Fall Fun

What a crazy month it has been! Cory and I have 6 more weeks left in the semester. I hope it goes by fast!

Amongst all the chaos, I'm pretty proud to say that I've gotten Sophie's whole birthday planned :) I can't even wait! We're going to have a party in Indiana on Jan 1 and then a party in Logan on Jan 4. Then on her actual birthday Cory and I get her all to ourselves!

Also, I've done almost all of our Christmas shopping, gotten Cory's anniversary present, and the main gifts for Soph's birthday. Can you blame me? Christmas, our anniversary, and Sophie's birthday are all within 2 weeks of each other! I'd go broke if I waited until December to buy everything! It is so hard for me to not open Sophie's gifts! I just want her to start wearing the clothes and using the toys! But I'll refrain :)

Here's just a few things Soph is doing at 9 months:

-She's still on the move! Walking EVERYWHERE! As long as she's got something to hold on to, its her preferred method of travel.

-She says Mama, Dad (not dada), and Hiiiiiiii!

-Clapping and Waving hi and bye (this is when she says, Hiiiiii!)

I took her to the River Walk last week and every jogger that passed us she would clap and wave at them.

-She gives kisses and hugs.

-She loves Patty Cake and the Itsy Bitsy Spider

-She's completely done with baby food and eats anything we give her.

-She whispers when she see's our dog, Mherra.

-Her favorite foods are avocados and bananas.

-She's becoming a huge daddy's girl. She just adore's Cory.

-She's still sleeping about 13 hours a night. We put her down at 7 and she wakes up around 8ish.

-She can hold the bottle herself.

-We can put her in her bed awake with a bottle and she'll finish the bottle and fall asleep on her own. No fussing, no crying, just conks right out and rolls onto her belly.

-And lastly, she LOVES games. It's so cute cause she'll initiate them. I can't really explain it but there's a game she plays with Cory all the time. He'll be sitting there and she'll go hide behind something (like the recliner) she'll peak her head around the corner and when she see's Cory she takes off until he catches her. She squeals and laughs every time!

At Soph's last doctors appointment our pediatrician decided we try lactose-free milk for her. Well, we made the switch and so far its been helping Sophie. HOWEVER, the cost is ridiculous. Only Similac makes the kind we need and for a little can it's $15.Yes, $15. It lasts us 3 1/2 days! It's killing me. I went to Sam's on Friday and actually found them 6 cans for $60 so that makes it only $10 a can. Goodness gracious. Oh well, I'd spend every last dime on that little girl if I had to.

Here's what we've been up to...

We enjoyed the last warm day at the park and the zoo...

My nieces daughter turned one so we went to her birthday party...

She learned she loves refrigerator magnets...

She went to her first Aggie Football game and was the cutest cheerleader there!

We made over 60 cupcakes and delivered them to friends and family. (I made those spiderwebs by hand!)

We painted pumpkins. Soph was in charge of the paper towels...

Taking her job very seriously.

We went to American West Heritage Center and she rode her first horsey...We walked through the cornmaze

I'm super excited for her first Halloween this week. I'll be sure to post plenty of pictures from our church's party and taking her trick or treating.

Heaven Sent

Be prepared, I'm about to brag. A lot.

Miss Sophie is truly an angel. There really is something special about this little girl. I'm not exaggerating when I say I get stopped multiple times a day by people who tell me they can't even believe how happy she is. She is constantly smiling.

I have to tell these two stories...

A couple weeks ago we were in the grocery store and a little old grandpa came up to me and just said he couldn't believe how special Sophie was. He said he could tell she had a sweet spirit and he wished she could talk to him and tell him all about heaven... because he was so sure thats why she was smiling so much. He recited a cute little poem for her that I wish I would've written down! And then he reached in his coin purse and gave me a $1 coin and asked me to save it for her until she got old enough to spend it. So sweet :) He had me in tears in the store!

A few days later my mom called me after church crying. She said a lady in her ward (who she has only spoken to a few times) got up to bare her testimony. Her whole testimony was about Sophie! We hadn't been there in over 5 weeks! But, she said she was sitting in the congregation when we were visiting and saw Sophie. Sophie was just smiling at everyone around her. She said it made such a big impression on her. That Sophie was so happy, it was like she wanted to exclaim, "I am so happy to be here on earth!" There is much more she said (I'll have to ask my mom again) But basically, she said Sophie was an example to her and that after seeing Sophie she changed her perspective on life. She realized she just needed to be grateful she has this time to be on earth. I couldn't even believe it.

What a great little girl!

Also, (if that just wasn't enough for you to believe me) she has been teething for a couple weeks now- and unless you put your finger in her mouth to feel, you wouldn't even know. She's not fussy, whiny, or grumpy. No snotty nose, no sleepless nights, nothin'. Just a perfect little girl. I love my little peanut!

Cory and I feel honored just to have her in our lives. They say in heaven you choose your parents. I don't know how we got lucky enough for her to choose us.