The Breastfast Club: My first experience

Six weeks before the birth of my first child, Leila, I clearly remember my friend Bridget talking candidly with me about breastfeeding. Her words stuck with me and have become my go-to words to newly breastfeeding mothers. She said, "...For something "natural", it doesn't seem natural at first."

For my first experience, those words couldn't have been more true.

Breastfeeding was something I always planned on doing. When I was pregnant with my daughter Leila I read breastfeeding books, researched online, and talked to friends and family members about their experiences. I thought I was fully prepared for our breastfeeding journey...then I had a baby.

Read my full story over on Sarah's blog, Nurse Loves Farmer. While you're there you can read other mothers' stories about breastfeeding. The Breastfast Club has featured many bloggers and has turned into a valuable breastfeeding resource for new and seasoned moms.

I don't want to forget

So many things.

Sometimes I forget to stop and notice.

My first Mother's Day as a mom of TWO! (Still feels crazy to write TWO.)

I don't want to forget...

How Carson's tiny blond hairs feel when I rub my cheek on his head.

The way Leila looks at us for approval after she acts silly or grown up.

That Carson's fingers are either poking him in the eye, clawing at my chest, or curled up tight with his thumb curled between his fingers.

Milk drunk.

Leila is beginning to play more by herself. Play-dough, coloring, water painting, and markers entertain her for longer than I am use to.

That her sense of matching clothes is developing. She often takes the concept quite literally.

Carson's old man forehead wrinkles, just like Leila had.

The adorable conversations Leila has with her friends.

I don't want to forget.

Soon things will change again.

Lately

It's been all about change around here.

Just the other day this butterfly princess turned me into a frog, a lion, and a tiger.

I went back to work two weeks ago. I love it. I love working part time, the time alone, the time to do what I'm passionate about. Knowing that it is only two days per week and only until the end of the school year, makes the pumping and less sleep bearable. This is the idea job for me right now and I hope it works out in my favor for next year.

Jeff has been home with the kids one day while I work and my father in law babysits the other day. Too bad for them, they don't have the secret weapon that always works to make Carson happy. They are working it though! I know Leila loves hanging out with her Daddy and Poppy.   

I've been holding myself accountable for what I eat. I'm nursing Carson so I am not super strict with my calorie intake. I noticed a big dip in my supply after three days of too few calories. Slowly, slowly, slowly this baby weight will come off. 

I am trying to squeeze in exercise when I can. Some days I have to get real creative.(I am currently doing sumo squats while Carson is strapped in the Ergo carrier.) My sister, a few friends, and I will be running a 5K this summer. It's the same 5K I ran two years ago, after a way too long hiatus. I am in much better shape after this pregnancy, but my endurance is shot. The Couch to 5K program is awesome and is what got me back into running after having Leila. 

Leila  seems to be getting use to the fact that Carson is here to stay. She's been taking a bit more interest in him lately. She'll help out with bath time, reach out to touch him, and suggests we sing to him when he cries. Loudly. When she asks where he is in the morning, it's just the cutest!

Carson is spending more time awake and alert. He'll be two months old next week. I think he's pretty easy going right now.

Lately the sun has been shining and the weather has been great! Hope you all enjoy a lovely Mother's Day. I know I am looking forward to my gifts. I asked for time to run, alone. I plan on getting a pedicure and later walking to a local spot for a light dinner and drinks with the family. Happy Mother's Day!

I'm getting in the picture

Back in October I wrote about my biggest mistake as a rookie mom, as well as a list of other things I plan to do differently this time around. (Surprise! I'm not totally failing at this!) I am a work in progress and I am slowly learning to let go of control.

A friend sent me some encouraging words when I was having a particularly rough day. She told me to lower my expectations for at least the first month. I took these words to heart and am pleased with myself today that my kids are both safe and fed today. Yep, that's about all I am going to expect from myself today. Maybe tomorrow (or next week) I will add to my short list of expectations (a shower would be nice).

This guy got circumcised on Tuesday. Yikes! Boy moms, why didn't anyone warn me about this?! 

The biggest mistake I made as a first time mom was not being in photos the days, weeks, even months after Leila was born. I was extremely unhappy with how I looked after I put on a whopping 50 pounds of baby weight. Later, I was even more unhappy that I had two pictures of me and her together (both of terrible quality) when she was a newborn.

Although the opportunity hasn't been presented very often for me to jump in front of the camera, I am not afraid of getting my picture snapped. I'm even less afraid of posting it on the internet for everyone to see. (I even plan to print this one for Carson's baby book.)

I'm not doing it for me. I'm doing it for them. I love seeing old pictures of my mother and no matter what she's wearing or when she last showered, I always think she is beautiful. I can only hope Leila and Carson will feel the same way about me. 

Wearing my pajamas, no make-up, and not sure of when I showered last. 

I should have expected...

I expected to remember everything about the newborn and postpartum stage. It's true, I was completely sleep deprived during this stage with Leila and time has a funny ways of erasing the not-so-great memories from our minds. 

But still, I should have expected... 

• Blow-out poops in the middle of the night.
• Postpartum night sweats that leave me feeling hot, freezing, and soaking wet at the same time.
• Nursing a newborn to start to feel a little like Groundhog day...over and over again.
• A roller coaster of emotions to hit me at any time without any warning.
• Clothing not to feel or look right on my shrinking belly and growing breasts.
• Random, meaningless cries and grunts coming from Carson to wake (and worry) me at night.
• Getting out of the house would take twice as long as it use to.
• To feel a little lost in the chaos and lack of routine.
• Changing a diaper on a wiggly newborn would take two people.
• All the laundry.

What else did I forget about this crazy stage? Please warn me before it's too late!

Potty-training vs. Diapers: A mom's perspective

It's been three weeks since our big potty-training day.  It seems like it's been much longer than that. Keeping that in mind, things don't seem so bad. Yes... she's had accidents, sometimes refuses to use the toilet, says she has to go just to see how I will react, and is still learning.

Learning takes time and experiences.  She'll get there and one day it will be easier on us all.  It better!  Because right now there are times I wish she was still in diapers.

Diapers are easier.  Leila could go quite some time without needing a diaper change.  No need to interrupt her play or activity.  No bribes needed.  She rarely pooped on the go, which made diapers not-so-messy.  I carried three diapers and some wipes with ease.  Life was simpler with diapers, but that doesn't mean we made the wrong decision to teach her how to use the toilet. 

Learning to use the toilet involves going in the wet beach and park public bathrooms. Messy. Gross. Stinky. It means lugging around a folding toilet seat so she doesn't fall in or touch the germs, carrying extra clothes and septic-safe wipes (in addition to the multi-purpose baby wipes).  Teaching Leila to use the bathroom requires patience, time, encouragement, and consistency...none of which are bad things.  

Life before potty training was less complicated.  Really though, life before Leila was less complicated in general.  And I'm perfectly okay with that! 

It's tough being two.

A few weeks ago posted this status on Facebook while eating breakfast with Leila:

You would think the world has ended over here...there are blueberries in Leila's blueberry pancakes and she cannot seem to put the cut pieces of pancake back together. Oh crap, her napkin just dropped on the floor. This is it. Brace yourselves.

It made me laugh to see her strong reaction to such common, normal, everyday things. But more than that, it made me step back and see the world through her eyes for a moment.  I am sure glad I am not two.

The world ends over here on a  regular basis.

Wrong color cup, plate, or utensils...hysterics.
Mommy running upstairs to grab something...screams for me to pick her up.
Daddy wants a hug...runs away like he has the plague.
Forgetting Elmo (or the stuffed friend of the day) in the house...the crazy cry.
Offering to help her with anything...Nooooooo!

The craziest part of living with a two-year old is that she forgets in a minute (or less) that she just freaked out.  As quick as the crazy comes...it goes. I wish I could learn to let go like that.  Maybe being two wouldn't be so bad.

Perfectly content for now, until she realizes I expect her to eat a piece of chicken.

What causes the world to end for your child(ren)?

Potty-training is exhausting...

Having a stubborn independent child and being eight and a half months pregnant makes everything more difficult.

Excited to be wearing underwear

Since 8:50 this morning we have been sitting on the floor outside the bathroom in our underwear. (Yes, me too.  It was the only way I could convince her she didn't need to bother with pants.)  At 12:45, I finally got her down for a nap in her "nighttime underwear" (aka Pull-ups) after exhaustion had gotten the best of us.

Lots of fluids = lots of opportunities to practice using the potty

Leila is 28 months old, the smartest child I know (I'm the mom. I am allowed to be biased.), and also the most independent.  She does not fit the profiles of the young children in the book, Toilet Training in Less Than a Day, who seem to do everything the mother asks of them without protest.  I'm thinking it's because this potty stuff is not new to her.

Leila has been randomly going pee on the potty for a few weeks and before that would pretend to go when I did.  She already knows how to sit down, what it feels like to pee, how to use toilet paper, and how to flush the toilet.  We've been talking about the importance of keeping our underwear dry and the people she knows that wear dry underwear. She's been anticipating this "Underwear Party" since last weekend.

We kicked off the party by getting rid of the diapers

None of this is bad, it's just different than I expected, based on the plan I read in the book.

• She had no interest in teaching her stuffed animals or dolls how to use the potty.
• She was very reluctant to drink all the fun drink choices I had for her.  
• She initiated her own "dry underwear checks" just to get more treats.  
• She did not realize (or point out to me) when she was wet.  Yet she stopped herself from peeing any further, and then finished peeing in the potty after I noticed.  
• She did not care to make up any potty songs and got tired of talking about pee, the potty, and dry underwear by nap time.

Leila did an amazing job!

• She learned how to pull her underwear up and down (and of course still needs my help).
• She choose to use the little potty instead of the potty seat that goes on the big toilet because that is what we saw in all the videos and books.
• She LOVED the Potty Time application on my phone. It made her so happy to get positive phone calls from Rachel and the accident calls made her unhappy.
• She changed out of her own wet underwear, put it into the hamper, and picked a new pair out without a fuss.
• She helped me clean up the one small accident that actually got onto the towel we were sitting on.
• She only had three small accidents in the 3 1/2 hours we spent outside the bathroom.

I felt defeated by nap time, due to our exhaustion and being uncomfortable sitting on the floor for that long.  After talking to my potty-training "coach" Renee I feel much better about our morning.  She put it into perspective for me.  It's always easier for an outsider to do that!

Where do we go from here?  Well, I do not be sitting in that 4x4 foot space outside our bathroom after nap time.  But I will NOT be giving up either.  

I plan to spend our afternoon down in the main living area of our house, doing what we normally do...AND checking for dry underwear every 5-15 minutes, offering a lot of drink choices (with extra bribes if necessary), and continuing to reward her efforts with praise, treats, and love.

Yummy bribes

We are doing this 100%.  I am committed to potty training Leila...and very happy I will be going to work tomorrow. (Thank goodness my mom is here to do the follow up!)

Mealtime madness

Life with a two-year old can be maddening.  They are constantly asserting their independence by voicing their opinions, trying to do everything themselves, and changing their mind by the minute second.

Mealtime at our house has become the worst time of day.  First of all, Leila insists on choose her own plate, silverware, and cup. These are choices I have no problem with, until they make her crazy.  I want this plate, no this plate.  This cup, no I don't like this cup.  I want the other one.  You see where I am going here...and this is before the food is even served.

This was the first smile I've seen at mealtime in a while.

Leila never wants to eat anything served to her, naturally, because it wasn't her idea.  Her once "favorite" foods become gross.  She wants her sandwich cut into big pieces seconds after requesting little pieces.  I don't like that, has become the phrase I hear most often.  She pushes her plate away or plays with her food. This behavior is driving me nuts!

I give her choices.  I've resorted to bribery and trickery.  I set limits and make it my mission to follow through with what I've said.  I know she won't starve if she doesn't eat, that's not really what I am worried about.  We can't make it through mealtime without listening to whining (or even crying) and I am losing it.

Please tell me you have some tips that I can implement right away!  The first thing I am doing is making "set" times for meals and snacks, just like we have set times for sleep.

Any suggestions (or just plain sympathy)?    

Unsolicited pregnancy advice

Back in 2010, when I was 35 weeks pregnant with Leila, I found out that two of my best friends from home were expecting their first child.  I decided to share with them some of the things I had learned along my journey. 

Now my youngest sister is 36 weeks pregnant with her first child (my first nephew!)  I revisited the list of advice I titled: Candid Pregnancy Advice from a VERY Pregnant Jen and sent it to her too.

Well...just today, I found myself NOT following my own advice! (Will I ever learn?)  So I figured it was time to revisit my list once again, to remind myself of what I learned the first time around, and share it with you.

Candid Pregnancy Advice from my VERY Pregnant Self:

• Trust your instincts! Enough said. 

• Do not research anything on the internet! Just like no one talks about how many people made it home safely (without getting shot, stabbed, in a car accident, or plane crash) the internet only tells the BAD stuff. Make a promise to yourself that you will not research pregnancy related symptoms online. 

• Yes it’s normal. What?!!? Yep…it’s normal. Anything you can imagine can and will happen to your body. Of course it is important to know the warning signs of something atypical but again, remember #1…trust your instincts. 

• Never look at your butt in the mirror. I am seriously sad that I did. Really…do not. (BIG MISTAKE that I made today!)

• Cellulite will appear in places you never expected. Think of it positively…my baby needs this or it wouldn't happen. 

• It is okay to eat deli meat, drink caffeine (200-300 mg is in a cup of coffee or a soda), hot dogs, AND...ice cream cures everything. 

• You will need to buy bigger underwear. Granny panties rock. 

• Wear your regular clothes as long as possible. Maternity clothes were very exciting at 16 weeks…not so much at 35 weeks when you are still wearing the same stupid maternity clothes. 

• Buy lots of clothes in bigger sizes.  What you wear in the 2nd trimester will not necessarily fit you in the 3rd trimester. 

• Don’t get hung up on the 25-35 lbs weight gain suggested to you by your doctor. It will make you cry and want to eat ice cream when you pass it up. (Unless, of course, your doctor says something to you specifically about your weight gain or lack of at an appointment. Mine laughed at me when I was concerned saying that no one really stays within those guidelines.) 

• Buy lots of toilet paper. You will pee 800 times a day/night. I sit down, pee, wipe, stand up and repeat (2 or 3x) before I am ready to leave the bathroom. Lean forward when you pee to get the last few drops out.

• You will be thirstier than you ever imagined. Water will keep you from major swelling, but 3rd trimester swelling will come. It will be funny when you can’t make a fist, see your ankle bones, have chubby knees, and fingerprints leave indents in your legs. 

• Everything (yes, even an apple) can give you heartburn and indigestion. Be smart and take Tums before you eat. 

• Prune juice is not so bad. Splurge on the good shit…the generic is just not the same. It works wonders and is totally necessary.   I drink it daily. Just close your eyes because it looks a little like au jus. 

• One word: EXERCISE. It boosts your mood, helps you poop, and keeps you from feeling bad about the shit you ate the day before. 

• Take weekly pictures of your belly. You will look back and laugh at when you “thought you looked pregnant” (me at week 10) and pray to just have that little bloated bump again someday! 

This last one is so true.  Here's the first bump picture of this pregnancy...
  

Huge at 13 weeks, huh?!

What would pregnancy advice would you need to remind yourself of the second (or third) time around?

We don't share toys.

I know what you are thinking...What?! How can you possibly be raising a decent human being without teaching the basic rule of sharing...and why on Earth are you telling people?!

Think about the last time you toddler had something another child wanted, or wanted something that another child was playing with.  What did you say to your child?  Did you tell them to share?

Before we stopped sharing toys, the conversations I had with Leila, when a child wanted the toy she was currently playing with, went something like this:

Leila, you need to share your shovel.  

No.  Mine.

When you're done give it to the boy.  We share.

When I finally realized what I was saying, I realized I was actually asking her to take turns, not share her shovel.  I didn't expect her to give up the shovel immediately just because another kid wanted to use it.  I wouldn't give up my parking spot just because someone else wanted it.  They'd have to wait until I was finished with my turn.

Sounds like simple semantics, right?  Sharing vs. turn taking.  But there is a difference.  Heather Shumaker, author of It’s OK Not to Share…And Other Renegade Rules for Raising Competent and Compassionate Kids (Tarcher/ Penguin, 2012) wrote a must-read guest post on the Positive Parenting Solutions blog that confirmed what I was witnessing.

I noticed when I used this different terminology with Leila she got it.  She started taking turns, even without me making a big deal out of it.

Taking her turn with the bucket.

So, do we share anything?  Yes.  We share our snack because we both can have some.  We share our crayons because there is enough for everyone to have one to use.  We can even share play-dough by breaking off a piece of our and giving it to a friend.

But most of the time we take turns.  We use something as long as we want it, and when we are finished, someone else can have their turn.  If she wants something, she waits her turn.  Turn-taking teaches positive assertiveness and patience, two life skills not all adults have.

So go ahead, stop making your kid share their toys, take turns instead!  You'll be doing everyone a favor.  

Truth time {SAHM life}

Truth is, everyday is not easy.  It's not all glitter and rainbows being a stay-at-home mom.  Some days are more like needles and blizzards.  Others fall into the moldy bread and hail storm category.

The purpose of this blog is to document our days, good, bad and everything in between.  Naturally I leave out the bad because a.) I don't want to remember those days. b.) No one likes a "negative Nancy".

Today though, I need to document our tough, "I wish I could just go to work" kind of day.  I'll read this post again one day as a reminder that I made it out alive.  A reminder that bad days exist.  A reminder that it's okay to have these kind of days.

Today...

• Leila cried, whined, or fussed from the second she got up (early, nonetheless) to the second we managed to leave the house.
• I fed her goldfish crackers to keep her busy.
• The mirror in the bathroom sink has toothpaste splatters all over it...still.
• Is the fifth day in a row I have worn a pony-tail.
• Leila screamed in her crib at nap time when I closed the door.
• I don't plan on making dinner.
• Leila will watch more television than she should.

Today will end, eventually.

Tomorrow...I'll be back to glitter, rainbows, and toddler smiles.

Thanks kid. Halloween is fun again!

Halloween hasn't been my thing since, I don't know, about 1991.  Right around the start of high school, Halloween lost it's fun factor.  Maybe it was the fact that I was too old to go trick-or-treating without feeling like a creep.  Or maybe it was that I started caring how I looked in my costume, or more importantly, how I looked to other people.

Then came college Halloween.  The parties were fun, but the candy was missing.  The costumes got skimpier and more creative.  I just couldn't keep up. I didn't care about winning any costume contests so I drank, people watched, and called it a night.

After college the trend of skimpy or creative costumes continued.  I officially gave up.  I think I wore the same pink wig three years in a row for lack of a better idea.  

As a teacher, Halloween was a holiday that made me want to drink the second the calendar changed from September to October.  I embraced the chaos, played into with the hype, and prepared myself for a long month.  At the end of the day on October 31st, I would rip down all the Halloween decor in the classroom and pretend the kids weren't going to show up half asleep or high on sugar the next day.

Now, as a mom of a two-year old, Halloween is fun again.  I know I will be knee deep in holiday craziness for years to come, but for now I am enjoying the Halloween festivities.

On Halloween morning Leila couldn't have been happier to put on her costume. She squealed with delight and was equally pumped that I threw on my tried-and- true pink wig.

Thanks Leila.  Thanks for bringing the FUN back into Halloween!

  

Playing the Name Game, again!

Naming a child is such a special and important job.  It's something only parents get to do!  Naming Leila was quite a process, but that is part of the fun!

I love looking in baby name books, online lists, listening for catchy names I hear on television, and of course, I love the names people share as suggestions.  Our list is growing and being edited on a regular basis.  

I have a strange set of name "rules" to be followed, so I have no shame in ruling out a suggested name.

This guy thinks I am crazy, but happily plays by the rules.  He's sweet...he just said that he likes that I am crazy.  "It makes you- you.  Otherwise life would be boring."

Want to suggest a name?  Please do!  Just be sure to follow the rules below and promise you won't get your feelings hurt if I tell you "no".  

My baby naming rules:

• The name, when written, cannot go below the line.  No lowercase y, p, g, j, or q allowed.

• There are also some uppercase letters that I just don't like writing so they are out too.  (Told you they were strange rules.)  I don't particularly like writing the uppercase letters G, Y, A, or F.

• The name of my child my NOT be one of a pesky student that I had.  I taught for eleven years...that rules out a lot of names.

• I will not name my child the same name as a friend.  Friend can be a loose term these days with Facebook, Twitter, and all the blogs I read.  Since I make the rules, I can decide whether or not this friend's child's name is a contender or not.

• For those of you who know us personally, you know that our last name can be tricky to match up with a first name.  (Trust me on this one.)  It is a hard sounding, one syllable last name that starts with an S.  So guess what...S names are out too.  (Jeff would beg to differ, but I make the rules remember!)

• My son and daughter will not both start with the same letter, so L names are out.  We are already Jeff and Jen...Leila and L-something would be too much for me.

So, think you could suggest a BOY name for us?  Or do my rules scare you? Think of it as a challenge and help us name this baby!

My biggest rookie mistake

As I near the half way mark of this pregnancy, I am beginning to reflect on my experiences as a rookie mom.  Honestly, being a mom of two kind of scares the crap out of me.  Reflecting on my newbie years brings me a sense of control and confidence.

Although I know better than to think I am actually the one in control (Proof I'm not a newbie anymore!), there are things I will definitely try do again with baby number 2 and things that I plan to do differently the second time around.

With baby #2 I will definitely try to...

• Breastfeed again, and maybe even longer this time since I won't be going back to work.
• Sleep train this baby as early as possible.  Me without sleep = crazy person.
• Wear baby #2 in the Ergo carrier.
• Take monthly pictures of baby #2 to document all the physical changes in the first year.
• Limit pacifier use to the crib, stroller, and car seat after the first three months (and then eventually just in the crib).

I have confidence that those things will happen again.  I've done them before.  I have experience making them work.  Doing things differently, well that will be more challenging. 

This time around I plan to...

• Sleep when the baby sleeps just to prove to myself that I can.
• Deal with a messy house instead of allowing the mess to consume me.
• Not be so hard on myself.  I am not perfect and I will not panic when things don't go as planned.
• Give my husband the freedom to do things his way.
• Always be late.  I am not even going to stress out over trying to be anywhere on time.  I will be implementing a 30 minute window rule for our arrival.  
• Pretend I am not being judged.  We all know it happens.  This time around I will be too busy to care.
• Get in the picture. My biggest rookie mom mistake was not wanting to have my picture taken for months after Leila was born.  I even made my family and friends promise not to take any pictures of me in the hospital.  Pathetic huh?

After reading Allison Tate's blog post on the Huffington Post, I was a teary eyed mess.  I know exactly how she and many other women feel after having a baby...low self-confidence, high expectations, embarrassed to still have "fat pregnancy face", and a body you don't recognize. This time I will be in photos with my new baby, sporting my postpartum weight and all.

I did allow Jeff to snap some pictures at the hospital after I finally took a shower.
I deleted almost all of them.  Huge regret. 

At least I am partly in the picture, right, even if I did crop out my entire body and made sure to hide my face behind Leila.

I find it extremely difficult to venture out of my comfort zone. Changing behaviors is never easy.  But I'm not a rookie anymore. 

  

Time to fess up Mommas.  What will you be doing differently the second (or third) time around?  What was your biggest newbie mom mistake?

  

So that's where she gets it from

Depending on the context, those words can be heavily loaded.

So that's where she gets her beautiful blue eyes.  Not so bad (even though her baby blues come from Jeff.)

So that's where she gets her bossiness.  Not exactly music to my ears (even though it's true).

Last week I shared a list of phrases Miss Bossy-pants has been heard saying lately. I clearly admitted in the post that she may have heard me say some of those phrases to her, right?

I have said plenty of stuff to Leila that I cannot believe came out of my mouth.  Some stuff I can't even say with a straight face.

Yep, I'm where she gets it from...

You can't tell Mommy where to go.

That's enough Leila! (She repeated this back to me just two minutes later.)

No whining.  Wine is for Mommy.

Go...out of here.

As I mentioned earlier, PLEASE is being used more often around here.

Are there things you've said that you can't believe actually came out of your mouth (then later your child's)?  Want to read what other moms have said?

Check out the other Toddle Along Tuesday posts...

My two-year old can party

Leila turned two...so we partied for two days!

Leila enjoyed turning two, twice.

On Friday morning we casually celebrated with friends at a local park.  I just love watching her interact with kids her age!  When everyone sang "Happy birthday" to her, her face lit up, just as I had hoped. 

On Saturday evening we took our San Diego family (plus Uncle Jay and Grandee from out of town) out for a pizza celebration.  For Leila's enjoyment everyone wore party hats.  Betsy made her a delicious strawberry cake decorated with a favorite Yo Gabba Gabba character.  (Check out her foolproof cake decorating tips here.)  Leila was spoiled with gifts. love, and attention.  She was in heaven! 

Two days of celebrating for my two year old!  Thank you everyone for making this day extra special.  XOXO

Leila loves...

• Acting "big" and reminding me sweetly, "Leila big."  

• Coloring.  Even though she normally just uses one color...brown.

• Pretzels, granola bars, our daily green smoothie, milk, pork tenderloin, any and every fruit, black beans, cookies, and cheese.

• Yo Gabba Gabba, Micky Mouse Club House, and Baby Signing Time.

• Shopping at Target and running errands with me in general.

• Her best friend Charlie, her stuffed animals, her pacifiers, and her blanket.

• Playing pretend, young kids, swimming, climbing, walking (instead of being in her stroller), bike rides, and doing whatever I do.

• Books.  She likes us to read to her and also likes reading by herself. Her current favorites are Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?, Goodnight Moon, LMNO Peas, No, David!, and  On the Night You Were Born. 

• Family hugs, her bedtime routine with Daddy, and snuggling with Mommy.

Bossy-pants

Actually, it's Miss Bossy-pants to you.

Here's a rundown of what my almost-two year old has been heard saying lately:

Don't like that.

Go away Mommy.

It's mine, not yours.  It's mine.

Stop!

No Mommy, keep it right there.

Sit down Mommy.

Me do it.  You do it.  No, me do it.

My friend, Amy, and her daughter Kennady hung out with us last week.  I can't remember what I said to Leila, but Amy's response to me was..."Hmmm, I wonder where she gets it from?!"  She was only half-joking.

Looks like PLEASE is going to become the most overused word in my vocabulary.

Doctor vs. Mom {Potty-training}

I was quite surprised when I went for Leila's two year well-baby check up last week (a month early) and her pediatrician tried to convince me that Leila was ready for potty training.

The doctor (who had been in the room with Leila for a whopping five minutes) said without hesitation, that Leila seemed ready.

Fine.  You think she's ready, then you potty train her.  What about me, don't I get an opinion?  What if I'm not ready?

I kept my mouth shut and listened to the good doctor ramble on about potty training.  Unfortunately for her, she failed to state one single reason why she thought Leila was ready for this next step.  Nope, not one.  Until...

Leila blew my cover and announced that she needed to poop.  

To make matters worse, Leila pulled at the door handle indicating that she wanted to leave the room we were in.  Of course the doctor assumed she wanted to use the bathroom, but I knew better than that!  The truth was, Leila wanted some privacy.  (And who wouldn't?!)  There was no table to hide under, no chair to stand behind, no place that she could be alone to do her business. 

Before the doctor said good-bye, I had her convinced that we'd be starting potty training within the next month.  

Luckily for me, Leila's next well-baby appointment is not until she is THREE years old.  That gives us plenty of time.

Evidence to support WAITING to potty training...

I think Momma knows best!

Anyone else NOT interested in potty training their toddler?  If you've already mastered potty training, what were some clues that your child was ready?