8 Months

Our baby is 8 months old! At 8 months, Oliver:

• Is very active. He scoots everywhere, occasionally crawls, but prefers the army crawl. He's mastered his technique of right forearm and left hand along with his feet to pull himself across the floor. 
• He pulls himself up to stand on everything. He'll scoot over to me and pull himself up by pulling on my pants/legs. He's getting better at sitting/falling down gracefully onto his bum. 
• Acts shy around people sometimes. He nuzzles his head into my shoulder and grins. He's still a little flirt. 
• Doesn't hold still for a picture very well, as seen in some of the pictures below. He's always moving and shaking. 
• Has the sweetest grin with his 2 bottom teeth! Oliver has gotten his two teeth during this month. I love his cheesy smile and seeing those little teeth. 
• Is still as yummy as ever and so sweet. I love when we Eskimo and butterfly kiss. We put our heads together and he giggles. We occasionally get a good kiss from him, usually a very wet one. 
• He's ticklish on his thighs the most. He laughs and laughs. 
• Favorite things to play with- keys, boxes, socks, anything that's nice to chew on (which for him, is pretty much everything). 
• He still loves noise, he hits his hands on things, scoots things across the floor to make noise, etc. 
• Is sometimes a chatterbox, dadada or bababa or mamama. He usually starts by moving his mouth with no sound, then adds a little whisper, kind of like he's warming up, before actually talking.
• Is the best boy! We love him to pieces and savor our days spent with him as this delicious little baby.
  
  
  

San Francisco

A few weekends ago, for Chris' birthday, we took a little trip to San Francisco. It was fun to have a little getaway together as a family.

so excited to fly out!

We stopped at the Oakland temple on our first evening there. It was beautiful! 

left handed store for me!- strolling on the pier (Alcatraz in the background)- Lombard St.

our first day was very rainy (we were trying to leave the rain) so we didn't last too long, but it was still fun

Oliver was probably the happiest in the hotel room, just exploring. Love that boy.

Saturday, we walked across the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a beautiful day and walk. It was probably my favorite thing that we did in San Francisco. 

This boy. He wasn't too happy traveling (by plane or stroller or especially in that car seat). He did love being on his dad's back walking around. He is getting more mobile, so it was harder for him to just want to stay in one place (at restaurants, etc.) We love his curiosity and desire to explore the world, it just makes things a little more challenging. I had some moments of frustration as we couldn't just do what we wanted to easily, but I truly am grateful for this little boy of ours. I love my family. 

First time swimming. He was so handsome in his new suit from Grandma. He was a little unsure at the beginning, but I think he warmed up to the idea. His favorite part was holding himself up on the ledge. We think he liked that he felt lighter in the water. 

We stopped at Bi Rite Creamery as a last hurrah in the city. It was such scrumptious ice cream. It was also very windy (seen from my crazy hair). I think Oliver was wanting his own cone :)

Overall, San Francisco for a weekend was great. It is a beautiful city, and it was nice to have a little adventure.

Easter

We kicked off Easter time, with a fabulous Easter basket (really box) from my mom! She is so thoughtful and sweet, and it was delightful to get some goodies and prizes from her.

The Saturday before Easter, our branch had a breakfast and egg hunt. It was fun to participate in some Easter festivities. Oliver did scoot across the floor and got one yellow egg! Woo hoo. There is a little boy in our branch who is also named Oliver. He is so adorable, so we had to get a picture of the Olivers.

                        

After the hunt, we took glorious, long naps. Here are our post-nap faces:

Then, I wanted to dye some eggs. We use Kool-Aid in our house because Chris hates (really hates) vinegar. The dying was nice, and the eggs turned into deviled eggs for Easter dinner the next day.

Easter Sunday was pretty low-key. Oliver's first Easter basket consisted of a stuffed animal duck and some bubbles. He wore his adorable outfit from Grandma Jan. We enjoyed a delicious Easter dinner at the Reece's. We're grateful for good friends! Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of our delicious dinner, but it was lovely.

Most importantly, we reflected on Jesus Christ and his resurrection. We are indeed grateful for his life, example, atonement, and that he lives. We know that because of him, we will live again. It is a wonderful time to reflect on and express appreciation for our Savior and Redeemer.

It was a lovely first Easter with our sweet baby boy.