

No. No, no, no, nooooo. Not the swing. You know what the swing does to me. Especially when I'm a burrito.

I can fight it this time. (yawn)

It won't take me.

Oops, there goes my binky. (content sigh) I can't keep my mouth
closed.

I (yawn)

am not (big yawn)

going to go (yaaaaaaawwwwwwwnnnnnnn)

to sleeee..... (snore)

The scene at our house after work

2008-08-05T11:40:00.002-05:00

Apparently, it was a long day for both of them yesterday...

Baby Faces

2008-08-04T14:19:00.004-05:00

My favorite part of the day is watching Sophie fall asleep once she is drunk with milk. She tends to make lots of faces. We got lucky and captured this little episode - which took place in less than 2 minutes - on camera the other day. This should make you smile.

We're so proud!

2008-08-01T20:37:00.004-05:00

My baby girl will never be a true Southern Girl like her mama but at least she has the Redneck Mullet! Yes, folks, she was born with this - this is not a result of her hair falling out and leaving this thick patch of long hair at the base of her neck. I'm sure she will be thrilled when we pull out this photo someday to show her future husband.

Who does she look like?

2008-07-31T10:46:00.008-05:00

________Rob_____________Julie

People keep asking us who we think Sophie looks like and we just aren't sure. We do both agree that our little bundle of peanuty goodness has her Mama's chin and mouth. So what do you think? Take our poll at the right.

Our Little Super Model

2008-07-31T10:33:00.001-05:00

We hope you enjoy the photos.

Walking Zombies

2008-07-28T09:33:00.003-05:00

Hallelujah! Sophie spent the whole night in her crib. My chiropractor will be happy about that since the couch was wrecking havoc on my neck. After several nights of one of us sleeping on the couch with her on our chest or trying to put her in her crib and having her wake up in a fit, this was a big accomplishment. It was a special combination of things that allowed this to finally happen:

Use her special fleece swaddling pajamas (for anyone with a newborn or a mom-to-be, you have to get one of these. You can find them at Babies R Us)
Use a crib-positioner to keep her propped up a little (helps with the spit-up) and the sides make her feel like she is being held and secure.
And finally, the key component....have a CD of Vivaldi Four Seasons playing on a continuous loop all night long. This seems to have really calmed her down so she was an angel for us.

I actually feel pretty decent today since I was able to get three 2-hour naps throughout the night. Now if only she'll go back to eating every 4 to 5 hours at night instead of 3.

Well, she's still sleeping so I think I can squeeze in a shower now. Rob has gone back to work so this is my first day alone with her. I can do this...I think...

Hiccups

2008-07-23T17:07:00.003-05:00

This kid had hiccups every single day in my belly since Memorial Day and they usually shook my whole belly. Now that I hear how loud they are, I can see why they shook so much. It's hard to believe that they don't bother her.

Too bad I didn't get on video the spit up coming out of her nose. I thought that only happened when you are drunk...although I suppose she was drunk on milk....

Sophie's First Manicure

2008-07-22T21:52:00.002-05:00

Sophie kept scratching us and herself with her little daggers...I mean cute little fingernails so she got her first manicure on Sunday. Thank goodness for emory boards because I'm not ready to use the clippers on her.

There are more photos from our first 6 days posted to the Flickr site. You can see them in the slideshow to the right of this page. If you click a photo, it will take you to the site so you can see them all.

Rob has the first shift so it's time for me to get some sleep before the 2am feeding.

Nighty night.

Note to Self...

2008-07-20T22:09:00.002-05:00

....when changing a diaper, make sure to put the clean diaper on the child before inspecting the dirty diaper that was just removed (you know for wetness or poop, etc) otherwise you run the risk of your child being stimulated by the cold wet wipe and peeing on the changing table. Good thing the pad is waterproof and she's not a boy so it couldn't get me!

I knew this would probably happen at some point but not when she was only 4 days old!

The Sophia Saga (the first 3 days of my life)

2008-07-19T18:14:00.022-05:00

get this goop off me NOW!!

I'm just big boned!

I'm almost as tall as mommy :)

1 pose for the camera...

and after two tramatic hours, I need a nap.

Daddy's so proud!

Mommy is too!

Are you sure these people are qualified!?

I knew they weren't... give me someone who is!

Alright I'm satisfied. I'll go home with you.

I wish I would have stayed awake for the
car ride home. Now I don't know how to get
back to visit all my friends in the nursery.

What the heck is that thing?! It does look soft though.

I'm not sure I like how unstable this spot is.

A little food coma.

Daddy makes a great bed.

Sophia Grace has arrived!!!

2008-07-16T16:26:00.007-05:00

Sophia Grace Pfund was born July 16 at 1:01pm.

She was a whopping 9 lbs 2 oz and 20.5 inches! Way bigger than we ever thought she would be!

Mom has been a real trooper and is doing great. Sophie has already been working on her feeding skills and is getting the hang of it.

The Big Day is finally here!

2008-07-16T06:08:00.003-05:00

I've been up since 5am because I just can't sleep anymore. Partly out of excitement and nervousness and partly because, well...I feel like a whale so it's hard to get comfortable! Plus I'm hungry but I haven't been allowed to eat since midnight.

I wanted to thank everyone for the nice calls and emails. It's nice to know that people are thinking about us and saying prayers. You all are wonderful!

Here is the final belly shot. We'll upload baby photos later this afternoon so stay tuned.

Chubby cheeks

2008-07-01T21:11:00.002-05:00

As promised, here is a photo from today's ultrasound. It was hard to get a good view of her face because she had her hands in front of her mouth...we think she was sucking her thumb. At one point, we did see her open her eyes. We also got to see her practicing her breathing. The measurements show that she is 6lbs 15oz right now and we expect she will gain another pound before she arrives.

We can't wait!

Which way is up?

2008-07-01T11:38:00.002-05:00

We had our ultrasound this morning and it's confirmed, Peanut is breeched. She's actually folded in half and sideways! Her head is just below my ribs on the right, her butt is down and her arms and legs are to the left side of my abdomen. It even looked like she might have been sucking her thumb and then suddenly we saw a foot in the frame. Can you imagine having your foot in front of your face?! Maybe she'll be a gymnast...or a contortionist.

The weirdest part of the appointment was when they asked us what day we wanted her birthday to be. Yes, we decided on a planned c-section instead of an ECV (where they try to manually turn her by pushing on my belly). So what did we decide you ask? We split the difference between the brother's birthdays (that's Chris and Hunter's) and chose July 16th for Peanut's debut. Now that you know though, don't call us, we'll call you! :-) We'll make all the phone calls and let you know when we're ready for visitors (probably not until that evening) once me and baby are settled from the surgery.

I have photos from today's ultrasound so I will get those posted this evening once I get home. I can't believe we're gonna have a kid in 2 weeks!!

Poopy Diapers, presents and 36 weeks

2008-06-26T09:47:00.000-05:00

I know it's been awhile but I've been feeling a bit crummy lately but with less than 4 weeks to go, that's to be expected.

Mom G came up from Alabama for my baby shower on June 14th and we had a great weekend together. First of all, hello?! Who knew she would be such a good Wii bowler!! She actually beat me! She enjoyed the Wii and we enjoyed watching her Wii. Now it will be Dad G's and Hunter and Kathleen's turn when they come up for the christening. Be warned, I'm practicing a lot now.

Mom and I had a fabulous time at the shower. Ruth, Aprille and Jill...y'all rock! You planned a great event and everyone had so much fun. I LOVED the poopy diaper game...especially since it grossed out my girlfriends. The food was delicious and the company was even better. And thank goodness we had another excuse to get those yummy pettifores again. I couldn't ask for better in-laws. :-D

I'm trying to get the photos posted on here from the shower. They are uploaded to Flikr so it's easier to share but since I'm new to this whole bloggin' thing, it's taking some time to figure out how it works. Keep watching for them! In the meantime, here is a link to them but there is supposed to be a better way to do this. http://www.flickr.com/photos/8097062@N04/

So, Hunter (my bro) has been asking how I'm feeling. Hmmm, one word to describe it would be....blaaaaaaahhhhhh. I never knew heartburn could be this uncomfortable! I have never experienced this before and wish I wasn't now. I wake up about 3 times a night to visit with my old friend the toilet and lately I have been eating like a horse (which of course makes the heartburn worse) because Peanut is having a growth spurt.

Speaking of Peanut, I had my weekly checkup this past Tuesday and the doctor is now wondering if she is breeched. That would be feet first in layman's terms and not a good way to deliver. Most babies turn to head down by week 33 and the doc has thought she has been that way but now she is doubtful. This means we are having another ultrasound next Tuesday at my weekly appointment to check her position. It will be fun to see her again and find out her weight and position. If she is breech, there are basically 2 options. 1) I got to the hospital where they give me an IV and a muscle relaxer and try to manually turn her from the outside. Picture 2 people pushing on my stomach...I've heard and read that it's not pleasant and only about 60% successful. It's done in the hospital bcause it can result in an emergency C-section if she goes into distress. Or they might get her turned but she might flip back later. 2) Leave her the way she is and schedule a C-section to deliver her around 38 or 39 weeks. I'm just excited (and ready) to have a baby soon! I'll let you know the results next week.

On a final note, there has been a request for an updated photo of The Belly (again by my bro in WA). This will make all the women feel super skinny....I can't wait until I feel skinny again!

Baby bump & belly buttons

2008-06-05T20:18:00.000-05:00

There were requests for photos so here you go. These were taken within the last week at 33 weeks pregnant.

No, that's not my belly button popping out in the ice cream photo, just the drawstring on my pants. Apparently my belly button is fairly deep so I might get away with not having an "outie". It's the small things that make a pregnant woman happy....

54 days until D-day!

2008-05-29T18:38:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our blog! Since there are so many out of town family and friends, we figured this might be a good way to keep y'all up-to-date on the progress of Baby Pfund - or as we call her, Peanut. Now I'm not a blogger so don't go expecting updates every day...I'm just not that kinda girl. But we'll try to pass on fun little tidbits about our soon-to-be new family.

First off, I'm feeling fairly decent at this point...well, ok, let's be honest...I'm starting to get uncomfortable but I know it could be worse. I've been feeling really big lately which my doctor validated last week at my check-up when she said my belly is measuring 2 weeks ahead. Mom George is putting money on an early delivery. We'll see what the doc says on Tuesday at my next check-up. Besides feeling huge, I'm waking up every couple of hours at night but this is surprisingly not making me exhausted during the day. It's amazing how the body starts preparing ahead of time for the new arrival. Well, my body is preparing - Rob still sleeps fine through the night except when I wake him with "ouch, ouch, ouch...leg cramp!"

We're blessed to have had an easy pregnancy so far and can't wait to meet our little peanut.

Until next time...