Lesson #1 - Wipe your bum.

Sweet Soph,

In a year or two kids your age are going to go through a phase where they forget to wipe their bum after going to the bathroom. I don't know if they really "forget" or just feel lazy. Regardless, You are NOT allowed to go through this phase. It's one of the yuckiest, dirtiest things a kid can do and no matter how clean the little kid really is, they just seem so dirty. I can't tell you how bad I just want barf when I walk in the bathroom, go over to the toilet, and see a little poop sitting there with no toilet paper. I don't know what's worse - not wiping, or leaving evidence that you didn't.

Take it from me, Soph, you don't want to be known as the girl who doesn't wipe her bum. Gross! So, in the future when you go to the bathroom and the little kid who used the toilet before you forgot to flush AND wipe, don't you dare try experimenting what it's like. A million kids your age already have.

So, wipe your bum. It will save skid marks in the undies and assumptions that you're dirty.

I sure love you, Soph! I always have and I always will. XO

Mom

My Soph,

I'd like to inform you about a new found interest you quite enjoy doing lately. BUM ITCHING! Now, it's not quite "new", you've always done it, but lately it has been quite frequent and you seem to like itching under the diaper. I'll turn around or look over in the car and you will  be strapped in your car seat with a leg lifted in the air and both hands itching. It doesn't matter how many times I pull your hands away - they go right back down there immediately. Your bum is pure jello. It's not even dough - it's so squishy. I can see how it may be fun...just not appropriate. I do secretly find it pretty dang cute though! I sure love you Soph! Don't you ever forget that. XO

Mom

My Sweet Soph,

The past few days we had the chance to stay in this beautiful cabin in Heber for our Bellamy family trip. Saying that you were a good girl is such an understatement. Despite having no naps, a new place, and sleeping in a pack and play, you were phenomenal. I am the most blessed mom in the world. Seriously. You were so good THE WHOLE TIME! Gosh, I'm lucky. Here are a few pictures from the trip. Hope you love them as much as I do. I love you, Soph!!! So much! You make my world so happy. You never forget that. XO

Mom



I loved this picture of you and Matthew on the couch in your hats. Your face is the sweetest. It makes me want to squish those cheeks of yours.



Aunt Hils let you borrow that clip for the day and I couldn't help but take a picture. I was convinced that clips wouldn't stay in that wispy hair of yours but I seemed to be wrong.



Now, I know this may not be the best picture but I loved it. This is the classic Bellamy family cousin picture on the stairs. You sat there like a champion all by yourself.



Gosh, I love you!



You are your dad! 100%!!



I am so glad that your trained in front of the camera. You know just what to do the second a camera is pulled out. Those photo shoots with grandma have really paid off.



I had to throw this is. I hope that one day you can look up with oodles of family pictures.



Your Birdie and Lu love you SO MUCH! They couldn't get enough of you the whole trip. You couldn't have a better fan club.



What a good girl you are. Even with sunscreen in your eyes and a rash on your face, you still were such a good baby!



I love that face of yours.



Of course I had to take a picture of you in the bath. You love your baths (thankfully) and you're just too cute.



I adore this picture. That face of yours makes me smile.



Look at that smile. You're always so quick to grin. Please never change!!



Lu - your second mother. She fed you, changed your diapers, helped pick out your clothes, and carried you around with her the whole trip. Gosh, she loves you.



You and your Lu!!

My Sweet Soph,

What a happy, good baby you are. I have wondered to myself literally every day since you have been born how I got so dang lucky to have you as my baby. I still haven't found the answer. I'm just grateful you're mine.

I'm also grateful that you have those little bunny chompers in your mouth. They make me so incredibly happy to see when you smile as silly as that sounds. Dad tried convincing me the other day that you had more teeth coming in on the bottom next to your middle two. I didn't believe him. I fed you your bottle the next day and sure enough there is another little tooth popping up. Oh, how I love that.

Here are a few pictures from recently. I hope you love them as much as I do. I sure love you Miss Sophia. You make my world so incredibly happy. You never forget that. XO

Mom

Dear Sophia,

On Friday I got my wisdom teeth out. Your dad said on the way home I balled and balled as a result of me telling him how you were my best friend and how I wished you had teeth and could talk to me. Not more than a few hours later one of those wishes came true. You have two little bunny chompers coming in right in the middle of your mouth. I can't wait to until they pop up more fully. I sure love you so so so much. Don't you ever forget it.

XO, Mom

Dear Sophia,

Today was Race for the Cure down at the downtown Library. You were such a good girl. Here's a few pictures. I love you.

XO, Mom

Dear Sophia,

Today we woke up and went outside to play on the swings in the 400 court with all the other kids. In the mornings everyone meets over there to play and in the afternoons everyone comes to the 500 court. You sure love those swings. You could sit there for hours if I let you.

I sure love it here, Sophia. This place makes me happy. Today I looked around while you were sitting on your blanket under a tree, playing with all your toys and was so happy. It was sunny and all the moms were out chatting. One of Olga Moses's girls was jump roping in the shadow of building. Jocelyn Isaacson and Jeseppi Depola were in the sandbox throwing sand and playing with each other, Annie Moses was dragging a plastic play vacuum behind her bike, Knox McFarland was riding his bike around the court, and other kids were out playing on the playground or seen pushing the big, red plastic car around the court. It made me happy. I may take this back when we buy a house one day but this little place is close to perfect. Even with it's cinder block walls. It's safe here and we live in this little community where you have the chance to get to know your neighbors so well. Everyone is in our same situation and our ward is wonderful. Aside from all those wonderful things, the thing that made me the happiest this morning was the little body sitting on her blanket in front of me.

I have been a terrible slacker with this blog. I am so bad at keeping up one, let alone two. I hope that one day you can enjoy all these pictures and letters even though they come over long period of time. Enjoy. I LOVE YOU!

XO, Mom

This was from today! Gosh, you love those swings.

This was also from this morning. I love that little face.