Sophia's First Birthday Party!

We've been a little behind on our posts lately - lots going on!  On April 27, Sophia turned a year old!  We celebrated by having a party and had a great turn-out - a big thank you to everyone who was able to make it.  My mum made her a giraffe-shaped cake, and it was absolutely delicious.  Sophia was allowed to try cake for the very first time.  She was very unsure of it at first and initially made a face and spat it out.  However, she then realized how tasty it actually was, and the remainder was quickly devoured.  After everyone left, Sophia had some play time out on Mum's patio with her new watering can - courtesy of her Grandma of course, who must introduce gardening to her as soon as possible :)

Almost a Year - Sophia Turns 11 Months Old

This month has brought lots and lots of changes for Sophia.  A few weeks ago, Sophia took her first little unassisted steps (somehow, I happened to be home at the time - I was thrilled!)  Every week, she has become a bit more confident and walking a little bit further.  As of this past weekend (Easter weekend), Sophia is walking her little self everywhere!  Well, except the backyard...  Jeremy took her outside this week, complete with shoes, to try walking around on the path.  She promptly bent down and picked up a rock, then attempted to eat it.  After said rock was removed from her mouth, Sophia's outdoor walking privileges were temporarily revoked (until rocks no longer appear to be food or until our backyard is free of rocks, the latter being highly unlikely).

Sophia has also become extremely opinionated about food options.  She has gravitated towards any food that is sweet - fruit, most baby food purees, Puffs (little puffed cereal that dissolves in the mouth and requires very little chewing) and yoghurt.  Cheese has been deemed an okay option also.  Other food options such as beans, chicken, turkey, beef, ham, and vegetables are mostly tried with one bite, Sophia pulls a "why are you poisoning me face" and then flatly refuses to eat anymore.  Formula is also less than optimal, with water being a preferred beverage choice.  We think that a lot of this may have to do with the fact that she is currently producing six new shiny white teeth (two on top and four more on the bottom).  A side note: I am of the opinion that Puffs (see above) are a highly addictive form of pseudo-food, as if the container is even visible from her highchair, Sophia will scream and wail until Puffs appear on her tray.  A little strange being as the ingredients are supposed to be only fruits and vegetables...

Sophia is 10 Months Old!

This is a few days late, but Sophia turned ten months old last week.  With the new month, she has made leaps and bounds in her movement.  She is standing up all the time, is able to "walk" herself around tables, crawls very speedily, and has taken a grand total of four unassisted steps (she saw me eating an ice cream and suddenly seemed very motivated...)  Her dining habits are a bit spotty as of late - somedays she is very into her bottles and not so much into solid foods.  Other days, it's the polar opposite.  We've tried offering small pieces of different foods - she does love banana, occasionally some cheese or yogurt, but no interest in little bits of chicken or vegetables as of yet.  We'll keep trying!  We think that her top teeth are also just about ready to appear, so that may be part of the reason.

Trip to Tucson and Arabian Horse Show

So it's been quite a while since I've posted anything on here.  I'll do my best to get up to speed!

Earlier in February, we took a little day road trip to Tucson to visit Jim, Wendy and Michaela.  We enjoyed spending time with them and catching up.  Before heading home, we took a quick driving tour of the U of A campus - we hadn't been back there since 2005!  Quite a lot has changed since we were students at U of A, such as Bear Down Field being torn up to make way for a new parking structure - quite sad really!

Also in February, we took Sophia to the Arabian Horse show at WestWorld, where Lori was showing two horses.  Jeremy's Aunt Nancy and Uncle Dick were also in town and got to meet Sophia for the first time.  That same weekend, Sophia and I went to visit my mum at her allotment at Scottsdale Community College.  Sophia managed to get hay in her hair - a sign of a very happy baby :)

Playing with MegaBloks with Michaela

Visiting with Wendy

Sophia loves being outside, especially with Toby!

With Great Aunt Jeanne at the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show

With Great Aunt Nancy and Great Uncle Dick

With Sophia's Great Aunts and Bestamama

With Grandma at her allotment

Broccoli!