In Like a Lion...

This blog is dedicated to Grammy who is currently in the hospital. Some might say Grammy is the glue that holds our family together, but the truth is, that is an understatement. She is the cement, the foundation, and the bricks. I was telling my sister that I think one measure of an extraordinary life is the amount of people who can't imagine theirs without you in it. This makes Grammy one of the most extraordinary women alive. In your own words, Grammy, you are a "tough old broad." Stay strong, we love you, and I know it's all going to be alright.

They say that March roars in like a lion and out like a lamb, and so far, the first part is absolutely true. I meant to have my last blog post up before the end of February, but March came roaring in, and it was too late. To start, I'll catch you up on the rest of February. It started with a visit from my Uncle Ian and my Aunt Emma from San Diego. You may not know this, but Uncle Ian is kind of a big deal. In Mom's family, he's up there with great men like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Bill Clinton, and of course, Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter. Like I said, kind of a big deal. Here we are meeting for the first time:

Here I'm giving my Aunt Emma the once over to make sure she's good enough for my uncle. Turns out, she is:

Uncle Ian and Aunt Emma's arrival coincided with another MAJOR event. The Carolina/Duke basketball game. We all put on our Tarheel gear and went to Auntie Brie's to watch the game. It was such big deal, Dad even came home from work early!

Here's the whole fam together:

It was an exciting game, but in the final second, the Tarheels lost. We were all so upset, it made Uncle Ian and Aunt Emma a little uncomfortable, I think. Dad and I both felt the refs made some questionable calls. I don't really want to talk about it further, but we came back and creamed them a few weeks later. Here's the book I got my dad as a Valentine's gift:

Dad came home and cooked Mom a romantic dinner for Valentine's day, but then he cuddled me all evening. She says she doesn't mind sharing her Valentine for the next 25 years, give or take.

Here's my first annual Valentine photo. What's not to love?

There's been a lot of talk going around that my dad contributed more than his fair share of DNA, but Mom has recently found evidence to dispute this. I'll start with a picture from my mom's 5th birthday party:

Exhibit A:

Let's zoom in a little closer on Aunt Muihri's "Pinocchio hair," while noting that I, too, have the same Pinocchio hair:

Exhibit B:

While we can all agree this is probably not the best picture of me, the resemblance once again to Aunt Muihri is uncanny. (Auntie Brie, if you say one word about my chi chis I'm gonna cry!)

The verdict is still out as to whether or not I've inherited my mom's dimples. Before I was born, Auntie Brie told Mom that James would be happy to retire the title of "Best Dimples" once I was born, but clearly that won't be necessary.

Not to be outdone, I also look pretty cute from behind:

When it comes right down to it, I still look an awful lot like my dad, as you can see in Exhibit C:

On February 16th, we went to visit my Great Grandma Gilland for her birthday. She has the very same birthday as my Great Grandad Leggat! Here, I'm on the receiving end of some Gilland love:

We took her these pretty purple roses for her birthday. I picked them out myself:

So what else is new with me? Well, I've been practicing my silly faces:

And playing in my favorite butterfly chair while wearing my butterfly jammies:

And finally, growing my hair and working on my tangles. Have you ever heard of a four-month-old getting tangles?!

Well, March has roared in like a lion, but here's hoping it goes out like a lamb. Stay tuned, folks. Rumor has it my two bottom teeth might be in by then. Mom says she doesn't think the cutest smile in the world can get any more irresistable, but we'll see about that.

Lots of love,

Olive

The Seven Dwarves

Hey there family and friends! It's me, Olive. You may remember from my last post that I was super excited to meet some of my mom's family. Mom and I tagged along with Auntie Brie and my cousins to my Aunt Ceilidh's and Uncle Tom's new house in Virginia. And let me tell you, This was no Uncle Tom's cabin... It was a beautiful house with a really cool theatre in the basement. Mom and I even got our own room while we were there. Here's my Aunt Ceilidh and Uncle Tom. They are going to have a brand new baby this summer. The more, the merrier, I say!

You may be wondering why I titled this blog "The Seven Dwarfs." It's because there were seven kids under the age of three at this mini-family reunion. And that is mini, when it comes to Mom's side of the family. Grammy and Grandad have over 50 grand kids! Sigh, Mormons...

Let's count the kids:

1. Happy, AKA Curren

2. Bashful, AKA Jamie

3. Grumpy, AKA, Scottie

(Scottie isn't really grumpy, but my mom ticked him off pretty good, and he told her what's what!)

4. Sleepy, AKA, me, Olive!

It was a toss-up between me and my Great Grandad:

5. Dopey, AKA Lachlan

(Again, Dopey isn't really fitting, but Mom and I see Auntie Brie and her kids every day, so we couldn't give them the worst names. I figure Aunt Ceilidh and Uncle Cullen will understand.)

6. Sneezy, AKA Iain

What? I'm sure the kid's had a cold before... Ok, now I'm really grasping...

And finally, 7. Doc, AKA Caroline

I was so happy to finally meet my Great Grammy and Grandad. Grammy says that Curren and I were "mesmerized by her white hair." It doesn't matter that Grammy has so darn many grand kids. She has plenty of love for all of us.

See, she loves Curren a lot, too:

Speaking of Curren, this was the first time we met. We were due only two days apart, but I was actually born three weeks before him. As you know, I'm advanced. Here we are all meeting for the first time. Mom and Uncle Graham did a baby swap for this photo.

Time to trade back!

Uncle Graham really loves me, but he did tease me about my crazy hair. He said it reminded him of Drop Dead Fred, a character from a movie that Mom and her brothers and sisters loved when they were little kids. Personally, I don't see the resemblance.

It might just run in the family...

Here is Curren's mom, Susy with my Great Aunt Joyce.

A beautiful family:

Curren and I got along famously, as you can see by this picture:

Here we are playing together... sort of.

All in all, it was a fabulous weekend. Here's Aunt Ceilidh reading stories. Lachlan was great about sharing all his cool toys, and his mom.

Mom says Uncle Graham and Uncle Cullen were always trouble when they got together as kids... Now they both have boys of their own. It should be fun to see if their boys get together and create hilarious mischeif of their own.

Aunt Muihri even came to see me. We can't get enough of each other!

I like to think of this picture as "The Last Supper."

As much fun as I had getting to know my family, I was so happy to get home with my Daddy. We really love to cuddle.

I got home just in time for my three-month birthday, which my mom wanted to commemorate with a photo shoot. However, I wasn't particularly cooperative.

"Hold on, my eyes were closed!"

"Hey, I wasn't ready!"

"That was hilarious, Mom!"

"Are we done yet?"

"Surprise! I'm 3-months-old!"

"...and I really love eating my hands..."

I've really been enjoying my tummy time, lately, and it's all the better without clothes.

Here's a video of me rolling over at 11 weeks. I'm advanced:

Also, Mom's best friend, Brooke drove all the way from the Outer Banks just to see me. Sadly, mom's camera was dead on the morning Auntie Brooke left, so we had to use my iPod Touch to take a picture. The quality is surprisingly poor, but I'd say this photo pretty much sizes up Auntie Brooke's and my relationship....

I'm certain we'll be fast friends by this summer, though!

Let's see, I suppose that nearly covers it. I got to spend some quality time with my Daddy last Saturday when my mom went for her first haircut in a LONG time. She said she was tired of cleaning it up off the bathroom floor. Here's a before shot:

And here's the after:

I hardly recognized her at first!

Well, that sums up the last few weeks of my life. I am grateful for such a warm, loving, BIG family! If you're reading this, take the time to hug your family, and tell them how much you love them.

Until next time,

Olive