Sunday, August 25, 2013

SO LONG BOTTLES....

Our baby bottle collection....4 and 10 oz models
We are officially a baby bottle free house! 

Oliver drank his last bottle yesterday and today I tossed them in the recycling bin! It was kind of a bittersweet moment but has opened up two more shelves in our pantry for other stuff! 

Over the past few weeks Oliver has mastered the art of drinking from a sippy cup so I pounced on this new found skill and decided it was time to say so long bottles before he actually figured out just how much he liked drinking from them! 

It has also freed up some of my time because he really likes holding his cup and feeding himself. I know I'll miss our bottle moments at times but it is a nice feeling to see how proud he is when he's holding his cup and feeding himself! 

Thursday, August 15, 2013

A WHOLE NEW VANTAGE POINT....


Oliver has officially joined the land of the upright people! After weeks of watching him explore his world propped up on his knees he finally figured out how to pull himself up to his feet tonight. I had just turned on the tub and went to get something from the sink when I looked back he was holding himself up on the side of the tub in a standing position. It was such a great surprise especially because I got to see it first hand! 

Now that I've returned to work (started back on Monday) my biggest fear is that I'm going to miss out on the kids milestones when I'm gone during the day. Fortunately Oliver held this one in until I was home to share it with him! Yay Oliver!

As exciting as this milestone was....it quickly turned to an annoying one after we put him to bed and he decided to try his new found skill in his crib. Normally this would be fine except for the fact that when he pulled himself up he couldn't figure out how to get back down so we had to keep going in to lay him back down. This went on for 45 minutes. Hopefully he'll figure out the getting down part soon or else bed and nap time will become quite a chore!

On another note I took Oliver to the doctor for his 10 month check up today. He now weighs 22 lbs 7 oz and is 30". Quite the stats given he was 21" and 7 lbs 2 oz 10 short months ago! 


Friday, August 9, 2013

HAPPY TEN MONTH “BIRTHDAY”…OLIVER



This month marks two milestones in Oliver’s life, not only does he turn 10 months but it also signals the end of my maternity leave (I return to work on Aug 12). It has been an incredible leave and I will cherish every moment I’ve spent with all of the kids, especially since I will never be on another maternity leave again (sniff)!

It was such an added bonus to share this time with Charlotte and Jacob and have the opportunity to watch them grow into the amazing little people they are – I really hadn’t factored this into the equation when I started my leave in October but it has been such a special time with them too!

This past month we have seen huge changes in Oliver. From July 9 to August 9 he has:
  • Grown and gained weight: We have his 10 month appointment with Dr. Greenburg on Aug 15 where we will get his official stats but I guarantee he has grown and gained weight since our last visit two months ago
  • Celebrated “Grammy’s” birthday: Oliver helped Grammy celebrate her 67th birthday on July 10
  • Cut more teeth: He now has three teeth on the top to accompany the two teeth he had on the bottom last month
  • Expanded his vocabulary: Oliver continues to expand the sounds he makes. This month I have noticed him saying “na na , lots of “da da”, “uh oh” and “ba ba ba”. I’m still waiting for “ma ma ma”!
  • Started crawling faster and farther: We no longer have stationary kids in our house…Oliver loves to crawl and has become quite fast! He is a man on a mission when you put him down on the floor now!
  • Started to express frustration when he wants something and we either take it away or don’t know what he’s referring to: Oliver’s “attitude” has grown more fierce this month especially when we take something away from him that he wants or we can’t figure out what he wants! He is much more vocal and loves to arch his back or bang his head forward to express his frustration. Having said this though he does continue to have a laid back disposition much of the time.  
  • Continued to enjoy eating solid foods: There is no food that Oliver won’t eat – he eats everything that we serve him and is no longer interested in anything pureed unless it is yogurt or apple sauce! It certainly makes meal times very easy.
  • Increased his ability to pull up on things: Although he continues to love to pull himself up on the bars of his crib he has expanded his “pulling up ability” to anything he can get his hands on. Although he hasn’t pulled himself any higher than his knees just yet it’s only a matter of time before he figures it out….gulp!
  • Continued to sleep through the night: Oliver is by far our best sleeper. He enjoys his two naps a day and his bedtime. Oliver continues to go to sleep shortly after 6 p.m. and will wake around 6 a.m. the next day.
  • Survived his first family summer vacation: Oliver spent a very fun-filled two weeks at Sandy Lake in Buckhorn and a few days on Lake Muskoka in Torrence
  • Continued to increase his sippy cup abilities: Oliver still favours his bottles over the cup but he continues to take the cup when we offer it to him
  • Activities outside the house: Cottage time (Sandy Lake and Huyer’s Cottage), Walks in the neighbourhood, Yard and porch time, Swimming at the Nordahl / Sacco’s pool,attended his first birthday party (Myra’s 4th birthday)
Oliver waiting for the train at the Peterborough Zoo
(a week shy of 10 months)




Thursday, August 8, 2013

COTTAGE LIVING....


For the past two weeks we have been fortunate enough to spend some quality family time at my Dad and Sandy's cottage on Sandy Lake in Buckhorn, just north of Peterborough. 

It is a great place that has become a summer vacation tradition for us. This is Charlotte and Jacob's third summer at the cottage but the first time they've really been able to enjoy all the things it has to offer. It has been a busy few weeks since we arrived and although the weather has been a bit on the chilly side we have still managed to pack our days with swims and water fights in the lake, visits to the Peterborough Zoo, plays at the park, lunch "under the tent" on the patio at the Cody Inn and a visit to Lock 31 in Buckhorn to watch the boats go through. 

We even snuck away from the cottage over the August long weekend to visit Paul and Judy's place on Lake Muskoka in Torrence for the 6th annual Muskoka Rocks Huyer, Brown and Cobain weekend! 

As with all good things our time away at the cottage is coming to an end but not before we enjoy one more fun-filled day in the sun. We are heading back to the city for the weekend in anticipation of my return to work from maternity leave on Monday. It is amazing to think how fast these past two weeks have gone, but even more surreal to think how fast the past 10 months of maternity leave have gone!

View of Sandy Lake from the dock

Grams and Oliver sharing a moment on the dock

One of Oliver's fav spots was the hammock

Row Row Row your boat....Grandpa with Jacob and Charlotte

Charlotte filling her water blaster

Jacob filling his water blaster

Family fun on the lake

Oliver loved swimming in the lake

A visit with the Reindeer at the Peterborough Zoo

Family fun at the Peterborough Zoo

Charlotte hanging at the park

Jacob riding a pig at the park

Jacob's first tube ride at Paul and Judy's

Boat ride with Paul and Judy

Jacob and Judy embrace Lake Muskoka

Pre-bed snuggles at Paul and Judy's (Magnus, Jacob and Charlotte)

Visiting Lock 31 in Buckhorn

One....two....three...jump!

Lake fun