Hippo Chair

Sophie enjoys her meals more than anything else, which means she ends up spending a lot of time in her hippo chair.

 Luckily, she doesn't seem to mind it too much.

As long as the food keeps coming, she is quite happy.

This was clearly pre-meal, since there isn't food all over the place.

Mallory was likely in the background making her little sister giggle.

Sophie's Crib

Jamie woke up one morning to check on Sophie.

She wasn't sleeping as was expected.

As a matter of fact, she was quite awake.

Looks like we need to lower that crib mattress sooner rather than later...

Soccer Camp

This summer, Mallory went to a week-long soccer camp.  The next Lionel Messi had a great time with her new sport.

She learned some basic moves, like how to trap the ball...

...how to dribble...

 ...how to pass...

...and how to cheers an opponent after well fought battle on the pitch.

Swimming Time

Mallory gets ready for swimming class.  Not all business though, as the poses range from...

Goofy...

Goofier...

Goofiest.

Sherburn Visit

In June the Held's took a trip down to Sherburn to visit Nama Betty, Papa Ig, Uncle Butch, and Aunt Diane.

The girls got to hang out a bit with Nama Betty.

While Sophie was absolutely mesmerized by Papa Ig's sweet suspenders.

 Diane and the girls relaxed over at Adeline's house.

While Uncle Butch and a cast of thousands attempted to feed Sophie.

Sisters

As we have mentioned before, Mallory has really thrived in her role as big sister.

She is already teaching Sophie how to read.

And then both girls take time to read the story to Mom and Dad.

Mallory helps Sophie with some tummy time...

...and yoga practice???

Cousins

Mallory and Sophie have the good fortune of having their cousins, Brady and Hailey, live nearby so they can get together for some play dates.

 

Uncle Brian tries to corral all the kiddos.

Mallory takes a traditional approach to getting familiar with her cousin.

While Sophie is a little more hands-on in her methods.

Sophie 6-Month Photos

Hard to believe that our littlest one had already been around a half a year at this point.

This was the golden age of Sophie's first year.

She could pretty much sit up on her own but that was about it.  Otherwise she wasn't mobile.

Now, not so much.  But how could you get upset at that face?

Through six months, these two are basically inseparable.

Bath Time

One of the many activities the girls enjoy doing together is bathtime.

Mallory is always very eager to help give her little sister a bath.

Although it isn't always the most efficient process.

Spring 2012 Dance Recital

Proving that she isn't just some one dimensional jock, the very next week Mallory showed off her dancing skills at her quarterly recital.

Just enough time for a quick snooze before starting the performance.

Mallory even got to do up her hair a little bit for the show.  Luckily it washed out.

Serious dance face...

...and the happy dance face.

Tee Ball Game

After picture day and a couple practices, it was time to test out the kids' skills in a game situation.

Mallory shows some intense defensive focus.

But she was equally adept at the plate.

 Standing on first after a solid knock to the opposite field (copyright Joe Mauer)

Stretching out while getting the sign to steal home from her third base coach/Dad.

Tee Ball Picture Day

Mallory's first foray into team sports happened last spring when she started tee ball.  After a few practices it was time for picture day.

Mallory and the other Red Sox waited patiently for their turn.

As luck would have it Mallory ended up on the same team as her school friend Brandon.

Mallory eschewed the bat for a defensive pose in her individual picture.

Now this is a promising young team.  Watch out Minnesota Twins.

Sophie's Blanket

Once Sophie started sitting up on her own and moving around a little bit, a nice cushy blanket became her best friend.

She quickly found her toes, which kept her occupied for quite some time.

 Rolling over won't be too far behind...

Sophie even started doing mini push-ups to work on firming up those arms.

But she still enjoyed a (rare) moment of relaxation.

Monkey Business

For Dad's birthday, Mallory got him an extra special present - a monkey mask.  The family was good at sharing, so we got to see...

Little monkeys, and

big monkeys.

Fortunately Sophie didn't seem to mind all the monkey business.

Dad's girls made sure it was an extra special birthday.