It's Potty Time!

So on Jan17th, 2011 Sabrina officially started potty training.  I really didn't think we would begin potty training until age 3.  A couple of months ago I bought a potty, we have a few potty books and Sabrina has watched Potty Time with Elmo but she just never seemed into it.  But then all of a sudden she started noticing more and more of her friends were using the potty and she wanted to use it too.  One day I asked her "do you want to start wearing big girl panties instead of diapers?" and Sabrina said YES!.  So I went to the store, bought a pack of princess panties and a package of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse panties, a little portable potty and made a go bag and we were on our way!  Basically, it was three weeks of hell.  Sabrina was getting the pee in the potty thing, but she was VERY resistant to pooping in the potty.  In three weeks, she pooped in the potty once.  Any other time I was lucky enough to catch it in her rest time diaper (no more naps for this girl - but that will be another post) or her night time diaper.  Otherwise, she'd just poop in her pants.  So, so disgusting.  So gross!

After three weeks, I admit I was ready to throw in the towel.  I just felt like there wasn't any progress made and maybe we needed to take a break.  But after a really bad day where I swore this was it, I was D.O.N.E. I woke up and thought, well, dawn of a new day, let's give it one more chance and something clicked in her head and she got it!  She's even pooping in the potty AND going to the potty without telling anyone, she will just take herself and go!  It's amazing.  I never thought we would get to this point.  Now that we are past the worst of it, I have to say I am very happy to be done with diapers, at least during the day.  Staying dry during the night is a whole different animal.  We're not perfect, but we can go for days without an accident, and usually the accidents are my fault.  There are times where she is super busy and occupied and I need to steer her to the potty, otherwise we're going to have an accident.  But it's soooo much better than it was.  And there are times where Sabrina is occupied and she takes herself!  Today for example, Sabrina was watching Word World (one of her favorite shows) and she realized she needed to pee, so she took herself to the bathroom and did her business.  Amazing!!!  I don't mind the occasional accident, as long as I'm seeing progress.  My baby is growing up!!

The Segals visit The Kurtze's

Jerry's sister Franni, her husband Danny and their two 5 1/2 month old twins Charlie and Eliana came to visit us for 10 days. Jerry had met the babies before as he went to Charlie's bris but it was mine and the girls first time meeting their cousins and my niece and nephew. I think it is so neat that I am an aunt!! It was a super busy week. We did a professional photo shoot, took everyone to Muir Woods to see the redwoods trees, the Monterey Bay Aquirium and Santa Cruz. It was great to hang out and get to know Charlie and Eliana. They are so cute!!! Really good babies too. Sabrina loved playing with the babies and helping give them a bottle. Ira and Lorraine also came to spend them with all their grandchildren. A lot of people but it was a lot of fun.

Happy New Year!!

         We spent our last evening of 2010 with the Solnits; Dina, Matt & Rachel. The girls got to  wear party hats and they had a lot of fun with them.  Dina made a super yummy dinner and we celebrated New Year's at about 7:30 (hey, the kids have to go to bed) . After we came home I tried to stay up...I think I lasted until 9:30pm. Jerry bless his heart stayed up all by his lonesome until midnight. :(. I told him to come to bed so I wouldn't feel bad he was staying up by himself, haha. But he insisted. Happy New Year!!!

Maddie & Pooh Bear

I am a Q T

So I am trying to take a picture of Maddie with Pooh Bear every week, to document how big she is getting throughout her first year. Here she is at about 3 weeks. What a sweetie!

Bella's 3rd birthday party

One of Sabrina's bestest friends is her friend Bella. Bella turned 3 and her mom, who is super creative put on a fabulous cooking themed birthday party. The kids got to decorate their own pizzas and cake, help Peng (Bella's dad) make a smoothie and as a takeaway gift Carrie actually made aprons for all the kids! I wish I could do stuff like that. It was all I could do to sign my name to the credit card receipt for Sabrina's birthday party at Pump it Up. :P

Sabrina had a great time and just loves playing with her friends. It makes me so happy that she is a happy little girl! Where was Maddie you might ask? Slept the whole time in her carseat of course! This won't last forever but I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

Hannukah Time

Sabrina shows off the hat she made for her Hannukah performance

Sabrina has been in preschool at Congregation Sinai since September. It has been a great experience for her. Currently she goes twice a week, in the morning. I wanted her to start in September so she wouldn't associate it with Maddie being born and now I also get some quality alone time with the baby. Sabrina has loved preschool from the start! I thought she might have a little separation anxiety, seeing as I've been with her all day from day 1. So on the first day of school I said to Sabrina "okay baby, I'm going to go now and I will pick you up when school is over." "Ok, bye". What?!?! No love for Mommy. :) But I'm proud of her independence. I have nothing but fond memories of my own preschool and I'm happy it has so far been the same for Sabrina.

For Hannukah the school put on a Hannukah party. It was so much fun! We ate latkes, lit the Hannukah candles and each class put on a little performance. Sabrina's class is called Kalaneet, which I think is a little flower that grows in Israel. Their performance was so super adorable. All the kids held hands and walked in a circle while the music teacher played "Oh Hannukah Oh Hannukah" and they spun like a dreidel and pretended to be a candle burning low. If you asked Sabrina what she did in her performance she would tell you "A candle and a dreidel". Sabrina just loves Hannukah. Even now she asks to sing various Hannukah songs. Not to mention all the presents, that's not so bad either :)

Thanksgiving at our house

I cannot describe how delicious this turkey is. 

I love Thanksgiving, it is one of my most favorite holidays.  Normally we alternate going to either NY or LA for Thanksgiving. However, with Maddie just being born, there was no way we could travel anywhere. So my parents and Jerry's parents came to us for Thanksgiving! My mom made her fabulous turkey and we hosted Thanksgiving for the first time at our house. I even broke out our wedding china. Uber fancy. Our friends Lara & Mark and their daughter Lia joined us as well. Sabrina loved having her friend over and it was a great evening. Maddie was very accommodating; she slept through dinner.

Our Thanksgiving family photo