Hello and happy Saturday! What do you have going on today? We’re going to be working on our back patio renovation project with my sister and brother-in-law. Can’t wait to see them!
I’ve got six things on my mind today.
1. Affordable Books. Our library is still closed due to COVID and we’ve been re-reading all our books, going to our neighborhood Little Free Library, and “splurging” on books under $4.
Three we’ve recently been into around the Zottola household are Mouse Paint, Biscuit Loves the Park, and The Story of My Life by Helen Keller. Mouse Paint has been perfect for teaching Sadie colors and it’s adorable. What are you currently reading?
2. Gardening. Our sad little cucumber plants gave us another cucumber! Oh, and we’ve been harvesting lots of squash and a few cherry tomatoes.
3. Park Days. We attended our church’s weekly Youth Summer Days at a local park on Friday and had a blast with our church family. I brought Niva along and she soaked up all the attention she could get from the kids.
4. Meeting Isaiah. Our friends from church had their second baby on Monday and brought him to the Youth Summer Days on Friday. I soaked in all the newborn snuggles I could get with sweet Isaiah ❤
I totally forgot just how tiny newborns are. It’s wild! I loved studying his little toes, feet, fingers, and eyes when he opened them up for a second!
5. Cousin Sleepover. My sister offered to take Sadie home with her after the Youth Summer Days so her daughter and Sadie could have a little impromptu cousin sleepover! I didn’t have anything packed, but it was no biggie because Sadie and Caroline are so close in age that they can share clothes and diapers. I absolutely love being in the same stage of life as my sister!
The girls fell asleep on the drive home and Hannah sent me this snapshot once she arrived at her house and it melted my heart.
6. Sadie’s Eye. About a month ago, I noticed Sadie’s left eye looked glazed over and teary all the time. It didn’t seem like a big deal because it wasn’t bothering her, but it just didn’t seem right. I called our ophthalmologist and brought her in on Thursday to have it looked at.
I feel like I could write a whole post on getting a toddler to cooperate during an eye exam (LOL), but I digress. She was diagnosed with a nasolacrimal duct obstruction. We have to massage her eye each day and try to put antibiotic drops in her eye to prevent infection. If that doesn’t get rid of the obstruction, we’ll have to do something a bit more invasive, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
In the meantime, does anyone have tips for putting eyedrops in a toddler’s eye?!
Living My Full Life 
I find spending time in the garden so satisfying, something about growth 🙂
Amen! I could not agree more 🙂
You must find Jamberry at the library when it’s open again. It is the cutest book – I’m sure you and Sadie will both love it. Other favorites at our house right now are anything Curious George, A Pocket for Corduroy, and Ramona the Brave. I’m working on a blog post of our favorite picture books so stayed tuned for ideas if you need/want them!
Oh and I hope Sadie’s eye gets better!! I feel like eye drops in the eye of a toddler may be one of those “So sorry to do this, sweet girl, but it’s our job as parents to keep your body safe and healthy so Mama’s going to cuddle you while Daddy puts these magic eye medicine drops in your eye. I know it’s not fun, but it will help your eye stay strong and healthy.” And then she’ll scream while you guys work as a team to put the drops in, but you know it’s for a good cause. Good luck!!! Keep us updated!
Thanks for the words of encouragement about the eye drops! We did her first drops last night and she took ’em like a champ! Hopefully she keeps up the good attitude 🙂
Ohh, I will find Jamberry!! I totally forgot about Corduroy (that was a favorite of mine as a child!) and Curious George. I cannot wait for your post on picture books! I can always count on you for lots of book reviews 🙂
I second Jamberry and A Pocket for Corduroy! So good! 🙂 I hope your library opens up soon! It was so nice when ours finally opened. Makes me all the more thankful for that resource now! Hopefully someone will put something great in the Little Free Library next time you visit! 🙂
Newborns are SO tiny! Three of our closest friends in Memphis all had babies this year and every single time I was amazed all over again at just how tiny they were. So glad you got those little newborn snuggles!
Also, Hannah taking Sadie home for an impromptu sleepover is just precious. I love that you and your siblings all had babies so close together in age. Such a gift to those girls! ❤