Potty Training

**Censored: Non-parents of an 18 month old may find this blog inappropriate or crude as small amounts of toilet "humor" have been noted**

I've never been one to think that there was a right age for anything, especially when they are younger and learning the world around them. So, when our 17 month old starts talking about going "poop" we jumped on the opportunity of making a big deal of using the potty. Sitting on the potty immediately became the thing to do. When mommy had to go potty, it seemed to be the main attraction, thus encouraging Mia to start thinking and understanding when she would need to go potty.

My now 18 month old just went poop in the toilette for the first time this weekend! We were so proud of her, and by our reaction to this momentous occasion, one would have thought she had just won a million dollars. But our reaction only spurred on many more "potty" breaks that never really left any surprise floating below, but rather encouraged the whole routine:

• Sit her precious bottom on her "cushy tushy" potty seat
• wipe with big girl toilette paper
• flush the potty with mommy
• wave good bye to the water
• close the toilette seat
• wash hands in the big girl sink
• get showered with kisses and hugs for a job well done

What a fun stage to be going through! And so much fun to not have to clean up a bottom from that nasty mess!

Today's mood: pregnant

Sometimes, I just don't know how to explain "how I'm feeling" except "PREGNANT." Anyone who has been in this state understands exactly how I feel and how difficult it can be to answer that question. Though "good" and "blah" can escape the lips quite frequently, more often than not I prefer just stating the obvious.

At 22 weeks pregnant, with and 18 month (wow! is she that old already), vibrant and energetic daughter, and a full time - outside the home - job, my life is anything but dull at this moment. Mia is the highlight of so many smiles and much laughter in our home as we help her explore her world and all that interests her. Books, balls and teddy bears are among the top interests as well as mommy and daddy's shoes and pretending she is going "bu-bye." A frequent giver of hugs and the overuse of "momma? dadda?" make our hearts melt at every turn, as we try to soak up each and every moment.

Lilia is doing well...as far as I can tell. Pushing out my belly has become an act of Houdini as I wake up different than the night before. But the joy of "watching" her grow makes the butterflies increase as I anticipate her due date. She has become more and more active, yet considerably more subtle than what I remember of Mia, almost as if just to remind me that she is here and then she continues on is sweet slumber. We are excited to see her sweet face and kiss her little cheeks, including Mia, who is eager to hug and kiss "her baby" any chance she gets.

Please continue to pray for us as the Lord guides us through life and the doors He has for us. Though nothing drastic, we understand that He always has a plan and stagnant isn't one of them. We pray for wisdom and guidance as we continue through life, raising our beautiful girls and enjoying every aspect of our family.

Old Pictures yet Fun Memories

Earlier this summer we were blessed to take Mia to the zoo...again. This time, however, she was older, wiser, and ready to explore all the fun offered by Colorado Springs' famous zoo. We went with my family at a special rate thanks to Emily's business function happening there that evening.

Mia has totally been enthralled with animals thanks to Baby Einsteins Old McDonald movie and the various books that point out all sorts of God's amazing creatures. So, needless to say, the adventure to the zoo was both breathtaking and beautiful as we watched her take it all in with amazement.

The first place we visited was the bird house where you get to stand amidst all the birds buzzing around with excitement. With eyes wide as saucers, Mia's mouth was held in a constant "o" formation as the words "oh wow" eagerly escaped her lips with but a whisper. She was totally enthralled with all the buzzing and hype, and I'm sure a little frustrated that daddy was only going to hold her during this time.

As always, you get to see the peacocks walking around and as they flaunted their beautiful feathers and eagerly called in their native language, Mia mimicked with an elegant "SKWACK...SKWACK!!!"

We saw lions and tigers and bears...OH MY! Mia's favorite, by far though, was the petting zoo for little ones. She was up close and personal with the goats, and as she giggled and reached out to touch them, they would run away, keeping the moment oh so exciting. Located right next door was a pot-belly pig who snorted with enthusiasm at Mia's pointed finger in its direction.

Following the petting zoo, we headed toward the giraffes. We found their special food and as we kept close watch on Mia, making sure she didn't think it was her snack, we allowed her to feed the funny looking creatures. As their long, sloppy tongues swooped over the gate, Mia got distracted between actually feeding them or trying to grab them. It was so entertaining and we had to practically give her a bath in the hand sink after we were finished.

At the end of the evening, Casey took Mia on the merry-go-round, a first time adventure for our blooming toddler. At first, her precious little face had a grin stretched wide as she sat high atop her pretty horse. But as the ride started to go around...and around...her expression turned very serious as if this was a job needing full concentration. I thought for sure that she would be done with Merry-Go-Rounds as I watched this serious look creep across her face, but as Casey forced her little legs to loosen their grip on the horses back, Mia eagerly pointed at the ride shouting "More! More!"

The zoo was so much fun with our little girl, mostly because of her expressions and remarks that made the magic of the place come alive.

It's a girl :)

With much anticipation, we headed toward the doctor's office to see our little baby yesterday. At 20 weeks and one day, I am over joyed that I am "half way there." Don't get me wrong, I enjoy being pregnant for the beautiful outcome, but I have realized that I just do not do pregnancy well. I know and accept that some women naturally enjoy, thrive and even crave the whole experience of pregnancy, but my body will not allow that; it is merely a means to a beautiful end, which I feel fine with. :)

With that said, my pregnancy with this baby has been, overall, a much smoother experience than with Mia. Not quite as sick, but I am still having "morning" sickness with a cloud of nausea that follows me around. But, I don't mind it that much as long as I keep things down. My secret weapon as of late...Orange Tea. YUM!

So, back to the exciting news. We did get to see our precious little girl, Lilia Amy, yesterday, and she is beautiful! I already see a difference between her and Mia, which is such a joy. We could not be more thrilled, and Daddy, especially, is way excited for a new little princess.

Enjoy her pictures :

Like this, mommy?

Using a fork is kind of tricky, mom, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. Don't you, mom? Look at me go!

Are you still taking pictures, mom? seriously...

Pool Time

Mia L-O-V-E-S the water.

Sprinklers...

Bath tub...

Pouring out her sippy cup...

and the pool!

Recently Grandma bought a little pool for Mia that she can enjoy all through the days when she is at her house. Mia just loves it! I even use it as a bribe sometimes when she is having a tough time getting out of the house...

"Mia. Do you want to swim in your pool?" Mia eagerly runs to the back sliding door. "No honey. It's at Grandma's house. We have to go out the front door to the car." Mia quickly pivots on her sweet little toes and runs to the front door.

Yup, I'm a bribing momma. But only when it is truly beneficial for my daughter, and something I already know she is going to do/get. So, really, I'm just using the future as motivation.

Oh, the sweet moments

Each day is a breath of fresh air as we experience the little life of Mia. She has a personality that will knock your socks off as she grows and learns so many new things every day. In trying to capture all the moments I have but a few pictures to go a long with the many stories.

Mia loves all the different animals that vibrate. Grandmama has a "Elmo" that dances and vibrates which Mia loves to hold as it does the little dance. We own a tickle doll of sorts that vibrates like crazy along with some other toys that do the same thing. She just thinks they are the greatest thing. The other day, Aunt Emily found a vibrating animal in Target (Mia's favorite store according to Aunt Emily) and Mia had a great time with it! She loved it so much I can only imagine the fight put up when Aunt Emily put it away. :)

Mia is such a well behaved little girl. Casey and I feel truly blessed to have a child that loves to obey (unless she is obviously tired) and prides herself in "helping out." She is diligent at picking up her toys when she is told, loves to run little "errands" for mommy and daddy, and even mimics our cleaning habits and helps alongside. She is a good little helper and we love that. Mia's latest things when picking up her toys, is actually sitting in her toy basket and putting the toys in around her. She thinks this is SO funny!

Though Mia doesn't use her paci very much anymore (only when she is in her bed) I found this picture and thought it was hilarious. Whenever Mia finds more than one paci, she must switch between all of them. I'm pretty sure she has it timed just right so that each paci has equal time in the mouth, careful to not show favoritism. OR she just sucks on them both at one time!

We went shopping with Uncle Eric and Aunt Emily and found this fun little stroller to ride in. Mia was so excited about it and, like a big girl, had her hand on the steering wheel "driving" the whole time. I'm pretty sure she thought "I'm pretty hot stuff!"

I now I've written about this before, but Casey is the ONLY parent who can rock Mia to sleep at night. The other night, Casey had an evening out with some of his buddies, so I was left to tackle the bedtime routine. A normal, uneventful routine suddenly turned into a nightmare as Mia was very adamant that daddy be here and not mommy. From 6:30 to 9:00 PM we battled as Mia dramatically called to daddy through her face soaking sobs. When she finally tired herself out, she fell into a restless sleep. Needless to say, Daddy was charged to say hi to her and kiss her when he got home. What a dramatic adventure that was.

Last, but not least, this is an all to familiar picture of Mia in our car rides. She is so sweet when she sleeps in her car seat.

An Important Mission...

In planning and dreaming of precious baby #2, Casey and I have been scouring the baby books for the most perfect girl names. We have agreed on a little boy name, but can not agree on a little girl name. Thousands of names have crossed our path, but not one has made both of us excited. So, I challenge you for your most beautiful suggestions. Now, don't give away the names you have tucked away for your next little girl; I don't want to gain the title Name Thief, but I would like to add some other options into the mix.

Here are some guidelines:
1. Fairly creative (I don't like names used by everyone)
2. A middle name option wouldn't hurt too
3. The name meaning, if you have it

Thanks! I look forward to seeing all the creative suggestions

I'm a barbie girl...

As a mother of a rapidly growing daughter, my eyes have become more aware of the poor image young girls have given themselves. Everywhere I look I see young, impressionable girls settling themselves into an image that hinders them soaring past mediocre. Young girls, dressed in clothing short of a prostitute label, strutting their stuff for all to observe, hanging on the arms of boys going nowhere fast. Since when did this become the ultimate dream? When do girls decide that this image exudes beauty and fame, unlike the modest, adorable clothing that line department store racks and truly show off a feminine frame?

The other day I was in Wal-Mart when a young girl walked in who immediately made my heart drop. Not only was her outfit unbecoming of her size, but it left nothing to the imagination. She strutted after a boy who seemed to have no interest in her other than the quick "dog like" calls and signals he flung her way. As I left the store with my gorgeous daughter, I prayed, "Oh Lord, please help us to teach our daughter what is truly holy and lovely in your eyes." As quickly as I finished the Wal-Mart Greeter shouted out "I hope you never let your daughter dress like that!" I grinned a "me too" smile, with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

The loss of innocence. Something I am not looking forward to in parenting.

Mia Adventures

Thursday was a normal evening for us. Ate a delicious meal of homemade chicken noodle soup (no. Seriously. It was from "scratch") then we went about our individual chores before Mia's bedtime. I "eagerly" tackled the pile of dishes taking up residence in the sink, while Casey took Mia outside to water the carefully manicured lawn encouraging more grass growth and ultimate beauty.

I could hear Mia giggling outside as she ran through the sprinklers and spent quality time with Daddy. Eager to be amidst all the fun, I hurried to finish the dishes, cleaned up the counters and dining table, and then my way out the front door to sit on the steps and watch the fun.

As soon as I sat down, my precious little Mia came running up to give me one of her sweet kisses and heart-melting hugs. I just love when she does that! Then, practicing a skill she has mostly mastered, she climbed the stairs and went inside. I followed to get some water for my pretty flowers, and then called to her to come back outside as I went to feed my thirsty blooms. Almost immediately, we heard creeeek and then clunk, latch. Wide-eyed, Casey and I looked at each other with the same question on our minds..."Did you unlock the bottom lock?"

Oh dear! Mia had locked both Mommy and Daddy out of the house. As we frantically tried to remember what possible way we may be able to get in the house, fully aware that both sets of keys and phone were sitting on the kitchen counter, Mia waved at us from inside the window. So, as daddy went barefoot around back (through our backyard affectionately known as the Sahara dessert), mommy peered in through the front window to try and entertain Mia, thus keeping her from running all over in complete chaos. To my delight she was quite entertained with mommy peering through the window at her, waving and making silly faces. At one time, Mia looked at me, pointed at the door, and said "please." HA! I looked at her, without trying to laugh at how adorably innocent that request was, and said "Sweetheart! I can't...you locked mommy out." Obviously she didn't understand with the repeated questions to follow.

Within minutes, Casey found a window that was slightly open in which he could remove the screen and wiggle his way into the house. Mia was so excited to see her daddy, and I was just as relieved.

Note to self...ALWAYS unlock the bottom lock.

pretty please

Well, I am in week 11, working full-time and running after an ever busy toddler. Though not nearly as strong as my first pregnancy, the morning sickness is starting to get the best of me. Really, the term "morning sickness" is not as accurate as "all day sickness." So, I continue to munch on anything healthy, that doesn't appear dry for fear of gagging, and trying to not allow my weight to skyrocket only to revisit "The Tank" body later on in my pregnancy. I'd rather keep the weight on a more manageable level this time around.

I am having difficulties feeling pretty no matter what I do. Now, I understand that the accumulation of morning sickness, bloated belly and all around exhaustion are the main contributors to the low self-esteem, BUT if any of you have some creative spirit lifting ideas to make a mommy feel special and pretty, I would love to hear them.

On a more exciting note, Mia is growing at a rapid rate. Every day there are new experiences and wonders to behold that make our little Angel say "oh wow" or "wo-oh." She is a bundle of laughter and joy. Some new words she is saying:

Mia-ease:
ah duh (all done)
bopa (papa/grandpa)
baud (bird)
dog dog (dog/bear/any fuzzy animal)
doobadoobadooba (the item she wants right then)
hhhh-aaaut (hot)
ha-CKKKK (hawk - except she clears her throat at the end)
Ima/mamamama (grandma/grandmama)
boop (poop)
boo (book)
dock (rock)
ump (up)
owsigh (outside)

She runs everywhere, has a knack for "organizing" everything, and loves to "read" her book as she sits in her little rocking chair. We are so enjoying the little life the Lord has blessed us with. She brings so much joy to anyone who is around her.

More fun stories to come from the Zoo, our new house projects and other highlights that will make you smile. AND I'll post pictures. :)

well...

Round number two!

Blogging Habits and photo time

Okay. I admit. My blogging habits have been worse than horrible the past few months. If I had to make an excuse, I would use the fact that we have not only looked and offered, but purchased and moved into a new home; I have been unbelievably busy at work and my efforts in that arena (more to come later..seriously...I promise); I am now knee deep in the life of a budding toddler - need I say more; and, back to my house, I am desperately trying to spend every waking moment make my new pad an actual home! Even with all of these excuse, I realize that my anticipating public desires updates on my life, so I promise to attempt a more consistent writing schedule to give you a peek into our little life.

One of the many fun things that has happened is that Mia turned one in March and we had a fabulous party for her. So many friends and family arrived to celebrate her big day. We also took her 12 month pictures. We found a fabulous photographer named Cristy owner of Photography by Cristy who did the most amazing job. Her style is so fresh and unique as she captures the beauty in every movement. One thing I love is though Mia was fussy and not terribly excited about the shutter in her face, the pictures do not reflect her less that normal personality for the day. I highly recommend this photographer...you will not be disappointed. Enjoy the pictures and contact Cristy for all of your photography needs!

This is the dress that my mom and I both wore during our 12 month photos too

One year today

My precious Mia Bella ~

A year ago, today, my heart fluttered with excitement as I dreamed about seeing your lovely face. Daddy and I could hardly stand the anticipation!

You have been the cream filling in our lives for the last year! The picture of perfection between two complete halves. Our life could never be complete without waking every morning to your beautiful smile and sweet, innocent hugs. Your beautiful spirit reaches to smooth any wounded soul, and your spunk challenges even the best of them to watch their back!


You are a beautiful girl, and I love you so dearly. I pray that the Lord continues to draw you to Him. I pray that your beautiful spirit longs to mirror your Savior, and that you learn exactly who you were made to be. The world will never be the same since you have graced it with your presence. You have so much to do, little one; there are tasks that only you can handle. If you keep your innocence and follow His leading, nothing can stand in your way.

Happy Birthday, Baby! I'm excited for so many more.

Love you forever, Mommy

Cousin Adventures

This weekend, Papa and Grandmama were watching Mia's cousin, AlliKaye, for the weekend as her parents enjoyed a little getaway. So, with Mia's persistent begging, we headed over there for some playtime.

They were so excited to see each other. While Mia flapped her arms in obvious excitement, AlliKaye continuously said "Where's Mia Bella?" and "Hi Mia Bella" and "Let's show Mia Bella." It was a fun time together. AlliKaye showed Mia all of her books and her big girl bed...they even tried to take a nap together with unsuccessful results.

After sharing a bag full of gold fishy crackers, Grandmama and I took the girls to the park. Eager to show Mia the rules of the playground, AlliKay ran all around showing Mia the slide, the appropriate stares, and even how to giggle with glee! Mia, feeling as though she was ready to tackle this new adventure, pointed excitedly at the playground; It was time to move in!

Mia loved climbing the stairs and going down the slide. Her face was priceless! She giggled and giggled, so full of joy to be part of the big kid crowd.