He's walking!!!

Today I left this morning for Dubuque for CPR instructor training so that I can teach CPR and I came home to a little boy who walks!!! Oliver had been standing in one place for the last few days and had been taking falling steps but today he's mastered it. Well I shouldn't say mastered because there are a lot of balance checks, and he'll only walk if you let go of him instead of him taking off when he gets himself up say on the coffee table, but I think he's doing wonderfully. His physical therapist will be so excited to see this when she comes on Tuesday!! Makes me also glad that we did postpone our Dr's appointments in Iowa City til next Friday so he can show the neonatal follow up Nurse Practioners that he's doing well, it only took him a bit longer which seems as though is the norm for him. So proud of him!!




And because 1 video isn't enough, here's another one. Sorry, I don't have a video camera so I shot it on my camera so it isn't the best quality.

Snow day

Well we were supposed to go to Iowa City today to meet with Oliver's hematologist and the neonatal follow-up group but because of the weather we had to cancel. We rescheduled for next Friday, but today meant a snow day for us. At the time I'm writing this at 2:30 in the afternoon I'd say that we probably have 6-8 inches of new snow on the ground. It looks like it would be fun to play in but with the temperature maybe around 10 degrees and that is pushing it, I decided that at least Oliver and I would stay indoors. The picture above is looking out our front door, the snow is almost as high as the seat on the picnic table.

So,we opened the blocks my sister gave Oliver for Christmas. I chose not to yet because he's in the stage where he throws everything but usually throws it behind him. He already broke an ornament on the tree throwing some other blocks around Christmas time.


We built towers of the blocks but usually never got it too high before Oliver would knock it down. He started getting the hang of building towers and tried his hand at it but usually only managed to set one block on it before he knocked it over.



Oliver's early Ed teacher brought over an ice cream bucket one day and now that is he's favorite toy so we used it as his "hoop" for the blocks and he'd try and throw them in it.
Too bad that most of the time he'd throw them behind him. Thanks Aunt Colleen and Uncle Darrin!


We picked the blocks up just in time because Shawn came home early from work around 1:30 and he decided that he wanted to play outside. Guess his idea of "playing outside" is fixing the Oliver tractor so that he could plow snow. Pretty sure he wants to get the snow moved now so that he can go snowmobiling tonight. Sorry the picture is blurry, I took it through the screened window - it's too cold to go outside!

Sledding

Last week we actually got some snow that I think will stay put this time so we took advantage of it and Oliver's new sled from Grandpa and Grandma Peteramn to try sledding. He loved being outside and loved being pulled around in his sled.

It had actually snowed on Thursday but since it was accompanied by so much wind Oliver and I just snuggled up and played indoors. Oilver loves his train set he got for Christmas from Santa but he loves more to play with the animals and train conductor and the buildings than the actual train and track.


He usually even sits on the track to play with it.


Friday was warmer and less windy so we went outside in the snow then. With all the wind, the snow was scarce in some parts and drifted in others so it was hard to find a hill but Grandpa and Grandma Doerscher had some great hills. Too bad that the snow was so fluffy that Oliver just sank right into it.


Saturday Grandpa and Grandma Peterman came over and we went sledding as well. Sledding was better today even though it was a bit colder. Our neighbor's sidewalk was the perfect spot for sledding because the snow wasn't deep so he couldn't sink into it.




We even got adventurous and went off the sidewalk onto a small hill. Oliver would say "weeee" or "woahhh" each time he'd be pushed down the hill, only to come to an abrupt stop at the bottom where someone had to stop him before he'd go into the street.