29 Weeks

I asked Olivia what she was thankful for, and she told me "wah wah" (water). I was pretty impressed. Thats a very good thing to be thankful for that we usually take for granted. Then I told her that her dad and I are thankful for her. I asked what else she was thankful for, and she said "baby dolls." I guess she's not going to say us. ;)

I asked her what she thought Santa might bring her for Christmas and her eyes lit up really big and she made this "wow" face with her mouth in an O and said "candy?!?!?" Sure. That's an easy one.

29 Weeks and definitely ate for two yesterday. Mmmm thanksgiving.

From the Depths of Hell..

I wish I had better news for you guys.

I thought I would have a more positive post to write. I thought. 9 days into this journey. That we would be in a different place. 

That we would be able to smile and laugh about everything that we have been going through this past week. And put the past behind us.

I thought Dan and I would be able to survive. 

I was wrong.

The coroner will call it 'death by potty training.'

Dan and I will be found lifeless. Lying on the tarps that currently cover our living room carpet. In a puddle of urine. While our pants-less toddler dances around yelling 'no potty!'

Here's the gist: she has been dying to wear big girl underwear and start using the big potty. She takes her dolls to the potty often. She tells us when she has to go and right when she needs a new diaper. She's totally ready. We did all the research. Pinned all those "3 day potty trainings" (which, shockingly, NO ONE seems to fail at). We cleared 3 full days. We removed all rugs and tarped our living room. We stayed by her side every single second. We knew we'd spend our time running her to the potty every 15 minutes and then cleaning the trail of pee up off the floor. They promised us 3 days of misery. For a potty trained toddler. THEY LIED. We followed this system to a T. We did not give up. For 9 days we've done this. Our little perfectionist had PTSD from her first accident and refused to pee ever. Even after sitting on the potty for hours. We're still at it, but it isn't going well. It isn't going at all. Literally.

Since I'm now an expert, I'd like to share my 8 tips for potty training. I really hope these will help you in your future endeavors.

1) Have a small reward system. M&M, twix, cake pops, brownies, entire buckets of Halloween candy. And then plan to gain 10 pounds. 10 pounds because the bribery didn't work one bit. So you can wallow in self pity and eat all of the bribes yourself.

2) Enjoy the look of the tarps. Get rid of your dream home pinterest boards. Just embrace the feel of sticky tarp on bare feet and the slight glare it gives when the sun shines just right. You wont ever be able to remove them. Not even when they head to college.

3) On day 5, when you've lost all hope, take them to chick-fil-a. Take them to the outside playground. Watch them pee all over the playground 80 seconds after getting your food. Then, learn all about chick-fil-a's wonderful perks, like antibacterial wipes, plastic bags for soiled clothes, and BONUS extra pairs of toddler pants in the back.

4) Get a little potty that plays music when your child pees. That way you can hear the music played approximately 0 times and curse your $30 spend.

5) Always keep an extra pair of pants in the car. For yourself. For when you get peed on in the parking lot, and then have to head to life group. 

6) Get incredibly excited by all the pinterest articles that say it'll work. Pin them all. Read them all. Believe them all. The ones where the children learned by the afternoon of day 1. Then cry in the corner of the bathroom floor eating the potty reward candy because your child is the exception.

7) Pump them full of juice. So much juice. So they really have to pee and you have many opportunities to allow them to go potty  hear them melt down from now on when you give them water, and all they will ever drink again is juice.

8) Remember how hard this is for them. How simple things seem when you are older, like sitting up, walking, making sounds, and, yes, learning to pee. And how hard they are to learn. Love them through it. Tell them, regardless of the outcome, that you are so proud of them for trying. Laugh when telling your neighbor to avoid the no-longer-sanitary chick-fil-a playground. 
I hope these tips helped. I can guarantee if you follow them your kid will be potty trained within 3 days (or 3 years, somewhere in there). 

Send wine cheesecake!

28 Weeks

The third and final trimester is here, and boy do I feel it. You know when you eat too much cheese dip and cookie cake at a girls weekend and spend the following week feeling swollen, large, and just want to wear a moo moo and sit on your couch because the thought of pants is uncomfortable? I think its going to be like that from here on out.

I had to order my favorite bra in large because the mediums aren't cutting it, its time to bust out the giant underwear I bought way too late when pregnant with Olivia, and the back brace I am wearing super accentuates the love handles. #sexyandiknowit

Still anemic, apparently, so I have to take even more iron. Since I have found that more iron = feeling even better, I'll take it. 

We are just so excited for this sweet little girl to get here (after she cooks longer, please!), to know her name, see what she looks like, introduce her to Olivia, etc. I think I'm even more impatient this second time around because I know how much more fun they are on the outside. But, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years will fly by and then we'll just be a few weeks away. 

27 Weeks

27 weeks and I have officially hit the 'Dan will you take off my boots for me' phase. 

Craving salad again, like with Olivia. Up 22 pounds. If you take the exponential weight gain from here on out, add in the Thanksgiving and Christmas factor, I'll be up approximately a million pounds by the end of this. Trust me, I'm good at math.

Olivia's most recent name suggestion is 'hot baby.' Dan and I haven't discussed it at all. PTSD from trying to name the last one. But we have got to start - Olivia's suggestions are getting worse.

Olivia is so cute with this baby. She asked if baby sister could come out of my belly to play for a few minutes today. She constantly comes to kiss the belly and says "love you baby sister" and "hi baby sister." When she goes to bed, she has to say "ni ni daddy" "ni ni mommy" and "ni ni baby sister." 

Olivia was sitting in my lap and the baby kicked. Olivia goes "woah!" and I said "that was baby sister. Baby sister just kicked you." And Olivia gets this "wow" look on her face, and then roundhouse kicks me back in the stomach and goes "haha, I kick baby sister back." Couldn't stop laughing.

I passed my glucose test with flying colors. Bring on all the pies for Thanksgiving!

Five on Friday

1. I love when her school sends me pictures. Look at that coordination :)

2. We went on a walk (in her jammies with a bow) after dinner. We each got a lolly pop. She asked to taste mine and ran away with it. This is her 'I've got two pops' face.

3. She's going to be the best big sister. I'm sure we'll find baby sister with a few stickers on her face.

4. This is a 12 month dress from last year. I wanted to grab a few pictures to compare. I'll have to dig up the older ones.

But the main point in documenting this day - we had used this bucket as an ice bucket for drinks. The next morning, after the ice melted, she decided to use it as a pool. Freezing water, but she didn't care.

5. I asked her to say cheese for a picture for her dad. Still keeps her eyes closed. Should have never laughed at that.

So I said "say cheese but keep your eyes open" - she tried so hard, but it was almost impossible for her. Those eyes just wouldn't stay open.

Happy weekend! We have a lot on tap for this weekend. Including finishing Olivia's big girl room!

Throwback Thursday

Found these photos on my computer from the spring and summer and realized I never shared them. 

I had a work call, and miss. no nap wouldn't stop fussing for attention. I panicked, handed her oreos and walked into the other room. She ate just the middle of each one and LOVED THEM! #momoftheyear

Sweet face in her Lilly for Target romper. If I had known we were having another girl, I would have bought all the matching Lilly I could get my hands on.

And this little one in her strawberry romper, seeweas and painted toenails. I wish she had worn this every single day.

Stopping to smell the flowers.

I tried to take fathers day pictures with the "DAD" letters like last year. Got a few cute shots but she would.not. hold up the letters. Dan got a painted mug a week after father's day instead. #wifeoftheyear

And a quick one of these cuties at the pool.

A Weekend With Grandma

Dan went to a wedding so grandma came in town to keep us company. Just a few quick and blurry pictures from that weekend.

Grandma brought me People magazines that her neighbor reads. After having Olivia, I'm so much less hip on what's going on in Hollywood. Olivia saw them and said "mine book." She spent each morning reading all the People's in her falcons jammies and bed head.

We went to the American girl doll store. This a store where we go to play with dolls, but none of them can come home with us ;) Olivia keeps looking at this picture saying "baby doll store." It was absolute heaven for her. If I hadn't bribed her with Chick-fil-a and a playground, I'm not sure she would have ever left.

And last, this little nugget is a shoe girl for sure. Grandma takes her heels off for one minute and Olivia is walking all around in them saying "new shoes. mine."

Olivia cried so hard when grandma left and ran to follow her car to catch back up to her. I know she will be thrilled to see her again Thanksgiving! 

26 Weeks

26 weeks and we are finally 3 months until the due date. Three months is still so far. 

My back has been hurting really bad these past few weeks. Really bad. I'm sugar coating how bad this has been.

I talked to my doctor two weeks back, did a ton of research and decided to take matters into my own hands. I wont go down without a fight. It actually seems to be working? (Fingers crossed .. knock on wood .. Tuesday gods don't hear me.. mom, don't even ask me about it = no jinxing). I'll do a post on it if it actually does work. But I'm taking any and all tips that aren't "take it easy" or "don't lift your toddler."

We have Olivia's new room painted! I love the color. Need to get the carpet cleaned while the furniture is out of it (since our dog loved this room) and then let the decorating begin! I'm kind of flopping in what I want for the theme, but I'll decide soon. With the holidays, we don't have too much time to get Olivia so used to her new room that she doesn't think she's 'giving' baby sister her old room. 

I asked Olivia again what to name baby sister, and this week she said "baby pink?" I think her suggestions are getting worse. 

Five on Friday

1. Last weekend we went to Furman's homecoming to tailgate. Apparently we need more purple. This belly doesn't fit in any of my old purple or Furman shirts. Next year.

Olivia had a blast. Until about two hours after her nap, when she started to get a little cranky. She played cornhole, ate a ton of M&Ms, and got to see her favorite baby, Braxton. When we got back home, after a 45 min nap in the car, she asked to tailgate again. I couldn't say no, so we grabbed some chairs and the cooler and ate dinner outside - tailgate style.

2. When your husband grocery shops for himself....

3. Olivia helped me make dinner. And Koda helped clean up. She did a great job scooping. But wasn't so keen on holding the rolled tortillas with two hands. Koda got a little more enchilada filling than I had planned, but Olivia loved showing her dada that she had made dinner when we got home. 

Of course she ate half the shredded cheese while sprinkling it on top, so she was too full for dinner. 

4. Dad life.

5. Olivia went to a birthday party for our neighbor, and had a blast. The goody bag she got was her favorite. She insisted on carrying it all the way back home. Could not get it to stay on her shoulder without dragging the ground. And had the brilliant idea to carry it like a necklace. Resourceful.

Who else is thrilled that it is the weekend??

Olivia's Birthday Party

We had a sprinkles themed birthday party for my big 2 year old. Sprinkles are her favorite - and it's easy enough to throw together. Next year we will probably have to start buying Disney themed items, but I'll put that off as long as possible.

For her birthday, we got her this table from ikea and a trampoline. A little overboard, but Dan was dying to get her a trampoline all summer - so we waited until her birthday. I stained the ikea pieces before putting it together, because, according to Dan, I like to make everything more complicated. But it now goes really well with the wood in our house!

Olivia loves it! She colors with her dad and babies every morning. It is one of the best things we have gotten her.

She wore her two shirt from this etsy shop. They made her one onesie from last year. I asked if they could do a 'sprinkles glitter' two shirt, by any chance. They said no problem! The best company. 

She woke up to confetti filled balloons all over the house and loved it! Until they popped. "Ut oh mama! Mess!" 

We had sprinkles on everything - and so much sugar for all these littles ones! We had some pork sliders too. But, mostly sugar. 

Sprinkle popcorn, sprinkle topped marshmallow pops, sprinkle funfetti cupcakes, sprinkle wafer cookies, candy and chickfila.

The cupcakes had little "2"s written from candy melts.

Olivia was so excited for her party, that she talked about it all week. She was so excited for her friends to come over and screamed at the top of her lungs as each one came through the door.

It was pouring all day, so we had to move the party inside. We moved all the from the back yard to the garage, and the kids didn't even notice. They had a blast.

Her water table in the back was filled with rice - which is still a big hit!

We had smocks for all the kids and a little art project. 

The art was moved to the front porch because of the rain.

I had Olivia paint a few extra canvases after the party that I'm going to frame in her new room. 

I can't think of a party where a mimosa bar isn't appropriate. So, of course, her party had one too.

Champagne, orange juice, peach juice, St. Germaine, vodka, grenadine, and sparkling pink lemonade. The vodka went the fastest. I love our friends.

And we ended the day with a make your own sundae bar. I wanted to rim the cups with candy melts and sprinkles, but ran out of candy melts.

I bought a 2 pound container of sprinkles from Amazon. When it arrived I thought it was much bigger in real life than anticipated. We used almost all of it. SO. MUCH. SUGAR.

Everyone went home with bubbles - another favorite of Olivia's.

Olivia was too wound up to nap that day. She loved every minute of it. Our shy little girl sure loves having people around all the time. She is dying for another excuse to have all of her friends over again. And, I'm sure, more sprinkles.