18-month Checkup

Yesterday (2/24/10), Olivia had her 18-month doctor's appointment. Here are her stats:

Weight: 22 lbs. 2 oz. (20th percentile)
Height: 30.5 inches (20th percentile)
Head circumference: 46.2 cm
Shots received: Hep A

I think Olivia now has a memory of what happens at the doctor's office. She was in a pleasant mood on the ride to the office and in the waiting room, but as soon as her name was called and we walked back to the scale with the nurse, she completely lost it. Fortunately, I had brought her blanket to comfort her a bit before the doctor arrived in our room. However, she immediately went back to crying hysterically when the doctor entered. The doctor said that her behavior was typical for her age. She also said that she was a strong, healthy girl who is on track based on her statistics. We got her almost all dressed prior to the shot so that we could make a quick escape.

Vocabulary

Here is a list of some of the words Olivia is now saying:

Mama
Dada
Bye-bye
No
Hi
Mine
Up
Jenna
Go
Night night ("nigh-night")
Eyes
Nose
Turtle
Snow
Grandma
Papa
Elmo
Bath ("baba")
Juice
Car
Please ("peas" or psss")
Coat
Apple ("apph")
Pop
Baby ("bebe")
Good girl

Happy 18-month Birthday!

Today, Olivia turned 1 1/2 years old! She is such a joy in our lives, and each day with her brings new adventures. Happy Birthday, Olivia! We love you so very much!

Valentine's Day

This is the beautiful bouquet of lillies and roses I received on Valentine's Day from my loving husband. He designed it himself. A couple days after Valentine's Day, the roses have opened and the lillies have filled the living room with their sweet fragrance.

She's a Perch Now!

Modeling her new bathing suit before class 1/22/10

Olivia is now in the Inya/Perch swim class at the YMCA thanks to a Christmas present from her Grandpa & Grandma Ackerman. This is her second swimming class she's taken there. Her instructor's name is Derek, and she is in class with a little boy named Elliot. She started on Friday, January 15 and has been going every Friday for the past 5 weeks. This class is geared more toward teaching her how to swim with increased exposure to the water. The class she took when she was 6 months old was more playful.

We try and get there about 15-20 minutes before the lesson starts, so she has time to play in the Splash Pool area, which is a shallow wading pool with rain fountains. During class, we are in our own special 3-4 foot deep pool. She practices blowing bubbles in the water, jumping into the pool while holding my hands, scooping water with her hands and moving her arms (referred to as "scoopers"), kicking while on her belly and back, and swimming back and forth between me and the instructor. We also sing songs and play with water toys. The instructor said she is well-adjusted to the water based on the fact that she doesn't mind letting her face go under the water. She loves the pool! She is even getting better since her first class. She now stands on the edge of the pool and jumps in while holding onto my hands and letting her face go under. The first few classes she didn't want to stand on the edge, and she would always sit and then slide into the pool on her bottom. She is also her same stubborn, playful-self during the class...saying "no" to the instructor with a little smile on her face, holding a water toy and saying "mine" (one of her new favorite words), and clutching her arms to her chest with her hands in fists when the instructor is taking her around the pool to practice her "scoopers". The last two events just happened at last Friday's class (February 12).

Here are some pictures taken from her second class (January 22).

Olivia is very independent at the pool!

Our Sweetheart

Happy Valentine's Day!

Opening the card and present from Mommy & Daddy...a new book and some play-dough!

Abuela & Papa stopped by in the evening to drop off Olivia's Valentine's Day present. She was so excited. She loved her new book and her cow stuffed animal.

Grandma & Olivia talking together.

Pizza Oliviana

Tonight dinner preparation was a family affair. We made homemade pizza, and Olivia helped us the entire time...from crust to sauce to toppings and cheese!

"BAM!" Our little Emeril adds mozzarella to the pizza.

Every good chef must taste their creation, and Olivia, like her father, was a pro at taste-testing throughout the entire process. She especially liked the ham! In this picture, I think she has a handful of cheese.

Geared Up

Olivia loves to put my hat on, and today, she enjoyed gearing up with my hat and Aunt Lindsay's gloves and running shoes. She'll be part of our running team in no time!

Superbowl Sunday

Olivia settled in with Daddy to watch the Saints v. Colts. Daddy even shared his homemade sub sandwich with Olivia.

Olivia had her eyes glued to the game. She didn't have time for pictures!