We are on the list!

A friend forwarded Chris this article about Most Hated Baby Names.  What gets you on this list?  Unusual spellings or unusual names.  I blogged about this right after Makena was born, because people have a hard time pronouncing the girls names. 

I thought the article was pretty humerous.  Both of my girls first and middle names could make the list. Melia's middle name "kaitlynn" is on the list, but of course spelled different!  Makena is not on the list but McKenna is.  Most people that hear "Makena" try to spell it "McKenna".

I also thought it was funny that some of my other name "contenders" were on the list - Madison, Mackenzie and Addison!

I guess it is a good thing I wasn't trying to please everyone else when I named my children. :)

Adventures in Potty Training

Melia has been ready for potty training for a long time.  She started showing "interest" in the potty even before Makena was born.  I used Makena's birth and Melia's possible regression as an excuse to delay potty training.  Then Lisa and I had a long drive to and from Michigan with a car full of kids, then we had a long flight to Europe, followed by a long flight to California.  The next excuse was daycare.  The old daycare had no interest in helping with potty training because she wasn't "old enough".  I didn't want to have regression issues when we switched daycares, so again, I delayed potty training. 

But by the time we started at the new day care, I was ready and Melia was more than ready.  We have used a combinations of suggested methods to potty train.  We started putting her in Pull Ups and telling her they were big girl diapers.  We bought a bag of M&M's for potty rewards.  I put up a sticker sheet in the bathroom.  The rewards were not really motivation for Melia.  I think they actually have made things harder, because she wants an M&M just for sitting on the toilet!

Daycare has been a huge help with potty training.  Melia sees the other kids going and she wants to do it too.  Plus her teacher is very supportive and helpful. 

Last week we officially made the leap to big girl panties!  She has worn them on occasion when we have been hanging out around the house, but never on a regular basis.  But last week I decided she was ready and I sent her to school in big girl panties.  They still put a Pull Up on for naptime and when they go out to the playground.  I am pleased to report that she only had 1 accident all week at school!

I even got daring and took her out to the store in big girl panties.  Of course she thought going potty in the restroom at Target was really fun! 

So the plan now is to continue reinforcing her going potty and wearing big girl panties.  She is getting better at telling us when she has to go, so as long as we are willing to help her get there, she hasn't had many accidents.  My ultimate goal is to get her fully potty trained by the time we run out of Pull Ups at home and at school.  The cost of diapers for two kids is crazy!

Of course, we are planning a family drive to Michigan in June.  I am sure my dad will be excited to have us visit with one less kid in diapers!  I really hope her bladder gets larger and can hold more by then.  Otherwise we are in for a loooong drive! :)

Makena's Baptism

Makena was baptized on Mother's Day - Sunday, May 8th.  It was a beautiful service at our church.  We decided to have Makena baptized at the 8AM service because that is the normal service we attend.  Melia was baptized at the 10AM service, which was probably easier for our guests, but that isn't our church family.

My sister Lisa is Makena's godmother and Chris' best man, Desmond, is her godfather.  She was baptized in the same dress as Melia.  My mom made the dress for Melia, so it is a nice family heirloom now.

After the service we went to Chris' mom's house and had a nice breakfast with everyone that attended the service.  Lisa made a great cake that would make Margaret proud!   It was a beautiful day and a great way to celebrate Mother's Day!

Time for Tea!

Our church holds an annual Mother's Day Tea Party as a fundraiser for one of the mission trips.  With a priest from England, they really do a great job, complete with homemade scones! 

We started attending when I had Melia.  She and I went with Chris' Mom and both Grandmothers our first year.  The next year, I was pregnant with Makena when we attended.  We lost Gran that year and she was missed.  This year both girls, Chris' Mom and Chris' Grandmother attended with me.  It is such a fun "girly" tradition.  And it is nice to have the opportunity for my girls to do these types of things with their Great
Grandmother.

Melia was VERY excited about going to the tea party.  She got a Fischer Price Tea Party set from Grandpa and Nonna at Christmas that she plays with all the time at Grammy's house.  At the Mother's Day Tea she loved drinking out of real tea cups and having real tea.  I didn't think she would actually drink the tea, but she loved it!  She was also a fan of the cookies.   Our church organist was there playing piano for entertainment.  Melia enjoyed watching him play and even did some dancing.  Probably not proper British tea party etiquette, but she's only two. :)

Makena tried some of the jam for the scones.  Definately more sugar than she has had in her entire lifetime!

Melia enjoyed the hats, gloves and boa's they had available for people to wear.  She even shared the boa with Makena, who of course tried to eat the feathers.

Looking forwad to continuing the tradition every year!

I'm a lactavist, NOT a grammarian!

I promise I have a college education.  Poor grammar is one of my pet peeves.  I use the spell check function in my blog.  But it never fails I ALWAYS have at least 3 typos in my blog.  Usually things like "the" instead of "they".  My dear husband reads my blog and politely sends me corrections to make.  I make the corrections to the page, but by the time it is corrected, those of you that get email updates on my blog, have already received the grammatically challenged version.  I apologize to you.  I promise, a corrected version gets updated on the website.

I am not trying to make excuses, but I am usually multi-tasking as I write this blog.  In fact, I am pumping right now at work while I am writing (I know, Dad - too much information!).  My dad is also one of the reasons I don't blog about breastfeeding a lot.  He is super supportive and reads my blog regularly to keep up with the girls, but probably doesn't want to hear about my breasts.  Ok, now that I have completely turned my father off of reading my blog, let's move on.

So, my apologies for my typos forthcoming.  I don't blog for a living, I just do it to keep my friends and family up to date on the kiddos.  Please excuse me. :)

I'm a lactavist

I don't blog about breastfeeding very often even though it is something I am very passionate about.  I have been through a lot of ups and downs nursing, especially getting started when Melia was born.  I am not anti-formula, I am just very pro breastfeeding.

There were numerous times when Melia was a baby I thought I would just quit nursing.  I knew that it was best for her, especially being premature, so I kept making deals with myself.  Get to her due date, nurse til I go back to work, nurse til she starts daycare, nurse til she turns one.  By the time she was about 7-8 months it was something we both figured out and worked through.  I still was not a fan of pumping and struggled with production, but it worked out. 

I assumed when Melia turned one she would wean.  She didn't.  I assumed when I got pregnant and the hormones started flowing she would wean.  She didn't.  I assumed when Makena was born Melia would wean.  She didn't.  Now I have become one of those women I NEVER in a million years imagined.  A tandem nurser and, GASP, a toddler nurser!

In that time I have also become a lactavist.  Proud of women who use their bodies the way nature intended to nurish their children.  Supportive of moms that face challenges at work with pumping, or in public trying to feed their baby.  The AAP recommends nursing a child until they are at least one and the WHO recommends nursing a child until at least the age of two.  I will continue to encourage women who CHOOSE to breastfeed to do so with pride.