Busy

March has been a crazy busy month for us as I suspected it would be.  I just wanted to document a very important event in the Kairdolf household tonight: Layla is spending her last night in a DIAPER!  She has been napping in panties for a few weeks and has been waking up dry from her night time sleep for some time now.  So, I decided and have been telling her that when these diapers were gone, they were GONE! Tonight we put on the last of the pack.  I am resisting the urge to be sappy and sad about it and just choosing to embrace the lifestyle of NO DIAPERS before we add #2.  I am so proud of my baby girl. This has been something that she has totally initiated on her own. I guess since she is ready I better be too:).

More pics and stories to come on what we have been up too!
Happy Sunday, hope everyone has a great week!

Another doctor visit

After going back and forth, I finally decided to take Layla to the doctor today. She has had a cough that sounded worse and then has also had a fever. I just wanted a peace of mind before she went to TN with the grandparents for a couple of days. After looking and listening, the dr concluded that she had an extremely red throat, with a temp of 101 but her lungs and ears were clear. She then sent us for a strep test which was also negative so now we are just to treat the fever at night. Fortunately, the fever OR cough doesn't seem to bother Layla for the most part. She is still sleeping, eating, and playing like a healthy child. I figured that she was okay but wanted to make sure. We ARE talking about a kid who has thrown up in her sleep twice and I didnt even know until the morning. Hopefully, in the next couple of days she will be symptom free.

In other news, my Otterbox arrived today which means I will be replacing my beat up phone tomorrow. Sure hate to spend money on a new phone but mine is almost useless.

Looking forward to a great Friday to kickoff the weekend.
Happy March 1st everyone!
3 months from today, I will have a THREE year old! Wow!

it's the little things...

This week I have taken off the changing pad from Layla's dresser.  We haven't been using it for awhile but I have hesitated in removing it because it was another sign that she is definitely not a baby anymore.  I DO love her age now but watching it go by so fast is just almost too much at times!

She has woken me up again to take her potty but it was at about 6:30am instead of 3:30am.  I did talk her to going back to bed for an hour or so after the potty break but I don't think she ever went back to sleep.  She continues to wake up dry most mornings even without a middle of the night potty break.  Dare I say when these diapers are gone we might not buy anymore?? There is about 20 more in there...we shall wait and see.

Happy Leap Day.  Boy, how life has changed since the last time we celebrated this extra day!

Blame it on the book

I have been a bad blogger lately and I am blaming it on a book.  I am re-reading Redeeming Love for book club this month and I am captivated by it.  What a fantastic story of God's love for his children and how he can redeem us from whatever our past may be.

Here is what we have been up to!
Because of the cool weather, we decided to take Layla bowling for the first time after church on Sunday.  She knew before she got there, after watching youtube videos, that she wanted a purple ball!  Luckily, they had one and she got to use it.  Even if it did weigh 15 pounds!

She is still into "posing" for pics

Size 8 Bowling shoes are ADORABLE!

Pushing it down!

"Go Ball!"  She even bowled a strike once!

CHEESE!!

We had a GREAT time and she can't wait to go back!

Lucas and I have never celebrated Valentine's day but this year, Layla and I made him homemade gifts (Thanks Pinterest!).  We invited cousin Annie over for our art project, so that she could make one for her daddy too! 

Looks like Layla is eating paint here....

Layla hated the paint on her hands and feet, but she was a good sport.  And Daddy Loved it!

Annie Girl!  Who is already sleeping through the night:):)

After rebelling against her nap for two days, this is how Layla was Wed. morning....

Thankfully, it was just a SHORT phase and she is back to regular napping.  She stayed in her bed the whole time when she wasn't napping and was just singing and talking!  It was sweet.  Thankfully, she is still bound to the crib.

In other big news, we are down to just 1 diaper a day now!  Layla went for about a week where she consistently woke up from her nap dry.  She would even take off her diaper and show me.  I asked her every day if she was ready to nap in big girl panties and she said "No, I want to wear diaper".  So, I didn't push it for fear that it would screw up nap time.  Yesterday, she said she wanted to sleep in big girl panties.  She woke up dry and chose to wear them again today!  Even more than that, she has woken up about 5 mornings totally dry.  Not consecutive mornings, but still I have been impressed.  We have not even limited her fluids at all.  I didn't know it was physically possible for them to hold it that long?? I am not waking her up in the middle of the night, so she can go pee in the zombie state.  I figure it will happen when she is ready, like the naps did.

On a final note, Layla got a big Valentine surprise in the mail from Granna and Papa yesterday.  Thanks to them, she had candy for dinner last night.:)

"My child is spoiled because no one will spank grandma" definitely applies here.  

Back to reading!  Have a happy day!

REading to Monkey

Sunday Sitdown

1. I finally got back to book club this month! It was so great to see some friends that I haven't seen in forever. We chose Redeeming Love for the month of February. It is absolutely one of my favorites and I am excited to read it again.

2. Layla had a traumatizing experience trying to poop this week. Without much detail, she was struggling and I had to help her. All ended well and I think Lucas for more traumatized by it than Layla.

3. I also got back to a Stroller Strides class this week. Again, it was great to catch up with some old friends. I was even sore the next day which was a great feeling. There are some things in the works so that maybe I can start teaching a few classes. It would be a privilege to be apart of this organization in a different way. I love seeing moms trying to do something to better themselves and I also love that we are doing it right in front of our children.

4. We had some awesome prayer time at my mom's group, Thursday morning. I am so blessed to be doing life with these awesome ladies.

5. The weather has been AMAZING these last couple of days. Our late afternoons at the park our back on the schedule and I am loving it! Layla is too:).

6. Friday afternoon, we went to a sweet neighbor's 2nd birthday party at one of the jump places. Layla had a blast and her climbing skills are much improved since our last trip in November. Friday night, we had a couple of couples over for dinner. They are "younger couples" from church and we had a great time getting to know each other more.

7. Saturday night, we chose to spend some time at home. We rented the movie 50/50. I think both of us enjoyed it! Definitely worth renting.

8. Lastly, I was so relieved to get some rain last night.. My allergies have been making me crazy the past couple of days. I am feeling much better today. We had a great message at church today. I will be listening to it again so I can digest it more. It's super bowl Sunday, but I don't really think it is that super. We did have a couple of friends over to grill out, but I will be going to bed before the games ends.

I've got to get some rest because today kicks off the start of my birthday week!! Bring it on 28:)

They keep us humble

After dance class today, Layla and I headed to a playdate at our neighbors.  Layla was acting all out of sorts.  She was very whiney, very selfish, and just plain ugly.  Basically, she was acting like a snotty nosed, two year old.  There was one toy that she continued to throw a fit about and so I gave her an ultimatum.  Either she cut it out or we were going home.  Two minutes later, we were packing up and heading home.  When we got home, she continued to throw her fit.  I ignored her for a bit and when it seemed that she was winding down (after about 15 mins), I sat on the bottom step and asked if she was ready to talk to mom.  She then dried it up, and came and sat in my lap.  We had a somewhat intelligent conversation about the rules of life and how we act and treat people.  After it was said and done, she went and played with her things.  About 20 minutes later, I was doing the dishes and she came walking in and said, "Momma, I share".  I just smiled and said, "yeah baby, that's right".

Life is rough for a two year old.  Sometimes they have to test us to see if we are going to follow through on what we say we are going to do.  This time we both passed the test:).

we have created a monster

Every day since Disney, Layla says, "I go back to Disney World. I get pen, I get book and I go back to Disney World!".  When she says pen and book, she is talking about her autograph pen and book.  Since she says it so much, we have been replying with, "call granna, papa and grammy, granddaddy and ask them to take you!".  She has asked both sets of grandparents, a couple of times! We have been watching a lot of Disney movies.  Her favorites this week are The Lion King, Mary Poppins, and Beauty and the Beast.  She has pretty much forgotten all other tv shows.  She knows the characters, the songs, and can tell you what is coming up next.

It is hard to explain the death of the dad in Lion King.  She is confused because Simba grows up to look like his dad so she is confused about which one is the Lion King.  When Simba finds his dad dead and yells, "Dad dad!" Layla yells with him.  I am dreading the day she has to experience the death of someone close to her.  I pray that it is not until a day when she has a good understanding about Jesus and eternal life.  Right now, I just tell her that Mufasa is with Jesus like Maggie (family dog) and that Simba will get to see him again (like in the vision in the movie).  What a HARD concept for a two year old, but it seems to satisfy her questions...for now.

Layla, we WILL go back to Disney World. But not until you are three or four:).

Kids remember everything!

We were in the burbs today visiting a khols and it was lunch time. There was a McDonald's close by so I decided we would just drive through there. Layla has probably been to McDonalds about three times in her life (including today) so I didn't expect her to know what I was talking about when I told her where we were going.

As soon as I mentioned the word McDonalds, she yelled "like Woody!". So of course, I am digging through my brain thinking what is she talking about and why is she making that association?? Then she sang, "chicken, French fries, and chocolate milk" in a familiar tune.

Then my light bulb went off! The tune was the song "Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, McDonalds, McDonalds, Kentucky fried chicken, aNd Pizza Hut!".

Let me make the connection for you...
On our third day in Disney, we attended a dance party with the gang from Toy Story. Woody danced very excitedly to the "Kentucky Fried Chicken" song with hand motions and all. It probably lasted a total of 5 mins and Layla wouldn't even dance to it without me holding her!

So today, when she heard McDonalds, Woody dancing is what came to her mind.

She made me laugh out loud when I figured it all out. She amazes me with her memory of even the smallest details. Love that kid.:)

What we have been up to since Christmas

Visiting Mrs. Katie on her 30th Birthday.  Layla got to help Lucy with her bottle and dance almost naked with Henry:)

Jason, Robin, and Layla's cousins Reese, and Gavin came to Atlanta to stay for the weekend to see baby Annie for the first time.  While they were here, we took the kids to Build a Bear.  This was Layla's first time and she seemed to like it.  She chose her bear and then chose the ballerina clothes to dress her in!

While we were at the mall, they still had the train going so the kids went for a ride.  Reese (8) & Gavin (4) with Layla.

 When Jason and Robin went back to TN, Layla hitched a ride back and spent the week with Granna and Papa.  I had only intended on her staying a couple of days but because of their work schedules, they asked to have her all week for more time.  Layla had a BLAST as always and I also enjoyed some R&R.  I had big plans of productivity but that didn't happen.  Lucas and I ate out all week and saw a movie and I DID spend all the gift cards I received for Christmas while she was gone:).  Here is a preview of how her week went.

Granna always wears a robe so she bought Layla one while she was there.  Layla says, "it has pockets just like Granna's". And instead of calling it a robe, it is a "robot".

Cousin time!  As you can guess, they were about to watch Ariel!

Speaking of Ariel...Did I ever share with you guys about ordering The Little Mermaid for Layla from "Santa"?  Well,  the movie has NEVER come! I actually filed a claim on Amazon today.  We ended up renting one from Blockbuster for her to open on Christmas morning.  We are going to have to be better at this whole Santa thing next year.  

Lunch with Papa at Demos. 

Granna bought her this dress.  I think she wore it to "Papa's church" on wednesday night

While they were at Demos, they also ran into Layla's great granddad!  I am not quite sure that she recognized him:) 

A trip to Granna and Papa's is not complete without Nani!

Friday night movie time with the grandparents

They were watching Lilo and Stitch.  Papa has "Woody's hat" on.

 Lucas picked up Layla in Chattanooga on Saturday morning while I taught my class.  She was happy to be home but I know she had a great time!

You can't tell that much in this pic but Layla is wrapped in a blanket like a baby.  She wanted to be like baby Hamilton.

Layla's game day attire.  In case you haven't heard, Alabama won the National Championship.

Last time they won..Layla looked like this!  7 Months old.
ROLL TIDE! 

We have tried to see baby Annie as much as possible without disturbing Aunt Natalie's rest.  This was taken yesterday and she will be 3 weeks old tomorrow.  My baby holding a baby doesn't seem right. Annie was very alert and in a great mood!

We have had a great couple of weeks just trying to get back in routine since the holidays.  We have a pretty busy springtime ahead of us with more baby cousins being born and weddings.

As for Lucas, he is still working hard at growing his company.  I am proud of him and his hard work.

I am just trying to be the best wife and mom that I can be.  I am so glad that this is the season that God has me in.  I could not be happier.  For "me time" this year, I am still teaching my 3 spin classes a week.  I am also venturing into other areas of exercise.  I attended my first Hot Yoga class last night and loved it. I look forward to doing more yoga in general.  I also will continue to attend our mom's group at church every Thursday morning and my book club the last Tuesday of the month.  There are a couple of service opportunities at church that I would like to get involved in but I am still praying about what that looks like for this year.

TGIF Everyone!

Big girl pants

So Layla has been potty trained now for about 8/9 months. Up until this point we have been lifting her up on the toilet.

Today, I was taking a shower and Layla came browsing in telling me she had to go potty. That was no surprise, she usually gets the urge when it's just the two of us and I'm in the shower. Anyway, I told her to hold it for a second, that I was almost finished. When I looked over she had dropped her drawers and was schooching herself up onto our big toilet. She went potty, then reached for the toilet paper, wiped, then jumped down and pulled up her pants! Of course, I got excited so she wants to do it herself all the time now. I do follow up with a wipe here and there but how nice it is that she has accomplished this task on her own.

Go ahead and laugh that this seems like big news to me but our little girl is just so big and amazes me everyday!

Perfect December weather!

We headed to the playground this morning with a few of our neighborhood friends.  The weather was absolutely perfect.  Then we walked on over to Aunt Natalie's house to eat lunch prepared by Grammy.  Layla then went down for her nap and I got to spend the rest of the afternoon with baby Annie!

Before Christmas

Since we put the tree up, Layla wanted a picture with an ornament everyday!

Riding the Macy's Pink Pig

More ornament pictures

Lights at the Botanical Gardens

Lunch with Katie and Lucy

Layla had to use a napkin as a burp cloth like Mrs. Katie:)

Posing in her Christmas Pjs from Granna and Papa

we are not sure where this posing thing came from...maybe the princesses at Disney??

Picture with some of her church friends

My little cookie monster...She was definitely on sugar overload throughout the holidays!

Thanks everyone for your Christmas cards!

Why are they so cute when they sleep??

All her babies...

Chris and Natalie with us at the gardens.  Baby Annie, still in the oven!

She is posing again in this pic

More posing...

America's Next Top Model

Opening an Early Christmas present from granna and papa...Her pjs