Six Months...

Growing, growing. Charlie had her 6 month checkup today. She's been pretty sick these last few days with a terrible cough and today seems to be the worse. Doctor confirmed it was just a cold so he proceeded with her vaccines. It was a tough morning for our Little Bit. This afternoon she took a turn for the worst and didn't want to be put down. She would fall asleep in my arms and cough every 5 seconds. Her eyes were super heavy and swollen along with fever and running nose. She hasn't eaten all day and gags on any sort of syringe even near her mouth. Joy. I must admit...I hate winter sickness!!


[Getting sick...]


[Sister got it too...]

On a lighter note...She weighs 17.7 pounds and now measures 26 inches. Laughs and smiles all the time, even today being so sick she popped out a few smiles past those droopy eyes. She hasn't picked up on solid food eating. We've tried a few times but she just lets it hang out in her open mouth before spitting it all out. We may wait a few more months and try again.




[Feeling the oatmeal in her mouth...]

She has the biggest, brightest, blue eyes that sort of twinkle when you look at her. Is covered in her own drool all day long. Teeth are literally days away...we can see the white line broadcasting where they will soon take place. She loves to sit in her bebepod chair and gather toys around her. And she absolutely adores her Sophie girl.





Just born yesterday...six months today. Gee whiz.

Happy reading. Love.

Tangled Party...

Sophie decided she wanted a Tangled themed birthday party after seeing the party favors and such at ToysRUs one day. So knowing how much she actually LOVES this movie I decided to get as creative as I could to make her party the best one yet. Afterall, she turned 3 and birthdays are kind of a big deal from this point forward [or at least until your 21, eh?].



We started off with our favor bags in which all the kiddos created their own favors to bring home. We colored Flynn Rider noses on wanted posters, made Pascal blowers, colored paper lanterns and popped balloons filled with candy and stickers. Sophie picked out chalk and rubber ducks as random favors to add to each bag. It was a little too chilly outside to do sidewalk chalk like Rapunzel did in the movie, so we sent the chalk home with everyone for later. And the rubber ducks were added to resemble the Snuggly Duckling pub, where Flynn Rider took Rapunzel in the attempt to scare her.




[The Pascal blower...being played with the following day.]

I put out a tray of various snacks to be placed on skewers as "Tower Kebabos" before we all mowed down hotdogs and chips.

The Princess opened all her gifts. Then we sang Happy Birthday and enjoyed eating her donut tower cake. I also made jello with orange boats, an idea I found online. We were going to do a balloon release outside [my safe "floating lanterns"] with LED lite balloons but it never got dark enough so all the kids ran upstairs to Sophie's room [the darkest room in the house] to see their glowing balloons. They all got to take one home instead so no one was unhappy in the end.


[The tower cake...]






[Charlie enjoying her balloon...]

I'm bummed I didn't take more pictures of all the decorations. My Hubby and Mom were VERY helpful in creating this magical day. Mom and I made Rapunzel's braided hair out of yellow yard for the front door. And my hubby hung her "magical glowing hair" [white christmas lights] on the tree. 3D Pascals [in every color] where hidden about the house for the kids to hunt and Wanted Flynn Rider posters were on the door and tree. SO FUN!

Thanks to everyone, friends and family, for celebrating Sophie's special day with us. Love, love, love.

Happy 3rd Birthday Sophie!!!....

Sophie Leigh turns 3!! Its weird to think that we've only known this little girl since creating her being 3 years ago. We have an entire lifetime of memories already and more are made everyday. Being her parent is so amazing and we cannot have asked for a single thing more.





Sophie. Almost 3 foot tall and 25 pounds she's our sweet, sensitive, sassy girl. She has quite the imagination in almost everything she does whether that be telling a story about her imaginary friend "blue guy" or when playing with toys and reading her version of a book. [Particularly Knuffle Bunny...one Mike and I will NEVER forget]


[First attempt at writing her name...]


[Oh. Yes. Headbands.]

She's a talker. She almost never stays in her bed after being tucked in. She uses excuses such as "Mommy, I gave you a bad kiss" or she finds the need to tell me that "Charlie is a good girl" just so she can get up. She recently found fear of not only the dark but going into rooms alone. I could attempt to be a child psychologist here and say it's because of her favorite movies...Rio, Tangled, How to Train Your Dragon and Gnomeo & Juliet [which we've seen no less than 100 times each] but I think it's safe to say that all little tykes have a fear of something so we'll conquer hers one day at a time.


[Her finished coin bank monster she painted today at Clay Cafe...]



She loves to play in her kitchen and grocery store. Loves playing swords with Daddy and reading books in her tent. Has a shoe fetish. LOVES Katy Perry. Sings in anything that looks like it could be a microphone. Dances. Likes jumping on the trampoline. Has to get the "tickle fot" when brushing her teeth before Daddy takes over. Adores her little sister. Is impatient and has a TINY temper. Loves the outdoors. Likes to help with anything and everything around the house. And...is still our happy little animal lover who smiles ALL the time.









She's our fruit loop in this world full of cheerios and we pray that will never change.

Happy 3rd Birthday baby girl. We love you more than stars, fishes and way higher than the moon!

Lots of love to everyone reading.

First Hair Cut...

Sophie got her very first haircut yesterday. She was such a brave girl and Mommy was so proud of her. She didn't cry not once!


[Before...]

Started off with a "coco-nutty" shampoo and condition...of course, she was too little to sit in the chair by herself so I held her tiny body up over the sink to get her scrub. She laughed and said the water sprayer "tickled".

Then, off to get a snip and style. She felt more secure holding my hand [which was totally fine by me] and she had her a HUGE lolly-sidekick too. She listened so well when asked to "freeze"...[we know this action all to well from our infamous Yo Gabba Gabba episodes].







Still our Sophie girl...only with a few inches [3 to be exact] off the bottom! She couldn't get enough of herself in the mirror...



Thanks to Vicky for being so patient and making our princess feel comfortable during her first haircut endeavor.

Have a great day! Love.

Five Months...

Sniffle.

Charlie angel is already 5 months old. This month kind of snuck up on me [hence the reason for the late post] and our littlest princess has begun to do so much. She is grasping objects when held in front of her...all of which end up directly in her mouth. I swear she is cutting teeth. She's so violent when putting things in her mouth almost as if she is going to rip it to pieces. Crazy chick. She fights sleep. Is impossible to feed...moving her head everywhere to see everything and touching/pulling with her hands. Fun times.





She can hold her head up steady now and will do so in any seat just to show you she can. Sitting up at playtime on the floor is becoming a habit. Of course, with support of Mommy behind her. She also much enjoys laying on her back under her activity gym, on the couch or on the bed [with enough room to kick her feet continuously]. She is very ticklish on her thighs and shoulders. Is laughing a lot more. [So freaking cute, btw.] And ABSOLUTELY LOVES her Sophie girl. She watches her every move and thinks whatever she does is hilarious.


[Talking to Sophie...]



Sampson and Owen have been on her radar lately, too. Sampson more-so only because he is normally eye level with her highchair waiting for someone to drop food. She will reach out anytime either one is close enough to touch. And just within the last week or two she has totally become one with her voice-box. She can carry on a conversation for several minutes and when she does it's so amusing to listen to the different sounds she can create. Pure sweetness!



She'll go next month for her weigh-in and height check so I'll be sure to post the specs. She's growing like a weed!

Love to everyone reading!

Merry Christmas!!!...

Four Christmases this year, one less than last year, and all were great. Saturday's Christmas Eve cajun lunch was awesome and the girls had a blast with their cousins. Aren't they a group of cute tykes...??



Christmas morning Charlie waited patiently for sister to wake up but once she did...one-by-one each present was torn into. Of course, our neat freak [Sophie] was trying to clean her wrapping paper mess as she went. Daddy insisted she throw the paper everywhere so towards the end of the stack she started to let loose!






[Charlie checking out her activity gym...]


[Sophie testing out her new wheels...]

Third Christmas brought us to Pa and Ram's house for food and more gifts. Here Sophie stayed in her hanging tent [along with Daddy] while Charlie became attached to her bunny rattle.


[In the tent...]


[Trying to figure out the musical flowers...]

And finally the last Christmas back at our house for the traditional "Goedel" dinner. We had every italian dish you could think of and ate until we were sick. Of course, some might have been sick from other resources the next morning.

Christmas is never complete without family so thanks to all our family and friends for making this year special, yet again!

Merry Christmas!!! Love!

Weekend Fun...

Or really Saturday fun. Took the girls to the South Plains Wildlife Rehabilitation Center for their second open house [of the year]. Here workers/volunteers bring out all the injured wildlife rescued from the South Plains area. They have multiple owls and birds, a fox, a bobcat, and even a possum. We got to see baby squirrels being nurtured since falling out of their nests and a very sleepy prairie dog. Of course, Sophie's favorites were there...Huey and Jasper [or "Jaspert"] the owls. It was reassuring to see that most of the injured animals we saw earlier this year were already rehabilitated and delivered back to the wild.


[Bobby the bobcat...]


[One of Sophie's fav's, Huey....]


[Oh so sleepy, Charlie...]

Then, the evening took us to the POLAR EXPRESS!! [Or "Polar Fress"] Sophie was so anxious the entire trip waiting patiently to see Santa and his elf's. She talked to almost everyone who asked her about Christmas and what she wanted Santa to bring her. Charlie was pretty excited during the trip also...so much so, she talked herself to sleep.


[Seeing Santa's elf's climb aboard...]




[Couldn't wait for Santa any longer...]


[Getting nervous, Santa is approaching...but so excited to tell him she wants a bike for Christmas!...]

It's moments like these today that make parenthood so wonderful. Now we are anxiously awaiting CHRISTMAS!!!



Hope everyone has a great day!