Cousin Love

While Adam and I are enjoying a weekend getaway in Miami, Oliver is visiting his cousin. We were a bit worried about how he would do, but so far things seem to be fine.

Got this photo sent to us with the caption "singing and snacks in the backseat".

23 Months - A quicky

Oliver is very, very close to being a big two year old. I don't have a lot of photos to share this time because a) I've been sick, b) we tend to take less photos when we are couped up inside during winter, c) Oliver is overly interested in seeing photos on the camera and considerably less cooperative letting me take photos OF him! 

Here are some photos from Friday's Gym class. 

Things to Remember:

His imagination is going wild - he loves playing with his kitchen that we got him for Christmas and pretend cooks for us now.  He also loves playing "ice cream" with Pauline where he is the ice cream vendor.  Oliver also just created a game called "doggy game" where you throw something and he fetches it.  pretty funny.

All of the sudden, he wants to read all the time, which we love.  Lots and lots of reading going on in this house.  We definitely need to be using our library card more.

He loves playing "scoop" in the basement.  Adam has Oliver working on his golf swing and we're pretty impressed with his hand-eye coordination.  Riding around on his Radio Flyer is also still enormously popular.

We are starting to be able to have mini-conversations with him.  If you ask him what animals he saw at the zoo, or what he did at school, we can usually get some kind of an answer out of him.  We're also starting to help him know what to expect by telling him the night before what the day's plans are.  His eyes light up everytime we tell him its a school-day -- my how far we've come! 

Pauline has really found her grove.  Oliver adores her, his German has really improved and the two of them have all kinds of fun together.  If we are downstairs in the basement and he hears her come home, he yells up "Pauline, come downstairs!". 

NJ Fun: Part 2

We slept over my mom's on Saturday night and Nicole & Devon came back to play on Sunday and we enjoyed a lazy day (from 11-4pm, there was at lest one person napping at any given time).  It was great watching the boys interact (videos coming soon).  Oliver was pretty good at sharing toys, although his energy level and enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming for Devon, which was pretty funny.  Oliver is alwasy full of energy!  When Oliver & Devon were playing ball together, Oliver would say "good one, Devon" after each throw Devon made - so cute!

helping Omi make Pfannekuchen (crepes)

Everyone was a big fan of the couch-bed

Cousins hanging out checking out the neighborhood

the men!

NJ Fun: Part 1

We were long overdue to visit my family in New Jersey.  With Oliver talking up a storm, he's a lot more fun and the grandparents were none too happy with us that so much had time had gone by since they had seen him last.  On Saturday, we spent the day at my dad's - Nicole & Devon showed up too. 

Pregnancy Update: Week 22

22 weeks down, hopefully 16 to go... This past week was the first week that I am feeling more than just a little pregnant.  My energy level is WAY down and I am finding it maddening that I can't be as active and keep busy like I normally can, or even they way I could when I was pregnant with Oliver. 
Monday update - I was just at the doc & I am measuring 30 weeks!  Which means if I one, I wouldn't be this big for another 2 months!

I picked up Oliver from daycare on Thursday and learned that his daycare teachers had prompted him to answer the following questions:

Teacher:  What is Mommy having?                          Teacher: What is Oliver going to be?

Oliver: Twins!                                                          Oliver: A big Brother!

Of course, after a little investigating and a discussion about my belly, I got back a lot of blank stares, so he is doesn't really have any idea what twins are or what being a big brother means.  Pauline got him a book at the library, but we're not too worried about it.  He'll figure it out at some point. 

I don't know how much longer I will post a monthly belly-photo - once I start looking like a whale, I will probably get a bit camera shy. These were taken last weekend, and my belly is already bigger since then!

POTD: Barking Orders

This morning, Oliver got up around 6:15am and quietly laid in bed with us, since we didn't quite need to be starting our day.  On days he is cooperative (and not screaming to go downstairs for some cereal) it has become one of my favorite parts of the day.  After about 15min, he asked to watch Bob the Builder.  I told him that we would turn on the TV once Daddy gets up to take a shower. 

Oliver replies "Go shower, Daddy!" and starts pushing Adam, trying to get him out of bed.  "Shower, Daddy! Water!" Pretty hysterical!

"Don't bother me Mommy, I'm concentrating!"