It Has Begun!

Delia asked me, "Why?" today. It's not that I dreaded this day or anything. It actually seems like it will be fun as Delia gets older and the why questions become more and more frequent. It is just neat lately watching her change and grow into this little girl rather than this little toddler that I've been spending my days with. She's even losing her baby fat, however her cheeks are still chubby and don't seem to be losing any mass. It will be a sad day when that happens.

Look at that chicken!

When we first moved to Folsom we stumbled upon a park. This isn't your usual park, at least not to me. I knew there was something different about it when I read this sign posted near the front of the park.

The sign reads:

WILDLIFE NOTICE: FOLSOM IS HOME TO MANY FREE ROAMING WILDLIFE SPECIES, INCLUDING COYOTES AND RATTLESNAKES. THESE MEMBERS OF OUR NATURAL COMMUNITY SHOULD BE RESPECTED AND AVOIDED. PLEASE KEEP YOUR ANIMALS ON LEASH.

Great I thought. This is just the place I want my daughter playing. "Go ahead and play honey. Just keep an eye out for coyotes (no that's not a dog) and rattlesnakes (no that's not a baby rattle). The sign fails to mention the dozen or so "free roaming" chickens and roosters cock-a-dooing around the park. "What Delia? What white spots? Oh those white spots. Let 's not touch that, it's chicken poo."

Yes, the park has chickens and lots of them. Did I mention there are 2 or 3 peacocks too. They get really close and if you have food they're on you like a pack of...well coyotes. I think some would even eat out of your hand. There are trails that can be taken through trees, bushes, etc. This is most likely the reason why they posted about the "wildlife".

We've ventured to this park many times since that first visit. A feat you may think is crazy considering the warnings mentioned above. Hey, if the chickens can survive in a place where coyotes may lurk, then I think a little visit from us can't hurt.

The last time was especially fun because we brought along some bread to feed the many chickens (and roosters) with. Here is a short video of Delia feeding the chickens. She really did enjoy herself. And from the way she talks to chickens I think she'll be a pretty sweet big sister.

Contractions, the Hospital and Water

Tuesday afternoon I started getting contractions. In three hours I had about 30. They weren't painful just stronger than they had been and obviously much more often. After I went to bed they subsided. Wednesday around 11am they started up again. I had 13 in an hour. So I called me doctors office and they said to go to labor and delivery. Since I had had them the day before and was getting them again they felt it was better to get checked and make sure nothing was happening. So Jake came home from work and we drove the 30 minutes to the hospital. We got there at 1:30 and didn't leave until after 6! They monitored my contractions and the babies heartbeat for over an hour. Then they did some tests and made sure I wasn't dilating. Which I wasn't. So after that they moved me to another room so that they could monitor me some more and had me drink two pitchers full of water! I felt like I could pee forever after that. They checked me again and since I still wasn't dilating they sent me home and told me to take it easy and drink lots of water. With Delia I had a lot of braxton hicks contractions but nothing that lasted as long as this little "episode". As of this morning I am still getting them. So I am trying to take it as easy as I can with a 2 year old demanding my complete and full attention. 14 more weeks and then I'll be ready for contractions...but not yet!

Video of Delia coming soon.....it involves wild chickens, a peacock and bread.

BEWARE! Delia Picture Overload!

Delia and Monkey

Rockin Out

(a.k.a. sucking her thumb)

Can someone please tell me when this adorable little baby...

became this sweet little girl,

this silly little girl,

and this beautiful little girl?

Please let me know as soon as you find out.

And now a video of Delia singing the classic

It's Raining It's Pouring

The Truth About Somermelts

For those of you who might not know what a somermelt is I will briefly explain. If you are still lost there will be a short video further explaining what exactly a somermelt is.

When trying to attempt a somermelt you must first place both hands on the floor. Then proceed to place your head on the floor between your hands keeping your buttocks in the air as high as possible. Once you have mastered this position you then push with your legs, tuck your chin and roll onto your back. This is your basic somermelt.

If you are still lost the video below will help demonstate the proper somermelt as well as what not to do when attempting a somermelt.



Obviously you can plainly see that the somermelt is really a somersault. I love the way kids interpret words and the silly way they sound coming from their little mouths.

Delia has been taking classes at The Little Gym. We go once a week. She has really been enjoying herself. They teach basic gymnastics skills, sing songs, etc. Last week one of the skills she learned was the somersault. I think she did it a total of one time with the instructor and later when Jake got home we were telling him about our day at The Little Gym. She then proceeds to show him the somersault and did it perfectly!!! We were so excited. We've been trying to get her to do them and she just wasn't getting it. I blame that on our lack of proper equipment. The Little Gym is full of brightly colored foam of all shapes and sizes. They used a foam wedge and a octagon shaped cylinder (about the size of, well a small child) for the somersault. The instructor then holds onto the child and helps them roll with the cylinder until their hands touch the wedge, then their head and then they roll.

We have only had three sessions so far at The Little Gym, but Delia has been doing really well. It is a parent participation class, so I get to run around with her and help her do some of the activities. In the coming weeks this will probably become a lot harder as my belly is getting bigger. By the end of our class we are both so tired that we could probably take a 5 hour nap!

It's Official

We finally did it. We told Delia on Saturday morning that we didn't have anymore pullups. She has been wearing big girl underwear since then (all day and night). And she's only had 3 accidents. I blame myself for it taking this long. She would have been completely potty trained a year ago, but I was scared. I didn't know what to do after we accomplished the first few steps. Then with the move and everything we sort of fell behind. Now with her sister's quickly approaching arrival I figured it was time to end that phase in our lives. Especially since we'll need the money we spend on Delia's pullups for the baby's diapers!!

Which brings me to another (similar) topic. For those of you parents who use or have used the cloth diapers (fuzzy buns, bum genius, happy heinys, etc); What did you think of them? Did they work really well? Was it a pain to take care of them? Which brand did you use? I am curious about them and wouldn't mind giving them a try. Any advice would be great!

I was just looking at diapers.com and I found these:

They are called gDiapers. They are Earth friendly hybrid diapers that you flush, compost or toss. For those of you interested here is a link to the website:

http://www.diapers.com/Shop/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=5990&From=Brand

Maybe we'll give these a try.

Eureka!!

WAHOO! I actually found the Kaitlyn book!! It's a used copy on half.com for less than $6. I bought it immediatly for fear that I would never ever find another one. YEAH!!