Fabulous "5"

November 24, 2007 - 12 months April 18, 2008 17 months

This weekend marked 5 months since Sophia joined our family. I didn't think I would be as emotional over this milestone as I am. I think the reason for this is over the past 4 weeks Sophia has changed so much!

She is losing her baby looks and becoming such a little girl. Her hair is growing, her eyes are different and she has got 3 new teeth (8 total). She talks all the time. She repeats everything you say or if you ask her to say something she will try. She knows her little friends at daycare by name and calls them by name. She knows and recognizes her family - grandparents, aunts, uncles and all of our friends. She's running all around the house and follows commands. She says please in sign language and actually says thank you and uses it in in it's context.

She loves being outside, playing kitchen (which she wanted nothing to do with even last month), dress up and is obsessed with shoes and usually it is the first thing she notices when she meets people. She know all of her body parts. She also knows all her animals and the sounds they make. She dances every morning and night in the car and knows all the motions to twinkle twinkle, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Row Row Row your Boat and many others. She can also "raise the roof" when she's dancing and she can shake her rump shaker like no little girl I have ever met!

She sleeps for 11 hours everynight and naps at least two hours every afternoon. Two weeks ago we only use bottles at night and we are now on sippy cups full time (YEAH!) We have started eating fruit (this was a big struggle since the beginning) and we only use our blankie at night now and don't even request it until it's time for sleep (unless she sees it) She's not into TV now that we can be outside - she loves water and bath time and climbs all over everything!

Playing "kitchen" is one of her favorite activities now so we think that purchase may be in our future sooner than later. We take wagon rides everynight and she sits in one seat and puts her feet up on the other seat while eating her snack and drinking her juice - maxin and relaxin if you will. She even did this on her buggy ride at school yesterday - too funny! She gives hugs and kisses and blows kisses. She kisses Winston now and calls him by name.Her personality is amazing. She is always smiling, rarely fussy and loves eating out at restuarants as long as you're feeding her!!! She weighs 20 lbs and is 30 inches long. She's still in 6 - 12 and some 12 - 18 which is wonderful considering all the clothes I bought for 16 months last year this time thinking we'd be traveling in July so she can wear it all now. So all you waiting moms - buy the clothes!!!! You'll be happy you did!

It is amazing, it truly is. We had a GOTCHA day I will never forget but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared but this little lady has changed our life. She is so much farther along than i ever imagined and it is such a joy to wake up in the morning and Chris and I go in her room together to wake her everymorning - she's already awake and talking to herself, throwing stuff out of her crib and ready to start her day. Laughing and saying "up up up"

We have sent in our 4 month check in to SLC, started the readoption process and are preparing for our 6 month Taiwan check in with the social worker next month. Still a lot going on here!!

Five months as a family, WOW but it truly feels like she has been here forever. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. She's gone through a lot in her little life and we are so glad she is now a part of ours....

ps this blog supplements her baby book and I'm trying to document all of her milestones!