Great Giveaway!

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Go check out Carey's cool giveaway!

www.providence-carey.blogspot.com

Wits End1

In my last post I talked about how Natalie has learned some new words....one of them being NO NO NO! Well since then its like she has lost her mind! Before this she wasn't neccesarily an angel child, but if I asked her to do something...like bring me that, or come here....she would mostly obey me. WEELLL not anymore. She has turned into a completely defiant child. Right after she had be in the ER for a high fever I started to think the fever had effected her hearing. I would call her, then yell her name, and wave my hands...NOTHING! I was convinced she had gone deaf from the fever and all hope was lost! Nope....she was just ignoring me.

Case in point....the ball park last night.

My little sister and niece are now playing softball and because we are such a closenit family we are trying to make it to all of the games.

We start out in the stroller. That doesn't last very long because Natalie loves to explore! If we are in the mall or at the zoo or something and she has to sit in the stroller for a while she doesn't mind it. However, she is not real keen on just sitting still. So I let her out....yea I know....dumb

She was ok for a while, playing right beside me...but then she just went crazy. Running everywhere and not listening! Then when my niece Ava was sitting in Natty's stroller, she went up to her and started hitting her to make her get up. AND THEN started digging her fingernails and scratching her legs! I had had it and sorta popped her on the diaper....in front of people. Now it didn't effect her much because she is the devil child and she DOES WHAT SHE WANTS THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! But I was so embarrassed! I know you shouldn't spank but it was like she had lost her mind!

Anyway! I don't like this stage and I can't wait for her to gain a little more awareness so she isn't so MEAN! I am just so frustrated with her behavior and actions I can't even tell you. I still love her and she is so sweet and has started "double-arm" hugging but something has to give!!!! So for now I just take deep breaths and try not to be a bad mother...but its REALLY HARD! This too shall pass....I HOPE!

Being Silly with Daddy

The NO look

Look Who's Talking Now!

OK don't fuss at me! I know its been awhile since I posted! I can't help it! In the last couple of months I have nearly lost my mind with work! Two work trips with teenagers and 4-H Achivement Day have come and gone and I am WHOOPED! I had to take half a day off just to clean my house!!!! Anyway...on to the point of this post!

We went through a tough week last week! After Ava's fabulous 3rd birthday....we had to take Natalie to the hospital because she had spiked a fever! Now I am not one to run to the ER but 104 fever and a pretty much lethargic child sent me running! Turns out she was ok...it was just strep but it was scary nonetheless! She felt pretty down the whole week but we were looking forward to a weekend visit from Nanna and Papa and she was fully recovered by the weekend! So now onto the big NEWS!

My child has learned how to talk!

Well....she says words...how about we go with that! Haha! She has been saying things like Dada, Mama, Dada, Dada, Dada, Ball, you know...the basics. I have really been trying to get her to say more but being a Becnel...she is a little stubborn and well....turdish sometimes! But as of Sunday she started saying more words and I was SO excited!

Well until she started using those words! Words like NO and STOP and BAD! Now its really cute when she walks over to Steven and says...BAD DADA and swats at him....but its not so cute when I am trying to change her diaper or her clothes and she is screaming STOP STOP NO NO! Its even LESS CUTE when she an unidentified something in her mouth and when I tackle her to get it out she clamps her gums shut and yells NOO NOOO NOOO!

Anyway I know this is just part of motherhood and when we are sitting on the couch at night watching Dancing With The Stars with her in my lap, fresh out of her bath, in her jammies....it makes it all ok! Until she slaps me and says NO NO! Oh I love her :)

No pictures this time because I am horrible about taking pictures! But I will post some soon I promise!

Its "Potty" Time

Well....little Miss Natalie was officially introduced to the POTTY this weekend. I had noticed for the last couple of weeks that she had been really interested in all "areas" of that nature. So I did a little research and discovered that there are a lot of kids out there who are potty trained by 18 months! WHO KNEW! I thought I had at LEAST 1.5 more years of diapers. Well....I still might....but I am getting ahead of myself!

Anyway! After reading lots of online reviews (YES on potty chairs...I know I am a nerd!) I decided on this one. Its seemed cute and likeable and small enough for little tiny hiney. when we got to Wal-Mart I set her on it just to make sure it didn't swallow her...and it was a perfect fit! Well....long story short Natalie threw an epic fit when I took her off of it! EPIC! Threw her new ball down the baby food aisle and SCREAMED. Yes folks...I was that parent who everyone looks at like you just beat your child in the face! Because my discipline skills are EXCELLENT....I decided to leave the ball there and she couldn't have it because she was being a butt. Steven late made me get it because...after all she is only one and really doesn't know the difference if I get her the ball or not!

Skip to Saturday morning where we did our usual routine of milk in the bed with Mama and Daddy and then we tried the potty. A double success on the first try! I won't get graphic so don't worry! Immediatly Natalie reaches over reaching for a magazine....what? Yea she reached for a magazine and proceeds to sit on the potty for a few more minutes pretending to read the dang thing! Hmmmm....I wonder where she picked that one up! Sigh...the child is too smart!

All day Saturday Natalie was a champion pottier and loved it! Everytime I suggested the potty she took a flying leap towards the bathroom! I have to admit putting a diaper on standing up is not ideal but hey....pull ups are expensive and I think its a little soon for that anyway!

Needless to say we are not pushing the potty. We have no reason to really. We are simply introducing the potty to Natalie in hopes that her stubborn streak doesn't hit at 2 and she decides that isn't going to use a potty because SHE DOESN'T FEEL LIKE IT! I think that it will be at least a few months before there is a real habit formed but HEY...at least she likes the potty.

I am very proud of my sweet girl and hopefully in a few months I will be posting an official POTTY TRAINED post!

Until next time...May your magazines be interesting and Happy Pottying!

Cool Blog Giveaway

I know nobody reads this blog but I wanted to help out so I am posting a link to a really awsome giveaway at a another cool blog ;) Click here to look at the Kitchen Bellicious blog and then go participate in the giveaway! The jewelry is really awsome! Its by Lisa Lenoard and I love it!

Go check out Jessica's blog and enter for the cool jewelry giveaway!

...and I thought the first year was the hardest!

Since Natalie started walking I have been in non-stop NO mode. The child has a curiocity that would rival any cat you would come across! She apparently feels the needs to touch, smell, and taste everything on this planet! I prayed for a smart child when I was pregnant and BOY did I get what I asked for. She is also a little bit of a bully. Natalie is a tad bit of a biter and and hits and pulls hair. Its a little disturbing to see your sweet little cuddly baby go after one of her cousins with such force! Maybe she is just defending herself (since she is the smallest one) but I think that she is just so frustrated that she can't make anyone understand what she wants that she lashes out.

I am trying to nip this situation in the bud, but thus far a gentle, "No-No Natty thats not very nice" is not cutting it! I have decided to take more serious action that would maybe be reserved for an older child....I don't want her to be "that" kid who nobody wants to play with because she is such a BEAST!

On a lighter note...its almost like I can see her getting bigger by the minute. She is really communicating a lot more than she used to! I say communicating because she isn't really saying actual words....more like made up words that make no sense. I know in time this will turn into english but its fun to watch her learn and see that light bulb go off when she figures out how to do things!

She is practically RUNNING around now. She loves to get down and walk into a store or restaurant. She thinks she is big stuff to be able to do it herself! We have a small issue with her foot though. Her left foot turns out to the side. This is nothing new since my feet turn out and so do my dad's but she does trip A LOT....onto her face! I am convinced she won't have any baby teeth to lose when she is five if she keeps this up!

As much as I get frustrated with her and want to pull my OWN hair out some days...I usually have a funny story or two to tell her Papa at the end of the day! And when its time for bed and she is laying in my lap smelling good from her bath, warm in her jammies, drifting off to sleep, all of those frustrations and aggrevations go away and I am left with my sweet snuggly baby who can do no wrong.....until she wakes up rearing to go the next morning....the little turd :)

She loves the bathtub so much she can't wait!

She loves to brush her teeth...she insists on doing it herself though!

I love this kid!

A Very Merry Fortenberry Christmas

The Becnels' decided to trek once agin to North Louisiana for the Fortenberry Christmas party. I would just like to say that Natalie travels quite well...she sleeps most of the time and if you give her a sippy cup of milk she is pretty satisfied. Steven, however, does not travel well and usually abandons me for a nap and is grumpy that I won't let him listen to football on the radio. If Natalie starts fussing he tells her to "Quiet down" in his loud booming voice which usually makes it worse! I love him for his efforts though :)

Steven - always thrilled to be there!

Natalie is ALWAYS happy to be here!

We went up on a Friday, much to Nanna and Papa's delight! We spent that evening attempting to make treats for the party the next day. I found out that I am NOT a baker for numerous reasons...example...I have no patience. However the good thing about baking is that even if its ugly most of the time it still tastes good! We traveled to Transylvania, LA (yes there is such a place, and yes there is a bat on their water tower!) for the Christmas celebration. I was personally looking forward to Aunt Debbie's shrimp dip as well as the bruschetta that my mom was making. We were also having a little birthday party for Natalie since my dad couldn't be at Natalie's actual birthday party. We ate, we visited, we opened some gifts, and Natalie got mad when I took the little smash cake away from her (who wants to clean up yellow icing baby throw up? NOT this woman!)

Natalie's Smash Cake Before the smashing commenced

Natalie's Birthday cake for the day!

After everything my cousin Katie Grady took Natalie outside and did a little photo shoot with her! The pictures turned out so great! If anyone in the Tallulah/Lake Providence area needs a photographer she is your girl!

We had a great day that day full of shrimp dip and gumbo and it really got us in the spirit for the holidays!

After that we went to Monroe to try to catch a quick dinner....little did we know that was the plan for everyone else within a 100 mile radius! We finally got a table...had a crappy/expensive dinner and Mama and I went shopping while everyone else went home to watch the Saints Game!

We headed home the next day a little tired, a little queasy (probably from all of the junk the day before), and a little cranky! By golly we were in the Christmas spirit though!