First Trip to the Zoo

Our weather has been amazing this weekend...reaching the mid to high 70's! It was also opening weekend of the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. My Aunt gave us a year long membership to the zoo for Christmas and we have been itching to get Olivia there for the first time. This was the perfect weekend for it, so we decided to make today our first trip (of many, I'm sure) to the zoo!

Instead of adding to the hundreds of strollers being pushed around that place we decided to strap the Baby Bjorn on Todd and just walk around. She seemed to enjoy being strapped to Daddy. Since we will be going to the zoo many times this season we did not feel like we had to see everything, so we thought we would just visit a few attractions and let Olivia see some of the animals. Here is Olivia and her Daddy by the monkeys!

She really enjoyed all of the commotion around the zoo. Kids running everywhere and lots of exciting things to look at. I am not sure how many of the animals she actually noticed but we did point them out to her and tell her what each one was. Some of the bigger ones seemed to spark some interest. We took her on the log ride in the Australian Adventure and I even managed to snap a picture of the three of us...

After an hour or so Todd was getting quite tired from carrying Livie around. Remember...the child does weigh over 18 lbs! Not to mention that it was pretty warm and we did not want Livie spending too much time in the sun. So we stopped to relax in the shade before heading home.

We are looking forward to taking her to the zoo many times this summer. It may not mean much to her this year, but by next year she will probably be begging us to go every weekend. It is such a nice zoo and Todd and I enjoy going, so I know she won't have to twist our arm! It was a long day for Livie and she passed out on the way home. How sweet...

So thank you Aunt Sue Sue for giving us such a special gift. We will have many special memories from our trips to the zoo this summer as a family!

Rollin'...Rollin'...Rollin'

Olivia is one active baby! Within the past month she has begun rolling over on a regular basis. She prefers to roll from her belly to back but will occasionally go the other way if the mood strikes. She actually rolled over a few times when she was two months old but it must have been a fluke because it stopped as quickly as it started. Around four months she started showing some interest in changing positions. It was very frustrating for her at first as she had a great deal of trouble figuring out how to get over that bottom arm to complete her roll. She would sit on her side for quite awhile and usually end up just rolling back, as it was just too much work. But one day she made it all of the way over and now she has it down pat! In fact most of the time, as soon as I lay her down she immediately rolls over to her tummy! Here are a few videos of Olivia's new favorite thing to do. The first video shows her trying to roll over but just not making it all the way. The second clip shows her reaching her goal! The video clips are quite dark but I think you will get gist of it...

http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/zatchman2/?action=view&current=AlmostRolling-Video.flv

http://s152.photobucket.com/albums/s179/zatchman2/?action=view&current=RollingOver-Video.flv

Olivia is also a very strong little girl. Around the age of three months she started trying to lift the top half of her body off the ground like she was trying to sit up. She would hold her breath and her face would turn red as she attempted a task that she obviously was unable to complete at such a young age. Watching this is hilarious as it looks like she is trying to do sit-ups. She does have quite a big belly so maybe she is trying to tone those muscles! As you can see from the pictures she is desperately trying to pull herself up...

And...Livie is also able to sit up unsupported for a short time. Within the past two weeks or so I have been able to let go of her while she is sitting. She sets herself up in a tripod position...with both legs spread and her arms out in front of her. By doing this she can hold herself up for quite awhile. Yesterday I think she sat unassisted for about three minutes before toppling over. Here she is sitting up all by herself! I am so proud!

This is a great accomplishment as we are on our way to being able to play without Mommy and Daddy's help. But for the meantime we just prop her up on the couch in the boppy and she plays with her toys while watching her favorite TV channel...Sprout! She changes more and more each day!

Hippity Hop!

What a cute little bunny rabbit! Well today is Easter...but you wouldn't know it by the weather we are having. It actually snowed today as we were on our way to church! There is no excuse for snow in April! But the weather did not stop Olivia from getting all decked out in her Easter duds!
Olivia's Nana bought her this adorable outfit for her first Easter. She caught quite a bit of attention at church looking like a little "sailor girl". Church was quite long today but Olivia managed to get through it. Her little catnap in the middle of the service helped. She also managed to smile at just about everyone that would look her way. She is quite the flirt these days! After church we headed over to some close family friend's for dinner and Olivia even got to participate in her first Easter egg hunt! Well...Mommy walked around looking for her eggs while Daddy held her...but it was fun nonetheless. She also got two Easter baskets full of goodies! So it turned out to be a pretty good day for Livie. But all of the excitement of Easter caught up with little Miss Olivia and she started getting fussy by the end of the afternoon. So we headed home and she immediately crashed! A little too much Easter excitement for one day I guess. Here's Olivia with one of her Easter goodies...sitting on Nana's lap. Give her something to play with and she is one happy camper!

Nasty weather aside it was a wonderful first Easter for Olivia and the rest of us. It was a day full of fun and most importantly being around loved ones! We hope you and your families also had a very blessed Easter! Now it is time for Spring to come and stay for good!

Spring is in the Air

Spring is officially here! This is good news for Olivia. It means no more having to be stuck in the house while it is freezing cold outside. We can finally starting getting out and enjoying the weather....and we have been doing just that! With a few nice days here and there we have been going for long walks. It is clear Olivia loves doing this and does not mind being in her stroller. Most of the time she wants to sit up and look around but occasionally she lays down and enjoys a leisurely nap....what a life! Check her out...so stylish!

Just yesterday we took her outside to enjoy the sunshine. We sat her in the grass for the first time and let her explore. She was very fascinated with the grass and immediately starting grabbing at it. I know we will have many fun adventures this Spring and Summer! Here are a few pictures of us enjoying the lovely weather...

Olivia is on the verge of turning five months old and boy it shows! She is almost sitting up on her own. She still needs support but can balance on her own for awhile before toppling over. She is also improving on her eating skills. The cereal is going down a little easier after two weeks of trying. She still prefers milk and rather not take the time to be fed by a spoon. But I make sure and give her a little bit of cereal at least once a day. And last we checked she was weighing just under 18 lbs!!! Yes...she is a very big girl for 5 months. She is wearing 6 month clothing which is screwing up our seasons a little, but her rolls are adorable and it just makes more for her daddy and I to squeeze.

With Spring in the air there is so much to do and enjoy outdoors! The month of April is going to be very exciting for Olivia as she will be baptized also. We are looking forward to this special occasion and being able to share it with family and friends. And just imagine little Livie in her beautiful white gown!