Potty Training!!

Yesterday Danielle turned 22 months old! She is such a big girl that we decided to give potty training a try. Today is day 6 and she is doing really well. I'm sure it will take some time before she is officially "trained" but she really likes her pink potty and even will use the big potty at other people's home, Jeff's office, etc. We spent the first few days on the back deck so accidents would be outside but now as long as I take her to the potty on a regular basis (every 45 min to an hour) she usually waits to go in the potty. She doesn't tell me when she needs to go but I figure that will come sometime soon. The reward I used was stickers. She loves stickers and enjoyed putting them on her potty chart. Sometimes we would have ice cream, a piece of candy, etc, but mostly she liked the sticker and the song I would sing every time she went in the potty. We did also get a baby that peed in her own little potty. She is really into babies so I think that was a big help. Sometimes when she has to go she puts her baby on the babies potty and then sits on her own right next to her.

Big girl Danielle before bed.

Danielle on her pink potty on the back deck.

Enjoying our new backyard

This weekend a good friend had a birthday so we had a BBQ at our house. It was a great way to enjoy our backyard. The weather was beautiful and Danielle loved being outside so much. We are pleased that our lawn is doing well and the deck is a great size for lots of seating and relaxing. So here are some pictures I took today.

It's probably about time I include Danielle's sibling in this blog. The first few months there wasn't much to share, I wasn't feeling very well and wasn't growing. This month is a different story...I feel fantastic and I am growing very fast. The baby started moving A LOT the last few weeks which is fun. I just had a bowl of cereal (very nutritious dinner but we weren't hungry at dinner time because we ate all afternoon!) and am feeling all kinds of somersaulting! One of my photos is a fun photo I took today of my shadow. I need to have Jeff take my picture but haven't gotten around to it yet. My belly is feeling very big. Last week it felt like there was plenty of room on my lap for Danielle but today I noticed my lap shrinking! Anyway 4 more months to go. We get to have an ultrasound in another month or so. We are not finding out the sex but it will be special to see the little person I'm feeling squirming around. I'm excited to meet our new little one but I am also enjoying these last months of one-on-one time with Danielle. She is going to be a great big sister.

Family Visit to So. Cal.

Danielle & Grandpa play a game of bean-bag toss. Grandma Miller & Danielle
Danielle & Kayleen coloring at the little table. Danielle LOVED being with Kayleen.

Grandma "Ma" and Danielle after swimming
Daddy & Danielle in the pool.
Uncle John & Danielle
Bubbles at the park -tons of fun.

Labor Day weekend we travelled south to visit family. Many family members hadn't seen Danielle since Christmas (she was just over 1 year old) so this was a fun opportunity for them to see how much she has changed. She enjoyed everyone and everything we did. The airplane ride was very exciting for her, she calls it a "play-plane" and talks about how you have to "buckle" and it was "blue". We had a wonderful time and wished it hadn't gone by so fast.