Chicago

I'm going to stop apologizing for not writing new posts as frequently as I think I should.  But, I can't believe it's been more than a month since my last post!  I guess returning to work has taken up more of my time than I thought.  I was really apprehensive about going back.  What if I didn't remember what to do in the even of an emergency?  What if I didn't remember that one phone number that I could dial in my sleep?  What happened if a baby decided to come out before the doctor made it!!??  As it turns out, everything came back to me after being there for one shift.  It was almost like going back to school after summer vacation.  I was very excited to see all my friends and co-workers and tell everyone about my baby.  For one day I was the most popular girl on the unit!  Of course I was also nervous about being away from my sweet baby for twelve hours.  Since I am working weekends Dan takes care of her on Saturdays and Sundays, which really puts my mind at ease.  On Fridays, Sophie goes to see Lana, a nice lady we met through our friends that does daycare out of her home.  When we met her I just knew she would take great care of our girl.  Thank goodness for smart phones and texting!  I don't know what I would have done without the frequent updates from Lana.  I got texts stating how much she was eating, when she pooped, and when she slept.  It made the transition that much easier for me.  I think I also really needed a change in my daily routine, something besides being a mommy 24/7.  I have a HUGE respect for stay at home moms.  How they stay sane is beyond me.  What a difficult job they have!

Our little Sophia Elaine is now 4 1/2 months old!  Here are some very overdue pictures from her 4 month birthday.

Always moving so arms and legs turn out blurry!

At her four month appointment she weighed 13 pounds 7 ounces and was 25  1/2 inches long!  That's in the 90th percentile for height.  That's mommy's girl!

At the doctor's office, awaiting the shots

The cutest boo boo's ever!

Sophie is now rolling over every day!  She mostly rolls from her back to her tummy, and every once in a while figures how to go back the other way.  She is enjoying being on her tummy more now, thanks to her Great Aunt Linda (more on that later).  Her little legs are so strong that once she gets on her tummy, those legs get to going and her butt goes straight up in the air.  Now if we can only get those arms stronger, we will have a crawler!

She is playing with her little feet a lot lately. During bath time she manages to get that big toe in her mouth and starts sucking away!

Sophie made her first trip on an airplane to Chicago to see Grandma and Grandpa!  She did very well on the flight and we only had a couple bouts of crankiness.

Another blurry picture, I guess the flight was turbulent...

Dan and I were headed to Chicago to go to Lollapalooza for three days. Grandma and Grandpa Swartz were going to take care of Sophie as we headed to the big city!  So, naturally, the Swartz's had a three day gathering of all sorts of visitors that came to see what all the commotion was about this little Sophie.

Sophie met her Great Grandma Ardis for the first time

Four generations! How lucky are we??

She got to hang out with Great Aunt Linda.

Great Aunt Regina

And of course Grandma and Grandpa

She also got to meet her mommy's babysitter from long, long ago

Margie with Sophie

Feel familiar Margie??

Sophie got to meet her Auntie Sheila for the first time, along with Asha and Von.  And of course Auntie Mel got to play with her again.

Wow, Sophie looks as big as Von!

Asha, after a long swim!

Mel, Sheila and I with the kiddos

My loves and their pretty blues!

Dan and I got to spend SOME time with our daughter ;)

Sophie had a great time while Dan and I played in the city seeing some great bands at Lollapalooza.  (See next posting for Lolla pictures and details!)  She played on her play mat a lot.  Aunt Linda is responsible for the improved enjoyment of tummy time.  As they were watching the women's gymnastics during the Olympics, Miss Sophie was practicing her floor routine.  I believe that's how she got so interested in rolling over again and practically scooting across her mat.  The Aunties had a mirror and a musical toy that Sophie would reach for while on her tummy, so she tried to scoot to get closer.  That girl is definitely moving all over the place now!

Grandma and Grandpa went to such lengths to make sure they had everything they needed for their granddaughter to visit.  They got the pack n' plays, bathtub, toys, bottles, diapers, wipes, formula, and even a baby monitor.  I'm sure Sophie felt right at home.  Grandma was even nice enough to sleep in the same room with Sophie, getting up in the middle of the night to give her a bottle.  Brings back the memories, huh Mom?  We all had a great time back home, and hope to get back again soon!

I'll end this post with some (ok, turned out to be a lot) of my favorite recent pictures.

Tryin' out a new look

We love our duckies!

Too cool!

Hangin' with Jake

A new hairstyle!

Where's the baby??

Our little Boilermaker!

Until next time (and hopefully sooner rather than later)...

Love
The Yorks!

Meeting more of the family

Not long after "Auntie" Mel left us, Aunt Regina and Aunt Linda came to visit.  It was a short visit but Sophie got to spend some quality time with her great Aunts.  They were kind enough to send Dan and I out on the town for an evening too!  They had no idea what they had gotten themselves into, as Sophie was a little demanding of people's attention at the time.  When Dan and I came home, those Aunts looked exhausted!

Meeting Great Aunt Linda for the first time!

They have no idea what they're in for

Playtime!

Cozy with Great Aunt Regina

When Sophie's first diaper needed to be changed when the Aunts arrived, Aunt Linda was holding her and offered for Aunt Regina to change it, she stated that they would do it in "shifts" and that Linda was more than welcome to take the first "shift".  Linda got a messy one and it seemed Sophie always gave her the "dirty" diapers.  Before they left Regina claimed to have had a go with the dirty diaper as well.

Just two days after the Aunts visit, we were on our way to south Florida to see Grandma and Grandpa York and to see Dan's cousin Jeff get married!  (We have been a very loved family with all the visits, and it has kept this new mommy and daddy very busy!)

On our way to the wedding we stopped in Naples to see Grandpa Don and Grandma Sally.  They were so kind and gave us a bunch of gifts for little Sophie.  One gift in particular was a teddy bear that sang a song.  This bear was so loud that Sally played it from across the room one time when Sophie was crying.  After I told her that this child loves loud sounds to get her to calm down, the bear made it's way to Sophie while she was sitting in Grandpa's lap.  She was mesmerized!

Sophie and Grandpa Don

When the bear wasn't cutting it, Don would sing to Sophie while she was laying on his chest like in the picture above.  He has a very deep voice and she loved every bit of it!

After spending the night with Grandma and Grandpa, we headed to Captiva Island in south Florida just outside of Fort Meyers.  Dan's cousin Jeff was getting married and Sophie was getting to meet even more of the family!  Aunt Donna and Grandma Elaine were there, and that's where Sophie met her Aunt Donna for the first time.

Lunch with Aunt Donna

Pretty dress Grandma Elaine bought. This girl never stops moving! This is one of the less blurry shots

Talented Daddy and Sophie

Beautiful beach wedding

Love the Baby Bjorn!

Happy Family!

Chillin' with Grandma at the wedding reception

While on the beautiful island, Sophie made it to the beach for the first time!  Of course she didn't get to play in the sand, but she was quite content sitting under the umbrella with mommy and feeling the ocean breeze blowing through her hair.  The next day, Donna and Elaine offered to watch Sophie for us while we went to the pool for a few hours of adult time and adult drinks.  We had a great time with the family and friends of the wedding party, and enjoyed a "bucket" of voodoo juice while basking in the sun.  This is the result of those few fun hours.

Tired Daddy and Sophie

Elaine and Donna came back to Orlando with us after the wedding to spend more time with Sophie.  After they left, Dan and I celebrated my first Mother's Day with brunch and mimosas with our friends Scott and Jen.  It was a nice and relaxing day.  I still can't believe I'm a mom!  I love every moment with this little girl!

Love
Dan, Jess, Sophie and Lucy

PS-If you're reading this post first and it's been awhile since you've been to the website, don't forget to go back a few posts, as I have been "catching up" for the past month!