Izzy at 3 1/2!!!!!

I really cannot believe my child is officially 3 1/2. Seems so much older to me than 3 ....even though it is a mere 6 months. I have been so slacking in doing updates on my girl that I wanted to be sure to do one this week

Where to start miss Izzy! You have blossomed into such a special little girl and not just to us. I get endless comments from friends, neighobors and even strangers about what a sweet, beautiful little girl you are! (you save your most sassy, tantrum moments for the comfort of home and mommy and daddy, although for the most part you don't have many)

We have finally fully potty trained in teh last month or so. The pull ups are no longer needed for pooping and you finally go on the potty...although you still really only go at home on your little potty you refuse to go anywhere else...but hey it is serious progress!! You have also gotten really good at wiping yourself and washing your hands all by yourself.

This is a common theme we here lately ..."I do it all by myself"--You can get dressed all by yourself and even put on most of your shoes....you can get on the swing all by yourself..even the higher one...although you haven't chosen to figure out the pumping of your legs. You often help yourself to a cheese stick in the fridge all by yourself or your favorite dessert popcicles including going to get yoru own sisscors and cut it open yourself. You have also started "reading" all by yourself and it is so funny to hear you read your books to me (or the cat or a favorite stuffed animal) You have a fantastic memory and you can often recite the books almost word for word depending on teh book.

You have been doing a bit better at night time, you still go to bed great, after your stories and then mommy or daddy laying in your bed for just a few minutes...but you like to come down into our room in the middle of hte night. Lately you have been doing better and staying in your own bed until about 6am and then I put you in our bed and you snuggle up with me and fall back asleep. You are definately starting to take after me...you like to sleep in (as long as it is in our bed and I am with you)

You love to dress up, and you are very into ballerina's right now..I guess I should think about putting you in dance class. Yesterday you found a new dress up outfit i had bought for you about easter time but never gave you and you wore it almost all day long, even to a friends house for a play date. Sure enough this morning you had to put it back on to go to Nana's. Your other favorite hting is lip gloss. You LOVE lipgloss and insist on taking it with you most places.

I love listening to your perspective on things and espeically when you get really excited and animated telling a story and you flare your arms and roll your eyes. You remember everything to the point it is almost scary. The best is when we are just relaxing at home and you will come sit by me and say " Lets talk mommy" I will say what do you want to talk about, then you will say something like"Lets talk about bugs", Bugs dont' actually bite" Don't know where this is coming from but you love to use the word actually..another favorite lately is amazing...this mornign on teh way to nana's you were looking at the sun as it was coming up and behind clouds it looked like it was changing colors so you said "look at the sun, that is amazing!"

You love to play with the big girls next store much more so than the other kids your age. Last week you spend the entire day next store with the 9 year old and had the very best time playing anything from makeover to collecting grass and rocks pretending that they were items from teh grocery store. The 9 year old also exposed you to a few cartoons you don't normally get to watch like Spongebob and Pheineas and Ferb...

You are the sweetest most affectionate girl lately. You love to give hugs and kisses and tell us that you love us. Of course same goes for your grandparents who can't get enough.

We are so blessed to have you as our daughter and I love getting to be your mom and watch you grow up into such a special girl!

There is more I want to say but everytime i go to write these i forget all the cute thinks you have said or done that I want to add..so hopefully I will add more as I think of it.

Potty Update

I don' t have a long time to write but I wanted to be sure I documented that I think we have FINALLY conquered izzy pooping on the potty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She has been fully potty trained for i don' t know 8 months at least, sleeping in underwear, peeing on potty, no accidents...but she had still insisted in pooping in a pull up and refused to do it on the potty. She has had poop anxiety for a long time and we have had her on mirilax for close to a year to help her but she would not go on teh potty!

Well a couple weeks ago we were at home depot and she had not option of a pull up and had to poop and did it on the portable potty in my car! Ever since then i have refused to give her a pull up and she has been doing GREAT. I think she has gone 10 times in a row now. She is still a little nervous and prefers me to be in teh bathroom with her versus anyone else...but she is doing it!!!!! She no longer even asks for a pull up!!!!!!

We made a poop chart with stars and prizes and this seems to help although i think she was also just finally ready.

I am so PROUD!

Little Swimmer!

I will post pictures as soon as my friend sends them to me...my camera was dead so she took the photos but I am so happy to report my girl is a little swimmer! I guess the swimming lessons did pay off because on Sunday she was quite the independant swimmer with her life jacket or water wings on. She was a little fish both in the lake and in the pool! I LOVE LOVE LOVE that we don't have to hold her anymore! Granted we can't not be in teh water but at least she is comfortable and confident enough to swim solo!!! I am so proud of her and I am looking forward to a summer filled with swimming!!!

On mental overload

I don't know how much more my head can take. I am seriously on mental overload. I love my family but man can they stress a girl out!!!

My mini vacation get away last weekend really did not help near enough. How do I manage the drama in my family without letting it consume me. My parents maritial issues...not really my problem..but directly affects me. My moms health, my mom's law suit, my mom's hoarding......urgh!!! Working in my fathers business while trying to deal with all of the above...not easy.

Then last night my poor kiddo was puking and i am praying that she didn't catch teh nasty stomach bug from the neighbor girls who each had it for a week, throwing up a little and A LOT of diaherra...i really really really hope that is not what izzy has. She seemed better this morning, ate and drank fine.......but time will tell.

I know i am just exhausted and htat is part of why i feel this way today but, man am i just spent..mentally and physically today..........just done......and it has just begun!

Big Girl Room Phase 2

(talking on her cell phone hanging out in her room)

Well I am happy to report that Izzy's big girl room is just about done. We are just waiting on grandma to finish the quilt, what I have seen of it is super cute, flowers and butterflies along with traditional quilt blogs. It won't be quite as contempary as the one on your bed now (which i just love) but it will have more meaning and be more of an heirloom since it was all hand designed and hand made by grandma.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE how the room came out. The paint is super cute and bright and makes me happy. This weekend we found this cute cubicle shelf at target and even though it is pink, with the bins i think it is a cute addition to the room and it easily fits all her books and stuffed animals. She insisted on buying the monkey bin that while it doesn't exactly go with the flowers adn butterfly motif, it is super cute and the color is perfect. I still have some wallies flower decorations that I am going to decorate the shelving unit with as well as a few on the wall maybe, but I want to see the quilt finished first before I do it.

Izzy loves her new room and is very proud of it and enjoys showing it off to people when they come over.

I have been so busy that I haven't had much time to blog lately but hoping to get in a izzy update on things she is saying and into soon just so I will have it recorded for in the future.

Tell Me Again About the Night I was Born

We have been reading the book "Tell me Again about the night I was born" to Izzy the last week or so and I think it is really helping tell her adoption story. I was feeling like I wanted to start somewhere adn this book has really helped. I think she gets a littel confused and really thinks the actual book has her in it..dh said last night when they were reading it she kept saying "lets find me, where am I" ...tells me i really need to get off my duff and put together her adoption story scrapbook, something I have only been talking aboutdoing for 2 1/2 years...i think that will help tell her her exact story, but I must say I do love this book for explaining adoptions, it is actually quite humerous and the illustrations are adorable.

Anyone have any other good suggestions on kid friendly adoption books?

New Fav Picture

My mom took this picture with her phone on friday. First of all I can't believe she figured out how to take a photo with her phone let alone be able to send it to me via txt message. Very impressive!!!

I cropped it a little but other than that I didn't touch a thing. It has got to be on my top 10 of izzy pictures. I just love it.

I just love love love it.