18...Are you kidding me?

Olivia is growing quickly. She is so smart, which sometimes gets her into lots of trouble. She is currently learning mama and papa's behavior expectations and what happens when we choose not to listen. There are certainly times where a battle of wills is at play. She is learning though that mama and papa are as stubborn as she is. It is an interesting line to walk with her right now because I want her to explore and be able to satisfy her curiosity but most of the time it seems like this leads her to getting hurt or ruining something. Speaking of getting hurt...you should see this girl's knees, I don't think they will be scrap free this entire summer at the rate we are going!

I have come to the conclusion that she needs more age appropriate toys. Being a January baby doesn't allow for many new gifts to come her way during the rest of the year so I am going to start keeping my eyes peeled for some good deals. She played tonight with one of her baby dolls and 2 wipes that never got used and have since dried out. It was so cute to see her use those dry wipes to clean the baby's face and to cover the baby as if they were blankets and then pat her to sleep. Seeing her pretend play is such a great experience for me as a mom. I want to get her a baby doll that she can work on putting clothes on and off of and just interact with more than the "plush" version she has right now. She kept asking me to take the baby's hat off. Little does she know that baby's hat is sewed on to her face to keep all her stuffing brains in tact. She may be highly disappointed if I were to actually get that hat off. Though...she may also be quite interested in the new play material.

We went to the children's museum today and it made me realize that I really need to get her a play kitchen set. She stood by one of the tables pretend mixing things in bowls and cups and then offering them to me. She also had so much fun putting fruits, veggies, and other things into her grocery basket.

It is so fun to look back on all her baby pictures and see how much she has advanced and grown in such a short 18 months! I have 2 new nephews now and I am so excited to see them grow up and someday play with Olivia. Based on what I have seen so far though...those boys better watch out because I am sure she will let them know who is in charge! (she might get a little bit of that from her mommy...but don't tell anyone!)

"The toddler age allows children to look at life in a whole new way."

Hello. My name is Jessica and I am a cereal snob.

That's right. I am a cereal snob, meaning, it's only brand name for me. I think it stems from trying a few 'off-brands' when I younger that just didn't compare in terms of taste. However, given the need to be within a budget I am attempting to explore some off brands and I have been surprised. I have tried a version of rice chex and frosted flakes and both, though not the same as the original, are a good enough compromise. And given that each box is about 2$ cheaper than the brand name I guess my taste buds can work through their issues. I am sure I will have weak moments while at the grocery store when I just can't resist real lucky charms but I think I am making steps in the right director to get over my addiction to brand name.

My Baby is 1!!!

Happy Birthday Olivia!

Yesterday, Olivia celebrated her 1st. She was surrounded by her family and had a wonderful time seeing everyone, opening presents, and eating cake!




She did really well, only crying when she bumped her lip on the fireplace tile :( (no damage taken by the little one though!) and whenever someone came at her with the birthday hat. She really hated that hat!



The day went very smoothly considering how many people we crammed into the house. I am glad we had the party and made the memories but equally glad that it is done! :)

A Lesson...

Olivia has been trying her hand at walking backwards lately. This afternoon she learned that she should watch where she is walking or things like this may happen...

Almost....

My baby is almost a year! Crazy, I say! Here are a few pics from her first adventure in the snow. Soon I will be posting pics from her 1 year b-day party....sniff...smile. It truly is bittersweet.

You promise this will be fun, right? 'Cuz this is a lot of work....

Ummm...was that the yellow stuff because it sure didn't taste good?


This stuff really is not that bad...