Winter Wonderland

Oliver's first Christmas is going to be a white one - over the last couple days we have had over a foot of snow (it is about 6 lonely degrees outside, so Oliver and I are staying snuggy inside while Davis is outside snow blowing the neighborhood - we'll have a more accurate snow update once he returns (although given his affinity for snow blowing, it might be awhile before we see him)).

Enjoying his backpack, an early Christmas present

Playing in the yard with with Anna



Seeing what the Moutain Buggy is made of (I was a bit worried about Oliver becoming a bubble boy of sorts, but my worries were unfounded - wrapped in his great great grandmother's carriage blanket, he was asleep before we reached the end of the driveway.)

Our Christmas tree

"New" ride

We converted Oliver's stroller to a "big boy" stroller a couple days ago. Both he and Blue Banana seem to enjoy the change.

Food!

Until last week Anna has been wonderful towards Oliver, but only somewhat interested in his activities. Last week this changed -- Oliver ate his first food -- and Anna realized that Oliver has amazing potential. Over the past several days Oliver (and Anna) have sampled barley cereal, pears, applesauce, carrots, avocados and sweet potatoes. Thus far his favorite seems to be pears.

Here are some pictures of his first taste of food.

Oliver hates being strapped down (he prefers to be bouncing) and therefore was a bit skeptical when we put him in his high chair.


A tentative taste of pears and he began to warm up to the high chair.

He soon commandeered the spoon,


And became a very happy (messy) baby.


Anna is hoping that Oliver's next food is bacon, or even a roast beef.

Bouncing baby boy

Oliver loves to bounce. When he is standing he tries to bounce and bounce and bounce. While it is a great arm workout, bouncing a 17 pound baby hours upon end does get a bit tiring. Yesterday we found the perfect solution - for Oliver and for us - a jumperoo thingamajig (I'm sure there is a real name for it, but I'm not sure what it is -- perhaps mommy's little helper? Oliver's little slice of heaven?) Anyway, Davis hung it up last night when we got home and after an hour and a half we had to, much to Oliver's shagrin, pull him out.

Bahamavention

Last week we had our Bahamavention. We began our trip with a stay at the Hilton in Boston. Oliver was a big fan of the mattress there and, for the first (and only time) slept through the night. He so enjoyed his sleep there that he didn't notice when we scooped him up, walked over to the airport to check in, and began standing in the endless security line. It was only just before it was our turn to go through security that he woke up and wondered where he was. Soon, with Sophie in his mouth and Davis at his side, he seemed pretty excited about the flight.


Oliver was a great traveler, he smiled at everyone on the plane and didn't cry at all. And once he landed he enjoyed a relaxing boat ride to Man O War.


Once in the Bahamas we all had a wonderful time. We were able to relax and enjoy the nice weather and, more importantly, we were able to spend time with family. Oliver got to see his grandparents as well as his aunts and uncles. He had a great time showing them all of his tricks, especially his love for bouncing.

Here are some of our favorite pictures from the trip --

Learning to drive the Whaler
Relaxing on the beach

Spending time with family

Oliver's first golf cart ride

Checking out the water


And of course, feeling the sand between his toes

We are all looking forward to our next Bahamavention (including Anna who, although she was happy to see us when we returned, would have much rather stayed with her friend Amy than coming home with us).