We've made a new discovery

We've made a discovery...it's white, you start off with none and then have a ton..Can you guess? Sophia's First Tooth!!!! I can home and Mama had this cute sign on the door announcing her discovery. My baby is growing up. I know I have a long way to go but wow six months have gone by sooo quickly.

Dear Sophia,

Six months. Half a year. Where has the time flown? & if it flew by this quickly, then I might as well pull out the banners because it feels like tomorrow will be your first birthday. It sounds so cliche, but I truly cannot believe it has been six months since we first came into each other’s lives. Some days when I’m rocking you at night I imagine you are fresh home from the hospital as I close my eyes & sniff behind your ear to inhale that baby scent. But then I realize that you’re legs are already draping down into my lap, your hand is curled around the back of my neck, & while you are still my little girl, you simply are not a fresh newborn anymore.

Sophia, you are such a sweet little girl.

Sophia…YOU are the one that saves me. Weekly. Daily. Hourly. On my good days, you are my motivation to succeed at everything I do at work, home, & in my marriage. On the bad days, you give me reason to survive until the next good day. Until the next day that your smile will fill my heart with warmth & you squeal for me.

Have the past six months been perfect? Absolutely not. Has it been a classic fairytale of mother & baby? No. But it’s our fairytale, Sophia. & you will always be my little princess that saved me.

I love you, for the next six months and the next six hundred years.

Love,
Sophia's Mommy

**Some assistance for the wording in this letter are from theheirtoblair.com

An more swimming pictures!

More swimming pictures

We have a swimmer!

Yesterday we took Sophia for her first swimming "lessons". This consisted of blowing bubbles, singing songs and grabbing balls/rubber ducky for Sophia. She was the youngest baby there...the other children were ages 2-3 years old. We had tons of fun and Chunky got dunked. Of course I was scared and so was daddy so the instructor had to do it. When she came up, she looked liked she was going to cry but saw everyone clapping and smiling that she started smiling too. All the other parents said was "what a happy baby you have"! So today I am writing this post as a well rested feeling blessed mommy. She slept until 5:00 which is 9 hours. Wooohoo! We tired her out!

Message for Sophia: I hope that you will always be that happy baby. Even when you are a grown up. I will do my best to guide you to make the best decisions so that you will always look at the bright side of things. Even on days when you go under and come up and everyone is not smiling or clapping, daddy and I will be there. Keep smiling happy baby!

Love,
Sophia's Mommy

Rollin Rollin Rollin...

This is going to be a very short post...doing some spring cleaning. Sophia is rolling from one end of the room to the next. She is so amazing!

Love,
Sophia's Mommy

Tons of Pictures

Sophia is a Genius!

Everyday Sophia gets a bath and I read her a book. The other night I read her a book about a bunny who tells his mommy how much she loves her. Get this...my daughter giggled and smiled at the appropriate times during the story. So I called Marc to hurry and get the video camera but I was done reading and she was done listening. Today I read her a Kisses book and she giggled and smiled again. I wanted to video tape it but unfortunatly daddy is working late today. Does every baby do this at 5 1/2 months? She is such a great baby I want 5 more like her!
She is asleep right now and keeps waking up because she wants to sleep on her belly. She is twisting and turning and when she end up on her belly face down I "fix" her. I am NOT ready for that yet. It freaks me out. What if I don't wake up and she is crying? I know "Nervous Nelly" alert but...! Hopefully, she stays asleep and does not wake up until the morning. Crunch n Munch you are growing up way to fast. Can you please slow it down so mommy will not have a nervous breakdown?

Message for Sophia:
You are mommy's baby and always will be...even when you build a family of your own. I will always remember these moments that are so precious to me. I know you will love to read like me. When I was young I had tons of book and could finish a chapter book in a day...Just ask your daddy he will tell you. I enjoy our quiet time together especially on long noisy days at work. Always remember that anytime you need me I am here.

Love,
Sophia's Mommy

Perfect Water Baby Trip

Today Sophia went to Sea World's water park Aquatica with Grandma Jeanette, cousin Isabella and mommy and daddy. This was her first trip to a water park and to be honest I was a tad bit nervous. She is still only 5 1/2 months and needs her naps...How would she behave? But I have the most incredible baby ever. There were some babies/kids crying. Nope not my little dolphin! Sophia wanted to jump into the water and begin doing backstrokes. We stayed in the kiddie section and had a blast and when it was time for a nap, baby girl took a nap. I also put tons of sun block and she truly looked like a puffy powdered donut. I was so concerned about her that I forgot to put some on myself. Can you say 2nd degree burns? Just kidding... but I am burnt. Sophia on the other hand is still as white as she was when we got there. We came back pooped but had a blast! We are really going to consider getting season tickets next year!

Message for Sophia:
My sweet baby girl remember it is great to win but if you do not...that means you must try harder the next time. You must congratulate the person who won and must never pout because you have lost. I know losing is not fun but it is also not fun to play with a sore loser. You are an incredible baby and I know you will grow up to be an incredible woman. Mommy and daddy love you more than you will ever understand. You have filled our hearts with the purest love we have ever known. I am proud to say I am Sophia Grace Mayoral's mommy!

LOVE,
Sophia's Mommy

Crunch N Munch is a dolphin

Grandma Jeanette is visiting and Sophia is being spoiled like she should be!! Yesterday Sophia watched her cousin Isabella in the little pool Grandma bought. I am sure Crunch was longing to go into the water but my daughter getting hypothermia is not on the agenda. That night as part of the normal routine I gave her a bath. Well this was a sight to see! Sophia was scooting her body down, turning so red that I thought she was going to poo. The funniest part was that she was tring to "lap" up the water with her tongue. She tasted the water and gagged. BUT she kept doing it over and over again. What am I to do? Bath time has become challenging but I guess this is just the beginning. So for now I have a baby that becomes a Dolphin when her body touches the water.

Message For Sophia:
Baby girl you love the water so much you are your daddy's girl! We are going to have so much fun going to the beach and the pool. Mommy is so nervous about you being in the water so forgive me now for the years to come of me being so protective over you. So when I say "stay in the shallow end", "don't go so deep", just remember you are mommy's sweet angel and I love you!

Grandma's Comin to Town

Well Grandma Jeanette was supposed to be here today with cousin Isabella but bad weather haulted their plans until tomorrow. We are so very excited! Today was Christmas in the Mayoral house. My mom AKA Nanita bought Crunch N Munch the program Your Baby Can Read. I popped in the tape and she was so into it. Not because she is my daughter but Gracie is a genius!!!! She is going to be reading in no time :) Nanita also bought us...{drum roll please} Davids Cookies: 2 tins and 2 boxes full of scumptuous sweet treasures. Now how am I going to fit into my itty bitty bikini by the summer with such temptations? I also bought Sophia a Dollhouse Bookshelf. Ya know for all those novels she is going to be reading. Sophia Update: For the past two days she has been making these yelling whiney noises when she is upset. Hilarious!!

Message for Sophia: One day Sophia Grace you will read this and during your teenage years when you think it is you against the world know that mommy loves you very much and mommy has your back. You are the best gift I have ever gotten. Everyday that I look at you it feels like Christmas time in the Mayoral house.

Love,
Sophia's Mommy

Peas Vs. Pears

Today I fed Sophia oatmeal cereal and a jar of pears. Just like Mama advised. Well it began with a happy baby and ended in hysteria. If Sophia could speak she would probably have said NASTY NASTY NASTY!! She ate the pears but once I put the oatmeal in her mouth she would scream bloody murder. Why you ask? I Think...I Know my grandmother has been mixing "sweetness" in everything Sophia eats. UUUGGG!!! Though Sophia's reaction was absolutly hysterical. So what does a good first time mommy do. I RECORD it. I will post soon because this is a must see. Sophia totaly regected the peas once the pears were introduced. So what is another thing a good mommy does? Well I continue feeding her the peas though she is screaming, gagging, eyes welled up with tears becasue she is gagging so hard. Because by golly my baby is going to eat veggies, will not be diabetic, and will be a very healthy baby!! Also could it be the pears that are making Sophia's poop looks like chocolate chips and malt balls!
Love,
Sophia's Mommy

Chunky Monkey sleeps...

Oh goodness I am tired but not because of my chunky monkey! She slept almost eight hours last night which was awesome. People have told me of other babies sleeping 12 hours straight. She is yet to do that but for now I will take what I can get. Munchy lets see if you can do an encore of last nights performance. I took video today of Sophia giggling while taking a bath. It was the cutest thing ever. Boy do I love her. I will hopefully learn to post videos soon. But until then...have a wonderful night, sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite. (This saying has such a new meaning when you know what bed bugs are!)
Love,
Sophia's Mommy

Routines and things...

Today I thought about setting up a routine especially when mama leaves. It will be difficult but I just have to start preparing the little family now. Sophia ate avocados today for the first time and boy was that funny. She gagged so hard that I thought she was choking. Her eyes even got watery! My poor baby...I followed it up with bananas which she loves. Nanita says she is a true Puerto Rican because every Boriqua loves bananas. She started crying when there was no more left. She has grown so much. I measured her today and she is roughly 27 inches. WOW that is all I can say. She is asleep right now. Hopefully she gives me a few hours. Sweet dreams my Crunch n Munch!
Love,
Sophia's Mommy

I have a fighter!

My baby girl fights to fall asleep. Yes she is so tired but she screams and hollars to fall asleep. I came home today and Hubby was so tired. On Mondays it is his day to take care of Sophia. She is teething and putting everything in her mouth even the remote. When do you think her teeth will come in?
Love,
Sophia's Mommy

Meet Sophia Grace Mayoral

Sophia was born on October 12, 2009 at 11:47 P.M. She was 6 lbs 8 oz. and 19 1/2 lbs at Baptist Downtown Hospital in Jacksonville Florida. I am starting this blog as a diary documenting Sophia's life. Mommy loves you!