Sofia's Island

Standing Free!

Hello, my peoples! I have some exciting news:

Today I stood all by myself! No wires, no green-screens, no couches, no coffee tables, no skirts, no pants! For just a few seconds today, I stood on my own with no other support than my two little feet under me.

Momma and Poppa were very pleased and a little surprised. They laughed and clapped and told me how proud they were. Aww, shucks, folks. T'wern't nothin'!

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, I figured out how to crawl properly last week. No more of that crazy, throw myself at the floor, inch-worm move like something out of Breakin' 2. I can crawl! Hide the liquor and the Cheerios, baby! Nothing is safe from my little paws now!

Love and perambulation,

Sofia

9 Month Checkup!

Hello, my peoples! Sofia here again with another update on my wonderful life!

Today I had my 9 month checkup with my pediatrician (big word, huh? impressed?). She asked Momma and Papa all kinds of questions about what I had been up to. Was I crawling? Yes. Was I sitting up on my own? Yes. Was I standing up? Yes. Was I eating solid foods? Yes. Was I feeding myself a bit? Yes. Did I think Barry Bonds would hit #756 this year? Yes. Will Britney Spears ever go back on tour again? Yes.

C'mon, Doc! Give me a hard question!

Overall, she was very pleased with my progress. Here's my vital statistics:

• Height: 28.5 inches - I'm pretty tall for my age: 90th percentile.
• Weight: 19 pounds, 5 ounces - I'm a still good sized: 60th percentile.
• Head Circumference: 46.5 centimeters - I've still got a big head: 97th percentile.

Looking at it another way, here's how much I've changed in 3 months since my last checkup 3 months ago:

• Height: grew  1.5 inches
• Weight: gained 3 pounds and 1 ounce
• Head Cir: grew 2.5 centimeters

And, going back even further, here's how much I've changed from 7 months ago (my 2 month checkup -- back even before I could blog!):

• Height: grew 5 inches (was 23.5 inches tall)
• Weight: gained 9 pounds and 12 ounces (was 10 lbs, 9 oz.)
  
• Head Cir: grew 6.75 centimeters (was 39.75 cm)

Whew! All those numbers make my head spin! I'm tuckered out, my peoples. Time for bed.

Love and statistics,

Sofia

Standing: The New Old Thing

Hello, my peoples! I have discovered my new favorite thing in the last few weeks: Standing!

Now that I can get around a bit, I like to scoot around to things like the couch, shelving and anything else I can get my paws on and pull myself UP! Momma and Poppa got a little worried about this and built me a little climbing baby gym in the middle of the living room. Basically they got a couple of shipping boxes and a moving box, filled them with books so they don't tip over, and bingo! Instant climbing gym.

Now I spend almost all my playtime pulling myself up on these boxes and playing with my toys on top. Except--of course--when I decide to go adventuring around the living room, trying to grab and bite everything!

Lately, I have been improving on the standing up trick by only holding on with one hand, or holding myself up by putting my tummy on the boxes and using no hands at all! Woo HOO! Momma and Poppa get these slightly nervous looks on their faces when I do that. So I just laugh at them.

Love and giggles,

Sofia

Call me Scooter

Hello, my peoples! This week, I figured out how to move myself forward on my tummy. It's not actually crawling, mind you, more like playing inch worm with my arms. I reach out with my little fingers and forearms and then pull the floor toward me. Except, well, the floor doesn't move, I do (unless I'm on a blanket or something).

Mommy and Daddy thought this was fantastic for a little while and Daddy started calling me "Scooter." Then they figured out that this means I can basically go where ever I want now, grab anything I can get my hands on and put them in my mouth. Stereo system! Yum! Fireplace! Delicious! Electrical cords! Woo HOO! Hey! I was eating that! I don't think I've heard the phrase "NO, Sofia!" so many times in an hour.

Anyway, after a few days of this fantastic fun, Mommy and Daddy started saying things like "baby proofing" and "baby fencing" and "gerbil runs." I'm not sure what that's all about, but I've noticed that they pay a lot more attention to me when I'm on the floor.

See more scooting video at my YouTube site.

Love, kisses and rug burns,

Sofia

My Maui Vacation

Aloha, my peoples! I and my parental units recently returned from a wonderful trip to Maui, Hawai'i, and all I have to say is, "When do we go back?"

Maui is where Momma and Poppa got married just few short years ago, so it has special significance to the family. However, I have decided to claim Maui as my own, true island home and declare myself Princess of Maui!

To celebrate, I made a special point smiling and waving at everyone I saw on the plane to Maui, at the airport, at the condo complex, on the beach, at the pool, at malls, in restaurants, grocery stores, video stores, on the street, on sidewalks and pretty much anywhere else in Maui where I saw  people. A couple of days I was feeling especially festive and held impromptu stroller parades down Front Street in Lahaina, making a special effort sit up straight and wave to the people as I passed them on the sidewalk.

Many, many people remarked at how cute I was and, of course, the piece de resistance was my traditional Hawaiian outfit that my parents got for me. I'm told that spandex prints and clear plastic grass have been prised by the old Hawaiian families for hundreds of years.

My grass skirt outfit brought out my admirers in droves and my Poppa practically had to beat them off with sticks so we could get to the airport on time.

Sigh. I love you, Maui! I'll be back as soon as I can!

Love, kisses and soft island breezes,

Sofia

6 Month Checkup!

Today, I had my six month check up at the Doctor's office (I officially turn 6 months old tomorrow).  My vital statistics:

• Height: 27 inches! - (I am super tall for my age. 97th percentile)
• Weight: 16 pounds, 4 ounces. (good sized: 60th percentile)
• Head circumference: 44 cm. - (I have a big head. :-)

The doctor examined me and asked Mommy and Daddy a lot of questions about what I've been doing and eating. Overall, she said I was doing very well. Nice!

Then, as a congratulations on all my hard work, I got two shots in the leg! Owwwie!!!

I don't think I'll ever understand doctors.

Love,

Sofia

Balloons: My New Joy

  Sofia with Mylar Balloon (5+ Months) 002 
  Originally uploaded by Family Fernandez.

Hello again, my peoples! Welcome back to my blog. It's been a busy few weeks, but I simply MUST tell you about my most recent discovery: BALLOOONS!!!!

They are big and shiny and I just love to tug at them and toss them about!! They are soooo much fun.

You see, it was Mommy and Daddy's anniversary the week before last ("April 4th!," says Daddy from the living room) and then Mommy's birthday ("April 11th!," says Momma from the kitchen). Yeah, whatever, peoples. What's important is that these two events brought me what I think is the greatest invention since sliced bread.

So go checkout my balloon-totin' cuteness on flickr.

P.S.: What's so great about sliced bread anyway? Has the guy who invented that even seen a mylar balloon? Come on!

Solid Food! Uh, Yum?

This week I got my first introduction to solid foods.

Momma--who has been very excited to feed me something other than formula--called my doctor, who gave the OK to start me on solids. Woo-HOO!

As soon as I heard the news, I told Momma to whip me up a steak tartare, but she said, "No, silly! You don't have any teeth, yet!"

On the menu, instead, was rice cereal. I have to say I was a bit skeptical at first. Ok, it's organic and doesn't have any GEI or other unsavory acronyms in it, but--as far as I can tell--it has the basic texture and consistency of paste.

I mean, isn't it a little early for me to be eating paste? Aren't I supposed to wait until grammar school before I get into that shtick?

By the third day, though, it sort of grew on me. Go figure.

I suppose everybody has to start somewhere. If I can't have the Beef Wellington or tiramisu yet, at least I can have a little variety.

So, serve me up some more of that Elmer's Special, Momma! I hear it really sticks to you ribs!

Love and Kisses,

Sofia

Welcome to my Island!

Hello, my name is Sofia Fernandez! Welcome to my own little island on the internet.

I am currently 5 months old, and so my typing skills are a little, umm, random. That's why I have my Poppa and my Momma write things for me in this blog.

Even though I am only a little baby, I am quickly achieving celebrity status on Flickr and YouTube (at least according to my parents).

So welcome, and feel free to look around! I will be posting news of my amazing achievements as they happen, or sometime after they happen, or ... whenever I get around to it.

Love and big, wet kisses,

Sofia