Lyla Lately...

I find myself looking at Lyla lately and can't even believe that she is the same girl who was barely speaking, still in diapers, and still stumbling as she ran from time to time just one year ago. Now she is talking all the time, running, hoping, dancing and growing every day. She is saying full sentences, although sometimes she gets ahead of herself and it's takes a while to understand what she is saying.

Last night at the football games she was talking about "the football boys, cheerleaders and mommy's girls (my dance team)." She talked about the football boys hitting their heads and when one fell down she would say, "oh no! He's got a booboo." Then when the boy would get up she would say, "he's happy now!" So cute!

Lyla's strong will sure is setting in. We moved her to her big girl bed back in July and she did great for the first several weeks. But bed time has been a big issue since I've been back to work. I think she knows that I won't be here when she wakes up in the morning, so she fights going to sleep. It's frustrating, but we are fighting through. She's gotten good at coming up with excuses such as needing to give daddy more kisses, needing to go potty, needing something to drink, wants to look at stars, or just screaming at the top of her lungs. Yes, it's been a struggle every night. I'm hoping that her new night light (that she helped pick out) will help resolve some of this.

Lyla picks up on everything. She copies us all the time. Which means we have to be very careful about what we say and what we do. She loves to follow dance moves, sing like daddy, and play fun games. Currently she is into hide-and-go-seek. But she hasn't quite figured out the hiding part. She hides and then when you say, "where's Lyla?" she'll respond, "In here" or "behind the door". Silly girl. It makes me laugh every time.

She has almost mastered potty training. She is now in big girl panties all day, at naptime and at nighttime. Sometimes she still asks for a pull up at nighttime, but I think that's more because it's part of our bedtime routine. She will wake up in the middle of the night if she has to potty, but most of the time she makes it until morning. We've yet to have an accident in her bed! Here's to hoping we stay that way!!! She still won't poop on the potty though. It's a little frustrating, but I know that many kids go through it, so I'm not too worried. We've decided that once we run out of these pull ups we aren't going to buy more. I know it might mean some tears, and maybe a poop or two in her panties, but I'm hoping it will be what gets her on the potty. Regardless, I'm still so proud of the progress she has made.