Dancing Princess

I promised more dancing videos so here you go!!

Sophie has also really taken to singing lately. She sings the theme song to Blues Clues and sings Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer if you sing it with her. I know Dee Ree was also working on We Wish You a Merry Christmas with her. And, in the bathtub we now sing I Wish I Were a Little Bar of Soap. This is all really HUGE progress considering just a few weeks/months ago she was pretty anti-singing and if you would sing in front of her she would shake her head and go "No. No singing." This was much to her poor Grandpa Dave's disappointment but I bet next time he comes to visit, she'll be singing up a storm with him!!

Sophie's 2nd Christmas

Christmas Eve at Dee Ree and Pop Pop's

Cousins

Uncle Richard, Aunt Theresa and Cousin Liana


Here's what Sophie woke up to on Christmas morning

Christmas Day






Special French Toast Breakfast the Day After Christmas


It was a heck of a Christmas here at the Oxenford house. Christmas Eve we had our annual visit to Pop Pop and Dee Ree's for their big Christmas Eve celebration. Sophie did pretty well there but got sleepy around 9 or so and we had to leave before the Stumpo kids got there (this happened last year, too) which was unfortunate because sometimes it's the only time we get to see them all year long. But, we did get to visit a bit with Sophie's Uncle Bubba, Aunt Theresa and cousin Liana. Once her Daddy carried Sophie into the house to put her in her crib, we got to work getting our house ready for Christmas morning.

When Sophie woke up on Christmas Day we brought her downstairs and had the tree lights on and the videocamera ready for her to see what Santa had brought her under the tree. Sophie also gave us the greatest gift by sleeping in until almost 7am which was sheer bliss, especially given all the activity of the day ahead.

She loved what Santa brought her - the two main gifts being a new slide (or what Sophie calls a "wee") and Elmo's kitchen. She loved both of those gifts and just went back and forth playing between the two. She barely even wanted to open any other gifts and in fact there are still plenty unopened gifts she hasn't gotten to under the tree.

After the gifting and playing, we started prepping for the big feast at our house. We had about 15 family members joining us and Jim made the most delicious dinner. A good time was had by all and mostly Sophie just had an adoring fan club of not her usual 2 but 15 of us hanging on her every word and clapping at her every move. Sophie sure is one well-loved little girl and we are very lucky to have such wonderful family close by to share Christmas with these past years since Sophie's been around. To our family and dear friends who we were not able to be with on Christmas and to those loved ones no longer with us we know you were all there in spirit and love you so very much this Christmas and always...

Finally, (and this one's for you, Grammy!!) here is a Sophie Says record - 15 crazy adults doing exactly as "Sophie Says" at the Christmas dinner table.

Rocking Out (20 month old style)

What can we say?? Little girl just loves to rock out...
Here she is having a ball with a music card Grandma Kathy and Grandpa David sent her this year. More dancing videos to come after Christmas but for now, here are a couple of festive shots to celebrate a happy Christmas Eve to all!

The cutest little snow bunny

Ok so we had some snow here this weekend.... 2 feet of the white stuff actually!! Yesterday in the thick of the snow storm, we all bundled up and went outside. Daddy shoveled and Sophie and I played a little and took a "walk" (well, I walked and Sophie was carried) up and down the block to look at all the pretty snow. She was a little overwhelemed with it all and it was freezing cold and still coming down hard. We might go back out again today now that it's actually stopped and see if she enjoys it a little more today. Of course the BEST part of playing in the snow is coming inside to warm up in front of a cozy fire with hot cocoa, cookies and lollipops. Doesn't get any better than that!!!

In other news, the christmas countdown is on and we are trying to keep all the presents we have received from family and friends wrapped and intact and under the tree. (Sophie did get to one and I came in to find her reading a cookbook of 30 minute recipes - thanks Aunt Joyce!!!). Sophie got a letter from Santa in the mail (thanks for working those North Pole connections, Pop Pop). And last weekend, Jim set up the train-set and every night after dinner, Daddy and Sophie have fun playing train.

And on the new baby front, I have started to feel the baby kicking. When I was pregnant with Sophie I wouldn't have known that this was the first sensations of baby. Now that I know what it feels like I know I'm starting to feel it and it is oh so exciting. I can't wait to feel that first full force kick! The kind that you can see poke through your belly. Yes, I know I will regret saying this.

Finally, here is a special holiday edition of what Sophie is saying these days:
Rudolph (but it sounds like "Rerolph")
candy canes (but she says "candy nanes")
Santa (but it sounds like "Santen")
I want two lollipops (but she says "I want two popipops")

Some moments from the week

Here are some random moments from the last week or so. Sophie's ear infection seems much improved and she appears to be in a lot less pain so that is super news for all.

We're enjoying our tree and the lights and ornaments and this past weekend Jim set up the train which is also lots of fun. Sophie and I made cookies last Friday and that was a big hit despite the sugar crash that ensued. More fun holiday pix soon!

The week's events

Here are some photos from her holiday photo shoots.



Well, the week started out pretty good - Sophie and I went to our friends' house for a little birthday celebration on Monday and had pizza and got to play and visit with friends we haven't seen in a long long time. Then on Tuesday we went to the Lansdowne Library for story hour. It was our first time attending the Lansdowne Library story hour and it was really fun and Sophie had a great time dancing, singing and reading with the other kids. But then on Wednesday, it all went south as she woke up with a fever (again) and had a runny nose and watery eye. We decided to get her into the doctors again and I'm really glad we did because she now has an ear infection (from the last cold). She's on an antiobiotic now (which she hates) and already seeming to feel a bit better but she had a really rough night and was awake and feverish and obviously in pain. Today when she woke up from her nap, she was inconsolable and clearly in tons of pain. Only a popsicle seemed to help take away the pain and tears. Hopefully, the antibiotics (and popsicles) will work their magic and some R&R this week will make her all better again soon.

In other news, today I heard her make a 3 word sentence. I can't remember what it was exactly but I remember being pretty wow'ed by it. She also now says "Sophia" (she has said "Sophie" for a while now but the "Sophia" is new) and we think she learned that from her new puppy pal, Violet, that her Aunt Pat gave her. Today she also said "Sophia, my name." Cool huh? Our tree is up as of Sunday and she is just thrilled with the lights and ornaments and "candy nanes." This year is the first year we decided we needed colored lights (for Sophie of course) and I'm so glad we used them because every day Sophie goes to the tree and says "pink, green, blue, purple" and looks at all the ornaments. Despite the holiday illnesses it is such a joy to see Christmas through her eyes this year - we are loving it!!!

New heartbeat

On Friday I had my second prenatal visit and this time we got to hear the baby's heartbeat! Jim was driving Sophie around because she had fallen asleep in the car so neither of them got to hear it live but I recorded it on my phone for them and all our family and friends to hear via the blog. So now, without further ado for your listening pleasure is Sophie's brother or sister's little beating heart. Enjoy!!!

Photos from Turkey Day and the week after

Getting a kiss from her beloved cousin Colin

Um, Mommy, Daddy, Seriously I am waaaay too sick for this photo shoot.

Well, not so sick that I can't crack a smile and do some dancing

The finale at the Macy's lightshow

Wow! Grandpa lets me play with his camera - COOL!

Sophie's letter to Santa

Sophie's original artwork on her letter to Santa

I'm trying to enjoy this, Mommy

A good memory for all despite more impending sickness

Sophie STILL has a bit of a cold even though it's now 8 days from when it started. She can't seem to get rid of the runny nose and a slightly wheezy cough however she is in MUUUUCH better spirits. Jim got the cold bad and I've got a mild case of it so I think we all just keep getting a little better and then a little worse passing it around and around.

I think that maybe while Sophie was dealing with this latest "ick" she also cut her canines because I noticed at least three are in now (possibly all four). She is sleeping better (and later) and just overall seems a much happier little Peanut. We had a nice visit with Grandma and Grandpa despite Sophie's cold and even dragged the poor kid to the Macy's holiday light show on Sunday (probably NOT the greatest idea in retrospect but it's the holidays. You can't live in a bubble, right?) Even though Sophie seemed much improved on Sunday, it apparently was just the calm before the rest of the storm because Monday she had more coughing and a croupy cough and sneezing. She really wasn't too thrilled at the light show (it was crowded, the organ was loud and she seemed to really not like being inside where the live organ was booming away). Once back outside she really enjoyed the window displays and the lights though so all was not lost.

We said goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa yesterday morning after a customary pre-trip breakfast at IHOP and they made it safely home last night in good time.

Happy 20 Month Birthday, Happy Thanksgiving and Continuing A Holiday Tradition

Thursday was Sophie's 20 month birthday!! Sadly, the poor birthday girl woke up from her am nap with a high fever and was sick the whole rest of the day on Thanksgiving. She was just sleepy and feverish and totally not herself. We gave her tylenol all day and tried to just let her rest and sleep. We were not sure whether we should take her out to her Nanny's for Thanksgiving dinner but her fever came down a bit and we decided to go ahead and bring her out since we had so much food we were bringing to the table. Unfortunately, she was just not herself when we got there and obviously did not feel well. She had a few moments of fun and activity but mostly was just not well. She didn't want to eat anything for dinner and was really just sort of melting down fast. So we left abruptly - left Mom O with all the dishes and didn't even get to have pie. We drove home and Sophie pretty much slept in the car and then went to sleep in her crib for the night. We checked her about every 15-30 mins and she was running a really high fever. At one point, the thermometer read 106. Not sure if that was accurate because it was hard to read her temp while she was sleeping but she definitely was running a fever between 104-106. We called the on-call nurse at her pediatricians office and around 1am, she woke up crying and shivering. We gave her more tylenol, put a cool washcloth on her head and held and rocked her until she was able to go back to sleep.

Then, on Black Friday she had a fever between 100-103 pretty much all day. I took her into the pediatricians office to have her checked out and they basically said it was likely a virus and just keep giving her tylenol. Last night we thought her fever finally broke. She ate a good dinner and it was down to 98 for a few hours before she went to bed. But this morning, it's up to 99.7 and she feels warm and definitely still isn't feeling good. She has no other visible symptoms although the Ped did say she had a bit of a sore throat and she thought possibly the beginnings of another viral rash. We're basically trying to just keep things mellow and keep giving her tylenol. Thankfully, she isn't running that super high fever anymore because that was just very scary. It has definitely put a cramp in a lot of our turkey day weekend fun (we were supposed to go out with my high school friends last night for the first time in a long long time, I was supposed to go black friday sale shopping yesterday, and most sadly for us all we were going to go to the Sesame Place holiday party this weekend) but of course Sophie feeling better is our top priority. We are hoping she is feeling 100% again real soon.

Her Grandma and Grandpa MacDougall are driving up to see her from South Carolina. Unfortunaely, last year when they visited around Thanksgiving she was sick, too. So, in keeping with our now annual tradition we will have a fun though low-key visit with Grandma and Grandpa while Sophie recuperates. Maybe a fun visit with Grandma and Grandpa is exactly what the doctor ordered.

We hope everyone had good Thanksgivings with their family and friends. We are so thankful for our little birthday girl on Thanksgiving and every moment of every day...

Grand Illumination

The holiday season has officially begun!! On Friday we had our annual visit to Peddler's Village for the Grand Illumination where they turn on all the holiday lights in the village and Santa arrives. We do this every year with our friends, and Sophie's godfamily, the Federwitz's. This year was Sophie's second Grand Illumination and she got to go in Giggleberry Fair this year and had a wonderful time playing in the ball room and climbing on slides and playing in the water toys. Unfortunately, she was so tuckered out from all the playing in Giggleberry that she slept through the turning on of the lights. Poor kid. But, it was still wonderful and much less cold than last year thank goodness. A fantastic time was had by all!