Three

That's her swimsuit. She picked it out herself.

Sophie's three. I have a 3-year-old. That shouldn't surprise me so much considering most of my friends who are my age have children in elementary school already. It still does, though.

It's strange how older pictures of her are now her "baby pictures" instead of just older pictures of my baby. Does that make sense?

She was about a year old here.

This is Sophie at 4 months, on the day we moved out to California. At that point I thought to myself, "Wow,... she's going to be THREE when we finish school!" It seemed like it was so far away it would never happen.

This picture is a rare one in Sophie's life. She almost never fell asleep on me like that and has never been much of a cuddler.

I was sifting through some recent photos, trying to decide on a photo that best portrays Sophie's personality. It was a tie between this one. . . sticky fingers & a sassy/defiant/crazed look on her face.

Or this one . . . smoothie face, crazy hair, big eyes and a smirk.

We have been on quite a journey this past year with Sophie. Here's a bit of what she's been up to:

Height: 39 in. (90th per.)
Weight: about 30 lbs (50th per.)

Recent Milestones: POTTY TRAINED (although still going through stubborn phases of accidents). She's also started writing a little and can draw H's, I's, S's, and Z's. She also loves to sing and can find about a dozen songs she knows (by herself) from the Primary Children's Songbook. She also hums to herself almost constantly and makes up her own songs.

Favorite Foods: She's gotten picky over the last year, but she still loves Mexican food. I can get her to eat almost anything if I chop it up small and wrap it in a tortilla. She loves all kinds of fruit, cheese, goldfish crackers, and chocolate. And she would drink fruit smoothies all day if I let her.

Interests: Anything that has to do with gluing things, coloring, painting, and other types of crafts. She has always loved books, and will sit either by herself or with Ivy and "read" to her. Sophie loves to help me in the kitchen. She's getting pretty good at cracking eggs and can get them into a small bowl without any shell shards most of the time. She loves animals, going to the zoo, and likes to watch Discovery shows. As soon as I open the front door she (and Ivy) run like made and would stay outside all day if they could, scribbling on the porch with chalk or playing with the hose. She also loves taking care of her "babies" -- feeding, changing, swaddling, nursing, and putting them in time out. She also loves shopping, particularly grocery shopping and often asks to go to "Crater Joe's" (Trader Joe's) when I ask her where she wants to go or what she wants to do.

Personality: She's definitely strong-willed and likes to be in charge of whatever situation she's in. (Luckily she has a patient little sister who plays along fairly well.) She's very observant, often noticing small details and things that go on around her. She's cautious, meticulous, and does things at a slower, more careful pace (like Steve). She's also very nurturing and likes to "take care" of her babies and her little sister (whether she needs to be taken care of or not). Sophie has a silly/crazy side and likes to make people laugh.