It's My Potty (and I'll cry if I want to)

Well, our baby is nearing the end of the diaper era. Yep, you guessed it, she has now officially started "The Training." We were at Bed, Bath and Beyond last Saturday to pick up a new bathroom scale for our Biggest Loser Pinochle Group challenge (don't ask if you don't really want to know) and Sydney spotted a child's potty seat, the kind that just sits on the regular toilet seat (but is smaller so they won't fall in as easily). She instantly picked one up and started saying "poo-poo" and holding it behind her little butt. So Brian and I looked at each other and said, "Why not?"

After purchase, Sydney kept saying "Home poo-poo", and we still had to run some errands and eat lunch. By the time we headed home, she remembered the seat and said it again. We excitedly tore open and assembled (placed on the toilet) her new Elmo and Ernie potty seat, and Sydney took off her pants and diaper and we went to work. After a few pictures and minutes had gone by, (drum roll please) - SUCCESS! Sydney pooped and peed. Boy, it doesn't take much to excite us these days.

Here's our big girl with her new seat.

And here she is for all the world to see, happily pooping away...

For those of you who didn't know, Sydney has intermittently been pooping in the big toilet for about a year, but only when we could see from her facial expression and body language that she was in the process of working "it" out. We would then whisk off her clothes and diaper and hustle her over the pot to do her business. Occasionally she would even pee a little as well. But now that we've got this amazing little piece of foam shaped like a toilet seat and covered with Sesame Street icons, Sydney is motivated more than ever. Since Saturday, she has tried to go in the big potty a dozen times, with success about a quarter of the time. Her reward? Mini marshmallows. Who knew.

In the meantime, due to the crazy winter-like weather here in the Northwest, we have been cooped up inside our house for the better part of the month. This makes us all go a little crazy, but we have tried to find activities to keep us busy and also out of each other's way. Ellie has been very tolerant of Sydney even though Sydney can be loud and grabby.

Here Sydney is feeling Ellie's soft ears. Note the "Get me out of here" look on Ellie's face.

Sydney got a hold of Brian's headphones.

Brian has been working hard to finish his Master's classes - this is his last semester before his field study this summer - and it is quite a challenge to keep Sydney away from him when he is trying to do his homework. Here Sydney is wedging herself behind him because, well, she likes being with him.

Sometimes for a study break, Brian breaks out Guitar Hero. Sydney loves watching him play. She also provides an added challenge to the game by being in the way.

Rock on, Baby!

Sydney loves hanging with Grandpa Jim!


And finally, we never cry over spilled milk - we just lick it up!

Carousels and Grandparents

Hold on, Grandpa Joe!

After lots of rain, winter-like temperatures, coughing, sneezing, blowing noses, snow showers, and a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Joe, we made it to Spring Break. Sydney had a good time bonding with her Arizona grandparents, although she was a bit clingy to Mama.  We think it's because we changed her routine of going to Grammy and Grandpa's when Mama left for work.  She seems to be mostly over the clinginess now.  Talk about exhausting!

Sydney has always had a fascination with zippers, buttons and snaps.  Here she is zipping and unzipping Grandma Joe.

Sydney loves her new bubble bath!

During one rare moment of sunshine, Sydney took Elmo and laid down in the warmth.

The highlight of Sydney's week (month? year?) was another trip to the Carousel at Jantzen Beach.  She rode it three times, with Baba, Grandpa Joe, and Grammy and Grandpa Jim.  The hardest part was waiting in line!

Baba and Sydney comin' around the bend.

Silly Grandpa Joe.

Hi, my adoring fans!

And finally, here's our diaper baby looking like she's up to something.  Innocent until proven guilty?

Thanks, Eas' Bunny! Bawk Bawk!

My dear friend Susan will be the only one who understands the title of this entry.

Anyway, Easter came and went with a sugar high. And although Sydney has been fighting a cold, she nonetheless indulged in all sorts of sweets for the first time. We set up a small egg hunt in our living room and after finding the first couple of eggs with help, she got the gist of it. She promptly opened each plastic egg upon discovery to see what was inside - goldfish, fruit treats, chocolate eggs, robin eggs, peeps, and a cheese puff or two.

Brian did a good job hiding the eggs.

Sydney tried her first marshmallow peep - a purple bunny.

Here's our pretty girl in her new Easter dress and shoes, courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa Joe. Note the purple smile from the marshmallow bunny peep.

Sydney admiring her eggs.

At Grammy and Grandpa's, Sydney got her first chocolate bunny. Boy, talk about love.

Finally, I think this is what is referred to as death by chocolate.

25 or Six to Four

Hello Sydney Blog Fans,

Does anybody really know what that song title means? I just picked it because Sydney is now 25 months old. Does anybody really care? About time??? Okay, enough of the Chicago lines.

Meanwhile, since her second birthday, Sydney has visited the pediatrician again and found out that she is 33 inches tall and 25 pounds! She got several more shots and was very brave for the whole ordeal - only crying momentarily. She also visited the dentist for the first time and was brave for most of the appointment. She has 18 teeth, and two more supposedly coming in on the top in back.

Here's our big girl on the swing at our neighborhood park. Look at those size 5 feet (nearly size 6!).

Sydney is slowly but surely building her vocabulary. She now parrots us all the time (watch what you say, people!) and babbles with meaning and conviction. Apparently she was paying attention when I was singing Old MacDonald to her one day, because Grammy and Grandpa reported that she was singing it at their house the next day.

She seems to be quite possessive - every other thing is "Sydney's" - but will share nearly everything. But don't you dare take away her ket-ket (blanket). If you take it, tears will come. Her new favorite snack is "cheese puffs", which she now clearly asks for often. She also still asks for High School Musical every day, but lately we have branched out and watched Toy Story. She now calls it Buzz.

Here Sydney is giving a welcome kiss to her new elephant, Horton. Note her other favorites on her Elmo couch with her: Ruff Ruff, Bullseye and her ket-ket. She is also wearing her favorite socks which she calls "dotdots" (due to the nonstick dots on the bottoms).

Meanwhile, this past weekend we got to meet cousin Diane from Nashville for the first time! We were only wary of her for about 20 seconds, and then by the end of the weekend we didn't want Diane to leave.

Here we are playing Night-night at Grammy and Grandpa's.

Here's our happy family with our new favorite cousin Diane!

Sydney really really liked Diane.

I mean, really really liked her!

And finally, for now, here's Sydney imitating Ellie licking her leg.

Fu Sisters Turn Two Together

Cake from  Costco - Lydia had them ice "Happy Birthday" in Chinese characters!

Since Sydney's birthday is two days after Fu sister Zanna's and 17 days before Maya's, we decided to celebrate together.  We held a small party at a Gymboree in Beaverton, OR which had a large room filled with play equipment.  The girls and their friends and family had some structured play with a Gymboree employee as well as free time inbetween activities.  Fun was had by all.

Sydney liked sliding, although her bare feet slowed her down a bit.

Here the girls and their moms help them bounce and roll off the log.  Left to right is Sydney, Zanna, Maya and her friend Mia.

Joanna and Zanna having barrels of fun...(insert rim shot)

Sydney loved shaking the maracas to the happy music...

...And of course she loved the mini bubbles!

Beware of flying monkeys!

Helpful girls putting the monkeys away.

Maya seemed to have the best positioning puffs to blow out the two candles.  Believe it or not, Sydney and Zanna are both puffing here too!

Maya enjoying the sugarfest.

Sydney: "Happy Birthday, Maya!"

Maya: "Don't touch my cake!"

Friends Mia and Maya.

Happy Zanna sitting still!

We had so much fun, we may do it again next year!

Super Sydney is Two!

Sydney checks out a card made by some of Brian's students. What, no money inside?



Hello out there, faithful blog-checkers. Apologies for the long span of time between posts. Understand that we are now the proud parents of a 24-month-old! Yikes! The time has flown by and we are almost in disbelief at this little milestone.

Here's the birthday girl, getting measured on her wall chart. Looks like she's about 33 inches tall. (No wonder she's reaching things we thought were safe...) She is also giving us her version of "two", with her ring and pinky fingers.


Our big girl enjoyed a nice loud dinner with Grammy and Grandpa and her proud parents at Red Robin, where she ate mac 'n cheese and had a nice hot fudge sundae. She had Grammy cackling, crying, and slapping the table with all her eating antics. She willingly shared her food with Ruff Ruff, smacking her lips and pretending to eat for him.



Say Cheese!


Sydney's spoon skills are getting better all the time!


She has recently developed a strong attachment to her Ruff Ruff and blanket, and will hardly go anywhere without them. Many a car ride will result in tears because she will fling Ruff Ruff or drop him and won't be able to reach him, and Mama or Baba can't either. Talk about heartbreaking.

Anyway, Sydney was a happy camper when we got home to one of her best presents yet - Elmo.


She doesn't watch a lot of TV due to her short attention span and our parental shielding, but she likes parts of Sesame Street and parts of some of the Playhouse Disney shows. But her attention span is off the charts when we put on High School Musical! It's quite the phenomenon. She calls it "Ha Co Cul" and actually requests it. She knows when Troy and Gabriela are breaking up and says "owie" while thumping her chest. She prefers the sequel to the original and even tells us to turn the first one "off" right before the last song. She will grab her baseball glove when the big baseball game song is on. And of course, she dances like a fiend whenever she hears the upbeat, peppy numbers.

But I digress. Back to the birthday. Here she is blowing out her candle and sharing cake with Elmo.



Sydney made it through her second year of life and is now going full speed ahead! Look out! (After she rests in her new Sesame Street sofa-sleeper, of course.)

Night night!