These Are The Days

Ladies & Gentlemen, may I present, Miss Olivia Preston on the High Beam!!!!!

Last week Olivia and I started a "Mommy & Me" Gymnastics class. It's every Thursday night from 6:00 - 6:45, and those 45 minutes are one of the highlights of our week! We have so much fun, and I'm amazed at what Olivia can do. It's hard not to help every step of the way, but she
wants to be so independent that I have to just stand back and let her go!

Her teacher's name is Miss Haley, and we love her!!! She's young and fun and has just the right balance of structure and flexibility. Here's she's helping Olivia on the bar. This is Olivia's favorite thing to do. She holds on and we let go and she just swings herself until she can't hold on anymore!! It's so great!!!
We love the ladder too, but right now she doesn't quite get the complete idea. She holds on with her hands, but her feet are still on the mat!! Oh well, she'll get it soon! She did go all the way across the beam tonight without my help. I was in shock!!! She's got a lot more coordination than Mommy, that's for sure.

So, as soon as class was over, we walked out and she said, "Pee Pee." We went to the potty.....and she went all by herself!!!! Y'all, this potty training thing is all working out. She only had one accident today, and that was after she woke up from her nap!!! She's even gotten up dry the past two nights and gone Pee Pee in the potty first thing in the morning. By golly, I think she's got it!!! I'm just so proud of her.

I had to include this picture...well because they are both naked! That's the problem with taking pictures in my house. Half the family is usually not decent for photos! Olivia was running around in her big girl panties, and Daddy didn't have a shirt on!!! But aren't they just the cutest!!!

And let us not forget to update on our Little Man. Zachary is really the BEST baby in the world. He's growing so fast, and he's so alert. He's cooing and smiling like crazy, and I think that he has a crush on his Auntie Lynn Lynn!!! I can't remember if I've updated since his 2 month check-up, but he's doing great. He did get very cranky and sore after his 5 shots. Yes...I said 5!!!! But other than that, he's got a clear bill of health.

We're just so blessed in so many ways. Do any of you ever just take a step back and look at your life and wonder what you did to deserve such blessings??? I ask myself every day why God thinks I'm worthy of such happiness...and I thank Him every day for my beautiful family.

Need Help....Losing Patience

What was I thinking???

Okay Ladies of younger ones out there. I'm really needing you right now. I'm 6 days into this Potty Training thing, and we're still struggling. The book that we have is awesome. I'll share it once we get everything down and give you my honest critique. It's simple, easy to understand, and makes perfect sense! Having said that, I ask myself why we're still having a hard time? Here's where we are. Please let me know if you have any suggestions:

Olivia has not worn a diaper or Pull Up since Friday morning (except while she's sleeping).

She's wearing either Dora panties or the thick cotton training pants (girly print of course.)

She's not afraid of the Potty, in fact, sometimes I have a hard time getting her out of the Potty. She'll sit there forever singing, reading, playing with a toy, etc. She actually likes going to the Potty - just not going IN the potty.

We set a timer for every 20 minutes, and when the Potty Clock rings, we run to the bathroom.

She's seen me go, she's seen other kids go, and she's actually gone 5 times since we started, but most of the time she waits until about 5 minutes after we've left the bathroom and then she wets her panties (or dirties them).

When she wets (or dirties) herself, she will come and tell me immediately, but alas, it's too late.

We give her different rewards. I have two bags full of stuff like necklaces, party crowns, stickers, tootsie rolls, and balls.

I have 4 days left with her until I go back to work. I'd really like to get her to tell me before she has to go so that Aunti Lynn Lynn doesn't have as much work to do with her. Any advise anyone has would be great. And if you're a reader and don't like to leave public comments, please email me at bethanyg@delaneyinc.com

Thanks guys!!

Fun in the Sun

HOT GAM it's Another Beautiful Day in Timberline

I know some of you have been singing the rainy day blues, but we've had wonderful weather in our neck of the woods. An occational late day shower, but the mornings and early afternoons have just been beautiful. Since we're doing the whole Potty Training thing with Olivia, we decided to stay in this weekend so we'd be close to Mr. Potty. So what do you do with the kids on a HOT August day at home??? Easy - you break out every water toy you've ever bought. We had the water table, the water fall, 3 sprinklers, and of course, the Giraffe pool that spits on you!
After experimenting with two sprinklers that were outta control, we finally found one tame enough for the little ones. This was a big hit at Mel's house with Morgan, so we invested $5 in one of our own - and what 'da ya know, it's a HIT!!! Olivia and DJ must have been thirsty because as soon as the first sprinkle of water emerged, they were both drinking it up like crazy!

But don't think that they didn't make the rounds. They hit every toy out there! Here is Olivia and DJ playing at the water table. Y'all, I have to tell you. When I saw this on Angela's blog, I had my doubts, but after two trips to Toys R Us contemplating this buy, I finally gave it and it's been the best summer toy I could have purchased. We keep in on the front porch (in the shade) so that Olivia can play and I can swing with Zach. She loves it...in fact, she sits in it! We even figured out that you can keep the water clean by covering it with a grill cover! So really, it's a summer must have! Pick one up while they're still out.
Here the two little devils are playing in the pool. Let me tell you, this pool is neat. I loved it, but Olivia was frightened to heck the first time we filled it up. You see, you hook the hose to the Giraffe and it's supposed to squirt water out of it's mouth onto the slide so that it's easier for the little tykes to slide down - oh but no...it's not a gental mist. This Giraffe spews water all over the place...and it is a bit creepy. So, we forgo the hose and just let the kids play. They like it that way.
Ah, finally a break. Kristina and Olivia sit under the umbrella shade and munch on some Goldfish. What a life! Water toys and junk food. What more can a girl ask for???

After the sun went down and water toys were retired, we cooked hamburgers and Olivia joined the rodeo. Y'all, my dear Granny got this for Olivia - and she LOVES it. It's sweet because my Granny is 87 years old and has just recently fallen in love with Olivia. I'm not sure why it came on so suddenly, but every time we go to see her, she's gotten Olivia something special. The last time it was this rocking horse. As you can see, Olivia's tearn' it up. She was rocking that thing so hard, she almost threw herself off the back. After staying on that stallion for more than 4 minutes, she beat the record for Toddler Riding Rocking Horse. She took home the gold Cow Girl Hat!

I hope everyone's day was as sunny and hot as ours. We can't wait to do it all over again tomorrow. And for all of those who care, we're still racing for success in the Potty arena. Olivia tells us every time she pee pees in her panties....but she does it after the fact. We had a half success today. She started peeing in the bathroom floor. I only had time to jerk her panties down and get about a teaspoon of pee in the potty. The rest was in her shoe and on the floor. Heck - we gave rewards for that teaspoon full of pee pee. I've got bags full of goodies and wanted her to know what she could get if she actually did it in the toilet.

So, if anyone has any PT advise - I'm all ears.

Welcome to Our Blog

Welcome to Princess & the Pea.

And thank you to Lori for the name. We also got a great suggestion from Katie, and will be using that when Zach gets a little older and can't be referred to as a "pea" anymore. We figured since he's still kinda small, we can get away with it for a little longer.

This will be the blog of all blogs for our family. I have about 6 weeks worth to catch everyone up on...and since I've been home on maternity leave, there's lots to tell.

Olivia has been going to our sitter's house, Ms. Lori, since Zach's been born. She was home with us for one week while Ms. Lori was on vacation, but other than that she's been going to 'school' daily so that Zach and I could have time to bond.

Every day Olivia runs through the door searching for her baby brother. I try to greet her with hugs and kisses - but oh no - she runs straight for "Buba". Yeah, so I'm a little jealous - I was her favorite 10 weeks ago...now I'm tied for second (and sometimes take third to Daddy!!)

We try to get out as a family and do stuff together like go to the park or play outside.

Here is Olivia taking a break from the slide at the neighborhood park. She's so darn cute. But don't be fooled. In the past couple of months, she's really tried to assert her will. She's got quite the temper at times, and we've found that "Time Out" is just what we needed to cure her of these episodes.

Okay, I know it looks bad, but really, she shoves her own face to the wall when she's in time out. We never told her to do that (but it is cute). After not listening at the park, she had to stand in time out. The side of the swing was the best place we could find. She's so sweet when she comes out. She dries her tears and says "Worry" (sorry) and kisses me and it's off to more fun!! Gosh I love this stage.

Back to being third to Daddy. Yeah - so this really does get under my skin sometimes. Before Zach arrived, my biggest fear was that she wouldn't let anyone else take care of her. Mommy had to do everything...and I mean everything with her. Now, Daddy is King of this kid's heart. She is so in love with her Daddy. He's so much fun (and much cooler than Mommy). I guess I'm lucky that she's stuck on him - but I still get a little jealous when she cries for him instead of me!!!

Olivia has really started to talk recently. And she's so dang smart!! I know all moms say that, but my kid really is a genius. There's this cat that roams the neighborhood, and Olivia loves it. She calls her "Meow Meow" and we have to look for Meow Meow every day. The first day she met her, Meow Meow was under the front porch. Now every time we look for that darn cat, Olivia is peeking through the cracks of the front porch calling Meow Meow and clapping her hand on her leg. Imagine calling a dog - that's how she calls a cat!

But alas, the cat always wanders home, and Olivia watches until she can no longer be seen. (This is the part where I should give in and get the kid a darn cat, but I have a good excuse - I'm allergic and absolutely can't handle cats or touch anything that they've touched. Good enough excuse not to get a cat??? It'll have to be until she gets older! I don't think I can take another responsibility right now.)


A few weekends ago, Olivia, Zach, and I had a play date with some very special people. Amanda, Andrea, Jennifer, Lori, and I met up at Jungle Jump Adventures to let the kids play on the inflatables. I was horrible and didn't get any pics of them playing. The two Pregos (Amanda and Lori) watched Zach for me and I chased the kids. (I had a blast by the way. Last time we went I was pregnant and my hubby wouldn't let me play - so this time I was all about climbing and sliding with the chitlins".)

The biggest drama was when I put little Davis over one side of this huge obstacle course and couldn't pull myself up over to get him. We quickly realized that this particular one wasn't suitable for little ones, so we had to send Jennifer in to rescue him. She was the only one who could hoist herself up and over the wall. Thanks Jenn!! I thought I'd sacrificed Amanda's first born to the Inflatables.
Here's D and Livi taking a break and playing with the blocks. Do I see wedding bells in the future???
And we did wrangle Jason into snapping this shot of Andrea and I with the kids (sans Zach). Look at David. Y'all I swear he could be a baby Calvin Klein model. He's so handsome.

But let me not forget about Zach. He's growing so fast. We're so bad. We haven't take nearly as many pictures of him as we did Olivia. Even though we have a studio right downstairs, we still haven't taken him down for pics.
Olivia was always so tiny, but I believe this kid's going to be big. We have his two month check up next week, so we're excited to see what he weighs. He's doing great. He sleeps a lot and is really easy going. He hardly every cries unless he's tired or over stimulated. Did I mention he sleeps a lot!!

In fact, he's been sleeping through the night since the doctor gave us the OK at 2 weeks to let him go 8-10 hours between feedings. He said that as long as he was sleeping well and eating well during the day, then he'd be fine. That night we fed him at about 10:00 and he didn't get up until 6:00 the next morning. With few exceptions, that's been our routine. God is good!! Let us pray he doesn't revert anytime soon.

Just like Daddy - sleeping with his mouth wide open.

He's now 8 weeks old (today) and he started smiling two weeks ago. Right at 6 weeks we got our first grin...and I guess he's patriotic because he said it while I was reciting The Pledge of Allegiance. He just grinned from ear to ear. It's hard to catch the good smiles on camera, but here's a slight grin.

One of his favorite toys is this cat-lion-stuffed-thingy-mabob. He likes it so we don't really care what it is. Being home with him has been the most rewarding time. I think that I was nervous with Olivia and didn't get to enjoy it. I've loved every moment being home with Zach.



Back to how smart Olivia is. Here she is trying to take Zach's temperature - the good ole' fashion way! Right up the rump!! Okay y'all, we haven't taken her temp like that since she was tiny. But sure enough, she pulled that thermometer out , tried to undo his onsie, and then stuck it right up his hiney (really behind his back.) Kids - they soak in everything.

Now for the big transition that started as a shock and ended as a blessing. Last week Ms. Lori, Olivia's babysitter who's kept her since she was 9 weeks old, told us that she had accepted a job outside of the home working for a childcare center. Hearing those words made my heart drop into my stomach. It was a day that I had hoped would never come but alway knew would.

Lori is an amazing woman. A Christian, a friend, and a great mother, we were so blessed to have her in our lives for so long. While we were very happy that Ms. Lori finally got to get out of the house and have her own life, we were devastated at the thought of taking Olivia into a childcare center and leaving her with people that she didn't know. And the thought of Zach going to daycare was just as worse.

Alas, God knows our hearts and hears our prayers and I felt like I must have had a direct line with him last week. We found out that Ms. Lori was quitting last Monday and by Wednesday we had found another wonderful person to care for the kids. Who you might ask - well you all know her. She's my best friend and fellow blogger Jennica. Jenn is a very dear person to me. She was my little sister in the sorority, my roommate, my best friend, and my mentor. She's not only an outstanding person, but also a terrific mother. In fact, I find that I mimic many of her parenting styles with my own kids. Jenn had been struggling with having her son in daycare as well and decided that she needed to be home with her family. When she found out that we were in need, she immediately offered to watch Olivia and Zach. We are so blessed to have Jennica's assistance. I know she'll love my kids as much as I do (or almost as much!)

So, here are some pics of Olivia's last day at Ms. Lori's.

Having these four all day every day could get tiring! No wonder Ms. Lori needed a break!!

WE LOVE YOU, MS. LORI and wish you the best of luck in the director's position at the daycare. You are a special person and those kids are lucky to have you!!!

So, Olivia has been home with Zach and I all week. We've had a blast. She's cooked, cleaned, taken care of the baby, and decorated (all pretend) and we've had a blast doing it together. Here she is making Mommy some bananas.
Finally, we have set out to do the impossible. Yes, this weekend we will begin POTTY TRAINING!! I've had people congratulate and people speculate - but we're in this to win!!! After reading a great book that my friend Dana gave us, we've spent the week getting acclimated to the Potty and what goes in it. Tomorrow will be our first day in big girl panties, so everyone pray for us! (Really just pray for Mommy - I can already feel myself starting to sweat!)

The Potty Seat of all potty seats. This is the mack daddy, music playing, toilet flushing Potty. If she won't go in here - I don't know where she'll go.


And I'm ready. I've done my shopping. Cool soap for hand washing. Princess bag full of treats for Poo Poo's. Baby bag full of treats for Pee Pee's. And of course, who goes anywhere without the Clorox Anywhere spray. Ladies, if you've not tried this you're really missing out. This cleaner is Rock Awesome AND it's safe to use around kids. Okay, back to the potty, I think we're ready to be diaper and pull-up free. She went Pee Pee in the potty once today which was a huge sign for me to keep going. I was really starting to doubt myself after talking to a few people, but we're staying positive and giving it a go!

Okay, I hope you've enjoyed the first Princess & the Pea blog. I hope you're all still reading! Here's a challenge for all of you loyal blog followers. Sign in and let us know that you're reading. I know a few of you always visit (and get frustrated when I don't update as often) but I'd really like to know who's reading. If you're reading this, then take 2 minutes to leave us a comment so we'll know you're out there. Hope you all enjoyed!!!