Family Musings

Daughter first:

• Sophia is almost 7 months - were did the time go?
• Sophia is pushing herself up a lot, and scoots a little backwards already, but no actual crawling yet.
• I think Sophia said 'Mama' the other day. She says mamamamamamamamamama a lot when she is in her crib and wants someone to get her.
  
• Sophia loves to be outside, swinging, watching our bunny, looking out the window, playing with Mom and Dad. She wants to be wherever we are now...
  
• Sophia was in the YMCA child care for her second time today (we do only 15 minutes to help her become a little more used to being in new environments with strangers). She didn't like it too much, neither did mom. Who likes to be ignored when there are only two babies total and two people watching them?
• Sophia still doesn't care for solids. I thought we were doing well when she started eating sweet potatoes again, had them all day long for 4 days in a row. Then mom introduced pears which Sophia also loved, but she stopped eating her sweet potatoes. She hasn't been eating anything else really since the pears, and now she won't even really eat those anymore. Instead she gets frustrated/mad when I try to feed her. I think we'll take a break for a week or something (mom is getting frustrated too when Sophia spit her food all over the place... :( )
• Sophia may be getting her first tooth. We're not sure, but thought we felt a bump, and she's been chewing on her fingers a lot, and been a bit more drooly than usual as well as having a bit of a low-grade temperature. Maybe not though.
• Since Sophia has decided to not eat much, she's been nursing more. Unfortunately she's also moved her nightly schedule a bit around. Now she wakes up at 3am again instead of 5am. At least she sleeps till 7 or 8am though after her once a night feeding.
• Sophia laughs, giggles and smiles a lot, and is giving great hugs. We love her and have so much fun with her.
  

Now Mom:

• Mom has been pondering life a lot and the kind of person she wants to be/become.
• Mom has decided that she tends to have double standards at times, and she doesn't like it, so she will work on being more consistent.
• Mom has also decided that she is truly afraid of two things that she has brought with her from her up-bringing: criticism and a temper. She really, really, really does not want to make those two things part of her family, and decided to not criticize anymore or to get frustrated ( I decided a few weeks ago that I don't ever want to get frustrated with Sophia again)...She now realizes how imperfect she really is. It's really hard to not criticize or get frustrated.
• Mom is also tired of judgmental attitudes, both her own and that of others. She wants to try to be better at just letting people be who they are, and to give the benefit of the doubt more often.
• Mom has tried desperately to lose weight in the last several weeks. She has worked out every day, started to eat even healthier than she already does, eat less etc...unfortunately her fat believes it needs to stay, and it's been really making Mom sad. Mom has never been very happy with her body, and it's really gnawing at her that she seems to have so little control over her body. The fact that she can't find any clothes that fit her, and that she's spent the cold Ohio winters without a winter coat because none would be as wide as her bosom have not helped the situation. I think Mom is getting a little depressed over her looks :(. Mom wishes she wouldn't care so much that she isn't the kind of body type most 'attractive' girls are. She really wishes she was more mature in this area, but she is not. So, now she is on a diet (no sugar and low carbs for 2 weeks...tough).
• Mom is delighted though that she found a pretty nice swimming suit (thank you Land's End)!
• Mom got another speeding ticket a few weeks ago. Since it was the second in one year it only cost her $185. Turns out that the county she got the ticket in (and all her other tickets) has the highest ticket rate of all Ohio - according to Wikipedia. To top it all off, the cop who issued the ticket, followed her home to correct a 'mistake'. Last week we got a parking ticket, but Mom successfully contested it. Ha!
  
• Mom is really frustrated with Sophia not eating and doesn't know what to do about it (if anything at all)
• Mom is excited that spring/summer is finally here. She loves being outside in the sun, and is already dreaming about all the vegetables she will plant this summer.
• Mom is excited that we've been doing better already this year at scripture study and temple attendance. Last year we were somewhere around zero with both. This year we've been pretty much on target with reading every day, and going to the temple once a month.
• Mom is tired now, and thinks this list is probably boring for most and long enough.

Dad

• Dad is studying, pretty much all day and all night.
• Dad gave mom an eye exam. Sophia screamed throughout the whole thing, while Henry's partner frantically tried to console her. I'm sure that poor girl will now never have kids.
• The 5 minutes Dad doesn't study he'll play with Sophia who now recognizes Dad, and wiggles out of my arms in excitement and delight when Dad walks in. She has figured out that Dad is the fun/cool parent. Mom is the one trying to feed her solids.
  
• Or Dad will be on the Optometry Loser Soccer Team. Fun times. Oh, he's also on the losing Stake Volleyball Team.
• Occasionally he'll grace the Church audience with his lovely voice. Mom melts each time she hears him sing.
• Other than that, Dad studies day and night.