Welcome Elsie!

Our beloved addition to the family was born on 11/19/2010 at 4:45 p.m...WELCOME ELSIE!! Although the doctors expected you to be nearly 10 pounds, you were tiny at 7 lbs, 13 ounces and 21.5 inches long. You were so little that we didn't even have newborn clothes to fit you!

The labor and delivery was a little dicey (mom's blood pressure plummeted, I got sick during labor, and my epidural wore off) but it was much better than your brother's delivery!

Big brother Oliver has loved you since the minute he saw you. He was very excited to meet "baby" and give you a kiss...and he's given you countless kisses since then. Although he knows how to give kisses, he chooses to put his cheek against your forehead instead...absolutely priceless!!

Your Ama, Pa, and Gampa & Gamma Hormann took very good care of Oliver while mom and dad were in the hospital with Elsie. Mom gave them a very anal-retentive schedule for Oliver and, believe it or not, everything tuned out just fine despite my sleepless anxiety bouts which kept me up planning for it months ahead of time.

Welcome to our little family, Elsie, we are so glad you are here and we are so blessed to have you in our lives.

Love you both,

Mom

Change, change, change

Well little man, this very well may be the last post before your baby sister's arrival. I can barely muster up enough energy to write this one! While we're on the topic, little Miss Elsie has given mom quite the run for her money already. Not only is she measuring large and causing me to resemble a small elephant, but she has done a number on my legs. I'm now wearing compression stockings to keep my blood pumping and to keep Elsie safe and sound. My legs look like a topography map with raised veins all over...don't worry, I WILL be getting surgery some day!

We rounded out the summer with a trip up north to Hayward, Wisconsin with Ama, Cort, Sam, and your cousins. You had so much fun playing in the sand and going on your first boat ride. OK, that was a bit of an exaggeration - you were scared and crabby on the boat but you looked adorable in your life vest and you were happy if we were going fast...yes, you are your father's child! We visited a zoo while we were there and discovered your love for ducks. You chased several ducks, incessantly, to the point that they were entering other animals' habitats to take cover. You also enjoyed panning for gold, mostly because it involved water and metal pans...it took a lot of coaxing to get you out of that place!

I can't write any more without bringing up your new obsession...and I don't use that word lightly. You are absolutely, wholeheartedly OBSESSED with the big purple blob known as Barney. You are insistent that Barney be playing on the TV no matter what room we're in. The cute part is that you ask for a Barney video by pointing the TV, scrunching your nose, and relentlessly saying "Marmie." We were lucky enough to discover the obsession by accident when Mom brought home a few random DVDs from a 'mothers of multiples' sale...it's been a Barney Fest in our house non-stop ever since...I only wonder how long it will last!

You have tons of new words and I know I'll miss a lot but here's a good start...barney (marmie) - of course, cow, pig, airplane (aipane), boat, car, truck, rain, pizza, cookies, arm, chin, pee-pee, itch, and sneeze. You also say 'all done,' not only when you're done eating, etc. but when you want Dad or I to be done with something like giving you medicine, cutting your nails, making a loud noise, or vacuuming.

Learning words is now turning into learning the meanings and actions of words. You've recently starting giving kisses, standing on one foot (like the Flamingo in...what else...a Marmie video), shake your head, and mimic just about anything we do. It's hard to miss a minute with you right now because every day brings something new.

Unfortunately we've been spending the last few weekends inside, working on the house. We started with your room, then Elsie's room, and are finally onto our own bedroom. We gave Elsie our bedroom furniture (yes, she got the hand-me-downs) so we had to buy ourselves new furniture. Between our furniture and disassembling/reassembling cribs you've become quite the little helper boy. You love to bring Dad the pieces and 'help' to assemble things. You're not a big fan of the drill but I see that as a good thing since you won't go near it - one less thing for me to worry about!

Our little family of three will be changing drastically in the coming weeks so we plan to visit a Pumpkin Patch, Apple Orchard, and the Zoo before Elsie arrives and the snow starts to fly. I can't wait for you to meet your sister and grow into your new role as a big brother. It's hard to imagine life becoming even more fulfilling with a new addition - I feel so lucky to be your mom and can't wait to be Elsie's mom too!

Love you buddy,

Mom

Baby Elsie

Baby E,

This is the first post officially addressed to you and I'm just dying to finally meet you in person...lord knows my insides are very familiar with your fists and feet! The doctor tells me you are growing perfectly and everything is on track but I'm convinced you are growing quickly and will be making an early arrival...I guess we'll find out sooner than later. Attached are the ultrasound pictures from our 20-week appointment when we found out you are a beautiful little girl...I feel so, incredibly blessed!

Hot fun in the summertime!

Well Oliver, you have had quite the summer already with another month to go! I was re-reading my previous post and couldn't believe the examples I used for how quickly you are growing up...that was nothing! You are now officially a big boy in every way, and I know I won't be able to even scrape the surface but it's worth a shot.

Your vocabulary has grown by leaps and bounds and you're even becoming tri-lingual by saying 'agua, agua' every time you are thirsty and signing 'more' when you want...well...just about anything. You say other funny things like 'thanks,' 'shoes,' 'uh oh,' 'Oliver' (pronounced Allder), 'Mickey,' 'more,' and 'mine' (yes, that word rings in my ears sometimes!)

Your new favorite hobby is playing outside, particularly with the hose. In fact, we can't even enter our backyard without you running directly to the hose and then immediately to the faucet to turn it on...a little too smart for your own good! You would spend all day and night outside watering the patio, chairs, plants, Sadie, your parents, and anything else in your way. It's always a fight to head inside for the night, which usually only ceases when you're in the bathtub playing with more water. We're fairly certain you were a fish in your former life!

Water is the theme of the summer as you've spent a lot of time in your swimmer diapers...the splash pad at the zoo, the Apple Valley splash pad/fountain, Excelsior Beach, Fort Snelling Beach, and your brand new baby pool in the front yard. I've given up trying to keep you dry these days...just the beginning of mom's new theme!

You are completely obsessed with carrying pens around the house - typically 4 or 5 at a time. I finally gave up on keeping them away from you but I did smarten up by removing the ink. I realized just how smart you are when you took notice of the storage place for mom's work pens and you now stand in front of the cabinet pointing up and whining at me for more pens...and more pens...and more pens...

Car rides have become very eventful these days. You basically insist on having both a snack and a drink in your hands at all times, even if you just finished a three course meal and gallon of water. I'm not sure what that's all about but we gladly oblige and don't go anywhere without the car chock full of anything you might want. You're also back to watching your "Baby Can Read" videos in the car and are really starting to learn a lot of the words on sight.

There are a couple of other unusual activities happening in your new world and I'm sure there will be a new list tomorrow.

Your indoor activity choice of late is playing with the broom, dragging it all over the house (giving me a heart attack), occasionally sweeping Sadie or your toys, and throwing a complete fit when the broom has to go back in the closet. Taking a plastic bag out of the closet now requires discrete timing to avoid a full broom meltdown.

You also have an odd and somewhat frustrating hobby of dumping everything out of anything...the more items the better. You even seek out the bins that hold Legos, blocks, etc. and you get a lot of joy out of dumping them out in the widest possibly array. I've given up on keeping your favorite dumping items picked-up until you are fast asleep.

You are still a top notch sleeper and I am so thankful! I finally let you take your first nap with a blankie last Sunday and I must admit you slept like a rock. I tortured Dad the entire time, asking him if he thought you would be o.k. and listening to your breathing on the monitor. We'll see how this weekend goes - you might just have a new nap routine! Speaking of bedtime, we are slowly but surely working on your new bedroom to make way for your sister Elsie. We decided on a safari theme for you and a sea creature theme for your baby sister...I can't wait to see the final outcome!

It's hard to believe you're growing out of the nursery already and becoming a little man...what happened to my baby boy!!??

Love you tons,

Mom

Big brother!

Oliver David,

I cannot even believe that I'm writing this but you didn't read the title wrong....you are going to be a big brother! We've known for a few weeks but the reality has just recently set in. We are so excited to be giving you a sibling for the holidays...mom is due on Thanksgiving Day (11/25/2010).

You are really starting to become a 'big boy' these days, Mr. Independent. You no longer want to be held all the time and coddled like a baby. Instead, you would prefer that we sit back and watch you bang your head on everything in sight, step on sharp objects, and get in wrestling matches with Sadie. It is admittedly a trying time for me as a mom but I love watching you become a little man.

You are becoming quite the smart little boy too. You copy a lot of our actions like you did the other morning when I was putting a towel on my head and you immediately grabbed it from me to put it on yours. You try to put your own shoes on but they usually end up on your hands or in your food dish instead. Your vocabulary is growing by the day (mom, dad, hi, bye, ball, Sadie aka: Dee, etc.) and you're starting to really understand what we're saying to you. Just tonight we asked you to bring us a ball and you immediately found one and brought it to me and then to Dad...it was priceless. You also do other funny things like wave bye-bye and blow kisses, but usually not on queue. You're almost fully off your bottle although I'm having a hard time making you give up the night time one...your pediatrician said I lose 10 points in the mother-of-the-year contest but I decided I don't care! You love to run around like a crazy man from one end of the house to the other...no walking needed, you're always in a hurry. You sleep like a rockstar from 7-6:00 without fail and you even slept until 7:30 this past weekend...we're hoping that's a sign of things to come!

Unfortunately you've inherited mom's food issues...your favorite food groups are pizza and mac & cheese, and vegetables are immediately thrown on the floor. I guess I can't blame you for that one! :)

We've celebrated many family holidays over the past couple of months...mom's birthday, dad's birthday, mother's day, mom & dad's 5th wedding anniversary and father's day this coming weekend. Things have been very busy! Thank goodness that Ama and Pa live so close because they've been taking lots of weekend shifts so mom & dad can spend time together.

You were very lucky to spend a lot of time with your uncle Andrew & auntie-to-be Vicki this past weekend. They came over and spent all afternoon with you playing in the basement. Aside from a meltdown in the car when we picked them up, you warmed up to Andrew right away and gave him lots of hugs. I know they miss you very much and wish they could see you more.

Mom took her first overnight trip away from you a few weeks ago when I went to Cocoa Beach, Florida with 'the girls' for a few days. I was very sad to be away from you but I know it was good for me. Dad sent me lots of pictures and texts which made the trip much easier for me. Your Grandma and Grandpa came up from Iowa to help Daddy take good care of you and you all had lots of fun.

We're looking forward to a great summer ahead. We love our new neighbors and you absolutely love to play on their swingset. There are lots of zoo visits, picnics, swim dates, and vacations plans...you are quite the lucky little boy and I love you to pieces.

Here are a few semi-recent pictures of you...

Birthday boy!

Happy Belated Birthday Oliver David...I still cannot believe it has been a year (I especially can't beleive it's now actually been 13 months! :) You have grown into a young man right before our eyes...now I only call you a baby to make myself feel better (and younger) - I wish I could freeze time!

You are officially a busy-body, always looking for the next best thing. You pull up on anything & everything, stand on your own, take 5-6 steps without help (starting 4/1), and say several words including "hi" (your personal favorite), "dad," "mom," "dog," and "hey." You're fully off formula now and on whole milk...although we haven't been real good about breaking the bottle habit. We have so much fun watching you change and learn new things. Just tonight you discovered the joy of banging pots & pans together...luckily I have a new, strong migraine medicine that works wonders! :)

Since my last post, we've been on two vacations, moved out of our house, moved into a new house, had two photo sessions, and on and on....life has been incredibly busy and is just now getting back to normal. Even more importantly we celebrated your FIRST BIRTHDAY! We celebrated with lots of family and friends at our new house. The theme was Mickey Mouse because you adore the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The video below shows you enjoying your first taste of cake. Although it was fun and cute at the time, you woke up in the middle of the night with a horrible tummy ache...lesson learned!

We visited Grandma & Grandpa at their new house in Florida in February. You were ecstatic about the pool. Everyone was in awe over how much fun you had swimming with Dad - you kicked your legs like you had been swimming for years, it was so adorable. You saw the ocean for the first time at Nokomis Beach - very close to Grandma & Grandpa's house. What a lucky little boy!

Even more amazingly, you took your first Caribbean vacation at the ripe old age of one when we traveled to St. Maarten with Grandma & Grandpa a couple of weeks ago. The weather and accommodations were unbelievable and you had a wonderful time at the beach. Although it made me very uneasy, Dad insisted that you 'swim' in the ocean, which was a fun memory in the end. Luckily you were more interested in playing in the sand with your beach toys. I've never been so exhausted returning home from a 'relaxing' vacation but I would do it all over again!

We are so proud of you and all that you've already become. You are the happiest little boy, you have a zest for life, and you make us count our blessings everyday. I can't wait to celebrate many, many more birthdays to come!

Bigger, faster, stronger

Ollie,

I should've been posting 'developmental' updates all along because you have changed so much over the past couple of months that I don't even know where to start!

You started crawling backwards right around Christmas but you had a hard time with the forward motion. I picked you up from daycare on 1/20/10 and you had clearly mastered the skill. Mary looked exhausted from chasing you around all day and all she could say was 'did you know he took off?' I knew at first glance that you had her running ragged all day. Even your crawl is cute - your little body just looks so funny zooming across the room. And, when I say zooming, I mean REALLY zooming - you are fast and determined to get wherever it is that you are going and there is no stopping you. It's so much fun to watch you gain your independence and literally find your way through the world.

You sit yourself up with ease from any position you darn well please...it makes diaper changing quite challenging, let me tell you first hand! You love to hold things in your hand and you get VERY upset when those things are taken away. You absolutely adore shiny 'adult' gadgets such as our cell phones, laptops, and car keys but your favorite item is Sadie's metal choke collar...gross! Of course, you couldn't care less about 'baby' versions of these items - we bought you a laptop and cell phone for Christmas and all you ever want to do it shut the lids!

In mid-January you started responding to some of the lessons in your Baby Can Read videos. Yes, I admit it, I am a believer! We've been telling you to put your "arms up" pretty much since the day you were born. One day you were sitting in your high chair, eating dinner, and sure enough the arms went up and the biggest grin overcame your face...you were so proud and so were we! You will also clap and wave on command, and repeat words every now and then. We think you said your first word over Thanksgiving weekend when you looked at us and said "Daddy" clear as day...but you haven't said it that way again, so who knows. You do love to say "dada" and "hi" on a regular basis but I'm not sure that you know the meaning of the words...I guess we'll find out sooner or later!

You love to sit in your highchair and have snacks such as Cheerios, puffs, teething biscuits, cheese, etc. I think it must make you feel like a big boy, feeding yourself and deciding when you've had enough. For some reason, you don't really like to eat meals in your highchair but you're perfectly content as long as I'm singing. I have a terrible voice so I think it just distracts you from reality so you forget that you're strapped in??!

Your Dad's been on a business trip for the past several days and you decided that would be a good time to cut another tooth...can you say 'challenging?' Wow, my parental patience was tested over and over and over and...'nough said. I hope the next few teeth are a bit smoother than that one...WOW.

You began to stand on your own very recently (1/29/10), but haven't done it very many times. It's kind of scary because you can get to your feet o.k. but you're so wobbly that a fall is inevitable and, without fail, you seem to choose the most dangerous places to stand up...testing my nerves at a very young age, little boy. I'm trying to steer you away from your dad's flair for dangerous, adventurous activities...I'm sure I'm fighting a losing battle but I have to give it a try!

A couple of other recent things to note - WE SOLD OUR HOUSE! Yep, believe it or not, we are on our way out of our first house and on to bigger and better. We bought a new house in Eagan the same weekend that we finalized the sale of our current home...busy, busy! We close on both houses on 2/25 and we cannot wait. It makes us so proud to know that we can provide you with a nice, safe place to live. On a funny note, you will be going to mom's middle school / high school if we end-up staying that long! I cannot imagine attending conferences at my old stomping grounds...sometimes I feel like I should still be in high school - my, how time flies!

Uncle Andrew came to stay with us for a few days this past month. It was fun to watch the two of you bond. I really wish he lived closer so you could see him more. He really loves you and had so much fun playing with you.

Also, the Vikings made a good run at the Super Bowl this year and you became quite the little fan. Your cousin Rowan gave you an 'Adrian Peterson' jersey and you looked adorable cheering for our team. We cannot wait for many more Sunday afternoons cheering on the Vikes as a family!

Baby's first Christmas

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year, Oliver! We had such a great holiday season as a family but it was over before I knew it. We tried our best to make your first Christmas 'memorable' amongst the chaos of our crazy-busy lives...I know you won't remember, so here's a quick recap...

We kicked off the season with a kids Christmas Play at Stages Theater in Hopkins - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Pa bought all of the grandkids tickets to the play - Rae, Rowan, Skylar, and you...and all of us big kids, of course. The play was a dud (Pa actually got free tickets to another play because it was such a dud!) but you and Skylar had an absolute blast in the seats - putting your hands in each other's mouths, laughing at each other hysterically, and banging your arms on the armrests...it was almost like a lightbulb turned on and you both figured out that the other exists at the same time - it was so much fun! There's a cute picture of all four of you below.

Ama continued your holiday events by taking you to "Reindeer Days" in her neighborhood the following weekend. She bundled you up like a snowman and took you in your stroller through the streets of Linden Hills. You got to "meet the reindeer," as she likes to say and, of course, you loved every minute of it. You should know this was an extra special treat for Ama because she got 'alone time' with you and we weren't real excited about giving you up for the day....we like to take advantage of any chance we get to hang out with you on the weekends!

Grandma & Grandpa Hormann came up the third weekend in December for Hormann Christmas and we did lots of celebrating. We all went downtown Minneapolis to the Macy's Holiday Display - this year's theme was "A Day in the Life of an Elf." You were very patient waiting in the long line and you had so much fun looking at everything. I re-lived my own childhood memories of our annual trips to the Dayton's Holiday Display with Pa, Ama, and Auntie Cortie - this was one of many holiday memories that let me re-live the past this year through your eyes...what a rewarding experience as a parent.

You met Santa for the first time at daycare and both Dad & I were there for the big event. All of the kids and parents crowded into Mary's lower level to meet the star of the show...it was quite a scene! Unfortunately your first visit with Santa didn't go over very well - the picture below is absolutely priceless and captures the moment perfectly. You sat on his lap for a grand total of 5 seconds, starting sobbing, and then we swooped you up to head home. At least we can say you met him, although I think you would've preferred not to meet him at all!

We spent Christmas Eve with Pa over at our house. Dad made his famous Wild Rice Soup and we all spent a nice evening in our basement around our tree. Speaking of the tree, we somehow packed away all of our Christmas decorations so I had to buy generic ornaments and decorate like a department store. I was so bummed because I was determined to keep Christmas 'normal' for you...as if you would've known the difference!

We all trudged over to Auntie Cortie's new house for Christmas morning with Ama this year. It was a lot of fun to all celebrate there together. There was a HUGE snowstorm on Christmas Eve so it was quite the adventure getting everyone there. Ama's car even slid down the driveway and Uncle Sam chased it with Dad! Everyone spoiled you like crazy and you actually started to enjoy ripping open the gifts after getting so much experience the previous few days.

I'll never forget celebrating our first Christmas with you - I remember thinking last Christmas that I couldn't believe I would have a 9-month-old the following year. It's amazing to think how far we've come since you first arrived. It truly feels like a different century and here we are in a new year. You have been such an amazing gift to both Dad and I - we feel incredibly blessed to have you in our lives...here's to a great year ahead!

Photo Shoot #2

Ollie,

I'm very belated posting these pictures but I didn't want to forget to do it. We had your second photo shoot on Halloween - you were just about 8 months old and, although the shoot was eXtReMeLy dicey, the pictures turned out great!