Ollie had his first lovely parky-park swing ride:
And he had some fun swinging with his buddy too:
This last picture is to prove that we do occasionally have crystal clear skies and sunsets
in Portland in the winter.
Yeah, we had nice weather in January...but now we're freezing in February!
Somehow I got really busy this past summer and was too tired to sit down in my hot un-airconditioned loft while I was 9 months pregnant to post that Toby learned how to ride a two-wheel bike!
July 29, 2010
Toby had been begging me to help him learn all spring and summer. And I tried. I really did. But when you're 8-9 months pregnant you can only run so fast...
I was very pleased (and relieved) when Toby decided to figure it out by himself (without me running behind him).
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| Doesn't it just make you long for summer? |
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Toby lost his first baby tooth last month! When I first noticed it was loose, I panicked. I was thinking that he knocked it loose somehow...because I did not believe that he was truly old enough to already be loosing baby teeth! Toby has been my baby for so long and that has been hard for me to let go of. A little easier now that Oliver is here, but still...Toby's my preshy little tater tot.
So after my heart attack upon seeing his loose tooth, I encouraged him NOT to wiggle it...so it wouldn't come out before it was ready. Well...one day he hopped off the school bus and showed me his hole where his tooth was missing. He told me that it popped right out of his mouth at school that day , without wiggling it! Oh my goodness!! How can I ever learn to let go? I guess his cute toothless face will help me with that.
We've had lots of fun first around here. This is the beginning of a series of blog entries about first! Lol.
Oliver finally got a taste of something somewhat solid:
yum, yum avocado!
Ollie wants to show you how chubby his cheeks can get
Happy boy!
product placement...some of our favorites
today
2/06/2011
| Author:
jefferies
Today as I sat at church Toby drew this picture:
It is a picture of his bed and Joshua's bed and a ladder from each bed going up to heaven. Toby learned from
Scripture Scouts and the story of Jacob's ladder, that when you pray it is like a ladder that takes you up to heaven. At the top of the ladder, in heaven is Elsa. Words cannot even express how grateful I am that Elsa is remembered and important to someone else besides me. I'm starting to feel in some ways like I'm just expected to forget this ever happened. Toby remembers Elsa.
He has actually drawn several pictures similar to this one over the past 18 months. He always includes her when he draws a picture of our family.
I've been thinking a lot lately about how in February, Elsa would have been 18 months old and going into nursery. In our church culture, that's a pretty big milestone! I can hardly believe it. I still have the little dresses I bought before she was born, in which I envisioned her wearing to nursery, folded up in a box. That's 18 months closer to when I'll get to hold her again. I keep seeing other moms with their little girls; their baby girls...and I try so hard not to get jealous. I keep thinking: that was not my plan, that was not our plan. I'm trying to be gracious. And I try to think I'm just waiting a little bit longer for my little girl than those other moms are.
Today in church one of my friends got a new calling to be a nursery worker. It just reminded me all over again that Elsa would have been in nursery now. Especially since an older lady in our ward told me once when I was pregnant with Elsa that she wondered who the nursery worker would be when my baby and my two friends' babies (we were all pregnant at the same time) got to be nursery age. At the time she told me that she felt sorry for whomever that nursery worker was going to be (my two friends and I had a total of 9 fairly rambunctious boys between the three of us...I was having the first girl). That was kind of a stab to the heart. I would like to think that even though my boys can be rambunctious, that they are also lovable, smart, kind and enjoyable kids to other people as well. Anyway, since that comment I have forgiven her...but since she made that comment all of those babies are gone. Two have moved away and one has died. And the reason why I point that out is because I think it is SO important that we guard our words carefully. We shouldn't even say things like that to people in jest. We have no idea what they're going through or what they're going to be going through. Our words are like arrows that can never be recalled. And today when my friend was called to be the nursery worker, I thought: there! She's the one who would have been the nursery worker for Elsa, and Elsa's little boyfriends...if only that had been our plan.
Now I have one more question for you all in bloggerland. Why do I know so many people having boys and only boys right now? (You don't have to answer that.) Obviously, it's become a thorn in my side, and I wish it wasn't. I love my boys more than peanut butter loves jelly. They are all my best friends.
We've had a very mild January here in Oregon. It's been SO nice. Mild temperatures. Not a whole lot of rain. We thought we'd take advantage of this and go exploring. Brent found some waterfalls up across the river in Washington that we've never been to before.
But first...sweet brothers in the morning:
I can't even begin to describe how much Toby loves his baby brother. Joshua does too, but Toby is there every moment kissing him and cuddling him.
Sweet.
Don't go chasing waterfalls, just stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to. Oops.
Lucia Falls
Not one of the SUPER tall waterfalls that we've visited in the Colombia River Gorge or at Silver Falls State Park...but still glorious! Especially with ALL of that water! I guess we did have a lot of rain the first half of January.
Hey! Did you know that we *almost* named Elsa 'Lucia' instead? Some day I hope to WILL have another daughter (I'm going to adopt one, if all else fails {not that adoption is a last resort})...and I don't know if I will use the name Lucia or not. By the way, I would've pronounced it Lu-SEE-ah, not LOO-sha (I think THAT right there was the main reason why we ended up not choosing it!)
Alright...sorry for the major tangent. Back to our adventure:
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| car ride |
I can't stand how beautiful the sunlight is through the green moss on the trees. It almost makes me cry!
we followed Toby down a 'secret trail' and found a wonderful mossy 'carpet'!
(yes it was THAT green)
Then it was back to the car again to retrieve the first aid kit!
Ooops Toby!
Then it was back to the trails
some really slick rocks + raging river of death = mama bear keeping her kids WELL away from the river!
Then...a little hike up the river to cross a tall bridge!
More lovely green...and some mist creeping down upon the river
Happy day!
...in the car.
Ollie at 5 months
These pictures taken on the IKEA playmat that Oliver got from his grandma for Christmas
- I am not sure how much he weighs, but he is getting BIG! He can fill out 6-9 month and 6-12 month clothes just fine.
- He LOVES his brothers. He loves his parents too. He smiles and babbles whenever he sees them. He is completely doted on by everyone. I guess that is the effect of a 5 year gap.
- He is rolling and wiggling around on the floor to get to things.
- His two bottom teeth are *ALMOST* through, but not quite. This is causing some fussiness at night.
- He is *ALMOST* sitting up independantly.
- He has not quite started solid foods yet, but he LOVES to drink cold filtered water from my glass. If I'm holding him he will grab for my food. He's achieved a fist full of food a few times, but I caught it before he got to his mouth.
- He loves to go for walks, jogs and hikes.
- He likes his baths, but he DOES NOT like it when I put lotion on him after.
- He loves to play with almost every toy we give him.
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| He's a cutie! |
- He most definitely has Brent's olive complexion and olive eyes!
- He still loves to suck on his fingers and pacifier
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| baby on potty = adorable! |
- We've started putting Ollie on the potty. I know several people here in Oregon who have started their babies on the potty quite young. One of my midwives had her baby pooping in the potty from the time he was 9 months. It is pretty easy to tell with Ollie when he needs to poop, so we've decided to give it a try. So far we haven't had any deposits, but I think he's still getting comfortable with it...so we'll see!
- We love his big charming smile and are so smitten by him.
It is now 24 days into 2011. And it's the same old thing every year...resolutions! Sometimes I achieve them, often I don't. But it is good to have something to work toward, and I think I'm getting a better idea of what I *CAN* achieve.
So 2011! Let's have a good year!
Among some other resolutions, I'm hoping to:
1) keep my house clean and organized
2) be fit and run at least 1 half marathon this year (loose the baby belly)
3) do some fund raising for MamaBaby Haiti
More to come on this! And it's going to be EXCITING! I can't wait to get started.
4) take an AMAZING trip with my family
5) use my wet suit LOTS!
Among others...
