September

Back in July I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by life - I had been out of town for four weeks, we had to move by the end of the month, my sister was getting married, I was starting a new job as computer lab teacher in August, Dave was starting school again, and I needed to find a babysitter/daycare for Sophie. One afternoon I sat down and made a list of every thing that needed to get done and I ended up filling up an entire sheet of notebook paper. I remember thinking at the time, "this is sooo much to do, but come September, for better or worse, it will all be over."

Now September is here (in fact it's almost over) and somehow everything got done. Phew! We are pretty much settled into our new place in Draper and love it so much better than our apartment in Sandy (I'll post pictures soon). I now have 5 weeks of teaching under my belt, and although it's hard work, I feel like things are going well. We also found a great babysitter for Sophie, who literally lives around the corner from my school. I was having some serious anxiety about finding someone to watch her, and it has been a huge blessing for me to know she's close by and in good hands.

Life is still busy - between work, school, and Sophie I feel like Dave and I get no time together - but we have settled into a groove and I hope it will be smooth sailing for the next little while. We are excited for fall and everything that comes with a new season!!

Sophie loving her morning walk

Sophie at 6 Months

Sophie turned 6 months on Thursday. I went to work and it wasn't until half way through the day that I looked at the calendar and realized it was her half birthday! This little girl seems to get more fun to be around each day. She wants to move and never sits still for long, so I really love the evenings when she will let me snuggle her before bed. Naps have been a bit of a struggle, but she always wakes up happy and sure gives us lots of laughs during the day.

Sophie at 6 Months

• 26.4 inches long (75%), 16.1 pounds (55%), and 16.8 inch head (50%) - tall and skinny!
• Sitting like a champ! I'm still getting used to just being able to plop her on the floor with some toys. She loves to be entertained, but is also learning to play by herself for short periods of time. 
• Is a wild woman in her crib and rolls all over the place during the night.
• When she's angry, she rolls her tongue instead of crying and it sounds like a cross between a hissing snake and Chewbacca. I think it's funny so sometimes I make her mad on purpose :)
• Can push up on her hands and knees, and although she desperately wants to crawl, she still has a lot to learn before she's fully mobile. 
• Enjoys being part of the conversation and gets real angry if we try and put her on the floor during meal time. Time to go out and get a high chair!

Beware of Baby!!

Sophie takes play time very seriously - don't get on her bad side!! Actually, she doesn't have a bad side. She is a sweetie and loves everyone :) She will, however, chew on anything and everything right now and those two little teeth of hers can do some damage. I think this girl is ready to start solid foods!

Exploring the neighborhood

Sophie is a big fan of the evening walk. We head out every night around 7:15 and it is the perfect way for her to wind down before getting ready for bed. We take walks to all the shops, through the quiet gated community, around the Catholic school campus, to the neighborhood with the horses, around the hospital - there are so many choices!

Our latest discovery was the open fire at the nearby Marriott hotel. I'm sure this will be a frequent destination as the weather starts to get colder. I'm already making plans to bundle up baby girl and bring a thermos of hot chocolate for me and Dave - mmmm. I wonder if the hotel would mind if we brought our marshmallow roasters and made s'mores...

Sophie at the fire pit - she was mesmerized

BYU vs. Texas

Last Saturday my grandma Mimi shared her football tickets with us so we were able to go down to Provo to see BYU play against Texas! We thought this would be the perfect game for Sophie because it's early in the season so the weather would still be nice, and the start time was 5:00, so we would get home early enough to put her to bed. Well, we were wrong on both accounts....

After eating an early dinner in Provo, we went over to my sister Natalie's apartment so I could feed Sophie before the game. As soon as we walked in the door a HUGE wind kicked up and debris started flying everywhere. Just a minute later, the clouds burst open and rain started dumping. It was like a mini hurricane. The power went out, and there was so much rain that some of the first floor apartments started flooding. Crazy!

I was just so grateful that we were somewhere warm and dry rather than trying to seek shelter at the stadium. Eventually the game started after a two hour delay and it was a GREAT game!! Sophie was stunned for the whole first quarter and just sat there taking it all in. After getting over the shock of all the lights and sounds, she seemed to enjoy herself. I'll admit I went in hoping for the best, but expected BYU to loose, but we WON! . Go Cougars!!

Before going to the game we stopped at our local pet store and Sophie held a puppy

Playing with some electric candles during the power outage - she thought these were awesome!!

Loyal, strong, and true BYU fans!!