Potty Training

I am going to start potty training Maylee tomorrow. With the girls incessant need to constantly being naked, its just not working out with her not being potty trained. She's like a little puppy. She takes off all her clothes and then goes and squats somewhere in the house. So I have decided I either have to potty train her or start putting her diapers on backwards and using duck tape to secure them in place. I'm going to try potty training first. We've been working on it a little bit this weekend and we haven't had much luck. So far she has only had one success in the potty. But I am going strong tomorrow and hopefully it won't take to long for it to click with her. My biggest worry is her stubbornness. I can see her peeing in the house just to prove that she can pee in the house and because she knows it bothers me (yes she's that stubborn). So I figure I'll give it a shot for a week or so and see if she takes to it, if not and I'm cleaning up to many messes we are going to stock up on duck tape. I just can't see any other way to keep a diaper on her. I'm not going to go cold turkey with her like I did with Dutch, she'll still wear a diaper at nap and bedtime. But only because I refuse to take her out of her crib. I don't want to deal with her not going to bed easy anymore. She is staying in the crib until this next baby moves out of our room. So wish me luck, because here I go again and I'm thinking it's not going to be nearly as easy as it was with Dutch.

Dutch started primary at the beginning of the year. I was really anxious about how he would do. This would be the first time that him and Maylee have been separated and now he has to sit in a big boy chair and not play with any toys. The first Sunday when I dropped him off he immediately started crying and screaming for Mommy. So I sat with him for about 2 minutes and then I asked his teacher if she wouldn't mind holding him and I would sneak out. He sobbed when I handed him to her, which broke my heart but I knew he would do better if I just left. (I stood in the back and watched until he calmed down.) And of course once I left and he couldn't see me he quickly calmed down. But what also helped a ton, which I thought would make it worse but it didn't, is David had just got called to be the primary teacher for the 6 year olds. Once Dutch saw that his Daddy was still in there he was totally fine. And he didn't' even try to go and sit with David. Al though David did say that he kept patting the chair next to him and motioning for Daddy to come sit by him. And ever since that first Sunday Dutch has loved primary. Every Sunday for the last year has been the biggest fight to get Dutch to go to church with a smile on his face. He would cry and scream and be in the worst mood all Sunday morning. But now that he goes to Primary he loves going to church. I guess he didn't like nursery as much as we thought he did. He has never asked to go back to nursery. Although last week he did want Maylee to come to primary with him, which was super sweet. Every Sunday after we pick him up he is so excited to say goodbye to his teacher and just wants to get her attention and then for the whole car ride home he tells us everything that he did and how much he loves primary. It just makes me so happy. But one of my favorite things is how he is starting to understand that he has friends that he can sit by. They are no longer just kids in the same room fighting over the same toy. They are his friends. After sacrament when we are walking to the Primary room he always talks about how he is going to sit by his friends. Or he tells us stories of his friends. Our little boy is growing up.

The last month two other girls in my ward and I have started having a play date for our kids. They each of a little boy close to Dutch's age, so we take turns and alternate between houses. We drop the kids off at someone's house and they play for close to two hours and then we come and pick them up. It was been so great for Dutch. He is so much more comfortable going to someone else's house to be babysat and being away from me. I am so glad we have started doing this. And it is definitely teaching him some better skills at playing with others. He shares better when they are here and he is interacting a lot more with other kids. Dutch has always been my shy one, who needs a shove from me to play with other kids so this has been so helpful. And he loves the little boys that come over. He always talks about Jack and how he loves Jack. It's fun to see him starting to really have friends.

And it has been so nice for me. For two hours its just Maylee and I. I can go and get errands done while only having to drag one kid with me. Or I can just have Mommy and Maylee time together. However it has made me realize how close Dutch and Maylee are. Maylee gets bored very quickly when Dutch isn't here. Even if I am trying very hard to distract her she is very quick to notice that Dutch isn't here playing as well. And everyday when Maylee lays down for a nap by the time she has been sleeping for about an hour or so, Dutch keeps asking if she is awake yet. Because he is bored and ready to have her to play with. I am so grateful that they are so close in age and such good buddies.

Here is a profile picture of me at 30 weeks for those of you who have been requesting one.

Maylee

I know I have posted several times before about Maylee's love to being naked. But I thought this picture was just to cute not to share. But along with loving to be naked she also loves to dress herself. This morning she was playing in my dresser while I was getting ready and when I came out of the bathroom she was wearing three different pairs of my panties. It was so hilarious. Then tonight her and Dutch were playing with the Mr. Potato heads and Dutch's was showing us how well he put his together, he did such a great job. And Maylee was showing us that she was just using herself as the potato. And not to leave Dutch out, he has hit another stage where he enjoys having his pictures taken again and he doesn't look away right before I snap the photo. Last night he wanted to sit on my lap and take a bunch of pictures and then look at them afterwards. Cute boy! Here's a few.

The other night David brought in the phone book that was left on our door step. For some reason Dutch thought that was so cool to have a book left on our door step so David told him he could have it. He sat on the couch and looked all through it and then he took it to bed that night with him and slept with it. The next day he carted it all around. At one point he was sitting in the laundry basket "reading" it and Maylee was trying to climb in with him and he yelled, "No Maylee, I'm studying." Apparently he his told to leave Daddy alone to often for studying. But it was pretty funny. Then he was pushing it around in his stroller. Its been a few days and he is still pretty attached to the phone book.

Last weekend David and I took the kids with us to enjoy our gift cards at the Outback. The food there is so great, its a shame we only eat there once a year. But we decided to just take the kids with us and they actually did great. We got their food ordered right away, so they ate while we waited on our food and then when our food arrived and they were all done with theirs we order a dessert for them to share to entertain them so we could enjoy our food. It worked out great, I love bribing with food.

This morning before David and I had gotten out of bed we heard some loud noise in Dutch's room and then we heard his blinds moving so David went to investigate. He found Dutch standing on his toy chest in between his window and blinds. When David walked in there Dutch said, "the moon is lost, the moon is lost Daddy."

So I think that with this pregnancy I might not get the nesting urge. I have no energy to get up and clean, not to mention that every time I bend over to pick something up I feel like someone is taking a hammer to my pubic bones, they hurt so bad. I'm thinking I must have had three pregnancies too close together because my body is having a really hard time with this one. So since I haven't been able to stay on top of my house and it looks like a war zone most the time and the winning team is the kids not David and I, I have spent my time crafting. I just get to sit in my chair and make super cute things. So that's pretty much what I have been up to lately.

First I told myself that I had to finish the projects that I started several months ago but never finished. Once I got those out of the way then I have allowed myself to make things that I have been wanting to make for a while now. And its kind of sad that it took me so long to finish these two projects because now I have to wait until the holidays again to finally use them. I just had to add this picture. When I got out my camera to take a picture Dutch thought I wanted to take one of him, which of course I love taking pictures of him and I didn't want him to think otherwise and it turned out to be so stinking cute. Dutch has been carrying around Maylee's pink purse for the last month or so and it just has rubbed me the wrong way. I just did not like him taking a pink purse with him everywhere we would go. Granted it was full of cars and trains but still it was pink. So I decided to make Maylee and Dutch their very own bags. I took them to Joann's with me and let them pick out the fabric. And now Dutch has a boy bag, perfect for carrying his cars around, however most the time it is filled with a baby and bottle, oh well. But he loves his bag and takes it everywhere with him. And the last project of the week was a diaper and wipee case. I know I am a huge slacker. I have been wanting these since I had Dutch but it took me until my third baby is almost here to finally just sit down and make them. Better late then never, I guess. And I love them. Its so nice not having to dig in my purse for a diaper, only to pull one out and have to shake crumbs out of it because the kids of dumped their bag of crackers in my purse.

Ok I need some words of encouragement from moms who have experienced this. My last two doctors visit that baby has been in the breech position. I know she can still turn around for a few more weeks but Dutch and Maylee were just never in the breech position once they started checking, so I'm starting to freak myself out that she won't flip. Has anyone had there baby flip at the last few weeks, making you nervous that you might end up having to have a c-section? But then they ended up flipping and really there was never anything to be concerned over? Or did you just end up having to have a c-section because they wouldnt' flip?

I finally bought myself a double stroller. I have lived the last two years with out one and I felt very justified in getting myself one. I have chased the kids around the stores for so long and I am just tired of it. I didn't go extreme and buy the biggest and best, just one we could afford but I am in love with it. I can't believe I waited til the third kid is almost here to finally get one. I went to a couple of stores the other day and I left with my sanity. I didn't realize a mom could do that. It was amazing. No fighting the kids to stay with me or telling them to stop touching. It was wonderful. Dutch threw a fit in the beginning, he didn't want to sit in it, but I just strapped him in and he had no choice and then within a few minutes he was fine. Now I can actually go to the store and get some shopping done and get the things I went for, rather then just finally giving up and leaving because I can't contain the kids. So many possibilities have opened up for me.

Dutch is really talking a lot lately. He loves to sit and have long conversations with David and I about some of the most random stuff. But it is so cute. I love when he starts in on a story and it jumps all around. He is also getting really good and remember something that David and I have said and using it later.

The other morning David was taking a shower and Dutch had been in there with him carrying on a long conversations while David was going to the bathroom (sorry to much info) before he got in the shower. So then David gets in the shower and he's only been in there for a couple of minutes when Dutch comes in there and tells him very seriously, while holding up his fingers, "Five more minutes Daddy, five more minutes." I just layed in bed and laughed.

Then the other day David got home from school and walked into the living room where the kids were playing and Dutch asked him, "You excited to see us Daddy."

He is finally pass the terrible two and has entered into such a fun, cute stage. I am really enjoying him being a bigger kid. He is so helpful and so much fun to talk to and carry on a conversation with these days.

Maylee had her 18month/2 year old well check last week. She missed her 18 month one due to the move and the doctor just counted last week as her two year one since next month is her birthday. It took me a while to find a doctor here that I liked but I finally did. After they took all of Maylee's stats the doctor came in and looked them over and then said he wanted to get her records to compare (he thought he had seen her before). Since he didn't have her records he asked if I remembered what she weighed at a year, I told him about 17 pounds. He said, so good, she has put on weight since then. He was concerned because of how skinny she is. He asked if she eats, which all I could do was laugh. No she doesn't eat unless you are offering her sugar. The girl refuses to eat all day long and then wakes up at 5:45 yelling from her crib, "I hungry, eat, I hungry, eat" until David and I finally give up and go and get her. So he gave me the same "lecture" that her old pediatrician gave me. Offer her three meals a day but don't give her a cookie if she didn't eat anything just so she'll have something in her belly, she won't starve herself, she'll eventually eat. I told him I definitely don't chase her around with food. She can starve herself but I refuse to give in to the sugar addict that I have on my hands.

Two year stats:

Weight 22lbs.... 5th percentile

Height 34 and 3/4... 45 percentile

Head 48 and 1/4 centimeters... 75 percentile

The doctor and I also had to have a little talk about my big headed children. He was concerned that she's so tiny, with a slightly bigger head. And then he looked at Dutch. He was pretty amazed at the size of Dutch's head.

While the Doctor was standing there talking to me about her, I happened to look down and Maylee was latched on to Dutch's pant leg trying ever so hard to bite him. So I scooped her up and scolded her. (She wanted to sit in the chair Dutch was sitting in.) All the doctor did was laugh, he thought it was hilarious. I told him, finally someone gets to see what I put up with. Maylee can be the sweetest, most adorable little girl. She adores her big brother, loves to lay by him, give him hugs and is always the first to say sorry. When Dutch cries, she quickly offers whatever toy she is playing with to help him to feel better. She loves to give David and I hugs and kisses, she loves to lay in our bed and snuggle early (and I mean early) in the mornings. She is such a fun girl. She sings all the time, her favorite song is "Three Little Monkeys", she talks from the time she wakes up in the morning until she falls asleep, she never has nothing to say. But DON'T cross her. She can be the orneriest, most feisty little girl I have ever met. She can hold her own up to Dutch and she doesn't take no for an answer. She thinks time outs are hilarious and laughs the entire time. She is getting quite good at temper tantrum when she feels they are necessary in getting her way. If she wants something, she just grabs unto your finger and will NOT let go until you follow her and get her what she needs. But she is so adorable, its hard not to give in and/or laugh at her. I have always called her my little ray of sunshine, she just is so happy and makes my days so much better, but the little sunshine is starting to get some dark clouds. Welcome to the terrible two's.

When I went into to the doctor for my 18 week visit and ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby David and I were told that she had a Choroid Plexus Cyst on her brain. We were only able to see the PA that day and not the doctor and the PA really had no idea what the Cyst was and told us to go home and look it up on the internet. I wasn't very happy, I was terrified. After doing some research we found out that thy Cyst is not a big deal as long as it is what they call "isolated". If it is isolated then it means that there should not be any other problem with the baby and it will go away on its own. But if it isn't isolated then it could indicate trisomy 18. So needless to say I was overly paranoid. Our doctor sent us to a Perinatal Specialist a month before Thanksgiving so we could have a more thorough ultrasound done and find out if it was isolated or not. We were shown her Cyst and told that it was isolated, which was a huge relief, however I have still felt concerned for this baby girl since I knew that she had a Cyst on her brain. Today we had our follow up visit with the Perinatal Specialist and we were able to have the confirmation that her Cyst is in fact gone and that everything else looks great. It has been such a huge weight off my shoulders and a huge relief. I feel like I can now look forward to the birth of a healthy baby girl rather then worry and stress over what is going to be wrong. I am so grateful for this blessing in our lives and can't wait to meet this tiny girl.

Here are some pictures of her ultrasound today.

Last week I had a dream about this little girl and in the dream she must have been a few weeks or a month old. I have never had a dream about either Dutch or Maylee while I was pregnant with them at least not where I saw them, so this dream was really cool to me. Anyways in my dream this tiny baby girl had short black hair. Which is really weird considering my babies are blond baldies. So the next morning I told David about the dream and we both had a good laugh thinking of having a dark haired child. Anyways while she was doing the Ultrasound today she showed me that the baby has hair. And it was the first time I had thought of that dream since I told David. I have no idea if it has any indication that she'll have dark or black hair or not but it will be interesting to see now. And I have never known anyone who has been able to see if their baby has hair on a regular ultrasound, I know you can usually see that on a 3D ultrasound but this was just the regular one. So now I am super curious to find out.

We weren't able to take any of the presents that we had gotten for the kids down to Arizona for Christmas because our car is ridiculously small and a family of four should not have to drive in it. This is what our car looked like coming home, so obviously there was no way we could have possibly brought anything else. So we celebrated Christmas at our house on the Wednesday after Christmas. Dutch was way more excited this time around having just done it a few days before and knowing now exactly what to expect. The kids had a great time opening their gifts and David and I had a great time watching them. David and I again did not exchange gifts with each other, we both felt that we should use what little money we had to buy the kids gifts. And it was so worth it to watch them open their gifts.

Dutch got three more games which he loves. He loves playing games with David and I, and David and I both really want our kids to be into playing games since we both enjoy playing them so much. He got some puzzles, which is great for mind development and stuff but it gets to be a hassle having to constantly help him put together his puzzles, we apparently didn't for see that. But best of all he got his Batman Cave that he asked Santa Clause for. David and I have really been wanting to steer him in a new direction other than trains. And David really wants Dutch to be into Batman, I guess it was one of David's favorites. Well it worked. Dutch loves his batman cave and is constantly playing with it.

Maylee got another stroller, food for her kitchen, baby clothes and of course her favorite, a new baby doll. She has become quite the little mother to her babies. She sleeps with them and takes as good as care of them as a 22 month old can.

One of the best gifts that we got for the kids that was worth every penny of the $15 dollars we spent on it was an easel. We got it at Ikea, one side is a white board and the other side a chalk board. The kids love it. Every time they walk by the doodle on it and draw pictures. I love it because I keep the chalk board side facing out and I don't have to worry about them coloring on anything. I thought they would enjoy it but I guess I didn't really realize just how much they would love it. It is such a great attention grabber for them. After we opened all the gifts, we loaded the kids up and headed off to IHop for a wonderful Christmas breakfast. We had such a wonderful Christmas this year. Christmas is so much more magical with kids. I love watching their excitement, there really is nothing better than that.

Christmas Day Dutch woke up crabby. The kids of course got sick once we got to Phoenix, it seems to be their thing to do when we travel now. Dutch started off with a cough and fever and Maylee just had a fever. Dutch's cough ended up in croup so the nights just got worse and worse. So getting any kind of good sleep just did not happen for us the entire time we were away. Maylee has decided that a pack and play is not nearly as comfortable as her crib and she can't sleep through the night in one. So David ended up sleeping on the twin size uncomfortable air mattress with Maylee and Dutch and I in the bed. Although sometimes Maylee ended up in bed with us as well.

(Now honestly, does this look comfortable?)

So when Dutch woke up after another night of going to bed late and not sleeping good he was in a bad mood. It took him awhile to get past his fit and realize it was Christmas morning and that he got to open presents. Once we finally got to the present opening part he became happy and cheerful and more than helpful with passing around gifts to everyone. We had a great Christmas morning, thanks to Fawn who spoiled us all. Dutch got a basketball hoop and a leapster toy, batman and a grocery cart. He loves his batman and that is the only thing he remembers that he got for Christmas when anyone asks. Maylee got a kitchen, which is such a big hit with the kids and a baby doll stroller. She LOVES her stroller and is always pushing her baby around in it, it is just so adorable. Being crabby...Digging through stockings got his attention and now he is happy.

We really had a great time spending Christmas with the Lazenby's. The kids really enjoyed there time at Grandma's house. They ate lots and lots of junk food and got to play with their favorite Uncle Craig all week long. Every time we told the kids it was time to go to bed they would run and snuggle up with Uncle Craig hoping he would save them from us. They have so much fun with all their Uncles, I love watching them interact and how comfortable and quickly Dutch and Maylee warm up to Craig, Chase and Darren. We are lucky to be apart of such a loving family.

Maylee and Uncle Craig... Craig got Beatles Rock Band for Christmas and for the rest of Christmas day the boys played that and of course I joined in on the fun and was their singer. It was so much fun. It's definitely one that David and I should get.

I love this picture so much because it so perfectly shows the side of Maylee that not everyone gets to see. The girl loves to be naked. She is constantly taking off her clothes and her diaper.