The BIG 10!

October has been a very busy month for Oliver!
This month he's learned to:

Crawl
Pull up
Kiss (my favorite)
Click his tongue
Clap
And if you hold your arms out, and he wants to be picked up, he'll reach his arms up to you... just makes my heart sing

(and he manages to do all that while looking totally scrumptious AND adorable)

9 months!

(posting these a little late, but they were taken on the 29th :))

@ 9 months
He has post-bath fluffy hair (see above photos).
He's super easy going, but if he's hurt or irritated, he doesn't have a problem letting you know. I may have mentioned this before...
**Brand new today** he's crawling!!
Oliver will pull himself to a standing position, as long s there's something he wants up there.
Right this very minute, Amparo is showing him how to build her princess puzzle. She's calling him buddy.
He pulls hair and sometimes it seems like he's trying to pull your whole head right into his mouth.
He hasn't started signing yet, but whenever I sign to him (things like; milk, more, & eat), he smiles super big and gets really excited.

This just in!

We are!! We made it to Louisville
(God's country, as my dad says)

In other breaking developments...
Oliver went into the crawl position and that's not all, he also sat up, all by himself, tonight. My littlest is turning corners (literally, not too long from now, I'm sure) and passing up those milestones.

8 Months!

What he's like now:
Oliver has 2 teeth (and he knows how to use them)
He's so very smiley (the old ladies, working in the kitchen at the hotel, just eat him up)
He babbles SUPER loudly. I think he just likes to hear himself.
He sat in a shopping cart all by himself, for the first time, just the other day.
He's always very interested in his surroundings, checking everything out.
(if you happen to catch him looking at you, smile... and chances are, he'll smile right back at you.)
Don't tell Brian, but I think he may be a mama's boy.
Anything he can get his hands on, makes it to his mouth.

*Right this second, Amparo is putting her bright pink headband on him... giggling.

Hood River to Minneapolis

- from start to finish -























Stops along the way
1. Couer D'alene, Idaho
2. Bozeman, Montana
3. Billings, Montana
3. Bismarck, North Dakota
4. Fargo, North Dakota

and now, he's 7 months!!

What Oliver's like at 7 months...
He still sucks his thumb -- and it is ADORABLE (esp. when he does it in his sleep)
He says mama and dada (I'm pretty sure he doesn't realize he's talking to us, but we'll take it)
If you hug him just before he nurses, he'll grab your face and kiss it (sure, he's just looking for milk, but we'll take that too)
He thinks Amparo is the funniest person EVER and boy, does she love to make him laugh. It's really silly the things she comes up with...
He has a little hair on top of his head and most of the time it's pointed upward in a little wave.

I really do need to post more than once a month, and I need to update on Amparo and Gerrit too. So here goes... Gerrit made a new friend across the street, Tice. His dad is Dutch and so is his name (spelled Tijs, in Holland) and he's seven years old. They moved in a few weeks ago, but Gerrit just discovered him 2 days ago. To call him out to play, Gerrit stands on our sidewalk and faces Tice's house, and yells, "TICE!" -- till he comes out. We're working on teaching Gerrit the proper way of "calling" his friend to play. So now they're buddies. Tice has a little sister Selah and she's 3. Amparo has played with her a little, but she still seems more interested in what her brother is doing. Gerrit makes friends pretty quickly... Amparo is a little more shy and reserved, but after she gets to know you, she is one silly, talkative little fireball.

And right now, Brian and I are in the throes of packing.
Better get back to it...

hair!

Speaking about Oliver, Gerrit exclaimed, "he has hair!"

A blog post

... that I enjoyed reading today

desiring God

(and I have had a grocery checkout lady ask me, "do you know what causes those?" Those, being my children)

Oliver, up to now

The first 6 months...

BROTHERS

My sidekick is 6 months!

Really? Half a year - already?
I watched him a minute as he slept last night... he's looking so big -- bum in air, thumb in mouth. Actually, now that I say that, I guess he is still a baby ; ) (always will be my little baby)

What he's about now...

Sleeping through the night!
He eats a tiny bit of cereal in the morning (I'll have to post the video of his first bites -- I think he prefers mama's milk)
He's working on sitting up -- he's really good at the tripod pose.
He's still so happy and smiley.
When he is upset, his cry's sound like "mama"
He's my little buddy...

(he was sleepy when I took these photographs, hence the lack of a smile. I meant to take some more after his nap, but never got around to it... I'll make sure to get some smiles for his 7 month photo ; ))

Tante Zus

My dad's sister, Bartje, aka Zus (meaning sis in Dutch), passed away yesterday. I never really got to know my dad's bothers and sisters very well... I've met them all (except Gerrit -- he passed away before I was born) a handful of times, but they could only speak Dutch -- we had to communicate through smiles and hugs. But I am so thankful for the stories my dad has told me about growing up with 7 brothers and sisters (and my, all those different personalities!). I was able to see tante Zus when I visited the Netherlands 4 years ago... she looked just like a wonderfully sweet grandma (and one that might bake a lot of cookies).
My heart is heavy and I pray for peace for my family...

Bikes!

On Sunday Brian surprised Amparo with a new pink run bike! I think Gerrit likes to stay one step ahead, so on Monday he learned how to ride a pedal bike. They're both getting better on their bikes everyday! Such big kids!!

Amparo and Oliver

at the exact same age - 5 months

Oliver is 5 months!

Almost half a year has gone by since little Oliver has blessed our lives...
(has it really been that long? can we even remember what it was like without him?)



What he's like now...
Oliver giggles almost every time (seriously, just about every time) I put a shirt on him. It makes dressing so much fun!
He has the stinkiest feet. I didn't know babies could have such stinky little feet. But it still doesn't stop me from kissing them... I just love 'em too much!
He is a little roller.
He started blowing raspberries yesterday. It just adds to the slobbery goodness...
He grabs his toes (I think they'll meet his mouth soon, although, with the smell, maybe not ;))
Oh, and notice how his shirt is a little tight? Yep, he's growing perfectly!

VIDEO!

Yesterday, I made my first video with imovie (Ollie rolls) and now, I think I'm addicted! This is what I worked on last night...
(and sorry about the camera shake...)

Untitled from Brenda Brooks on Vimeo.

Going on right now

it just doesn't get much better than dirt and water...

Ollie Rolls!

He first rolled, from his back to his stomach, on the 16th. I laid him on the floor and went to the potty. When I cam back, he was on his tummy! I missed his first back to front roll... I turned him back over and encouraged him to do it again. He just looked at me like I was crazy. So, after I picked up Gerrit and Amparo from teacher Janet's, we laid Oliver on the floor and then sat down a few feet away (we were sure to be super quiet). And sure enough, he rolled!! I was able to get him on video today...

Little

Amparo was dressing herself this morning... (pants , shirt, all of it)
I asked, "when did you get so big?"
Amparo replied, "I'm not big, I'm little"

Thanks for the reminder baby girl...

Walking To School

One of my favorite activities is walking with Gerrit to pre-school on beautiful Oregon mornings. We talk about the best stuff. For example: Gerrit today was wondering " Why do some dogs look like "Nikki" and some don't"

Jewels

pretty pretty princess

4 Months!

My baby is 4 months!
















A few facts...

He's ticklish. Try it, he will laugh.
He rolled over this morning!!
And he is an expert at holding his head up.
All his daddy has to do is smile at him and Ollie gives a great big smile right back.
He tends to look concerned whenever Amparo gets too close.
And he's drooling like crazy.

Overheard

Amparo to Oliver --

You love me? Well, goodie! I love you too.

Gerrit's New Trick

3 Months!

He coos and smiles and still smells really good...

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Today my daddy is 85! Pretty much from day one I've been a daddy's girl. It was actually recorded that on May 20th 1980, he was first person I gave a smile. Some say it was gas, but I know different. My dad has worked most of his 85 years... starting out very young on farms and factories in the Netherlands. He's strong, hard working, and stubborn (I don't think he'd even deny that last one)... not to mention loving and silly. He's always provided for, and taken care of, his family. I was able to see this at it's greatest when my mom was sick and dying of cancer. I'm proud of my dad and am so grateful that he's mine...

Happy birthday daddy!
I love you three... and more

Bedtime