Life is Wonderful: Sophie is 3!!!

My teeny tiny little baby is three years old! It is so hard to believe that three years have already gone by. I am so proud of the sweet, sassy, smart, silly, and spunky girl that she has grown into. I don't know what I would do without her!

Joe took Sophie to her three-year-old checkup. She weighed 18 pounds and 8 ounces. She was 33 1/4 inches tall. Everything looked good with her developmentally, but of course they went on and on about her weight. The suggestion was high calorie foods, which we do, as well as a discussion with GI about a new appetite stimulant. Hopefully they will find something that will work and not cause her to be grumpy like the one that was prescribed last time. Joe also took Sophie to her cardiology follow-up. Her ECHO and EKG came back normal and the cardiologist said that she is looking and sounding great. Her bicuspid valve is working completely normal so they don't want to see her for two years! Such great news! The cardiologist also said that her weight is of no concern to them, stating that she will just be a small child and she's doing fine regardless of that fact. We will take it!

Sophie is still learning so much every single day. She really is like a little sponge. I'm always amazed with the things that she remembers and the things that she can do. I love the fact that she has built onto so many previous skills; it is amazing to watch a child learn. Boy has she learned a lot in the past 3 years! She can put her clothes on as well as her shoes, though she doesn't always put things on the correct way. She can remember song lyrics and dances. Her vocabulary is through the roof and she's pretty darn clear when she's trying to tell you something or ask for something. She has beginning stages of reading skills where she can look at the pictures and describe what's happening or make up stories to go along with that picture. She can count up to 20, knows all her colors, can recite the ABCs, and so much more. I could go on and on about all of the things that she can do.

Sophie loves coloring still. She often will have us color with her, both inside in coloring books and outside with sidewalk chalk. I love when she draws outside and tells me about what she has created. Usually there is a story to go along with it. I love how imaginative she is.

Sophie's favorite activity from this summer has been her dance class, Tiny Tunes. She loved every bit about it! We sing the songs from class and do the dances just about every day. She was shy during the first week of class and wanted me to hold her often, but she was a champ by the end of our classes. I am so proud of her and so happy that she found an activity that she enjoys so much. I signed her up for Tiny Tunes again for the fall. We both can't wait for dance to start up again!

Potty training is going okay this month. There are many mornings where Sophie wakes up with a dry or barely wet diaper. She is going to the potty more and more on her own. Generally she has been wearing Pull-ups during the day so that she can use the potty on her own. We've been trying panties more, but she does still have some accidents. Starting today though I have declared that she is only going to wear Pull-ups at nap time and at night for bed. I am hoping that this will be the boost she needs to be completely potty trained. Here goes nothing!

Sophie was able to meet my half sister, Deanna, this month. I met Deanna for the first time last month and thought about bringing the girls but decided against it at the last minute (so I wasn't distracted and could concentrate on my sister). I was very excited to introduce the girls to their Aunt for the first time. Sophie warmed up to Deanna quickly and had a lot of fun spending time with her. The sweetest was when they went to get ice cream. She grabbed Joe's hand and Deanna's hand and excitedly went to get her treat. So cute!

Meeting 'Aunt T-nana' for the first time.

Sophie had been pumped up about her birthday. She really understood what was going on this year, which made it a lot of fun. Every time someone would ask how old she was going to be she would reply, "I be free (3) on my birthdays." So cute! I wanted to have something waiting for her when she woke up on her birthday and I just couldn't help myself when I saw this giant 3 balloon. It was bigger than her and worth every penny. She loved it!

Her last sleep as a 2 year old.

Her balloon surprise.

Sophie was so excited to wake up to her balloon! We woke up to her shouting, "I got a balloon!"

Sophie had fun opening up her presents. She received books, a dress, a Color Wonder set, chapstick (her current obsession), and a trampoline. She was so excited about her gifts.

Josie gave Sophie chapstick for her birthday. It was her second favorite gift!

Sophie's big gift from us - a trampoline! It is the perfect size for Sophie.

She loves it!

Even though her party was going to be a few days later, we had to have cake on Sophie's actual birthday. I did an awful job decorating the cake, but Sophie didn't care. She blew out the candles and chowed down on cake and ice cream.

She blew out her candles all by herself!

Happy 3rd birthday, Sophie Lynn! We love you!

Here are some other pictures from this past month:

Lunch time with Daddy.

This kid loves temporary tattoos!

Playing with her cousins at the park.

Movie night with her friends while the adults hung out.

Enjoying a local favorite - chili dip! (While in a Cincinnati Reds dress - how fitting)

This is Sophie's favorite person from the babysitter's. He is a big Kindergartener this year so he is no longer going to Jancie's. His mom teaches with me though and we ran into him at school this summer. They were both so excited to see each other! She ran into his open arms. It was so darn cute!

Kaci's new backpack can fit a toddler inside!

Carousel time at the zoo!

Sophie called us downstairs for a picnic.

Sophie wanted to go to the park on a really hot day after running errands. She has only been wanting to wear dresses, so I had to use Josie's burp cloth on the playground equipment to ensure that Sophie didn't burn herself. (Josie stayed in the shade - luckily no one else was around and we only stayed for 10 minutes).