An Afternoon at the Lake

 Olivia is obsessed with water bottles.  We finally bought this pink one for her so she would stop stealing ours.  I'd say she likes it!

Olivia and I spent Wednesday afternoon at the lake.  The weather was so nice, with a nice breeze, and lightly cloudy skies.  The water was just the right temperature.  Olivia played really well in the water and the sand without me having to coax her into everything, so I was able to enjoy some nice girl talk with some great company.  We had a great time!!  Too bad for Bobby...he had to spend the day at school.

Big Girl

This picture makes me think I no longer have a little baby...now I have a big girl!  

When did that happen?

Lunch Date

Cutest lunch date EVER

Bike

 Olivia makes a pretty mean looking biker girl, don't ya think?

Cards Game

We went to the Springfield Cardinals game this past weekend.  It was really hot, but still lots of fun!  We were so glad to get to hang out with amazing friends and family!

Pool Time

Olivia loves loves loves water!  She would take 10 baths a day if I would let her!  A pool was an obvious solution (thanks Gma and Gpa).  We've already spent several afternoons cooling off in her pool, and plan on many more this summer...hopefully I'll actually get a tan!

Grassy-hopper

Olivia talks almost non-stop!  A lot of what she says is still gibberish, but she is also getting really good at expressing herself, and telling us what she wants.  Most of her sentences start with 'I want...' but she is quickly gaining a lot more variety.  She also loves to sing, and if there is a piano available she's probably going to try to play it.  Her favorites right now are 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' and 'Once There was a Snowman'.  She serenades us quite often.

Bubbles Bubbles

Slide

Update

We have had a busy last few months.  We moved at the very end of March to a new house, which we LOVE!!  So most of March was spent packing and preparing for the move.  Since then we've been unpacking, organizing, and trying to get used to the new place.  It has been a nice adjustment getting used to a two car garage again, a one story place, more cabinet and closet space, our own driveway, a bigger yard, and larger rooms.  I have to admit...these are the kinds of changes I can get used to quite easily!  Not all of the houses on our street are completed, so there has still been some construction.  This in itself really hasn't been bad.  Olivia enjoys watching the trucks drive by and has spent the past 15 minutes looking out the front window at what's going on with the houses across the street.  Not a bad distraction!  Pictures to come soon...if I can get blogger to upload them correctly...

Watering

We found a new job for Olivia, although she hesitated about it at first.  She was cute...Bobby would move her body from one spot to the next, and she would stand as still as possible watering that one spot.

For ME?!

On Valentine's Day, Bobby came home with a dozen roses to surprise me after school.  He was greeted by a chipper little Olivia at the door.  As soon as she saw the flowers she promptly said, "For ME?!?"  He couldn't resist.  My dozen roses became eleven and Olivia got her very own.  We showed her how to smell it, and she walked around the house waving it about, sniffing it, and holding it out for everyone else to smell (or rather shoving it in everyone's faces).  Regardless, she was pretty darn happy!

 

Pig Tails

Olivia has been able to successfully wear pig tails...a pretty important milestone in any girl's life!

Potty Training

We began potty training on Monday.  It has been a long week, but I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  She went #2 two times on the first day, and has gone more consistently in the potty each day.  I think Olivia and I are both starting to get bored from hanging out in the bathroom all week.  I have even turned on Sesame Street on the laptop for bathroom entertainment while we waited, and painted Olivia's toenails for the first time.  Originally, I am pretty sure she was holding it, and would literally wait for hours before she would go.  SO...I thought I would share our bathroom adventures thus far.

 In November, we put Olivia on the potty for the first time, just to test the waters.  We learned she was afraid of falling through.  So we asked for a potty seat for Christmas - thanks Gma!!

We also began purchasing panties in December to prepare for this new adventure.  Originally we had planned to start at the beginning of the year, but nerves and illness got the best of us, and I put it off until now.

So, here we are...waiting...

 I would like to add that so far today she has gone in the potty every time!!!  She has started saying "YAY!" as soon as she's done.