One Year Old!

Happy first birthday to my baby boy!!! Here's an accurate representation of him today in all his snot-nosed glory. Poor little guy. He's under the weather and fairly miserable. Thankfully, on the day of his party, he wasn't as miserable as he is now but he was still pretty sick. He was up from about midnight until 3:00 AM on the day of his party and then was not his usual smiley self. He melted down before the party was over. It's his party and he can cry if he wants to.

The day of his party was beautiful sunny and warm weather so we got to use the backyard. It was a good thing because there were nearly 50 people here to celebrate his first birthday. How wonderful to look out onto the backyard and see it full of kids and families who care about him and are important in our lives. His party was a planting season theme and so the floral arrangements had carrots and watering cans, the favors were garden starts, there was a pennant banner made from seek packets, the food labels were tiny planters with plan labels, and the cake was dirt cake cups with a gummy worm. Surprisingly, Oliver didn't like his smash cake, perhaps because he was feeling under the weather. I didn't get many pictures of his party. In fact, I got zero! But I wandered around afterward and snapped a few pictures of the decorations.

I just got some photos from Oliver's grandma, Mary, from the party. Yippee! Here's a few from hanging out in the backyard, the cake smash, and opening gifts.

Well, that brings us to the end of Oliver's first year blog. It has all flown by so fast. With Eloise everything was a first and with Oliver everything was a last, and so there are some feelings of grief as we put this chapter of his life behind us. More than anything I feel so fortunate that the two kids I got are so amazing. Oliver loves life and is pure joy. He is big and strong and at times reminds me of the muppet Animal with his sudden bursts of wild energy. This was true even in utero with his sudden bursts of rapid-fire kicking and punching. He's mostly a go-with-the-flow guy, except when he's not. Like when he was breech at the end of pregnancy and refused to turn. Or when he refused the bottle after taking it for a while. Or months later when he weaned himself from nursing. He is my snuggler and my sweet mama's boy. I love when he throws his arms around my neck, buries his head in my shoulder, and gives a squeeze. I reflect on his first year with so much joy, look forward to witnessing his growth and development in the future, and most of all relish every moment of the present I get to spend with him.

52 weeks old: one year photos and food

Look at this guy in his new (to him) little track suit. I can't take it he's so cute. I recently sold some kids clothes that both of kids have outgrown at a consignment sale and bought this track suit for $6 on the 50% off day.

This week Oliver started weaning off the bottle and formula. I started by mixing in some vanilla almond milk with his formula and gradually increasing the almond milk part. Eloise hated whole cow's milk so I didn't even bother with Oliver, and he is drinking the almond milk right up. Now he's totally off of formula and onto almond milk. The wean away from the bottle, on the other hand, has been a little more difficult. Even though he drinks great out of a straw cup, he is really attached to the bottle. We're down to just one a day now. Hopefully in the next week or two we'll drop that last one.

Oliver is really proficient at self-feeding and drinking now. He manages finger foods like a pro and can handle a pouch, straw cup, and snack cup all by himself, too. Here he is with a snack cup in the stroller and a straw cup with dinner.

And boy does this kid like to eat! Some days I swear he eats more than Eloise! Yesterday for breakfast he had an entire banana, half of a kiwi, a whole container of yogurt, a sausage link, and a handful of Cheerios. He continues to try more new foods and likes most everything. He seems to be a meat eater, too. He likes turkey, chicken, and hamburger meat and will eat a lot of it. This week he tried cheese tortellini and liked it, too. He's not smiling in this picture but he devoured a tray full of it.

As Oliver's first birthday approaches in a couple days, we went to get his one year photos taken at Picture People in the mall with a $13 groupon, as usual. It's always hard to choose because he's so darn cute but here it is.

And here's a proof of one that shows his whole outfit. I thought he was adorable.

51 weeks old: baby bath tub graduate and clapping

This kid. Look at him peeking out of the tub with his sweet little eyes. I cannot. Since Oliver's new trick in the bath tub last week, which he started doing nonstop, he has graduated from the baby tub to the big tub. Now he's in there sitting right next to his sister. This is very exciting for him as he now has unobstructed access to Eloise and mauls her. We're working on that. Before the mauling happened I was able to snap a couple adorable pictures. These two are just the cutest.

In other big news, Oliver started clapping! He has been banging two toys together for months so I know he had the coordination but for some reason this feels different. Eloise and I have been working on trying to get him to clap for the past couple weeks. I got it on video, password Oliver2016. Doesn't he look proud?


We all went out to brunch with a dear friend, Erica, and her daughter, Nora, to celebrate Erica's birthday yesterday. I think Oliver loved sitting by his sister and watching the two girls.

Oliver is wearing his Blazer onesie today to celebrate the Blazer first round playoff win last night.

And finally, this one reminds me of someone else I know...

50 weeks old: first hike, tunnel crawling, and playing with big sister

It's hard to believe that Oliver is a couple weeks away from turning one! We went to visit a friend's new baby this week and seeing them next to each other reminded me how much he has grown. He has been in 12-18 month clothing for a couple months now and recently outgrew the diaper covers that his sister wore until she was potty trained. He babbles loudly, smiles and laughs a lot, crawls all over the place (at home only), pulls up to knees and feet, self-feeds like a champ, and loves to hang on tight to his mommy.

This week we had some more sunny days and on Sunday went for his first hike at Lower Macleay trail in Forest Park. It's a lovely hike for little ones along a stream with a few little water falls and bridges. We stopped at a little stone house and had a picnic before we turned back. Oliver rode in the backpack carrier and took it all in from his perch while his sister led the way on the trail.

Oliver can also handle food pouches and a straw cup all by himself now, and is practicing with a spoon. I'm surprised at his improvement in coordination! Sometimes these things just suddenly click.

In other outdoor fun this week, Oliver spent some time in the backyard pool for the first time and we also went to the park. I think the pool was a little to cold for his liking but he liked sliding down the double slide next to his sister (assisted, of course). Eloise also rode her little balance bike on the sidewalk one day and Oliver can be seen in the background crawling to catch up.

Later in the week the weather turned rainy again so we spent time indoors. Oliver and Eloise have a new game where Eloise lays on the floor and Oliver "gets her" by crawling on top of her. Here's a video, password Oliver2016.


Oliver also crawled through the tunnel in the basement a couple times this week for the first time. He's a little apprehensive about it! Password Oliver2016.



And finally, a new trick this week. Eek, sit down!

49 weeks old: little explorer

This guy is getting more courageous in his explorations away from me at home. Mornings after breakfast are his best time of day. He has play time on the floor and is busy, busy, busy crawling around to visit everywhere he can access.

He really likes the kid gate and can pull it out from behind the door.

Just this week he discovered the stairs. He can't climb them yet but I can see his little wheels turning trying to figure out how.

He has been getting his legs involved and engaged a little bit more lately. I feel like he is on the verge of pulling himself up to standing a whole lot more. It's almost like he wants to stand up and start walking.

Why didn't I think of this entertainment?

And one more of Eloise reading to Oliver. Be still my heart. These sibling moments are amazing.

48 weeks old: 11 months old and officially weaned

Oliver is 11 months old today! He's a crawling machine and has gotten a lot more coordinated with it. He is venturing further away from me than ever to go explore. I am starting to see the challenge of two kids going in two different directions. He pulls himself up on his knees a lot  but rarely all the way to standing. Although he does like supported standing. Once in a while he gets focused on handling a toy and lets go for a second. I feel like unsupported standing and walking are going to come after his first birthday but we'll see. Here he is in motion crawling toward me this morning:

This week we had a play date with Eloise's friends on Monday and two of the little brothers came - Wallace and Benjamin. I got some pictures of Oliver with Ben who was born two weeks after him. Oliver just sat there looking at him for a while. I wonder if they'll be buddies.

Well, it's official as of a few days ago, Oliver has weaned himself and is done nursing. He refused nursing in favor of the bottle more and more until finally one day he was done and my milk supply was gone. Never in a million years did I see it playing out this way. It turned out he had his own plan and it didn't match mine. So now, for the last month of his first year, he is drinking formula out of a bottle. I'm learning how expensive formula really is - $33/can that is consumed in three days - and I'm grateful I was able to nurse as long as I did for each child. When he turns one we'll wean from the bottle and switch to almond milk or whole milk, whichever he'll drink, out of a straw cup.

And finally, Gertie is also adjusting to a mobile Oliver. Oliver loves Gertie and is very excited to be around her. Sometimes I think Gertie just wants to lay in her bed and have a break but Oliver crawls into her bed with her.