Five Months Already

Ellie is five months old today and we can't believe how fast it has gone since she was born. She has started to giggle when we show funny faces or talk baby talk with her. It used to take a lot to get even a small laugh out of her, but she is getting more free with her giggles. She just got her first two teeth, they came two days apart, so we finally understood why she was so fussy for a couple days. Annie is finally starting to be interested in playing with Ellie. She likes to shake toys and put them in her hand. She likes to try to get her to laugh and when Ellie laughs Annie says "Ellie's funny." It's so great to have two girls.

Dinosaur Museum, Ellie's First Rice Cereal, and Snowbird

10 years

Where was I on Sept 11, 2001. I was in my choir class (first class of the day) when two of my friends came in and told us about the planes crashing. Later I heard that the towers had fallen. I was so shook up and thought about how it didn't seem real. I had an Uncle, Aunt and Cousins living in New York and another cousin in DC. All I could think about was that I hoped they were okay. I prayed all day for the people that I knew were hurting. I got home from school and my mom was watching the news and for the next couple hours we watched updates. She had found out that all our relatives were okay. I was so relieved. I remember thinking this would be something that would change America, and it seemed like for a while it did. Everyone talked about prayer and patriotism, I was amazing. But it wasn't too long before people forgot about being united and it seems we are worse off than before. I was at a rodeo the other night and an unexpected thing happened. At the beginning a man on a horse came riding in with a flag and the song "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" by Toby Keith (we were right by the speaker and it was LOUD). I almost started crying because I felt so much patriotism for our country and all that we have been though over the last ten years. I hope that I never forget what happened and how it changed me for the better.

Our sweet girls.

We finally got some professional pictures of Ellie done and she did great for the sitting. She is such a ham and smiles all the time we love it. Her blessing dress barely fit so I am glad I got it done.

I got the first two pictures from Target online and they won't go any bigger.

Annie trying to put on her clothes (she must have forgotten that she already had a shirt on).

Ellie is just barely starting to hold toys and bring them to her mouth, it's not long before she lets go though.

We got a bumbo for Ellie because she is really good at holding her head up and I always wanted one. We put her in it for the first time this morning and she loved this new angle. She was looking out the window at the cars and later held on to toys and just watched me in the kitchen. She is such a good baby.

Potty Training

(Annie eating her first dum-dum of the day)

I want to write this down so that I can look back on it in the future and remember that Potty Training Annie was not as hard as I thought it would be. So you don't have to read it if you don't want to. We started training Annie on Saturday August 20, 2011. I read the Pottywise book about two weeks before and decided that I would try this method first. On Thursday I went to the store and bought chips, candy, and drinks and also the UNDERWEAR. They had a couple different princess ones and than some random colors. Annie was so excited to wear it. I left it on the counter until Saturday morning. When Annie woke up on Saturday we walked her through the process of going potty with her teddy bear, she was really excited that she got to eat the bears candy because he couldn't. (She got skittles when she was dry when we asked and a dum-dum sucker when she went potty). Then we asked two times in 20 minutes if Annie was dry, she got 2 skittles if she was and she was. Then I put her on the toilet again and she didn't go. After another half hour (and two more times asking if she was dry), she pooped (P) in her underwear. Half hour later put on toilet, no p. 20 minutes later p in underwear. For another hour we asked 6 times if she was dry, she was. Then she sat on the toilet, no p. Finally at 12:00 she p in the toilet for the first time ever. For about nine months she would want to sit on the toilet but she never would go. But 20 minutes later p in underwear. Than another 10 minutes later she p again in underwear. I think she was still learning to let it all come out. For her nap we put her in a pull-up. When she got up we put her on the toilet five more times in the next 2.5 hours and no p. Finally at 5:15 she p again in the toilet. Than for the rest of the night she p three more times in her underwear. The last time she ran to the bathroom and then didn't make it to the toilet. So overall she had two successes and I think 8 pair of underwear. I didn't know if we could keep doing this if she didn't progress. But we told ourselves that we would take at least four days and if we saw improvement we would keep at it. Sunday August 21, 2011, Annie p again right when she got up in the morning. She was dry for 3.5 more hours when she p in underwear, but p a little more in the toilet a couple minutes later. A half hour later p in underwear, than 40 minutes later she said "poop" and we went to the toilet and she p. 20 minutes later she said "pee" to Dad and she went p in the toilet. She went in a pull-up again for her nap. At 4:45 she p in the toilet again. 5:15 p in underwear and a couple more times that night we put her on the toilet, but no p. She went in a pull up for bed. So today we had five successes and four pair of underwear. We saw progress, because she told us twice and she had less accidents. Monday August 22, 2011 she was wet when she got up, but I was feeding Ellie and couldn't get her out of her room right away. At 8:00 she P in underwear a little, then went more in the toilet right away. (I saw it happening and grabbed her). 2.5 hours later she said "no pee" out of the blue and I took her and she p on the toilet. An hour later she was grabbing her underwear and dancing and I took her and she p on toilet. No more p before nap and I put her in a pull-up. After her nap her pull-up was dry and she p on toilet. At 4:30 she grabbed again and I took her and she p on toilet. She p again at 6:30 and 7:15. Both times I just saw signs and I took her. She went in a pull-up again for bed. So this day she had 7 successes and only two pair of underwear. We could definitely see progress and knew that if we stuck with it, she would make it. Tuesday August 23, 2011 I decided that today I would wait until she told me that she needed to go, because I realized that I won't always be able to see her and watch for signs. When she got up we put her on and she p in toilet. At 10:30 she p in her underwear. Two times between 9 and 10:30 she said "pee" and I said do you have to pee and she said no, so I didn't take her. I realize that I could have prevented that accident, but I really want her to be able to tell me. 45 minutes later she told me pee and I took her and she p in toilet. We had to go out this day to the store (it was her first time leaving the house except church since we started). I put her in a pull-up because she had not P for two days and I wanted her to P. She did. I changed her when we got home and put her in underwear for the nap. She was dry and went p on the toilet when she got up. At 5 she p in her underwear then 10 minutes later P in the toilet. Then at 6:30, 7:30 and 7:50 she told me "pee" and she p in toilet all three times. So today 8 successes and only 3 pair of underwear. I figure that this day was tons of progress because she told me so many times that she had to go. Wednesday August 24, 2011 she p 8 times in the toilet and P once in the toilet. All nine times she told me that she had to go. It has been so great since then. A couple accidents, but over doing really well, she tells me she has to go and usually can make it there in time. Now she is saying she has to go a lot but she doesn't go and still wants the candy. We need to stop that so we aren't taking her to the bathroom all day long. I was surprised how fast she progressed over just five days. I am so proud of her efforts and responsibility. She wears underwear during her nap all the time now, but still a pull-up at night. This morning she woke up at 6:00 and said she needed to go potty. Dad took her and her pull-up was dry. I am not ready to leave her in underwear for the night yet, but I think it will come soon.

Thanksgiving Point and Lagoon

We have been having a fun summer. This month we went to $2 Tuesday at Thanksgiving point. Annie had a great time playing on Noah's Ark and than running around with her cousin's Adam and Brandon throughout the gardens. We have come to this same thing for the last three years and this is the first time Annie really got involved and played. She is growing up so fast.

Our stake Lagoon Day was on August 4th and my mom came with me so that we could ride some rides, but have another adult to watch the kids. Annie went on a couple rides, but since she didn't get a nap that day, she was too tired to really enjoy it. I got to go on Wicked and Blast Off, my two favorite rides in the park.

Ellie is Three Months Old

Our sweet little Ellie is three months old today. We are so happy she is a part of our family. She is such a sweet child and so mild mannered. She started to smile a lot this month and she also babbles a ton. Sometimes she reminds me of Annie and other times she is so different. Annie has also started to play with her more this month. Before, Annie would pretty much leave her alone, but now she tries to calm her when she cries and she tries to get Ellie to laugh sometimes. They are really cute together.

Ellie has stopped screaming during her bath, she actually seems to like it. This was after a bath and she was being so funny.

My mom got these matching dresses for Annie and Ellie, and Ellie didn't like being held by Annie too much. They were really cute dresses though.

Ellie alone in the dress my mom bought.

When I was giving a bath to Ellie the other day, Annie ran in and asked to help. I love how intently Ellie is looking up at her. Annie kept wanting to wash her eyes, but I said only to wash her belly. She did a great job, it's fun to see her be a little mom.

This is a picture of Ellie smiling, it's so cute when she smiles, laughs, and coos.

Ellie wore this dress to church on the day she was blessed (I didn't want her wearing her white dress all day), she was exactly two months old that day. Annie wore this same dress when she was four months old and it fit them the same. It's a six month dress. I still can't believe how much bigger Ellie is than Annie was at the same age. I wonder if Ellie will get bigger than Annie at any point.