11 months

Oliver turned 11 months old on August 20, just a few days after we returned from Europe. We don't have another Dr's appointment until he turns 1 year (in less than a month, how can it be?), but the wii board suggests he weighs about 23 pounds now. 

We spent most of his 10th month in Europe. He seemed to love travelling and made friends everywhere we went. He continues to be a pretty happy little guy. His hair has started to curl a little bit on the sides and in the back which is so cute. He is increasingly interested in the cats and they are increasingly weary of him. He is eating more solid food - still loves watermelon best. He'll give us some of his food now too. He says "mama", "dada", "wow", "bye" and he nods (albiet most of these are at random times). There are, as always, challenges too. He rarely sleeps through the night, but goes back to sleep quickly when he does get up, so it's not that bad. He has also taken to trying to stand up in the bathtub during bath time. Slippery tub full of soapy bubbles plus a baby who is still not so good on his feet is tricky! 

We recently discovered a store that sells used children's clothes, toys, and equipment. We got some baby gates (we're in full baby proofing mode here) and a few new toys for Oli.

As always, he's got a wide array of silly faces. 

And lastly, some highlights from the last month. Happy 11 months Oliver!

Chris, Oliver, and a lion, at Edinburgh Castle

breakfast time in Scotland

being goofy at Dalkeith House

new toy from Amsterdam, her name is Babette

biking in Amsterdam

playing in the apartment in Paris

working on his standing,
and in red pants at that

watching Olympics in Paris

on the Seine River

father and son at the Luxembourg Gardens

looking at modern art at Centre Pompidou

enjoying watermelon back at home

Au Revoir Paris

For our last day in Paris, we decided to go out for breakfast and coffee. We went to Coutume Cafe. We arrived before it was open so we walked by the Rodin Museum while we waited. This is one of the many museums we wish we would have had time for, but at least we got to see the beautiful garden. At Coutume Cafe, the coffee was delicious, Oliver liked the pancakes, and we had some amazing jus de pamplemousse (grapefruit juice).

garden at the Rodin Museum 

latte at Coutume Cafe

Coutume Cafe

father & son at breakfast

The afternoon involved some more pastries, crepes, and going to the Musee d'Orsay. The museum is in an old train station and the building itself is stunning. There was so much to see here and we had to move quickly with an antsy baby, but this was definitely a great museum. Beautiful space and some amazing impressionist art.

Paris street view

last crepe!

Musee d'Orsay

Oli and I outside the Musee d'Orsay

On our way home from the museum, we walked along the Seine River one last time and took some goofy photos.

We got up early on Thursday and took the train to the airport. Once again we found ourselves running through the airport but managed to get to our gate with a few minutes to let Oli crawl around before boarding the (9 hour) flight. Paris was a beautiful, romantic city and we had a great time.

We made it home safely on Thursday and after a few days we are finally over jet lag. Our travels were wonderful but it feels good to be home.

10 months

I missed Oliver's 10 month post, so I'm doing it late... one day before he turns 11 months! If time could just slow down a little, that would be great.

We spent Oliver's 10-month birthday on the Scotland coast. It was his first sandy beach and still one of my favorite days we spent in Scotland. Below are a few more photos from that day. At 10 months old Oliver was crawling, pulling up to stand, and babbling. He discovered watermelon this month and is a big fan. He is curious, social, and proved to be a very flexible baby with all the changes to his schedule due to travel. We love our little man!

father and son pondering

still loves sticks

Oli and I on the beautiful Scotland coast

Le Tour Eiffel

Tuesday we took the Metro to the Eiffel Tower! We decided to take the stairs to the second level (over 1600 steps!) and then the elevator to the top. There was no line for the stairs so this seemed like a good option, even though it meant carrying Oliver. Chris carried Oliver all the way and it was definitely tiring, but wasn't as bad as we were expecting. The views all along the way were great. Unfortunately it was overcast and even sprinkled on us a little, but it was still amazing to be inside the Eiffel Tower!

Chris and Oli inside the Eiffel Tower

on our way to the top

photo break on level 1

view of Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower

made it to the top!

at the top of the Eiffel Tower!

Chris had been looking forward to eating brioche since we arrived in Paris and did a little research and found La Patisserie des Reves, or the bakery of dreams. And I'm not overstating things when I say that the name was perfect as we will likely be dreaming of these pastries for years to come. They were perfection! Our favorites were the brioche and the chausson aux pomme. Unfortunately we found this place two days before we left so we were "forced" to go twice in one day and then show up shortly after opening the following day. It really was that good.

La Pâtisserie des Rêves*

brioche!

Oliver takes a nap on the way home

We ended up eating most of our meals at the apartment while in Paris. The grocery stores and street markets had amazing food so this was not really a compromise. Most nights we had baguette, cheese, and wine and some fresh veggies. They sold wine in half bottles which was great because we got to try several different ones. Maybe it's just the romance of Paris, but the food really did taste amazing here! Even the smallest things, like butter, were enough to write home blog about. Below are a few photos Chris took of Oliver and I in the apartment this evening.

 *Photo Source