Merry Christmass and Happy New Year!

Our dear friends and family, while we wish with all our heart we could be with each of you, life has taken us all is so many directions. Thankfully we stay in touch and have maintained wonderful fulfilling friendships that will endure for the eternities. Let's celebrate together the very One who made it all possible for us to have an opportunity for eternal life and the blessing of the restored gospel. No words can adequately express all of our love and gratitude to Jesus Christ for His Infinite love and Sacrifice. May we all follow Christ and endure to the end. Merry Christmas! We love you.... sincerely, Simon San and Sofia.

Daddy's Little Girl

Sofi is definitely a daddy's girl and I LOVE it. Yesterday at church she said, "da da" and has been saying it ever since. We had a feeling that it would be her first word because she has been saying "da" for about a week. We also went for Sofi's 6 month check up and here are Sofi's stats:

weighs: 15.9 lbs

height: 25 inches

Both put her in the 50th percentile for her age. Our pediatrician okay'd us starting Sofi on 2nd Stages foods (meats). We still have a ton of veggies and fruits, so we are going to stick with them for a while before adding anything else. We're so proud of her! She is growing up way too fast! Last night, Sofi was snuggled up to me and I told Simon that the day will come when she will be too big for it. It makes me sad, but also happy that we get to experience such joy now! Here are some other things about Sofi that we love:

1. says. "uh uh" a lot (meaning she doesn't want something or doesn't want to do something)


2. is talking more and more (SO cute)


3. is almost crawling


4. is SO alert and wants to be involved in everything going on


5. still loves the library and going to the gym with me


6. wants to stand in our lap ALL the time


7. wants to cuddle


8. can pick up anything and pass it back and forth between hands


9. is such a content and happy baby

Happy Anniversary - 4 Years of Marriage

Wow, we've been married for 4 years! In some ways it seems as though we've always been together, then at other times, it feels as though time is going by WAY too fast! Here's to an eternity of love and blessings and as Simon said this morning in our prayers, "400 more years together". Here's a look at our journey thus far...

2004 - (Married December 4, 2004)

2005 - (Trip to Barcelona and France)

2006- (Trip to Mexico) 2007- (hiking up Mt. Vesuvius in Italy during trip to Italy and Greece)

2008- (with Sofi)

The Beginning of the Holiday Season - Best Wishes from Sofi

Thanksgiving

We had SO much fun for Thanksgiving! This was the first year in about 6 years that all of my brothers and sisters have been together. It was fun spending time with everyone and catching up...Love you all! We especially loved seeing Schuyler, Kristin, Quintin, Twila and Roger. We want to come and visit you soon! It was special seeing cousins Sofia, Quintin, and Tre' interacting! They are going to have so much fun growing up together
(The entire family) (Quintin, Schuyler, Kristin, me, Simon, Sofi, and Tre')

(for those of you that don't know, I am a tripet. The other two are Samara and Schuyler)

(Schuyler with Sofi at the Mary Mac Tea Room for a family dinner....)

A Taste of Ensley

Last night we were invited to go back and visit the Ensley ward for their annual Taste of Ensley. This is an event where the members bake and cook all of their best meals. Everyone then gets together and enjoy the meals and display talents. We loved seeing everyone and didn't realize how much til we drove up and the kids ran outside and hugged us! I cried as I caught up with Katherine. Our hearts will always be with the youth. Being with them will always be the best calling we will ever have had! Boy, we sure miss you all and LOVE you tons! Thank you for not forgetting us...(Here are some of the YW): (Simon with the YM):

More 6 Month Birthday Pictures

This video is too funny! Simon came home with a cake (mostly for us not for Sofi :), really an excuse to have some cake. Sofi wanted cake though....She didn't like it though and spit it out.)

Happy 6 Month Birthday! - We LOVE You!

Today is Sofi's 6 month birthday! It seems just like yesterday that we checked in at the hospital and gave birth to her. I remember feeling scared, nervous, and excited. Most of all, I remember clearly when she was born, me crying, and watching Simon jump up and down and cry at the same time! I am SO grateful that mom and dad made it in time. I couldn't have done it without you!
The doctor's office changed our pediatriatric appt to December 2nd, so I don't have "official" numbers, but I weighed Sofi this morning and she weighs 16 lbs now. That s a gain of 2.6 lbs. since her last appt. at 4 months. That puts her in the 47th percentile for weight.
We have gone from this:

(I love this picture...Don't I look a little bit scared, tired, excited, and nervous at the same time?)to this in 6 months:

Here are a few things that we love about her:

-smiles and laughs all the time

-rolls all over the place

-still loves story time at the library

-is excited to eat solids

-opens her arms when she wants to be picked up

-is very sociable

-always has to have something in her hands to play with

-is a great sleeper and eater

-smiles really BIG whenever she sees Simon come in the door

-is in the beginning stages of crawling. it's really funny to see. she now scoots by hiking her butt in the air and propelling herself forward

-LOVES her bumbo chair. but I have to make sure that nothing is around her when she is in it. she will lean forward and backward to get something she wants

-loves Baby Gym at Home

-talks all the time (not really understandable, but she wants so much to...

-can pull herself to sitting position

WE LOVE YOU SOFIA FRANCES!!!

Sofi's Growing Up...

Well, Sofi is getting bigger and bigger each day! She's growing up too fast...We started Sofi on rice cereal and first stages foods. Our pediatrician wanted us to start Sofi on both at 4 months, but Simon and I thought that it was too early. Since she now has two teeth, is reaching for everything (ALL the time), is sitting up by herself, and has lost the tongue-thrust reflex, we figured it was time. She LOVES everything that we have given her so far. Ironically, she loves the veggies more than anything sweet. Ahhh, so nice that she is a veggie lover this early! Such a good girl!
Here is a video of Simon feeding Sofi. Notice how she is grabbing the spoon and LOVES it:

We go to the pediatrician next week, when Sofi turns 6 months. We can't wait to see how much she weighs! I put her on my scale this morning and it says that she is 15 lbs. She has to weigh more than that, so we will see. She weighed 13.4 lbs at 4 months. She definitely has quite the infectious personality! She smiles and laughs all the time, especially when she sees Simon and I. She is just a happy baby!

Fun Times

My how times flies when you're having fun...We've been traveling and having a blast! First we went to Atlanta to see family. Sofi loved being with family, especially spending time with her great-grandmother, BigMamma. Sofi represents 4 generations of Dearing women, being the first girl grandchild and great-granchild. Here is a picture of the four generations (me, mom, BigMamma, and Sofi): I am so grateful that Sofi has a great legacy and great women to learn from!

We also went to see Auntie Dee-Dee's concert. She is in a group called SEJ (Saturday Evening Joy). The concert was amazing and everyone is SO talented. Here is a picture:

We also got to spend time with Aunt Samara:

and Erica, Hillary, and Tre':Simon and I then began exploring the fall leaves. They have been absolutely beautiful! We love traveling and seeing nature at out most favorite time of year!

We spent the first 3 years of our marriage traveling all over the world, so it's nice to explore places close to home now with Sofi. We love that she is a great car traveler! When we got home yesterday, we put Sofi down in her crib for a nap (clothes and all) because she was tired. This is how we found her. Boy, I sure love her! Look at this face:

We've loved having Simon home with us! He came to storytime with us this morning at the library. He's such a good daddy:

Simon Actually Speaks....

Hey 'erbody. It's me - Simon. Yes, San does all the hard work keeping this blog up to date, and I must say she does a great job, doesn't she?

Well, I can't sleep and I've been thinking a lot about my precious little family and thought I'd share with you, my friends, some of my feelings. First and foremost I am in awe at what San is able to accomplish each and every day. Motherhood is a full time job, and she has been putting in quite a bit of overtime lately. Any man who has a stay at home mom/wife needs to spend a week in her shoes and he'll be begging to get back to his cushy office and business lunch appointments.

San takes time each and every day to ensure Sofi gets physical fitness, reading time, story time, and all sorts of other development things that I wouldn't have a clue even where to start. I'm so lucky because when I get home from work Sofi has had it with her mom cleaning her nose, brushing her hair, and all the other stuff baby don't like that much..... well, when I get home as soon as she hears my voice she stops everything she's doing and reaches her arms out for me to pick her up. It makes me want to cry every time. Of course I know why she likes to spend time with me so much, it's because all I do is play with her. We do "roll around the floor", jump on the bed, jump off the couch where I catch her. We also do horsey back riding. she loves every bit of it and giggles so much. I know San is relieved because entertaining a child all day must be exhausting.

I had another really funky experience but I'll share it nonetheless. I was so proud of Sofi because she had done a big 'ole grown up poop. I told San it looked like play-doe and that I made her a toy out of it.... (of course I didn't do that - gross). But, I was so excited because this is a sign of Sofi's maturing. Gosh I love her so much.

Speaking of love , and with this I'll close. I'm sure all other dad's experience this too, but I am SO IN LOVE with my precious San. She's more beautiful to me than ever. She's so inteligent and righteous. She (tries) to keep me on the straight and narrow. She's the perfect mother and wife. (and in great shape too! :-) When I asked her to marry me, I did it out of faith and romantic love, but with each year I see Heavenly Father's Divine direction. He introduced us. He brought us together to build up a righteous family unto Him. He also knew that I'd be a perfect fit for her family. Oh how I love ALL of them. I hope not to hurt any feelings for leaving anyone out, but I do want to mention specifically how much I love Earling, Samara, Erica, and DeeDee. Earl is my little brother that I've always wanted, and he's way cool. Heavenly Father also brought us together for us to be happy. I couldn't be happier with any other human on the face of the earth. San is my best friend and wife. Her high standards and modesty are one of the very reasons I chose her to be my wife. Such values as taught in Young Women are so incredibly important and will lead to greater happiness in this life and the next.

I hope you all don't mind my gushing over my love for San. I just can't find enough ways to adequately show her. She knows it already, but I'm an over expressive person who loves to express his feelings.

Finally in closing, let me thank all of you for being such wonderful friends and family. San and I cherish our relationships and look forward to seeing you as soon as possible.

Lovingly,
Simon

Trunk or Treat

We had a fabulous time at the church tonight, with Trunk or Treat. Here is our Sofi making her debut as a cute pumkin:

Sofi at 5 months - More Pictures

Well, Sofi is still such a delight at this age! She is so alert and attentive. Here are a few things that we love about her:
-she sits up by herself
-can roll over (both ways)
-smiles and giggles all the time
-grabs everything that is close to her
-sleeps from 8:30 - 6:00 a.m. (after a quick feed, she goes back down for another 1/1.5 hrs.)
-loves being in Simon's arms and playing with him
-loves her cousin Tre' and playing with him!

-is starting to get another tooth (this one up top), to add to her two teeth on the bottom. She is still handling teething like a champ, no crying or fussiness. Ahhh, we love our content baby!

-is starting to move her legs, wanting to crawl (I think in the next month we will have a crawler :)

-still loves the library

-loves little children

She has also started an "un-ladylike" quality, spitting. Really, it's blowing spit. Simon encourages it because he thinks it's cute...I read that when babies teethe, they have extra saliva and they like the sensation of feeling it on their lips...go figure. Anyone have any ideas on how to break this habit? I also read that this is not supposed to last long. Let's hope not... It is cute to see her do it, but I don't want this to be an enduring quality :)
We finally got some pictures of Sofi's two bottom teeth:

Here are more pictures of Sofi: