Motherhood = All Sorts of Glamorous

Here's a peek into my life as a mom to a toddler...  I just put the Peanut down to sleep (I love those last sweet snuggles before she's tucked into bed), but we had all kinds of drama before bath tonight.  We are starting the introduction to potty training (which I've mentioned before remember...singing princess potty?).  Anywho, before bath I stripped down the Peanut and tried to get her to sit on the potty for more than one second because I KNOW she needed to pee.  This is usually a struggle as she likes to run around the bathroom like a track star when she is diaper free.  As she was sprinting to the end of the bathroom I caught a peek of something coming out of her little tush.  Yes, it was poo.  So I'm thinking, yes!  I can sit her on the potty and she can go there!!  No, that was the absolute last thing she wanted to do, so she ran.  I grabbed some TP as fast as I could, cornered her and swiped the bum, and put her back on the potty.  This time, she peed!  In the potty!!  It did it's little song and there was much rejoicing.  But I tried to keep her there (the poo part was not over, I was sure of it), and she ran.  To the end of the bathroom.  Then peed on the floor.  Before I could grab something to clean that up, I smelled some more poo.  Ug.  Then she was sprinting back toward the bathtub...where hangs the beautiful Anthropologie shower curtain that absolutely CAN NOT get poo on it or I will die.  I grab some more TP and try to corner her again but she has decided to drive by the potty, sit, get poo everywhere, then run back to the door.  Where she then slipped in the puddle o pee and hit her head.  And started the hurt cry.  The cry that no mother can ignore because it is instinct to fix whatever it is that made your baby hurt.  So I have to try to pick her up and console her without getting pee/poo all over me.  I was not successful (there might have been poo under my nail).  I'm at a loss as to where to put her.  So I put her in the sink.  Where I find out she too has poo on her hand.   So I turn on the water and try to wash her hand/my hand, then she slips and and ends up sitting in the sink getting poo all over that too.  Thankfully by this time P has gotten out of the shower and is within screaming distance, so I call for help.  He walks in to a six month pregnant me with poo on my hand hanging on to a naked toddler sitting in the sink with poo on her hand, a puddle of pee on the floor, and a princess potty that has obviously been abused.  Our life is so glamourous.

Dear Little Peanut,

You are 19 MONTHS OLD!  You are my favorite person to hang out with these days.  You are almost always in a good mood, and are so entertaining.  You are communicating more and more and it is amazing to see a peek of what is going on in that little head of yours.  I can tell we have a long future of hilarious conversations coming.  We love you so so so much!

Some facts about YOU:

- You wear size 4 diapers, 12-18 month shorts that are still baggy, 18-24 shirts that are getting short, and size 5 shoes. 

- Your hair is getting longer!  We have to clip your bangs back because it really irritates you when they get in your eyes.  We still haven't cut it yet.  You are also getting blonder each time we get out in the sun.  

- You are obsessed with rocks.  You always have been when we play in the backyard, but now you look for them everywhere.  Once you collect a few, you have to keep them in your hands and don't let them go.  Walks are very challenging because you are constantly stopping to pick a new rock up.  Maybe you will be a geologist someday.

- You now "swim" in the bathtub.  As soon as I put you in you flip to your belly and I have to wash your hair like that.  You kick your feet and paddle with your arms like a little fish.  I can't wait until you know how to swim in the pool!

- You have several words now, but your favorites are Mama (sometimes baba) and Dada.  You love to take roll everywhere we go and point to me and say "Mama" then point to P and say "Dada" and then point to yourself and we have to say "Peanut!" and then you say "Yay!!" and clap your hands.  This happens several times a day.

- You have a new favorite "food".  It's ketchup.  You even say the word.  You had your first taste one night when Mommy and Daddy were dipping chicken in BBQ sauce and asked for something to dip your chicken in.  I'm pretty sure you would drink it if I let you, but I only let you have a little bit.  Mean Mommy.

- You have pee peed in the potty several times now right before bath time.  However, you are not letting us know when you need to go so I think official potty training is a ways off.

- Your favorite word is Bus.  I don't know why.  You call every car and truck "Bus", and that's also how you request us to sing "The Wheels on the Bus".  You can do all of the hand motions too.

- You know a LOT of animal noises and call animals by their noises instead of their names.  Dogs are Woof Woof and Cats are Meow.

- Your favorite color is orange because that's the one you say the most.  You can also say blue, so we have fun getting you to repeat "ORANGE!...BLUE!..."  Just practicing for football season (Go Gators).

- You have quite the obsession with bracelets and anything that can be called a purse.  You routinely go in my closet and take out any bag you can get your hands on and walk around the house with it on your arm.

- You love the beach more and more each time we go.  You have discovered beach toys which means we play in the sand for hours.  When we're not playing in the sand, I'm chasing you in the water because you run FULL FORCE into the waves.  You  love when the water rushes over you and even kneel down so the waves can get you.  This would be awesome except for the fact that you can NOT swim so I have to grab you each time a wave is too high or you trip.  I have a heart attack and you just laugh and try to get back out there.

- You still suck your thumb.  I'm not ready to start that fight yet.

- We're trying to prepare you for getting a new baby brother.  So far you just know that there's a baby in Mommy's belly.  Other than that, you will be in for a surprise.  We will hopefully get you a big girl bed this month so we can start that transition before little brother takes the crib.

- You love to give kisses and hugs.  When we ask for a kiss you pucker up and even make the "muah!" sound.  Melts my heart.

And now some pictures.  I have been terrible at taking official pictures, so these are some more iPhone photos.  No matter what, you are still cute!

This was taken after you had your blood taken for the first time (allergy testing).  You did SO AMAZING that you got a sticker (that you put on your knee) and we took you to breakfast and got you orange juice (which you NEVER have, but love).

 Making sand animals at the beach

 You have learned how to crawl into your shopping cart all by yourself and then insist on someone pushing you around the house

 "Hat" is one of your favorite words and you like to wear this one the most

 You also love sunglasses.  That bump on your head was due to you running too fast and falling and knocking your head on your baby doll cradle.  Ouch!

 This is a fun new habit.  You like to look at chewed up food in your mouth (you're looking in the car mirror).  And you ask other people to show you their chewed up food.  Yuck.