Oliver is One Year Old!

Oliver's first birthday started out with a great surprise from grandpa Ken - a hand made teak toy box! Oliver loves it.

It was a school day, so we brought in cupcakes for the whole class...
They had even made him a birthday crown!

Then at home, we had another cake for him. This time it was a fancy cheesecake from the Bakery. What a lucky baby!

Oliver was not so sure about this cake business....

... so he dumped it on the floor!

After "cake", Oliver opened his present from mom and dad...I think it is a hit!

Then a few days later we threw a group birthday party for all his little friends. Still wouldn't touch the cupcakes...

First picture with Santa

We dressed Oliver up in his best suit and took him to the mall to see Santa for the first time. He did a great job - didn't get strange with him at all! Isn't Oliver handsome in his suit?

Thanksgiving in Quincy

The weekend befoer Thanksgiving, our little family when to Snoqualmie falls for the afternoon on a rainy fall day. We had gone there a year ago when I was pregnant with Oliver and sat in the cafe overlooking the falls. It is so cozy in there when it is pooring rain outside.

This is one of my favorite photos of my two crazy boys!
This is Oliver as we headed out over the mountains to Grandma and Grandpa's house. He had just learned how to wave and was practicing with great enthusiasm : )

When we got to Auntie Laura's house, sweet cousin Savannah was already there...hello cousin.

Oh wait a camera! I am ready for my close up.

I love this one...look at those two bald heads!

This girl is so sweet.

And here is Oliver...thought it might be a good idea to sit on Savannah.

And she doesn't even seem to mind!

Oliver's first taste of an orange...ooh, it's tart!

The day after Thanksgiving, we went with the Klinge's to Leavenworth for som bratwurst. Oliver sure loves those two kids!

And a trip to Leavenworth isn't complete without stopping by the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory...mmmm.

Grandma Jo's 70th Birthday Surprise

Oliver's grandma Jo Ann turned 70 on November 16th. We were all planning to go to Quincy to visit her for Thanksgiving, so we hadn't planned to go over for her birthday too. Katie and I worked hard on a photobook for Jo Ann of both her grandbabies. Katie mentioned that Jo Ann would love it if we could give it to her in person. So we started planning a surprise trip over with the Babies a few days before her birthday. Now anyone with a baby under 1 knows that it is no small feat to pack them up and travel with them for hours in a car. Katie and Savannah were planning to take the clipper from Victoria the night before but at the last minute they learned the weather was too ruff so it was cancelled. They offered to bus everyone over on the BC ferries, so off they went. They left at 5pm and the bus didn't get to Seattle until 1AM! After that, though, things went much smoother. We loaded the two babies up in the car and drove over the pass on a gorgeous day. We told Jo Ann we would skype her so she could see Oliver. We then told her it wasn't working. She was so disappointed! Then the doorbell rang....

She was so surprised!!

Laura had to be in school that day, but we all met her for lunch.

Savannah is so sweet!

Oliver loves his grandma

And she loves him

Happy Birthday Jo Ann!!

Oliver's school

A few photos of Oliver's new school.

His locker

Having lunch with his new friends

Mmmmm...cheese.

His classroom

Grandma's gone

My mom has been driving from Victoria every week to watch Oliver Monday through Wednesday for the past 6 months. This has been such an amazing gift for us and for Oliver. I think she enjoyed it too! Wednesday was her last day. We are all sad to see her go and Oliver will miss his grandma so much. The two of them have a really special bond.

Oliver loves his grandma! Don't worry, we will see her soon. Just not every week. We've already ordered the webcam!

First day of daycare

Oliver started daycare this week. He will be going to the Cottage School across the street from our work 3 days a week now. He started his "transition" by going for a few hours each day and he will go for full days starting on the 16th. He is in the "waddler" room. He is the youngest one; all the other kids are walking and some are talking. This picture is of Oliver in the morning before we all got in the car to go to work. His backpack is a little over packed for him I think...We made little name labels for all his stuff and took it all to his cubby at school.

His first week went really well. Not a single tear when we left and he likes his teachers a lot. We were also told that he really likes story time and the music teacher. He is still getting used to all the kids and not having the teachers' undivided attention. He ate lunch with his class two days; they sit at little tables and feed themselves for the most part. One really nice thing about him being in daycare is that I can go over and nurse him after lunch, so I actually get to see him more now. I think he is going to have a great time once he settles in a bit. Next week he stays for the afternoon nap. Hopefully that goes smoothly...he isn't the best napper these days.

pumpkin patch

We recently spent the day with Oliver's grandparents at a farm in Fall City picking out a pumpkin. We had lunch there - Oliver had baked squash rings - and took a hayride out to the pumpkin patch. It was a really cold day, so he is all bundled up. He wore a shirt that was handmade for Mike when he was a baby in the 70s, I thought it was perfect for the farm.

Oliver had a great time riding around the field on daddy shoulders looking for the perfect pumpkin.

The hay ride back to the farm.

Back at home with Oliver's perfect little pumpkin.

Halloween

Our little bee trying to escape...

Giving his daddy a little "sting"

It was Oliver's first halloween and he decided to go as a bumble bee. Very sweet, but under all that cuteness, he wore this scary skeleton costume...

We celebrated halloween early with our friends Sara, Aaron and Ari at the Woodland Park Zoo. This is our little bee waiting outside.

He was sure loving his costume (and riding on daddy's shoulders).

This is Oliver's friend Ari...this one is going to be a bad influence I can tell already!