16 months

 We went to the park A LOT this month (and now its too cold, so glad we got lots in while we could!). Shannon and I thought Hugh and Olivia would be so cute on the swing together, but Hugh was not happy about sharing:) That's okay though!

 First time wearing her Olivia the Pig costume I made her, and giving daddy a big hug.

 Hanging with her peeps, this is her buddy Charlie in his ballerina costume, since he walks on his tip-toes.

 One of the funniest things about Olivia, is that she would MUCH rather hang out with the big kids. She will just go up to groups of older kids and stand in their circle, or in the middle of their game, and act like she is a part of the group. She does it all the time in our apt. complex with this group of 8 yr. old boys.

 We went to a few pumpkin patches this year, which was a ton of fun. Olivia really enjoyed them too!

 She wore her costume again at the Trunk or Treat at church, but I washed it and it shrunk like 3 sizes. (I should have washed the fabric before I sewed it I know....)

 Eating her cereal in the morning, and sipping her milk out of the bowl.

 This is a favorite pose for her. she's like, "Oh! mom wants a picture?? I'll just get my finger in position!"

 I am so grateful for our huge deck. She plays out there all the time and somehow its much better than being inside.

 She was ready to go, with her new purse from Grandma and her "bracelet" on.

 Why she decided to keep this bow on her head when I can't get her to wear one (esp. ones I've made) EVER, is beyond me. She will only wear them when no one sees her. Look at those pretty cheeks, lips and eyes!

 Okay, she DID miraculously wear a bow I made her for our Christmas photos. Again its an anomaly.

 She had a sad poo virus this day, but she was happy as could be, coloring and eating her snacks.

In a trance whenever the tv comes on....

 She  found this ziploc bag in the cupboard and decided to put all of her letters in it. She is very helpful at cleaning things up!

 Oh how she loves to build with her legos (mega blocks).

 But she only likes to build UP! And her towers get so huge that I have to hold on to them so they don't topple over!

 Hanging out iwth Grandpa and Unlce Matthew at Thanksgiving. This is the only photo we took of the entire time my family was here, because they came sick, and then left sick---the day after Thanksgiving! super bummer.


What Olivia was up to from 15-16 months:

-today the Beach Boys came on the radio and she started laughing really hard and swinging her arms and dancing so excitedly. just like when she was in the womb:)
-sits at her desk to color
- blows me kisses all the time. or sometimes when I ask for a kiss (or Franc asks for a "beso") she will come sorta close, make a kiss sound (mmmaaah) and then just walk away. its her lazy kiss.

-practically dragged me into the nursery she wanted to go so bad! We went in together and she loved it! 18 months 18 months 18 months. Church will be so much easier!
-she can count TWO, THREE! and tries to use her fingers to do so.
-she said "ok dad, lets go" (with her purse in hand). and also "bye dad (waving as she walks out the door).
-intead of "mama" she now says "MOMMY! mommy! mommy! mommy!" and instead of dada "daddy!" sometimes I will hear her wake in the night just saying "mooommmy, mommy" over and over. too cute.
-looks at what is in her cup before she drinks it.
-everyday she sits down at her desk in the living room to color.
-knows how to count to three (ish)! If I say "One" she says TWOO!!!! or "THREEEE!"
-says "thank you" when I give her something she wants.
- I was having a terrible day and was sitting on the floor crying. Olivia came and sat on my lap for a bit, then got up and took my hand, and walked with me around the house holding my hand. It made everything seem better. she really is my little best friend.
- she loves to climb onto her favorite seat in the living room, and pull out all our photo books to read. she flips through and says "happy!" "mommy!" daddy! and baby! its too cute.
-one morning I found olivia GIDDY with some chalk in her hands. I thought it was odd that she was so excited, and then I noticed I'd left the lid up on the toilet. I looked inside and saw she had dipped the chalk in the water and drawn on the toilet bowl! obviously very fun:)
-she's been really into playing her alligator piano/xylophone lately.
-sometimes she will draw all day long. in spurts of course, but that will be her main activity all day! Of course this makes me super excited for all our future art projects!
- she cleans up her own messes! If she squirts some of her applesauce pouch on the floor, then she will find something to clean it up with. ALL ON HER OWN!
-one day she took franc's cell phone from him and kept talking on it and coming up to him giving him high fives.
-we were reading a "peek-a-boo" book with flaps and I would say "where's elmo?" and if she didn't see the camoflauged flap, then she would raise both her arms up like "I don't know!" so cute!
-she says dame (espanol) and esta aqui ("  ") and aqui esta, cracker, GO!!! (when we are in the truck cart at the grocery store),  agua
-if I tap her hand when she throws her food and say "no! no! no!" then she will do it to herself (tap her own hand and say no!) over and over afterwards. its super cute and kinda sad.
- she snacks ALL. DAY. LONG. And the only thing I can find to distract her is going outside! help!
-she got a very yucky poo-ey virus TWICE this month. I felt so sad as I watched her pain and suffering.
-Like to get out a reusable shopping bag, fill it with important things (sketchbook, the heal insert of my dad's shoe, a fake frying pan, a Scategories dice, etc) and then walks to the door and says (while waving) "bye! bye! bye!"
-Likes me to read the same book over and over and over (she says "agai, agai (again)"). This month her faves are "Olivia's Opposites," Language Library/ Baby Einstein book (random phrases in different languages), Goodnight Moon,  QuietLoud, "Where's Elmo?" (flap book), and "Elmo's Colors."
-she still dance dance dances all the time! And she LOVES to watch herself dancing on the computer camera. We have some awesome footage of that!
-Sometimes I think she is trying to sing to the songs we dance to, or just to herself. But she sounds a little tone deaf. My mom says I was tone deaf when was young too.
-In the mornings she wakes up and lays in her bed talking to herself, and sometimes I'll hear her say "NO!" or "Uh OH!" So I don't know what she's make believing in there! When she is ready for me to get her out she just repeatedly says "mommy, mommy, mommy" or sometimes "daddy, daddy." love it.
-can pop a small balloon in her hands and not even flinch.
-climbs up to the tallest slide at the park, and just comes right down on her own, not an ounce of fear.
-still obsessed with the "bic (pronounced: beecs) (bicicleta). And everything in the "bici" department of walmart. She gets so excited when we walk into that store. She starts saying bic! bic! bic! So we let her ride the bikes and try on the helmets.
-gave my mom the stink-eye when she said " I think she is probably tired and needs a nap." ewww she was not happy about my mom letting on her secret!
-she loves playing with cars. and she always makes them go "errrrrr..... err.... (like a car sound)"