Who Knew Eating Could Be Difficult?

So, it turns out the learning curve for eating is pretty steep for Olivia Lauderdale. That, or she's got a stubborn streak. Gee, could it be? My child? Stubborn? Strong-willed? One day she'll eat like a champ, then the next, she'll lock her jaw and won't let me get a spoon in there at all. This is where I find myself most days...with Olivia trying my patience over getting any food in her mouth, and both of us ending up with food on our face. She can get very dramatic (oh hush, I know where that comes from, too)...when she doesn't like something, or doesn't feel like eating, she'll start gagging. A lot. The reason I know she's not really having trouble is because she'll do it with a food I know she liked the day before. Ugh.

I've followed the doctor's orders and have not given her too much solid food, too early, but it seems like her first meals two months ago went better than the daily feedings we're supposed to be doing now! Oh well, she'll get there. I've been making my own food, and depending on her mood, she likes the peas, green beans and sweet potatoes I've given her. Today's cereal, however, that she has eaten from the very beginning, was a "gagging" meal. I finally gave up and put her down for a nap (that's another issue, for another day)!

Time Is Flying By!

Well, yesterday was Olivia's seven month birthday and I almost forgot to take her picture. I was able to snap a few, but since we weren't home, I wasn't able to get her pic with the "I'm __ months old today!". We had so much fun getting together with the Lauderdales and Stavenhagens last night--well before Christmas!! We also celebrated Justin's 28th birthday. According to his cousin Alex, that's old. Today we went to the big city of Millsap and Grandma and Grandpa Davis treated us to lunch at our favorite catfish joint. Olivia was such a good girl, sitting in a high chair. It really hit me today how BIG she is getting!

Bluebonnet Baby

Whew! We haven't had many bluebonnets around our house this year, but the other day I was driving through the neighborhood and found one of the empty lots FULL of bluebonnets! Next to tulips, these are my favorite flower. I've been excited about taking Olivia's pictures in the bluebonnets since she was born and was praying she'd be able to sit up by the time they're blooming. I think these pictures turned out great, especially with her big blue eyes--she was a good little model :-)

What a Zoo!

Olivia and I go to the zoo pretty often, but today we went with Grandma and Grandpa Davis--it was so much fun! Even though we arrived early, it seems as though it was a popular day to go to the zoo--at least it was a beautiful day! We spent the day there, eating a picnic lunch and visiting virtually every exhibit. Olivia took two naps, but when she was awake, she absolutely loved the bird exhibit--it was one where you could feed them, and they were flying around us left and right. It's one of my favorites, too :-)

Watch Them Grow...

Ironically, as I'm typing this a song just came on called "Watch Them Grow" by Zach Gill. Our little girl is growing so quickly and doing so many things, it's getting hard for me to stand it! She will now roll all the way across the living room, if given the chance. She's also able to sit by herself, but we always make sure to be close by, since she's sure to topple over after a couple of minutes! She wants to get to the sitting position all by herself and gets frustrated when she just ends up rolling over instead of rolling...up. Olivia loves taking baths in the "big girl" tub--splashing around in a inch of water sure makes her a happy baby! Lastly, she is making valid attempts to crawl, but just kind of moves her legs and stays in the same place. She'll be there before we know it...

Olivia wanted to play with her "I'm 6 months old today" sheet of paper, rather then letting me take her picture next to it, and by the time I could snap one similar to previous months, it was a tad crinkled. That was fine with me!

For Your Enjoyment

I just took these about 30 minutes ago and couldn't wait to share them! I love how my camera works in natural light. I think hats are a good look for Olivia, don't you?

Christmas Only Comes Once A Year...

...Or does it? I've been meaning to post pictures from the Lauderdale-Stavenhagen "Christmas" party, which for the past two years, has been held in January. It's always a GREAT time!!

This last one is for Scotty, who feels left out.