6 Months

Olivia is now SIX months old!! Over the past month we've seen the biggest changes in her yet - she's not a little baby anymore at all.

Height - 26.5 (72%)
Weight - 16 pounds, 8 ounces (55%)

This photo shoot was pretty fun.  It was the first time she realized she was wearing a sticker.  So she promptly tore it off, put it in her mouth, and then destroyed it.

   
Olivia can basically sit up on her own now, and with this new found ability, a whole new world has opened up to her.  She now prefers to be sitting up and when we lay her down to change her diaper, put clothes on her, or put her to bed - she protests rather loudly!


She got a new playmat + new toys that will hopefully develop all those fine motor skills she needs.


Real Food -  It took a little while to get acclimated to the new tastes and textures but I think she's starting to enjoy it. So far butternut squash has been the biggest hit, but pear and mango are a close second.  (This is her trying peas....as you can tell she's not a fan....I think she's mid-gag here):



She also started rolling over a lot more and now usually rolls on her tummy to sleep. (Please try to ignore the puddles of drool - apparently she takes after her dad and her aunt!)



She had her first trip to the park and really liked swinging and sliding.  Dad had fun too!



And bath time has become a fun, splashing, mess of a time! (Excuse my giggling - I'm sure its painfully obvious how obsessed I am with Olivia and every little thing she does thoroughly entertains me!)

And, we are really loving daycare too!  It took her (and I!) a few days to get used to her teachers, but we now greet them every morning with a smile.  She's definitely the baby of the class and, at least when I'm around, the teachers seem to tend to her and coddle her because she is the only one who can't crawl or walk.  I'm actually very thankful for that because I like the extra attention she's getting!  I'm really grateful for how nurturing and sweet her teachers are - they don't mind my constant calls to check on her & are always quick to tell me how well she (and I) are doing!  Its very nice to be reassured that she's okay and thriving while I'm away.

Her school is getting ready for Easter/Spring - all the decorations are so cute!

Ever since they took this picture, Olivia is affectionately referred to as "Little Bug" by all the teachers!

I think daycare must wear her out, because I go pick her up most days around 4:45 and all the other kids are playing and usually this is how I find Olivia.

And the final change, Olivia got her ears pierced!  My sisters & I all got our ears pierced when we were little and I knew I wanted to do the same with Olivia.  I think Matt was a little hesitant and still isn't completely convinced, but I think she looks sweet and I know when she gets older she will be glad!  And now hopefully no one else will ask if she's a boy or girl!

Six wonderful, happy months with our sweet bundle of joy!  All our friend with little ones have said these next 6 months will be very fun - we can't wait!

First Day of School

Well, we made it through our first week of day care!

Last Friday we took Olivia up to "meet her teachers."  Matt and I toured the school when I was pregnant, but we didn't remember too much of it, so we were glad for a refresher as well.

Olivia seemed pretty overwhelmed and just held onto Matt tightly with wide-open eyes.  And...I have to admit that I did the same!  As the teachers were telling me more and more things we'd need to bring and activities Olivia would do, I started to get very nervous about the whole experience.

 Here are a few shots of the pretty girl all ready to meet her teachers:

But we spent all weekend getting together all the supplies she would need and on Monday morning, we were ready!

So, we took a few pictures

                    First day of school!

Had an pre-school dance party to calm our nerves

 

 

And then we headed up to school to drop her off.  Olivia and I both did a bit of crying and I left the school with a huge pit in my stomach and worried if sending her to day care was the right choice.  We called four times that day (I made Matt call once!) and each time the teachers reassured us that she was doing fine, considering it was her first day.

When I went to pick her up, she was passed out asleep but got a huge smile on her face when she realized it was me waking her up.  Love!

 And then, as I packed up her stuff, she smiled and cooed and played with her teachers.  I have never been so happy to see her interact well with someone else!  She genuinely seemed to like them!

When I dropped her off on Tuesday, I watched her from the window after I left the room and it only took a few minutes for her to settle down and stop crying.  We only called three times that day and her teachers said she was having a much better day.  When I went to pick her up on Tuesday she was a sweet, happy baby.

By Wednesday, she was a completely different baby than Monday.  When we walked in the classroom that morning and she saw Miss Lilly, she got a huge smile on her face and put her hands out for Miss Lilly to pick her up.  She sat right next to her and kept trying to hold Miss Lilly's hand.  And...as I was walking out, I saw her giving Miss Lilly kisses.

So, I only called twice on Wednesday and had great relief that this day care situation will work out.

Unfortunately, the biggest peril of daycare  - SICKNESS - hit Olivia early.  She got a bad cold on Wednesday night and was running a fever on Thursday morning.  So she and her daddy got to skip school and hang out together.  Luckily it was only a cold and I think she will be better in a few days.

Overall, we had a great first week at day care and we are very excited about all the things she will learn and friends she will make. 

What's Up Doc?

I don't think there's any chance our little bunny will turn orange this year from eating too many carrots!

Thank You Mimi

 

This week was our last of Mimi watching Olivia and we are all going to miss her!  

Having my mom watch Olivia over these past two months has been such a blessing.  I was able to leave every morning knowing Olivia was in good hands, was able to call and check-in all day without any hesitation, and came home to a sweet and happy baby who was spoiled and loved on all day.   And, if that wasn’t enough, my sweet mother would help with my laundry, cooking dinner, and doing the dishes. 

We know she loves little Olivia so much and took such good care of her.  But, Olivia has really bonded with my mom too – she is always smiling and babbling to my mom and, most evenings, she won’t stop looking at her - that only made me slightly jealous ;)  Before she was even born, Matt and I marveled at what a lucky girl she was to already have so many people loving her and waiting to cultivate relationships with her.  So, while Olivia may not remember these past 8 weeks, I know that the bond she & Mimi formed will last a lifetime and I’m so very happy for that. 

And for me, this was the first time since law school that I’ve really spent this much time with my mom and I really enjoyed that opportunity.  I was glad for my mom to live in my house and get a glimpse into the home life that Matt and I have created.  In many ways, it’s identical to the home that my parents created for my sisters and I growing up.  When I look to the future and think about the kind of home that we want Olivia to grow up in and the kind of mother that I want to be, I see myself following the example that my mom set for me – she cooked dinner every night and we sat and ate as a family; she and my dad shared responsibilities for bath, homework, playtime before bed; she always did (and still does!) little things for birthdays and holidays that let us know she loved us and we were special; and she now is as close to my sisters and I as anyone.  We all speak to her at least once a day and she knows us inside and out! 

Over the past few months I’ve really seen her be completely selfless and put her children ahead of her own wants/desires and I am so very grateful to have a mom that will do that.  I hope that I’m that selfless and giving of a mom to Olivia – that I’m the first person she wants to call when something good (or bad) happens, that she knows I love her more than anything in the world and that I have her best interest at heart; and that she can always come to me for help with anything.  That’s the way I feel about my mom and I know Olivia will be lucky if I can manage to come close to that.

So, here’s to my amazing mom and the wonderful blessing she has been to us!  Matt and I are still figuring out how to maneuver through this maze of parenthood, but with the example she has set and the help she provides, it has made things so much easier.  I love you very much mom.

Happy Birthday Mommy!

My birthday this year was wonderful!  I L-O-V-E my birthday & was able to stretch it out for 4 days this year.  My actual birthday was on Thursday.  I took a vacation day from work, so I enjoyed a massage that morning, a delicious lunch with Matt, Olivia, Aunt Nazreen and Katherine (complete with a little "day drinking"), a fun afternoon with the family and then a yummy sushi dinner.

On Saturday, my family came over for a birthday party. 


Olivia did a little snuggling with mom & dad before the party

Loving on Aunt Naz

Beautiful table decorated by Mimi

When Aunt Yasmin got there, Olivia knew just who's fingers to chew on!

We picked up Lupe for dinner - my fave!

 I gave Yasmin a "pick me up" like we did when we were little! 

Fun presents!

 DELICIOUS chocolate cake!

Then on Sunday, we went out with Rick and Heather to celebrate.  I had the camera out with the best of intentions of getting a family picture, BUT someone had a little meltdown and had to go take a walk with Pop-O, so we didn't get the group shot.  But she did get in plenty of love with Tutu and Pop-O before the meltdown.  Here's one of her and Pop-O.

I had such a nice birthday and it was so much better that Olivia was here to join in the fun!