Olliebaby at 8 months-ish

Since birth, Ollie has been dying to try my food. In the hospital, he slept like a log...until they brought my tray of food. He would instantly perk up and look interested, and then cry to eat. And now, without fail, everytime I cook dinner and put it on the table, he gets frantic. As do I, since I feel like it's been forever since I've eaten dinner in peace. I wilt when I am hungry. So, John's been bugging me to buy those puff things and I finally did . HE LOVES THEM(Ollie, not John). Pre-puff era: he would scream bloody murder waiting for me to mix his cereal + veggies or fruit. Post-puff era: he patiently waits for me while happily munching away. I did not realize how stressed out he made me--rushing around shaking and fumbling to get his food ready. I am loving this new fingerfood era.

In addition to the puffs, Ollie in now crawling everywhere. As I've probably mentioned before, crawling is my favorite stage. I just think babies look so adorable when they crawl.

I seriously get so excited watching Ollie do anything new, you would think he was my 1st. I'm pretty sure the doctor's office thought so too last friday. Calvin had croup the week before and Ollie had been coughing all week. On friday morning I thought I heard a whistle/strider sound coming from Ollie, so I made an appt for that afternoon. Then an hour later, I cancelled the appt cuz I thought it was just his nose whistling...only to call back an hour later to reschedule cuz I thought his throat or mouth was indeed whistling. Thankfully, Ollie greeted Dr. Shah with an enourmous hacking cough. Even Dr. Shah looked properly impressed by it... until he listened to his chest and then promptly shoed me out of his office with a dismissive wave.

And Ollie is definitely following in the footsteps of his brothers. It seems like everytime I put him down, he manages to find a drumstick and something to drum on. I don't remember my other boys doing this but, then again, we did not have drumsticks lying around everywhere.

And now that he's crawling, he's been tenaciously attacking Calvin's make-shift drums every chance he gets. Of course Finn is immune to all this, perched high on his throne(a bonus to his monster drum set I guess). But poor Calvin is flipping out from his newest competitor. As much as I love this whole crawling stage, I have to say, it's been a little tough refereeing little drummers the last 2 days.

Me: Calvin, can Ollie have this drum?
Calvin: No-oo, it's my bass.
Me: Well then, can he have this one?
Calvin: No-oo, it's my tom.(hm--wonder where he gets that from)

And when all the action gets to be too much for Ollie, he crawls onto my lap, for safety, which I love. And gives me one of his huge ear-to-ear grins.

I always suspected Ollie has been dying to be part of the action, but I just never realized just how much. I guess it makes sense, considering he's heard them drumming since before he was even born.

And here we are now...At 8 months I have this puff eating-drumming-grinning-crawling little mama's boy(well, at least til the "switch-over"** happens). You've come a long way Olliebaby!

**the switch-over is a term John coined for when the boys are done nursing and switch their allegiences over to him.