This blog post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.

The best time to learn is through playtime! I love watching my
children’s imaginations come alive when they interact with their toys. When
I can find engaging playsets from series they like to watch I am all about it!
The Netflix series Octonauts Above & Beyond has been on repeat at my
house. Who are the Octonauts? They are a team of
adventurers who explore the world’s oceans to rescue animals and save
their habitats.

Here is what my daughter, Winter has been enjoying playing with from
Octonauts:
OCTORAY TRANSFORMING PLAYSET
This playset is the headquarters for your figures Captain Barnacles, Giant
Panda, Chinese Sturgeon, and Chinese Giant Salamander. It lights up and
plays over 25 sounds plus it has wheels so you can drive it around. Winter
likes to pretend that it is the animals home and she puts them to bed for
the night!. She had a blast with this set and I love that it folds up nicely for
storage.
OCTOPOD PLAYSET
The Octopod is the perfect home for your Octocrew. Winter loves playing
with the figures and having them go down the slide. It also has a fun net
launcher. This is her favorite part because she likes to try and save the
animals with the net!
VEHICLE & FIGURE PACKS

Race to the rescue with the iconic Gup vehicles. It was cute watching
Winter fly the vehicles through the air and pretend to come and rescue the
animals. The packs come with a mission card, which reveals the mission
the Octonauts need to complete.

ADVENTURE PACKS
The adventure packs are great for recreating the different episodes of the
series. They include a Octonauts Figure, mini environment, animal, and a
mission card to complete a quest.

OCTONAUTS CREW PLUSH FIGURES
These plush figures are 8 inches and the perfect size to cuddle at night or
take along with you on all your daily adventures. They fit perfectly in
backpacks and are great for car trips too! You can collect all 4 plush
friends – Captain Barnacles, Kwazii, Peso, and Paani.

The Octonauts are now available at Walmart. Grab them today so you can
watch your children recreate their favorite episodes!

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Dermoplast 

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Sweet summer time with kids means lots of time outdoors to enjoy the sunshine, fresh air, and all the physical activities you can think of! My 4 children love to hike in the woods, ride their bikes, swim, play at the park, attend camp, run through the grass and explore all summer long. With all that time we spend outdoors you can bet we experience our fair share of bug bites, sunburn, cuts, and scrapes. It’s a necessity that I stay stocked on all the first aid essentials such as band aids, sun screen, bug spray, and antibacterial spray. To make my life easier I store all the first aid essentials in a large clear container in our upstairs hall closet. That way when one of the kids gets a bug bite, cut, scrap, or burn I can quickly grab what I need and help treat those unfortunate booboos. 

Dermoplast First Aid is a wonderful option to always have on hand for the family. It is a no touch spray that offers fast pain relief for cuts, scrapes, burns, sunburns, and insect bites. It kills 99.9% of germs and is safe for ages 2+. 

Dermoplast Pain, Burn, & Itch offers fast pain relief with their spray no-touch application. The formula includes menthol to cool & comfort and aloe lanolin to soothe skin. It helps offer fast  relief for insect bites, minor cuts, scrapes , burns, and sun burns. 

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My oldest son was recently attending summer camp and I received a call from the nurse there. She was concerned with a bug bite (we think it may have been a spider bite) on his arm that was swollen and red. It was the size of a large bouncy ball which was a bit alarming. When I brought him home we treated it with Dermoplast Pain, Burn, & Itch and within a few hours the itch and swelling went down. Whew what a relief for this mama! 

I will always keep Demoplast Products in our home to treat my children’s cuts, burns, and insect bites because they are a brand I recognize from my child birth days in the hospital! They have helped to relieve my postpartum pain with all 4 of my child births. 

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Having 4 active kids I have learned you always need to stock up on antibacterial spray. You can click this link to download a coupon to save on Dermoplast Products and find them at the following retails Amazon (linked here), Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, and grocery stores.

Hope you and your kids have a fun, adventures, and safe summer! 

Ashlee 

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of The Quaker Oats Company.

Mid March my life changed in two ways. We welcomed our 4th baby and my older boys stopped going to traditional public school. Together we started the journey of online learning from home. Our normal routine changed and I like most mothers across the nation was forced to juggle it all. My new normal has been wake up nurse the baby, check my emails, make breakfast, grab my coffee, and then my boys and I dive right into homeschooling. 

While doing school work I hear mom “I’m hungry multiple times” from my boys. Since my time is at a premium, I need to give them a quick snack. Quaker Kids Organic whole grain bars and bites have become my new go to. They have no artificial flavors, or added colors, and no high fructose corn syrup, they’re organic and Non-GMO, and the biggest thing for me is that they contain 11-19g of 100% whole grains per serving. Let me tell you, I am the mother of two extremely active boys and keeping up with them is a job in and of itself! 

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Through-out this homeschooling journey the biggest lesson that I have learned, educating kids is no joke! My appreciation for teachers has only grown when my children refuse to listen to me. On top of doing school work while home my kids and I have found great joy in arts and crafts. We thought it would be fun to show our appreciation to educators by creating art together. We had a blast making thank you’s for their teachers such as thank you notes, drawing pictures, and painting tee shirts and a picture frame. To get your kids in on the fun of honoring their teachers you can print out this fun WE LOVE OUR TEACHERS coloring page by click this link.

As their online learning ends mid June, we’re looking forward to summer fun. With that being said make sure to stock up on Quaker Kids Organic products. https://www.quakeroats.com/products/quaker-kids-organic to learn more.

Hope you and your kids have a great safe summer!

Ashlee

*This blog post is sponsored by Ricky Zoom. All opinions are my own. 

May 10 is National clean your room day + Mother’s Day…. What a perfect gift to have my children clean their room! We have been on stay at home orders for 7 weeks. My children are not attending school for the rest of the year and we don’t really leave the house. Our days are filled with homeschooling, playing outside, doing art, playing with toys, and screen time to play video games, watch movies and TV shows like Ricky Zoom. I love Ricky Zoom for my kids because it’s a fun adventurous show about bike buddies that both my boys and daughter can watch together. It teaches them about responsibility and team work. You can check out Ricky Zoom on Nick Jr http://www.nickjr.com/Ricky-zoom/ Catch all new episodes May 18 – May 29th M-F @ 5 pm. 

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Since all 4 kids are home 24/7 the house can get chaotic throughout the day. Honestly by mid morning every room can look like a bomb went off. I can’t focus when this happens so its  important to me that our children learn responsibility through helping keep the house clean. I want them to know we are all on the same team, by having them get involved with household chores. If they make a mess they need to clean it up or help someone else who may need help. I learned in order to get them involved you need to make it fun. We make it family time and blast music while we set a timer for 5 minutes 3x a day. During this 5 minutes we do a quick tidy of the house. The older boys put away their own laundry, I do the dishes or floor, my daughter dusts, they also help with toy pick up, vacuuming, emptying the dishwasher, and wiping down their bathrooms. Having a chore chart is also helpful with having my children understand what is expected of them. This teaches them responsibility and makes my day easier. We love the Ricky Zoom chore chart (you can download and print it here). They can color on this chore chart and then cut out and glue on their chores and reward tokens as they do their jobs. It’s a fun activity the whole family can do together while everyone is home. Check out Ricky Zoom content toys, apps, activities, and more RickyZoom.com 

On National Clean your room day my kids will be cleaning and I will be one happy mama! I want my kids to always strive for a clean room, not just on this day. This helps them stay organized, gain leadership skills, and allows them to have a positive space to learn, grow, play, and sleep in! 

Happy Mother’s Day moms I hope you get to enjoy a clean house and can relax a bit!

Ashlee 

Roman Luke was born on March 17, 2020  

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my emotions were all over the place right before I had Roman. I was sad my older kids wouldn’t get to come to the hospital and meet their new baby brother. I had envisioned this magical moment of them all meeting. When the boys came the the hospital to meet their baby sister, it was one of my top moments of my life. Unfortunately this time that wouldn’t happen thanks to COVID-19. I knew only my husband could be there. 

I want to quickly share details of my 3 older kids birth stories: 

Hudson was born in 2011 and I was induced with him and had the epidural. My experience wasn’t the best I pushed for 2.5 hours. My epidural caused me to feel nothing so I wasn’t sure when to push. I needed oxygen and threw up a lot. I felt like I got hit by a truck after I finally delivered my 8 lbs and 14 oz baby boy. 

Everett was born in 2013. I was induced as well and the epidural only took on the one side and I felt everything on the other. His birth was a little faster. He weighed 8 lbs and 14 oz same as Hudson. 

In 2017 when I was expecting Winter I decided I would not get induced. I wanted to let her come when she was ready. She was born on her due date and her birth was crazy fast! (I wrote a blog post about her birth and you can read all the details here). Basically she came within 30 minutes of arriving to the hospital. I had her naturally. She weighed 8 lbs 6 oz 

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Roman’s birth story: 

When I was pregnant with Roman I knew I wanted to try and have him naturally like I had Winter. I trusted in my body and was kinda looking forward to the challenge. I didn’t have a plan though. If I needed to I figured I would ask for the epidural. Roman was due March 19, 2020. I was uncomfortable and miserable leading up to my 39th week of pregnancy. On Saturday March 14 around 11:00 pm I started to get contractions that were consistent and drawing my attention. Since Winter came so fast we decided to call the hospital and my mother in law to come watch the kids. Unfortunately, by the time my MIL arrived my contractions stopped. We decided to stay home and try to get some sleep.  The next day I felt no signs of labor and I felt so disappointed. Will this baby ever come?!

Monday March 16 all my kids were home from school due to them closing for the coronavirus. I was exhausted but, knew I needed to keep the kids busy. We went for a walk. When we came back from the walk I started to feel some contractions it was about 3 pm. I remember making dinner and doing the whole bedtime routine feeling a bit uncomfortable during the contractions. As I was putting Winter to bed I had a feeling I better hurry and finish packing the hospital bag. We called my mother in law to watch the kids around 8:30 PM. I was excited, nervous, and even had some doubts if we should even go to the hospital. I remember thinking maybe this is another false alarm…. We left for the hospital around 9:30 PM. When we arrived we went to the ER and they were ready for us. They wheeled me up to labor and delivery. Once we got into the room they asked me a bunch of questions about my pregnancy. They checked my blood pressure and temperature. I then got checked down there and I was only 4 cm dilated. I started to panicked thinking they would send me home because I wasn’t more dilated. They told me I was staying the night and moved me to a labor and delivery room. Once I was there they started me on an IV of fluids. I had contractions the entire night. I slept probably an hour due to being so uncomfortable. Around 3:00 AM my contractions started getting stronger. I was going back and forth wondering if I should give in and get the epidural. I remember thinking no don’t get it. This pain is manageable. Each contraction I feel is bringing me closer to meeting my baby. I fought through it for the rest of the night into the morning. 

At 7 AM I got a new nurse and she was amazing. She encouraged me and made me feel like the baby is coming soon. “You can do this you don’t need the epidural”. 

Around 9:30 AM I started pacing and getting nervous the baby would never come. I went to the bathroom and started to feel some pressure. The nurse checked me since I was feeling so much pressure. I was around 8 cm. She asked if I wanted to have my water broken to try and move things along. I agreed. Shortly after this I felt awful lower back pain and way more pressure. I got up on all fours and starting rocking on the bed. That didn’t help me feel comfortable. So I remember I started pacing around the room and taking deep breathes in and out. Eventually, I got into the bed and said I needed to push. Some parts are a bit blurry from here. I remember screaming I can’t do this!!! My nurse was so supportive telling me I can. She even rubbed my valor essential oil all over my wrist. With each painful push, I envisioned a rainbow and grabbing the baby from the rainbow and taking him with me. (It was St Patrick’s Day after all).

Finally at 11:00 AM after about 8 minutes of pushing Roman Luke was born weighing 9 lbs 4 oz!!! He was my biggest baby and longest birth out of my 4 kids. After I had him we immediately had skin to skin contact. I delivered the placenta while they weighed him and took his stats because I starting shaking uncontrollably. After they took his stats and I calmed down I nursed him successfully. We called the kids to tell them about their new brother. I went home from the hospital the next day and I was more than thrilled to bust out of there and have the kids meet their new brother.

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Since bringing Roman home it’s been a crazy 3 weeks. The kids are all obsessed with him. We joke he’s the celebrity in our house because everyone always wants to hold him. He’s so sweet and nursing like a champ. Having the kids all home due to the virus has been hard. I’m juggling homeschooling, keeping a 3 year old busy, sleepless nights, nursing a baby around the clock, working on some sponsored content for Instagram, tons of laundry, dishes, and house work. It’s been amazing yet hard. I have cried a few times because I’m overwhelmed. I never thought I would have a baby that no one could meet yet because we need to “stay home”. I never thought I would be juggling homeschooling on top of a new baby. I am trying to find the positive. We don’t really have a schedule and have been able to all spend a lot of time together. That’s the blessing in all of this quality family time at a slower pace.

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Things that helped me deliver naturally: 

-My valor essential oil from young living I rubbed it all over me many times during the labor and delivery 

-Having a POSITIVE support system. My nurse was amazing and so was my husband they encouraged me to let my body do what it’s supposed to do. They said not to get the epidural but if I really needed to it’s my decision. 

-Saying affirmations during each contraction. Some of them what worked for me were:

•My body was made to do this.

•With each contraction I am closer to meeting my baby.

•Release and relax.

•Each contraction only lasts a minute. I can do anything for 1 minute. 

•My baby is coming to me and this will all be over 

xoxo

Ashlee

This blog post is sponsored by Babble Boxx but all opinions are my own.

As I have shared on my last blog post Preparing for Baby, I am currently expecting my 4th baby (a boy) this March. No matter how many babies you have had, preparing for a new baby can be overwhelming. For me the fear of the unknown is the hardest part… When will I go into labor? How will the birth go? Will baby be healthy? Will he nurse and sleep easily? Will my older kids adjust? How will I balance it all? (The list goes on and on)… I have found the best way to calm my nerves when welcoming a new baby into our family is to be PREPARED! You get everything you need ready for the new baby but, you often forget about what YOU will need. New moms need to make sure they make themselves a priority. I have partnered with some wonderful brands that may help make your life as a new mama easier. I am sharing them below.

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First up breastfeeding support- If you plan on nursing or pumping you will want to make sure you have a comfortable and supportive nursing bra. You will want one that gives you easy access to getting the “girls” out as quickly as possible when a feeding or pumping session calls. Playtex Nursing Bras are perfect to wear during your pregnancy, while nursing, and beyond. Their Criss-Cross sleep Bra opens easily for fast access and the cool comfort fabric helps to keep you cool all night long. Their Shaping Foam Underwire Bras are designed to fit you as your size changes through out your pregnancy and postpartum. The TruSupport 4-way Support system has comfortable straps, deeper cups, higher sides, and a wider back.

Another must have if you plan on nursing or pumping is Nursing Comfort Balm from Mustela. (You can use my code ASHLEE20 to get 20% off now- 2/28/2020). When recovering from birth and trying to navigate your breastfeeding journey the last thing you want to have is sore cracked nipples. Having a good lanolin-free balm will protect your nipples and ease any discomfort you may have. This balm is my go to because it contains vitamin E, is vegan, fragrance-free, and dye-free. All ingredients are 100% naturally-derived.

What new mom doesn’t need COFFEE?! Trust me mom life= coffee UpSpring’s Milkflow is the first lacation coffee that contains the herbs Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle. These herbs are known to naturally promote breast milk supply. Their coffee has a smooth flavor and contains 55mg of caffeine per serving. It is gluten-free, non-GMO, and all coffee pods are 100 % plant-based and BPA-free. You can grab these coffee pods at Target in the baby aisle.

Self care is important for a new mother. You want to try and feel like your “best self”, while you’re physically and emotionally going through the recovery process. A fast and easy way to make yourself feel better is to treat your skin. LiftActiv Peptide-C Ampoule Serum from Vichy can help your tired and dull skin by making it firmer and brighter. It’s formulated with only 10 ingredients including 10% Pure Vitamin C, Natural Origin Hyaluronic Acid, and Plant-based Phyto Peptides.  Check out this video to learn about using this fabulous product!  Use the code VICHYBABBLE2020 for 15% off from now through 2/14/2020.

Last thing I want to share is Love Without Boundaries. An international charity that provides hope and healing to orphaned and vulnerable children and their under served communities.  This charity partners with local citizens on the ground to help change the lives of vulnerable children.  LWB can be found in Cambodia, India, Uganda, China, and through special projects around the world.  So while you are loving on your newborn, nursing, or taking a minute for yourself  download The Heart of an Orphan, by Amy Eldridge, for free on 1/27/2020 and learn more about LWB’s story of love, hope, and healing.

Thank you for stopping by

Ashlee

This blog post is sponsored by Shamrock Farms but all opinions are my own.

Once a week we make it a point to spend time together as a family. With all of the children at different phases of their lives it can be quite the challenge. One way we all bond is by having family movie night with a fun meal or snacks. When I learned about the new Green Eggs and Ham series on Netflix, I knew we needed to have a party to celebrate our beloved Dr. Seuss childhood characters! I love a good party theme so, to celebrate we decided to have a party at home and pick up some Subway Fresh Fit for Kids meals with Shamrock Farms milk featuring the characters from green eggs and ham while watching the series!

My kids loved getting their own turkey and cheese sub from Subway with the Shamrock Farms chocolate milk. Their milk is fresh tasting, locally sourced from its family of farms, and contains no added growth hormones. For a limited time the Shamrocks Farms milk is featuring the Green Eggs and Ham characters!

The night was a huge hit! I encourage you to host your own watch party. Head to your local Subway and grab your Fresh Fit for Kids meal and do not forget your Shamrock Farms Milk with the Green Eggs and Ham characters on the bottle.

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Thanks for stopping by,

Ashlee

Surprise… We are adding baby number 4 to our family! I am still in shock that we’re going be a family of 6!!! I thought I would take the time to answer some questions about this pregnancy and take you all along on this exciting journey.

Was This Baby Planned? No. After Winter we thought we would be done. We had our two boys and then got our girl. We jokingly talked about adding one more to the mix, but then we would laugh it off and say how nuts we would be. After Winter’s 2nd birthday I felt a lack of extended family and it made me feel sad. (In case you didn’t know I lost my only brother nearly 4 years ago and my mother died 2 years ago. My father moved to Florida for most of the year. Patrick doesn’t have a large close family either). This got us talking about holidays and how the kids don’t have any cousins or a lot of aunts and uncles. We then thought maybe one more child would be perfect. I pictured holidays filled with chaos and sweet memories. We never officially tried and to our surprise in July 2019 I was pregnant.

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How did I find out? We were traveling to The Kartrite Resort to promote them for the weekend in New York. On the way up Patrick randomly started a conversation about potentially wanting one more child down the road. After that weekend I felt off so I took a pregnancy test on July 16, 2019 and surprise it was positive.

When am I due? March 19, 2020

How am I feeling so far? Pretty good. I have been very lucky to have 4 pregnancies that I do not get sick with. My symptoms up to now have been headaches, slightly nausea and zero energy. I want to nap every afternoon but, sadly that never happens with 3 other kids to take care of.

Will we find out the gender? Of course! I am a typical Aries very impatient. I need to plan. We won’t find out until the 20 week ultrasound. After that I will be sharing the gender in a fun way with our kids and posting about it over on Instagram.

How I shared the news on social media. I wanted to share the news right away with all my followers over on Instagram. I share so much of my life with everybody on there but, we decided to keep the secret between our family for awhile. I knew when we took our family vacation, I would be 12 weeks pregnant so the timing would be perfect to get a picture and announce. *Ocean City, Maryland holds a special place in our heart because 3 years ago, we announced we were expecting Winter.

How did the kids react and how did we tell them? Around 10 weeks pregnant I organized a scavenger hunt around our yard and house. Each clue took them to a different letter that spelled baby and at the end I wrote Surprise! A new baby is coming to our family!!! The boys were in shock and said wait what?!? Then when I explained Everett screamed with excitement and ran out of the room. Hudson giggled. It was one of my best moments and I am happy I captured some of it on video. Winter doesn’t fully understand but, I know when the time comes she will be an amazing big sister.

Any food cravings? Yes Granny Smith apples and salty foods like nachos.

Do I want a natural birth again? I think I will try! I had an amazing experience with Winter. I shared her birth story on the blog click here to read that. I was induced and had an epidural with both boys. With Winter I wanted to wait until she was ready to come. I ended up having her naturally within 30 minutes of arriving at the hospital. The recovery was the easiest one.

Thank you for being a part of this exciting time for my family. Leave me a comment below if you think this new baby is a boy or girl.

xoxo Ashlee

Potty training a child can be a battle. Potty training three children was more like a war so, I guess that would make me a field tested general! In my experiences with potty training both parent and child need to be ready. You will also need to remain consistent through out the process while using tons of positive reinforcement. When my kids went I made it in to an EVENT (Think clap, dance, sing, reward). Don’t sweat the accidents, and if they have one say “oh no you went pee/poop in your pants, next time try and go on the potty.” All children are different and respond to different methods, and as a parent you’ll know what tactics yield the greatest results with your child. Your approach needs to be decided before you begin your potty training journey, then fully commit and don’t look back!

Here have been my experience so far with my 3 children…. Hudson was my easiest child to potty train. He was fully trained by 20 months!!! It could be because he was my first and I was able to give him more attention, or it could have been his determined personality. My approach was to purchase a lot of underwear in fun prints and get him excited. I showed him his underwear for a few days prior and talked about how fun they were and what they were. I then committed to staying home for 4 days. Day 1 when he woke up I put him in underwear and talked to him about how he now needed to use the potty. I didn’t purchase a small potty seat, we used seats that fit on our toilets along with a stool to climb up. I put him on the potty every 30 minutes that first day. (I started him and Everett peeing sitting down. Once they understood that I did the cheerios in the toilet and had them pee standing up and aim to hit the cereal. They loved doing this). The first day was messy with many accidents, but I was determined to win this battle . When he went to bed that night we used a pull up. The next morning we went back to underwear and sitting him on the potty every 30 minutes. Eventually by the second day something clicked and he started to understand the whole idea of peeing in the toilet. I let him feel like he was in control and let him get on and off the potty and wash his hands each time on his own. Honestly, he got it pretty quickly for 20 months. If we had somewhere to go I put him in underwear with a pull up over them so, he still felt the wetness if he had an accident.

Everett was potty trained by age 2. I used the same method I used for Hudson and after a few days of staying home and doing the undies all day he got it. The only problem he had was pooping. He seemed to be scared to poop on the potty which led to many accidents. After talking to him consistently about the potty and being diligent he realized his fears were unwarranted and we were done with diapers!!!

Winter has been the most difficult. I don’t know if it is because she is a girl, I have had less time to commit to this, or it’s her stubborn independent “I do” personality. I made the mistake of introducing the potty to her around 22 months and then giving up. I tried for a day or two and got lazy and busy and went back to diapers. I tried again at age 2 and I ended up buying her a small potty seat because she had a doll that had a similar one and I thought that might help her. She wasn’t really interested at the time. After realizing I need to give this 100 percent we took some time off the potty. It was around 2.5 that I started to put in more effort. She was waking up dry in the mornings and I knew it was time to get this done. I did the whole undies thing and getting her excited to wear them. We tried to stay home for a few days and letting her just wear undies. After 3 days she was telling me when she had to pee!!! Total win. However, life is busy with the boys schedules and we are on the go more. I have to do pull ups while out and if she has one on she will pee in it and then tell me after she goes in it that she has to go pee-pee. I try not to do pull ups for that reason. Lately while we are out she does tell me she has to go and we successfully make it to the potty on time. I am still working on the pooping on the potty with her.

I go back and forth with how much I should push her with pooping on the potty. It is my philosophy that we should just sit back and continue to educate and encourage. When the timing is right and she is ready I know she will be fine. I will update when she is 100 percent potty trained.

-Ashlee