diapers and skinny jeans

Sofia, Over this past weekend we had a celebration for you and somehow, you have managed to speed through this first year of life faster than I ever imagined.  Your Papa and I planned a backyard party where we invited all of your friends and family to come over and eat and laugh and play.  I had absolutely no idea how much work actually goes into planning a party-- especially one at your own place!  We were definitely worried that we wouldn't have enough space, but thankfully we were able to make it work (and most certainly not without the help of our "village" like both of your amazing sets of grandparents).  Both me and your Papa were running around all day making sure every last detail was tended to, and now looking back on these photos, I think we did a pretty good job!  There are lots of people out there that think planning a party like this is silly because if you're only...

Sofia, Right now you are eleven months old and are quickly- dare I say too quickly- approaching your first birthday!  We are spending our days together outside as the weather turns to spring, and the days we're stuck indoors you usually help me clean by dusting off our bookshelves with your socks.  How very nice of you!  I don't think I've even mentioned the large vocabulary you have now for such a little girl: "bubbas" (bubbles)  "aahwaa" (agua)  "muma"  "papa" "baba" (bottle) "hey" "bye" "aah dun" (all done) and "hiiii bubba". (We aren't too sure what that last one means yet, but we love it!)

Sofia, Just five days ago was April 1st, your 10th month birthday.  April Fools!  No, really.  It was.  You can stand!  You can grab!  You can pull everything out of every cupboard and bookshelf that we own!  You can tear off pieces of your Dad's loofa for a quick snack! (If I were you I wouldn't be eating that thing, though.)  You're smart.  You're really smart.  You can follow simple commands and play along with a wide variety of sing-song games.  Every day it seems like you understand the world around you a little bit more.  To be honest, there are a few things that you confuse me with, though -- for example, today, I was sitting on the couch and you grabbed my knee and started lapping my skin up like a dog.  I definitely have no idea what that means.  But rest assured, Sofia, I've already planned to save this said knee-licking story for a more appropriate time.  A time when you're much ...

Sofia, your two bottom teeth finally came through-- madness, I tell you!  Besides drooling and shoving whatever you could into your tiny baby mouth, you barely made a peep regarding your newly cut gums.  You look magical!  Papa says that your "baby teeth better grow in straight," and I think that means he doesn't want to pay for your braces.  It's okay.  You'll have a few awkward years and we'll love you just the same. Today we had another historical moment-- your first ride in a swing !  The weather has been beautiful around here lately and you've loved taking walks with me in our ergo carrier.  You really are the perfect companion:  you smile and wave at passerby's at Target, we pick out soaps together at Lush, and if we could only get your dad to get over that one tank top we bought that apparently shows "too much of your baby boobies".  We'll work on it.

Sofia, today your dad and I renewed our spirits.  We spent the day in one of our favorite Chicago neighborhoods and took advantage of the nice weather we've been having lately.  You still love to listen to Beirut while we drive along the lakeshore.  You still absolutely hate watching us eat, but soon enough you'll be sitting up at the table with us at all our favorite restaurants.  We spent time walking around the beach -- you came too!  (You were sleeping though, tired-pants).  I hope that one day when you're feeling down, you'll ask me to take you to the water.  We'll run in the sand with the wind carrying us wherever it leads and we'll just simply be.  Every once and a while you find those moments that truly give you the momentum to keep pursuing your dreams, to keep pushing forward.  Sofia, today is the day to tread upwards and learn that it's never to late to chase dreams. I have a lot of photos...