18 Months or In Other Words, A Year and a Half

My goal of blogging every three months didn’t work out this time, but that’s okay because a ton of stuff happened in between, starting with a very mobile Sophie Rosenhouse. 

Moving and Grooving 

Last time I blogged, Sophie was just starting to  stand on her own and showed the early signs of walking.

Now, she’s prepping for the Olympics with all the running she does. First came walking and then, she happily started running with that cute toddler wobble-hop. She also has become a big fan of climbing the couch, going up and down, up and down all by herself. 

Babbling Brilliance

Sophie is saying something, we just might not always know what it is! Her first word was "hi," and since then she’s moved on to many more. 

She knows many of the animal noises. She knows Mommy, Daddy and Bali. She also knows other family members, with Steve being “Mamp,” her attempt at Gramp.

For my dad, her Zaide is more like “Zayd.”  We’re working on learning colors, and it’s super cute when she says her go to color, “Buh-looo!”  As far as counting, she thinks the numbers go, “1, 2, 5, 6, 9, hooray!” A particular book we've loved is From Head to Toe. It's so much fun seeing how she recognizes which animal is supposed to do which action, specifically when she wiggles her hips like a crocodile!

Self-feeder

Sophie has become a much better eater, but by no means is she joining the Major League Eating circuit. Her favorite food is still watermelon. She pretty much loves all fruit, including oranges and grapes. As far as meat, her favorite is chicken. We know chicken nuggets aren’t the healthiest option, but for a kid that doesn’t eat much, we figure the protein is worth it. We also try to take off some of the breading. 

Turns out, Sophie is a big fan of soups. We found out after bringing some leftovers from an Olive Garden dinner to her school. We’re exploring more soups to feed her. 

She enjoys anything dairy it seems, including yogurt, cheese sticks, pizza and of course, milk. We've also started having her try to learn utensils. She's can use a spoon fairly well, but it does cause plenty of mess.

Missouri, Miami, Big D 

Back in October, we went to Mizzou for Homecoming.  It was the first time in about seven years Amanda and I had been back. Of course, it was Sophie’s first official college visit. It was so much fun staying with the Kranzbergs, hanging out with the Millners and seeing so many old friends.

Shakespeare’s was perfect - man, do I love that pizza! For any of those Tigers that haven’t been back since they rebuilt it, don’t worry, they preserved the feel of it so well. 

In December, we went to Miami for an amazing Singapore reunion, as well as family time. What a blessing to get to visit with David, Sarah and Aviya who traveled in from Israel. It was our first time getting to see them since we moved from Singapore. Tamar came in from Toronto and Kiersten from Washington DC. It’s truly amazing to know these lifelong friendships can pick up where they left off. It was also great getting to spend time with the Shlachtman crew. Being around that family is so easy and comforting. Pammy and I had an awesome time at the Orange Bowl, we loved watching “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” with Mickey and Barbara, getting to watch Izadora take her first bicycle ride without training wheels and meeting Dara and Asher. 

In the last six months, we’ve also made four trips to Dallas. It was great coming in for Scott and Sabina’s wedding, Thanksgiving and then one random weekend. Unfortunately, the last time we came in was for Amanda’s grandmother’s funeral. I’m glad Sophie was able to provide the family some joy in a difficult time. 

A House for our Little Rosenhouse

The biggest news in this Rosenhouse family’s world is we now have our own house! Amanda has long dreamed of owning a house one day, and I’m so proud of how she made that dream a reality.

The decision to purchase a home was by far the toughest decision we’ve ever made. We ended up getting a house in the Meyerland area, but one that didn’t flood during Harvey (let’s pray it stays flood free). We hope this can be not just a house for us, but a home. It’s been such a difference already to see the way Sophie and Bali love to play in the backyard.

Owning a home is truly scary with the amount of tasks and ups and downs, but Amanda has made it doable. I’m so glad Sophie has this role model of an incredible woman. Amanda deserves all the credit for us being here, and I love her for that. (Side note: Marilyn and Melissa Rude became our first official house guests. They more than earned their keep, accomplishing many tasks to make it easier on us). 

That wraps up this blog. Sophie is incredibly fun to be around, except when she’s screaming her head off. The laugh and smile still get me every time.