Where oh where have I been??

I haven't blogged in FOREVER! I guess there hasn't been much going on with us lately. Oliver is of course keeping us busy, busy, busy!! We are adjusting to Berto's hours and intensive school work and miss him a lot!

These are just some fun pictures. Oliver LOVES to eat cereal for breakfast and his favorite part is drinking the milk out of the bowl! With Oliver's gluten allergies we've had some trouble finding cereal that he can actually eat. We did however recently find some Organic Gluten free puffs that he absolutely loves... I actually do too! =) So we have a couple cute pictures of Oliver eating cereal for breakfast!

The other pictures are from this past Tuesday. It was Berto's day off and we decided to go to a different park. We have one right across the street from us that we go to almost everyday but we decided to take him to a different one. We had fun playing and running around for a while with daddy!

That's pretty much all that's been going on with us lately. I'm running in a little race with my friend Allison on Saturday. Nothing big. Neither of us have ever run a race before and wanted to start out slow. I know myself and if I would have done more than a 3k to start I would have burned myself out and probably wouldn't have actually made it. It should be fun. It's for a good cause too which always makes you feel good!

15 Month Stats

So Oliver had his 15 month check up. I can't believe he's already 15 months old. Where does the time go? It was a good check up! He's maintaining his big size and has been consistently in the 90-95th percentiles for height and the 95-100th for weight! We had a good visit with his AMAZING pediatrician yesterday. Our ped in CA used to drive me crazy because she would try to tell me I over feed Oliver because he's so big. Well that is NOT the case, in fact I am constantly concerned that he isn't eating quite enough... but he continues to gain weight so I guess I shouldn't worry. Anyway, Dr. Garcia agrees with me that Oliver is not really fat he's just a very solid kid. It was just nice to have the reassurance from the doctor you know?! Anyway, during the visit Oliver amazed her. For about a month now he's been very interested in coloring and using pens and "drawing." Well, when she came into the exam room she set her pen down on the table and he started reaching for it. The pen was next to Oliver's sippy cup and she assumed that's what he was reaching for and handed it to him. He continued to motion for the pen and so I told her he was probably actually reaching for her pen. She was astounded that he even knew what it was. So she proceeded to hand him the pen and turn over his chart so he could draw on the back. Well, she told me she things Oliver is the most advanced 15 month old she's ever seen. And she's not a new doctor. I thought that was pretty cool. I have always thought Oliver was a little advanced and have often thought I'm in trouble when he's older. But I thought that was quite a statement coming from the doctor. All in all we had an excellent visit yesterday!

Here are his stats: (you are going to be shocked and amazed.. lol)

Height 2' 9" (or 33 inches) between the 90th and the 95th percentiles
Weight: 36 lbs between the 95th and the 100th percentiles
Head Circum. 47 cm between the 25th and the 50th percentiles... I guess Oliver has a freakishly small head! Just Kidding! =) To me it looks big but I guess not!

Thanks for letting me brag once again about my baby boy!

Bragging Rights

So first of all I have to thank Katrina Parker for helping me learn how to make this little layout! I still have some learning to do but it was fun to play around and create this little page!

Okay, now for the bragging! So Oliver is getting so smart! Everyday he learns or does or says something new but in the last week he's done to things that have totally amazed me! First, my sister in law Terry had given him a little book that teaches where your eyes, ears, mouth, nose and chin are. I hadn't taken that particular book out for a couple of weeks but a few days ago decided to hand Oliver that book when we were doing out story time that evening. When I handed him the book he happened to open it up to the ears page, when he did he looked at it and while pointing at the little picture of the kid pointing at his ears he pulled on his other ear. I thought that was so amazing and cute!

The other thing I wanted to brag about is this. I have always sang to him the Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree song and done the hand motions. Ever since he was a young baby. For a couple of months now he does some of the motions with me which is so dang cute. Well, yesterday morning he was on his changing table while I was changing his diaper. He started sayong "PopPo" which sounds a little bit like the way he says puppy so without looking at him I said "What are you saying puppy?" Then I looked at him as he repeated it. What I saw was Oliver doing the hand motions while he said "pop po" which is apparently popcorn! What a proud moment!!

Sunday Best

Oliver was so cute today! I found this ADORABLE shirt and tie set and have been waiting for him to be able to wear it! He looked so cute! I was so proud of him... he didn't even try to take the tie off. In fact he never even touched it once!

Also, Oliver was such a good boy at church today! We only had to take him out once! That is such an improvement! It was so nice to be able to sit through church. We're teaching primary the 5-6 year old's (that is Sunday School for the 5-6 year old age kids). Since Oliver isn't old enough to go to the nursery he goes to class with us. The first week it was a challenge, but this week he was happy sitting and playing (even coloring) in the back of the class with is daddy. It was an all around good church day for us! YAY!!!

Oliver Dancing for your viewing pleasure!

Oliver loves to dance... this is such a cute video of him dancing.... please take note that at only 14 months of age he's already much better a dancer than his dad! =) Love you Babe!!

I just made the yummiest dinner

I just made the most delicious dinner! We had pan seared Tilapia with chile lime butter and coconut rice. It was SO GOOD! Here are the recipes... you should try them!!!

Tilapia Recipe- By the way, I didn't feel like chopping up a chile so I just shook in some crushed red pepper flakes to the heat that I liked and that turned out well and was easy!
Coconut Rice Recipe

Seriously both of these recipes are keepers!! YUM!!

My Hardest Day Yet

So Oliver has croup. Last night my father in law and I packed Oliver in the car (Berto was at work) and took him to Urgent Care. (Side note for those of you that live in Queen Creek there is this amazing Pediatrics Urgent care in Gilbert called Good Night Pediatrics, they are open from 5 pm to 5 am 365 days a year. I highly recommend them). Anyway, the poor little guy wasn't really showing any signs of being sick just a slight fever yesterday morning. I thought it was teething. Well, by about 6:30 pm Oliver had this very nasty cough and a rattle in his chest. It seemed to come out of nowhere. I watched it for a while and then decided to call our insurances nurse hotline and talk to a nurse. She didn't really think I needed to go in but something told me I should anyway. So I asked Berto's dad to drive us so I could sit in the back with Oliver.

The hard part was having to hold my poor screaming baby while he recieved interveinus antibiotics and while he received a breathing treatment through a nebulizer. It was so hard. I was proud of myself for being strong and not crying myself. ( I really wanted to at some points) But I knew it was what he needed. I'm so glad I decided to listen to my instincts and take him in. It would have been a lot worse today if I had waited. Oliver is taking a little nap. A much needed nap... I hope my little baby gets better quick!

Happy Birthday Honey

Today is my Berto's birthday! Yes he is a new years baby! We don't have too much planned today. Last night we had our new friends Allison and Jason and their kids over for dinner and some yummy (if I do say so myself) bread pudding! It was fun getting to know them a little better!

I'm so grateful for Roberto and the hard work and sacrifices he makes for Oliver and me each day. He's such a goof ball and that is just ONE of the many things I admire in him. I appreciate his ability to bring the goofball out in me... something that is not always easily done! But as you can see in this lovely picture he does make that happen! I hope you have a wonderful 32nd Birthday babe! I love Roberto you are so special to me! Thank you for being such a wonderful husband and father!

Merry Christmas

We wanted to take this opportunity to wish all of our loved ones a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!! We hope that you were able to see your loved ones and remember the true meaning of Christmas! We had a good year. The biggest change was our move to Arizona. We're really starting to like it here, thanks to some new friends!!

At church this past month we've been hearing a lot about seeing the Christ in Christmas and it has really helped us keep our perspective of what Christmas is really all about. We pray that the Lord is with all of you during this holiday season and always.

All our love,

Roberto, Elizabeth and Oliver

Fun Videos of Oliver

Oliver is so fun! Here are some fun videos of Oliver! Enjoy!

Just some random stuff

Last week our neighborhood was supposed to have a Christmas party for the little kids. Well, it was canceled at the last minute. ( we found out by a note on the door of the house it was supposed to be at) Anyway, I tried so hard to get a good picture of Oliver with his little santa hat on... I did not have any luck... here are two of the best shots!

Also a couple of cute pics of Oliver at the library! We love going to the library... and the one we go to has a lot of fun things for the little kids to do!!

And lastly just a cute little video of Oliver playing with a snowman!

Twins

Our little neighbor and Oliver have matching shirts. Mauricio came in his today so I decided to put Oliver in his and take a couple of pictures!

Oliver's Spot

Oliver has decided that he has his own special spot. For some reason he loves to sit under the island in between two stools. It's so funny but he loves it!!

Church Update

Oliver is getting a little better at church. I took my friend Heather's advice and when we take him out into the hall we don't let him down. Then when we're in the Chapel he will happily sit and read books or eat snacks. It's a process but we're getting better and this past Sunday I didn't want to run out of church crying by the end! YAY!!!

So smart

Oliver is so smart! He still does new things everyday and I love being able to see him grow and learn. Yesterday, he was drinking some milk and was done. I said "okay Oliver you're all done now" and he said raised his hands up as if he were going to ask a question, cocked his head to the side and said " All Gone?" It was so cute! I wish I would have had my camera so you could all see how adorable his expression was! It was just the cutest thing ever! I love this little boy!

Little Theif

Today Oliver was following Berto's aunt around the kitchen begging for bites of a tostada! It was so funny... but the funniest part was when she chipped off a little piece of tostada and went to hand it to Oliver and he snatched the bigger part of the tostada and started chowing down! It was so funny! All I got was this picture of his prize but I was laughing so hard at my little begger boy!

Cookie Monster

My mom informed me today that I'm not blogging enough for her! I'm tired and don't have a lot of time today but here is a cute video of our little cookie monster in the making! :)

My sweet boy

I realized today that my previous post about Oliver's tantrums during church was based on my complete exhaustion after three hours of trying to keep him quiet! I failed to mention that he does have a few shining moments during church. Whenever we sing a hymn he stops whatever he's doing and "sings" with us. It's the cutest thing and I wish I could get it on video!! Anyway, just a little after thought!

Christmas Decorating and a little Randomness

Well my mother in law and I started decorating for Christmas! I Decorated the tree and she did everything else! :) She used all her things so I didn't want to get in the middle of her creative process! :) Anyway, here are two pictures of our tree! I thought it turned out pretty cute!

Why is it???

It amazes me every Sunday how this sweet little sleeping angel can become such a monster at church. Since we've been in Arizona church has been especially difficult with Oliver. I don't know what it is but much of our three hours is spent chasing a screaming monster around the building... it sure is exhausting. I guess it must be the age ... but I am finding it hard to even want to bother going to church because I know what I'm going to have to deal with, it doesn't matter how many snacks, books and stuffed animals I bring he is out of control. I feel like I can't control my own child and it is so frustrating.... any words of advice (encouragement) would be great other mommy's!!

Thanks!!

Happy Thanksgiving

We wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!! We hope each of you were able to reflect upon those things you are grateful for! We had a good day relaxing and then ate some yummy food prepared by Berto's mom and aunt! It was a very casual day!

Of course I have a couple of pics! And notice our new family picture in our header!! Hope you had a great day!

Berto, Elizabeth and Oliver

Building forts with daddy

It was nice having Berto home today! Oliver and Berto built a couch cushion fort this morning! Oliver had a blast and wouldn't sit still for a picture inside of the fort! It was so cute to watch them play!!

Videos

I haven't posted in a little while. Here are several fun videos of Oliver. He is keeping us busy and entertained!!

I'm a ccoooooolllll rider....

Here are a couple of fun videos of Oliver driving his own quad... okay well it's actually the neighbors little quad. And a video of Oliver talking on the phone! Too cute!! Enjoy!!

Pears for dinner

So Oliver has become quite finicky over the past week. He doesn't seem to want breakfast no matter what I try to give him and he won't eat anything that I try to feed him no matter what time of day it is. Well today was one of "those" days. I decided I was going to give him some Deli Turkey Lunch Meat for dinner and call it a day. Well I tore it up and scattered it about on his high chair tray and stuck him in the seat. Oliver staying true to his self as of late refused to eat even one bite of the turkey (something he typically enjoys). Well, my mother in law has this little arrangement of plastic fruit that she keeps on the kitchen table. Oliver (who loves fruit always) started pointing at the fruit. So I held up a real pear and asked him if he wanted to eat a pear. He said "Da" and nodded his head. Well, I washed it, took a bite out of it to get it started and handed the entire pear to him. Usually we share and he takes little bites here and there well I could hardly get another bite. He held it like a chicken leg and chowed the entire pear down. Not a protein packed dinner but at least it wasn't cookies or something I'm counting my blessings about that!! :)

Prop 8 demonstrators and something that's been on my mind.

I've been getting tons of emails with articles about the prop 8 demonstrators at our LDS Temples. It pains me to see these people putting such an attack on the LDS Faith when most Christian Faiths and even non religious people have the same views regarding same sex marriage. I have seen posts on other blogs also about how sad it is. This morning as I was getting ready in the bathroom for our very busy day I was reflecting on the situation and a quote ( The Standard of Truth) that we used to say as missionaries kept coming to my mind and brought comfort with regards to this situation.Part of it says "... persecutions may raise, mobs may combine, armies may assemble and calumny may defame but the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done."

I truly feel that and I know we have been experiencing things like this for a long, long time I guess it just seems to hit home right now. And hope this brings peace to your hearts and minds today!

Love,
Elizabeth

Olivers 12 month stats

So we went in for Olivers 12 month check up today! 4 shots later we are home (well we've been home for a couple of hours) and Oliver is already fast asleep! He had a busy day!

Here are our big boys stats:
Finally a doctor that I like!! She thinks he's just fine even though he's big. He's a healthy breastfed baby and will get thinner.

Height 31 Inches tall
Weight 32 lbs
Head Circ. 47

Next appointment is in three months!!

My Big Boy Turns 1!

Today is a big day for us. Oliver is one! I can't believe how fast time really did fly by this year. I have enjoyed every moment of motherhood and watching Olivers growth and development. He amazes me everyday. He is so funny and so smart! I love my little Oliver and am so grateful for the blessing he is in my life. He is a joy and I absolutely adore him!! He is such a special boy! I love you Oliver and am so proud to be your mom! Thank you for bringing me joy and laughter everyday this past year and everyday for many, many, many more years to come!!

Party, Party, Party.... PPPPAAAARRRTTTYYY!!!!

Oliver was a lucky boy this year. We had two birthday parties for him, one was in California right before we moved, and the other one we had last night to celebrate since his birthday is today and Berto won't be home until Oliver's asleep.

Thank you to all of our wonderful friends and family that helped us celebrate this milestone in Olivers life.! Enjoy some pictures of Oliver's Parties!!