Sophia's 4 Year Update
January 2023
You turned 3 year’s old and we celebrated with a Cocomelon themed birthday party.
The beginning of January we bought a car in Utah and instead of flying home, we made the 12 hour drive. You and Noah did so well in the car.
I took you back to the dentist so they could make sure the spot they saw last year wasn’t anything concerning. You got a clean bill of health!
We took Noah swimming for the very first time.
We are part of a research study at OHSU and we had your 3 year visit. They took saliva and fingernail samples, played some “research games” with you and recorded some of your brain waves.
You love reading books; playing at the park; having Noah sit in your lap; watching shows with Noah; Cocomelon; and eating strawberries and popsicles.
You asked Jesus into your heart on 1/12/2023.
Colton: Where is Jesus?
Sophia: Jesus is NOT in our hearts (said jokingly, because she knows the correct answer).
Colton: Jesus is in my heart.
Sophia: How does Jesus get in our heart?
Colton: We ask Him to come into our heart. You say, Lord Jesus, will you come into my heart?
Sophia then repeated the sinner’s prayer after Colton.
February 2023
Portland received the most snow since 1943. We borrowed some sleds and rode them on the street to the park. We also couldn’t get our car out of our neighborhood for a few days, which was a crazy experience.
Preschool had a Dads and Donuts event.
I volunteered at your preschool Valentine’s Day party. It was so fun seeing each kid pass out their valentine treats. At home, we celebrated with pizza and heart shaped pepperoni. Yum!
Our cousin Heidi and her two kids stopped by for a visit from the Seattle area. It was fun to catch up and have them meet you and Noah. By the end of the visit, you had put all your bows in her hair.
March 2023
Preschool hosted an Eric Carl inspired art show. True to your class name, you helped make a giant ladybug.
We had a playdate with your best friend from school, Charlie.
Auntie Beth gifted you and I tickets to the Paw Patrol Live show. It was so much fun having a mommy/daughter date.
You took your first ride on the city bus and Max train to the library. You radiated pure joy!
We finally were able to be seen by the neurologist for your seizures last year. Everything was normal and you haven’t had a seizure since. Praise God!
We had lots of park hangs and bike rides.
April 2023
Grandma Karen visited during her spring break and she just happened to be here for Grandparent’s Day at preschool. The school had a little program where you sang songs; you got to show her your classroom; and you made a craft together. We also took Grandma Karen to our church’s Easter egg hunt, where you found so many eggs.
During our church’s Good Friday service, you kept looking for Jesus. You’d say, “Where’s Jesus? Is He coming? On the stage?”
Later this month Grammy Penny visited and we celebrated Daddy passing all of his architecture exams and becoming a licensed architect.
We went to the Salem AG Fest for the first time this year and had a blast. You were able to pet lots of animals, ride a pony, and eat ice cream from the Dairy Women (thanks Auntie Beth!).
Your favorite songs to sing are “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus” and “The B-I-B-L-E”, except you say “The V-I-V-L-E, that’s the book for me. I stand on the door.”
You’re fascinated with the David and Goliath story and often get it mixed up with Jesus dying on the cross. You’ll say, “Goliath hurt Jesus on his head. It was bloody. Then he made bloody water.”
May 2023
You learned how to make mac-and-cheese by yourself (with a little bit of supervision). You even dished your own bowl. I so proud of you learning something new and being able to be patient through every step.
Mommy and my friends went to high tea to celebrate Mother’s Day and Daddy took you and Noah with the other dads and kids to the Vancouver library.
You formally invited me to a Mother’s Day tea at preschool. You suggested I wear my polka dot dress because you were wearing yours. I was happy to oblige. We drank iced tea, played in your classroom, and planted a flower in a pot you had painted. You make me feel so special and I love being your mommy!
You started a 5-week soccer class. It was more getting you used to the ball and learning some basic skills and didn’t involve actually playing the game. Sometimes you were excited to play and sometimes not. It’s been fun seeing a bunch of toddlers run around the gym chasing balls.
Luke and Shannon took you and Noah to the zoo so Daddy and I could have a date.
For actual Mother's Day, we drove to Oceanside, OR, and spent the afternoon at the beach.
Daddy volunteered on your field trip to bring cookies to the fire station. You even got a tour of their space.
On 5/22/2023, during your bedtime routine, you prayed for: “Beth and the sunflowers and the purple flowers Beth gave us. And the one TV in our house and the people who don’t have socks.”
Grandpa Danny came to visit and we went to the Aviation Museum. He also babysat you and Noah while Daddy and I went to Luke and Shannon’s wedding. You had a lot of fun playing inaginary games with him on the back porch.
After Grandpa left, we took you and Noah Multnomah Falls for the first time. Daddy and I went many years ago but decided it was time to show our kids.
Preschool had an end-of-year program and Auntie Beth came to support. You sang “Adios means goodbye,” “Hola, hola, hola como estas?,” and an alphabet song. The one day I didn’t put shorts on you underneath your dress was the day you decided to lift your dress up in front of the entire audience. Hehe!
This month you became really interested in the clouds moving; often asking us to stop the car so you can check their movement.
Tantrums have also escalated. “I.WANT.IT.RIGHT.NOW!”
You love pointing out the letters that you recognize. Your favorites are S for Sophia, C for Charlie, D for Daddy, and H for Harper. Your teacher, Ms. Karen, said your letter recognition has improved so much this school year. She was very impressed with you. You’re also the most independent kid in your class.
Your teacher told us that you’re often very quiet in class and then when you go into the bathroom she will hear you loudly singing. Haha!
Your favorite songs to sing are “Way Maker” and “There’s Joy in the House of the Lord.”
June 2023
Another day, another field trip. One to the zoo and one to the Happy Valley splash pad.
We like to invite you to come worship with us before you go to your Sunday School class. We want you to be able to experience Jesus in this way and you love it too. Sometimes you’ll sit there and read your Bible.
We love reading the Bible at mealtimes. Your favorite stories are Jonah and the Whale; Joseph and the rainbow coat; David and Goliath; and Daniel and the Lion’s Den.
With the summer weather we are spending a lot of time biking and walking you to preschool.
We went to Blue Lake Park splash pad with our small group friends and you and Poppie had a blast!
We got to celebrate Father’s Day with our friends, The Pankos, who also don’t have family here. You and Noah have the best daddy!
Your favorite song to sing in the car is “Sunday Sermons”, by Anne Wilson.
July 2023
To check off some items on our summer bucket list, we went to the South Waterfront for Blue Star donuts, and a ride on the sky tram.
You love role playing real life scenarios. We play teacher, bedtime, shopping, etc. Once we were playing bedtime and you told Daddy he couldn’t have the music-making stuffie at bedtime because it is noisy. You’re demonstrating that you know our rules by acting them out in your play.
You are getting really good at folding towels and blankets.
We had this tender conversation about God:
Sophia - Where is God?
Mommy - He is everywhere. He’s in your heart and my heart.
Sophia - Is He in everyone’s heart?
Mommy - No. Some people choose to not ask Him into their heart.
Mid-July we packed up and flew to Utah to visit our families. We spent our time celebrating birthdays (Noah’s 1st and Daddy’s 31st); playing in the pool; going on walks; dog sitting Nala the chihuahua; and spending quality time with those we love. It was such a fun trip!
August 2023
Starting nighttime potty training and it went really well. We began by waking you up a few times during the night to go potty and after a few days of that, let you wake us up. You only had a few accidents before you were waking up on your own. You still “need” (want) our help during the night, but you’re able to wake up on your own, which was the goal. Occasionally, you won’t even wake up during the night! Way to go!
We celebrated my birthday with Waffle Window, lots of coffee, and ice cream. You also colored me a beautiful picture.
Nana Chris babysat you and Noah while Daddy and I attended his work’s annual summer party.
We celebrated Noah’s birthday with our friends, the kiddie pool, and lots of food.
The last week of August, you had a summer break from school. We made sure to do a lot of fun activities while you were home. The first few days, we sent up the tent in our living room and had a sleepover and went on a play date at the Vancouver Library.
Mid-week (8/30) we played at Oaks Bottom Amusement Park for their last preschool day of the season. We had so much fun. Your favorite ride was the roller coaster with daddy.
That same day we drove to Seattle for 2 nights for a mini family vacation. We spent our time walking around; drinking coffee; rowing a boat on Lake Union; watching seaplanes take off; swimming at the hotel; and playing at different parks.
On our way home, we stopped at your Great Aunt Sue and Great Uncle Doug’s home and saw some of our cousins and their kids. It was great to catch up.
We don’t remember when exactly you started saying your words like this, but it has to be documented.
Baby Monitor = Moniker
Accident = Accanent
Helmet = Helmik
Fly = Ply
Flower = Plower
Spoon = Boon
Stuffy = Duffy
Stephanie = Deafanie
Some questions you’ve asked this month:
“Where do the bugs sleep?”
“Where do the trees sleep?”
“How do you make a sidewalk?”
Your beautiful prayer: “Dear Lord, thank you for the flowers and thank you for the stuffies and thank you for Seattle and I love the flowers and the rocks that give them. And smoothies and the yucky stuff, ewww. And poop, ewww. Pee, eww. And the life that gives us. And the porch. The back porch and the forward porch. I love how you give that to us, God, and I know you are here. Sometimes I obey you and sometimes I sleep at Seattle with all of us in there. And I love you and you (Colton) and I love Noah and Mommy and Jericho and I love everybody. I don’t love everybody. I love you and I love Minnie and the dress up clothes and our drawers and AMEN!”
Your favorite colors have expanded to: pink, purple, blue, yellow, and orange.
September 2023
You and Noah woke up and were playing quietly on Labor Day morning, so we let you guys play for a while. An hour later, Daddy went in and found that you had colored all over your pillowcase, your clothes, your crib, and…Noah’s face (haha!). Unfortunately, the marker didn’t wash out, so we now have constant reminders of what happened.
On Labor Day, we did a family activity and tie-dyed some clothes. You had a blast squeezing ALL the colors out of the bottles.
9/5 was the First Day of Preschool (for the 2nd year) and you’re in Ms. Karen’s class again! You attended the summer program, so this was pretty anti-climatic, but we were all still excited.
Noah’s daycare hosted a BBQ, with a bounce house and lots of bubbles. Daddy had prior plans, so I took you and Noah. We got to meet some of Noah’s classmates.
We unfortunately found out that our furnace needed to be replaced so we spent a small fortune on getting a heat pump system. Now we have air conditioning, whoot whoot!
A whole year later, we finally installed a new bathroom vanity. It feels so weird to now be able to brush our teeth and wash our hands in the bathroom instead of the kitchen. It’s so nice not having to take you all the way to the kitchen after you go potty.
Grandpa Jim took his annual visit to Portland. Sadly, I got some type of bug that Saturday so we didn’t do a whole lot, but we were able to go out for dinner one night and ice cream another night.
We experienced the famous Portland Swift Watch this year, which was so neat. It is amazing to see the birds swirl around in a type of dance and then all find their bed in the school’s chimney. We packed a picnic dinner and got to enjoy one of the last warmish nights before the rainy season.
“I don’t like you when you have stinky breath.”
Holy Mackerel! = Holy Neck Roll!
Once when you were in the bike trailer with daddy and I was driving Noah to daycare, I saw you and honked the horn. Now every time I drive Noah, you want me to honk at you. It is my favorite thing because it makes you so happy!
October 2023
We had your best friend, Charlie, and her family over for brunch. You girls had so much fun playing.
Took a fall drive to The Gorge White House, in Hood River, and picked strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
Went took Tio Max to the annual LRS (daddy's work) sponsored fall event at the Donkey Sanctuary. At one point, multiple donkeys came right up to your face because they could smell your snacks. We tried dehydrated air heads, got your face painted like a bunny, and picked out some pumpkins.
The next day, you and Noah washed the pumpkins in the kiddie pool. Noah gave it 100% by getting all in and eating the soap bubbles. You were the one to actually clean the pumpkins.
October 18th, I volunteered on your field trip to the pumpkin patch. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough room on the school bus, so we had to drive ourselves, but we still had a great time. We saw farm animals; fed the goats; played on a giant hay bale pyramid; and took a hay ride to the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkin. I loved getting to participate in your field trip!
Grandma Karen visited and she got lots of snuggles from both you and Noah. The Saturday that she was here, we went to Slappy Cakes, where we got to cook our own pancakes at our table. We then went to Nyla’s birthday party at a gymnastics place. It was really fun seeing you jump around.
Grammy Penny’s college friend Nancy was in town and stopped by for dinner. She was so sweet to bring you a stuffie that sings a song.
This month we started doing special mommy and daddy time before bed. One night I will have special mommy time with you, while Noah has special daddy time. The next night we will switch. So far it is helping bedtime go a lot smoother and Daddy and I are loving the one-on-one time.
You are obsessed with putting your toys inside containers; ziplock bags, makeup bags, storage containers, etc. I think it is partly because you don’t want Noah playing with your stuff.
November 2023
Grammy Penny visited for almost two weeks and it was the best. You loved waking her up every morning with snuggles and playing with her after school. She took you on a special date to the Science Museum and you got to go on the earthquake simulator.
We took Grammy to our 2nd annual Friendsgiving celebration. Your favorite food item was the meatballs.
Daddy agreed to let us put up our Christmas tree early since Grammy was going to be in town. Currently, you have taken about 10 ornaments off and would rather play with them than keep them on the tree.
One night, Grammy let you have a “sleepover” with her in her bed. It took you about 2 hours to “kind of” fall asleep, and then we took you back to your bed.
We think you got pinkeye the week before Thanksgiving, because Thanksgiving week, Noah and I came down with it. You handled it like a champ!
The plan was to go to our friends, The Pankos’ for Thanksgiving, but because of pinkeye and colds, we had to cancel. Our friends were sweet enough to drive over and swap food so we all could still enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.
We had the best Thanksgiving weekend with you and Noah. Lots of play time and walks around the neighborhood.
A few months ago we loosely started having you put your plate and silverware in the sink before you can be excused from a meal. Now I am adding on to that and having you help me load the dishwasher. I’m often amazed at how capable you are at such a young age.
December 2023
We all caught a cold (or two) and it lasted multiple weeks. Fortunately, I was the only one who ended up needing antibiotics, (which helped tremendously). Tis the Season!
Despite being sick, we celebrated our family Christmas on December 2nd and it was so fun. We had a yummy cinnamon roll and sausage breakfast, opened gifts, and relaxed. Our family Christmas 12/2.
Grandpa Danny came for a week visit (and also got sick) and was able to see your school Christmas program (12/8) and your church Christmas program (10/10).
We went to the Portland International Raceway drive through lights for the first time and it was so fun! Since we were driving slow, you got to sit on my lap and drink hot chocolate.
On 12/13, Grandpa Danny took you home to Utah with him for some special time and to surprise Grandma. When Grandma Karen picked you up from the airport, she wondered why Danny had extra luggage. He then turned the luggage cart around and there you were! What a fun surprise!
Your favorite Christmas song is “Oh Come All Ye Thankful (Faithful).”
Mid-December you weighed 32 pounds. You’re no longer a toddler, but a little girl.
We spent our first week in Utah at Grammy Penny and Grandpa Jim’s home. While there, we celebrated Payson’s birthday; Grammy took you and Noah to the church nursery almost every day for playtime; went to Grammy Penny’s work party and ate dinner and bowled; made graham cracker houses with Tristen and her kids; watched multiple Christmas movies; walked the dogs; and played night night.
Grandpa Danny had work in Ephraim, so he, Grandma Karen, and Great Grandma Barbara came down for a quick visit. We haven’t seen Grandma Barbara since your first birthday!
In Draper, you rode on the Scheel’s Ferris Wheel with Grandma Karen and Auntie Shelby. You had lots of fun and said the top was scary.
You also read books and played with your cousin Rainy; opened lots of Christmas presents (you love the lite brite and your baby doll); saw lights on Christmas Street and Bible Street; explored the Natural Museum of History where we saw lots of dinosaurs; had a night without mom and dad (we went to Boise, ID for a wedding); drank hot chocolate and made cookies with Grandma Karen; visited friends; celebrated your 4th birthday (technically, we celebrated in early Jan) and played and played and played. It was a fun-filled time.
