The Tale of the Potty Princess

One summer, not so long ago, in a land, not so far away, there lived a princess who liked mud pies, pink toenail polish, 90's cartoon series' and chocolate milk. Her mother came to her one day and said, "little girl it's time for you to be a big girl and pee pee in a potty like everyone else." Because Mommy was tired of being a slave to the King Pampers and his evil minion wipes.

It was a long week of training. Prices were won. Battles were lost. And much to the Mommy's excitement the legend of the book of "Attachment Parenting Potty Training in 5 Days or Less" actually worked.

And they all danced around and wore stickers on their shirts...and lived in a land without size 5 diapers forever and ever... (or at least until the baby princess gets big enough for them).

The End.

To Anyah @ 3 Months Old

Dear Anyah~Bean,

This has been a month of tiny little discoveries for you. You figured out how to get your hands into your mouth (which you prefer to a pacifier). You also figured out how to roll from your back to your tummy. Ironically, this discovery has lead to the none-to-happy discovery that even when it's your idea you HATE laying on your tummy. So the scene plays out rather amusingly with you laying on the floor, working away kicking and flinging until *pop* you roll over, and then screaming bloody murder until someone puts you back on your back.

You like to sit up and watch things. You're quite the little watcher content to be propped up on the couch, set on the floor, left in the swing or held in a sitting position. You rock the head holding and Mommy has stopped helping you with that all together. You like your jingle baby doll, pulling Mommy's hair, watching your sister dance and rubbing your blanket up against your face now that you've figured out how to grab it and move it around.

You despise loud noises. You are very aggressive about screaming the second an offensive noise happens anywhere near you. At this point loud noises are the only thing you really hate. You've finally warmed up to daddy and like to smile and laugh at him just as much as mommy (well when he's being entertaining that is)...Mommy on the otherhand is always fascinating and worthy of free smiles (lucky me).

You also warmed up to the concept of baths finally. You like a bath most of the time. The exception is when your sister insists on helping...then you LOVE a bath. I don't know what Layla does differently (as she's 2 and I am standing right there it all looks the same to me) but if she gives you a bath you giggle and kick the whole time. She doesn't mind this new chore at all, just this week she told Mommy off for trying to bathe you without her.

Your relationship with your sister is the main change this month. Suddenly she is a little protective of you, a little interested in you, a little excited to fetch a pacifier or a toy and a little bit invested in your happiness. And I totally get that because you WORSHIP her and everyone needs their own fan club.

This month has been all about growing up... and you my little bean...are sprouting into a graceful, peaceful little flower.

Love,

Mommy

Layla's First Movie Theatre Experience

We went to see Despicable Me today in the theatre. We had nachos, popcorn, M&M's, Gummy Bears and soda. We watched in anticipation. And we laughed...oh how we laughed...those minions are hilarious. When it was scary Layla hid behind the row of seats in front of us and watched through the cracks. Most of the time she sat on someone's lap. She leap frogged from Mommy to Daddy to George to Nannie and then back again. She was completely well behaved. She loved the movie itself. She kept telling George "look a big movie on the big tv at the show" over and over. Too cute!

Definitely a wonderful thing to knock off our fun list of things to try this summer. The first movie in the theatre was a HUGE success.

This week

We ended Sunday night (4th of July) with fireworks in the front yard. Layla and I wrote her name in the sky with a sparkler (checking yet another thing off the summer fun list) and then at 10 p.m. she was tucked into bed and so tired she slept through fireworks going off all over our neighborhood. Anyah on the other hand hated hearing picalo petes and kept me up very very late.

Monday was a day filled with over tired toddler antics and a baby who just wanted us to all.be.quiet.please.for.the.love.of.god. Which resulted in Layla and Daddy playing outside in her pool and Mommy and Anyah going for a 2 hour long drive in the car so Anyah could nap and Mommy could recollect her calm.

Tuesday Layla went to Nannie's for part of the day and I finally caught up the dishes and laundry.

Wednesday we had a pajama day and watched Sesame Street on DVD.

Today is Thursday and Layla is off having fun with Nannie so that I can spend time sorting baby toys, cleaning dishes, blogging, calling SDI and enjoying a noise free baby naptime.

Tomorrow is the Farmer's Market (without Nannie) and Saturday is going to be Layla's first movie at the theatre... we're going to take her to see Despicable Me. We heart Disney.

And if I make it to Sunday then I am going to nap...because I am exhausted and if it's this tiring to keep up and be home all day I am starting to dread thinking about what it will be like in 5 weeks when I go back to work and keep up while missing the crap out of being home with my kids all day.

So I am enjoying this busy week in this busy summer and thanking God that I got to be home for as much of it as possible.

All American Traditions

Yesterday we packed up the girls for the short drive downtown to watch the local Independence Day Parade which is something I was totally looking forward to this summer. Layla enjoyed the parade and watching all the classic cars for the car show driving by. I loved the wide eyed wonder of a toddler at a parade. I love the way her little flag waving would pause when something cool distracted her from her duties. Anyah slept through most of it.

Today we'll be enjoying another set of All American traditions... we'll have BBQ and play outside in her plastic pool until the sun goes down and then Daddy will set off fireworks and we'll write our names in the sky with sparklers.

Verbs

Anyah is always watching something. Watching me talk, watching the toys move, watching her sister play, watching the scenery go by, watching strangers down the way, watching Daddy on the couch...watching...

She went from the baby who was always asleep to a baby who now drinks a bottle while trying to turn herself around to watch what is behind her...because what is behind you is always cooler than what's in front of you...in case you haven't noticed.

Layla is not a watcher. She will search for things she likes and point them out to you but then she's perfectly content to move on to the next thing. In fact, if Layla had a verb (even as a baby) it would have been going. She was going to roll over early, going to grab that, going to kick, going to run, going to climb, going to the park, going with Nannie, going to the room where daddy is, going on an adventure in her imagination, going dancing, going to be a puppy dog...going...

From a going-baby to a watching-baby is an easier transition than the other way around I suppose but still I find myself staring right back at her sometimes and wondering what Anyah's thinking in there. With Layla it was easy...she was thinking about where she was going next to get herself into a little mischief. With Anyah...not so sure really...

I can't wait until she can tell me

Grow Time

With your first baby it feels like everything is just dragging along. It takes forever for them to sleep through the night. It takes forever for them to hold up their head, to grow to the next size, to smile... you just wait and wait and wait.

With last baby it's all a blur. Just yesterday I gave birth and now she's 2 months old. I know it's been two months because I see the next size of baby clothing, the smiles and coos, the head held up and looking around for someone she knows.

It was a rush and I feel like I am missing parts of it. Then I catch a glimpse of something and I know I'm not completely missing it all.

Layla never had pudgy little baby legs...she was long and skinny. I watched these little legs get chunkier and chunkier this month. I didn't miss that.

I didn't miss Layla deciding she is no longer afraid to crawl up the side of things at the park without my help either.

So we're spending what's left of my maternity leave and the summer that stretchs out in front of us trying new things and making new milestones so we can keep growing together while at the same time growing all on our own.

2 Month Check Up

She's 10 lbs and 12 ounces. She's 22 inches long. She's passing her milestones like she should...

And right now she's napping to recover from the vaccines they poked her with.

Freedom

Lately the bliss of summer and the burden of motherhood are duking it out at our house. I want to sit in the kiddie pool with a margarita and watch my kid splash about. I want to eat all the smores I can stomach and BBQ every night for dinner. I want a lot of things.

But mostly I have dishes to do and things to pick up and unexpected adventures in ant slaying and baby bouncing until you stop-screaming-for-the-love-of-God. Layla has not adapted to the "shh baby is sleeping" naptime concept. Anyah doesn't like loud noises.

Layla wants more attention. Anyah wants another diaper and another bottle RIGHT NOW!

Balance...juggle...bask in the freedom of knowing that in the long run the attention and the bonding over a bottle matter more than the state of my kitchen floor or the fact that I find myself in my pajamas several days a week when Jon gets home from work.

Laugh it off...

You probably don't have another option.

To Anyah at 2 Months Old

My Darling Baby...

First let me say that you are "my baby" not because you're my favorite (I don't have a favorite *wink*) but because you really only like Mommy at this point in your tiny life. You will tolerate other people but your bat senses go off when I leave the room and it makes me feel very very important and needed. Daddy on the other hand is less than thrilled that you keep him constantly on his toes no matter how good of a loving daddy he is being.

You, for the most part, are a pleasant baby. You stay happy most of the time but when you are unhappy you get very loud very quickly. You already smile (but only for Mommy), you hold up your own head, you squeak at people (it's not really cooing but I think that's what your going for). It took Mommy 6 days to figure out that you wanted to go to bed earlier and for those six evenings at our house it was HORRIBLE. I thought you had colic (because you are very full of hot air) but as it turns out your just a bedtime diva like your sister. When we miss the sweet spot you get very vocal about your distress.

The other thing that distresses you is the bath. You hate the bath so much you cry when I change your clothing just in case I have taken off your clothes for a bath and I haven't told you yet. Heaven help us all if you actually hear running water... my ear drums are still ringing from the other day when I held you while I had the nerve to try washing my own hands.

You aren't a fan of loud noises. This displeases your sister very much because she is a huge fan of loud noises but she hates it when you cry so she's been much quieter lately. She definitely has the opinion that no one can make "her baby" cry but her. She still doesn't want to hold you but she gives you kisses and holds your hands now. She also runs to find someone the second you start to cry. You help her out though by winding up for a long time before you *actually* cry. I call it your squeeking bean sound.

So far you love snuggling, your swing time, co-sleeping, being worn in the sling and most recently laying on the floor talking to the ceiling fan. That ceiling fan is awfully entertaining as it turns out. You love warm bottles, socks, swaddling and fuzzy blankets. You recently decided you like the rattle doll your Grammi gave you when she was here visiting from South Carolina, the radio and the mobile above your swing (where you nap).

You adapt well to new situations which is good because we're constantly going somewhere. You love to watch things (people, trees in the wind, reflections of light) so you tend to entertain yourself with wonder.

You've grown quite a bit. I think you probably weigh close to 9 pounds. We won't know that for sure until your appointment later this week. You suddenly wear 0 to 3 month old clothing and you need bigger socks. You still look tiny to me though because you are just now the size your sister was when she came home from the hospital.

This week you got dedicated at our church (on Father's Day) and we promised to help you grow your relationship with God. I think someday God is going to use you for great things. You are soft, patient and always observing everything around you... what wonderful things will that grow into as an adult? I'm not sure but I can't wait to see.

And we love you very very much. I can't remember what it was like before we loved you because it feels like you were always a part of our love. I look at you with your crazy hair and your stink eye looks when I don't get your pacifier fast enough and I know you are a perfect addition to our chaos. Your family...we go big or we go home.

And little girl...for someone so quiet...you definitely go big when it counts! It's like watching a firecracker...awed by your power and beauty already and you just got here.

Love,

Mommy

Father's Day & Anyah's Dedication

Fridays

Fridays are fast becoming my favorite day of the week and I think they will stay that way until I go back to work (and then Saturday will regain the crown for King of the Week).

Friday mornings we get up and get dressed just like every other day but during breakfast I always tell Layla "it's Friday" and she yells "Nannie go bye bye" and sure enough soon we're loaded in a car on the way to meet Nannie (or with Nannie) to go to the Farmer's Market and to lunch. We cruise the yardsale scene and run our errands.

Then on days like today it's home for a naptime...where Layla naps in bed, Nannie naps on the couch and Anyah naps in her swing while I check things off my to-do list in the quiet. After naptime Layla and Nannie will whisk off into the sunshine for some more errands and then to Nannie and PopPop's house to play in the yard until dinner time or bedtime or whenever I go pick her up.

Fridays find the time to clean the kitchen counters & the floor with it magically staying that way until bedtime. Fridays allow for DVD time with the hubby and an extra Pepsi when no one is looking.

Friday is officially a day booked from start to finish that is usually so fun that we don't mind and all that fun is just relaxing... kind of like playing in the pool... but with less clean up.

Moonstars & Sheeps

Anyah just discovered there is a mobile above her swing. It has "moonstars and sheeps" as Layla likes to say.
So far she's just trying to bat them away and sometimes she talks to them.

Except sometimes she forgets they are there and then they sneak up on her out of the corner of her eye.

And sometimes that is funny and it makes her grin...

But sometimes she just looks absolutely shocked like she's trying to get away from them.

A Summer Evening

This summer I made a list of things I wanted to do with Layla since I would be home on maternity leave after having Anyah and it seemed like a good summer to make some milestones. Last night we took another item off the list (we changed it a little) the original read "Eat Smores and play in the sprinkler until the sun goes down" but last night we had BBQ and then Layla played in her kiddie pool for the first time this summer and at bedtime I made her a Smore.



Her first Smore was a big success although eventually she had Nannie disassemble it so that she could just eat the chocolate parts.

But that first bite was both "yummy" and "delicious" (or at least that's what I was told)

She probably didn't want the whole thing since she had hotdogs, corn on the cob, cheese and apple juice for dinner. (I still can't get her to eat watermelon)

Her toes are still painted from when we took that off the list last week...we did some touch up painting yesterday though. She was so excited about putting water in the pool she got in with her sandals on.

But, there is no doubt she loved the pool again this summer and now I will be spending a lot of time getting burnt in the back patio.... good times.

Have Sling will Travel

This last weekend we got invited by friends to go to Santa Cruz for the day. We sent Layla off for a fun day with Nannie but we took Anyah with us (mommy wasn't ready to be apart from her for that long yet). She spent part of the day in the stroller and part of the day in the sling. Just recently she has started to be awake in the sling which I love. It used to be that the minute she was snuggly swaddled against me she would crash out for the entire time I walked around.

Anyah and I had good fun. She is not fond of sand on her toes but she loved the sun on her face.

For once I didn't spend the whole time with my camera out and the 4 pictures at exist that day are all from the hubby's iPhone.

Anyah, like her sister before her, has been going places since just days after she got home. We don't believe in teaching your child to travel by waiting until they are big and giving them rules, instead we get out there and do as much as we would normally do and let the kids adapt as they go. Anyah isn't two months old yet and she's been to the ocean twice. Road trips are important to our family, we make a lot of small ones and she is adapting like a champ.

I think we'll have a few good years before they get old enough to start yelling "mom she's touching me and she's on my side of the car!"

It's Unofficial

My girls. My two girls. Jon and I talked about it. Two is good. We're stopping with two. Not because we couldn't have three...because we probably can but because this is a sweet spot and we like it here. We can always change our minds later... but we don't think we will. We'll make it official with some sort of a procedure some time in the near future.

My kids.

Anyah & Layla

Bug & Bean

Yeah... it feels right.

Summer

When I was a little girl I could feel summer coming from the day after Easter on. For Easter I always got a few things in my basket that were meant for the MANY days I would spend at the community pool with my friends. I longed for weather above 80 degrees so my mom would let us play in the sprinkler. I checked off the days on my calendar until summer finally arrived and the very next morning I got into my bathing suit where I stayed for most of the next 2 months. I wore shorts and slept in the living room with friends over. I smelled like suntan lotion no matter what I did.

I grew up in a small town. The kind where you rode your bike to your friends house because that was the height of social entertainment. I was blessed with parents that were home a lot and knew the value of fun. Cousins stayed over, we played games, there was lots of junk food. Summer rocked.

I also remember the wide variety of cool trips we took in the summers. Some of them were to do awesome things (like Disneyland) or to visit family. Some of them were to local events my mom found out about. I spent a lot of time at my grandparent's ranch just being a kid with an imagination. And crafts...there were many.

So now summer is here and Layla is big enough to do things with. Add to that the fact that I am home and Jon has been working a schedule that makes it easy to do things as a family and my summer syndrome flaired up pretty bad.

Here is a new extended list of things I'd like to do with Layla this summer...

• A trip to the ocean


• Stanislaus County Fair~ Beach Boys concert & rides & junk food~


• Attend a 4th of July Parade & Write our names with sparklers


• Eat Smores and play in the sprinklers as the sun goes down


• Take Layla to the CrowsLanding Community Pool and teach her to swim ~wear coconut scented tan lotion and eat an ice cream from the ice cream truck~


• Go out for ice cream


• Go to the zoo in San Francisco or Fresno ~depending on the heat~


• Go to the Farmer's Market or the Flea Market and look for treasures


• Introduce Layla to fingerpainting


• Paint Pottery


• Eat lots of BBQ


• Patterson Apricot Festival


• Walk through Old Town Sacramento and have lunch at Joe's Crabshack


• Picnic at the park on Broadway & Play in the kids waterpark there


• Visit the Stockton Children's Discovery Museum


• Take Layla to her first movie in the theatre ~eat buttered popcorn w/ M&M's mixed in~


• Storytime at the Turlock Library


• Playdates at the park with visiting family or friends


• Paint our toenails & let Layla give me a make-up makeover

I actually wrote this list on paper about a month ago so we've already been working on it. The items crossed off have been completed.

**editing note- I am coming back to this post and crossing things off as we do them**

Storytime @ the Turlock Library

Yesterday Layla, Anyah and I went to the Toddler Storytime at the Turlock Library. It was our first time there so I was a little worried about Layla behaving while I was holding the baby but she did a great job following the example of the other kids. It's a very "free" group so it didn't matter that she had a lot of wiggle in her.

You sit through 3 stories that are alternated with songs and poems with hand motions. Sometimes Layla sat on the floor and sometimes on the chair next to me. She didn't want to sit with the other kids yet but at the end another little boy joined her on the floor who was also sitting in the back and scared to join the others.

The dancing was by far Layla's favorite part and I know we'll go back again next week just because she was so excited to be around other kids and we need to make some friends her age.

As a reward for her good behavior we got 3 books and brought them home to read until next week. I told her she could have two but she insisted the last one was Anyah's book and it was so cute I let her get away with it.

So we've officially checked another thing off the summer list I made earlier this year. But I think I need to rewrite the list because I've come up with some better/different things.

Help Wanted

Anyah has a very serious problem...

Someone keeps pulling her pacifier from her mouth...

She is not happy about it at all...

"I don't know who this MY-HAND person is but I am going to kick their ass!"

*this blog accidently posted here and on Bug & Bean, sorry for the double RSS feed*

Updatalicious- Official Bullet Point Blog

• Layla is on day 3 of Princess Panties (Princess Pull Ups). We've had more accidents than successes but we trudge on because someday I'd like to have a toddler with no diapers.
• The girls have finally recovered from the large batch of family and chaos we just went through. It took almost a week and a half.
• Anyah has discovered Mommy and now she wants to be looking at my face and interacting with me ALL DAY LONG...the upside to attachment parenting is they feel loved and safe, the downside is you might have a baby stalker for awhile.
• My iPhone came. I lost at least 30 contact numbers and addresses and telephone numbers. I am so bummed about that part but let me tell you. The iPhone ROCKS!
• I've been making some plans with girlfriends because I really want to get back into the loop with people. So people, text me...
• Official weight update: Prebaby 248 (give or take) post baby I seem to have hit my stalling point at 207. I started a size 20 and ended a size 16 with a little room to spare (a 14 is too small still though). That's a 3x to a 1x if you still need more... so yeah... I lost 41 lbs because I had a baby... ironic? Yea.
• Jon's got some cool things going on in the land of boy. He's having a good run at work where he is feeling appreciated and all. He's been doing fun things with his friends. His kids only drive him a little crazy. Good times. Mostly spawned by the temperary manager who has decided to give him weekends off. We heart weekends off.
• Remember that summer to do list I made of things I wanted to do with Layla. Well I am finally up and moving enough (or quickly enough) that I am working on it. We went to Monterey (skipped the Aquarium) and we've gone to the Apricot Festival. Next up library story time, painting pottery and the water park in town (but not in the same day).
• Today I made pancakes for Layla for breakfast and the whole house smells like butter and syrup and it makes me happy.
• Last but not least on the updates. I officially go back to work on August 1st (which is a Sunday so they must mean August 2nd)