Cold

It is starting to get really cold. Despite the freezing weather, Olivia still loves to be outside. One morning as Seth got his shoes on to go to school Olivia slipped her boots on and waited by the door. Seth suggested letting her out thinking she wouldn't like the cold and come back inside. We were wrong.

Moo

Halloween! I think this is one of the funnest holidays because it is so much like dress up. This year Olivia was a duckling, I was a cow and Seth was a cowboy (because cowboys are cooler than farmers). We went to a little party at our friends house. Ate pumpkin salad, had a carmeled apple eating contest and played Werewolf and Apples to Apples. It shows that we are parents because by 10:20 we had all turned into pumpkins and called it a night.

Learning

It is amazing how much Olivia is starting to understand. She says "shoe" and a simplified rendition of "outside." She loves to go outside. Monday she climbed in her pool with her shoes on. This surprised me because all summer I have been setting her in her pool to play, but she quickly climbs out to throw toys and grass in it. It is fun to watch her explore.

Olivia managed to get her foot stuck in a canning jar when she was using its box to see out the back window.

Blackberries

I was picking blackberries in our yard while Olivia played on the grass. Once she saw I was collecting edible items she was right by my side. I was evidently not getting they to her fast enough because she climbed through the thorns to pick her own blackberries.

Olivia is starting to really enjoy play grounds. She climbs up the stairs, walks to the edge of the slide, and if I'm not there to sit her down she plunges down, head first. Climbing is one of her faviorate things to do in the house. She has also started to dance. I love how outgoing and spontaneous she is becoming.

Last week Olivia and I went camping on the coast with my cousins. We had a great time. This is a picture of me and my cousins at the dunes with rags in our hair.

A Post...wow

Olivia is such a hoot. She has learned to shake her head no. I ask her, "are you playing with a ball" and she shakes her head "no." The funniest is when she does it to questions that she really would answer "no" to. "Is it bed time Olivia?" she shakes her head no.

She has also learned how to slide off beds (feet first). Today I laid her in my bed for her morning nap and an hour later I hear my door open and there is Olivia. She usually wakes whimpering, but not today.

Olivia turned one on the 20th of July. We had a family party down in Tacoma. She did great on her personal cake.

I should update my avid readers on my life. I have graduated with my bachelors in Psychology. It feels so good to be done (although I still have dreams that I have a project due). This is a picture of me eating me graduation cake. I'm now enjoying being home with Olivia. I'm watching a little girl from my ward a few days a week and sewing pillow case dresses and nursing covers. I love being home. I get so much done. Seth is working for the Port again this year. It is a great summer job. We are having a blast this summer.

Although the weather wasn't the best I had to take pictures of Olivia in her Easter dress. In between rainfall I took Olivia, tarp in hand, outside to take pictures. My mom's garden was the back drop. We managed to get a few good ones even though she was busy eating the flowers. That is actually how I got her to look at the camera. I picked a flower showed it to her and held it by my head. I'm pretty trick. Last week it was so beautiful I took a few more outside our house. She's a cutie.

Nursing Covers

By request I have posted a picture of the different fabric I am using to make nursing covers. I will be selling them for $20.00 for anyone who is interested. I will put up a picture of the finished product in a few days. I hope to make a few other things I can sell after I graduate so that I can make a little money while Seth is in school. I plan on making a website with the few items I'm selling, but that is still in the making.

Olivia's Nursery

Seth and I picked out the orange right before I got pregnant and just went with it for the theme of our nursery. My mom and I made the crib set and valance. It was hard to find enough fabric to do it all but after calling a few stores we had enough. I found the porcelain butterflies at a second hand store and painted them to match the crib set. The hanging butterflies I made with tissue paper, wire, and beads. The glider I also found (in horrible condition) at a second hand store but recovered and touched it up to look like new. My mom helped a lot with that too. She is pretty amazing.

Third Anniversary with Poo

Three years ago today Seth and I were married. To some, three years is nothing, but we think it is worth celebrating. So we ate Mexican for lunch and Thai for dinner. Olivia tagged along for lunch but we had my mom watch her for dinner (we are visiting family for Spring break). We had a good time just being together. Yep...he's still my best friend.

Between lunch and dinner we visited Seth's Grandma. While we were there Olivia had a massive poo that got all over her diaper cover. Since Grandma Vess introduced her to Cheerios, her poo has not been so pretty and this one was especially messy. We are using cloth diapers which consist of a many layered cloth diaper and a water-proof cover. I packed plenty of cloth diapers but I forgot the spare covers (they don't get dirty that often). There we were with a messy Olivia and nothing to put her in at Grandmas. Olivia sat in a little bin of warm water in Gigi's bathtub while Seth went to the store to buy some disposable diapers. Olivia had a blast in the little bin so everything was fine. Olivia loves baths. We have an inflatable ducky we put in our tub that she sits in and plays.

Olivia happy, despite broccoli

Finals!

Next week we have our final examinations. Naturally, that means taking little breaks from studying at 12:42 a.m. on a Friday night to write a blog. My first final is Monday morning. It is for Geology 303: Dinosaurs and their environment. It has been a fun class. I actually really like Geology. If it was my minor, I could say I studied...

1) psychological rocks or

2) rock psychology

...nevertheless, it is not my minor.

Seth on the other hand is considering minoring in German. That would mean he would graduate with a major in Physics, and minors in Astronomy, Spanish and German. This would mean a lot of classes, so we are sure it is possible.

Even with the stress that is inevitable at the end of a quarter of school, Olivia is as happy as could be. She is enjoying trying new foods like green bell peppers, radishes, and pureed pumpkin. Here she is eating her first official "solid" food. Broccoli of course.

Work Out!

For my birthday Seth bought me a chin-up bar. Olivia isn't crawling yet but I think this is pretty impressive. She actually does push-ups too but I don't have a good picture of it.

Seth and I have three more weeks of Winter quarter. Olivia has been great so far. She takes really good naps for Daddy while he is at work during my classes. Seth is actually the best at putting her to sleep.

I finally did it

After admiring other blogs for years I have finally created our own.