How can it be?!?!

...that we have a 1-year-old! We celebrated Sophia's very first birthday on August 25th. It was just a special, quiet night at home with Mommy, Daddy and our Big Girl. We had just come off of a 2 and 1/2 week trip visiting family and friends back in Illinois where we had a blow out birthday bash with a balloon and confetti drop...the works:)
So the night to ourselves, to reflect on what the last year has brought us, was a nice way to end the birthday festitivies:) After Sophia went to bed, Justin and I watched video footage from Sophias first months...of course, I teared up at the realization that if the first year went this fast, the rest of her childhood will be over in the blink of an eye! But we've managed to savor each moment with the wonder of the blessing she is to us.
In other news...we nearly have a walker. Her record (3 steps) has given us hope that full fledged walking is quickly on the horizon!

Sophia enjoying some time on the Farm with Grandpa!










First Birthday Fun!












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She's trying to communicate:)

Sophia is slowly connecting verbally with her world...and boy, is it adorable! She started off several weeks ago saying "dadadada" which made her daddy very proud (and of course left me feeling a little jealous:-) But now she actually says "mamamama" even when you prompt her to say "dada"...(smiling smugly:-)

But the cutest one we've heard so far is her new friendly greeting...she says, "Hi!". Soooo cute. But it's usually not just a short, sweet "hi". She likes to draw it out. Imagine a little hi pitched voice saying, "HHHHIIIIiiiiii...." to you. Makes you kinda smile, doesn't it.


Justin's family came to visit a couple of weeks ago. Here's a beach pic of Grandpa, Sophia and me enjoying the beautiful view.

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Expensive seats!!

So I just realize that I've been slacking on my "mom responsibility" to get the next step up in car seats for Sophia. I'm reminded during a conversation with a friend who asked me what carseat I got for Sophia when she grew out of her infant carrier. "Yikes", I still have her in the infant carrier and haven't thought about the next step convertible seat in a while. Honestly, I've been putting it off because it's all so confusing to me. There are so many options and brands. And I'm convinced that the car seat industry has us parents cornered. All of the seats on the market meet safety regulations so you really can't go wrong, but it seems like the most expensive seats get the best safety ratings from Consumer Reports and the like. I mean of course you want your baby in the safest seat possible. But is it necessary to buy the most expensive?!?! It just gets really overwhelming. One brand I've looked at resembles a little lush recliner for your kid. Of course it's the most pricey. Across the board, I've been looking from most to least expensive-Britax Marathon, Cosco Alpha Omega and the Evenflo Triumph. Anyone have any suggestions?? Help!

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So Proud!

I actually JOGGED last weekend! What an accomplishment~ And I owe it in huge part to PUSH TV and my trainer Mike Monroe. I just started session #3 with PUSH and it is the first one that has REALLY challenged me. The previous sessions have kind of been building on each other and the most recent left me sore, a good sore, the next day. I'm continuing to "plug away" at my workouts and am feeling really great. I can tell it's given me more energy throughout the day.
My next goal is to begin swimming as exercise. I've never been a strong swimmer...I think it started in grade school when I failed swimming lessons (yes, you really can fail:). But I'm going to turn over a new leaf and give it a try. It's an important part of my overlying goal of eventually competing in a triatholon!
Sophia Update: She's EVERYWHERE!! Crawling all over, pulling herself up on everything...it's a wonder I have a moment to spare for exercising!

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Cool Shades...

So I have to tell everyone about this great find that I have been using for Sophia's stroller. Ever since I've had a baby, I've been OBSESSED with protecting her from the sun. I figure, I should start her out by protecting her from as much sun damage as possible...hopefully by the time she's a teenager, it won't be "in" to have a constant dark tan like it was when I was that age!
Anyway, in addition to massive amounts of sunscreen, I've been using this great Stroller Sun Shade Attachment that you can find at www.stylishlyprotected.com or www.protectabub.com. This sun cover easily attaches to almost any stroller (I have two strollers and it works with both) and protects against 98% of the sun's UVA & UVB rays. Plus when she's getting a little drowsy in her stroller, I can pull the shade down to help her take a nap (and buy me some time:-)

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I will survive!

Well...I've made it past the first 2 weeks of my fitness program with PUSH, and I have to say, they make it really easy for me to workout with my new life situation..i.e."trying to get in shape after having and trying to keep up with a baby!"(now mind you, "making it easy", and just going ahead and doing the workout for me are two VERY different things:-)
My fitness trainer, Mike, calls me every two weeks to check in, see if I have any questions, and basically encourage me in reaching my goals. The current challenge he's given me is investigating a competitive event that I can set as my future goal. I'm looking at some triatholons, or maybe a 1/2 marathon. Haven't decided yet.

Yesterday, for Mother's Day, Justin, Sophia and I went for a hike. And boy, was it a hike! It definitely made me realize that I still have a long way to go to acheive all of my fitness goals, but finishing the hike encouraged me that I'm not a total "lost cause" :)

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Exercise Programs to Purchase - www.push.tv/chicblvd

Hi Ladies... so I'm joining 2 More Hours with PUSH tv and ChicBlvd.com!

I had my first phone call with one of the trainers on Wednesday!

I'll share more later, but please join me on this journey at www.push.tv/chicblvd (get a FREE 30-DAY TRIAL!)

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Happy as a "Daisy"...

Sophia has been a little under the weather for the past week. She was feeling better today so we spent some time outside "playing". Mommy needed some "outside time" too. I'm feeling a little claustrophobic!
I threw on her new hat from Maggie's Rose. It's one of the most adorable hats she owns! I can hardly take her out in public without getting stopped and people asking me where I picked up this cute hat. You can see what Maggie's Rose has to offer at www.maggiesrose.com. You can also scope out where you can pick one up for your little darling. We just celebrated our friend, Celia's, first birthday and gave her one...it was a hit! And she looked adorable in it too.

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Sophia is my little Rock Star!

If you want to bring out the rockstar in your baby check out the hip and trendy onesies from My Rockstar Baby. Their onesies are printed with unique and funny phrases that accurately describe the life and times of babies everywhere - with just a touch of attitude! Phrases like "poop happens", "active doodie" and "i'm pooped" are just some of the designs offered at My Rockstar Baby. All designs are printed on super-soft onesies available in short-sleeve and long-sleeve. My Rockstar Baby was created by the passion and desires of best friends Emmy and Mookie. Their love of babies and all things associated, along with the desire to own their own company, helped them to create this unique and fun line of onesies.

Check it out! :)

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Just can't get enough

I've found there are two things that I thought I had TONS of when Sophia was born...I even thought that maybe I had two many. I was wrong! I've since learned that you can never have enough burp clothes and blankets.
One of Sophia's favorite blankets is the Cuddle Zabba from AllyZabba. It's an adorable kiwi color "snugly" blanket with a beautiful trim. I get lots of compliments on it when we go out.
AllyZabba also has beautiful burp cloths. Or as they call them...Burpie Zabbas :)Just because you use them for spit up doesn't mean they shouldn't' be beautiful, right!
So anyway, just wanted to give you the tip...check out AllyZabba.com. If you're like I am, I'm not only always in the market for cool baby stuff for my little gal, but also for the dozens of friends I know who are having babies!

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The Queen on her Throne!

Each day Sophia becomes more of a little person. Her newest discovery is the view she has from her highchair. We just started feeding her in it regulary this week. It's so cute to see her little body in the big chair. Not only does she love sitting up so high like a "big girl", but we have dinner entertainment now!
The only problem is, I've quickly discovered the downside of having carpet in the eating area of the kitchen...gross! There's a smattering of squash, apples, and peas on the ground.
Also, we've discovered the beauty of those little "Puffs" that melt in her mouth. She's LOVES those things...and they are great from "buying some time" while I'm working on something!

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A Special Week

My husbands parents just left today after a week long trip to our place in California from their home in Illinois. I was reminded just how special seeing our parents interacting with our little girl. It's so neat to see Justin's mom sing songs and nursery rhymes to Sophia. It allows me to glimpse back in time to when Justin was a baby and she sang those same songs to him.
Because our families are so far away, Sophia is the beneficiary of some MAJOR spoiling when she does see her grandmas and grandpas! And I get spoiled too by getting a break from diaper changes and baths:)
My family (Dad, Mom, Sister, Brother, Aunt and Uncle) is coming out to visit over Easter to see us...who am I kidding...to see Sophia! We can't wait.
I've realized that even though a couple of thousand miles separate us, the time we are now able to spend with our family is not taken for granted anymore. We value each minute we're able to be together. And our communication during the time we're not together is much more frequent, via phone, email, webcam, than it was when we lived just a few miles away.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Thanks to those of you who keep checking back for an update on this blog. I’m FINALLY getting around to posting…motherhood is a lot of things, and one of those things is a FULL TIME JOB!

Since I’ve last written, we’ve traveled across the country with Sophia, she’s started to roll over on her own (and roll very quickly!!), started eating solid foods, cut her first two teeth, gotten her first fever and has been busy changing and growing each day.

I’ve started going to a group called MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) at a local church. It’s been such a huge blessing to me (you can find a MOPS meeting in your area by visiting www.mops.org). MOPS has been a great time to connect with other new moms like myself, moms who’ve had a few years experience, and “mentor moms” who are usually “grandma age” to guide all of us through the process.

In my group at MOPS, two of the moms have newborns. While Sophia and the other kids hang out in the nursery, the newborns get to come to the meeting with us. In the couple of times I’ve gotten to cradle these little cuties in my arms, I’ve realized that in my mind, Sophia never really grew out of this stage. I didn’t realize how big she really was until I held a newborn again. Another reminder of how fast this time has gone!

Since Sophia has started eating solids, I feel like most of my day is spent either feeding her or preparing her food (I’m making most of it at home in my blender). I suppose it’s a small price to pay to be able to know exactly what is going into her body and that it’s healthy, fresh produce, but I didn’t know how much time it takes to feed a baby J She’s good to go on the yellow veggies, but the green veggie introduction hasn’t gone quite as smoothly as I would have hoped. She gagged on the avocadoes and broccoli was a “no go”. I was going to try green beans next but I’m not very hopeful. Any advice anyone might have on introducing the “green guys”, send it my way!

I Want to be A Chain Starter!

This December we ALL have an exciting opportunity to take up the cause of finding a cure for a disease that has taken the lives of more than 25 millions people worldwide. As World AIDS Day arrives on December 1st, I’m going to do my part by being a “Tin Carrier” for Kabre and Jean Paul! What is a “Tin Carrier”…and who in the world are Kabre and Jean Paul, you ask?!?! Keep reading... :-)

(you can also find the details at http://www.chicblvd.com/aids)…

Hint Mint, http://www.hintmint.com/ along with ChicBlvd.com is launching this, the first annual, CarryATin4AidsCampaign. The companies are selecting 50 people to begin an awareness chain by presenting us with a uniquely numbered, Limited Edition AIDS Awareness Tin and asking us to take one mint and pass along the tin. The ultimate goal is for the participant to inspire 34 more people (whether they be friends, family or random encounters) to do the same until ultimately, 35 mints later, the now empty tin is sent to the office of YouthAIDS/ PSI in Washington, DC on or before January 1st, 2007 deadline. The goal of the journeys of these tins is to raise $50,000 for the cause.

Why am I participating? …because of two adorable little boys on the other side of the world. My husband and I sponsor Kabre from Burkina Faso and Jean Paul from Rwanda Compassion International. Although we’ve never met these little guys, they’ve come to mean a lot to us through letters and prayer. They are both part of Compassion projects in areas that are highly affected by AIDS…most likely, their family is directly impacted by the disease. This is another way that I can help these little guys and the vicious epidemic that is sweeping their country, community, and family.

Here are our boys...


Kabre
Jean Paul
















I’m asking all the people who get my tin to email me so I can document where the tin is across the US on its way to DC...I’ll give you updates here on my blog!

Hardest, Best Job Ever!!!

Being a mom is the hardest, most wonderful job I’ve ever had! I know once Sophia becomes mobile, life will change even more. But even now, as she just reaches 12 weeks, trying to get everyday things done has taken on a whole new dimension!

A typical day in our house now completely centers around our “1 Foot 11 Inch Queen”!

7:00am: Get up to feed Sophia and start her day…if she hasn’t already woken us up at 6:30am when I’m just not quite ready to get out of bed (after having woken up at LEAST once in the middle of the night!).

7:20am: Try to keep myself awake while Sophia and Justin share a few minutes before he heads off to work…by the way, this is a VERY “smiley” part of Sophia’s day:)

8:00am: Good thing Sophia loves the lights in our bathroom…she hangs out in her bouncy seat while I enjoy a nice hot shower. Uh-oh…she’s getting bored…I guess my legs won’t get shaved today:-(

8:30am: “Please take your morning nap, Sophia” (so that I can have one too!)

9:30am: Try to get a few things picked up around the house which looks like it’s been hit by the “Cyclone That Leaves Only Baby Stuff Behind”, read a few emails, pay bills, etc.

10:00am: Feeding Round #2….hopefully by this time I have grabbed something of sustenance for myself to eat since I AM keeping a little person alive. Sometimes it’s so hard to remember or have the time to EAT! (Mental Note: Try to focus on my H2O intake too.)

10:20am: Enjoy some time with my little angel. Her new favorite toy on her activity mat is her Gangly Green Bunny…he’s kinda growin’ on me too. If Sophia’s in a REALLY good mood, she might like a little tummy time. I should spend a little time on my tummy too, but getting in an ab workout these days is nearly impossible.

11:00am: Sophia starts to get crabby…probably time for another nap, but she’s fighting it. Guess I’ll just hold her for awhile…I might get a smile before she dozes off, anyway:)

11:30am: Laid her down…now maybe I’ll have a few minutes to do something fun. My project of choice for today will be working on Sophie’s scrapbook. I have an amazing one for her that I got from Jack Scrapbooks it’s called Baby Feats. You can find them at www.jackscrapbooks.com. I can record the darling details of her life up to age 5 in this book and it will last forever….its cover is made of wood and it has stainless steal hardware. So if Sophia gets her hands on it in the next couple of years, it may survive!

1:00pm: Feeding Round #3…yikes…”Surprise Spit-up”...good thing I have some very special burp clothes from MoMo Baby Gifts (www.momobabygifts.com). They have Sophia’s name embroidered on them…what a spoiled little girl:) But seriously…great gift idea for baby showers! MoMo also has adorable and affordable outfits that you can have embroidered for any little cutie.

1:30pm: Since Soph is in a good mood…I think we’ll try to run some errands. It’s funny how little I get out these days…it seems like I have to have a REALLY important reason to put forth the effort to walk out the door. Will it ever be easy to go to the mall again?!?! I have some boxes to mail…I think we’ll try to swing by the post office.

1:45pm: After strapping on the Baby Bjorn, getting the little munchkin situated in
it, juggling 3 HUGE boxes up to the post office (mind you, no one offering to open the door for me), I take my number (#82) only to find that they’re on #51…ugh. After about 3 minutes, Sophia starts freaking out so we turn around…back out the door with all 3 huge boxes, unload her from the Baby Bjorn and head back home…she screams all the way.

Well…I could go on, but you get the idea. What makes it all worth it are moments like the one I had just the other day...I could hear Sophia just waking up from her nap and fussing a bit. When I cracked her door to take a peek, I saw her looking up at the smiling bugs on her new mobile. She was smiling right back at her new friends with her biggest, gummiest grin…those are the snapshots in time that simply melt my heart and make being a mom “The Best”!

*Disclaimer: Times indicated above are the framework for what a wonderful typical day would be….this rarely happens:0


Here's Sophia in her Halloween Costume...I had every intention of putting her in the adorable "Pea in the Pod" costume that I've seen in years past...but once I saw the "Lobster", I knew it was meant to be!

Whew...Time is FLYING!!!

Sophia Maye is here!!! Sorry for the delay in giving an update…as you can probably imagine, it’s been a VERY BUSY few weeks in our household. It seems that ever since we brought her home, life has been in "fast forward"!

We welcomed our angel on August 25th at 4:02pm. She was bigger than the doctor expected at 7lbs 15oz and 19 ½ inches long. She is BEAUTIFUL! She has her Daddy's lips and chin. She's already changed so much in just a few weeks and as she grows she's looking more and more like her Dad! In fact, in looking at his baby pics, she's the "spittin' image" of Justin when he was a baby! And of course, she already has him wrapped around her "itty-bitty" finger:)

Justin and I just stare at her…it doesn’t matter if she’s awake or sleeping. We’re simply enthralled with her and the fact that she’s ours. Justin said it best, “I never knew I could have so much fun with a sleeping person”! :)

I thought labor would be the hardest part of becoming a parent, but given that I had a famous EPIDERAL upon the recommendation of nearly every mom I know, the most challenging aspect so far has been nursing. I guess I knew nursing would be hard, but it is REALLY HARD (and painful). In talking with many of my friends, the whole “if the baby is latching on correctly, it shouldn’t hurt” thing that nurses and lactation consultants usually tell new moms is WRONG (at least for most of my friends)! Sophia has got the hang of it…and it still hurts. It has gotten MUCH better over the last few weeks, and I’m committed to sticking it out. I’m chalking it up to a character building experience.

One thing that has made nursing much easier is a great nursing cover from BeBe Au Lait. It helps me with being discreet when I need to nurse in public…I’m still trying to figure out “nursing in public etiquette”! And it’s better than a blanket because the fabric is really light so Sophia doesn’t get too hot. It has a band on the top that allows me to see how Sophia’s doing without taking a chance of inadvertently "flashing" people around me (!)and it has a terry cloth panel for any spit-ups or accidents she might have! Plus it’s SUPER CUTE…mine is in the “Hot Dots” pattern. Find out more about these great nursing covers at www.bebeaulait.com.

It’s been so much fun to finally put those adorable baby clothes and gear that I’ve been stocking up on for months to use! One of my favorite things to put on Sophia are her “Baby Legs”. These adorable little leggings come in all kinds of colors and patterns and are great for lounging around the house (they will be especially great when she starts to crawl), or for getting lots of compliments when we go out on the town. They’re so unique that most people take note. Sophia’s favorite are her Rainbow Baby Legs…well, okay, I guess they’re Mommy’s Favorite:) The best part is, it's like she has pants on so her legs don't get cold, but I don't have to take them off when I change her diaper....and WOW, do I change A LOT of those! You can check them out at www.babylegs.net. Below is a pic of Sophia showing of her "Baby Legs" :)



The days go by so quickly…and even the nights aren’t so bad when I have her adorable little face pleading for her 4am feeding. I absolutely LOVE being Sophia’s mom…this is the best job EVER. We’re still getting acquainted with each other, but each day gets a little easier and a little more wonderful. She is simply a JOY.

Gotta go…I have a date with a cute little munchkin for some “TUMMY TIME”…

Video Frame eCards for Mom - bloombyag.com!

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Check out the Video Frame eCards from bloombyag.com! http://www.bloombyag.com/category.pd?path=69061&

These are super cool--you can send video or photos from your cell phone, webcam, or video camera to all your friends via an eCard. You could use it to send to college roommates who you never see anymore, videos of how you look now that you are pregnant, etc! Of course moms use it all the time to send super cure things their little ones are doing..first steps, smiles, words, etc. Wow... maybe I'll be doing that soon! :)

The Frames are the ones where you can either add a photo or a video. Check out the online photo albums too.

My bag is packed...I'm ready to go!

I’m at 39 weeks this week…and I’m so ready to be done….not so much because I’m miserably huge and uncomfortable (although I do have my moments), but we’ve gone through weeks and months of preparation and we’re just ready to have her here with us!

Stretchmark update: 1 week to go and STILL no stretchmarks….Yippee!! For the last few weeks I’ve been using a new favorite product that I definitely want to recommend to “growing” moms-to-be. It’s this great stuff called TUMMY HONEY. They make formulas for both stretch mark prevention (what I’m using now) and to make existing stretchmarks fade. You can find Tummy Honey for yourself or for a gift for a mom to be by visiting mothersintuition.com to find a store that carries it.

I really don’t sleep very well anymore…between my heartburn and sweating profusely even with no blankets and a fan blowing directly on me…I’m being prepared for the long nights of no sleep ahead of me. Although I think I’ll prefer having an adorable little one getting me up in the night compared to a heartburn attack!

I’ve heard friends say it, and I think it’s true…you have a fear of labor for the first 8 months, and then after that, you develop this sense of just wanting to be done and your fear turns in to anticipation and eagerness. I like to call it “being in the ZONE”!

I packed my hospital bag this week…the socks, Chap Stick, pj’s, and a cute little “going home” outfit for Baby Girl-it’s a precious outfit from newforbaby.com that I love! They have the most adorable newborn sets that ACTUALLY FIT newborns!

I would love any ideas for items that you found helpful to have that aren’t on the normal “hospital checklist” that you get at birthing classes or in pre-delivery literature. Feel free to post any ideas here on my blog to help other moms-to-be too!

I think we’ve officially decided on a name, but you’ll have to stay tuned because we’re going to keep it a secret until after she’s born! It’s a really great name, though:)

Now that we’re down to the last few weeks, our Dr does an ultra sound in his office at each visit which we really look forward to. Our last ultrasound showed us that she has CHUBBY CHEEKS! We can’t wait to kiss those cute little cheeks!

The nursery is ready. Today I put the finishing touch up--an adorable piece of art with Noah’s ark animals from Squishme.com! This week we also hung up a beautiful quilt that Justin’s Grandma made for the baby above her crib. We have another blanket that my Great Grandma (the baby’s Great-Great Grandma!) made before she passed away a couple of years ago. So special! These kinds of things are such blessings to add to the Baby’s room since we’re so far away from our family in Illinois. But no worries…they’re already planning their visits out to come see the new addition to the family:)

Well…thanks for reading all my random musings as we approach the last week. Justin and I are now headed to see if we can figure out this “car seat installation” thing…which I’ve heard is one of the most challenging feats of parenthood!

Shopping Cart Covers from Kangaroodles.com

What a great idea! I would definitely want to get one of these when baby comes. They are not only hip and chic... but are perfect for keeping my little one free of germs! The covers can be found at Kangaroodles.com and we can get 25% off when using the code chickids now through December 31, 2006.

Diaper Bags at luxemama.com!

This website, luxemama.com, has a number of chic and useful things for a new mom or mom to be. The diaper bags look like purses... no one would ever know the difference! I especially liked the Mia Bossi Maria Diaper Bag. Wow, I would love to have one of these.