A place to play

A place to play: Theodore Roosevelt Island, Washington, D.C. Having been in DC for almost five years, I felt a little embarrassed that we have never been there. Roosevelt Island is a 88.5 acre island and a national memorial in the Potomac River, established in 1932. Interestingly, the island was also know as My Lord’s Island, Barbadoes Island, Mason’s Island, Analostan Island, and Anacostine Island (from Wikipedia). Oliver and I made a visit to the island the first weekend in September. It was hot but he was a trooper. I am not sure what he enjoyed more, running around and playing in the dirt or watching the planes fly overhead from Reagan National Airport. Just a couple of pictures from the day.

It’s a pleasure getting to know you.

I hear parents say that their child’s personality emerged very early and that many of their defining traits were clear when they were babies.  I wonder how this will translate with Oliver.  He has always had an easy-going, dare I say, happy disposition.  It is our good fortune that his smiles and giggles are freely given most days.  He can also be a bit of a snuggle bug.  In particular, he loves to snuggle his stuffed animals (especially his bear and panda).  However, like his dad, he does start getting quiet and a little grumpy when he gets overly tired.

He has also always had what we view as an independent streak, e.g., his preferences at times to play or work on a project alone.  He loves to play with Daddy, Sheryl and Mama.  But, we all also recognize that he needs his “alone time.”  Sometimes it is in the crib after a nap; sometimes it is during the day playing with his bus, cars, or train; and it can even be at the park when he decides to go explore on his own.  He will watch to see if you are around, but he keeps his distance and does not want you to interfere.  

We also think he is a bit of a “charmer.”  He loves to be around people and he enjoys the attention of others.  He is not a mama’s boy.  He does not usually cling to me in a group (unless he is tired).  He is more inclined to “cling” when it is just the two of us playing or reading together.  So far, he has been quick to jump into the mix with other kids at the park or bookstore (regardless of their age) and is happy at accept the attention of most friendly familiar and even unfamiliar adults (something we will have to address when he gets older).  He also seems to be cautious, but very willing to try new things.  These are all traits I think he has had for as long as I can remember.

Since turning one, I feel like we are now really starting to get to know Oliver.  Language is an amazing thing, and watching Oliver learn it is even more amazing.  He has a clear thirst for understanding his world, and he seems to know that communicating through words is the key.  Two of his earliest words, “see-see?” and “that’s?” have served him well.  He now uses the word “again” a lot, e.g., when he hears a new word, reading books or a favorite song.  He watches our lips with intensity as he tries to copy or just process the sounds.  But, he also now spends more time pointing to things and telling us what they are.  While we have had a few times where frustration has set in because he is trying to tell us something and we cannot understand, mostly he seems to have learned the words for what he wants or at least an effective way of communicating what he wants.  We are almost having real conversations with him (albeit, with a someone very new to our language and culture).  Here are a couple of examples,

Food examples:

Mom or Dad: “Oliver, are you hungry? It is getting close to snack time.”  Oliver: “No.”

Mom or Dad: “Oliver, are you hungry?  It is past snack time and you are getting a little short tempered with your bus over there.”  Oliver: He will either walk over to the fridge and pull on the door, or walk over to his high chair and wait to be lifted up.

Sheryl (after a trip an hour or so prior with Oliver to Whole Foods where they picked up among other things, bananas):  “Oliver, time for your snack.  Do you want some pears?”  Oliver:  “No.”  Sheryl: “No, but you love pears?  Don’t you want your snack?”  Oliver:  “Bananas, bananas!”

Already starting to out-smart us examples: 

Mom or Dad talking to the other:  “Do you know what he did with his B-U-S?  I haven’t seen it today.”  Oliver:  “Bus, Bus?”

Mom:  “Oliver, here is your letter train.  I am making O-L-I-V-E-R with the letters.”  Oliver:  points to himself with the “me” expression.

I could go on and on with our favorite recent stories.  But, the point is that Oliver is turning into his own person right before our eyes.  We are enjoying getting to know him; and so far, I think he is a pretty cool little guy!

Look like someone?

Bawl, Bus-s-s, and Go!

We had a fun afternoon at the park today playing ball, watching the trucks and buses drive by, climbing tree roots, eating lunch and chatting with another family doing the same.

A month ago...

The weekend before Oliver's 1st birthday we had pictures taken by the photographer who did our maternity and newborn shots.  I really love her, and I think she did a great job of capturing so many of his facial expressions and mannerisms at one year old.  We, of course, ordered all the digital images for ourselves, but I though I would post the link to her website that shows some of the photos. 
http://www.lilyb-photography.com/category/families

There are also still a few of our maternity and newborn shots in the featured gallery of her website. 
http://www.lilyb-photography.com/featured-galleries

One is fun!

I was amazed by all the things Oliver learned to do before he turned one, but I had no idea how blown away I would be by all the things he is doing now that he is one.  His walking, running, climbing, strength and balance seem to improve everyday.  To me, the most amazing change is his vocabulary.  Oliver picks up new words everyday, granted Sheryl and I might be the only ones who understand half of them.  He identifies and repeats many more words than he says spontaneously, but both lists are growing.

A few standard words he uses totally on his own these days include:  mama, dad-dad, up, out, down, help, bus, wheels, cat, Jax, go? (as in, where did the cat go?), banana (nanya), bubbles, hat, lights, eyes, see-see, and that's? (as in, what is that?) 

For his repeat words (including, e.g., if we ask where is the kite? he points to kite and says "kite" as well as where he points to something and we tell him what it is then he repeats), he started out by pointing and saying "see, see" when he wanted to show us something.  But, now, his most common phrase to go along with the point is "that's?" This made us realize that we ask him "what's that" and say "that's" or "that is" a lot.  A few of my favorite recent repeat words after a "that's" conversation  include: lemon (lem-yon), apple, antenna (an-yen-ya), bumper, chopper (for helicopter), and danger (always repeated with a mischieveous smile).

Oliver continues to love anything with wheels.  Along with his bus, he now has another favorite wheel related past-time: pushing the stroller.  He is also getting pretty good at sorting shapes; he can stack at least 4 blocks and he is starting to put his chunky puzzles together.

Oliver is running.  So he loves to chase the cats, Sheryl/daddy/mommy, and the squirrels/pigeons at the park. 

He is pretty fun these days...

 Whole grain waffles and peaches: breakfast of champions.

 Wasn't me.  Ask mommy, she was standing here the whole time.

 Ok, yeah.  I did it--pretty funny, right?

 Pushing my stroller at the Museum.

 Go?  Where did everyone go?

 Morning walk to the park.

 Let's chase some squirrels.

Hey, where are you going?

 Tired, but super cute!