Happy Fall

What a great start to Fall! I woke up this morning and did a 10K trail run at Harbins Park.  What a gorgeous morning!! It was about 65 degrees and sunny.  It was not hot, humid...it was perfect.  I am really not a fan of trail runs but I am just getting a little bored with running the same places so I thought I would challenge myself.  It went pretty well.  The trails at Harbins a AWESOME! They are double track and pretty smooth.  I only tripped once but I did not fall!! So I came out of the trail with no wounds this time.  I completed the run in 1 hour and 40 seconds.  I didn't set a goal time for the race....my goal was just to finish without falling or coming out wounded!

Brendon and Olivia met me at the park and I got to see them close to the finish line! Then afterwards we talked to my friend Amie and her daughter Kylie who was born just a few weeks after Olivia.  Of course they had to size each other up.  Then we went to the playground and Olivia went on the swings.  She did not want to play on the toddler playground...she wanted to play where the big kids were playing.  She climbed up a plastic rope ladder type thing and walked all over.  Then she climbed down the stairs holding the railing!!! Yikes!!

Then we came home and Brendon went for a bike ride.  Olivia and I had a snack and played.  We had lunch and she ate really well.  She even ate 2 grapes!! She also decided to climb the kitchen chairs now too.  Then she napped and I ran to Sam's Club.  When she woke up she had a snack and played and went in the swing outside.  For dinner we made Swedish meatballs and I wasn't sure if she would eat them...well I was wrong!! She ate 2 meatballs and all of her peas and carrots.  She tried the egg noodles but only ate a few.  It was hilarious...she kept saying meatball.

We wrapped up the night with some outside playing and reading.  Olivia ended the night with, "Good night!" and went to sleep shortly after.

The post it note disaster...talk about a cheap toy!

I am ready to go see mommy!

Whoa runners!

Yay! Mommy and she is smiling!!

Go Mommy!!

Checking out Kylie's stroller

Swing!

Playground

Going down the steps all by herself!

18 Months Old!

18 Months, 1.5, a year and a half...however you want to phrase it....Olivia is growing up so fast! I still can't believe she is 18 months old...craziness.  We go for her 18 month appointment on Monday.  I can't wait to see if she has grown. I know her weight hasn't changed too much because she just got weighed last week at the doctor...hopefully she eats good this weekend to pack on a few ounces. 

At 18 months Olivia is doing the following things:
* Saying No... A LOT!!
* Climbing on everything...the couch and chairs especially.  She even climbed on the toilet last night 3 times and said, "Potty!" 
* Climbing stairs sometimes just holding one of our hands and walking.
* Scooting down the stairs on her bottom or holding one of our hands and taking steps.
* Lots of talking- she has started saying some phrases- just one to 2 words phrases...for example, "Go, go car!" or "Bye, bye bubbles." She also said, "Side to side" the other day and did the motions.
* Imitating us a lot- sweeping the floor, wiping the floor, raking the grass.
* Still cries in the car seat sometimes...still....
* Gets shy in certain situations.
* Loves animals- horses, cows, dogs, birds, even tries to say hummingbird.
* Discovered bugs and tries to shoo them away.
* Puts things in the trash can when asked.
* Still helps to clean up.
* Recognizing faces with names- Nikki, Kristy, Shawn, tonight she said Karyn, Max (their dog), Ms. Dana, Susie (Susan), Mima (Grandma).
* Recognizing familiar things in the car- where the goats are, horses are, the Gwinnett Braves stadium and even says, "Braves!" when we pass it.
* Still a picky eater sometimes...will eat apples, bananas, grapes (sometimes), watermelon.
* Loves her veggies!! Peas are her favorite!
* Is starting to sing a long with songs... she will fill in the blanks if I stop singing to songs she knows- Old MacDonald, ABC, Row, Row, Row your boat, Ring around the Rosie.
* Dances
* Says her name or pretty close to it- Livia.
* Recognizes pictures in books and points and says the name.
* Favorite books are still Karen Katz!
* Says she is 6 years old... I did get her to say one yesterday though.
* LOVES ELMO!! Knows most Sesame Street Characters' names.
* Tries to brush her own hair and brush her teeth.  I got an Aquaduck to help her wash her hands with the step stool.
* Loves grocery shopping! Produce section is her favorite!
* Gives kisses and hugs.
* Knows almost all her body parts- working on shoulders and a few other parts.
* Trying to jump.
* She could play Peek-a-Boo for hours.
* Went on her first carousel ride and liked it!
* Her laugh is contagious and can make anyone smile.
* Cries one minute and then is fine the next....the life of a toddler!
* Got one new tooth =)
* Tears up the house like a tornado!

Here are her 18 month pictures! Thank you Tammy from Lasting Moments by Tammy  who is ever so patient and captures the essence of the moment...the good, the bad, and the stinky!Tammy endured a good amount of playing Peek-a-Boo to get these smiles!!

A kiss makes everything better

Olivia was a little stinker today.  Originally I was going to title this post, NO! Everything today was NO! She even told Susan NO! to lunch and refused to eat anything.  I tried to feed her some things when we got home and guess what I got... NO! I told her it was nap time...NO! But she did take a nap.  When I told her it was snack time after her nap... NO! She did not like any of the snacks offered...she did eat a little.  When I told her we were leaving for Kindermusik...NO! Then of course when we were outside getting to leave and taking Jake to the bathroom...boom! She fell down in the driveway! Her poor knees and this time her hand...2 days in a row she has fallen down! We finally got all cleaned up and in the car and left for Kindermusik.  At Kindermusik she was being a little stinker...she did not want to do the pretend cleaning activity of washing/scrubbing.  I guess she already knows what type of cleaning she will NOT do! But she did participate in most of the other activities tonight at class.

Olivia ate a little once we got home and we played for a little bit.  She really loves her seashells from the beach.  We now started doing some texture words with her...soft, rough, smooth, shiny and rubbing the seashells on her feet.  Now she will rub them on her feet. 

With all the nos today I felt pretty defeated and tired.  But Olivia knows how to make things all better.  While we were rocking and drinking milk before bed.  She stopped drinking her milk and gave me a kiss...a wet milk mustache kiss.  It was so sweet.  Things like that make everything all better. Olivia also noticed that I wasn't wearing my glasses...she kept asking where my glasses were and was looking for them like they were lost...talk about double sweetness!!

No pictures for today...just wait until tomorrow...it will be well worth the wait =)

Cute

I have finally started washing Olivia's 18 month clothes... a little at a time.  This girl has a wardrobe that would make celebrities jealous.  I loved the onesie she wore today.  It said cute on it! Indeed she was cute today.

Olivia and I went to Gymboree and had lots of fun.  Before class we walked around the mall for a bit.  I took her on the escalator which she loves! We saw the train and she said, "Choo choo!" I guess one day I will have to breakdown and by her a ride.  She did really well at Gymboree today and even said hello to one of the other little girls in class.  She also took a step down off of something by herself and not holding onto anything.

After dinner we played outside and I snapped some pictures.  Too bad she ate the pavement on our street.  She tried to be tough and said,"It's ok!" but then had about 10 seconds of tears.  We saw Kristy outside and talked with her and Shawn for a few minutes.  I snapped some cute pictures of her playing on their porch!

 We didn't do it

Looking for acorns

I see an airplane

Really mommy?

I am just going to sit in the driveway

Getting impatient

Fun on the neighbor's porch

Future Secretary and Happy Birthday Shawn!

Olivia just loves to sit in our chair by the computer. She now loves to click the mouse. She loves to touch all of the pens and pencils in the drawer.  She now discovered that she can use them and draw on the paper in the drawer.  Fun!

Brendon took Olivia to Gymboree today and they had lots of fun! He said that she did really good at scooting down the stairs on her bottom.  She actually did it tonight too at the house.  Crazy how fast they learn things.

We went to our neighbor's house tonight.  Olivia loves to call it Kristy's house- she even looks out our bathroom window and points to Kristy's house.  It was Shawn's 16th birthday! WOW! Time flies.  When we moved in our house Shawn was 8 years old! That is so crazy.  It has been so nice to see him grow up but it makes me feel old! We stopped over there with some cookies for him.  Olivia had some red velvet cake (I had a few bites too) and her favorite...ice cream! I really practiced with her saying Happy Birthday Shawn and it came out Happy Shawn...or something close to it.  But she knew we were going to see Shawn and kept saying his name.  We are now practicing saying Karyn and Rick...hope she gets it soon!! We are so lucky to get to celebrate fun events with them! Olivia did some entertaining while we were over there and she actually talked a lot.  But she was pretty funny!!

Gotta check my email

Enter my password

Time to write notes

We got this shirt on our beach vacation...since she really is Sweet Caroline!

Goodnight!

I dropped the ball on taking pictures today...whoops! We had a pretty good day today.  Olivia ate a really good lunch and dinner.  This girl loves some rice! It rained this evening so Olivia was pretty sad we couldn't go outside.  This girls loves outside...and will cry to go out.  I dread winter because I know we will be outside in the cold. 

Probably the sweetest thing of today is Olivia saying goodnight.  At Susan's house one of the babies takes a nap and Olivia learned how to say night, night to them.  I have always said goodnight to her since she was born...but she finally caught on to say it also.  It is so cute and it just melts my heart!

Cheerleader

Brendon tried his luck at hunting again this morning...nothing.  I made pumpkin pie french toast for breakfast! Yummy.  Olivia and I had a pretty good morning.  Only one crying spell about climbing on the chair by the computer.  Then Brendon came home and I went for a 6 mile run...too bad it got hot quick.  Still good to get out though and run.

Got home and had lunch.  Olivia ate everything her daddy gave her! Then we watched a little football and tried to get some better pics than last week...not too much better.  She still fits in her cheerleader outfit.  It must have worked because the Bills won.  After the game Brendon went and cut down a few trees today he saw that were too close to the shed and Olivia and I played for a bit.  We stopped at the neighbors and all of a sudden it started to rain.  I ran home carrying Olivia with flip flops on!! It was pouring by the time I got to the garage!! I think it scared her a little because she whined just a bit. 

Olivia ate a TON of mac and cheese for dinner...we are talking 2 helpings but wasn't a fan of the pork chops. 

Super cute cheerleader!

Even cheerleaders need game time snacks! This was post nap!