Hands & Paws

February 2011

2011-03-04T15:17:00.000-08:00

Here are my random February shots...in no particular order. This first one is one of my favorite pictures of Sonora (can you believe she smiled for the camera - miracle) but of course I can't make it right side up. So enjoy it by tilting your head to one side. :)

This picture is on Valentine's Day. What love is captured by this picture...or is that just Sonora's model pose? I guess she's been watching too much ANTM.

Levi caught doing his favorite thing...cleaning out the cupboards.

Sonora with her favorite toy IN THE WORLD.

Mommy with her 3 kids. Wait...I don't have 3 kids. This is my friend Greta's beautiful daughter Grace. I'm not sure Levi looks like he wants ANOTHER sister.

The cutest kid

Our official Valentine's date. Steve surprised me with tickets to "In the Mood", a swing musical in town. It was so much fun. He also bought me an outfit & SHOES for the evening. Did I pick a winner or what?!

Sonora & I enjoying a fun "picnic" on Valentine's.

Model! She's just too beautiful for words.

And my precious handsome Levi. How did I get so lucky?!

So life's been crazy lately in the Farris household. 2011 is going to be hard, long, and so totally worth it (got to hope!). Here's to enjoying it day by day!

Jan 2011

2011-03-04T15:04:00.001-08:00

I realized at the end of January that I wasn't taking very many pictures...so here are basically almost ALL of the pictures we took minus the really bad ones. :)

We went to the park whenever we felt we could brave the cold or if Momma was going crazy in the house with 2 loud kids.

Or if Momma was too tired to go anywhere, we took to the backyard for swing time. Steve's mom bought Levi the blue swing because she thought he didn't look right in the pink one. Well...Nora has always loved blue and always requests the blue swing when we go outside, which leaves the pink swing to Levi (the one who can't voice his own opinion yet).

Levi loves to push the chairs around the house. Not sure why but apparently he wants a wheelchair.

So this is what happens at the end of the day that no one gets to see...our lovely perfect children (ha) go gorilla crazy! :)

Sonora's first attempt at takng pictures. Not bad...my little budding photographer.

Adios to January....

Disney on Ice

2011-03-04T14:54:00.001-08:00

Steve & I took Sonora to her first "big girl" activity...Disney on Ice. She had a great time and enjoyed being with Mommy & Daddy by herself. :) These pictures are backwards because for the life of me, I can't figure this whole blogging thing out. But you get the idea...Sonora had fun seeing the Disney characters...we had fun seeing Sonora have fun...and we were all very excited to go! She did want to go home before it was over...but whose counting that?

Levi's 1st birthday

2011-03-04T14:37:00.000-08:00

As always, I am WAY behind on posting some pictures. So after some forceful prodding (Thanks Melissa!), I am posting at least one post until one of the kids wakes up!

These are from Levi's recent 1st birthday...February 24th. I can't believe he's already 1. Wow! We celebrated on Sunday, Feb. 20th so my brother's family could come for the day on the 3 day weekend. As luck would have it, Jordan got the flu on Levi's party day and so he & Wendy were stuck at home all day. Thankfully there was sun at his party after biting our nails that our "outside" party would have to relocate. We had a lovely party and Sonora thoroughly enjoyed our time at the park.

If you can see closely on Levi's face, he has some scratches on the right side of his face as well as over his lip. What a wonderful birthday present...not from a dog or even himself falling, but a little girl at church nursery that very morning. Apparently she wanted to squeeze (aka claw) his cheeks because he was so cute. Seriously we have no idea what happened but all we could tell him was that girls are trouble and in this case, perfectly ok to hit back. :) Needless to say, we haven't taken his 1 year old pictures yet!

We love you Levi...scratches, bruises & all!!! Happy 1st birthday!

Sonora's 2nd Birthday

2010-10-31T14:19:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, October 23rd was Sonora's 2nd Birthday. We decided to go to the zoo for her birthday since that's one of her favorite places in the world. We were able to celebrate with my parents and Steve's whole family at the zoo. Sonora ran around the zoo and said "hi" to every animal she met. Then we went to the park and had cupcakes and opened up her presents. I'm sure Sonora had a great day and we did too. We can't believe she is already two - time flies! What a blessing Sonora is to our lives - we love you baby doll!

Random pics

2010-10-31T14:16:00.000-07:00

Just some random pics of the kids...I had to include a few favorites of Sonora actually smiling for the camera (a rarity!) and a cute one of Levi! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-31T14:08:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we went to a Pumpkin Patch in Kingsburg called the Lucky H Ranch and we had a great time running through the pumpkins, riding on a wagon around the ranch, petting some animals, and posing for pictures. It was a gorgeous day and lots of fun!

Summer 2010

2010-08-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

Well here are some pictures from this summer...I seem to not be able to get them in order or post any that are vertical without having to turn my head sideways so I deleted those. So this is the best that I can do! Hope you enjoy.

Sonora posing for a rare smile.

An even more rare occurence is both of our kids posing for one photo AND both looking at the camera. Hooray!!

Cousin Jordan came for a week this summer and Sonora had the time of her life! He is such a good big cousin.

Levi learned to crawl!! He is still crawling on his belly and using his toes and his elbows to crawl but boy can he get anywhere he wants to and FAST! He finds himself trapped in corners because he can't turn around yet. So cute.

Levi also loves to eat - and eat a lot! He is currently only about 5 or less pounds away from his BIG sister.

Levi and Suesse are checking each other out. Suesse is still quicker than Levi but not for long!

Another cute picture of the two kids...at the moment happy, but I'm sure in Sonora's eyes you can see her determination not to let Levi play with her toys. She'd rather eat them.

Sonora had fun playing with her bibs one night and Daddy & Sonora tried them all on!

This was Levi's first time sitting up by himself! What a big boy - he looks quite shocked at his feat!

We've had a fun hot summer with plenty of swimming days, stay at home days with Barney & Caillou, and weekend trips to the mountains and the coast. I'll try to keep up my blog a little better but I can't guarantee! I can barely get dinner together!

Happy 6 month Birthday Levi!

2010-08-24T16:41:00.000-07:00

Happy 6 months to our baby boy Levi! You bring so much joy to our lives!

We love you so much!

A day in the life...

2010-04-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

So I took this picture of myself while having Levi in the baby bjorn and holding Sonora with my left hand and taking the picture with my right. Later I was cooking dinner while holding both of them...not an easy task let me tell you. Even though Sonora is "light", she can get quite heavy after awhile.

Yeah, Daddy is finally home and can play with Sonora so I can finish dinner!

Sonora rocking Levi in his swing. She usually does it while saying, "rock, rock, rock".

We definitely have fun every day...from laughs to cries to movies and games. They keep me alert and usually too busy to update my blog or even take pictures! Thankfully I have my dedicated parents who often come and help out so I can have just a moment of free time to do things like this! Being with my children is always a joy no matter what!

Sonora at 17 months

2010-04-28T16:42:00.000-07:00

This is the first time we were able to put little pig tails in Sonora's slow growing hair! It looks so cute and of course we were able to keep them in about 5 seconds before she wanted them "out". So I guess we'll go back to the "Sonora do" until she is mature enough to handle bows and clips. She's not very girly...doesn't want anything in her hair, plays with balls and dirt, and would rather run around outside than be inside any day. Boy is she going to get along well with her little brother!

With pig tails in her hair, her face looks so different. Could also be caused by the lack of hair growth on the top and sides of her head!

Sonora & her lovey

Sonora playing in the laundry room

We had our first outdoor dinner and we really enjoyed it!

Sonora sitting in her brother's swing. Of course she had this swing when she was a baby and hated it. Now that it's Levi's, she suddenly wants to be in there all of the time. Ha!

Kiss Kiss to you all!!

Turning 35...

2010-04-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

Well it had to happen...my 35th birthday. Since I'm now the mother of two small babies, my birthday was just slightly more exciting than a normal evening! I had dinner cooked for me (courtesy of my mother) and got to open a few presents. It was just lovely! My baby boy fell asleep on me after I fed him and laid in this position for most of the evening. My parents, in-laws, and us enjoyed verinka and German sausage for dinner and a delicious chocolate mousse pie baked by our niece Haley.

Can't deny how special being 35 is with a wonderful husband and two beautiful and much loved kids! I am so lucky!!

Laton Parade & Rodeo

2010-04-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

Steve took Sonora to the Laton Parade one Saturday morning when I didn't feel good and she had a great time watching all the horses and cowboys.

Here she is watching the parade with her two cousins, Trenton & Tanner. Steve said she only actually sat in this chair for 5 minutes, but it was sure cute!

Auntie Christina and her boyfriend Jon drove a mule wagon filled with the Little Princesses of the Rodeo.

And cousin Haley, who was a Rodeo Queen candidate, also rode in the parade.

Sonora with her cousins again all bundled up.

Sonora was so lucky to get to ride on a horse with her cousin!

Sonora & Haley

Auntie Christina showing Sonora the mules.

Sonora & Auntie Karina and cousin Haley.

Sonora had a great time that morning. We went back the next day to the rodeo with our good friends, Jill & Dave, and watched the bucking bulls. While we were out there it started raining on us and by the time it was over, we were drenched and our stroller was full of mud from the dirt and rain. Fun!

Easter 2010

2010-04-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

Easter this year was cold and rainy, quite different than normal so it seriously dampened our festivities. Sonora looked for eggs in the rain anyway and loved every minute of it. She got the hang of it right away and loved putting eggs in her basket.

She was very proud of the eggs she found! Easter is fun! :)

Levi growing big!

2010-04-28T15:03:00.000-07:00

At Levi & Sonora's latest doctor appointments we found out that Sonora weighs 20 lbs, 8 oz. and Levi weighs 11 lbs, 8 1/2 oz. It's clear to say that Levi will outweigh Sonora in about 4 months! Levi is a big boy (for us) and is at the 50th percentile; it's quite different than Sonora holding steady at the 5th percentile. We hope this means no buying expensive formula and Pedisure!

Sonora at 16 months

2010-04-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

Sonora & Daddy on St. Patrick's Day

SuperStar Sonora!

Punky Brewster Sonora

(Fake) Sleepy Sonora

Runaway Sonora

We love our split personality Sonora!!

Levi settling in...

2010-04-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

As Levi is setting into his new home...we have so enjoyed loving on him and having him enrich our lives with so much joy! We couldn't be happier about our little "surprise"!!! :) His older sister is enjoying him too, although he isn't too much fun yet for her. She likes to play hide & seek with him by covering up his face with a burp cloth until Mommy says to take it off.

Sonora meeting Levi

2010-04-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

We videotaped Sonora seeing Levi for the first time, so we don't have pictures. These pictures were from the next morning when Sonora saw him again (she probably thought the night before was a dream anyway!). She was quite curious about him and kept trying to touch his face, his mouth, his eyes (over & over again) and grab his hands. She began to cry every time he cried...and thankfully that only lasted about the first week. We were worried it was going to be EVERY time!

Suesse meeting (and sniffing) Levi. I'm sure she was wondering why we had to bring another person into our home that trumps her position in our laps.

Sonora being Sonora...acting cheesy and probably being "caught" hanging on the bassinet to look at Levi. Always the sunshine in our lives!

Going home...

2010-04-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

We were able to take Levi home the day after I gave birth. We missed Sonora and wanted to sleep in our own beds.

Levi looked so tiny in the carseat!

Mommy & Levi

First time in his bassinet. Home sweet home.

Proud grandparents

2010-04-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

Granpa El

Grandma Nancy

Grandma Anna (Nana)

Grandpa Steve (Papa)

Levi's birth

2010-04-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

Well Levi Stephen finally decided to come on Wednesday, February 24, 2010. I still wasn't feeling too much pain with my contractions but after my doctor's appt that morning and found out that I was 5 cm dialated, we knew I would be having him that day. We arrived at 1:15 p.m. and Levi arrived at 3:28 p.m! I was progressing too fast again by the time the intense pain came so once again I had no pain meds. Oh, I had forgotten how much that hurt!! Thankfully its over before you know it and I had a precious baby in my arms! :)

Here I am just after settling in and getting excited to see my little boy!

Levi Stephen is here and so cute!

His tiny hands...

He weighed 7 lbs, 9.3 oz and 21 inches long.

Oh a daddy's love

The proud parents with our Doctor, Dr. Boken. We love her! I thought it was hilarious that Levi is putting up his two fingers saying peace!

All bundled up.

He is a wonderful addition to our family.

A zoo trip on Levi's due date!

2010-02-21T11:39:00.000-08:00

We decided to celebrate Levi's due date by going to the Zoo so Sonora could enjoy seeing the animals and hopefully help Levi come out with all the walking! We had a great time while we were there and Sonora saw a lot of her favorite animals that she points out in her books.

Sonora's first bike ride!

2010-02-21T11:35:00.000-08:00

Last week Mom & Dad took Sonora on her first bike ride around the block. She was fascinated, then scared, then in pain, and finally content and happy! I think she's going to like going bike riding with Grandpa and that will make Grandpa very happy!! :)

And they are off!!

RJ's Birthday Party

2010-02-21T11:28:00.000-08:00

The day before Valentine's Day, we went to our friend RJ's 1st birthday party. It was a beautiful day so we decided to dress up in our "Valentine's" outfits.

RJ & Sonora got to spend some time in the bounce house at his party but apparently RJ didn't find it very fun!

Sonora, on the other hand, loved it and "bounced" on her knees until we finally had to pull her out of it because the big kids wanted to jump.

RJ loved his birthday cake. It took him some time to really get into it but after awhile, he was covered in cake & frosting!

Happy Birthday RJ! We had a great time at your party!

2010 Farm Expo

2010-02-21T11:14:00.000-08:00

My parents took Sonora to the Farm Expo this year and she had a great time seeing the tractors, cows, and especially the balloon man!

Thanks for a fun day Grandma & Grandpa!

A cute new outfit!

2010-02-21T11:05:00.000-08:00

My good friend Susan Wilson made this beautiful dress for Sonora since she can tell how much Sonora loves dressing up! Thank you Sube - we love it!

I found it!!

2010-02-21T10:53:00.000-08:00

About a month ago, Aunt Nancy came down to play with Sonora and help us out so I could rest/relax before Levi's birth. While she was here she took many pictures of Sonora on her camera and let Sonora play with it. Apparently one day while no one was looking, Sonora hid it (put it down while she was playing in a cabinet) and thus a frantic search was on for Aunt Nancy's phone for the next day. We finally convinced ourselves that Aunt Nancy must have misplaced it or lost it while shopping because we simply couldn't find it anywhere. Well, turns out...Sonora did hide it and she found it too! She was playing again in the cabinet in the kitchen and showed Steve what she found. We were shocked and surprised that indeed it was Aunt Nancy's camera! The unfortunate part was Aunt Nancy had already bought a new camera a week prior to Sonora finding the old one. Thankfully Aunt Nancy thought it was hilarious and now she has two cameras! :)

A very proud Sonora!

The "New" Nursery

2010-02-06T18:23:00.000-08:00

Well we have officially finished the New and Improved Double Nursery! We decided to combine both kids in the same room (we'll see very shortly if that was a wise decision or not!) so we had to paint one half of the room for a boy and we left the other side PINK for Sonora! As you'll see from the following pictures, Sonora loves the dots in her new room and we are very happy with the results that Steve did. It might resemble neopolitian ice cream, but we love ice cream around here!

We look forward to Levi's arrival...hopefully any day now!

Random CUTE pictures of Sonora Rose!

2010-02-06T18:13:00.000-08:00

Gotta love her! :)

Christmas 2009

2010-01-09T16:07:00.000-08:00

I'm obviously a lot late in posting these pictures from Christmas this year. Plus I can't seem to get them in the right order, so the activities are backwards but you will get the picture! Christmas was fun this year, Sonora was 14 months and enjoyed it a lot more than last year at 2 months! BUT, I know this will be nothing compared to the excitement of next year when she's 2 and can understand a lot more about Christmas and all those presents to open! We were able to spend Christmas with both sides this year...the Farris' on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the Kessler's on Christmas evening and the following week when Team Kess joined us for a late Christmas celebration.

Here is Corey & Jordan playing one of their new Wii games.

All three...they even look like brothers from the back!

Sweetheart Jordan reading a book to Sonora. All three boys enjoyed spending time with Sonora and she was in heaven with all the attention she was getting.

Sonora drinking water from her sippy cup. It cracks us up how high she has to lift her head back to drink!

This is Sonora's Christmas Day outfit. Isn't she so cute?!

Opening presents at Grandma & Grandpa Kessler's house.

A family picture on Christmas.

Christmas morning making herself some tea, a gift from Great Grandma Marie.

This is the horse we got Sonora for Christmas. I think she was excited!

A new puzzle from her cousin Ryan.

Christmas morning with Daddy.

Christmas morning with Mommy.

Christmas Eve at the Farris'. She is attempting to climb this antique horse which is why we got her a toy one instead!

Her new giraffe "bike".

The cousins on the Farris side. Randy, Tanner, Haley, Sonora, Trenton, & Carter.

Trying to open up a present but I'm pretty sure she gave up and went off somewhere else.

A new little Bounce & Giggle pig. It was quite funny.

She also got a Jack in the box and wasn't even scared at all. She's a tough cookie.

Christmas 2009 was a great celebration! We look forward to the new year and all the new things this year will bring! Happy 2010!

An early Christmas celebration with Lon & Nancy

2009-12-13T15:07:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas early with Lon & Nancy last Saturday as they were making their way down south for a mexican cruise. We had a wonderful time with them and Sonora enjoyed looking at all the bags and boxes that they had brought for her. Of course she would get more fascinated by a simple bow or crinkly tissue than the presents, but she loves the toys and looks super cute in all of the outfits she got!

A little "horsey" time with Aunt Nancy before they leave! Sonora loved it!

Bye Nancy & Lon - see you next time! Thanks for all of your love and presents!

Picking out our Christmas Tree

2009-12-13T14:23:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we picked out our Christmas Tree and Sonora loved looking at all the trees. We knew we had to get a small one so that we could put it up on a table so that she wouldn't be able to pull off ornaments or yank the tree down! We love our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree and Sonora does too!

Christmas Tree Farm

2009-11-29T16:56:00.000-08:00

After Thanksgiving we usually try to visit the Hillcrest Christmas Tree Farm with the Kessler's for our annual train ride on a steam train. This year Sonora was much more excited and interested as she was only a month old last year at this time! She really enjoyed the toy trains that looped around the grounds and could have stood there for a lot longer than we could handle the cold. The temperature had dropped considerably from earlier in the week and it was quite cold out there but it definitely had the feeling of Christmas in the air!

Here is Sonora standing by the fence watching the toy trains.

Our family of 3, soon to be 4!

The Kessler boys

Sonora with a typical leaf in her mouth as we wait for the steam train to pick us up.

I think Sonora hears the train coming!

Sonora on the train, trying to stay warm cuddling in Daddy's arms.

Uh, it's really cold with the wind blowing in our faces!

The boys in the "cattle" car on the train. I think they stayed warmer in there than we did.

Sonora checking out the boys in the cattle car. I think she thought they were noisy!

We had a great time but we glad to get back into our car and turn on the heater! Time to have some hot cocoa!

Happy Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T15:15:00.000-08:00

For Halloween this year we dressed up Sonora as a "Halloween Kitty" (general Halloween clothes with a mask and tail!). She wouldn't wear the Kitty mask so we drew a black nose and whiskers on her face. We decided to go to a church harvest festival this year instead of trick-or-treating around the neighborhood since we don't need candy anyway. The festival was geared towards older kids but we did go on a hay ride and pet some animals at the petting zoo.

For fun, I decided to dress up similar to Sonora just so she didn't feel awkward. Ha!

Sonora had just woken up when we took her to the festival and for some reason she did not seem to enjoy the festivities at all! She stayed solemn and quiet the entire time and didn't crack one smile. Maybe all the costomes scared her! So she appears to the be the sad kitty.

But isn't she a beautiful sad kitty?

Daddy & Sonora at the church festival.

We had to wait in line for the hay ride. Sonora is just chewing on some hay (just like a country girl!).

Happy Halloween!

Mom's (Grandma Nancy) Birthday

2009-11-02T15:13:00.000-08:00

One week after Sonora's birthday is my mom's birthday, October 30th. We had them over for dinner and celebrated with Mom on her birthday.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Sonora's 1st Birthday

2009-11-02T14:54:00.000-08:00

Sonora turned 1 on October 23rd and we celebrated on Friday night of her actual birthday at the house with my parents and Team Kess who traveled up from San Diego. She had her birthday cupcake and opened some presents that night but our big party was held on Saturday at the park with friends and family. It was a beautiful day and thankfully everyone was feeling well after a week filled with a viral rash, fever, and coughing and sneezing. It was time to celebrate!

She loved the crinkle paper - way more than the presents!

Her birthday outfit had to be a tutu and boy did she look cute in it!

Digging into her own special cake. I think she liked it!

She did a pretty good job eating half of the top!

One tired little girl...she is all partied out!

Happy Birthday sweet Sonora! We love you so much!

Cobb Ranch Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

We took Sonora to her very first Pumpkin Patch today at Cobb Ranch in Fresno. We found out very fast that she loves hay! We put her down in the pumpkin corral to look at the pumpkins and she posed for a few pictures, but as soon as she found out that she was standing on something that she could pick up and play with, she was in heaven!

Yahoo! Now this is fun!

A few forced poses with the parents...not an easy feat with a little girl suddenly obsessed with hay.

When we finally got her away from the hay, we made our way over to the animals and the pumpkin patch.

"Farmer Sonora"

In the middle of the feeding frenzy for some goats...

Steve picked the perfect pumpkin for us in the field.

And Sonora approved!

It was a perfect first trip to the pumpkin patch. Next year, two kids will be picking out pumpkins! Happy Fall!!

Caruther's Fair

2009-10-10T22:37:00.000-07:00

On October 3rd, we went to the Caruther's Fair with our friends, Dave & Jill Moore. We took Sonora on her first carnival rides, the carousel and the train. Steve put Sonora on a horse at first but she kept wanting to get off so he picked the "FUN" bench ride instead. :)

She never actually looked more excited than this during the entire ride. I don't think she had any idea what we were doing to her.

I took her on the train ride next and she seemed to like it a little more...well maybe next year!

Dave & Jill on the Ferris Wheel. We all got to go on at least one ride - we just picked the easy on the stomach ones!

Sonora at 11 months

2009-10-10T22:26:00.000-07:00

Sonora is now 11 months old and finally had her first real sickness other than fevers from teething. Sonora, my mom, and I all got the flu on the same day. Thankfully it didn't last too long and Sonora was back to her cheery funny self (not that you can tell from the pictures...that's the German in her!).

Steve bought Sonora a little piano/xylophone and Sonora was so excited! Just a little teaser for her 1st birthday right around the corner! I think she's going to like it!

Aunt Nancy's Birthday

2009-10-10T22:07:00.000-07:00

Aunt Nancy came down to help babysit Sonora for 4 days while my parents were on vacation and she came right before her birthday so we threw her a little party to celebrate!

Sonora helping Nancy open her card and gift.

Aunt Nancy wearing her "Awesome Aunt" sticker that Sonora got her!

Aunt Nancy opening up her gift...I think she likes it!

We hope you had a wonderful birthday Aunt Nancy! Thanks so much for coming down to help us out!!

Pismo Beach - Labor Day

2009-10-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

Steve, Sonora, Suesse & I went to Pismo Beach for Labor Day weekend and enjoyed the cooler weather and our little family get-away. We took Sonora to the beach and walked right along the water for the first time. She'd been to the beach before but only on the pier. You can see her intense stare at the loud waves below.

We also took Sonora to the Avila Farm for the first time and she loved seeing and petting the animals up close and personal! She's definitely a lover of animals!

The mobile home where we stay in Pismo is right down the street from the beach so we would take a walk down to the water every night around sunset and enjoy the sights and sounds. Steve wanted to let Sonora see the water from the beach walk so he lifted her up!

Besides this being a beautiful close-up of Sonora, we were actually trying to take a picture of Sonora's first big bump on her head (right above her left eye). She pulled the wooden chair down on top of her. It was quite sad, but she recovered and still looked beautiful!

Aw, they are so cute!

Sonora at 10 months - Aug/Sept

2009-10-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures of Sonora when she was 10 months old. I just love her in blue which make her blue eyes POP even more than usual.

Sonora loved it when we got a "new" (to us) TV and we had it on the ground for about a week while we were waiting for the TV cabinet to come. Her Wiggle friends were life-size to her and she was in heaven!

Sonora went through a phase when she would scrunch her nose and blow causing her to make such funny faces (we like to blame this on our friend, Jill, who taught Sonora to do it). It's actually closer to a smile for a picture than we usually get!

IT'S A BOY!!

2009-10-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

It is official...we are expecting a boy in about 19 weeks! Sonora is very excited to see her new little brother as you can see in the second picture where her hand is raised in celebration! She is so happy to not have to share a room, her dresses, or any of her pink accessories! Here comes the blue!!

Yes, Sonora, your baby brother looks a lot like you! I have a feeling they will soon look like twins if he gains weight at a much faster rate than Sonora. What fun (and craziness) the Farris household will soon become!

Sonora at 8 & 9 months

2009-08-02T10:14:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit behind on posting pictures of Sonora at her month stages. So I've combined her 8 & 9 month pictures in this post.

Here is Sonora at 8 months. She stands all the time with anything, even if it isn't sturdy!

Sonora looking at us in her crib standing up. Her blue eyes are just so strikingly beautiful!

Sonora & the present she made her Daddy for Father's Day!

Sonora enjoying her sweet potato puffs!

Sonora sucking on the super sweet donut peach.

Sonora loves her "lovey" and prefers to have it over her face to fall asleep. I found her like this after she fell asleep one afternoon. I like to call it, "death by lovey".

Sonora at 9 months old in her fancy black dress from Theresa.

She's giving the "what you looking at" pose.

Pretty princess and her dog Penelope. She looks like she's showing off her toys.

Sonora sitting quite casual for this meal. She doesn't quite have her table manners yet!

Sonora with 2 of her dogs. This is where she likes to be most of the time, hanging with her posse. They look like trouble, don't they?

At 9 months now, Sonora crawls everywhere (fast!) and can stand herself up on practically anything. She also tries to climb whenever possible. She's a go-go get 'em kind of girl who LOVES her dogs and wishes she could be outside with them even when it's 105 degrees outside and Mommy would prefer to be inside with the A/C. She still loves her Wiggles and Baby Einstein videos and tries to play with anything she can find. Sonora teased us with sleeping through the night 3 nights in a row and then abruptly stopped again and usually wakes up about once a night to eat. We definitely wish she would grow out of that soon! She has 5 teeth now and loves to eat "people" food, she'll open her mouth for anything! Sonora is a joy and we are so thankful for her!

4th of July 2009

2009-08-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

We drove down to San Diego for 4th of July this year to see Team Kess. We hadn't been down there since Christmas so we knew it was time to try the 6 hours trek with Sonora again. It was a quick trip for the weekend so we didn't have time to see a lot of people other than Team Kess unfortunately. We had a lot of fun on the 4th...yummy BBQ, campfire smores, watched the fireworks from the backyard, and sat out under the stars and watched Sandlot on the patio. Great memories!!

Sonora's 1st swim

2009-06-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we took Sonora to the swimming pool for the first time. Here is her super cute swimsuit, it has ruffles on the bottom!

Sonora swimming with Mommy.

Sonora in her turtle float with canopy.

And finally, an exhausted Sonora after a hard day's work! Swimming is tiring!

She loved it and wants to go again soon!

Minnesota!

2009-06-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

We took Sonora on her first airplane ride this last week to Minnesota! We left Thursday, June 18th and flew from Fresno to San Francisco, then on to Minneapolis, Minnesota where Steve's good friends Aaron & Gretchen Kelly live with their 2 girls, Maggie & Maya in Woodbury, a suburb of St. Paul. We also visited my Uncle Scotty and family in Elk River, MN which was only about 45 minutes from Woodbury.

Here is Sonora waiting in her stroller after checking in at the airport in Fresno. She was so excited to go!

Sonora & Mommy by the Giant Sequoias in the airport.
Sonora & Daddy in front of our plane.

Sonora loved looking around the plane. Everything was so new and different.
Thankfully, she slept the entire way to SF on the way over. That was her longest nap on the plane that she would have both there and back.

Here we are in Elk River visiting Uncle Scotty & Aunt Tammy! Tammy was so excited to see Sonora and Sonora took to her right away!

Sonora also had fun with Scotty. She didn't cry at all when they were holding her.

Here is Reid playing Wii in the basement. He is quite the skilled player!

Covey - Mr. Licker. He was a cutie and super soft!

A view from Scott & Tammy's backyard.

The other direction. Simply gorgeous!

The front of their house.

They have a trampoline in their front yard and here Scott was jumping high to make Reid bounce around.

They let Sonora on the trampoline but decided it was safest to only slightly bounce her. She wasn't so sure about it. ;)

Steve showed off his backflip on the trampoline for Reid.

Steve with Sonora in their living room.

Sonora & I in the basement.

The Kessler family enjoying Sonora before we leave. Taylor was there for the first part of our visit, but he left before dinner to go to one of his friend's house.

Here is Aaron & Gretchen's house in Woodbury. They live in a newer development, again with no fences, but in a cul-de-sac where kids are free to roam around safely. They have about 20 kids below the age of 8 in their small neighborhood.

Sonora had her first ride in a push-car and she loved it!

Maggie enjoyed pushing her around up and down the block. Maggie was in her swimsuit which is the staple outfit for both her and her sister, Maya, practically every day! They love swimming!

Sonora in her crib in the closet of our basement room. She woke up from a nap one day and pulled the blanket down and was sitting there smiling at me.

On Saturday we went to the Como Zoo, which is a free zoo in Minneapolis. It was a beautiful day on Saturday and we enjoyed the outdoors.

By one of the zoo exhibits...

Here Sonora is listening to the loud music of the carousel and watching the horses go round and round. She really liked it! She didn't go on it this time (she decided she was hungry instead!).

On Sunday, we drove to Teddy Bear Park in Stillwater, MN. It was a gated park on a hill that had giant teddy bears and trains and trees and mountains to climb on. It was a great park for kids. Here is Sonora & Daddy on Father's Day.

The Kelly family...

An overview of one part of the park.

Downtown Stillwater

The St. Croix river dividing Minnesota from Wisconsin. We took the bridge over to the Wisconsin side just so we could say that we were there too!

Happy Father's Day Daddy! We love you!

We had a great time on our vacation to Minnesota and thank our hosts very much for their hospitality! We hope to see you all soon!

Dinkey Creek

2009-06-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

Steve & I decided to go to up to Dinkey Creek where his family has a "cabin" for the weekend a couple of weekends ago. We brought Mom & Dad Kessler up there for the first time also. No one had been there in a almost a year so we knew we would have to do a lot of clean up. Either way, the weather was beautiful and it was so nice to be in the mountains and enjoy the sounds and smells. It was a great weekend.

We were all pooped like Dad is portraying here after our hard work cleaning up. Obviously Steve & Dad did more "hard labor" than Mom & I, but we cleaned out a cabinet in the kitchen that hadn't been looked at for years! We hope to go back soon!

Random Pics

2009-06-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

Here are some random pictures of Sonora over the last couple of weeks.

We have been taking Sonora in the lukewarm spa when the temperature gets too hot outside. I think she likes it although in this picture she appears to be slightly confused!

Sonora is eating a teething biscuit which she really enjoys. What a great invention that was! I just realized I forgot to use the red eye on this picture.

Sonora playing at Grammy's.

Sonora tasting the coaster to see if it tastes good.

Sonora at 7 months

2009-06-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

Sonora is now 7 1/2 months old but we took these pictures on her 7 month birthday a couple of weeks back. It was our own little "photo shoot" on the front lawn. Is she model material or what? Watch out ANTM (America's Next Top Model)!!

More pics of Sonora at 6 months

2009-05-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

Sonora has been a happy baby full of smiles, giggles, and some time big hearty "throw your head back" kind of laughs. It's been a joy to be around her. She is starting to have pain with teething and it's been hard to watch as she cries and fussies. Hopefully this will be over soon! Here are a few of her on her good days! :)

Daddy was jumping her up and down and she LOVES it!

Look at those beautiful blues...

My happy little sunshine girl.

Pretty in purple

One of those good hearty laughs - just like her Momma!

She is starting to crawl slowly but for some reason she likes to keep her left hand turned backwards when she puts it out! I guess she is showing off that she can use both sides.

Look guys...I can fly!

A classic example of how she falls asleep. She has to be in the corner with both sides of her head touching the sides of the crib (and we don't put her down like that).

One more week until she's 7 months old - time is flying by!

Pismo Beach

2009-05-18T13:57:00.000-07:00

The first weekend in May we went to Pismo Beach with Mom & Dad Kessler and Team Kess (aka Ryan, Wendy and Corey, Jordan & Riley). We had a lot of fun in our day and a half together; walking along the pier, eating at Splash Cafe, eating at McClintock's, doing puzzles together, playing Clue, reading, and just relaxing. It was Sonora's first time to the ocean and although it was too cold to go in, she was fascinated by the sounds of it!

At McClintock's...

This picture cracks me up! She was really into character!

Team Kess with Sonora - it was great to see them again!

Mother's Day

2009-05-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

What a thrill it was to celebrate my first Mother's Day this year as a Mom. We spent the day celebrating with ours Moms and Grandma Marie.

Sonora, CA

2009-05-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

We drove up to Sonora & Angel's Camp for my birthday weekend and had a great time exploring the area. The weather was beautiful and the hills and mountains were still green. It was the perfect time to go. We enjoyed taking pictures of Sonora with signs that said Sonora on them. She's famous in that small town!

We also went to a beautiful winery called Ironstone in Murphys. The flowers surrounding the winery were unbelievable - all in bloom and so colorful. Sonora & Steve took a picture with the 44 lb gold nugget -biggest nuggest still intact.

My birthday dinner was spent in our hotel room because it was late and Sonora was fussy after a long day. Steve surprised me with a delicious chocolate cake with a candle in it!

Sonora is 6 months!

2009-05-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

Sonora turned 6 months on April 23rd and we can't believe how fast the time went. She is now almost sitting up and flips over a lot in her crib. She is teething now and is a lot more fussy than she usually is, but she still is so much fun to be with and gives great big smiles when she wants to! Below are some pictures of her on her 6 month birthday and a few cute ones in the last couple of weeks.

Sonora's First Easter

2009-04-12T20:48:00.000-07:00

Sonora's first Easter celebration started Friday when we had Easter dinner at Grandma & Grandpa Kessler's house with Lon & Nancy and Glen & Shirley.

Here is Sonora & Mommy on Friday. Sonora seems to look chubbier in pictures!

Sonora was so excited to get a special delivery bunny from Jerry & Betty Johnson. How sweet!

Sonora is surrounded by her Easter loot! She received many cute Easter bunnies and stuffed animals.

On Easter Sunday, we celebrated Easter with the Farris/Edwards clan at Reba & Carl's house. Here are the first cousins posing for a picture with another new addition to the Herman household, Leroy! What a cutie!

Sonora in her pretty Easter dress.

Our family on Easter.

Sonora says she wishes everyone had a Happy Easter!

Papa Steve's 60th Birthday

2009-04-08T20:43:00.000-07:00

Monday April 6th was Papa Steve's 60th birthday. The Farris clan celebrated at Sal's Mexican Restuarant (minus James, Haley & Randy).

Laton Rodeo

2009-04-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we went to the Laton Rodeo to see one of Steve's cousins who he hadn't seen since he was 11 years old. Joe & his wife Shannon were there with their daughter, Evelyn, who was born 6 days before Sonora. Evelyn & Sonora were quite fond of each other!

It was so hot, we brought an umbrella to shade Sonora and Mommy! We are both as white as sheets! Nana & Papa were there too to see the bull riding. It was Sonora's first rodeo and I'm not sure she enjoyed it very much. :)

Joe, his wife Shannon and baby Evelyn.

At the end of the rodeo, there was an animal scramble for the little kids. Baby animals (goats, pigs, chickens, rabbits, & ducks) were released into the pen and all the kids were off to catch what they could. If the kids caught an animal, they got to take it home and keep it! Trenton & Tanner got to join in the fun and Tanner caught a chicken and Trenton (the future farmer) caught a pig!! They later found out that the pig isn't a pigmy, it's a regular gigantic pig! I don't think they are allowed in the city. Thankfully Nana & Papa live in the country and can house the farm animals! I'm sure it's fun for kids...but not as much for the baby animals. I'm not sure I can support this activity in the future.

Greta's Wedding

2009-04-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

This last weekend, we drove down to Palm Desert for one of Steve's eye conferences. On the way back we stopped in La Verne for my college roommate, Greta's wedding. It was so much fun to see her get married and be there on her special day!

Greta & her dad walking down the aisle

The happy couple!! Jonathan & Greta Buehler - congratulations!!

Sonora was at the wedding for approximately 5 minutes before she got fussy and Steve had to take her out of the church. All they got to see was the candle lighters!

My other college roommate, Lisa was there with her family, husband Tommy, and two older boys Noah & Micah. Her twin boys stayed home.

College friend reunion! It was so much fun to see Greta, Lisa & Melissa again!!

Lisa's boys were so excited to hold Sonora. They've had lots of practice with their two brothers. Here is Noah with Sonora.

Micah with Sonora.

We had a great time at the wedding. We wish Greta & Jonathan much happiness!!

Sonora is 5 months

2009-03-24T20:43:00.000-07:00

Sonora turned 5 months on March 23rd and we wanted to update you on a few of her new "tricks". Sonora turned over from her stomach to her back for the first time last week and has done it quite a bit since then. She also started eating rice cereal and is doing pretty good at keeping it down! She is always giggling and smiling and now can actually give great welcome home responses to us when we see her. She loves her exersaucer, Baby Einstein & Wiggles videos, and her walker (which she walks around the whole house in). She has grown so much in the last 5 months and we look forward to many more exciting things to come!

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-18T21:00:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day was special for two reasons: it was Grandpa El's birthday and it was Sonora's first St. Patrick's Day!! We had a little photo shoot to show off her "Irish" spirit (roughly 40 pictures) and here is just a sample. :)

Sonora & the birthday boy

The dress was a gift from Aunt Nancy and the socks were a gift from Lynn (Nancy's neighbor & friend). Sonora says thank you - she loves dressing up!

Sonora wants to have some ice cream already! Grandpa did give her just a little and she thought it was cold!!

Birthday Party

2009-03-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Haley & Carter's birthday at Me 'N Ed's. Haley turned 17 on March 12th and Carter was 10 on Sunday.

Trenton

Carter and his cousin, Josh

Sonora is so happy to be partying!

Rice Cereal!

2009-03-18T20:43:00.000-07:00

We attempted giving Sonora her first solid food last Sunday and it was a success! She took the rice cereal with wonderment but swallowed and accepted more! She's quite the trooper!

Blossom Trail

2009-03-18T18:17:00.000-07:00

On March 7th, we went on the Blossom Trail for the first time in our lives. We started in Kingsburg and made our way through the outskirts of Reedley, Orange Cove, Sanger, and Selma . It was a perfect day...sunny and mostly clear and the blossoms were out in full force. It was beautiful!

We learned that white blossoms are plums, almonds, and apples.

And pink blossoms were peaches and nectarines.

We had to stop for lunch in Sanger at the local famous "Chuckwagon"...home of the chili dog.

The Reedley Mountain

Sonora at 4 months

2009-03-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some random pictures of Sonora at 4 months. She's becoming quite the beauty...

and strong...

and funny...

and serious...

and talented...

and cool...

and sleepy...

and social!

As you can see, we love our Sonora and think she's the best!!

Caught on video...

2009-03-07T19:26:00.000-08:00

We got a Flip Video for Christmas from my (Steve's) parents and have used it some. We finally downloaded them onto our PC this evening and just have to share a video of Sonora's latest development. Now, we were so excited when she started doing this just a few days ago simply because it is something different that she had never done before. She either just began to copy us or developed it on her own... either way, she has really caught on and has soaked the front of most of what she's worn ever since. It is a messy talent... but her parents are so proud! ;-)

Sonora at 12 weeks

2009-01-19T08:22:00.000-08:00

Sonora is about a week away from being 3 months and she is a delight and added blessing to our family. Here are some random pictures from the past couple of weeks that show how she's growing up so fast!

This picture shows Sonora in a dress that her Grammy Kessler bought for her while she was in Ukraine last summer and didn't know if she was going to be a boy or a girl! Lucky for us, Sonora was a girl! I think it shows how much she likes dressing up - look at that smile!

Here's Sonora in her "I moose be dreaming" pajamas that Grandpa & Grammy K bought her while they were in Alaska. So cute!

Steve is feeding Sonora milk out of a medicine cup because she seems to take that better than a bottle right now! It makes it hard to leave her for work every day knowing that she is going to cry during feeding time!

Sonora on a walk with the family. She's all bundled up for the trip and wearing a hand-knitted hat from a friend of her Great Aunt Nancy.

Here's the rest of the family gang. Not too easy to walk three dogs together!

Fun photo shoot day with Mommy & Suesse

2009-01-05T19:03:00.000-08:00

After all that posing, we're exhausted!

Christmas in San Diego with the Kessler's

2009-01-05T17:34:00.000-08:00

To celebrate with the Kessler's, we traveled to San Diego on the 22nd and spent the week with my side of the family. My parents had used their timeshare week for a condo in Escondido at Lawrence Welk resort and it was really nice to sleep in a king size bed and give Sonora a chance at a good night's rest each night. I think by the end of the week though, she was sick of driving to and from San Diego each day, plus the 6 hours to get there and back at the beginning and end of our trip.

We had a great time with family even though our week was peppered with bad news on both ends...first our Grandma, Rosella, passed away on Monday, December 22nd, but we know she is much happier now as she is reunited with Grandpa Elroy, and at the end of the week, Mom (Nancy) had to go into the hospital for an emergency surgery that caused us all a big heartache! Thank goodness she is on her way to recovery now after 10 days in the hospital. We are all looking forward to a much better 2009!

Here are the kids surrounding new baby Sonora. Sonora's first cousins, Corey, Jordan & Riley and their first cousins on the other side, Lauren & Heather.

Lauren holding Sonora. The girls loved having a new baby to hold!

Riley put these reindeer ears on Sonora. He loves his little "cuddle bug" as he calls her.

Two of my friends from San Diego were able to stop by and see Sonora. April Woodard is a mother of 3 boys...

and Tina B throughly enjoyed holding her when she wasn't crying!

Steve & I put our first gingerbread house together but with no time...
Corey finished it up with all the trimming! He did a great job.

We enjoyed a walk on Garrison Street in Point Loma where every house is lit up with LOTS of lights!

Maybe next year Sonora will actually be awake for it! Doesn't she look cute though all bundled up in her little kitty outfit?

Sonora on Christmas day...all ready for pictures.

Corey showing off with we gave him...a PSP game for his new PSP he hadn't even bought yet!

Jordan got a DS game and he said it was super fun!

We got Riley two Stormtrooper Battle Packs. Riley loves anything Star Wars.

Wendy got the Seinfeld Scene It game. She was so happy!

The boys got Rock Band for the Wii from my parents.

The boys (+ Ryan) preceeded to play "Rock Band" for the rest of the day!

Even Steve got in on the action playing a little guitar. He showed off his skills!

Christmas with the Farris'

2009-01-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas with the Farris' was celebrated early due to Steve & I traveling to San Diego during Christmas week. Thankfully everyone was able to get together with us and I'm sure the kids didn't mind at all opening presents up early!!

Here are the Farris first cousins...Haley holding Sonora, Randy, Trenton, Tanner & Carter.

Papa Steve explaining what each tool was in Randy's new tool box. Trenton was also very curious! Because he had just gotten a welder too! He loves anything that Papa does!
Uncle James holding Sonora for the first time. I think he liked it!
Sonora wearing her "I'm on Santa's nice list" shirt. Haley is helping Sonora open up her first Christmas present. I'm not sure she is aware of what it is...but now that she uses the fish aquarium in her crib, she loves it!

Carter loved his Steelers hat that we got him (although we hope the Chargers win this Sunday)!

Steve got a Fresno State tie.

We (the kids) got Nana & Papa pictures of all the grandkids. They loved it!

This the picture that we had made for them. Under Sonora's fist, she is smiling!

Early Christmas Party

2008-12-14T21:43:00.000-08:00

On December 10, 2008 we celebrated an early Christmas with Aunt Nancy, Uncle Lon & Grandma Kessler at our house. I think Sonora enjoyed her first celebration! Here is our Christmas tree...

Aunt Nancy holding Sonora

Steve opening up his present from Uncle Scotty & Aunt Tammy and Taylor & Reid from guess where? Minnesota!

Aunt Nancy showing off Sonora's new pink uggs (purchased WAY before she was even born!)

I'm showing off my new lipstick from the box of makeup that Nance bought for me! Any girl's dream, right?

We tried to take a picture of Sonora with her Great-Grandma and Sonora didn't want any of it!

Suesse is showing off her new joker's hat!

I think Sonora wanted more presents! How much longer until the next party?

Fowler Christmas Celebration

2008-12-11T14:10:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, December 6, 2008, Fowler had their annual Christmas tree lighting and craft festival. We opened up the office during the celebration since the street was closed off in front of our office and a lot of people were going to be there. We decorated the office and served cookies to the people who stopped by. We were dressed for the occasion and made sure Sonora was too!

The Fowler Christmas tree!

There was big crowd out there - we didn't venture out too often, it was cold!

A local Fowlerite (what do you call a person from Fowler?) brought in her bass flute to play for two boys who wanted to hear it but couldn't because it was was too loud outside. I had never heard the bass flute before and it was beautiful.

The CustomEyes staff saying "Merry Christmas" to you!

More pics from Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-12-08T22:09:00.000-08:00

Here are the pictures of Greta (Amy's college friend) & her fiance, Jonathan, holding Sonora on their trek back home from Northern California. We were so glad they were able to stop by and see Sonora for the first time!

On Sunday, we were able to go pick out a tree for Sonora's first Christmas. Although she slept through it all, I think she had a very memorable experience.

Thanksgiving weekend

2008-12-08T11:40:00.000-08:00

We had a great time over Thanksgiving weekend as we were visited by two of Amy's friends (one from high school and one from college - pics to come) and were able to spend time with both of our families. It was so nice to have 4 days off together as a family! Wish we could do it all the time....

Here is Suzanne Ellett with her daughter Kate who is about 9 months old with me and Sonora at 5 weeks. Thanksgiving at the Farris' on Thursday was fun! Steve & his dad carved the turkey, while his mom made sure everything else was done and put on the table.

Me with Sonora on her first Thanksgiving...
We can't believe how fast Sonora is growing...she can almost touch both sides of her bassinet already!

Just a cute picture of her in her boppy!

Our family!

Sonora in the fall leaves - I thought she looked beautiful!

The Friday after Thanksgiving is the annual Christmas tree lighting in Kingsburg. We went this year with my whole family and it was so cold Sonora had to stay in her "pod" the whole time.

Isn't she cute though?

Aunt Wendy holding Sonora.

Cousin Jordan holding Sonora. You can see how much he loves her!

On Saturday we went to the Hillcrest Christmas Tree Farm in Reedley, an old tradition of our family that we finally got to do again this year. Here we are on the train.

And my sister-in-law Wendy with Corey, Jordan & Riley

Riley is swinging away on the rope swing

The Kessler boys laying in the leaves - what a great photo (and everyone is actually smiling!)

Aw, fatherly love :)

Me and my mom

Steve & Sonora in front of the cornstalk maze - the boys sure had fun in there!

Team Kess in the sunflowers: I think by this time the boys were slightly tired of the extreme photo ops, hence their corny expressions. ;)

One more of our family in the beautiful colored trees at the farm. There is a baby under that sweatshirt!

What a great 4 days!

3 weeks old and growing cuter every day

2008-11-17T20:05:00.001-08:00

Aunt Reba came by to hold Sonora for the first time.

Aunt Nancy & Uncle Lon (see next picture) stopped by for some bonding time with Sonora on their way down to So Cal.

Uncle Scotty was in town from Minnesota and came by to meet the newest member of the family.

Sonora turns 2 weeks old today!

2008-11-06T19:40:00.000-08:00

Sonora went to her 2 week check up at the Pediatrician's office today. She weighed 7 lbs 2 oz and 20 inches. So she's definitely growing and eating well! This is her doctor, Dr. Sidhom in Visalia. She was extremely hungry at this moment, so I'm surprised that she had stopped crying while we were taking a picture!

Sonora thinking deeply while sleeping. Wonder what she's planning for us today?

Sonora's final 3 first cousins came over on Wednesday night to see her for the first time...Haley (the only other girl in the family). She was instantly smitten with the cutie.

Randy, who also was excited to hold her...

and Carter, who said when he first met her, "she's tiny!"

We can't wait for all the cousins to grow up together and have such special relationships. Sonora was born into 2 great families!

Weekend Visitors

2008-11-03T09:15:00.001-08:00

Steve's Uncle Eddie & Aunt Janie came to visit Sonora on Sunday.

Sonora's first time wearing brown... looks good on her ;-) Didn't last long, though, because she managed to "soil" it pretty quickly!

4 Generations of Amy's family. Great Grandma Rosella, Grandpa El, Amy & Sonora.

GGK holding her first great granddaughter

Sonora's first week at home

2008-11-01T22:26:00.001-07:00

Sonora swaddled in her kiddapodamus - what a cute sweet pea. :)

Sonora ready for her first trip to the Pediatrician

Mommy & Sonora in the brightly painted Pediatrician's office. Sonora's doctor is very gentle with her and comes highly recommended by everyone.

Sonora wears a "girly" dress as she plays in her activity gym.

Mommy poses next to the bassinet that has been in her family for almost 70 years.

Mommy's getting lots of practice at changing and dressing Sonora.

Sonora says goodbye to Daddy on his first day back to work. :(

Grandma & Sonora on Grandma's birthday.

Our other "baby" Suesse wanted to be close to Mommy while Sonora was being rocked to sleep. Suesse seems to be missing her Mommy lap time.

Sonora and her BIG yawns!

Sonora likes her new bunny rabbit.

Sonora laying on her froggie blanket.

Big sister Suesse is watching over Sonora...she is always very curious about what she is doing.

Sonora reads her picture book as she sunbathes in her bassinet (recommended due to her slight case of jaundice).

Sonora doing a "monkey" pose as she sleeps. Comfy?

Finally... more pictures of Sonora!

2008-10-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

This is the long-awaited and much-requested post of new Sonora Rose pictures. Sit back and relax because it will take a while to look through all of these... we just couldn't figure out which ones to exclude, so we posted most all of 'em ;-) Photo captions are updated! For now, Sonora is asleep after eating and we should get some shut-eye ourselves. Enjoy!

This is Amy during early labor the evening we went to the hospital.
2 will soon become 3...

And here she is! Moments after birth, Amy holds our little Sonora on her chest.

Her hands are so tiny... and she has her Mommy's pretty nails ;-)

This must be so traumatic to these new arrivals to suddenly be in a whole new world...

Sonora weighed in at a whopping 6lbs 13 oz. She let all in the room know she didn't approve of this procedure... the girl has some lungs! ;-)

The proud Daddy holding his little angel.

First family photo... with the addition of Dr. Boken, world's best OB!

Tired family ready for some R&R... Sonora's face is so puffy now that I look back at this picture. The traumas of birth...

Our nurse, Trina, followed us throughout the night and was able to help with the birth before her shift ended.

Grandparents Kessler made the quick trek at 4am to be there just moments after the birth of their first granddaughter!

Grandparents Farris also made the early morning trek to welcome their first granddaughter in 16 years!

Sonora's first baby by nurse Ahn... she did NOT like this procedure either!

Grandpa K holds his precious...

Papa F falls in love with Sonora in an instant...

Her eyes are open for the camera!

This convertible chair was the most uncomfortable night's sleep Steve has ever had... a chiropractor visit was needed to repair the damage.

Sonora passed her first hearing test with flying colors! Amazing how they assess newborn babies' hearing using electrodes to record brain reactions to stimuli.

Mommy and baby are bonding in our very tiny postpartum room.

She barely fit into her infant seat! We had to prop her head up so her little head didn't fall over to the side.

First trip from the Mitsubishi to the house...

Winnie and Dun Dee get to meet their new little sister for the first time. They were very intrigued!

This must be her room...

Little birthmark on her left leg. Amy thinks it looks like a sea turtle ;-)

She is most awake on the changing table.

Grammy K helps intruduce Sonora to her room.

Suesse is extremely excited to be back home and see the newest addition to the Farris Family... and she still loves Mommy cuddles.

Do you think her favorite color will be pink??

Auntie Karina holds Sonora.

Cousin Tanner gets his first crack at holding her too.

Auntie Christina holds her sleeping baby niece.

Daddy with his two baby girls both wanting Daddy time.

Lying in the Bergman bassinet, a family heirloom. Grammy K decorated it to make it more girly after it housed so many boys over the years.

Her eyes are so clear and bright!

Suesse keeps watch beside the bassinet.

Suesse is as wiped out as Mommy and Daddy after the first day at home.

Team Kess comes to visit from San Diego! Here, Auntie Wendy watches as cousin Jordan holds Sonora, with the help of the Boppy. Cousin Corey is to his right.

Cousin Corey's turn to hold Sonora.

Uncle Ryan holds Sonora...

Changing table time again... Daddy changed a lot of diapers during the first few days, as only Mommy can do the feeding right now.

Sonora likes her MN Twins blanket from Uncle Scotty and Aunt Tammy.

Neighbors Bob and Judy stop by to see their newest neighbor.

Friend Danna stops by to see Sonora while she is in town for the weekend.

The Twins blanket is the perfect size and thickness to swaddle Sonora in.

Suesse has a rawhide gift from Nana. She was carrying it around like a giant cigar.

Great Grandma Marie and Nana pose for a 4-generation picture with Steve and Sonora.

Nana comforts Sonora.

Cousin Riley gets his first up-close look at Sonora.

Cousin Jordan holding Sonora again.

She is just so cute! Mommy and Daddy just keep taking pictures of our beautiful baby girl, like this one while Daddy holds her, with assistance from Boppy.

1st Morning Home with Sonora

2008-10-25T09:18:00.000-07:00

So here we are, lying in bed with Sonora asleep on Amy's chest (supported by our boppy, of course... that thing is great!) and Suesse asleep between our legs, listening to Josh Groban. Our first night at home with our precious Sonora went a lot better than the first night in the hospital. A couple of diaper changes in between multiple feedings (Amy & Sonora are both doing well so far regarding feeding/eating) and a couple of fussy times still gave me (Steve) more hours of sleep than I anticipated and gave Amy a little rest that she badly needed.

Thank you, Uncle Ryan, for stepping in and posting the pictures while we were still in the hospital. We are looking forward to introducing you and the rest of Team Kess to Sonora when you arrive from San Diego today.

Sonora met 2 of her cousins, Tanner & Trenton (Karina's boys), along with Aunt Karina & Uncle James and Aunt Christina last night. Grandpa & Grandma Kessler came by shortly after our arrival home to help us out (thank you so much!). Grandpa K mowed the lawn, cleaned off the patio and fixed some pesky sprinkler heads that have been giving us grief. Grandma K cleaned the house, made a delicious potroast dinner, watched Sonora while we were resting (and while I was at the chiropractor getting my back into shape... labor is hard on the coach's back too!)... and even managed to fit in a little nap herself ;-)

More relatives are on the books as today's visitors, including the 2 great-grandmothers (Marie and Rosella).

We will post more pictures later... we already have about a hundred of our perfectly beautiful little girl! Thank you all for your encouraging messages and for commenting on how beautiful Sonora is... we agree wholeheartedly!

Family Photos

2008-10-23T11:04:00.001-07:00

Sonora Rose Farris

2008-10-23T10:54:00.000-07:00

This is Uncle Ryan (Amy's brother) filling in for the newest Mom and Dad. Sonora Rose Farris was born this morning at 4:45am. She is 6 pounds, 13 ounces and is 19 inches long. Amy and Sonora are doing great and trying to get some rest. I'll post some pictures of the cute family shortly.

It's Show Time people!!!

2008-10-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

Amy's contractions have begun and are 3-4 mins apart but are not too strong yet. Looks like we may be holding BGF in our arms pretty soon... How soon should we wait before leaving for the 30 min drive to the hospital? Hmmm... This is the last post until I can get word out that she has arrived. We appreciate all your prayers during the next hours/day(s).

And the doctor said...

2008-10-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

At Amy's OB appointment today, the doctor found that her cervix is now dilated to 3cm and continues to be 90% effaced. She said BGF is probably in the mid-7lb range in weight now and seemed a little surprised that Amy hadn't started having any significant contractions yet. The doctor then managed to separate the amniotic membrane from the cervix (looked really painful from my perspective!) during the exam and said that can encourage labor to begin sooner. She gave us the option to induce at this time, but we have chosen to ride it out. Hopefully the contractions will begin naturally... and soon! We will keep you posted...

39 Weeks!!!

2008-10-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

Next OB appointment is tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon. If all is still ok, we may go catch a movie after Steve gets off work. We will update this tomorrow night or Wednesday to let you know what the doc says!

38 1/2 Weeks!

2008-10-16T21:34:00.001-07:00

Amy's tummy is starting to really grow as BGF starts to pack on the pounds just 11 days before her due date!

Getting close to show-time!

2008-10-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

When we first found out we were expecting, our calculation of the due date ended up with October 26 being the chosen day to bring our little one from the warm confines of the womb into this crazy world. The doctors all along have said October 27... but I understand that all means nothing once the due date is approaching. Amy had an OB appointment yesterday, and all the Braxton-Hicks contractions she has been experiencing the last couple of weeks seem to be causing some changes and progressing BGF (Baby Girl Farris) further and further along in her adventurous journey. I hope it is ok to talk about my wife's cervix on this blog... seems kind of personal, but I suppose that's what the big story is about at this point in the pregnancy. So, here it goes... Amy's cervix is 90% effaced, or thinned, and 2cm dilated. Even though I know my anatomy, I'm not quite sure how they get such exact numbers on those measurements. I mean, it's not like they are putting a ruler next to it or are comparing photos from last week to this week. Come to think of it, OB's may be the only medical profession who could continue examining patients even in the midst of a power outage. But I digress... (sorry Ames, I got carried away).

So, here we are. Or she is, at least... at 2cm dilated. That reminds me... I have to take one more trip off-topic. Amy's OB was in rare form yesterday. She said she will examine "us." Then, after laughing and correcting herself... she motioned to me with her gloved fingers all lubed up and said "Turn around!" Not a funny joke in my book, but she thought it was funny. We love her and she has been more than great at keeping us positive during this pregnancy after our 2 miscarriages last year... she must be getting comfortable around us, I suppose.

So, Amy is 2cm dilated now. What exactly that means as far as a timeline for the beginning of labor, we are not sure. I guess every woman and every pregnancy can be different. We have seem "Baby Stories" on television where the woman is already in full-blown labor with painful-looking contractions (we probably shouldn't be watching these shows, I know), and when the doc "checks" (again, do they have a small fiberoptic cable attached to their fingertips to get a look?) they are only at 1 or 2 cm dilated. I guess there is nothing to do other than wait. We were originally hoping BGF would arrive early, but now that Amy has developed a head cold the past couple of days, we are hoping she has time to get over that before going into labor. Also, we found out yesterday that our OB is going to a wedding in Kansas City, MO... leaving this Friday! The other OB's in her group are probably great, but we would really, really like to finish this race with the same coach we began training with.

One concern that presented was Amy's blood pressure was up some from prior exams. That, combined with the edema in her lower legs and feet, was what prompted the doc to take her off work. It was Amy's dedication to her work which swayed the doc to allow her to go to work today. Amy has a few things to finish before being gone from the office for a while. She returns to the office on Friday for a blood pressure check to see if her BP has risen further. If so, they will consider inducing labor (on Fri? this weekend?). We are praying her BP remains stable and that it was the anxiety of the pending exam which caused it to rise during our visit yesterday.

Pretty much all else has fallen into place. We put some last finishing touches on the nursery decor, which will be locked up until BGF arrives. It turned out really nice... a dream for any little girl for sure! I have read through all of the pregnancy books we have acquired a few times... so now it is on to the "First Year" books. I'm already up to the 8th month... I think I'd better backtrack a bit and re-read the first 24 hours again, and then one more time after that. As I sit at work between patients, I run through the lectures we had during our childbirth classes and run though the sequence of events during labor, what my role is during each section, ways to keep Amy focused and as comfortable as possible, etc. There is so much to know! I do understand it likely won't go exactly as the books say... but it would be so much easier if it did because I am prepared! ;-)

We keep forgetting to take the 38 week photo of Amy, but we are going to do that tonight (I wrote a note to remind us!) and will be posting that soon.

I will keep y'all posted as things progress as best I can.

Aloha

3 weeks until due date!

2008-10-06T18:07:00.001-07:00

Here I am at 37 weeks with only 3 weeks to go...just got back from the doctor's office and we found out that I am 50% effaced and 1 cm dilated. She also thinks that Baby Girl Farris is almost 7 lbs! So if she doesn't come until her due date, she will most likely be almost 8 lbs! Um, that seems awfully big for such a little girl. :)

Here's our other little baby who just got back from the groomers and is stylish in her "Autumn Bows" - minutes later we did have to take those out as she is much more of a tomboy and kept trying to scratch them out.

36 weeks pregnant!

2008-09-30T20:31:00.000-07:00

Well here I am at 36 weeks with 4 more to go unless Baby Girl Farris decides to make her appearance early! Sounds nice right now as I sit here with my swollen feet and painful belly kicks with bags under my eyes from lack of good sleep (I know, I know, I won't get any after she's born either!!).

We've finished our classes now and had the hospital tour so I guess we're ready, right?! Ha! I have a feeling I won't remember a thing once I'm having the contractions! :)

Next Monday is our next doctor's appointment and we'll hopefully find out how much longer we most likely have until her arrival date! Please continue to keep us in your prayers during our final month and the upcoming arrival of our baby girl. We'll need it!

Birthday Parties!

2008-09-30T19:57:00.001-07:00

We had three nephew birthdays in the month of September...Tanner turned 8, Jordan turned 8, and Riley turned 4! Our first birthday party was for Tanner on September 5th. He had a gigantic water slide in the backyard and many friends over to celebrate his special day.

Here is Carter (nephew), Christina (Carter's mom and Steve's sister) and me!
Here is Haley (niece) and Steve...I think Haley enjoyed the water slide too!
Little Trenton (Tanner's brother) having fun on the big water slide!
Here is Randy (nephew) flipping on the tampoline trying to be like Uncle Stevie!

Our next birthday party was in San Diego for Jordan & Riley. They had a Star Wars themed birthday for their many friends and had fun with a Star Wars obstacle course in the backyard.

Their cake with Star Wars characters on each balloon.
Birthday Boy #1 - Riley, 4 on Sept. 27th!
Birthday Boy #2 - Jordan, 8 on Sept. 28th
And finally big brother, Corey showing off his jumping skills over a trash can (part of the obstacle course).
We thoroughly enjoyed celebrating the birthdays of our nephews...both near and far, they are loved!