Sophia is ONE!

My sweet Sophia is ONE today!

I know every mom says it, but it is so true for me today...it went so fast.

I'm not sure if I'm ready to cross into "toddler-hood" instead of "baby-hood," but I know it will continue to bring with it joy and blessings, as I know each stage of a child's life does.

Sophia Elaine...you are beautiful.  Not a day goes by (or hardly an hour) that your daddy and I don't comment on how cute you are.  You are so. so. cute.  (And seriously, a year after you're born, we really can't stop talking about it.  Truly a main topic of conversation around here.)  Your chubby little hands that grab everything in sight.  Your big, blue, sparkly eyes.  Your sweet, rosy cheeks.  The way you crawl around the house.  The way you reach for Daddy when he is near.  Your cute new words...mama...dada...Ella...all done...daddy...hi.  Your voice that gets loud, loud, LOUD when you are excited!  You have recently started screaming instead of laughing.  You get so thrilled with the moment that you just let out a scream.  You have also discovered the sound of your voice and your unique ability to make your voice powerful, and you yell most of your words.  So funny.

You adore your siblings.  You reach for them and grab their faces and pull their hair.  You crawl wherever the action is.  You so want to be a part of things.  And they adore you.  They daily ask to hold you.  They love to teach you new words.  They talk to you in sweet, high voices and love to make you smile.

You have so many nicknames...more than any of your siblings ever did...Soph, Phia, Soey-phee, Phief, Phieffer, Phee-Phee, Biggie (only Daddy calls you that), Phieffa, So-Phieffa, Cuteness-Is-Almost-Unfathomable (again, a Daddy name), So-Baby, Bebe, and the BigBigBebe.  We apparently love to give you nicknames!

You pretty much love everything you eat, especially strawberries, blueberries, beans, rice, chicken, and bread.  If we are at a restaurant, you stare down the fries until we give you some more!  You are already asserting your little opinions into the world, and I love it.

You love to do "SO BIG!" and clap for yourself afterword.  When the kids are dancing and singing, you start to clap along and bounce a bit, too.  You just started giving those amazing, open-mouth, baby kisses that I adore.

You have recently learned the thrill of mischief and have started emptying laundry baskets, taking out all of the shoes and winter hats, and unrolling the toilet paper roll.  You make a beeline for the bathroom every time we forget to close the door, just so you can stick your hands in that toilet.  You don't love to nap, but you do love to be rocked.  When it's not naptime, you are always on the move.  You are fast and busy!

Soph, we cannot imagine our family without you.  You light up our lives and our home!  You bring us such JOY and such LOVE and such SWEETNESS to our days, and we CELEBRATE you today!!!

Happy 1st Birthday, Sweet Baby Girl!!!!

We love you!