froggy

Because I am feeling froggy (mainly due to Ollie G's new hat) I decided to change the blog name to be more reflective of me. Basically, all I blog about is my child with a few other things thrown in here and there. Hence, Oliver with a Twist.

Day in the life - 9 months

Oliver is very busy these days. He continues to be quite the lazy (aka spoiled) baby and is not the least bit interested in pulling up, trying to "cruise" or crawl on his knees. He prefers the super speedy army crawl and is starting to get.into.everything. I have yet to baby proof and yes, I realize that is so irresponsible parenting. He has a thing for wires, shoes and remotes. Can he get any more germy? Yikes. He also likes to make long distance calls on our home phone.

Ollie likes to wave bye bye. He is such a smart cookie. Since learning to wave bye bye the clapping has been minimized. I miss my little clapper but love that he can has grasped a concept. Oliver is also starting to try some new big kid foods. He loves mandarin oranges, grits and chicken n stars soup (just the stars). His sleeping habits are nothing to brag about. He still wakes up around 3 or 4am every night.

Oliver Green - day in the life at 9.5 months

4am: bottle and back to bed for a few more hours
6:30 am: Up and at em. Still the happiest morning baby on the planet
7am: Leave for school. You like to "talk" and "sing" on the drive into town
7:30am: arrive at school and get in your highchair for breakfast (trying some new things like grits, yogurt, toast)
8am-9am After breakfast its playtime with your buddies Carter and Zac.
9:30am: 4oz bottle and then back to playtime business
10:30am: lunchtime (trying more finger foods and table foods)
11:30am: 4oz bottle
noon-2pm: nap time
2:30pm: snack time (fruit/puffs/mum mum cracker)
3pm: 4oz bottle
3pm - 5pm: playtime (from what Ms. Mandy tells me, you boys are crazy in the afternoons and like to wrestle and chase each other around the room. She says you all like to get at the door and stand up and shake the door insert)
5pm: Pick up time
5:30pm: home and playtime (crawling, walker, a few puffs for a snack)
6pm: bottle (3-4oz)
6:45pm: family dinner time (this is starting to get really messy). Oliver drinks formula in his sippy with dinner
7- 8pm: bath and a little more playtime with mommy and daddy
8pm: bottle and bed - night night :)

Oliver's favorite game is for me and Jake to get on opposite sides of the bed and "hide." Oliver likes for us to jump up and shout something funny and then he races to that side and looks for us. Once he finds us crouching he looks for the other "surprise" pop up and then races back the other way. Its actually highly entertaining for all of us :)



peekaboo!



House goals

Since Oliver was born, the house renovations have come to a complete stand still. In the past four years, Jake has finished about 80% of a complete remodel. It has been a long four years. To be honest, we are over our house. We want to get back to free (non working) weekends, a better school district and a house with different attributes. The goal is to put our house up for sale in the spring which means we need to tackle the remaining 20%.

I feel confident we can sell our house. Jake has done an excellent job with the renovations and we are in a great location. The elementary school and park is about 1.5 blocks away and the downtown area is less than a block. Its a great location and a great house for a family with kids (4 bedrooms and a big backyard). If we don't sell, that's okay too. Like I said, the house is great, I just think we need a change. Plus, I need a Target less than 25 minutes away. It's killing me.

Short term goals (by spring):

• Master bathroom and foyer remodel (complete)
• Complete dining room (install chandy, tile fireplace, remove window cornice and prep for paint)
• 4th bedroom - install new light fixture, prep for paint
• Finish interior painting (1 bedroom, dining room, master bath/foyer and mudroom)
• Landscaping - simple/inexpensive

Mid range goals (if we don't sell right away):

• New windows
• New siding / shutters (27 total)
• Install porch railing
• Lamp-post install at sidewalk
• more extensive landscaping (sod and tree removal)

Long term goals (if it looks like the mortgage will be paid before we can sell):

• refurbish hardwood floors (sand/stain)
• New metal roof
• French doors in kitchen
• Back porch off new french doors
• Build garage
• Install cconcrete horseshoe driveway
• Add fencing around backyard

I've been kind of slack about helping Jake. So I am going to try and do some of the smaller projects to keep things moving. I guess it won't kill me to paint the mudroom... okay it just might.

31

Today is my 31st birthday. Thirty didn't bother me. Thirty-one does. Jake bought me an iPhone for my present this year. I love it. I realize that I am officially about 5 years behind the times on the iPhone front. I actually had a panic attack waiting for Instagram to download because I have coveted every ones Instagram photos for so long on the blogosphere. I am finally hip to the mode. Well, kind of. I keep face dialing random contacts and pressing the mute button with my cheek. I will be adding this to my Christmas list this year. Jake thinks its nerdy. I think its awesome!

Stationery card

Snowflakes Ribbon Christmas Card

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I like to get my Christmas cards out early. Like week of Thanksgiving early. I feel like that's our little present to all of our extended friends and family. Yes, the gift of our faces on a card - I am so self involved. Really though, people love photo Christmas cards. I love to send them and love to receive them. I'm a big card person. For birthdays and Christmas I like to tape all the cards we receive to the kitchen cabinets so we can see them up close and personal for extended periods of time. I finished our card this afternoon and placed the order. I had two great shutterfly.com coupon codes that expired today and had my pictures in mind. I thought, what the heck, and made the commitment. Is it just me, or does everyone experience immediate buyers remorse for every online purchase made. Something about pressing that submit button seems so... permanent.

9 months

This little cutie turned 9 months old yesterday. We rushed home after yet another doctors appointment (yes, you guessed it, double ear infection) so we could get home before sundown to catch the natural light for pictures. We didn't make it. Oliver was hungry and tired. I was getting irritated. This is as good as it got.

Oliver - 9 months old (November 2, 2011)

Oliver - you are the love of my life. I love your big blue eyes, your budding sense of humor, your toothy smiles and your endless clapping.  You, my little goose, love to clap. You clap for me, you clap for daddy. You clap for the cashier at the grocery store, you clap for grandma. You clap when you drink from your sippy cup and you clap when you take your medicine. I love that you're happy ... and you know it... clap your hands! 

At nine months, Oliver weighs in at 18lbs 15.5oz. He has six teeth and is starting to like finger foods. He has dropped a bottle during the day and overall seems to drink less formula. His favorite food to munch on is whole wheat toast. My sweet boy now says Ma-Ma all the time. It melts my heart. Oliver has had a rough few weeks fighting congestion and a non-stop runny nose. He hasn't been sleeping well and has been waking up two-three times a night. He usually lands in bed with us from 3am -6am. He loves that middle spot. He cuddles right in and puts one hand on daddy and turns his head towards me and breathes/snores right in my face. I would be lying if I said I didn't love it.  He can army crawl like a champ and is getting up on his hands and knees. We really have to watch now because he likes to grab just about everything he isn't supposed to. Toys? what toys? He prefers wires, remotes, lit candles and flip flops.

puppy

Oliver outgrew his Buzz Lightyear costume a few weeks too soon. A replacement was nowhere to be found so he ended up wearing a hand-me-down from my oldest nephew, David Ray. I think the puppy still looks cute 10 years later. Oliver has been sporting the top part as his jacket until he can fit into his cool new 12month sized polar fleece.

puppy on parade

Ollie and his best school friend, Carter.

My little puppy was in a parade at school. All the kids line up and walk around the block and then the older kids hit the local businesses for trick or treat. I had the pleasure of pushing Ollie around the block. The rest of the day was a total bust. It started raining midday and did not let up until late into the night. We still had a good number of treaters... who, no offense, have crazy a$$ parents for letting them be out in the cold, rainy night. Yes, I am a prude. And yes its because I turn 31 in exactly one week.