This And That

March has been an eventful month for us. Ayla started early preschool at a Montessori school and has been enjoying every second she's there. She goes 3 days a week for two and a half hours giving Holden and I some time to bond and to do whatever we want. We thought it was time for Ayla to be around kids her age and to get an early start on her education. One of the things we needed was for a school to take her at 2 and not fully potty trained. Which most schools start at age 3 and must be potty trained. We were fortunate enough to find a very reputable Montessori school that would take Ayla and that had a class specifically designed for kids her age. What I really like about the Montessori philosophy is that it's not a competitive environment, she learns at her own pace and she chooses the activities that most interest her. And at the same time interacting with other kids and learning manners like waiting her turn, sharing and responsibility. We are really pleased with the school and what she's been learning that we enrolled her for next fall in the preschool program. Ayla has also found a love for coloring and is very focused on each masterpiece she works on.

We are also please to announce that after 3 - that's right 3, T.H.R.E.E., uno, dos, TRES -months of potty training Ayla is officially trained!!! No more pull-ups (except for nighttime)! So yesterday we made a family trip to my favorite store Target and bought "big girl" underwear in every character they had. Mission complete. Whew!!!

This month Holden turned 7 months. I just can't believe how fast time has gone. He's now weighing 20 and a half pounds and is 28 inches long. And just when I thought he couldn't stuff his face anymore with food he decides that he wants two more 8oz bottles a day. That makes it about 40oz of formula plus 3 jars of baby food! I'm thinking possible growth spurt??? And it clearly explains why he still can't roll himself over. But I have to admit there's nothing cuter than a healthy chunky baby. Holden is definitely starting the teething process, with him putting whatever he can get his hands on and placing them in his mouth. However it hasn't dampened his joyful spirit. The kid smiles all the time and just enjoys life.

I hate to end things on a sad note but I had found out last Wednesday that I had lost the baby. I went in for my 12 week appointment and my doctor failed to find a heartbeat with the doppler. So we ended up doing an ultrasound and it confirmed that I had lost the baby around 9 weeks. I was truly heartbroken and shocked. And the next day I had to have surgery to remove the pregnancy and to my surprise the surgery went a lot better than I had expected. Steve and I have come to terms with this and agree that everything happens for a reason and that my body just wasn't ready. It has made the love we have for Ayla and Holden that much stronger and we feel so very blessed to have two healthy, beautiful and amazing kids. We don't know what the future holds but right now we are going to enjoy our little family and maybe one day we will welcome another baby into our lives.