25 MONTHS

{A Letter to Sophia}

Sophia, you are another month older. I feel as if we were JUST celebrating your second birthday. I haven't done a monthly post for you in a while & thought I was going to stop with them when you turned two but I think I'd regret doing it. I enjoy seeing how much you've changed & what you've been up to each month.

It was so hard to get these pictures of you but I think they turned out good. Here lately you hate getting your pictures taken and I pretty much have to bribe you with saying I'll get you a piece of candy if you just sit and smile. I can't wait for you to actually want to get your pictures taken because mommy loves taking them of you.

You have grown so much & you are so fun to be around. Yes, you have your tantrums and there are days when I am extremely exhausted at the end of the day, but you are honestly the sweetest girl. You are extra sweet to me. We'll be laying in bed & you'll just say out of no where, "I love you Mommy". You actually say it a lot during the day & it's my favorite. I've heard it before but hearing it from you is extra special. 

We still sleep together every night. We will sleep together as long as you'd like, Sophia. Being able to see you before I go to sleep and wake up to you is exactly what mommy needs. The other night your grandparents were going to keep you, well I ended up having to come back and get you because you kept asking for me and kept saying "Mommy's house", "Mommy Na-Night". I didn't mind at all.

You LOVE to talk and you know so many words/sentences. I'm always surprised when I hear you say something new. And most of the time the stuff you say always makes me laugh. You say some of the funniest stuff. I'm thinking daycare is where you learn most of it. I'm going to start writing down the stuff you stay and post them on here so I have a way of remembering them. 

You also love to dance and sing. Your songs may not have any real words but I'll catch some in there between the jabbers. You have one where you sing about me and I always ask you to sing it again, and again. You still have some funny dance moves. You've always loved to dance since you were a baby. I'm thinking dance classes will be in your future.

You are in size 2T pants and 3T tops. The pants are still a little big on you. We had to start wearing 3T because your long torso were making the 2T's look short on you. Your feet are still very small. You are in a size 6 and can fit into some size 7's. You have a ton of clothes and dressing you up is probably one of my favorite things to do.

You love to play with baby dolls and with your kitchen set BUT you don't play for long periods of time. You'll play for a couple minutes and then want to come sit right by me and see what I'm up to. This is at home though. At daycare I hear you play ALL the time. You also love to paint & color. 

You are still in diapers. You were doing so good with using the potty and then you just stopped so we are going to try and get back to that. You also still take a binky and bottle at night before you go to sleep. I hate this but you will scream non stop until you get it. It's rough. 

Right now you are taking about an hr and a half nap at daycare but on the weekends when you're here with me the naps are almost 3 hrs.. and I almost always take them with you. 

So this letter & update ended up being pretty lengthy. I guess that's what happens when I go a couple months without doing it. 

Sophia, I love you & your perfect, sweet personality. I can't wait to watch you learn more and grow into the beautiful little girl you are already turning into. You are mommy's princess & my whole world.

❤ ❤ ❤

SOPHIA'S STLYE: PRETTY IN PLAID

DRESS & BOOTS // OLD NAVY

These pictures were taken a couple of weeks before Sophia turned two. I completely forgot about them and figured I'd share them as a Sophia's Style post because we love this dress and of course the boots.

The weather this day was perfect. I'm thinking the weather will be close to it today so I plan on heading out with Soph to attempt to take some holiday pictures of her for some Christmas cards.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday.

❤ ❤ ❤

Sophia's 2nd Birthday

On October 20th Sophia turned two years old and we had her Birthday party the same day.

We had a really good time even though Soph and I were feeling a lil sick. AND my contacts were messing with my eyes SO bad. I spent most of Sophia's birthday party running to the bathroom trying to make my eyes stop hurting/watering. Not gonna lie .. it was miserable.

BUT Sophia had a great time with all her friends there. She was a little stuffed up and her eyes were all puffy and watery from being sick but she still looked so cute.

We woke up and went to have breakfast at Cracker Barrell with Gary, Butch and Stephanie. It was delicious. We ran around and picked up a few things and headed to her birthday party.

I had her birthday party upstairs above my parents restaurant and daycare. There is a room that is connected to a huge wrestling room. Basically a room with a huge mat which was perfect for the kids to just run. I just threw some balloons and balls in the room and the kids just played and played.

The party was apple themed so I made sure it looked farm-ish with a lot of apples. I waited until last minute to do a lot of the shopping and party planning but it went ok. Party planning is exhausting and kind of pricey.

Because I was so busy trying to visit with everyone {& take care of my eyes} I didn't get many pictures at all. I wish I would have taken some before everyone came in but I was running around like a crazy woman before it started. I did take some pictures but the lighting wasn't the greatest there.

It's still so crazy to me that Sophia is two years old. I say this every year but it just seems impossible. But it's been a fun two years & I'm excited for this next year!

There was a lot more pictures but the lighting was bad and I had a guy taking the pictures, so most of them were out of focus. I'm glad we have the ones we have but I wish there were more. Oh & please excuse my squinty eyes in the last picture. My contacts got so bad that I had them out by the end of the party. We were such a mess.

❤ ❤ ❤

Sophia's Style

Sophia is wearing :: OLD NAVY // SHIRT,VEST,LEGGING & SHOES 
ZARA KIDS // SCARF 

One of my favorite things about having a little girl is shopping for cute lil outfits. And there is SO many stores that sell THE CUTEST outfits for children. I'm not going to lie .. shopping for Sophia has been kind of an addiction for me. I'm obsessed.

Sophia has a ton of clothes, probably more than what she should but I honestly can't help it. She even has a ton of shoes,  more than me. 

I'm actually really jealous of all of Sophia's clothes & outfits.

So to share all of Sophia's outfits I have decided to do a weekly post of either one outfit of the day or just random outfits throughout the week. I will share this on the weekends .. either Saturday or Sunday. 

I hope you all will enjoy seeing Sophia's little outfits.

I also LOVE looking at all my IG & blogger friends share their child's outfits so if you post their outfits too let me know! I would love to look & see where you do your shopping. Maybe we can even start a link up in the future!

❤ ❤ ❤

I wanted a change ..

... so I got bangs. 

& I like them. 

Saturday morning started out terrible so I left to get my nails done. It was one of my first times leaving the house without Sophia (besides going to work). I guess it was really my first time in months just leaving to do something for me. I needed it ... bad.

I go and get my nails done which was relaxing bc I enjoy talking with the girl who does them. We are both the same age and both moms to toddlers the same age so we have A LOT to talk about. 

We were both talking about how we're just in a bleh mood about how we look. I honestly have been lacking on even getting myself ready. I'll shower, do my hair somewhat and just throw clothes on. I never spend as much time as I used to getting ready. 

And don't get me wrong, I don't hate what I look like, just don't feel as .. I guess comfortable with myself anymore. I find myself just looking in the mirror and just feeling bleh, like as much time as I do spend getting ready, I don't feel any different.. or look any different.

Soo I decided at my nail appointment that I would go and do something .. anything to change how I look. Even if it was just getting my eye brows & mustache waxed. And maybe buy a new outfit. Whatever it was.. I didn't have Sophia with me so I was going to take all the time I wanted & needed.

I call my mom, who was getting her hair done, and asked if the woman had an opening to do my eye brows real quick. Luckily, she did so I stopped in and got the brows done. I look in the mirror and I'm starting to feel a lil better. 

I ask her if I can make a hair appointment to get a cut and color, just something different. As she's setting the appointment up I show her a picture of a random girl I found online with bangs. She looks at me and says, "I have time right now to cut the bangs, want them?" I sat down right away and she cut them.

I've had bangs before and hated them but I ended up really liking these. It's def a change and something different .. exactly what I was wanting. And just with something that simple ... I felt better. 

I'm sure I'll feel even more better after the cut/trim and color that I'm def excited for. Now I just need to get back into the gym and maybe spend a lil more time getting myself ready, then hopefully I'll start feeling better and more like myself.

Ah, and I even feel better just typing out this super random post. 

I just need to get out of this lazy/bleh mood I'm in. I'm just so exhausted anymore with keeping up with work, Soph and everything going on at home.

If anyone has any ideas for more energy, motivation, work out schedules and even a cute hair style you have found send them my way bc this momma needs it.

& thanks to anyone who read this ... it was a much needed vent session, ha. 

❤❤❤

My Great Grandma

Sophia playing with her great great grandma // Another one with her great grandma // Picture with her Great Aunt & Uncle // Goodbye kisses for Grandma Birdie

Yesterday Sophia and I spent most of the day at my great grandma's house. Her name is Birdie and she is 94 years. She lives at home alone and takes care of everything. She makes her own food, cleans her home and also takes care of all her plants, which are always so beautiful. If I make it to 94, I hope to be just like her. Such a strong, beautiful woman.

I've always loved going to her home. Especially when I was little. I used to beg my mom to let me stay the night there when we'd visit.

I visit with her throughout the year now with my grandma. I  have enjoyed being able to take Sophia with us. I feel that Sophia and I are very lucky to be able to spend time with our great AND great great grandma. Sophia just loves her. She calls and grandma and liked to bring toys over to her chair. 

It's always interesting to go to my great grandma's and just listen to her talk and tell stories. I also spend so much time just looking around her home. She's got pictures of every child, grandchild and great grandchild all throughout her house. I've seen all these pics so many times but I enjoy looking at them. 

My great grandma also has the most random stuff through out her house that Sophia just loved getting into. But the vintage magnets on the refrigerator were Sophia's favorites.

My grandma's brother and his wife were there when we went yesterday so it was nice to see them too. Spending the day with them made me so thankful for everyone that is in my life especially my family. 

I am also very thankful that most of my family members are still here, and for the most part, they are all pretty healthy. I think about my family all the time and always worry about something happening to them but days like yesterday take all that away.

❤❤❤

My Lil Indian - Halloween 2012

This Halloween Sophia was a little Indian.

I ended up making her costume last minute bc I'm a huge procrastinator but I think it turned out pretty cute. After about 10 minutes of wearing Sophia had the fringes torn off and the feathers out of her head band but she still pulled off the Indian look.

Our trick or treat night was pushed to November 1st bc of the weather thanks to hurricane Sandy, but there was no rain and it was a lil warmer. 

Last year Sophia had just turned a year old so she really didn't get into the Halloween thing. She was still a baby to me and wasn't even walking yet so I pictured this Halloween being so much fun with Sophia. I pictured her running to each house saying trick or treat & just enjoying the night.

Well, I got Sophia dressed up and she was smiling and all happy. I had her practice saying trick or treat and everything. We walk out the door and one of my neighbors had this scary mask on and he yells, "Hi Sophia!" ... really? Sophia lost it, she ran to me yelling "hold me, hold me.. scary!"

She didn't want anything to do with trick or treat after this. We went to about 4 houses and decided to just go home. She kept seeing all the little kids in masks and just freaking out. Gary and I had to take turns carrying her. Not what I pictured at all. I'm hoping she enjoys it next year.

We tried getting some pictures but she freaked out when I wasn't holding her so she looks terrified in all of the pictures.

{Gary is not a big fan of pictures so he's making this face on purpose}

After we got a few pictures I took Sophia to my parents restaurant so they could see her dressed up. She was so happy here .. no scary masks there.

 Even though Sophia didn't enjoy trick or treat, we still had a good holiday! Hope everyone had a good Halloween! It's so crazy that's it's already November & that I keep forgetting to update this thing. I know I am going to regret not updating as much as I used to so I am going to do everything I can to get on here even if it's a quick post. So I'm back guys :)

❤❤❤