Olivia: 12 Months

Stats

18 lbs 5 oz (10th percentile)

28.5 inches (30th percentile)

Size: 12 months

Tooth Count: 4 top, 2 bottom

Nicknames: LoveBug, Liv, Little Bit

Loves:

Park play dates! Our favorite parks right now: Lake Cliff Park in Oak Cliff, The Children’s Park at Scottish Rite Hospital, A recent fav – Exall Park in East Dallas and of course, Klyde Warren Park downtown. Doesn’t matter if it’s 20 minutes or an hour… this lil gal LOVES to be outside.

Music: Especially loves listening to Dad play guitar and piano. Loves to dance and/or head-bang when she hears music.  Likes to wiggle along with the dancing giraffes that Poppa G gave her for Valentine’s Day! Loves her new musical instruments (especially the drum and shakers!) – a special birthday gift from her Great God Mother Peri. Even though it’s hard to admit…  because it means admitting that we’ve been re watching the series… I’ll say it, she LOVES the Theme song  from “The OC”

Books: Loves to read more and more everyday! (I’ll take a little bit of credit here… we’ve been reading nightly since she was 4 months old) Favorite Books right now are: “Let’s Look Baby Einstein” – she loves to point out the “BAHHHH” (Balls). Also loves to imitate the “Reach Up high”  and “Peek-a-boo” babies in “My First Body Book”. Still in rotation: Where’s Spot?, Rainforest Discoveries and all of the touch and feel animal books.

Baby Dolls: ever since Christmas (Mamaw gave Olivia her first baby baby)  she’s been obsessed with “Bay-Bos”… we’re totally confident she knows what she’s talking about when she refers to “Bay-Bo” or “Bay-Bah”… even if it includes anything/everything with a face.

Balls: Another recent obsession… (Also stemming from a Mamaw Christmas gift!) This girl loves her Balls. Perhaps just another object she can identify “BAAAAAAH” (Very rarely we get the LL’s at the end.. but usually the first syllable). I think we’re up to 6 Balls ranging in color, size and elasticity. The best part? Her favorite (green with a strobe light in it) cost $.99 from Target.

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: We try to limit the amount of TV we watch but occasionally when I desperately need a distraction so I can get a 3 min shower… or on Saturday morning when Liv decides to wake up at 5:15AM and we are just not quite ready to really focus… we’ll put on an episode of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood on PBS. She loves it. The music is catchy and honestly not half as terrible as YO GABBA GABBA…. and I generally approve of the message, etc. I’m also guilty of downloading the PBS Video App on my iphone.

Loves to practice walking

Getting Mail!

Wednesdays with Paden

Favorites Foods: Blueberries, Peas, Black Beans, Tomatoes.

Water: A new obsession with sippy cups (as long as it’s not breast milk… she only wants that from the source.) or from mommy’s glass, from a straw like a baby birdie.

Sleeping with Mom and Dad. We have completely embraced co-sleeping and I can honestly say… Once I stopped expecting something “normal” from my baby… I felt much better, even if sometimes it means sharing my bed space.

Nursing. This. Girl. Loves. To. Nurse. How will I even wean her? she ever wean herself? Still nursing every 4 hours or so during the day. More often/predictable when we’re at home. Less often/predictable when we’re out and distracted.

Eating whatever is on Mommy/Daddy’s plate (Especially if it’s french fries –  Yes, I have, on occasion, shared a fry or two. No judgement please.)

The Dallas World Aquarium

“Popsicles” – diluted (70/30 water/juice) organic apple or orange juice… great for teething.

Cranks:

sleeping in footed jammies (these are our current favs – footless by Carters)

cheese

In general, the 5-6pm hour… but 6-8…. she’s golden

Diaper Changes

Not being allowed to have/hold something she wants. (Basically, if it’s round… it’s a ball. and if it’s a ball.. she wants to hold it – especially it it’s a pile of oranges balls at the grocery store)

Long, lingering meals out. Gone are the days when we make it through 3 courses.

Being in the car for longer than about 20 minutes… unless it’s nap time.

Milestones:

Words: Mama, Dada, Baby (Bay-Bo or Bay-Bah), Dog (Duh), Ball (Bah)

Walking with her push cart thing, standing alone.

Kisses (not so much the BLOWING of kisses… but definitely lip-smacking)

Plays Peek-A-Boo

Can tell you what sound a Snake makes and identify it in a book.

Can identify babies/balls in real life and pictures/books.

Putting things in a cup, taking them out, repeat. (This mostly happens with food – especially peas)

Tried Meat/Cheese for the first time. Not really a fan…but hey… girlfriend loves her veggies so I can’t complain.

More effective at expressing her desire to nurse… read: undressing me when she’s ready.

First trip to DeLeon to visit Great Memaw & Pa and Great Great Granny and to say goodbye to Great Great Grandpa

First Birthday! (But… that’s an entire post on its own.)

First Kiss

Some Cute new sounds…

Growing… Growing…

Olivia: 11 Months | Olivia: 10 Months | Olivia: 9 Months

Olivia: 11 Months

Stats:

17.8 lbs

27.5 inches

Size: 12 Months

Size 3 Disposable diapers (on the rare occasion that we use them!)

Tooth Count: 4 on Top, 2 on Bottom

Nicknames: Liv, Liver Dude, Sneekle Freetzie, Chickadee

Finally growing some hair… still our little strawberry blonde, with the longest (dark) lashes I’ve ever seen.

Loves:

The Christmas Tree

Lights, lamps and fans.

Snowmen (not sure what it is about them… the stuffed or picture variety seem to really tickle her…maybe it’s something about that carrot nose?)

Her new Baby-Baby (from Mamaw)

Her new piano just like Daddy’s (from Gramma and Poppa G)

Slides

Big Gee (Giant Giraffe from Auntie Maggie!)

Eating Dirt, Grass and Sticks

Klyde Warren Children’s Park

All stuffed animals, blankets and soft things. Even those that don’t belong to her

Favorite Books: Where’s Spot? (Especially loves it when Mommy/Daddy make animal sounds), Baby Einstein Christmas Books, Mommies are for Counting Stars, Baby Animals Touch and Feel

Favorite Toys: Music table, toy drums, lady bug instruments, Melissa & Doug Puzzles

Little People Nativity Set

Any “toys” that are NOT “toys

Foods: Avocados are now OUT (Who would have thought?) Blueberries always a fav. Peas. Anything pinch-able or swallow whole-able. Also a huge fan of “Cherrios

Girlfriend LOVES her wubbanub… not ready to give up that Paci….

Cranks:

Swings

Sick on Vacation

Diaper Changes

Highchairs

Long drives in the car

Not being allowed to crawl around on the ground at the airport

The Snowsuit

Milestones:

Olivia’s First Christmas Highlights

Christmas at Mamaw’s

1st Cousins Bath at Mamaw’s House with Rylie (5) & Remie (7 mo)

Christmas Party and  Christmas Play at Great Papaw’s House

1st Christmas in CA

Christmas Eve Service @ St. Margaret’s in San Juan Capistrano

 Christmas Morning Presents and traditional Christmas Breakfast

Opening Presents

1st trip to the beach on Christmas Day Tide-Pooling & Exploring

1st trip to Big Bear (Also first time in the snow!)

1st brewery tour (@ Stone Brewery in Escondido, CA)

First real word: “Baby” … except sometimes it sounds more like “BAY-BO”

Other “Words” : Mama, Dada, Geee, Durg Durg Durg (maybe Dog? maybe Durch?)

Patting her tummy, Patting Mommy and Daddy’s back

Pointing at everything and making sounds that sort of sound like “dis” and “dat”

Reaching up high (WEEEEEE!)

Giving Kisses… big, open-mouthed, wet ones.

Olivia: 10 Months | Olivia: 9 Months | Olivia: 8 Months

Olivia: 10 Months

Stats:

17.8 lbs

27.5 inches

Size: 9-12 Months

Size 3 Disposable diapers (on the rare occasion that we use them!)

Tooth Count: 4 on Top, 2 on Bottom

Nicknames: Liv, Liver Dude, Sneekle Freetzie

LOVES:

Sticking her tounge out…

Reading Books, Especially, Bright Baby Merry Christmas Touch & Feel ,Baby Animals Touch and Feel and Where’s Spot? and of course, Rainforest Discoveries AKA “Ooey Gooey”

Loves to Snuggle

Unrolling the toilet paper

Playing in the tupperware drawer

The Christmas Tree and her giraffe ornament

Unrolling wrapping paper

Puffs! & Mum-Mums

Favorite Foods: Avocado, Blueberries, and Peas.

Playing in her stuffed animal corner

Listening to dad play guitar and piano

Watching the yard guy blow leaves

the Durch

the big giant stuffed giraffe at the Macy’s Kids Department

Favorite Toys: Wooden Melissa & Doug Puzzle, Little People Nativity Set, Mom + Dad’s wooden name puzzles, small wood cars (from Canton), anything that’s not really a toy… water bottles, keys, sunglasses, socks, shoes,

Taking Tubs with Dad – Playing with tub toys while Mom gets dressed (as long as she keeps it to under 10 minutes)

The playground at Klyde Warren Park

Being Outside

Waving at strangers at the mall

Removing her socks

WubbaNubs – Definitely knows how to work a Paci

Playing with Dolls and Stuffed Animals

Sipping from Mom’s Tervis Cup

Soft Things

CRANKS:

Getting in the Car Seat

Christmas Shopping

Cranberries

Being out too late, bedtime is usually around 7:30pm

Being covered up while nursing.

Having her diaper changed

Santa

MILESTONES:

Wearing Shoes (and keeping them on!)

 Clapping

Waves Hello/Goodbye

Blows Kisses (sometimes)

 1st Thanksgiving

Meeting Santa for the 1st time

Using a Sippy Cup for water

Grabbing produce as we walk through the grocery store… or sweaters off of hangers… or branches off trees… whatever those little fingers can reach.

Stands and pulls up on EVERYTHING

Shakes Head “No” (but we’re pretty sure this means “wiggle wiggle” not actually “No”)

Signs “All Done”

Says, “Dadada (Dad), Mum Mum Mum (Mom), Geeeeee (all Giraffes), Nay Nay Nay (no idea?), Boooo, Gooo, Gahhh, Blah Blah Blah, and Dug Dug Dug (Dog?).

Talks to herself while playing in a whisper voice… especially when she’s playing with something new… or staring at the Christmas Tree

Still not sleeping through the night consistently. Still frequently wants to nurse at night… sometimes multiple times, especially when she’s sick.

Generally nursing 4-5x during the day, about every 4 hours… plus one more overnight feeding (REALLY trying to eliminate this one!)

Our Christmas Card

10 Months

Olivia: 9 Months | Olivia: 8 Months | Olivia: 7 Months