Around the House...potty training!

Things have changed in our home. For a very good reason. If you were to go into either of our bathrooms, most likely you'd find this upon entering.

I was so nervous about beginning this new phase. I'd heard way too many horror stories, imagined the loads and piles of laundry from wet pants and sheets, and calculated {in my head} just how many quarters we'd go through in a week. 

BUT...thanks to a dear friend's recommendation AND my daughter's tenacious/analytical/explicitly clean and careful self...it took 3 days. Nope, not making that up! Three.Incredibly.Intense.Worth-it.Days! You can find out all about how I/We did it HERE. Other than THIS book, it has been the best use of my time and money. I can't talk it up enough! And don't hurt me when I say that it all "clicked" the morning of day one. There were still some accidents here and there but she would cry as soon as she realized she hadn't told me in time. She had learned to understand her body's cues. 

We stayed home for three solid days. It kinda felt like the walls were closing in on me. We didn't even venture outside really so as to be within running distance of the toilet. By day 4, I needed new scenery and I know so did the girls. Our first time out had me a ball of nerves. I must have taken Reese to the potty 2 or 3 times before we left. I just didn't know what I would do if she told me she had to go enroute. We made it {yes Courtney...we went to Walmart} all the way there in tact, complete and most importantly DRY! We managed to get through almost my entire list once inside. And then those five little words, "Mommy, I need go potty." Thankfully our Walmart has a family restroom so in went our cart piled with things, Allie strapped into the front and Reese in the basket. Her first experience with public potties. I don't like them, so I didn't really expect her to either. The positive side: we were alone to do our business with no one breathing down our necks to use the stall we were in. The downside: this potty was automated and in my "are they thinking I'm stealing everything in my cart/mother-of-two/first time mom of a potty-trained kid" I failed to notice that I was the trigger making that silly thing go off. Every time I moved to help keep Reese on the toilet, it would flush. You can probably imagine. She didn't like it one bit and no amount of soothing talk or coaxing was going to get her to go. BIG BUMMER! So I did the only thing I could...pulled her pants up, told her she needed to be a big girl and keep them dry and out the door we went {still feeling ridiculous with my cart full of stuff I hadn't paid for}. And she held strong. All the way till we got home. I was so excited I probably gave her 3 or 4 gummy bears. 

Since then there's been an occasional one here and there but that's to be expected with a 25 month old. I'm so thankful for the Lord's kindness to us in this area. What a blessing! 

A Day to Remember

Parent Dedication Day. Asking Him for His grace, strength, wisdom and guidance as we seek to raise our daughters. To help them understand their sinful, fallen hearts that are desperately wicked {Jeremiah 17:9} and that BECAUSE of CHRIST we have an amazing HOPE! Though we are separated from Him and bound for hell...the story doesn't end there! We have an AWESOME Savior who came to earth 100% human and 100% God to live a perfect life and offer Himself as our substitute. Instead of us experiencing God's wrath eternally separated from Him, we can be welcomed into the family of God by acknowledging our sinfulness and our absolute need of Christ's righteousness {Romans 10:9&10}.

This is what we proclaimed in front of our church body today. We humbly admitted we can't parent alone! We need prayer, support, faithful friends to point out our weaknesses, failings, the things we're doing right and to offer love, encouragement and help. There's a great need for other families in the faith to come along side us. We are thankful for godly men and women who love Him and serve each other. What a blessing! 

Matt and I praise God for the two little lives He has entrusted to us. "Children are a heritage of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is His reward" {Psalm 127:3} and we consider ourselves richly blessed to be given Reese Lanae and Allie Joelle. 

Pastor Steve introducing the 6 families represented who were dedicating their children.

After church was finished we went to Stonefire with Papa and Marmee to celebrate! Mollie and Spencer came too...I just didn't get a picture with them.

Eating some really yummy food! Reese loved that she got to sit next to Papa and Marmee on the other side of where mom and dad were. ;)

Papa's first granddaughter...a girl after his own heart! 

The youngest cutie loves to give 

cheesy smiles for the camera!

Thank you Papa and Marmee for coming to Placerita today to witness the girls' dedication. What a privilege to have you there to witness this event. We know you (and Nana and Poppy Ryan) have been loving and praying for our girls since the day you found out they were on the way. We love you!

Lots 'o Firsts

It's been quite eventful around our house lately. To start off, Reese got her first haircut! Gulp/yay!!! I was super nervous as to how this would go. Reese gets hysterical when it comes to new things...I mean, screaming, crying, won't let go of my neck kind of nuts. My mother-in-law Missy agreed to come help hold Allie for me while it all went down and she also snagged some dum-dums from the bank as an incentive for Reese to "hold still." She blew my socks off with how cooperative, pleasant and agreeable she was the entire time. She doesn't have the thickest head of hair so it must have taken all of 5 minutes. But wow!! I was so thankful for that answer to prayer and she even smiled through out it. I wish I had thought to get a picture right afterwards. I didn't. So here's a before and then after a few days later.

Next, to document here on the blog...Reese and Allie have moved onto bigger and better things bedtime wise! For the first time in Allie's 8 months of living, she finally gets to claim the crib as her own. This past weekend Matt and I decided that it was time for Reese to sleep in her toddler bed. She's been doing so great without the paci and we're ready to start potty training soon. We figured that before that could happen she needed to be out of the crib and really happy/comfortable in her new bed. 

As poor Aunt Mollie can attest...the first night was brutal for 30 minutes. Reese screamed/wailed...*ahem, yes just as I said above* and Allie having never been in her new bed, cried too. BUT we let them cry it out and eventually...or rather what felt like an eternity...they both fell asleep. And that was that. Since then, it's gone amazingly! Everyone is sleeping soundly and happily right where they should be. Reese is even doing super great with staying ON her bed and not getting off to play. Same for naps! So so thankful! :) Good job Reesie Roo! We're so proud of you!

The first night for these two little munchkins!

And if that wasn't enough, Allie decided to start crawling the day she turned 8 months! She's been a movin' and a shakin' with all her rolling for quite awhile but today she actually crawled to get to what she wanted. It's so fun that even though she's my second and I've already been through this whole process with Reese, it's still just as new and exciting this time around. Daddy came home and while Reese was snoozing away during her nap, we had a great time just the 3 of us putting enticing things out for Allie to crawl too. We love our little Ju Ju Be so much!

Ode to "pa"

Dear Paci (affectionately known from here on out as "pa")~

No one could have prepared me for the "love at first sight" bond you and Reese would share from day one. Literally. The first night of her little life demanded that pa {you} be introduced just so that mama could get rest after a 41 hour labor and 50+ hours of no sleep. It was as if you and Reese had been old friends...long before she met anyone else. She didn't need coercion or affirmation. She took one suck and found a long lost friend. Maybe this is why nursing was difficult. I had read to not introduce a pacifier or nipples too early so as not to disrupt feeding. Because of the above information, mama ignored said advice.

We managed. We got through the countless naps of you falling out of Reese's mouth while trying to drift to dreamland. We figured out how to reach behind the passenger seat in the car, nearly cutting off all circulation in our arms, to plug you in when Reese would howl to and from locations. We discovered how great those do-dads are that connect pa to a shirt. And we decided that Avent was our favorite pa brand.

You made Reese's life and therefore mom and dad's much easier! We sailed (and maybe at times paddled) through colds, teething, boo-boo's, long airplane rides, and major life changes because of you. No matter what had happened, as soon as pa came in sight shrills of laughter and clapping would ensue because you were there. Nap times were longed for, bedtime requested.

You were loved so much that soon another pa joined you. One for Reese's mouth and one to hold while she slept.

But then the sad, sad day came when it was time to say goodbye. Reese's addiction love for pa had grown so much that if she didn't have it at all times and happened to wake up, she'd scream at whatever hour of the night it was until we came to the rescue. Having Allie in the same room only complicated matters. Plus with Reese's 2nd birthday fast approaching, it seemed like the right thing to do. 

Our first attempt proved fatal. Mom and dad hadn't thought it through enough (more mom than dad). I had decided to cut the tops off one morning after Reese had awoken for the day. Dad wasn't feeling well. This also happened to be the day mom was going to the movies with Aunt Monika and dad was babysitting. I told him hopefully it would only be a few minutes of crying and then she'd fall asleep. Dad learned just how much Reese loved you that day. He said she screamed and cried like he'd never heard before. Mom got a call during the movie to ask where the other "uncut" pa's were. This event only made us more nervous for the real thing but we had to do it. You both were too attached and the sentiment had to end.

Let's just say...pa...we really miss you. While we aren't inviting you back and even had Reese do the big girl thing by throwing you both in the trash herself, it's been a rocky, bumpy road! I'm promised that eventually she will forget and sleep soundly. I hope so! You've now been replaced by a cute, soft bear that Reese named "lovey." It's not really a fair trade but we hope she'll love that bear one day half as much as she loved you. It was a great 2 years, pa! You served us well...a little too well. 

Love, Reese's Mama

Watcha Been Up To??

Time doesn't really stand still...at least around here. As Matt and I were falling asleep the other night he said to me, "The days are just going by so fast!" And they are. It feels as though once your baby reaches the 6 month mark, everything gets much easier and you can be on the move a lot more.

Here's a little of what we've been up to:

Made this incredible soup for dinner this past weekend. It's an oldie but a goodie recipe. You can cut the cost down by choosing to boil and shred a couple of chicken breasts instead of buying a rotisserie chicken. HERE is the recipe!

This plus a warm blanket snuggled next to my husband is where you could find me Sunday night after we got home from church and the girls were in bed. You also might have found us watching this. We are completely hooked!!

This girl is all over the place with rolling! She's figured out how to get where she wants to go by scooting around and it's so fun to watch her entertain herself. Reese never did that. She'd just get fussy as soon as you put her on her tummy. So thankful and happy to have a content baby this time around.

These two cuties have moved in together! We are rejocing to have our bedroom and living room back to ourselves at night and they couldn't be doing a better job with it! What a HUGE gift from the Lord. Matt and I were beyond nervous/fearful/concerned about how this would go down but except for one bump in the road they haven't been apart. I think Allie even sleeps better being with sissy! She's gone from getting up twice in the night to sleeping from 7:30pm to 6am! Yay Yay Yay!

Reese is putting more and more words together. She's really close to saying {almost} complete sentences. The BIG one came Sunday afternoon. The phrase you've been wanting to hear since you first caught a glimpse of your baby. Those 3 beautiful words: I.Love.You! Matt and I were ecstatic while Reese beamed. Music to our hearts. A few other ones for the record: Come on, Daddy. Go Bye Bye to Marmee's House? Shhh! Allie Sleeping! Breakfust? I hungry. Show daddy boomboom! (Wanted to show daddy her new Valentine's balloon.)

On Sunday night Matt and I became members of our church we've been attending since September 2010! We are so thankful for the privilege to serve and be ministered to with this body of believers! After the Right Hand of Fellowship was extended to us we both were overwhelmed by the love and warm welcome we received from the rest of the congregation. We are hopeful of what the Lord has planned for us here as we grow in our church home. If it comes to mind...please be praying for this group of believers as well as our elders. We are in the midst of searching for a pastor.

And last but not least Matt surprised me with an early Valentines/Birthday/almost Christmas present (maybe that's taking it a bit too far) when I opened this on Monday. I have no idea what I'm doing yet but am so excited to begin learning about this amazing camera! I've already gotten a few great tips but if you have any suggestions PLEASE leave me a comment. I've got a lot to read up on!

Here's my very first picture.

I know it's not the greatest but I'm just so excited with how great the colors look and the attention to detail. Don't laugh if you're a pro and are thinking how terrible this pic looks. :)

A few more:

Girls 'N Costumes

Celebrating Reformation Day this year was simple and sweet! We went the day before to Smart and Final to pick out our pumpkin {we plan to go to the pumpkin patch...it just didn't work out to go before October 31} and mom borrowed a costume from some friends for Reese to use. Dad is our official pumpkin carver...he went so far as to get a kit from Walmart...and he let me choose which face to cut out.

Reese thought it was the CooLest thing to sit in the kitchen next to her daddy and play while he worked. Normally the kitchen is off-limits so to get in on the fun and to pretend she had things to do was just oh so cute!

So fun to compare...

Such a booger! She wasn't the happiest to oblige mom for a picture.

But still...probably the cutest little dinosaur you'll see!

Here's one for her wedding slideshow one day. Hehe! 

I couldn't resist.

And our sweet little pumpkin. It's so amazing to look back on the pictures from last year with Reese in this same outfit, not knowing that our Allie treasure was growing inside me. God's plans are higher and more wise than our own! I'm thankful for that promise.

Reese girl last year.

A Year and a Half

I pulled Reese out of her crib yesterday and sang the "Happy Halfyear" song to her. She smiled and listened to the whole thing before going about her usual conversation of "uh-oh" everything {lovies she deems important} is on the floor.

Can't believe my baby toddler is 1 1/2!!! Just too old if you ask me! I know some exciting {and nerve-wracking} things are around the corner like potty training, moving to a big bed and a full on conversationalist and we can't wait for those but really!?! I'd like her to be a "wittle" girl just a bit longer. I guess that's why the Lord gave us Allie so quickly. So we could keep on enjoying babyhood!

So without further ado...here's our 18 month old:

I love that her personality is showing itself more and more. The below picture is proof of that! She's starting to understand what it means when the camera comes out and I say smile.

~ After her checkup she is 21.6 lbs! Yowza! That would put her in the 13th percentile. She's in the 45th percentile for height and head circumference so the doctor isn't concerned. She'll probably just continue being a little feather weight. :)

~Though not the most flattering of words...her favorite one to say is "poop". I'll hear this whenever she's actually gone #2 or it's just gas. All I have to say is hopefully potty training will be a cinch because she's so aware of her bowels.

~I think we should buy a farm...or at least stock in the milk industry. Milk is Reese's favorite drink and if I'd let her, she'd drink it all day long. 

~Reese LOVES with a capital "L" crackers! Anything such as Cheese Its, chips, pretzels or crackers themselves constitutes a cracker and it is just oh.so.exciting when we open the pantry door to get her one.

~She has learned the importance of prayers before eating and if I forget to pray before starting our meal, she'll hold her hand out {to hold mine} and say please. Lord, may her heart always be tender towards You and the things that matter to You.

~I am happy to report...yes, with a huge smile on my face...that she is now so so excited to go to nursery on Sunday mornings! I'm not sure what changed but starting about 4 weeks ago there was no kicking and screaming nor tearing my hair out as we pried her away to go to her "teacher." YAY!!! In fact, I couldn't pass her off soon enough 2 weeks ago and she kept trying to get out of my arms to go play. What a blessing!

~Still getting better and better at playing by herself. I'm excited for the day when Allie gets to join her.