Malaki update

All about Malaki today; today he pulled himself to a standing position, holding onto the ottoman and he officially has a bottom tooth, bottom right to be exact and if my memory serves me correctly this was Olivia's first tooth too. We also saw the surgeon on Monday and we'll be looking at his palate repair in July/August.

*update: we now have 2 teeth and when I go in to pick him up after sleeping, he is standing in the crib waiting for me. I guess I need to lower the mattress!

Mustache

Today Olivia and I were playing with Malaki and she asked what was on his face. After some investigating questions, I realized that she was asking about his cleft repair scar. After explaining that was a scar from Dr Obaid fixing the hole in Malaki's lip, she said, like a mustache? I told her, yea something like that. Her answer, "Like you and daddy?" My answer, "umm like daddy only".... great everyone is a critic, now I have to wax too? The kid has an eagle eye and a quicker mind, I'm so in trouble!

Mommy & Olivia date

On Wednesday, Olivia and I with some friends went to a play in Fort Worth. Casa Manana has a play called "Rockin with Mother Goose" and we went just the two of us with some friends. Malaki stayed with Aunt Lisa and Olivia and I drove with her friend Meadow and her mom Jeni. The play was cute and it incorporated the nursery rhymes with music and dance. When I was preparing Olivia for the event the day before, I told her about how the actors will be on a stage and she said that she didn't want to be on a stage. She sat on my lap the whole time and told me that either that she was hungry or scared the whole hour. We had great seats, fifth row on the isle. During the play the actors came down the isle and passed right by us. Afterward we got some lunch and picked up Malaki. Later Olivia said that she changed her mind and did like the play. Maybe a new tradition has been born?

Family Easter Photo

Olivia

Olivia is a blessing to me every day and I thank my Heavenly Father for sending me her and Malaki. We've had a few learning opportunities this week and I had to write them before I forget.
Sparkles our cat disappeared Sunday and Olivia was very upset that Sparkles was missing and I talked to her about praying for help. We added Sparkles to our family prayer and the next morning I added my own to please let Olivia's kitty come back. Well, late Monday night, I had just returned from the store and here comes our kitty, very slowly up to our home. I could tell right away that our kitty was in pain and just not herself. Olivia is over the moon and said, Heavenly Father answered my prayers, making a mother proud. This afternoon (Tues) Olivia and I took her to the vet and after knocking her out and shaving her tummy (where she acted the most sensitive) it is believed that she was injured by a dog bite because you can see bruising. She's getting better and I'm sure in a few days, she will be back to her old self again.

Tonight Olivia and I had the following conversation:
O: mom, do people keep babies?
M: (thinking, what is this child asking and what has she learned)yes, people keep their babies.
O: grandma didn't keep you and you belong to me
M: (laughing under my breath) well, I grew up and I left grandmas house so I could be your mommy.
the rest of the conversation was about how her grandma was my mommy, it's a common topic around our house.

I thought I could pull a fast one on Olivia and give her car seat to Malaki. My plan was to get a new car seat cover (many thanks to Katherine) and then the transition would go smoothly. All was good until Olivia looked at the straps and said, "hey, that's my car seat". Thank goodness she doesn't mind sharing (at least at this moment). Also, I think the "new brother" thing is wearing thin for her. Now that Malaki has turned into a "grabber" and touches her things, she's not so much enjoying him. At least she's not hitting him (yet)!

learning to write

Olivia has been practicing her writing.

8 months old

This has been a busy month for Malaki. He started the month out learning to sit up and learned to crawl about the middle of the month and has pretty much spent the rest of the month perfecting his crawl. Last night he climbed all over Tomas as he laid on the floor and today I saw him pull himself up to his knees. One funny move is that he lays on his stomach and then gets up on his toes, like a modified push up pose. When he first learned to crawl, he wouldn't leave the carpeted area but now he ventures onto the tile and follows me around the house. Here he is sporting my new headband. He also has started to reach for me and when I undo his car seat he pulls forward as to say, "get me out of here".