Thanksgiving, Christmas Lights, & a Mariachi Band

Olivia had a couple of big days last week. Thanksgiving was spent with my family, so she spent the day being passed around to whomever was quick enough to grab her next. She was definitely a hot commodity. She was also popular when we took her to my friend Kristin's mom's house. Watching kids is one of her favorite pastimes, so she had a great time interacting with Kristin's 3 children. The next night we met my friend Barb and her niece downtown to watch the Christmas lights on the City and County Building get turned on. We've found Olivia to be unbelievably cooperative even in less than ideal conditions. Even though it was seriously cold, she maintained her easy-going attitude. Yale ended up taking her to the car because we were worried she was just trying to be polite and wasn?t letting us know just how cold she really was. After the lighting ceremony was over, we headed to El Noa Noa for some Mexican food. Olivia got a big kick out of watching the mariachi band play. Barb was holding her when the band played near our table. Barb found Olivia was most content when she could still see her parents but also watch the guitar players. It was pretty funny to see her head whip around every so often to make sure Yale and I hadn?t gone anywhere. The band even played Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star for her. We were bummed that we forgot to bring the camera to capture this moment.

Update

Olivia continues to prove herself to be a super baby. This morning I put her in her crib on her back just so that I could go get something from the kitchen, and when I came back she had rolled over on to her stomach. So now she has rolled over in both directions. Believe it or not, just as I was typing, I looked over at her on the floor and she had rolled over on to her stomach again! She is a genius baby! Another advancement I forgot to mention yesterday is all of the cooing she has been doing. Now, to Olivia this is not just baby talk; she takes it very seriously. She wrinkles her forehead and carefully forms her mouth to just the right position before saying anything. You can tell by the look on her face that she expects you to listen to every sound she makes. I am okay with that because I have found her to be a pretty good listener as well. She always gives me eye contact and rarely interrupts. That's a good quality; I hope it persists.

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Olivia has reached several milestones in the past couple of weeks. The most exciting one took place this weekend when she rolled over. Both Yale and I were there for the big event. We clapped and cheered, and Olivia just stared at us like we were a couple of geeks getting excited about nothing. I will have you know that our genius baby didn't just get lucky when she rolled over, she seems to have it figured out as she has done it about a total of 20 times. She has also recently become more interested in toys. Our friends Laurie and Chad have generously given us tons of stuff that their kids are done playing with, and last week Laurie brought over another load. Olivia is especially fond of a bright colored kangaroo with all sorts of fancy stuff hanging from it. There's also a shiny fish that she seems to favor. Another favorite is a squishy doll that rattles given to her the day after she was born by my parents. If you hold the doll in front of her and shake it she gets all excited and smiles. I have to say, it is pretty darn cute. I will try to add some pictures in the near future of her with her new favorite toys.

Our Favorite Things About Olivia

The other day Yale and I decided to create a list of our favorite things about Olivia. This is a list we plan to keep on the website and add to as time goes on. I know this is probably typical behavior of first-time parents, and it is pretty self-indulgent, but we had fun doing it. Here's the list: -The oh-so-soft skin on the back of her hands -The rolls of fat the surround her knees -When I burp her at night and she wraps one arm around my neck and rests her little head on my shoulder -When she first wakes up, throws her arms over head, scrunches up her face and stretches. This is especially amusing when she lets loose a truck driver-like fart at the peak of her stretch. We are continuously amazed at how such a little thing can pass gas with such vehemence. -The way Olivia?s hair sticks up like a patch of peach fuzz after her bath -The way she smiles when she sees our faces when she first wakes up -How smiling for her is a full body experience; she waves her arms, kicks her legs, and wiggles her torso and head.