Growing Bigger every day

Sophia is rapidly approaching her year and a half birthday and it's amazing to see how much has changed. She is learning more and more words. It's really cute to watch and listen to her have a "conversation". Mostly, it's us asking questions and her responding.

Dada, Woof, nana (banana) yes, no and nonni (the babysitter) were all her first words. Over the last month she has added:
Moo
Baa
Mama (hooray!)
Nay (for a horse)
e i e i o

She also plays a mean game of fetch with our soccer ball and also likes to help me cook in the kitchen. I make a salad every night and she loves to "help" spin the lettuce in the spinner. She is also a big helper when it comes to the laundry.



In terms of food, her recent big accomplishment is learning how to dip. She likes to dip her bread into her tzatki. (though sometimes it's just easier for her to lick the bowl the dip is being held in!) She also will happily eat anything that I am eating. The newest fascination are salt and vinegar potato chips. Yum! (but amazing that she likes them...) And, well, it often serves as conditioner for her hair too!

She also is all about her books - she is constantly grabbing ones off her shelf for me to read, though I have to say she's currently focused on some that aren't my personal favorite (Curious George goes fishing - I've got personal issues with fishing) or out-of-season ones (like Frosty the Snowman and The Mitten). But I still read them (or recite, as I think they are fully memorized by now!)

Check our next post for Easter photos!

Hello Little Person

It's been quite awhile since I posted. Life has been busy with work for me and growing and learning for Sophia. She continues to amaze us with her skills and "party tricks." She is very settled into the routine we have created together and it's awesome to watch her recall and respond to the same things every day.

One example is bath time. We give her a bath every night after dinner, right around 6:30. She plays for a bit between dinner and bath, but the moment you tell her it's bath time...off she goes. There is a video of it, but for some reason I couldn't get it uploaded here.
Check it out on my Facebook profile.
In the meantime, here she is stacking up her toys before she throws them into the tub.



She has a similar reaction when Dave tells her it's time to get the mail (or, as happened tonight - a Sunday - when he jingled the keys). She races to the front door and tries to turn the knob. God help anyone who gets in her way!

The highlight for me was that she now says "Mama" consistently. It is really the sweetest thing I've ever heard. She'll do roll call in the car - Mama. Dadeee. Woof. (Nope - we don't have a dog, but we've had a bunch of visiting dogs lately so she thinks we do! :) ) She'll point at herself when we say Sophia back.

She really and truly is a little sponge. If you ask her to raise her right hand, she will (though we haven't tested/confused with asking her about the left :) ) She can say something to the effect of "e I e I o" after a rainy marathon day of watching Old MacDonald.

The teeth situation is never ending - the two top molars have poked thru (just little spikes - those suckers are big, and no doubt very painful, judging by the disturbed sleep we've had off and on lately). I think there are 2 other suspects making their way up. I can't imagine how painful they must be. Hopefully it'll be over soon.

So proud of our little girl who is becoming quite the little person. Check out the next post for new pictures!