Oli Wally

At 8 1/2 months, Oliver Avery (or "Oli Wally" as he is usually called these days) amazes me. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed these past few weeks with him probably more than any other time in his life... It just keeps getting better.

He's content to roll around in his new stroller, even if he's so stuffed against the cold that he can hardly move:

He's fascinated by himself in the mirror:

He thinks the trashcan is just another mirror there for his own enjoyment:

He still takes such pleasure in eating (SUCH a son after my own heart!):

He still naps in the Ergo carrier (don't you wish you could sleep so peacefully?):

And he's generally just a happy little kid:

He even lets mom get in his face to take pictures:

He was a special little doll all through our trip to Italy, where he happened to get his first two teeth:

And, as I mentioned in my Rome post, he was especially cute at the Vatican where he made friends with the guards:

Though he started army crawling early January, his mobility has really picked up since we got back from Italy. But he still has time to flash mom those gorgeous blue eyes:

And, of course, read Dr. Seuss's ABC's at least twice a day:

In the end, though, he's still the cuddly, precious, big-cheeked little man he's always been:

I can't believe it's going so fast...