Swimming!

So Oliver started swimming lessons again last Saturday morning and he got on really well. He was so excited to go that all we heard that morning was "pool" and when we were finished we got "more pool"!!! The pool we are going to is great - steaming hot (I was sweltering on the side!!) and just so much fun. In the half hour lesson they play lots of fun games that get them used to having water splashed over them, being under the water for a short time and jumping in. Some of the games were the same ones that our friend Sue did in her classes in the UK so that was really nice. Safe to say I think someone will be more than happy to go again tomorrow morning! And he's started having baths again at home (rather than having a shower with one of us) which is really nice. He thinks he's back in the pool again!!

We had a fairly busy week going here and there. Yesterday we went to Eagle's Nest which is becoming a regular haunt - so nice in the bad weather - and Oliver ran around like a crazy thing for a couple of hours. He is getting very interested in going to the section for the older kids (the toddler part is for 3 and under) but I knew if I let him in there he'd get stuck at the top somewhere and would want me to get him!! Whilst I don't mind climbing it's not the greatest thing for me right now ;) This afternoon we are off to a birthday party play date in Minneapolis which should be lots of fun.

Me? 9 weeks to go and, as expected, the time is dragging badly. I am starting to get cramps and back ache and I feel like every time I move I say "ouch"!!! I am ready to meet the new Jozwiak but know I have to be patient a little while longer.

And here are a few of Oliver's favourite things to say at the moment:

wipe;wipe please;wipe mummy/daddy - usually referring to a runny nose that needs wiping but could also mean hands and mouth at meal time

thank you mummy/daddy - he just loves to say this at the moment and finds it pretty funny when we say "you're welcome Oliver"

help please mummy/daddy

Oliver - sounds more like "warwar"

waffle - sounds like "offal"!!

bye bye crumbs - he likes to clean the crumbs from his chair and the table after lunch

I'm sure there is tonnes more and I'll remember as soon as I publish this!!

Here are a few pics from swimming and recent days. In the mean time, Go Vikings (just one game away from the Superbowl!!)!!!

Ha ha!! It's fun to splash Daddy!!

This picture shows how hot is in the pool - I had to keep wiping the lens!

We need to work on Oliver's jack-knife position when he's on his back!! He did great laying flat in the bath last night so we'll see if he can do that tomorrow.



So, I ordered some nursing covers for when the baby comes and they arrived in the mail this week. I had to take them out of the packet to look at them and of course Oliver wanted to look too. Here he is wearing one of the covers with bear blankie nestled underneath in the appropriate position :)))

Off to the garage to get Mummy's car serviced - we had to take cars of course.

Playing at Eagle's Nest

Just 10 weeks to go!!

That's right - I am now 30 weeks pregnant so I am starting to feel like I'm in the home straight although the end of March still seems a long way off. Last night Jon and I went to tour the hospital in Maple Grove where we will be having the baby. It only opened just before New Year and is just amazing. Compared to anything I've seen in the UK it is complete luxury :) Even the husbands get their own pull out couch with Tempurpedic mattress! There are flat screens in every room (in case you have the time or energy to watch "on demand" while you're in labour) and whirlpool tubs in every bathroom. They have 6 labour and delivery rooms and then 18 postpartum rooms where you go an hour or two after having the baby and it is normal to stay in the hospital for 48hrs. It all makes me look forward to the big event but I wish my friends and family in the UK could see it (the hospital that is, not the big event - ha ha!!).

In other news, I think we've settled back in at home now although Oliver is still taking long naps in the afternoon. I was pottering about in his room for 15 minutes yesterday afternoon before he finally woke up! Thankfully he has no trouble going back to sleep in the evening but he is waking up early in the morning and we hear him chatting, singing, kicking etc etc etc.

We've had a relatively quiet time since coming back but we've still got out and about. Last Wednesday we went to a new event at the Midtown Global Market. They are doing different activities for the kids every week and last week it was music which Oliver enjoyed. At the weekend Oliver's friend Bryce came over with his mum who very kindly made some curtains for the baby's room for me. We just need to get the pole put up and hang them but I'm very pleased with them. And yesterday we met some new friends at a play date at one of the British mum's houses.

Did I mention last time that Oliver's speech is coming on really well?? He is such a copy cat but does a really good job of trying to say things we do. I must try and get a video of him saying some things because it's really quite funny!! For instance, Lightning McQueen somehow comes out as "godego". I have no idea how this happened but anyone who didn't know Oliver well would wonder what on earth he was going on about!! And of course the inevitable embarrassing moments are starting to happen. One day last week we were out and Oliver says "mummy poo" as if it's the most normal thing in the world to say. Thanks son :))

This weekend is going to be quite exciting as Oliver starts swimming lessons again. Yes, I finally got him enrolled and classes start on Saturday morning - yey :)


Shaking his thing at the music morning!

Snuggled up under the blanket with bear

New PJs part 1 - very cute polar bear PJs from the Curry family (although Oliver is hiding the polar bear! When we put them on he said "bear, bear" and when we zipped up his sleeping bag he said "bye bye bear bear" - awwww :))

New PJs part 2 - Lightning McQueen PJs from Niki and Ellis. These are very special as they have Oliver's name on them as well. Of course this made him say "godego" about a million times.......

UK Christmas 09

So yesterday we returned from our 2 week holiday to the UK. What a wonderful time we had seeing so many people. And Oliver was really a superstar. It amazes me how adaptable he can be sometimes. We were delayed for 3.5hrs on the way out but he went to sleep quickly once we got on the plane and stayed asleep for the majority of the flight. Then it took him only one night to adapt to the time change. And the whole time we were there he slept in lots of different beds and had no problem with that at all. The flight back yesterday wasn't quite so good as he only slept for 1.5hrs and had a couple of tantrums along the way but he had a really good night's sleep, has been to school this morning and is now taking his afternoon nap. So, fingers crossed that he adapts to the time change this way just as easily (unlike his parents who were both up at 4am this morning!).

We spent the first two nights of our trip staying with Niki and Ellis who live pretty close to the airport. It was nice not to have to travel far after the journey over there and so good to see them both. Ellis has grown so much!! And he was wonderful with Oliver giving him lots of hugs. On the Monday morning we went to visit some of my friends who I used to run with so I caught up on all the gossip and realised how much I miss running with them all. Thanks again Sue for the wonderful food!

Later on the Monday we went to Center Parcs for two days - a fab break organised by Steph and Mark. For those who don't know, CP is similar to a resort in the US - there is lots of accommodation on site and then you can do all sorts of activities there. The kids just loved the pool and Oliver had no fear at all when it came to going down the slides designed for the little ones!! He was even braver than his mum when it came to the wave machine ;) And cousin Morgan did an amazing activity where you trek through the trees really high up and then jump off a platform at the end (on a rope of course!!).

After CP we stayed a night with Granddad Graham before heading down to Cornwall on Christmas Eve to spend a week with Nanna Pan and Funny Michael. Steph, Mark, Morgan and Rowan were there for most of the time as well. The boys were absolutely great together and shared their toys really nicely with Oliver. You should have seen the chaos on Christmas morning :))

We headed back "up North" on the 30th and stayed another night with Graham. Then it was cousin Rowan's 4th birthday on New Year's Eve so we spent that night in Taunton. Oliver had a sleepover with his cousins while mum and dad had a hotel room for the night!! Then we had one more night with Niki before paying a flying visit to Deb and Graham in Ware then flying back home yesterday. Phew!!! Where did all that time go???!!!

All in all a great couple of weeks. But now I am on the large side I am quite glad I don't have to travel anymore!! Baby countdown is on :) I must say, this one is becoming quite a wriggler. Will have to get another bump pic soon - maybe when I am 30 weeks (only 10 days or so away!).

We have returned home to some wonderful cold weather, ha ha!! There was a big snowstorm here over Christmas so the piles of snow around the place are just huge. And some of the side roads are just like ice sheets so you have to drive super slow. Oh yeah, and it's silly cold outside - but then it is January!!

Anyway, lots of pics and a couple of videos to share with you. Happy New Year everyone!!


At Niki's playing with cars (of course!)

Hugs from NikNik :)

Ellis soundly beating me at Mario Kart

Love this photo Nik - don't tell me off for posting it!!!

Oliver and Rowan doing some artwork on the chalkboard at CP

Rowan wasn't feeling too well on the last morning so he got hugs from Nanna Pan

Oliver with Granddad Graham

Reading the newspaper with Daddy!

Oliver's favourite game - get as many cushions as possible and hide underneath them

Doing Aquadoodle with Mummy

Rowan helping Nanna Pan to cook

The rather large pile of presents waiting on Christmas morning

Mark and Jon surgically attached to their i-whatevers.....

Rowan and Oliver having breakfast together


Present opening!!!

Funny Michael in his Santa apron!!

Awwww - Aunty Steph and Oliver

Nanna Pan snuggling with her two youngest grandsons

Looks like we caught Oliver red handed going for an apple ;)))

Morgan, Oliver and Rowan eating (again!)

On the swings at the park near Nanna's

....and the train

.....and climbing the net

Hugs from big cousin Morgan

New Year's Eve and a birthday wouldn't be the same without a beer right??!!