After being MIA...this is where we are now!

Ollie is 1.5 years old in 6 days, and after being rebuked by Marisa (on several occasions) of how horrible I am at keeping up this blog, I am adding some photos from the last couple months!

Ollie B, or "B" as he is known by several of his toddler friends these days, is now deftly maneuvering all over the place, be it the playground, his highchair, or the couch (always in search of the TV remote...!).  His handful of baby signs are now matched by some beginner words, and he is babbling up a storm, whether to proactively call himself out on breaking the rules ("Nooooo!" he calls out, after splashing in the cat's water bowl) or try to get me to hand him some more fruit to eat (obsessed!).

Josh and I still, daily, can't help but comment on how cute he is.  We still like this kid!

Ollie waking up in August

He smiled (eventually) through his first black eye :-(

We learned raw corn was an Ollie-favorite

He gets giddy whenever his cousins are around!  This was a playground break during a Rosh Hashanah dinner gathering.

Ollie playing with his favorite "Brown Bear," and rocking a hat knit by his Nana, my mom. xoxo

Ollie delighted in discovering his friend's house had child-sized chairs with very slippery felt pads on the bottom...!

A walk in the Losee's woods in NH

Family Fall Photo Time!

...trying to get a smile...

A visit from our dad sparked another family gathering - and Ollie was a huge fan of his goofy antics!

Playing "captain" on some friends' sailboat in Boston Harbor.

He started looking like a real little kid, instead of a baby, when he (recently) started to love pushing his vehicles around.

He's practicing for his sibling with some sweet kisses for his baby doll.

Helping to scoop out the pumpkin...

...and trying again, and again, and again, if it tasted as good as it looked.

Hurray for Halloween!

A handful of his Halloween Party buddies - earlier departees included a rat, a panda, 2 lions and a stuffed animal.

Happy Halloween!

Oliver Benjamin is ONE!

I couldn't get the laptop to process/save/publish this post, so here is a photo of the screen! 

"A good place to be:flanked by big cousins, donning a hand-made bday hat (amazing, Gretchen!), about to dig into a homemade banana cake w/caramel frosting layers and whipped cream (delish, Josh!). Happy Baby!"

New Year & Nearly 9 Months Old

Well, I just tried to "copy and paste" too many photos into here, resulting in about 2 hours of a slowly-processing laptop, until I was finally able to delete it to start over!  2nd, more cautious try:

Ollie will be 9 months old in just a handful of days, and he is a week-long owner of his first teeth (2 bottom front), a 2-day accomplished clapper, and full of new sounds ("d" and "n" seem to be what we are hearing, in addition to his many "baabaabaa"s & he seems to be coming up with a whole new kinds of cry....great...).

Below are some photos of the past couple months; trying to play catch up, so likely leaving out lots of stuff.  But...oh well!

We were there! It was awesome!

Ollie's friend Jack came for a playdate & loved Auntie Marisa's xmas gift!

A favorite Ollie pastime - curtain playing.

Visiting Uncle Alex at his coffee shop, means free cups to play with!

Ollie covets our meals these days!

Cutest sweater ever, c/o cousin Justin, c/o Peru!

Sunny walk with friends Heather & Genevieve, in Middlesex, VT.

Genevieve was so sweet with Ollie! 

Some holiday season pizza & wii with the cousins.

Merry Christmas Eve with Grandma & Grandpa!

Merry Christmas Eve with the Sochs! (& Ollie-on-intercom)

Christmas Morning Cousins

Special treatment from the Aunts for Ollie, lucky guy!

Christmas vacation visit to the Newalls - Garrett is getting so big! Such a cutie.

Extra bonus visit from the TX Butlers/Hernandez's & Uncle John, post-Christmas.

Ollie learned to love puppets

A one-time thing, this self-feeding!!!

Enjoying a ride on Great Aunt Sharon's childhood sled!

Ollie & Genevieve dressed in their matching LLBean duds.

Genevieve wanted "the baby" to sit on her lap...he is bigger than her, at 1.5 yrs younger!

Chewing on the crib = new talent.

Quite pleased with his standing ability...and ability to see himself in the mirror opposite him!

Dover Children's Museum with Mainers and Rhode Islanders!

Max watched Levi crank up the ball...

...Levi works hard...

Savvy overcomes her cold and plays a bit, wiggling out of a box.

Aunties Marisa & Kristen check on the nearly-sleeping Ollie.

Lovely time with the ladies (missing Laura in this photo!)

Max takes the throne

Ollie sleeps through most of the museum time.

Ava and a yellow submarine

take 2

Auntie & nephew snuggles

walking practice!

Where is Levi?!  Behind that big huge baby head!

Levi & Ollie

Max & Ollie

Ava & Ollie

drumming on Ava's head

...until Max steals him away

Loving on the nail clipper

...not a sad face - he is breaking into a shrill little baby exultation here!

noticing Mina is in reach

clapping!

clapping!

Snowy day, hanging on the bed with the cat.

Discovering Ollie loves grocery carts!

Happy to have a snake baby.  Just like Nana & Auntie Ann!

Can't get enough of the nail clipper...

Making the move!

Thanksgiving Meet-Up of old Mason friends

Out for a cold snowy walk

He STILL loves jumping.  More than ever, perhaps!

Marisa & I escaped mom-life for a show!  Yay, Wicked!

A handy new playspace for a while...until now, when he tries to pull up on the edge!