Sophie and I recently went to Vancouver to celebrate her big cousin, Williams, birthday. A pirate themed bash, held at Crash Crawly's, was a big hit with everyone. I made my favourite William, in the whole world, a pirate cake. When they cut into the cake, everyone was surprised by the beautiful bright rainbow colours inside. A good time was had by all, but it was a short visit. As much as Sophie loves visiting everyone in Vancouver, she missed her Daddy and was happy to get back into her normal routine.
It was a gorgeous day out a few days back, so I took the opportunity to do a bit of gardening. By "gardening", I mean I tore out all of the ivy that was creeping up and smothering every other plant in the yard! While I was busy doing this, Sophie made a B-line for the dirt herself. She had a great time digging around, getting covered in mulch and checking out the leaves. I think she may have a true interest in landscaping :)
My little Queen Bee is now 9 months old. She is so tall and slender. We just went in for a check up and she is healthy as can be. Sophie is 27 inches tall, putting her in the 25-50th percentile, and she weighs 17lbs, which places her in the 25th percentile. This all means that she is a little smaller than average, but is completely on track with her weight and length at birth. Personally I thought she was tall for her age. The doctor says she is meeting her 11 month milestones! She is incredibly strong.
Around 7.5 months, Sophie started scooting and attempting a very uncoordinated crawl. She had an adorable little way of moving from place to place. Getting on her hands and knees, she would push herself forward, lose her balance, roll over, and repeat the process until she would be with in reaching distance of her favorite toy. At this point, she would maneuver her way into a sitting position, and realize she was no longer close enough to reach her toy. This went on for quite a while. At about 9 months, in the blink of an eye, it all came together for my little sweetie. Sophie is now crawling fast and furiously. She also pulls herself up on everything and anything, from the ottoman to the couch, walls, and whatever else she can find to give her a little bit of support. The day after she perfected her crawl, she escaped out the back door! Cruising around a bit, exploring the concrete, the weeds, even the grass in the backyard, until it was time to try get back inside. After a couple of failed attempts, she succeeded at climbing the little step and crawling back in the house! I was amazed and so proud. She slept like a little angel that night. A 7 hour stretch and then a 4 hour sleep. I was hoping it was a sleeping pattern that would last, but no such luck.
Tooth number 5 has broken through her little gums. This makes two top teeth, and now 3 on the bottom. Oh my little Sophie bear, she has the most beautiful smile. A smile that she flashes at anyone who looks her way.
Mama was Sophies first word, quickly followed by Dada, and now a few other words, that Im not clear on. She loves to babble, blow slobber bubbles, and make all sorts of clicking sounds with her tongue. She is such a happy little baby. She laughs out loud when we dance around the room and she absolutely loves the feel of her Daddies whiskers when he gives her kisses.
Since starting to be more mobile, my poor baby girl has experienced a few bumps and bruises. Nothing too serious, but worrisome enough to make mama call on Grandma for advice. I have since learned not to call on Grandma for sound advice, to calm my fears, as Grandma tends to panic more than I do!
