My First Basketball Game

Tonight, daddy took me to the Iowa-Wake Forest basketball game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It was my first live sporting event ever! Cool! Daddy was the first-aid doctor for the game, so we had the very best seats- right up front under the basket!

As soon as we arrived, I was immediately fascinated by the bright electronic scorbards and jumbo TV's. As the opening player introductions rolled, I looked from screen to screen, trying to take it all in. It was a little noisy and there were lots of strange people, but after adjusting for about 15 minutes, I was totally cool with it and was content to sit on daddy's lap the rest of the way.

I barely noticed the players, even though they were about 10 feet away. I was more interested in the scoreboard and Herky, the Iowa mascot. I also really liked the marching band- I shook and danced and swung my hands around whenever they's play. Pretty cool!

Mommy was supposed to meet us there, but her surgery went late. So daddy and I walked back to the car. Well, actually, daddy walked and I slept in his arms. All that basketball wore me out!

Adorable Sisters

I just couldn't resisting posting this great shot of my sisters cuddling together. Aren't they sweet?

Proto-Guacamole

Tonight I had my first ever fresh solid food. Not the processed stuff from Gerbers in the plastic jars, but an honest-to-nature real fruit that mommy smashed with a fork and daddy fed to me. It was avacado and daddy explained that we prepared it just like we make guacamole, but without all the spices and extra stuff. A kind of proto-guacamole, if you will.

I loved it. I am getting much better about "real" food. I now can eat pears, bananas, avacado, squash, carrots, yams, and, my favorite, peas. Next comes oatmeal and, soon, meats!

A White Thanksgiving

Since we had our formal Thanksgiving feast on Saturday, we were under no pressure to cook and could enjoy a relaxing, casual, stay on the couch, lazy, wonderful day. Daddy and I slept in while mommy ran to the hospital to check on her patients. After a small breakfast of pears and cereal, I helped daddy make game day pancakes in honor of USC's special game against ASU tonight.

When mommy came home, they dressed me up in my new snowsuit and went outside to take pictures in the snow. My beloved trees, devestated by the loss of their leaves in the passing autumn, were briefly returned to a shadow of their summertime beauty by ornaments of ice and branches laden with snowy pillows. Snow definitely makes winter worthwhile.

Mommy and daddy did their Christmas "shopping" by catalog from the couch while I played. Then, I took a long, peacuful nap on mommy's chest and daddy made a batch of risotto for Granmimi. When I woke from the nap, daddy, myself, and my sisters took a ride out to the farm to drop off the dish of risotto. While we were there, Grandmimi showed me her new puppies: three Saint Benard puppies just one week old. Their mother, Betsy, was very proud and very protective of her new charges. She barked and complained as we examined her babies. So we left her alone, but promised to return when she is more ready for human visitors.

In the evening, mommy made some candied yams to add to our leftovers and we ate them while watching USC trounce the Sun Devils. A great ending to a wonderful day!

My First Snow!

This photo was taken at the exact moment I saw snow for the very time!

I stepped out of day care in daddy's arms, looked up, and there it was: tiny white flakes falling from heaven, resting gently on my "nose and eyelashes", before melting away into nothing. Nature's beautiful works of art: ephemeral, fleeting, weightless, and wonderous. Daddy and I went home, went out in the back yard, and enjoyed the spectacle. Skye and Denali looked up nervously at the sky but did not venture outside. They have seen snow before, but I guess they've forgotten about it after 8 months.

It kept snowing well into the evening, coating the yard with a gentle, silent blanket. Daddy and I were home alone, since mommy was stuck in a super-long surgery. So we both changed into pajamas, cooked up some comfort food (butternut squash risotto for daddy and pears with rice cereal for me) and cuddled on the couch with the puppies. I think I am going to love winter nights!

A Season For Firsts

We enjoyed my first Thanksgiving Dinner last night. Mommy made an amazing turkey and her famous pumpkin soup. Gran added a scrumptious roast duck and Granmimi brought a wonderful mixed berry pie. Even daddy helped with an eggplant side dish. All I ate, of course, was breast milk and applesauce (my first fruit!). But apple sauce is pretty good, especially compared to the squash and carrots I was putting up with before.

But I have had a string of firsts this week. Not only am I sitting for up to 20 minutes at a time (still a little too wobbly), but I said my first word on Wednesday: a very distinct and clear "hi!" after prompting from dad and Gran. I also managed to sleep through the night on consecutive nights for the first time in over 2 months! The first of those two nights, Thursday, mommy and daddy we at a hotel and I was home alone with Gran- my first night without my parents at home (it went very smoothly- I didn't even notice they had left).

On thursday, I had my 6 month doctor's appointment. I got the usual vaccinations (no big deal- I handled them like a champ) plus my first flu shot! I am pleased to report that I have continued to grow at an alarming rate (90% for height) while improving my girlish figure (50% for weight).

I have also changed day care to Apple Tree, which is in downtown Iowa City. It's the same one that Soren Hansen uses- he's the boy that was born in the next room at the hospital 2 hours before me! I really like it- they have lots more toys to play with and a really cool mirror with a bar. It's just like the ballerenia bar in my Angelina Balerina book and my "Dancing with Degas" book! Best of all, its so close to the hospital that daddy can come over and visit at lunchtime. He's been to see me three times in a week. That is SO COOL!

He's the menu from my first Thanksgiving:

Sophie’s First
Thanksgiving Dinner

November 17, 2007
Kimball Grove Inn
Iowa City, Iowa

Appetizer
Espresso Duck

Soup
Kristi’s World Famous Pumpkin Porcini Soup

Salad
Arugula salad with oranges, pomegranate,
and goat cheese

Entrée
Simon and Garfunkel Turkey (seasoned with Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme) with oyster stuffing and orange-cranberry sauce, served alongside Zahlouk (Moroccan roasted eggplant and tomatoes)

Dessert
New England Jungle-Berry Pie

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

I am very limber! Dad caught this picture of me eating my own toes. Hey, whatever it takes! I am happy to suck on my fingers, nuckles, thumb, and even toes. Being so flexible is a good thing- not only did I have to be curled up inside mommy for 9 months, but being able to bring my toes above my head makes it easier for me to roll around. I keep working on rolling and I am getting pretty good at sitting with some support. I did a sit-up in the bath tub last night, so sitting on my own is just around the corner. Maybe Thanksgiving- we'll see.

Gran is Back!

Gran arrived Wednesday last week to play with me. Good thing, too, because I got sick and had to stay home from school for a couple of days. It worked out really well- I got to stay home and play with Gran and my puppy sisters. We romped on the floor for hours. We went for a ride downtown and shopping at the Co-op (YAY!). We took dad to the airport on Thursday so he could fly to to his conference in Las Vegas.

On Saturday, mommy and Gran and I went with our realtor friend Lynn to see an AMAZING house in Iowa City. It was way too expensive for us to ever live in, but it was worth seeing. It was set up in a half circle looking into a forest, where you could enjoy all my precious tress from every room! Built in 2003 and designed by Iowa architect Doug Wells, it has 5589 square feet on floor. That doesn't count the almost 4000 square feet of unfinished lower lever space that could easily be upgraded to a walk-out basement. And it sits on 1.87 acre wooded lot WOW! Mommy and daddy had to at least consider moving, but they decided that having money for my college education was more important. So, we bought a lottery ticket on the way home . . . just in case we get lucky, I'll tell you all about closing escrow in my next blog!

The Koi Pond

I have actually found something almost as fascinating as trees: fish!

Grandad and Boppy have a koi pond in their back yard and on Sunday before we left to go back home I sat by the edge and stared at the fish. I could have done it for hours- they were just mesmerizing. Daddy understands being fascinated with marine life, since he studied Marine Biology in college.

It's not just the koi pond. I also like the fish in the tanks at the takanami restaurant and at mommy's clinic in the hospital. I also have this really cool toy aquarium complete with magnetic fish (see right)

While we were at the koi pond, we all took Christmas portraits with the grandparents. But I was so distracted by all the wonderful trees and beautiful fish that I couldn't look directly at the camera!

My First Time to California

At 09:55am P.D.T., United flight 1235 touched down at Los Angeles International airport and I arrived in California for the first time. Boppy was there to pick us up from the airport and drive us to Grandad and Boppy's home in Pasadena. Unlike my first flight last month to State College, this flight went perfect. Even though we got up at 4am in Iowa City to start our travel, I was so excited about coming to California that I was awake for almost the entire trip! Mommy and daddy, who were not so awake, seemed annoyed at my new-found vigilance.

Mommy and daddy went to their 10-year med school renunion while I stayed home with Grandad and Boppy. I was on my best behavior for them and fell asleep without a fuss immediatley after dinner. Of course, when my parents got home, I woke up and was ready to play! Again, mommy and daddy seemed annoyed at my state of arousal . . . What's wrong with playing and laughing at 4am?

The next day we all went to USC for the homecoming picnic, which was awesome. I met Jackie, a girl from Vegas born 4 days before me. She is daughter of one of mommy and daddy's classmates in Med School. While at the picnic, I played with Uncle Steve and his firend Beth. I like Beth a lot. She is going to come visit Iowa in December to interview for a resident job in the Gynecology deparment. I hope she gets it, so I can play with Uncle Steve and Beth all the time! I also got to see Auntie Joan and Uncle Ken- they are such die-hard Trojan fans!

After a delightful pre-game feast, mommy and Boppy and I went home to Pasadena and daddy and Grandad went to the USC-Oregon State game (the Trojans won 24-3).

Back in Pasadena, we met up with Grammie and Grandpa Chang and went out for mommy's favorite, sushi! It was great to see Grammie and Grandpa again! After dinner, I fell asleep just long enough for daddy to get home, and then I was up again- ready to party! Again, my parents seemed annoyed . . .