Merry Christmas!

Christmas with Santa and Cynthia!

Jim would also like to point out that they gave Oliver his first Christmas presents.

Photo Shoot and 2 Month Check-up

Oliver had a little photo shoot today with Vivienne Thomas (586) 255-0691. We got some really cute pictures, even though he wasn't in the best mood. I really like this one, even though he's crying. He's been fussier than usual since he got his first vaccine yesterday.
Other than getting his first vaccine though, his doctor appointment went really well. He's completely healthy and growing a lot! He was 11lbs 10oz! He's also 23 1/2 inches long. He's still in the 75th percentile for height and 50th for weight. And he's doing some of the 4 month milestones, like being able to lift his head and shoulders off the ground.

BBC Documentary on Purebreds

This film reveals, for the very first time, the extent of health and welfare problems in some over bred pedigree dogs. It's very interesting and sad, but well worth it if you have an hour to spare.

Documentary - BBC - Pedigree Dogs Exposed

bordercollie19 | MySpace Video

Happy Birthday Nick!

The onesie was Oliver's gift to daddy :)

Oliver is 2 Months Old!

Voicemail

I'm answering calls for Ahimsa Dog Training (the dog training center I work at) this week so don't be alarmed by the way I answer the phone if I don't recognize your number or my new voice mail message. I'll still call you back :)

Blue Tape

Who knew how much fun blue painter's tape could be!

Not too impressed yet

What's on Jim's nose?

Look at me!

Oliver's 8 Week Update

Oliver is 8 weeks now! Some people have commented that it's been a whole week since I've put up pictures of Oliver, so here are some from the past two weeks. He's growing so fast! Nick weighed him this morning and with his clothes and a diaper on, he was 11.5 lbs! He's holding his neck up pretty well now and I can pull him up to standing while holding his hands if he's lying down. Oliver has also been talking up a storm! He's most talkative first thing in the morning or at night when Nick is holding him. I'll try to get it on video sometime. The ECing has been going really well too, with only 2-3 poops a week that aren't in the toilet :) I finally had my 6 week check-up so I'm cleared to run now, but I'm finding it much harder to do while pushing a stroller and holding Penny's leash. I started dog training again last night and left Oliver with Nick for almost 4 hours! I was nervous but according to Nick, it went pretty well.

Mommy and Oliver

Uncle Evan was here the week of Thanksgiving. He and Oliver got along really well!

They even took naps together

Baby legs! Everyone seems to have a pair of these, and they're great for keeping babies legs warm and making diaper changes easy. They're great for ECing too and they're cute!

This is Dr. Cole, the wonderful doctor who helped make sure Oliver and I were healthy when I was pregnant.

Bundled up and ready for a walk in the cold! We tried out his TeddyToes blanket inside the JJCole zippered blanket we have around the car seat. The temperatures dropped down to the 20s and 30s this weekend. Burr!

Here Oliver is holding a rattle that Grampa Gregg bought for him in France. I have to watch him while he's holding it though, because he tends to hit himself in the face with it.

We tried out some of the 3-6 month clothes on him. Here he's wearing a little dog outfit.

And here's the back.

He loves his new activity gym!

His first advent calendar from Grandma Diane! I didn't notice his crotch was unsnapped until after I uploaded the picture. We usually leave the legs and crotch unsnapped while we're home so we can undress him quickly when he needs to potty.

Oliver and Mommy again! I'll take some more pictures of Nick next time.

Elves!

Pink Glove Dance

Oliver's First Thanksgiving

Here are pictures from Oliver's first Thanksgiving!

Getting ready to go to Val & Simon's for dinner

Dinner time!

Our table (the empty seat was for Oliver)

With Uncle Evan

Penny wasn't very far away

A post dinner nap on Jim

Happy Thanksgiving!

6 Week Update

Oliver is 6 weeks old now! His biggest milestone this past week is laughing for the first time! He loves to lie in his crib in the morning and giggle at the toys hanging on the sides. He's also starting to interact with the toys by knocking them with his hands so I went out and bought him a play mat with toys that hang down from a used kid's store nearby. I'm also able to get him down for a nap every day in his crib which is awesome! Although most times he still sleeps in the moby instead.
The other news this week is that I gave notice at work. It was impossible for me to commit to working 55-75 hours during tax season with a little one. I'll be looking for something I can do part-time primarily from home.
Uncle Evan is flying in tomorrow night to meet Oliver and spend Thanksgiving with us. We can't wait!

All mobied up with Daddy

Working out his arm muscles

Hugging Daddy while he sleeps

In his bouncer

Cracking a smile during tummy time.

Oliver loves bath time and he's happy to sit in the water until we take him out.

Penny doing her cue "cute" on my leg.

Playing

Here's a little video I made of Oliver playing this morning. He's 5 1/2 weeks now.

Elimination Communication

On Saturday Nick, Oliver and I went to a class on Elimination Communication (EC). In EC, a caregiver simply offers the infant a potty whenever the baby exhibits signs that he or she needs to go to the bathroom, just as they feed the baby when he or she shows signs of hunger. Elimination signs may include squirming, fussing, passing gas, unexplained crying and a look of concentration. Once the potty is offered, communication with the caregiver is reinforced and the baby may start to purposely signal to the caregiver that they need to eliminate. As motor ability and independent behavior increases, the baby then takes over toileting. On average, EC babies are completely potty trained by 18 months. You can read more about EC at DiaperFreeBaby.org. And here are 75 benefits of EC.
Nick and I were intrigued with it and decided to give it a try. We began on Sunday and so far we've been successful in getting Oliver to eliminate in the potty at least 10 times a day. Right now we've mostly been using our bathroom sink, but I also ordered a tiny potty seat which should be arriving soon. We've already seen improvements, too. Oliver, who really isn't all that fussy, has been even less so, probably because his diaper is dry much more often. He also often smiles after using the "potty" and we've been using fewer diapers and wipes. We're learning to read his signs better and we also learned that babies don't like to eliminate while they're in carriers, so we've been using the moby for a good part of the day, and pottying him before and after he's in it.

Penny & Oliver

Oliver loves our bed!

He'll sleep for hours in it if we let him. I hope some day he likes his bed just as much so his Mommy can get some more sleep :)

This is his Superman pose

Oliver's 1 Month Update!

Oliver is 1 month old today! Time goes by so fast when you're having fun! He's getting so big, we guess he's around 9 lbs now. And he gets cuter every day. He's reached all of his month 1 milestones and it's so fun talking to him now because he watches you and at least acts like he's listening. Here are a few pictures:

Penny checking on Oliver

Big smile :)

Pondering something

In the moby with Mommy

He loves to sleep in his swing

Practicing standing with Daddy

One of his faces

Working on holding his head up

And taking a break

Another one of his faces

Oliver and Mommy