Road Trippin

Dear Olive,

We're about to set off on a road trip today and I have no idea what to expect! We'll have your little cousin Luthien in tow as well. We were supposed to rent a mini van but the place called last minute and said they were all out, and they are sticking us with a HUGE suv called a Tahoe. Not so great on the gas mileage but I told Granmakin we will just go slow and not punch the gas.

I'm sure we'll be stopping plenty so you can get out and stretch your legs, you are a crawling machine now. You're getting so dirty all the time, plus you're eating a lot more now too. Yesterday we put some cheese on your toast and today we tried jam. . . next up is sushi!  Just kidding. But hopefully soon because that's my favorite.

Well, you're napping so I better use this time efficiently and get ready to go. Updates on the trip soon!

Like Mother Like Daughter

Here's a picture of my grandma holding me with my mickey ears on, and here's a photo of your grandma holding you with your mickey ears on! Lots of things change in 28 years, but some things still stay the same...

Me, Myself, and I. . . And you

Dear Olive,

I've finally started feeling a little bit like my old self again. This week I've done yoga, surfed, and even wrote a song on the guitar. This weekend I'm going running on the bay with some (possible) new friends. I think it will be the first time I've actually jogged with the jogger.

You're now crawling and trying to pull yourself up on things to stand! You love toast and cucumbers and celery sticks, and you also love THROWING TANTRUMS already!

It's incredible. You are very good at it. I think we're going to have to break this tantrum thing before you hit your terrible twos or I'm in for it. I don't think you even know why you're crying you are just pissed off that I'm not holding you.

You've unfortunately taken after both your dad and I in the areas of stubbornness and passionateness. But you better get that nap in because we're going to the beach today. . .

Forward or Back?

Dear Olive,

You're wiping me out. But at the same time, I am already really missing your sweet newborn ways and I can see why people keep having more babies, even when they're exhausted.

We've been taking a nightly bath together since you were in your tiny first months. It was one of my favorite times because we'd both relax and be in the moment, just lounging in the water. You'd lay on my lap and just look around and totally chill out. I feel like that was a really good time for bonding.

Over the past few weeks you've become less and less interested in breastfeeding. It all started when I had a few meetings and Granmakins had to feed you formula while I was away. I didn't pump and that's all it took for my milk to start going away. It's kind of sad because things were going so well and I was not pumping or stressed, just feeding you and it was easy.

Since then though, it's been a struggle and I've been feeding you less and less as you are totally disinterested after seconds of latching on. It's either lack of milk or your preference for looking around (the busy body you are) and your HUGE love of finger foods. Either way, I think my days of breastfeeding you are over.

Tonight we took our nightly bath and it's just getting harder to keep you happy in there. You don't want to relax anymore, you want to be all over the place playing and splashing and I feel kind of sad because that was our special time and now that I'm not breastfeeding I am feeling some weird sadness. I know you're just growing up and becoming more independent, but so soon already?

It's so funny we yearn for these moments amidst the chaos- we can't wait for you to be able to sit up and play on your own so you're happy, or even sometimes I think about when you will be in school and I can catch a second to myself ;) but it really breaks my heart to think about how fast you're growing up and reminds me again to be in the moment.

I was so in the moment when you were littler, cherishing your sweetness, then things started getting crazy and I've become a little more tired. You are testing me, crying whenever I walk into sight, crying whenever I turn away from you. You are also still getting stuck sitting up in your crib and that's becoming a problem of its own.

Buuuuut when all is said and done, you're just too cute even as I run around picking up rice puffs with the bottoms of my feet or swatting you away from chewing on my cell phone. You are just on the constant move, rolling this way or that, scooting, shuffling, you just can't stay still.

I do believe, the only constant in raising a child is change. You just keep changing. Things just keep changing. As soon as I've figured you out, you change.

Your dad and I say we can't wait until you understand how to lay and cuddle and watch a movie (especially those times we are just plain tired) but then again I stop myself and say, "No... just enjoy this stage."

You're just being you.

Oh by the way, you prefer feeding yourself, but there's not a lot I can give you safely yet. I decided to let you get messy and eat some cottage cheese. That was a little TOO messy, but at least you had fun.

Olive and Greens

Dear Olive,

I let you try some broccoli last week. You are super into finger foods but there isn't a whole lot you can eat yet, so I figured I'd let you gnaw on it. You weren't sure what to think at first. In fact, you didn't like it at all.

But then you came around and you LOVED loved LOVED it! Here you are thinking :"Hm what is this?"

 

:

Getting Stuck

Dear Olive,

Yesterday morning I awoke to your small whimpers, a little earlier than you normally wake up. I found you sitting up in the corner of your crib, just looking so sad and totally stuck. Congratulations! You can now sit up on your own!!!

But today already it's caused quite a problem. I tried putting you down for a nap, and for some reason, alone in your crib is where you do your best work. I mean, you won't sit up in front of ME, but you'll do it every time I leave the room.

Unfortunately you fell backwards (as I was sitting in the other room thinking you were peacefully sleeping) and hit your little baby olive head on the crib :(  You were kind of stuck in this crunched up position. I was so sad.

We tried putting you down for a nap and every single time, you'd get up into a sitting position and then just sit there, rubbing your eyes and holding your little blanket so tired. We kept going in and laying you back down, and finally you stayed there.

Poor little girl, I'm not sure how long it will take you to learn to lay back down! In other news, we are proud you are doing so well and sitting up by yourself. You're also saying words like buh buh and muh and even duh duh.

You don't know you are saying them though, so I don't think they can count as your first words yet. But boy o boy are you close, it's kind of scary!

The WiLd Safari Park

Dear Olive,

We took you to the Wild Animal Park (now called The Safari Park) for your first time. Holy Hey! It was horrible. First of all, the ratio of animals to concession stands is way off. We had to do quite a bit of walking before we found any live animals. It was more like stores and restaurants... parrot. Stores and restaurants... duck. Ooooh a Gorilla! That was cool.

It was blazing hot and everyone was sweating and dehydrated. It seemed like every fun thing we came to was a money trap. To take a tram around to see the animals cost money, to park cost money, to go up in the balloon cost money, even to use the bathroom cost money! Just kidding.

It was great spending time with Heidi and Thomas from Norway, but you were NOT happy. We tried to feed you water and keep you cool. It was pretty stressful and we just got out of there pretty quick. Safari Park, not my favorite! Zoo, awesome.