An August Update

Hi there! I can't believe it's been so long since my last post. We've been super busy in the Garcia household, especially since I went back to work(school) on August 13th. I feel like this summer went by entirely too fast. I needed more time with my sweet Be. She however, was not fazed by the transition whatsoever. She asked for Titi and Brielle about 10 times a day this summer, so I knew she was anxious to get back and play, play, play all day with her little bestie. We spent the remainder of our summer going to the park, beach, pool, hanging with dear friends, enjoying a visit from "Papa Doug" and also my Brazilian Sis and Ella's cousins, and lastly celebrating my nephew Grayson's 7th Birthday. Here are some rather candid and not so great pics to illustrate!!

We have so many amazing parks right near our house. This particular park has a great water feature that comes on every 1.5 hours during the summer. Ella can't get enough!

After we play in the water, it's time to play in the sand. The perfect combo, right? 

"Ta-da!"

 We went to the beach at least once a week this summer. We sure do love the beach!

Pool time @ Gigi's!

My dear friend Shannon(on the left) celebrated a very special birthday this year. What better way to celebrate then with dinner, drinks, and a beautiful fire out on the patio. Pure perfection. Love these ladies! Thank you Candy for the perfect evening!

My Dad came to visit for the weekend, and Ella and Papa Doug had a blast together. It did take Ell a little while to warm up to her Papa, but once she figured out he wasn't going anywhere, my Dad had a little shadow following his every move. It was so nice to have this time with my Dad. It doesn't happen  as much as I would like. Love you Dad and we loved having you "home"!

Petco is the best, isn't it?! 

Here is Ell with her Brazilian cousins Melanie and Stephanie. She was so happy to have them back for a visit, but it wasn't long enough! Hoping to have the girls back very soon or Jose and I might just have to jump on a plane and visit for the World Cup next summer!!

We also celebrated my nephew Grayson's birthday. He had a pool party at my Mom and Cortie's with all of his buddies. It was so adorable watching Ella in the mix with everyone. 

When did she become such a big girl?

Happy Birthday Gray!! We love you.

Then, it was back to reality! If you follow me on Insta, you've already seen these, but good lord could my child be any more excited to leave me for the day! Here she is on her first day with Cor. So excited and full of love. And below is illustrating how sad she gets on the way in the morning! Yeah right! She can't get out of the car fast enough. I wouldn't have it any other way. We are so lucky to have Ella back with her Grandparents and Cori for the school year. So lucky!

And that's a wrap! So long Summer of 2013. You were SO good to us!

p.s. I huge thanks to Vic for my fab blog makeover! It's amazing, and so are you!

Lake Arrowhead

A few weekends ago we headed up to Lake Arrowhead with my Mom and Cortie and B and the boys. It was the first time we have taken a family weekend trip since we had Ella. I was a little hesitant to go, but My Mom and I went to Palm Springs for a few nights the week before, and she did great. SO, we thought we'd give it a try and see how a weekend away would go.

Ella is the worst car traveler. Any time longer than an hour is about her limit. She is just too active to have to sit still for that long. So, things started out great, she had some books, toys, the iPad, and snacks. She was all set!

Then we hit some traffic about an hour into our drive and we were stopped! It was horrible. We traveled 4 miles in about 75 minutes. BRUTAL does not even explain it. She was miserable and so were we. Jose thought I was so mean taking these pics, and now that I'm looking at them I kinda feel bad for our sweet girl. As soon as the traffic picked up, we decided to stop to let her stretch her legs, and up the mountain we went. Once we arrived, she was good to go!

My Mom and Cortie rented a very nice cabin for all of us. We are so lucky! The family had kids, so there were toys everywhere. It was absolutely perfect. Ella was in heaven and so happy. Especially when her cousins arrived. After we all got settled, we decided to head to the lake and grab some lunch. It is just so beautiful there and the little village is so cute. 

There were rides and of course ice cream! 

The next day we headed to Lake Gregory for a fun day on the lake swimming, paddle boarding, and kayaking. This was so special for me because as a young girl, our family went here every year. It brought back so many memories for me. I found this pic of my Dad and I many years ago. I really wanted to get a pic of Ella and Jose just like this, but it was not happening!!

Ella had such a fun time with her Dada and cousins on the lake, but we had to end things a little early due to thunderstorms. 

We finished up the night with an attempt to go out to dinner with Ella(that lasted about 5 minutes) and some time in the jacuzzi. 

Ella did great during the day, especially without any naps, but our nights were miserable hard! I think we need to get out girl out of the house a bit more. She is so comfortable with routine and did not love sleeping in her Pack 'n Play. We'll keep trying! Overall, we had a great time with family and loved getting a chance to spend some time together this summer. Thanks Mom and Cortie!!

Until next time Lake Arrowhead . . . . . . .

Potty Training Our Girl

This past Saturday, Jose and I decided it was the day to begin potty training! I talked a little about my thoughts about starting(here), so we finally decided to give it three days to see how it goes. About two weeks ago, my dearest friend Kirsten was here with her son Theo and her daughter Madeline. Madeline is 2 1/2, and Kirsten potty trained her at 2. Well, Ella wanted to go to the bathroom with Madeline when she was here, and from that day on, she has asked to go poop in the potty with success each time. Of course she's had a diaper on, but every time she has pooped for the past two weeks, she has done so in the potty. She also started refusing to wear a diaper. In her words,"No, Mama/Dada off!"So, with all of the other signs and these added, we decided it was time to give it a go!

So, off to Target I went to get some needed items.

I also headed to Crazy 8 to pick her up some cute undies. She loved them!

I made a little incentive sticker chart for her to place stickers on each time she went on the potty. It's on the fridge so she can reach it herself!

Kirsten walked me throughly through her day by day with Madeline, so I wanted to follow the exact same. I knew if we were going to do this, all diapers had to be gone and there was to turning back for the three days. Here is a breakdown on each day and how it went. Be prepared, it's very detailed! I want to remember this when it's time to potty train baby #2 when that time comes. 

Day One: 

As soon as Ella woke up, I told her that she wasn't going to wear a diaper anymore, and showed her favorite Dolly going potty in the toilet. She thought it was the funniest thing and kept looking at her Dolly's pee pee. We then spent the morning mostly changing her pants because she had some many accidents. About twelve of them. She didn't seem to bothered by her wet pants, which had we a little worried. Finally around 10:00, she went pee pee on the potty. Yay for Ella! She then got to place a sticker on her chart and she also got to pick out one piece of candy from each reward container. She was so happy and proud of herself. She kept saying, "Good girl", and giving me high fives. It was so cute. I was so proud of her. She did well up until her nap, then I put on a Pull-Up and told her she would be wearing these special undies for sleeping only. She woke up dry two hours later, and immediately went potty on the toilet. The rest of the day was much better, and she only had about two accidents. If she started to go, she'd say, "Oh no poop", then we went to the toilet and she'd go pee pee. She went potty before she went to bed with her Pull-Up on, and that was the end of our very long day. 

Way to go Ella. Success!

Thanks Dolly for all your help today. It was such a long day stuck in the house.

Day Two:

We started the day off much like day one. I showed her Dolly going potty right when she woke up, then took off her Pull-Up and she went pee pee in the potty. Our morning was NOTHING like yesterday. She only had one accident, and the rest of the morning was smooth sailing. She did begin to go once, but I took her to the toilet and she finished. I took her every hour. Sometimes she would go, other times she wouldn't. She also asked to go poop, and was successful! For her nap, she went pee pee right before I put on her Pull-Up, and was dry two hours later when she woke up. She immediately went on the potty when she woke up, and I followed the same routine in the afternoon, taking her every hour. We decided to go to our pool(we were a bit stir crazy), and right as I was putting on her suit, she asked to go poop again. So off to the toilet we went, and sure enough she went. She normally only goes once a day, so I was really proud of her for telling me again. We swam for about 1.5 hours and I'm not sure if she went while in the pool. As soon as we got home, I took her to the bathroom and she immediately went pee. Yay! About an hour later she wanted to go with Jose to grab our dinner and she came back dry. I was shocked and again so proud of her. She didn't have an accident the rest of the evening, and went before she got in the bath. After her bath I placed her Pull-Up on, gave her some milk, and off to bed she went. Well... about 25 minutes later, she was up and making noise on the monitor. I took a peek and she was standing up holding her Pull-Up. I asked Jose to go put her back down, and she said poop(keep in mind she says this for poop and pee) as soon as Jose walked in. Jose took her out and I placed her on the potty. Her Pull-Up was a little damp, and she finished going in the toilet. Poor girl thought she had to go in the potty even when she's in her crib. I placed another dry Pull-Up on, and off to bed she went. She's working her way to sleep as I type. I cannot believe how amazingly today went. Let's hope it continues. Day two was a complete success!

Day Three:

We started things off the same, but this morning I decided not to show Dolly going potty. Ella had an amazing morning and afternoon. She had no accidents and again woke up from her nap dry. Since she was doing so well and I was going out of my mind crazy being home for the last three days, we decided to venture out to Target. It wouldn't be a long trip, but I wanted to see how'd she do. As soon as we got there, I started to take her in the bathroom, but she threw a complete fit. I didn't want her to have negative thoughts about going, so I decided to do our regular routine(ICEE and popcorn) and grab our two items quickly. I thought I could try it again on the way out. At this point she hadn't gone in about two hours, so I knew it was only a matter of time. Well, of course I got sidetracked, and started looking at curtains I so desperately love, and she said her famous words, "Oh no Mama, poop!"Sure enough her pants were starting to get wet, and I told her to told the rest until we could get to the bathroom. She did such a great job, and finished going on the potty as soon as we got to the toilet. Again, she was a little hesitant to go in, but I stayed right with her and reassured her it was ok. It's funny, I've gone in before with her and it has never fazed her. I guess it's because she is now going, and there is a lot of noise inside of the restroom. I blame this one on me. I should've insisted we go in at the beginning of our trip. I knew she had to go. Note to self: don't let your two year old make decisions for you! We left right after, and headed to met Dada and my Alma Mater, CSUSM, to walk/run the track. She did great and I brought the potty so she could go before we went home. I was so happy when she went in her travel potty! The rest of the evening was great, with no accidents. After last night, I decided I'd wait to put her Pull-Up on until right before bed. This was much better, as she went pee pee and was ready for night night. She was asleep in about 2.5 seconds until morning and woke up DRY!! Way to go Be. 

Ella was in heaven here. SO cute. I also posted a very sweet vid on Insta(@hollievon)

Overall, I cannot believe how well she's done. I mean, I was completely dreading it and almost convinced myself to wait until she was 2 1/2 during Christmas break to even try. With all of her signs, and a lot some convincing from Kirsten(THANK YOU!), I realized it was definitely time. Today she has continued to have no accidents, and is telling me when she has to go. Even when she was in the pool and during her bath. I think that is huge. So, I don't think I can say she is 100% potty trained, but we are certainly in the clear. For all of you who are dreading this, it can be done, in three days!! I never thought it was possible, but it is. NO MORE DIAPERS for our big girl. 

Let's hope this continues. I'll keep you posted! A HUGE thanks to Kirsten who received about a million texts throughout each day with questions. She has totally coached me through this process. It would not have happened without your help. 

Ella's 24 Month Update

I know I say this all the time, but I cannot believe how quickly two years has gone by. Ella had her 24 month appointment on July 8th, and she checked out to be a very happy and healthy girl. Ella's pediatrician was extremely happy with her progress in the last 6 months, and he answered all of my questions and put many of my concerns to rest. We are so lucky to have such an amazing and gentle pediatrician for our sweet Be. 

Here are her current stats!

Her weight is 26.6 pounds, which puts her in the 50% for weight.
She is 35 inches long, which puts her in the 65% for height.
Her head circumference is 47 cm, which is in the 48%.

I am usually able to get some good shots of her getting weighed, and measured. Well, that did not happen this go around. She was beside herself upset(probably because she was just there for a fever and rash), and she was clinging to me with a death grip. It was our most exciting appointment to date! Let me illustrate.

Here's what our girl has been up to in the last 6 months.

Language: At 18 months, I was so worried about her language. Well, come June, she had a huge language explosion. I have completely lost count of how many words she says, and at this point she can repeat most words we say. She still has a hard time with names, but we're working on it. It's funny, around other adults and kids, she doesn't talk much. She's actually kinda shy. But at home, she is non stop. Jose and I love it, and I cannot wait until she is speaking in larger, complete sentences. She says some three word phrases too. Here are a few examples!

I go Mama

Mama, Dada, I(that's her) go

Popcorn peese Mama

I go walk

Eat peese Mama/Dada 

Overall, I am so happy about her speech and so was her pediatrician. Yay!!

Wearing: Ella is pretty standard to size in pants, wearing 24 months or 2T. As far as dresses, shirts, sweaters, bathing suits, rompers, and Pj's, she wears 18-24 months. 24 months are a bit loose, and if I try to put her in a 2T, it is way too big. She is pretty petite and has really long legs. She definitely did not get that from her Mama!!

Ella is holding steady in a size 6 shoe, although many brands are too small.

Sleeping: Sleep is the exact same. She is awake by 5:30, naps for about 2 to 3 hours around 11:30, then she's in bed no later than 7. We have been extremely fortunate with her sleeping habits and hope they stay that way. I just wish she wasn't up so darn early!

She is able to climb out of the pack-in-play, which is often a struggle when we are away overnight somewhere or if she is at Abuela, Gigi's or Titi's. But once down, she won't try to climb out. Once last week she was so upset about going down for a nap, that she climbed out of her crib. We were shocked! I caught her on the monitor as she was on the top rail about to fall. I freaked. But, she hasn't done it since, so we are in no rush putting her in a toddler bed. I want to keep our active Be confined as long as possible!

Eating: Her eating habits have been a struggle. She is hardly eating lately, and I was completely freaked about it until her appointment. Her Pediatrician said not to worry,  and that she is at the perfect average weight for her age. He explained that toddlers really only eat ONE solid meal a day, whether it is breakfast, lunch, or dinner. He explained that the second meal would be considered a heavy snack, and at the third meal they often don't eat at all. He mentioned all that I can control is what I place in front of her, and that she will eat if she is hungry. It was a relief, and I've felt great about it ever since we talked. 

He did say I need to limit her milk intake, which is about 30 ounces a day. We also need to move to 2% instead of whole milk. She now drinks about 20 to 24 ounces a day of Horizon DHA 2% milk.

Favorite Toys and Activities: (I'm gonna list these)

• Ella is obsessed with animals, and got a Little Peoples Zoo for her birthday that she just loves. 
• Dada got her a tool box full of tools that she can't get enough of!
• Legos are all over the house. She LOVES them!
• She also got a cash register for her birthday. She's been fascinated by it.
• Minnie is her fav, and she loves anything that has to do with her. So cute!
• Ella still loves being outside. We go to the park EVERY SINGLE DAY.
• Being in the pool or ocean is an all time favorite. She is a water baby for sure.

Behavior: Oh boy are we in trouble!! For the most part, Ella is such a happy girl with a very sweet and sensitive heart. But. . . . Ella is also strong-willed and wants what she wants, when she wants it. We have been struggling with her listening and she is being a bit defiant when we ask her NOT to do something. Most for the time she will run away giggling, then a tantrum ensues once I catch her. We have begun timeouts, which seem to be working. She has such a sad face sitting there that it breaks my heart. Other times I get so upset about what has just transpired that I too need time to cool down. I have to say, this has been our biggest struggle and challenge. I know this is something we will continue to work on, and we're up for the challenge. 

To Our Sweet Ella Catherine, 

You amaze your Dada and I everyday! We love you more than you can imagine, and feel so blessed to have you as our sweet girl. Every day you do something that surprises us, and we cannot believe how quickly you have grown. You have the sweetest, most sensitive heart, polite and considerate manners, and the most energetic and lively spirit. You bring so much joy to our lives Catherine. We love you so!

Te amo mucho bella,

Mama and Dada