Craft and Princess Time

This afternoon the girls and I made beaded necklaces... you know I am I feeling good when I start getting crafty. When the necklaces were complete, the girls wanted to play princess, of course. Little girls are such fun.

Big Girl Bed

David and I have been pretty busy with spring cleaning over the last couple of weeks. Really, its just a coincidence that it is spring... I have entered the better part of pregnancy. The nausea has really subsided and I am feeling better. David says I am nesting. I have come up with a list of chores we need to get done to get ready for the new little one. David went through the attic, and pulled out stuff we could throw away. Then he organized the stuff up there compactly, creating empty space that I could have him add to.

Well, we had sort-of an office room, with a computer and a spare twin bed and the closet was full of storage. Eliza and Sadie used to share a room but around the time Eliza turned three she began to give us major bedtime resistance. She would climb into Sadie's crib and keep her up. So we eventually ended up moving Sadie's crib to the office room. Well, now with a new baby coming I have begun to make plans to have the girls share a room again so that the baby can have it's own room.

So, On Friday night David moved the twin bed from the office, which was actually the bottom bunk of a bunk bed. He set the bunk bed up in Eliza's room. The girls were so excited. Eliza helped put the bed together and she couldn't stop talking about how she was going to sleep on the top. Sadie at two and a half, still doesn't climb out of her crib, which is a relief because Eliza climbed out at 21 months. I love babies being contained in their beds so I was actually in no hurry to move Sadie to a big bed. I was just setting it up, to be prepared for the future.

Well, Sadie insisted on sleeping on the bottom bunk that first night. She has insisted on it ever since. She loves her big girl bed. The first two days I put her down for a nap in her crib but the third day she insisted on her bed. Yesterday after lunch, her typical nap time, Sadie says, "Mommy, I can't want to take a nap." But then she walked herself back to her room and climbed into bed. I read her a story and she went to sleep. An hour and a half later she comes out to the family room and announces, "Mommy I woke up in the morning." I think she likes the freedom of being able to get out of bed herself instead of waiting for someone to come get her. I can't blame her for that.

Now I have two girls getting out of bed at night. Eliza enjoys her little bedtime playmate/partner in mischief.

Potty Time

This evening David got Eliza's old potty chair down from the attic and set it up for Sadie. She showed immediate interest in it. Right away she asked me to help her take off her diaper. She sat down and tinkled. Then a little while later she told me she wanted to use the potty again. This time she pulled down her Pull-Up and tinkled again. Both times she was awarded with the whole family clapping and dancing and congratulating her, and with potty treats (aka: M&Ms).

After the second time she announces, "I am so proud. I want to do it again." It sounded so mature to me so I tried to get her to say it again on camera but she would only say the "I want to do it again" part. Her potty chair sings a song, "I'm going on the potty now. It makes me proud, cause I know how." I think thats what inspired the "I'm so proud part."

I am hoping Sadie will take to the potty quickly. This is really my very first attempt to train her and all I did was ask David to get the potty chair down from the attic. She did the rest. So far, so good. I have no idea what I am doing, by the way, but I believe in not even trying to potty train until the tot wants to. Its less work and frustration that way... I guess I'm lazy. :)

In related potty news, David has the girls cleaning the toilets now.

Happy Family Day

Today is a special day for our family. Its the anniversary of the day Eliza was sealed to David and I. We like to celebrate a little on this day; we call it Family Day.For those not familiar with the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we believe that the family unit can exist forever. A husband and wife can be sealed, or bound together for eternity; their marriage does not end with death. This sealing or binding of a marriage is an ordinance performed in one of our holy temples. Any children born to such a couple is also sealed to the couple and that family can be together forever, beyond this earthly existence. Families can be bound for generations.

Since Eliza wasn't born to David and I, she wasn't automatically sealed to us (like Sadie was). When Eliza was seven months old, her adoption was finalized. David and I were then able to take Eliza to the temple and have her sealed to us forever. Today marks the third anniversary of this special sealing day when we became an eternal family.

Plus everyone needs a reason to eat a Cold Stone Ice Cream Cake once a year, right?

We went out to dinner at an Mexican Restaurant. Eliza surprised me by eating all of her enchilada. Then we picked up our ice cream cake and came home to enjoy it. Throughout the evening Eliza and Sadie would wish David and I a Happy Family Day. :)"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven..."
Matt 16:19

Sadie's Favorite Things

Little 2 year old, Sadie, has some very favorite things. Here they are in order:

1. Milk - Sadie's first love, milk. When she was an infant she had NO desire to move onto solid foods. She refused them and exclusively breast fed for nine months. At nine months she got bronchitis and it became difficult to breastfeed. She finally at the point tried baby food. The ONLY baby food she would eat was pears. She hasn't changed much. Now when I serve her a meal she may look at it or maybe even take a bite. Then she pushes it away and asks for milk.

2. Blankets - Sadie loves the blankets her Grandma crocheted for her. It is not unusual for a toddler to become attached to her blanket. When Grandma visited a few months ago she noticed that Sadie was outgrowing her little crocheted baby blankets so she crocheted her a couple of bigger ones. Sadie drags all of them around the house. I hide the two little ones she has in case she soils her other ones at night and I need to trade them out. If I didn't hide them, she'd insist on dragging all four around. Sadie talks about how "blankets are for smelling." She sometimes invites me to smell them.

3. Swimsuit - After breakfast this morning, the first thing Sadie asked me for was her swimsuit. She loves water play! When given the chance, Sadie will wear or simply carry her swimsuit around. She has done this since about a year and a half old. She used to cry whenever I took it off.

4. Backpack - This is a new interest. Dora has a backpack... need I say more?

Easter Weekend

Our family had a fun Easter. The girls loved egg hunting and the surprises the Easter Bunny left in their Easter baskets. David and I gave the girls a backpack with their names embroidered on it. They have enjoyed those too, especially Eliza.

I know this is a long montage. I don't expect anyone to watch it. I just post it so my own memories can be recorded here. :)

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