What We are Sipping on this Summer!

Besides today, it has been a pretty toasty summer so far!!  With that comes lots of liquids especially for the small people and baby producing people around here!  Oscar doesn't seem to mind drinking the same ol thing every day (besides sneaking a few swigs of Paige's milk from time to time) but the rest of us get tired of boring old water sometimes.  I allow myself one 8 oz. cup of coffee or tea each day and Paige of course gets no caffeine so we have been experimenting drinks lately.  We have finally found a couple of winners!!  Our most favorite:  a handful of frozen blueberries at the bottom of our glass of ice water!  I actually just started making it for Paige first and the other day I got really thirsty and didn't have a drink available so I took a swig of her sippy cup, yes I do this regularly, and it was a tasty treat!  It really tasted like juice almost with none of the negatives like packed with sugar or syrups!! 

Other tasty additions:  cucumber, lime, or lemon, mint leaves, basil....ahhh lime and mint!! I don't think we will apply for jobs at Sonic anytime soon but I thought we were being pretty creative and not adding 500 calories to our tasty drinks!!  

Paige Funnies...

A few funnies I want to remember...

Friday morning:

Paige comes over, sits on my lap and lifts my shirt to see "Sista Baby"...she says, "Do you want to see me Baby?! Do you want to see me?????"  It was sooo funny.  Her eyes were so close to my belly and she was dead serious! 

This morning:

We were watering our flowers in the backyard and right now Paige is quite obsessed with birds.  She wants to catch them, play with them, talk to them, share her juice with them...just anything.  I always tell her to leave her food on the ground she drops (mainly so she doesn't eat it) and the only thing that works to keep her from doing it is telling her the birdies will get it!  So...:

Paige hunches down kind of in a first base coach kind of stance and says "Birdies, where are you??  Come see me!  Paige has raisins!!!!"  I about lost it....Hilarious!!! 

A Journal is a Labor of Love

Over the past few months there has been an overwhelming message everywhere I go to "write it down"!  From church, to TV, to friends and family to my own conversations with myself.  A few weeks ago-maybe Mother's Day at Church-the message was about writing things down.  Blessings, answered prayers, prayer requests, etc.  Its such a great idea.  Reminds us to be thankful for answered prayers, realizing unanswered prayers were actually answered prayers in disguise and remembering to keep praying for those prayer needs not yet met. 

Yesterday I saw a Father's Day re-run of Oprah I haven't ever seen and I was sobbing!  The story that got to me was a soldier that had a baby on the way and he was deployed to Iraq.  His sweet wife sent him one of those legacy journals that kind of help you along and give you some topic ideas to write down for your family.  In his case, his unborn son.  This soldier was able to take two weeks of leave right after the baby boy was born and the family had an amazing time.  One month before his deployment was up though, this soldier was killed in a roadside bomb.  This journal along with a letter titled "A Soldier's Letter to His Son" is what he leaves behind for his son to know him.  My dad spent 30 years in the Air Force and more times than not I was praying hundreds of prayers a day that he would come home safe to us.  He did, each and every time. Thank you Jesus!  But I can relate to this woman and the steps she took to protect her husbands legacy.  Of course she could have told her son all about his dad had he not written in this journal but the things a person writes down are their own personal, deep thoughts that can't be told by anyone else in the world, no matter how well you know them. 

Tyler and I probably won't die in a roadside bomb but as grim as it sounds we don't know when we will go.  I want our children to always know how much we love them, the hopes and dreams we have for them, the prayers we pray over them, our deepest thoughts, concerns and unconditional love we have for them.  I want them to know about us, about their childhood and special memories, traditions, recipes, pets, family members and funny stories. 

This blog is a gift to our children.  Its a journal of our lives that they will have forever.  I love sharing with friends and family and really enjoy reading other blogs too but it has always been my main purpose to make a record for our children.  Paige is already obsessed with it!  She climbs in my lap when she sees it pulled up on the computer and asks for certain pictures to be pulled up.  "Haircut!!" "Boppy!!!!"  "Nonny!!!"  "Pappy's Truck!!!"  "Mommy!" "Bubba!"   "Again!"  Its so sweet and I can't wait until she reads stories of her life, my pregnancy with her and everything in between! 

Sometimes I get tired of blogging or just don't have anything to say but after little reminders like yesterday, I realize how important it is!  So if you have children, keep a notebook, journal, blog, something to write down all of the good stuff for them to really know you!  Someday it will be worth more than gold!!!!!!!!!!! 

"Jesus Loves Me"

Having a toddler, particularly a girl can be quite interesting!  On one end of the spectrum, Paige is very obedient, kind, and thoughtful.  On the other, she can be so dramatic and be at the brink of a meltdown over the slightest thing!  We went to the park with some friends this morning and she was such a good girl!  Then we get home to get fresh drinks and leave again to run some father's day/wedding gift errands and she went into crisis mode.  I let her get it all out of her system before leaving and then she was perfectly fine again. 

Then when we got home from our errands it was time to wind down for naptime.  I usually lay with her for a few minutes since she has been in her "big girl bed" and she always babbles or sings the sweetest things.  Today it took her longer than usual to fall asleep and just as I was about to lose my mind laying there, in the softest voice I hear her singing:

"Jesus loves me yes I know, for the bible tells me so!"

She sang it over and over and it was the sweetest thing ever!  Definitely makes up for the meltdown this morning! 

During storytime today she was reading one of her Bert & Ernie books about opposites.  She loves Bert & Ernie right now and was very excited to share them with Oscar and Sista Baby.  As she crams the book in Oscar's face and onto my belly I can't help but laugh hysterically as she tries to show a blind dog and a baby who well, has a bunch of skin blocking its view right now! But how I love how she loves both of them so much and truly loves sharing her favorite things with them! 

"I Pee in the Potty Like Mommy!!!"

Reader beware! If you don't care to read about the happenings in the Beaver Bathroom feel free to click away now!!  Don't worry...there won't be any photos!  Now for the three of you left...here is what's been happening in our transition from pampers to potty!!!

When Paige was about 17 months old we decided to purchase a child sized potty that sings a little song if you take care of any business inside! I had no intentions of having my baby potty trained by 18 months or anything but I did want to start talking about pottying, let her check out her new thrown and ask any questions she may have for awhile.  We talked, we played, we used it as a step ladder and then one day around 18 months she started pulling her pants down and sitting on the potty when I would use the restroom.  Her potty sits right next to ours...for your visual pleasure:) 

She didnt actually make any music for awhile but I was pleased she was acting out the motions and was putting it all together.  One day, I was putting on makeup and the song played for the first time!!!  I was kind of confused because I didn't know where the music was coming from then realized Paige took care of business for the first time on the potty!!!!  We had a huge celebration and from then on she has loved peeing in the potty--recreationally, not exclusively. 

For about a month or maybe a little longer, we have been wearing panties at home.  Interestingly enough, as thin as they are they soak up about any potty that is the result of an accident while giving the sensation of wet and uncomfortable! She rarely has an accident when we are home because she does not like being wet and she has learned when she needs to potty and can hold it the 30 seconds it takes to get to the potty!  We are so proud of her and are pretty confident she will be out of the diapers by her birthday--fingers crossed!! 

Yesterday was another big milestone.  Although she has been doing amazing with "peepee" she is very reluctant to take care of #2 on the potty.  She always tells me its time, I put her on the potty, she thinks about it, then asks for a diaper.  Well, while I was cleaning up the kitchen yesterday, she asked to go potty so I took her to the powder bath for her to use the big potty...she likes using the big ones sometimes.  She kept telling me she wasn't done so I told her I was going to go empty the dishwasher while she finished.  She remained on the potty for a few minutes and I kept checking to see if she was done...nope.  Finally she got a little irritated and asked for a diaper.  I told her to hang on and then went to get her.  Just as I was about to take her off the big potty, she made it happen!!!!  She looked terrified!!! As I see the fright in her eyes I start throwing a big celebration telling her how good she did and she did it just like mommy and daddy!!!  Her frown turned upside down and she was soooo happy!  When she went to flush (her favorite activity) she said, "Mommy!! There's dirt in the potty! Yuck!" I tried explaining it was #2 but she kept saying "It's dirt!"

I do apologize for all of the details but this is really for Paige when she grows up and start teaching her babies to pee pee on the potty so I want her to know every last detail...and to embarrass her when she brings home boys daddy doesn't like:) 

Now all of this so far is great and wonderful but the hard part for me (and probably every other mom) is getting from this point to full blown potty trained.  What do I do when we are at Wal-Mart for an hour? Their potties are grossioly and I won't even use them so how can I put my precious offspring on the germ battlefield!??!  What if she needs to go while we are driving and there isn't a good stopping point for several miles?!  What if we are at a park that has no restrooms?!  Basically, Paige is what I have coined as Home/Day potty trained.  I am not even concerned about night time yet...I can't imagine her tiny bladder could hold it 9 hours but as we have been potty training, her diapers are less and less wet in the mornings so that will work itself out...but Day/Out-and-About is what I am concerned with right now.  Do I stay home for the next month?  Can't do that we will starve and go mad all at the same time!!  Feel free to email me your tested secrets for this last bit of potty training!!  Can't wait to save $25 a week on diapers!!!! 

Oh...Paige is also potty training her cabbage patch doll. She occassionally takes her baby into the restroom, removes her diaper and sits her on the potty to take care of business!  Then she tells her "Good Girl!!!"  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA  Will follow-up later as to the success of the dolls potty training.  Stay tuned... 

The Beating of My Heart

This week I had my fifteen week check-up for sista baby! Wow, already out of the first trimester and almost time to find out if its a baby boy or baby girl!!!  We are so excited to find out even though we truly have no preference.  We know God will give us exactly what our family needs!  I feel so much less anxious this pregnancy, I guess because I have done it before there is less unknown.  Hearing my baby's heartbeat is the most wonderful sound!  It never gets less special or wonderful! Tears streamed down my face as I heard the music to my ears. 

Paige wanted to know everything about mommy and sista baby's "docta" appointment! We used her stethoscope so I could show her how the docta listened to the baby!  This morning she came running over to me, lifted up my shirt and while hugging my belly said, "I love you, Baby!" then kissed my belly and went on with her day!  I never imagined how much she would understand and I don't really know exactly what she understands but she does know there is a baby in my tummy that will soon live at our house that she can give bottles to!  That seems pretty impressive to me for a 22 month old! I love how Tyler lights up when he watches Paige talk to my belly and giving hugs and kisses to her tiny sibling! 

She likes to feed the baby with her fake doll bottle and also share her sippy cups with the baby.  Yesterday she told me the baby wanted some chips! HAHAHAHAHA 

"God's riches are very great, and his wisdom and knowledge have no end! No one can explain the things God decides or understand his ways." Romans 11:33

The Price We Pay for Beauty!

The time finally came for our little gal to need a haircut!  She has the same hair as me and when its short, it waves at the bottom, which is cute on an almost 2 year old.  Unfortunately, humidity is required for it to curl and look cute...so if you were say, in Vegas with no humidity, your hair would actually look like a mullet.  Daddy said its time for a haircut so we booked on for as soon as we got home at a fun salon with lots of pretty girls! Paige loves pretty girls!  As we talked about it with her the day before she was very excited and looked forward to the event even though she really had no idea what to expect!  We just kept telling her we can go get her hair fixed like mommy does!  She is very much into doing what mommy does these days! 

                    Ok, so it does look more like a mullet than cute, curly hair...give me a break, i'm her mom!! 

Being such a GOOD girl! She loved watching ladies around her get all glammed up!!

 
Getting her first baby bob!!
 

 SOOOOOO precious

 I found her the perfect reward for being a good, good girl at her haircut, sleeping in her big girl bed and using the potty all day long while we are at home!  A pair of wedge heels!!  She is obsessed with my heels and her grandma's!  As soon as she saw them she said "JUST LIKE GRANDMA's!!!"

 "Its no big deal, I can change the channel, swish my hair and wear high heels all at the same time..."

 This is her best super model face!  Looks pretty good to me!  I forgot to tell her to suck in though! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA 

We love you so much Paige and can't believe how grown up you are all of a sudden!!!  First haircut & heels 6-4-2011.

Viva Las Vegas!!!!!

I'm so sorry I have been a blog slacker!!!  Between morning (all day) sickness and summer fun and our amazing trip for 2 weeks to see Boppy and Grandma in Vegas...well, we have been pretty busy!!!  And I do mean busy!  Between my own hormone explosion happening at the creation of the baby in my belly and just being a mom...I have been so teary lately watching my "baby" get all grown up!!  I have several posts to catch everyone up on our little girls big milestones but we will stick to our trip for this one...
My parents live in Las Vegas and since I was in college I try very hard to visit every 3-4 months.  It is so very important now that there granddaughter asks about them every day!  Thankfully, since I am a stay at home mom, we are able to stay longer than a weekend! 
Paige, grandma and Luke (family dog) went on a walk every morning and about every evening!  They live on a golf course community and for some reason hundreds of bunnies gather and live in the quiet areas of the course where they walk!  Paige is still asking about the rabbits!!!  My dad's golfing buddy across the street has a fabulous pool so we also swam quite a bit!  Paige is obsessed with the pool and I really need to get her into some swim lessons since I am less than gifted in that department.  On the subject of swimming...Paige LOVED "swimming" in grandma's bath tub!  Its way bigger than any tub we have so she probably thought it was an indoor pool:)

Paige really enjoyed having grandma as her personal, gourmet chef too!  You can never go hungry at my parents house, seriously! Why is it the best food on earth is the food your parents make?!  Ahhhh how we enjoyed two weeks of indulgence!!! 

I also enjoyed a little girl time to celebrate one of my best friend's bachelorette party which happened to be in Vegas while we were there!!  Sooo much fun!!
                                          
Daddy had a great time too! Played several rounds of golf with my dad and enjoyed a few days off work!

And here are a few more pics to show some of our other activities!!
Shopping!                                                                 Monkey bars w/ boppy!

                                                sleeping in the princess tent with grandma

                                                 driving the grandparents weekend car!

baby slides                                                             feeding the fish and letting them nibble on fingers

 
Such a wonderful trip and so many wonderful memories!!  We already can't wait to go back!!!