Learning to Bite, Learning to Chew

He already looks like a little monkey, now more than ever.

He's learning how to chomp down on a whole banana to get a bite-sized piece. This may not seem like a big deal, I guess, but it is kind of cool to see Baby Roo figure out these things.

He's also able to handle some things that need to be chewed, like rice or beans or boiled cut-up carrots. Stuff like that.

Growing up.

I can't wait to see him start trying to use a toddler spoon!

Two-Year Molars

Ollie's two-year molar has come through the gumline on his top left side. I can see that the gum on the top right is pink and swollen, probably ready to break through any day.

He hasn't been sleeping well. I think that when he is horizontal, the pressure in that area must increase. Poor little fella.

It's a bad habit, I know, but we've been giving him a couple of ounces of warm milk in a bottle at bedtime. He nurses and I put him down but then he cries and cries and crams his fingers way back in his mouth. Sucking on the bottle definitely helps him fall asleep.

It's only temporary...

Wordle

Here is a visual representation of what I write about on Ollie's blog. (Click the image to see a bigger version of it.)













(You can get your own at Wordle.com.)

"Dada," "Mama," "Uh-Oh"

Until now, Ollie's only word has been "Mama." (And I'm starting to doubt that because he hasn't repeated it...Oh no, do we need to issue ANOTHER formal retraction? Apparently, we are complete jump-the-gun parents!)

Anyhow, well today Ollie said, clear as a bell, "Dada." Then he looked at Mike and grinned from ear to ear. That was this morning. Then this afternoon, again clear as can be, he said, "Mama." When I looked at him, he was just so proud of himself!

Yesterday, he also said "Uh-Oh" about three or four times when he dropped a toy.

So, maybe it's a three-way tie for "First Word." The committee may have to meet on this for an official determination. Stay tuned...

Ollie Ollie Oxen Free!!

To give Ollie some freedom to safely roam, we've come up with a short checklist of barriers/fixes to keep him out of trouble:

• Close the door to the upstairs.
• Close the bedroom doors.
• Close the doors to the bathrooms.
• Drape the ottoman with a comforter.
• Turn the dining room chairs facing out (so they can't be tipped over).
• Lock the laundry closet doors.
• Close the pantry door.
• Put coasters out of reach.
  

If we do all these things, "the loop" (hallway, kitchen, dining room, living room) is pretty safe. Ollie can't get into too much trouble. Yesterday morning, Mike and I were in the living room talking over our morning coffee and Merrit was at the dining room table playing with his erector set. Ollie had toddled out of the living room and down the hall. We weren't really watching him because we thought the loop was secure.

I said, "It's awfully quiet....Where's Ollie?"

We both got up and I went down the hall while Mike went through the dining room. As I walked into the kitchen, I saw that the door to the upstairs was open, just as Mike went dashing through the door and up the stairs. By the time I got to the bottom of the stairs, he was standing at the top, with Ollie in his arms, with his eyes wide and a look on his face that said, "Oh my gosh, THAT was close!"

Ollie had climbed to the top of the stairs all by himself. Thank God he kept his balance and made it safely all the way to the top. (He's been practicing stairs, but always with a spotter!!)

Whew! Huuuuuuuge sigh of relief!!

Now, the question is: WHO left that door open?!

Anniversary Date Night

Our thanks to Brandy, babysitter extraordinaire, who offered to come over last night to babysit so that Mike and I could go out for our anniversary. THANK YOU SO MUCH, YOU SWEET THING. :-)

Mike and I had a great time. We went to Kaze, a local sushi restaurant. Wakame salad. Rainbow roll. Volcano roll. Philly roll. Unagi nigiri (eel). Shake nigiri (salmon). Delicious!

Best of all, though: Conversation. Laughter. Eye contact. Not feeling rushed. And enjoying each other.

13 Reasons Mommy Loves Daddy

Today -- February 3, 2009 -- is our 13th anniversary. I thought I'd list 13 reasons I love Mike. I could go on and on, of course, but these are just the Top 13...

• Mike has the heart of an entertainer. He is a great storyteller. He loves to make people laugh. And one of his greatest joys, I think, is making sure that the people he's with are having a good time.
  
  
• Mike, or Michael as his family calls him, loves his parents and siblings with his whole heart. He is loyal to the core. He respects each of his brothers and sisters equally but for different reasons. Family is so important to him and I love that about him.
  
  
• This one is random, but Mike's eyes are the color of the lakewater at Lake James. I first noticed it one summer when we were waterskiing with his family. Mike and I were high school sweethearts then and I was totally infatuated with noticing and appreciating each little part of his face. (You know how puppy love is!) But even today, when I look into those eyes, I remember how it felt to be 17 and in love.
  
  
• Mike has great instincts about people. He's a good judge of character. His closest friends are people he's known for years. You can tell a lot by the people you surround yourself with and Mike's friends are solid, loyal, generous people.
  
  
• Mike gives the most amazing foot rubs ever. He even has a signature toe-rolling maneuver that rocks my world!
  
  
• Mike is an awesome dad. He's the right mix of playful-fun-goofy-tickling-wrestling-friend and leader-teacher-explainer-disciplinarian. I am confident that Mike's goal is that our boys grow up with a dad who is a very real presence -- literally and figuratively -- in their lives.
  
  
• Mike works hard at work. He's ambitious. He's dedicated. He cares about his co-workers. He has set certain career goals before him over the years and has accomplished each one. He's really amazing!
  
  
• One of the strengths that Mike brings to our relationship is that he always keeps "tabs" on how we're doing. Are we really connecting or are we "missing" each other? Are we spending enough quality time together? How are we doing spiritually? There have definitely been times over the last 12 years when our train was derailed and he got us back on track because of his intuition and leadership.
  
  
• I grew up with my dad playing guitar and I always hoped that my husband, someday, would also play. I love Mike's goofy songs especially. And our kids love his singing and playing, too; even Ollie gets happy when Mike pulls out his guitar.
  
  
• Mike is passionate about the things he values and believes in. Now, this can be a "positive" or a "negative." If he's talking about marketing, traffic, politics, or celebrities...Buckle up! ;-) But get him started on topics of his faith in Christ, his family, ensuring fairness for people, protecting innocents, and honesty/integrity in all situations...You'll quickly see that is a very passionate, thought-full person.
  
  
• Mike is very generous. He loves, loves, loves to give people gifts.
  
  
• Mike is a deep thinker. His two favorite authors are C.S. Lewis and Ravi Zaccharias. He's interested in philosophy, apologetics, what makes people tick, and how the world works.
  
  
• Mike makes me laugh. He sees the humor in almost every situation. He's a funny, funny person. One of my all-time favorite things to do with Mike (i.e., a guaranteed laugh) is to watch the local news with him and just wait for the jokes to start rolling in!

Pictures from the Superbowl Party

Last night, we were invited over to David and Brandy's house for a Superbowl Party. It was so fun!

I think the pictures speak for themselves, but the one thing you can't get a feel for from the pictures is THE FOOD! Pulled pork barbeque, cole slaw, bacon-wrapped cocktail weenies, homemade mac-and-cheese, chips and salsa, spicy corn & cheese dip, fruit salad, veggies and dip, roquefort spread and crackers, crab dip, apples and Kahlua dip. Delicious, delicious, delicious!

Amazingly, seven kids under the age of 7 played upstairs in the playroom without any fights, injuries, or holes in the wall! (The two babies -- well, Ollie's not exactly a baby anymore -- stayed with the grown-ups downstairs.)

So here are a few of the highlights:

















Angela, Jenny, and I in the kitchen, taking a break from getting the food set up.


















Our hostess with the mostest, Brandy, with her hubby David.

















Angela mixin' up some daiquiris.













Clockwise starting from the top: Natalie, Jordan, Merrit, Weston, Jacob, Rebekah, Judah.











Watching the game.

















Jordan and Rebekah in the upstairs playroom.













Jenny and Josh.














Angela and Paul.


















Ollie cruisin' around like he's done it for years. His walking has literally EXPLODED in the past seven days. A week ago, he was taking 6 or 7 steps at a time and, now, he's walking from room to room, 40+ steps at a time.












"WHO WAAAAANTS CUPCAKES?!"













"Me!"
"Me, too!"

















Natalie with a chocolate frosting goatee.

















Rebekah manages to stay a little cleaner.


















We put Ollie down at his regular bedtime in Brandy's pack-n-play, so we roused a sleepy little guy sometime during the 4th quarter to head home. The little guys sure was tuckered out!