A successful first haircut

A month before her third birthday, Leila finally had enough hair to warrant her first haircut. (Remember when I cut her femullet? That doesn't count.)

Look at all that hair on the black cover!

Leila's curly wings were out-of-control and needed a professional's attention. I've seen way too many photos of kids crying in the chair as their hair is getting cut for the first time. I knew I had to prepare Leila in order for a smooth and successful haircut. 

Because I also needed a haircut, I chose to take her to my hair stylist instead of a kid's salon. I scheduled my cut right before Leila's so she could watch how it was done and what was expected of her.

The day before Leila's scheduled haircut we practiced and talked about how Rachel would spray her hair and use the comb and scissors. I also prepared her by giving her an arm tattoo, just like Rachel, and I showed her pictures from Rachel's Facebook page. By the time Leila met Rachel she hugged her like they were old friends!

All of our preparations worked! Their were no tears, no struggles, and no fears. Leila was excited about her haircut because we made it a big and exciting deal (and the ice cream bribe didn't hurt either!).

Seriously adorable! I am surprised at what a difference the haircut makes. She looks older with all those thin baby wisps gone.

My dream of Leila wearing pigtails at her third birthday isn't happening. Someday...

 How was your child's first haircut experience? 

Leila goes to school!

Leila's first day of preschool was three weeks ago. She's been going one day a week for three hours, but asks to go almost daily. 

I have left Leila at a friend's house before, if I had to run an errand or go to the doctor, but this is different. We're calling this school and rightfully so since that's how it treated by Kari (her teacher).

I seriously found the best at-home preschool just blocks away from our home. Look at these personalized notes complete with a little story about her day on the back! I have saved them all so far. (Please tell me not to save them all.)

Leila and two of her friends get to hang out and play all morning. What could be better than that? Kari provides a great balance of activities for the girls. They do it all...from free choice, both indoors and out, to more structured activities ranging from pretend play to art activities. I am so impressed. I would sent her more often if it was in our budget.

Bold move letting three 2.5 year olds finger paint in the middle of your living room!

I am using this time to get stuff done around the house. Once Carson is older we'll be able to hang out one-on-one, but for now he spends most of his time nursing and sleeping. It's funny how quickly the three hours fly by.

These early experiences are so important to Leila's social, cognitive, and emotional development. Any other moms out there send your toddler to school or do you call it daycare?  And...is Leila still a toddler or is she a preschooler now?

Creating a Time Capsule For Your Kids {Guest Post}

Hi again! It's Heather from Everything Eatherton and Mama Dish. I wrote my first guest post for Jen last summer while I was about to pop with my second son. I figured that she might appreciate some help keeping Leilaland moving while she was busy caring for her newborn, so I'm back for another visit. Thanks for having me!

Since Jen just gave birth (like, less than a week ago), I figured it would be good for her to start thinking about what she might put aside as her little boy grows, for his special keepsakes.

Two of the best gifts we received when we were pregnant with our first son weren't purchased at a store (well, technically they were, 30+ years ago...) They were items that my mother-in-law had saved from my husband's childhood-- his favorite blanket and his baby book. A baby book chock full of useful and entertaining information!

I enjoyed reading through page after page of sleep habits, favorite friends, first foods, first steps and other first milestones. The book contained his birth announcement, birthday party invitations, and magazine clippings about local events from when he was little. It also contained damning information like, when he was potty training he was caught urinating on the radiator (ewwww!)

My Mom started a baby book for me when I was born, so I have a few notes from my first months, but she didn't really keep up with it. And as far as I know, she doesn't have any other keepsakes for me from when I was little. {Tear}

I'm a saver by nature, so I've always known that I wanted to keep a time capsule for my children, with memorabilia from throughout their life. I want them to be able to look through these precious items and ask to hear stories about important milestones in their life, and hopefully share some things with their children one day (nothing warms my heart more than seeing Brady sleeping with my husband's blankie!)

Choosing items for their capsules hasn't been easy. On one hand, I want to save absolutely everything of theirs, but on the other, I just don't have the space! And having a second boy further complicated things, because all of Brady's clothing, shoes, etc. are reusable. I decided a good rule of thumb is to try to collect no more than 3-5 items per year for their capsules, and to shoot for big-themed pieces or items that tell a unique story.

Here are a few things I've collected for the boys so far. Most of these are in Brady's capsule, but I plan to save the same things for Cole as well.

• Pregnancy journals
• Their (well documented) baby books
• Hats worn in the hospital
• Coming home outfits
• Tiny blue bear given as a newborn gift that says, "It's A Boy"
• Baptism outfits
• First pair of shoes
• First favorite book (Brady's is Big Red Barn, by Margaret Wise Brown)
• First baseball cap
• A piece of wall art from their nursery
•  Lock of hair from first haircut
• Birthday party invitations
• Their Your Birthday Books
• Tickets from his first flight (and wings!), first baseball games, first train rides, etc.
• Photos from each visit with Easter Bunny and Santa
• Family Christmas card from each year
• A piece of paper that chronicle's their signature each year (starting this year with Brady now that he can write his name!)
• Sticky Bellies monthly stickers

Some items I anticipate adding them as they get older are:

• First pair of soccer cleats
• First baseball glove
• T-shirts from their first sports teams
• Blankies (when they outgrow them)
• Special stuffed animals (when they outgrow them)
• First lost tooth (or is that gross??)
• School photos
• Report cards
• Awards/ribbons/trophies from important competitions

So much for keeping the loot under control. It looks like I'm going to need bigger containers....

Have you been saving memorabilia from your little ones' lives? What other key items should we be saving? How did you decide where to draw the line in order to avoid being featured on an episode of Hoarders?!

It's a...

B-O-Y!

Jeff and I couldn't be happier!  I noticed the "goods" right away when the ultrasound tech scanned my belly looking for the correct starting point for her measurements.  I didn't say anything at the time, I just let her do her job.  Finally when she got to the legs there was a clear shot.  I asked, "Are those the legs?" She immediately laughed and then said, "It's a boy!"

A healthy boy, that is.  All of his measurements were right on.  The technician said he weighs about 8 oz right now, which puts him in the 41st percentile. (Really?! There is a percentile chart for unborn babies. That's just strange to me.)  

So...now it's time to shop!  

Please Mommas, share where you buy your baby boy clothing.  I hit Old Navy and Target just hours after the ultrasound and came home with one stinkin' piece of clothing!  

Is there a secret boy clothing section that I missed?  There were like four items in each store for boys!  I don't do animals, trucks, dinosaurs (guess that is an animal too, huh?), stupid sports related sayings, or most sayings in general.  I'm screwed aren't I?  (Funny how I didn't notice the lack of boy clothing when I was busy shopping for adorable, stylish, and fun baby girl clothing.) 

What's she saying?

Mommy get it, is the newest demand coming from Leila's mouth.

She's been pretty good at bossing people around for a while now,
Mommy sit. Daddy sit. Sit down. She tells anyone who will listen what to do.

I know exactly who she got that from.

Today I'm guest blogging for Melissa over at Growing up Geeky.

Head on over and read what else Leila's been saying. Now.

Guest post:
 Toddler Talk- What a girl wants

Milestones

Most books about infant and toddler development list milestones your child may be approaching in each month of their early life. I've always had a difficult time living in the moment, and these books did not help me in that department. I just couldn't help but read ahead to see what Leila would be learning in the months to come.

The first milestone I really anticipated was solid foods. We started on the earlier side than most books recommended after the doctor suggested rice cereal may help her acid reflux. I thought she could use the food! At four months old, Leila was a tiny thing weighing in at just under eleven pounds.

Sleeping through the night was a life changing milestone for me! At seven month's old, the same week she stopped nursing, Leila began consistently sleeping through the night.

I knew that Leila would be an early walker with her strong desire to move around and be independent. I caught her standing on her own at my parents house when we visited last July. By the time I left to return to San Diego she had take her "first" step!

10 months old

Leila officially became a toddler on her Grandee's birthday last August when she walked to me. The look on Leila's face was priceless. She was proud, grinning ear to ear. This was the milestone she had anticipated the most!

What am I looking forward to next?

I would love for this girl to need a haircut! Chopping off her femullet doesn't count. I am still waiting for it to grow back.

18 months

Leila is one and a half!

She's changed a lot since last month.

The biggest change this month is that Leila's language has exploded! Last time I counted she was saying fifty words and seems to say a new one (or two) each day.

Today I asked her what she'd like for breakfast and she answered me with, "Waffles cook." Well then...waffles it is! This is only the third time she's put more than one word together (that I understood). Seriously amazing.

We all know that when your toddler starts talking, they also start saying, "No." Leila not only says that dreaded word, she also says, "Nope." I try to respect her wishes, but let's get real, that is just not possible. Half the time she says "no" she really means "yes" anyways. (I swear!)

Look who got up on the bouncy ride all by herself

Leila did some things this month that melted my heart AND things that drove me crazy. I'm honestly saying I don't remember what drove me crazy, but I remember she did!

Luckily, I wrote down the things that do matter...

This month Leila asked ME for a hug! Best day of my life.

She made her stuffed animal pals "play" with her toys by using Minnie Mouse's hand to press a button and later Geoffrey the giraffe matched a puzzle piece.

Leila was feeling great on day and let me know it by saying, "Happy, happy!" It's so cute and genuine.

This month Leila learned her name. She will point to herself saying, "Neigh-na". She's slowing learning things are HERS.

Discovering her shadow

Happy half-birthday Leila. You are Momma's girl! XOXO

Toddler art {Mixing paint}

It's getting messy in here.

Two weeks after making play-dough (a decently clean activity) I took the plunge and brought out the paints.

Stripped down to her diaper I let her "loose" with red and white paint, two paint brushes, and thick white paper.


I painted her hand and showed her how to press it on the paper. That was her favorite part!

Paint ended up in her hair, mouth, and on the floor. There is still some paint on the bookcase. Not surprised? Me either. I'm sure there is paint on the window too.

I ended up tracing hearts on the back of the dried masterpieces. Our first homemade Valentine cards were a hit. xoxox

Bonus: The mess didn't kill me!

What messy things do you let your toddlers do? Did your mom let you get messy?

Baby boogers

Dear Leila,

This is what it feels like to be sick.

You are almost seventeen months old and this is your first cold. I knew it would happen eventually. Remember when I told you the toys at school were not for your mouth? Remember? This is why. Colds are no fun.


Luckily it's just the sniffles and sneezes. When you sneeze boogers shoot across the room and then drip down your face. Of course you will not let me wipe your nose as often as I want to, so you learned how to do it yourself. (So big!)

Instead of playing outside we are staying in and resting. You never sit and watch television like this. You hardly sit. Ever.


When you are sick you get to do special things like sit in your chair, watch Sesame Street, and eat crackers. You haven't eaten much these past two days.

Milk and crackers are your favorite sick food. I even made you blueberry pancakes and you hardly touched them. (Thanks, I got to eat them all!)

I hope you feel better soon baby. Until then, I am here to snuggle with (if you ever get tired of Elmo).

Love,
Momma
xoxox

Mommy-friends {Putting yourself out there}

After wondering where all the Mommas in San Diego were hiding, I realized they weren't the ones hiding. The comments on my post about Leila's first play-date really helped me see I wasn't putting myself out there.

What was I waiting for...a formal invite?

It's been so long since I dated (Jeff and I met over 20 years ago) that I forgot the most basic dating rule.

Mommy-dating Rule #1: Put yourself out there

We've been hanging out at the park regularly since summertime and it's time to change it up. Thanks to many helpful suggestions, I have joined four Meet-up.com groups AND attended a Mommy & me preschool.

Today was our Leila's first day of school.

I was brave and showed up to the class a week after it started. Yep, I'm that mom. I stayed the entire morning, even though we aren't officially in the class. (I plan on crashing the next class too since I am pretty far down on the wait-list.)

What an experience it was!

Leila was the first one to meltdown, she pooped during circle time, tried to dominate the slide, and shared her snack with a few friends.

There were thirty diverse toddlers (ages 12-23 months) and their Mommas. The class was split into two discussion groups, with a whole group circle time to start and end the morning. All of the parents helped out by choosing a daily job, planning and preparing one class craft, and donating $10 towards supplies for the semester.

Adorable Valentine craft


I really enjoyed interacting with the other Moms and toddlers. It was fun to watch Leila explore new things and interact with so many new people. She is not shy!

And...since I plan on following all my Mommy-dating rules, we'll be heading to a Play-and Learn meet-up tomorrow. Group dates are always easiest!

Building my confidence one date at a time. Wish us luck!

Mommy friends- Where are you?

Please tell me I'm not the only one.

Leila is sixteen months old and we've never been on a play-date, until today.

It certainly is not her fault. She's got the best personality around! Leila loves playing with kids of all ages at the park. And yes, that's about the only place we go where she interacts with other kids.

Sad, huh?

I have only a handful of friends in a town I've lived in for eight years, and one of those is my sister. And of those friends, only one has a baby. I hang out with people who write things like...This is why I don't have a baby.

Leila's only chance for picking up a play-date was at the park.

Actually, we all know that when your kids are young, you are the one making the date. So, the first time I ever swapped numbers at the park I was so pumped. Unfortunately after a couple attempts to match our schedules, it just didn't work out. Since then, I have left the park two times without a phone number of a mommy I clicked with.

I was just too shy, maybe? Worried about being awkward? Afraid of being turned down?

But last week it happened.
We clicked.
Our girls clicked.
She mentioned getting together.
I was brave enough to ask for her number.
We had our first play-date.

And bonus...it wasn't at the park!


Walking to her first play-date


Am I the only one that has trouble making Mommy friends?
Can you suggest any other places to meet Mommas?

Biker Babes

My life just got a little cooler.


Months after getting a bike seat (and helmet) for Leila's birthday we went for our first ride! This will definitely be a new way for Leila check out our town. We've been limited to playing at our local park because of her old two nap schedule. But now we have time to run a quick errand, check out the waves, head to the library, run near the jetty, AND play at the park.

I'm sure you are probably tired of me say it, but it's true. I love this town!

It does have some drawbacks though. For one, we've had three locked bikes stolen from our carport area. We have no yard and could never afford one anyways. This place has more bars than taco shops, and less pizza joints than I'd like. Also, you cannot go one day without almost stepping in dog poop.

Guess that's the price you have to pay for paradise.

Wordless Wednesday

I discovered my pockets. Where have these been all my life?

Femullet be gone!

Those of you that have been reading my blog (or even seen one single picture of Leila) know that she has no hair.

People are surprised when they actually see her in just the right light and notice a few blondie blonde strands coming from her head. "She does have hair!" is usually what I hear. Really people?!? Of course she has hair, just not enough to mention so therefore I just say she has none, to be dramatic.

This hair I speak of has started to grow into the dreaded femullet (you know, when a little girl has a mullet). About a month ago I mentioned my concern to some friends and they laughed at me. I guess they couldn't see it. Lighting must have been bad.

Last night during bath time the aforementioned femullet met scissors.

Here's the proof...one inch of hair (about 20 strands in all) snip, snip. Gone.

What does this prove?

Well, it proves her femullet is history.
It also proves that Leila has no hair.

Fall- San Diego style

Lately instead of pushing Leila in the stroller, we've been taking her on walks (yes, sorta like a dog) around town. I usually stay within a two block radius of our apartment, but Jeff and Leila walked about a mile yesterday. No wonder she took a three hour morning nap!

Friday was a real San Diego fall day. Leila left the house in a hat to keep her bald head warm, but I was wearing flip flops. I love this kind of fall! You can pull off sandals and a tank or boots and a scarf. Perfect if you ask me!

This was Leila's first experience playing in the fallen leaves.

She knows how to step on the leaves to crunch them, but I had to show her how to throw them up in the the air.

Check out the awesome leaf pile we found. (Better than nothing!)


Leading the way. She's just a tad independent!


Yes, Leila, Momma is still here.


Who am I kidding, this girl doesn't walk. She runs!


People warned me, "Just wait until she walks." Like it was a bad thing or something. Actually it's been the best for us all. She can explore and be independent while I get to just sit back and enjoy life through her eyes.

Looks like we all win!

Art for the fridge

When I saw Leila pretending to write with a pen on a notepad, instead of eating it, I figured she might be out of the "I eat crayons" stage. I was right!

Check out Leila's first artwork for the fridge.

At Target the next day I picked up her first stocking stuffer...fat crayons for her little hands!