Potty Training

Juliana is doing so good at potty training. She seemed interested shortly after her first birthday but there wasn't any consistency. This past summer the babysitter has really helped to be consistent for her. Now she tells us and goes all the time. Yay for her!

Update: Today she even pooped in the toilet!!! She is getting so big!

13 weeks

13 weeks with baby #2

This pregnancy has it similarities... but is so different. I feel like I have more cravings this time around. Any type of sweets are high on the priority list. And although I ate some sweets with Juliana I ate tons of vegetables, salads and cheesy scrambled eggs. Also morning sickness seemed to be more manageable and didn't last as long with Juliana.

13 weeks with Juliana

I'm glad that I don't have to worry about decorating a nursery this time around, or school. I can concentrate more on the joys of pregnant. Not that it wasn't enjoyable with Juliana, I just always had a list of things to get done. It was rush, rush, rush. Now on my days off I can enjoy it a little by doing housework, organizing and hang out with Juliana and just do mommy things. All the things I LOVE to do. 

Yes we do have a list of projects to do (like painting Juliana's room) but I don't feel as rushed to them. And I also have extra time to spend to plan the arrival of this sweet peanut. I didn't really have that last time. I've already looked more into the local resources (I didn't know was available last time) such as doulas, hypnobirthing classes, etc.. Yay for us! Hopefully things will go more smoothly this time around.

Mommy and Me

A while back I ordered a couple of mommy and me dresses. They came in this past week and I was so excited to wear them on my days off. I'll have to post pictures of the other one at another time because we didn't get pictures of those. Isn't Juliana's smile so adorable?

Simple and Perfect

Juliana sure does love hanging out with daddy! She always gets so excited when he comes home. She smiles from ear to ear and yells "dad". Watching daddy and her interact makes for great perfect moments! It doesn't get any better this.

Break Time

A little break during the photo shoot with daddy.

Daddy Daughter Photos

I mentioned in an earlier post we got daddy daughter photos done for Father's Day. It was super hot that day but

Colista did a GREAT job as usual!

A Growing Princess

Juliana never ceases to amaze me. She learns so quickly. Juliana is saying a gazillon words, put puzzles to together matching the various colors, loves to dance, tend to her babies, help with daily chores and clean up messes, read stories and cuddle. Often times she is trying to scare us. She loves to hide and say "Boo". A few other things she has been saying lately are:

• look
• blue
• white
• not nice
• bunny
• kitty
• towel
• wipe

She also likes to make animals sounds and can tell many animals apart. I just don't think she will ever slow down.

Today she had her 18 month checkup. She is doing well. I'm still able to provide breastmilk for her and she willingly nurses at night. During the day she rather have a bottle of half breastmilk and almond coconut milk. We try to give her a variety of food including vegetables and fruits. I also try to encourage fish once or twice a week, which sometimes is a hit and other days not so much. Most of the time it seems she either eats scrambled eggs, chicken or pb sandwiches/crackers for protein. And then some days it all ends up on the floor. It's a struggle some days, making sure there is healthy food to eat and time set aside for meals. Before her I didn't really have to worry so much. I mean if I had a busy a day then no big deal I'd get something when I could. Now I have to set time aside for meals.

Juliana is just growing and has the best little personality. Her giggle is adorable, her smile is contagious and we can't help but LOVE her.

EXPLOSIVE

We are growing as a family!

Juliana will be a BIG SISTER.

I know she will be a GREAT sister because she is constantly playing, kissing and changing her baby doll. She loves to help us do everyday tasks like picking up and cleaning.

Now that you know our exciting news I'm asking any of my breastfeeding mommas for help. I have managed to breastfeed Juliana for 17 months and I am still going. Breastmilk has so many benefits for infants and toddlers so I hope to go for several more months. Not only have I managed to nourish Juliana but I have provided nutrients for seven other babes. Some were full-time, some part-time/temporary to help moms try to reach their goal. When I got pregnant I was still helping one momma reach her goal. Now I'm extremely fatigued and don't seem to be producing a lot of extra to help like I was. So if any of you mommas know anyone or can help out yourself, even if it is just a little bit, that would be great! I can get the milk to her just let me know. She asks that the donor refrain from smoking, alcohol or medication use. Thanks for any help with this.

And I hope you enjoyed hearing our secret!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the WONDERFUL daddies out there! We have some of the BEST within our family. I'm talking about Matt, my dad and grandfathers as well as Matt's dad.

Matt is absolutely GREAT. He is very hands on. From changing diapers, washing laundry (including the diapers), cleaning the house, doing house projects and trying to keep up with the yard work he does an AMAZING JOB.  And then of course he plays and reads with Juliana all the time. Every little girl needs a daddy who can be their superhero and she has one! 

My dad ranks as one of the best father's as well. He is constantly helping despite his busy schedule. Somehow my dad has ALWAYS found time to help out in the community and be there to help his family. He has fifty thousand duties, well maybe not that many but he does A LOT. I'm pretty sure he hardly ever sleeps and he constantly goes often times destroying his own body to finish all the tasks he needs to do.

Both my grandfathers were also great example of good men. My grandpa Trapp is no longer with us but he served the community and the church without complaining or wanting anything in return. He was a GREAT example! He had a sense of humor and always tried to have fun with us as kids.

We are blessed enough to still have Grandpa Gallaher with us. As a child he I remember him working from sun up to sun down. He was a very handy man. And though time has slowed him down he is still a wonderful grandpa.

Matt's dad is also a good man. He is always willing to help his kids. Whether that be walking dogs, helping one move, offering emotional support or guidance he is there to help.

Treasured Footprints

I have been working on a project since Juliana arrived. It is not close to being ready. Many of the pages need spruced up. But it was hard enough to make sure that the main picture was done each month. It starts with her cute little feet and toes from the hospital (I didn't post those). Then the next month was February and so I tried to kind of come up with something related to the month. Some didn't turn out exactly how I would like. But these are her footprints and something to always have to treasure. 

Hard to see in the picture. But a four leaf clover (my little lucky charm) and Easter bunny.

May flowers

Her footprint incorporated on the bottom of tie cutout. In June I also did the card, on the right, for Matt. It is a hand print made to look like a fish with a hook. 

A firework for the Fourth of July

Ghosts and a Turkey

Mistletoe and Snowmen

That completes one whole year. I am not doing them as often now. And I had not been able to get any prints since January. But just before May was over I was able to do another set of footprints with her. It will be a beautiful butterfly. I hoping that soon I can complete the others that need to be done as well (like the snowmen above who need a top hat, scarf and what not).

It's A Wrap Up

Today has been a GREAT day! Actually it has been a WONDERFUL weekend. Yesterday, there was a surprise birthday party for my grandma (I'll post more about that later). Then today we just wondered around the area. The best part of today was going to the park. It was a bit colder than we thought it would be. But we had a quick lunch, played some kick ball, went down the slide and swung in the swing.

Nothing much has really happened. A month or two ago I got some new diapers. They are so cute! And I was so excited to have them! Most of them are Halloween themed. It makes me want October to be here. 

Lately Juliana wants us to kiss her all the time. We LOVE it!

Evenings are always GREAT. After supper, daddy and Juliana play all night long together. It is so cute! She loves having playtime with daddy. They have all kinds of fun. Juliana pretend plays, reads, climbs and on rare occasions stops to relax.

When daddy has to do yard work you can usually find Juliana watching from the window.

Really every moment is so fun with her! Life would not be the same without her! She is constantly doing/learning something new! Juliana is full of personality and keeps us on our toes. 

While at grandma's (my parent's house) we found her in the high chair. She climbed in just like that while we were busy talking. 

She has also discovered that she likes to climb into the back window of the car instead of sitting in the car seat right away.

And of course she always looks so peaceful and content in her sleep. Sometimes we wake up to her laughing in her sleep. It is great! She just giggles away. We often wonder what she is dreaming about it. Must be something funny.

I was hoping that after the ordeal in January things would be a bit different with her breathing. It seems she has reactive airway disease, which may or may not develop into asthma. Breathing treatments are never fun for her. But she makes the best of them because sometimes they have to be done. When she knows she needs them she will even help out. I hate when she is sick or hurting.

A long day and night of treatment required cuddle with daddy. She quickly fell asleep. Juliana LOVES her daddy! He is a WONDERFUL daddy and husband! She is so lucky to have a great daddy and to be a daddy's girl!

Speaking of hurting. I'm pretty sure I mentioned how she broke a tooth out a while back and I felt super bad about it even though it is a baby tooth. Well I felt ten times worse the other night when she fell on the sidewalk and got a huge bump on her head. But she was as happy as could be later that night.

I let Juliana see herself in the reverse camera. She loved it!

I've been going through past school material (notes, study guides, practice questions) so I can organize the information making it easier for me to study for the DTR exam. It has also got me organize and getting rid of things in the house. One thing I did was to place our fire bat on a hook behind the curtain. It is so nicely hidden. I LOVE it!

On our break we often time walk the lake. It is hard to see in some of the pictures. But the ducks and geese now have little ones to tend too. So adorable! 

This momma has three ducklings.

And this sweet momma had six but we have not seen the sixth one lately. Makes me really sad for her.

Enjoying the Klein pond.

The Aflac duck

And of course there is a gazillion beautiful Canadian geese. These two have seven little ones they tow around. So cute!

I'm sure there are things missing that I will have to add later. But that wraps up most of May. Have a GREAT day!