From the Land of Big Girl Achievemnets

SMILES!!!

POTTY: Miss Aliyah has decided all on her own that she is finished with diapers by simply refusing to wear them. This all started around the same time I posted about how I was no longer going to rush my daughters to their next milestones while I just enjoy the moment - I am proven time and time again that Aliyah will lead the way when she is ready.

Since she told me she was a big girl and wasn't wearing diapers, I thought we better go to the store and have her pick out her very own big girl underwear. We found the little girls section with dora and tinker bell and barbie (all of which she knows nothing about). We finally spot a package of princess undies - now we're talking! She is very happy to have her new skivvies but informs me that she wants Buzz Light Year. Mmmmmmmm.... I don't see any underwear with Buzz.

Well ladies and gentlemen, they do not make girl underwear with Buzz Light Year. So... we find a package in the boy section (with the little cross over piece in the front) and Aliyah is so very happy to have Buzz in one hand and princesses in the other.

She favors the princess under roos but it still makes me chuckle that she loves Buzz so much... and that we have little boy underwear in our house!

She has only had a few (two or three) accidents and basically potty trained herself. I really believe that using sign language has helped encouraged communication early on (she started asking to "potty" at 15 months old) as well as using cloth diapers.

Tyler was helping move laundry over to the dryer and shouts out to me that he thinks he might cry. I ask if everything is okay. He says yes, but got choked up to see little girl underwear in the wash. We are so proud of our "big" girl but still get blown back at times by how grown up she is becoming. It's a good thing :)

LEARNING AT HOME: Aliyah would always tell you her name is "Ali" but now says her full name "A-LEE-LA" (so cute) and even knows her last name if you ask her.

We have been talking about weather lately and she will give you the weather forecast (also in sign language) if you ask her.

SMILES: As for Miss Everly, her grunts and puppy noises have slowly turned to sweet coos. She has also mastered her smile. It is beautiful. Sometimes you can even catch her laughing in her sleep.