Ok it's been way too long

I realize I haven't updated this blog since February, more than 6 months ago! A lot has happened in that time, more than I could ever write or remember but I will add the highlights anyway. Olivia is quite the chatterbox and really enjoys the Wiggles and Dora the Explorer. In July we went to Thunder Bay to visit family and we had a big birthday party for her and her daddy. Everyone had a great time till Daddy broke the stick for the pinata. Eventually uncle Bry got out the big whacking stick and broke the pinata for the kids. Olivia got so many gifts it was hard to fit them in the car to bring them home. We also visited a farm there and went to a concert at the marina. Mostly we just visited our family and enjoyed their company.

Looking at the fish with Papa

Sharing birthday cake with Daddy

One of the horses at Centennial park

Soon after our trip, Olivia turned 2 years old. We celebrated the actual day with just the three of us and Olivia got a few things to redecorate her room. Well actually, we only redecorated half her room because the other half will be for her new baby brother or sister who is due to arrive in February. Olivia started sleeping in a big girl bed when we got back from Thunder Bay and hasn't had a problem with it at all. I'm so proud of her for transitioning so easily. Now if only she would want to potty train.

A few weeks after her actual birthday we held a barbecue here in the backyard and invited all our church friends. We had a great time but had to move inside due to impending rain. Everyone seemed to enjoy the cake even though it wasn't my best work.

At Olivia's 2 year check up she weighed in at 23.5 pounds and was 33 inches tall which put her in the 25th percentile for each which is just fine with us. She's tiny but mighty.

Although Olivia can throw a mean tantrum she has a really sweet personality. This past week she has been taking care of mommy. I was having a few bad days and she visited me in bed to rub cream on my tummy to help me feel better. She also helped daddy massage my sore shoulder and gave me lots of kisses and hugs. I think she will be a great big sister because she is so helpful. Now if only we can work on the frustration and food pickiness LOL. I'm sure she will grow out of most of it but it can be quite troublesome. .

A hard few weeks

Olivia's language continues to develop at a fairly steady pace and she surprises me sometimes with words I didn't think she knew. Yesterday she said camera while holding the object in question. She also says "momo" when she sees Elmo on the computer or on her diapers. The past few weeks have been very hard on both of us. She's been teething non stop for at least 3 weeks and is sporting 4 new teeth, 2 of which are molars. She must be in a lot of pain at times because she can't seem to calm down. Her sleeping habits are off and she's not the happy girl I'm used to. I'm sure this will end soon, I mean it has to right? Once these teeth are fully through, she'll have 10 out of the 20 she needs. I wonder how many of those will decide to emerge simultaneously? We're going to visit the grandmas and grandpas in a few weeks, I'm sure she'll enjoy that. We'll also be visiting with Auntie Nikki who is in Korea right now but will be back for a few weeks when we're in Thunder Bay. Olivia hasn't seen her Aunt since she was just under five months old. I can't imagine how startling the differences will be to Nikki. Olivia is certainly mischevious. When I asked her to come see me yesterday for a clean diaper, she ran into the kitchen, did a few circuits and then crawled under the kitchen table...I was not impressed. She has her definite tastes and preferences. Today we're going out to lunch with a friend, I hope she will eat what we get her!

Words words words

Lately Olivia's language is increasing at quite a rate. Over Christmas she gained quite a few words and just today added 2 more. She learned girl, pretty, cold and Elly (her grandma's cat). Today she came up with papa for grandpa and car. I find it amazing how fast they learn these words and although they aren't as clear as what you and I would say, the meaning is still there and she understands. She also learned to give Squishy hugs which are hugs that you have to squeeze really hard and grunt with effort LOL. Christmas was good to her, she made out like a bandit and is enjoying her toys at home. She also had her first professional haircut and I think it's really cute. She was happy to visit with all of her family but she was also very glad to be home. We're just getting back into routine today and it's going a bit rough for now. At least mommy is no longer bound by the cast and we can do a bit more. As I type she's fighting with a chair and moving it all over the room and complaining about it although I'm not sure what the problem is. As you can see, the language isn't enough to express her frustration just yet.