Wagon Fun

Oh how Olivia LOVES her wagon! If she sees it, she must sit in it, or she points and wines until you put her in it. She doesn't even care if she she goes anywhere, she is just happy to sit in it in the garage. When I get home from work or from picking her up, we put her hat on and head out for our walk. Instead of taking the stroller now we just use the wagon, like she would let us do otherwise.

She holds on to the sides and checks out all the scenery as it passes by. The other day I got around the corner and looked at Olivia to realize she was missing a few toys. So we turned back around and headed back to the corner, and what did I see you ask? Her bear and then a few feet back her patsy. This has become a game we play on our walks, why do these things not come with a rear view mirror? I need some help to ensure that nothing goes missing.



It is fun alone or with a friend!



The History of: Buddy

Ok, so many people over the years have asked why we call each other Buddy. It has become more prevelant now because we not only call our dog Oakley, Buddy but also Olivia. Hence the name for the Blog...Baby Buddy. We are not people who use other words for each other like Babe, Honey, or sweetie, we love OUR name.

Here it goes:
During our first year of dating we joined his family for a ski trip to Breckenridge, Colorado and this is where the story of Buddy originated. As we were snowboarding we began asking each other, Whats up Buuuuudddddyyyy? Neither of us know where we picked it up from, but it stuck and we annoyed the fmaily by saying that the whole week. Needless to say Buddy stuck and it has become our term of endearment for each other and for our family.

Snowboarding in Breck

When we got engaged the very first card we recieved was from our BFF's Mark and Jenni and on the back of that card it read: Buddies Forever 2008. It was the such a sweet gesture and made part of the theme for our wedding. I even wrote one of the readings for our Disney Wedding and it was all about Buddies.




Engagement Party Invitation


In October of 2008 we adopted Oakley from the Orlando Humaine Society and we just fell in love with our new little Fur Baby. His nickname became Buddy and he answers to either name.



Oakley at a year old!


When we found out that we were pregnant with Olivia it was only natural that instead of Baby Morse (until Gender Day) she would be Baby Buddy! We would talk to her in my belly and always refer to her as Buddy. We don't care if Buddy is a term for a boy or not. It fits our family and is very special to us.




Baby Buddy's First Picture




Buddy waiting on Baby Buddy to enter the world.


So live on Buddies Forever!

Pirate's and Princess'

This past Saturday we found our selves out at Disney's Polynesian Resort for a Pirate's and Princess Party. Very close friends of ours Nate and Brooke were clebrateing their birthday's. It was beautiful and perfect, Olivia loved every bit. She was able to just crawl on the floor and they had tons of toys she was able to play with. Ben and I colored magnets for her, yes we are big children too. Even Princess Mini Mouse came to pay the Birthday Girl a visit and Brooke just loved it, you could see the love in her eyes. Olivia got the chance to meet Princess Mini and she was ok for the first minute and then it was the Easter Bunny all over again.



Birthday Girl Brooke and Princess Mini


After the party Ben and I wanted to take Olivia to the Grand Floridian to show her where we were married. We haven't been back there since the big day almost 2 years ago. We took her over on the Monorail even through it wasn't that far. We wandered through the hotel and she seemed enchanted by the sights. She had her picture taken on the stairs where we took photos that day and then wandered over to the Chapel. Unfortunatly there was a wedding going on so we were unable to get to close, but enough to get a few pictures. It brought back such amazing, wonderful memories.

Happy Easter

The Easter Bunny came to our house a day early knowing that we wouldn't be home on Easter. Olivia had a ball tearing everything out of her Easter basket and tossing them all on the floor. It was so wonderful to watch.

Sunday we attended church with the Morse side and had a beautiful breakfast. Aunt Julie brought her new boyfriend home and Olivia may have developed a little crush on him. Watch out Aunt Julie Olivia is on the prowl. Haha. It was so nice getting to catch up with everyone since we have all been so busy lately that we don't see them much. Olivia's Easter basket from Nana and Grandpa overflow-ith with presents. She really like the new toy balls so Mommy got to finish her basket opening.

We finished the day with the Coccagna side for a great dinner and the Sound of Music (great movies on TV this weekend). She had so much fun playing on my old Rocking Horse and hunting for the eggs the Easter Bunny hid. She was crawling and walking all over the living room and going after Stella and Oakley. She loves her doggies. She got some beautiful new outfits and a new push toy from Gigi and Poppy and her own "laptop" from Great Mommom and PopPop, maybe now she will stop beating on mine. Haha I am sure I can keep wishing on that one. We had so much fun with our families this weekend, I wish that it didn't have to end.

Other big news from Easter is that Olivia is now WALKING!!! Click the link below to see her video.

Olivia Walking Video

11 Month's

11 Month's Old

 

I feel very anxious as I sit here to write about this last month, knowing that next month I will be writing about your first year! This month has been quite busy for us as we begin to prepare for the changes ahead over the next month.

You took your first steps on March 31, 2011 and that was the only steps you have take thus far. I was the only one to witness this milestone and was unable to capture any video or pics. It happened in the blink of an eye. We have tried since to get you to take more steps but you stand there and think about it only to realize that you can get to us faster by crawling. So you squat to a sitting position to crawl to us or a toy. It's on your face that you want to walk but your torn between that and crawling. I know it will be here before your first birthday.

Your Aunt Jamie has taught you how to get off of the furniture by laying on your belly and lowering yourself to your feet. Now this is fine when you are on the couch but this morning as you were watching me get ready for work, I guess you decided you wanted to be on the floor. So in utter amazement I watched as you turned to your belly and slowly slid off the bed. No fear I was right behind you with my hands under your arms, because let's face it you were a long way from the ground. Along with getting down you can now climb up things as well and you demonstrated this on the boat. You climbed from the floor to the seat and then from the seat to the back of the boat.

We began working on transitioning you to a different eating schedule since once you turn 1 you will begin to get milk instead of formula. Therefor you need to eat food better, something you have little interest in anymore. You have gotten a bit lazy, you know that you can have a bottle faster then food and can be back playing with your toys sooner. But Mommy, Daddy, and your 'sitters' are working hard to make it happen. We have begun with morning bottle, oatmeal mixed with fruit and yogurt blendables for breakfast, then you get a snack (and those you love), lunch is veggies and chicken, turkey, or beef mixed with something (your not interest) and a bottle, another snack in the afternoon, and then veggies for dinner, with a night night bottle.
Let's hope this process gets easier over the next month.

More on food...I did some research and found that you are able to have small bite sizes pieces of REAL food. I was super excited and tried you out on banana's, as expected you liked them. But you really liked to squish them in your hands. Since then you have had a few tiny pieces of cheese, plain rice, tortilla's, and you chew on hole cucumbers and apples. When you have more teeth we can add a few more items to that list.

Your Firsts:

-REAL food

-Steps

-Time in your float

-On a boat

-You said 'UP'

We look forward to the next month however busy it may be we have Easter, Aunt Julie is graduating!!!, Mother's Day, family photo's and birthday party planning. We will have lots to blog about.

Easter Bunny Attepmt #2

Last night Ben and I took Olivia to have her Easter pictures taken again and again it didn't go the way we would have liked. Not that we thought it would. So instead we just had Spring Candid's taken and they went great until he tried to put an umbrella behind her. Then she decided she had had enough.

Here are the pictures that we did manage to get.

Mini Makeover: Living Room

It was a long time coming and we finally began making some changes in the living room. Ben and I went to pick up a new entertainment center, we needed something with more storage and we found exactly what we wanted. I picked up a few new pillows, found some great decorative bargains, and ordered some new photos. I am not very good at changing out the picture frames in our house, now everything just looks so fresh. I can't wait to get to the kitchen and begin replacing some of the hand-me-downs we have been so grateful to start us off way back when!

Yes, for now Olivia's play pen has been moved out of the living room and into another space, HER SPACE. More on that when I finish making it nice.

For now here are the AFTERS of our living room makeover.

Family Boat Day

Sunday we took Olivia out on the boat for the first time and mine as well (so to speak), I haven't been on the boat since before I got pregnant with Olivia. The weather was beautiful and could not have been a more perfect day to be out on the lakes.

We loaded up the boat and got her life vest on, that part was not her favorite. She wouldn't move she just stared off the side of the boat as we headed out of the canal. The poor little thing had to move her whole body in order to see something new because it came up so high she couldn't move her neck. But once we were moving she just kept saying 'Ohh' as she clung to me.

After a quick stop to say hello to the Crofoot's (she missed her boyfriend Coleson, it was nap time) we made it to Bird Island. Ben anchored up, and we got her life vest off, that made her very happy. She was enamored with all the boats, people, but mostly the dog that kept running through the water next to us. She stood on the seat laughing and pointing. She loves all puppies!

We took her onto the sand and put her feet in the water. Once she got over the trepidation of the small waves she sat in the sand to play. We love to watch her as she looks around taking in the sites, wondering what she is thinking. It's so amazing to get to experience all the things we do each day with a new perspective and see them through her eyes. We get to be kids again with her!  

As we sped along the last lake towards home she fell soundly asleep in her life vest! 



Easter Bunny the 1st Attempt

Saturday we attempted to take Olivia to visit the Easter Bunny, and as you can tell from the photos above it did not go as planned. We waited in line for about 30 minutes and she was great just watching the other kids and she had some lunch. As we got closer she got more intrigued by what was going on and was watching everything. Then it came to our turn and Ben took one step towards the bunny and she freaked. They let us wait a minute as some other people went, thinking that this may help settle her. She didn't mind as these kids all went up and sat on his lap, so we decided to give it another try. I took her over and as soon as we got close it was freak out time. She wouldn't even stay there if I was sitting there too.

Oh well, better luck next year. We are going to take her back tomorrow and do the Spring Candid session they offer. I will post those after if all goes well. 

I Have An Office

After working in retail for 10+ years and having to share my desk with everyone who worked each day...It's been a long time coming.

It's been my dream and one of the things that I jokingly told people who asked me what I wanted in a new job. Ok so I just said I would be happy with a desk, so I have exceded my dream for right now. It came out of now where when I came into a meeting that I had no idea what it was for. I was given a new position that would require me putting in some time with another person at work. So a week later I came into meet with him and as he was showing me around our new floor of offices said and you can work here. I was kinda like ok, when I come in I can use this office, no biggie. But throughtout the week as I was working in my borrowed space, I asked if I could leave something in the desk instead of bringing it back and forth. Silly me I found out that it is my office and I can "make it pretty" if I want.

Umm, yea I want to...Thank you!!!!!

So here are some before's and after. I still have a couple things to get on the walls but I need to bring Ben to do that part.

Before

After

We Miss Daddy

Daddy is on his way home from his "work" trip to the keys and we could not be more excited for his return. Olivia and I have had such a fun week playing, eating, taking long baths, and resting. She may have been one step ahead of me almost each morning, but we managed to still get out the door on time. She was so good each night we came home after work and played in her pen, then snack time while I clean up the kitchen, long time playing in the bath tub, and then its time for bed. Bed time has been so easy this week, at 7:50 you get a bottle and we lay in Mommy's big bed and by 8:10 you are sound asleep.

She even watched as I gave Oakley a bath, which was very entertaining. Then he decided when it was her turn to watch her, because she was laying in the water kicking her feet so hard. Between the two of them I was soaked, you would have thought I got right in there with them.

Pardon the pictures, they aren't the best since they came off my iPhone.

Good Morning Mommy

PJ Playtime

Baby Weight Update

I am so excited that since I began working harder back in January to lose the last of this baby weight, that it's working. I have lost 10lbs, I have passed that stagnant spot that I was just hanging out in. I have 15lbs. more to lose to win the competition with Ben, and I WILL win! I have noticed my pants getting a little big in the waist and I can't wait to go shopping for a new wardrobe. Girl's we are going to have to plan a shopping day and a little champagne lunch!

Good Bye Tankini's...hello bikinis that I bought for our honeymoon and only wore once!!!

Here Comes the Sun

This past weekend we made a last minute decision to head to the beach and getaway for a few days. This was the first time that just the three of us have stayed there since before Olivia's arrival. We got to the condo on Friday evening and dropped our things off upstairs. No time to lose, it was off to the sand to enjoy the breeze and the sunset, even though we couldn't see it. Olivia walked holding on to Daddy all the way down to the sand and back with Mommy's help. Once the sun was down behind the buildings it was back upstairs for a rinse off and PJ's.

Daddy and Olivia

Olivia's little foot prints.

Saturday and Sunday was spent by the pool with friends and family that came by to visit. Olivia had so much fun splashing and playing in her float, she waved to every person who came into her line of site, and she made friends with any little kid who was playing near her in the pool.

Saturday night we took her to Carribean Jack's for dinner and she was entertained just sitting there watching everyone for a little bit and then was ready to play.

Sunday morning we took her back to the sand and she tried to crawl to the water without putting her knees on the ground. It was so funny to watch, and she would randomly sit down and just look at her hands as if to say EWE! If the ocean water was warmer she would have loved the whole beach thing. Maybe the next time we come back it will be.

Adaptation of the crawl.



So cute!



Baby William

Nakey

Nap time before we head home

By the time that we left Sunday she had acquired her first tan lines, no matter how much sunscreen we smothered her in there was no running from those Indian genes. She will definitely be following in her Daddy's tan footsteps.