Missing Daddy - For Simon

Simon is in Texas this week, so I am going to post pictures for him to see us while he is away. We miss you!

Sofie and I headed to the gym:

No More Shots!- And Daddy's Arms of Comfort

We took Sofia to her 2 month pediatrician visit and she is progressing great! Dr. Israel says that our little girl is "developmentally perfect". We already knew this (j/k), but it was nice to have the doctor tell us this after the examination.

After this, Sofia had 4 shots! To say that Simon and I were not prepared is an UNDERSTATEMENT! Sofie cried like never before and reached out to us. It was emotional for us and confirmed in our hearts how deeply protective we are of our little girl. I wanted to yell and scream for them to stop giving the shots! Sofie's never experienced pain before and I got a glimpse into how Heavenly Father feels when we, as his children, hurt. Sofie slept in her daddy's arms for the rest of the day and after some baby Tylenol was fine. I can't say the same for us as her parents! We will be better prepared next time, at her 4 month check-up!

Here is a picture of her bandages:

Memory Lane

Our friend Kembe posted this on her blog:

Memory Lane.... the tag that gets everyone involved. We thought we would play the game. Here's how you play:

1. Leave a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and i had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember.

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory of you. It's actually pretty funny to the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

3. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

2 Months Old Today - Happy Birthday Sofia!

We can't believe that Sofia is 2 months old today! We remember bringing her home, weighing 6 lbs. and realizing that we were entrusted with her earthly care. We were too excited/nervous to sleep for a few days. Today, she weighs about 8 lbs. She is still petite and we love it! We tried to put her in a 0-3 month dress this morning for church, but it was too big...She has a long torso, but short legs. Although we can't wait for her to talk and walk, this time is sooo precious! We want her to grow up, but always stay our little girl. Here are a few things that she does now:

-talks to us all the time (not really talking, but coos. It's SOOO cute!)

-follows us with her eyes and gets excited when she sees us

-lifts her head for long periods of time

-has found out that if she screams, we'll come running :)

-can imitate facial expressions

-smiles at us all the time (melts our hearts!)

-can almost roll over

Here are a few pictures from today:

Daddy, Daughter Time - Cooking

Simon is definitely the better cook in the family. Here he is starting early with Sofia, showing her the ropes...

Give Me Food!

San has been posting all the sweet and cute pix of Sofie, and in deed she is the most adorable little girl ever, but I thought I'd share a picture that reveals her more dramatic side. :-)
It's so true what they say; there's nothing in the world to compare to the love one feels for his child. Thank you Mom and Dad for being my parents, giving me life, and teaching me the gospel. I cringe to think of the times I disappointed you over the years, and I'm thankful for your testimonies... always standing firm in the faith. I love you!

Youth Conference - Troy University

This past week, Simon and I got to take our youth to a church conference held at Troy University. They attended scripture classes, workshops, and dances. The speakers were absolutely amazing! By far, I think that this was the BEST youth conference in recent years. We took Sofia with us and she well, considering that she is only 7 weels old. She was a BIG hit and everyone wanted to hold her. A member of our stake presidency even kidnapped her for about an hour at one of the dances. We knew that she was in good hands, so we did not mind too much :) We got to see our good friends from the Birmingham Stake and loved it! We've missed them all so much. We got to see Christy Norris, Rachel Norris, James Norris, Anna Dollins, Victoria Chambers, Chris Dean, Pres. Dean, the Tindalls, Rita Mitchem, and Pam May. Good to see you all!
San also got quite a nice surpise. She was standing in the lunch hall when someone tapped her on the shoulder. It was non other than Elder Cornish of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He was San's Bishop in Atlanta and then her Stake President. He sent her on her mission and then released her when she came home. It was such a suprise that he was the speaker on Friday evening. His address was on on prayer and was indeed amazing! San loved seeing him and it was truly humbling that he remembered her. They got to talk and catch up on things and we even got a picture with him. Here a few pictures from Conference:

(Us with Elder Cornish)

(Simon and Sofia)

(LeighAnna, Katherine, and Melissa)

(Baby Ava...Perhaps the best dressed baby EVER!)

(Katherine with one of the speakers)

(Katherine with another speaker)

(below: Simon with James, Victoria and Anna)

(Me with LeighAnna Willis)

(Us with Rachel and Christy Norris)

(Me, trying to do the Cupid shuffle)

(Josh looking very thrilled to have his picture taken...)

(Katherine with Ani Henretta)

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...Baron's Game

Simon took some new relationship managers for the bank to the Baron's game at Regions Park and Sofia and I got to tag along. Sofia did very well at the game and was a big hit with everyone.

Here are a few pictures: