Sonia Feeding herself...

Based on our pediatrician's advice, I've started letting Sonia feed herself more often. It's always an adventure!

Breakfast - Sonia loves organic Os (Cheerios) with a little milk. She's good at holding the spoon but seldom gets any cereal to her mouth in the spoon. After a few tries, she typically resorts to holding the spoon in one hand and with the other hand digging cereal out of the bowl and into her mouth. It's pretty funny to see how proud she is of eating it herself (albeit without the spoon). I can sometimes get her to put stickier stuff (like squash or mashed potatoes) into her mouth if I fill the spoon and put it in her hand.

Snack - Sonia loves fresh pear pieces. Since this is a fine motor exercise, she's good at it. Yay!

And, speaking of butternut squash, here's the result of a bit of "self feeding". It makes for a great picture but takes a bit of cleanup!

I guess we need to keep practicing! :o)

One Month Home...

Today marks one month since we arrived home (plus 11 days since Sonia day in case you're counting). It's amazing how in one moment in can both feel like I've known her forever and yet feel so brand new. I'm trying hard to enjoy every moment and soak it all in as I know time passes so quickly!

Since it's been a little bit since my last post, here are some updates...

On 9/11, we celebrated "Grandparent's Day" with my parents. Sonia made them a cute card with her hand prints on it. (Thanks to my friend Lacretia for her help with our craft project!) She was very happy to celebrate with Grandma and Grandpa!

Sonia continues to play and laugh more and more each day. Our neighbor across the street gave Sonia several toys and many outfits to enjoy that her daughter has grown out of. One of her favorites is a bouncing zebra toy that she can now get on and off of herself and bounce and laugh like crazy. She also loves her "Little People" zoo and farm sets. We imitate the animal noises which again brings huge laughter!

Sonia is getting more and more mobile. She isn't yet brave enough to take steps alone but she is becoming more and more confident walking with just one hand as security. She is also becoming more confident taking steps backwards and sideways. I'm guessing that one of these days she's going to take off... but, for now, this is a great stage as I can explore right along with her (and also keep close tabs on what she's going after!).

Thursday, Sonia had her pediatrician appointment. The good news is that all the blood, urine, and stool tests came back great. She also gained 2 inches in height and 1 pound since 8/26. She's now in the 74th percentile for height... maybe she'll be a tall girl like I always wished to be. Her weight is still in the 11th percentile but she's definitely feeling stronger and more solid. The bad news is that she had to get four shots and also a TB test. She ran a 101 degree temperature the next day and was quite miserable only wanting to be held and walked with. I felt so sorry for her. But, she bounced back and was in great form on Saturday.

Saturday, Sonia got a haircut and we had pictures taken. She wasn't a big fan of either but is a trooper and made the best of both.

The park with a 1 year old...

I decided to take Sonia to the park today. I was hoping we'd get the chance to see some other kids since Sonia loves to watch kids... but, since school is in session there were only a couple kids at the park.

Sonia really enjoyed the swing - at least for about 3 minutes. She also liked the small slide - but 3 times was enough. We tried the swing again which maybe pushed us to 10 minutes total at the park.

I guess it's great to know that we can squeeze a trip to the park into our schedule most any time we want since it doesn't take long :o)

Here's a couple quick pictures of our park play experience...

Grandma and Grandpa

My parents visited for a few days last week so that I could join a few necessary meetings at work. I was a bit worried about how Sonia would do with me leaving her for the first time since we met. But, she did great overall! I think it may have been harder for me to separate than her! But, we definitely both are enjoying having our days together again since!

She really loves spending time with her Grandma and Grandpa (and I think the feeling is quite mutual - everyone is full of smiles)! I so love seeing them together. Sonia tries to reach into the phone or computer to get to them when they call or Skype... she's disappointed when she can't get the hug in person but it's so cute to see her try!

She learned a few new tricks during their visit - "So Big" with arms stretched up and a stronger "throwing kiss", "Hi" and "Mama". I'm waiting for some more words but so far the rest sounds like babble to me.

Yes, We're still alive...

It has been a while since I posted. (Thanks everyone for checking on us - yes, we're doing fine just staying busy and catching up on sleep whenever we can.)

A quick update...

Sleep is much improved! Sonia is now sleeping at night and awake during the day. It's amazing how wonderful this truly is for us! She is now sleeping from something like 8-10pm until 6-7am and then taking a couple hours of naps during the day. Her doctor has said she should be still getting a bit more sleep but at least we're in the ballpark. This is something to celebrate!

Sonia is on the move! Sonia is now creeping along furniture and cabinets everywhere. Nothing is safe! But, it is lots of fun to watch her explore. She is also "walking" (with me holding her hands for balance) all over the house.

Sonia is also now a fan of the bath. She has started enjoying playing with her bath toys and splashing away. It's lots of fun now!

Overall, we're doing great!