Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Calling all experts....

I tend to blog a lot about all the good stuff in our life but I skim right over the top of all the not so pleasant stuff.....like the tantrums and misbehaving. But trust me this stuff does happen and I'm at my wits end. I know there are at least 3 people out there that read this and I hope that you can all help.

Here is the deal...Jaelynn is very stubborn and things are getting kind of out of hand. When I tell her I'm going to sit her in time-out or in the corner she laughs and thinks it is a game. I thought maybe I should find a rug or a chair and have it be the time-out spot but I'm not sure if this is going to work. I mean, the child puts her toys in time out!

Another thing that we are having a problem with is hitting. She doesn't really hit other kids but she hits me and her grandma and sometimes Kevin. We discipline her...not that it helps a lot....then make her tell us she is sorry. Here is the kicker though....she won't say she is sorry!

I know a lot of this is the age but I'm so scared that my sweet little baby is turning into a brat! If I offer to send cookies to anyone who gives me advice will that help?

Thursday, August 6, 2009

She's a big girl now

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I know that it had to happen eventually. I just didn't think it would happen so soon! Friday evening we picked up Jaelynn's big girl bed. As promised we also took her shopping to pick out her own decorations...with my guidance of course. I must say that I do love what we picked out and so does she!

Saturday morning...before I could change my mind....I took down the crib. I didn't stop to think about the very first time I laid my baby in the crib, until later. I didn't think about it Saturday morning, when I went in to pick my sleepy-eyed baby up, that it would likely be the last time I ever take her out of a crib. I just did it and threw myself into the set up and decorating.

We've had a couple of rough nights but I went and got a bed rail and that has made a huge difference. All in all, Jaelynn loves her new big girl room! And mommy and daddy...well...we love that we can sneak in and snuggle with our munchkin.

Here are a few pictures. I'm doing some more decorating this weekend and hanging things up but this is the start. Oh, and as if having a big girl bed wasn't enough, Jaelynn woke up dry the other morning and proceeded to use the big girl potty! Don't worry....I'll get use to this big girl thing....

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Friday, July 24, 2009

Kids say the darndest things....

This is just going to be a post of funny things heard around our house at any given time of day. Life with a 2 year old is almost always entertaining!

*Set the scene...Progressive Insurance commercial comes on....Jaelynn says "Power to the people!" and shoots her hand up in the air.

*Set the scene....Subway commercial comes on..Jaelynn says "Eat Fresh"

"Daddy...that not nice...say sorry to Mommy right now! Kiss her!"

"Elmo bit me! Bad Elmo!"

"Mommy!! I poopin!!" (generally shouted from across the house)

"Zekie (the dog), that my mommy! Don't follow her!"

"You want chicken? Or tacos?"

"Bye dumb dog!"

Other funny things to note....Jaelynn has mastered the stairs and she darts up them at least once a night when I'm not looking. She has also taken to sleeping with at least 2 sometimes 3 of her blankies at once. When the phone rings...you better pray that you are faster then her because she has figured out how to answer it! Kev and I tried to fix this problem by just hiding the phone but then we can't find it when it rings. Have a great weekend!

*How the child picks up these commercials is beyond me. We have the tv on but she never watches it...I just assumed she wasn't even paying attention to it!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

The Party

Saturday night couldn't have turned out more perfect for us! The weather was great, the food yummy and the company the best! Jaelynn got spoiled of course, but a girl only turns 2 once! Kevin was in charge of the camera most of the time so I didn't get many pictures but I'll post a few.

Monday we had Jaelynn's 2 year well child visit. She weighs 28 pounds and is 35 inches tall! Dr. Amy is very pleased with her growth and verbal skills. We also got the green light to switch to 2% milk and start a vitamin with iron. She also told me that it is totally normal for toddlers to be somewhat vegetarian. The best news though is that we don't have to go back for a year!

Here are some pictures from the party. Enjoy!

My watermelon boat...I'm really proud of this!
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Jaelynn's cupcake cake....
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Loving all of her presents...
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Sleepy little birthday girl....
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We love you sweet pea!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Happy birthday Jaelynn!!

How is it possible that I have a 2 year old! It doesn't seem like that long ago we were all wondering if I would make it to the end of July. It seems like just yesterday my feet and hands were swollen beyond recognition. But...it has already been 2 years since the doctors performed the c-section that gave me my little girl.

Jaelynn....you are amazing! I have loved every minute of the last 2 years and can't wait to see what this year brings us! Lets do a recap of the last year.

- You went from scooting, to crawling, to walking, to running
- You now have a very large vocabulary...that you use often to express your likes and dislikes
- You went from eating small chunks of table food to devouring everything in sight
- You can now reach the counter tops...so nothing is safe
- You climb with ease and have no fear
- You have mastered the stairs and sneak up them every chance you get

Likes:
- Chicken
- Elmo and Ernie
- Baths...but not hair washing
- Little People...or Peoples as Jaelynn calls them
- cuddling with mommy and daddy at night to avoid bedtime
- your blankie and nukie
- dogs

Dislikes:
- Being told no
- Not getting your way
- Having to leave mommy and daddy all day
- Meat that doesn't have sauce on it
- Toys that bite

Princess you have taught your daddy and I so much in the last year! We thought that having a newborn was hard...and it is...but having a toddler is hard in a different way. We just hope that we are doing everything the right way and we hope you realize how much you are loved! We hope your birthday is magical and special and that all of your candle wishes come true little one!

I'll leave you with one last thought....a then and now. Everyone told me that time would go by fast. Turns out this is one time that everyone is right.

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Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Father's Day

This year we did something a little different for Father's Day. I still cooked Kev his favorite foods and we still spent some family time together. But my mom came down to watch the bug for us so we could go to the first annual John Wetzel Memorial Race.

John passed away in January this year and he was a very dear friend of ours. We miss him very much and have enjoyed being with his family, also our close friends, to share his memories.

The race and tailgating was amazing. There must have been 60 of us all sporting t-shirts in his honor. It felt good to sit in the bleachers again and it brought back a lot of memories from Kevin's racing days. There is just something about the smell of racing the fuel and the taste of ice cold beer on a hot June day. It was of course one of the hottest days of the summer yet and by then end of the night I was tired, sweaty and covered in dirt. But every second of it was worth it and so much fun.

John's brother drove the 61J in the feature parade laps. It was a very touching moment to see the 61J on the track again. The only thing that could have made it better is if John himself were in the driver seat getting ready to kick some butt. We miss you so much John! Your memory will live on forever.

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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Don't Shoot!

If I post super cute pictures will you please not stone me for being gone so long?

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That would be my adorable niece on the left! She is 14 months and makes me want another baby so bad! Jaelynn loves her cousin.

We have been busy as always at our place. We are preparing for the big 2 year birthday and adjusting our house to fit this soon to be 2 year old. After much discussion we have decided it is time to switch to a big girl bed. Our dc provider told me yesterday that Jaelynn is sleeping on mat like the rest of the big kids now! So I think we are going this weekend to get a twin size mattress and box spring. I want my baby back!!

We are also working on potty training. We are averaging about 3 times a week using the potty which I think is great! Jaelynn is starting to tell us when she needs to go which is a huge step in the right direction.

As much as I miss my tiny baby, the little girl that Jaelynn is growing up to be is pretty amazing. She is so smart and funny! We have our moments when I really want to pull my hair out but I have to realize that she is just testing us!

The hot weather has arrived to our state! Kevin and I are going to look at pools this weekend. We have a great public pool but Kevin doesn't get home until late and would just like to be able to chill in his own yard. I'll hopefully post pictures of a shiny new pool soon!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

If....

It is a beautiful rainy day here today. Perfect really after a long stretch of sunny days. You need a little rain to break up the sunshine I think. But, alas, it is making me a little blue.... The rain is making me think of what I would be doing if I were at home with Jaelynn right now....

If I were at home with Jaelynn we would be napping with the windows open covered by the "soft blankie". I always put Jaelynn in her crib for sleep time. I can only count a handful of times in the last year when I haven't. She sleeps better in her bed and I usually use nap time to get household chores done. But not today. Today we would curl up together and I would cherish the feel of her warm little body next to me.

We would be so tired because if we were home right now we would have spent the morning doing something very important to us. Jaelynn and I would have baked daddy cookies. Very serious and very hard work! After baking cookies and cleaning up we would sit on the floor and play This Little Piggy or tickle monster. Together we would sing Twinkle Twinkle and our ABC's a hundred times. Do you see why we would be so tired?

After our long nap we would sit out on the porch and watch it rain some more. Jaelynn would take my order...her new favorite pass time...and make me turkey. Then she would insist on brushing my hair and putting on my make-up and primping me until I look just right. By this time in the day I would have to break myself away from my little mini me for just a few moments to switch out some laundry but she wouldn't mind. Princess loves to unfold the laundry I fold and refold it herself.

Perfection. A 4 day weekend with my little bug. It hurt to drop her off today.... I know it hurt her too. Because it is raining and she knows that rainy days are best spent with mommy. Baking cookies for the man we both love and cuddling and laughing and sleeping.

I miss my little bug today.....

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Jaelynn does Sesame Street Live!

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3 tickets on opening night: $49

dinner at Perkins: $30.93

Parking: $6

Seeing Jaelynn's face light up with the opening number: Priceless!

If you have young children and the chance to see this show, please take them! Jaelynn loved the show and was so good! I'm pretty sure that is the longest I've seen her be occupied with something since we introduced her to The Fox and the Hound! I'm so glad we went.

I really thought Abby Cadabby would steal the show for my little girl...but I was wrong. When Elmo came out I'm pretty sure she wet herself! And when the furry little monster left...she cried! She sang and danced along to itsy bitsy spider and even did her best to participate with the characters. When she noticed that Elmo and Abby were going out into the audience she held up her hands...I'm so sad I didn't spring for the VIP seats that would have allowed her to hug them! When all was said and done we did leave about 10 minutes early because Jaelynn's eyes were drooping and her 22 month attention span was shot.

With that being said....producers of Sesame Street Live:

Ditch the intermission. Make the show an hour long and sell your $8 Elmo balloons (we didn't get one) after the show. I promise you will still sell 200 of them.....especially if you make sure parents have to pass the balloons to get out the door.

Other fun and exciting family activities we want to do this summer:

Omaha Zoo
Iowa Cubs Game
Iowa State Fair
Farmers market

We just love giving our girl happy things to dream about!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Better then chicken!

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That is exactly how I would describe my Mother's Day! We kept things pretty low key this year. Just spent the day with our moms and our beautiful daughter and niece. Instead of the chicken I expected, Jaelynn decided to get me some lovely picture frames for my soon to be gallery wall. I just love them and can't wait to see her pictures in them!

Instead of going out to eat this year I decided to do what I do best....I cooked brunch to honor our mothers. The menu was fruit salad, a yummy sausage, egg, hash brown and cheese casserole and my famous homemade cinnamon rolls. Trust me...it was just as good as it looks!

After brunch and some visiting with the family we laid Jaelynn down for a nap and mom and I headed to town for a pedicure! I tell you what...I need to do this more often! My toes are beautiful and my feet feel wonderful!

Like I said...it was a pretty uneventful day. I love when we can just relax and spend time with our family without rushing around. Our big exciting news for the weekend is.... WE ARE TAKING JAELYNN TO SEE SESAME STREET LIVE!!! Friday night! I'm so excited and can't wait to share pictures with everyone!!

Monday, May 11, 2009

An important lesson indeed

I love a good life lesson. They make me realize things in my life and help me to be a better person all around. I love them even more when my daughter teaches them to me and they make me a better mommy.

Saturday Jaelynn and I had to run into Des Moines to get Mother's Day gifts and the rest of the food for Sundays brunch. Oh yeah...I threw a brunch to honor the moms...more about that later. Anyway, one of our stops was the mall. So we went and got the grandma's their gifts and Jaelynn and I decided to stop at the food court and eat. We had such a wonderful time sharing a slice of pizza and salad. I found us a nice little corner booth and we sat next to each other. She had to stand or be on her knees so she could reach the table and after each bite she would grab my face, kiss me and tell me she loved me. We took our time and spent a good 30 minutes eating our meal. Then I let her walk instead of ride in the stroller back to our car...on the other side of the mall.

I realized while I was getting pizza face kisses that my time with Jaelynn needs to me more about quality. We spend a lot of time together. The girl is my little side kick. But it isn't always quality time. We are so busy at night that we rush home to fix supper, rush through supper, rush to take a bath and then read a couple of books quickly or just cuddle. On the weekends we are on the go and if we are at home I'm cleaning or catching up on laundry from the week.

I wanted to cry when this hit me because now I feel like I haven't given her enough of me in the last 22 months...which I know isn't true. I love this little girl so much that I can't even put that love into words. When I really sit down and think about it my heart swells and almost breaks because I love her so so much. It is a love that she won't even understand until she is much older and a mother herself. In those moments Saturday night I realized that I need to slow down and enjoy this. If a load of laundry doesn't get done it isn't going to be the end of the world. If I get pizza on my face and shirt because she is giving me hugs and kisses then I need to realize how lucky I am to have those hugs and kisses. This is my promise to you Jaelynn....more quality time with Mommy and Daddy. Less rushing and more slowing down to look at the rock or flower with you, even if that means it takes us longer to get somewhere. More sweet little girl...more of everything we can give you.....

Friday, May 8, 2009

Hi Cow!

Jaelynn got to experience the country life a little over the weekend thanks to our good friends. They have recently purchased a bottle calf for the boys and invited us out for a visit. Jaelynn is currently obsessed with animals...especially farm animals...so I couldn't pass this one up!

We were greeted at the farm by a couple of coon dogs. Jaelynn does a wonderful coon dog impersonation. Once our friend arrived and unloaded the boys were were off.

Now...I'm like 90-95% city. We live in a very small town and I consider it in the country because I have to drive 8 miles to the nearest grocery store. So I show up at the farm wearing capris and flip flops. Jaelynn was also sporting capris but thankfully I had enough sense to put tennis shoes on her! Anyway...the point is we had to actually walk through the pasture a little to get to the barn that housed Olive (the bottle calf). Thankfully the ground wasn't too muddy but we still did have to be careful of the cow pies...and I carried Jaelynn because she said it was icky.

We walked into the barn and there stood the cutest little cow I think I have ever seen! I'm pretty sure Jaelynn peed her pants. She smiled and said "Hi cow!" My little girly girl even pet the cow and got a kiss! I love that I have friends that live in the country so that I can give Jaelynn a taste of this life too! As soon as everyone is healthy we are going to make another trip out to the farm to gather chicken eggs!

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What should we get Mommy?

My dear sweet husband called me today to relay a conversation he had with Jaelynn....

Kevin "Jaelynn...what do you want to get mommy for Mother's Day?"

Jaelynn "Ummm...chicken!"

Last year I got toast and coffee in bed and a gift certificate for a massage. This year I'll be hosting a Mother's Day brunch and getting chicken... I will be teaching Jaelynn how to say diamonds for next year!

Don't forget to spoil your moms on Sunday. They do a lot more then you could ever imagine!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

An Easter Recap

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On April 11 Jaelynn got to enjoy her first egg hunt...and enjoy it she did! I can't even explain to you the joy that filled my heart as I watched her find those little plastic eggs. Yeah I know...it was just an egg hunt but seeing her face is what did me in. It made me once again grateful at the chance to see the world through her eyes for a split second.

To say she did well is an understatement! At one point Jaelynn set her basket down because it was too full and heavy and just ran to the eggs and back to her basket. Then Grandma came to the rescue and stuck some of the eggs in her pocket! At the end of the hunt Jaelynn dashed across the park yelling "Papa!! LOOK!!" Kevin had to miss the hunt but I did get tons of pictures and a couple of videos. If anyone can tell me how to load a video I'll put one up.
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I also decided that dying eggs would be a great activity for us. I won't say much about it because it was kind of a flop this year. Jaelynn thought we were all having coffee and Kevin was really not in the mood. But it did yield me lunch for a couple of days!

We spent Easter with our families...splitting the time up as best as we could. Thanks to the wonderful haul that Jaelynn brought home at the egg hunt, the Easterimg_1199 Bunny didn't have to bring any candy! He did bring some very fun bath toys though....which later turned out to be a little much for my neat freak of a daughter! (Don't worry...I will elaborate on this in a separate post...I'm just sad that I didn't get any pictures!)

After donning our Sunday best we headed to church to watch the Word of Life team put on an amazing drama. It gave me chills and made me cry. It was also a great reminder that Easter isn't about dying eggs, Easter egg hunts or the Easter Bunny. It is about Christ dying for all of us and then rising again. The ultimate sacrifice.

And because I'm so not busy and I don't have enough going on I decided to host an Easter dinner that evening! It was fantastic but a major last minute decision...which I hate. Kevin, Jaelynn and I were at Fareway at 7 pm, the night before a holiday trying to find a ham. We wound up with a 20 pound ham. Not only did we all stuff ourselves silly but everyone was sent home with a bag of ham and my homemade rolls!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

The eating strike is over!!

The past couple weeks have been rough at our house around meal time. For some unknown reason Jaelynn just decided that she didn't want to eat anymore. If she did eat it was very very little. I started to panic a little. Jaelynn has always been an amazing eater for me and now suddenly she was turning up her nose to even chicken!! Kevin and I just had to wait this out and use a little tough love. We would fix her plate and she would have to eat at least a few bites before she could get down. If she asked for a snack later the answer was no. In my defense...I don't put food in front of her that I know she won't eat. For instance...if we are having tacos I will fix her chicken nuggets because I know she won't eat tacos. This didn't just happen at dinner. It was happening at breakfast and lunch too! But over the weekend that all changed!

Saturday morning Jaelynn actually ate a really good breakfast! Then we made the long drive to my brothers and around 2 we had lunch. She ate again....2 pieces of pizza! Since she had done so well for 2 meals I didn't have high hopes for supper but she shocked me once again! This week the reports from Monica and grandma have been good...Jaelynn is eating and asking for seconds.

So last night I fixed one of her favorite meals...spaghetti of course! We sat down to eat and Jaelynn took 2 bites and said she was done! I told her that if she ate all of her supper I would give her a special treat. What do you think...did this plate deserve dessert or what!?img_1170

True to my word I let her have a chocolate pudding cup...by herself....

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But at least she ate.....

Mommy brain fart

The sad thing is I don't even have an excuse. Like I can usually blame things on waking up late or dealing with a crabby Princess in the mornings but not this time.

This morning I woke up at 6 like always. I wanted to get up at 5:30 to spend some time with the elliptical but no big deal. I spent the same amount of time in the shower and by the time I was getting dressed I was actually ahead of schedule.

I went downstairs and it was actually before 6:30! I started the coffee and filled my water jug. Fixed my toast and decided against bring my lunch. Let the dog out, fed and watered him and loaded the car. By 6:40 I was heading back upstairs to set out Jaelynn's clothes and wake her up.

I like to leave plenty of time in the mornings to cuddle because Jaelynn doesn't like mornings...not even a little bit...unless she wakes up on her own. So we snuggled until 6:55 and went back to her room to get dressed and do her hair. We headed downstairs and got our shoes on and were out the door by 7:06.

We were headed into town and I could hear the little turkey back there trying to undo her shoes. I told her it was chilly outside so they needed to stay on! We get to Monica's and I plop Jaelynn down to take her shoes off. Then I saw it.... I put Jaelynn's shoes on the wrong feet!! I'm sure it isn't the last time I'll do that but I really hope in the future I have an excuse....

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Happy 1st Birthday!!

Saturday we made the long drive to my brother's for Jaiden's first birthday. Jaelynn was an absolute dream in the car. This was our first "road trip". She slept most of the time which gave her about a 4 hour nap all together on Saturday.

Because my brother lives so far away we don't spend much time together and the girls don't really see much of each other. Jaelynn sure does love her cousin though! She gave her kisses right away and kept talking about the baby we bought her. She also sang Jaiden her own version of happy birthday. Very cute!

Saturday night we went over to our good friend's house for pizza and hang out time. The kids were all really good and "Uncle" Brian decided to bring out his old He Man action figures. I think the big kids had more fun playing with them though!

Let's see...I'll bullet point a couple of funny things that have went on in the past few weeks:

-I stepped outside to light the grill and my MIL stopped by. I checked on Jaelynn who was playing in the living room and ran out to talk to MIL for a few minutes. When I came back inside my daugther had no pants....so now we have to be very careful about sweat pants because she is starting to undress herself....

-Sunday morning Kevin was watching Jaelynn and she figured out how to take her diaper off....We are now in big trouble!!

-Last night Jaelynn learned how to say cock-a-doodle-doo. It is soo stinkin cute!

-Full sentences are coming with regularity these days. Sunday morning it was:
"Mommy wake up! I want to watch tv!"

That is all for now! Oh, I'm reading the Twilight series and loving them! I just started the 2nd book so no spoilers please!!

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

I always want to remember...

How much a single moment can melt my heart....

Daddy and his baby girl

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Welcome

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Welcome to the world little Apple!!

Born March 23, 2009
8 pounds 9 ounces
20.5 inches

My sweet beautiful niece! I can't wait to spoil you with hugs and kisses for the rest of your life!

*Jaelynn loves her new cousin to pieces! She can't stop kissing her! img_1145

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Time flys when they grow up

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Happy 20 month birthday baby girl!!

Oh my sweet little girl!! Where has the time gone?!! I swear just the other day you were a helpless infant. Now...you are a big girl! You don't sit in your high chair anymore but instead in a booster seat at the table. You eat with a spoon and fork and say please and thank you. We have conversations and I can actually understand what you are saying!!

Jaelynn...you are so very smart. You amaze me everyday. Just the other day you sang your ABC's to me and then counted to 10!! You may have skipped a few letters and numbers but to me it was perfect. Every morning when we drive to town you point at the horses and cows.....I don't even have to tell you they are coming now.

I love to watch you learn and discover new things every day. Your daddy and I are so very proud of you sis! We are learning though with this new independence comes new fears for us. You fell the other day and scared us so bad! Daddy was afraid you broke something...even though you didn't even cry.

When you grab my face and give me kisses I melt inside. I love how you know when you are going to get scolded for something so you turn on the charm big time! You are so ornery sometimes...and we love that about you! Full of life and spirit. You are strong willed and stubborn. You are Daddy's little girl to the core.

Thank you Princess J for teaching so much about love, patience and parenting in the last year and 8 months. We are truly blessed to have you in our lives!

Love,
Mommy

Friday, February 27, 2009

What was your excitement last night?

We made a huge step last night and I'm just so excited for my little girl!! She pooped in the potty!! This is the second time she has done this. The first time she was a little over a year old and I'm not really sure she understood what she was doing.....but I know she did last night!

We were laying in bed cuddling and she had that look...you know the one. So I asked her if she was pooping...she said yeah. So I asked if she wanted to poo on the potty and she said she did. We sat in the bathroom for awhile and she played with a toy and read a magazine. Then she stood up and said she was all done! We hung up her potty chart, said good-bye to the poo, washed hands and put up a sticker.

It was very exciting! Jaelynn is almost 20 months old and some would say that is too soon to start potty training. I don't think it is something you can put an age on. Jaelynn shows a lot of interest in using the potty so if that continues we will be there to teach her!

So....what was your excitement last night?

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

An Equation

What I really want to blog about is what I did over the weekend. I really want to write about the wonderful time I had Saturday night playing Phase 10 with the ladies while the guys played poker. I really want to write about my new haircut....which is sassy, sexy and fun. I'd love to post some cute new pictures of the princess. Instead I get to blog about this....

Take 1 1/2 teaspoons of prednisone 1 to 2 times per day plus 1/2 teaspoon omnicef 2 times per day plus breathing treatments. That equals one sick little toddler with croup and ear infection. Now take that sick toddler and multiply her by a few rough nights and you will get 2 tired parents hoping this clears up soon!

We are plugging through a sea of snot, watery eyes and fever. The good news is we got started on all the meds last night and the prednisone should help Jaelynn's appetite come back. The bad news is that the meds make her sick to her stomach.....I got thrown up on last night....it was really gross.

Jaelynn will be out of daycare until at least Thursday...if she improves greatly today she will go back tomorrow. I'm at work today and Kevin is taking care of the sick toddler on steroids. I'll expect at least 3 phone calls.....Hope your week is starting out better then mine....

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Working Mommy Guilt

I know that I've blogged about this before but it is a very real problem that I deal with on a daily basis. I thought that as Jaelynn got older dropping her off at daycare would get easier. I was so wrong. Every day is a struggle for me. I know that she is being well taken care of, that isn't the problem at all. We have been blessed with a wonderful daycare provider that adores Jaelynn and is just a few blocks from where I work.

Jaelynn is happy at daycare. She talks about her friends all the time. We sing songs at home and she can show me everything she is learning. Just the other night we were getting ready for bed and I started singing Twinkle Twinkle to her and she joined right in...my little girl knew the words!! Monica also has taught Jaelynn some sign language that has come in handy. We don't use it very often because Jaelynn's verbal skills are very advanced but it is still cute to see her sign things.

The problem is me. I'm at work but my heart is still standing in the door hugging my little girl and missing out on teaching her. I'm missing out on cuddles and kisses and tantrums. Kevin and I both knew that we would both have to work when we started our family. I was really really okay with it. I knew that I would enjoy motherhood and that I would miss our children but I also figured that working would give me a much needed break. I had no idea that being a mom would complete me the way it has and that I would miss her so damn much!
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When I walked in to pick up my little princess last night, this is the face that ran to me! Isn't her hair cute!! You can't really tell in the picture but Monica did a beauty day yesterday and curled all the little girls' hair. Jaelynn's didn't stay in the best because it is so fine, but you could see a little curl.

My goal has become to find a way to stay home with our daughter and any future children we may have. I'm working on some things that I'll keep quiet for now but just know that one day soon I'll get to be with my baby all day! And that my friends will be a great accomplishment.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Dare I try again??

Oh my...do I even attempt to blog again after more then 6 months? I can't even put into words everything that has happened in the last 6 months so I'll try to sum it up the best I can!!

The rest of our summer was wonderful. Jaelynn turned 1 and we had a wonderful party for her! I'm still in shock most days that we have a toddler but she is the absolute joy of our lives and I can't imagine what it would be like without her!

Shortly after Jaelynn's first birthday she started to crawl...finally! Crawling brought a new level of business to our family. If only I had known what was coming!

Summer continued on and we enjoyed the outdoors and spending time with family and friends. Jaelynn experienced her first Iowa State Fair in August. She had so much fun and was such a good girl! Although I love the llamas I don't think she shared the same enthusiasm.

In September we celebrated Kevin's birthday and started to prepare for the fall. I also had to have some testing done on my heart. I was having some odd symptoms and we just wanted to make sure everything was in good running order. I got a clean bill of health and an eye opener.

Kevin started a men's softball team in early fall and this became a new family passion. He plays on a league in the city and loves it. Jaelynn and I went to a few games but they are pretty late at night and it was starting to get cool when the season started.

As fall approached we started to prepare ourselves for winter and the busy holiday season. Wow....was it ever busy. In the midst of all this our little girl grew up even more. On October 7, 2008 Jaelynn took her first steps...and never looked back!

I joined Weight Watchers in early October, just in time for the holidays and just after receiving that much needed clean bill of health. Kevin and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary and committed to each other to change the way we live to be healthier for our daughter.

Mom and I took Jaelynn to the Covered Bridge Festival where we discovered that chocolate dipped pumpkin cheesecake is the best cure for a teething baby. We also visited the Red Rooster Barn for our first family trip to the pumpkin patch. It was cold and muddy and so much fun! Jaelynn didn't care much for carving but she like the finished product and eating the pumpkin seeds. I decided to be Martha Stewart and make Jaelynn's Halloween costume.....not bad for my first attempt! Jaelynn loved Beggars Night and Kevin enjoyed most of the candy. I was already gun ho for WW so I did my best to steer clear of the goodies.

We also decided to suck it up and take the princess in for her first hair cut. Does it count as a cut when you just do the bangs? Either way...another picture for the scrapbook...

November brought the onset of colder weather, cold season, football season and Thanksgiving! Daddy and Jaelynn are die hard Hawk fans....and I'm getting there. We spent Thanksgiving this year with my parents and family and then on Thanksgiving weekend we had another with Kev's family. My uncle, aunt and their family got to meet Jaelynn for the first time. She is such a little ham around a big crowd of people!

December was of course more cold weather, more snow, more colds and of course Christmas. We took Jaelynn out sledding around our yard for the first time and she topped the tree with our star...with Daddy's help of course. We only had to gently remind her a couple of times a day to leave the tree alone! This is the second year that we have visited Santa and the second year that she didn't scream her head off! It was nearly impossible for me to get a picture for the Christmas card this year but about 2 weeks before d-day I did! Of course I managed to get the perfect family picture on Christmas Eve. We got to spend lots of time with Grandma Fields when she was here to visit for a few weeks. Jaelynn loves her nana!

Christmas was a big hit with the princess this year. I'm pretty sure she didn't completely understand everything that was going on but she loved getting new babies, new clothes, a kitchen, colors and about a million other things that we are still working on finding spots for.

We rang in the new year at home...in bed. What can I say...we are old! All three of us came down with the flu in January but thankfully we are all okay now. Ryley turned 2 and we prepared to say hello to Cooper and good bye to John.

In the course of the last 6 months Jaelynn has gone from saying a few words that we were able to understand to repeating just about everything we say. I'm able to have a conversation with her and it blows my mind. She is sassy and full of life and love and has no fear at all. She can test my patience and then turn around and give me a kiss and smile and make all my frustration melt away.

Have I missed anything in updating you? Yes I have...about a million little things I'm sure. I'll be working on some different post that highlight some of the most adorable and funny times over the last few weeks. Jaelynn is growing up so fast...I just want to bottle this time with and make her stop growing...just for a second. But if I did that I would never get to see what is waiting for us just around the corner. With our little family there is something new every day and our love for one another just keeps growing.