Chatting with Sophia

Sophia watchin' Daddy cleaning up the yard.

The minute we get home, things do not slow down. The evenings are filled with juggling who is doing the playing, reading, dinner for Sophia, bath time, brushing ten little teeth, saying prayers and putting Sophia to bed, all before making dinner for Matthew and I, doing dishes, folding laundry and hitting the gym. All to wake up, go to work, and do it all over again the next day.

As exhausting as it is, and as hard as it is to not sit down or even rest until we're laying in bed at night, every second that we are moving around and running around, Sophia is learning. And she's learning at such an amazing rate, that sometimes it really scares us. Sophia is picking up so much from her environments and she is just chattering away.

When we went to her one year wellness check up, I don't think her doctor quite believed us when we told him all about her talking. (Kinda the way he doubted that she was really walking, all by herself at her 9 month appointment.) She literally chitter chatters all evening. She tells us "please" and "thank you" she will let us know that she is "all done," or that she wants "up." When she's playing with Bandit, she's nick-named him "Bubbas," and she's recently begun finding her Tickle Me "Elmo" (and not being so scared of him anymore!). When she's eating lunch, if we ask about string cheese, she'll tell us "stree chee" and she's mastered the cell phone already; She'll pick it up and answer it "hiiiii." And when it's time for us to go, or for someone to leave, she waves and says in the sweetest voice ever, "buuuu bye" She knows that Bandit is a "doooog" and that he says "wow wow" when he barks (for bow wow!). When she drops things, she'll tell us, "oh no" or "uh oh." And recently, we've heard "baaa tiiii" at bath time, and she's also been telling us "Nigh Nigh" when we lay her down for prayers and bedtime.

It's just amazing to us, the way her brain works, and how we can literally watch her brain working before us. There are times where the chitter chatter slows down, and she simply takes in everything that is happening. She's like a hawk sometimes the way she watches us! It makes getting away with things that we don't want her to mimic almost impossible!

I think that the kitchen is the most complicated of spaces! Dinner has to be made, but Sophia just doesn't understand why I can touch the stove, and open the oven and she can not. It's hard to explain to a tiny tot what dangerous means or what could happen with very much understanding. The dishwasher is also a danger zone. I think parents could be some of the most influential people when it comes to the design of household items. If I were to design a dishwasher, I'd move the silverware rack to the top. How? I don't know, but I'm pretty sure that I'd be able to get more dishes done while our tot was running around if I didn't have to worry about her grabbing a steak knife every second.

She really is the sweetest girl, and we know she is just exploring her surroundings and that is how she is learning. We know that most of the things she gets into are not intentional, and that she is just curious, but she certainly keeps us on our toes.

Lately it's been so cute to watch her little personality come out more and more. She knows when she's being mischievous, and she laughs and runs from us. She knows when we get home from work that it's all play time, and we get down on the floor and have tickle-wars! Her giggle will completely erase any of the stress left from the work day. She knows when we're going on a bike ride, a new adventure that she LOVES. And she's making choices about foods that she wants to eat and foods she does not. When she does not want something, I think the whole neighborhood knows it, as she says "No. No way" firmer than anyone I've ever seen.

Not only is her vocabulary expanding at a rapid rate, it's been amazing to watch her actions and she shows that she knows what we are saying. About a month ago, we were watching Sesame Street in the morning, and as she lay there watching, one of the characters (Snuffy) was allergic to Big Bird. He kept sneezing and sneezing. Next thing I know, Sophia sits up and says "chooo." Or earlier this week when we were playing after dinner. It was getting later, and I said to Matthew, "I think it's getting close to bath time." Sophia stood up, walked down the hallway, and went straight to the bathroom door, and began hitting hit, "baaa tiiii." So amazing.

It just melts our hearts every time she utters one of these things, and completely astonishes us as well. How is it possible that this teeny-tiny little girl is ours? How is it possible that she is picking up so much and then repeating it?! We truly are blessed to be given such a little miracle.

I've been getting back into my country phase of music, as I tend to do as summer nears, and I have fallen absolutely in love with this song by Lady Antebellum. (CLICK HERE!) As daunting and sad as the video is, I feel like we can all get in "that place" when we just live from day to day. There are days when I feel like I am just going through the motions with school, but the minute I lay my eyes on Sophia, I feel like the end of this video. I feel like I am awakened to the reality of my life. The reality that there is so much more to live for. Especially when I hear that little voice utter "hiiiiiii" and giggle. It's all a gift, given to us to live the best we can. And now that we have a little "mini-me" running around and repeating what we say, and mimicking what we do, it's more important than ever to live this life setting the best example we can.

She's driving already!!?

Smiling girl

(I was having a rough day at school and this picture was sent to me on my phone from daycare at just the right second! LOVE surprises like that!)

My heart melts every time I see this picture. She LOVES books, but there's something about this little cuddle-bug walking up to us with a book and asking "up?" to read it in our laps...
The two loves of my life. My Matthew & My Sophia-girl.

Sorting through her train blocks.