Sundays with Sophie

Hello lovelies!  It's fall y'all - and we have been having some great weather in Vancity.  Today, Sophie discovered how much fun it is to rip up colorful fall leaves in our backyard.

Daddy's out of town for work, so I've been keeping myself busy - making party supplies for Sophie's upcoming Winter ONEderland birthday party!  This weekend, I made her snowflake ONE glitter banner, and completed the tags to name the food with. Here's a sneak peak at what the tags look like.

Since Nick is out of town, I've been taking advantage of the fact that I don't have to cook!  Lime/cumin/chillies edamame for the dinner win.

 

 

Lastly, Sophie made her debut on the Flash this week, as baby Iris - so just wanted to share a few quick photos from when we shot on set.  Her TV mom was on Melrose Place, and also was in Candyman, New Jack City and Soul Food.

 

 

Hope you all had an amazing weekend. xox

Hello BC Storm

Hello lovelies!  Hello September.  I feel like I haven't been around much this summer, but then blogging has always been a rainy day hobby to me.  With a crazy #BCstorm that's been going on since Friday night (the worst since 2006) and about half a million houses that didn't have power this weekend (luckily we did), I figured its time for a blog update.

 

Been making the most of our Barnett Marine beach side days.  Clearly, Sophie is having the best time too.

 

We also had a family day out at Bloedel Bird Conservatory, that features plants and birds from all over the world, under one big dome.  These are all rescue birds.  Sophie went on full Tarzan Jane mode too with random baby roars throughout our visit.

And then the storm hit.  So we chilled on our balcony, and mama drank almond milk lattes and Sophie enjoyed the sounds of rain, and the crazy gushes of wind.

I made my first ever batch of sugar cookies (that I infused with an all natural peppermint oil).  These may look like summer, but they taste like Christmas!  Also my first time ever using royal icing, so it was so much fun making these.  I'm totally making Christmas cookies this year.

Dancing with Sophie to some Jazz and Soul also makes our rainy days more fun.  Al Green, Miles Davis, Sam Cooke, The Righteous Bros, and Billie all made there way to my player this weekend.

And I leave you with a few shots of balcony chills from today, since it's too rainy to be outside.  Who needs toys, when baby hands seem to be her amusement.  Hope everyone makes the most out of the last few weeks of summer!  Three weeks to Maui!

xox, Stephanie

Sophie Turns 8 Months!

This little cutie turned 8 months this weekend!

 

Sophie's 8 Month Milestones include

• Ba Ba Ba Ba is her answer to everything.  Either that, or hmm.
• Blowing spit bubbles is her new favorite skill.  I think she loves the feeling of spit flying on her own face.
• She also likes to breathe in and out really fast through her nose sometimes when she's having lots of fun.  Nicholas will imitate it back to her, and they will go back and forth doing it until Sophie switches to Ba Ba Ba or spit bubbles.
• Her Jolly Jumper is still her best friend, but rather than her intense big jumps she used to have - she now uses the jumper to try and swing forward and touch the wall.  She also loves admiring her own shadow.
• She's 30 inches long, has 2 bottom teeth and one upper one piercing through.
• Sophie still sleeps through the night!  Last night she passed out at 10pm and didn't wake up until 10am. 
• She is starting to sit up on her own (for a few seconds at a time).
• She loves to roll around, and rolls like crazy on our bed (we barricade her a rolling area with pillows).  She has no desire to roll on the ground, and instead does baby crunches or just has tummy time push ups.
• Sophie tries to pick up toys with her feet, and can now detect her favorite objects that aren't so visible, and will move around until she can reach them.
• She wants to put anything and everything in her mouth.  And also grab mommy's nose & hair, and daddy's beard.
• One of her new fave activities is trying to grab and hold onto a balloon.
• Her new foods she's been introduced to, since turning 8 months include cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, and organic eggs.  The first time she had cottage cheese (mixed in with her pureed food), she made gagging sounds and I totally panicked.  Then I realized its normal that babies will make gagging sounds when swallowing new textures.  Her fave baby food mix is still organic quinoa, beets, sweet potato and cinnamon.  She also eats a mix of kale/peas/pears every day too.
• She loves her new babiator sunglasses, and surprisingly doesn't try to take them off.
• The outdoors is her ultimate happy place.

For her 8 month old fun, we headed over to Van Dusen Botanical Gardens so Sophie could check out some new plant textures and scents.

 Sophie and Daddy also had a tickle match going on.

 And neither one wanted to look at the camera.

 Sophie and I dancing away to Hey Jude, as the day was filled with many songs from the 50s and 60s.

 Sophie trying to grab as many leaves as she can.  And then eat them.

Hope everyone had an amazing weekend!

Family Reunions, Summer Livin and Rainy Days.

Hello darlings.  Hope everyone is having an amazing August so far!  Last weekend, Nicholas, Sophie & I headed over to the Sunshine Coast for a mini family reunion at Katherine Lake, where a few of my family members manage the campsite during tourist season.

 

 Katherine Lake in the summer.

 

Katherine Lake is one of the smaller lakes up near Pender Harbour, and a perfect fishing spot for trout.  It's also a great place for swimming and paddle boarding - however, the Sunshine Coast wasn't really sunny on the weekend, and it down poured the whole time. 

Sophie's first ferry ride! 

I also got to catch up with one of my second cousins who I haven't seen in ten years.  It was great to see her, and introduce Sophie (and Nick).  She also runs the paddle board rentals/and ice cream shop for tourists during camping season.

We also hung out at my Grandma's house quickly (before we all drove down to Pender Harbour).  Here, we discovered how much Sophie loves wind chimes.  Clearly, we need to get some for our house.

Aside from our amazing road trip for the coast, the last week has rained quite a lot (which is good for our drought) - so we stayed home eating comfort food, binge watching Netflix, and having dance parties to Otis Redding & The Righteous Brothers.  I made the most amazing Chicken Soup (avocado/green chillies/fresh corn/black beans/carrot/onions/bell peppers/tomato/lime/brown rice/cheese/chicken stock).  Almost everything was organic.  This was a winner for days.

I also made the most amazing summer salad which is great on its own, and packs great for leftovers.  (Quinoa/Mixed Greens/Fresh Basil/Red Onion/Cucumber/Tomato/Avocado/Feta/Lemon Juice/Sriracha/Black Pepper).  For both recipes, I removed the watery/seedy inside part of the tomato and didn't include it.  I also minced up all the ingredients pretty finely (even the mixed greens).

On the days that it actually was sunny, we spent it in our pool teaching Sophie baby swim lessons.

We even went shopping on Main St for some hipster baby clothes for Sophie.  While there, she was so well behaved (she's teething now so it can be a hit or miss), that we decided to quickly stop in a bar for a drink since it was so nice out (and we haven't been in a bar, since last year).  We were too scared to order any food en case she got fussy, but it definitely felt nice being able to go somewhere with Nick (and Sophie), and actually have a drink.

We've also made use of daytime park visits on those sunny days, as it's the perfect place for some shady nap times for Sophie, and Chess/Backgammon for Nicholas & I.

Five on Friday - Goodbye July

Can you believe July is done!  That means I only have 4 months left of maternity leave, before returning to work :(  I feel like I've been so absent from the blogging world - so lets recap what's happening in my world lately :)

1. Winter Onederland.  Yes it's still July, and yes it was 34.5 degrees here today - but I seriously can't stop thinking about Sophia's first birthday.  Maybe it's because I'm an event planner, or maybe it's because I don't want to scramble last minute with all the party prep/baking/diy/invites last minute - but this momma is getting a head start on her birthday early.  Below is my inspiration!  Cake pops, snowflake cookies, macaroons, melted snowmen cupcakes, and an adult hot cocoa bar filled with all our fave liqueurs (and home made marshmallows)!  I cant wait for December :)

2. Daddy's Out Of Town.  For the first time since before we had Sophie, Nicholas had to go out of town for work.  It's been pretty hard on Sophie, But luckily he is back tomorrow as I know she misses her daddy.  We tried to facetime on the first day of his travels, but Sophie just ended up crying (since she could hear and see her daddy - but couldn't actually 'see' him).  It was so hard to watch.  We definitely cant wait to have daddy back - and Sophie can have her daddy cuddles again.

3. Mommy/Daughter Time.  Since daddy has been away, it's been extra hangouts for Sophia and I.  Sometimes, I forget to grab shots when we're out - so here's one we took for daddy this week.  Patio chills after a day of shopping and park strolls.  Yes I have an iPhone 4s where as Nick has an iPhone 5 & Galaxy Note 4.  Sometimes I realize the selfie cam really lacks clarity - so I'm definitely going to upgrade soon.  A quality selfie cam is definitely a must have!

4. Edibles.  My summer nights have revolved around cheese plates and wine.  So this is what I indulge in after a core workout.  Local cheese, wild smoked salmon nuggets, local organic fruits, organic crackers, organic local turkey/spinach farmers sausage, and everything in-between with some VQA Merlot.  Hello easy dinners.

5.  The Flash. You have a baby.  Everyone tells you how cute your baby is, and how they should get into acting.  So that's what we did.  A few days later, little Miss Sophie is part of the cast for season 2 of The Flash.  I've never seen this show and I 'had' no idea who was who.  My super hero knowledge was Thor, He-man, Hulk... but not the Flash.

We arrive on set at Vancouver Film Studios (we are considered Hollywood North) and I really had no idea where to go.  Once passing clearance, I was directed to a film lot - and then advised to head to a tent area to find my wrangler to escort us to our private trailer.  I was pushing my baby jogger, and Sophie was filled with spit bubbles of excitement.  So I strolled on down to the tent city - which had about 6 people.  I asked about the wrangler, and all these people wanted to do was come baby admire - and Sophie was more than happy to show off her spit bubbles and big smiles!

I had no idea this was the cast.  Like not even the extras - but the actual main cast.  It was pretty amazing having "The Flash" and "Detective West" go all goo-goo gaga all over Sophie about how much they love her on set.  We had a great time, and I'd totally post photos but cant leak anything encase of season 2 spoilers - but Sophie will be playing young Iris West on episodes 2 & 3 this fall!  It will probably be airing when we are in Maui - but I'll keep everyone posted with dates!

New Car & Sophie Catch Up

Happy Monday lovelies!

 

Our city is under level 4 drought - the highest there is!  No more waterparks allowed - and our lush green grass has turned brown.  Raincouver needs some rain :(

We traded in our Civic for a Sportage!  We realized how hard it was to pack everything baby in our Honda - so finally made the upgrade to an SUV.  It's my first time as a Kia owner, but I'm totally loving everything about our new car so far.  It's totally loaded with features like push button start, back up camera, GPS, panoramic sunroof, Bluetooth, and a leather interior with heated seats - and most importantly AWD.  Clearly I'm on my way to becoming that soccer mom stereotype - starting with the car.

Our lovely new SUV!  We still have our Chrysler - but this is our main car now.

Sophie turned 7 months.  I'd love to say my baby loves wearing all these cute little dresses in her closet, but realistically she is a minimalist like her momma, and is happiest wearing as little as possible.  At least she still gives me smiles when I do choose to play dress up.

Big Smiles on her big girl chair. 

 But she'd much rather be a naked baby outside.

 

She's also all about afternoon naps - which is great as mommy always gets her workout done (and if I have time like today, I can sneak in a blog post).

 She's all about taking up as much room as possible.

 

My grandma came to town on the weekend to celebrate her birthday with us!  It's so great to see these 2 together, and that I got to make my grandma a great-grandma!  We all went to a golf course for dinner, (and I was secretly panicking inside as it was our first time bringing Sophie to a fancy restaurant).  Luckily she was well behaved and proved that mommy and daddy could try this again sometime :).



 Sophie and her Great Grandma Ruth!

 

 

Sophie also as her 2 bottom teeth coming in now!  And she is also saying Ba Ba Ba Ba over and over and over.  I have no idea what Ba Ba Ba Ba is, but it's so exciting that she has her first word, and has been saying it for 3 days straight now :)



And I'll leave you with a shot of how we spent last night - park side with a bottle of VQA.  Happy summer darlings!  Stay hydrated!  Also - head on over here for my appearance on Michelles blog - Grammie Time.  I talk about everything from childhood memories, make up tips and advice for new moms.

Friday Fab 5 - Mom Life

Hello lovelies, I've been missing these Friday Link Ups - so glad to be back!  Let's play a little catch up with 5 things happening lately in my so called #momlife.

 

1. Mommy & Daughter time.  Normally I'm the one behind the lens capturing the precious moments, but Nicholas got this one of Sophie's first shoulder ride.  Clearly she was loving it, (and my hair).  This my friends, is why moms wear top knots on the regular.

 

2. Daddy Daughter Time.  I'm back behind the lens, and here I'm capturing swim lessons from daddy (she's yet to realize daddy can't swim).  Look at our little sea otter go :)

 

3. Supporting Local.  I was in Vancouver on Tuesday, so I stopped by one of my favorite Vancity companies - Earnest Ice Cream.  This place makes the most amazing vegan, gluten free ice cream in the city.  I had a scoop of Strawberry Basil - and a pint of London Fog to go (that Nicholas attacked at home).  So good!



 

3. Im a Sexy Mom?!  I happen to me in a moms group on facebook - and I recently got contacted and asked if I'd like to represent the hottest new moms that live in the neighboring cities of Vancouver.  This was pretty exciting, that people actually thought of me like that - and wanted me to represent on behalf of our city.  So I took a few swimsuit selfies, and then I was like - I have a new mom bod :(  I work out 5 days a week, with high intensity workouts - yet sometimes it seems like the results just aren't there.  Especially knowing I'm going to Maui in 2 months - and my body is far from beach ready in my eyes.  Why does cellulite have to be so stubborn!! However, I did just give birth a few months ago, and I'm so determined for results - I just can't lose focus.  In the meantime, despite those moments where I may question my beach bod - it's great to know that others think I'm one of the sexiest new mommas in the city.  Here I brave my current beach body (don't mind the horrible tan lines - apparently my sun block had expired and let me burn).

4. Sophie's first tooth is coming in!!! You may not be able to see much of it - but if you look closely, you can see her bottom tooth popping up.  Soon I will no longer have those precious toothless smile pictures.

5. Because Mommy Drinks.  And since Sophie has her first tooth coming it, she's a little fussier than usual.  Luckilly, she still sleeps through the night completely fine - but sometimes during the day/evening she's a little extra fussy.  So mommy found herself a new wine, that makes those fussy moments a little easier to deal with :)