Happy Birthday Sophia!
Here's my first picture of her...
She was born on Thanksgiving Day in 2k7 (my brother Jeff nicknamed her Butterball but thankfully it didn't stick) - which is also the day Bear graduated from Boot Camp at Fort Knox.
As we were saying bye-bye to Hillary, I begged her not to go into labor until we returned
but as we were arriving at Fort Knox at 6am on Thanksgiving Day (the following morning) we received "the call" - and missed her birth. But, I'm happy to say, I've been with her ever since.
Physically and emotionally.
She's my main happy place. :)
She's also why I live in Barranquilla, Colombia.
Here she is earlier today at the Food Court at Buena Vista Mall waiting for her Burger King Chicken Fingers. (One of the few foods she'll eat).
Buena Vista Mall is beautiful. Many of the stores are designer wear which is really big here in Barranquilla. And the mall is HUGE. It's located in two separate buildings and has four floors in each!
Here's one side of the mall - taken from a rooftop restaurant - The Coco Beach Club - to the west of Buena Vista. It's the long red brick building on the other side of those two red brick high rises.
We spent LOTS of time there when we were waiting for our belongings. It has good food, comfy places to sit and more importantly in those days...air conditioning.
Our house isn't air conditioned which is typical of homes in Barranquilla.
Unless you're filthy rich.
Which we aren't.
Yet.
But I digress.
After lunch we drove down the street to the playground where she spent an hour in glorious sunshine.
Grumpy and Sophia were the only two kids there but they still had lots of fun. :)
My grandmother had my mom when she was 26 years old. My mom had me when she was 26 years old. I had Hillary when I was 26 years old.
So...we had mentioned several times that Hillary would have to continue the family tradition and have a little girl when she was 26 years old. Of course we wanted her married first.
I know...it's old fashioned.
When Pedro and Hillary came home for Christmas, three months before Hillary's 26th birthday, they were already thinking about getting married.
But...
They wanted to wait until they were both through their graduate work before gettin hitched and especially before having babies.
So Hillary gave us a little speech that Christmas of 2k6 about having to break the family tradition and we talked about how cool it had been and sorry mom, but it ain't gonna happen with me.
I've learned to NEVER say never.
A few days before Hillary's 26th birthday I picked up the phone to...
"MOM - I'm Pregnant"!!!
All I could do was laugh with delight.
And of course I knew it would be a girl.
And of course she is.
A real girly girl at that.
She loves having her hair braided - wearing earrings - putting on lipstick - getting her nails done - wearing pretty dresses and just...being a girl.
Which is just way cool because Hillary and I never were.
Well we're girls, just not real girly.
Pedro and Hillary had a huge birthday party for her yesterday and I think half the city came!
Sophia was a very good hostess and until they ran out, made sure that everyone had a cone - which is what she was calling them at first.
I told her they were cone shaped party hats and from then on she ran to get a 'sombrero' for everyone that walked through the door.
Her Godfather, Alcides, was one of the first to arrive.
Hey...where's his cone?!?
Pretty soon, there was a full house and Sophia had a blast.
She loved every minute of her party.
And then it was time for birthday cake.
And sleepy little girls and daddys.
That's Dala with Salome.
It was a beautiful day and everyone was happy.
Including Mommy and Daddy who made it all happen.
Grumpy and I are headed down the hill now to bring just a couple more presents.
We just can't get enough of the wascly wabbit.
And she has to open presents on the actual birthday...right?!?
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