More Elkhart fun...

So after Lanie's game, we went to Hacienda for lunch. Hacienda is an Elkhart institution, and I try to hit it up every time we are home. I love their chips, salsa and ranch, and so did Oliver. He also ate several helpings of guacamole, and some bean and cheese dip before digging into Lanie's cheese soup. Lanie always orders the burrito combo with cheese soup, but never touches the soup. So we let Oliver have a go at it. He was doing quite well with the spoon, but by the time he was finished, was the messiest I have ever seen him after eating! We just made sure to leave the waiter an extra tip, especially after Lanie spilled her Sprite all over the floor...

Yum, who else wants some??
See, I can use a spoon!
Dipping Papa's fries in the soup. Oliver's new obsession is dipping food into whatever is available: dressing, ketchup, cheese sauce, etc.
We spent Saturday evening at Erin and Ben's house where we ordered Volcano's pizza, another Elkhart favorite! Oliver and Reggie had a good time playing together (or should I say, playing next to each other). Oliver loves "big kids", so he copied everything that Reggie did. He also got to try powdered donettes (mini donuts) for the first time, and when he saw that Reggie got a second one, he shoved half of a donette in his mouth so he could have another one too! Needless to say, they were delicious!!

Playing cars together. It's hard to belive that Reggie is only a year older than Oliver!

Working the remote control car together.
I think Oliver's face says it all...

Reggie is like "get out of my space, baby!!" He'd better get used to it though, he's a big brother now!

Cheerleader extraordinaire!

While we were up in E-town, we got to attend one of Lanie's cheerleading games! She is in a program called Upwards, and cheers for boys basketball. She is so cute! Oliver loved playing with her pompoms, and got to try popcorn for the first time. He and Reggie ate an entire bag together.

Maybe I want to be a cheerleader too... (He's taking after his Daddy!) The girls in action.
Must have more popcorn...
Cheese, Reggie! Giving Lanie a smooch after the game.

Welcome Ryder!

Oliver's new cousin, Ryder Brody Rans was born on February 24th at 10:06 pm. He was 8lbs, 8oz, and 20 inches long. He was a really big boy for being 8 days early! Both he and Erin are doing great. We ran up to Elkhart last weekend to visit, and he is so sweet!

Frosty the snowman and Oliver the snowbaby!

On Friday, the sun was out, and it looked beautiful outside! After making a test snowball to make sure the snow would pack, I bundled Oliver and myself up so we could go play outside for a bit. I decided that I would make Oliver a snowman. He thought that watching me rolling the snowballs was hilarious! He was lying in the yard digging holes for most of the snowman making extravaganza, but it was good to get out of the house!! If only he would have kept his gloves on...

Giving the snowman a kiss!

Making some hot chocolate.

My first hot chocolate! Notice the death grip on his cup... It got a lot of head shaking and MMMs!

Oliver's first Pacer's game!

After being quarantined in our house for a week between the hand, foot and mouth disease and general crankiness from the ear infection, we finally ventured out on Wednesday night. Jon had gotten free Pacers tickets from work (it was Lilly night at the game), so we headed downtown with the little guy. We went to the buffet at Conseco on the club level for dinner, and spent the first quarter there before venturing to our seats. We had great seats, but it was already past bedtime at the half, so we headed back home. Oliver had a great time. He was mesmerized by the cheerleaders, music, lights, and basketball game! Lucky kid, I think that I went to my first Pacer's game at 24...

Watching the game from the restaurant.
View from our seats.
The fam.
Staring at the jumbo-tron.

With the cutout of Roy Hibbert. He's really tall!!

House project number ... who knows, I've lost count!

So another weekend, another house project! With the impending arrival of baby #2, we have had to make some big decisions. Like, where to put the new little one. We have 2 upstairs bedrooms, and 2 downstairs bedrooms. So somebody is going to have to move to one of the downstairs bedrooms.

After much deliberation, we decided that we are going to make our guest bedroom into a nursery. I was very nervous about putting Oliver on a different floor than us, because a)he can walk, and b)I know someday soon he will figure out how to escape from his crib. I don't like the idea at all of him getting up to wander around with Jon and I a flight of stairs and two gates away. So baby is going downstairs. It's really only going to be hard on me, because I will be the one getting up in the middle of the night for feedings!

Anyways, one big problem with our guest room is that the floor and ceiling are not insulated, and it can get really cold in there! It is over a crawl space, so Jon spent part of Saturday and most of Sunday knocking out a few of the cement blocks in the basement so he could access the space, and actually crawling under the room and putting up insulation. We had the same issue with our breakfast nook, so he went ahead and insulated that area too. Hopefully it will be nice and toasty warm next winter when there is a little person sleeping in the downstairs bedroom!

New access to the crawl space. The area before insulation.
The area after insulation.
Mr. Fix-it himself...

Crabby Valentines Day!

So poor Oliver just can't catch a break! Friday morning after his doctor's appointment, he woke up with hand, foot and mouth disease, also known as coxsackie virus. His buddy Luke has been dealing with HFMD since last Saturday. We're pretty sure that the boys got it from the Children's Museum. The incubation period is 3-7 days, so Oliver's just took a little longer to show up. He has the textbook blisters around his mouth, on his bottom, and on his hands. We have been giving him tylenol and motrin to help with the pain, because it looks really painful! Luckily, he has still been eating like a champ. That's the biggest problem with HFMD; it hurts to eat and drink, so you have to watch for dehydration.

These are kind of gross, but he really has the textbook blistering sores. Here is a pic of his poor little face... He is still saying "Cheese"! His little hand...
Oliver has been a bit more cranky than usual, but has been a trouper. He has been sleeping part of each night with Mommy and Daddy. Finally yesterday he resumed his normal 3-hour nap, and last night he slept from 8-6 in his crib! So I think the worst is over. He got a very nice Valentine's present because Mommy felt really bad for him.

Opening his presents.

Coloring with his new "magic" markers. He's really been into coloring lately! Jon and I had a nice Valentine's too, despite the sickness in our house! Jon (and Oliver) sent me two dozen beautiful roses on Friday, along with some yummy chocolates. Saturday night after we put Ollie to bed, we feasted on king crab legs with lots of garlic butter, sauteed spinich and baked potatoes. We then relaxed on the couch and watched a movie. Very romantic.

Our Valentine's feast and the beautiful roses!

16-month stats

Happy 16-month b-day to Oliver! We celebrated by going to see Dr. Bergstein. Poor Oliver just wasn't feeling well today though, so no immunizations for him. Instead he was diagnosed with a viral throat infection and an ear infection. So we start Amoxicillin tonight; his first antibiotic ever! I knew that something was up, because he woke up totally clingy and crabby. Hopefully he'll be back to his happy little self in a day or two.

Other than that, everything looks great. He was 32 1/4 inches (75th percentile), and 26 pounds, 1 oz (70th percentile). Dr. Bergstein said that his growth looks fabulous. He is right on track developmentally. She said he should be saying about 5-10 words right now, and I told her that he says more like 10-15, which she said is outstanding for a boy! His motor skills are definitely all up to par also. So we will be heading back in two weeks for an ear re-check, and as long as he is feeling better, he will get those pesky immunizations then.

My silly goose...

Oliver is quickly approaching 16 months, and he is such a funny little guy! He has become quite the mimic, repeating words and noises, and even movements. I would say that he is up to about 10-15 words that we can recognize. And I thought that he would never talk...


He is still a fabulous dancer, and has incorporated a spin into his routines. He still shimmies and does the shoulder shrug/shakes too. He has also been loving all things boy, like his trucks, cars, and tools.


He also loves his monkey. He has been sleeping with Monkey since about 13 months, so I bought Monkey the second the other day just for a back-up. So now he is carrying both around, and sleeping with both! He calles them Mo-Mo and will hug them and kiss them.


He is still a big eater, and has one of the craziest palates I've ever heard of a baby having. He LOVES pickles, fruits, especially strawberries, blueberries, and grapefruit, pizza, veggies (I've seen him double fist broccoli into his mouth), black bean and corn salsa, guacamole, etc. He has the cutest little potbelly from eating so much all the time!


Bathtime is still a favorite too. He loves to play with his froggies and rubber ducks, drink his bathwater with a cup, and splash up a storm! Here are some recent pics of the silly goose!

Playing on his plane. He is great at putting the shapes in the sides, and loves to be pushed around on it. He can also get on and off by himself. Smarty!

Trying out Mommy's boots. We did finally buy him his first real pair of shoes, and I was shocked and amazed to find out that he needed a size 6! I knew that he had big feet, but a 6? He's going to end up in a 13 like his dad...

Chatting on the phone. He LOVES phones, and will play with our cell phones and Jon's work Blackberry like they are the most fun thing ever! He has also gotten into the habit of putting anything shaped like a phone (remotes, his baby monitor, etc.) up to his ear and talking into it.

Taking some measurements. He looks so cute in his little hat, but quickly removed it as soon as I snapped this. You can also see his new kicks in this picture!