Couldn't help myself...

The holidays just aren't the same without a little "elf yourself".

Enjoy!


Madi keeps saying "I wanna do it agaaaaaain."
Ok one more just for fun.

It just so happens

that my favorite month is here! Well, in 15 minutes it'll be December. There's many reasons why it's my favorite. Just to name a few in no particular order:

• christmas
• my birthday...25 baby!
• the whole spirit that surrounds the holidays
• spending time with family
• having an entire season that's dedicated to the Savior
• getting all snuggled up in my cozy slippers and pjs in front of the fire
• and the list goes on.

To commemorate the start of this wonderful month here's just a peek at my joy.


Marlie smiles and Madisyn makes eggs (the video didn't upload all the way. oh well)

I love my life.

We quit cold turkey...

wearing diapers that is.

Last Tuesday (a week from tomorrow) we put away the diapers and broke open the packages of underwear.

That's right. One week before my due date, I decided to dive head first into potty training. I have been wanting to do it for awhile, but there have been so many changes going on that I just was a little overwhelmed with adding another one to the list.

I decided to go with the "3 day method" that my friend told me about. Pretty much, you lock yourself in your house with your child for 3 days. Give them lots of fluids, so they have lots of accidents. You ask them every 5 minutes or so if they have to go potty. You make a record of all the times they "go" whether on the potty or on the floor, so that you can have an idea of when to expect to take them to the potty. You need lots of undies, some good carpet cleaner and lots of patience. Having a washer and dryer in your home helps too.

Here's Madi's potty journey.

We have had her little potty for awhile, but the week before we started potty training I took her to the store and let her pick out some underwear. She picked princess ones of course and she was so excited! I also got a few things from the dollar section to use as prizes. I put them in an ice cream bucket. I was all set to go, but I was really dreading it!

We woke up and I told her that today there are no more diapers and she's going to wear big girl underwear and go potty on her big girl potty. We took off her diaper, and got her dressed. Which consisted of a shirt and undies. Yeah she ran around the house in just her little undies while we potty trained. It sure saved me from having to wash a bunch of pants!

So, we went about with our normal routine of breakfast, playtime, naptime and so forth. Lets just say, it was a looong day and I was ready for a break when daddy got home.

Here's Madi on day 1. (Caution this video contains a bare bum)


Tuesday: Day 1
I made a potty chart as a little extra incentive to actually tell mommy when she had to go potty. On Tuesday, the stickers represent every time she told me she had to potty. It didn't matter whether it was on the floor or not. As long as she told me, she got a sticker. We went through 9 pairs of undies that day. At 7:30 that night, I asked her if she had to potty and she said yes. We ran to the bathroom and she sat on that potty and peed in it!! David was home and we all celebrated by putting a sticker on her chart and she got to pick a prize from that prize bucket I mentioned earlier! It finally felt like my day of cleaning up pee and watching her like a hawk was a success.

Wednesday: Day 2

That night, she came in our room at 1:30am because she had wet the bed (which was expected). I got her all cleaned up and back in bed. That morning she woke up dry. The rest of the day was so rewarding! She only had 2 accidents and they were both in the bathroom. I couldn't believe how fast she had caught on. She got so many prizes and lots of praise. We called daddy every time to tell him and he couldn't wait to get home to see her in action. I thought I was pretty much home free at that point.

Thursday: Day 3

Well, little did I know what was waiting for me on Thursday. She did wake up dry, which was wonderful. The rest of the day was a different story. She only made it to the potty 6 times that day. The rest of the time there was either no effort made to get to the toilet, or she just plain peed everywhere. I was SO frustrated. I started to second guess myself. I was so close to busting out those diapers again. Seriously. I stayed strong and hoped for a better Friday.

Friday: Day 4

She woke up wet Friday morning and I knew it wasn't going to be a great day. It was better than Thursday, but it was still rough. Keep in mind that I have been stuck inside for 4 days straight. I couldn't stand the smell of pee anymore and I was just really not handling it very well.

She put herself in this bucket and I was tempted to keep her in it so I wouldn't have to clean up messes off the carpet!

Saturday: Day 5

It was David's day off and he wanted to go out, but I was totally dreading it. Instead we decided to stay home and get some things done around the house. Madi woke up wet, and had one accident that morning, but the entire rest of the day she went potty on the toilet! I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I thought that maybe the end of accidents was in sight.

Sunday: Day 6

Sunday she woke up dry and the rest of the day was a success!! We even went to grandma and papa's for dinner and she still had no accidents.

Monday: Day 7

She spent the night at grandma's last night (mommy was having contractions) and still no accidents! It is now 3:30pm and she has had dry undies for the past 3 days!!

I am so glad I decided to be crazy and try to potty train her before her baby sister gets here. She is so cute and all of a sudden she looks so grown up to me. Her pants fit her little bum so differently. She has this routine when she has to go potty now. It's hilarious.

- she tells me "go potty"

- she goes in the bathroom and I turn on the light for her and make sure she gets her pants off ok.

- she then says "out please"

- she grabs her book and sits on the potty.

- a few seconds later she says "went potty" or "went pee pee" or "went poo poo" or "DONE!"

- i come in and get her all wiped and hands washed and tell her how proud I am of her.

She is doing so great! Those few days when I thought it wasn't all going to turn out so well were more than worth it. I love that she is a big girl and that I will only have one princesses' diaper to change and not 2.

She's so proud of herself and I couldn't be more happy to say my little Madisyn is potty trained!

Momma

Madisyn is asleep. I am doing a little blog hopping. This is what I came across. I really needed it. Thanks Sam!



With all the new things going on right now, I've been feeling very excited mixed with feelings of being anxious and unsure. I'm sure my fuse has been a little shorter toward my little princess lately. She's so curious and questions EVERYTHING. If she's not questioning it with her words, she's busy exploring it (getting into it...making a mess). I don't think it helps that I'm less than 3 weeks from giving birth to another one of Heavenly Father's little princesses.

How am I going to set up a new house, keep that new house in order, give Madi all the love and attention she needs, give baby all the attention she'll need, cook dinner, run a business, make time for myself, make time for David and I, and everything else that goes along with all the rolls I play right now? The only way it'll all work out is by including the Lord. I know that. It's a no brainer. It's so much easier said than done. I need to recommit to reading my scriptures and praying regularly. That's the only way I can find joy in all these wonderful things I have. It just gets to be way too much without Him.

I am so blessed.

David the love of my life.

Madisyn the most wonderful princess any momma could ever ask for and more.

A brand new baby girl to smother with love and cuddles.

A new place to live. A fresh start.

A new ward filled with young families to support one another.

My testimony. The gospel.

My family.

My friends.

That's just the beginning of the list.

I love where I am in my life right now. It's really tough sometimes, but the blessings far outweigh the struggles.

I just have to keep reminding myself of that.

Here's to finding all that joy that's to be found in "momma hood".

Little firsts

Click here

This is just way too cute not to share :)

Family Blocks

This project was started about 2 months ago...

I finally sat down during nap time yesterday and finished it!

I love how it turned out. It's a great way for Madisyn to see the faces of all her adoring family :)

I just used the 2 photo cubes I got from my mother in law for Christmas. The idea was to put family pictures in them for Madi to play with. I thought I'd go one step further and put a little design into them. They were really easy. I just used photoshop and put each square together individually. Then, I printed them 4 to a page, cut them out, and slipped them in. Presto! We have a finished product to enjoy. Better yet, Madi LOVES them!

P.S. Madisyn knows pretty much everyone by name now (even those away at college or on a mission) Take a look!

Click here to view this video

"Rubber ducky

you're the one" that turned this from an innocent bath time video to an attack on mommy.

Oh well. It was fun :)

I am so lovin having a video camera again!!

Two Ten

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

2010 has some very exciting things in store!

Here's just a few of the things I get to look forward to:

a 4 year anniversary

a two year old

a wedding

a new niece (I'll be an aunt for the first time!)

a few graduations

a new home

quite a few trips this summer

a missionary homecoming

and this :) !!!!!!!!

Click here to view this video

Details to come :D

Hope

This is just such a beautiful message that I came across this morning. We could all use a little hope every now and then :)

Really looking forward to General Conference.

5 Minutes In The Life Of Madi

I got out the video camera and well...here you have it.

When I turned said "say bye bye" at the end of the video, Madisyn waved and gave the camera a kiss....too bad I had already turned off the camera! So, I had to turn it back on and get it on video :)

Another "Just Because" Video

Just another video of Madisyn just because she's cute. [It was a request from grandma and grandpa...so here it is.] How do you like those burps? Pretty lady like if you ask me ;)

Just cus she's cute!

Here's the little one in action. (this is mostly for grandma and grandpa, aunites and uncles who are far away...WE LOVE YOU!) It's a little long, but I'm sure you won't mind :)

I Am Officially The Mommy Of A Toddler

....see for yourself!

Phony Bologna

Oh Madisyn, you are just way too cute for words. All I can do is smile, laugh and be so grateful that you are all mine (and daddy's too)!

First of all, ignore David and I's goofy laughs. We were trying to get her to do her "phony bologna" laugh. She just started doing this forced laugh and it's hilarious! Of course when I took out the camera she stopped...sheesh. So, with a little persuasion from her silly mommy and daddy she put on a show. She even waves "bye bye" at the end! So cute =) Enjoy!

"da da dad"

Madi's first word! She actually started saying it a few weeks ago, but every time I get the camera out she stops! Here she is in action =)  The video is really big, so some of it is cut off, but you get the idea! (sorry about all my laughing! I can't help it. she's just so darn entertaining)

For Your Viewing Pleasure

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Here's one more cus I just couldn't help myslef...hehe ;)

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Thanks for the e-mail Sam!

Hi!

This has to be one of the cutest things I have EVER seen! As, you can hear from my excited voice on the video, I was so excited when I realized what she was doing. David and I were cooking dinner and when David waved "hi" to her she lifted up that little hand and waved right back! At first I thought it was a fluke, but she kept doing it every time we'd wave to her. She's a little distracted by those yummy puffs, but she still did it for me. TOO CUTE! I love everything she does, but this has to be one of my all time favorite! I get so tickled every time I watch it. Yay for new discoveries :)

Look Who's On The Move!

This is the video I really wanted to upload and it worked! It took forever, but it was worth it. Ladies and gentleman, I am proud to introduce the newest mover in the Greenwood house hold. Madisyn started crawling the last day we were in Cali. It had been a few hours since she had eaten, and when I came into the room, she got up on her hands and knees and with some very uncoordinated movements, she made her way across the room to my arms! I was so excited that she finally did it and all she was thinking is "what's the big deal mom? Just feed me already!" Ever since then, she's been getting better and better every day. So, I recorded it the other day. She is such an adorable girl! I love you Madi and I'm so proud of you big girl!

Conversation

Well, I just thought I'd try to post a video again, because for some reason I haven't been able to load videos the last few times I've tried. This one is pretty cute! David and Madisyn have the cutest conversations. I wish I knew what they were talking about :)