Famous Tush

Olivia's magazine debut pretty much focuses on her cute little behind (to highlight the Chicago themed diaper cover). Oddly enough this is a case of like mother, like daughter. My behind has also been exposed in the media. Back in 2006, I worked on an Oprah show called "Does My Butt Look Big?" and unfortunately my behind was needed to demonstrate the do's and don'ts of undies. I thought it would just be a quick hit on the show, but the images of my butt ended up being the homepage of the website for days on end (see below). I would have to say Olivia's rear is much cuter!

Steady Now, Steady

Olivia is getting much steadier when it comes to standing on her own. She can stand for quite a long period, but usually it's because she is distracted by a toy or something and doesn't realize she is standing. Last week at our Wiggleworms music class, she literally stood for over a minute because she was mesmerized by the teacher's guitar. It was quite impressive.

Grocery Shopper

Olivia loves the grocery store. Sitting in the cart like a big girl is one of her favorite things to do. And working to get the attention of every single person in the store is the next best thing.

Breaking News!

Earlier this month my sister got a tweet about Time Out Chicago Kids looking for babies for their next issue/cover. We thought it would be fun to submit our little Olivia via this blog. I mean, she is the happiest baby with more facial expressions than most adults, so we figured we'd give it a shot and see what happens. And...they agreed!

They picked Olivia as one of three babies to shoot for the issue. One baby would make the cover. One baby would make the interior. And one baby would get cut! Sam claims he could see the stage mom in me coming out at the thought of her not making it. The shoot was a naked baby in just a diaper with a Chicago themed diaper cover and Olivia turned on her charm.

So....today we found out that Olivia made the issue! She's the interior baby on the spread and also in the table of contents, so she actually made it twice. That's my girl!

Here are some of the extra pictures from the shoot. (Once the issue comes out in the next two weeks, stay tuned for the actual spread in the magazine to be posted or go buy your own issue!)

Playtime!

Mirror, Mirror

Mirror, Mirror on the wall...who's the cutest baby of them all?

According to Olivia, the answer would be herself.

Hey there baby...

Give me five...

Okay, now give me a kiss!

Best Buds and Baby Girls

The Godfather

Lately there is a love affair going on between Uncle Sam and his goddaughter Saoirse. Whenever they are together, there are lots of squeals, laughs, tickles and hugs. It's pretty adorable. I think Olivia is starting to get jealous.
Saoirse can't quite say "Sam" yet, but we've determined that she's started calling him "DoDo." I like it.

Brrr, It's Cold Outside!

It's just above zero here in Chicago, so it's a good thing that Olivia has plenty of cute hats to keep her head warm...

The Mouse Hat

Teddy Bear Ears Hat

Puffy Pink Hat

Fuzzy Top Hat

And even her coat has teddy bear ears for when she refuses to wear a hat! (And none of these include the many homemade knit hats that I have made for her.)
Stay warm!!!

Peek-A-Boo

Row Row Row

The cutest little girls playing Row Row Row Your Boat together.

Family Vacation

This past week, we headed down to Fort Lauderdale for a family vacation with my brother and his family. Despite the weather not totally cooperating, we had a wonderful time. The beach, the pool, water taxi rides, miniature golf, and a Bears win! Good trip.

Happy 3rd Birthday Seamie!

We were lucky enough to celebrate Seamus' 3rd birthday down in Florida.
I am pretty sure for the next month I am going to have Seamie's hysterical commentary in my head...

"Big big jump coming!"
"Coming in for a land!"
"Cheeseballs!"

We love you Seamus McNamus! Happy 3rd birthday.

Two Front Teeth

Olivia's two front teeth have arrived! They are completely visible when she
smiles and we think they are adorable.

Dance, Dance, Dance

Direct From Italy

The Grossmans spent their holiday break in Austria and Italy. Little Olivia was lucky enough to be the recipient of a gift directly from Italy. Apparently these "moon boots" are all the rage there. Along with her new "ciao bella" shirt and moon boots, she could work the Italian runways. Don't Ella and Liv look cute matching in their boots and shirts! (Crazy to think I use to babysit Ella when she was Liv's age!)

Walking and Flirting

Sheer Joy!

Happy 2nd Birthday Colin!

(This is a week late, apologies to my adorable little nephew!)
Happy 2nd Birthday Colin. You make a mean fake burger. We love how you toast your buns.

Beautiful Bows

Did you notice that Olivia now likes to wear bows in her hair? Although she still doesn't have much hair, there is enough there to keep the bows in!

Nine Months Old!

Olivia turned nine months old today! She is almost 19 pounds, weighing in at 18 pounds 14 ounces which keeps her steadily in the 50th percentile. She is still tall at 28 5/8 inches. At her check-up, our pediatrician said she looked perfect (and we have to agree!)
Liv is quite a busy lady these days. She loves to play all day long. One of her favorite activities is pulling all her books off the shelf.
She is on the verge of walking and the little alligator walker is really helping to get her moving and practicing her balance. Her cruising around furniture is impressive and she barely uses one hand to hold on anymore. I think with a little more practice and encouragement, she'll be walking in the next month or so.
Overall, our little girl is really the happiest baby I know. Her smile is constant and melts my heart, along with all the people she flirts with when we are out and about. Her giggle is one of my favorite noises in the world. I love spending my days with her and watching her grow and discover the beautiful world around her. I cannot wait to see what the next month holds for her!

Bear Down!

Olivia was psyched to wear her new Bears tshirt that Daddy gave her for Christmas...


Her twin friends Jack and Cole came over to watch the game (or mostly play with toys!) What a cute little trio.