When I Look At This...

I want to just up and quit my job....

Happy Holidays to you and yours.

Hello, How Are You?

Not much to say and not much of an update.

It's been busy times around here. I'm happy to say that *finally* I have been ahead of the holiday rush this year and have accomplished a lot. It's the 12th day of December, and our holiday lights are up, our Christmas tree has been cut down, put in the house, and decorated, our holiday cards are out (versus not sent at all), and I have been able to get some presents before the days leading right up to the holiday. I still have a lot to do, and being that my work is taking me to lovely Las Vegas (why oh why in DECEMBER???) on Sunday through Wednesday of next week, I will more than likely be touting around those final days for those final gifts.

In any case, the girls are more than ready for Christmas, and Olivia even said "Christmas tree" tonight, which made my heart melt. That, and I made her say it about twenty times.

In between everything else, I am also looking for a new job, and while pickings sure seem to be slim this time of year, I am still looking for something that better suits me. After I get back from Vegas, I am off of work straight up until the 2nd of January, so I am very much looking forward to spending some time with Josh and the girls, and having some time to myself as well...and making whirlwind of resolutions.

And Everyone is OK

I know I mentioned that we got a new vehicle, and that the minivan that I so loved was for sale but we weren't in any hurry to get rid of it. Well, the minivan is no more. Josh and I have been having to spend a lot of time at work lately, and Josh's parents have been helping us out by picking up the girls from daycare in the evening. To make life a little easier for them, we gave them the minivan with a set of car seats for the girls.

Last Thursday, Josh's mom was rear-ended in the minivan. And it wasn't a gentle nudge. She was hit so incredibly hard that there were skid marks about 100 feet behind her from the truck that was failing to pay attention. Hit so hard that she hit the car in front of her. Hit so hard that the broken glass from the back window was inside her clothes. The minivan was totaled. The girls, well they were also in the car. And everyone came out all in one piece. Josh's mom came out the worst with some bruising from the armrest, but the girls must have had an angel on their side.

I never would have expected that car seats, no matter how well they are put in, would hold up so well. Bea had some minor bruises on her neck from her harness straps, but otherwise came out fine. I think that she also went into shock after it happened because, from what I was told, it took her about a half an hour before she uttered words. And Olivia, well she is just of fragile sound and mind, and I was told that she started screaming on the impact and wouldn't let up for quite a while.

When we got to his parents house that evening, they were walking around, and Bea kept telling us what happened and Olivia was using her words quite well, too. A few days later, they are fine. And Josh's mom is doing better.

And I have never realized until now that my greatest fear is losing one of my children. I am so glad that everyone is safe. And at the same time, I'd like to have a word with the driver of that truck, and it certainly wouldn't be a nice one. And also, is work really that important? Family is so much more...This year Thanksgiving will mean more than it ever has.

Halloween and Weddings

It's been a whirlwind of a week around here.

Halloween.

None of the original choices I picked out panned out this time around. Bea ended up with two costumes - a pony and a princess. I had a hard time finding a pony costume, even online. We settled for the donkey from Shrek, and heck, she didn't know it was a donkey. So, we told her she was a pony as well as people giving her canding that exclaimed, "what a cute DONKEY!...OH, PONY!" Luckily, I have photos of her in both costumes.

O's costume was a different story. She wanted to be a kitty cat. The closest I could come to that was a pink cheetah-like outfit. She wouldn't wear the hat for more than ten seconds. I gave her a brown nose and whiskers to make her look more cat-like.

Pictures, round one - the night before Halloween at my mother-in-law's school party:



Pictures, round two - halloween night:





The day after halloween, we headed out to Colorado for my brother's wedding. The girls did great on the plane, both ways. They danced all night at the wedding. It was a really great time. Their schedules were completely out of whack, but it was well worth all the time spent with family. Here are some pics, and many more to come in a future post:



Quite possibly the best picture ever of our dancing queen in action:


It's good to be home (lovin' the Olivia fro):

Some Photos, If You Will

Not much to write, but more to show because it's been a while since I've posted photos.

First of all, change. I got a new vehicle, but we still have the minivan, as you can see here. The car on the right, it's mine for the most part. Sorry for just the little snippet of it, but I haven't taken a real photo yet. It's "Mommy's Big Truck" (aka FORD EXPEDITION complete with DVD player for long car rides):


Second, we got our first adult piece of furniture, you know, the kind that is delivered already put together and is real wood? It's an entertainment center. But first, we had to clear out the old. Can you say clutter? Yuck (but I do think that little smiley kid in the second picture is cute):



And now we have this little jewel (yeah, the TV is pretty brand new, too, and so are the painted walls):


A couple of weeks ago we also went to the pumpkin patch...I don't want you to think we replaced our stroller with a wheelbarrow:


Making sure her new friend "Moonica" takes her for a nice little ride:


Let's hear it for "Riblet" and its passengers hamming up the smiles:


Covering every inch of the pumpkin patch is Livey:


Mommy made her do it:


Someone was in a horrible mood, but you can't see it much here as we get ready to ride the train:


Cuteness:


More cuteness:


And just a little more, ok:


And in other news, here's one of Bea in the fort that never seems to die:


Yes, we put on our toy thinking caps every now and then:


Bea: Oh, crap! The paparazzi is at it again!
Livey: STOP! STOP! You cannot take a picture of us in the BATHTUB!

**This Image Has Been Removed Due to Google Images Activity.

And just because some kids in our house love to wear their bathing suits over their clothes because it is "so cool":


And that is all I have...

Pause

I was getting ready for a wedding on Saturday, and as I got out of the shower, I threw on my robe. It brought back a moment, or moments, that I remember so well to this very day, of when both my daughters were newborns. For each of them, the scenario plays out the same:

It's two in the morning, and I'm torn from deep sleep to the sound of a baby crying. I jump out of bed as quickly as I can in order to stop that sound in the silent of night. As I dash out of the bedroom I grab my robe and throw it on. It's my long, blue robe that feels like a soft, cuddly blanket. As I reach for my child, I hold her for a minute before putting her down and changing her diaper.

I then pull her up to me and sit down in our rocking chair. As she begins to eat, I rock back and forth in the chair. It's now silent. Outside, the wind is more than likely blowing, and there might be rain. It might be soft rain, or rain that is coming down hard on the roof and on the ground. Whatever the sound - rain, wind or silence - it is the most peaceful sound. We sit in the rocking chair, skin on skin, and in that particular moment, it is my daughter, me, and the entire world around us. And I can't stop looking at you. I can't stop loving this moment.

Fifteen minutes go by. Or it could be a half an hour or an hour depending how much sleep is being fought this particular time. But as sleep overcomes, I put her down and make sure that she is in the land of nod. I make my way back to my bed, take off my robe and crawl back into bed, thinking that I really could hold that ball of preciousness all night long, but I do need some sleep. Instead of falling back asleep, I lay awake thinking about how much I love this child I just spent a moment with...until the next time she wakes and we do it all over again.

Life is about moments. Some of them you want to fast forward, and some of them you want to rewind. This is the moment I pause, because this very moment that I experienced countless times is now gone. But, it is one that I will never forget, nor want to forget, for the rest of my life.

Framing It

Just shy of twenty months, I can't believe how much older Olivia is starting to look. This is without a doubt the best photo she has taken, and look at all them teeth! This picture instantly puts a smile on my face. The girls always go haywire whenever Josh builds them a fort, and you can see such excitement in their faces. Love it.

Neglect

Someone just told me that it has been WEEKS since I have done a post. And, yes, it is true. I didn't do it on purpose, I promise. And I honestly haven't forgot about this blog. In fact, at the end of every single day I think about writing, but I am preoccupied with life and not spending even more time on the computer at the end of my day.

So, what happened during the last, oh, month? I was sick. Twice. Bea was sick. Twice. Olivia was sick. Twice. Josh was sick. Once. I was on antibiotics for ten days. Bea has been on antibiotics for 20+ days now. Olivia has been on antibiotics for 18 days now (she'll be done at 20). We've had ear infections, sinus infections, colds, and croup. Let's not forget fevers. So, yeah, we've been real healthy around here.

In addition to all of that, because believe me, that is PLENTY for us to deal with, we've had a number of changes in our household. That was going to be the basis of my next post, so maybe you can wait? The hint is that it involves a new vehicle and adult furniture. Well, I spoiled it, but I will share pictures in my next post.

Olivia's putting words together (Hi, Dada! All done. Get down.) while Bea is questioning anything and everything (Why? How come? What's that?) and has said the following phrase that I am guessing she learned at daycare: Shake your booty!

Halloween costumes HAVE NOT come together. I have one on standby for Bea, but she's not overwhelmed with it. Shoot, if anyone knows where I can get a PONY costume (yeah, that is what Olivia was for Halloween last year) in a size 3T or 4T, I need to know, because that is what she is telling everyone she is for Halloween. And secondly, I NEED an Orphan Annie RED DRESS in size 18M for you know who. I spoiled the surprise, but people, help me out a little here!

Zooness

Everyone but Josh has been sick over the last couple of weeks. We've been spending a lot of time being cooped up in the house, so on Sunday we decided it was time to have a little fun. We headed to Happy Hollow early on Sunday morning and had a blast. Many highlights, but the main one was seeing the zoo's coveted jaguar up close and personal. As it paced back in forth in front of us (with a very nice glass barrier), Bea decided she wanted to show her stuffed bow-wow to it. She held it to the glass, and as the jaguar paced by her, it tried to take a chomp off of its head. Now THAT was pretty crazy. I've got many pictures to share...

Here we are at the petting zoo. Olivia was too scared of the goats, so I held her while taking pictures:


Riding the merry-go-round (at least 5 times that I remember):


Josh and the girls on the merry-go-round:


Me and the girls (NOTICE OLIVIA'S VANS??? She finally fits in those - six months later):


This picture might have been just perfect if a certain someone wasn't picking a winner:


Seriously, dad, I don't need your assistance:


On a ride together for the first time (Disneyland, here we come!):


Perhaps my favorite photo of the entire trip:

Progress

About eight months ago I put together a list of items that needed to get done. Looky at the status!

1. Try on bridesmaid dress for Lisa's wedding. COMPLETED
2. Book tickets and hotel for Josh's friends wedding in Maine in June. COMPLETED
3. Book tickets for brother's wedding in November. COMPLETED
4. Olivia's birthday projects. HUH? OH, ONE DONE AND ANOTHER NOT EVEN STARTED
5. Complete Bea's book (just need to edit now) and publish. STILL IN PROCESS
6. Book tickets to SD for Priscilla's wedding reception because surely there is no way we can go to Spain for the actual wedding, though I would love to. COMPLETED
7. Find mom group and join it. IF CAFEMOM IS A GROUP THEN I HAVE COMPLETED THIS, ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAVE MET ONE MOM IN REAL LIFE FOR A PLAYDATE
8. Take Bea camping and wheeling in Hollister as a test run. JOSH COMPLETED
9. If all goes well with #8, take Bea on an actual sierra trip (or maybe have Josh take her). COMPLETED - WE TOOK HER TO NIAGRA RIM
10. Figure out work at home opportunities. IN PROCESS
11. Re-organize ENTIRE house. HA HA
12. Begin house projects and redecorating. HOUSE PROJECTS IN PROCESS FOR THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS - NOTHING COMPLETED
13. Attempt story night at the library with Bea. NOT YET
14. Mini vacation with Josh. I’m dreaming here, but it could happen, so I should put it on the list. NOPE

A lot of items on the list have been crossed off. Here's what it looks like now, with one added item:

1. Olivia's birthday book.
2. Complete Bea's book.
3. Figure out new work option.
4. Re-organize ENTIRE house.
5. Begin house projects and redecorating.
6. Attempt story night at the library with Bea.
7. Mini vacation with Josh.
8. Order Halloween costumes.

I don't want to overwhelm myself with an overwhelming list.

This post is boring, I know. Sorry, it is really for my own reference. Cute pictures of the girls to come.

We're on our Way

In the course of 24 hours:

Poops in the potty: 1

Pees in the potty: 1

Missing the potty all together: Quite a few

How many times we said "we are so proud of you!": Approximately 100

The look on her face afterward:



We've got a ways to go, but we're on our way.

The vision of one child not in diapers is on the horizon, and while I will be happy to be rid of them, it's all kind of sad knowing how fast they grow up.

Company Picnic Pics at Last

I received the pictures from my company picnic a few days ago, and they were worth the wait. Enjoy....

Thinking Ahead a Little Bit More

Do you remember last year's post? Well, as you can remember, I was still early in some Halloween costume choices, but when it came down to getting THE Princess Leia costume, I didn't have a chance in hell of obtaining one. That thing was sold out months in advance. So, I've compiled a choice of this year's choices. I have to admit that I wasn't impressed with what I saw this year (and that two of Bea's choices for last year made the list again this year), but here's what I've got...

For Bea:

Supergirl

Storybook Princess

Tinkerbell

Little Red Riding Hood

For Olivia:

Peanut

Tutti Frutti

Princess

Tulip Fairy

I'm taking votes for the next two weeks, and then I'm ordering. Or, if you have another suggestion, I am more than willing to consider it...just let me know what it is.

Olivia at a Year and a Half

Dear Olivia,

Today you are a year and a half old. Every time I write these letters I always mention how fast time has flown by, and this time is no different. What once was a four pound, fourteen ounce baby, is now a babyish toddler working her way to little girlhood. There's been so many changes with you over the last couple months, and I've seen the changes right before my very eyes.

You started walking over a month ago now. At first, you were so stubborn about it and refused to take even a few steps. We had to give you a lot of encouragement, which really helped you want to walk. Before I knew it, you were up on your feet, trying to hold your balance, and continuing to teeter to the ground. That didn't stop you at all as you kept on getting up and attempting to walk more and more. Soon you moved from the fastest crawler I have ever seen to one that was walking like a band member with knee lifts. You lifted up your feet so incredibly high. You're walking pretty steady now and can do the stairs if someone is holding your hand. Sometimes you also get going really fast and it looks like you are starting to run, but then you slow down before you take a tumble.


Your vocabulary is also coming along nicely. Instead of saying "no", which is more like "nah", you also "yeah" (instead of "yes"). So, it's pretty funny to ask you questions these days because you do the appropriate "yeah" or "nah". Additionally, you are starting to say other words like "plane" and "MooMoo" and "Dora". Just tonight I was getting you a cup of water and ice, and as I was filling it, you were chanting "agua" over and over again. It was so cute. You also say phrases which only your father and I can understand - like "I'm done" or "get down" or "go in the big truck". Pretty soon I think you will be talking up a storm, but for now I enjoy all of your baby babble.


You definitely don't like to sit still these days. You want to get up and go everywhere. You fear that someone is going to go somewhere without you, so when your father and I leave the room and it appears we might be going somewhere, you do everything in your power to stop us and throw a fit. You always want to go, too. When we ask you if you want to go bye-bye, your head bops up and down in convulsions while you say "yeah".


You're becoming more of a toddler each and every day. You're into everything. You examine everything. You come to your own conclusions. There's no stopping you. You are a determined little girl who seems to want her way, and if you don't get it, there is definitely hell to pay. It appears you need to try something, even if that means it won't go your way, just so that you can learn from it. You're so amazing to watch at times and I love seeing the world through your eyes.

When looking at pictures of you, your father says that you look like a real angel. And I have to agree. You're so beautiful, so perfect in every way. Your straight hair suddenly disappeared, and in its place, these bouncy tight curls (you inherited those from your father). Your body is starting to thicken up (finally), which I think helped you to walk. You needed some girth to support you.


Most mornings after you wake up, all you want to do is curl up into my arms and lay there for awhile. I know those moments are going to end soon, so for now, I cherish every minute of it. You are my baby, and I will continue to baby you for as long as I possibly can...until you let go, which I hope you never do. You're my little sunshine, so happy to see me and welcome me without any hesitation. I'm so glad to have you in my life and so happy you are a part of our family. For the year and a half that you've been around, you've made my life much happier, and I think that the best is yet to come. Keep being you, for that is the most amazing thing to me...

I love you,
Mama

A Little Less Attentive

You know how you listen to your child every minute, second, millisecond? And, how if you really could, you would have a direct hone-in to their heartbeat so you could make sure that everything was okay all the time (even though some might say you're a worry wart)? I thought I was still one of these "I listen for my children every damn second because seriously you never know" mothers. I guess I'm not, because you see, Bea has become wise beyond her years over the last several months and knows exactly "how" to be the mom in certain situations.

Last night after we put the girls to bed, the house was kind of loud. The dishwasher was going, the clothes washer was going, and I was running around picking up toys. Suddenly Bea comes running out of her room which is totally out of the norm for her these days after being put to bed. I instantly thought she was trying to get out of going to bed, so I told her to march herself back to bed. And she says "Mommy, Livey threw up." And then I said, "No, she didn't." After all, I didn't hear it and my ears are so very privy to the sound of throw up happening that I generally know what is going to happen about one second before it happens (even though at that time it will still be too late). I swear I didn't hear it and insist that the dishwasher was too loud.

When I got back to the girls room with Bea, I immediately went to Livey's crib and proceed to feel around (you think I would have learned my lesson by now). Yep, it's wet, though miraculously she only had a little on her leg. So, I told Bea she was right and she continued to say over and over again that "Olivia threw up. Olivia threw up. Yucky!" while kind of sort of running circles all over their bedroom. She was right, and I think she took full credit for assessing the situation and getting me involved. It was the right thing to do. And somehow, she just knew that it was just important enough to let someone know.

It's nice to know there's a second set of ears around our house for these types of things.

Company Picnics, Blind (Play)Dates and More

In spite of the rather odd start to the weekend (my previous post), we had a fun-filled weekend with a lot of activity.

Company Picnic:

Well, I have to say that my company does not skimp on employee activities. Our picnic was held on Saturday in a very posh part of the bay area. Complete with an actual invitation that boasted pony rides, a petting zoo, carnival games, face painting, and many other fun activities for kids. There was no real way to state to Bea that we were going to mommy's work picnic because that wouldn't sound like fun, so we pumped her up with the promise of pony rides and sort of told her we were going to the zoo to pet the animals. I was fearful that there would be no animals there, but no joke, there were ponies AND animals.

Instead of giving the play by play, the main highlights included:

Bea held a parrot on her arm. NO JOKE! The woman came by with two huge parrots and asked her if she wanted to hold one. She shyed away at first and then the woman volunteered her mother (yes, me) to hold one in hopes the shy child would want to do it as well. It worked. Though it was maybe ten seconds or so, she did it, and it was amazing.

Meanwhile, I was letting Livey run wild in the grass area while she was attempting to perfect her walking abilities. Bea and Josh headed over to the ponies and as I made my way over there with Livey, Bea was riding one. Josh was holding her and walking next to her, but she was doing it, and she had such a huge smile on her face. Then Livey claimed she also wanted to ride, but when putting her on the saddle she started screaming "NO!"

Then it was off to the petting zoo, where there was a donkey, sheep, a pig and piglets, geese, turkey, you get the idea. Craziness. We had a good time there petting all the animals, and both girls participated.

After that, it was off to the carnival games where the kids were actually given tickets when playing the games to trade in for prizes at the prize booth (sound like Chuck E. Cheese?).

The whole time there were photographers everywhere - The parrot on the arm picture was taken, as well as the pony rides and the petting zoo with both girls. As soon as I see the proofs, you can bet I will be posting those pictures here and ordering them.

I missed some of the other highlights, but Josh might fill in on some of the other stuff in the comments...you never know.

Blind (Play)Date:

So, I met this other mom online and we have been chatting for quite sometime. We live in the same area and she is around my age with a son a few months younger than Bea. We had been trying to coordinate a time to meet for a while, and it actually worked out for us this weekend.

When Sunday rolled around, I actually got kind of nervous. You know, that feeling you get when you're set up with someone (though, it has been quite some time for me), but seriously, that was the feeling. Will she like me? Will Bea and her son get along? Will we really have anything in common? It made me nervous.

We got there first. I totally thought we might get stood up. But, we didn't. When I saw her and her son, I immediately knew it was them. The kids got along well. We got along well. We didn't get to spend a lot of time together because the kids were off and running in different directions a lot of the time. Oh, and Bea decided to poop while we were there, too, so I was like "I'll be right back" hoping that she didn't think I was just going to take off on her. So, an hour went by and Bea got cranky and was ready for her nap. We left it as "this was fun, we'll have to do it again..."

So, now of course I'm thinking: Will she contact me? Did she like me? We'll see, but it was nice to meet someone new and hopefully there will be more playdates in the future.

Additional meanderings:

We celebrated the Josh family birthdays on Saturday evening for Josh, his mom and his dad. His sister and her daughters were also in town so we made a big dinner of it all. Josh's birthday was the 27th, and I still need to give an update on his birthday weekend.

Though we did a lot of hanging around the house this weekend, there was definitely a lot of activity and a lot of laughter. The perfect ending to a somewhat perfect weekend:


Oh yeah, we jump on the bed ALL THE TIME around these parts!

To Each Their Own

I've had my first run in with an opinionated mother who tried to force her views on me and it wasn't pretty.

I can remember being pregnant and the question always coming up from people - are you going to bottlefeed or breastfeed? This matters a lot to some people, and others not so much. Everyone has their own views in their choice, me included. I would NEVER ask a mother what her plan was for feeding her baby because, personally, I believe it is a choice for the mother of that child to make and no one elses. A person has reasons for doing what they are doing. Wouldn't you feel horrible asking a mother that question when she relies on certain medications just to get through the day because of deep depression, and maybe that is the reason that she won't be able to breastfeed her child? That's not me, but I know people who couldn't breastfeed because of this and wouldn't you feel awful if she told you this? It's ok if my personal circle of friends ask me, but people I didn't know well or were completely random of the street asked me this, and I wanted to scream at times. Don't get me started on those people who would come up and touch my stomach...

Well, I thought those types of things might end after the pregnancy is over. But, last night I found a new dangerous place: the park. Who would have thought? Josh and I took the girls there yesterday evening before dinner, and there were a few others there. One was an older mother (probably about ten years older than me) with her 5 year old and probably 10 year old.

She only started talking to me after I yelled after Bea to not throw sand on her child. She then told me what a lovely name my daughter had and that both girls were absolutely beautiful. I thanked her. Then the interrogation began...

How old are they?

Oh, you must be really tired? How's that going for you with them so close in age?

These weren't bad, I admit....Then:

So, you stay at home with them, right?
(No. I work.)

Oh, does your husband work, too?
(Yes.)

So, what do you do?
(I work in PR.)

And your husband?
(He's an engineer.)

And why is it that you don't stay at home with them - surely he makes enough money to support all of you?
(I like having my career AND being a mom.)

But you should stay home with them. I believe that every mother should be at home with their children. You're the biggest influence on them. Can't you work it out so that you can stay home with them?
(Not right now. I might eventually work part-time.)

But you can't work it out right now?
(Um, no.)

Well, you can move to a smaller house.
(OK, lady - I did not say this, but was thinking "HAVE YOU SEEN MY HOUSE? SHOULD WE MOVE INTO A CARDBOARD BOX? IS THAT YOUR SUGGESTION???")
(My real response was "No, that's not possible.")

Well, I just don't see how you can't work it out.
(Well, you never know.)

I hope that you do...these children need for you to be there for them.
(Ok, I gotta run, my kids are ready to go home for dinner.)

I used my most polite self during this whole conversation. Inside I was railing. When I met up with Josh I asked him if he spoke to that woman and he didn't. Then I told him what happened. He couldn't believe it, or that I remained that calm. Normally I wouldn't be (remember my story about the emergency room?). Sorry, but mom-fights in front of their children is not the thing for me. I couldn't stop thinking about it for a long time.

So, don't get me wrong, and if you have been reading my blog then you will know that I am not a stay at home mom. I would like to stay at home part time if I could, but right now it's not possible with "this" career that I have. However, I truly believe that it takes a certain kind of person to stay home with their children - a strong one - it's the hardest job in the world and totally commendable in my opinion. I admire those people so incredibly much. I think no less of those that stay at home or those that decide to also work outside the home. As long as you are there for your children and spend time with them, nurture them, love them, etc., then that should make you a great mom. Because I work, the time with my children is very valuable and I try to make the most of our time together. So don't judge me, lady at the park. I would gladly let you walk a mile in my shoes because it isn't easy most of the time living my life, but I wouldn't change it. I do what I do for many reasons unknown to you. And, let's hope that we never cross paths again...or I might just ask you if you breastfed your babies.

My Five Favorite Times of the (Week) Day

1. Getting/seeing the girls when they wake up in the morning. (Clarification: When they are happy, not grumpy)

2. Having my Starbucks Grande Nonfat Mocha with Whip.

3. Listening to the entertainment news on 106.5 at 5:40 pm on my drive home from work.

4. The greeting I get when I get home from work from Josh, Bea and Olivia. There is nothing like that...

5. After the girls fall asleep at night, going in and tucking them in and giving them kisses.

How Bottles and Heaven are like Peas and Carrots

I picked up Bea from daycare last Friday and heard the most amazing story about her bottles. It truly was something that I NEVER would have thought up myself. So, when we got home, I proceeded to call Josh on speakerphone with Bea in the room and we had the following conversation:

"Oh my gosh, you will not believe what happened at Francie's today!"

"What?"

"So, DORA called MISS FRANCIE."

"She did?"

(Note: We have a whole lot of enthusiasm in our voices.)

"Yes! She called and told Bea she was a big girl and that she didn't need her bottles anymore!"

"Really?"

"Yes! DORA told her that her bottles went to heaven! What was once in her bottle, is now in her big girl cup. But the bottles, they are in heaven."

"No way! Bea's bottles are in heaven? Wow, that is SO great!"

So, through Friday night I kept reiterating this story to her in hopes of reminding her what had happened that day. The biggest challenge was getting her to bed at night without it, even though she really was only having one in the morning and at night or when she really needed some comfort. Putting her to bed without one the first night was not as bad as I had imagined it being. She whined for a little bit and didn't want the cup. Then she had some from the cup, but not much. She whined a bit more and was out.

I really thought she would wake up every hour begging for it, but instead, she got up once and called from her bed that she wanted it. She said "Buh-buh" about thirty times, each time with more intensity than the last. Then, it was quiet. She went back to sleep without it. She got up the next morning fine as can be.

The following days have been fairly easy, but the roughest part is at bedtime. It takes her much longer to go to sleep, especially without a fight. With the bottles, it kind of knocked her out quickly. She seems to have gotten over it now for the most part, and she isn't even bothered that her sister still has them. I've only told her that Olivia's bottles have not gone to heaven yet. Now Bea has started telling the story herself, saying to people that her bottles went to heaven. If I had known it was going to be this easy, I really would've taken the plunge much earlier. After 2 1/2 years of her on a bottle, I am so relieved to have her off of them. Only one more child to go!

So, no more of these for Bea:


We've moved on to every drink being in these now:


Please give us a gold star. She has not had a bottle since Friday morning and we are still going strong. Potty training, here we come!