Potty Training!

Kalista is {for the most part} potty trained.

before beginning this adventure I read three different books about potty training, then I chose the one that I thought would work best for Kali.

I was so incredibly nervous to start this.

My plan at first was to potty train her before Hayleigh was born. However after talking to a few different people, I was discouraged from doing so. Almost everyone said it would cause regression..which totally makes sense.  So I waited.

My doctor told me also that I would be able to tell when she was ready and that there would be a small time frame when she was ready, that would make the process easy. He said that if we missed it, it would make it about 10x harder. I started noticing signs that she was ready a few weeks before Hayleigh was born but I obviously wanted to wait until after, so I did.

we went shopping for everything the day before we started and I made sure to make it a huge deal with Kali, so that she would be excited about doing it. Obviously she was because once we got home she has a lot of fun playing with her toilet seat, "big girl wipes" and underwear! 

Haha

She caught on so quickly the first day! 

After only three hours, she understood how to tell when she needed to go.

Playing with the prize she got after telling me she needed to go and going in the potty without having an accident.

getting ready for the splash pad after not having an accident for a whole day!

 playing with her sister on day 2

I was so nervous about doing this...and I totally should have been!
She did really well at first...then randomly regressed for like 2 weeks.

It was extremely discouraging.
Now we are to the point where she does so awesome at home, but when we go out for longer than a few hours, she as an accident.

This has been the hardest thing. Seriously.
And if I could do it over, I would have done it before Hayleigh was born.
I don't know about you...but I would much rather deal with Regression (which she did anyway) than having to deal with trying to nurse, wipe her behind,  praise Kali and keep Hayleigh happy all at once. It was HARD!!

I'm so happy we're {hopefully} through the hardest part of this process!


*I wrote this whole thing on my phone...so sorry if there's any errors!!

New Job

Our lives have been so crazy these last couple of weeks.

It all started a couple of months ago though. 

Tyson had been contemplating about whether or not being in the HVAC business was really something he wanted to do as a career or not.

He went back and forth A LOT. 

He talked about multiple different things and just couldn't decide.

One day though we were talking about it and we came to conclusion number one:

Whether he wants to go back to school to do something else,

or stay in Refrigeration and hopefully one day maybe start his own business,

he needed to make more money.

What he was making at the time, met our needs EXACTLY.

We weren't struggling to pay our bills,

but we also weren't making enough to put really anything in savings...and that's if he was working overtime EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK.

I would get frustrated because there would be times where I'd see him maybe 4 hours in a WEEK,

yet the money he was making would go right towards bills and we wouldn't get to have any to save or play with.  My husband needs a break man!!!

Also, if he wanted to go back to school, he wouldn't be able to work overtime which would mean we'd need a way to make up for the difference in income.

So after a lot of talking about it,

we decided that him finding another job that paid him better would be best.

Incredibly (but not surprisingly. My husband is kind of amazing.)

the first place he went to, he got and interview and the job right on the spot.

Not only that but the pay was significantly higher.

He wouldn't have to work overtime and we would STILL have money to put in savings.

we are so excited!

Unfortunately,

his current employer didn't respond to him in the way he'd hoped.

He really wanted to maintain a good relationship with them because they taught him so much.

He really appreciated all he'd learned from them, but when it came down to it, he needed more money.  His current employer wasn't willing to provide that so he had to find someone that would.  It was honestly a nightmare getting away from that job.  They did some pretty shady and unprofessional things to him which ended up with him deciding to leave that job earlier than he'd planned.

Honestly,

he didn't deserve to be treated the way they were treating him simply because he was leaving.  It wasn't anything personal towards them...he's just trying to make an honest living! 

So he went a whole week without work while his new job got everything together for him...which drove him crazy. haha 

He could not wait to go back to work.

His first day was yesterday and he came home in the best mood he's ever been in after work.

He LOVES this new job.  

We are SO excited for this new opportunity and I'm so so grateful for a husband that would do anything to provide for his family. He really is the hardest worker.  I love him so much!!

Kalista's 2 year Pictures and Hayleighs newborn

I know it takes me forEVER to post anything

but,

Better late than never

Kalista's 2 year pictures:

I'm two!

Hayleigh's Newborns:

Sisters <3

Photos done my Elicia Launi photography.  She's my roomate from utah state and she's amazing!! Thank you so much Elicia! Both sessions were extremely difficult and I'm amazed at how many good ones you were able to get. 

That's talent. seriously.

Hayleigh's birth pictures

Some pictures may be offensive.

So viewer discretion is advised ;)

Getting the epidural

My dad thinks he's funny

saying bye to her Dad while she goes to wait in the waiting room as I get ready to push

 

In the waiting area...

Looking at pictures of her new sister!

Playing with Opa

Being told it's time to go meet her new sister

I really couldn't help posting this picture. Kali's face melts me.

She was so excited!