Officially spoiled (AKA the really old post!)

From the mouthes of babes....

The text I received from Sean today(9/26/09):

So she's officially spoiled "daddy I need new shoes" no you don't "yes I do daddy," why do you need new shoes? "because these have rain on them" do you mean you need a different pair? "no I need new shoes daddy, you by them for me?"
Shoes get wet and she needs a new pair, nice huh?

Have we created a monster? I hope not!

In other news, B has started the new school year at her "big girl center" which is the next building up at her day care since she is a big girl now. This is the second day at her new school - I was sick the first day and forgot to take her picture...she's saying "big girl center!"

She seems to like it and I already notice a difference in the things she is saying since she is around both more and older kiddos. For example: She has finally learned how to say yellow correctly. It has always been lello. She was eating a cookie a week or so ago and I asked her what colors the cookie had and she said yellow. I didn't even realize she had said it correctly but she looked at me with a very surprised and happy face and said "I say it perfectly mommy yell-ow (very drawn out)" She's so silly!

She is experiencing show and tell and learning about different letters and sounds so we have taken her Pinkalicious book, Minnie Mouse, a leaf and her pink football for show and tell. M and F have been her letters so far. She's starting to make the connection between letters and the sounds they make. They have since added N, T, and B.

We had a lazy hang out in our pajamas all day Sunday...nice to be able to do that now and then!

She had a very exciting day Thursday - it was "Wear your favorite football jersey" day at school and she made it all day in the same clothes (no potty accidents) and even pooped on the potty at school...I normally wouldn't share anything this, shall we say, disgusting, but it was a HUGE deal for her. She's still having her fair share of accidents but it's definitely getting better! In recent news, her accidents have been limited to when she is with us (go figure) and she's taking care of said poop on the potty all of the time. They also had crazy hair day...she was all about it!

We went today and picked out B's pumpkin...just mommy and Brenna.

That's all for now...hopefully I will be able to keep up better with the blog...life is just plain busy.

And now I am no longer the last on Erin's Good Blogs List! Thanks for the motivation, friend!

Tuesday 10 Spot

Ok so really it's Monday but it is close enough for me!

1. The basement is well on it's way to being a great place for playing and having family and friends over. Many of you know we had to un-finish our finished basement because we found mold and water damage. We think we have solved the water part and are now in the process of re-finishing...insulation is in and paneling is going up next...the ultimate goal is to have it ready so that we can host Christmas Eve. Sean is working so hard trying to get it done.

2. Still having a hard time trying to decide what to get the little girl for Christmas. She's at that age where she's to smart for the baby toys, but not really ready for big girl stuff. Her attention span is about a minute - ok maybe longer but she's 2 & 1/2 - it isn't very long! We want to find something that will keep her interested for more than the first 10 minutes she has it.

3. Speaking of Christmas, we started decorating but now we have to get the tree up. Unfortunately it is more than just pull it out and put it up. It is cleaning out whatever we need from the front closet - coats, vacuum cleaner, and any games we may want to play during our vacation, so we can move Bailey's crate. She doesn't ever get locked in the crate, but it is her safe place/house and she just doesn't do well when we take it down, especially when Sean is out of town. Then we move the crate into the area between the front door and closet door. Then we move the footstool into the crate spot, put a piece of wood on it, and then the tree goes up (up a little higher to keep dogs and little hands from touching things that they shouldn't causing said tree to become up-ended (my husband has rigged it so that we string the tree to the window and the magazine rack to keep it from coming down). Then we can think about decorating.

4. Sometimes I love when Thanksgiving is late because it means Christmas will be here sooner, but sometimes I just need more time!

5. We have started our shopping, but just for the little girl. I don't really know when that is going to happen either. Between work and school, the little girl, family time - as much as we can get, activities, and working on the basement there just isn't enough time in the day to do the normal house stuff, let alone extra stuff.

6. I have joined the world of facebook, not that I will ever do anything with it. Fun to think that I can find old friends if I put in a little effort.

7. It has been very, very cold...to cold to wash my car which is absolutely disgusting. I am embarrassed that it is so dirty - both inside and out. I need to make that a priority when the weather gets a little warmer, even if it is only clean for a few minutes!

8. I can't wait for a warmer snow day to take the little girl out and play in the snow! We went to the grocery store yesterday and all she wanted to do was walk in her boots in the snow. Who knew that 3 steps in a tiny patch of snow could make a little girl so happy!

9. Little girl is working on her potty training...she's getting the idea but just not interested in doing everything in the potty yet. We've tried panties but after an accident yesterday I think it is just time to let her be and get back to it during break.

10. Only 16 more days my friends...I can't wait, can you? Merry Christmas!

PS ~ pictures coming soon!

Two Months, Ten Things

10. Christmas was so much fun. Brenna had a blast opening her gifts, playing with her toys, spending time with family. This year it was reading Jan Brett's Twas' the Night Before Christmas every night before bed, sometimes several times. Every page looking for Santa, the dog, the cat, the reindeer, and any other thing she was able to name on a page. Everything that was red or lights or snowman was 'tanta' and 'tanta' said "ho hooo." Not "ho ho ho," but "ho hoooo." Uncle Freddy came home to visit and spoiled the little girl rotten, what are uncles for anyway? Sean was home for almost 10 full days which was wonderful too, lots of time together as a family. I can only imagine what next Christmas season will bring for our family.

9. We've managed to vist the doctor more times since day care started than I really care to count. I've joked with the pediatrician that I see her more often than I see my close friends...sad, but very true! We've had the full run of colds, flu, and ear infections that just don't want to seem to go away. Brenna is on another round of antibiotics in the hopes that her ears will get better. She's a tough little girl and seems to be dealing with as best an almost 19 month old can.

8. Excellent news from B's dermatologist. No more visits...that's right I said it...NO MORE VISITS!!! Her hemangioma is getting better by the day and until it has flattened completely and is no longer vascular, we won't be going back. She will have a bald spot (it's about the size of a 50 cent piece) that we can take care of when she is older, until then it is creative hair styling. Compared to last year at Christmastime, the difference is absolutely amazing. You can definitely see the difference since last year at the same time. These are pics from her first two Christmas portaits.

7. Sean has been traveling quite a bit which has been a little challenging but we are settling into a routine with it and he is doing a great job. I am so proud that in such a short time he has accomplished a lot! NATIONAL Director of Catering for the company that he is with. He has certainly earned that title!

6. In the last week Sean & I have officially gone from Mama and Dada to Mommy and Daddy, which the little girl is saying quite well.

5. Brenna is no longer a binkie girl. With her latest cold came the lack of ability to suck and breathe so the binkie often ended up on the floor, behind the crib, or with her bear. Decided last night to remove it completely and bedtime came and went with no complaints. Apparently it wasn't needed as much as mommy thought she needed it.

4. We have officially made it 4 days in a row to day care and I am very, I repeat VERY, happy about that! A first since Christmas break. We are hoping tomorrow brings 5 days in a row.

3. Brenna: (standing and staring at me) "poopies"?

Me: do you need your diaper changed?

Brenna: Nooowoahwoah (her version of no no no)

Brenna: (still staring at me) "poop"

Me: let's go check (she can't really be telling me she has a dirty diaper can she?)

Brenna: poopoopoopies

yes, that's right, she is now announcing dirty diapers. Can we say potty training is in the near future? I know that it may take a while but we can at least give it a try right?

2. My adventure for the day was to return the original potty that we purchased yesterday because after looking at all of the reviews I discovered that the one we got was NOT the one for us. Apparently the baby bjorn is the potty of choice. Do I question the potty of choice's expense? Absolutely...at least I did...for a few minutes...until.....

1. PEE PEE IN THE POT-TY, PEE PEE IN THE POT-TY

Our daughter....our not quite 19 month old daughter...who loves, yes loves her bright pink baby bjorn potty (or pol-ly as she calls it), did exactly what she was suppose to do when I sat her on it just before her bath tonight. Can you see the smiles beaming from my face? She did give me the "mommy are you crazy" eyes when I did a little dance and made a HUGE deal out of it....we even said bye bye as we flushed it down the real toilet...all the while mommy is acting like an absolute idiot, clapping and saying yea!!! brenna!!!! What can I say...our little girl...who is not so little any more...has amazed us yet again.

I know it's sideways but I can't fix that right now...the visual is a must though!

Yes I know there are some amazing babies out there who have become potty trained at 5 months...I know I think that is crazy too, but I saw claims in the potty reviews so it must be true right? Yeah sure. But this is our little girl, the first little girl to do any of the million amazing things that no other child has managed to accomplish before, so we think it is the best.

We are amazed by her every day and hope you can share our joy or say to yourself, I've been there and know exactly what you are feeling.

We are lucky, so lucky and blessed that our little girl, who started out eight weeks earlier than she should have, is doing everything a healthy almost 19 month old should be doing. Putting wooden puzzles together, trying to take her shirts off at day care, running away from us while giggling hysterically, saying Baaiileey everytime she sees her dog, saying daddy in the middle of the night in her sleep, and melting our hearts with the first unsolicited "love you"s to Sean and I last weekend...we're so thankful.