And then there were four

Gabriel Lars Olson, 1 day old


That's right- the Olson family is expanding! Gabriel Lars joined us in the wee early hours of Tuesday, April 22nd (1:42am) to become the newest Olson on the block! His arrival was a bit of a surprise, since he wasn't due to join us for about 5 more weeks, but we are very happy and excited that he's here.

He weighed in at a healthy 6lbs2.8oz, 19 1/4" long (for this I am thankful that he did not wait another 5 weeks to come out!). However, since the lungs are the last major organ to develop in a fetus, Gabe did need some extra help breathing. I got to hold him for just a minute before he was taken off to the NICU where they put him on oxygen and helped to relieve some of the extra fluid in his lungs.

Since then, he's been improving steadily! He came off his oxygen and all tubes on Tuesday night. His goal now is to eat more on his own so that he can come off his IV and come home to his family. We're hoping that with the vast progress he's made so far, that this won't much time to achieve.

From what I can tell, though, Gabe is already trying to catch up with his big sister. He had a very quick birth (first written contraction to birth=2 hours, total time in delivery room=27 minutes, total number of pushes=4 or 5). Just like his big sister, he decided for mommy that she was not going to get an epidural. He also decided he wanted to be born in April, and to be born on a Tuesday, and to give his mommy the rest of the school year off, all just like his big sis!

And, in return, we already love him just as much as his big sis!


First family photo!

Turning Two

Before I post any more blogs, I just want to wish my little girl a happy birthday. She turned 2 years old on April 4th, celebrating in style at the park with all her friends young and old.

It's still amazing to watch her grow and learn, to see her struggles and successes, and to have her presence in our lives every single day.

Happy Birthday, Ruthie!

Dinner Time

No, this dinner is not for Ruthie. It's "feed the doggies" time and we have the perfect little helper. Ruthie can run this routine with her eyes closed. She knows where to find the bowls, which bowl belongs to which dog, and where each of them eats. Before we switched Gertie to Hirschel's adult food, Ruthie could even tell you which container held which dogs' food. I wonder how many years will pass before Ruthie determines "feed the doggies" time to be a chore and begins demanding allowance money?

Ruthie Olson- Skier Extraordinaire

Don't worry- Ruthie's not skiing just yet! But, she does enjoy testing out daddy's homemade skis! She wants to make sure they're solid and sturdy and that daddy's signature stripes are nice and dry.

Night Night

As we are getting closer to transitioning Ruthie to her "big girl" bed, she is showing us clear signs that she is ready for the switch. Of course, you might notice that her choice of "beds" isn't too far off from her crib. Maybe I should ask the dogs their opinion on the matter.

Learning Curve

You would think that not a whole lot would surprise me in the realm of language and learning. I've taken many courses in education, psychology, linguistics and language acquisition- enough to know and understand the processes of and look-fors in language and learning development. And, of course, being a teacher of reading, writing, math, and language for the past seven years- well, that helps, too.

But, even with all of that experience, I just cannot seem to comprehend the amount of learning that is going on with my own child.

There is just something about this tiny little person who is still so new to this world, who somehow knows SO much. Ruthie is picking up not just words and skills at a pace faster than I can blink, but she's picking up actual knowledge. For example, I recently witnessed Ruthie making an actual self-correction. She was in bed looking at a book and I heard her say "car." Then, almost mmediately, she started saying "truck, truck, truck." I went over to her and, sure enough, the picture was of a truck, not a car. It can take an entire school year just to teach some 1st graders to even notice when they are reading something wrong, let alone how to fix it. Yet, my 21 month old daughter is correcting herself before she can even speak in full sentences.

This rapid learning curve of Ruthie's is totally expected at her age, but it's still amazing to watch unfold. No matter how much I thought I already knew, or how much I thought I understood, I am still learning right along with Ruthie.

WHEEEEEEEEEE!

Oh,to be a child again. It's pretty significant how our simple pleasures in life change as we grow and get older. If only in our adult lives we could gain pure happiness from being tossed inside a bag and swung around....