Well, we made it almost the whole winter without much in the way of illness and then February became runny nose month. Nothing too major, but then we attended (within 8 days):
*A one year old birthday party with around 40 guests
*A two year old birthday at Chuck E Cheese (sigh.....I am really trying not to judge, but for a 2 YEAR OLD???)
(Did I mention both of these were on the SAME DAY?!)
*A babysitting night at church (our youth group was in charge of it) with 10 other kids
*3 play dates
*ANOTHER party for a 2 year old with around 25 guests
It's no wonder the sniffles turned into a hacking cough, fever and major congestion. Really, she's fine, but we are going through a LOT of burp-cloth-turned-nose-wipers at our house right now. And, I will take it, because it's making her tired enough that bed time has become MUCH easier!! (knock on wood, I probably just jinxed myself) She has been going down within 20 minutes and with hardly any fuss or complaining and at the reasonable hour of between 8 and 9, rather than 11:30. And sleeping until 8 or 9. THANK GOODNESS)
The parties were all fun. They are all good friends or family. It is crazy that these kids are already another year old, because it means that my child is quickly approaching 2 and another party is in store. (this year's will be smaller than last year because in Nelson's family, only the 1st one is the BIG one) I'm thinking something VERY low scale, because (1) she's only 2 and won't remember it (2) I don't want to stress out over it and (3) We are on a budget right now, while saving for a down payment.
I know there are parents out there who will think I'm a b**** for saying this, but I am NOT doing the Chuck E Cheese thing. I am not going there again with my child for a LONG time. That. place. is. HORRIBLE. Everything about it. The crazy activities, the flashing lights, the shows, the food, the crowds of people, the greed over tickets, the greed over tokens, the greed over cheap, crappy prizes, the wild kids, the parents not controlling their wild kids....it is all just too much. Yes, Kalaya had a fun time, but she was so overstimulated and so overwhelmed. Nelson and I agreed that we will do ONE, just ONE party each for our children there and only if we can't talk them out of it. And, not until they're 7 or older. There are just so many better ways to spend time with family and friends to celebrate a birthday!
Speaking of our down payment, this process is actually moving forward!! We have submitted out loan application and it looks like we are going to qualify for the FHA loan for enough to buy our first house! We are SO excited, because we only have to put 3% down and it's definitely a realistic goal by May or June. We've met with our Mortgage banker several times and it turns out we have FANTASTIC credit (who knew???) so we should get approved no problem. The down payment it very reasonable and realistic as well. We have contacted and started meeting with a realtor and are actually starting to see this happening!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Toddler Nursing Intro
I plan to post a LONG blog about this soon; for now, read this article, they took the words right out of my mouth!! (the toddler nursing on his head is SO TRUE!! I was so glad to see it's not just mine!!)
5 Toddler Breastfeeding Myths That Drive Me Insane!
Posted by Christie Haskell on February 18, 2011 at 2:29 PM
Despite the fact that the World Health Organization, multiple Surgeon Generals, UNICEF, La Leche League, and just about any doctor worth their salt recommends breastfeeding at least until the age of 2 and beyond, many people find it strange when a mom is breastfeeding a toddler.
In an effort to lessen the weirdness of it for some people, I took a look at some of the more popular myths about breastfeeding toddlers. I'll debunk those myths, explaining the reality, in hopes of clearing up confusion and stopping the spread of misinformation.
Myth #1. "There's no benefit to nursing after 1."
As a lovely friend of mine once put it, this is like claiming that spinach loses nutritional benefit once you're, say, 15 years old. Something that is healthy and nutrient-rich never stops being good for you.
In the second year (12-23 months), 448 mL of breast milk provides:
- 29% of energy requirements
- 43% of protein requirements
- 36% of calcium requirements
- 75% of vitamin A requirements
- 76% of folate requirements
- 94% of vitamin B12 requirements
- 60% of vitamin C requirements
-- Dewey 2001
We know that the majority of brain growth is done in the first three years of life, and that fat is one of the things that the brain needs to grow. Human milk fat is the thing the baby's body is designed to use best, so it's the optimum food for brain growth in the formative years. Considering there are toddler formulas shows that even the formula market knows that toddlers still need that extra composition of milk fats and other vitamins and minerals past the first birthday (and toddler formulas are designed to go from 12 months to 36 -- until that third birthday).
Myth #2. "You should stop breastfeeding when the kid can ask for it."
This one is just silly. Parents think babies babbling "baba" is asking for a bottle and eventually do train the child to say that as a request for a bottle, but nothing is seen as wrong with that. Many children who are taught basic sign language start signing "milk" or "nurse" around 8 months old -- obviously too early to wean. And of course, this is just plain illogical -- if your child asked for broccoli, would you tell them they were cut off? They learn to ask because it's a common part of their day. Punishing them by cutting off the thing they've learned to ask for makes no sense in any logical universe.
Myth #3. "Nursing past X months/years is just for mom's personal enjoyment."
Oh yes, moms of toddlers just force them to the breast, pry open their mouths, and say, "NURSE! Please, kick me in the face! Try to stand on your head! Pull my hair and try to dance! It's so much fun!" Okay, I'm being insanely sarcastic here. Toddlers, frankly, can be a major pain in the ass to nurse. They don't want to stay still, they get easily distracted, and they run off a mere minute after screaming to nurse. They like to pick on mom the whole time by seeing what "Nursing Acrobatics" they can accomplish because they don't like being still. Nursing a toddler is something moms do for themselves, sure. Because it reduces mom's risk of cancers, and also is better than Pedialyte when the kiddo is sick. And, yes, the bonding and cuddles are sweet and unbeatable, but moms are nursing toddlers mainly for the same reasons they nursed them months sooner -- they're still biologically designed to be breastfed and it's healthiest for them as well.
Myth #4. "You cut out bottles and formula at 1, so breastfeeding needs to go too."
You know how I said toddler formulas existed with the recommendation being to use until the third birthday? Yeah. That's because it's not the formula or milk-nutrition you're weaning a child from at their first birthday -- it's the bottle. Bottles function completely differently in the human mouth than a flesh nipple. While mom's nipples actually work to develop the child's mouth, tongue, and jaw in a beneficial way, an artificial nipple actually requires sucking done in a different way that is actually damaging to the palate, teeth, and mouth formation in general. You're weaning from the silicone nipple -- not the liquid that's in it.
Myth #5. "They need solids/there's no need for breast milk when they eat real food."
Do you drink a glass of water with your dinner? Breastfeeding toddlers eat "real" food too, and nurse the same way formula-fed babies eat food and get a bottle. Over the second year, the ratio of solids to breast milk start shifting away from breast milk. It's intended to be a process, not a sudden event.
What do you think of nursing a toddler? What's the weirdest myth you've ever heard?
21 Months
How am I ever going to remember to keep up blogs about 2 kids some day when I can't even get around to one?? (no, I'm not pregnant or trying, just thinking about my mom friends with multiple kids who manage to post every day!!)
Anyway, 21 months is a fun, fun age. Kalaya's language skills are beyond description. You really have to hang out with her to get the full effect. And, it has to be once she is comfortable. She is so much like her daddy in that way. At home, she has a running dialogue from morning until night. She talks to mommy, daddy, the doggies, her bear, her babies, the chairs, her kitchen, the bath tub, you name it!! She babbles and sings in the car, the stroller, the high chair, the play room and the pack and play. Her memory astounds me and it is so amazing to see her become this wonderful, adorable person, so curious and fascinated by the world around her. She loves so many things and gets so excited about so much!
Some favorites right now are pretending to cook, shopping with her shopping cart, taking care of babies, feeding babies in the Bumbo, eating crackers, cheese, apple sauce, oatmeal, broccoli or yogurt (and a lot more), taking baths and showers, reading, especially any book that contains, Elmo, Abby or bunnies, running around aimlessly, chasing the doggies, dragging the doggies leashes around, going for walks, going to the park, bubbles, coloring with crayons and on her magna doodle thingy, taking things out of the pantry, drinking milk, throwing tennis balls and toys for the doggies, playing with flashlights, chasing the doggies around with towels and blankets to make them go 'night night', putting babies, bears, any toys night night, looking at pictures of family and friends, saying night night to family members and friends, looking for birds, quack quacks, cats and doggies, singing about her tummy, tummy, tummy, reading books about and singing the ABCs, taking pictures, her Elmo slippers and Elmo washcloth, begging to go 'ouside', playing horsie with Daddy, looking at and smelling 'pitty fwowers' (flowers), riding in the car, going to church (which means we get to church and she exclaims TOYS! to go into the nursery), demanding music from the computer or Daddy's phone, sneaking off and figuring out how to call people on Mommy and Daddy's phones, sitting on the potty and immediately demanding a 'book', playdates with Elena, looking at the photo Christmas cards we will have to keep up until next December so we can talk about Connor, Chloe, Allie and Elena, wearing her 'anta' hat around and saying 'ho ho ho', taking every puzzle piece and small toy in the house and carrying them around in her pumpkin trick or treat bucket, looking at picture of herself and saying 'kalaya pitty', pillows, blankets, wearing lots of necklaces and bracelets, wearing 'pitty' tutus, washing her hands, talking to her cousin on Skype, helping mommy by closing the dryer, pushing to buttons on the dryer, dishwasher, and garage door, putting her dishes away from the dishwasher, taking clean dishes out of drawers and cupboards to put in the dishwasher and all over the house, and more things I can't think of off the top of my head. She's a busy girl!
Things we do not like right now: having time outs, not being able to go outside, eating a meal (we have to call it a 'nack' most days and then she'll eat no problem), and bed time.
:::sigh::: Bed time has become a real issue in our house. Nap time isn't a problem, as far as going to sleep, but, well, I guess I should look back a bit.
Kalaya has never been able to fall asleep on her own, other than in the car. We took the advice of many people and tried putting her down early, before she was exhausted and without soothing. That didn't work. At all stages of life, she'd either immediately scream (including in the hospital, as a newborn, ALWAYS), or lay and babble to herself until she got over tired on her own and then would then proceed to freak out. Even if she was nursed or rocked completely to sleep, she'd wake up much sooner than any other baby we knew.
Around one year old, she started sleeping through the night. Before that, went to sleep on her own (starting around 9 months. before that, she was nursed to sleep), by laying down with mommy or daddy. She'd wake once or twice at night to nurse and then go right back to sleep. At a year, she slept with Nelson only for a couple of nights to learn not to wake up to nurse, which she did so easily and without much complaint. She nurses now only before 9pm or after 6 am, unless she is sick. This has gone really well for months and then has changed in the last couple of weeks. Once she's asleep, she sleeps great, usually for about 10 straight hours, wakes up to nurse briefly and then for another 2-3 hours. She then takes a nap in the afternoon, usually 1-1 1/2 hours, which she goes down for in the pack n play on her own, with no soothing from anyone. She sometimes fusses for less than 5 minutes, usually talks to herself for a little bit and then goes to sleep on her own.
The problem is getting her to sleep at night.
She used to lay quietly for only 10-20 minutes next to one of us and drift quietly off to sleep. She'd then sleep through the night, as described above. She would go down around 8:30 or so, sleep until 6 (when Nelson gets up), nurse, and sleep until 8:30 or 9, often even later.
Now, on many nights, (though not all) bed time is a screaming battle. If one of us lays in there with her, she either talks and babbles to us or we have to pin her down screaming. If we leave her alone in the pack n play, she screams for 2-3 hours. She FORCES herself to stay awake. She bites her fingers, stares into the night light, keeps herself on her back (she really tends to only fall asleep on her tummy), makes herself keep sitting up or rolling over. We've tried the cry it out and yes, she falls asleep. For maybe 30 minutes. And, that's after 2 hours of crying. Then she cries for another hour. Night after night after night. She has been finally going to sleep around 11pm. Yes, she sleeps until late the next day, but she's so off. I've tried forcing her to get up earlier, but that's a disaster too. Then, she needs a morning nap and is still cranky the rest of the day.
The other detail that has to do with this is nap time. She still needs a nap. Every afternoon, she is definitely fussy and tired. Some days, nap time and bed time are no problem. We can't figure it out. Some afternoon, she takes an hour nap and then goes to bed without a hitch. But, some days, it's like she doesn't get tired until 4:30 or 5 and then it's too late for a nap. Yes, we've tried (eek!) assuming that she's outgrowing naps and just kept her up, but then she falls asleep in the early evening (usually in the high chair), we put her to bed and then she wakes up an hour or so later, wide awake, thinking she's had a nap and is ready to play and not tired in the least. We've tried keeping her up a little later, with no nap, which yes, means she goes to bed fine, but it is a miserable last couple of hours, because she's so tired. She has never been a kid that 'catching her before she's exhausted' works. I've seen those babies who just fall asleep while playing, go to sleep on their own after babbling, etc. She's only like that for nap time. NEVER for bedtime. The only way is in the car and we can't afford the gas to do that every night. : /
I know it will get better. It's just a phase. It always is. It's just making us dread every evening and question every nap. I know we'll get back to normal. IT'S JUST A PHASE. (I'm trying to convince myself)
Did I mention that in the middle of all this we're pretty sure those 2 year molars are trying to push their way through AND that she has a cough and stuffy nose?? Sigh again....
Other than that, she is a joy and a pleasant toddler. I (still!) love being a stay at home mom and being a part of each and every day of her life!
Anyway, 21 months is a fun, fun age. Kalaya's language skills are beyond description. You really have to hang out with her to get the full effect. And, it has to be once she is comfortable. She is so much like her daddy in that way. At home, she has a running dialogue from morning until night. She talks to mommy, daddy, the doggies, her bear, her babies, the chairs, her kitchen, the bath tub, you name it!! She babbles and sings in the car, the stroller, the high chair, the play room and the pack and play. Her memory astounds me and it is so amazing to see her become this wonderful, adorable person, so curious and fascinated by the world around her. She loves so many things and gets so excited about so much!
Some favorites right now are pretending to cook, shopping with her shopping cart, taking care of babies, feeding babies in the Bumbo, eating crackers, cheese, apple sauce, oatmeal, broccoli or yogurt (and a lot more), taking baths and showers, reading, especially any book that contains, Elmo, Abby or bunnies, running around aimlessly, chasing the doggies, dragging the doggies leashes around, going for walks, going to the park, bubbles, coloring with crayons and on her magna doodle thingy, taking things out of the pantry, drinking milk, throwing tennis balls and toys for the doggies, playing with flashlights, chasing the doggies around with towels and blankets to make them go 'night night', putting babies, bears, any toys night night, looking at pictures of family and friends, saying night night to family members and friends, looking for birds, quack quacks, cats and doggies, singing about her tummy, tummy, tummy, reading books about and singing the ABCs, taking pictures, her Elmo slippers and Elmo washcloth, begging to go 'ouside', playing horsie with Daddy, looking at and smelling 'pitty fwowers' (flowers), riding in the car, going to church (which means we get to church and she exclaims TOYS! to go into the nursery), demanding music from the computer or Daddy's phone, sneaking off and figuring out how to call people on Mommy and Daddy's phones, sitting on the potty and immediately demanding a 'book', playdates with Elena, looking at the photo Christmas cards we will have to keep up until next December so we can talk about Connor, Chloe, Allie and Elena, wearing her 'anta' hat around and saying 'ho ho ho', taking every puzzle piece and small toy in the house and carrying them around in her pumpkin trick or treat bucket, looking at picture of herself and saying 'kalaya pitty', pillows, blankets, wearing lots of necklaces and bracelets, wearing 'pitty' tutus, washing her hands, talking to her cousin on Skype, helping mommy by closing the dryer, pushing to buttons on the dryer, dishwasher, and garage door, putting her dishes away from the dishwasher, taking clean dishes out of drawers and cupboards to put in the dishwasher and all over the house, and more things I can't think of off the top of my head. She's a busy girl!
Things we do not like right now: having time outs, not being able to go outside, eating a meal (we have to call it a 'nack' most days and then she'll eat no problem), and bed time.
:::sigh::: Bed time has become a real issue in our house. Nap time isn't a problem, as far as going to sleep, but, well, I guess I should look back a bit.
Kalaya has never been able to fall asleep on her own, other than in the car. We took the advice of many people and tried putting her down early, before she was exhausted and without soothing. That didn't work. At all stages of life, she'd either immediately scream (including in the hospital, as a newborn, ALWAYS), or lay and babble to herself until she got over tired on her own and then would then proceed to freak out. Even if she was nursed or rocked completely to sleep, she'd wake up much sooner than any other baby we knew.
Around one year old, she started sleeping through the night. Before that, went to sleep on her own (starting around 9 months. before that, she was nursed to sleep), by laying down with mommy or daddy. She'd wake once or twice at night to nurse and then go right back to sleep. At a year, she slept with Nelson only for a couple of nights to learn not to wake up to nurse, which she did so easily and without much complaint. She nurses now only before 9pm or after 6 am, unless she is sick. This has gone really well for months and then has changed in the last couple of weeks. Once she's asleep, she sleeps great, usually for about 10 straight hours, wakes up to nurse briefly and then for another 2-3 hours. She then takes a nap in the afternoon, usually 1-1 1/2 hours, which she goes down for in the pack n play on her own, with no soothing from anyone. She sometimes fusses for less than 5 minutes, usually talks to herself for a little bit and then goes to sleep on her own.
The problem is getting her to sleep at night.
She used to lay quietly for only 10-20 minutes next to one of us and drift quietly off to sleep. She'd then sleep through the night, as described above. She would go down around 8:30 or so, sleep until 6 (when Nelson gets up), nurse, and sleep until 8:30 or 9, often even later.
Now, on many nights, (though not all) bed time is a screaming battle. If one of us lays in there with her, she either talks and babbles to us or we have to pin her down screaming. If we leave her alone in the pack n play, she screams for 2-3 hours. She FORCES herself to stay awake. She bites her fingers, stares into the night light, keeps herself on her back (she really tends to only fall asleep on her tummy), makes herself keep sitting up or rolling over. We've tried the cry it out and yes, she falls asleep. For maybe 30 minutes. And, that's after 2 hours of crying. Then she cries for another hour. Night after night after night. She has been finally going to sleep around 11pm. Yes, she sleeps until late the next day, but she's so off. I've tried forcing her to get up earlier, but that's a disaster too. Then, she needs a morning nap and is still cranky the rest of the day.
The other detail that has to do with this is nap time. She still needs a nap. Every afternoon, she is definitely fussy and tired. Some days, nap time and bed time are no problem. We can't figure it out. Some afternoon, she takes an hour nap and then goes to bed without a hitch. But, some days, it's like she doesn't get tired until 4:30 or 5 and then it's too late for a nap. Yes, we've tried (eek!) assuming that she's outgrowing naps and just kept her up, but then she falls asleep in the early evening (usually in the high chair), we put her to bed and then she wakes up an hour or so later, wide awake, thinking she's had a nap and is ready to play and not tired in the least. We've tried keeping her up a little later, with no nap, which yes, means she goes to bed fine, but it is a miserable last couple of hours, because she's so tired. She has never been a kid that 'catching her before she's exhausted' works. I've seen those babies who just fall asleep while playing, go to sleep on their own after babbling, etc. She's only like that for nap time. NEVER for bedtime. The only way is in the car and we can't afford the gas to do that every night. : /
I know it will get better. It's just a phase. It always is. It's just making us dread every evening and question every nap. I know we'll get back to normal. IT'S JUST A PHASE. (I'm trying to convince myself)
Did I mention that in the middle of all this we're pretty sure those 2 year molars are trying to push their way through AND that she has a cough and stuffy nose?? Sigh again....
Other than that, she is a joy and a pleasant toddler. I (still!) love being a stay at home mom and being a part of each and every day of her life!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Wait, it's February?
I don't even know what happened. January wasn't even that crazy, yet some how I have not been motivated to write on here. Not in a depressed way. Just in a 'I'd rather be doing other thing' kind of way. Let's see what's happened in the last month:
~Our youth group took a fun trip to this place called Skyhigh Trampoline and I discovered I am no longer as young as I once was. Picture several rooms of just trampolines, including slanting up the walls, with dozens of kids running around and narrow platforms between the jumping part. Sheesh, just to read it sounds scary. And dangerous. I should have realized I may have been making a mistake when I had to sign a WAVER. Anyway, instead of hurting myself doing a triple flip or something cool, I managed to roll my ankle while walking across a trampoline and a little kid ran by, making the surface not where I expected it to be. I felt crazy, since hardly anything seemed to have happened, but it HURT to walk on. A trip to Urgent Care later than afternoon revealed a sprained ankle, which was black, blue, purple and swollen within a couple of days. I was given a brace/sleeve thing and crutches. 2 days on crutches and I gave up; they just don't work with a toddler. Neither do pain killers with sleeping drugs. So, limping and Advil have been enough. It still gets sore if I exercise on it too long, but it's fine now. I should have taken a picture of it, it was GROSS.
~Our youth group finished their big project we've been working on. Last Sunday was the first Youth Sunday at our church. They worked really hard to prepare the sermon, an original skit written by my talented and hilarious husband, depicting Jesus on "Episcopal Love Connection" evaluating people for their entrance to Heaven. The youth were also the readers, the greeters, the ushers and assisted and/or chose all of the prayers and music. It was a huge success and the church members loved it!
~Since it is now 2011, holy crap, the planning for my 10 year reunion has begun. HOW HAS IT BEEN TEN YEARS??? At the same time, high school seems light years away. A group of us has started planning. It's a bit daunting, since we have almost 500 in our class, but I think we're off to a good start. It was interesting though. The 20s are a weird age nowadays, people are still partying and living the single life, others have 2 or 3 kids. Not that there's anything wrong with either lifestyle, it's just interesting.
~Nelson is loving his new job and is really happy. He seems to have jumped right in and picked up everything just fine. I'm glad to see him enjoying work for a change!
~We are still living with my parents, which has its challenges, but overall has been fine.
~We have started talking with a mortgage banker about what we are qualified for, in terms of loans for buying a house. It's very exciting! We have started the process of applying and it looks like we will definitely qualify for an FHA loan, which means we will only need 3% down. With interest rates being low and so many people desperate to sell, it's a buyer's market right now, so we're hoping this is a realistic goal for us! We'd like to be in our own home by May or June. We have a realtor in mind and will be contacting her once we know what we're qualified to buy. SO EXCITED ABOUT ALL OF THIS!!
~Our youth group took a fun trip to this place called Skyhigh Trampoline and I discovered I am no longer as young as I once was. Picture several rooms of just trampolines, including slanting up the walls, with dozens of kids running around and narrow platforms between the jumping part. Sheesh, just to read it sounds scary. And dangerous. I should have realized I may have been making a mistake when I had to sign a WAVER. Anyway, instead of hurting myself doing a triple flip or something cool, I managed to roll my ankle while walking across a trampoline and a little kid ran by, making the surface not where I expected it to be. I felt crazy, since hardly anything seemed to have happened, but it HURT to walk on. A trip to Urgent Care later than afternoon revealed a sprained ankle, which was black, blue, purple and swollen within a couple of days. I was given a brace/sleeve thing and crutches. 2 days on crutches and I gave up; they just don't work with a toddler. Neither do pain killers with sleeping drugs. So, limping and Advil have been enough. It still gets sore if I exercise on it too long, but it's fine now. I should have taken a picture of it, it was GROSS.
~Our youth group finished their big project we've been working on. Last Sunday was the first Youth Sunday at our church. They worked really hard to prepare the sermon, an original skit written by my talented and hilarious husband, depicting Jesus on "Episcopal Love Connection" evaluating people for their entrance to Heaven. The youth were also the readers, the greeters, the ushers and assisted and/or chose all of the prayers and music. It was a huge success and the church members loved it!
~Since it is now 2011, holy crap, the planning for my 10 year reunion has begun. HOW HAS IT BEEN TEN YEARS??? At the same time, high school seems light years away. A group of us has started planning. It's a bit daunting, since we have almost 500 in our class, but I think we're off to a good start. It was interesting though. The 20s are a weird age nowadays, people are still partying and living the single life, others have 2 or 3 kids. Not that there's anything wrong with either lifestyle, it's just interesting.
~Nelson is loving his new job and is really happy. He seems to have jumped right in and picked up everything just fine. I'm glad to see him enjoying work for a change!
~We are still living with my parents, which has its challenges, but overall has been fine.
~We have started talking with a mortgage banker about what we are qualified for, in terms of loans for buying a house. It's very exciting! We have started the process of applying and it looks like we will definitely qualify for an FHA loan, which means we will only need 3% down. With interest rates being low and so many people desperate to sell, it's a buyer's market right now, so we're hoping this is a realistic goal for us! We'd like to be in our own home by May or June. We have a realtor in mind and will be contacting her once we know what we're qualified to buy. SO EXCITED ABOUT ALL OF THIS!!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
20 Months (plus a week)
Miss Kalaya gets more grown up and independent every day. She keeps changing and I'm amazed how many new words and sentences come out of her mouth. I have lost track of all the new words she has learned, because there are so many new ones each day. We're definitely at the point where she'll repeat back almost any word you ask of her.
One new word that we tried SO HARD not to teach her (and didn't) has finally been learned. :::sigh::: And with that words comes a more independent attitude. You guessed it, the word is no.
It's very frustrating for us, because we have avoided using the word her entire life. And then, one week of living with my dad.....and she's saying it. I asked and asked him not to say it around her, to her, etc and he thought I was crazy. Next thing you know, she's saying it all the time. Grrr.... (incase you're wondering, we didn't tell her not to do things, we just had a different sound for no and for redirection. It's hard to say over a blog, but we would say 'ah ah ah, we don't do that' or something similar)
We've tried different approaches to handling it. For extreme nos, such as saying it after being asked to or not to do something, there have been timeouts. And believe me, she knows that it's not nice to say no to someone asking you to do something. More recently though, we've switched to just ignoring it. She reacted a lot more negatively when she got a reaction from us. So, we're focusing on praise and not giving the opportunity to answer no. And when she does, we mostly ignore it and act as though she didn't say it. As she gets older, we'll get more specific. The nice thing is that she really seems to be saying it, just because she can. It's very funny sometimes, especially when she's telling the dogs no when they're doing something they're not supposed to. I'm okay with that one. : )
It's such a minor thing now, because she's learned so many other nice words. She's saying love you, please and thank you, all of which warm my heart every time. She says them in the sweetest ways at the sweetest times. She will roll over in the morning, kiss me to wake me up and say nurse? mama? pease? She says other things that crack us up. A couple of days ago, I opened her diaper and said, "Did you go poop?" and she answered, "I poop" which was hilarious. And hey, it's one step closer to potty training! Another favorite new word is 'yuck' because she always says it when we're eating some kind of dessert. Well trained! (and no, we're not going to outlaw sweets her whole life. We know that we'll just make them taboo and make her want them more. But, we're going to avoid them as long as we can....)
Her favorite thing to do during the day is play with the 3 crazy dogs at our house. Yup, THREE! My parents' dog, our dog and my brother's dog. And yes, they're all dachshunds! They're all really good with her and gentle and play so well with her and each other. She throws the tennis balls all over the place (she's got a heck of an arm for 20 months!) and they chase it and she laughs and laughs. She is very insistent on their walk every day. About 3:30 every day, she starts dragging their leashes around, talking about coats and shoes and asking where Oma is so we can go. She can say all their names and loves the 'doggies'.
She plays so independently so well, it just amazes me. Of course, our playroom full of Christmas presents may be a big help. She LOVES to play with all her babies and stuffed animals. She puts them in the Bumbo and feeds them and gives them cups. She puts them 'nigh nigh' over and over again. She cooks in her kitchen and shops with her grocery cart. One of her favorite games is to take her shopping cart to the pantry and kitchen drawers and fill it up. Poor Oma and Grandpa, they're so tolerant of all the things around their house! Another thing she likes is to play with recyclables. (is that a word?) My mom has a large bag with (washed) plastic containers and cardboard stuff for her 'invention center' in her kindergarten class and Kalaya loves to play with those too.
Another favorite activity that she wants to do over and over is look at pictures of people she knows and loves. We look at mommy, daddy, auntie, unkah, gampa, oma, gamma, alla (her cousin), lena (her best friend), mara (another cousin) and emmm (another cousin) over and over again.
Eating is so different from even a couple of months ago! I had decided I had a picky eater, even though I had done everything 'right' to avoid that situation. (nothing like better than becoming a parent to find out you know nothing!!) She is eating so many foods now and her tastes are expanding. She eats anything dairy, any kind of grain, lots of vegetables and some fruits. She does well with beans and rice. She is not a big meat eater. I've tried different forms, but it usually has to be a puree hidden in something else. I am a BIG fan of Deceptively Delicious, not because I think you should always make sure your kids like the food they eat, but because it's a great way to always add nutrition to your kids' meals. I've frozen veggies, meats and fruits in muffin tin and ice cube sizes, so I can always add more nutrition or food groups to a meal. For example, if I know we're going out to dinner at a place (like Red Robin) where we can get her something with a sauce (aka spaghetti or mac and cheese) I bring a couple of 'food cubes' to mix in, such as pureed carrot for the marinara sauce or pureed squash for the cheese sauce. She will eat almost any combination mixed in with cheese, spread on bread or over pasta. I still make a lot of toddler snacks, crackers, etc, which I get either online or in the book Baby Super Food. She likes so many plain things that surprise me: plain yogurt, plain oatmeal, (bit size) shredded wheat, crackers, cottage cheese, water and veggies without anything added to them. She has recently discovered hummus and gobbles it up!
One new word that we tried SO HARD not to teach her (and didn't) has finally been learned. :::sigh::: And with that words comes a more independent attitude. You guessed it, the word is no.
It's very frustrating for us, because we have avoided using the word her entire life. And then, one week of living with my dad.....and she's saying it. I asked and asked him not to say it around her, to her, etc and he thought I was crazy. Next thing you know, she's saying it all the time. Grrr.... (incase you're wondering, we didn't tell her not to do things, we just had a different sound for no and for redirection. It's hard to say over a blog, but we would say 'ah ah ah, we don't do that' or something similar)
We've tried different approaches to handling it. For extreme nos, such as saying it after being asked to or not to do something, there have been timeouts. And believe me, she knows that it's not nice to say no to someone asking you to do something. More recently though, we've switched to just ignoring it. She reacted a lot more negatively when she got a reaction from us. So, we're focusing on praise and not giving the opportunity to answer no. And when she does, we mostly ignore it and act as though she didn't say it. As she gets older, we'll get more specific. The nice thing is that she really seems to be saying it, just because she can. It's very funny sometimes, especially when she's telling the dogs no when they're doing something they're not supposed to. I'm okay with that one. : )
It's such a minor thing now, because she's learned so many other nice words. She's saying love you, please and thank you, all of which warm my heart every time. She says them in the sweetest ways at the sweetest times. She will roll over in the morning, kiss me to wake me up and say nurse? mama? pease? She says other things that crack us up. A couple of days ago, I opened her diaper and said, "Did you go poop?" and she answered, "I poop" which was hilarious. And hey, it's one step closer to potty training! Another favorite new word is 'yuck' because she always says it when we're eating some kind of dessert. Well trained! (and no, we're not going to outlaw sweets her whole life. We know that we'll just make them taboo and make her want them more. But, we're going to avoid them as long as we can....)
Her favorite thing to do during the day is play with the 3 crazy dogs at our house. Yup, THREE! My parents' dog, our dog and my brother's dog. And yes, they're all dachshunds! They're all really good with her and gentle and play so well with her and each other. She throws the tennis balls all over the place (she's got a heck of an arm for 20 months!) and they chase it and she laughs and laughs. She is very insistent on their walk every day. About 3:30 every day, she starts dragging their leashes around, talking about coats and shoes and asking where Oma is so we can go. She can say all their names and loves the 'doggies'.
She plays so independently so well, it just amazes me. Of course, our playroom full of Christmas presents may be a big help. She LOVES to play with all her babies and stuffed animals. She puts them in the Bumbo and feeds them and gives them cups. She puts them 'nigh nigh' over and over again. She cooks in her kitchen and shops with her grocery cart. One of her favorite games is to take her shopping cart to the pantry and kitchen drawers and fill it up. Poor Oma and Grandpa, they're so tolerant of all the things around their house! Another thing she likes is to play with recyclables. (is that a word?) My mom has a large bag with (washed) plastic containers and cardboard stuff for her 'invention center' in her kindergarten class and Kalaya loves to play with those too.
Another favorite activity that she wants to do over and over is look at pictures of people she knows and loves. We look at mommy, daddy, auntie, unkah, gampa, oma, gamma, alla (her cousin), lena (her best friend), mara (another cousin) and emmm (another cousin) over and over again.
Eating is so different from even a couple of months ago! I had decided I had a picky eater, even though I had done everything 'right' to avoid that situation. (nothing like better than becoming a parent to find out you know nothing!!) She is eating so many foods now and her tastes are expanding. She eats anything dairy, any kind of grain, lots of vegetables and some fruits. She does well with beans and rice. She is not a big meat eater. I've tried different forms, but it usually has to be a puree hidden in something else. I am a BIG fan of Deceptively Delicious, not because I think you should always make sure your kids like the food they eat, but because it's a great way to always add nutrition to your kids' meals. I've frozen veggies, meats and fruits in muffin tin and ice cube sizes, so I can always add more nutrition or food groups to a meal. For example, if I know we're going out to dinner at a place (like Red Robin) where we can get her something with a sauce (aka spaghetti or mac and cheese) I bring a couple of 'food cubes' to mix in, such as pureed carrot for the marinara sauce or pureed squash for the cheese sauce. She will eat almost any combination mixed in with cheese, spread on bread or over pasta. I still make a lot of toddler snacks, crackers, etc, which I get either online or in the book Baby Super Food. She likes so many plain things that surprise me: plain yogurt, plain oatmeal, (bit size) shredded wheat, crackers, cottage cheese, water and veggies without anything added to them. She has recently discovered hummus and gobbles it up!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas!!
Christmas Eve at churchWe were very blessed with lots of family and enjoyed a very busy, merry Christmas! Not quite as crazy as last year, since we didn't have to rush around because of a trip out of state on the airplane, but busy just the same.
We started out with our first of 2 trips down to Salem, to celebrate Christmas with Theo, Yvette and Amara. (my brother in law, his girlfriend and their 3 month old) We had a nice time opening some gifts, playing Wii and going out to dinner. Kalaya loves her baby cousin and got some good practice in for handing out presents and opening wrapping paper for Christmas.
Kisses for cousin
Playing Just Dance 2 for the Wii
Handing out presents
Getting in some opening practice
A princess piano!We had family staying with us at my parents' house. My brother (Colin) and niece (Allie) arrived a week before Christmas to stay for a couple of weeks. This was a very special visit, because my brother is about to leave for his second deployment to Afghanistan. We were glad we got such a long visit with Colin and Allie. Kalaya loooved having Allie to play with every day and there was only a little bit of rivalry for toys. My aunt arrived on Christmas day to spend a few days with all of us, which was a nice edition to the holiday cheer. I was in charge of the turkey dinner on Christmas and managed to make enough food and more for all 8 of us. We went to church as a family on Christmas Eve and woke up to open presents on Christmas Day. It was really fun actually doing Santa this year, even though Kalaya still doesn't totally get it. Allie, who is 2 1/2 totally got it and Kalaya had fun following her around as we put out cookies for Santa and opened presents.
Putting out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer
"We'll wait for Santa right here!"
Kalaya got a LOT of toys. Holy smokes!! Our playroom is crammed. Her big present from Santa was a play kitchen, which was hilarious to watch Nelson put together on Christmas Eve. She and Allie enjoyed playing with it on Christmas, as well as the other toys. She got: the kitchen, a doctor kit, a tool kit, cars, a bubble blower, 2 baby dolls, a shopping cart, a stuffed Elmo, a big girl potty with Elmo big girl underwear, clothes, Mega Blocks, stuffed animals, puzzles, ornaments, play food, and a doll bed, to name a few. We have put some away to bring out over the next couple of months. She is loving it all!
Ridiculous kitchen: granite counters, stainless steel appliances, play food, dishes, pots and pans, a seat...and all for super cheap on Black Friday!
Lots of Elmo stuff
On the 26th, we went down to Salem to do Christmas with Nelson's family and have another turkey/ham/roast dinner. Kalaya got plenty of gifts and attention and had fun playing with her other cousins. She pigged out on another Christmas dinner.
Now it's New Year's Eve and things have calmed down. It's a relief to be getting back into our normal routine, but definitely sad to say good bye to family. Kalaya keeps asking, "Uncle? Allie? Auntie?" and trying to explain it to her is impossible. It's hard knowing that it will be a long time until we see my brother again, but we have a lot of people praying for him and all we can do is pray he will be safe during his deployment.
Our New Year's Eve is not going to be anything fancy at all. Just Nelson and I, if I can make it until midnight. (it's been a long day of goodbyes, I'm wiped) We have 2 new games for the Wii and we'll probably just be lazy and play those together. We are not 'going out' type of people and this is going to be perfect for the two of us. We're getting together with our friends tomorrow afternoon for a VERY laid back time of relaxing and catching up. Hope everyone has a safe and happy new year!!
Putting out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer
"We'll wait for Santa right here!"Kalaya got a LOT of toys. Holy smokes!! Our playroom is crammed. Her big present from Santa was a play kitchen, which was hilarious to watch Nelson put together on Christmas Eve. She and Allie enjoyed playing with it on Christmas, as well as the other toys. She got: the kitchen, a doctor kit, a tool kit, cars, a bubble blower, 2 baby dolls, a shopping cart, a stuffed Elmo, a big girl potty with Elmo big girl underwear, clothes, Mega Blocks, stuffed animals, puzzles, ornaments, play food, and a doll bed, to name a few. We have put some away to bring out over the next couple of months. She is loving it all!
Ridiculous kitchen: granite counters, stainless steel appliances, play food, dishes, pots and pans, a seat...and all for super cheap on Black Friday!
Lots of Elmo stuffOn the 26th, we went down to Salem to do Christmas with Nelson's family and have another turkey/ham/roast dinner. Kalaya got plenty of gifts and attention and had fun playing with her other cousins. She pigged out on another Christmas dinner.
Now it's New Year's Eve and things have calmed down. It's a relief to be getting back into our normal routine, but definitely sad to say good bye to family. Kalaya keeps asking, "Uncle? Allie? Auntie?" and trying to explain it to her is impossible. It's hard knowing that it will be a long time until we see my brother again, but we have a lot of people praying for him and all we can do is pray he will be safe during his deployment.
Our New Year's Eve is not going to be anything fancy at all. Just Nelson and I, if I can make it until midnight. (it's been a long day of goodbyes, I'm wiped) We have 2 new games for the Wii and we'll probably just be lazy and play those together. We are not 'going out' type of people and this is going to be perfect for the two of us. We're getting together with our friends tomorrow afternoon for a VERY laid back time of relaxing and catching up. Hope everyone has a safe and happy new year!!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Santa 2010
I wish I could post last year's Santa picture, but it is in a box with the rest of our stuff in storage. Some how I never got around to scanning the one hard copy we had. Just picture a giant screaming mouth on a little girl in a Santa hat and Christmas dress....
This year went much better. She didn't go to people at all last year (and I mean ANYONE, not even grandparents), but this year she says hi to everyone and gives high fives and fist bumps. We've been practicing saying Santa. So, we started out walking up quietly to Santa and saying hi. We, of course, went downtown to Macy's because that is the REAL Santa, and it's where we used to go when Colin and I were little. They have a really cute set up with moving elves and reindeer, which she LOVED.
We went up to Santa and he was really sweet with her and gentle and didn't rush her. We said, "Hi Santa!" and she said, 'anta?' Then offered him her hand. Then she gave him a high five and a fist bump. So, I got brave and said, "Do you want to hug Santa?" Much to my surprise, she went right to him and just held onto him for about a minute and a half!! It was so sweet, I totally cried.
They took a picture and then she figured out what was happening and started to get skeptical when we started trying to get her to smile....
And it ended in tears, but only for a minute. Then she kept asking about him the rest of the time we were there, 'anta? 'anta? and looking around for him. Maybe next year she will have a smiling picture. : )
This year went much better. She didn't go to people at all last year (and I mean ANYONE, not even grandparents), but this year she says hi to everyone and gives high fives and fist bumps. We've been practicing saying Santa. So, we started out walking up quietly to Santa and saying hi. We, of course, went downtown to Macy's because that is the REAL Santa, and it's where we used to go when Colin and I were little. They have a really cute set up with moving elves and reindeer, which she LOVED.
We went up to Santa and he was really sweet with her and gentle and didn't rush her. We said, "Hi Santa!" and she said, 'anta?' Then offered him her hand. Then she gave him a high five and a fist bump. So, I got brave and said, "Do you want to hug Santa?" Much to my surprise, she went right to him and just held onto him for about a minute and a half!! It was so sweet, I totally cried.
They took a picture and then she figured out what was happening and started to get skeptical when we started trying to get her to smile....
And it ended in tears, but only for a minute. Then she kept asking about him the rest of the time we were there, 'anta? 'anta? and looking around for him. Maybe next year she will have a smiling picture. : )
Monday, December 6, 2010
19 Months
Well, Kalaya is officially closer to two than one! (insert generic 'I can't believe how fast it's going!' comment, because it's still true!) She is a busy, active toddler, but is such a pleasure. I hear stories over and over again about how challenging this age can be and I feel just the opposite. (well, about 90% of the time I do) She is so easy going and does such a great job of entertaining herself. She is a curious kid, but not to the point where she is mischievous and devious. She listens so well when we ask her not to do something or to do something.
Her list of words grows every day, it just amazes me! Some recent new words are: house, home, Pippy, milk, Elena (her BFF), circle, baby, Elmo, orange, eyes, nose, apple, banana, mouth, auntie, pillow, down, coat, hat, lunch, breakfast, potty, thank you (sometimes), horse, fish, and more that I can't think of right now. She knows where many body parts are, including; eyes, ear, mouth, hair, nose, feet, tummy, hand, teeth and tongue. She knows different animal sounds, including; duck, bear, cow, cat, snake, horse and Elmo. (he says 'la la la', incase you didn't know. Look up 'Elmo's Song' on YouTube for proof) She will say almost anything back to you that you model for her, so we have to be VERY careful of the words we choose these days! : )
I think she's going through a growth spurt. She's eating and sleeping really well and her 18 month clothes are getting smaller and shorter. She has (finally) turned into a pretty good eater and is eating most of the things that we eat and put in front of her. She has started eating some fruit (it only took 18 months!!!), but still in small amounts. The nice thing is that if she doesn't want to eat something, 9 times out of 10 I can just blend it in the magic bullet and she'll down it, especially if it's spread on bread. She does a really good job of feeding herself these days, even with a fork and spoon. She's fairly neat about it, as far as toddlers go. : )
People keep telling me what a handful this age is, and I totally disagree. Yes, she's mobile and learning to be independent, but she is very easy going. Maybe it's because she was a high needs infant/newborn, but this seems really, really easy. (aaaand, I just jinxed myself : ) She listens so well, unless she is super hungry or tired, but even then, does better than most toddlers. We tend to only have to redirect her once or twice when we don't want her to do something and then the behavior changes. And, I just don't mean once or twice in that situation. I mean at all. For example, when she first became mobile, she was very interested in my parent's stairs. We had to tell her not to climb them a couple of times and had to do a few time outs, but it was only in the very beginning. Now, she knows not to go over there, even without baby gates, and without redirecting. (it's been several months now) Same with drawers and cupboards she's not supposed to get into and things she's not supposed to touch, such as breakables and the TV.
If redirecting doesn't work, a time out solves the problem. I'm convinced that toddler nursing is a contributing factor to her behavior. It calms, soothes and redirects her if she is frustrated, sad, mad, hurt, tired, hungry, etc. It's so convenient and such an easy way to solve any situation.
But, honestly, most of the time she just plays and explores calmly. She loves to sit and read her board books, try on dress ups, push her baby in the stroller, go for walks with the dogs, look through kitchen drawers, play with her trucks and hang out. We have very relaxed days together, sleeping in a bit, eating breakfast almost all on her own, usually a shower together (which she LOVES), play time, lunch, nap, playtime, walk the dogs, dinner, play time, bath (if she didn't join me in the morning), and bedtime. She really only throws fits if she's overly tired or hungry and those are fairly easy to prevent. Signing is still really helpful, since it helps distinguish between words that sound the same.
Her nighttime sleep habits are so pleasant now. She goes down for bed pretty easily and quickly, usually around 8 and sleeps all night until around 7 or 8. She often wakes up just to have a morning nurse and then will sleep another hour or so. Very nice for mom! She takes an afternoon nap of usually just over an hour or so, which she is starting to fall asleep for on her own, which wasn't planned, but has been a nice change, even if only temporary.
We are so blessed to be coming into our 2nd holiday season with our beautiful 19 month old girl!
Her list of words grows every day, it just amazes me! Some recent new words are: house, home, Pippy, milk, Elena (her BFF), circle, baby, Elmo, orange, eyes, nose, apple, banana, mouth, auntie, pillow, down, coat, hat, lunch, breakfast, potty, thank you (sometimes), horse, fish, and more that I can't think of right now. She knows where many body parts are, including; eyes, ear, mouth, hair, nose, feet, tummy, hand, teeth and tongue. She knows different animal sounds, including; duck, bear, cow, cat, snake, horse and Elmo. (he says 'la la la', incase you didn't know. Look up 'Elmo's Song' on YouTube for proof) She will say almost anything back to you that you model for her, so we have to be VERY careful of the words we choose these days! : )
I think she's going through a growth spurt. She's eating and sleeping really well and her 18 month clothes are getting smaller and shorter. She has (finally) turned into a pretty good eater and is eating most of the things that we eat and put in front of her. She has started eating some fruit (it only took 18 months!!!), but still in small amounts. The nice thing is that if she doesn't want to eat something, 9 times out of 10 I can just blend it in the magic bullet and she'll down it, especially if it's spread on bread. She does a really good job of feeding herself these days, even with a fork and spoon. She's fairly neat about it, as far as toddlers go. : )
People keep telling me what a handful this age is, and I totally disagree. Yes, she's mobile and learning to be independent, but she is very easy going. Maybe it's because she was a high needs infant/newborn, but this seems really, really easy. (aaaand, I just jinxed myself : ) She listens so well, unless she is super hungry or tired, but even then, does better than most toddlers. We tend to only have to redirect her once or twice when we don't want her to do something and then the behavior changes. And, I just don't mean once or twice in that situation. I mean at all. For example, when she first became mobile, she was very interested in my parent's stairs. We had to tell her not to climb them a couple of times and had to do a few time outs, but it was only in the very beginning. Now, she knows not to go over there, even without baby gates, and without redirecting. (it's been several months now) Same with drawers and cupboards she's not supposed to get into and things she's not supposed to touch, such as breakables and the TV.
If redirecting doesn't work, a time out solves the problem. I'm convinced that toddler nursing is a contributing factor to her behavior. It calms, soothes and redirects her if she is frustrated, sad, mad, hurt, tired, hungry, etc. It's so convenient and such an easy way to solve any situation.
But, honestly, most of the time she just plays and explores calmly. She loves to sit and read her board books, try on dress ups, push her baby in the stroller, go for walks with the dogs, look through kitchen drawers, play with her trucks and hang out. We have very relaxed days together, sleeping in a bit, eating breakfast almost all on her own, usually a shower together (which she LOVES), play time, lunch, nap, playtime, walk the dogs, dinner, play time, bath (if she didn't join me in the morning), and bedtime. She really only throws fits if she's overly tired or hungry and those are fairly easy to prevent. Signing is still really helpful, since it helps distinguish between words that sound the same.
Her nighttime sleep habits are so pleasant now. She goes down for bed pretty easily and quickly, usually around 8 and sleeps all night until around 7 or 8. She often wakes up just to have a morning nurse and then will sleep another hour or so. Very nice for mom! She takes an afternoon nap of usually just over an hour or so, which she is starting to fall asleep for on her own, which wasn't planned, but has been a nice change, even if only temporary.
We are so blessed to be coming into our 2nd holiday season with our beautiful 19 month old girl!
Friday, December 3, 2010
30 Days of Thankfulness Day 30....a few days late.
For the last of the 30 days, I have to say the thing I am more thankful for than anything else. I am thankful for my beautiful, wonderful daughter who is the center and joy of my life.
I always knew I was going to be a mother. I have always said that if I could have, I would have majored in motherhood in college. I had always planned to be a stay at home mom. I love every single part of being Kalaya's mother. It is amazing to watch her grow and change into her own little person, even on the days when that means being stubborn, screaming and arching her back to attempt to get her way. (it doesn't work) I love watching her interact with others, learn new words, discover new joys and to cuddle and kiss her when life doesn't go her way. I am so proud to be Kalaya's mommy and I cannot wait to add more babies to our family some day. Each day of motherhood is more wonderful than I had ever imagined that it could be and I never knew how much I could love another human being.
I always knew I was going to be a mother. I have always said that if I could have, I would have majored in motherhood in college. I had always planned to be a stay at home mom. I love every single part of being Kalaya's mother. It is amazing to watch her grow and change into her own little person, even on the days when that means being stubborn, screaming and arching her back to attempt to get her way. (it doesn't work) I love watching her interact with others, learn new words, discover new joys and to cuddle and kiss her when life doesn't go her way. I am so proud to be Kalaya's mommy and I cannot wait to add more babies to our family some day. Each day of motherhood is more wonderful than I had ever imagined that it could be and I never knew how much I could love another human being.
Monday, November 29, 2010
30 Days of Thankfulness Day 29
Today I am thankful that some people are already possibly interested in our house so our lease may get taken over soon!!! Keep your fingers crossed! I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but it happened really fast, which means others may follow. HOORAY!!!
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