The Love of Our Lives

The Love of Our Lives
Originally uploaded by Haydoo

Sophie is so stinking adorable I just can't stand it! And thanks to her wonderfully talented Uncle Joe (josephwashere.com), we are blessed to have some amazing pictures to share with you.

We cannot thank Joe enough for being such a great friend and for being a part of Sophie's life. She is certainly one loved little girl and we are so glad we are able to share her life with friends we cherish more than life!

We love you Uncle Joe!

Ok seriously...

Is she not the cutest baby girl you have ever seen???

Well Rested and Wide Awake!

Funny Face ;)

Pick me Mom!

Mommy! I SAID pick me!!!

Meeting Logan ;)

Holly and Logan flew in from Virginia for Khyle (+ Cayson's) baby shower :) We miss you guys but are so grateful to Joel for serving our country ~ our world truly wouldn't be the same without families like yours!

Here are a few pics from lunch on Sunday before they had to leave again :(

Holly and Sophie

Sophie and Logan (Are these not two of the cutest babies in the entire world! Logan is truly one of the happiest kids I have ever known :) How can you not melt at that smile???)

6 Weeks

Am I the only one who simply cannot believe my precious angel is already SIX weeks old...that's more than one whole hand :( I mean I know you want them to grow up to be wonderful, loving, kind, contributing members of society ~ but does it have to happen so quickly????

I'm sure I sound like a broken record because I think I say the same thing every Tuesday. But since I'm the sole author and editor of this whole shindig... :)

Not too much is different from the 5 week post but here are a few things to note...

• Can officially only wear a couple of your newborn outfits...the rest you have outgrown. I guess you couldn't stay in newborn clothes forever :(
• Have officially mastered projectile vomiting ~ this one I am not so thrilled about!
• Are beginning to CONSIDER the fact that tummy time may not be as awful as you originally thought
• Learning that diaper changes are actually a good thing and therefore, maybe it isn't necessary to cry EVERY time
• Love to be entertained by Mommy and Daddy
• Consistently sleep through lunches with friends, despite that if we are at home you wake up as soon as Mommy sits down to eat...hmmm...
• Starting to self soothe with pacis (this is a MUST for our flight to California in July)!
• Think your feet are pretty cool
• Still need to be swaddled to sleep well
• Sometimes wake up twice and night and others only once ~ obviously Mommy prefers the latter ;)
• Blow spit bubbles! An accomplishment I'm sure :)
• And the most important...ALREADY BLEED MAROON :) GIG 'EM AGS!!!

Happy Birthday Daddy & Mommy!

Kevin and I celebrated our birthdays with the most wonderful gift of all ~ our sweet, precious Sophia Grace!

I cannot even begin to express how much we absolutely adore this little girl! Not that Kevin didn't love his new messenger bag and I didn't love my Massage Envy and Barnes and Noble gift cards ~ but truly...I simply don't need any gifts at all. Every day with my sweet baby is gift enough!

Sophie and Daddy opening his present and cards!

Mommy and Sophie

Dare I even...

Dare I even speak of it? What if it was a fluke? Should I take the risk of potentially jinxing this newly rediscovered phenomenon???

Well, I guess I'm going to take that chance and share my joy with the world (ok, not quite the world, but some very important people nonetheless)!

Sophie is apparently going through a growth spurt and drank an insane amount of formula yesterday afternoon and evening. And then, she was wide awake and happy with very little spit up FOR HOURS!

But wait...here it comes...hold onto your hats...maybe even take a seat...this is BIG!!!!

SHE SLEPT FROM 9:45pm - 4:30am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now I realize this isn't TECHNICALLY through the night but do you understand what this means??? I have rediscovered several hours of uninterrupted sleep...I had forgotten such a thing existed in the world!

Now, of course I woke up panicked at 3:15am and then couldn't sleep for a while from sheer adrenaline but hey, that's what Mommy's do ~ they worry!

5 Weeks :(

I am so sad that my baby is growing up so fast :( Seriously, she needs to slow this thing down ~ Mommy is NOT ready!!!

Over the last five weeks, I have learned one thing...that this little one rules the roost. Even the dogs come running when she cries ~ that is some pretty powerful crying if you ask me! And George has now decided that Mommy is TOTALLY deaf and simply can't hear Sissy when she is crying, so he must therefore, join in the noise and bark incessantly until I arrive. It's a loud house around here that's for sure ~ good thing Sophie doesn't need quiet to sleep!

It amazes me how much Sophie has changed from the first day we welcomed her into our arms. She is so much more interactive and definitely lets you know when she wants attention (which I might add is pretty much all day!). She is so sweet and I love her more every single day ~ I know I say that every time, but it really is true! I had no idea one could love another human being the way I love this precious child. This is truly what I was meant to do with my life ~ so now I could finally answer that age old question. What do I want to be when I grow up? I'm doing it ~ I want to be a Mommy!

At five weeks my sweet girl, you are ~

• Weigh approximately 8 lbs 3 oz (with onesie and bib so adjust accordingly)
• ALMOST out of your newborn onesies
• Look tiny in your 0-3 month outfits (so you are kind of at an in-between stage)
• Still wear newborn diapers (Huggies fit better because they go up to 10 lbs.)
• Take somewhere between 3-4 oz per feeding
• Sort of not spitting up AS much ~ though Uncle James might disagree with this one after his babysitting experience :)
• Becoming much more interactive
• Staying awake longer
• SMILING :) ~ This is by far my favorite development even if you don't do it intentionally! I have yet to get this on camera or video :( UGH!!!
• Getting used to car rides and behave almost all the time while we are out. We will disregard yesterday's meltdown in Target...everyone gets a freebie once in a while!
• Are ticklish on your feet
• Love being talked to
• Like bedtime stories (at least I think so!)
• Mimicking Mommy and Daddy with certain facial expression (i.e. open mouth, stick out tongue, etc)
• Rest more peacefully with white noise (aka recorded bathroom fan)
• Wake up twice a night (typically between 1:30 and 2:00 and then again between 5:00 and 6:00)
• Have an uncanny ability to wake up as soon as I sit down to eat or start a chore
• Still dislike the playmat ~ this one I don't understand ~ it seems really fun to me!
• Would prefer to live outside
• Have officially used your swing so much we needed a battery replacement this morning
• Are hanging on to your blue eyes (YEA!)
• Seem to be having a hair color change - you can blame the reddish tint on me!
• And as always, melt my heart every day!

I love you sweetheart!

Behind...

Most of my posts are about my sweet baby girl and why shouldn't they be?! She is pretty amazing you know! Anyway, tonight I needed to vent if only to make myself feel better :)

If you know me at all, you know I am NOT GOOD at being behind on things. It irks me in ways that could potentially be classified as abnormal. Every day I have intentions of getting my "list" done and every day my list seems to EXPAND...ummm...that would be the wrong direction!!!

Anyway, today I actually managed to cross two things off my list ~ 1) ordering birth announcements and 2) writing and mailing the last few thank you notes. And then, then I RUN OUT OF STAMPS!!! Are you kidding me? So close and yet so far away!

I also need to finish cleaning the last two rooms, do yet more laundry, have the oil changed, get groceries, find Autumn a birthday gift, go to Randall's for my registration sticker, return things to Babies R Us, and I could go on and on and on ~ like the song that never ends, it goes on and on my friends. Now, how many of you are going to be singing that tune all day :)

But as much as it irks me to be behind on my anal compulsive behaviors, I wouldn't spend one minute any differently than what I do...caring for my sweet Sophie. Everything else really does pale in comparison. (Though I'm not sure the registration sticker can pale too much as May 31st is quickly approaching!)

Even still it drives me crazy! How come I can't manage to be Super Woman???

And that is my vent for the evening and yes, for some reason it does make me feel better to have spit it all out. Now I am going to curl up in bed and get some sleep!

Good night ~ we love you all!

Videos...

Tummy Time Gone Awry :)

May 3, 2010

Who is that baby in the mirror? The one with the...hmmm...I'm not creative enough to formulate an entire song, but you get the tune!

May 5, 2010

Mother's Day

May 9, 2010

Those big blue eyes make everything right with the world!

May 10, 2010

Happy One-Month Birthday (Warning: Spit up Involved ~ Welcome to My Daily Life with Acid Reflux!)

May 13, 2010

Rub-a-dub-dub, Sophie's in the tub! The first bath was a nightmare but now...well...see for yourself :) I'd say this is pretty content!

May 13, 2010

And she ended up here!

May 13, 2010

Hey ~ Gotta Update When You Can!

Yes, this is the third post of the day but hey, you gotta blog when you can! She is sleeping peacefully right now, so I'm trying to give her adoring public the updates I know you all crave :)

Tummy Time (She is supposed to be active, but she fell asleep quite quickly!)

Just Being Cute!

Bright-Eyed

That didn't last long ;)

Adorable Piggies!

*More pics at http://gallery.me.com/heathertaliaferro#100332

First Road Trip

This past Friday evening we took our very first road trip! Big step I know :) It was only about 3 hours so we fed her before we left and THANKFULLY she slept all the way to my Mom's ~ can we all breathe a sigh of relief?! AND, we made it into the subdivision on Saturday afternoon before we started fussing ~ how did I get that lucky???

Since Mimi (my Mom) dislocated her elbow the weekend before Sophie was born, she hadn't been able to come and stay with us as originally planned. Now that she is on her way to recovery (YEA!), we wanted to take Sophie back to our roots for a visit and as part of our Mother's Day gifts to the grandmothers. I am so glad that we were able to make this trip and allow my Mom that special time with her newest granddaughter...they are only so tiny for a such a short time and I certainly didn't want her to miss out.

In addition to getting some serious Mimi loving, Sophie also got to meet her two great-grandmothers and great-grandfather. I am so blessed that Sophie still has so many wonderful grandparents and great-grandparents to share in her life. She even has a great-great-grandmother who turns 100 this year! I sure do hope that Sophie and Mawmaw are able to meet soon ~ 5 generations is certainly something not everyone gets to be a part of!!!

Here are a few pictures from our trip :)

Mimi and Sophie Rocking

Still Rocking - But Toby Man has joined the party ;)

Mema Gilley (Maternal Great-Grandmother)

Mimi Canty (Paternal Great-Grandmother)

Papa Canty (Paternal Great-Grandfather) ~ Pa made great friends with George and Annie! Pa just laughed and smiled at George the whole time and George loves anyone who offers up rubs :) A great group they made!

The time is flying :(

Four weeks ago today, we welcomed our precious angel into this world. I cannot believe she is one-month old today. I've always heard they grow up too fast but this is ridiculous ~ PLEASE SLOW DOWN :(

I am so proud of her as only a Mommy can be...cause it's not like she does all that much ;) Every day though is something new ~ a new facial expression, a realization of a new part of her world, a new coo. She has already changed so much in the last month ~ the miracle of her life is so amazing to me. Even on the roughest day of nonstop fussiness, when I haven't had a shower, am covered in baby spit-up and am totally exhausted ~ one look into those big blue trusting eyes so filled with unconditional love and my heart melts. She truly has the power to right everything in my world in a single moment...the love of a child is one that you simply cannot explain...

At one month ~

• We have now officially been diagnosed with acid reflux after a trip to the pediatrician, followed by an ultrasound at Texas Children's to eliminate an anatomical issue with her pylorus, take Prevacid twice a day and Mylanta every four to six hours.
• Weighed 7 lbs 11 ozs at above said appointment (with clothes so more like 7 lbs 9 ozs) = 25th percentile
• Still wear newborn clothes and diapers
• Eat about 3 oz per feeding ~ and spit-up a LOT (see above acid reflux diagnosis)
• Are now sleeping about 4 hours at a time :)
• Make the cutest mouse sounds ever!
• Enjoy baths
• Still love being swaddled, held, patted and rocked
• Think ceiling fans are super cool
• Have decided the swing is so much more fun than the bouncy seat
• Rarely find your playmat entertaining and more often than not get annoyed by tummy time
• Officially rolled over on one side today ~ Happy One-Month Birthday! (Time will tell if this was a random fluke since she was inclined in her pack-and-play, but she did it more than once so I'm thinking milestone partially accomplished??)
• And finally...GET CUTER BY THE MINUTE!!!

Mommy and Daddy love you more than life Boo-Bear!

Four Weeks and Growing

Four Week Close-Up

Rolled Over on Her Side :)

Mother's Day

"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life." ~ Abraham Lincoln

I am so glad that mothers everywhere get a day to be honored and remembered because being a mother is truly a job that is both the most difficult and the most rewarding.

In celebrating my very first Mother's Day, I think I had this idea that I would wake up feeling different. The truth is that I did wake up feeling different but that is only because my dear, precious husband gave me the best gift ever ~ SLEEP!

As for me feeling different because it's Mother's Day ~ I didn't really. Everyday is Mother's Day for me. I wake up to the most precious face in the entire world, one that completes my soul, one that showers me with an unconditional love that I will never take for granted.

She is my dear, sweet angel and I am forever blessed to have been given the opportunity to be her mother. It is a role that I will cherish as long as I live, because how can you not love a bond like this...

3 Weeks!

Sophie had a wonderful 3-week birthday today :)

She and Mommy took the giant leap of faith and ran errands together! After a quick trip to work for her to meet a few special people, we did a Target trip and then met her wonderful Daddy for lunch :) There was a minimal meltdown towards the end of lunch over a dirty diaper, but who can blame her for that?! Once that was resolved, she was her happy, bright-eyed self for Kevin's office and slept right through PetsMart, where we picked up some special things for Brother and Sissy. She's been napping peacefully since getting home, and Mommy is beyond proud of her for behaving so well! She is certainly a trooper to have tolerated all that activity :)

At 3 weeks, Sophie is eating 3-ozs per feeding which happens about every 3 to 3.5 hours, is still wearing newborn clothes and diapers, is staying awake a little longer between naps, and continues to steal my heart with every second of her life.

Every day I say I couldn't love her more, but somehow I always do!!!

Three Weeks

Three Week Close-Up

Mobile Me = Updated (Yes again!)

Mobile Me has been updated with additional pictures...

http://gallery.me.com/heathertaliaferro#100332

Even at 1:30am...

Even at 1:30am, she steals my heart :)

Grandma & Papa John!

I love my Grandma and Papa John! I slept so well on their chests and they absolutely adore me (but then who doesn't) :)

Also, a special thank you for taking the 5:00am feeding so Mommy and Daddy could sleep in!!!

Hanging with my Papa John!

Yummy dinner with Grandma!

This is peaceful sleeping if I ever saw it!

She was so good for them and then the real Sophie came out :) Just kidding, she really is a good baby 98% of the time! The other 2% she is just gassy which is not her fault...and that is what I tell myself a million times in the middle of the night ~ it is not her fault, it is not her fault, it is noone's fault, just keep rocking and patting, just keep rocking, it will be over soon...lol :)

Happy Family ;)

Love you both very much! Can't wait to see you again REALLY soon!!!

Your newest granddaughter,

Sophia Grace