On that note, let's check in on some of the highlights from Sophie's last three months.
Sophie Standing
Crawling is still the little girl's main mode of transportation, but now she has officially stood up. Okay, she's still very new to it, but we've seen her stand on her own for up to 8 seconds!
Before, she could stand up with the help of a couch, table, etc. She'd pull herself up and then work her way around.
She loves the little walker a friend is letting us borrow. She pushes it all over the apartment.
Sophie also likes having Mommy or Daddy hold her hands and walk with her. This is tons of fun, but also kind of tough on our backs. Worth it though!
Sophie Takes a Bite out of the Big Apple
In August, Sophie made the trip up to New York City with us for Max and Bill's wedding. She truly was excellent throughout the trip. We got plenty of help from friends and family in getting baby gear, babysitters and a place to stay. Grandma and Zaide were also on the trip, which made it extra special.
Some highlights would be Sophie's first trip to Central Park, riding swings at different parks, going on the subway and in cabs, seeing great friends from all different parts of our lives including Dallas, Singapore, Mizzou and Houston.
Side note: the wedding was absolutely gorgeous. It was at sunset on the Hudson River with Manhattan in the background. Basically, a wedding you'd see at the end of a romantic comedy. Being a part of Max's wedding was extremely special, and we're so happy for Bill and him.
Food Fun
Baby purées are out. Sophie never really took much of a liking to them. Now, we give her little bites of whatever we're eating. She still relies on formula for most of her sustenance, but that will change as we transition to milk soon.
Without a doubt, Sophie's favorite food is watermelon. Watching her stuff her cheeks with as much as she can fit in them is precious. She likes most fruits, cucumbers, cheese, tomatoes, carrots, cereal puffs, noodles and challah. At this point, she's not a big meat eater.
Ba Ba, Ma Ma, Da Doh
We call one of Sophie's tricks the Christopher Walken. This is when she goes, "ay yay yay yay" in a funny way. She's started making little sounds and it's kind of cool to hear her say "Da Doh." Not only does it sound like Daddy, but it's also a good sign she can put two different sounds together.
Swimming and Bath
Sophie despises bath time, so when we took her down to the pool for the first time during July 4th weekend, we had really low expectations. Surprisingly, she loved the pool! She had fun holding on to us, splashing her hands, trying to lick the pool water and kicking her legs. For a little while after, the pool visit seemed to make her like bath time more. Unfortunately, Sophie is back to hating baths. I'm sure she'll eventually like them again.
Hurricane Harvey
Sophie was a real trooper during Hurricane Harvey. We were without power and running water for a day and a half, but fortunately she didn't seem to notice. Once the water went down, Sophie got to spend the next week with Amanda because school was closed.
On a more personal note, it was a hard decision to stay in Houston before the storm. We'd debated going to Dallas, but we got very nervous we'd get stuck on the road with a crying baby and a dog. Plus, even if we could get there, we had no idea how long it would be before we could come back to Houston. We figured we'd be safe hunkered down in our fourth floor apartment, and luckily that was the case. While we were fortunate, friends and family in this city were hit much harder. The city has started to return to normal, but some things will never be normal again. So many people have to figure out what to do with their homes. The national focus on Harvey has passed, but it's an everyday issue here in Houston.
Let There Be Cake
Let's get real, I had no interest in making a big party for Sophie's first birthday. Dinner with family and a cake for her to smash would have been enough for me. Luckily, I'm married to someone wonderful who had different ideas. Amanda planned an excelled first birthday party with a "star" theme. Sophie partied hard. Bottles were poppin' everywhere (milk bottles). Along with many of her baby friends, Sophie played with toys and our personal favorite, a giant box.
Soph was a little hesitant to do her cake smash, but once she got the hang of how to eat cake, she had no problem stuffing her face with it.
La La Land
After the party, Gram and Gramp took Sophie back to LA with them for a week. People ask us how we feel and truly it's a mix. It's been nice for Amanda and I to kind of have our old life back. We've gone out to some nice dinners (without having to check a clock), we've walked our steps together, and we've enjoyed watching movies. Bali seems to love being an only child again (even though we know she loves her sissy).
All that being said, we absolutely miss Sophie. It's hard to explain, but my days have a feeling of incompleteness. The routine is off.
I know she's having a great time in LA with the family. She's gonna come home and it'll be great. I'm interested to see if Gram and Gramp will be excited to "give her back" so to say.
A Year and A Week
I won't get super mushy, but will say being a dad is a great joy for me. It is fun seeing this baby learn new things and figure out the world for herself.
I'm proud of Amanda and all she's done as a mom. Together, we're doing our best to make Sophie's life great. Truthfully though, it's Sophie making our lives great (boom, ended with some mush!).
