sophia grace hoffman

Preview of What's to Come...

2010-05-05T20:06:00.000-05:00

Here's a little clip of Sophie's first successful attempt at wearing sunglasses without freaking out. It appears she's now one with her shades. Enjoy!

Easter Highlights

2010-04-13T23:31:00.001-05:00

Our little family spent our Easter out east with some of Pete's family. As with most things, the highlight of the trip was watching all of the kids interact. Here are a few pictures of Sophie, Sam, and "baby wubee" (Ruby).

Po Hot

2010-04-13T23:10:00.001-05:00

Sophie is obsessed with Pocahontas ("Po Hot"). She walks around with her little Pocahontas book saying things like, "I love you, Po Hot. I love you, John Meeth (John Smith). I love you Mee Mo (Meeko)". She even sings one of the songs from the movie...and she sings it with the right rhythm. Yesterday I was pushing her in the cart in the grocery store, and she was chanting, "Way Wuh, Way Wuh, Nu Nu, Way Wuh". :)

Other than "Po Hot", she has been very into counting by herself. Throughout the day, she just starts counting: "one, two, thee, fo, fie, six, se, eight, nine, TEN!" She also likes to throw the ABCs in once in a while, which sounds like this, "a, b, c...x, y, ZZZ!" She seems to forget that there are a few more letters than that.

She has also started putting more and more words together into sentences. Instead of just, "read book", she says, "Mommy read book" or "Mommy hold Sophie" or "Sophie go outside". I have heard a few sentences with four or more words too.

She is so much fun!

Dopey

2010-03-12T11:47:00.000-06:00

For the last few weeks, Sophie has started referring to herself as "Dopey". Seriously. It is hilarious! And she is obsessed with taking turns, so we get to hear it all the time. With anything, including singing, making a funny sound, reading, etc., she says, "Mommy"...I do it. She says, "Daddy"...Daddy does it. She says, "Dopey"...she does it.

Also, she has been very into saying she loves everything and everyone. She says, "I uh YOU, Mommy!" "I uh YOU, Daddy!" And she goes through everyone. It is so cute!

Christine Hoffman

Lots of News

2010-02-08T06:33:00.000-06:00

I have lots of things to share. Most importantly, Sophie can walk. I really think that she has been able to for a while now, and I'm not just saying that because I am her Mom and I want her to seem "advanced". :) I just think she has been scared, and she still is pretty scared.

2010-02-04T23:34:00.003-06:00

I almost hate writing updates on what Sophie is doing, because I ALWAYS forget some of the best stuff. She is just doing so much that it is hard to keep track of everything. But, I feel like I really did forget to put some of her best words, like the way she says, "help please" ("hop pees") or "read please" ("ree pees"). Her little "please" is just about the cutest thing in the world. Also, she loves to count. I'm not saying she really knows what she is doing or what she is saying, but when I ask her to count something, she points at each thing and can SORT OF follow along and say her numbers. She is especially good at remembering "two", "eight" and "nine". :) It's the same thing with the ABCs. She sometimes will join in at the right time with the right sound. It just seems like she loves filling in the blanks. Like during songs, she gets very excited when she can finish the line of the song. Or, if I say, "up", she immediately says, "down". Same with "high" and "low", but that's probably more thanks to our music table than anything else.

I hate to even post this knowing that I am probably forgetting things again, but oh well. Maybe I will just add to the list every day. :)

2010-02-02T13:58:00.003-06:00

I have never had a problem with periods of my life moving too quickly or too slowly. It seems like everything, so far, has been just right. I loved my childhood, but when I went to high school, I was ready to be there. I loved high school, but when it was time for college, I was ready and excited to go. I loved college, but when it was time to graduate, I was ready to move on. I loved living with friends and my sisters after college, but when Pete and I got married, I was ready. I was happy being married and living in Appleton, but when I found out I was pregnant (even though it was a surprise!), I was ready and excited to have a baby. Sophie's first year didn't move too quickly or too slowly either. When she turned one, it seemed right. It seemed like it had been a year since she was born.

HOWEVER, all of a sudden things are moving too quickly. This is the first time in my life where I just want things to slow down. It seems like all of a sudden she is a walking, talking kid, and she is almost halfway through her second year (okay, she is only almost 16 months, but still!), and I am almost 30. What?!

I can't even keep up with the new things that she does. I bet she says at least a hundred words (Mommy, Daddy, Nonnie, Uncle Drew (uh DOO), Ning Ning, Reebs, Dog, Abe (Aaa), Smith (Meee), Grandpa (Pa), Grandma (Ma), cheese, yogurt, bunnies, pudding, milk, water, toast, bread, noodle, banana (nanana), book, ball, up, down, bath, duck, paci (ba poo), night night, yes, no, toy, car, movie, elmo, hat, shoes, boots, jeans, more, all done, eye, nose, mouth, uh oh, bonk, etc.). Maybe that's an exaggeration, but it seems like she has tons of words and that she understands most of what I say.

Books are probably still her favorite toy, but her "babies" and kitchen are favorites now too. She also loves drawing and coloring, and every time I ask her what she is drawing, she answers, "bbbbbb" (which is the elephant noise, meaning she is drawing yet another elephant). She loves singing songs, and her favorites are "head and shoulders" and "the itsy bitsy spider" and others that she can do the hand motions to. She likes to get out of the house, and she makes this clear when she starts bringing her boots and coat and my shoes over to me.

She is almost always happy, and she is constantly clapping and saying "yeah!". She is also very loving, and she constantly gives kisses and hugs to everyone and everything. I do also see that she has developed a stubborn streak, and even though this could be just a toddler thing, I think that with Pete and me as her parents, she probably wouldn't have avoided it anyway. :) She is just the most amazing little girl, and we really couldn't love her more.

I just hope things slow down a little bit, even though I know they won't. I'm sure my next post will be when I am in my fifties and all of my kids are out of the house and it will seem like just yesterday when I wrote this post. Let's hope not...

Fall Pictures

2009-12-08T15:17:00.008-06:00

So, I think we are under-using our mobile me gallery. We have had a link to it on this blog since Sophie was born, but I don't think I update it and I doubt anyone clicks on it. My friend, Alanna, sends a link to a new album on her mobile me weekly, and it is perfect. Every week I can go to her gallery and click through her new pictures. So, that's what I am going to attempt to do. This also means that I don't have to sort through all the pictures to find the best ones to post on here, which is obviously good for me. :)

This first album does have like 400 pictures. I promise that I will do this more often so that the next album only has a few!

Becky...does this work in Africa?

http://gallery.me.com/hoffmape/100034

Nap Nanny

2009-12-08T14:12:00.001-06:00

Where was this when we needed it?! If you read the description, it says that it was created to mimic the shape of a carseat. Sophie would have loved it! And, she could have started sleeping in her crib a lot sooner...

I guess we will just keep it in mind for the next baby!

http://www.babyearth.com/nap-nanny-nap-nanny.html

Little Angel

2009-11-11T09:04:00.002-06:00

She's so pretty when she's sleeping.

Sophie at the Outlet Mall

2009-11-07T15:07:00.002-06:00

This is Sophie's shopping face....

And a few non-birthday pictures...

2009-10-16T21:02:00.002-05:00

I couldn't resist posting these!

Birthday Pictures!

2009-10-16T20:39:00.001-05:00

So, most of the actual birthday pictures (cake, hats, etc.) are on Nancy's camera. I will post those soon! But, in the meantime, here are some we took with our camera. Her birthday was PERFECT!

Keeping with the Hoffman tradition, Sophie started her day with presents in bed. One of these presents was her new piano!

We had more presents waiting for her downstairs that she opened later that day.

I taught her a new trick. When I ask her how old she is, she does this:

Later that day, we found out who had sent the mystery monkey...it was Uncle Drew!

And, here is the birthday girl...all dressed up for her birthday party.

I will post pictures from her party soon!

It's almost birthday time!

2009-10-13T22:03:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to write a quick update before Sophie's birthday. I just feel like, as usual, there is just so much to write about and I can't keep up with it! She seriously amazes me. I feel like in the last couple of months she has just been pulling out new tricks left and right. It feels like every single day she knows something new!

Here are some of the highlights:
1. During "patty cake", she "rolls" it. :)
2. She knows animal noises! I ask, "what does a cow say"...she says, "mmmmm." I ask, "what does a sheep say"...she says, "baabaabaa." I ask, "what does a dog say"...she says, "rururururu." I ask, "what does a horse say"...she says, "nnnnnn" (with the right intonation). She also makes her squinchy face when I ask what the snake says. I guess that's her attempt at making the "s" sound.
3. She knows all of her flashcards. I can put all of them out randomly, and she can find every, single one.
4. She likes opening and closing things, taking things in and out, and getting in and out of things. A couple of her favorite things to get into and out of are the dog bed (with Abe in it) and laundry baskets.
5. She knows tons of body parts, and she points to them on others AND on her own body. She knows hair, eyes, nose, teeth, tongue, ears, hands, belly button, feet, and toes.
6. She understands SO many words, and she says quite a few. She says, "mama, dada, num num, hat, hot, off, hi, bye, night night, dog, bath, wa wa (water)"..........
7. She has been consistently doing the sign language for "all done." It's very helpful!
8. She is terrified of walking. She loves walking while pushing her walker or while holding our hands, but when we try to get her to walk to us alone, she falls on the floor and sobs. She has done it a few more times, but she definitely doesn't initiate it anymore.
9. She gives tons of hugs and kisses, she blows kisses, she gives high fives, she claps, she dances, she bounces, she shakes things, etc.
10. She has developed a grunt. She points at things EVERYWHERE, and grunts.

Oh my gosh. I could go on and on! I can't even think of everything...

Have I mentioned that she sings on command? I must have! Well, if not, she sings on command. It is HILARIOUS. And she waves while saying "hi" and "bye bye".

I will definitely post pictures after her birthday! I can't wait! I haven't been this excited about anyone's birthday...including my own...for decades!

Who needs pants?

2009-09-20T20:03:00.000-05:00

Baby Steps

2009-09-01T11:23:00.000-05:00

Last night, Pete was watching Sophie, and he asked me if Sophie always walked like "this" for me. I was like, what? So, I came in the room, and he proceeded to show me that she had been standing up holding the couch and then propelling herself forward into Pete's arms...and taking a few steps by herself in the process.

Now, I'm sure this doesn't really count as her real "first steps", but it's a step in that direction nonetheless. :)

Just like Daddy.

2009-08-31T14:48:00.000-05:00

Superman t-shirt, remote in one hand, Playstation controller in the other.

I had to do it...

2009-08-31T14:38:00.000-05:00

"Ga Guh"

2009-08-19T22:04:00.001-05:00

Two big things happened this past Monday.

1. Sophie stood up on her own...like, without holding onto anything. She has done it for like one second a million times before, but this was for such a long time. I don't even think she knew she was doing it, and she hasn't done it since.

2. She may have said her first real word. Well, I guess I don't really know what determines what a baby's first word is...I mean, she has pointed at me and said, "Mama", she has pointed at Pete and said, "Dada", and a few other things like that, but she also goes around saying, "Mamamamama" all day long and pointing at other things. Anyway, this seemed different. She kept pointing at the dogs and saying, "Ga Guh." AKA, "dog". She even pointed at a dog in a book today and said it.

Either way, I am guessing this means that both talking and walking are just around the corner! How exciting!

Squinchy/Squishy Face

2009-08-14T21:42:00.000-05:00

Pete blames this face on Sam.

Baby Legs

2009-08-14T21:34:00.000-05:00

I love Baby Legs. Please observe her knees when I forget to put them on.

Curly-Haired Baby

2009-08-14T21:28:00.000-05:00

Sophie, like her father as a baby, has curly-hair tendencies. So, since it is about a million degrees out and really humid, her hair tends to do this. Do you see those little ringlets?

Ha ha!

2009-08-14T21:23:00.000-05:00

Why so sad?

2009-08-14T21:16:00.001-05:00

She isn't really sad. As usual, she is the happiest baby in the world. Also,

1. Her two front teeth popped through.
2. She has started a cute little screaming thing. She screams, we scream, she screams, we scream. The higher the better.

Her First Trip to the Zoo

2009-08-11T21:07:00.000-05:00

9-Month Pictures

2009-08-11T21:02:00.000-05:00

I had to skip over a couple months of pictures. There are just too many. So, here are a couple from the past few weeks.

2009-07-25T20:54:00.001-05:00

I am a bad blogger. We have tons of new pictures that I need to post, but they will have to wait. Things have been crazy around here. It has been a long, emotional summer, and I have fallen behind on everything...including this blog.

Sophie, on a positive note, is doing great! I absolutely love this age. She is so much fun, and she really is her own little person. Here are some updates:

1. She is a great eater. Her favorite thing is cheese...in any form. Cottage cheese, shredded cheese, cheesy pasta, melted cheese, etc. She really is a true Wisconsinite. :) She doesn't really like baby food anymore. She only wants to eat things if she can pick them up.

2. She is still pretty big for her age. At her 9-month appointment, she was a little over 20 pounds (78th percentile) and 28 inches long (82nd percentile). Her head is still smallish (24th percentile), but I really am over worrying about that.

3. She is always happy. She smiles and laughs all day long. She claps, gives high fives, lifts her arms for "so big", crawls around, walks holding our hands, crawls up stairs, climbs up stairs holding our hands, pulls herself up, and so much more.

4. It seems like she has a new sound every week or so. For that week, she says that sound over and over. She says "mamama", "nananan", "bababab", "gagagaga", "dadadada". My personal favorite is when she "blows bubbles"...saying "bbbbb".

5. She seems to know a lot of words. She USUALLY looks at Pete when I ask where Daddy is, Pete is convinced she says "mamama" when she wants me, she looks at the dogs when I ask where the doggies are, she says "numnumnum" when she wants more food, she can SOMETIMES point to certain things in books or on my face when asked, etc.

6. She loves the water. We took her in the lake at Pete's cabin, and I have been bringing her to the pool as often as I can. She LOVES it!

7. She has been consistently napping for a long, long time. She is down (or up) to two naps. One mid-morning, and one in the late afternoon. She also still goes to bed at 8:00 PM and gets up around 8:00 AM. Sometimes she wakes up once or twice, but she usually goes back to sleep quickly.

And so much more. She is just perfect, and we are so lucky. I will post pictures soon!

Mom...doesn't this look like my baby pictures?

2009-05-30T16:56:00.000-05:00

Piggy Tails

2009-05-30T16:53:00.000-05:00

Two little teeth...and another cute picture...

2009-05-26T17:29:00.001-05:00

I'm pretty sure this is her proud face.

2009-05-26T17:20:00.000-05:00

Here she is after her bath. If she ever goes into her crib during the day, this what she immediately does. We REALLY need to lower the mattress.

She liked them... :(

2009-05-26T17:16:00.001-05:00

Just kidding. I know it's a good thing that she liked the peas. I will just have to get used to their smell. And their texture. And their color.

Pete Owes Me

2009-05-19T18:08:00.001-05:00

We have SO MANY cute pictures of Pete and Sophie, thanks to me.

Food

2009-05-18T15:24:00.000-05:00

Here is a list of what Sophie has tried so far...and what she thought.

*Rice cereal...she was interested at first, then she hated it, and now she likes it.
*Carrots...she thought they were fine. At that point, she didn't really know what to do with solid food.
*Oatmeal with bananas...she LOVED it.
*Pears...she thought they were fine.
*Sweet potatoes...she hated them, then she loved them, and then she hated them again.
*Apples...she LOVED them. Especially warmed up. Actually, ONLY if warmed up.
*Green beans...at first, she acted like they were the grossest thing ever. But, she ended up LOVING them!

I KNOW that I need to give her peas. Unfortunately, even thinking of them makes me want to gag.

Updates

2009-05-18T14:53:00.000-05:00

Caitlin had her baby! Finley Scott Johnson was born late on Saturday night. Hooray!

I feel like Sophie has had a big couple of weeks. In addition to crawling:
1. She has her first tooth!
2. She repeats us when we say, "Ah bbblll". She basically talks all day long...alternating between, "Ah bbblll", "Ah goo", and "Mmmm".
3. When we put her down, she instantly crawls/army crawls to whatever is closest to her and climbs up. Including when she is in her crib. We NEED to lower the mattress because every time I put her in there, I find her standing there with a huge grin on her face.
4. Even though now she can sleep alone in her crib, I am nervous to leave her there, because she FACE PLANTS into the mattress. She purposely flips over and literally smushes her face into the mattress. Oh boy. We are going to try to get a picture of it.
5. She still loves to look at herself. When she plays with her mirror, she looks at herself and starts licking the mirror.
6. She has really improved her fine motor skills. :) She can dial the dial on her toy with one finger, she can take her paci out and put it back in, she turns pages, she knows right where to touch on her touch and feel books, she bangs her drum, she pushes buttons, etc.
7. She has a facebook page. I'm sure you can guess who set that up.

She did it!

2009-05-15T15:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, one day before she turned seven months old, Sophie crawled. REALLY crawled. Pete saw it first, and she has done it a bunch of times since then.

Sophie's Future Husband

2009-05-15T15:14:00.000-05:00

Alison had her baby! Carter John Simison, AKA Sophie's future husband, was born on May 13, 2009! This day was also extra important because it was Sam's first birthday! And, last Friday, my friend Tatiana had a baby girl...Harper Olivia! AND Pete's cousin Caitlin is going to be in labor ANY SECOND!

On top of that, my sister, Linda, is having a baby in August, Pete's other cousin, Paige, is having a baby in September, my other best friend from high school, Sarah, is having a baby in November, AND Alison's sister, Alanna, is having TWINS that are due the same day as Sarah!

If you lost count, that is EIGHT new babies. Harper, Carter, Caitlin's, Linda's, Paige's, Sarah's, and Alanna's (2).

Sleeping

2009-05-07T23:33:00.000-05:00

Although Sophie has been sleeping through the night for a long, long time, I still haven't figured out her nap schedule. She used to sleep every single day from 1:00 until 4:00, but those days are long gone. Now, it seems like she wants to take two or three little naps throughout the day, but the timing isn't consistent yet. And, it is getting harder and harder to get her to go to sleep...she just wants to play!

Books!

2009-05-07T23:29:00.001-05:00

Sophie has moved on from her feet and our phones. Well, she actually still is obsessed with our phones, but she has moved on from always playing with her feet. Now, her favorite toys are her books! Even though she does enjoy eating them from time to time, she actually does enjoy reading them and turning the pages as well. She also enjoys crawling over to bookshelves, pulling books off shelves, and making a scene in the "quiet" section of the library...at least that's what happened when we walked there today. :)

Too much sunshine...

2009-05-07T23:25:00.000-05:00

We accidently gave Sophie her first sunburn. It wasn't too bad, but her cheeks, as you can see, got a little bit pink. The good news is that I got baby sunscreen and from now on she will be safe.

New Tricks

2009-05-07T23:05:00.000-05:00

Sophie has a couple of new tricks. The first one is not really new...she has just been pushing herself up on all fours and rocking a lot. I think crawling - real crawling - is right around the corner. Her other new trick really is new...she has been pulling herself up onto her knees AND onto her feet. When we put her on the ground, she goes right for her toy bin, pulls herself up, and looks inside. She LOVES it.

Dear Sam

2009-04-25T21:01:00.000-05:00

Dear Sam,

Here is a list of things I learned from you while I was in Pennsylvania.

1. Sitting still while having my diaper changed is boring.
2. Rolling around while having my diaper changed is fun.
3. Getting kisses from Mommy is boring.
4. Getting kisses from boys is fun...but ONLY if they are from my boy COUSINS.
5. Saying "Ah Goo" is boring.
6. Saying "Bbbbb" is fun.
7. Crawling forward towards my toys is boring.
8. Crawling around the room chasing an empty water bottle is fun.
9. Delicately pushing buttons on toys is boring.
10. Banging on tables is fun.

Love,
Sophie

Rice Cereal!

2009-04-14T20:00:00.001-05:00

We have been waiting patiently for Sophie to be 6 months old so that we could feed her rice cereal. Since she is 6 months old tomorrow, tonight was the big night! Needless to say, we aren't quite sure how much she really ate and how much she just spit out, but it was a lot of fun to watch her anyway. And, as you can see, even though she didn't seem to love it, she didn't hate it enough to not finish the bowl! We will see how she feels about veggies next week!

Do you see anything different about these pictures?

2009-04-07T22:00:00.000-05:00

When we were at Nancy and Paul's on Sunday, we let Sophie play with her pacifiers. We do this all the time, and she has never liked them. But, all of a sudden, she put the pink one in her mouth, started sucking, and basically hasn't taken it out since then. And it's only the pink one. We have offer her the other ones, but she wants nothing to do with them.

On top of being cute, this is great news because it completely changes our nights. She can sleep alone, because she can soothe herself by sucking on the pacifier. Things are about to change around here.

She was helping me with my work...

2009-03-31T22:03:00.000-05:00

Why are babies in the bathtub so cute?

2009-03-31T21:57:00.000-05:00

Some of Sophie's Favorite Toys

2009-03-25T16:47:00.000-05:00

Among other things, two of Sophie's favorite toys are:

1. Her feet
2. Our phones

And, she finds it especially amusing when we tell her that her feet are stinky.

She has also become quite fond of the tags on things.

Why do we even buy her toys?

Sophie is already pouting.

2009-03-21T22:54:00.000-05:00

Just kidding...she has just been sitting up on her own. And army-crawling towards toys. AND lifting up her tummy and getting up on all fours. How exciting!

This one is for you, Kallie. I think you know why...

2009-03-20T18:00:00.001-05:00

Playing With Daddy

2009-03-10T10:17:00.001-05:00

Twins

2009-03-08T19:27:00.000-05:00

Over Christmas, Becky and Sarah made me buy Sophie this sweater. It's a good thing I did, because now we have these cute pictures.

Visitors!

2009-03-08T19:06:00.001-05:00

Size Charts

2009-03-01T22:34:00.000-06:00

It is as much fun to dress a baby as it is confusing to decide what size they need. ALL of the different companies are different. So, to make this easier, I made this nice little section on this blog where I can just click on a brand, and it will bring me to that company's size guide. How exciting!

I just love her (and him).

2009-03-01T15:34:00.000-06:00

Exersaucer Potato

2009-03-01T15:12:00.001-06:00

Okay, that heading was dumb. I am embarrassed.

So, Sophie LOVES her exersaucer! She can't get enough of it. She loves standing, she loves jumping, she loves being able to see us and the dogs, she loves playing the piano, she loves spinning the frog, she loves trying to eat the flower, and she loves grabbing the plastic rings. She loves everything about it.

But, she also loves the TV.

When she is in the exersaucer, we face her towards us so that she can't see the TV, but she basically does a backbend to be able to see it. She bends back, checks what's on, and then faces forward again. Over and over.

She also does this while nursing. I used to just watch TV while she nursed because there was nothing better to do, but now she kind of does the same thing as when she is in the exersaucer. She nurses, cranes her neck back to see what's on TV, nurses, cranes her neck back, nurses, etc.

It would be funny if it weren't so naughty.

Okay, it is still funny.

It Really IS A Girl!

2009-03-01T15:00:00.000-06:00

Babies never look like boys or girls. They just look like babies. That is a fact. That is is why I pretty much only dress Sophie in clothes that have pink in them, so there will be no mistake. When she was younger and I had all of those gender-neutral clothes, there were a few times that people thought she was a boy. Even though it is stupid...even though I have made the same mistake myself, when it happened, deep down there was always a tiny part of me that felt bad.

Then, last week, I looked at her long hair (which, as suspected, is slowly changing to blond), and thought, why don't I put her hair in a ponytail? So, I did. And, the minute I did, she transformed! She looked 100% like a little girl! Not even a BABY girl, but a little GIRL. I almost died. Here she is:

Music Time

2009-03-01T14:54:00.000-06:00

Since all of the books say that it is important to start a bedtime routine with your baby as early as possible, we have been trying to do that. This routine involves a bath (some nights), putting pajamas on, reading books, eating, and, lately, music time. Music time is when Pete puts Sophie in our bed with a blanket and then plays his guitar and sings to her. Yes, it is the cutest thing I have ever seen. I tried to get it on video, but as soon as Pete spotted the videocamera, he stopped.

Anyway, sometimes Pete lets Sophie touch and strum the guitar for fun. Just in case she becomes a musical prodigy, I took this picture so that we could always say that we just KNEW she was going to be brilliant because she was already interested in the guitar at just four months old. Ha ha.

Four-Month Update

2009-03-01T14:29:00.000-06:00

It has been a very, very long time since I have posted anything on here. In fact, I almost accepted the fact that I just wasn't going to do it anymore. But, Pete keeps pushing me to start doing it again...AND it is a great way for Becky to see pictures, so here I am. If nothing else, Sophie can read through it when she is older.

Things have changed so much. SHE has changed so much. I think one of the reasons I have neglected this blog is because there is just too much to write about. I mean, where am I supposed to start? I guess I could just make a list of some of her big moments, since if there is one thing I am good at, it is lists. So, here we go:

1. She is very, very strong. She rolled over from her tummy to her back MONTHS ago. Around Christmas, she rolled from her back to her tummy. Now, she can practically sit up on her own, she loves standing with support, she "crawls" toward toys if you give her something to push off on, and she pretends to walk when Pete takes her fingers and moves with her. As I said before, she is very strong. :)

2. Personality wise, she is very sweet and silly. She is very talkative, and she loves giggling. I think one of the cutest/funniest things is watching her interact with the dogs. She will SCREAM and squawk until they pay attention to her. And, if they happen to bark or wrestle with each other, she thinks it is hysterical.

3. She COULD be a great sleeper. She started sleeping through the night around Thanksgiving. BUT, she was sleeping in her carseat, so when the pediatrician told us that might not be a great idea, we had to find other options, and now she only sleeps for about six hours at the most. Still, that's not all that bad. Plus, she consistently naps every day (or most days) from about noon until about 3:00.

4. Even though she is sweet and silly, her mood can change in seconds. If she is hungry, she will scream until she gets food. There is NO comforting her...that just makes it worse. She needs food immediately. Also, if she gets overtired, she enters what Pete lovingly calls "crazy time". Crazy time involves a lot of loud squawking.

5. She is HUGE. Her current stats are:
Weight: 16.2 pounds (90th percentile)
Height: 25 and 3/4 inches (91st percentile)

6. She has a small head. It has remained consistently near the 35th percentile. Of course, this worried me immensely for a long time, but I am finally starting to relax about it since obviously her brain is developing.

7. She is very intense. She focuses very intently on books and toys, and when she is in a new place, she can't take everything in fast enough.

Okay, she is waking up from her nap. :)

Who Knew?

2008-11-18T17:04:00.000-06:00

Apparently Pete has a hidden talent in photography. Lucky me!

Sophie's Friends

2008-11-18T16:54:00.001-06:00

Daddy's Girl

2008-11-18T16:37:00.000-06:00

Funny Faces

2008-11-18T16:30:00.000-06:00

Sophie often looks at us like we are idiots. Here are some of her best faces:

For The Record...

2008-11-18T16:25:00.001-06:00

Sophie looks like Pete. I have said this a million times, but here is proof for anyone who wasn't sure.

Month One: Favorite Pictures

2008-11-16T14:59:00.000-06:00

Month One: Favorites

2008-11-10T16:46:00.000-06:00

Favorite Things:
1. When she smiles in her sleep.
2. Watching her suck on a pacifier.
3. When she is wide awake and looking around.
4. Watching how absurdly strong she is...holding her head up, grabbing things, pushing with her legs, etc.
5. When Pete plays with her.
6. Her cry. I mean, I hate it, but it's so pathetic that I kind of love it too.
7. Her weird and funny faces. I have to try to catch them all on camera.
8. Feeding her. She could be in the midst of a huge tantrum, but the moment she has food, her entire face changes and she completely focuses on the food.
9. Cuddling with her. It kind of sucks that she doesn't like to sleep in her Pack N' Play, but it's kind of cute knowing that she'd rather be cuddling while she sleeps.
10. Having her meet so many family members.
11. That she loves music. For example, she cries when we change her, but we have this musical sun (thanks, Caitlin!) that calms her down if we put it next to her.
12. That she is so grunty.
13. Her chubby face, chin, hands, belly, legs, etc.
14. That she sleeps with her hands by her face. Apparently Pete did this too. :)

Un-Favorite Things:
1. Getting mastitis. Twice.
2. Never really sleeping, because even when I "sleep" I constantly get up to check her.
3. Having her projectile poop on me. And Pete. And Nancy.
4. Constantly worrying about the milk supply. And everything.

Sophie's First Halloween!

2008-10-30T23:23:00.000-05:00

As you can all see by this picture, Sophie's favorite pumpkin this year is mine (Pete). She was only trying to make the same face.

Sophie's Room

2008-10-20T17:47:00.000-05:00

Since I never got around to posting pictures of the nursery before we had Sophie, I thought I might as well show you her room even though it is now used. :)

Sophie's First Bath

2008-10-20T17:45:00.000-05:00

Baby Sophie

2008-10-20T17:36:00.001-05:00

It's A Girl!

2008-10-20T17:32:00.000-05:00

Name: Sophia Grace Hoffman
Birthday: October 15, 2008
Time: 11:24 A.M.
Weight: 8 Pounds 1.3 Ounces
Length: 19 Inches

Giant Feet

2008-10-12T12:03:00.000-05:00

I know I have gone on and on about how everything about me is huge...my nose, my belly, my feet, my cankles, etc. But seriously...I know most pregnant women's feet get bigger, but I don't think it's normal for them to get THIS big.

My normal shoe size is 8.5. When my normal shoes started to be tight, size 9 or 9.5 started fitting. I thought that was normal. You know, going up a size or a half a size. But right now the only size that fits is an 11. That is a full 2.5 sizes bigger than my normal feet.

All I have to say is that I am VERY curious to see what size they will be once I have the baby. Will they stay this big? Will they go down but still be bigger than before? Let's all hope that they go back to normal, or I will have to buy a whole new shoe wardrobe. And I will have disgustingly huge feet for life.

Pete is Cute

2008-10-12T11:56:00.001-05:00

Pete is cute. He is so excited for the baby. Any time I say "ow" or anything like that, he jumps up and looks at me with this silly expression and asks me if it's time.

New Project

2008-10-12T11:48:00.001-05:00

I read a novel about knitting the other day, and it inspired me to want to knit something for the baby. I am NOT a knitter...the only thing I have ever done is knit about 4 inches of a scarf a few years ago. But regardless, I was suddenly motivated to knit. So, while Sarah was here, Nancy helped us get started on some knitting projects. I am making a peapod, which is sort of like a little wrap-up wearable blanket thing for the baby (it is bright green with cute and colorful buttons) and Sarah started a pair of cream speckled mittens.

I am really enjoying it, but I do have to take breaks after every row because my hands hurt. Hopefully I can get it done (or close to done) before the baby arrives.

Pregnancy Class

2008-10-12T11:38:00.000-05:00

So, we made it through our pregnancy class a few weeks ago without giving birth. That was my only hope...to finish the class before we had the baby. The class was good overall. I don't feel like I learned THAT much because I had already read so much, but it was nice to go over breathing techniques. Hopefully I will find them helpful.

In less than two weeks we will have a baby. I know this because my doctor was very clear that if I went PAST my due date, she would induce me. So, that means that no matter what, we WILL have the baby in less than two weeks. I can't believe it!

At my last appointment I let my doctor do a membrane sweep which is something that supposedly helps to induce labor. She said it usually causes the woman to go into labor about a week early. I am not getting my hopes up though...since then I have NOT been having any more contractions than usual. As always, I feel relaxed about the whole thing. If something starts happening, that's great, but if not, I can be patient.

Belly At Almost 36 Weeks

2008-10-02T13:16:00.001-05:00

List Of Things I Am Excited To Do...When I Am Not Pregnant Anymore

2008-10-02T13:06:00.001-05:00

1. Take a HOT bath.
2. Eat a caesar salad, a hot dog, and a grilled ham and cheese.
3. Sleep on my back and my stomach.
4. Walk up the stairs without needing to take a break afterwards to catch my breath.
5. Look down and see my legs.
6. Recognize my face in pictures.
7. Stop running into walls, tripping over things, and dropping things.
8. Wear my wedding rings.
9. Feel blood flowing into my hands.
10. Sleep for more than two hours without having to get up to go to the bathroom.

Baby Bjorn

2008-10-02T12:59:00.000-05:00

Pete is OBVIOUSLY ready for this baby...

New Polls!

2008-09-25T14:01:00.001-05:00

I added some new and exciting polls, so make sure to vote on them. Yes, I am bored. Luckily, I have some WORK to do this afternoon! Hooray!

Notice that on the poll about when the baby will be born there is NOT an option of having the baby after October 25th. Hopefully I didn't jinx myself into having the baby super late, but you never know. My Mom had six babies and we were ALL late. :)

Two Down, Eight To Go

2008-09-24T15:14:00.000-05:00

At my appointment today, my doctor found that I am now "a good two centimeters dilated". Everything else was normal. I am now at the point where I constantly have that nervous/excited feeling. And, for some reason, a part of me feels kind of proud that my body is doing what it's supposed to be doing and that these contractions I've been feeling have been real and that they have been accomplishing something.

Pete is way more antsy than me. I feel nervous/excited, but I am not too worried about when things are going to happen. I mean, it could be next week, but it could be a month from now. When I told him about my appointment, he asked if that meant I'd have the baby soon. When I said probably not, he was 100% disappointed. Lately, it's like with anything I say, he wants to know if that means I'll have the baby soon, and he is so cute and let down when he finds out that he still has to wait.

Shower

2008-09-22T13:43:00.000-05:00

Well, we made it through the shower and back to Appleton without having the baby. I was partially convinced that I would go into labor while we were in the cities, so I am happy to be safely back in Appleton. I still feel great, but I have been having quite a few contractions. The baby is still moving around a lot, and now that I know where its head is, I feel like I can completely feel the little feet kicking my ribs.

Anyway, the shower was amazing. It is one of those things (like a wedding) where you are surrounded by people who care about you and made the effort to come to celebrate something going on in your life and you end up feeling really overwhelmed and emotional about the whole thing. Needless to say, there were quite a few tears shed at the shower. Some were warranted (like when Alison first saw me and started crying), and others were just effects of feeling so overly emotional about everything (like when Alanna and I both teared up as she was talking about when the food was coming out).

We basically just mingled, ate a lot of good food, played a few funny games, opened presents, and ate some delicious cake. It was perfect. AND, now we literally have everything we need (according to my list) for the baby. So, thank you to my wonderful friends and family who made the effort to be there and make it special...and thank you everyone for all of the great and thoughtful gifts...and thank you to my amazing friends who planned the whole thing.

I left feeling sad that it was all over but thankful for all of these people in my life...and even more excited about the baby (if that was even possible). :)

Breastfeeding Class

2008-09-18T22:59:00.001-05:00

Pete and I both went to a breastfeeding class tonight (and, for the record, Pete was NOT the only husband there), and it was actually pretty fun. Well, not fun, but it was interesting. The highlight of the whole thing was watching a video of a minute-old newborn who naturally and instinctually starting nursing within the first hour of its life. It was pretty cool to watch, and, of course, I started tearing up thinking about how it's going to feel to have our own baby. Pregnancy hormones are so much fun. :)

Exciting Appointment

2008-09-18T22:59:00.000-05:00

I went into my appointment on Wednesday thinking that it was just a regular check-up. Nope. It was much more exciting than that! They did check all of the regular things like blood pressure and weight, and they measured me (exactly 35 for my 35 weeks). But, they ALSO did a bunch of other things, the most exciting of which told us that:

1. The baby has turned so that it is in the head-down position.
2. I am dilated to 1 centimeter.

These two little pieces of information really (finally!) made me feel like this is about to happen! It really made things much more real, and I couldn't be more excited.

New Boy Name

2008-09-14T13:03:00.001-05:00

I think we are set on our girl names, but Pete likes Sophie better and I like Claire better, so we'll see what happens. :) As for boy names, we have really been struggling. We both agree that Aidan is our favorite of the names we had on our original list, but we have never really felt 100% settled about it.

Anyway, the other night we were having dinner with Nancy and Paul, and Nancy brought up the name Blake. I LOVE THIS NAME! In fact, that has always been my favorite boy name, and Claire has always been my favorite girl name. Sadly, early on in the pregnancy, Pete made it very clear that he did NOT like the name Blake, so I sort of let it go. But, the other night when we talked about it, he didn't hate it as much! Hooray! (Trust me...for Pete, not hating something is as good as loving it). So anyway, that is my number one boy name again. Blake Elias Hoffman. I think it's perfect.

Shower!

2008-09-14T12:54:00.001-05:00

My friends are throwing me a shower next Saturday, and I can't wait! It is going to be so much fun! I absolutely can't wait to see everyone...especially since I get kind of lonely here in Appleton. My only fear is that I will go into labor while I am there, but luckily Pete is coming with me, so at least if something happens, he will still be there. :)

Nursery

2008-09-14T12:48:00.000-05:00

Our nursery is really close to being done, and it looks SO good. I absolutely love it. I will post pictures of it at some point in the near future to show you how far it has come. Everything is in place, everything has been washed and put in its designated spot, etc. It is my favorite room in the house.

On a sad note, we got our rug in the mail yesterday, and it is horrible! It looks nothing like the picture online! The one I wanted was all sorts of bright colors, and this one is basically pink, tan and blue. What? It makes no sense. But, I figured out what happened, and the store screwed it up! The rug I got in the mail is called Botanical Isle Sand, and that's what the store CALLED it, but they had a picture of Botanical Isle 3880 (a totally different rug) as the picture for Botanical Isle Sand. How frustrating. But, at least I figured it out and I can do something about it.

I Love Lists

2008-09-14T12:47:00.000-05:00

Of all of the self-proclaimed list makers in the world, I have to say that I probably win the prize for the most thorough, psychotic, obsessive list maker of all. Pete will definitely agree with that. He has said multiple times that he worries that some day he is going to come home to find me in a room completely covered with lists because I have gone completely nuts.

Anyway, I have a plethora of lists regarding the baby. I have a list of things to pack for the hospital, a list of what to do to babyproof the house, a list of everything we need to do before the baby is here, and a very embarrassing list of what we need for the baby. In my opinion, that list is the best one, but I would NEVER show it to anyone for fear that they would really think I am crazy. That list has tables and a system for shading boxes when things are completed and all sorts of extra fun things. I love it, and I love updating it.

Getting Closer...

2008-09-14T12:29:00.000-05:00

I am in my 34th week of pregnancy. Overall, I still feel really good. I haven't reached the point where I am annoyed with still being pregnant, but I am definitely slowing down. I get tired really easily, my arms are killing me, and I haven't been sleeping well at all. I literally get up every 2 hours to go to the bathroom, stretch, get a drink, or try to get some blood flow back into my hand. But, I still feel like being in week 34 is perfect. I am still enjoying being pregnant and I feel like we have just enough time to do some of the last minute things I want to do before we have the baby, like the pregnancy class, the breastfeeding class, completing the nursery, etc.

Yeah! Summer is Almost Over!

2008-09-02T12:03:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love summer. It has always been my favorite season. I love being outside, sitting in the sun, getting tan, going on boats, swimming, etc. The end of summer has always been a very sad time for me. But, not this year. For the first time in my life, I can say that I am ready for fall. It pains me to even say it, but it's true. Obviously, this is a pregnancy issue, since it all relates to being hot and puffy and out of breath and uncomfortable. I'm sure next summer I will be back to my good old self...loving summer and enjoying it with the baby!

Bad Parents...Already

2008-09-02T11:37:00.000-05:00

So, Pete and I missed our first pregnancy class. When Linda and her family were here, we were sitting around the table eating dinner, and Linda asked when our first class was. My heart seriously skipped a beat because at that very minute I realized that our first class had been that very night. I was horrified! I almost started crying, but I held it together. Anyway, I called the hospital and told them what happened, and we decided that we are just going to take the all-day class instead of the four-week series...on October 4th. So, yes, we are cutting it VERY close. Hopefully the baby can just stay put for a little bit longer so that Pete and I can learn how to be parents BEFORE we actually have a baby.

My Biggest Fear

2008-09-02T11:23:00.000-05:00

I have a very strange fear of getting my blood pressure taken. It makes no sense because I have always had good blood pressure, but for some reason I get really, really nervous every time it is taken. I have always been like that. The nurses all laugh at me because I get so weird and stressed right before they take it. And, because of my other fear of getting preeclampsia, my fear of getting my blood pressure taken is even worse lately. So, I have another appointment today (32 weeks!), and my heart is already racing thinking about having them take it. I have serious problems. :)

Baby Artwork

2008-08-26T22:21:00.000-05:00

I am getting very antsy about finishing the nursery. We have MOST of what we need, but I am feeling like I just want to get everything so that we are all ready. This is the artwork I ordered for the nursery today. I know it's probably not the biggest priority, but I couldn't resist.

Our bedding also came today! How exciting! It looks really cute, and somehow it looks like it was made to go with the bins I bought before. Perfect.

Silly Nieces and Nephews

2008-08-15T10:18:00.001-05:00

My sister, Linda, and her family are coming here for a few days on Monday. The last time I saw some of my nieces and nephews, my nephew, Henry, kept staring at my belly and asking, "Now, where is the baby again?" He kept wanting me to show him, but when I pointed at the bump, he just didn't get it. He didn't understand that it was IN my belly and he wouldn't be able to see it for a while. Later on, when we were eating, I told him that I needed to eat a lot of good food so that I could feed the baby. So, he started handing me all sorts of food and telling me to feed the baby. When I would eat the food, he would get all mad, and say, "No! Feed the baby!" So, playing along, I would put the food by my belly and THEN eat it, but that wasn't good enough. He literally wanted me to somehow put the food in the baby's mouth. He got very frustrated with me, and kept trying to figure out why he couldn't see the actual baby. Finally, he asked me, "Well, did you eat the baby?" I think it was the absolute only thing that made sense to him.

Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing what Linda's kids have to say about my belly when they are here...especially when it starts moving around like a creature.

Reading

2008-08-08T13:57:00.000-05:00

Kristin recommended "The Birth Book" as something I should read before giving birth. When I first started reading it, I almost felt like I didn't want to read anymore because I would rather be blissfully ignorant about all things having to do with birth. In other words, I felt like I was one of those people who doesn't know anything about birth or medicine, so I felt like I would rather just go into it with no knowledge and just trust my body and my doctor. But, this book has really grown on me. It has made me think about so many things and it has made me question a lot of things that I thought I knew my opinions about.

It also encouraged me to talk to people around me about their own personal birth experiences. Luckily, I have three older sisters who have all given birth, a Mom who has given birth to six children, and a sister-in-law who JUST gave birth, so it was easy for me to get all of the juicy details from them, as well as their true feelings about everything that happened to them. It was amazing to hear about all of their different experiences (and each story and experience was SO different)!

Anyway, as I keep reading (and become more obsessed with this book) and hearing about birth experiences, I am getting SO excited! None of it, even hearing the horror stories, makes me scared...in fact, it just makes me want to go in right now and have the baby! I have a feeling that I am going to start getting antsy VERY soon. :)

But, I have 11 weeks to go, so for now, I will just enjoy being pregnant, read my book, and TRY to keep my feet up.

Progress

2008-08-06T13:04:00.000-05:00

Well, last night we were over at Pete's parents' house for dinner, and he saw the baby kick. It was moving around (as usual), so I made Pete just stare at my belly for a couple minutes because I wanted him to see or feel it so badly. And, he saw it! He saw a couple of big kicks AND just some weird moving around in there. And, he was able to feel a couple of movements too.

So, that's progress. It still feels like as soon as Pete puts his hand on my belly the baby stops moving around, but at least Pete can always say that he felt it and saw it and heard it at one point or another. But, I get the feeling that Pete is NOT as excited about these movements and kicks anymore...I feel like he is getting a little antsy and impatient because he wants to be holding the actual baby. :)

Uncooperative Baby

2008-08-04T21:13:00.000-05:00

So, as I wrote previously, the baby kicks all the time. And not just little tiny kicks, but big kicks that move my whole belly. But, Pete has had a hard time feeling them. It's almost like every time he reaches over to feel it, the baby stops kicking! And then, of course, right when he takes his hand away, the baby kicks again. Today the doctor said that maybe Pete just has a naturally calming effect on the baby. The funny thing is that the same thing happened when Kristin tried to feel it...maybe it is something in their blood. :)

Anyway, today when the doctor was listening to the baby's heart, it gave a big kick, and we ALL heard it. So, at least Pete got to HEAR a kick even if he hasn't had much luck feeling them.

28-Week Appointment

2008-08-04T21:07:00.000-05:00

Today we went in for our 28-week appointment. Again, nothing special happened. I did have my glucose tolerance test, and I will get the results tomorrow. Apparently some people complain about the orange drink you have to drink for the test, but I actually thought it was good. It tasted like orange pop. :)

Other than that, they just checked my blood pressure (which was good), measured my belly (which she said was perfect), and listened to the baby's heart rate (which was 140). It's funny because I read that the theory is that it is a boy if the heart rate is under 140 and a girl if the heart rate is over 140, so obviously our baby's heart rate isn't telling us much at this point.

The doctor was slightly concerned about my swelling/water weight gain, so I have been instructed to keep my feet up as much as possible. I am going to really force myself to keep them up, but it is hard!

From now on, we have appointments every two weeks. We are on the home stretch!

Big Nose

2008-07-30T10:45:00.000-05:00

I have a big nose. Pete tried to tell me that I didn't, but I do. The other day I looked at myself in the mirror, noticed my huge nose, and asked Pete, "Do I all of a sudden have a huge nose?" He said no, of course, but I wasn't convinced. So, later on I randomly googled "Pregnancy and Big Nose", and lo and behold, there are a bunch of women who have what they call "Pregnancy Noses". So, it's official. I have a huge nose.

On top of that, I have huge feet. They are huge and puffy and none of my shoes fit. I refuse to wear anything except flip flops (thank God it's summer!) if I even have shoes on at all.

And, on top of that, everything else is huge. I can't stand wearing anything except sweatpants. And only sweatpants that are super loose and stretchy.

The funny thing is that I shouldn't complain because I know for a fact that I am just going to get bigger and bigger. I still have three months left! Somehow that seems like such a long time and such a short time at the same time. :)

Lots of Kicking

2008-07-30T10:41:00.000-05:00

This baby LOVES to kick. There are definitely times when it is nice and calm, but when it starts kicking, it kicks and kicks. I find it really amusing, especially when I can see my whole belly shake because of it. Sometimes at night we try to get it to kick by poking at it so Pete can feel it, and it works! It takes a minute to wake the baby up, but then all of a sudden, it kicks us back!

Fun Socks

2008-07-27T13:54:00.001-05:00

One of the first things I noticed and loved about Pete was that he always wore fun socks. He NEVER wore plain-colored white socks. Ever. And, most of his socks were the really fun ones that have stripes on the top and colored heels and toes. He does wear plain-colored socks now from time to time, but he definitely still loves all of the fun ones.

So, when I saw some "fun" baby socks at a store the other day, how could I resist? They are little baby socks that have stripes at the top and colored toes and heels. Perfect for Pete's future son or daughter. :)

Bedding

2008-07-27T13:35:00.000-05:00

We ordered our baby bedding yesterday! It is called "Happy" bedding, and it is so cute! I can't wait to get it!

Our "empty" nursery is not so empty anymore. We have a crib, the mattress, the changing table, a pack and play, a travel system, lots of clothes, a diaper bag, lots of burp cloths, lots of blankets, towels and washcloths, some of Sam's hand-me-down diapers, and a lot more. I am really feeling more and more prepared!

Plus, I got some organizational bins and baskets for the changing table, and it looks perfect. I have three baskets on the second shelf (burp cloths, blankets, and bath accessories) and two canvas bins on the bottom shelf (diapers and all the little things, like thermometers and nasal aspirators). It looks so much better now that it is organized!