Sofia's First Bite

By looking at her, you'd think that Sofia could put away a cheeseburger, no problem. But this first taste of baby rice didn't go down so well. And the hours following this video included LOTS of baby vom. We'll try again tomorrow!

Sofia's Party

In sweet celebration of hip and leg freedom, our friends from around NY joined us (and my mom) for a boozy brunch (aka Free Sofia Party). Dressed in a beautiful dress bought for her by her English Grandma, she dazzled her guests with sticking out her tongue and raising her dress over her head so that she could stuff the delicate silk into her mouth.

Despite being out of the brace and now enjoying the ability to kick her legs as much as she pleases, she still continues to grow at an alarming rate. Now at 5 months she is a whooping 18 lbs! Size 6-9 month clothes will soon be a thing of the past. What a high achiever, eh?

Love Day

Valentine's Day takes on a whole new meaning when you wake up to two cards: one from your husband and one who's sharp pen jabs could only be from your daughter. Don't worry readers, Antony also got a card from Sofia (and me!). And instead of a romantic dinner for two, we are going over to little Max's apartment for a family brunch. Yes, Sofia also has a card for Max - what a tart!

And in addition to it being our first Valentine's with our chubby cherub, it has also been exactly 5 months since she entered the world and our lives. People ALWAYS tell you that time flies by and that you should treasure every moment. But these 5 months seem both fast and slow. Has it really only been 5 months since this gorgeous creature was living in our spare room? It sort of seems like a lifetime. On the other hand, it is crazy to think about how much she has changed in such a short amount of time. I am regularly saying to Antony, "Now this is the best age yet, how can we stunt her growth so that she stays like this forever?" But she always gets bigger and I am just as excited with the new and improved Peanut.

And for those of you who are far away? Let me fill you in on her current favorite things (they change weekly): Mommy or Daddy chewing her thighs, hitting or kicking anything that dangles from her activity play gym accompanied by loud squeals of delight, her Sampson dog who will most certainly be bald before she reaches her first birthday, standing on her wide-spread legs and walking around the neighborhood strapped to Mommy facing in but craning her neck in every direction to look at the buildings and people walking by.

Free Sofia!

On Thursday, Sofia received excellent news - she no longer has to wear that nasty ol' pee-poo-spit-blood stained brace and her legs are free to kick as much as they please. We, of course, were thrilled. Sofia didn't seem to grasp the gravity of the moment and proceded, as usual, wanting to be fed, changed, burped, etc.

We do have to go back in three months for a final check up - just to make sure that those pesky hips have behaved - but the doctor assured us that we were safe to throw away the brace and make it a distant memory (see photo for proof).

As promised, we are throwing a bash - Free Sofia Party - on Feb 21. Essentially this will be a boozy brunch for us adults but it will all be in the name of Sofia's freedom.

Thanks to all for your well wishes and comforting words throughout!

Could you deny?

Babies in bear outfits under the guise of keeping warm. This one gets a lot of shy smiles on the subway.

Got Milk?

Following a brief spell of not being interested in food, our little/big munchkin has rediscovered her first love - milk. Knowing this, her Aunt Megan promptly whipped up (hand stitched) this lovely bib so that at least she could be stylish while being piggish!

At her 4 month visit to the doctors, we were pleased to hear that her growth is coming along (it is something she excels in); weighing in at 15 1/2 lbs (90th percentile) and measuring 25 inches long (75th percentile). What a high achiever!

But have no fears, we cuddle that chub all day long and one of her favorite things is for mommy to bite her rippling thighs. She howls and squeals with pleasure! Live it up Sofia - this is the only time in your life that people think chubby is adorable!

Holiday Fun in Jolly Ol' England

We had just over two weeks in the UK over the Christmas holidays and boy o' boy, did we pack a lot in! We did serious power socializing with friends far and near, showing off our newest member of the family. (Note: When becoming a parent, no-one wants to see you anymore. It's all about the baby. We're okay with that.) It was wonderful to see everyone and especially the quality time with grandma and granddad who were tickled pink with our little smiler.

Now we are back in New York, trying to get back into our routine. Sofia has found the trip back a bit more stressful and is suffering from jet lag, a stuffy nose and the beginning stage of teething (we think). So we are back to 2am wake-up calls and night feeds. Let's hope that settles down soon.

Enjoy a few of our holiday pics. Thanks to everyone for showing us such a good time!