Six Months Old

We can hardly believe that Olivia has been in our lives for half a year already!  The time has flown by and we continue to treasure each moment!  We had a doctors appointment on Tuesday and after a very LONG wait we discovered Olivia has grown an inch and a half to 26.5 inches long and has gained almost three pounds!  She now weighs 15 pounds and 9 ounces! Her height puts her in the 77th percentile and 43rd percentile for weight.  The doctor said she is growing well and should start trying real food.  Our plan is to make our own food and then freeze it for the week.  To be honest, I have bought some Gerber green beans so we will see how this goes!  Dr. Landcaster said that now her food is just to experiment with and learn to eat different textures.  Most of her nutrients will still come from milk.  We are excited to try out some new foods. 

On her six month birthday, May 1st, we had quite an eventful day.   At Noon, we scheduled a photo shoot at Target for her milestone pictures.  She was wonderful and charming, and the Target staff worked patiently and efficiently!  The pictures turned out beautifully and we will be able to pick them up next weekend!  Our next stop, to pick up Tyler and Aunt Laura and head to the Maryland Zoo! 
 
We arrived at the Zoo around 2:45 and the zoo closed at 4:00, so we knew we had to hurry through the park.  We started in the Children section, which was adorable and Tyler had a blast!  This trip was much more eventful than our first trip.  The crowd was minimal, and the animals were out and playing!  Of course I forgot to grab the camera so we missed out on great photo opportunities...oh well I am sure that will not be the first time.  The animals we saw included, the cutest otter doing back flips off a rock, snakes slithering, bats flying, penguins swimming, a camel giving rides, polar bears,  giant tortoises eating grass, lazy cheetahs, and ravens.  The most exciting part of the day was when a monkey went a little crazy!  We were standing by the outdoor monkey area and one of the monkeys came over to place we were standing, turned towards us and sat down.  It was cute, but suddenly he freaked out!  He picked up a huge water container, dumped it out, and threw it at the plastic viewing area.  Then he jumped up and kicked the plastic area.  The four of us jumped back, surprised and a little scared.  I have never seen a monkey act that way and it was pretty intense.  Tyler claimed that he had anger issues!  It was quite an eventful day at the zoo and we love that we only need to use the pass one more time and we have paid off the pass!  I am certain we will return soon.

On Sunday of her six month birthday weekend,  it was my mom's birthday.  The entire family drove out to Harper's Ferry in western Maryland to hike and walk around the historic town.  While we were getting ready, Tyler kept Olivia occupied by playing and reading to her.  We had some very cute pictures of the two of them!  The day was enjoyable and felt like the summer with the temperatures in the 90s!  Olivia was a great little girl, sleeping for about 45 minutes on the way to Harpers Ferry.  She ate when we arrived and then sat in her stroller for most of the time.  She was such a great baby.  By 12:30 she was growing tired and we were all hungry.  So we headed back to the car and across the street for a picnic lunch.  I put Livy in her car seat and she was asleep in a matter of five minutes!  While we ate lunch we kept her in the car with the windows rolled down and ate lunch about 100 yards away.    After the bugs ran us out of the area, we headed back to Mom and Dad's for presents and dinner.   The day was fabulous and I know my mom had a great birthday! 

She had quite a busy weekend, but she continued to sleep well at Ms. Sharon's house.  It was a very summer like week, so they headed to the park most mornings.  Olivia slept in the stroller while the other kids ran around.  She watches those kids so closely and cannot wait to run around with them.  Next fall I am sure she will be close to giving them a run for their money! 

Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I am excited to celebrate my first official day! 
Love to all~

Baptism

"A child is a precious gift from God

And baptism is God's gift wrapping"

Olivia's Baptism was a weekend event, starting on Friday night by prepping food at our house, and continued on Saturday with more food prep at my parents house! Since their house is bigger and closer to church we decided to have the brunch at my parent's house on Sunday.  I am not sure if Olivia was aware of what was happening, but she did wake up at 5:30 am on Sunday morning.  This was not in the plan.  Although, as we are finding out with kids it is important to roll with what happens...so we rolled!

In recent weeks Livy has become quite the little church girl, sitting quietly on our laps, playing with toys.  We were all excited thinking that she would be awake and alert for her baptism.  Well, since she woke up at 5:30, she was ready for her nap right as church started!  The service progressed and Olivia's eye lids become heavier and heavier.  Surrounded by family and close friends, she fell asleep in my arms!

As Pastor Andy called us forward for the baptism, she slept on.  As the two other little girls babbled on next to her, she slept on.  As the congregation announced their support for the three girls, she slept on.  And finally, it was her turn to be baptized.   Pastor Andy looked her, looked at me, and said, "She she really sleeping?"  I nodded.  He asked, "do you want to just hold her."  I replied, happily, "yes!"  With her in my arms, fast asleep, she was baptized with water poured on her head three times, in the name of the father, in the name of the son, and in the name of the holy spirit.  She slept on!  With tears in my eyes, we stepped back away to the rest of the group and the baptism ceremony came to a close.  It was a proud moment as a parent.  A journey that was so challenging for us was now gift wrapped as she become baptized! 

Then it was time to celebrate with our family and friends! Lynda and Jeremy Celmer, Lauren and Kevin Bauer, and Kelly Rogers were a huge help by leaving church early to start the coffee and put the egg dishes in the oven to warm up.  When we returned home the food was ready to eat!   The brunch menu included egg dishes, french toast casserole, bagels and muffins, egg salad and tuna sandwiches, fruit salad, and caesar salad.  Our theme was flowers and my sister Bethany did an outstanding job creating the centerpieces for the celebration!  The food was delicious and the company was even better!  Olivia was a little angel and even posed with each family to take pictures.  We then opened presents and then ate the fabulous cake.   

We wrapped up the party about 1:00pm and Olivia, exhausted, went down for a nap. She looked adorable in her little dress and had quite a model shoot before church.  The entire day was memorable and we felt so blessed to have an amazing family and close friends help us celebrate her baptism! For more pictures check out the online album!

We love you little Livy Loo!

Spring Break Ohio Trip

This year was a different kind of Spring Break!  Last year during Spring Break I was 8 weeks pregnant and we were down in Orlando, Florida.  The whole trip Olivia was the size of a kumquat, so we called her our little kumquat all week!    

Present day, we have the joy of that little kumquat and we had a blast with her!  On Wednesday early morning, 1:30 am, we left for Cincinnati, Ohio.  Olivia was the perfect little traveler and when I picked her up and put her in her car seat she smiled at me, took her pacifier, and fell back to sleep!  We did not hear from her in the back seat until 6:00 am.  We the stopped for breakfast at 7:30 and gave her a bottle!  She was happy and smiling at everyone during breakfast!  We had about 2.5 hours to go, so I sat in the backseat with her, reading books and playing her toys!  About 9:00 am she became fussy.  I moved back to the front and she feel asleep, taking her morning nap!  It was delightful trip and driving through the night was not that bad!  Dan slept while I drove and I passed out when he took over the driving at 4:00am! 

More importantly though, we arrived at Jill and Steve's house around 10:30 and were greeted by Jill,  Miss Emma and our new niece Ava!  Steve was away on business, so we were ready to give Jill a helping hand!  It was a very warm day, so we hung around the house and played with Emma and Ava!  Olivia loved watching Emma run around and play.  After a bit of a home improvement conflict, we cooked dinner for the Wittmans and enjoy some wine!  We had a relaxing evening and went to bed on the early side!

The next day, Thursday, Steve arrived home from his trip around noon.  So we hung out that morning and then Jill made a delicious pizza for lunch!  When Steve arrived home we sat around and chatted for a while and decided to walk around Hyde Park.   It was about this time that Jill and Steve revealed to us they are making a Surf and Turf dinner to celebrate my 30th birthday! After the kids were down in bed, the adults had time to play!  We had a fabulous dinner and a memorable evening!  Poor Jill was a trooper and stayed up with us.  I remember clearly the night feedings and not having a full nights sleep!  However, Jill was great and we were so happy to hang out with her! Later in the evening decided to watch Lost, but Jill fell asleep, holding hands with Ava.  It was adorable! 

Our final day in Cincy, was Ava's 1 month check up. So we hung around in the morning and in the afternoon had a picnic and hiking trip.  We picked up yummy Dewy's Pizza and the hiked about a mile in a local park.   We all enjoyed being outside and Emma was the best little walker on the hike!  Dan and I decided to leave Ohio around Olivia's bed time because it was be easy to get home and put her in her crib.  So we sadly said good bye after Olivia ate dinner and headed back to Maryland.  Again, Olivia was a great little traveler and when we got home around 2:30 am I took her out of the car seat, swaddled her up and put her in her crib.  She fell right back to sleep and we heard from her about 7 am. 

We had a great visit in Ohio and I look forward to Olivia being able to run around with Emma and Ava! She is so lucky to have cousins close to her age!


There are more pictures on online album of all three girls!
Thanks for having us, Jill, Steve, Emma, and Ava...we had so much fun!

Maryland Zoo and Easter Too

To start our Spring Break we decided to spend Friday morning at the Maryland Zoo with my mom, grandma (Olivia's Greatest), and Tyler.  The line for the zoo was insane and we waited in the line to get in for 40 minutes!  We enjoyed people watching and discovered that members have their own entrance to the zoo!  So we decided that the cost was worth it and we bought a year long pass to the zoo!  We also put down that we have 2 kids and we will always be able to bring a guest!  So who wants to hit the zoo with us!?

When we finally were able to enter the zoo we started at the Polar Bear exhibit and it was around 11:30, Olivia's feeding time.  So we found a shadowy spot and started to give her the bottle, but she was too distracted and ate only half the bottle.  Figuring she would be a mess and starving in half an hour, we ventured on to the Africa section.  Greatest and my mom hung back and Tyler, Dan, Olivia and I walked ahead to view the lions, tigers, giraffes, monkeys, and penguins.  We had Olivia in the stroller and it was around the penguins that she started to fall asleep in the stroller.  We were very impressed because she missed her morning nap and she hardly cried at all!  We looked down and she was out! We decided at that moment it was time to make our way back.  Plus Greatest was done walking around too.  My favorite part of the zoo trip was the giraffes because that was the one animal that we could see up close and personally!  Dan's favorite part was the penguins because several did a belly flop right into the water and they were hysterical to watch! I know the next time Tyler wants to bring $2 to feed the giraffes!  We will have plenty of time for that since we plan on going to the zoo several times in the next year.  Next time we visit we plan to head over to the petting zoo part.  I know Olivia will love that part!

This weekend was also Easter.  In the morning we found a basket left on our table from the Easter Bunny, but we waited to open the basket until after church at my parents house.  We attended the 9:30 church service, sitting next to Greatest!  Olivia had another successful week at church, sitting through the whole service!  She loved sitting next to Greatest and trying to grab her nose and glasses.  When we went to the front for communion, she received all kinds of compliments and oohs! 

When we arrived at my parents house a note was on the door that there 50 eggs in the backyard for Tyler, Shayla, and Olivia to find!  So Olivia had her first Easter Egg Hunt and she was able to find two eggs!  She enjoyed eating the plastic egg more than the candy inside!  We had an enjoyable day with the family and Olivia took a two hour nap at my parents house! 

She also opened her two Easter Baskets!  She was spoiled with a bunny, two outfits, and book from Gram and Grandpa Puryear.  The other basket had a fun ball toy and bubbles! 

It was a memorable first Easter and I think we wore that little girl out!  Today she took a 2 hour and 10 minute nap and an  hour and a half nap.  Hopefully she will catch up on that sleep because tomorrow night/Wednesday morning at 1:30 we are leaving for Ohio to visit Jill, Steve, Emma, and Ava. 

Hope you are all had an loving Easter!
love
Laura, Dan, and Olivia

Cereal Time

Olivia turned 5 months on April 1st, so on Monday March 29th, we decided it was time to start feeding her cereal.  Our first indication she was ready was that everything goes into her mouth!  When we eat or drink something she needs to see or touch what we have.  She can sit up very well with support, so we knew it was time!

Our pediatrician, Dr. Landcaster, recommended that we give it to her very thin first and then slowly make it thicker.  It has been about a week and we tried several ways to feed her.  The first night I sat her in Dan's lap and that was not very successful as she wanted to hold the spoon and most of it did fell onto her bib and clothes.  The next night, Tuesday, we decided to try her in the Bumbo.  That was a little more successful and more cereal appeared in her mouth!  She has more fun holding the spoon and biting on it than eating the cereal.  Finally, on Wednesday we discovered the best approach, the bouncer!  This bouncer seat has been quite a lifesaver for us!  (Thanks again Brookie and Chris)  The bouncer angles her just right and she can eat all her cereal much better!

She is so cute when she eats, grabbing the spoon and putting it into her own mouth!

Thus far cereal has been a success and we make it a little thicker each night.  She really loves to eat it too!  I look forward to trying new foods with her! 

My Mommy's Amazing 30th Birthday

My Mommy turned 30 on March 29th and as a surprise Daddy planned a whole day of festivities!  It all started on Friday when Aunt Denise flew into town and Daddy presented Mommy with her acceptance letter to her own Amazing Race!  The first clue was given to Mommy and she was told to head to the airport to pick up her Amazing Race teammate!  I stayed home to hang with Dad and Hurley, waiting for Aunt Denise to arrive!  When she arrived she was so shocked at how big I have grown!  I hung with her for a little bit, but I had to go go bed! Saturday was the when the real fun was happening!

At 10:30 in the morning, while I was down for my nap, Aunt Laura arrived and announced she was the driver for the Amazing Race and they were given their first clue! Dressed in Maryland gear, the girls set out to the first stop, The Terrapin  Adventures, to complete a zip line and a giant swing!  Mommy told me later, "the zip line was a bit scary at first, but once you jump off the platform and are on the line it was very cool."  Her favorite part was the giant swing because it was an adrenaline rush.  I am not sure what an adrenaline rush is but it seems like fun because Mommy could not stop shaking and talking about it!  She told me later that it was very scary and when they pulled the girls up the release line did not work the first time so it was even more nerve racking because they were waiting for the swing to drop!  When it did not the man running the ride brought them down and fixed it.  The second time they dropped right away and it was extremely scary!  The staff was so nice and even let them go a second time!  She can't wait to go back and try it again.  I can't wait to be old enough to have an adrenaline rush! I like to swing too!

The next clue was to head over to grandma and grandpa's house and she had to preform a road block.  This posed a challenge for Mommy because she had to start a fire in the fire pit and make it high enough and hot enough to burn a piece of rope.   I think Daddy got that idea from Survivor!  Mommy had a difficult time with this task and she was a little frustrated.   My cousin Tyler told me he tried to help and that made it go faster! Finally, she got the fire burning and she was off to Old Ellicott City for a Detour task! 

During the next stop, The Wine Bin, the Detour, a choice between two tasks, was called Over or Under.  Mommy, Aunt Denise, and Aunt Laura had to choose to buy a bottle that cost over $50 and under $70 or three bottle that were under $20.  The other catch was they had to be different types of wine, ones that Mommy had never had before in her 30 years.  After a short discussion, they decided to go with Under because they were able to get 3 bottles!   The Wine Bin was an exciting store and the three bottles bought were called Blue Reef Shiraz, Ass Kisser Chardonnay, and a bottle of Champagne to toast Mommy's birthday!
The next two stops were in Baltimore.  The fourth clue required  Mommy to get her picture taken at Edgar Allan Poe's grave site and the next clue had the team find the Johnny Unitas statue in front of Raven's stadium and get her picture taken again.  Finally, the race was over and it was time to open the last clue, which told the three girls to come home and get ready to celebrate with a happy hour!  When she arrived home she was greeted by me, who was very hungry, and her family and friends!  I was so proud she was able to complete the Amazing Race!  It seems like she had a blast!

While mommy and the girls were on their Amazing Race, I stayed home with Daddy to get ready for the party at our house.  Aunt Courtney came shortly after Mommy left and played with me while Daddy prepared the food.  Next to arrive was my cousin Brayden and his parents, my Aunt Carol and Uncle Scott.  They ran quite a few errands for Daddy and were a huge help that day too!  Daddy made all kinds of food, each representing a stop on mommy's race!  I think Aunt Carol and Daddy had the most fun cutting up the chicken to make chicken wings! 

The party was a blast and Mommy had a great time celebrating!  My favorite was helping her blow out the candles, even though I wanted to put my hands in that frosting!

I was such a good girl that day too!  I played on the floor, let people hold me, and even stayed up past my bedtime, but was not a cranky girl!  I know Mommy had a blast and was so grateful for the family and friends that help her celebrate her 30th! Great job on planning the day, Daddy! 

Love
Olivia

March Madness

March is not only Madness with the NCAA Tournament, it is also filled with birthday celebrations! We began this month celebrating my Dad's birthday.  We welcomed a new niece to the family on March 10th, Ava Claire Wittman, born two days before Dan's birthday.  This past Sunday we celebrated my sister Bethany's birthday and we will close the month with my 30th birthday!  Plus Olivia celebrated her first St. Patrick's Day! Crazy times!

As for celebrations, we look forward to meeting and welcoming Ava into the world when we visit Jill, Steve, and Emma in Ohio in April!  Laura Puryear made a connection that all the granddaughters have vowel names (Ava, Emma, Olivia) all we need is a Isabella and an Ursala and the names complete all the vowels...well maybe there is hope with Carol and Scott!  Just Kidding.  Dan had two celebrations one on Friday night and a family gathering on Saturday afternoon.  My parents and Tyler came over and babysat on Friday so we could have a little date night/Happy Hour celebration!  It was great to get out and see our friends and even thought it was an early night we had a blast!  Jean stayed over night at our house on her way out to Ohio and was able to celebrate with Dan and the rest of the family on Saturday afternoon.  Olivia had a great time playing with her cousins Brayden and Tyler and the rest of the family had a nice time catching up!  Here is a hilarious picture of Dan blowing out his candles holding Olivia.  If you look very closely at her face she looks like she has no idea what is going on~

hahaha At least Brayden and Tyler were having a blast blowing out the candles! Other pictures from the day are on the Picasa Web Album.


In other Olivia developments: She celebrated her first St. Patrick's Day (and no she did not have green milk, but Dan did make green eggs for breakfast!), has begun to roll over, but not consistently and more at day care, and is officially sleeping through the night!   We are now on our third week in a row of her going to bed around 6:30-7:00pm and she sleeps until 6:30-7:00am!  She is just so cute and most mornings we do not go in to get her until we are all ready for school and she just lays in her crib and talks!  This past Sunday we did not hear a word from her and at 7:40 decided it was time to get her up and get ready for Church.  When we entered her room she was just laying there trying to suck on her toes!  My dad says we should probably stop at one! haha we will see about that one!  She is drinking 8 ounce bottles at day care and we will start cereal over Spring Break in April!  I know she is ready for the solid food because she keeps grabbing at our cups and forks when she see us eat! She still continues to drool...and drool on everything.  There is still not sign of those teeth...just a lot of drool! 

This past week Spring has begun to make an appearance and the temperatures rocketed last week, topping in the 70;s.  Olivia had so much fresh air last week it was wonderful!  We were able to walk with her and Hurley in the early evening and she loves it!  We now have her in the Bjorn facing out and she looks at everything and kicks her little legs the entire walk!  I look forward to more outing with her in the Bjorn and her being awake and aware of what is around her! 

I hope that Spring has it your area of the world!  We are LOVIN the warm weather and the week and a half until our Spring Break!