"These are a few of my favorite things..."

Isn't it funny how babies get attached to certain things that we can't seem to explain or understand? It doesn't matter how much you try to force a lovie or a toy, if they don't decide to like it, there's nothing you can do. They seem to latch onto the most random things.
For example, Sophie loves her pillow more than almost anything else in the world. It was made for me by one of my student's moms a couple years ago and it must've been by Divine Providence that I chose to ever put it in her crib, because now she can't sleep without it. Heaven help us if it ever falls apart. One of the first words Sophie ever said (if not the first) was "ba" for ball. She loooooves to play with balls and it's usually the first toy she goes to find in the morning.
She does love her mommy, but mostly for my hair. Sophie loves to suck her left thumb while holding my hair with her right hand, and it's the fastest way I can get her to stop crying or whining. Joseph's threatened to grow out his hair so he has something that can soothe her, too!
She loves to water the flowers with me and then plays with the watering can for hours afterward. I can't tell how green her thumb is yet, but hopefully she got her Gramma Bob's genes and will love to garden.

And of course, the orange bowl. Sophie loves anything that's not really a toy, including a wooden spoon, remotes, cell phones, tags on toys, an orange funnel, and pens. Her favorite games include Peek-a-boo, Hide and Go Seek with the balls, and pointing at pictures and making us tell her who's in them. Oh, and making us say animal noises till the cows come home (pun totally intended.) What a funny baby. We love her so much!