big girl bed!

We've been making a lot of changes around here! First with potty training and now transitioning to a big girl bed (convertible crib).

I know, I know. It seems really quick. But it's one of those things I'll keep pushing back. And another reason is for traveling. We'll be visiting my family at the end of the month and have to share a room with Hartley. It wasn't so bad when she was a little baby and couldn't see over the packnplay. But now, as soon as she wakes up in the morning and sees us in the bed.. PARTY!!

So, our plan will have her sleep in the big bed.. with Marshall. And I can sleep on the couch. Marshall is the heavy sleeper.

We took down the crib rail Wednesday afternoon. And we let Hartley play/climb in/pretend to sleep in her "big girl bed" the rest of the day. Night time came and she did great! Marshall stayed with her a little longer than normal, patting her back, etc. She woke up around her usual time and played for a little bit in her room the next morning before I went in and got her.

Thursday afternoon was the day from Hades. She went down quietly, but then I could hear her playing and getting in to things. I can't even remember how many times I went in her room, warned her, eventually started popping her toosh. I tried laying down with her, "dratching" her back as she sweetly requests, singing.

She did. not. nap.

We also had a Christmas party that evening with some folks from church. She was fine. I was exhausted!

I talked with a friend who has a little girl a few months older. She had the same problem. The solution- napping in her packnplay. We tried it Friday and it worked!

But it didn't work very well Saturday. It doesn't help that Hartley has had a little cough, congestion, runny nose. She looks pitiful, too. Today's nap was rough too. She was so exhausted, but only napped about an hour before waking up upset. My own nap was cut short, so I tried laying down with her in her bed. It took a few minutes of singing and "dratching" but she fell asleep. With me! She napped about an hour. I mainly closed my eyes and watched her from time to time. She's a sweet sleeper. :)

The past 2 nights I have put her to bed without any problems, no crying or playing. I think Marshall tried Friday night and it was horrible. :)

These are our new adventures. I am so tired!

potty training update

Holy smokes. Potty training is awesome! Hartley has made it so easy!

It's been almost 2 weeks since we started. There were two rough days of accident after accident. Then something clicked! We can't believe how quickly Hartley caught on.

I let Hartley wear panties over to her Mema's house on Friday. This was the first time not wearing diapers outside of our home. She stayed dry for a long time, but no successful peeing in the potty. And then I found her in the playroom. Wet.

So she will continue to wear diapers outside of the home.. just to be safe.

Then a miracle happened on Sunday at church. I went to get her from the nursery (when do we stop calling it nursery???), and as soon as I picked her up she said "I try." That means she wants to try and peepee on the potty. I asked the girls if they had changed her diaper (she was dry) and they informed me that they had just checked her but she was dry.

She seriously held her peepee the entire time.

We hurried to the ladies room, got her situated on the potty (a PUBLIC potty) and then she peepeed!

She amazes us.

There was another incident last week. We were leaving Walmart to meet Marshall for dinner. On the way, she told me she needed to peepee. I asked her to hold it until we got to the restaurant. And I occasionally stretched into the backseat to feel for warmth in her diaper. She held it (through rush hour traffic) until we were at a red light, almost to the restaurant. She tried. And she told me she needed to go. That's huge progress!

There's our update. Our big girl is growing up! Next on the "before we have another kid" list.. we need to convert the crib to a bed.

potty training!

We are there! And Hartley has been doing great!!

Last week Hartley started showing very clear signs that she was ready. We kept finding her on the floor with her pants and diaper off, wiping herself. She would also bring us diapers and wipes.

Ready. Very ready.

Wednesday we got some handmedowns from Marshall's sister, affectionately called Bec Bec by Hartley. I was so excited because there were a ton of 2T winter clothes, exactly what Hartley needed! There were also some Dora panties. :)

Thursday morning, I got Hartley up and told her that she was going to wear BIG GIRL UNDERWEAR! She was thrilled! As the day progressed, yes, there were many accidents, but H would talk about her "big girl unwear" and actually use the potty. She would get chocolate chips after successfully using the potty.

Friday morning went great! If I can recall correctly, she had no accidents that morning. She had two that evening though. I'm pretty sure she pottied before naptime and bedtime. She wears diapers during naps and bedtime.

We spent Saturday morning at her Mema's. I knew she would be so busy playing and I would be busy too, so she wore a diaper. She did bring Marshall a diaper and wipes during lunch. :) We went home and she pottied before her nap. There were no accidents on Saturday!!

Sunday was very similar- busy at church in the morning, but the rest of the day she did great! No accidents!

Monday was amazing! She had one accident- I was on the phone and wasn't near her. She started telling me she needed to "try" or she would say "peepee poopoo!" We would hurry to the potty and she went after sitting for just a second or two. HUGE PROGRESS!!

Today was a huge milestone! She had two accidents, strangely within 30 minutes of each other, but the greatest thing ever was what happened between the two. I was washing dishes after lunch and saw her run out of the kitchen out of the corner of my eye. I quickly dried my hands to (this might be too much info) see her get up from the potty as poop just came out. She went all by herself!

She felt the urge to go. She knew where to go. And she went! I helped wipe. I didn't have to ask, I didn't have to sit her on the pot. She did it perfectly!

While I was cooking dinner, she did the same thing. Ran to the potty, sat down by herself and peepeed! She wiped herself that time.

I know not all kids are this easy. Hartley has always been a fairly easy baby, I think it's partly her personality that makes discipline smoother. We've also been talking this up and practicing since she was 14 months old. She's 22 months now.

We are so incredibly proud of her! Guess I should write a book now. Ha.

Some things I think helped..

1. Talking it up. Again, we've been talking about potty stuff for 8 months now. She knows the words. If I could tell she was pooping, I would tell her. We've also talked about being wet/dry/dirty.
2. Letting her help. Hartley has been throwing away her dirty diapers for a while now. That's her job in the morning! She also gets to help wipe. She even gets to wash her hands and use soap- all by herself (I turn the water on/off). Oooh! I must add, her potty also converts to a step stool so she can reach over the sink. I made an extended spout for her out of a styrofoam cup (guess I should blog about that one!) so there's an adequate water supply for her.
3. Reading a potty book. She likes to talk about Joshua.. and his "body." And "Joshua peepee poopoo!"
4. Praise and encouragement. We give highfives. And lots of hugs and kisses. I tell her all the time I'm proud of her, she's a big girl, she's so smart, etc. And she tells me "Hartley big gul!" This is one of the best feelings in the world. Being proud of her- and knowing how proud she is of herself! Aw, I think I might cry on this one. :)
5. I don't get mad/frustrated/upset. When she does have an accident (or throws a tantrum on the floor if I say she needs to go try), I'm calm. If it's an accident, as I'm wiping it up I tell her she peepeed and it's okay to have an accident but let me know next time she feels like she needs to go. If it's a tantrum, I let her scream it out and I walk away. Forcing her to sit doesn't do anything! Except make her even more mad.

And since she is almost potty trained, I will briefly discuss the "planned parenthood method" I created before I had kids..

Before adding a child to the current family system, each member should be able to feed themselves, brush their own teeth, and go to the bathroom by themselves.

According to my former method, we're almost ready to have another one! Wish it was that easy. :)

let the festivities begin!

While everyone else was facebooking it up about decorating, I was forcing myself to get the house clean first! Boy, was that motivation! Since moving into the house, I've really enjoyed decorating for Christmas. I love the lights! I love my Willow Tree nativity! I love the ornament tradition (and I get teary eyed when I think about what to get Hartley.. and hopefully future babies).

Without further ado! My recent crafting.. Erika, take notes. :)

Over the summer I worked on a silhouette of Hartley. And when the time came to use it, I was so ready! I cut out the shape on wrapping paper (yes, the one that's been framed in our dining room) and put some neutral/textured fabric behind it. I LOVE the result!

A few weeks ago I saw a Christmas card holder on pinterest. While Marshall was clearing out the woods in our backyard, he helped find the perfect twigs and some sand to construct the centerpiece. Please send cards this way! Until then, teeny tiny ornaments are adorning it.

Monster baby loves the ornaments!

And trying to get behind the tree to play hide-and-seek.

I picked a few ornaments from Marshall's stash that I thought Hartley would enjoy.

Choo-choo train.

A bike. And there's also a "Bajor/Big dog" (Major).

Hartley's first ornament. It makes me cry.

Ok, crafty stuff. The above will become pretty ruffly trees.

Today I made a gathered ballroom skirt for the tree. Out of an old fitted sheet! I love free.

Some balls for you. Some balls for me.

I got this wreath at Goodwill for $1. Unfortunately I didn't realize when I cut off the burlap strings it started falling apart. So I tied some ribbon in a few spots to hold it together. Hot glued some balls. (how many times can you say balls at Christmas and get away with it?). And added more ribbon to hang it.

And then one ball fell off and shattered. So I glued another ball on. I've got lots of balls.

The most recent and frustrating craft was a stocking. I don't like it. I'll get back to the drawing boards on that one..

And in other news, Hartley turned 22 months old over the weekend. I haven't gotten around to posting anything but not much has changed since 21 months except she talks.so.much. I love it, but I also love it when she's asleep and there's silence.

And...

We got handmedowns this week.. So of course, we dressed up as a bunny. And this morning, we pulled out big girl panties!!! Stay tuned to see how that goes. Hah.

a long time coming.

It's been nine months. Nine months since Marshall and I started trying to conceive a second Marshanda. Another Hartley, I'm hoping. :)

But it's been nine months. I was supposed to have had another by now. It was supposed to be easy.

Nine months. Going on ten, if you're counting. I know I am.

And I know this is nothing compared to our friends and family that have been trying for years. But it still hurts month after month. I've held my emotions strong enough to stay strong for others. To pray for them.. and then for myself.

When Marshall and I went off birth control in February, I was convinced God had been speaking to me about trusting him. His plans. Supposedly, I thought, his plans to expand our family. And so I've been second guessing Him for several months now.

Month after month. Question after question. Why?

And still nothing.

Except celebrating pregnancies for others.  Woo to the hoo.

Le sigh.

We started clomid this month. Mainly in an effort to get a jumpstart on ovulating. After monitoring my BBT for the past 2 months, there's an indication that my luteal phase is shorter than normal and my temperature doesn't spike as much as it should.

And then there are the dreams.

The dreams that I am pregnant. I can feel movement. I can see a hand slide across my abdomen.

And Marshall even had a dream. The boy that never dreams, did an ultrasound and saw the clear face of a boy.

I never imagined how painful this was. Emotionally. And I have to remind myself, this is nothing. We have a beautiful Hartley. We're blessed beyond belief.

We're waiting.

a few videos and pics

I thought I'd upload some recent videos and pictures because we have a certain Wibb ,,,s d,    ˙˜© ˙©˙ ( = ,  /.,                          /(G ft ?  (thank you Hartley...). Anyway.. here's some stuff . 

Among other news, we have a prissy tomboy. Fingernail polish and trucks. And tractor driving, too.

I got new boots and Hartley approves!

One of Hartley's favorite things to do is "help" cook. She stands up in her chair and says "I cook! I cook!"

I usually just give her some utensils, bowls, and water. This evening I'm pretty sure she drank diluted milk/cream of mushroom. And she made me try it, too.

I'm really excited about our Christmas card! We went down to the cotton fields over the weekend and attempted to get some good shots of Hartley. While we didn't get many good pictures, our cards have already been ordered and I'm so excited!

She was not cooperating.

She was more excited about the motorcycles she heard.

I love my new boots!!

I think this was my favorite shot of H. I wish she would smile for the camera!

Well, if you let her sit in the front seat (off road) she will smile!

I seriously can't wait for our cards to come in! I made them using picnik and then printed them from Snapfish. I've also designed a return address "stamp" that I just might post about.. and take orders.

And someone has found my stash of ribbon. Bye!

21 months

Hartley Caroline!

you are twenty-one months old

You are crazy. Crazy, crazy, crazy. This past month has been all about vocabulary! We love that you are talking so much and, for the most part, we can understand you! You've started making simple sentences, just 2 words together- but clearly form an idea.. or command. So, without further ado...

Hartley's vocabulary!! And some have sweet, little stories.

Turtle

Trash
Trash truck One of the best sentences is "Bye bye, trash truck!"

Nack (snack)

Reerees (raisins)

Biper (diaper)

Poopoo

Peepee

Poo (poot) Embarrassingly enough, you say "Momma poo!" a lot. Untrue.

Book

Bible

Cheeses (Jesus)

Ride

Door (drawn out into 2 syllables)

Bear (this is sometimes 3 syllables) There's a "baby" at church named Bear and you still talk about him. You call him "Bay-yer."

Buhfy (butterfly) We were walking around the neighborhood and you kept seeing leaves on the ground. You were pretty convinced they were "deh" "buhfy." Dead butterflies.

Dead

Bug/fly Dead and bug usually go together. And "shoo fy" too.

Mo-rah (more, very Southern)

Chich (church)

Work

Shir (shirt)

Pussy... (peaches) We're working on that one...

Eat You've started climbing into your highchair and demanding "EAT! EAT! EAT!"
Rag
Highchair
Me-cine (medicine) You bring us orajel and request it put on your gums..
Pee-shoo (P.U.)
Sticker
Buckle
Jacket
Moo (move) You tell Madmad (Maddie) to move a lot. We're working on being nice to her.
See (sleep) On Daddy's days off, I can hear you while I'm still in bed saying "Momma see. Shhh!"

I'm sure these are just a handful of the many words you know- at least that we understand. I'm just excited that we can understand you and communication is helping us figure out what you need/want. It's also been funny listening to you get excited with all the thoughts running through your head and trying to say everything. Sometimes it sounds like you have a stutter because you've got so much you want to say!

I've noticed Daddy and I have picked up some toddlerese (how you talk). Certain words like "Madmad" and "reerees"- I find we call them that too. I've always been anti-talk-like-a-baby. Whoops.

Aside from your exploding vocabulary, you're also doing great with gross and fine motor skills. You love running and jumping! White girl- you've got a pretty good vertical already! You scribble so well with your left hand- I love watching you hold a crayon.. or pen. You hold it perfectly! I think this is amazing considering you are left handed. You are getting pretty good at feeding yourself with a fork, too.

Slowly working on potty training. Still.

We've had some fun outings this past month. We've been to 2 parades. One fair. And one of a few Fall Festivals we plan to attend. You love being able to walk around, dance and meet new people. You are rarely shy! My favorite part was at the fair- you wanted to walk around and Grandaddy was following you. You wore him out so quickly. Made me feel good knowing I'm not the only one you tire so easily. :)

Okay, pictures!

When you think something is really cute, you stick out your booty and talk in a higher pitched voice.

Petting goats at the fair with fav cousin Anna 

Visiting with chickens

You kissed a pig.

LOVE to climb! The other day at Mema's, I noticed it was too quiet. I found you standing on top of their pool table.

Abby Cadabby for Halloween. At Mema's Fall Festival.

You were mostly excited about the horsey. Momma made Anna's Rapunzel dress!

You were also very excited about the bunnies, pig, and Cheetos.

At the Fair Parade with Mema.

Daddy even says your crazy. There are a few days that you actually sit still on the couch with us. We treasure those moments. Because we know very shortly you will be running around and getting into everything and telling us that we pooted.

Hartley, you are so incredibly smart! You are so dependent! And you are the sweetest little girl.

cars & tutus

Hartley's future husband Hudson turned TWO recently! And we sent him a little gift..

 And boy was it a hit! It's a little car holder! Hartley definitely needs one.. in fact, she needs some cars too.

 As the usual, Hartley is continuing to get into everything. Her most recent obsession is diaper cream. We put a steroid cream on her face most nights because she reacts to spicy food (and we can't keep her away from salsa!)- this is her way of imitating us.

 Most times I just stare at her and think about how beautiful she is..

 And then I think about how handsome Marshall is..

And that these two are ridiculously identical.

 But she's cuter.. even if she put her hair into olive oil.

 And finally. Hartley is showing off her Abby Cadabby costume (not finished). And her homemade shirt! Pardon the bedhead.

more videos!

Because Hartley's Grandmommie loves seeing videos, we thought we'd share some recent ones..

Hartley goes crazy before bedtime. I tell her to get the wiggles out and she runs crazy.

She says "Marshall" and "Sassy" soooo well!

As well as "turtle" and "trash."

Happy Birthday, Grandmommie Wibby!

20 month videos

Hartley amazes us everyday! She's always learning something new. Mostly she makes us laugh with how silly she is..

We've been having a rough nap week around here (weaning from bumper pads in an attempt to get closer to converting to the toddler bed), so excuse me while I shut myself in the bathroom for the next 2 hours..

Hartley Caroline!

you are twenty months old!

This is the perfect picture to describe you at this time...

I know one day you're going to ask "Momma, what was I like when I was little?" This is what I will tell you..

You are into everything..

Trash is one of your favorite words. As soon as we change your diaper, "trash?" You like to help throw away your disposables. You also bring me bits of paper or anything actually.. "trash?" Most of the time you're right. But I'm pretty sure you threw my Hobby Lobby gift card that had $4 on it. That's a lot of money to me. :)

You love helping me cook! I'm glad because I can actually get dinner on the table as soon as Daddy gets home! You have also started setting the table... haha.

What aggravates me the most, is that you get into everything. Everything.

You especially enjoy finding my wallet and pulling out every card. This is how my HobLob gift card went missing...

You love coloring.. on yourself. (check out the PEN marks on your belly)

You love jumping on our bed!

As with everything else you get into, you got into some lipstick in the above picture. At least you keep it contained to the mouth area. And you like talking on the phone or taking pictures with phones (cheeeeese!).

You are obsessed with getting the mail. It used to be shoes. But now it's "meal? meal? meal?!" One evening, Daddy was tinkering in the garage and we checked on him. You started heading out of the garage and he asked where you were going. "Meal." Duh, Daddy.

You also beg to get in Daddy's truck.

You like making fish faces. And you've started puckering for kisses.. especially when you kiss yourself in the mirror.

You're going to be a gymnast. You love when Daddy swings you around.

It scares me.

You're not going to be the baby cousin anymore (Baby Luke will be here in a few months). You love babies and you will love him! There's a little boy at church named Bear and you talk about him all the time.

You make us laugh all the time. You make funny faces and funny noises. You copy everything we say and do. You're getting so good at repeating words!

Your top favorite words are: trash, mail (meal), door, and poopoo. You say "I poopoo" all the time.

You ask for cheese and raisins (ree rees) at all meals.

You have 14 teeth! Those top canines came in during the past week. And you like to bite us.

You love going to Mema's! As soon as we get there you say "Fish! Nana? (Anna). Saiah? (Isaiah)." And then you head to ride the toy tractor or to the trampoline. We were at Walmart last week and you saw a little black boy. You kept saying "Saiah?!" You talk about him all the time!

You are growing and learning everyday! It's amazing! Your vocabulary is exploding! Daddy and I love hearing all your new words. I especially enjoy it when you say Marshall! Haha. There are times when I get so frustrated with you because you get into everything, but I know it's part of this stage and one day you're not going to be my little toddler.

We love you, Hartley!