The Ballard Family

I apologize...

2009-04-13T18:30:00.000-07:00

I know! I know! I have been MIA since Christmas Eve! Life has been crazy and minutes to update my blog have been... well not there! I promise to get back on track however the thought of catching up makes me cringe so I am going to just start from present day and when I have the time I will go back and do some fillin' in! So with that said... here are some stinkin' cute pics of Miss Olivia! She decided to cooperate 100% with the photographer! Easter fun will come tomorrow!

This is what happens when...

2008-12-24T10:36:00.000-08:00

... you let daddy and Olivia decorate cookies for Santa.

No words needed!

2008-12-18T10:34:00.000-08:00

Seriously... this picture makes me laugh really hard!

Ho Ho Ho

2008-12-15T10:32:00.000-08:00

Well... it is official! Olivia does not like that Santa man. She cried a little but mostly just kept looking at him and then looking at me then back at him!

A Year in Review

2008-12-14T13:24:00.000-08:00

One Month

Two Months

Three Months

Four Months

Five Months

Six Months
Seven Months

Eight Months

Nine Months

Ten Months

Eleven Months
ONE Year Old

The Big Day!

2008-12-13T08:51:00.000-08:00

Olivia's first birthday party was an amazing day. Our family all gathered (crammed) into our home to help us celebrate the joy that Olivia has brought to us this past year. Of course I had to have a theme... Winter ONEderland! Snowflakes hung from the ceiling and the Snowman Soup (hot chocolate) was fully stocked.

The invitation. Although I would like to take credit for this I am going to have to say that Auntie Jen may have helped a teeny tiny bit.

Grab your hat and mittens

It's time for winter fun.

Snowflakes, sledding and presents

Olivia's turning ONE!

Some of the yummy food!

Snowflake cupcakes

The Penguin Cupcakes

The alien snowman cookies

Chocolate covered snowballs

Olivia's special cake for her to destroy.

And destroy it she did...

All in all in was a wonderful day! We can hardly believe that our baby will be ONE tomorrow!

Christmas and One Year Pictures

2008-12-06T13:22:00.000-08:00

I can not believe how big she is getting!

More fun with the Bologna's

2008-12-06T08:45:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite things to do is hang out with our friends the Bologna's. Our gilrs are only three months apart and we love watching them discovering new things together. So once again we embarked on an adventure to Holiday Nights at Greenfield Village. It was freezing and Olivia had a melt down that may be the worst melt down she has ever had but we still managed to have some fun... although the picture taking was a bit less than usual. The Ballard's can harly wait for our next Ballard/Bologna adventure!

The girls all bundled up.

Group Shot!

Fascinated!

2008-12-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

Olivia is fascinated by the Christmas lights. If our tree is not lit up she will stand by it and clap her hands until we plug it in then she says "oooo...".

No words needed!

2008-12-01T08:32:00.000-08:00

This is the one...

2008-11-29T08:31:00.000-08:00

This is the one I want daddy! It's perfect!

Build a Bear

2008-11-27T08:19:00.000-08:00

Grandma decided that it would be great fun to take all the grandkids to Build a Bear the day after Thanksgiving to make a cuddly friend. It was quite an adventure! Olivia choose a cute monkey to take home with her.

Olivia helping stuff her monkey- she did not like that loud machine!

Adding the heart!
Giving her Monkey a bath!

Helping mommy make her monkey's birth certificate. We named him BANANAS!

Grandma and the kiddos and their new friends! This was take like 50!
Thanks Grandma!!!

Kissing Cousins!

2008-11-26T08:16:00.000-08:00

Simon goes in for the kill and Olivia give the classic "you gotta be kidding me" look.

A New Way to Ride

2008-11-23T08:14:00.000-08:00

Well.. the big change has happend. No more sweet little baby car seat. We have moved on to the big car seat... the big girl car seat. I admit I got a bit misty eyed while putting her in it this morning.

Even Princesses Have Bad Days

2008-11-21T08:10:00.000-08:00

First Taste of Winter

2008-11-16T18:33:00.000-08:00

Literally! Olivia had her first taste of fresh Michigan snow today. Of course she loved being outside even if it was snowy and cold. Looks like we are going to have a fun winter with our little snow bunny!

11 Months Old!

2008-11-14T18:24:00.000-08:00

Wow!!! Eleven months old already! Look at how big our girl is getting. She is changing so much and learning so many new things it is hard to keep our eyes off of her. She has 4 little teeth that are cute as be, her first steps are only days away and she is slowly taking herself off of baby food. She is growing up into a toddler! She has a great sense of humor and loves to play games. The magnets on the fridge are the current obsession so we spend lots of time on the kitchen floor taking magnets off and putting them back on the fridge. She absolutely LOVES other kids and has so much fun going to school everyday. Only one more month until we have a ONE YEAR OLD on our hands. Happy 11 months sweetie pie! We love you!

First Pistons Game

2008-11-09T18:16:00.000-08:00

Tonight the Ballard's were invited by the Bologna's to a Piston's game. Of course we said YES and I admit all I could think about were the cute pictures I could take! Livy was decked out in her Pistons gear. She loved watching everything that was going on around her and of course made friends with the strangers sitting in back of us! And even the theough the Pistons got crushed we had a great time! Thanks Bologna's for inviting us.

Watching the game with daddy!

The family- look at the gummy little grin!

I am pretty sure she could be the Pistons mascot!

Livy and Mackenzie- cute as can be!

Gotta Love the Shirt!

2008-11-03T18:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T05:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween from our little penguin!!!

Seriously... how cute is she???

Pumpkin Carving!

2008-10-30T04:43:00.000-07:00

Tonight was pumpkin carving night... a favorite night around our house. We had some friends over, drank some apple cider, ate some apple pie and carved away... oh and took lots of pictures too. Olivia actually really got into it and LOVED the pumpkin guts.

Helping mommy scoop out the guts!

What is this???

No fears of yucky gunk here!

She loved squeezing the guts!

She just had to have one taste... and after one taste she did not try it again. Smart girl.

Even the tootsies had some fun!

Happy as can be with her pumpkins!

Closer and Closer

2008-10-26T06:34:00.000-07:00

We are getting closer and closer to Olivia taking her first step (mommy is NOT happy about this by the way). She is standing and balancing great and moves her left foot out in front of her. She just can't quite figure out what comes next. She thinks it is great fun and loves how excited mommy and daddy get. We say "YAH" and she starts clapping her hands immediately.

Greenfield Village

2008-10-24T06:20:00.000-07:00

Tonight we, along with our good friends the Bologna's, headed to Greenfield Village for some Halloween fun! Despite the rain we had a great time. The Bologna's little girl is 3 months younger than Olivia, so as you can imagine, we were very excited to dress our girls up in their Halloween costumes. Mackenze was a beautiful little flower and Olivia was a cutie pahtootie little penguin. 800 carved jack-o'lanterns lit our path as we went trick or treating. My question is this: How long does it take to gut and carve 800 pumpkins?

Seriously... how cute are they?

Our little pengiun was DONE with pictures at this point!

LEAVES!

2008-10-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

So I have been counting down to the time when I could take pictures of Olivia playing in the autumn leaves. The time finally came and then I realized that we do not have any trees at our house. No trees = no leaves. So what would any good, picture taking obsessive mother do? Find the nearest park of course. Hey, at least I left the rake at home! While I did get some odd looks from spectators, Olivia and I had a great time playing, throwing and eating leaves (okay, only Olivia ate them).

Traverse City Time!

2008-10-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

Every year Ryan and I go to Traverse City for our anniversary. This year we decided to take Olivia with us since she is still too little to leave (in other words, I couldn't bear leaving her)! So off we went for an adventure. Olivia actually did great. The hotel went better than expected and we had gorgeous weather so we spent lots of time outside. Happy 9 years, hubby!

Olivia checking out the view from our hotel balcony!

Hanging out with daddy on the beach!With mommy in the woods!
Playing in the sand at the dunes.
Olivia dreaming of what she will get to taste is the future.

Swinging with mommy on the beach

Daddy daughter time

Livy Lu... all she wanted to do was eat the rocks.

The Family.

Ten Months Old!

2008-10-14T06:23:00.000-07:00

Olivia is already 10 months old! She is such a little sweetie and we are having so much fun watching her grow up and explore the world around her. She is learning so much so fast! She is cruising along furniture at lightning speed and it won't be long before she takes her first step. She has been taste testing lots of new foods with her two bottom teeth but cheese and kiwi are still her all time favorites. She gives kisses when we ask for them and claps when we say "YAH". She has the most hilarous belly laugh that keeps us laughing as well. She has begun to "play shy" when people she doesn't know talk to her but she warms up quickly. Her teddy bear is still her bestest friend and he goes EVERYWHERE with us. Outside time is still her favorite time of the day. She loves exploring (and by exploring I mean EAT) the grass, leaves and flowers. It is so hard to believe that 10 months have already gone by and are little baby is turning into a little lady. We love you punky! Happy 10 months!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

2008-10-11T06:20:00.000-07:00

I love my new wagon!

Apple Pickin' Time

2008-10-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

Today we spent the day at Erwin Orchards with our friends, the Bologna's. We had a great time picking apples and exploring the orchard. Although if you ask Chrissy or I, the real reason we went to the orchard was to take pictures of our girls.

Olivia eating her first apple. She actually did manage to take a bite out of it with her two little bottom teeth and then enjoyed sucking the juice out of the apple.

Hanging out in the orchard.
Livy and Kenzie
Picking apples with Daddy.
The familyMommy and Olivia in an apple tree.

After a long day at the apple orchard...

Future Little Farmer!

2008-10-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

Daddy...

2008-10-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

... can I have one? PUH-LEASE????????

Stylish Baby!

2008-10-03T08:15:00.000-07:00

Too bad the leg warmmers barely fit past those chunky little thighs!

Just stopping in...

2008-10-01T08:12:00.000-07:00

... to say "HI"!!!!

More Guessing!

2008-09-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

Olivia will not be a bug (although she was VERY close to being a butterfly), a super girl or a peacock. By the way... a peacock? Do they even make peacock costumes, Kelly? So I have been asked for more hints. It is an animal and it was one of Livy's favorite animals to watch at the zoo this past summer. Any guesses?

Make a Guess!

2008-09-25T05:08:00.000-07:00

So we bought Olivia's Halloween costume last night and I must say it is adorable. Sadly I will not be sharing with you what she will be (I know... the suspense is killing you)! Feel free to make a guess if you so desire. I will be nice and give a little hint: For those of you who know me well you will guess a princess or fairy or something girlie. Well... I am throwing you all off and letting you know it is none of the above. More hints to follow.

Our Lil Punkin!

2008-09-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

Seriously... how cute is she???

Miss Independant

2008-09-15T06:03:00.000-07:00

Yes... Olivia can now hold her own bottle although I will admit I do not encourage it. I LOVE cuddling with her and singing with her as I feed her her bubba! Tonight, however, Olivia thought it was great fun and VERY funny that she could hold her own bottle. She scooted herself off my lap, sat next to me, took her bubba and tipped her little head back as far as she could and fed herself. Why can't she stay little forever?

Did you hear...

2008-09-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

I can say dada and mama now!

Just is case you were wondering...

2008-09-14T05:59:00.000-07:00

... I am a...

Nine Months Old!

2008-09-14T05:52:00.000-07:00

Our baby is nine months old!!!!! This past month has been so fun with her as she is finding more and more of her independance. She crawls everywhere and is super fast- we are thinking of entering her in a diaper derby! She pulls herself up on the furniture and walks along anything she can get her hands on. She has been trying lots of "big girl" food: cheese, kiwi, bananas, yogurt, cottage chesses, carrots, peas, green beans, toast, waffles, english muffins and she may have tried a french fry today as well! She is extremely vocal and will talk to anyone about anything. She loves bathtime and all toys that are obnoxious and make noise. She has two little teeth and is super ticklish under her chin. What will the next month hold?

This is what happens...

2008-09-13T05:50:00.000-07:00

... when you have curly hair and it is humid outside. Poor girl!

First Trip to the Cider Mill

2008-09-10T05:40:00.000-07:00

Since we have been having such amazing fall weather we decided it was time to take Olivia to the cider mill. It was her first trip of many this fall. She loved being outside but I must say that the ducks were her favorite. When they quacked, she yelled. She also helped mommy feed the ducks but she got very upset that the ducks were eating HER donut! we are looking forward to lots of fall memories.

Tasting her first donut. she liked it!

Helping mommy feed the ducks!

Olivia's Dedication

2008-09-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

This morning was very special to our family. It was Olivia's dedication. Since we are in the process of church hunting we went to the church Ryan grew up at for her dedication. It was a very sweet dedication and Olivia did great! She smiled while we were up front and when the pastor held her she was happy as can be. Ryan's parents were there and his two sisters. My parents, my sister and niece drove in from Grand Rapids for the occassion. And surrogate Uncle Lincoln was there too! Olivia looked adorable in her dress... of course.

The proud parents

Pastor David and Livy
Happy Family

Auntie Jen, Anna and Olivia

The Grandparents

Aunt Kathy and Olivia

Out Little Princess

Please mommy...

2008-09-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

... can't I go outside??? I want to be free!!!

It's all you need...

2008-08-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

A new way...

2008-08-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

... to play with her exosaucer!

Daddy's Little Flower!

2008-08-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

Daddy bought Olivia a bright orange Gerber Daisy today to brighten her day (he bought mommy flowers too)! I gave it to Livy to see what she would do with it. She tried to eat it of course but then thought it was a great new toy. Thanks for my flower daddy!

She thinks she's hot stuff...

2008-08-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

Now that Olivia can pull herself to a standing position she thinks she is hot stuff! Her favorite thing to do is stand right where her mobile is and get her little sweet head lost amongst the butterflies. Funny little girl!

What a face!

2008-08-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

Olivia has started to do this crazy spitting thing. There is really no way to describe it and do it justice. All I can say is it is hilarious. She does it all the time and once she starts she doesn't stop. The best is when she does it in public. I did manage to catch a picture of the face she makes... it is priceless!

First Pony Ride!

2008-08-16T07:07:00.000-07:00

Today Olivia and I, along with our friend Erica, went to Melonfest in Howell. Sadly we gave the festival two thumbs down but Olivia did get to ride her very first pony. She loved it. She had a smile plastered on her face the entire time and she kept patting the pony. She seems to have a crazy love for animals already and gets so excited to see them and pet them. Here are a few pictures of her and the pony. By the way, she has already asked her Daddy for a pony for her birthday!

8 Months

2008-08-14T11:01:00.001-07:00

Our little girl is now 8 MONTHS OLD!!! Only four more months to the big first birthday bash- I should really start planning now! This past month has been so fun with Olivia. Her personality is shining thru more and more and she is definetely showing off her independence more and more as well. She is a girl on the go and doesn't like to do the same thing for any extended period of time- which makes entertaining her very interesting. She is crawling all over the place, into everything and discovering her voice for the second time- very loudly I might add. She smiles all the time and is the most beautiful baby girl! Her first little tooth has poked through and this morning was standing in her crib when I went to get her up. She is growing up so fast! Happy 8 months sweetie!

Another trip to the zoo!

2008-08-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

Tonight, despite the possibilty of rain, the Ballard's and Bologna's ventured off to spend some time with the animals at the zoo. We had a very relaxing time just walking around and exploring and enjoying time with "our girls." Here a few pictures of our evening:

The "GIRLS" hanging out in the polar bear exhibit.

Exploring the "COLD WALL"
Living the life of a prairie dog!

The next Picasso

2008-08-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

Being the brave and super fun mommy that I am, I decided to finger paint with Olivia tonight. She actually really got into it and only managed to eat a tiny bit- gotta love nontoxic paint!

Proceeding with caution!

Two hands!!!!

Who can resist that face!

Our little Ballerina!

2008-08-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

Saw it! Had to buy it! Enough said! Needs no explanation!

First Icecream Cone!

2008-08-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

So Olivia and I shared an icecream cone today. It was super yummy- Livy thought so too! I think she ended up wearing more on her face then she actually ate but what she did get into her mouth she loved.

Family Pictures!

2008-08-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

We had our first set of family pictures taken tonight! Here are some of our favorites!

Lots of friends!

2008-07-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

Olivia has really fallen in love with her stuffed animals the last couple of weeks. They usually hang out in the corner in her room and whenever she sees them she squeals and beelines right for them. She loves to give them kisses and suck on their little noses.

Crazy hair!

2008-07-28T07:26:00.000-07:00

This is how Olivia looks once we take the pony tails out!

New Favorite Spot!

2008-07-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

Now that Olivia is on the move she has found a new favorite spot in the house. We have a window next to our front door that goes all the way down to the floor- perfect Livy size! She loves to crawl over to it and check out what's going on in the neighborhood. She is a bit on the nosey side.

Checking out what's going on!

You can't really tell in this picture but her little nose is smashed against the glass.

Another new trick!

2008-07-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

When Olivia came home from school today she seemed really tired so I layed her in her crib for a little nap before dinner. After about 10 minutes I still heard her jabbering away so I went to check on her and this is what I found...

Apparently Olivia now knows how to sit up from a laying down position!

Quality time with Daddy!

2008-07-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

Time to buy some baby gates!

2008-07-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's begun!

Mackenzie and Olivia!

2008-07-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

Our dear friends, Mike and Chrissy, gave birth to their daughter Mackenzie just about three months after Olivia's birth. We just know that the two of them will be great friends and we are so excited to raise our girls together. However we have also come to terms that they are going to be DOUBLE TROUBLE! Tonight we were all at a mutual friends house and it just so happend that our girls wore matching outfits. I am pretty sure they called each other before the party to plan this all out. Of course a photo session was a must!

I think a little coversation like this took place between the girls:

Mackenzie: Do you see what our moms are making us do?

Olivia: Yep. I think we better just get used to it.

Mackenzie: Okay but I am not going to smile.

Olivia: I'll smile but I just won't look at the camera.

Olivia thinks she is "So Big" while Mackenzie is praying the photo session will end soon.

Our hands are the coolest!

The Children's Museum

2008-07-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

With the chance of rain lingering in the air we opted for an indoor activity today... the Grand Rapids Children's Museum. It was a lot of fun seeing the kids explore all the different activities. Olivia especially loved tasting everything!

Playing with legos!

Hangin' out in the dog house.

Playing with some balls.

Lots of Livy's!

There was this tunnel of mirrors that Olivia thought was great fun.

Hanging out with cousins!

We had a great time in Grand Rapids!

A Day at the Gardens!

2008-07-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

Today Livy and I ventured off to Grand Rapids to spend a few days with my family. It was an especially hot and humid day so Auntie Jen, Grandma, cousins Anna and Simon Olivia and I went to the Children's Gardens to splish and splash in the great lakes- or a replica of the great lakes I should say. Since water was involved Olivia loved it and got soaked from head to toe.

Soaking the tooties!

Time to taste a boat!
Checking out the water wall with Grandma Getting mommy VERY wet
Wading in the water

Teddy Bear!

2008-07-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

Olivia has had a little trouble falling asleep at night. I think she is lonely and doesn't like being in her room by herself. So one night I handed her, Fleming, her teddy bear. She instantly grabbed him and fell fast asleep. I think I may need to go find a second bear... just in case.

When Livy is at school...

2008-07-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

... this is what they do to her!!!

In the middle of her bottle...

2008-07-15T06:46:00.000-07:00

... she fell fast asleep!

Army crawling!

2008-07-15T06:41:00.000-07:00

The army crawling has begun and she is fast!

7 months!

2008-07-14T06:25:00.000-07:00

Olivia is getting so big! It's hard to believe that she is already 7 months old. Her personality is shining through and it is very evident that... WE ARE IN TROUBLE! We have had so much fun watching her grow and develop into her own unique self. She is learning so much right now it is hard to keep up with her. She is curious about everything and wants to explore whatever she can. Outside time is her all time favorite. She can never seem to get enough fresh air. She loves singing and talking and playing with blocks. She adores school and is currently the only girl in her class so she has her pick of all the boys!!! Happy 7 months, little one!

A Day at the Lake!

2008-07-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

Today was spent at the lake with friends! We had a great time. It was Olivia's first time IN a lake. She has been in a heated pool, a hot tub and at the edge of a lake. But this was the first time in colder water. Needless to say... she thought it was great fun. She splashed and kicked and giggled! Here are a few pictures of her time in the water.

The First Cheerio!

2008-07-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

You would have thought we were torturing her!

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

Our Little Sparkler!

We had a great July 4th! Ryan was out of town (sigh!) but Livy and I managed to keep busy. We started off the morning going to the parade in Northville. Olivia loved every minute of this. She loved the fire trucks and their loud sirens (yep- she laughed as they drove by her!). She absolutely LOVED all the people and enjoyed "talking" to anybody that would listen to her.

Watching the parade (notice the tongue)!

After lunch we went to Kensington Park to camp out until the fireworks started. While we waited we stopped by the petting farm to see some animals. Olivia made some new friends... the cows! The baby cown liked to lick Livy's toes and the big cow wanted to lick her head.

Just had to get one together!

Sparklers are my very favorite thing to do on the 4th. In the past, I have sent Ryan out on the 4th to find me sparklers because it is simply not the 4th without them. And four or five store later... he found them. With all that said... I just had to introduce them to Livy. And to anyone out there freaking out... NO she did not hold one and NO she didn't even come close to one.

The fireworks didn't start until 10:10 p.m. so I was not sure how Olivia would do. Surprisingly she fell asleep in my arms before they started and stayed asleep through them.

Waiting for the fireworks to start!

Fast Asleep!

Splash Universe!

2008-06-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

Today we went with some friends to Splash Universe- an indoor waterpark! It was a lot of fun and Olivia LOVED the water. It was her first time in a pool and it is evident she is going to be a little fishy! As the day went on she began to splash more and more. She constantly kicked her little legs and got mad if we took her out of the water. Looks like it is going to be a fun summer and I foresee lots of trips to the lake and pool!

Six Month Pictures!

2008-06-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

Just had to share!

Sippy Cup Time

2008-06-25T06:45:00.000-07:00

So I decided to give Olivia a sippy cup tonight to see what she would do with it. I figured she would just play with it and then throw it. Nope! She grabs it by the handles and puts the spout in her mouth and starts sucking. WHAT? There was only a tiny bit of water in the cup so I helped her tip it back and she started drinking away. She is so smart!

A Letter to Auntie Jen

2008-06-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Auntie Jen-

You kept telling my mommy to put my hair in piggytails- well she finally listened. Then she decided she needed to take lots of pictures of me with piggys! I love you, Auntie Jen, but I blame you 100% for this! Love, Olivia

PS- These are the sunglasses you bought me for Easter. They look super cute on me Mommy says but I just like to eat them.

A Very Special Meeting

2008-06-23T06:29:00.000-07:00

Last June our dear friends, The Milano Family, moved to Georgia to go to school. We were very sad to see them go... especially me since I was pregnant and really wanted Kelly around since she has 5 kids of her own! So through lots of emails, phone calls and texts we have stayed in touch and have been counting down the days until they could come home for a visit and meet our little Olivia. Well... the year actually flew by and they are now visiting for three weeks!!! YAH! We have lots of fun stuff planned while they are here. Tonight they came over for dinner and were able to love all over our baby and Ryan and I were able to love all over their five!

Tim and Livy

Kelly and Livy (Kelly hates this picture but I think it is cute)

A "Berry" Special Day

2008-06-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to be adventurous and take Olivia strawberry picking. We pulled up to the strawberry field at 8:00 a.m.- nice and early. The field was already full of cute little old ladies picking their hearts out. It was so quite and peaceful... I almost felt bad taking Livy out of the car because I knew that the peace and quite was about to be interrupted. And sure enough I get Olivia into her stoller and she starts squealing a yelling with delight. Luckily all the ladies thought Livy was just a doll in her strawberry hat and they did not seem to mind the sudden disruption of silence. So we (and by "we" I mean "me") picked for about and hour and then headed home to make some yummy jam. Olivia was a big help and I am sure when we go next year she will be even more helpful (maybe I'll leave her with daddy next year!).

Watching mommy pick strawberries!

The sweetest berry in the field!

With the loot!

Adding a little extra love (drool) to the strawberries.

Mashing!

Adding the sugar!
Mixing it all up!
Yah! We did it!

Squeaky Clean!

2008-06-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

The Girl is in Charge!

2008-06-18T07:10:00.000-07:00

Daddy went out of town which means the girls have 100% of the remote. Olivia has had her fair share of control over the remote. She took full advatage of slobbering all over it!

6 Months Already!

2008-06-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

Can somebody please tell me where the last 6 months have gone and how in the world our baby is already half a year old? So at the 6 month mark this is where we are at:
* Sitting up is great fun and makes playing with toys so much more interesting
* Fruit and veggies are the best... bottles she would do without if we let her
* Rolling over- highly overrated so why do it?
* Toes are very ticklish
* Outside time is the best time of day
* Livy must have her blanket when she takes a nap. No blanket = No nap
* Jumping has been and still is her FAVORITE thing to do

Happy 6 months little girl! We love you!

Time for a vacation!

2008-06-16T13:22:00.001-07:00

We had our first little vacation as a family last weekend! We ventured to Traverse City with Karen's family for a little fun in the sun! I am not sure what we were thinking... 6 adults and 3 children- it was an adventure! While Olivia was a bit out of sorts she had lots of fun hanging with her Grandma and Grandpa, Auntie Jen, Uncle Joel and cousins Anna and Simon. She loved the water and the sand too! It was very windy while we were there which she thought was great- the wind would blow and Olivia would squeal and laugh and stick out her tongue! So now we are home and needing a vacation from our vacation!

In the car ready to go!

First feel of Grand Traverse Bay!

Swinging with Mommy and Grandma!

Livy and Auntie Jen!

Pondering the meaning of life!

First hot tub experience!

Celebrating mommy's 30th birthday!

Auntie Jen bought Olivia this dress for one of my showers with specific instructions that this was for Traverse City! The time finally came and it fit perfectly! My little sailor girl!

Checking out the water all by herself!
Olivia got introduced to bubbles in Traverse City! She is quite confused by them!

One big happy family!

Out of power!

2008-06-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

The Ballard home was out of power for a few days due a tree falling on some power lines in our neighbors backyard. Let me tell ya... 6 month old baby + no electricity = mass chaos! We survived though and I took full advantage of having a photo session with my baby! She was very photogenic!
Showing off her polka dot pj's! She is so stinkin' cute!

Tooty Fruity!

2008-06-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

Applesauce!

Bananas!
Peaches- might be a new fav!

Dear Mom,

2008-06-04T13:03:00.000-07:00

You don't need to buy me any more toys! I like the boxes they come in much better!

Love, Olivia

A new way of bathing!

2008-06-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

We had to buy Olivia her next step up bathtub because... she is crazy! Her cute little baby tub was getting much too small for her, not to mention now that she can sit up on her own she tries to pull herself up and flip herself over. She was not too sure of the new way of bathing at first but once she discovered her toys it was love! She kept leaning over the front of the seat and splashing in the water!

This made me laugh...

2008-05-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

I saw this on another blog and had to get in on the fun!!!

And the tasting continues...

2008-05-27T06:53:00.000-07:00

Carrots

Green Beans
Sweet Peas
I am convinced Olivia does not have taste buds. She LOVED all of these sides dishes- even the nasty peas! Onto fruits we go!

Getting So Big!

2008-05-26T07:28:00.000-07:00

To say Olivia loves her exosaucer would be a huge understatement. She has mastered all the buttons and movable parts and jumps like a crazy woman! I am convinced she is going to launch herself right out of it one of these days!

A moment with mommy...

2008-05-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

Today we went to friends house for a BBQ! They have a huge, gorgeous backyard complete with a little stream. I decided to give Olivia's little toes a dunk. She wasn't sure at first but seemed to not mind too much in the end!

A Day at the Zoo!

2008-05-24T06:59:00.000-07:00

Today was Olivia's first trip to the zoo. Us, along with some friends, decided to take our little ones to the zoo for some family fun- what were we thinking??????? Now don't get me wrong it was a ton of fun but 4 kids at the zoo was quite an adventure- and two of the kids were babies! Olivia had a great day. She loves being outside in the sunshine and was loving watching everything that was going on around her. While the napping was few and far between she did great.

A Family Picture!

Daddy and Livy
She loves riding in the stroller!
Time for a short nap!
I should note that all the animal pictures were taken by Ryan with specific instructions that they were for the blog!

I have been waiting for this moment!

2008-05-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

Don't ask me why but I have been waiting for Olivia to find her toes. Well last night she found them and just kind of looked at them and tonight she pulled them right into her mouth. It was the cutest thing!

Daddy has a bite too!

Five Month Pictures

2008-05-18T05:52:00.000-07:00

For your viewing pleasure!

A New Term of Endearment!

2008-05-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

Squash Face!

Don't Cry!

2008-05-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

It's okay, Olivia! Don't cry! Auntie Jen will update her blog soon with pictures of your cousins!

Five Months!

2008-05-14T07:11:00.000-07:00

Okay... I am not sure where the last five months have gone but today we celebrate Livy's FIVE MONTH Birthday!

What are some of Olivia's favorite things:
* JUMPING!!!!!
* Sitting up all by herself. She is a bit independent already!
* Food- all of it! She especially loves blowing raspberries while eating her food!
* JUMPING!
* Giving kisses to mommy and daddy by sucking on their face.
* Toys! Toys! Toys!
* Putting everything in her mouth!
* JUMPING!
* Making new sounds!
* Being outside!
* Her octopus toy that hangs from her carseat.
* Looking in the mirror!
* Did I mention JUMPING!!!!

Happy Five Months Olivia!

A New Set of Wheels

2008-05-13T07:01:00.000-07:00

It was such a gorgeous day outside that I decided to take Olivia for a walk through our neighborhood. I didn't feel like pulling out her huge, ridiculously heavy stroller. So instead I unpacked her "Retro Ride" that Grandma and Auntie Jen bought for her. To say Olivia LOVED it would be understatement. She was so proud that her feet could dangle over the edge of the stoller allowing the breeze to tickle her toes. Her legs kicked nonstop! Unlike her carseat stroller she couldn't keep an eye on mommy so every so often she would arch her back and look up at me to make sure I was still there. Too cute!

Sweet Potatoes Anyone?

2008-05-12T06:57:00.000-07:00

So while most children make faces as they are offered their first bites of "real" food, Olivia only screamed at me when the second bite did not come fast enough for her liking!

Happy Mommy's Day!

2008-05-11T07:04:00.000-07:00

Now that I am a mommy I LOVE that there is a holiday to celebrate us! I had a fabulous first Mommy's Day and was spoiled rotten by Olivia and Daddy! Ryan bought me a beautiful pink rose bush for my flower garden (now I just have to keep it alive) and a gorgeous diamond necklace that has a mom and child together forming a heart (my description can do it no justice). Olivia bought me (with some help from daddy I am sure) lots of smelly bath stuff from LUSH. Olivia also made me potholders and dish towels at school with her handprints and footprints! on them that now hang in my kitchen. I got to spend lots of time loving on my baby all day and she was especially cuddly which I loved!

Happy Anniversary Grandma and Grandpa!

2008-05-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated Grandma and Grandpa's (Karen's mom and dad) 40th wedding anniversary! Olivia and I drove to Grand Rapids to take them out to dinner along with Auntie Jen, Uncle Joel and cousins Anna and Simon. Daddy had lots of gigs this weekend so he was unable to join us. Olivia, of course, had a fancy dress for the occasion. Here are a few pics from the evening.