Best Feeling in the World

For the past few days, after we drop Caleb off at school, Mila and I drive by the pet store on the way home.  Every time she sees the sign she points it out to me and asks if we can go.  I love this little time we have together!  She always runs in and goes straight to the ferrets!  We also check out the fish, birds, turtles, and hamsters!  She is such a little animal lover and says hi and blows kisses to all of them!  It's just a little memory that I don't want to forget!

Mila's 2 1/2 year old interview

Our baby girl is 2 1/2!!  And right on cue, the "terrible twos" have begun!  I swear she has become even sassier and more emotional overnight!  However, she is also so incredibly loving and sweet!  I love when she runs up to me to give me a big tight hug and says, "miss you Mommy!"  As difficult as her tantrums can be, I absolutely love her at this age!!

Favorite color: pink
Toy: pink barbie doll
Fruit: first answer was ice cream, but then she said peaches

Tv show: Peppa Pig, Team Umizoomi, Paw Patrol, Sophia
Lunch: Bread and butter
Shirt: Owl
Game: Super Why board game
Snack: goldfish
Animal: puppies
Song: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Book: Part Time Princess
Friend: Bro Bro
Cereal: cheerios   
Thing to do outside: play with a bouncy ball
Drink: choc choc and pedisure
Holiday: Halloween
Thing you need to sleep at night: paci
Breakfast: food
Dinner on bday: pizza
What do you want to be when you grow up: Anna (from Frozen)

From the Mouths of My Babes

When I came home from my haircut, Mila told me, "Mama your shortcut looks good!"

While trying to pick a vegetable for dinner, I asked Mila which one she preferred.  Her answer: chocolate!

Mila threw her dinner all over the table when she didn't want to eat anymore.  That earned her a timeout!  While in timeout, she yelled at me over and over again, "Mama you make me mad!  You stole my heart!"  Haha!  Oh baby, I'm pretty sure you meant I broke your heart with that timeout!

I Want to Remember

Caleb:
His adult teeth are starting to come in on the bottom!!

He can whistle!

He is still into underwater creatures and sea life, and is starting to really like outer space!  He also likes dinosaurs, Transformers, and TMNT. 

His coloring and drawings are getting really good!  I'm so impressed with how much he enjoys creating projects with construction paper, scissors, and tape!

He doesn't talk that much about his "kids" anymore, unless he wants to plan and decorate a birthday party for them.  As of a few days ago, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and the Chipettes are his imaginary friends.  In this subzero weather we're having, I had to wait to close the door to the car, because the 6 chipmunks were still getting in!!  I told him they better get a move on it, or else I'm leaving them behind!!

He's starting to recognize some written words!  It's awesome!

Mila:
She likes to help me call the dogs in from outside, and stands by the door "whistling" for them!  Since she can't whistle yet, she says, "Whoo who" to make it sound like she's whistling for them!  It's adorable!

We've been talking more about her starting preschool next fall, and I told her how she'll get to play with new friends and do projects like Caleb.  She waved at me and told me, "And say bye bye Mommy!"  I was shocked!  I'll be thrilled if there aren't any tears...from her!  Of course I'll be bawling walking back to the car!

She and Caleb play babies together almost every day.  They either imagine that her dollies are the babies and they're the parents, or they pretend that they are the babies!

Mila is a Super Star!!

At the beginning of the month I was feeling the stress and pressure of starting potty training with Mila.  I had told myself that we weren't going to start before 2.5 years old, because that's what the pediatrician had recommended, and I didn't want a repeat of potty training for a year like we did with Caleb!  Even though I still had a few weeks, the comparison devil of Facebook, made me freak out!  A friend of mine had potty trained her 2 year old in three days!  I felt like I had no clue what I was doing!!  Luckily for me, a nice chat with Natalie reassured me that obviously I knew what I was doing because Caleb was potty trained before he was 3! 

I don't know what came over me two Saturdays ago, but I decided to ask Mila if she wanted to try wearing her undies.  I was fully prepared for an accident within the first half hour!  For 2 weeks before that, she would tell me when her diaper was wet and would ask me to change her.  We had also tried going on the potty a few times, but sometimes she would tell me no!

She stayed dry that entire first day!!  Erik and I were in disbelief!  We asked her through out the day if she needed to go, but weren't being crazy about it!  Every time she went, she was so excited!  She'd run totally naked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen to get her little candy reward!  On the second day I took her grocery shopping.  I explained that we'd be in the car and out of the house for about an hour.  I offered a diaper that we could just "keep dry," and she told me "I not wear diapers anymore!"  We had two potty breaks at Target, but no accidents!!

The next few days, she had a total of 4 accidents!  That's it!!  I'm seriously blown away!  And even more impressive, she has stayed dry at night for the past week!  We still put her in a diaper, because I would rather change a wet diaper than an entire wet bed, but she has stayed completely dry! 

We may run into some regression down the road, but as of right now, we are totally blown away by our little super star, Mila!!