Revisit Sofie's Birthday!

Finally got around to re-uploading the pictures and videos from Sofie's birthday so check out that post down below.

There's lots more to come!

So Exciting!!

Perhaps you'll remember quite awhile back when I mentioned that we got an awesome engagement picture from Kyle and Deanna for Christmas and that their awesome photographer, Rachel Barker, was going to take some pictures of Sofie for us.

Then she moved to South Carolina (cue weeping mama!!)

Luckily, she still had wedding contracts here in Ohio and she agreed to tag on a photo session for us on one of her trips north. After much anticipation we met with Rachel this Friday and had a really fun time while she took hundreds of pictures of Sofie and some of Ben and I too. She was so much fun to work with and I left the shoot totally psyched. We still have a few weeks to wait for the finished product, but today Rachel posted a preview of some of her favorites on her blog: www.rannbphoto.blogspot.com. Go admire her beautiful work! I am so ecstatic to see how these have turned out and I just can't stand to wait for the rest of them!

We'll be thrilled to see Rachel again in October for the wedding. What an amazingly talented photographer!

Quick Update

...for those of you patiently waiting for pictures from Sofie's birthday and her party. I had a little glitch and lost all the pictures that I had uploaded to the previous post. (Not lost lost...just lost them after I had spent forever choosing, editing and uploading. Ack!)

I have many pictures to post and stories to tell but I am also completely exhausted after a busy weekend so please be patient with me!

Happy Birthday Worm!

Last year at this exact time there was a warm squirmy little baby laying on my belly instead of in my belly for the very first time. This year there is a beautiful little one-year old girl laying peacefully in her bed after a busy birthday. What an amazing year this has been!

After a leisurely morning Worm got a surprise visit from Nana and Grandma who brought her a bright pink balloon, some birthday cards, and her first present of the day! After a short visit she went down for her afternoon nap while mama sewed away at a little dress for Bebe Do. We are having family pictures taken tomorrow and I thought Bebe Do needed a dress to match the rest of the family! When Sofie woke up we hustle-bustled around running errands. Sofie wore her new red patent leather shoes (or doos as she calls them) and many strangers stopped to admire her. We told everyone who asked that it was her birthday today and got lots of well wishes!


We arrived home in time to fix dinner before daddy got in from work. The birthday girl had quite a good time with her spaghetti and required a bath afterwards rather than the usual quick mouth-wipe!


Afterwards we took a trip to Toys 'R' Us where daddy helped Sofie pick out a birthday present...a new tradition which should be fun until she turns 16 and wants him to take her to the Honda dealership! We arrived home late, conjured up Gran Debbie and later on the Vance family on the webcam to watch as Sofie thoroughly enjoyed her "cake" and opened lots more presents from the Colorado crew and of course her Bebe Do!

What a fun day! Tomorrow we're heading to Tuscora Park for pictures and preparing for Sofie's birthday party on Saturday. I imagine I'll be in a baking frenzy about this time tomorrow night since I am making about 70 cupcakes and a smash cake for Bean!

Thank you to everyone who was thinking of us today. We sure do have a well-loved little girl!

Premature

Today Sofie and I traveled to Toland's Doll Shop where I am proud to announce we purchased Sofie's first baby doll and she is actually at our home and in our hands tonight!! We decided on a Corolle Bebe Do doll and she is beautiful, smells delicious, and resembles Sofie with her chubby cheeks and peanut nose. This was our second choice doll, but it's ok because she was only bumped to second choice because she didn't have any beans in her bottom and remarkably if you take the time to go to an actual real live baby doll store (or baby doll hospital as they like to be called) they will happily put beans in baby doll bottoms for you!

So...Sofie had a chance to try out her new baby doll since she was being removed from her box for her um...procedure (butt implants?!). After a few minutes of bonding (which included batting at her face and carrying her by her foot...) I casually tried to take the baby back to be returned to her box awaiting Sofie's actual birthday. Unfortunately, by this time, she had grown quite attached and I was greeted with hearty shrieking. So because I am a pushover I let Sofie play with her baby all day today and because I am a mean old mommy at heart I snatched the doll up after Sofie fell asleep and packaged her back up nicely in the box to be wrapped!

Anyway, the point is that I caught this adorable and completely unprompted video while Bebe Do was out of her box this evening. Notice that she had already lost her pants!

Hoodrat

In a bizarre ceremony this Saturday, August 16th, a goofily garbed professional draped an elaborate piece of fabric over my head and dubbed me a doctor! Which makes it all official-like and means that from this point onward I will only be answering to: Dr. Sam, Dr. Mama, Dr. Wifey and maybe if I'm feeling very gracious, hey you Dr. Lady.

On a more serious note, I'd like to thank everyone who has been there to support me through this very long road. Most of all my Mom whom I could have never made it through without. Over the past year she fixed us dinner, cleaned our house, changed countless dirty diapers, did our grocery shopping and more without a single complaint. (In contrast, I've been doing it for about six weeks now and I'm pretty sure I complain almost daily!) In my mind she has earned a doctorate of her own for relentless supportive parenting. I feel quite lucky to have such a wonderful role-model. Thanks Mom!

Once Upon a Time by Beans McGee

I would give just about anything to know what on earth she is saying!

Slow Down!!

Life just keeps whizzing right on by...!

Buds

I thought you might like a glimpse at the special toys in Ben's and my past. Baby Bobbie was my first baby doll and My Poor Monkey was Ben's (very very well-loved) favorite stuffed animal!

As Promised

We took Sofie on her first merry-go-round ride a couple of weeks ago at a corner carnival. She wasn't quite sure what to think.

Daddy got a turn too! (That kid in the back kept warning Ben that he was going to get in trouble if he didn't sit down. She was quite concerned!)

Right before she called China...notice Daddy's super-cool helmet hair.

"Uh guys...you're really gonna let me play with this all by myself?!!"

"Score! This thing is sweet!"

"I wonder what will happen if I just push on these like mom and dad do..."

"Oh my!"

"Help! Mom thinks I'm a kewpie doll!" (Good teeth shot!)

This is the view I am all too familiar with these days...

An impromptu nap on the couch after a fun day swimming with her new boyfriend!

There's nothing sweeter...