Potty Training

That time has come. Sadie will be 2 1/2 on February 21st. If you're like me, this is what I stressed about the most. But honestly what stressed me out even more was reading the articles and blogs about "How to Potty Train in 3 Days." Not that there is anything wrong in potty training that fast, heck it sure would be nice to have it over in three days. But the idea of focusing on nothing but potty training for three days is not fun. I can stir crazy if I don't leave the house for one day let alone three.

So I decided I was going to stop reading all the "recommendations" and just go with my gut.

We've had a small Baby Bjorn potty since Sadie was about 18 months. She mostly just saw it and didn't pay much attention to it. A few months ago, I started asking her if she wanted to go potty at random times. If she seemed interested, I'd let her sit on it and there were a few times she would tinkle. Beyond that, we didn't really do much.

So about 2 weeks ago, I decided we were finally going to start potty training. I set up her potty with a potty chart I found from _______. We picked out some stickers at the store together. I also turned a Yankee Candle Jar into a "Potty Treats" jar and filled it up with Peanut M&Ms.

From that day on, she's gone tinkle on the potty every day. She still forgets and has accidents, but it's not a big deal. We switched to Pull Ups to make it easier to get on and off at the potty and when we are home I sometimes put panties on her. She gets all excited and looks pretty darn cute in them.

She's never really had trouble going tinkle and each time she goes I can still she is getting better at it.

We've had two successful #2 in the potty so far. This one has been little trickier, but I'm in no rush. One day, I think it'll click and she'll get it. She has far more dry pull ups lately and we show excitement when she does.

We actually went to the store the other day and once we got there I realized I forgot to change her out of her underwear into a pull up. So I took her to the potty and let her tinkle and she stayed dry until we got home. I was so proud of her.

It may not be the perfect way or the fastest way, but it's working for us! What has worked for you?

A Play Group

So there were a few other moms and I looking around for a playgroup on post here in Daegu. Apparently, there used to be one held at the Child Development Center, but they stopped it for the summer and decided not to restart anytime soon. So we got together and created our own.

It started out with three of us and has already grown to eight moms and ten tots in three short weeks. We are always open to expanding more and I am enjoying meeting new moms. We meet in the library most Fridays, but found ourselves meeting at the playground this week.

I have fun plans for a pumpkin painting party and halloween trick-or-treating coming up. I am so thankful to have these moms and tots to share our experience with halfway across the world.

Happy 2nd Birthday Sadie

Happy Second Birthday to our sweet girl. Born August 21, 2012 at 6:30pm. Weighing 7 lbs 8 oz and 19 1/4 inches long. You were a tiny thing.

She is a full fledge toddler and little girl, but she will always be my baby. She knows what she wants and will let you know.

She is still a picky eater, but I'm hoping that will change in Korea! Milk is her Krytonite and she will never turn down a cookie or popsicle.

She loves being around people and warms up quickly. She is the first to make friends and says Hi to any little girl or boy around. I hope she keeps this throughout her life. She is a little fire cracker and doesn't stop moving.

She is so smart. She knows her numbers, colors, and shapes. She is learning her letters. She loves to color all day, everyday. Stickers will keep her busy for hours.

She weighs 26 lbs and is 32 1/2 in. tall. She still wears mostly 18 Month clothing and size 4 diapers. She is starting to want to pick our her own clothes, especially shoes.

She's pretty good at listening, but can also throw a good tantrum at times. She has her grandparents wrapped around her little finger.

She hates to sit still, but is the gives the best snuggles when she wants. She LOVES Minnie Mouse, Dora The Explorer, and Elmo.

We are looking forward to our new family adventure with a two-year-old. Although, she will never remember her time spent in Korea, I can't wait to see how she grows, adjusts, and learns.

Happy Second Birthday Sadie Grace. Mom and Dad love you to the Moon and back!

Weaning from White Noise

Sadie has been sleeping with white noise since she was 2 weeks old. It was around this time when she started to cry a LOT after eating. Nothing we could do would make her happy. Little did I know at the time that it was a Milk Protein Allergy, but Steve and I quickly found that standing by a running sink facet seemed to calm her and put her to sleep. So for the sake of saving on our water bill, we bought a white noise machine. And she's slept with it ever since. On High. Every night and nap. That is until now.

People have ask us when we planned on weaning from white noise and quite honestly, I had no plan. I didn't think it was necessary. It was quite nice being able to make noise in the house without worrying about waking her up. There are some adults that still sleep with white noise and that's fine!

However, we've realized with moving to Korea, that Sadie is going to have to be very flexible during our travel, including staying in hotel rooms, sleeping on the plane, and moving into a new house with different outlets. We decided it would just be easier to wean her off the white noise. I was terrified that her good sleep would be affected.

I started a couple weeks ago turning down her white noise a little at a time each night. Finally, it was to a point that I could barely hear it. Then a few nights ago, I set the timer on it to cut off after 1 hour. I knew she would be in deep sleep at this point and hoping she wouldn't wake up. When that was a success, I finally put her down with no white noise at all. Not only did she go to sleep easily, but quite possibly faster than a normal night. Now this could also have to do with the little dose of Benadryl I gave her thanks to her last molar coming in.

Anyway, she has officially slept all night with no white noise at all two nights in a row and one nap. I am so proud of her and wondering why I didn't try this sooner. I am hoping this will just be one small step to help her prepare for the long trip ahead.

One thing we tried to do was make the same amount a noise we did while she slept with white noise. I didn't want her to take this as a way to wake up to every little small sound, and surprisingly she hasn't. She has even napped through the workers building a house down the street without the white noise.

Does anyone else use white noise with their children? Did you ever stop or do you plan on stopping? I'd love to hear from other moms!

Style Me Tuesday: Sadie's Closet + 22 Months

Sometime in this past week Sadie turned 22 months. And it just flew right by me. Literally. I didn't even realize it until last week. I actually don't count her age by months anymore when people ask me, I usually just tell them she turns 2 in August. But when did it get to that? We are  going to have a 2 year old when we move to Korea! I can't believe she's been in our life for that long.

First let me start out with this little fashionista's picture.

Halter Top: The Children's Place

Shorts: Old Navy

Shoes: Crocs (We have new ones coming in the mail because she is outgrowing these!)

Backpack: TJ Maxx

Girlfriend is obsessed with the backpack. We found it at TJ Maxx this past weekend while I was looking at backpacks for myself to use while we travel. She wants to take it everywhere and she just looks so darn cute with it on! 

She has started to preference what she wears now. I try to give her two choices for outfits in the morning and she picks one. Then proceeds to put it on by herself, which usually ends up with her bloomers around her head. Then the shoes. Oh the shoes. This girl loves shoes. I asked her to go put on her shoes one day to go to the park and she comes back with her little dress up heals on. Watch out Daddy. Finally, when she does put normal shoes on, the Pink ones are always top choice. Is it possible to have a favorite color this young? She always asks for Pink. She even asked, yes asked, for pink toenails the other day. Of course I obliged! I guess she wants to be like Mommy.

In other news, she is also a smart little thing. I know I say this every time, but seriously. The kid knows her numbers 1-12 and can even point them out in reading. I give all this credit to Dora and Mickey Mouse. She is learning colors, but usually calls everything Pink, Purple, and Green. Except Orange, she somehow always gets Orange right. She knows her basic shapes and we are starting to expand those. She is always learning a lot more song lyrics, which I find the cutest thing in the world to hear her sing. Her current favorite is Baa Baa Black Sheep. I can't wait until she starts singing more normal songs. And dance. The girl loves to dance and she can get down with the best of them. At my cousin's wedding recently, all she wanted to do was dance. And on her own. She didn't want anyone to hold her. She was awesome. It was so dark out, I couldn't get a good video, but I'm hoping their photographer caught a couple cute photos of the flower girl busting a move. Her favorite phrases to say are "no," "oh no," "uh oh," "snack," "Thank you," "More please," "Where are you?" and "yay!!" She is also starting to form more sentences, half of which we can't understand, but you can tell she means it with the determined look on her face. Her favorite pastime is to color and she'll yell "Mama, Color!" and point at the small yellow chair next to her until I come to sit with her and color.

Finally, a few little stats, because I will only get to do this a couple more times. She is still in 18 Month clothes, in fact her little bottom can fit 9-12 month in shorts or bloomers. We just moved her up to size 6 shoes, but in reality she is about 5.5. She wears size 4 diapers. I can't wait to find out how much she weighs and how tall she is at her 2 year check. Unfortunately, that probably won't be until Korea.

This little girl is growing more and more everyday and I am so proud to be her Mommy. I can't wait to see the things she does and what she accomplishes. I can't wait to share the time with her exploring a new country. Although she will remember very little of it, I look forward to sharing stories with her in the future. And pictures. I plan to take a LOT of pictures.

We love you Sadie bug!

Style Me Tuesday: Sadie's Closet

Sadie wore this adorable outfit last week and I just knew I had to share. I love the basic neutral combo, but my favorite part is her new shoes!

Dress: Carters (last season) Found here on Amazon
Hat (As usual): Old Navy (similar)
Shoes: Natural Burlap for Tiny TOMS Classics

Seriously, could these Toms get any cuter? I might just be contemplating buying a matching pair. Too much? You decide.

Style Me Tuesday: Sadie's Closet

It's another Tuesday and I'm bringing you another adorable outfit out of Sadie's closet.

Dress: Target, no longer available
Leggings: The Children's Place
Shoes: Salt Water Sandals
Sunglasses: Babiators

[five] on friday

This week has been a long one. Between Sadie falling from the couch onto our hardwood floor and the constant rain, I am so ready for this week to be over. And it is! It finally is! I'm waiting not so patiently for our Friday night ritual. Our awesome (duplex)neighbors have a little one around Sadie's age, so every Friday night, we put the kids to bed then sit on our porch and drink the wine away. It's wonderful and therapeutic.

Anyway, I'll skip to it and get going with my five on Friday!

[one]

If you've read recently, we are waiting to find our where our next assignment will take us. I revealed our #1 Pick here, our #2 Pick here(which is now unavailable), and I'm happy to reveal our Pick #3: 

Portland, Maine. 

There is no actual Army base here, but there is a MEPs Station, which is basically an in processing unit for the Military. We know very little about the job, let alone about Maine. So please, by all means, if you are familiar with Maine, send some great advice our way! 

We are pretty excited about this location though. All the research we've done proves it to be a beautiful spot. Maybe a little cold, okay a lot cold, but I think we could have a great two years here. 

source

[two] 

Did I mention I'm drinking wine tonight? Here's what I have on hand this week. I love Kenwood wine and the Cabernet Sauvignon never fails me. You should try it too, but only if you're over 21. Drink Responsibly. 

[three] 

I'm not kidding when I tell you I ordered these for Sadie from Target. They should be here this weekend and I can't wait to see them on her! She may just be sporting these as a flower girl in a wedding coming up:-)  

[four] 

It is officially May, which means Mother's Day, Bachelorette Weekend, Memorial Day by the Lake, and one more month until my birthday! This month is going to fly by so fast. This is one of my favorite photos from Memorial Day at the Lake last year. Look at that little munchkin!

[five]

I'll end with a laugh. No matter how many times I read this, it makes me giggle. I need to try it out. Maybe for Steve's next poker night? 

Source

Style Me Tuesday: Toddler Edition + 20 Months

I couldn't let Easter past without sharing where Sadie's adorable outfits came from.

Rain Jacket: Baby Headquarters. I found second hand at Kids to Kids in Buford, GA.
White Capri's : The Children's Place
Navy Pants: Old Navy (We changed her because it ended be colder out than expected.
Shoes: Bobs, received as a gift. (similar)

This little egg hunter turned 20 months yesterday. I only have four more post I can write because counting her age by months because a little crazy. Seriously, I am going to have a two year old. I still look at her as a little baby, but she is not a baby at all anymore. She knows what she wants, when she wants it, and she will let you know it! Here's what this little munchkin can do:

• Count to 12
• Sing her ABC's
• Sing along with almost all kids songs I sing to her, favorite being Twinkle Twinkle
• Walk up/down the stairs holding onto the railing 
• Stays at the Kids Place at the Gym without crying now
• Throw a ball, though not very far
• Tries to put on her own shoes and has recently become vocal about which ones she wants to wear
• Repeats almost every word we say
• Learning her colors
• Knows shapes: Triangle, Square, Circle, Heart, Star
• Knows almost all animals and their sounds
• Loves to dance 

My list could go on and on. It is so much fun to see her learn each and every day. She is still in Size 4 Diapers and we aren't quite ready for potty training yet, but we have a small one in the bathroom that she enjoys trying to sit on. She is in 18 Month clothes, but can still fit some 12 month, the little thing. He hair finally fits into two tiny blonde pigtails. Her eyes change clothes between a blueish/green and a blue/grey. 

I am so proud of the little girl she is becoming. I am enjoying watching her grow and develop. 

I just had to share this video of her talking to her new friend, the bug, on the slide:-)

Easter Basket Blog Hop

I am happy to say that the Easter Bunny has fulfilled his(her?) duties and Sadie's Easter basket is ready to go for Sunday morning!

I am linking up with Darci at The Good Life Blog for her 2nd Annual Easter Basket Blog Hop and with Sarah from Our Journey for her Blog Hop. So if you haven't quite finished yours yet and need ideas, check out their hops for inspiration!

Here is Sadie's Princess Basket.

I actually already had the Princess Basket. We received it as a baby gift and it's used in her room to hold stuffed animals. Speaking of stuffed animals... that is the one thing you will not find in our basket, because Sadie has WAY too many already. What child needs that many stuffed animals!

Back on track. Here's a closer look at what I (ahem) the Easter Bunny added to her basket.

Everything I bought can be found at Target. 

[1] Crayola Crayons  - I used double coupons on this!

[2] Minnie Mouse Coloring Book. Dollar Spot.

[3] Travel play pack. We've had one of these and its great for the diaper bag. Sadie loved her last one. It includes a small coloring book, crayons, and stickers. Again Dollar Spot.

[4] No-Spill Bubbles. 

[5] Pastel Chalk. Who doesn't love chalk in the spring?

[6] Dora's Spring & Easter DVD. Miss S loves her Dora. Currently on sale!

[7] Bed Time Prayers Board Book. It's Easter and I want Sadie to always know the reason we are celebrating. 

[8] My first Crayola Mess-Free Fingerpaint & Paper. I also had double coupons for this and I can't wait to see how it works. 

[9] Little Tumbler. Sadie loves my tumbler and refuses to drink from her straw cup if she sees I have my tumbler, so she's getting her very own tumbler! 

Okay ya'll. Last, but certainly not least is this little package below, complete with jewelry, crown, shoes, and candy. Steve picked out this basket for Sadie himself while I was gone this weekend. He was going to surprise her [and me] on Easter morning but saw me getting together her basket last night and mentioned it. Seriously, my heart melted. Is that not the sweetest thing ever that he would go out and pick this up for her? Best Daddy award right here folks! 

Finally, we also plan on getting Sadie a water table. This will be a present from us and not the Easter Bunny. I've heard great reviews about them and can't wait for Sadie to have fun playing!

[five] on friday

Good Morning and Happy Friday! I am writing from Atlanta, Georgia.

I'm so excited to be throwing my sweet cousin a wedding shower tomorrow and I can't wait to show you pictures!

In other news, I'm linking up again today! So let's get to it.

[one] I'm obsessed with the photo I took of Miss Sadie swinging with her daddy. Swoon.

[two] Spring is FINALLY in full swing around here and we are loving it!

[three] Have you used ThredUp yet? I cleaned out my closet and sold some clothes to them and after a first time incentive, clothes credit, and discount, I got this little number for just over $2. Check it out and join here for a $10 credit.

[four] I ordered Sadie new salt water sandals for the summer this week. They just came in and this weekend will be the first time she wears them. I think they are adorable. Stay tuned for a review!


[five] I've been thinking about getting Smashbox's under eye brightener for those crazy under eye circles that comes along with being a mom. Anyone try this or anything else that works amazingly well?

I'm off to go get ready for our fiesta shower! Check back next week to see how it goes!

Style Me Tuesday: Sadie's Closet

Sadie and I had blast playing at the park in 85 degree weather last Wednesday. I've been waiting oh so patiently to share these adorable photos with you!

Hat: Old Navy (our new summer staple)
Romper: Carters- purchased at JCPenney
Shoes: Crocs

Style Me Tuesday: Sadie's Closet

We are enjoying the spring weather this week! I'm finally getting to switch Sadie's wardrobe over. I just loved seeing her in this darling outfit yesterday. She picked the hat out herself.

Hat: Old Navy

Dress: Old Navy

Leggings: Target 

Shoes: Crocs

Sweater: Carters (last season)

{five} on friday: 19 Months

Spring is here! Well at least that's what the calendar says. We are set to have a beautiful weekend but the possibility of snow is hanging over our heads for next week. yuck.

On an even happier note: Miss Sadie is 19 months today. She is officially closer to two than she is to one. In a few short months I won't even be able to count her age by months anymore. Waaah. I can't handle it.

In honor of the little munchkin's month birthday today, here is my {five} on friday all about her.

{one} She's all about Mommy this month (and Daddy). And it just melts my heart when she says "Mommy" and points to me whenever a stranger passes as if she is claiming me as hers and they better not mess with us.

{two} She knows her animals, some shapes, and we are working on colors and ABC's. Child Genius? Okay, maybe just a normal toddler. But I'm still proud that she is doing so well!

{three} She started swim lessons last week and she is a little fish in the water. It took her a lesson to warm up, but she now wants to do her own thing and loves splashing and kicking. Watch out summer.

{four} She's still a picky eater and we are working on it. However, she finally outgrew her milk protein allergy and is on whole milk. She also gets one Pediasure a day to balance out her diet. Her favorite foods are currently: Yogurt, Bananas, Grapes, Apples, Raspberries, Cuties, Cereal, French toast, Peanut Butter, bread, chips, Ketchup, and french fries. I don't have much to work without, but a veggie pouch or two does the trick each day.

{five} As of last night, she has encountered her first stomach bug. And so have I:-( My stomach wasn't feeling well so I layer down while Steve put her to bed. A little while later I heard her coughing and then crying. I went in to see what was wrong and she had gotten completely sick all over herself and the bed. I felt awful for her and it was even worse trying to clean it all up while I was uneasy myself. Daddy was a hero last night and I let Sadie snuggle in bed with me for a while watching cartoons. It was a long night, but I will save you from all the gross details. When both seem to be doing much better this morning.

Style Me Tuesday: Sadie's Closet

If you didn't catch a glimpse of my Weekend Recap post, you missed an adorable Sadie outfit. But I've brought it to you here. I just loved this outfit. It screamed happy! (Even though the face isn't here- she was so happy in this moment picking flowers.)

Silver Sparkle Shoes: Bobs
White lace leggings: The Children's Place
Shirt: Carters
Jean Jacket: Target

Style Me Tuesday: Sadie's Closet

We had a snow day. Again. In March. Enter sad face.

So back inside we were after a beautiful day in the sun. Which meant comfy outfits for us. I'm pretty sure Sadie knows how to rock it. This is a snow day go to outfit now.

Pink Onesie: Gerber
Sweatshirt: Gap
Stockings: Target
Leg Warmers: I don't remember:-(

If that's not the cutest darn thing you've ever seen... I need to get her into a gymnastics class stat!

Style Me Tuesday: Sadie's Closet

So it's been a while since I've posted about Sadie's wardrobe, but that doesn't mean she's not still a little fashionista. It's pretty cold up here in Virginia, so most outfits consist of layers and comfort. We fine got a little bit of sunshine and warm weather today. I couldn't resist taking a few photos of how cute she looked at the park.

Vest: One of our favorites! It's been too cold to wear it lately, so we finally pulled it back out today! It's Koala Baby brand from BabiesRus. We received it as a gift from my brother and his wife.
Shirt: Osh Kosh B'gosh
Purple Jeggings: Circo (Target)
Shoes: Leather Upper. We found at The Shoe Co., but I've also seen them on Target.com
Sunglasses: Babiators. We bought this recently and love them. They are still a tiny bit to big, so she can grow into them. But they are made of a rubber material so they are very hard to break. However, if they do break or if we lose them, the company will replace the sunglasses for free. Pretty good deal.

Adventures of Twinkle: Day 24

Twinkle wanted to make sure to leave some kisses on her last morning here with Sadie. We sure are going to miss Twinkle around here! But we look forward to all the fun things she will bring next year!!

Tonight, Sadie got to hold Twinkle and say Goodbye on her last night here!