SOPHIA’S ROOM

It was fun putting Sophia's room together. With so many toys and colors, it made decorating her room a bit challenging. However, once I figured out ways to organize everything, it all came together. Sophia has a bright pink tent her Grandma CC gave her she wanted set up in her room. On one hand it's great for holding the dozens of stuffed animals she has. On the other hand, it's very pink. It's cute though. Grandma CC purchased the pink castle tent* from Amazon. I saw another playhouse tent with LED star lights* on Amazon that's a little larger and more open that I think is really cute if you have the space. Here's a picture of her room so you can visualize what I'm talking about. *This post contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my privacy policy here. Sophia's Room Pink Castle Tent from Amazon* Sophia's Room Drop Cloth Sophia Banner I have the do-it-yourself tutorial on the Sophia banner below if you have any interest in making one. It was pretty simple to make. Just click on the link here: DIY Sophia Banner. I put the rope/twine with wood circles from Hobby Lobby up. I use clothespins to attach the abundance of artwork Sophia brings me. I … [Read more...]

Kindergarten Graduation

Kindergarten graduation, where has the time gone? When Sophia came into my life, I felt like she would be my sweet little baby girl forever. Having Sophia was life changing. Being a mom was my calling. She gave me the purpose I had been searching for and I felt on top of the world. I remember my mother's friends saying, "Enjoy it while it lasts. This sweet baby stage will go by so quickly. Before you know, you'll be attending her Kindergarten Graduation!" The saying, "Time waits for no one" couldn't be more true. Sophia just completed Kindergarten and it feels like yesterday I was bathing her in the kitchen sink. Although I miss the little baby who used to crawl around, I couldn't be more proud of this little six year and enjoy every minute spent together. My sweet little Kindergartner is moving on to first grade. Kindergarten graduation 2018 These little graduates are too cute. Such a sweet group of Kindergarten Graduates. … [Read more...]

Sophia’s Baptism

Sophia's baptism was a monumental event in her short little life we will always remember. Most Catholics are baptized as infants. I'm Catholic and decided I wanted Sophia to be baptized Catholic.Having Sophia baptized was on my mind once she was born. I was baptized as an infant. My brothers were baptized as infants. Most of my cousins and relatives were baptized as infants. To the Catholic Church, original sin isn’t a personal sin of the unborn, but a sin transmitted from generation to generation by birth. All men and women are born with original sin, and only Baptism can wash it away. Baptism can be regarded as a vaccine against sin. I didn't marry a Catholic so it wasn't a priority to have Sophia baptized as an infant. He wasn't opposed. He actually didn't have much of an opinion. Lucky for me, when Sophia's Dad and I split up, he went along with my decision to have Sophia baptized in the Catholic church. When I decided to enroll her in a Catholic School, I made up my mind that it was time to have her baptized the Summer before she started Kindergarten. It seemed a little old to me but she actually fit right in.There were many other children her age being baptized. It was … [Read more...]

More Captured Moments

The biggest reason I started My Sophia Ryan was to document Sophia's memorable moments. I've been distracted with sharing my DIY projects. So here are just a few photos from this last month. Okay, more than a few. Time flies when you're having fun and I'm really glad I have all these photos to look back on in the future. I love capturing and preserving these precious moments, they fill my heart, they help me remember. How adorable are they? This is Sophia's best friend Timmy. He's four months younger than her and the cutest little boy you've ever seen. It's been so much fun watching the two of them grow and change month to month.Out for an afternoon walk, enjoying beautiful Mammoth.We spend a lot of time at the park. Sophia loves the swings, the slides, the other kids, and everything else that comes with going to the park. When we drive up to the park, she starts kicking her legs and waving her arms with enthusiasm. It's so cute!To the side of the park is this beautiful creek. She loves the creek-she really loves anywhere where there is water.Another park day.Watching her favorite movie, A Turtles Tale.These pictures didn't come out very good but I'm so glad I got them. She was … [Read more...]

Summertime Pics

As I scroll through the dozens of photos I've taken of Sophia in just the last month, I can't help but feel overwhelmed with love and happiness. Sometimes I think back to the 72 hours it took to bring her into this world and I can barely even remember all the pain I went through because that finite amount of suffering seems so utterly insignificant in comparison to the infinite amount of joy and value she has brought into our lives. So it's no wonder why I take so many pictures of her. I can't help but want to capture the so many great moments of her life. With mobile phone photography it's easy to capture every waking (and non waking) moment of her life. I'm not sure if this is such a good thing. I hadn't thought about how this may affect her until now. As she gets older, she may act differently when she knows the camera is there. This may make her self-aware which could be a bad thing because a lack of self awareness is what makes children so precious and innocent. This is something for me to think about. Do you take a lot of pictures of your children? What are your thoughts on this? Anyway, as I glance over at my little toe headed daughter, her ink blue eyes catch mine and I … [Read more...]

At 14 Months Old

  At 14 months old, Sophia is happy as ever. She’s getting into everything. She loves to play, clap, laugh, dance, kick her legs vigorously, and wave her arms with enthusiasm. She’s a mover and a shaker and doesn’t like to sit still! She has a little personality that is all her own. She cracks us up! At 14 months old, Sophia has several words she’s saying regularly like, “mama,” “dada,” “ba”(ball), “baba”(bottle) “oh, oh, oh” (her way of saying hi to new people). She understands many words. I'll ask her to give her baby a kiss and she kisses her baby. Or, "Can you bring me a block?," and she brings me a block. "Let's play ball," and she brings me her ball. It amazes me how much she can comprehend at this age. She also communicates by handing me things like the remote (which means she wants to watch Yo Gaba Gaba)! At 14 months old, Sophia enjoys taking the tops off of things and putting them back on. This includes caps to pens, the lid to the yogurt tub, or top of a lotion bottle. It doesn't matter what it is, if it has a top, she wants to take it off and put it back on. If it needs to be screwed off, she hands it to me to unscrew and puts it back on. I don't know if … [Read more...]

Motherhood Has Changed Me For the Better

As I was sorting through photographs of Sophia this morning, I thought about how motherhood has changed me. I thought about how my life has changed for the better since Sophia's arrival. I thought about how the center of my universe has shifted to her, giving me so much to celebrate. I thought about her being this little person that somehow I never get tired of being around. Most days are really fun with her. Sure, there are times when she is fussy and whiny. There are times when I feel really exhausted from the juggling act but I still love being around her. It’s a different sort of love than anything I’ve ever experienced. She’s a delight and when I’m away from her for even a couple of hours, I really start to miss her. Since I've entered the world of motherhood, my priorities have shifted and Sophia has helped me realize what really matters in life. I’ve noticed my values have sharpened knowing I’m setting the example for another person and her tiny pair of eyes constantly fixed on me keeps everything in perspective. Motherhood has changed me for the better because I find that things that once seemed important are now less important and Sophia has helped me discover an inner … [Read more...]

Feeling Thankful Today

I'm feeling thankful today. We have had beautiful Spring weather this past week. Sophia and I have taken advantage of some outdoor time at the park. The sun has been warm and the smiles seem to be more abundant than usual. This weather has made me feel especially thankful for so much goodness in my life. I realize how easy it is to get caught up in the monotony of life. The each-of- these- days is just like the other, sort of thinking. It’s easy to become complacent and to lose perspective. So quickly I can lose sight of just how lucky I am to have been born into the privilege of a loving and supportive family. It's easy to lose sight of the privilege I have had of being born in a country where I have had access to good healthcare, great education, and so much opportunity. I could have easily been born somewhere else with less of a chance. It’s easy to be greedy and to forget just how lucky I am to have food in the fridge, clothes to wear, a car to drive, a bed to sleep in, and so much more than the basic necessities. There are people who don't have any of these things that I often take for granted. It's easy to think I want more and to forget how much I really have. It’s easy to … [Read more...]

What’s New With Sophia?

What is new with my baby? It has been a while since I posted any pictures of Sophia. I have dozens but since she is moving all over the place so very few of them are of her not looking away or covering her face. She's wild, funny, full of energy and teaching us new things everyday. She loves to crawl around, show everyone how big she is, say Dada and Mama. What is new with my baby? Below are a few photos to show you.  Recently I tried putting sunglasses on Sophia before we went outside and she didn't like it! I managed to get a couple shots while I held her hands down to prevent her from taking them off! It's not easy getting good pictures of her these days. We went to her Grandpa's Birthday party in Orange County and she loved being in the swimming pool with Dada and her step sister Lauren and step brother Devon. The first time she's been on her new bike she got for her birthday. I think she likes it! She had fun at the park, crawling around with Dada. This is the first time she's crawled on grass. She loved it! … [Read more...]

Letter to My Baby Girl

My Little Angel, I want to write down some of my favorite things about you so I never forget this stage of your life. I love your enthusiasm and energy. I love how you wave your arms, kick your legs, and roll your little ankles when you are excited. I love that you love people especially when you get their full attention (like at the grocery store or post office). I love the way you throw your arms up to show them how big you are followed by vigorous hand clapping. I love your sweetness. I love when you lean over without any request with an open mouth and give me a kiss. This is one of my favorite things. I love when I tell you to lay your head down and you lay your little head down on my chest. I love your sense of humor. I love when we laugh and you mock us. I love your forced fake little laugh! I really love to hear the real Sophia giggle. Your giggle lights up my day. One of the cutest things you do is wait for me to come get you in the morning. I watch you in the monitor standing up, just waiting. You look around observing your surroundings, you make happy noises, bounce up and down, and just wait. Sometimes it’s fifteen minutes I will watch you in the monitor … [Read more...]