Bliss's Memphis 2nd Birthday party

We have been asking Bliss what she wants for her birthday.  Her answer is "pizza and cookies".  

I had bought kiddie blow up pools at Target last year at the end of the season.  I think the kids had a blast in the 90 degree weather.

 Bliss loves to sing "Happy birthday to you".

 She enjoyed listening to everyone sing to her.

 TIme to blow out her candle.

 She did it.

 She was so proud of herself.

 Now it is time to dig in, right?

 Bliss thought the cake and ice cream was delicious!!

 She was telling us she needed more.

 Thank you hugs from the birthday girl.

 Bliss got several babies.  Some of which can get wet.  She loves them!!!

 She really wanted this baby to come out of the box.  No worries, Daddy got all her babies opened so she could play with them.

 Look at that precious face.  She is so proud of her card and gift.  Ashlynn picked out what she wanted Bliss to have.  Both things she know she loves.

 Ashlynn had signed her own name and written "I love you".  So sweet.

Bliss had an amazing party.  We are thankful for our friends who were able to come to celebrate with us.  Bliss had a great time full of smiles and sunshine.  She took an extra long nap Saturday afternoon!! Mommy and Daddy took a nap too!!

Match Day 2012

Today is Hand Fellowship Match Day 

At 11:00, Brian went online to find out if he matched and where.
He got his first choice, the Philly Hand Center in Philadelphia, PA.  We are humbled, excited, proud, anxious, nervous, and thrilled.

Brian is so blessed to be able to train here at the Campbell Clinic now at the Philly Hand Center starting August of 2013.  He is very fortunate to have the opportunity to become a hand surgeon.  I am so proud of him.  He has worked very hard since he finished high school in 1997 to pursue his dream of becoming an orthopedic surgeon.

We still have one year of residency and one year of fellowship.  Finally in August of 2014 Brian will get a 'real job'.  It is confusing to many because Brian has a real job now.  Residency [and fellowship] equals overworked and underpaid but none the less, a job. We are very grateful for his job and his income.  I do not want to be misunderstood in that regard.  He is not still in school, as many confuse residency with medical school.

Pray for us as we make decisions about the next phase of our lives.

We are sad to leave Memphis.  We are excited we still have a little over a year here with our friends and church.

Max and Meredith worth it

On Thursday, May 3rd, I started the 3 day potty training with Bliss.  I had meals prepared in the fridge or freezer, the house somewhat clean, and plenty of clean panties.  I tried my best to follow Lora Jensen's 3 day potty training method.  She does consider herself the "Potty Training Queen" according to her book.

The daytime was great.  A few minor accidents.  The book wants you to be beside your child all day, snatch them up, and run to the toilet when they start peeing or pooping.  Praise them like crazy.  Remind them to tell you when they need to go hundreds of times a day.

I was exhausted at the end of each day.  When Brian got home, I allowed him to take over.  This caused some confusion and accidents.  The book warns against multiple people being involved in the training process.

The book wants you to potty train at night and during nap as well.  I put a diaper on Bliss during both of these.  Being pregnant, I was not willing to sleep in the floor and wake Bliss up to take her to the potty in the middle of the night.  

However, Bliss has kept a dry diaper during nap all but 2 days.  She has keep her diaper dry 3 full nights.  I am very pleased with this decision I made to hold off on the night training.

I first started the training wanting to NOT give her a reward.  Brian and I quickly saw that would help in the training process.  Bliss gets 2 jelly beans when she pees or poops in the potty.  She gets lots of praise all the time.  

While shopping at Pottery Barn, Bliss and I have seen many cute babies.  Bliss always wants me to buy them so we can take them home.  

I decided to tell her that if she peed and pooped in the potty for 4 days that she could get the babies.  I told her once and she continued to say "I get babies.  I peed in potty."

Our 3 official training days were Thursday, Friday, and Saturday - They were just as the book described.  However the book does not mention what to do after those 3 days.  That part was frustrating to me.  

We decided to take turns going to church Sunday morning and night to keep Bliss home.

She did great on Sunday as well.

Bliss and I stayed home all day Monday.  When Tuesday got here, I knew we had Bible study Wednesday morning, lunch at the park, and church that night.  I wanted her to follow through with this "tell Mommy you need to go potty".  

This turned into a disaster on Tuesday.  Brian worked from five am to ten pm that day.  Bliss kept telling me, "I poopy in potty when Daddy come home."  I knew Daddy was in surgery and not coming home until very late.  She also said, "I pee pee in floor.  I poo poo in potty when Daddy come home."

I was an emotional wreck.  A few tears were shed once Daddy finally made it home from work.  I was not ready to give up on Bliss.  I just needed some rest and support.

Bliss did amazing on Wednesday.  No accidents at church, at park, at Costco, nor at church again that night.  I was so shocked and proud of you.

After talking to my mom, I changed my thought about letting Bliss tell me.  We do more preventative trips to the restroom when we are out in public.  I decided she was not quite ready to just tell me when she needed to go potty.

Thursday we went to my doctor's appointment and to the zoo.  Bliss did great there too.  No accidents until we were home that night with Brian and his mom.  She held herself when she was outside playing.  Brian asked her she needed to go pee.  She of course said, "No."  

She later told Meme she needed to go pee when it was too late.  

Bliss had an accident with my parents on Saturday.  But we have not had any more since then.

I know accidents are expected with a baby this young.  I am so proud of Bliss.  I am glad I did not quit nor give up.

That one day was the hardest day I have experienced as a parent.  It was very trying and exhausting.  

Bliss loves her panties.  She loves her "Max and Meredith" dolls.  They were worth it for sure.

She is so proud when anyone goes to the potty.  When my dad was here, she stood outside the bathroom door and listened for Poppy to pee.  She then said, "Yeah Poppy you pee-peed in potty.  You get jelly beans, okay."

She cheers and dances when I go potty.  She wants to make sure I know how proud she is of me.  She wants me to get jelly beans too.  Bliss is one precious girl.

I just cannot believe my baby is getting so big.  

all in a line

I have noticed lately that Bliss lines up her toys.  What one toy has the others have to have as well.  This is a must. She runs all over the house gathering up stuff so they all have the same.

 These babies and dolls are getting ready for bed.  They each have a passy and bottle or cup.  They are all lined up on their backs.

 Bliss had to make sure they were all taken care of before she got her passy and blanket.  Sometimes our nightly routine gets stretched.  Bliss is the queen of procrastinating at bedtime.  

 Bliss with her 'little people'.  She can play for hours with them.  She has them all in 'chairs'.  

 She tells me "I play with my little people" or "boys and girls".  She has started making relationships among them. She will say, "Your Mommy right here.  It's okay."  

"Daddy right here."

It is so cute to watch her play and listen to the things she says. 

23 months old

Bliss Amelia Norton is almost 2 years old.  I cannot wrap my mind around my baby turning 2 years old.  She is getting so big so fast.  I love this precious girl to pieces.

 Bliss is still wearing a size 4 diaper.  Her shoes are size 7, 7.5, and 8.  We have had to get a bigger size in socks.  Bliss usually wears a size 2T or 3T clothes.  However this outfit she is wearing is 12 months from last summer.  It is very long and skinny, so it still works for her. 

Bliss went to 1 nap this month.  She goes down between 2:00 and 3:00.  She sleeps 2-4 hours.

 Bliss likes to wear her hair in 'tails'.  It keeps her hair off her neck.  Bliss sweats when we go outside no matter what.  I can be comfortable, even being pregnant, and she is covered in sweat and red faced.  Poor baby has been hot natured since she was in my belly.  She is just like her Daddy and Breanna.  

 When you ask Bliss her her name, she will either say 'Bliss', 'Bliss Amelia', or 'Bliss Norton'. . .  All dependent on her mood.   Bliss can spell her name B - L - I - S - S.  She often adds an extra S or 2 at the end.

 This girl loves to sing.  She has started saying "Sing loud Mommy" or "It is my turn to sing".  Some mornings and at night I hear her in the monitor just singing away.  

She knows a list of songs:

"Jesus, Jesus, Jesus",  "Jesus love me", Jesus love the little Children", "Oh Happy Day", "I love you" - Barney theme song,  "Twinkle Twinkle little star",  "Row row row your boat", "Peter, James, and John", "The more we get together", "Holy, Holy, Holy", "Happy Birthday to you", "ABCs"

 Bliss loves to count.  She usually just counts from 1 to 10.  If you ask her what is after 10, she says 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.  If you ask her what is after 15, she says 16, 17, 18, 19, 20.  

We have counted past 20.  It gets pretty funny after that.  

However if you ask Bliss how many whales are on her shirt.  She is going to count, point, and say, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10."

She can count to 20 but does not have a sense of the numbers yet.

 Bliss was determined not to sit down and get her picture made.  She wanted to lie down or stand up.  Basically anything besides what I was asking her to do.  She has started to say "I can do it by myself".  We let her try things and say to Bliss, "Just let me know when you need some help."  

She loves to try to put her own shoes on her feet.  She want to try to get water out of the refrigerator door.  But she has realized that there are some things she still needs our help.

Bliss's eating habits ebb and flow.  She refuses to eat chicken nuggets and french fries.  She is not the typical almost 2 year old.  She likes all kinds of fruit.  She likes many vegetables.  She eats sugar snap peas, red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, asparagus, spinach, avocado, corn on the cob.

Bliss likes lots of diary products.  She eats all types of cheese - from goat cheese to american cheese.  She likes sour cream, yogurt, milk, ice cream.

After Easter, Bliss requests candy.  I started letting her have 1 candy a day.  She knows what 1 means.  Even though she tries to convince me she needs 2.  She gets one before nap time.  Bliss calls granola bars, special k bars, fruit snacks, and candy ALL 'CAN-NA-DE-DEEEE' {candy}.  Brian thinks it is unfair that she considers all this candy.  Really I did not tell her it was.  At an Easter egg hunt, fruit snacks were in some of the eggs.  Bliss started the trend and I just have not corrected her.  Anything with sugar and corn syrup as the first 2 ingredients are candy in my book.

weekend home

Bliss thought she was so big swinging on the porch with Breanna and Taylor.  She told me to go get my camera and take her picture.

 I know she is a bossy little thing.  Maybe it goes along with the territory of big sister.

Bliss playing Montmoma's piano with her cousin.

 Missy let her play with her iphone during the shower.

Jesus is Risen

Bliss did not like where we chose to take her picture. She is telling us to go over there. I thought the shade would avoid sun grins

Bliss hiding from the camera

Bliss loves to pick flowers and leaves.

Silly girl with her Mommy

Dyeing Easter Eggs

Bliss kept putting the eggs in different colors. I think they turned out pretty cute considering a 22 month old picked the color combinations.

Bliss's baby had to 'sit on her bottom and get her picture made.'

At bedtime, we finally got around to Bliss's Easter gift.

3 fish - water toys

What else? Lots of books and CDs

Daddy had to read several of the new books before bed