No more diapers!

Well, it is official.  We are out of diapers... at least during the day.  The process was much easier than I expected, I'm sure in part due to my procrastination (read: laziness).  Since we had been casually using the potty for awhile, she caught on pretty quick.  It really only took one true accident in undies for her to realize that she did not want to be wet.  We will tackle night time training in a bit, although she has started waking up dry, so maybe sooner than I first thought!  Yay, to our "big, big, big, big girl"  (as she likes to call herself).

The next challenge, find underwear small enough!  We've gotten close, but even the x-small tend to sag.

Summer fun

We have thoroughly enjoyed the last two weeks and the summer weather it brought.  Too bad it is ending before it really even began.

 Bubbles with Mia (our neighbor, currently Maya's favorite person in the whole world)

 Water play with Grandpa Sarion

 One of the many parks we visited

Checking out the grass

Picnic dinners

Digging at the beach

Enjoying the outdoors

Spelling

Maya was playing with her magnetic alphabet and called me in to show me what she had done.  According to her she wrote the following;

The top one = Maya

The second one = Mommy

The third one = Daddy

The bottom one = Baby Laurel

Although they are nowhere close to the correct spelling, it must mean something that she knows letters come together to form words, right?!

5 months!!

Happy 5 months Baby Girl!  Time is flying and it is hard to believe how much Laurel changes month to month.  I know we have been through this all with Maya, but you just forget.  And with Maya it didn't seem to go quite this fast.  Laurel has fully established her place in our family and her personality is starting to show.  She is constantly smiling and is just such a happy baby.  She loves to watch her big sister and I can already tell she is wanting to do what Maya is doing.

Changes this month -
- She has become a rolling machine, I will often find that she has rolled her way across the room until she gets stuck (in a corner, under the couch).  Gone are the days of simply placing her on the floor while I tend to Maya or try to get stuff done around the house.

- She is working on sitting on her own and is become pretty good at it.  I don't think it will be long before she masters this.

- Sleep has been a disaster, but we are hoping it is still related to all the rolling and learning and will be quick to pass. She is no longer swaddled and has become a tummy sleeper.

I have been warned by many, that trouble can arise once the baby is mobile and can get into the bigger siblings toys.  So far, Maya has loved to see each of Laurel's developments.  She loves it when Laurel smiles and laughs, she finds it hilarious that Laurel rolls across the room and is having a lot of fun playing with Laurel now that she can reach for toys.  Maya has often called me into the room to show me what new thing Laurel has done "all self".  I'm mentally preparing myself for some tough moments ahead, but so far so good.  It is such a blessing to watch the relationship between the two of them start to grow.

Oh my word

I think I have posted before about Maya gaining her independent streak - at the time, I had no idea what was in store for us. Every time I turn around she is yelling, "Maya do it" or "all self" (all by myself in Maya speak). If there is a button involved, she needs to be the one to push it. She must be allowed to climb in and out of the car on her own.  She needs to take the diaper out of the drawer.  If you move something, she will put it back and move it again (even if you just moved it an inch) just so she can be the one to do it. We have had our fair share of tantrums when you unknowingly do something that she felt she needed to be involved in. We try to include her in most things, but I am quickly learning that it isn't enough for her.  She wants to do it all.  This sure has been a test in patience... and patience is not one of my strengths.

On a lighter note, she has figured out that my name is Sarah. If I am not responding to her quick enough when she is calling "Mommy", she has started yelling "Sarah" to really make her point.

How grown up does she look these days???  

4 Months!!

Wow, has Laurel changed in the last month. You forget how quickly they grow and develop. It was a bit delayed due to our vacation, but we had her four month appointment this week and she is right on track, weighing in at 13lbs 9oz (50%) and is 24.25 inches (50%).

Big developments for Laurel:

- She has become an expert at rolling from her back to her tummy.  A few weeks ago she rolled from tummy to back, but seems to have forgotten how because she gets pretty frustrated once she is on her tummy.  We spend an awful lot of time rolling her back over. 

- She is officially in her crib in her own room at night. The transition was fairly seamless and it is nice to have our room back. So far the fans we have in the each of the girl's rooms has provided enough white noise to prevent any wake ups. Hopefully, it stays that way!  Sleep has been a bit tough due to the rolling, but hopefully that will pass.  We are also in a bit of a transition with the swaddle, she gets frustrated with it on but can't quite sooth herself with it off.  It will come in time, I am sure.

- She started up at daycare last week and although I haven't officially started working yet, she was there most of the week as I recovered from strep throat and went to interviews and meetings. She did great! My horrible napper decided that she would take two two hour naps while she was there. Not sure why I can't get the same at home. She has been all smiles when we pick her up so seems to enjoy it there. She has already had lots of visitors and attention as all the other teachers want to meet Maya's little sister.

-She is chatty like her sister and I am often woken up in the morning by her squealing to herself instead of crying.

Dancing