Happy Seven Months, Oliver!

Oliver is CRAWLING!  and has been for a week and a half officially now.  It is still crazy to me, even after having a child for almost 3 years now, to watch a kid struggle with a skill one day and literally the next they can do it.  I forget all of the time how fast things change until they do.

We did a "super mini" 15 minute photo session a few weeks back with a photographer...

...both kids were in a foul mood.

But this picture made it worth it.  :)  What a big girl!

Mom's favorite time of the day: naptime and snuggles

Sleeping is still steady, though he's been harder to get to sleep (though nothing really to complain about) at night and naptimes.  He still takes his one or two afternoon naps in our bed, though I think that has to stop now that he's on the move.  I dread moving him to his crib for those naps, however, because he's been taking 2-3 hour naps in the afternoon, which is glorious (still at about 20 minutes in the morning).

Zoë helped get some toys for Oliver while I was cooking.

Baba had surgery on her foot so Oliver and Zoë played nurse this week.

Oliver's first Monorail ride!

He's eating anything we'll give him.  That is most anything we think he won't gag on and puke, which is a lot of things.  We can't, however, have him sit at the dinner table with us and not have any food because he throws a fit, so he always gets to eat when we do!  He now has FOUR teeth, so he's a good chomper (including mom's shoulder the other day).

Zoë's first princess hairdo.  Not bad if I may say so myself.

Zoë has really leapt into the world of pretend play.  It's what she prefers to do all. day. long.  She wants to pour tea, make pretend phone calls to every member of her family, to take care of her baby: put baby down for a nap, feed baby, change baby's diaper, goes to work, comes home because she loves us, cooks, pretends to be a ballerina (I am a ballaREEE-NA!) and pretends to nap.  Oh, that's right, she doesn't even pretend to do that last one most days anymore.  I still force her to take an hour or more quiet time every afternoon and she falls asleep about 50% of the time.  The other 50% she ends up singing to herself and reading to her "friends" in her bed, and then making some kind of mischief with the toys in her room.

Both she and Oliver are sick again (so far we're only once a month this fall...if that's all it's going to be I can definitely handle it, though I would prefer less) and this cold knocked Zoë on her butt this weekend, but Oliver, even though the snot is running from his nose and he has a hacking cough, is still in relatively good spirits.  I hope this is always how he deals with sickness because he's a tough cookie and it makes it much easier on his mama.

Watching the Daniel Gets a Shot episode with her thinking face.

Daddy is SO excited to take his little girl skiing and bought her all sorts of
gear at the ski swap this past weekend.  I would say Zoë's pretty excited, too!

We went in last week for Oliver's 6 month appointment (he weighs 22 pounds, 2 ounces and is 28.5 inches long) and he had to get four shots, poor guy, which included a flu shot.  Zoë also got a flu shot and I was so proud of how well she did!  She teared up a bit and looked at me like I was the one that stuck the needle in her thigh, but then she was just fine, no crying at all!  Oliver was done crying in about one minute, too.  To be fair, we prepared her for getting a shot as if she were going to war...I took her to Safeway with me the day before so she could watch me get the shot, we watched the "Daniel Tiger Gets a Shot" episode, and we packed our own Frozen bandaids in case the doctor's office didn't have any.  They didn't, so Zoë was tickled to use her own on her owie.  Overall, a good day!  Hopefully the next flu shot goes just as well next year since I'm pretty sure she'll remember it next time.

All dressed up for Christmas Card pictures.

Weather week!  Look what I made!

We took family pictures last weekend with our good friends the Allen Family and Nelson Family and had so much fun creating a backdrop and shooting pictures of the kids.  Zoë always loves a good reason to accessorize.  :)

Our weekly learning themes have also been going strong.  This week is "weather" which has been fun (and a little interrupted as we haven't been home for most of the week, but that's ok!).  Zoë loves to do crafts and science!  I have to get her some good kid sized goggles and a lab coat and she'll be all ready.

We have been working on a "thankful tree" in our kitchen (only two days in so far) and Zoë has said she's thankful for baby and baby sister, and then Daddy.  :)  In that order.  But I definitely teared up today when she said Daddy without hesitation (after I reminded her that she already chose Baby and Baby Sister yesterday).  Thanksgiving is only two weeks away and then the CHAOS begins!  I can't wait!!!

Rain cloud in a jar.  "What's going to happen Mama?!"