Just Like New!

I find it amazing how much a home can change with a new coat of paint, couch covers, or new flooring. It's like a whole new house without the hassle of actually packing, moving, and unpacking! Earlier last month, we had the opportunity to update our side of the duplex with a new kitchen floor, countertops, and new flooring in the main part of the house. A huge thanks needs to go to my parents and step-grandparents for their monetary contributiont that allowed us to do so much in so little time!! And another big thanks to James, who basically installed our laminate for us in a few days....

We love the outcome, and Morgan keeps talking about "our new floors." I can't say that I miss the marigold countertops that lived in the kitchen. If I get nostalgic for the look, all I have to do is take a trip to the bathroom and I can get my "fix." The only one not thrilled with the change is Darwin, who can't get a good footing when he wants to spin out and go crazy running through the house. =) I haven't decided if laminate is more or less work than carpet; it sure doesn't hide the hair and dirt as nicely! But a friend noted that our living space seemed bigger to her, which is a bonus in a house our size. Ha!

Now it's like you all have been here to visit....

And still going strong...

"When I said I do I meant that I will, til the end of all time
Be faithful and true, devoted to you
That's what I had in mind, when I said 'Ido.'"  ~Clint Black in our wedding song

Happy 6th anniversary to my better half!! I can't believe it's been that long....looking back it's been a wild ride!

• Two years of veterinary school, studying and learning how to be married
• A move to Boise
• New jobs and lessons to be learned from each
• One cat with multiple toes
• Expansion of our little family with the birth of Morgan Marie
• Purchase of a house
• Further expansion of the family by four big, yellow paws
• Learning to be parents and balance that with our partnership
• Purchase of Canine Blood Heroes, Boise and running a canine blood bank
• Looking forward to the birth of our second sweet girl in September
• And we're still learning and loving!!

Princess Undies: Part II

Since the start of potty training last week, Morgan has done GREAT! We've had no accidents to speak of (minus the slightly wet undies this morning when Chadwick forgot to have her go after the long night) and she's been mostly without diapers. I think she's got it!

Funny story - Thursday she told me that she needed to go potty so we sat there, and sat there, and sat some more. Sometimes she just doesn't have to go when I have her try, so I was all set to let her off the toilet to try again later. She kept insisting that she needed to go and I finally left her on the toilet alone for a few minutes (standing in the hallway). Not too long after, she mentioned something about a pinecone. "You want a pinecone?" I asked. "No," she responded. I walked back into the bathroom and found that she had successfully pooped in the toilet...and called it a pinecone! Two ecstatic M&Ms later, she was off for the rest of her afternoon activities. I told Chadwick about the incident and we laughed it off. However, the Marine and/or male in him started referring to the act as "dropping a pinecone." Sunday, she pooped once again in the toilet and when I asked if she had pooped a pinecone, she seriously responded, "No, I dropped one."

Thanks, honey. *note of sarcasm dripping from the keys*

She has also started having us not come into the bathroom with her. "Stay out mom" or "go on mom" is what I hear. Such an independent little spirit. She is turning into such a bright and beautiful little girl and I am so blessed to be her mom!

Princess Undies: Part I

For several months now, Morgan has been going to the bathroom in either her little froggy toilet, or more recently, on the big toilet. When asked if she needs/wants to go potty, she will sometimes say yes and run away to the bathroom, and sometimes say "no no no Mama!" And you can't change her mind. With my belly becoming more round by the week, I'd like to start pushing a little harder to see if she can grasp the whole potty-training thing before her little sister is born.
I bought some princess underwear several weeks ago, and yesterday I busted them out for the first time. She was super excited to be wearing them and refused pants for the entire morning so she could look and feel them. So funny! I loaded her up with juice and we had a morning of together time. Unfortunately, watching Sesame Street was too much of a distraction and she wet through Undies #1 of the morning. No biggie...on goes another pair, into the wash goes the wet undies and towel she was sitting on. We continued to play in the house and I sent her outside while I made lunch. Several minutes later, she was in "concentration mode" which we all recognize in our children immediately. She consented to pooping on the toilet.....but she had already gone in the undies. So much for Undies #2. And may I say that poopy undies are way worse than smeared, poopy diapers?? On go another pair.

She made it through her afternoon nap without a problem, but we didn't quite make it to the bathroom quickly enough after she woke up. Poor girl was mortified when she started urinating in her pants on the way to the toilet! Into the wash go Undies #3 and Pants #1. I also started a sticker chart and told her that when she got a whole row of stickers filled, we'd get her a treat. Off to the dollar store to pick out a puzzle. Made it home without a wet bottom until on the way to the bathroom again. This time she had a minor meltdown and wanted diapers put on instead of Undies #4 and Pants #3. Okay! It was a good start to the potty training sessions to follow. She didn't wet her diaper the rest of the evening and asked to go potty several times between dinner and bedtime.

This may be a long haul....

Past-Due Update

Morgan and I flew down to Albuquerque at the beginning of May to spend a week with my family - it was a good trip full of visits, laughs, walks, and too much eating. After I returned from the trip, I had a doctor appointment. My doctor walked into the room and said, "Wow - 6 pounds (in 4 weeks)! Where have you been?" Yeah....
The highlights included a trip to the Nature Center near the Rio Grande, shopping with Mom, lunch dates with Mark and Morgan, a train ride and tour through the Rio Grande Zoo, and good visits with Nana and Bop, Nell and Poppi, and Aunt Steph and Uncle John. Randomly, one of my vet school classmates works down there and I was able to have dessert with her and another classmate who was in town for the weekend to catch up for a few hours. Turns out, the last time I saw Darbie I was pregnant with Morgan!

We have about 350 pictures from the trip, but I'll spare you the details and post some of my favorites.

Binky, Bye Bye

There is a song on Sesame Street, sung by Baby Bear and his friends, as he transitions from a life with his binky to a life without. "Bye, bye binky! Binky, bye bye!" is the chorus, and I don't know the rest of the words. Much discussion has been had in our household the last few weeks about when to remove the binky from Morgan's life. Now, she has only had it during nap or bedtime for several months now (and occasionally during the day when she's super fussy and I need a break) and getting rid of it is the next logical step. A friend once said that she cut the tip off her child's binky, told her it was broken, and that was the end of it. I started telling Morgan several weeks ago that her binky was going to be broken soon. "Mommy, my binky broken" she would say. Not yet was the reply....until last Monday. I hid all but one of the binkies, cut the tip off the last one, and after a brief talk, handed her the broken binky. She popped it into her mouth, took a couple of test sucks, gave me a funny look, and took it out for closer examination. Although that afternoon nap went smoothly, she came out of her room after the nap with a scowl on her face. This is a child who wakes up happy, ready for the next adventure. Morgan, through her scowl, threw her binky onto the couch and promptly laid down with her blanket on the floor near my feet. Huh. That's happened several times.

I had major guilt all last weekend over the pending binky-breaking; Morgan LOVES her pacifier and is so calmed by having it! She has done really well this last week despite the change. It doesn't seem to bother her that the binky is broken - she carts it all over the house, gives it rides on her little bus, and even told me one afternoon that she loves her binky. In fact, she's become rather obscessed with it I think. Most nights, she wakes 3-4+ times, comes into the bedroom, and wants to be tucked into her blanket once again. She doesn't fall asleep as readily at night without it, and most nights neither her nor I sleep well. Unfortunately, she won't let Chadwick tuck her back into bed without a fight and many tears, so I usually end up dragging myself out of bed to just get it done. Turns out, making her "cozy" and tucking her under her blanket is majorly backfiring. Poor kid won't settle don't without me doing it for her! Even every two hours during the night....

I've now been discussing the possibility that the binky should be thrown into the trash. That will be the next step. Yes, I may use some form of bribe - a present of some sort from the dollar store, let's say. And I have been madly brainstorming of some way to tuck her under a cover so I don't have to do it for her multiple times per night....we'll see how this goes. Wish us luck!

Big Girl Bed

Happy belated Easter!

Last weekend was pretty calm for us as a family - I worked Saturday, vaccinated some horses for one of the techs, and had a "spa" night with some girls which was a blast. Chadwick was with Morgan and managed to stay busy. Sunday, the Easter bunny brought Morgan some goodies in her Easter basket and hid eggs in the backyard. Her favorite part? Opening the egg and eating some of the candy hidden inside. She was really onery at church that afternoon....looking back, it's probably due to the abnormally high sugar intake of the morning! Sweet girl still asks for eggs in the backyard and the Easter bunny. James, Jolynn, and their two kids came over for a yummy ham and potato dinner in the evening. Poor Gideon spent too much time spinning on the swing and missed dinner while sleeping off the queasiness. His color was much better after his nap!

The big adventure in our house (aside from the upcoming ultrasound to take a peek at Baby "Bo") - we upgraded Morgan's crib to a toddler bed! She was super excited about her "big girl bed" and hasn't really seemed to miss the safety of her crib. Her and Chadwick put it together a few weeks ago and she spent her first nap in the new bed conference weekend. She helps me pull a cover over the bed each morning and gets all excited to sleep in her big bed. There were no problems the first week...then she started having trouble going to sleep, wouldn't stay down, etc. Recently, she's been working through fears of sirens and the big dog barking next door, so between those noises and a new bed I think it was too much. The fear of sirens is better and we're working on the barking one. We now leave the door cracked a little and she has been doing great the last few nights. Morgan tells me, "Leave door a little open and I stay in bed" since I have been telling her to stay in bed when I lay her down. So sweet! The crib is out and we're on our way to bigger things!