Wally

Bella met Wally at a La Leche League meeting when they were both about 4 months old...and I think she has loved him from that day. Wally lives in a house that is on our way to just about everything. Whenever we drive by, she always exclaims "Wally's house!" (even if we're just in the vicinity). When he was on vacation in July, she was quite concerned and wanted to know where he was. He and his mom Sarah, who is a wonderful and mindful friend of mine, came over to our house for playtime last week. As you can see in the photos, Bella is clearly smitten with Wally.

*She would fall down on the ground and then say "Help! Help Wally!" And he would come help her up.
*Wally taught Bella (or tried) how to dance (see her on her tippy toes?) His mommy and daddy run Swing Des Moines, so he is off to a good start.
*They like to hug.

Like any relationship, they have their ups and downs. But they get over it and move on toward a bright future.

More photos here.

Little Girls

Last Friday, we had a wonderful time at playgroup (at the lake), and then at the library. After that, we went to lunch with Rebecca and Bianca at Ritual Cafe, and then went to their house for more playtime! It was a FULL day, but tons of fun. See more photos here (2nd half of photoset).

Friends Forever

Bella and her friend Bianca had a great time playing together today. They danced. They strolled. They laughed. They shared food. They peed in the potty together. Aaaaahhh....life as a 2 year old.

Click here to read the account of our day on my other blog...

Potty Learning

Today is a big day at our house. Bella has officially mastered the toilet. I don't like the words "potty trained". She's not a dog. She is a sweet little girl who has learned to control her bodily functions!

She has been wearing undies for about a month now...but we had been wearing a diaper at nighttime and at naps. But yesterday and today, we went with 100% undies and she did GREAT! Even overnight. We're so excited. She has an occasional accident, especially if she is at a park or playgroup. When you're having fun, why would you want to stop to run to the bathroom?! So,we bought a little "porta-potty" for the parks and for road trips. However, she likes to carry it around the house and use it there. In the photo, she is sitting at the top of our stairs, peeing and reading a brochure about Jazz in July.

Congratulations to Bella on her big accomplishment!