Happy Birthday Rob!

Last weekend was hubbies birthday. Unfortunately he spent it studying for finals, but did enjoy some B-day cupcakes. I'm so grateful to have met him that warm summer night in Camarillo. I'm thankful for his hard work and his example of following inspiration and the spirit. He takes good care of our family and always manages to find a little time through all the studying to spend with Sophia and I even if it's just a few minutes. We think he's just awesome. How many people can say at 35 that they have owned and operated there own Entertainment Consulting Business, lived and worked in Abu Dhabi doing oil and gas consulting, traveled to the far places of the world like China and Australia just to name a few, and then chose to pursue medical school. He's super Honey!!! :) We just love him so much!!!! Since we didn't do anything exciting this last weekend I thought I would leave you with some pics from one of our previous adventures. Our life in Abu Dhabi.....Some wonderful memories.

Dune Bashing

It was so amazing. Like riding a roller coaster.

Experiencing the Beautiful Desert

Of course the beautiful beaches and warm water. I worked hard on my tan everyday and honey worked hard at the office :)

There was time for play though.....Wild Wadi says it all. This is the best water park in the world. Well, at least we think so. I found the perfect description of our favorite rides there on Wikipedia:
"Master Blaster slides are best described as "uphill water roller coasters". Riders can sit in either a single or double ring, and are propelled uphill by high-powered water jets."

And of course the beautiful skyscrapers..... this is the famous Burj Al Arab. They charge you to even go in the lobby.

Our Little Snow Bunny

So today we got the first snow of the season. I know it's not much and it's already snowed in other parts of the country, but it's our 1st snow. In the past 2 1/2 years that Rob and I have lived on the east coast it has never snowed before Christmas. This is the first time. Looks like it'll be a white Christmas. Too bad our family will be soaking up the Southern California Sun this coming holiday.

I couldn't wait to introduce Sophia to the snow and put on her Beatrix Potter: Peter Rabbit, pink snowsuit. She couldn't move very much in it, but she looked adorable!!! It kind of reminded me of The Christmas Story where they get all suited up to go out and can barely walk. I just love that movie. Anyways Sophia and I braved the cold long enough to get a few pics and practice snow angels. The snow fall made all the barren trees look beautiful.

4 Months

On Saturday Sophia will be 4 months old. I can't believe how fast she is growing. She loves exploring the world around her and is becoming quite aware of her surroundings. She likes to grab at my glass of water and my cell phone when I'm talking on it. She also becomes easily distracted now when nursing. If she hears me talking or Rob walks in the room and says something to me she will turn her head to see what's going on.

She loves smiling, giggling, and her baths are becoming a new favorite. She had started to grab at the blue water cup that I rinse her with so I thought we should bring in a few toys for her. But nothing is more fun that the blue cup. She loves to just hold it and stare at it in the tub. She just coo and goos whenever it's in her hands. Sorry Mr. Rubber Ducky. You'll have your day :)

She also likes to put weight on her legs now. She thinks it's fun to "stand up", with help that is. She also loves to be carried around the house. She could watch me do chores and things all day long.

So here are some pictures of our little Angel baby that we love so much. ( any baby that will sleep through the night most of the time is an Angel!!!) By the way my favorite day to dress her is Sunday. Can you tell? There is nothing more fun than dressing a little girl in bows, headbands , tights and dresses!!!

Temple Christmas Lights

Last Saturday we drove to Maryland to see the Washington, D.C. Temple Christmas lights. We bundled up because it was a cold evening. The grounds were beautifully lit and temple always looks amazing at night. When you see it from the beltway it looks like it's floating on trees. It's really a something to see. The newscasters even use it as landmark when describing traffic jams around the beltway. "It's backed up from Mormon Temple to......" Sophia loved being carried around to see all the lights. She was quite entertained. I always love visiting the Temple even if it is just the grounds and visitors center. The spirit can always be felt there.

Thankful Hearts

We had a quiet Thanksgiving. We were able to spend it with some friends here in town, the Reddingtons and Jurgensmeiers. We feel very grateful to have such wonderful friends that can take the place of family that is so far away. Besides being thankful for friends, here are a few other things we are also thankful for:

• our families that love and support



• Sophia: we waited a long time for her to bless our lives



• the beautiful fall we are having, the leaves on the trees here are amazing



• our health



• opportunities of life: education and motherhood



• living in a free land



• The Church of Jesus Christ if Latter-Day Saints

We also decorated for Christmas this last weekend. We just love the holiday season.

Happy Birthday and Anniversary!

So my birthday was about a week ago. I was sick that weekend so we didn't do anything. Two of my friends Alyssa and Amelia brought by some yummy B-day treats. They are both so thoughtful and sweet to think of me.

This last Sat. was our 7 year Anniversary! I had a great day. In the morning Rob watched Sophia so I could go to Super Sat and craft away. I was only gone about 3 hrs, but it was the longest I'd ever been away from her. Rob gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers and then took me on our first date since Sophia was born. That had been 3 long months. We put Sophia to bed and our friends Cory and Alyssa came over to watch her. We went out to a late dinner for some steak and seafood. It was delicious and such a treat to just be out with Rob.

Rob is such a sweetheart. I'm so in LOVE with him! I feel very blessed to have such a loving husband. He is an awesome Dad, I love watching him with Sophia. He is one of the hardest workers I know and is very dedicated to his education. He is very supportive of me in everything I do and encourages me to always try new things. There are so many things I never would have experienced and missed out on if it hadn't been for him. Our marriage has been amazing! We have been on so many adventures together whether we are traveling overseas or just moving across the country away from all of our family. Our relationship has also become stronger over the years through enduring some small bumps in the road of life. He is my best friend and I couldn't imagine life without him. I love you Honey!

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Rob's Famous Ribs!!!

Ok so they're only famous among a small group of friends, but they are soooooo good. Rob's got his recipe and technique down to a science. This is one of his favorite things to cook/ BBQ. I even eat them which is saying a lot because I have this thing about eating meat off of the bone.

3 Months Old

Time is just flying by with our little princess. We love her so much. She brightens our days and we feel so blessed to have her in our lives. I love going into her room in the morning and seeing her face and eyes light up when she sees me. Her smiling face is one of the best parts of my day. I never thought it would be so much fun to watch her grow. When she learns something new it's just amazing. Right now her newest thing is grabbing. She has a pretty tight grip. She had started to bat at her hanging toys, but just within the last couple of weeks I had her sitting on my lap while I was at the table with some papers in front of me and out went her hand and grabbed the paper and picked it up. I thought it was very cute. She holds her head up very well now also. Here are some pictures of the cutest baby on the block.

Trying on my warm winter hat

All dressed up for church

No, we did not actually go out in public with this bow. We just tried it on for fun. Maybe when she is a little older it won't look so big.

Alyssa's Baby Shower

This last weekend, before I got sick, (thank goodness) Amelia and I threw a baby shower for our dear friend Alyssa. She is due with her first little boy, Joshua Craig, on Dec. 26th. Sophia eagerly awaits his coming. She is very excited to have a new playmate.

Alyssa is the sweetest, most loving, talented person. I feel very blessed to have a friend like her in my life. That is why I was so excited to throw her a baby shower.

We had a really fun time eating, playing games, and just hanging out. Amelia made these yummy Oreo-cream cheese chocolate balls. So GOOOOOOOOD! We played the price is right with some baby items and everyone wore a little pacifier around there necks made of jellybeans and life savors. If you were caught saying baby, off went the pacifier to someone else. It was a great day.

Amelia was awesome for hosting at her place and making all the yummy treats. She is like the best baker and candy maker!! I love getting recipes from her. She is also one of my dearest friends and I couldn't have pulled off the shower without her. Thanks Amelia!!!

In Motherhood your world stops for nothing!

So this last weekend I came down with a cold. I thought it was nothing and would be able to get over it in a day or so. Well, what I neglected to realize was that not only was I sick, but still had to care for little Sophia at the same time. No sleeping in, no long naps, no laying on the couch watching movies. It was so HARD being sick and taking care of Sophia at the same time. Everything that I normally do to care for her which is pretty easy became 100 times harder. I was so exhausted every day. It took me days to get rid of this cold. Bless Sophia's heart. She was an angel through it all. She camped out in her swing and bouncy seat a little more than usual and didn't have a problem with that. She also slept through the night once without getting up to feed at all (that was a first, but don't think it's the start of anything, she woke up at 4:30 this morning to feed). It was just what I needed a good nights rest with no interruptions. The whole time I kept hand sanitizer nearby so I wouldn't get Sophia sick also. It's a weekend I would not like to relive again anytime soon, but know it is inevitable.

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT Girls Don't Cry

Sophia dressed up as a very cute crime fighter for her first Halloween. You can't tell in the pics but the costume had a little cape with the pink bat emblem on it. Rob had to study and my Dad was in town again so a very proud Mom and Grandpa took Sophia to the ward Halloween Party to show her off.
Sophia's newest thing this week is learning how to laugh. It's been fun seeing her smiling face and hearing a long drawn out sound turn into a cute little giggle. We can't wait to get it on video.

Pretty in Nothing but Pink

I don't know why babies look so darn cute in their bath towels. I know I don't look this good coming out of the shower. Sophia is starting to enjoy her baths more. Wait untill she figures out it's a great place to play. That will be so much fun. I love the way she smells when she comes out of the bath and how soft her skin is. There's just nothing like a baby. Here's are cutie in her favorite towel.

Daddy Daughter Time

This is one of my favorite pictures because they are both smiling. Rob's smiles usually never show teeth. The only reason he's giving us a cheeser is because Sophia is trying to laugh and it just sounds so cute and funny.

Tag

I've been tagged, so here's six facts you may or may not know about me......

1. I LOVE being a MOTHER! I know I'm new to motherhood, but I love it already. I love caring for Sophia and watching her grow. I couldn't imagine a better way to spend my days. There is a special bond between mothers and their children. It's amazing. I've dreamed of motherhood since I was a little girl. I've waited a long time to be blessed with Sophia. It was worth the wait! I LOVE her soooooooooo much!!!!! I hope I can be the kind of my mother that my mother was to me.
2. I'm a SURVIVOR! Yes, you heard me right, a cancer survivor. When I was 12 years old I battled a malignant ovarian germ cell tumor. Well with 3 operations, 3 rounds of chemotherapy and lots of fasting and prayers I was cured!!! Had a bald head, but was cured. I like to think bald is beautiful and so are hats. I had a lot of hats. My mother sewed them all for me. I had one to match every outfit.
3. I Love Shopping! What's better than a good day at the mall, or Target, or now with the Internet I can do some damage from right here at home. I know it can be dangerous on a Med Student budget, but I'm learning to be good :)
4. I never graduated from a University. The highest degree of education I have is an associates degree. I'm also licensed in Diagnostic X-ray and Radiation Therapy. I don't have a bachelors degree but if I needed to work to support my family I could and we could live comfortably.
5. I am the worst speller. So I apoligize for all spelling mistakes in my past and future blogging posts.
6. Where in the world is Val? I love to travel! Here are some of the places I've been :

• Hawaii
• Jamaica
• Guatemala
• France
• England
• Italy
• and my favorite United Arab Emirates (yes, the Middle East, it's amazing there!)

Now I believe I tag some other friends ....... Katrina and Nicole you're IT!!!!!!!

West Coast Treat

A couple of weekends ago (Oct. 13th, I know I'm a little behind in my blogging) my sister Stephanie and her family came to D.C. to visit and meet Sophia for the first time. When family visits it's always a treat!!! We enjoyed having them here so much. Stephanie and Bree, her 2 year old daughter, enjoyed holding Sophie and helping to feed her. It was fun to take them into the District and see all the sites and memorials. We hit the Jefferson, Lincoln, Washington, Capitol, and White House. We also visited the Natural History Museum ( Bree loved seeing all the animals) and also the Air and Space Museum. The best part it was all free. We also walked around Georgetown and ate a really good brunch there. My sister couldn't believe how preppy everyone looked around there. Polo shirts with collars up and everyone all matchy matchy. Don't get her wrong, she likes a little J Crew, just not head to toe. I had to remind her we were on the east coast. We enjoyed hanging out and laughing about silly things like sisters do.
My father was lucky to have a business trip scheduled that week and got to come be with both of his granddaughters. He was able to hold them both, one in each arm. It was a special day.

Steph, Bree, and Jason at the Natural History Museum

Steph and I at the National Mall

(the Washington Monument in the background)

Auntie Stephie with Sophie

Bree feeding Sophie. Sooo Cute!!!!

Our Beautiful Sophia

Thanks to my friend Andrea (www.andreamariephoto.com) we have some wonderful photographs to remember Sophia as a precious little baby. Thanks again Andrea!

Shots Anyone?

Sophie's response was a big screaming no!!! So yesterday was her 2 month immunizations. Don't get me wrong, I'm a mother that completely believes in vaccines, but what an awful thing to watch your child go through. I brought Rob for moral support (for me) and really to hold her down if I couldn't. As I bravely held my daughter through each needle stick, I couldn't help but cry right along with her. All the hugs, kisses, and sweet words are not enough to take away that pain. Sophia did very well though and now we don't have to repeat this episode for another 2 months. She came home and slept for a while, then had a fussie period before bed. She surprised me though and did her normal night sleeping only getting up once for a feeding. We are very proud of her and LOVE her soooooooo much!!!

Sophie's Lunch Date

ShirlingtonSophie with Sheri
Denise hugging Sophie :)


Sophia had her very first lunch date last Friday. We headed over to Shirlington, (a cute little area with lots of restaurants and some shopping) and met up with a couple of my friends from work Denise and Sheri. They had not met Sophia yet so this was an exciting day. As you can see they loved her.

Two down, One to go!!!

They say that 2nd year, 1st semester is the hardest. Rob is managing to tackle this semester pretty well. He just finished a Pathology and Pharmacology exam and still has a microbiology test left. (that is for this first round of exams) He has been so busy studying. Even though he can't spend as much time as he would like with us, he reminds us that he loves us with his hugs and kisses.

Watching Sophie Grow

Over the past couple of weeks Sophia started smiling more and more. It's so much fun to see her happy little face. You just melt! She's also been talking for a little while now. We love to hear her stories, although a little hard to translate (ahhggg and cooo). She's also started noticing her hands. She'll find them and just stare very intently at her fist like she is investigating it. Way cute to watch. We love to see her growth and development. She is such a blessing in our lives :)!!!!

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

ZZZZZZZZ.......

Sophia went to church for the very first time yesterday. As you can see, she needed a nap after a long morning.

5 Weeks

Today Sophia is 5 weeks old. Boy does time fly. Our family has been blessed to have both of the Grandmas here over the past few weeks helping with the move in, baby and all the household chores. This made recovering from my c-section easier. Thank you!!! We are now adjusting to just the 3 of us.
Sophia is healthy and well. At her two week check up she had gained a pound. That was very good. We don't go back to the doctor until next month. I can't wait to see how much she has grown. The other day I went to put her in her car seat and the straps had to be loosened. I couldn't believe it.
We love her so much and continue to feel blessed that she is in our lives everyday.


Here are some pics of her over the last few weeks.


Here she is at 5 weeks. She loves to sleep with her arms up. Try swaddling her. At just a few days old she managed to get her arm out of her sleeper sleeve and out of the swaddle blanket. We were very impressed with our little Houdini.

Sophia Renee

Here are some pics of our new little bundle of JOY!!!
Aug. 8th, 2007
7 lbs. 11 ounces
20.5 in.