Baby Log: 1 Year and 46 Weeks Old

I bet you didn't know that I am a bicentennial baby. Born in 1976. If I make it to 100 years old, I wonder if I'll get a special invitation to the White House or something.

I have always loved Independence Day. I wanted to get Marlie some sparklers, but I realized too late that firework sales are banned within the city limits. We still had a wonderful 4th of July. We actually celebrated on Sunday by having some friends over for BBQ. Marlie played with their 18-month-old boy and tried to lure him into her pool (she's not afraid to make the first move...she gets that from her mama *wink*). We spent the actual holiday decompressing and spent some time at the park on the swings. It was a nice day.

Marlie took a giant leap in the potty learning department. She made a poop in the potty! I used the naked booty method and let her run around in her birthday suit with instructions to go sit on the pot when she had to go. It worked like a charm. Now, 15 minutes later she pooped in her nighttime diaper. So, there you have it.

Dora has invaded our home. It all started when Damon brought home some Dora products from a meeting he had with Nickelodeon. Marlie instantly fell for the little explorer. She sleeps with the Dora doll and Dora beach towel. We were at TJ Maxx and she pointed out every item that had a picture of Dora. I didn't realize Dora was so ubiquitous. 

Yesterday we went with Brian and Brandy of O' Baby Orlaith to the Genghis Khan exhibit at the Irving Arts Center. I was surprised at how much attention Marlie was paid to the pieces. She was enthralled with the mounted horse, and she wasn't scared of the life-size statues or the Princess Mummy. She especially enjoyed the musical performance.

As for moi...I am in full birthday party planning mode! Did you see my post yesterday asking for your assistance with Marlie's birthday attire? Please help me complete her outfit. I did a video chat on Skype for the first time! I talked to my best friend from college who I haven't seen in 2 year or more. What else? I just started reading The Help. It reminds me a lot of  The Color Purple. I also signed up with Pinterest after reading about it on Alternative Housewife and Determined To Be Fit. I was wary at first...was this another social media trend that would fall by the wayside? But I soon realized the genius of Pinterest. It's simply a tool to organize all of your wishlists, favorites, tags, and bookmarks, all in one place! You create board (or categories) for stuff and pin items to them. The first board I created was for all the stuff I wanted to purchase for Marlie's party. It's so convenient having all the products stored on one page instead of me having to remember where I saw them. I have invites if you want to join Pinterest too!