Well, waddya know????

Sometime over the last week, my sweet baby girl just decided to pottytrain herself. After the success we had on her little potty chair the other day, I decided to go out and buy a little seat you can just stick right on top of a normal toilet. This is because cleaning poop out of a potty chair is disgusting. Rancid. It instantly makes me want to vomit. I'd much rather change a poopy diaper. 20 poopy diapers even.

So, she went with me to purchase the little seat - and whined all the way to the check-out stand. She didn't want it! Noooooooo! Then all the way to the car. Then all the way home. Then all the way to the bathroom. Then I sat her on the seat, and she used it. And has been in love with it ever since. That very day, she started making these strange announcements:

"I have to go pee-pee/poo-poo now."

And upstairs she would go. She'd get her stepstool, and her potty seat. Put the little seat on the toilet, step up on the stepstool, turn around, sit down and do her business. Just like that. Just like that!!! And ever since the day I bought this little potty seat, I have not changed one diaper. She is even going out in public in her big-girl underwear. Just like that!!!!!!!!

Do you all understand that I heard stories like this about other children, but because of what I went through pottytraining Andrew, I just figured people were lying to make their children look good? And then my daughter decides to prove me wrong, by being one of those "stories." I've never been so happy to be wrong in my entire life. I love being wrong. Being wrong feels so GOOD!

Kathy Tagged Me

My friend Kathy "tagged" me in one of her recent blog postings. If you haven't read her blog - you should. She's hilarious. And super famous in The Land of Blog.

Top 5 Things (non-human) I Couldn’t Live Without
My Camera
The Internet
TV Shows on DVD
Coffee
Shopping

Top 5 Favorite Movies
I am Sam
Whale Rider
Butterfly Effect
Dumb and Dumber
Anchorman

Top 5 Baby Names You Love But Won’t Use
Sawyer
Emily
Noah
Jaden
Kaitlyn

Top 5 Songs I Could Listen To Over and Over Again
Sailing - Christopher Cross
Dust in the Wind - Kansas
I Love My Life - Jamie O'Neal
I Wish You'd Stay - Brad Paisley
Don't Take the Girl - Tim McGraw

Top 5 People Who Have Influenced Your Life in a Positive Way
Jason - for everything he does for our family
Dad - for teaching me how to set and accomplish goals
Andrew - for showing me the true meaning of love at first sight
Alivia - for being the daughter I've always wanted
Jen - for being my partner in crime

Top 5 Things That Stay in Your Purse at All Times
Wallet
Sunglasses
Cell Phone
Chapstick
Hand Lotion

Top 5 Moments That Changed Your Life Forever
Getting Married
Graduating College
Having Children
Moving to California
Opening My Business

Top 5 Obsessions You Have Right Now
Newborn Portraiture
Potty Training
Wondering When We Will Sell This House
Wondering Which House We'll Buy
This New Baby I Can't Wait to Meet

5 Places You Would Like to Go
The Caribbean
Lunch with the Cast of Alias
Tomatina's in Walnut Creek
To the Set of Grey's Anatomy
To Sleep

My Official Title

I don't know if you know this about me, but I am the

"Worlds Worst Potty Trainer of All Time"

I'm actually in the Guiness Book of World Records. And the worst part is, I have no idea where I went - and keep going so wrong...I've read the books, followed the advice of everyone - and our pediatrician even tried to comfort me by telling me that I was just "blessed" with two stubborn children. To which I replied: "Yeah....don't try and sugar coat it, Doc. I know I suck."

My favorite thing ever is when I hear stories from other mothers who say things like:

"Hmmmm......That's weird it's so tough for you. It was just so easy for me...one day, I took off Billy's diaper and told him to pee and poop on the potty and he just did it. Just like that! Then, I took him to preschool later that year and they skipped him right to college. And he graduated after just three weeks! With honors!!!!"

- or -

"Have you tried a sticker chart? Or candy? Or books about potty training? That worked for my little Susie - and she was literally potty trained in 3.7 seconds flat! I timed her with my handy dandy stopwatch!"

And I look at these folks and actually want to say:

"Yes, that IS weird how easily it worked for you. And thank you SO much for rubbing my nose it. You're super supportive! And I don't have the irresistable urge to kick you right now. Not one bit!"

- or -

"No, I haven't tried those things. Books, you say? I didn't even know they had books about potty training. I certainly don't own Potty Training for Dummies. In fact, I've never even taken her diaper off. Ever. She's still wearing the one they sent us home with from the hospital when she was born. Were we supposed to change that? Interesting...."

Sidenote: If Potty Training for Dummies didn't work, then what does that make me? Please ponder...

My point is this: I am the worst. EVER. I happen to know for a fact that Corky from "Life Goes On" could do a better job potty training goldfish then I ever could potty training my own children...I have accepted this.

Well, today was a great day. One of the best days of my life, in fact. My sweet little Livie decided all by herself to go poo-poo on the potty for the first time ever. It's insane how happy this makes me. I'm like 13 months pregnant, jumping around and clapping like a........well, I'm sure you can picture it. I was on cloud 9for the rest of the day. And I can't take one bit of credit for it, she chose to do it all on her own. So, good job Livie! I'm sorry your mother has failed you prior to today. I'm sorry for all those extra diaper rashes you've been blessed with. Thank God He gave you the capacity to potty train yourself. Since He couldn't provide you with a mother with any potty training skills.

Do you believe in prayer?

I do. I definatley do. I also believe that the more people who are praying for the same thing, the better. It's sort of like the end of Horton Hears a Who, when all the Whos are making as much noise as they can to be heard, so they don't die - and finally they are heard. And they don't die. So, if you believe in prayer - then pray for our situation. We really need God to hear ALL of us. We may not be close to dying - but we still really want to be heard.

We may have made some progress on selling this house. Maybe. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but we definately took a step in the right direction today. So, I would like you to pray for the following:

1. That this house sells - at the right price, and soon.


2. That our new house will miracously pop up on the MLS just in time for us to buy it. Because it's not there yet. And my sister in law (who spent an hour with me tonight looking online) will attest to that. She admitted that she thought I may have been being too picky. Then she saw what was out there. And she ate her everloving words. For like the hundredth time.


3. Pray that God's will be done. Even if it doesn't coincide with prayers # 1 & 2. I firmly believe that God will never lead us in the wrong direction. Ever.


4. Final prayer - please pray that if God's will does not coincide with prayers #1 & 2 - that He will make it a bit more clear to me what it is He has planned for us. I'm not good at picking up on His clues. Possibly pray that God send me an email. Or send an angel to my bedside in the middle of the night explaining the entire plan. Or air a commercial detailing His intentions right smack dab in the middle of this weeks Grey's Anatomy episode. Is this too much to ask? Pray for something obvious. Like "smack me upside my head" obvious. 'Cause I ain't pickin' up what He's puttin' down right now.
   

I would like to thank all of you in advance for taking the time to remember us in your prayers. Andrew is remembering you in his.

I did it...

I think I'm finally starting to admit to myself that our baby will be arriving soon. Actually, in less than two months. I've been in denial this whole time. We've been busy trying to sell the house, the studio has taken up quite a bit of my time, oh and let's not forget the two other children who require all that time and attention.

So, I finally bought something for the baby. I haven't been able to decorate the nursery, because we don't have any spare room for something silly like that. Until we move. Then, I'll be decorating. I'll be one decorating fool! Mark. My. Words.

When she comes home, Little Miss Noname will be living in our bedroom - and so this will be the extent of her themed nursery. At least for a while. Isn't it cute???
And of course, I had to get the matching travel system: