Six weeks later {Postpartum life}

If you could see the half-folded laundry on the couch or the dishes in the sink, this would be the perfect photo describing our life the past six weeks. 

Toddler meltdown. Smiling baby.

Someone is always crying, fussing, or whining (this includes the adults). Toys and baby gear are scattered about. Chores are half finished. The television is on the Disney Jr. channel. Someone is eating. Always.

It's crazy. At times the crazy drives me crazy. Other times I can go with the flow and not stress out. Wine helps. Getting out of the house helps. Knowing that "this too shall pass" helps.

I am excited to go back to work and to begin an exercise routine. I have my 6 week postpartum check-up tomorrow and my maternity leave is officially over on Tuesday. I am ready to slowly get my body back, wear regular clothes, do my hair and make-up, and spend time fueling my passion for teaching. 

I'll be training for a 5K, using the well-known Couch to 5K program, for a fun run this July. I know it will take time to lose the last 15 pounds (yikes!), especially when I plan to be nursing Carson as long as I possibly can. 

I also plan to BE KIND to myself and not hate on my body during this process. This is it. No more kids. No rush to get back into shape before the next baby. My plan is to go back to my healthy and active lifestyle, whatever that may look like with all the new changes in my life.

You bet I am still wearing maternity pant! My pooch is way worse without the panel sucking me in.

Six weeks later...

• I am still sweating at night.
• My deodorant is no longer doing it's job during the day either, but Jeff''s is.
• I am starving but having trouble finding time to eat, grocery shop, and prepare meals.
• My hair is always in a pony-tail.
• I've had one pedicure.
• I am not nearly as tired as I thought I would be (despite the tired look on my face in the picture).
• And the laundry still doesn't do itself.
• Carson has only peed on me once but in his own face twice.
• We leave the house daily.
• I love rocking my baby to sleep.
• I STILL need a new blog name.

Leila Lately {2.5 years old}

These days Leila is full of surprises.  She surprises us daily with her words (okay, sentences), her imagination, and her actions.  She's a typical two and a half year old...always changing, always moving, always lovable. 

Leila loves playing pretend.  One minute she is pretending to be a firefighter, the next a princess, and the next she's in a marching band (insisting that we all march along).  She plays basketball with a felt lettuce head and then is serving it to us and invisible Elmo in the next breath.  Empty yogurt cups turn into cupcakes baking in the oven and then a sidewalk for the lid she is using as a car.   Don't even try to suggest to Leila what she might be doing, because trust me, she doesn't like suggestions.  "No, that's not a tower.  It's a train."  What?!  Our typical response is, "Oh, of course it is."  Smile.

Leila loves adventure too.  In the mornings, or after nap time,  she asks what we are going to do to or where we are going.  She's up for anything!  Leila has been spending a lot of time at  the beach house with my parents, aunt, and uncle.  Earlier this week my dad and uncle took her on the city bus and then on the trolley downtown San Diego.  She has mentioned the humongous ships ever since.

If she could eat pancakes at every meal she would. Leila loves cheese...grilled cheese, mac and cheese, string cheese, cheddar cheese, you name it! We still drink our toddler-approved green smoothie most mornings. Leila is weary of most vegetables, but after discovering that she'll eat the "flower" off the asparagus Leila has been willing to at least smell most vegetables.  One day she loves blueberries and the next she won't touch them, which is pretty typical about most everything from fruits to meats.

Recently Leila has started calling me "Mom" and although it makes me laugh I think she's too young for that!  At least she hasn't called me by my first name...yet.  She will sometimes call Jeff by his first name or even just Dad.  It melts his heart when she calls for him, "Daaaaaaad...I need you."

One syllable words have two syllables if Leila is saying them and apparently she gets that from me. Who knew?! Jeff caught me saying "may-ill" for mail just this week.

I swear she talks more than any toddler I have ever been around.  She wakes up talking and falls asleep talking to her stuffed animals (one of the million she wants in her bed). It's kind of nice she doesn't have just one favorite stuffed animal or lovey.  Sometimes we can't locate the exact "friend" she wants and most of the time it can be substituted by someone else.  Don't mess with her bedtime routine too much though or she will be hollering.

Leila keeps us on our toes! She's independent yet needs us at the same time. She makes us laugh, smile, and want to pull our hair out (okay, maybe just me). She's a typical toddler yet uniquely Leila. I love being her mother!

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!)

Toddler Christmas 2012

This year we got a taste of Christmas magic through the eyes of a toddler.  (Can I even still call her a toddler anymore?)  

It's just the three of us until March.

1.  She believed this button really turned on the tree lights at the zoo.

2.  Family!

3.  It "snowed" at the San Diego zoo.

4.  Guilty! She must have climbed up there to eat the crackers a million times.

5.  Serving up some pizza in her new apron.

6.  Santa came and brought this freaky looking doll that she asked for.

7.  Little Santa hanging at the Catamaran before brunch.

8.  Taking her sweet time opening her stocking.

Sharing her stickers with Uncle Jay.

Walking  to brunch, hand in hand with her favorite guy.

Wishing you a Happy New Year!  There is so much to look forward to in 2013!

Where does she come up with this stuff?

After spending an afternoon with Betsy, Leila said the most random thing...

"I have a question."  She stated this with such authority.  When Jeff asked what her question was, she told him, "I see red birds.  And orange birds."

WHAT?!

Sometimes I wonder where in the world Leila hears these phrases she's spitting out...

We're talking.
I did it!
Oh, that's better.
No singing Mommy.
Oh well.
I want it.  I don't want it.  I WANT IT! 
What's going on here?
Leave me alone.  I'm pooping.
Oh my gosh!
NO TALKING!
Daddy, you play with me?
Santa talks?
Oh sure!
That's not right.

Other times I know exactly where they came from...

Leila and I hang out all day.  I talk, she talks (and talks, and talks, and talks).  We have conversations that I never expected to have with my two-year old, yet at the same time it seems so natural.

One of these days I am actually going to record her sweet little voice.  I never want to forget how tiny (yet loud) her voice is.  Sometimes when she has nothing to say, she just fills the silence with a song.

Sometimes I think I'd like her to stop asking, "What's that?" (even though she knows exactly what it is) for the millionth time.  Then I remind myself that one of these days (many, many years from now) we probably won't talk everyday.  I know for sure that I will miss her silly questions, her indecisive nature, and her lovely singing voice.

Talk on, Leila.  I promise to listen.

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.

Two-year old Favorites {Children's book Edition}

Books are one of the greatest sources of entertainment for toddlers.  Leila loves to hear the same stories over and over again.  She enjoys pretending to reading them, looking at the pictures, and simply pulling them off the bookshelves.

Reading from the dictionary (baby genius!)

Leila's favorite picture book changes almost every time we introduce a new one. When we do introduce a new book, she always asks for it to be read at least three times in a row in that sitting alone.

Being a former elementary teacher means I have more children's books than one person could imagine.  Most of them are still boxed up for when she's older but I have brought home some repetitive, rhyming, or simple text books with great illustrations for us to enjoy now.

1. Mother Goose by Scott Gustafson:  Her all-time fave, especially since Jeff changes all of the names in the rhymes to Leila.
2. No David by David Shannon:  She loves all the books in the series.  I just discovered there is a Christmas version called, It's Christmas, David!  We need this one for sure.
3. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes  by James Dean and Eric Litwin:  This one has a free song to download that is really catchy.
4. LMNO Peas by Keith Baker:  I swear I read this at least once a day because I like to read it too.  It one has excellent rhyme and rhythm.
5. The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown:  We have the board book version.  The repetitive text makes it a favorite of Leila's.  I like it because it's about a mother bunny and her child.
6. Fire! Fire! Said Mrs. McGuire by Bill Martin Jr.:  A great rhyming book with simple text and a surprise ending.  They don't make the version I have anymore so I linked the newest edition.
7. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems:  These books crack me up.  It's the only one I have in the series but I know she'd love the others just as much.  The pictures are simple and the text meant to be read with a lot of expression.
8. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr., John Archambault and Lois Ehlert:  Another one with great rhyme and rhythm which makes it fun to read and listen too.

What is your toddler's favorite children's book? Maybe I need to add it to her 2012 Holiday wish-list.

  

Want more lists like this?  Check out the others in this Two-year old Favorites series: {Food Edition} and {Toy Edition}.

{Toddler} Holiday Wish List 2012

I know, it's not even November yet, but you better believe I've already been doing some Christmas shopping!

All year I keep a list on my phone titled "Gifts". When I hear a family member or friend mention something they like, I add it to the list.  When I think of something Leila would like or read about a product online, I add it to the list.  This makes shopping way less stressful during the holiday months.

Leila's wish list was wiped out after celebrating her 2nd birthday a month ago. Our house is stocked with toys, but I know by Christmas she'll be ready for a few new items.  I'll be especially looking into more items that allow for her to play independently.  That's going to be necessary after her baby brother is born.

Toys for toddlers

Green Toys Dump Truck

Melissa and Doug Cutting Food- Wooden Play food

Mr. Potato Head Silly Suitcase and his party friend Mrs. Potato Head Spudette

Disney Princess Sparkle Shoe Boutique
and dress-up clothes of all kinds

Art supplies for toddlers

Melissa and Doug Paint with Water book

Do-a-Dot Rainbow Art Set

Color Me Nursery Rhymes Do-a-Dot Creative Art Book

Clothing

Minnie Mouse Slippers Size 5/6- Toddler
(I saw Elmo ones in her size too!)

Chicago Bears Toddler Football Jersey and Pant Set

More toddler gift ideas

My Tot Clock
 I love that this clock has so many uses! 

Stocking Stuffer ideas for toddlers

Electric toothbrush
Play-dough
Stickers and tattoos
Winter hat
Teeny-tiny hair bands for her almost-piggy-tails
Coloring book


So, I may have gone a little overboard!  We won't be buying her all these things...it's called a wish list for a reason! 

I have a feeling this list for my two-year old, Leila, will be growing after I read the other linked up posts for this week's Toddle Along Tuesday.

What is on your child's holiday wish list this year?

Obsessed much?

My child obsessed?  You betcha.

If you have been lucky enough to witness one of the most hysterical Leila meltdowns ever, you know that "obsessed" may not be a strong enough description.

Leila is obsessed with having blankets on her head. (I can hardly write that without laughing out loud.)

It's not easy capturing this obsession with my camera.  And I certainly will not stage a photo opportunity because I know what will come of it...

Whining, followed by an epic meltdown, is the result of the blanket falling off of her head.  

Sometimes she trips over the blanket and it comes off.  Sometimes the blanket is too heavy for her and she can't manage to keep it on her head properly AND play. Sometimes she just forgets how badly she wanted the blanket on and carelessly lets it slip off. 

It's a scary sight when this happens.  The crying stops only when the blanket is put back on her head. (Seriously I am laughing again.)

We can go days, even weeks, without a single blanket being on her head.  But when she spies a blanket...and her head starts spinning, be prepared to laugh at what's to come.

Seriously exhausted from all the melting down.

Think this obsession is funny?  Head on over and visit the link up for more Toddler Obsessions ...

Two-year old Favorites {Food Edition}

There are vegetables on that pizza!

Leila is the typical toddler when it comes to eating habits.  One day she LOVES a food and the next she won't even try it.  She wants to do everything by herself, including cutting her food into pieces.  And she hates vegetables, but is still willing to try them.  By try them, I mean touch them to her tongue and spit it out.  

Typically she eats six times a day. She eats a lot of snack-like meals throughout the day instead of three big meals.  Once in a while she will skip a snack and that's when I notice she eats a bigger meal.

1. Wake-up snack: She still loves our green smoothie with a daily dose of fruits and veggies.
2. Breakfast snack
3. Mid-morning snack
4. Lunch
5. After-nap snack
6. Family dinner: She is offered the dinner that I make for me and Jeff with a few modifications if necessary.

Lately Leila's been calling everything "spicy" before she even tries it.  She's working the system here.  A cheeseburger is not too spicy, and broccoli, well, we know it's not spicy at all.  She has realized that if it's spicy she doesn't have to try/eat it.

There are some things we eat that are too spicy for her, so when she asks for some, we tell her that it's too spicy and that she doesn't want it. (When she insists on trying the spicy food, she spits it out than wipes her tongue repeatedly with her hand.)  Looks like we are going to have to change our wording!

So what does Leila's typical toddler menu consist of?  What are this toddler's favorite foods?  I am not proud of this menu.  Don't share it, pin it, or even try to feed it to your child.  I can only hope that like me, she too will come to her senses and expand her menu as she grows up.  (I was the pickiest eater EVER. Some would say that I still am pretty picky.)

Leila loves to eat:

• cheese
• frozen waffles
• fruit- her favorites vary by what we we have in the house
• applesauce
• crackers
• quesadillas (plain cheese, with beans, chicken, or ground turkey)
• pretzels
• granola bars
• raisins
• Greek yogurt
• beans
• mac and cheese
• grilled cheese (sometimes she'll eat it with ham)
• Peanut butter and honey sandwiches (if I use the star cookie cutter)
• avocado
• mixed cereal trail mix with yogurt covered raisins
• pasta with tomato sauce (if she can remember that she likes it)
• olives
• pizza

Pretty boring, huh?  Like I mentioned, she does eat whatever I make for dinner, but it would never make her "favorites" list.  Leila is good about trying something new or taking another bite of something to get more of what she wants.  It's a work in progress.  

I seen so many lists like these with much better ideas on them.  I've had great intentions to make these creative toddler meals I've seen online, but buying all the ingredients can get pricey just to find out she won't even try it!  Any suggestions on how to expand this toddler's menu without breaking the bank or having a lot of waste?

My child is strange.

When Leila gets hurt, like trips over her own feet and skins her knee or gets whacked by a fellow toddler, she doesn't run to Mommy for a hug.  She doesn't run to Daddy either.

My child is strange.  Instead of looking for comfort, Leila runs away from it.

Asking her if she's okay just makes her yell, "No!"  Trying to give her a kiss makes her squirm.  Receiving any attention over getting hurt just makes things worse.

I know she's hurt.  I can tell by the tears or screams.  On the rare occasion that she does want me to pick her up and cuddle her, I know she's really feeling the pain, but the other 99% of the time, she deals with it in her own way.

Jeff and I have been discussing this quirk for a while now and we can't come up with an explanation.  Care to help?

Is she embarrassed?  Does she not like all the attention?  Are we doing something wrong?

Linking up again this week with Melissa over at Growing up Geeky.  This week's topic is funny or quirky habits.  I'm not sure Leila's behavior really fits into either category.

Two-year old Favorites {Toy Edition}

Leila just turned two and received some toys for her birthday that quickly turned into favorites.  Although I may have suggested a few of these gifts, none of the gifts from Jeff and I have made it on this list. (Go figure!)

1.  See that stroller?   Yep, Leila loves it.  Two-year old kids love pushing anything and her stroller is a favorite because I have one too.  She pushed her stroller (ditching it only a few times along the way) all the way to Aunt Val's house last weekend.  Luckily I convinced her that I did not also need to push a stroller with a baby doll in it.  Not to say that it won't happen in the future.

2.  Remember the Magna Doodle?  This toy has been played with daily since she got it.  I think she likes the fact that she can "color" whenever she wants without me nagging to keep the crayons on the table.  Leila was able to erase her pictures easily from the start, but prefers erasing mine.

3.  Books, books, and more books.  After I read a book to Leila she insists that it's her turn to read it.  Sometimes she can recall the text based on the pictures, other times she just reads in her head (I guess?!?).  The best books are the ones that we have two of- a board book and a regular copy.  This way we can read at the same time.  Like a typical two-year old, Leila loves to hear the same books over and over again.  I don't mind, with all the practice I get really good at reading them aloud with expression.

4.  This kitchen set took Jeff five (golf watching) hours to put together.  I swear it is nicer than my real kitchen.  She cooks, washes dishes, does laundry, and cleans up just like Mommy.  It has been a great distraction while I actually do those things.  Leila has been interested in doing "all things Mommy" for quite a while now, but I am glad we waited until she turned two for a kitchen set because she really knows how to play with it now.

With Christmas less than three months away I will be checking out other lists of Favorite Toddler Toys that have linked up with Melissa for Toddle Along Tuesday.

Go check them out...

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.