This Post Has Nothing to Do With Anything, But the Pictures Are Cute

The tooth is coming in nicely, and now she has another one on the bottom to match.

We attended our downstairs neighbors' bible study the other night, and it turns out some of their friends brought their baby, too: a blonde nine-week-old dauchsaund named Samson.

Sophia and Samson make friends.

Sophia loves to sit in her highchair at the piano and give us concerts before dinner.

And, a smile to brighten your day!

Our Little Starlet

We took Sophia to have her birthday portraits done at our local Kiddie Kandids this afternoon. She's wearing her special birthday dress from her Grammie (except in the bathtub shot where she is just in her diaper).

We have had countless people tell us that we should have her model. After this, I'm thinking we should consider it. We woke her up from a much-needed nap to bring her in to take these... and she just sparkled!

I wish I could post these with the nifty color effects they used. It made the pictures look much softer and better composed, but these originals are still quite good, I think.

So elegant. Sophia loved playing with the string of pearls.

Who doesn't love a baby in the bath?

Old-time traveler.

Just beautiful.

Our little lady.

Sophia's Birthday Pictures

Sorry these have been so long in coming, everyone! Between my mom's visit to town, then my visit to Rochester, I haven't had a free minute to upload these. But, here they are at last. I hope they are worth the wait.

Sophia wants to get a head start on the presents.

A veggie tray, care of Mr. MacGreggor's garden! I had toothpicks with Beatrix Potter illustrations in nearly all the food.

Grandpa and the birthday girl all dolled up in her party dress (a present from Grammie--my mom)

Mrs. Elizabeth Knighton and Mrs. Julie Eidson enjoying the summer sun and some fresh squeezed lemonade.

Guests having a good time and passing around cards.

I think Brian likes the elephant hand puppet even more than Sophia.

More quality literature--who doesn't love Dr. Seuss? This one was placed on our doorstep early that morning by our downstairs neighbors who had gone camping.

Sophia's birthday cake--coconut layer! She loved it. We also had raspberry and raspberry-peach pies. I loved making her first birthday cake; there is something so special to me about a birthday cake being made with Mama's own hands and recipe.

"Uncle" Tom playing with Sophia's duckie push toy, a gift from her Grandma & Grandpa Hudson. Sophia is looking on, giggling.

Mama, Sophia, and Grandpa

On the morning of Sophia's actual birthday, she received her card and presents from Mama and Daddy. Here is her "special" gift, wrapped in bunny paper.

Sophia becomes acquainted with Hazel the Hippo.

George is liking the look of those stacking rings. I'm pretty sure Sophia liked them, too.

Sophia's "special" gift: her first Growing Up Girl.

Later that day, Grammie took Sophia and me out for tea at a lovely little teahouse in Bothell called Elizabeth & Alexanders. We had a wonderful time. Here, you see Sophia playing with a little metal teabag holder--though we ended up having looseleaf.

So many tasty treats! And, I must say, Sophia acquitted herself quite well with all of them She especially liked the checkerboard shortbread (vanilla and chocolate) that you see on the second tier.

Sophia loves her kitty!

The birthday "cake": a mini lemon cupcake leftover from afternoon tea. I figured one layer cake and two pies was plenty for this mama to make in one week.

Make a wish!

"This is all for me?"

We started off so daintily...

...but quickly dropped the pretense.

Our precious little birthday girl.
How does the time fly so fast?