Ollie's Summer So Far...

Ollie here, reporting on my summer so far. It's been full of thrills and spills, including trips to the beach, the fair, picnics, and a few less than pleasant experiences like car sickness, banging my head on every hard surface I can find, and nursemaid's elbow (thankfully NOT a broken ulna). I have also discovered hilarious things like dancing while Daddy plays Guitar Hero and zerberting any place on Mommy that I can reach (she says I can't include pictures of this for some reason...go figure).

I have lots of trips this summer, so I thought I should get some of my latest pictures up before they become too much for Mommy to help me with!

Ollie's Spring Doings

I went to swim class and Mom took pictures of me and Dad in the pool! While normally I love my pool time, for reasons I don't care to remember, I wasn't too happy this time. Luckily, Mom caught some "in between my frowny faces" pictures.

Then I took Mom and Dad to the National Crime Victims Rights Week events, but I'm so fast now they only managed one non-blurry picture of me, so I've thrown in a fun candid of me teaching Dad how to be the Purple-faced monster baby for good measure.

Ollie's self-report

Here's a list of things I am doing. I must tell you these things because my Mommy cannot get herself together to blog about them and she may forget, because let's face it, I get more awesome and fun every day.
• I like to spin around. It is a really good time and you should try it. I usually fall down or crash into something afterward, but it is worth it.
• I like to try to walk backwards (see above about falling and crashing).
• I am trying to run. I tilt my little body forward and let it carry me faster and faster until oops, I'm on my face.
• Shoes are hard to walk in, but I'm improving. By the way, did I mention I learned to walk? This was mainly because I wanted to reach Aunt Jade more quickly.
• I like to run up and hug you and then run away so I can run up and hug you again, unless you are Daddy, and then I know you will try to capture me and I cleverly skirt around you.
• I am good at having my teeth brushed, however I look like a hillbilly anyway because I am taking iron supplements that turn my teeth black.
• I am very good at using a straw to drink out of cups.
• I can palm a cereal bowl, which freaks Mommy right out because it means my hands are getting so big.
• If I want someone to laugh at me I make my winkie or monkey faces.
• I like to hug other kids and/or use them to stand up.
• I like to slam doors even if I am stuck on the other side and can't open them back up.
• I am getting very good at listening when someone reads me a story.
• If you ask me where my nose is, I will show you my chin, or sometimes my tongue.
• I like to dip my face in water. I am indiscriminate about the water's source.
• I am almost 23 lbs and over 30 inches long.
• I have learned how to cover my own eyes for peekaboo and can wave (as featured at the end of Mommy's long and random video, to which there is a link below-Mommy says something about viewers ignoring the laundry that needs to be folded and the toys everywhere, but whatever).
• I had an ear infection that lasted through 3 rounds of antibiotics, but then I said enough's enough, and it went away.
• I had Mommy and Daddy rearrange my room. Okay, really Daddy did it, but Mommy planned it, and I provided supervision and ambiance.
• I discovered I am quite jealous if Mommy holds other babies, unless I can be down on the floor running around. But if I have to sit somewhere like a highchair and Mommy is going to hold a baby, it better be me (even if the babies are mad cute like my new friends Anni and Drew)!
Love,
Ollie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDKnQYf4YP8

The One That Has to Cover an Entire Quarter

Mommy has been extremely lax and has apparently confused the scheduling of her grantees' progress reports with my blog schedule. Therefore this will be an almost entirely picture post covering my playdates, my mad cruising skills, my Christmas activities, my visit to see the Johnsons in PA, and my fun time in the playroom at Beth Panza's birthday party!

I am doing lots of classes: swimming, music, and play & learn. I also survived a double ear infection and a haircut by Mommy!

Mommy promises to update the blog in a timely fashion after my 15-month check-up on Monday!

And as a grand finale, below is a brief video where I take my Dinosaur for a walk. Until I decide not to...

A November to Remember

Alas, you know you are remiss when you have to title your blog about an entire month, but November was packed full for Ollie! Here are some highlights:

He ventured down to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to help his Papa and GMa empty some important things out of the house after a renter left a big mess and quite a smell! His help scored him some excellent toys, though, and a nice visit with many good family friends!

He also managed to fit in turning 1 yr old! We are still in shock. He wasn't too keen on cake since I didn't serve it in pureed form, but he did make an attempt at mushing it around his tray before getting annoyed that it was sticking to him. :) Many of his favorite people were able to come celebrate with us! And of course in true D'Addario fashion he celebrated an entire birthday week, including a trip to the Gaylord to see the dancing fountains, tree lighting, and get snowed on, which he last did when he was no bigger than a mitten...but don't worry, this time he wore Papa's hat for protection!

Sadly one of the things Ollie got for his birthday was a cold, so we missed the last swim class where we would have gotten to take pictures. Somehow boogery/fevery baby and cold pool with other babies didn't sound like a winning combination. Hopefully we won't miss picture day for the next go 'round of classes! Luckily we got to spend our boogery days with family in Buffalo for Thanksgiving where it snowed a few inches to get us ready for Christmas! Much fun was had by letting 21 lb Ollie ride around in the box previously occupado by our 21lb turkey. Ollie got to see a few Santas which was a lot of fun. Normally we'd have gotten great photos since Ollie is such a social little bug who loves everyone, but most of his photos have that feverish glassy-eyed dazed look that can only come from spending nights sleeping upright in a recliner with your baby-boogied covered Momma and her GMa reinforcements!

Fortunately his cold is much better and he's ready for December festivities to begin! We will keep you posted! But let's be honest, we're not sure when, so Happy Happy Joy Joy to everyone in advance!! :D

H-OLLIE-WEEN

I had such a busy H-OLLIE-WEEN! There aren't many things going on tomorrow, I guess since it's Sunday, so we decided to have all our fun today and chill tomorrow. After my swim class I went to pick out my first carving pumpkin. Then I braved the crowds still hanging out from today's rallies on the Mall downtown to head to my first Halloween party where I played with an awesome glow bracelet, watched Ichabod Crane, let Daddy help me carve my pumpkin, and then headed through the streets on my haunted jack-o-lantern-glo-bracelet stroller (waving at all the restaurant patrons that came to the windows to see me go by). You can check out my whole day in these pictures Mommy and Daddy took!