Tice Family Blog

new tricks!

2011-01-28T20:47:00.000-06:00

in the last week or so, we've seen lots of new 'tricks' from the boys.

finn is now clapping, giving kisses, waving bye, head-banging, and taking steps!

oli has started with the "why?" over and over and over!

he's also been working on potty learning, which means some pretty cool outfits at home:

today was beautiful and so we spent some time outside with kim and austin

the kid can eat!

2011-01-23T20:24:00.000-06:00

it's no wonder finn's so solid - not only does he still nurse, but he loooooves table food! i made some elk chili tonight, and there was hardly any on the floor when he was done!

and he even helps us wash the dishes when he's done!

first steps!

2011-01-23T12:45:00.000-06:00

Our baby started walking today! He took a good four steps between Ian and I this morning, and has taken a few here and there several times today. He's growing up way too fast!

computer whiz

2011-01-19T11:01:00.000-06:00

oliver, at the ripe age of 2 years and five months, has figured out the computer.
he was watching dora on netflix, and i knew that it ended. i figured he'd come join me in the kitchen to 'help' me make lunch. but after a minute or two i heard him say, "I did it!" I looked, and he had clicked on the 'back to search' button, then chose another dora episode and clicked on it, so he could watch more. i figured it was a fluke, but let him watch another for the effort he put towards it!
then that one was over, so i closed out the internet explorer entirely. i look back a few seconds later, and it's open again! i asked oliver to show me what he did. sure enough, he used the mouse to click on the tiny internet icon in the lower corner of the screen.
i give it about a year before he's fixing things on the computer for me, saying, "ugh, just move mom, i'll do it!"
for now, i'm looking for good, age-appropriate games he can play on the computer - who knows what trouble he can get into on the internet!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-16T13:55:00.000-06:00

Now that the holiday season is behind us (I remember it being much less stressful when I was younger, what happend?), let's see if I can keep up with this blog!
The boys are, of course, growing like weeds and just won't slow down. Oliver cracks me up every day with his new phrases, and we're working on potty learning, although not too hard.
Finn is crawling like a madman, stands on his own, and cruises the furniture, but no steps on his own yet. I can't believe my newborn is ten months old already!
The kiddos get along really well - they typically play very well together. Oliver tends to be rough with Finn, always wanting to wrestle. But Finn takes it like a champ and I am always warning Oli that soon Finn will be pinning him!

December!

2011-01-16T13:41:00.000-06:00

someday, i'll do a real update...

November

2010-11-23T21:39:00.000-06:00

Still perfecting our back carries...and trying to prevent bald spots!

Oliver eating breakfast and 'reading' a motorcycle magazine...making dad so proud!

Yummy apples! Finn is really loving table food. He has two bottom teeth (they came in shortly after 6 months), and in the last few days I've gotten a peek at a top tooth coming in!

Gotta have a nekkid baby photo...look at that chunk!

a little catch-up...

2010-10-30T21:15:00.000-05:00

toddler-wearing is still comfortable!

a sneak peek at some of our family photos...

oliver is practicing being a daddy

finn is starting to enjoy some table food

chunk!

2010-09-27T13:42:00.001-05:00

Well, the photo is a couple weeks old, but here's our chunky 6-month-old! Finn had his well-baby check this morning. He is up to 18 pounds, 5 ounces and is 26 1/4 inches long! And perfect, of course!

forgive me...

2010-09-24T21:49:00.000-05:00

please?! it's been over a MONTH since i last posted! so sorry!
i will add photos later, right now i'm on my work laptop while my personal laptop is making copies of finn's birth video to share with my doula class.
what have we been up to?
oliver continues to talk and talk, now using short sentences pretty often. he loves dinosaurs and horses and trains, and tomorrow he gets to go see thomas the tank engine with papa dennis and grandma andy. he is a ball of energy and i can rarely keep up with him. he's got some major mood swings, but is still the sweetest thing ever. he makes me laugh every day with his antics. we recently went to the every family rocks concert at the fairgrounds, and he had fun dancing and singing along to our favorite band, justin roberts.
oliver loves his babysitter and asks to go to her house often - she has a three year old daughter who oli loves to play with. he is playing 'pretend' more and more, making me food to eat and taking his dinosaurs for rides in his trucks. he also likes to line up his toys on the floor and is always very excited to show us. "mama, 'mere! look!"
he loves his little brother to death, and lately has been encouraging him to crawl. he gets very excited when finn manages to scoot forward to grab toys!
finn is growing like a weed, and turned 6 months ten days ago. he's got his well-baby check next week so we'll see how chunky he is then!
last week was a big week for finn - he got his first black eye (falling off the bed) and his first TOOTH!! one little tooth on the bottom, but i bet the second one will be here soon. so far he has been a much 'easier' teether than oliver (knock on wood!). he had one night that he was up a lot and very restless, and the next day i could feel a tooth! it's definitely visible now. i'm kinda sad, i'll (probably) never have a toothless baby again!
finn has started trying out some 'real' food. we are skipping purees and just giving him things that he can safely gnaw on, such as peeled pears, bananas, and avocado slices. so far he looooves pears. he doesn't eat much of them yet, but is just practicing his skills! he still nurses like a champ but refuses the bottle, which sometimes makes it difficult for me to schedule work appointments!
we recently side-carred a crib for finn (took off one side of the crib and attached it to our bed), which gives us a little more room (like we need it in our king bed!), but he probably sleeps on the crib side less than half of the night. it's much cozier next to mama! i think this winter i'll enjoy the extra body heat as well.
finn is scooting in all directions, sitting well on his own, and rolls over, but no official crawling yet. i'm not sure why i encourage him to crawl, i'm not ready for two mobile kiddos!
ian has been working his butt off. his work schedule is always crazy, and he's been picking up a lot of overtime as well. we all really appreciate how hard he works to keep a roof over our head!
i'm still working part-time, which allows me to be home with the kiddos most of the time, and occasionally they go to the babysitter's, who is more of a friend than babysitter. i am in the middle of my doula training workshop this weekend, which so far is a great time and i'm learning a lot. i'm excited to start attending births and complete my certification! i don't expect to make a lot of money being a doula, but it's something that i feel strongly about and will allow me to support mamas! and my current job is flexible enough to allow me to do both.
okay...that was a quick recap! i'll add photos soon!

Happy Birth Week Oli!

2010-08-20T14:03:00.001-05:00

We started off the week with Oliver's first haircut! It was getting just a little too crazy...

Our friend Tera is a hairstylist and she did the honors...Oliver sat very still the whole time, he wasn't quite sure what to think.

Still a little long and shaggy, but not out of control - just how I wanted it!

Monday evening we went to the State Fair. It was a perfect night for it - we got there right after 5 (when tickets go to half price!), it wasn't very busy, and the weather was beautiful!

Oliver thought the cows were okay...

But he just thought the "nays" were WONDERFUL!!

We spent a lot of time in the horse barn, and Oliver threw a screaming fit when we left! He definitely has a horse obsession lately. (Don't mind the spots on my camera lens...)

Finn actually spent most of the time in the stroller, checking everything out. By about 6:30 he was ready for a nap and Oliver was getting tired of walking, so Finn slept in the mei tai while Oli rode in the stroller. We left sometime around 7:30, after we spent all of our money on food. It was a nice couple hours at the fair!

On Thursday morning, Oliver was greeted by the whole family. He didn't know why we were all so excited that morning, but I think he liked it.

He especially liked getting a cupcake for breakfast!! (Although this morning, as soon as I went in his room, he asked for a cupcake! Sorry buddy, only once a year!)

Finn didn't get a cupcake, but he still had fun. He is officially sitting up on his own now! He'll sit without assistance for several minutes before tipping over! Crawling is next! (Slow down, little man!)

Unfortunately, Oliver had to get his 2 year check up the morning of his birthday. He weighs 27 pounds 8 ounces, and is 34 inches tall! He had one shot (and screamed "Owie!" but didn't cry), and had to have his finger poked for a lead test (and cried, "Ow, hurt me!"). Finn also had two shots, and cried for about ten seconds. My boys were pretty tough!

We are having a small party for Oliver tonight, then tomorrow is MY birthday! I'm looking forward to dinner at Hu Hot with Ian!

2010-08-14T21:21:00.000-05:00

We love the Natural Playscape at Jester Park!

Finn has learned to bounce in his jumperoo and looooves it!

Is he a happy baby or what?!

Well Finn turned five months old today (and I actually got the photos up on time!). Time is really flying by. Finn is now rolling and scooting, usually backwards. He can easily grab his pacifier and put it in his mouth, along with just about everything else. We've definitely hit that stage where he reaches for everything nearby, making it difficult to eat, drink, or do just about anything while holding him! Lately he has been cutting down on naps, and for most of this week he's just had a short nap in the morning, a long nap in the afternoon (when Oli and I also nap!), and then is awake until bedtime.
He absolutely adores Oliver, and I think Oli feels the same way. Finn is watching him all the time, and you just know he wants to follow Oli everywhere! I think once Finn starts to crawl, Oliver might have a hard time getting away from him!
I took the boys on a long (hot) walk this afternoon in the double stroller. Finn stared at Oliver almost the whole trip, and Oliver was reading a book and pointing things out to me and Finn. I am looking forward to watching their relationship develop!
Oliver continues to talk and talk, adding new words everyday. He's also starting to use short 'sentences.' I read him a book this morning that had a boy flying a kite in it, and later on in the day he brought me the book, found the kite page, and said, "Fy kite!" His favorite thing to say right now is, "Aw, man!" Ian taught him that one, of course.
Oliver's 2nd birthday is coming up very soon - and tomorrow he'll be getting his very first haircut! This is a big deal for me - I've been going back and forth for about six months! I love his crazy hair but it's just a little too out of control lately. I'm just not ready for my first baby to be a little boy! I will be sure to post before and after photos!

Clear Lake

2010-08-02T09:35:00.000-05:00

We spent the day up at Clear Lake this weekend. I forgot my camera of course, but I took a whopping two pictures with my phone. Both of Finn napping.

On the beach:

At the park:

Oliver had a blast, he loved swimming at the beach and playing in the sand. He skipped his nap, which led to a cranky boy later in the evening, but that's okay.

Oh, and at Finn's 4 months check up, he weighed 15 pounds 14 ounces and was 25 1/4 inches long.

four months!

2010-07-24T22:43:00.000-05:00

Finn turned four months old...um, last week. : ) I'm not doing very good at this "blogging four times a week" stuff, huh? Finn has his four month check on Monday, so I'll update you on his weight (chunky!) then. For now, some photos!

Um, Oli, I don't think that's what those are for...

giving little bro a ride

attempting to get a photo of the two of them together!

Oliver likes to ride his motorcycle to the park!

zzzzz.....

happy baby! (oliver also likes to play in the exersaucer!)

hanging out at the PC Festival

Oliver loved the train ride!

Finn zonked out while on my back.

And, to the right, you'll see a link to my new blog, as I am officially becoming a certified doula!

our busy week...

2010-07-11T21:36:00.000-05:00

giving hugs while waiting for the 4th of July parade to start...

hanging out at great-grandpa and -grandma's house before the parade...

had to have a good view of the parade!

splashing in puddles after a big rain...

trip to the zoo...

Oliver fed the goats...

and I learned how to back wrap! Finn loved it - he dozed while I made dinner!

slacker!

2010-07-07T20:30:00.000-05:00

yep, that's me. i have two very cute, very busy excuses for rarely posting though!

i'm going to make it my goal to post at least four times a week now.

that doesn't mean you'll get four good posts a week, though. most likely it'll be four posts that took me five minutes to write.

-------------------------

this morning we had a good time at our Holistic Families (or, "hippy mom", as ian likes to call it) group, and while Oliver covered himself in sand i got to talk to other mamas about education and what they are choosing for their children. i think we will start looking into the local montessori schools, and see if one might work for us in a couple years. (and no, it's not too early - these schools are so popular, parents get their kids on waiting lists as early as 6 months old!)
Oliver is in the middle of a language EXPLOSION! he's saying new words each day (sometimes each hour, it seems!), and it's so fun. not only is he learning new words, but he's saying his 'old' words better and is really starting to enunciate correctly.
Finn is working on rolling! with a tiny bit of help from us, he's rolled a few times the last couple days. he is starting to reach out for toys/faces and brings everything straight to his mouth, of course. he just loves watching oliver, and Oli of course loves the attention. i often catch oli making funny faces at Finn in the backseat and laughing when Finn smiles at him.

3 Months!

2010-06-14T23:07:00.000-05:00

In the last couple weeks, Finn got his first 'tattoo', courtesy of big brother:

He slept....

And slept...

And Oliver has started lining things up - shoes, cars, balls, anything.

So, Oliver and Finn went to play at Gma Holly & Gpa Tony's while I worked the other day. I came back to their place and we were all playing, when I noticed Oli came out of the kitchen and into the sunroom where all the toys are. He took the music table (we have a similar one at home) and started pushing it through the house. I thought nothing of it. Soon, I noticed that he was way too quiet. So I went into the kitchen, and this is what I see:

The stinker spotted the watermelon and knew exactly what he needed to get to it! (He does this at home, too. Drags his music table to get to the fruit bowl. Good thing we don't keep a cookie jar on the counter!)

We just had to laugh...

And, Finn is three months old today! Time is really flying. Finn is cooing and giggling even more, and he's such a sweet baby. The only time he fusses is if he's hungry or tired, and usually the fussing only lasts a moment. He is so tolerant of Oliver's hugs and kisses, even when they are a bit forceful.

I'm so lucky to have two perfect little boys! (And one big boy!)

as promised...

2010-06-03T21:39:00.001-05:00

Getting ready for bed...

At Anna & Jeff's first grill out of the summer...

Oli and Aunt Anna

Trying on Ian's motorcycle boots...

Having fun at the Ankeny splash park...

Trying on Ian's helmet...

Big News!!! Oliver went pee in the potty for the first time! Yay!!! We made a big deal of cheering for him, but he was just too interested in watching Curious George to really care too much.

June already?!

2010-06-02T12:39:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's June already and Finn is nearing his 3-month birthday! I've got Oli napping in his crib and Finn is asleep in bed next to me, so I thought I'd update you all!
Finn had his first vaccination a couple weeks ago at his 2 month well-baby check. He weighed 12 pounds, 11 ounces (with NO diaper), and is 23 inches long. Dr. Schutte said he's "perfect"! (Of course, we knew that already!)
Finn is finally starting to be awake more often, which makes his grandmas very happy. He is all smiles and giggles when he's awake, and his big blue eyes are always checking everything out.
He's sleeping pretty well for us, although I'm not sure how such a little boy can hog so much of a king-size bed!
Oliver is practicing his talking....and he practices alllll day long! We're working on the names of his family and friends, so recently he's been asking me, "Mm Mammo?"(where's Mammo?) "Mm Papa?" "Mm Kim?" "Mm Anna?" "Mm Jeff?" "Mm Bubba?" "Mm Gabe?" "Mm Kayli?"
Over and over and over and over. And I tell him, "Mammo's at work," and he nods like he knew all along.
Oli is also getting into a destructive phase...our house always looks like a toddler lives here, but even more so lately. Everything he gets out, he throws, steps on, hits against the wall, or just breaks. Needless to say, we've been spending a lot of time outside lately. You can chuck all the sticks and rocks you want, Oli!
We went to the Ankeny splash park over Memorial Day weekend - it's free for a couple hours every morning now, which makes me very happy! It took Oliver about ten minutes to get used to all the spraying and splashing, but then he fell in love and ran around like crazy. I'll upload some photos soon, they are still on my camera. I'm hoping we get to spend a lot of time there this summer.
I've started back to work part-time now, and will take on more cases as Finn gets a little older. He went to the babysitter's for the first time today, for just a couple hours. She's a stay-at-home-mom who I met through my midwife, and she's been watching Oliver occasionally for the last six months. We just LOVE her and although I wasn't looking forward to leaving Finn today, I knew he'd be happy. She's a homebirthing, babywearing, cloth diapering mama like me! I am lucky to be able to make my own schedule, so I usually make my appointments when Ian is home, but it's nice to have a flexible babysitter we can turn to when we need her.
There's my quick update - I'll post photos soon!

Two Months!

2010-05-15T09:28:00.000-05:00

Finn is two months old now (as of yesterday)!!
Likes:

nursing
sleeping in the wrap
sleeping next to mama
sleeping on dad's chest
smiling
giggling
being tickled
being bounced
watching big brother
ceiling fans

Dislikes:

the car/carseat
sleeping alone

Finn is such a sweet babe (of course!), and we're enjoying every moment with him. I have started back to work very part-time, and although I like being back to work, it's still hard leaving both my boys for very long!

Oliver, our badass baby:

Finn having fun at the indoor playground:

Oliver found a bouncy room full of 'punching bags'. Needless to say, he was in heaven!

He played pretty hard!

Happy baby!

Wearing their outfits from Mammo:

sweet brothers:

12 pounds, 10 ounces!

2010-04-28T15:47:00.001-05:00

that's how much our chunky 6 week old weighs (with his diaper on)!

One Month!

2010-04-14T12:08:00.000-05:00

We have survived one month of 2 under 2!

Oh, and here is Oliver at one month old - look like brothers?

talk talk talk talk talk....

2010-04-13T09:17:00.000-05:00

Oliver is definitely starting to jabber more and more, and starting to make sense! (Even to those who aren't around him all the time.)
His favorite thing the past couple days has been saying "bye-bye". To EVERYTHING!
"Bye-bye baby!"
"Bye-bye daddy!"
"Bye-bye car/bird/bug/tractor/noise-that-means-motorcycle-or-truck!"
And this morning, as I was dumping his poop down the toilet, he waved and said "bye-bye poop!"

my lazy post

2010-04-12T11:20:00.000-05:00

Not enough time to actually post about anything...so here are some photos!

First bath!

Kisses from big bro:

Oli and Ian enjoying spring!

Oli hunting for Easter eggs at Aunt Becky's house:

Finn was super excited:

The Easter bunny came in the afternoon at our house (the boys shared a basket):

Smiling after Oliver kissed him:

Oli and Grandma Holly opening another Easter basket:

Oliver likes the wrap, too!

What I get to sleep next to every night!

Photos!

2010-04-03T19:32:00.001-05:00

Our professional birth and newborn photos are now up online, if you want to check them out!
I'm not a huge fan of the newborn pics - the photos themselves are great, but Finn's skin was at the height of its peeling, so he kinda looks a mess. But still adorable!
And a warning: The birth photos may show more than you want to see, so you might choose to skip them. (The newborn photos are first.) I am naked in some, and you won't see everything, but you will see my bare breasts. And there are a few shots of the placenta, which some people might not have the stomach for (but it's an amazing organ!).
(UPDATE: The photos are no longer viewable - ask me how to see the birth photos if you're interested!)

2 weeks (plus a few days...)

2010-03-30T16:51:00.001-05:00

Hmm, with two kiddos it's even harder to keep up with the blog! Who woulda thought?!
Jessica, our midwife's apprentice, came out to see us on Monday. Finn is up to 10 pounds, 6 ounces! He and mama are both doing great!
Oliver continues to love on his little bro all the time - giving kisses and hugs, covering him up with blankets, giving him his pacifier (and trying to steal it sometimes, too!). Oli is struggling during the day when Ian is at work or sleeping, as he doesn't have the one-on-one attention he is so used to. But we are sure we will all adjust soon!
Finn is such an easy baby - or it just seems that way since we've been through all the newborn stuff before. He's sleeping great (no, not 'through the night'), eating like a piggy, and really starting to take an interest in the people around him (and the ceiling fan). Mammo (my mom) insists he smiled at her the other day.
Our friend Tera stopped by the other day and took some great photos of the boys - here are a few!

One Week!

2010-03-23T12:33:00.000-05:00

Jessica, our midwife's apprentice, came out to check on us on Monday (one week + one day). Finn is up to 9 lbs, 13 oz! Both he and I are doing great!

Getting ready to go for a short walk to the park last week, in our new ring sling:

Nappin':

And napping in our new wrap - sooo comfortable! (For me and him!):

St. Pat's Day & 3 Day Stats

2010-03-17T21:35:00.000-05:00

The boys wore their green this morning - of course both their outfits were messy by afternoon!

Finn's fit him just perfectly.

Our midwife, Cosette, came to the house Monday morning to check on Finn and me. Finn had only lost 3 ounces, and was at 8lbs 15oz. Kari, our nurse, came out today for the three-day checkup. Finn is up to 9 lbs, 8 oz! So he gained 9 ounces in two days, and is 6 ounces above his birthweight! He is definitely a great nurser and is soooo chunky! I have a bunch of new diapers that he won't be able to wear because they are too small!

Finn's Birth Day

2010-03-16T09:25:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd post a birth story on here - I'm working on the long, fully-detailed story that'll be posted on my other blog.
Finn was due on March 1st, but we knew he wouldn't make his appearance until later, seeing as how I was induced with Oliver two weeks after his due date. On Thursday, March 11th my midwife made us an appointment at Methodist for a biophysical on the 15th (this is a very detailed ultrasound, measuring the amniotic fluid, placenta, and baby to make sure everything is still healthy). If the results came back good, we'd continue with this testing twice a week until Finn was born; if there was a red flag, we'd be induced at the hospital. Cosette (my midwife) said that this was her induction method - every time she scheduled a biophysical, the mama went into labor shortly before the appointment.
She was right! I started feeling short, regular contractions Saturday March 13th. I started timing them at 5:30pm, and continued with my evening. I put Oliver to bed and started on the "to-do" list to get ready for our homebirth!
I called Kambra, who is my best friend, massage therapist, and doula (a doula is a certified labor support person; I am actually going to be a doula soon hopefully!). She came over around 1am. I labored throughout the house all night. Ian was by my side the entire time, holding me up during hard contractions and giving me the emotional support I really needed.
We called our photographer and the midwife around 7am and they came out immediately. I got into the birth tub to labor shortly after that. I was in and out of the tub a couple times, as I really needed to keep moving around to help baby move downwards.
Oliver had slept all night so far, but he woke up arond 7:30am. My mom came over right away to take him to her house.
I started pushing a little before 10am. I pushed while on the toilet, standing in the hallway, and then I made my way to the birth tub. I got in the tub, squatted, and continued to push. His head was born and I had a rush of relaxation. I didn't know his head was born, but I knew I didn't feel like pushing anymore. I could feel him moving, and my midwife told me he was rotating (babies rotate their head and shoulders in order to fit through the birth canal). After a few minutes (Ian said he was freaking out, wondering why I didn't push the rest of him out immediately!), I felt another contraction, pushed, and Finn was born! With the help of Cosette, he floated up to my arms and curled up on my chest.
Finn was born in the caul - which means my water did not break until he was born, and he was born with the amniotic sac over his head, like a mask. It's very rare and supposed to be very good luck. My midwife's son was also born in the caul! Cosette pulled the caul off immediately so Finn could breathe. We turned him a bit and I was able to announce, "It's a boy! I knew it!"
After a few minutes I got out of the tub with the help of Ian to get on the bed to let the cord stop pulsing, deliver the placenta, and be evaluated.
Finn nursed great immedately after the placenta was born and the cord was cut (the cord was too short for him to be up high enough on my chest). Kari, the nurse, evaluated and weighed him. When she said "9-2" I said, "WHAT?!?!"
"Yep, 9 pounds, 2 ounces."
I was so sure throughout the entire pregnancy that this babe was smaller than Oli (who was 8lb 10oz at birth). What a surprise!
Finn's birth was so different from Oliver's. It was incredibly hard, of course, but so amazing. I loved being at home the entire time. I loved being able to labor and birth in the tub. I loved crawling into my own bed right afterwards. I loved having only people I knew and trusted around me.
Oliver is doing pretty good with his baby brother so far. He looooves giving him kisses and 'nice touches'. I'm trying to still give him lots of one-on-one time. I know it'll be a difficult transition for us all but I'm excited for it. I'm already imagining what it's going to be like a year or so from now with two little boys running around like crazy (and one big boy)!

Meet our new baby boy!

2010-03-14T15:56:00.001-05:00

Finn Taylor Tice was born this morning at 10:13am. He was born at home, underwater, and in the caul! It was an amazing experience! He was 9 lbs, 2 oz (whoa!) and 21 1/2 inchest long. I will post a more detailed birth story soon. (Along with some photos!) But now it's time for this tired mama to get some rest...

And speaking of rest, this is what is posted on our doors - we would love to have visitors!

"Welcome!!

Per our midwife’s orders, we have set up ‘visiting hours’ to ensure our family gets the bonding and rest time we need!

We’d love to have visitors from 9-11a. You’re welcome to join us for lunch after 11, if you’re cooking!

Family ‘naptime’ is from noon – 3p; please, no visitors during this time.

You can also visit from 3-5p, and stay until 6:30p if you’re providing dinner!

After 6:30p is family time and bedtime."

what we've been up to...

2010-03-12T12:40:00.000-06:00

While waiting for baby brother/sister to arrive...

Making messes...

Doing dishes...

Playing with the barn (it's so fun to watch Oli play pretend. He puts all the animals in the barn, makes the animal noises, has the bunny hop all around the barnyard...)

And being patient...

note to baby

2010-03-07T21:12:00.000-06:00

Dear sweet baby,
If you are still growing and aren't quite ready to come out yet, that's okay with me. I'll be patient.
But, in case you are waiting on me to be ready - I've got all the home birth supplies ready and waiting. The birth tub is nice and warm. Our midwife's number is on speed dial. We have a photographer lined up. Mammo will be back in town tonight. We enjoyed a wonderful (and filling!) dinner at Ohana tonight, and of course I spilled on one of the last shirts that fit me. I've got all my reports for work finished.
So, again, I will be patient, even if you take a couple more weeks. But just remember that I'm ready when you are!
Love,
your mama

our gymnast

2010-03-07T09:35:00.000-06:00

I remember watching the 2008 Summer Olympics gymnastics, waiting for Oli to arrive. We decided maybe he'd be an Olympic gymnast - and he's off to a good start! Here he's practicing his somersault at the mall (sorry the quality isn't great, it's from my cell phone):

18 Month Stats

2010-02-26T20:07:00.000-06:00

Oliver had his 18-month checkup yesterday. He is 32 1/4 inches tall and 24 lbs, 3 oz. He had two shots and didn't cry one bit - not even a whimper!
We are getting closer to being ready for baby! I officially start my maternity leave March 1st - with my job, it's easier to transfer all my cases on a set date rather than wait until I actually go into labor and then have to cancel a bunch of appointments.
I just got a couple new baby carriers (that brings my total up to 9, I think...Ian says I have a problem) and I'm so excited to use them. I think we have enough cloth diapers for the first few months, but then we may have to buy some more bigger ones - unless Oliver is potty learning by then, we won't have enough diapers to share. He has asked to sit on the potty a few times, but doesn't do anything once he's up there. Which is okay, we're in no rush! We'll let him lead the way.
Our family (along with everyone else in Iowa, I'm sure) is soooooo ready for spring! I can't wait to be able to open the windows and let fresh air in. To turn off the TV and go to the park! To go on long walks around town with my kiddos! Sounds like it may be in the 30's soon, so we'll have to get out and 'help' Ian clean up the driveway and sidewalk again.

Baby Bellies!

2010-02-19T19:45:00.000-06:00

My belly as of 2/19...

And of course Oliver wanted in on the fun...his 18-month-old belly!

birth tub

2010-02-14T17:30:00.000-06:00

My birth tub has arrived! This thing is fantastic and I'm so excited to have it. It's approximately 5 feet in diameter, and fits perfectly in the corner of our bedroom. It has a heater, jets, and filter, so it's just like a mini-hot tub. (We keep it set at 100 or just below, which is safe for expecting mamas and feels like a nice warm bath.)

We rented it from the husband of my midwife's assistant. He came and set it all up and got it ready Saturday, and it was warm by Sunday afternoon (it would have been warm earlier, but I didn't have it running during the night since the heater is kind of loud.) I'll be able to enjoy it as much as I want until the baby arrives. I'm not set on a water birth, but would like the option. And I'm defnitely looking forward to laboring in the tub, as water is considered "nature's epidural"!

After the baby is born, we just put the cover back on and he comes back out to clean and drain it and takes it away!

Oliver and I decided to try it out today. It's just shallow enough that he can stand up in it and the water comes up to his chest.

He loved it, but a little too much...I didn't think about how much he loves to splash in his bath. Our walls were wet within seconds, and since there are outlets near the tub I had to put a stop to the splashing and kicking immediately. So, he may not get many more chances to 'swim' in it. Relaxing in the tub will probably be an "after Oliver goes to bed" ritual for the next several weeks.

so, is Oliver ready for the baby?

2010-02-12T13:07:00.000-06:00

I get asked this a lot - and "Does Oliver understand about the baby?"
I never really know how to answer. Usually, I'd think no, he has no idea that there will soon be a new baby. But lately he's been really interested in my belly, and really into other people's babies, as well as his own baby dolls. maybe he's just to that developmental stage, or maybe he does have some sort of idea.
We talk to him often about the baby, and we have been practicing 'nice touches' and hugs and kisses with his dolls. (yes, he has baby dolls.) he couldn't stop loving on baby cousin Ellie last weekend, and today at playgroup he met two new babies (ADORABLE Neena and Isla, both a little over a month old) and was just smiling at them and wanting to 'pet' them. (I try to teach him to touch their toes only, no one wants sticky toddler hands on their newborn's head!) At the store he is constantly pointing at other kids in their carts and saying, "Baby!" (even if the child is Oli's age.)
either way, i think he's going to be a fantastic big brother. i just peeked in his room (he's supposed to be napping), and he was laying his stuffed Curious George on his pillow and covering him up with a blanket.
i think we're all at least emotionally and mentally ready for the baby to arrive. i still have a lot of material things to get ready, though!

One year ago this week...

2010-02-03T21:35:00.000-06:00

Oliver practiced his arm bars...

Took a nap with Ian (in matching undies! ha!)...

Practiced drinking out of a straw...

And worked on crawling!

And THIS week...he has continued to improve on his boxing skills. We can't control it!

Real Food Challenge

2010-02-01T12:17:00.000-06:00

I've signed up for the Nourished Kitchen Real Food Challenge - and you should, too!

Getting closer...

2010-01-27T20:41:00.000-06:00

A little more than a month left to go! Here's my ~35 week belly!

I took a crazy video of baby moving all around last night, but I can't figure out how to get it to transfer from my phone to my computer. I'll keep working on it...

One Year Ago This Week...

2010-01-26T22:40:00.000-06:00

Oliver showed off his new Hawkeye diaper while working on his crawling...

Danced to some tunes (LOOK at how chubby he was! Oh my gosh!)...

And he actually took a nap in his crib! (I don't think it lasted too long, though!)

Oli "WarBug" Tice

2010-01-25T10:18:00.000-06:00

Yeah, Oliver already has his fight name. Here are a couple videos of him practicing his MMA skills, so he can be just like dad.

Bragging Rights

2010-01-25T10:08:00.003-06:00

Here's the post where I list some of the awesome, smart things my son is doing lately.
-Talking! Well, close. He says a lot of things that Ian and I have no problem understanding, but others might be a bit confused. But I have a feeling he'll be talking for 'real' any day now...He signs and says "Pees!" (Please) and "Eee!" (Eat), says Hi, Dog, "Po" (hippo), "Coh" (cold), "Hah" (hot), "Sat?" (What's that? - he says this all day long, pointing to everything.), "Beebee" (belly button), "Mom!" and a few others. He also continues to sign for 'more', 'all done/gone', and 'drink'. His recent favorite way to communicate is coming up to me, grabbing my fingers, and dragging me over to whatever he wants or needs help with.
-Animal sounds. He's getting pretty good, I am running out of animals that are easy to imitate. He can make these animal sounds: dog, cat, pig, cow, sheep, lion (RAWR!! - our favorite), duck, snake, alligator, dinosaur....probably a few more that I can't think of.
-Following directions. Besides when he's being a bit ornery, Oli is great at following directions! He is getting better at helping pick up his toys, put things in the garbage, and going and finding his cup, bowl, spoon, or whatever else escapes from the kitchen into the rest of the house.
-Body parts. Oliver can point out his (or your) eyes, nose, mouth, ears, belly button (watch out, he'll pull your shirt up to find it!), toes, fingers, head, and hair.
-Wrestling/boxing. Yeah, maybe not the best thing to teach; we are going to have to start setting some rules regarding the roughhousing soon, so he doesn't think he can attack just anyone. But he loves to put Ian's boxing gloves on and run around pretending to punch things (or he'll put shoes on his hands if he can't find gloves), he wrestles with Ian all the time (and sometimes with me, until he gets tired of me not falling over when he attempts a takedown), and loves to beat on the punching bag downstairs. He also got a blow-up lion for Christmas that he likes to practice on (have I posted those videos yet?).
-Eating with utensils. Yup, this big boy is now using a fork or spoon almost all the time. He has recently started eating cereal (froot loops are his favorite) just like a big boy (or like his cereal-loving dad!). Of course, he still ends up with food all over the place and for some reason he can't eat his yogurt without putting it in his hair.
-Generally being the coolest kid ever. I know, we are completely biased, but Ian and I just think Oliver is the most amazing kid. We had to make fun of ourselves last night; we went to see The Lion King at the Civic Center (AMAZING show!), and during the show we kept talking about how Oli would be 'rawr'ing with the lions, and asking "Sat?" over and over, pointing to everything on stage. Oliver is constantly cracking us up, and he had me laughing so hard I was crying the other day.
This boy brings so much joy to our lives. We can't wait to see what kind of amazing relationship he develops with his little brother or sister. (And all the things they do to amaze us!)

(Thanks to my friend Julia for the photo!)

Screamy Pants

2010-01-23T16:04:00.003-06:00

What Ian and Oliver do most of the day (turn your volume on, but not too loud!):

Helping Dad

2010-01-22T22:40:00.000-06:00

I have really been slacking on the photos of Oliver lately. I have several excuses ready: He never stays still for a picture; He is always grabbing for the camera when I get it out; and I still don't like my new camera (although the old one works again! I just need to get the lens cleaned off.)

But really, I'm just a slacker.

Last week we finally had a day that was warm enough to go outside for a little bit, so Oli helped Ian clean up the driveway. I supervised.

He figured out how to throw snowballs, all by himself!

Famous!

2010-01-05T11:38:00.001-06:00

Early this fall Oliver and I had the chance to help out one of our favorite stores, Little Padded Seats, with a commercial. Here it is! (The actual commercial starts at 10 seconds.)

Goodbye, 2009!

2009-12-31T16:39:00.000-06:00

Seeing Obama sworn in, in January:

Happy Valentine's Day! February:

At the downtown St. Patrick's Day Parade in March:

At Bonnie's baby shower, in April:

Hanging out in Perry, in May:

Visiting cousin Gabe, in June:

Watching fireworks, July:

Playing at the Natural Playscape at his birthday party, August:

Ready for Amy & Kevin's wedding, September:

Picking pumpkins, October:

Playing with Austin at Mat & Danielle's wedding, November:

Playing in the snow, December:

A couple videos...

2009-12-31T15:30:00.001-06:00

First, a short video that I can't stop laughing at- although I feel bad about it.

So here's another one that's cute and NOT making fun of Oliver (you've gotta have the sound on for this one!):

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-25T20:52:00.001-06:00

1 down...8 to go!

2009-12-19T19:58:00.000-06:00

We love our big families. We really love being so close to everyone - grandmas, grandpas, aunts, and uncles (including greats- and great-greats!). But sometimes it's overwhelming! We have eight Christmas get-togethers this year. Plus our own at home on Christmas morning. Eight!!! Leslie told me, "That must be really nice, or insane." It's both. But today was so fun and Oli did so well, I'm sure the rest of this holiday season will be a breeze. We had Christmas lunch with Ian's great-grandma McKnabb and her family. That's right, Oliver is lucky enough to know his great-great-grandmother!
He had a very short nap on the car ride there, and played like a mad man for three and a half hours, and was out cold before we got out of the parking lot. We got home at 4, brought him into his room, and he continued to sleep til 5:30 - which meant mama got a nap, too!
Now if he can just keep doing this eight more times....

Boy or Girl?

2009-12-17T07:54:00.000-06:00

Last night I noticed that on the poll to the right, Boy had finally pulled ahead! Yay! But then, this morning it was tied up again.
I'm telling you....it's a boy. (But will admit if I'm wrong!)

Things To Say To A Pregnant Woman (Regarding Her Looks)

2009-12-16T22:04:00.000-06:00

1. You look great!
2. You look wonderful!
3. You look beautiful!
4. You are glowing!
5. You look fabulous!

If you want to say something that's not on this list, or not very similar to something on this list....don't say it. It's just better for everyone.
: )

New Camera = New Belly Photo!

2009-12-14T19:58:00.001-06:00

I finally went out and got a new camera - just a cheap one for now so the pics aren't that great. But, here is my newest belly shot - I think it's 28 weeks. I can't keep track. Anyway, we have about three months to go!

Oliver has been working on some molars all weekend - I'm not sure how many. Today I could finally feel one little pointy tooth on his left side, and bumps on the right. He was never too bad with his front teeth, but these back ones are really bugging him! He's had a low fever all weekend and just been cranky. And very restless at night, no one has been sleeping well. Poor baby! So he has been cuddling on the couch a lot the past few days, which is rare - he is usually always on the go! So this is his "I don't feel good" look:

But, it is still not stopping him from climbing on everything he can reach.

Snow fun!

2009-12-11T16:17:00.000-06:00

I finally got Oliver some snowpants and boots, so we spent a little time walking around the neighborhood today. I think we spent more time getting his snow gear on than we did outside, though. The photos aren't great because they're from my phone - I still haven't replaced my broken camera.

15 months!

2009-12-02T08:25:00.000-06:00

Oliver had his 15 month check-up a couple weeks ago (I'm a little slow on the updates lately!). He weighs 22 pounds 6 ounces, and is 31 inches tall. That's more than half as tall as me!
I don't have any recent photos because....you know....my dead camera.

I broke my camera.

2009-11-15T12:38:00.000-06:00

Ugh. I'm so sad. And mad.
Oli was digging through Ian's gym bag the other day and then running around the house with his 16 oz. boxing gloves on. Very cute. So I grab my camera case, pull the camera out, and.....throw it to the ground. Ok, I really just dropped it but it was a hard fall on to our hardwood floor. The lens is stuck out, and it won't turn on. I've tried everything.
I really want a nice digital SLR camera, even though I know nothing about photography and I can't afford one. I may have to go buy a 'cheap' point-and-shoot soon. We can't go through the holidays without a camera! (And some of you haven't seen my growing belly lately!)

Photos!

2009-11-11T21:03:00.000-06:00

Our good friend Sean has a new camera, and we asked him to practice his skills on us. He recently provided me with a disc of over 1500 photos. I'm still going through them all, but here is a sampling!

To clarify...

2009-11-04T08:22:00.000-06:00

I guess I should have said this in the last post. We do not plan on finding out the sex of the baby until he/she is born. Not because we don't want to know (and it's killing Ian not knowing!), but because we're choosing to have as little intervention as possible, including an ultrasound.
So, if we find it medically necessary to have an ultrasound (such as if I hit 42 weeks and need to check the amniotic fluid), we may find out the sex then. Although I think if we can wait that long, we could wait until the baby is born!

Place your bets...

2009-11-03T20:25:00.000-06:00

Look over to the right....Do you think this baby will be a boy or a girl? Cast your vote!

Happy Halloween!!

2009-10-31T20:32:00.002-05:00

Can you guess....

2009-10-31T20:27:00.002-05:00

What do these items have in common??

(Two wood puzzle pieces, a pen, a thermometor cover, the mixer piece of a shake maker, a teaspoon, and a wood stacking piece.)

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These are all items that have recently been washed with diapers. Apparently Oliver likes to toss toys in his diaper pail when I'm not looking, and they get buried so I don't find them until I'm pulling diapers out of the washer. Luckily, the pen did not leak on the diapers!

We're on TV - Again!

2009-10-25T21:20:00.002-05:00

Last week Oliver and I helped Little Padded Seats film a 30-second commercial. It is currently airing on the Soap Network, Bravo, and Hallmark. (None of which we have!) The owners, Lauri and Tommy, have told me that they are working on getting me a copy of the commercial that I can share with you guys.
So, now that Oli is famous, we will be charging an appearance fee for the upcoming holidays. Also, extra charges apply for autographs. : )

One Year Ago ...

2009-10-19T19:32:00.003-05:00

In honor of Oliver's 14 month 'birthday', let's see what he was up to one year ago...

Oliver Update

2009-10-18T08:39:00.002-05:00

Well Oliver will be 14 months tomorrow - and he is growing up way too fast! Just some of the things he has learned in the last few months:
He must be going through a growth spurt because he has been eating like a pig (even stealing Austin's food, I hear) and sleeping like a log!
He weaned himself from day nursing shortly after his first birthday, and I think he's close to night-weaning, too.
Oli can say "mama", "dada", grandpa ("papa"), ball ("bah"), dog ("dah"), "uh oh", up ("uh! uh!"), and he signs "all done" and "eat" (although his 'eat' sign is really the 'more' sign, but we didn't teach either to him - he picked it up from Austin, just a little mixed up!).
He knows what a dog says ("uhh-uhh-uhh"), what a cow says ("mmmm"), and of course, what a motorcycle says.
He waves, gives high fives, and bumps fists. He blows on my belly when I ask him to give the baby kisses.
He is following directions well; for example, he knows he can only have his pacifier while in his bed, so if he's walking around with it I'll tell him to "go put it away" and he walks to his crib and throws it in.
He is eating really well with his toddler fork and spoon (fork is easier). Last night he ate all of his carrots using just his fork, and he was so proud of himself. It's funny, when he eats with his hand he almost always uses his left hand, but he uses his silverware with his right. So I'm not sure if he'll be a south-paw or not.
He is constantly on the move, which has of course led to many bumps and bruises.
This is just a short list of all the cool new things Oliver has learned. I'm amazed every day at how quickly he picks things up. I think this is why all parents think their kids are geniuses!

20 Weeks!

2009-10-14T20:08:00.002-05:00

I'd say I'm halfway there....but for me I probably have another week before the halfway point! Here is my (approximately) 20 week baby belly:

In case it's a girl...

2009-10-13T20:02:00.001-05:00

I found this bright pink Dittany Baby 1/2 buckle mei tai on craigslist for a good price. And if it's another boy...anyone want to buy it off me? (Or my boys can just rock the pink, we'll see!)

Pumpkins!

2009-10-09T09:47:00.004-05:00

A couple weekends ago (I know, I'm slow) we went to Wills Family Orchard to pick out some pumpkins and get some apples.

It was hard navigating through all the pumkin vines:

Oli kept pointing to the pumkins and saying, "Bah?!" (Ball?!) I guess it did look like a field full of basketballs! Taking a break: He picked out a nice pumpkin, and got to ride back with it:

And earlier this week Ian took Oli to Van Wall to visit Grandpa Tony - and Oli got his second 'ride' on a real motorcycle:

He looks a little more comfortable now than he did in September 2008!

Latest Baby Dream

2009-10-03T22:05:00.002-05:00

I have been having way more dreams about this baby than I ever did with Oliver. I usually don't pay much attention to dreams, and I don't really think they 'mean' anything, but they sure are interesting!
I blame the latest dream on Peggy Vincent's Baby Catcher, which is an awesome memoir by a California midwife, detailing many of the countless births she attended, both in hospitals and in homes. Oh, and in cars. I just finished it a couple days ago.
Last night I dreamed that Ian and I were at some big event in a hotel - maybe a wedding reception? I was tired and having contractions so I left to go up to our room. As I was waiting with a big crowd of people at the elevators, Baby was moving around a ton and I lifted up my shirt to watch. I could see the outline of a little foot pushing against my left hipbone, and the head on the right side of my belly. Apparently I thought I was in labor, and I laughed and said, "No, baby, this is the way out!" as I used my hands to flip him head down. Then, suddenly, the baby was born! I caught it, grabbed a robe laying on a nearby chair and wrapped the baby up and sat down. Someone left to find Ian (hmm, he wasn't there - AGAIN!) and our midwife, who also happened to be at the hotel. When they arrived I realized I hadn't looked to see if the baby was a boy or a girl - guess what, a boy!
Totally realistic, right?!
But man, if I did believe my dreams mean something more....what does it mean when Ian is NEVER there for the birth? Hmm...

Sweet Baby Boy...

2009-10-01T20:08:00.002-05:00

Last night, I went in Oliver's room to check on him while he was sleeping. I have been noticing lately how much he is starting to sleep like a little boy, instead of a baby. So Ian comes in with me and we are watching our sweet little guy snoring softly, talking about how perfect he is....and then Oliver farts. A really long fart. But continues to snore away. We practically had to run out of the room so we wouldn't wake him with our laughter. Oh, boys.

In other baby news, Ian has officially felt Baby kickboxing. He/She has been keeping me up late at night, just like Oliver did. But it's fun!

Babies are amazing!

2009-09-27T20:18:00.003-05:00

First a warning - this clip is about breastfeeding and shows bare breasts. You probably shouldn't watch it at work or if you are weirded out by breastfeeding.

We learned in our Bradley classes that a newborn, when set on mama's tummy or chest, will slowly 'crawl' his/her way up to the breast for his/her first meal. I came across this video today that shows a baby doing this!
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Baby bump!

2009-09-27T19:47:00.001-05:00

It's definitely a bump now. Still in my regular jeans, though! This is baby at about 17 weeks.

At the zoo....

2009-09-27T09:15:00.000-05:00

I was happy to see more babywearers (4) than toddler leashes (2).

Omaha!

2009-09-26T13:01:00.003-05:00

We took a short trip to Omaha this week to see some of my college friends and visit the zoo. This was the first night away from home for both me and Oliver since we got home from the hospital!

Oli had fun exploring the hotel room:

And of course we visited Creighton's campus. Unfortunately the big fountain in the middle of the mall was not turned on!
But we did find another (new) fountain. It is amazing how much campus has changed in the last five years, it seems like it has doubled in size! We got lost trying to find the new location of the bookstore.

We played at a park in the Old Market before dinner, and here Oliver is trying to put on his baby carrier:

And he of course loved Cali Taco! It's a small taco place about a block from the house I used to live in. Delicious tacos! Even Ian agreed that they were awesome. Oliver liked to dip his graham crackers in the cheese.

We spent Friday at the Henry Doorly Zoo.

Oliver waiting for the zoo to open:

Playing with the butterflies.

We loved the aquarium! Especially the tunnel.

Watching the alligators.

Seeing all the animals wore him out!

After the zoo we had an early dinner at Zio's (yummy pizza!) and headed home. Oliver was great throughout the whole trip and slept in the car both ways, which made it much easier! Can't wait to go back!

What Does A Motorcycle Say?

2009-09-15T09:13:00.002-05:00

Oliver knows!!

His dad and grandpas have got to be so proud. Oli has also started 'chasing' motorcycles when he hears them. He perks up, points his finger, makes his motorcycle noise, and starts running towards them. Hilarious.

Busy busy...

2009-09-10T20:38:00.003-05:00

Some of the things we have been up to in the last couple weeks...

Oliver loves playing on his new tricycle, but it's a little big for him.

This is how he likes to ride it:

Sitting in his lawn chair (thanks, Aunt Anna & Uncle Jeff!)

eating a leftover birthday cupcake.
At the Dallas Center parade, just hanging out with 'Uncle' Sonny.

Oliver finally got to meet the real Sean - they were fast friends.

Here they are at taco night at the Edge.

Oli loved playing on the pool table at the bar...but got a little dirty!

And, Ian is back to fighting! He fought for the first time in over two years for Midwest Cage Championship on September 5th at Vet's Auditorium. He won - making his record now 7-0!

And no, Ian didn't get hurt at all. Not even a scratch.

Ian and his opponent, Dean Bradley:

Attempting an armbar.

And, the head-and-arm choke that Bradley tapped to! Yay, Ian!

Showing my support!

Oh, and movement!

2009-08-30T09:14:00.002-05:00

I have felt baby move a few times now. I felt Oliver for the first time around 14 weeks, but at the time wasn't sure if it was him. I started feeling him on a regular basis around 19 weeks, I think.
I felt this baby for the first time around 13 weeks - I hear that with your second/third/etc pregnancy you usually feel the baby sooner, plus I'm thinner this time and that may play a part. I have felt baby just a few times, when I'm lying really still, usually at night. I can't wait to feel him/her all the time!

Crazy Pregnancy Dreams!

2009-08-30T09:09:00.002-05:00

I'm in my second trimester, and just like when I was pregnant with Oliver, the weird dreams are starting.
Last night I dreamed I had the baby in the hospital with the midwife that delivered Oli. But it was just me and her - Ian wasn't there, again! (This better not be a sign...) Kambra wasn't there, and there weren't even any nurses.
I had the baby boy (boy, again!) at 3:01am and his stomach was just HUGE! My midwife weighed him and he was 28 pounds!!! I was asking my midwife how that could be and why his stomach was so big; she said that it was just because he swallowed all the amniotic fluid. She emptied his stomach of all the fluid and he was just fine. And he weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces.
Weird, huh?!

Rear-facing vs. Forward-Facing

2009-08-23T12:11:00.002-05:00

Well, Oliver is 12 months now and is over 20 pounds (barely!), so why is he still rear-facing? Watch this:

Oli will remain rear-facing at least until baby 2 is here, and longer than that if I can figure out how to get his seat to fit behind one of the front seats without touching them (right now it's in the middle of the backseat).

Oliver's First Birthday Party

2009-08-22T21:38:00.006-05:00

Playing at the Natural Playscape with Austin

Yummy, banana cupcakes!
Mmmm watermelon!

Hanging out with Bonnie and Gabriel

Playing Frisbee with Wrigley

Homebirth

2009-08-20T21:46:00.003-05:00

Yes it's true, we are planning a homebirth for Baby #2. Why? Well, I have a couple answers prepared.
For those people who just think we're plain crazy, the answer is, "Because it's what is best for us."
For those people who are actually interested in the reasons, the brief answer is, "Because hospitals and OBs are great at taking care of women and babies that need extra care and interventions. But they aren't so great at supporting low-risk women who want to avoid interventions as much as possible. I have a low-risk pregnancy and will feel more comfortable birthing at home."
I actually LOVE talking about this stuff. But I avoid bringing it up because a lot of people aren't able to listen with an open mind. But if asked about it, I might just talk for hours.
Is it safe? I'll link several resources, but they all say the same thing: low-risk mothers birthing at home (with a qualified midwife) and their babies are just as safe, if not safer, than low-risk mothers birthing in hospitals. And we have a VERY qualified, wonderful midwife.
If you want to read for yourself:
Home Birth Research Index
Outcomes of Planned Homebirths...
Is Homebirth For You?
Is Homebirth Safe?
Homebirth Safety Research
How Homebirth Measures Up
Is Homebirth With A Midwife Safe?
The Homebirth Choice

I like my grandma's response..."Well, that's how they used to do it."

12 Month Check Up

2009-08-20T21:44:00.002-05:00

Oliver had his one year check up today! We opted for just one vaccine (a shot) but he also had to get a finger poke to check for lead and hemoglobin levels - so he wasn't a very happy camper for a little bit.
Oli is 20 pounds, 10 ounces. He is 30 1/4 inches tall - almost too tall for one of his carseats, guess we'll be doing some shopping soon!

Oliver's First Year!

2009-08-19T22:20:00.001-05:00

Baby Belly?

2009-08-16T19:38:00.002-05:00

I hesitate to post this photo....because it does look like I have a little baby bump. But really, that's just leftovers from Oliver! I'm approximately 12 weeks.

Two Years Ago Today...

2009-08-11T10:31:00.001-05:00

another dream...

2009-08-07T09:22:00.003-05:00

That Baby is a boy.
Of course I could be totally wrong. But, I gotta post so that if he IS a boy, I can say "I told you so!"
In my dream, my labor started around 7pm and we had the wonderful homebirth we are hoping for around 11:30pm. The only thing is...Ian was at work and left his phone at home, and we couldn't get ahold of him so he missed the whole thing!! That BETTER not happen!

Ledges State Park

2009-07-31T21:59:00.001-05:00

Baby Update!

2009-07-30T12:07:00.001-05:00

I had my second appointment with my midwife today (I am seeing a different provider than with Oliver). We were able to hear baby's heart tones with the Doppler! It's always amazing to hear it for the first time. And especially nice to hear since I don't have any pregnancy 'symptoms' and sometimes I "forget" that I'm pregnant!

Walking!

2009-07-26T09:14:00.002-05:00

Oliver has been walking for about a month now and is getting better and better. In the last few days I'd say he has started walking about 90% of the time! Here's a short video:

Just for fun...

2009-07-23T22:41:00.001-05:00

Back in October, Oliver 'scored' as 50% Ian, 50% me on this look-alike meter. I did it again today, and he's still in the middle but he looks more like me, by 12%!

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Finding relatives - Roots

trying to post more...

2009-07-23T21:33:00.003-05:00

...means Oli needs to do more exciting things.
Like poop in the tub for the first time! Thankfully, he waited until the water was all drained before pooping, so he wasn't sitting in poopy water. But he has so many bath toys (and sticky frogs/ducks to keep him from slipping), that it took me forever to get them out and all clean. Oh fun.
Oh, and Tuesday, he took a four hour nap, and then slept the whole night again! (For the SECOND time!) But last night he was up once again to eat. Oh well, I can handle that!

Eleven Months!

2009-07-19T20:43:00.004-05:00

Wow, where has the time gone? It's been almost a year since Oliver was born, and it seems like a month.
What we have been up to lately:

Oli is truly a monkey. I turn my back for one second, and this is what he does.

Doesn't he look so proud of himself??

We went to the Big Creek playground after dinner Saturday night. Oli loved playing in the sand and watching all the other kids run around.

When I was making lunch today, Oli decided to climb INTO the cupboard...but then couldn't figure out how to climb out, so he was a little mad.

The last week has been teething hell. I knew that Oli's top two teeth were working their way down for the last few months (he takes FOREVER), but this week was awful! He was cranky throughout the day, didn't sleep well at all, and nothing seemed to help. It was twice as bad as when his bottom teeth came in. Thursday I was able to really check out his gums and......all FOUR of his top teeth are coming in. No wonder it was worse. He started feeling much better by Friday, and is back to sleeping normal again. This morning I spotted one tooth, and I'm sure the rest are soon to follow. (And by soon, I mean in the next month. Cuz that's how long he takes!)

I'm kind of sad...he won't have his cute gummy smile anymore! (It'll still be cute...just not the same.)

Otherwise, Oliver is great as normal! He is starting to use the "all done/all gone" sign when he is done eating and when he wants out of the bath. He isn't giving kisses as much, but does give great big hugs and is trying to blow kisses. We didn't teach him to blow kisses, he has just picked it up from Austin! He is walking more and more, although he still crawls when he wants to get somewhere fast. But he has walked across the room on his own several times, so I think it's safe to say he's a walker now. He gets into anything and everything. Our house is always destroyed, because just when I pick up one mess he's made another.

I'm going to try and post more often. Not only to keep you guys updated, but so that I have something to look back on later when my mama-brain is fried. I've done a terrible job of keeping up with Oli's baby book, so this will help me fill in all the details later!

We're so famous.

2009-07-18T13:06:00.002-05:00

Did anyone see me, my mom, and part of Oli's head on the news this week?
See it here. We are at minute 1:15. Oli was on my back, so you can barely see him. But you can see his shadow as we move out of the picture!

gettin' stuff done...

2009-07-10T20:16:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure why it has taken us this long to start using the Patapum this way, but Oli really likes the back carry! He is usually a clingy little monkey in the evenings, so tonight I put him on my back and got some housework done! The only bad thing - he had fun pulling on my hair. Ouch.

Check it out, I even cleaned the mirror! (not his room, though!)
Hmm, what do ya know. No clothes!

Busy boy!

2009-07-08T21:48:00.003-05:00

I know I've said it before, but this kid will NOT sit still for a second anymore! Even in his sleep, he's wiggling all around. It makes it difficult to get a good photo of his 'big brother' shirt!

First try...

Grandma Laurie is trying to help...
"No, I won't cooperate!"

Finally, I got him to hold still for a split second. (Can you see why he is never wearing any clothes? It takes an hour just to get them on his squirmy butt!)

And I know I'm biased, but I just think Oli is the smartest kid ever. He figures things out so quickly! He has this really loud, obnoxious ball toy that he loves, and he has figured out how to push the button to make it go. And he pushes it over and over.

And recently he's figured out his toy cars. He pushes them around the entire house, often making motor noises too!

He is getting better and better at walking. We aren't really pushing it at all, but he is taking many steps on his own, and often tries to walk before he drops down to a crawl.

He continues to love his books. We read a book before naps and before bedtime, and often throughout the day. The past few nights, I have put him in his crib with a book at bedtime and he will lay there flipping pages for a few minutes before falling asleep. He also likes to kiss the babies in his books. It's pretty cute.

Oh and speaking of kisses....I taught him how to "give the baby kisses" today. He kisses my tummy. Pretty cute, huh?!

Fourth of July!

2009-07-08T21:39:00.002-05:00

Oliver's first 4th of July was a blast. We spent Friday evening at Ian's aunt & uncle's house, where the guys shot off fireworks. Oli was very interested in the loud noises, as long as I was holding him. But he was clinging to me like a little monkey.
Saturday evening we went to Minburn to spend time with Ian's family. Oliver stayed up waaaaay past his bedtime to see the Minburn fireworks (which are really great for such a small town!)

Watching the first fireworks:

"Look, dad!"

He was such a good baby all night long, and as soon as he got in the car at 10:45, he was out!

Don't start buying dresses yet, Mom...

2009-06-28T21:16:00.002-05:00

Well, this week I had my first 'baby dream'. And in my dream, baby #2 was a boy. I had three dreams about Oliver being a boy (no girl dreams), so I'm going to follow my instict and predict that we're having another boy. We'll see what my future dreams are like...

Austin spent the day with us Sunday. We had a fun day, playing at the park, swimming at the pool, and wrestling with Ian:

Oliver loves playing peekaboo, no matter where he is:

And I am SO proud! I planted two tomato plants and two green pepper plants a few weeks ago (kinda late), and LOOK! I have little baby tomatoes already! These will be cherry tomatoes. I usually kill plants within days. I couldn't even keep a cactus alive. Seriously.

Big Brother!

2009-06-22T12:37:00.001-05:00

That's right - Oliver is going to be a big brother!
Ian and I are very excited to have another one on the way. Baby #2 is due March 2010 - and no, you will not get an exact due date. We know how that ends up.
We see my midwife next week. More updates to come!

10 months!

2009-06-19T20:46:00.003-05:00

Oliver is ten months old today!
His favorite new things are:
Pointing - at people, animals, anything.
Clapping - anytime he knows he has done something good, such as....
Climbing off of our bed or the couch the right way. No falling!
He is also trying to figure out how to crawl down stairs. But since the only stairs we have lead to our 'dungeon', he doesn't get much practice with this. Mostly at the park. (He's a pro at going up stairs.)
Attempting to walk! I have said that he'd be walking by ten months.....and depending on your definition of walking, he may have mastered it. Last night, with some bribing (he loves to get ahold of my cell phone), I got him to take three sturdy steps, and then he took five 'shuffle' steps before going down to his knees! And today, he actually took a step on his own - no 'bribing' from us! I was barely paying attention, even.
So, he's not officially walking. But that's okay - he gets into enough trouble just by crawling. And I'm not ready for a toddler!
We had a busy day today, so I haven't gotten his 'official ten month photos. But I'll do that tomorrow. Here are a couple for you:

Showing off his pointing skills:

Oh, and....

2009-06-15T13:59:00.002-05:00

The sleep thing? Yeah, it was a fluke. He is back to waking up once in the early morning to nurse.
But, I have faith that he will do it again....someday...

We've been busy...

2009-06-15T13:47:00.002-05:00

Here is Oliver checking out his new cousin, Gabe! Gabriel Kent was born May 30th, weighing 5lbs, 9oz! He is soooo tiny! Oliver was that small, oh, maybe in my 7th month of pregnancy? :) Oli really likes him already, although I think he just wants to play with him like a doll. Oli likes to watch Ian mow...

Never waste money on baby toys. I picked up this mop at the store the other day. The entire time in the store, Oliver was holding on to it. When he and I left the cart to grab something, he starting bawling because I made him let go. As soon as we got back to the cart, he grabbed it again and was fine. He has been playing with it pretty much non-stop since we got home. Hilarious.
But he eventually found a new toy...this bright blue bouncy ball! He was in the cart at Target, and figured out how to stand up, turn around, and lean over the seat to try to grab it. All while still buckled in, and in about 5 seconds. He loves picking it up and throwing it.

We went to the Jester Park Natural Playscape the other day. It's pretty cool there! They have a nice little wading area, I wish that I had brought Oli's swim trunks. I think we are planning on having Oliver's birthday party there. The party will be August 22, by the way, if you want to mark your calendars!