Adventures at the zoo

So I don't have any pictures to add, but a funny story anyway.

This month the Phoenix Zoo is free on Weds with your Fry's VIP card (that's the grocery store out here..). So all month I have been thinking we would go, but each week it has been hot and I just don't feel like going. Well this morning Olivia woke up earlier than usual and I thought it'd be fun since it was so early it wouldn't be too hot. Wrong! It was so muggy and humid today too. Anyway, I didn't pack the good stroller, just our umbrella one... that was my first mistake. There is some rough terrain at that zoo. And I forgot water bottles. Olivia had some milk in a sippy cup, but I had nothing. The zoo was being torn up for a water main thing... the signs were all kind of screwy because they were digging up some of the paths. I just wanted to find the petting zoo since that seemed like the most fun. I got lost so many times trying to find the stinking petting zoo! And it wasn't even along a path where we could see anything interesting. Mostly construction stuff. In fact at one point I unknowingly entered a construction zone, and I swear I walked a mile before someone stopped me and told me this path didn't lead anywhere and should have been roped off. So I turn back around and finally ask someone to point me in the direction of the stinkin petting zoo. By the time we find it I am seriously soaked in sweat and soooo thirsty. There's a drinking fountain, great! I go to get a drink, and nothing comes out. Working on that water main remember. So whatever, I'll pay $10 for a bottle of water at this point I don't care. I find a vending machine... OUT OF ORDER! I find a little stand... CLOSED. Ugh. Okay I'll suffer, and let Olivia go play with the goats. She had a great time chasing them and petting them and brushing them. And then one of the goats was pooping, and what can be more fascinating than that? Olivia was like, "Oh no! No no! No no!" trying to tell the goat to go on the potty not on the floor. Then she got a little too close and the goat peed on her foot. And all she kept saying the rest of the time was pee! And I so I want to wash her foot off... but of course there's no water. So I decide at that point we've had enough of the zoo and we'd go home and get some water. Of course trying to find the exit is just as difficult as trying to find the petting zoo in the first place. We get lost again a few times. It's even hotter, and I'm even sweatier. But eventually we made it home. And we saw monkeys and birds and ducks along the way.

All that was before 9am.

Olivia is still talking about the pee.

I'm drinking gallons of water.

Just a genral update

So here's what's going on in our little world.

Aaron is back in school full time. And working full time. He's taking 16 credits, working about 40 hours a week, and preparing to take the PCAT in less than a month. Yeah he's amazing. All this in preperation to apply to pharmacy school in January to start in June. He is so smart, and is doing wonderfully in his classes. We are proud of him. The program he is applying to is a 3 year, accelerated program in Glendale. They have about 3,000 applicants a year and accept about 150 into their program. Our only worry is that Aaron has about... zero pharmacy experience. We need to work on that. Anyone know any pharmacists that need a volunteer helper?

A weird sickness ran through our family earlier this week. I got really tired. More than normal pregnancy tired. And then I started feeling really queasy. Then I barfed. A lot. Then I slept a couple hours and woke up feeling almost normal. Never got a fever. My sister-in-law apparently had the same thing at the same time. Aaron kind of got it, but never puked. So now I'm keeping everything crossed that this somehow magically skips Olivia. I am pretty sure it was a bug and not just something we ate because really we didn't eat anything in the 48 hours prior to this sickness that would make you sick. Like really... cheerios, cheese crisps, bread... I can't think of anything that could have possibly been bad. Anyway, it's over for me and Aaron, and just hoping it passes O.

Olivia is her cute self. Her biggest thing right now is wanting to know everyone's whereabouts. I hear, "Daddy go?" about 15 times a day. And nana, and papa, and everyone else she knows. She can count to 2, and understands the concept of 2 very well. Anytime she has one of something, she usually says, "Two peease mama?" And how cute is that, I usually give in and let her have 2 of whatever it is. She's into cats right now, and calls them all "tashi" bc that's my mom's cat, and the first cat she ever really met. She also loves ring around the rosie right now. She will play by herself if no one will join her. Which is also really cute. She just says, "ashses ahses ashses ashes... JUMP" while spinning in a circle, then falls down. It cracks me up. We talk about the baby coming to our family a lot. I know she doesn't really get it, but it's still heart warming to have her talk to my belly, and kiss it and hug it (usually followed by an "awwwe" from her). She's also offically in Nursery now. That's the Sunday school class for 18 month old - 3 year olds at our church. Last week she did pretty good, but they were short 4 teachers, so I stayed in to help for the second hour. She's way into this whole "MINE" phase. I swear I hear her saying it in her sleep. She says it to her own reflection. She says it to strangers we pass in the aisle of the grocery store (usually while clinging to whatevers closest to her). She even says it to no one at all, but while looking sternly in a direction like there's someone there. I really don't know what to do. I try to tell her to say please, or Olivia's instead. She will do it after I correct her, but never at first. Which hearing her say her name is hilarious. She is "yaya". And when she hides she says, "yaya go? yaaaayaaa?" So she does have a new nickname around here, yaya.

As far as the weather here in AZ... still hot. And it really bugs me when it's the middle of Sept and still over 100. I can deal with it in August, but by Sept. I want cool weather. I guess that's the jersey in me. Labor day weekend = end of summer. Not here. We still have a while left, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, gorgeous weather is around the corner. And in the morning and evenings it's not too bad. We have spent quite a bit of time outside.

And I'm 34 weeks. Well almost 35. This is the time I start thinking... in 2 weeks I'm full term! But in reality I am sure I have at least 5 weeks left. I feel like she's going to come early, but that's probably just wishful thinking. I wish I stayed in better shape this pregnancy. I was so good with Olivia. Not so much this time, and I am feeling it. I feel like I can barely move sometimes. Like I'm underwater. Like everything requires 10 times more effort. But I do love watching my belly move around. I love feeling her. I am trying to enjoy it.

Official...

So this will have to be my last post about potty training, as I'm sure everyone's done hearing about and I'm pretty much done talking about it. But I think we are officially there. Today we went out to a Karate studio promotion thing where there was lots of fun and playing and running around, we were there for a little over an hour, then we went to Basha's, and she stayed dry the entire time! Then after her nap we went to the museum for 2 hours, and to Goodwill for a few minutes, and again stayed dry. She even peed at the museum on the potty twice! So I'm sure we'll still have accidents... so far today we are accident free and it's 5:10!

*UPDATE @ 5:15 - Olivia peed her pants while I was typing this. LOL, I thought I heard her say pee, but then hoped it was bee because I didn't feel like getting up. Guess I can only blame myself on that one. LOL

18 months old!... and 33 weeks.

Not much to report pregnancy wise. For some reason my hips have been hurting every time I stand up... not sure about that.

Olivia's had a couple cranky days. I just run out of ways to entertain her by the afternoon. Our mornings we go out somewhere... anywhere. Some days its Petco to see the kitens the fish. Other times it's just grocery shopping all over creation to find the best deals. Today will probably be the library. But then in the afternoon it's just too hot to get into the hot car again so we try to stay in, and by 6:00 Olivia is going nuts. Can't wait for the cooler weather to get here! But good news, she's pretty much potty trained. She just about always tells us when she has to go. I've been even leaving her in underwear when we venture out in the mornings. I was putting her in a diaper sometimes, and if she told me she had to pee it was easier to just kind of ignore her or tell her it's okay... so I felt like I was DE-potty training her, which of course no one wants to do, LOL.

She is 18 months today. What could I say about Olivia? She's extremely strong willed, and throws fits that make me worry about when she's 18 years old! Otter pops are def the favorite treat around here. She uses some little sentences. She does the motions for songs like itsy bitsy spider, and wheels on the bus, popcorn popping, etc. She really loves listening to pirates, the Yoho song whenever we're in the car. I pretty much think she's the smartest, cutest little girl in this world... even when she's trying my patience. :)

Week 32 and more potty training update

So I'm starting to get really uncomfortable! I feel like this baby is so low, but at the same time she's in my ribs. I can't really get comfy no matter how I sit, or lay, or stand etc. And only 8 weeks left... lol. But I really do enjoy being pregnant. It's just such a miracle. Knowing there's really a little baby growing in there. And I keep reminding myself, she's a lot easier to take care of when she's in there.

Potty training has been getting a lot a better. Just for my own here's a run down of today, which was a pretty typical day.

7 - wake up, she was already poopy. But peed on the potty
8:30ish - first accident, should have put her on the potty again before getting her dressed.
9-10:30 went out, and she stayed dry the entire time. Put her in a diaper for nap.
11:30-12:30 nap, woke up poopy again.
1:00 - another accident, again I probably should have put her on the potty before getting her dressed. I'll learn someday lol.
2:30 - Peed on the potty!
4:00 - Told me, "peepee mama!" and we made it to the potty in time!
5:00 - Again, "peepee mama!" and again we made it!
7:00 - Getting ready for bed, peed on the potty again!

She does poop on the potty, but I think she def prefers to do that in the diaper, considering both times she had a diaper on today she pooped in it. But she's pooped on the potty more times than I can count, so I know she will, just a matter of timing. So we've done okay going out. If it's going to be long, I just put her in a diaper. Tomorrow I am going to work and Aaron's mom is going to watch her, and I think I'll just put her in a diaper because I don't expect anyone else to go through what I do! Then when I get home I'll put her back in undies. I know it seems crazy potty training my almost 18 month old, but I think I'll be glad I did it. She's a lot less stubborn now than she'll be next year. There's no power struggle this way. She loves to make me happy. No stickers, candies, or rewards. Just praise, modeling, and cleaning up lots of accidents, and lots of laundry. I also keep thinking of how much money I'm saving us, if she's only using diapers to sleep by the time this baby is born.