Baby Dolls

Okay so I hope this post isn't too blunt or forward, but Sophia is REALLY ready to be a big sister! Baby dolls are always the first toy to catch her attention no matter where we are. She loves to feed the baby, put it down for "night night", read stories, and give her baby a bath. Our trip to the childrens' museum was no exception. She was absolutely mesmerized by all the babies! God willing, Sophia will get her wish VERY soon and she will be on her way to becoming a big sister.

 Baby needed a blanket because he was cold :)

 She is so gentle with the babies. She takes her role of Mommy very seriously!

I Hope I Always Remember These...

Sophia, you are growing faster than I can keep up with. Everyday I feel like you are changing and learning something new. Being your mother is one of the greatest joys of my life. I wish I could remember every precious thing you do and say.  Here is a list of things that I hope I will always remember about you:

1.  You are completely obsessed with the book, "One Fish Two Fish". Every night before bed, you make us read it to you.

2. You can count to 14, but once you reach 14, you keep repeating it, saying, "fo teen, fo teen, fo teen..."

3.  When you want to be held, you say, "hold you".

4. You can recite the entire alphabet and "Twinkle Twinkle"

5. Every time we get in the car you say, "go shopping, go shopping" because you know that mommy will always buy you a special treat whether it be blackberries, gummies, or a Larabar.

6. After going on your first pony ride, you are very proud to tell people about it by saying, "my hat, my hat". ( You wore a helmet)

7. Although you and I have a special relationship, I think that you will grow up to be a daddy's girl. You are both head over heels for each other and I love watching you two be silly together.

Giddy Up!

We were very lucky this weekend to be able to get away from this disgusting desert heat and head up north for a few days! Granted, it was still 90 degrees, its much better than record highs close to 120 degrees. Sophia surprised us with her eagerness to take her very first pony ride. We really thought she would be hesitant, but she loved it! If you ask her about her pony ride she will tell you about the horse and then proceed to say, "my hat, my hat". She was very proud of her awesome helmet!

CMOP- Childrens' Museum of Phoenix

 I could not think of a better father's day/birthday gift for Sophia and her daddy than to surprise them with a trip to the Childrens' Museum of Phoenix. I have been wanting to go for a while, and I really think Sophia is at a great age for it. We had a blast! Her favorite exhibit was definitely the tricycle riding. The grocery shopping exhibit was another fun one. The museum offers exhibits for all age groups, including babies! It was so nice to be able to engage Sophia in a hands on activity and escape the heat for an afternoon. This is only one of many more trips to come!

 

The sand was surprisingly fun!

Run Run Run!

She is such a beauty to behold:)

Happy birthday sweet Sophia, and Happy Father's Day Daddy!

Let's go shopping! I think Sophia takes after me, I love grocery shopping!

We seriously played with these tricycles forever! I think we know what to get this little girl for Christmas....

Sophia's Two Year Photos

Very intrigued by the "bubbles" on her dress

Maybe balloons were a bad idea...

I'm not really sure about this one

Trying to hide from the camera

Bribed with a lollipop!

Its Hard to Believe But its Really True...

Our little girl is turning 2!
I am still in shock that in less than one week, I will be the mother of a 2 year old. Wasn't she just born yesterday? What a joy these first two years have been. Watching her learn and develop has been the greatest joy of my life thus far, and I know that the journey will only get better. We celebrated Sophia's birthday this past Saturday while Daddy was in town. The Hungry Caterpillar theme could not have gone any better! It was somewhat stressful trying to cram 30 of our closest friends and family into our 1100 sq ft house, but I think we pulled it off! We tried to have most of the food be items from the book such as salami, swiss cheese, lollipops, apples, oranges, plums, etc... The planning and preparation was well worth it because I know that when Sophia sees these pictures and memories later in life, she will be so joyful.

The AWESOME birthday cake! Fondant is so much fun. This is the first of many fondant cakes to come!

A little help blowing out the candles

Bath time baby doll!

All these presents can make a girl tired!

First signs of a 2 year old: She insists on wearing her new boots!

Octopus Sprinkler from Grandma and Grandpa!

Operation Caterpillar!

I seriously love fondant! When we decided to do Sophia's party as a Hungry Caterpillar theme, I knew that the cake had to be awesome! I set out to learn everything I could about cake decorating and fondant. I did two trial runs before actually setting out to make her birthday cake. I have included the steps of making the fondant below. It is as easy as playing with play dough! I am hooked. This is only one of many awesome cakes to come. My next challenge is to make a cake completely covered in fondant.

Trying to make red fondant.