Potty Progress

Here's Leah potty chart. This picture was taken 2 weeks ago when we started, and since then, she has filled 3 rows with stickers (and therefore earned three prizes)! Every time she goes, she gets a treat from the treat jar. I thought she would pick the same thing every time, with the options being cookies, candy, fruit snacks, or popcorn, but she picks something different every time. Several times she's even asked for "bubbles." This is what "bubbles" looks like:

She will stand at the sink and play with bubbles for hours if we let her. It's a really great trick for me when I need to get something done.

When the entire chart is filled, Leah gets to go to Chuck-E-Cheese! We are making progress, and she's learned how to go on command, but we still haven't had much luck with #2. This is a lot harder than I thought it would be! Leah loves to wear big girl panties, but some froofy character is a must. For those of you who think this next picture is indecent, just remember that it's my kid, not yours, and all you can see are her knees:

When I took that last picture of Leah, I looked over to see Samuel being really cute and anxiously awaiting some attention from me, so I took this one:

And here's a cute picture of Leah ready to splash in a puddle:

The Highs and Lows of Being Two

Leah had a relatively tear-free birthday; no major owies, no time-outs or spankings. We were busy partying, so she didn't get to bed until 10:00 last night, which made for a not so happy toddler today. The poor girl was under-rested from the start, and thanks to two different doctor's visits and an afternoon in the car, didn't get more than 1 hour of nap time. Chris came home at lunch time and was witness to Leah getting knocked in the head as she stepped in front of a door as it opened. Then when he came home from work, within an hour she pulled a chair over onto herself, getting a nasty forehead bruise, and in her traumatized state wouldn't eat dinner. By this point in time, we couldn't yet tell what part was hurt, so in case it was her mouth that hurt, I gave her ice to munch on...and she choked on it. I did a finger sweep and made her gag and it was actually quite scary. Yeah, it wasn't such a great day.

We were all a little traumatized by the time bed time rolled around. We are glad for the perspective that life is fragile and are appreciating our little girl so much right now despite the grumpy moments, or should I say days (we just don't want to be reminded of that fragility every day...).


On a good note,

the Dynamic Duo has been reunited!

Leah and Ophie are together again at last! Our friend at the Conoco in Laramie followed through on his promise to mail Ophie to us, and she arrived today! Here is Leah beaming as Ophie's return was revealed! Any ideas what to send this guy as a token of our appreciation?

The Lost may be Found!

Perhaps my last post was premature, because Ophie may not be gone at all! I desperately and without hope called the Conoco in Laramie, Wyoming where Ophie was suspected to have been last seen. The attendant (unforgettable with a nose-ring, 1cm diameter earrings, and a tongue-ring) remembered us and kept Ophie safely under the counter should we return! He said he is going to mail her to us, which is quite believable considering there is a post-office station inside that very Conoco! Hooray! This emotional pregnant woman cried tears of joy! Leah has asked for Ophie in the meantime, and I usually just changed the subject or replaced Ophie with another stuffed animal, but on the one occasion that I told her Ophie was "all gone" and lost, I think we were both near tears! She saw the picture of Ophie on the post, and very dejectedly remarked "Ophie, lost!" and kissed the screen. I am very hopeful now that we may be able to reunite the two friends. I will undoubtedly keep you updated as more breaking news develops.

Farewell, Dear Friend

We've kept track of her and her precious Joey for almost a year. She's traveled with us to Illinois, Washington, Texas, and all places in between. She's gone through the washing machine many a-time, she has been retreived from multiple lost-and-founds, and she has absorbed pancake syrup, vomit, spaghetti sauce, orange juice, tears, and countless other substances, may they remain unknown to us. She was greatly loved, her fabric becoming threadbare and her stuffing lumpy. Leah has enjoyed parenting her favorite kangaroo, diapering her, feeding her, giving her a bath, brushing her teeth. Oh, how we will miss our dear Ophie. May the finder at that gas station in Wyoming enjoy her soft lumpiness for years to come.


I think I was perhaps more attached to Ophie than anyone else, for I actually shed tears at the realization that we left her behind, and Leah has yet to ask for Ophie (but I am also 7 months pregnant...), and I continue to mourn. Ikea unfortunately no longer sells the Klappar stuffed animal series, and the only one on ebay is somewhat overpriced...should that matter? We are prepared to present a stuffed Nemo to Leah on her birthday...but can that really take the place? Here is our family picture from our vacation, the last picture of our whole family, before Ophie was lost. May she rest in peace. *sniffle*

The Latest Adventures

While we've been on vacation in the exotic and far-away land of northern Utah, we had the opportunity to go on several exciting adventures. (Click on any picture to see it enlarged)

She liked the huge pillowy beds in our hotel room. That's the right way to watch Nemo.

Thursday, we visited the Dinosaur Park in Ogden. It was very cold. Once we went inside, Leah was frightened by the realistic mechanical dinosaurs that kept growling at her. I just told her to growl back.

On Friday, we visited the Aerospace Museum at Hill Air Force Base. It was free! Leah occasionally noticed the airplanes and was temporarily amazed, then continued to play with the exhibit ropes and look at her reflection in the floor.

On Saturday, we visited the Treehouse Museum in Ogden with the Lewises and the Rowberrys. There, kids can dress up like knights and put on a show, make noise on drums and marimbas, play with trains, dive into all of the greatest story-book scenes, and much more. Of course, we forgot the camera, but it was a blast for young and old!

Leah got to experience what it's like to be a guitar hero!

Gramma sent a new dress which Leah wore to church on Sunday. She likes that her new Mary Janes are so tappy on hard floors, so she doesn't want to take them off!

Monday we took Leah to the Hogle Zoo for the first time. She especially liked the monkeys, the elephants, the "teddy" bears, the penguins, chasing turkeys, growling at the growling tiger, the drinking fountains that look like lions, the slide that's shaped like a snake, the stray sparrows that aren't really part of the zoo, the train, and the waterfall inside the aligator house. It was really funny to hear her try to repeat "Rhinocerous" and "Alligator." Here are some highlights:

Chasing a turkey.

She was so awestruck at the sight of a real elephant that she wouldn't look at the camera. I guess that's the whole point.

Climbing on the Tiger statue. We couldn't exactly let her cuddle with a real tiger, could we?

Riding the Zoofari Express.

Sitting on the statue elephant's trunk.

At the wrong end of a gorilla.

All tuckered out at the end of the day. Whew! Mission: Accomplished.