No more diapers!

My last attempt at potty training failed miserably.  The fact that it didn't go so well had me waiting until I knew Lily would be ready - or so I thought.  This past weekend we had nothing on our calendar and I decided this was it.  This was the weekend we got rid of the diapers.  So I kept Lily home with me on Friday and we woke up to a fun filled weekend of waiting for pee and poop to fill the toilets.  TMI?  Sorry - but when you have a two year old, it's just one of those things that you talk about.

Thursday night I got myself prepared.  Lily and I stocked the fridge with juice boxes, I printed up Lily's potty chart, and made sure I was fully equipped: treats, prizes, mini toilets in the living room, basement, and bathroom, rug cleaner, iPad potty training app, you name it - I had it.  We were not going to fail this time.

Friday morning, Mike wished us well and couldn't get out of the house fast enough.  By the time Daddy arrived back home, I was ready to throw in the towel and hire out a service - they make those right??  We were only 1 success in after 3 accidents and I was about to come unglued.  My lovely potty training app kept reminding me - Keep up the patience! It doesn't happen overnight.  Mistakes will happen!  I was ready to hit the DELETE button on it.  

Lily kept begging me for a diaper and a lightbulb finally went off.  Every time she'd asked me for a diaper, she'd had an accident.  So the next time she asked me for a diaper, Diesel, Mike and I went into the bathroom and waited for the pee to come - and when it did, Mike did a happy dance, Lily got to flush the toilet, got a treat, and a sticker.  Saturday morning came and she had 1 accident and knock on wood haven't had any since.  She's awoken dry from two naps and gone straight to the potty.  Not even when we tried to go out for dinner (DUMMIES) and had to box up our dinner and race home because Lily wouldn't use the potty at the restaurant did she have an accident.  We walked in the door and she beelined it for her potty.  Here's to hoping things go smoothly at daycare this week!    

We love the Poker Run!

We celebrated Father's Day weekend with Lily's first true Poker Run.  The Austin Lake Poker Run holds a dear place in our hearts.  The first we ever participated in we ruined both our cell phones.  Now we're busy worrying about whether it's an appropriate voyage to take our two year old on.  The past couple of years we haven't been able to partake in the events either due to a sell out or wedding.  This year we made sure to purchase our tickets in advance.  And we were ready to party - with our two year old.

Maybe it's because I never paid attention in previous years, or because now it mattered, but at every stop while Mommy and Daddy got shots - Lily got candy/popsicles/animal crackers/SUGAR.  She was the master card picker outer and even had us in the running for the worst poker hand of the evening.  We left this year's event with all of our mobile devices, our panties, and we could even walk straight.  

Getting prepared by putting on her sunscreen

Lily loved listening to the band

Ready to head home

When I asked Mike what he wanted for Father's Day, he said a bloody mary and to relax by the water.  Thank goodness my mom came prepared with the bloody mary bar!

Happy birthday Diesel Jane!

Our sweet puppy hasn't been a puppy for quite some time.  It's even harder to admit that she turned six today.  What a perfect family dog she has been.

Cheese!

I'm so excited to share these images taken by an old high school friend who has a fabulous little photography business back in our hometown - Elyse Rowland Photography.  We've been trying to connect for a year so I'm thankful she could schedule us before she took some time off with her second babe.

Nearly every family photo shoot we've tried to have since Lily has been born has ended prematurely due to massive meltdowns.  In the last few months, Lily has been quite the ham whenever I pull out my own camera so I was hoping she'd gotten over her camera phobia.  I briefed Elyse on Lily's meltdown history and she suggested a location Lily was familiar with - the lake worked out perfect and Grandpa's funny faces helped a bit too.  Lily and Elyse became fast friends and our photos couldn't have turned out any better.