What's New in Ollieland

Napping. I'm thinking of transitioning our Baby Roo to one nap a day. I can't remember when we did that for Merrit (though since every day was documented as carefully as Ollie's, I'm sure I could go back to his blog and find out!).

Eating. Ollie is using his teeth to chew up small pieces of soft food like corn, peas, macaroni, and blueberries. He's also feeding himself on his own (with hands), and I've begun offering him a kid-safe spoon lately to let him get the hang of using a utensil.

Nursing. Ollie is now nursing two to three times a day, at bedtime and before one or both of his naps. Getting all the benefits of mommy milk! At this point, we don't have any plans to wean; we're just going to play it by ear.

Screaming. The "phase" that began in November or December is STILL going on. This can't still be a phase, can it? We have tried EVERYTHING: divert, redirect, correct, threaten, ignore, etc., etc. In two weeks, we have a pediatrician appointment and I'm going to talk about it with our doctor. The screaming is so shrill and high-pitched, it is INSANE. You just have to hear it to believe it. If not for the screaming, I would say that Ollie is the perfect child. :-) And even though he's a screamer, we love him all the same.

Communicating. Still speaking Turkish with the occasional "bye bye," "mama," "dada," and "uh-oh" thrown in. Also signing for a number of words. And of course, Ollie communicates VOLUMES with those big blue eyes, that chuckle, that scream (much to our dismay on that one), and his very expressive body language and facial expressions.

Exploring. Our little man has earned the nickname "Hurricane Ollie" because he can enter an organized, clean room and leave it in shreds in a matter of minutes. Pillows yanked down off the couches, carpets askew, remote controls strewn about, papers torn and scattered, piles of laundry toppled, pots pulled from cabinets, chairs tipped over, and curtains pulled down (not even exaggerating about the curtains; see the March 18th post).