Sophie // Month 6+7+8

People of the internet, this post is completely and entirely a selfish post for me to remember what I loved about my little Sophie baby at each month of her life. Please don't feel like you need to read it all the way through-- or at all. It's merely a journal for me (and for her). This summer has been BUSY, so I combined these monthly updates into one LONGGGG post.Month 6: May 17- June 17This is what I wrote about Sophie on her 6th month birthday: "Sophie turned six months this past weekend, and I’m already so proud of this little girl. Even at such a young age, she knows how to make people feel so loved with what my family calls her her ear-to-ear “insta-smiles.” This baby is filled with joy, curiosity, determination, and a wild sense of humor. In big groups, she watches everyone talking with wide eyes until she can’t stand it any longer and cuts in with her own ahhhs and dinosaur noises. She has a voice, and she already knows how to use it. Get it, girl." We took Sophie to Georgia, and she loved having a constant swarm of groupies following her around. Littles is an extravert. For sure. She loved spending time with her sweet cousins, and I'll never forget the feeling of holding my baby and rocking her on the beloved Jimerson back porch as it rained.Favorite books: The Pout Pout Fish by Diesen & Hannah (on repeat). Old McDino Had a Farm,The Dog I Love Best (she laughs and laughs at the stuffed dog finger puppet that smooches her as we read).Favorite songs: "September" by Earth, Wind, and Fire. "Finesse" by Bruno Mars, "I Feel Good" by James BrownFavorite activities: Playing peekaboo with her cousins, sucking her thumb, hiking Chautauqua, watching mommy sing "This is a Song about Animals" while on her tummy, swinging on the porch swing and watching the leaves flutter on the trees, laughing and talking to herself in the mirror, laughing as daddy flings his legs in the air while lying on his back, lounging in her own personal tent at the beach, smiling at EVERY SINGLE PERSON who talks to her.Favorite things: ALL. THE. TOYS. Specifically, her tub of barnyard animals, moroccos (!!), a rattle ball that looks like a cat toy, Cracker Barrel rocking chairs, Papa Jerry's squirt noises, balloons, her quilts handmade by Nana Fred.Least favorite things + activities: The loud scary ocean! Not a fan. When mommy jumps onto her dresser to stand over her and take a photo (see below). Diaper rashes. One of our friends told us about putting some baking soda in her bathwater, and it's been really helping.New Nicknames:  Juicy baby, Instasmile, Sophie J.J., Sophie Joe, Stink Weasel (it's sticking), Soph-on-a-rope, Soapy.Firsts: Sucking her thumb (for only a couple of weeks), participating in the BolderBoulder (those Ergobaby 360 carriers are amazing), rolling from her back to her belly (and then immediately sleeping facedown during naptime which scared the bajeepuz out of me) going to a James Taylor concert, flying on an airplane, driving to Florida for 5+ hours, swimming in a pool, making raspberries, grabbing both feet at the same time, transferring toys from hand to hand, and sitting up like a champion (and only falling backward into the sand once at the beach!).A few favorite photos: ^ She rolled over from her back to her belly for the first time!^ That tongue!^Grabbing both feet like the champion she is. Month 7: June 17-July 17thDuring month seven, Sophie continued to brighten and bloom-- especially around people. She is, undoubtedly, an extravert, and she enjoys going to the library for story time to see the other babies, playing contentedly with her toys on the floor, listening to her mommy and daddy sing songs, and going on strolls around the neighborhood. People comment all the time about how beautiful her eyes are and how expressive she is. She uses those eyebrows of hers to make the funniest faces.Favorite books: Where's the Owl? by Ingela Arrhenius and Welcome Baby by Stephen Lomp (an indestructible book... it's awesome!).Favorite songs: "If You're Happy and You Know It," "The Duke of York," and "Don't Go Breaking my Heart" by the Backstreet Boys (don't judge)Favorite activities: Strolling with her baby friends, strutting around the farmer's market in Erie, going to story time at the Library, gasping and squealing with joy as blankets are fluttered down over her face, taking baths, exploring the Denver Museum of Nature and Science's dinosaur and mineral exhibits with Grandpa Muzzy, going to the pool with Aunt Yodie and Gammy, celebrating Aunt Jane and Uncle Bill and soaking up good family time, listening to dad's band play at the Walnut Room downtown Denver.Favorite things: Sea animal bath toys, stegosaurus stuffed animal, plush piano pad, baby spoons, her Ocean Exersaucer.Least favorite things + activities: Eating avocado, eating peas, eating sweet potatoes (she gagged so hard she threw up). She also still HATES getting dressed.New Nicknames:  Soph-a-loaf, SnakeFirsts: Eating solid foods, rolling across the floor, swinging at the park in Louisville with Gammy.A few favorite photos: ^Gumming cantelope with Nana at Aunt Jane's birthday^At Denver Ted's smelling some delicious cheesesteaks. ^She loves the coldness of the glass. ^Playing with buddies at the monthly girls' tea!^Hanging with dad outside the Old Mine at the Erie Farmer's Market^Tasting Avacodo for the first time. Not a fan. ^Still loves peekaboo!^You can see the tongue flip!^That face. Month 8: July 17-August 17During month eight of Sophie's sweet life, she has developed a little bit of sass and a little bit of scream. When she gets tired or angry, she screams her dinosaur scream with a red face LOUDLY. She does not like to be left alone (hello extraverted baby), and although she prefers mommy to hold her when she's tired, she hasn't developed stranger danger yet. Sophie loves to laugh. She thinks its hilarious when I try and gobble her thighs or tickle her ribs. She is doing much better in the car on long car rides, especially when I sit in the back and play with her, and she is saying words like "dada" and "uh oh." I swear she said "mama" on my birthday trip to Palisade. I love Littles's personality. I recently told a friend who announced her pregnancy how FUN motherhood is. I knew it would be hard and sleep-depriving and busy, but I love how fun my baby is. She makes me laugh every day, loves reading bookies and turning the pages herself, and constantly babbles to herself. She makes raspberries; she takes all the animal toys out of her bucket; she loves grabbing cords and strings and forks and cups and anything she's not supposed to grab.Favorite books: Flora the Flamingo,Oh Nuts, Baby Beluga (Raffi singalong book), The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Ferdinand. Favorite songs: "Baby Beluga," "Down by the Bay," "A Lullaby for Sophie Jennifer Jean"Favorite activities: Being the perfect angel baby at Rob and Megan's wedding thanks to Aunt Pam's baby whispering; meeting her new bestie, Lily; grabbing the cat's leg and pulling her across the floor; playing with food in her highchair; learning to pet the dog gently; falling asleep as mommy reads books in the nursery glider; twirling her tongue in her mouth as she babbles; putting my toes in her mouth (weird). Sophie also enjoys her strolls outside. She grabs at the leaves, the branches, the flowers, everything! When they were here, she loved spending time with her cousins, Annie and Ellie, in her playpen. They spoiled her rotten. Avery, her 4-year-old cousin, and Sophie had the best time getting ice cream together (all three times) even though Sophie could only watch and salivate.Favorite things: The "my first" Madame Alexander baby doll (she loves that it's plush and that it has a face! amazing, a face!), her tub of animals, and her Maiya and Alvin animals (the sweetest gift from her cousins, Annie and Ellie), & teething rings.Least favorite things + activities: Pureed broccoli, her Johnny jumper bouncer, being tired and struggling to find a comfy position in mommy's lap as we rock, bumping her head as she tries to scoot across the floor. She gets a little grouchy before nap time these days. Still hates getting dressed, so we try and make sure we have a toy on her changing table at all times to keep her distracted.New Nicknames: Soph Soph, Inchworm, Crabmonster deluxeFirsts: Inchworming! She isn't quite crawling, but she thrusts herself forward, grabs on to the blanket with her hands, and pushes with her feet to inch across the floor. She can also hold herself up (unsteadily) on her walking toy. Soph played with Avery on the playground in our neighborhood and slid down the slide for the first time. She saw Shadow Mountain Lake for the first time, hiked Hanging Lake in Glenwood Springs, wine tasted in Palisade (minus the actual tasting of the wine),  strolled through the Palisade Peach festival, played her first carnival bag tossing game to wine a stuffed tiger, and went out for pizza at her grandpa's favorite spot in Vail. She also started babbling "dadadada," and I swear she said "mama" on my birthday (the day after she turned 8 months old).A few favorite photos:^She's a pout pout fish with a pout pout face.^We officially have an inchworming, scooting baby! She made it to the flamingo (with just a few tears). ^She loves grabbing our noses, and eyes, and mouths and she will put her hands inside our mouths to try and grab our lips!^She's screaming "ohhh!" because she loves our dog that much.^I made her CRACK UP by hitting myself in the face with her indestructible book. She was almost falling out of the chair laughing so hard.