March 2015 Month of Firsts!

It is the beginning of Spring in Arizona, but we skipped it and went right to Summer. Otto and I had to skip town to St. George UT  to beat the heat and cool off! We had a busy month and full of firsts.
Otto's first cold! We all started the month with our first runny nose and cough but we had the pleasure of passing it and sharing it among the three of us all month long. The pictures we take of Otto each month were less than impressive as he whined and cried (See 9 month page for proof). Otto hardly realized he was sick as he still wanted to be free to scoot and tummy crawl all over the house while simultaneously being held by me. How does one accomplish that? Beats me.
Being sick wasn't so bad after I bought myself the 4th season of Game of Thrones and the 5th season of Downton Abby for my birthday.

I left Otto to work out his dilemma (to be held, or not to be held, that is the question) with daddy while I went to see my baby cousin, Skyler, return from his LDS mission. No, he's not a baby, but I remember when he was and I used to babysit him. I was so glad to see him and so glad to be there for him. My uncle and grandma could not be in attendance due to very unfortunate circumstances and illness beyond their control and we missed them terribly so I felt very lucky to be the "Reynolds" representative and welcome him home. He served in New York.





Otto continued to push boundaries and explore horizons with his "worm crawl". His newfound movement encouraged Matt and I to do some major baby proofing and rearranging. Matt worked on the house while I planned and packed for a short get-away to St. George.
My parents were planning to spend a few days there in a condo and invited us to meet them. I drove the 6.5 hours in the car to and from with Otto by myself. Surprisingly, he was a dream. He didn't cry or fuss once. He just slept and played in his car seat while I listened to audio books and sang songs.
Once in St. George, Otto got to experience his bubbles! He kept signing "eat" as a universal sign for "I want more of that!"

We took Otto to his first trip to the pool! He loves to splash in the bath, but the cool water took a little getting used to. My parents and I had to keep in mind that Otto needs constant shade and sun-screen for a baby so pale and red-head! Still, he loved kicking back and relaxing by the pool.









We took him to Zion Canyon for a fun hike. We saw some mountain goats up close! He got his first chance to feel the soft, red, cool sand. He did so good in his backpack carrier. He sang his own songs the whole way down the mountain, then he passed out asleep the whole ride home.
Otto got spoiled with attention and his first taste of ice cream. We relaxed in the condo, ate delicious cooking (thanks mom!), and did some bargain shopping. It was a much needed vacation plus quality time with Nana and Papa.








We enjoyed a pleasant breakfast of crepes at Breakfast at Tiffany's on St. Patrick's Day. Otto was a real gentlemen date.


















After our first Mommy and Me vacation, we made our first visit to the Phoenix Children's Museum with our friends The Crisps while they had Spring Break from school! Otto loved to explore the baby zone areas while Connor and Anna played. Otto especially loves things with wheels and spinners so he can flick it with his fingers.
It was about this time that Otto got tired of the worm crawl and instead of just crawling regular style that exerts much less energy, he decided to use anything in arms reach to pull on and try to stand up. This could be my arm, my leg, my tummy, my hair, my fingers, laundry basket, the dog, or the side of the crib. He also got the idea that stepping was acceptable to help with forward motion. When I stood him up before and walked him forward, he would just plant his feet and fall forward. Now, his feet move! Yay!
In addition to his newfound movement, Otto experienced a handful of new foods. He doesn't gag as often and enjoys a variety of foods, pureed or finger foods. He delightfully signs "eat" whenever we sit down for a meal or if he thinks someone, somewhere, might be enjoying food. He loves butternut squash, green beans, carrots, oatmeal pear, cheerios, and shredded chicken. I have yet to feed him anything he doesn't ask for more, but I get the feeling he preferred I didn't keep trying the avocado with him and Mango is a little too tangy.

Otto's Tummy Mommy's Mommy was in town with her daughter (Otto's aunt) so we got together for a quick reunion. It was the first time Otto has seen Grandma Carolyn since he was born! She always sends little gifts and cards so we can't resist going to Mesa to see her when they visit all the way from Colorado. Otto played foosball with some cousins, and showed off scooting for his friend, Doug. We got to meet more of his cousins, Aunt Lisa's boys.






















We finished the month by completing some of our home projects. We anchored some shelves, covered wires and outlets, and bought a large carpet remnant to be bound into a rug and place in the living room. We needed a more soft and cushy surface for playing while Otto learns to walk. The transformation is amazing! Our downstairs is so much more cozy and inviting.
Otto and I still visit the school when we have a chance, but this last week we got to visit for our friend Anna's birthday dressed up as Elsa. She told her mom later how much she enjoyed the visit from Elsa and "Baby Otto". When asked where Courtney was, she responded, "At home sleeping."
Matt, Otto, and I attended Connor and Anna's birthday party at Chucky Cheese where Otto got his groove on dancing to the music.









Finally, Otto made great strides in learning to walk. In just days, Otto learned to pull himself up on the furniture by himself. This made us decide he could have the gift from the Easter Bunny a few days early. Otto got his first car, a VW Beetle walker! He even pulls on the joy stick and turn the steering wheel like a pro. Who knows, he may be walking by his first birthday!
Whew! That was a busy month.