Sophia is 3 Months Old!

Look at our happy girl standing up! She's enjoyed standing in our laps for awhile now, but tonight she just kept on standing and didn't want to sit. She supports herself so well and I bet it won't be long before she's able to sit up on her own. Sophie already loves her Bumbo chair too.






What an expression!


And finally... a rest!


Also, check out our chunky monkey in the bath tub. She's not missing any meals, that's for sure!


In the last week or so she's discovered (focused on) her right arm/hand in a fist. She's been flexing it and trying to have some more controlled movements with that arm - it looks like she's saying "who wants to arm wrestle?" :) But to focus in on it with her eyes is a big deal because it helps her realize that her arm and hand are a part of her body and she can control their motions. One day last week I got her to hold onto a plush rattle for almost a minute. Again, a behavior that teaches her she can control her body and manipulate objects. Pretty soon, she'll be grabbing everything and sticking it in her mouth. She already likes to try to stick her whole fist in her mouth. :)

She's also doing very well at the babysitters while I'm at work. She takes three bottles per day there and has no trouble transitioning back and forth from nursing to bottle. Now, I'm just working on tweaking her bedtime routine... I want another good sleeper like Will!

A Sleepy Bookworm

This is how Will fell asleep for his nap today... with his nose literally buried in a book. :)






Also, Casey came over with her girls and we went for a walk today. Here's an updated snapshot of the 3 Stooges. Look how big Mya & Stella are getting!

"Workin' at the Car Wash"

On Saturday, Craig and Will got outside to wash the Jeep and the truck.

I'm a workin' woman again!

Ha! As if being a full time mom isn't WORK. The days at work are actually EASIER than being at home with the kids. But I don't get paid to stay home...

My first week back went very smoothly, I think. The kids both transitioned easily, the mornings and evenings went pretty well, and pumping is also going well so far.

You all know me... I'm nothing if I'm not prepared. So last weekend I got the kids' and my clothes picked out for the week, cleaned the house, prepped meals for the week (and also made some soup and casseroles for the freezer), packed my lunch, and organized all my pump stuff. Craig's getting up earlier than usual to get Will ready while I feed Sophie and get her ready. Then he does the drop-off in the morning to the sitters and I pick up in the evening at 5. It's been nice to "level the playing field", so to speak, between Craig and I because he's helping out more... but working also leaves me with WAY less time to get things done around the house and spend time with the kids. It's a balancing act and is all about time management. It'll get better as we get into the swing of this new routine and Sophie gets a little older.

At work I'm allowed a 15 minute break in the morning and afternoon to pump and then I have 30 minutes over lunch to both eat and pump. So basically, I'm not leaving the office for lunch or errands for the next 9 months (until Sophie turns one). But that's the sacrifice I have to make...

I DO have the luxury of using a hospital grade pump, which is awesome. So I can leave mine at home and just transport the parts for washing each night. And Sophie gets whatever I pump for the following day with the sitter.

It has been nice to feel like I can get out of the house and talk to people other than my children. I do miss them, of course, but we're all doing well with this so far and it feels good.

A few pictures from last weekend...
We went to a graduation party on Saturday.


And here's Will brushing his teeth. :) He looks so much like his daddy... especially in the second one.




And then swimming on Sunday at mom and dad's. Their pool is finally open and Will actually got in and enjoyed "kicking his feet".

Flower Child

Bumbo Baby!

Check out our BIG girl sitting upright in the Bumbo seat! Will was nearly 4 months old when he could do this. She's 11 weeks.






After pausing to go change Sophie's diaper, I came back out to the living room to find this: (LOL)

Staying Busy

Just a few days left till I go back to work. The kids and I have been trying to make the most of my full-time-mommy status by trying to do as many fun activities as time, energy and 2 kids will allow. Like the story hour at the library. I love that time with just Will so he and I have some special time together.

We've also gone out to Maumee Bay recently to play on that playground and visit some family camping out there.










While at the campgrounds, Will and I got to test out a bike trailor. I've been in the market for one for some time now and we've never actually tried one out. We loved it! I figured that's a smarter financial purchase than a double stroller. So last night, we finally ordered one and it should be in in a couple weeks. Hooray!

Last Sunday we went over to Kelly & Steve's for dinner and an "attempt" at swimming... the water was too cold... and Will felt the same way about her pool as he did about Aunt Lori's on the 4th. But I got to put Sophie in her little swimsuit for the first time!








Craig and I have taken the kids to a car show and to eat at Rayz Cafe. And we're also frequent flyers at the Big Dipper for ice cream. Mmm!


Today, Kelly & I took the kids to the zoo again. Since we were just there, we decided to do some different things this time around like the newly opened Nature's Neighborhood for children and also a train ride through the African Safari.

Will wanted to "feed the pandas" at the entrance. So he picked up some leaves and weeds and stuck them in it's mouth. :)




In Nature's Neighborhood, Will checked out the goats, rode down a slide, and stepped around in a little stream with Auny Kelly.




This is Louie the "baby" elephant. When he was born, he weighed 275#. How's that for a birth weight? Not too shabby! I remember the year he was born, the zoo had billboards up of him saying "He has his mother's nose." LOL


And the train ride!




It's weird how it feels like the summer is ending now that my leave is over. And yet, we're not even halfway through July yet. I feel like a school kid. Maybe I should go shopping for new "school" clothes?! Nah, better save my pennies for daycare.

The rest of the summer is probably going to fly by as I adjust, once again, to another new change in life.