Winter winter winter . . .

You know, I'm starting to wonder what kind of a place we live in. Ever since I was born it's been cold! We had a couple of days two weeks ago where I could go outside without a blanket over my carrier, but since then it's back to 40 or lower during the day, and 20 at night! Mom and Dad have a space heater right next to my crib, but it still gets pretty chilly. I can't wait until I can try on all my cool shorts and t-shirts, or even just lie around in a onesie without having a blanket on me!

Anyway, the past few days have been pretty fun. Mom and Dad went to see Rent on thursday, so I got to spend more time with Abby, my favorite (okay, my only) babysitter so far. I had a really good time hanging out with Abby, but I spent most of it asleep.

After that, Mom and Dad spent the whole weekend just hanging out with me. They took me for a walk on Saturday, because it was almost warm enough to go out (but it got colder on the way back), but mostly we just holed up inside and spent quality time together. Mom is going back to work on Wednesday, so she's squeezing in all the me time she can get! I'm sure I'll enjoy hanging out with Dad while Mom is at work, but for now we're all pretty sad.


My neck and legs just keep getting stronger and stronger! I still haven't rolled over yet because I'd much rather be sitting and standing. I spend a lot of time sitting up with Mom or Dad balancing me a little. They always laugh and laugh, and I can't figure out why. What do you think?


Even though I have my fussy times during the day (mostly when I wake up hungry), you wouldn't believe how much of my time I spend smiling and talking to Mom and Dad, or the wall, or my toys. I'm finally figuring out how my hands work to grab things and, most importantly, put them in my mouth! I'm grateful that Mom and Dad got me so many delicious toys to eat.


That's all for now. I'll let you know how Mom's first day back at work goes. I think there'll be three crying Nites on Wednesday morning!

Watch this space!

Ladies' Man.

Man, yesterday was a busy day! I spent the morning like I usually do these past couple of weeks: I woke up and cooed until Mom and Dad woke up, then we talked and smiled at each other until it was time for breakfast. It was raining outside again, so we spent most of the day playing inside.

Then we went to the salon so Mom could get a new haircut, so when she went back to work she would look like the stylish and fabulous Mom that she is. Dad got to have a taste of what it's going to be like to take care of me by himself, because he had to change me *and* give me a bottle while Mom was getting her haircut!

Then we went to dinner at 50's Grill. Mom and Dad got a raspberry-chocolate milkshake but wouldn't share any with me. My personality has gotten so strong recently, though, that Mom and Dad are already thinking about what it'll be like when they can share all these things with me! They can't wait until I can talk to them, and walk, and go to the park and the museum and everything. Of course, they also wish that I would stay two feet tall and bald forever, so I don't know how much you can trust them.


After dinner, we went to see Adeline, Stefan and Jolene's new daughter. Mom and Dad kept calling her their "future daughter-in-law," and "Ollie's girlfriend." I don't know why they keep pouring on the pressure. I mean, we just met! I do think Addy's pretty cute, though. She's really tiny, though -- smaller than I was when I was born. Right now all she does is blink and look around, but before they're ready for it, she'll be kicking, smiling, and talking like me!


Speaking of kicking and smiling -- after we got back from Adeline's house, Mom and Dad gave me a bath, and it was great! I kicked and splashed so much they just had to take a video of it. Enjoy it now, because when I grow up, I will hunt down every copy of it and destroy it.

Watch this space!

Grow for it!

The last week has been a lot of fun for me. I'm getting even better at sitting up and standing up, and I'm still not that interested in rolling over. Why bother? That stuff is for babies!


Mom and Dad were watching some of my old videos and can't believe how active I am now compared to them. Basically, if I'm awake and not crying, I'm cooing and smiling, kicking my legs and waving my arms around. I've really started responding to Mom and Dad -- I think they're really funny! They make me smile, and occasionally I'll even laugh.

This past weekend the weather was beautiful again, so we went for a really long walk and I stayed awake almost the whole way! After that, I went to a birthday party for one of Mom and Dad's friends, and again proved I am the perfect baby at social gatherings. It wasn't until Mom and Dad were pretty much ready to go that I decided I was too hot and too hungry and wanted to go. When we got home, I fell asleep so hard it looked like I had fallen from the ceiling!



Now the weather's turned nasty again, and it's 40 degrees and raining every day, so our little family stays inside and in bed most of the time. Mom has to go back to work next week, and none of us are looking forward to that! She'll be able to come home for lunch and all, but I'm going to miss her, and Dad's a little nervous about caring for me all by himself. I'm sure we'll figure it out, though.

Right now, a month or two on the beach in Mexico seems like the perfect remedy for all this anxiety about work and stuff. What do you say, Mom and Dad? I haven't seen the ocean yet . . . it would be educational!


Watch this space!

Video killed the radio blog. . .

Just a quick note to say I've finally updated my Youtube account! It has all the videos from the last six weeks now. Check me out!

Boy Meets World . . .

For my entire life so far, the world outside has been cold, wet, and white. When I went outside with Mom and Dad, they had to put me in the carrier and then drape a blanket over it so I didn't get too cold. Every night Mom and Dad would turn on two space heaters to make the bedroom warm enough for me to sleep, and it was still pretty cold when I got up in the morning!

Well, all that changed just a couple of days ago. The temperature shot up to the 50's on Sunday and the 60's on Monday, and I finally got to go out and look around! Mom and Dad took me for a walk (well, they walked and I strolled) on Sunday and Monday both. The first half of Sunday's walk I was wide awake, and even though I looked at Mom most, I did look around and take in all the sights (melting snow, leafless trees, and pretty houses), sounds (traffic, birds, and barking dogs) and smells (see above re: dogs). I wanted to keep looking, but the stroller rolls so smoothly (thanks, Nana and Granddaddy!) that it eventually lulled me to sleep. Still, it was nice to be out and get some fresh air! Mom and Dad told me that they chose this neighborhood especially because they were thinking about me, before I was even born, and that they moved to Minneapolis so I could have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink.


Monday was so warm and wonderful that Dad pulled out the patio furniture and we all sat outside for an hour. I'm still processing the whole "wind" thing, and it kind of confuses me, but after a while I decided it felt pretty nice.

What else . . . oh, since I'm growing at a ridiculous pace -- I'm already out of some of the smaller 0-3 month clothing -- I've outgrown my bathtub. I looked pretty silly sitting in it with just my bottom in the water! So Mom and Dad got me a new tub that should grow with me for quite a while. It's good for Mom and Dad, mentally, to see me in something so big, because then I look little again!

Yesterday, Dad said to Mom, "it's not that I want him to stop growing; I just want to be able to go back and visit him at each stage. I want him to keep going and learn to talk and go to school and all, I just want to be able to go back and zip him into my hoodie again." Seems to me that's what being a parent is all about, all the time! Hopefully this blog and the pictures Mom and Dad are taking can be a little time machine for them.

Watch this space!

I've Been Shot.

Well, this week started out pretty well. Mom and Dad started a bedtime routine with me, so every night I get a bath with nice-smelling sleepy soap, and then they read me a bedtime story or two, and then I go to sleep for four or five hours. I like looking at the pictures in the books, and usually it takes two or three books to get me sleepy,but then I'll sleep like an angel!

Mom and Dad also got me a few new clothes this week, since I insist on getting bigger whether they want me to or not. And they finally washed all the clothes they bought in Arizona, so I got to wear my overalls and my jeans again. I felt very grown up. It almost makes Dad sad to see me wearing pants and a shirt, though -- he says I look too old. I think the fact that I'm under two feet tall should keep me from looking too ancient, though.



Today we went to the doctor's office and I got to see Liz again. She was very impressed with my strength and muscle control. I showed her how I can hold my head up, and how I can almost sit up without help and even stand up with barely any help! I was a little concerned that I gained three pounds in just six weeks, though. I mean, that may not sound bad, but that's a quarter of my body weight! How would you feel if you gained 25% of your body weight in less than two months?

Doctor Liz said I'm doing really well, though, and that my height and weight are exactly where they should be. I'm 23 inches long (though they should say 'tall' now, since I'm standing up) and weigh 11 lbs and 12 oz. I also kept up my proud tradition of peeing on the scale, even though they put a paper towel on me this time and I didn't get to go for distance.

After all that, just as I was relaxing after a bottle and Mom was holding me, they stuck needles in me! Right in my legs! I screamed, of course, and Mom and Dad and I all started crying. I don't know what they were crying about, when I was the one with the NEEDLES in my LEGS! I don't know why all the medicine couldn't be like the first vaccine they gave me -- it was a tasty syrup-y kind of thing and didn't involve NEEDLES IN MY LEGS.

After we got home, I had a little fever from the shots and I was pretty cranky, but I still let Mom and Dad play Settlers of Catan with Uncle Dan. After he left, I went to sleep and didn't budge for five hours, and now I feel pretty okay. At least I'll never have to go through that again! Right? Right, guys?

Watch this space!

Who Watches the Ollie?

So it's been almost a week since my first trip on an airplane, and we're slowly getting back into a routine. I mean, as much as there can be a routine -- it seems like every day I'm growing and changing, and every day my needs are a little bit different!

The past few days, I've been very nice to Mom and Dad by eating every three to four hours instead of every two. That means they have time to do things like clean, read, and sleep! I don't know if I'll always be that generous, but they deserve a break every now and then.

Last night, Mom and Dad went on a date and left me with a babysitter for the very first time. Sure, when I was three weeks old they left me with Nana and Granddaddy for a few hours, but this time I didn't even know the people they left me with! They went to see something called The Watchmen, which they won't let me watch for at least fifteen years, and they were gone for four whole hours!

I wasn't sure what to think when Abby and Amanda showed up, but Mom said that Abby is a licensed nanny, so I decided to trust them. It turned out just fine -- Abby and Amanda were just as good at changing my diapers and giving me a bottle as Mom and Dad are, and after they did that I just fell asleep. I think Mom and Dad probably missed me more than I missed them, since they were awake the whole time!



Mom and Dad were very glad to know that they are capable of leaving the house without me, but they still don't want to do it too often. Personally, I'll hang out with Abby and Amanda any time!

Watch this space!

Flight of the Oliver. . .

Wow, I can't believe it's been two weeks since I put a post up! Sorry about that. I've been busy going on my first plane trip, my first sleepover at someone else's house, and probably dozens of other firsts!

Dad's boss said it would be nice if Dad could come to Phoenix for a week or so, and we figured since Mom's taking a break from work right now, we should do it as soon as possible. So we decided to go on Friday the 20th, and the next Tuesday we left for a whole week! You wouldn't believe all the stuff Mom and Dad had to take just to bring me with them! They brought my co-sleeper and my swing, and with that and all my clothes, and the diaper bag, and mom's pump -- well, they looked like they were moving to India for a year or something.

I found out that I really like being on airplanes. I'm not so fond of the part before you get on the plane, and I really hate the part right after you get off, but the plane rides were really nice! On the way there, I curled up in dad's arms or mom's arms and slept most of the ride, only waking up to eat on takeoff and landing so my ears didn't hurt. As we got off the plane, people said I was so quiet and well-behaved. They said that to Mom and Dad, almost like Mom and Dad had anything to do with it! Well . . . I suppose they did dress me in stylish and appropriate travel wear, so they get that much credit:


Once we got there, we went to Zack's house to stay for a few days. We had a really good time -- I met a lot of Mom and Dad's friends in Phoenix, and I enjoyed bathing in the bathroom sink, even though I saw my arch-enemy Revilo taking his bath at the same time:

And of course Mom got me some cute new clothes while she was out shopping. It's a good thing I came along -- I think Mom and Dad were running out of things to buy before I was born, and now there's always awesome clothes to buy for me! They ought to thank me for outgrowing clothes, because then they have an excuse to get more!

Then we went down to Grandma and Grandpa's house, and we had a good time there, too. I swear I got an inch taller and a little bigger around, too, by the time we left. I finally have outgrown some of my clothes, and I'm starting to outgrow my diapers! I let Mom and Dad know that the diapers are getting too small by occasionally going to the bathroom over, under, or through them. I know it's gross, but I had to get their attention somehow!

I also got to spend some time outside. In Minneapolis, it's been too cold for me to go out for my entire life, but with Grandma and Grandpa I got to sit outside in my swing. The breeze was a little scary at first, but I enjoyed it after a while. Mom and Dad say that summer in Minneapolis is a lot like that, only the air is wetter and the sun's not as harsh. I can't wait to see, because I really enjoyed hanging out outside with my family. I also got to take a nap with my grandpa:


I was really calm and groovy for most of the trip, but the last couple of days I finally got tired of it. I was tired of the car seat, tired of always being too hot (it was 90 degrees there!), tired of being fed without the brest friend pillow -- I was just ready to go home, and I had a cranky couple of days. Mom and Dad didn't hold it against me, though, and they finally took me home last night.

On the flight home, I was cranky for a while until Mom and Dad finally figured out that I wanted to sit up, like a real person. I mean, I was wearing my first pair of jeans, and I was a whole week older than the baby who lay down the entire flight there, and I just wanted to sit and hold my head up and look around. So Dad put me on his lap, and I sat back for a good hour and a half. After that, I got sleepy and finally let them hold me again, since I had made my point.


We got home around 9 o'clock last night. I was so glad to be back! Now I can relax in my bouncer and watch Mom and Dad unpack and clean up. I have at least a couple more years before they make me help!



I can't believe all the stuff I've learned in the past few days! I can hold my head up pretty much by myself now, and if Mom or Dad holds my arms, I can pull up and sit up, and even stand up! It looks like I'm not supposed to crawl until 6 months or so, but maybe I can speed things up a little. At the end of next week I have my 8 week check-up, so we'll see how I'm doing.


I'll try not to make it another two weeks before I post here. As always, you can see the tons of new pictures on Dad's flickr.


Watch this space!