oh snap!

I don't know where she got this from. I don't snap my fingers in the car. But Taylor tries and tries. Until dad starts patting his legs. She's such a copy cat, love that girl

Potty Time (Warning, I do discuss POOP)

I've never done this before. With all my experiences as a nanny and a daycare teacher, I've never had to potty train a kid before.

My mom makes it sound too easy. She bought me panties and I just started using a potty! I'm hoping and praying Taylor will be that easy too. But it probably won't be.

So far so good though. We bought her a Potty for christmas. It's not anything special. It's actually blue and green. It doesn't make noises. You can't flush it. But it does have a toilet paper holder on it, and a place for baby wipes. I liked that part.

Taylor thought it was AWESOME to sit on her potty. I'd strip her down, bare bottom, and let her sit, and run around our room naked, and sit some more. She's also been sitting on a big potty for about a month now, maybe once or twice a day. Nothing major.

She doesn't mind sitting on a potty at all, big or small. But she had yet to actually USE one. But then yesterday... Taylor was sitting on her potty. I saw a little grunting, and next thing I knew, Taylor had POOPED in her POTTY! She did it! I was so proud. Me and Chris both got SO excited for Taylor! Okay, so the turd was tiny... I mean, about as big as a nickel. But it was poop, and it was in the toilet, not her diaper!!!

We celebrated and cheered and hollared. We told everyone... Mamie and Papa, Michael, Avery, Chelsea, Kyle! It was a big deal! She got CANDY! We were all so proud. So, we decided it was time for her to pick out some panties!

Taylor of course picked... ELMO!

This is not a big suprise for ANYONE who knows taylor at all. She is OBSESSED with elmo. Seriously, walking through any store, my daughter can find elmo. The other day at kroger, Taylor said ELMO while me and chris were shopping. We had to look for a couple minutes before we finally saw the teeny tiny elmo on some package that she had spotted.

Back to the potty... Taylor's doing well. I'm not pushing it at all... cause I'm sure when we move, she'll regress. I'm just trying to introduce it, slowly work it into our routine.

This morning, Taylor came into the bathroom as I got ready and said "Potty" so I said okay and started to take her diaper off. She jerked away and said "No, BIG GIRL"

I guess she's right. Taylor's turning into a big girl that can do things herself. She took off her diaper and sat on her potty talking to me while I got ready. I can't believe she's the same little person who couldn't even crawl a year ago. Man time flies.

On a side note: I tried to get her to say "Big Girl" again, and she just whines and says, " I can't". So dramatic! Anyways, I'm so excited to get her out of diapers... but not quite just yet either. I'm waiting to start ACTUALLY trying when we move. Til then, We'll just keep it at a little potty here, a little potty there. It'll be nice to not be spending $60 everytime we buy diapers too.

Maddie Love

I don't have a favorite, Honestly. There aren't alot of posts on here about Maddie though. It's been bugging me, but I can't think of what to write about her. There's still so much about her I don't know. And Taylor is constantly learning and growing right now. Maddie isn't a blob anymore, but she isn't exactly thrilling to write about either! But here goes.

What I've Learned About Maddie:

• She LOVES to be talked to - she lights up when anyone gives her attention. She smiles, coos, goos, laughs... it's so hard to explain exactly how MUCH she loves to be talked to. You'll have to see for yourself one day.
• She seems to be more sensitive than Taylor is - That's the only word I can think of to explain it. Taylor is a very sweet girl, but she's off in her own world. Maddie pays more attention to the reaction of those around her. If she starts to get upset, but you coo and goo at her, alot of the time, she'll smile right back.
• Maddie is more laid back than Taylor - Taylor is a pretty chill girl, when she's not with a babysitter :) But maddie is more relaxed. She's not stubborn like Taylor or me. She's got more of her dad's personality there.
• Maddie looks more like me. Me and chris have decided it. It's over. She's my little twin. She also looks alot like Jeremy's girls, and my big dad too. Yup.
• Maddie enjoys her sleep, but not in her bed. She'll sleep just about anywhere except her bed. The couch, her bouncy seat, her car seat, heck, even the floor is better than the pack-n-play she's in now. She's only slept all night in her bed once in the past month. She just doesn't like it.
• Maddie adores her big sister. She loves to watch Taylor. Everything taylor says and does is fascinating to Maddie.
• Maddie loves water. She loves to lay in the bath. She's never cried while taking a bath. It's a great way to calm her down if she ever does get upset.
• Maddie enjoys being swaddled. Both my girls really liked it. Maybe it had something to do with their cramped quarters before birth!
• Maddie can almost sit up. She's been sitting fine in her bumbo for a while now, but she can even sit up with a boppy now! She's a strong little girl.
• Maddie is 3 months old today! I can't believe it's already been 3 months since I had her. She's an amazing little girl and I'm so lucky she's mine.

Not-Papa

Taylor is getting to be so smart. She really can say just about anything now, and does! Chris's mom taught her to say "Dinner" tonight, and she repeated it the entire time we ate!

One thing taylor does do is get words mixed up sometimes. For example, she say down when she wants you to pick her up. Sometimes she calls me daddy, or chris mommy.

Tonight, she called chris's mom "Papa." Taylor's grandma promptly corrected her and said, "I'm not papa." Taylor heard it as, "I'm Not-Papa!" She kept calling grandma "Not-Papa!"

I guess that's fine. I mean, It's not like she isn't right. Grandma is "Not-Papa." I love the way that little brain of her's works.

Little Miracles

1. Me and Chris had a date! Saturday night we were able to leave the girls with Jamie and Katie and do a little christmas shopping. It was so nice. This was only the 2nd time me and Chris have been alone since Maddie was born (3 months!) It was very badly needed and did so much to keep me from going off the deep end:) Even though both my girls were difficult (sorry to all those who dealt with them) Jamie and Katie still love them... and that's a miracle in and of itself.

2. Taylor stayed in nursery ALL day yesterday. It was only her 3rd time in there, and last week shouldn't count, because I sat in there with her the whole time. This is such a big accomplishment for a little girl so attached to mommy and daddy. Sis. Minton, our primary leader, is an amazing lady, a miracle worker. I don't know how she won my little girls trust so fast, when it has taken others MONTHS. I think snack time might have had something to do with it:)

3. Online shopping is great. Its wonderful. Being able to get x-mas shopping done without having to shower is a little miracle for me :)

4. Friday night Taylor got to see Santa. I have been afraid since Halloween that Taylor wouldn't like Santa, That she would run the other direction, terrified of the old man in the big red suit! Instead, she ran to him, Screaming Santa the whole way. And when she realized she had to WAIT... it set her off. She kicked, and screamed. But I didn't mind the fit so much. Atleast she was into him. We practiced what she would say. "ELMO" Of course. And she sat on his lap! No tears, no running in the other direction. She did have a sour face though... and wouldn't say what she wanted. But she sat there. Long enough for a few pictures to be taken. I love it that Taylor loves Santa. Having her get excited makes the season that much more magical. I can't wait til she gets to open gifts next week. I hope she enjoys it!

The one word List

I got this from Rita's blog... Only one word per answer... Enjoy

Where is your mobile phone? purse
Where is your significant other? work
Your hair colour? gross
Your mother? tired
Your father? working
Your favourite thing? suprises
Your dream last night? bad
Your dream goal? perfection
The room you're in? messy
Your hobby? creating
Your fear? loneliness
Where do you want to be in 6 years? 30
Where were you last night? party
What you're not? tall
One of your wish-list items? time
Where you grew up? hendersonville
The last thing you did? blogged
What are you wearing? clothes
Your TV? off
Your pets? none
Your computer? life
Your mood? crabbie
Missing someone? kinda
Your car? reliable
Something you're not wearing? keys
Favourite shop? walmart
Your summer? hormonal
Love someone? yes
Your favourite colour? green
When is the last time you laughed? morning
When is the last time you cried? morning

X-mas Joy and Stress

Okay, I started out great. Tons of Holiday spirit. Couldn't wait for the season to get going. Loved the lights and decorations. Was so excited to start shopping. I was excited.

My excitement is thinning out. Quickly. The joy has turned to stress, and lots of it. Which is odd. I don't have a tree to set up. I don't have a house to decorate. I don't have but a few more gifts to buy. And I'm earning some money this year with my etsy store.

I think my stress is because of the dark. Honestly. I realized last night that I feel like I'm in the dark ALL DAY LONG. I've been trying not to go out much, because both my girls have coughs and runny noses. Both have the starts of ear infections. I have a horrible sore throat and cramps like no other! So we haven't been doing anything. This is taking it's toll on my sanity.

The lights are never on (trying to save on the electric bill,) the blinds are always closed cause it's too bright during naps... It's driving me nuts. I feel like I'm stuck in a little box.

I feel bad cause chris and my girls and family are having to deal with my crabbiness right now. I'm just way off. Definately not myself.

Hopefully things will get better soon though. We're going to the ward christmas party tonight because santa will be coming. I'm taking my camera and we're doing x-mas pictures with him. I hope taylor does well. She's only seen him from a ways away at the mall so far. She has waved though. And I always make a HUGE deal out of it everytime we see a statute or picture of him. Now when she sees him she goes "OHHHH SAAANNNTAAAAA" I love it.

Maybe this will cheer me up. And hey, it's friday! That in and of itself should pep me up a bit. Two whole days coming up with chris and my girls. What could be better right?

Doctor Appointments and Football!

Today, my girls had their 2 month and 18 month check up (just in time for their 3 month and 19 month birthdays next week.) Okay, So I'm a little late. Oh well.

They are getting SO big. Taylor is over 1/2 as tall as me. Yup. That's right. I'm 58 inches tall. Taylor is 31 1/4 inches tall. That's over half! LOL. She's getting bigger too, moving up that growth curve. She's in the 28th percentile now! Weight wise, she's thinning out a bit. Guess it's from the height growth. She's 23 lbs, 9.5 oz. That's the 33% for her age. She used to be right in the middle. She did very well. Had 3 shots. I realized she's got molars now when I had to hold her down as she got the shots. I have never seen the inside of her mouth that well. I think she has 10 teeth now! She might have an ear infection or two though, so the doc gave me a perscription for some antibiotics to use just in case I feel she needs them. Like, if she gets a fever in the next week or so. I thought that was nice. Then I won't have to take her back in.

Madison did very well too. She's 11 lbs, 11 oz (chris is going to laugh at that! I HATE 11/11. Just HATE it! I'm a numbers freak. Those are bad numbers!) I think it's funny she's almost exactly 1/2 of taylors weight. Again, I'm a numbers freak! That's about average for weight. She's 21 3/4 inches tall. My little shortie. I wonder if she'll do like taylor's starting to do and move up the curve. Right now she's in the 8th percentile. Maddie had her eyes swabbed twice today to check for infection. Sadly, they've been BADLY gouping up, and I can't keep them clean. I try, but they get very irritated and she hates to have them wiped. But the doc said they won't do anything about it til she's 6-9 months. Yeah, that's what they told me about taylor... then 9 months turned into 12, to 15, to 18! And I still don't have the referral for the opthamologist! (just cause the doc forgot it this time, but still!) They gave me an antibiotic ointment to put on her eyes, and told me they'd call if there was anything else we needed to do for them! They are also putting her on a vitamin perscription. Even though I'm taking vitamins, they're still worried about her getting enough vitamin D, but they worry about that with all breastfed babies. So we get to give her vitamins now.

I was SO excited to have this appointment over. And both girls did great. Yes, they fussed, but not too bad. I even went shopping afterwards, and to the post office. My mom was with me of course... so that was nice.

My Dr. appt is this wednesday. I am going to get the miracle MIRENA! Man, I can't wait. I've heard such wonderful things about it. I am a bit curious though... has anyone else gotten this while they were still breastfeeding? Let me know if you have, I've got some ????'s that I don't want to post on here. I'm afraid of grossing people out! I am excited though. A little worried that it's going to hurt. But not too bad. The doc said I could drive myself there and back, so how bad could it be right? Chris was thinking about taking the day off... but I told him nah! I'd rather have him home for a few days at x-mas! I'm a big girl. I think I can handle it! It will be such a relief to not worry about it! I have these fun little pills to take the night before. I'll have to remember them tomorrow night.

I was reading about the effectiveness of it... It's more effective than a Male vasectomy, tubal ligation, paragard IUD, the shot, the pill, the patch, EVERYTHING! I like those odds :) I need those odds.

Oh also! Chris went to the Titans Game yesterday! One of the other guys who was suppose to go couldn't, so Michael went too. They had fun. I'm glad they got to see such a good game. Michael went to the ONE AND ONLY loss this season, the Jets game. So I'm glad they played well yesterday to make up for it. I can't believe they've had such a good season. I'm really enjoying watching them play now. And listening to the Pre and Post Game shows. I like hearing people talk about how good we are :)

For all those other Titans fans out there:

DAH, DAH, DA, DA, DA, DAH

GO, TITANS, GO!

I'm the Bomb, Obama?

Obama has Already brainwashed our kids!!!

Been too long...

I've been so bad at blogging lately, but I have good reason! My etsy shop is doing SO good. I've been a crocheting fool! I'm so excited. I'm hoping to be able to make enough before christmas to buy chris a new IPOD... I've already made half of it in the past 3 days! This is better than a part time job. - Me and chris have been talking about me going back to work once Maddie is no longer nursing... but now I won't have too! I'm earning more right now than I would at a part time job. Y'all have no idea how grateful and excited I am. Seriously... I do a little dance everytime a hat sells!

Anyways... that's not what I wanted to write about. I've heard through the grape vine that y'all love videos! So I'm gonna try and upload some, if my computer will cooperate!

Okay, I'm a bit heartless. My dad told me so when he watched this video of my girls crying... but what was I gonna do? We were in the car waiting for chris to come out of Target. He'd been in there christmas shopping. Taylor for some reason thouht he was at work! I love hearing the way she says it!

My favorite fattening Salad

I love this recipe... Here it is for all of you!

BLT SALAD
1 head of romaine lettuce
2 or 3 tomatoes
1 pkg bacon

BLT SALAD DRESSING
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp mayo
1/3 cup buttermilk

Cook your bacon. Cut up the tomatoes. Throw all the salad together.
Mix together the dressing ingredients and pour over sald.
Devour the salad! (that's right, it's so good, you can't just eat it!)

ENJOY!