preschool?!?!

E with her new backpack and Sebastian the crab (who came along for the ride).

It wasn't supposed to happen until next fall.  But upon touring a preschool, we found out they had an opening left in their lower campus for kids 2-3 years old.  And after seeing Ella light up at all the activities the school had to offer, we decided to enroll her.

So now, I am a parent to a preschooler.  How did we get here so soon?  I'm completely not ready and am pretty emotional about this, despite the fact that it's only twice a week for 2 1/2 hours each day.  But I've never left her in the care of anyone besides our immediate family.  So I'm a wreck about it, but trying to stay upbeat and cheerful so that Ella doesn't pick up on my anxiety.

This post is late in coming because we left for a trip to Seattle the day after her first day.  I decided to stay with her during that day because we would be gone another week before her next class, and I wasn't ready for the tearful separation.  I thought she did pretty well, and started to feel like I could just drop her off next time, until we moved rooms to start other activities and she refused to go without me.  I realized I was going to have to take a different approach, but the idea of her crying for me in the presence of strangers is too hard for me to swallow.  I think I'll have to do a slow ease vs. ripping the bandaid off, but who knows.  I can never say never when it comes to parenting, and a week from now I might be talking about how I walked out the door leaving a bawling child behind.

Parenting sucks sometimes.

But then I think about all the growing she'll do at school, and from being independent from me.  Ella is a timid child and incredibly shy around strangers.  With family and friends she's an outgoing ham.  But she's quiet and an observer--much like I was as a child.  So I sympathize with her.  And I try not to project my insecurities and my childhood struggles onto her.  She is her own person.  She will learn to carve her own way.  She will be okay.

It still doesn't make the prospect of her crying easier for me to digest.  And it hasn't even come to that yet.

While staying with her at school I immediately started to judge the other kids.  I mentally willed her to befriend the "nice" kids, you know, the quieter ones that were like her.  I quickly dismissed the loud little girl who started to climb the bookcase and boss people around.  And the little boy who hissed at other children who came too close to him and stomped around taking things just sent me into mama bear mode.  But I know that while I can fight Ella's battles now, I won't be able to do it later.  It might just be about a plastic cupcake or a tonka truck right now, but eventually the battles with become bigger and more significant.  I know I need to prepare my child for the road ahead and not the road for my child.  For her sake, I need to step back and trust in her.

Again, parenting sucks sometimes.

But tonight at dinner, out of nowhere, E says that she likes preschool.  And I hope she really means it.  Because this is a journey we have committed to.  And this is a journey that will challenge us and change us.  Not to sound melodramatic or anything; it's just that I thought I had another year to come to terms with the fact that my little baby girl really isn't a baby anymore.  Yep, and this is just preschool.  I'm in for quite a ride...

Happy Birthday, Babycakes!

Ella turned two yesterday and we celebrated over the weekend with an Olivia-themed birthday party.  I had initially planned for a small gathering, but it quickly turned into quite the event.  She loved all the celebrating (well, maybe except for the part where everyone surrounded her to sing "Happy Birthday"), and it made me so happy to see her enjoy all the festivities.  (Pictures coming in the next post.)

I can't believe I'm the mother of a two-year-old.  It has gone by so fast, yet I look back and see how far we've come from her newborn days.  I'm sure all moms feel this way, and that I'll get all nostalgic and sentimental with every birthday we celebrate.  I am just amazed at this little girl just growing leaps and bounds before my eyes.  She is talking so much these days, learning new words and showing new interests.  What gets me most is how good her memory is.  She can tell me where everyone sat on our couch when we had family over for Easter.  She still remembers how she cried "again! again!" after every ride at Disneyland.  She can identify the different places around our home that she fell (even months ago) and who comforted her.  Today at lunch, we were in a restaurant that we've only been to a couple times before.  She pointed to the table we had sat at previously and told me about where each of us sat.  We definitely have to watch ourselves around this little sponge, who holds on to everything!

At two Ella is singing and dancing and talking and running around.  She loves bouncing on the yoga ball while singing "Old MacDonald" and dancing with her pom poms.  She "calls" her puo-puo on the fake phone in her kitchen, and bathes her dolls and animals.  She loves to gallop her horses around the coffee table and make tea for us (and makes sure to add milk upon request).  She always asks to out outside to draw with chalk or blow bubbles or splash in the pool.  She herds the pugs around the kitchen, sneaks them snacks, and tries to give them hugs and kisses.  She's a good eater, and will try pretty much everything.  Her favorite foods are ice cream, noodles (ramen especially), grilled cheese sandwiches, oatmeal, raisins, and jello (which she has to say twice--jello, jello!).

She's a creature of habit and can basically walk anyone through her daily routine.  She loves stickers and painting and getting stamps on her hand.  She's fallen in love with Olivia, Minnie Mouse, and Ariel (or her music, at least).  When she wakes up in the morning, she pulls books into her crib and reads to herself or sings songs while kicking her feet up in the air.  She reads books to her baby brother, gives him kisses, and asks to pose for pictures with him.  She draws Mia wherever she can.  She makes sure Adam gives us all kisses before he leaves for work. She gets her own bib and pushes her high chair up to the table for every meal.  She says "no, thank you" (which makes me feel like I'm doing something right).  She also puts herself in time out (we're working on that).  She prays for her family every night.

She's still quiet and timid when around strangers.  But she's boisterous and outgoing with those she trusts.  She loves to laugh and is just the silliest kid I've ever met.  What gets me... really makes my heart overflow... is when she says "Jesus luv" every night before heading to bed.  It's her way of reminding us that Jesus loves us, and it humbles me to see the purity in her words.

Today we went to her 2 year well visit.  We prepped her for what would happen (she's not fond of going to the doctor), how the pediatrician would check her ears, look into her mouth, and listen to her heartbeat.  She did fantastic, which reinforces how much she's matured.  There were minimal tears, with the help of Minnie Mouse getting examined first, and some gummy bears.  She even asked the doctor for bubbles (and she promptly obliged).  She is 23 lbs. 3 oz. and 32.5" tall.  She's still petite but growing steadily.  After the appointment, we had a mother-daughter day and had ramen for lunch, followed by ice cream.  I got a chance to just sit and enjoy my baby girl, watch her eat her noodles, cleaning up the ones that fell from her bowl as she ate, and wiping her hands, mouth, and eating area down after.  She's just this little independent person and I was reminded (yet again) how incredibly blessed I am to be her mother.

Happy Birthday, Babycakes. 

My Little Girl

My final post for now is just one with a few pictures of Ella.  I've said it again and again--I can't believe how quickly she's growing up.  I feel like once she turned one, she took off.  She's this little girl now.  She's funny and charming and opinionated.  She has so much personality.  She never ceases to amaze me.  As she's learning to say more and more words, and finding different ways to express herself, I am just overwhelmed with pride at how she's developing into this person all her own.  I'm sure every mom feels this way, but as much as I dread the tantrum-y toddler years, I am loving this moment in her life.  It's just so unique.  She has learned to say "I love you" and give hugs and kisses.  She is so affectionate and kind and compassionate.  I just can't believe I get to be a part of her journey.  Feeling so truly blessed.

She loves to grab a purse/bag/tote and pretend to leave the house.  She'll come give me a kiss and say "bye!" as she walks to the door...just like her dad does every morning.  Melts my heart every time.

I also love watching her eat her breakfast every morning.  She's just so content sitting at the table and feeding herself while I get things started for the day.

She's also super helpful and very excited that her baby brother will be joining us soon.  Here she is helping Dad put together some drawers for the new nursery. 

My most recent picture of her (from this week).  Ella started going to a class at the Kidspace museum with her Grandma.  I thought it would be a nice time for her to share with Grandma, especially with a new baby brother on the way.  She loves the class and is super excited every time Grandma comes to pick her up.  Here she is insisting on carrying her own lunchbox.

Waaaaah!

Um, I thought I'd get at least a couple more months before toddlerhood makes a tantrum-filled appearance in our household.  I don't mean to exaggerate.  I'm sure the little crying bouts Ella has been having when she doesn't get her way are mild compared to a true toddler tantrum, but where has my little infant gone?  The sweet little baby that is always so mild-mannered?  My little snuggle bug that laughs and smiles and tells jokes (in her own way, of course)?

Now, when she keeps pointing to her snack cup and I don't give it to her because she's supposed to be eating breakfast, she freaks out.  Cries and points, cries and points.  "Don't you see, Mama?" she says, "I want puffs.RIGHT.NOW!  I'm pointing.  I'm telling you.  WHY AREN'T YOU GIVING THEM TO ME?"  Now, when I tell her "That's not for Ella," when she goes to grab the books off our bookshelf, she stiffens her body and makes a high-pitched squeal.  "But I WANT to tear the pages out!" she insists.  Now, when I lay her down to change her diaper, she kicks and rolls over, straightens her legs so I can't wrap the velcro around.  "I want to streak, Mama," she pleads.  "No, not the pants!  I don't WANT pants!"

I knew there would be a day when we would butt heads and have our "moments".  I knew she had inherited my stubbornness and insistence that she could do it best.  I saw a glimpse of that when she was determined to feed herself finger foods at six months instead of being spoon-fed the purees I made her.  She takes so much pride when she is able to accomplish a task.  I want to nurture her ability to make decisions for herself, to develop control over her impulses, and know her boundaries.  I refuse to take everything away just so she's not tempted to make the wrong decision.  After all, Remy needs his water bowl.  I like having curtains and pictures of our family on display.  There will always be canned food on the low shelf of our pantry, because it's always been that way.  We make accommodations for Ella's safety, of course, but at the end of the day, she needs to understand what is okay, and what isn't.  I'm a firm believer that children need to understand those invisible boundaries, so that they can apply them to their real-world experiences.  (But I digress.)

Even during those nights where she would cry and need to be rocked and held to sleep in the wee hours of the morning, I wasn't angry.  Tired, but never angry.  I knew she needed me, and it was my joy to be her comfort.  I knew one day I would get mad at her, even though it seemed impossible for me to feel that toward her at the time.  But now, as she nears her first birthday and a budding sense of independence, I start to feel the pangs of frustration and, yes, anger towards our inability to communicate with each other.  As she starts screaming in the restaurant because I can't give her (the too hot) noodles fast enough, I get a little... mad.  When she keeps throwing food on the floor to feed the pugs, I get a little... mad.

I am now faced with the reality of having to tell her "no" and wait out her little wails and cries because she can't understand why she can't have everything she wants.  I knew I would come to this point, I'm just sad that her infant days are over.  As she begins to explore and interact with the world around her, I realize the heavy task of teaching her right from wrong.  I know this is just the beginning of her pushing us, and us having to push back.  I know my mantra for the next few years will be that loving her means protecting her which means having to make the harder choices sometimes.  Thankfully, she is still very easy-going most of the time, so that I can still cherish these last few moments of an easily appeased (if not, distracted) baby.  This is parenthood, I know.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't daunted by what lays ahead.  But I am definitely grateful for this journey that we are all taking together.  I just hope it's one that's not too tantrum-filled.  

apart

(Let me preface this post with the fact that Adam and I basically do everything together.  We're that couple that goes to bed together at the same time, who like to be in the same room of the house whenever we're home, etcetera, etcetera.  It's gross and a little nauseating, but it's the truth.  So when one of us goes on vacation leaving the other alone, it's usually filled with lots of "I miss you"'s and "thinking of you"'s.)

Last week, Adam went to our cabin with a couple buddies of his for a guys' trip.  He doesn't often get to get away with his friends, so I knew it was a special and important trip for him.  But this is the first time that he's been gone while I have Ella here.  And lots of people do it all the time, but I've definitely realized how challenging it is to be by myself with a nine-month-old.  And while I stay home with her normally, it's still a big difference to be the only parent 24/7.  (My second preface should be that I am incredibly blessed to live near family, and am always just a phone call away from back up.  In fact, my mother-in-law was over every day to just give me a break and give Ella a change of scenery.  It's just... different.)

We started going out for breakfast.  Ella's new favorite activity is eating a blueberry bagel while people watching.

The weather finally warmed up, and the sunshine brought us to Grandma's where we enjoyed the beautiful weather in her new backyard.

So with Adam gone, everything just happened.  (Of course it did!)  Ella caught my cold and it soon became the battle against the nose (of course).  I swear I felt like I was just constantly covered in her snot.  Not pretty, but the poor thing got really congested and would just wake up every morning crusty.  Then I got food poisoning, which struck me at two in the morning (of course), and left me about to pass out in my bathroom.  And then Ella decided to start waking up at three or four in the morning in want of a snuggle (of course), and without someone to keep me sane from trying to let her soothe herself to sleep, I caved (of course) and brought her into bed with me.

Nursing her cold, Ella tried to nap as much as possible.

Snuggling on the couch is an excellent cold remedy.

Not the best picture, but here she is bright-eyed one morning after crying her way into bed with me.

I think what we missed most was having Adam home during bath time and bed time.  We have a little ritual we do as a family, and it just wasn't the same without him (plus, Dad gives way better baths than Mom does).

I don't "play" as much with her during bath time as Adam does.  But she was pretty content with her toys.

While it wasn't my favorite time having Adam gone, I think we fared pretty well.  I tried to keep us busy and fill Ella's day with different activities and made sure she got to see different faces.  Despite her cold, she was hamming it up and just being her wonderful, silly self--which definitely filled my days with joy and smiles.  We are definitely happy to have Adam home again, though we're glad he got a have a good trip with the guys!

She's gotten into putting things over her head and playing peek-a-boo with them.  She also loves being able to make you laugh.  We had a ball during this exchange.

Then she decided she was going to try to share Remy's bone.

Ella has learned to share, and will often offer you her food or toys (whether or not she actually gives them to you is another story).  We think it's sweet.

She fell asleep eating, and I couldn't resist another picture.  She actually kept opening her mouth of me to put food in, even though she was asleep.  My kind of girl!

Again, enjoying her bagel during breakfast at Grandma's one morning.  She ate the whole chunk (much to Remy's chagrin)!

broken

I didn't really know how to go about posting this.  Perhaps it's because I'm embarrassed to share it.  But there is no hiding it.  I have a constant reminder of my mistake.

Yep, that's a little cast.  On my baby's leg.  Ella fell off the changing table last week.  I was dressing her, decided I wanted to change the sweater I was putting on her, and a second later, she was on the floor.  Plop.  Like a watermelon rolling off the counter.  Her life flashed before my eyes.  I scooped her up, held her close, and just kept apologizing for my lapse in parenting.  Tears, doctor's visits, multiple x-rays, and a leg cast later, she's the bravest baby I know.  It was a pretty traumatic experience for us all, and I still have that vision of her falling seared into my head.  But I am grateful that she'll be okay and that it was the best case scenario, considering all that happened (and could have happened).

As a parent, my motto has become, "never say never."  Before Ella, I had all these preconceived notions about motherhood.  "I will never sleep in bed with my child."  "I will never buy a bunch of baby stuff that we'll never need."  "I will never let my baby fall off a changing table."  (Ha!)

I am completely humbled.  Every time I look at that cast, I am reminded of how I just can't be everywhere and everything to her.  I consider myself a pretty good mom.  I know all her cries, I make all her food, and I anticipate all her needs.  But despite all my efforts, I cannot protect her from everything.  Yes, it was my decision to move away from the changing table.  Yes, it was my mistake.  (One I will always regret.)  But at the same time, this has taught me that while I can be super mom, I'll never be able to protect and love her the way God does.  He is everywhere and everything.  He ultimately is in control.  And for that, I am eternally grateful.

I totally thought I broke her.  I mean, she did break her femur.  But I thought I had ruined my perfect, beautiful baby.  But she's resilient.  We all are.  I just have to trust that no matter what happens to her, today, tomorrow, and years from now, that God's got her in the palm of His hand.  He'll be her cast.

Getting some fresh air after having the cast put on by the orthopedist. 

Still sitting tall.

Still able to roll over, cast and all.

Still happy as a clam.

Leaps and Bounds

I know I keep saying this, but I can't believe how fast Ella is growing.  Every day is something new and I love experiencing it all with her.  She's been playing more with her toys and really taking an interest in interacting with them.  Here she is cuddling, grabbing and eating her alligator.

During the last few weeks, Ella's been going through another developmental leap, which has made her clingy, cranky and restless.  She's generally a really good baby, so when she makes a leap, we really notice her change in behavior.  The most obvious challenge has been her waking in the middle of night and being difficult to console back to sleep.  Having a baby who normally sleeps 10-12 hours straight through the night but then starts waking up crying at 3 am has been challenging.  I know we're pretty spoiled with a good sleeper, but it's still difficult nonetheless.  We started putting her back into her co-sleeper by our bed when she wakes in the middle of the night so we both could get some sleep, and sometimes we had to pull her into bed with us.  I've noticed how differently she sleeps now, signifying how much she's grown.  I used to have to cradle her in my arms while we slept, but now she just lays on the mattress and snuggles up on us.  She'll reach her hand out to feel us there and fall asleep next to us.  While I was pregnant, I swore I'd never sleep with her in bed with us, but parenthood makes you do a lot of "take-backs" and this has been one of them.  She's been a cuddlier since she was a newborn and it's been a bit of a challenge not to indulge her all the time.

Sleeping in one morning in our bed.

THANKFULLY, her leap is coming to an end, and she's been back in her crib, sleeping through the night, for the past three days.  It's been so wonderful waking up to find her still sound asleep in her crib and getting our room back!  I really recommend "The Wonder Weeks" for new parents because it helps to know the reason for the changes in behavior in your infant.  Knowing what to expect and understanding why Ella is acting a certain way has helped us be more confident parents.  So far, she's been pretty on schedule with her leaps, and it's just nice to have some insight in how she's growing.  The leaps are rough (and getting rougher) but it's amazing to watch her develop new skills.  That being said, I'm more than happy to enjoy this upswing until she hits her next leap.

But It's Not Morning Yet!

Ella is usually a great nighttime sleeper.  (Napping?  Not so much.)  But we've found that after every round of vaccinations, she has a week of interrupted sleep.  These past three nights she's been waking at around 3 am.  I guess I've been pretty spoiled having her sleep through the night so early, but it's been rough having to wake up again.  I'm walking the tightrope between comforting her while she adjusts to whatever's happening in her little body and allowing her to learn to soothe herself back to sleep.  Usually she just rolls over, sucks her hand, and talks herself to sleep again.  But the past few nights she's been crying and wanting to nurse.  I'm really crossing my fingers that it's a result of her shots, because then I know she'll fall into her old routine again.  Usually her sleep gets disrupted a couple nights after her doctor's visit, but this time around, it didn't start until Saturday night (five nights later).   I've read about the four month wakeful period, which, if that's the case, I'm in for a rude awakening (pun totally intended).  I never realized how obsessed you get with sleep when you're a parent (your sleep and your child's sleep).  I'm constantly trying to figure out ways to get her to nap consistently and for longer stretches, and every night is a game of "When Can We Catch Ella at the Right Moment to Start Her Bedtime Routine."  Aaah, parenthood.

Settling In

Ella is three weeks old now and I can finally say that we are getting used to having her here.  It's amazing how one little person can initiate so much change in our day-to-day lives.  My body is now adjusted to sleeping in a few hour chunks and we are starting to follow some sort of "routine" to make things feel more "normal" again.  Every day still sees many challenges and changes, but it's definitely a blessing to see our little one grow leaps and bounds in such a short period of time.  Here are some more pictures we took this past week. 

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Bath Time Fail Redux

Cranky Baby: 1, Successful Bath Time: 0

Our second attempt at a bath resulted in Ella throwing up all over herself and into her baby tub, and a crying, upset baby.  I had always imagined a blissful bath time where she's cooing in her tub, bathed in warm water and having a blast.  Well, replace that imagery with a baby flailing her limbs and crying so hard, she starts to turn purple.  Oh yes.  The humbling adventures of parenting.  I'm starting to think we'll only be giving sponge baths until she gets a bit bigger.  That, or we just live with a stinky baby.

Two Weeks, Fourteen Days, Zero Sleep

I can't believe it's been two weeks since we welcomed our baby girl.  Time has flown by, yet it feels like she's been here forever.  We are definitely still adjusting to parenthood (Does she really have to feed that much during the night?), and getting down some sort of routine throughout the day.  I think the pugs are also trying to adjust to this new member of the family.  Remy especially wants to be friends, constantly bringing her his toys and trying to sleep by her.  Mia just wants to get a good lick in, but keeps her distance (especially when the crying starts up).

I've never been so fixated on a person's eating, pooping and peeing before.  It feels like all we do is stare at her until some sort of bodily function happens.  I'm also learning what type of mom I want to be.  I know she's still so little and new, but already I'm thinking about sleep training and habits and all that comes with raising a little child.  It's all a bit overwhelming and sometimes I feel like I'm just trying to get through this feeding, but I look forward to some semblance of normalcy (whatever that is) once we gain more confidence in what we're doing.  We're all going by trial and error at this point, and I'm definitely thankful that while we will remember it all, Ella won't.  I am ever so grateful for that little piece of grace.

Group Nap

Getting ready for her first bath

Remy found a new snuggle friend

After a satisfying meal

Thank God for Dads

Happy Father's Day!! This year we definitely have an extra special reason to celebrate. I'm sure Adam would say the best Father's Day gift is the birth of his baby girl. This being his first official celebration of the holiday as a dad, I just wanted to say that he deserves every finger-painted card, construction paper tie, and cheesy "World's Greatest Dad" award that he will be bound to receive from Ella. I knew when I married him that he would be an awesome father. But seeing him with Ella has made me realize he is even more incredible than I had imagined him to be. He changes every diaper with a song, bounces with her on the yoga ball through sleepless nights, and adores every single noise and expression she makes. Throughout the entire pregnancy he was completely devoted to us. He cried when I cried during the labor and delivery, and seeing him hold his baby girl in his arms for the first time was like watching love manifest itself in the tiniest of gestures. Ella will always know how a man should treat a woman through her father's love.

So Happy Father's Day, Adam. This will surely be the first of many more to come. You are the love of my life and seeing you grow into your role as a dad makes me fall in love with you all over again. Ella is a very blessed little girl!

Child Rearing by Mia & Remy Holliday, P.U.G.

We have a little over 3 months left before the baby arrives before we officially become "parents," but for anyone who has dog(s) (especially for those who dress their dogs up in clothes), we know that the lessons of parenting started the minute those little tails began to wag.  We love our pugs, who are like children to us in so many ways, and this week they really schooled me in the art of parenting.

THE SITUATION: Mia is still recovering from her knee surgery and since being off the pain meds has started limping a lot and simply looking uncomfortable.  Remy doesn't remember she's still recovering from surgery (He can be so self-centered that way!) and continues to walk all over her, use her as a pillow, and instigate the bark-run-crash into the door routine the pugs love to play whenever someone comes through the door.

CASE #1 of Yassie's Mothering Skill:
Mia's a poop eater.  There.  I said it.  It embarrasses us all, and grosses us out even more.  But if Remy is feeling especially obnoxious, he will poop in the house, upstairs in my office, which he thinks is his personal bathroom.  If he poops, she will come.  So the earlier this week, I suspected he had to go after he made a beeline upstairs so I called him back down to take him out.  While out, Mia overcame her pain (driven so much by her love of poop) and ran upstairs.  With a bum knee.  Adam retrieved her (thankfully before the poop was ingested) and she's been limping ever since.  Pugs-1, Effective Mothering-0

CASE #2 of Yassie's Mothering Skill:
Grandma comes over and unlocks the side door to come in while the pugs are snuggled on the couch with me.  Remy hears the creak of the key being turned and instigates the bark-run-crash into the door routine.  Mia follows dutifully, except she crashes into the kitchen island.  Pugs 2, Effective Mothering-0

CASE #3 of Yassie's Mothering Skill:
Mia is staying at Grandma's for the day so she can rest and get a vacation from Remy.  Remy is acting all sweet and obedient and like the good dog he is when alone and without his sister.  I'm finishing up laundry, putting clothes away upstairs and he sits and waits nicely for me by the open kitchen gate.  I'm proud of his abilities to maintain boundaries.  Pugs-2, Effective Mothering-1

CASE #4 of Yassie's Mothering Skill:
I decide to do a thorough cleaning of their sleep spaces and wash their beds and bed linens so Mia can come home to a clean house.  Remy pees on the uncovered bed cushions while the cover is in the washer.  Pugs-3, Effective Mothering-1

CASE #5 of Yassie's Mothering Skill:
It's cleaning day and Remy is acting like a sweetheart and I get distracted on Facebook.  I look over and there he is, licking stainless steel cleaning off our fridge.  I consider if I have to call poison control and what I would tell them.  For some reason, "My pug just licked stainless steel cleaner off the fridge and I'm worried he may pass out" just seems like an awkward way to start a conversation.  Husbandly advice when I call him to tell him about the incident: Give him a piece of apple to wash it down.  Pugs-4, Effective Mothering-1 (barely)

So the lessons I've learned for when our baby girl arrives?
1. Make sure she's always wearing a diaper, otherwise Mia may eat her poop.
2. Keep her wrapped in bubble wrap so it doesn't hurt when the pugs run over her on the way to the door.
3. One child is always easier than two when trying to manage them and do chores.  And yay for boundaries!
4. Don't leave her unattended lest she be peed on my Remy.  At least, don't dress her up like a fluffy, white cushion to tempt him into peeing on her.
5. Don't let her lick the fridge.