O is for Olivia

I know it is cliche, but where did my baby go? Miss Olivia is BUSY and I mean ALL DAY LONG. There is nothing she thinks she cannot do and unfortunately for me, there are very few things she can't do! She can jump, climb, talk, sing, run, dance, swim, etc. One of my best friends told me recently that I quit emailing when Olivia was born and after thinking about it, she is right. I quit doing everything when Livi was born and started chasing her 24/7. Thankfully, despite the ear infections, teething, traveling, etc, she has also mastered the sleeping skill as well and most nights is in bed before 7pm and not up till after 7am! It's hard to be so active day after day!!!

One of her biggest skills is the use of her sweet voice. Just like Belle, she began talking very early and as I sit here with my just barely 17 month old I listen to her jabber the following words: Mama, Dada, Isabelle, Grandpa, Grammie, Max, Leo, Alee, Nick, Tara, up, down, uh oh, all done, bye bye, night night, juice, pizza, snack, nuk, baby, car, ride, Elmo, rain, cheese, and the list goes on and on. She is also putting several words together and asks all day long while she shrugs her shoulders Where is Isabelle? She likes to eat a dilla and loves to sing E I E I O! She can bark, meow, quack, baa, neigh, moo and make a fish face and all the while be standing on one leg dancing and twirling. When you add her little voice to Belle's constant singing, I am often left with my ears ringing at the end of the day.

So far, Olivia hasn't shown much fear of anything. She runs straight into the swimming pool until the water is well over her head and loves rides at amusement parks. She is a thrill seeker by nature and looks for something to climb and scale constantly. She has recently discovered ELMO and loves to play peek-a-boo. Livi has a major shoe fetish and loves to notice every one's shoes and try on as many pairs as possible each day. She is a wonderful baby sister to Isabelle, letting her dress her up in costumes most days and follows her around trying to perform just as she is suppose to according to her big sister and boss.

One challenge we are currently facing with little Livi is the fact that we cannot keep a diaper on her! If she gets a split second chance she has freed herself from her diaper and is running away as fast as her legs will carry her with her bare bum hanging out behind her. However, she is kind enough to drop her used diaper in the garbage can as she runs. She says EWW! every time she tinkles and my mom is sure she is ready to potty train. She may be ready, but there is no way this mama is! Can you imagine putting her tiny rear-end on every toilet in the USA?

Olivia is very good to use her manners and always says thank you when she is given something and please when she wants something. This often makes it hard to turn her requests down when they are followed with such a sweet disposition!
Neither of my babies stayed babies for nearly long enough and Livi skipped right over the rolly and chubby phase that most babies visit for a short while and went straight to skinny and mini. I am trying to savor her for as long as I can (and also keep her alive from her daily tricks) and am grateful everyday that she was born into the Cosby family!