Molly's mirror

Molly got this fun taggies toy for Christmas. She has been mesmorized by the mirror the last couple of days!

Kick & Crawl Aquarium

Last night was BATH night. Both girls really enjoy there baths!!! It will be fun when Molly is old enough to take baths with her big sister. While I was giving the girls baths, Daddy was putting together the kick-and-crawl aquarium.....it was a HIT!!!! Both Molly.....and Kelly....enjoyed the new toy!

Molly hanging out on the kick-and-crawl play mat.

Molly smiling while looking up at her new toy.

Kelly showing Molly the ball that she is supposed to kick.

Big Sister Kelly close by.

Playdate with Helena

Today was another reward for Kelly for going on the potty! We gave her a few options of fun things to do, as a reward, instead of just going to McDonald's again. One of them was going to McDonald's and another was to have Helena (her cousin) come play at our house. We gave her other options too, but Kelly decided she wanted to go to McDonald's WITH HELENA! She is so cleaver. So, today was a playdate with Helena....it started at our house for a few hours and ended at McDonald's playland. Both girls had a lot of fun! It's nice that Kelly has a cousin that is only 6 weeks older than her and lives close by too! The girls were REALLY tired....both girls fell asleep in the car as we were taking Helena home!

Helena and Kelly having a tea party!

Helena and Kelly playing with etch-a-sketches

Taking a break from playing at McDonald's to eat in fun chairs!

Eating chicken nuggets and drinking chocolate milk!

Playdates are TIRING!

Kelly asleep in the car after taking Helena home.

Dippin' Dots!

My dippin' dots girl!!!!

I got Kelly's new swimsuit in the mail today from Gymboree. I had Gymbucks from my mom from the holidays and I used them to get Kelly a swimsuit (and accessories) and Molly a few clothes too.....since she is almost out of her 0-3 month clothes already!!! When Kelly saw the swimsuit, she immediately said my dippin' dots swimsuit. She LOVES dippin' dots ice cream....and anything that is polka dots....is dippin' dots to Kelly! Since it was blue and yellow (Wahlert's colors), I couldn't resist to get it.

Kelly modeling her new swimsuit, flip-flops, and sunglasses!
Kelly twirled, and twirled, and twirled like a balerina in her new suit.

Our family picture

Tonight we got our family picture taken. It was HARD WORK! Kelly did not want her picture taken at all.....and Molly either slept for half of the photo shoot or cried for the other half. Here is what we got....it turned out pretty good....except Molly is half asleep and looks a little uncomfortable and Kelly has a mark on her forehard and cheek from falling and being a typical 2 year old. Overall, it's pretty darn good though!!! I just went in, knowing that I was only going to buy the package of our family picture. Of course they took a million other pictures of the kids separate and together too. At the end of the photo shoot, they wanted to take a diaper shot of Molly.....so we did. Molly decided that would be FUN and smiled!!!! I couldn't resist and bought a couple sheets of that pose too!

Snyder family - Kelly (2 1/2 yrs.) & Molly (7 weeks)
Molly - 7 weeks ---- SMILING!!!

Potty training update

It's been 2 days now since our reward trip to McDonald's for Kelly going on the potty. Yesterday, Kelly went on the potty THREE MORE TIMES! YEAH! (We spent A LOT of time in the bathroom and sat on the potty about 20 times!) Today was a little bit different. The last two days we have been home all day. Kelly was either at Lynn's house, out and about running errands with Mommy, getting our family picture taken, or out for dinner in Dubuque....so we weren't able to focus on potty training as much. She did sit on the potty this morning and a bunch of times at Lynn's house too....but no luck! Here she is when we got home tonight at 8pm......AND KELLY WENT ON THE POTTY AGAIN!!!!

Kelly sitting on her potty.....with her Perkins balloon from dinner tonight close by.

Potty Training....WHAT A DAY!!!!

Potty training.....it's been a CRAZY day! We have been trying to potty train Kelly for a long time. I gave up a month or two before Molly was born because everyone told me if I gained anything in that month, I would lose it once Molly was born. Well, it's that time again. Brian and I decided we were going to focus on potty training today....when we were both home all day. We started this morning when she woke up. We put her "FUN" underwear on and told her not to get Dora wet. We asked her a million times if she had to go potty and she sat on the potty a few times too.....WE HAD NO LUCK!!!! Oh, and did I mention she had 5 (yes, five) accidents from 7am-noon! What a wonderful morning!!! (Needless to say our house smelled like urine and Brian is steam cleaning our carpets). Anyway, one of the reasons we decided to work on potty training today is because of Kelly's LOVE FOR MCDONALD'S! In Dyersville, McDonald's playland is CONVIENENTLY located where everytime we head to Dubuque, my daughter sees the playland and asks if she can go to McDonald's. So we decided to give her an incentive today....if she went pee-pee on the potty TWICE today, we would go to McDonald's for dinner. (She has NEVER gone on the potty twice in one day). Well, as of naptime, she didn't even go once, so we didn't think the chances of dinner at McDonald's were very good. Kelly woke up from her nap and we (yes, Kelly and I) sat on the potty for 15 minutes.........and it paid off, she went pee-pee at 5:15pm! That was once for the day. Brian and I didn't know what to do for dinner at that point!!! Kelly sat on the potty again at 6:15pm and we told her that if she went we would go to McDonald's, otherwise we were eating dinner at home. After 5 minutes, she went pee-pee again.......SO DINNER AT MCDONALD'S!!!! Before bed, Kelly even went pee-pee AGAIN!!!! YEAH.....3 times in one day!!! It was an extremely FRUSTRATING yet VERY REWARDING end to the day. We'll see what tomorrow brings....when I'm home alone with both kids. I guess we'll just have to keep coming up with GREAT INCENTIVES. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to pass them along. I still believe potty training is the HARDEST part of parenting so far!!!!

Kelly's FAVORITE meal

(Chicken nuggets with ranch, apple dippers, a few of mom's french fries, and chocolate milk!)

Kelly enjoying her "treat" - a hot fudge sundae!

Kelly reading to Molly

This morning was STORYTIME! Kelly decided to read to Molly.....but before reading time, she had to get them settled. Since Molly was on her "little" boppy, Kelly needed to get the "big" boppy for herself. She also needed to make sure Molly had her blanket, just like Kelly! Kelly has been such a great big sister....it will be fun when Molly starts to interact with Kelly!

Entertaining my sister!

Kelly was the little entertainer this morning! While Molly was hanging out in her little boppy....Kelly was right there next to her sister!

Playing with Grandma(s) & Papa(s) is SO MUCH FUN!

Kelly was a lucky little girl this weekend......she had two sets of grandparents come to our house! Both of them came, just to play with her and her new toys!!! On Saturday, my dad and Jackie came out for the day and on Sunday, my mom and Michael came out for the day. Both days were filled with a lot of playing time for Kelly. She showed them lots of her new toys! They all played with her two new games: Dora Candyland and Cranium Puppy Pals Bingo. We had a couple nice meals too....thanks to Grandma(s) & Papa(s)!!! Kelly loves when people come to our house....JUST TO PLAY WITH HER!!! :)

Here is Kelly playing Cranium Puppy Pals Bingo with Grandma and Papa Murray.

Two girls are so much fun!

Having two girls is so much fun! Kelly is such a great big sister!!! She always wants to be close to Molly....and she is always so gentle. Here she is laying next to Molly on the couch....I was on the other end of the couch. I can see my two girls being great friends someday! :)

Molly's blankie

For those of you who see Kelly on a regular basis, you know how ATTACHED she is to her purple blankie that Grandma Peggy made her. Well, Molly got a pink blankie from Grandma Peggy for Christmas that is almost exactly like Kelly's blanket. Kelly thinks that Molly needs to use this blankie (even though it's bigger than the normal blankets we use). Today Kelly insisted Molly lay on this blankie....so here is Molly on her quilt that Grandma made her on our couch this afternoon!

Kelly at Lynn's house

Kelly got to play with her FRIENDS this morning! It's been over a month (the day before Molly was born), since Kelly has been at Lynn's house. Most of you probably read in our Christmas letter how she has two GREAT friends....Sophia and Claire. She talks about them all the time...expecially Sophia!!! (Sophia is only a few days older than Kelly). The three of them play so well together. Kelly went to Lynn's house to play for a few hours this morning....and I got a FEW things done around the house.....Molly was awake for over two hours of the three hours Kelly was at Lynn's house! When I told Kelly she was going to get to play with her friends today, she said "Mommy, me ready to go play with friends, now!" I said we had to wait for Grandma and Grandpa to come up to sit with Molly while I drove her to Lynn's house. She was ready to go.....and sat in her carseat for 10 minutes before Grandma and Papa got to the house.....she wanted to GO, NOW! :) Needless to say, she had a great time....and Lynn said the three girls played wonderful together! She gets to go back on Thursday for part of the day too....and Kelly is already looking forward to it....when she left, she said "See you Thursday, we friends play!" Lynn had a Christmas present for Kelly...so when we got home, she got to open it! Hopefully, I'll get a picture of the three friends sometime soon that I can post on here.

Kelly opening her present from Lynn once we got home.

Kelly with her new present from Lynn....Cranium Puppy Pals Bingo!!!

Celebrating Daddy's birthday!!!

Tomorrow is Brian's birthday! Since Brian and I get to go out to eat tomorrow night by ourselves for his birthday, we celebrated tonight with his parents. Grandma Pat made a yummy german chocolate cake (half with chocolate frosting and half with coconut caramel frosting). Kelly LOVES birthdays.....especially when she gets to help blow out the candles!

Singing Happy Birthday to Daddy! Kelly knew, and sang, the entire song! :)

Kelly & Daddy blowing out the candles!

YEAH!!! Kelly was all excited when she helped Daddy blow out all the candles....except, Grandma had "trick" birthday candles...and they kept coming back!

Molly - 1 month

Molly was one month old yesterday! I can't believe how fast the last month has gone, with the holidays and having a newborn baby! Here is Molly with her lamb that she got from Uncle David for Christmas. I am going to try to take a picture with Molly and the lamb every month at home. (I didn't think to do this with Kelly until it was too late!)

Molly's birth announcement

Molly Ann Snyder's birth announcement!!!

New Year's Card

Our families New Year's Card....with Molly being born in December, I didn't get Christmas Cards out in time this year.

What a BIG helper!

Today, we spent the day in Dubuque.....Brian worked the Senior boys swim meet setting up and running the computers. After the meet was over, Brian and I were able to go to a movie....to celebrate Brian's birthday (which is Monday 1/5). It was wonderful to see a movie at the theater....we think it's been over a year since we have gone to a movie!!! Grandma and Papa Murray watched the girls. Molly needed a bottle while we were at the movie, and big sister Kelly was right there to help out! (It's the first time Kelly has seen Molly get a bottle as Molly has only had two prior to today). Kelly also helped Grandma make dessert too! Molly got to meet some of my aunts and uncles tonight after the movie....Nancy & Gary and Steve & Cathy. It was a nice day AND we really appreciate being able to have some time to go out as a couple too!!!

Kelly HELPING Grandma feed Molly a bottle for the first time!

Grandma & Kelly making truffle dessert (and it looks like Kelly was sampling it too!!!)

Go Hawkeyes!

New Year's morning started off cheering for the Iowa Hawkeyes! Iowa won the Outback Bowl 31-10!!! Kelly was a great cheerleader throughout the game! She said "Go Hawkeyes" about a million times!!!

Kelly cherring after Iowa scored!

Kelly watching the Iowa football game.....waiting for a "cheering" moment!