Februray

Home and glad to be home and back into the swing of normal.  Between Christmas and then the flue an then NY, it feels good to be home!

We have started back up our Library Classes.  Finally got into the Hummelstown Library class, which is in walking distance to our house. I have been trying to get Addison in this class for months and it kept filling up before I could sign her up.  I have to admit though, after all the disappointment of not being able to get her in the class is not as exciting as Hershey Library.  The teacher expects the kids to sit on the parents lap and listen and only get up at planned times.  The class is 45mins, thats a LONG TIME for a 2 and a half year old to sit still.  Luckily Addison still enjoyed going, as she LOVES the Hummelstown Library. It will be nice to go in the Spring, when we can actually walk or for Addison ride to class!  We are still going to Hershey Library on Wednesdays, Addison LOVES this class and the kids really get into it which is great for Addison, as she is soo full of energy!  I also recently signed her up for gymnastics on Mondays.  She LOVES the class. Stephen and I both felt that she would do better in gymnastics then ballet, as she is practially fearless and determined to "Do it", if other children are doing it. I always say "Anything they can do, Addison can do it too"  LOL!!  Beween Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday our AM's are packed with fun activity, that by Thursday I am exhuasted and ready to have a day at home... lol! This has been great though for getting us out of the house during these cold, dreary, windy days of no snow to play in and not much to do inside.  We are also thankful for 2 great friends Maddy and Owen to play with on Thursdays and Fridays :) 

Potty training has gone awesome this month!  When we got back from NY, I decided to try potty training in the evenings, after nap.  Things had started to click in NY and bc I didnt think I could take all day of constant sitting on potty just to get the candy. (Also our AMs are soo busy) I decided we would potty train in the evenings.  We had accidents at the beginning every once in a while, but she slowly started gettting it and when I felt that she was to the point of going on her own, without me constantly saying... "Do you need to pee on potty?"  I started moving her to underware in the AM, Thurs/Fri and Sat, when we werent running around. (She is obviously still in diapers at nap and overnight) I can say, when I started the evening thing and then AM, I would ask her about a million times, "Do you need to PEE on Potty?", I would always make her go, as soon as she got done eating dinner and I would ALWAYS PRAISE and SING and go get candy right away to reward her. I also would always say when I put her in her panties "Addision you are in big girl panties, what does that mean" and she would tell me "Pee on Potty" and I would then say "What do Big Girls get when they Pee on Potty" and she knows "CANDY" lol! I also always say "And when we have to go potty, what do we do??  WE RUN!!!!"  She is really getting it and I am super excited!!  I am also really excited, bc I was super worried with all of her consitpation issues that she would not poop on potty and it would be a disaster however, she just got it! It was like she knew, we pee and poop on potty!  We have recently tried going out for walks in her panties and the other day we went down to the gas station in her panties and didnt have an accident. I have also ow tried going out for periods of time in her pull-up and she will tell me, "OH Pee on Potty, Mommy" and we go to the restroom and I find she does have to go and hasnt gone in her pull-up!! She is really rockin the potty-training and it feels soo good to know we are almost there!!!  Recently however, I did notice with all the potty training and washing of hands that she was getting a rash from the the Bath and Body works soap, so we have switched to plain dove soap. Poor girl, seriously has the most sensitive skin, breaks out in a rash so easily!! Wondering how she will do with makeup someday!!

Naps are still going really well, I rock her for every nap and usually within 15-20mins she is out. This has made life a lot easier for me and for her, giving both of us a break and her less temper tantrums :) 

The cold still seems to follow Addison into this month, its like we get a 2 week break and we are right back at it again.  It seems to have hit her harder this month than last, but I think we are on the upside of things.  At least for now before spring hits and her allergies go insane... Seriously cant wait for summer!!

Our biggest challenge this month has been talking back.  Its awful bc she is copying me, basically telling me what I tell her. "I told you NO"! "Dont tell Me, NO"  "Do not talk to Me" (that way, she leaves that part out)  She basically yells this at me, when I tell her not to do something or ask her to give me something she has. The other thing she says is "GIVE ME this or that". I feel like I am constatnly saying- "Addie that is not how we talk to Mommy,  what do you say if you want something" Basically trying to get her to say "Mommy/Daddy, PLEASE may I have this or that"  I feel like this is an every day 2-4 times conversation and she isnt getting it and just keeps yelling "GIVE ME" Its frustrating bc once again, I know she has gotten this from me, as I will say after several times of asking her to give something to me,  "Addison give it to Mommy, right now" So clearly she has gotten this from me!! I guess we are both learning!! I do find it funny though that she will tell me, "My Mommy says, No slamming doors, or No standing on chairs, or no jumping on furniture or no throwing our toys." LOL!  I guess she is getting some stuff!

Addison as always fills our days with laughter and funny comments.  I have recently started to get her to tell the mirror "Lucky World" she is soo funny, bc she cant say "L"  so it comes out "Yucky World"  seriously soo funny!  She is filled with constant "I love you Momma"  "I love you Daddy, more than the whole world"  she is very lovey and loves to cuddle!!  Our little bookworm, as I call her, cant ever seem to get enough books out of the library for her.  She loves to sing, wondering if singing will be something she will carry into her future.  Loves to do crafts and color and of course play with her best buddies, Maddy and Owen.