Sophie - 1 month

I can't believe Sophie is already 5 weeks old!  Time has really flown by.  She has already met family on both sides, though still only a teeny tiny percentage of all the many folks related to us.  As noted in the last post, she is giving us sweet smiles fairly often now.  She is also holding her head up quite well and is still a champion sleeper.

She seems to love music; whenever it's on, she is generally relaxing, looking around, and cocking her head as if she's listening.  She is very patient with her sisters who constantly seem to want to pat her head, hold her, and touch her precious little nose.

We love this pretty dress that Uncle Patrick and Aunt Tambourine purchased when Ava was a newborn.  Check out that link and see just how alike all our little kiddos have looked as newborns (and still do, really). 

Sophie loves to be held and is currently a fairly frequent guest in our bed at night.  I can't say I mind the extra cuddles as we all slumber.  She got a nasty cold, but it didn't affect her amazing sleeping habits in the least, nor did it affect her easy-going (at least currently) temperament.  I can't say the same for her sisters who also got sick shortly after...

 

We have had this sweet little dress since Kayla.  Thanks, Uncle Sean and Aunt Christine!  All of the girls have looked completely adorable in it, but all these dresses with roses on them are just killing me this time around with our little Sophie Rose.  Too perfect.  

But in case you thought she might be just a tad TOO perfect, I thought I'd include a picture I caught of her getting just a bit annoyed with me for taking all these pictures right after she woke up.  

The pictures with the bunny are something I wish I'd done with all the girls.  This is Chris' bunny, Bruno, from when he was little. 

Sophie, we love your baby cuddles, smiles, and all the silly little squeaky noises you make. 

In Loving Memory

3 years ago today, on St. Patrick's Day, my grandpa passed away. At the time we had were living with him and my grandma after making the move out to California. I am so grateful that God gave me those last few months to spend with my grandpa and watch him play with Kayla (then only about 7 or 8 months old). She loved to pull herself up on his leg and bob up and down. And he was so tickled every time she did.

He was a man who suffered much in his life, but he was a man who brought much joy to others. He loved his San Francisco Giants and his San Francisco 49ers and would have been especially proud these last few years with his beloved teams. He told stories of sitting in the box at 49ers games long ago, and sending messages down to the coaches using a much less technological method than we have nowadays. He was an outdoors man and didn't allow a childhood injury keep him from doing things he loved to do. He told many a story and threw in witty jokes now and then too. He was a husband, a father, a grandpa, a great-grandpa, a teacher, a coach, a friend.

Chris and I played and sang at Grandpa's funeral. Grandma had one song request and it was for the song Onward, Christian Soldiers, an old hymn. She remembered that he would always belt out that tune at church service whenever it was chosen.



We miss you, Grandpa. Our prayers and our love will be with you always.

Prayer of St. Patrick
Christ be beside me, Christ be before me, Christ be behind me, King of my heart.
Christ be within me, Christ be below me, Christ be above me, never to part.

Christ on my right hand, Christ on my left hand, Christ all around me, shield in the strife.
Christ in my sleeping, Christ in my sitting, Christ in my rising, light of my life.

Christ be in all hearts thinking about me, Christ be on all tongues telling of me,
Christ be the vision in eyes that see me, in ears that hear me, Christ ever be.
Amen.

Old School Bissonnette- Second Edition

This looks pretty similar to a look I see on Elise's face a lot


It's nearly time for our girls to follow in Daddy's footsteps with some egg dying fun


I love all these pictures. They are so great and portray some fun Bissonnette personalities


Family picture




Christopher's graduation from the Franciscan University

Old School Cruess-Second Edition

and this haircut is the reason I still have a hard time with bangs. I'm afraid they'll turn out like this. hehe.

There's some proof that I'm doing what I was meant to do: raise kids and bake.


fun family activities

My family loved to visit this lake in Idaho. He also did our fair share of camping. The picture above is my little bro and I washing the camping dishes. The other picture is of us playing BINGO. Whenever my grandparents came to visit we played a big game of BINGO and they brought prize bags for everyone.


just some lovely old school family pics



middle school and high school

A couple of these pictures are from my oldest siblings' weddings. Some others are pictures with good friends. One is from World Youth Day in Toronto with Pope John Paul II. Chris and I figured out that this was the first place that we were in the "same place" (we didn't meet or anything then, though)

Old School Bissonnette-First Edition

And now for some pictures from Chris' past...


looks like our kids got cute baby chub from both sides of the family


some nice costumes...Chris' John the Baptist costume is my favorite.


Chris' Aunt Patty and Aunt Colleen's weddings. The story I have heard is that he was very sick at one of them and it was not a pretty situation.


many Bissonnettes




Some old hobbies. This is Chris' radio controlled plane. It's still at his parents' house, but he talks about how someday we are going to figure out a way to get it out here. He's pretty sure Kayla will love it. He and Patrick worked on that rocket together. Chris told me that all of those decals are ones he made by hand, not just store bought stuff, so I guess it was one he was fairly proud of.


Thanks for letting me experience the joy of being a Bissonnette, you guys!