Siblings look-alike contest

When Sophie was born and I saw her for the first time, my immediate thought was how much she looked like Jefferson.  When other friends and family see her I get a lot of people commenting on how much she looks like Cedric.  When I put her in Lily's old baby clothes she reminds me of how Lily looked as a baby.  So I thought I'd let you be the judge (all five of you that read my blog).  I tried to find pictures of them all at similar ages, but they might be a month or so younger or older than four months.  I also tried to find different pictures of each kid since sometimes the same baby can look so different from one picture to another.

Here's a couple pictures of Sophie.

some of Lily

Here's Jefferson

and Cedric

 So cast your votes by leaving a post.  It's always fun to see what people say!

Side note: Tom thinks she looks a lot like his baby pictures, and I see glimpses of me as a baby in her too.  I don't have baby pictures of us though.

Firsts

Today marks a couple of firsts.  Today I was downstairs, Sophie was playing with her little doggy gym toy (I don't know the real name for it, but it's pictured below) and when I came back upstairs she was on her tummy!  She had rolled over all by herself for the first time.  She's come close a lot and she can also rotate herself like a clock by lifting her legs and putting them down, but she had never actually made it to her tummy till today.  Unfortunately I did not get a picture of this.

Sophie is now four months old and she is starting to do other things among rolling.

She's figured out how to reach out a grab a toy.  This is the doggy gym she likes because the dog will sing if she pulls on the toy.

 Sophie has also discovered her feet.  These are her new favorite toys.  She's always kicking her legs up and grabbing them.  This move is what makes her turn like a clock.

 Another first today is the kids decided the 70 degree weather is warm enough to put swim suits on and run through the sprinklers for the first time this season.  We wanted to pull the suits out anyway to make sure they still fit, because Monday these three start swim lessons.

Our family has also been battling a bout of Strep.  

Even Sophie got it.  The doctor said she's the youngest they've seen to get it.  I can tell she's doing better, but now she's going through a no nap phase.  At least she's happy though.

(An hour later)  Sophie just rolled over again!  This time I got a picture.

The Republican Convention

Yesterday morning Sophie and I went to the Republican County Convention to help my brother, Mike with his campaign for County Mayor.

I ran for county delegate to represent our area so I could vote for Mike at the convention, but the night of the caucus I was really sick with double pink eye and I had no voice from my cold.  Therefore, I was unable to go, and Tom had to vouch for me.  I lost by two votes and was not able to be a delegate.  I probably would've won if I was there.  Since I wasn't a delegate, I went as a volunteer (which was much better for me considering I have a nursing baby).

I enjoyed passing out water bottles and chocolate milk, stickering granola bars and of course, mingling with people.  Here are just a few of the people who also helped Mike out...

My Dad and his girlfriend, Lori

 My Mom's best friend, Kim

 My sister-in-law, Maren

 My sister, Aimee

 My cousin, Max (as Mookie the Cow) and several other aunts and cousins

 My sister-in-law, Karyn (Mike's wife) and their kids

My brother-in-law, Matt (Aimee's husband) and their kids

 And of course, Mike was there too :)

I'm so proud of my brother.  He made it to the primary's with 42% of the votes.  I'm not into politics, but I love helping him out.  Plus, with Mom gone, I know it's even more important that we team up together as siblings and help one another.  Way to go Mike!

Easter 2012

Easter this year was the typical Easter.  We colored eggs on Saturday. 

Then Saturday night we told the kids they couldn't come upstairs and see what the Easter Bunny brought Sunday morning until Cedric was up (usually he's the last one up).  However, Cedric got up at 7:30 and I was not excited about getting up that early, so I just quickly carried him downstairs and told the other two to watch him.  I promised them we'd get up in an hour.  Well, Cedric kept coming upstairs to get a drink or a snack and I don't think he even realized there were eggs hidden everywhere.  But it kept making me nervous so I didn't sleep well since I kept getting up to take him downstairs.  8:30 came and went, and I just kept hitting snooze on the alarm (yes, I have to set an alarm to get up at 8:30.  I'm not a morning person.).  So just before 9:00 we heard the kids downstairs trying to make as much noise as possible so we would get up.  Well, it worked.  Sophie also got up about that time so she too got to get in line to see what the Easter Bunny had left.

First, they had to find their baskets.  They were good to leave the eggs alone until after they all found the baskets and we got a picture.  Their baskets included books, kites and the big candy items.

Then they were allowed to find ten eggs each.

Once they all found ten, then they could get five more. 

Once they all  had 15 it was a free-for-all for the rest (I swear we had 50 eggs hidden).

After the egg hunt we got ready for church.  

Side note: I had a goal to read the entire Book of Mormon in a month.  I had finished it for the umpteenth time exactly a month before Easter, so I decided to challenge myself and read the 17 pages a day it took to finish it by Easter.  I read the last chapter that morning before church.  It really was a neat way to experience the scriptures.  It wasn't as hard as I thought either, I just premarked what I needed to read each day on my IPod so I was able to read it wherever I was, or listen to the audio while doing my housework. 

This was the first year I didn't buy any new Easter clothes.  Lily still fit in her dress from last year, Sophie wore a dress that was once Lily's (she reminded me a lot of Lily as a baby in that dress), and the boys wore bow ties that Nana had made for them to wear at their Uncle Eric and Aunt Carlee's wedding two years ago.

The sun was too bright on the grass, so I got a good picture of them all next to the fence.  I love how this picture turned out.  :)

The girls!

Later that day we headed over to see my mom's grave.  The kids had not been back since the funeral.  The whole Easter day was emotional for me.  I thought a lot about my mom, but mostly I felt tears of joy that I know our Savior died for us, and was resurrected so that we can all be resurrected someday too.  I know he also suffered for all of our pains, and knows exactly what I'm feeling.  Having Easter to reflect upon these things made for an emotional day.

After visiting Mom's grave, we went over to Tom's parents house.  We had all 17 (only one was missing) grandkids line up in age order before heading out to the backyard.

There was candy EVERYWHERE and the kids easily filled their baskets to the brim.

The weather was just perfect!  Not too hot, not too cold and no wind.  Perfect for 3 1/2 month old Sophie to enjoy the outside.  

After the egg hunt we had a big turkey and ham dinner outside.  It was the first year we were able to stay at Tom's parent's house instead of trying to rush over to my parents as we usually did.  We decided to do my families Easter dinner next Sunday to make things less complicated.  

It was such a perfect Easter!

Another nine inches

Every two years Lily has donated her hair to Locks of Love.

Here she is at age four.

She donated over 11 inches.

Then she did it again at age six.

This time it was ten inches.

Then yesterday, at age eight, she did it again.

This time it was another 9 inches (I know Locks of Love asks for at least ten inches, but we are close and I figure if they don't want it, that's their choice) .  I don't know if her hair is growing slower or if we are just becoming less patient to wait as long.

 I always love when she gets her hair cut short.  It is so easy to do and wash, it's great for the summer.  And she looks so grown up!