Potty Training

I decided to start potty training Layla last week. She has seemed to understand the concept for a long time, but her interest in the potty completely wore off around her 2nd birthday. I thought I would just tell her that she could no longer wear diapers and see what happened after a few days--if it failed miserably, I'd stop for awhile and try again later. However, she's been doing great! I thought since we were going to start, we might as well take a full on approach for a few days since I didn't have anything going on anyway. The first day she just begged for diapers every time she had to go, but by the second day she was doing better and by the third day she really understood to ask to go potty and how to go when I told her to go (like before nap time or leaving or whatever). We started a week ago Thursday and up until yesterday she had been doing good this week without any potty mistakes, but then had one yesterday:(.
I'm really proud of her though and it has actually gone much better than I anticipated. It took a lot of patience the first couple of days, but by the third day we even ventured out to GR with her in underwear and to church on Sunday (and with no mistakes--although she fell asleep on the way to GR which made me nervous that she might pee in her car seat but thankfully didn't!). I'm glad that we decided to give it a try and hopefully she continues to do well!

Elv doesn't normally like sitting by Layla so I thought this was cute...

Pretty sure Gibs got jipped out of some of his pancake:)...Layla wants him to sit right next to her...

Post bath last night with Daddy...and yes, Gibs is wearing a purple hippo towel--poor kid needs his own big boy towel--unfortunately Walmart no longer has the Mickey one like Layla's Minnie one:(...


Layla likes to do everything for herself, including put her pants on, which explains why they're on backwards:)...she also still loves dumping out Gibs' basket of toys for him to play with which he actually does appreciate:)...

My dad and Joyce (and I think Joyce's daughter too) have made TONS of boxes for Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child. Grampy had Layla pick out toys to put her in her box (with my help:D) and then we brought it to our church...I'm not sure she fully understood who is getting the box:)...

Gibson being his typical mischievious self...

We started off Potty Day with a special not so healthy breakfast consisting of a cupcake (she's licking the frosting off of the pumpkin that had been in the cupcake). I knew she wouldn't be happy about potty day, so I tried to get the day started on the right foot, it really did help too:).

Who doesn't love a good baby covered in spaghetti sauce (or ravioli actually) picture? :) Had I known I was going to take a picture, I would not have opted for the pink bib:).

Race For the Cure 2010

The last Saturday in September was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I walked it again this year with Em and Gavin, my kids and Lindsey. I hope to continue to do this every year in memory of my mom. She enjoyed walking, when she was able, to celebrate her healing, and I know she would appreciate that we are still walking for her.

Gavin and Layla walking the mall after the race...

Our group...

Layla didn't want to smile normal for the pic:)...

Baby Shower

In September we had a baby shower for Joe's cousin, Kate, and her husband Matt. They are due early December and we are anxious to meet their little guy once he arrives! It was a beautiful day out to celebrate their new little life!

Taylor, Layla and Great-Grandma...I thought it'd be cute to get a picture of them together since they all share a birthday of June 4:)...

From L-R...Layla, Steve, Camryn, Cassie, Spencer, Joe, Rachael, Heidi, Joe's dad, Lawrence, Joe's Uncle Bob and Phil

Camryn, Spencer, Lawrence, Cassie, Phil, Layla, Steve, Heidi, Joe and Bob...

Layla, Cassie, Camryn, Spencer, Joe and Gibs with Rachael...

Looks like Layla is telling Great-Grandma an interesting story:)...

10 Months!

Our little guy is 10 months old! He's getting so big and learning so many new things! When he went in for his ear infection last week he weighed approximately 19 1/2 pounds! He was 28 1/2 inches the nurse said, which is strange b/c a month ago he was 29 inches:). I'm pretty sure the nurse last week did it really quickly so I'm thinking hers wasn't quite accurate. Either way I was happy that he wasn't over 29 inches or that means we need to switch car seats. In the past month he has switched from doing part army crawl part normal crawl to now doing just a normal crawl. He has also started to wave, high-five and clap. He makes lots of sounds, but we haven't heard any real words yet. He is still getting into trouble all over the house and loves to explore! He wears 9 and 12 month clothing mainly. His schedule is to wake up around 8am and have a bottle (6 oz) and breakfast and then nap from about 10-11 and eat lunch of a bottle and food, then nap from 1-4ish, have a bottle, and then have supper which consists of a bottle and food and then go to bed at 7 (or earlier if his nap was short). He's been great with eating so far, we'll see how long that lasts! He'll eat whatever we're eating and loves everything. Clearly he's eating plenty since he's gained a pound over the last month:). Getting him to take his bottles can be a struggle so I think that in a month or so when I start cutting him back, he should do fine with that. I only have a couple more bags of breast milk--he's been having formula when we go out or when I forget to thaw milk and breast milk the rest of the time--I'm just happy the stored milk has lasted this long since I quit pumping 5 months ago! It's nice that we haven't had to buy too many containers of formula! Oh, and I keep thinking teeth are coming, but still no sightings yet!

Not wanting to lay still for his pic...

Enjoying his lunch!

Halloween Fun with Family

Posing with Gavin the burger...(Mickey didn't want to sit still, not surprising!)

I tried getting a good one of the two of them, it just didn't work out.  Maybe next year:).

Trick Or Treating at Daddy's Work!

 And this isn't at his work, but at a stop at McDonald's before visiting family...

Halloween with Friends

Mickey did not want to cooperate for the picture:)...

 The best one I got of Mickey, Mickey, Minnie and Minnie...

 Minnie Maddy and Minnie Layla...

 Ella the Monkey, Alden the Fireman, Gibs as Mickey, Layla as Minnie, Maddy as Minnie and Jonathan as Mickey...