One month as a family and the first day of spring!

Yesterday, all I could think about was, "a month ago we were doing ____." Then I would think, "Praise the Lord it is this month!" We started our day playing, as usual. Olivia decided rather than playing with the legos that she would get in the bag! Nice!! We got ready so we could meet Stephanie and Noah for breakfast at Cracker Barrell. The one in Lebanon.....not Mt. Juliet!! :) We ate a great breakfast and then headed to Cedars of Lebanon Park. Noah and Olivia had a lot of fun together! I am pretty sure there will be more outings like this to come. Hopefully, our other friends can make it! We missed you.






We came home and I met John in the parking lot of Sonic and switched vehicles. Olivia looked around as if to say, "what just happened here?" John said a couple minutes later she just started laughing! We had to do a quick switch because I had to go work at a local consignment sale. John took Olivia home and ate lunch, napped and played for the afternoon.

















We met back up and ordered dinner with Brandon, Ashley and Everley. We had a blast! It was so fun to watch the girls really get to play. They were running and laughing at full speed! It was getting late so we had to head home for bed.



We got home and I put Olivia to bed and then went to wash my face. John and Oscar were outside when I heard Olivia running frantically through the kitchen. I ran to her and grabbed her up. She was so scared. I think she thought we had left her. We went back to her room where she and I slept in her bed (yep, toddler size) until she was sound asleep. I then took my place on the floor. This lasted until around 3:30 when she woke up again. Every time I would lay her down, she would wake back up. She was sound asleep when I would lay her down. After over an hour, I asked John to take over, but I couldn't go to sleep until I knew she was ok. We are all in the same room, so I could hear every peep she was making and I couldn't just go to sleep. He went to put her down and she did the same thing....sound asleep and then wide awake once she felt he was gone. We felt that she was reacting since she had gotten scared earlier in the night. We could be overanalyzing, but who knows? So, I was going to put her next to me, but John got her and rocked some more and they slept in the rocking chair until this morning. Hopefully tonight will go better. :) As I have said before, one step forward, a few back. We will get there though!

Changes in our first month home--twenty things for a 20 mos. old!:

1. The grieving cry has lessened. I would say gone, but we heard it some last night.

2. She wakes up smiling rather than taking all day to warm up to us!

3. She has tried everything we have given her. Maybe not swallowed it, but she has tried it!

4. She has learned the signs: more, please, eat, milk, thank you, and help.

5. She can make a cow, pig, and monkey sound. Granted moo is mmmmaaaaaa, but extremely cute!

6. She loves her bath!

7. She has learned how to jump!

8. She makes car noises for her toy cars as she crashes them together.

9. This girl can dance! She slow dances when the song is slow and shakes her bootie when it is fast! Love this!

10. She can do 1 step commands such as going to get a diaper or getting a certain toy.

11. She has started snuggling with BOTH of us! After she snuggles with me she goes straight to her daddy for some snuggle time.

12. She no longer drinks formula. She drinks whole milk.

13. She loves to be rocked. When you say it is night night time she goes to get her blankie (towel) and then goes to her rocking chair.

14. She can say: mama, dada, night night, and a lot of babbling.

15. She will sit long enough to read most of a story to her.

16. She gets into her carseat with ease. She actually tries to help me buckle her in.

17. She loves to hug her cousin and friends her size.

18. She had her first ear infection.

19. She is getting much better with sleeping. She usually goes down at 9:00 or
9:30, and wakes up at 3:30 or 4. She goes back to sleep until 5:30 or 6:00 and then comes and lays with me until around 7:00.

20. She is sleeping in her bed during nap and bedtime. We will continue to stay in there until she feels more secure, but we think for now, she is doing amazing!


HAPPY SPRING!!!!!