Keeping up with Fred-n-Sara

We became a family of 4.  It’s been a whirlwind year to say the least, but I wouldn’t change it at all.  Oliver has not been the easiest baby, but he knows what he wants and is not afraid to kick, scream, cry or wail ask  for it.  But, at the end of the day, he has an amazing smile and really is the sweetest, most loving little boy I know.  Here’s a little recap of his first year…

Love at first sight.

One month old: He’s always been happy in loving arms.

2 months old: Oliver is always watching something!

3 months: Christmas cheer and brotherly love.

4 months old and still no hair!

5 months: Oliver loves bath time!

6 months, still no hair but lots of drool!

7 months: Baptism and finally a little hair!

8 months: He loved his exersaucer and the warm weather!

9 months: Summer cruising in the duo glider!

10 months and finally standing!

11 months: Enjoying a good book with Mom and Cal.  And Nina too!

I have a special surprise for you too…a little video of our Oliver and his latest feat.  Don’t mind the background chatter, it was early in the morning and Calvin was in the process of getting dressed.

It’s a short video, but it gets the point across.  He’s been scooting around for almost a month now and is pretty fast!

There you have it, Oliver in a few pictures.  There aren’t enough words in the world to express how proud I am to be his mom and to have such a wonderful family with Fred.  I am so excited to see what is in store for all of us in the next year!

The first week of school is almost over.  Fred and I have done all the appropriate preparation and had our first days with students, so we can check that off our fall list of things to do.  We’ve celebrated Cal’s birthday and a few other family and friends’ too, and now I’m looking ahead to Septembers events.  There’s more birthdays and events planned, like a fantasy football draft that can’t be missed (Fred’s of course), more birthdays, and of course Labor Day.  Here at our house, one of the most important September happenings is Oliver’s first birthday.  I can’t believe he’s going to be a year old already! It feels like yesterday that I was barely handling  the summer heat and getting ready to have him.  The year has gone by so fast.

Our ever watching, inquisitive, stubborn, and sensitive little guy is turning a year old!  I haven’t really posted much about his amazing personality or the milestones he’s mastered over the last year, but it’s been amazing to watch him grow and learn all the things that he has.

Oliver is so different from Calvin.  He’s more calm and quiet.  Not as busy but just as active, if that makes any sense.  He watches everything, God only knows what  he’s thinking when he watches Calvin be his crazy self, running through the house.  Oliver is a happy guy, as long as he’s getting what he wants and is pretty quiet unless he wants something.  And believe me, everyone in the neighborhood knows if Oliver wants something.  We may not be able to determine just what it is yet, but everyone knows he wants something!  But better communication is coming, he’s learning to use a few signs (more, drink, all done) and soon enough he’ll be using words rather than shrieks and screams.  And then he’ll be walking too.  For now though, he’s still my sweet, inquisitive baby.  And his birthday is coming up.

So, if you are wondering what to get this sweet little guy, I have a few suggestions:

• 12 month fall/winter clothes (all the 12 month hand me downs from Cal are summer things, so Oliver has very little to wear this fall)
• books.  Oliver loves to look at bright pictures as well as taste them.  Some of my personal favorite baby book authors are Sandra Boynton, Richard Scarry, and Karen Katz.
• simple toys, nothing noise producing or with flashing lights, we have plenty of those in our house. He does not have many simple things like shape sorters, nesting cups or stacking cups.  These are things he would like, and they don’t need batteries!

Those are just my suggestions, if you are thinking of getting him something for his birthday next month.  But, by all means, don’t think you need to get him anything, he’ll be just as happy to see smiling faces celebrating with him.

Over the weekend we had Cal’s birthday party at our house.  Just a small celebration with family and a friends.  I didn’t get a lot of pictures because I was busy making sure the food (a hot dog bar, loaded with options like coney sauce, onions, relish, sauerkraut, and cheese) and my boys and the guests were not melting in the 90 degree heat!

But just the same, here are a few pictures!

Granddad made Oliver cry when he dipped Oliver’s toes in the ice bucket with all the pop.

We have such wonderful family and friends to share our celebrations with!

Here’s to many more happy birthdays for Calvin and celebrations with our family!

I know this picture is really blurry, but I have to share it… This is how I found Cal sleeping when I went to wake him up from his (late) nap after the party: