24 Months, Weeks 3 and 4

School's out for summer! Ahhhh!  I'm so excited to have some time off with my favorite girlie to have some new adventures!  I took these pics of Livi on her first and last days of full time daycare.  It's kinda shocking to see how much she grew in 9 months.  Look at her hair!  It's funny to see how different that outfit looks too!

 

Grampy and Grammy also stopped by for a visit.  Livi had a fun time picking flowers for them (and practicing her tickling skills).  She also helped them pick up lunch.  She's so helpful!

We made it to the zoo for our first trip of the year.  Livi really wanted to see monkeys (thankfully the baboons met her approval) and birdies.  She also really enjoyed the dog show.  We can't wait to go back again!

She has also become a little sponge.  She not only repeats the things we say, (such as "See ya!") but tries to copy our actions too.  I supposed this isn't my worst habit for her to copy!  She also comes up with the funniest comments.  The other day we asked her how old she is.  She told us, "Two."  Then I asked her old Mommy is (a potentially dangerous question!) and she said, "Three." Josh then said, "How old is Daddy?" and she said, "Six." Hahaha! 

One of the best things about summer vacation is getting to have play dates with our friends.  First up, was a visit with the Abraham girls.  We went to the Cool Creek Nature Center & Park.  The girls had fun swinging, sliding, coloring, and running.  Livi also proved she is a 50% Josh and 50 % me.  She took off running on one of the trails in the woods and was clearly having a ball.  She then fell and stood up screaming, "My hands! My hands dirty!"  (I'll let you decide which aspect is Josh and which is me.)  After all of our outdoor fun, it was time to head for some lunch at Steak N Shake.  All that running sure does make you hungry for a milkshake!

On the second weekend, Josh unfortunately had to spend a great deal of it at work so Livi and I were flying solo.  Thankfully, we scheduled some play dates which was a big help.  We went to the Gymboree "Bubble Bash" and dinner with the Abraham fam on Friday.  On Saturday,  Livi and I went with our friends Jackie and Kalman to pick strawberries.  It was our first time picking strawberries and I'm not sure she really enjoyed it as much as she did running up and down the rows of strawberries.  But, Kalman was SO patient with Olivia!  He was nice enough to come to our house the next day while Jackie had a photo shoot and help me entertain Olivia.  They played really well and he really was a big help!

24 Months, Week 2

Two year well-check!  We found out what we had already suspected, Olivia had a major growth spurt over the last six months.  Almost three inches to be exact!  She is now 28.9 pounds and 35.25 inches tall.  She is hitting all of her milestones and already working on mastering some for her next check-up.  The doctor also gave the green light to turn Olivia's car seat forward facing.  This has been a debate at our house for months, but the pediatrician did give me a high five as she said very few parents actually follow the AAP's recommendation to keep them rear facing until two.  But, I know she and Daddy have been chomping at the bit to turn her around so I (reluctantly) agreed.

The other big news is that this week Olivia sat and used the potty for the first time!  She has been asking to go for the last few weeks; often barging in the restroom and shouting, "My turn!  My turn potty!"  Since there are other kids in her room at daycare who have started potty training and Livi never wants to be left out of anything.  So, it I guess it's time to go shopping for some potty seats!

Grandma and PaPa also came to visit us for Memorial Day weekend.  I think they had just a little bit of fun on the playground and dinner date!

 
Grandma and PaPa also brought a special visitor with them, Auntie Mary Ann! She has been visiting from Texas and we were very glad she was able to join us for the long weekend. While Josh and PaPa were at the Indy 500 race, the girls headed to the outlet mall to do a little shopping.  Livi wanted to take a break while we there to ride some of the rides.  Unfortunately, she wasn't too happy once the rides started moving!  Nothing some rolls and cheesy potato soup from O'Charley's can't fix.

2 Years, Week 1

 

After all the party fun was done, it was time to celebrate another special occasion, Mother's Day!  It was nice to have Grandma here still visiting (and PaPa too!) to help make the day extra fun!  In addition to having all the outside flowers planted, Livi also painted me some pretty wind

chimes.  Her handmade gifts are the best!

 

Since Livi loves to play in the water so much, Josh and I decided to buy her a water table for her birthday.  Luckily the weather warmed back up this week so she could try it out.  I think it was a hit!  Any time she can make a mess and not get in trouble for doing so, she's a happy camper!

All that hard work playing sure works up an appetite.  But, you better watch your plate or Livi might take your dinner.  I guess sometimes you just can't wait for Mom or Dad to cut your chicken up for you!

A week after Livi's birthday, it was time to head north for Grandma Sue's birthday.  First order of business was helping Grandma plant some flowers (and who doesn't garden in a tutu?).  Grandma bought her a special planter and watering can.  Livi is excited to watch them grow over the summer.

After a fun day of planting, we went out for dinner.  Grandma is an amazing cook, but she definitely deserved a night off!  Grandma's big gift was a family vacation for all of us and Uncle Drew and Aunt Lisa to Gatlinburg this summer.  A gift everyone can enjoy!

As an added bonus, we snuck in a trip to the Dunes.  This little girl LOVES the beach!  The water was still a little cold, so she mostly stuck to building sandcastles.

 

That's Ms. Attitude to you.  Livi went shopping with me earlier this week so she could pick out a birthday present for Grandma Sue.  While I was picking out a few options for Livi to choose from, she took the opportunity to accessorize.  And this is the face I got when I tried to take her picture.  Oh Livi, this next year should be interesting!

 

Happy 2nd Birthday, Olivia Marie!

Two, too cute! I can't believe it has been two years since this beautiful bundle of energy came into our lives. I can still remember the day she was born so vividly (and we'll always know exactly how old our heat pump is!). She blessed me with a short labor and was only two days past her due date. Since then time has flown by so quickly and she has taught us just how much you can love something so small. Each day she does something new that makes me laugh and my heart sing. We love you with all of our hearts Olivia Marie!

We went with an Olivia the Pig theme.  In case you don't have a two-year-old in your house, author Ian Falconer created Olivia the Pig book series after being inspired by his niece.  Nickelodeon then turned the character into a cartoon series complete with a theme song.  Olivia is a precocious six-year-old, with a vivid imagination and wonderful sense of adventure.  An excellent role model for our own Olivia! 

As with any party, it's all about the dress.  I was super excited when I found someone on Etsy who had designed this gem.  Livi was also very happy to have a dress with her favorite girl "YaYa" on it.

Olivia was very excited to have two of her very best girl friends, Isabella and Isabelle, come and celebrate with her.  They all played very well together and were troopers with the games!

Time for cake!  Lucky for us, my friend Elizabeth is a baker on top of being a school psychologist.  Not only are her cakes delicious, she is awesome with a theme.  Oddly enough, Olivia didn't really like being the center of attention when it was time to sing.  When everyone gathered around, she became very shy!

We were so lucky to have so many friends and family with us to celebrate! Unfortunately by the end, Livi was tired of having her picture taken!

She was also blessed with many, many wonderful gifts! Clothes, toys, books, a zoo membership, and $$$ for future...what more could a girl ask for?!? Although, her reaction to the princess panties from Cheryl was priceless!  I've never seen a kid so excited about underwear.