Roly Poly

We are excited for the day when Oliver discovers Roly Poly bugs, but for now, we are enjoying our little Roly Poly!

Oliver has begun to roll all around. So much so that I purchased a bumper for his crib because he knocks his head into the slats. Each morning, we greet our little guy, who has nuzzled his head into the top corner of his crib.

He also sleeps with his butt in the air. Precious!

This past week, he officially began rolling front to back, adding to his skill of rolling back to front. We love our wiggle worm!

Growing Like a Weed

It's amazing how kids can grow before your eyes! Literally. One day, Oliver's onesie will fit just fine and two days later, I wonder if it shrunk in the wash. Oliver's Mimi Schwarz said her mom took a picture of her each month. This is more common now with digital cameras, but back in her day, that seems like a pretty special thing to do! Along those lines, here are a few of Oliver over the past few months...

April 3rd:

April 10th:

April 20th:

May 18th:

May 28th:

June 9th (*loves* to read with Daddy, even if it is about Excel):

June 13th (loves his mobile):

June 24th:

July 3rd:

New thing (July 1st): loves to have a blanket (or his favorite lovie) over his face when he is going to sleep...

And the latest news? Oliver turned over by himself on Tuesday night (July 12th). He was almost over in the morning.

And that night at dinner, he made the full turn, except for that poor arm :(

Oliver also loves to read like his dad:

And we're not sure which school Oliver will attend: A&M or UVA. We have proponents for both. He does have a roommate lined up for A&M:

And he has a cute outfit for A&M too:

...but he doesn't look so sure. We'll wait just a bit on that decision...

A New Addition

Only a few months after settling into our new house, our baby boy, Oliver Matthew Schwarz was born in April!

It has been a joy to kiss on the little guy and welcome him into our family.

A New Home

In traveling, it can be unsettling to not have a home base. Because we had put everything in a 5x5 storage unit, we didn't really have a place we could return to as "home." Thus, as we traveled in 2010, we continually affirmed that our home was where each other were.

When we moved back to Austin in late November, we started looking for a house or apartment, a place to settle and raise our son. Our first meeting with our Realtor was on Tuesday, November 30th and six weeks later, we were moving into our first home! (temporary home, eternally-speaking)

God truly blessed our search and our find, as the house is larger than we need right now. We are excited to share it and for others to be blessed by it.

Our two favorite aspects of the house are:

1) the big backyard with a deck and mature oak and pecan trees

*For local friends, expect to come by for pecan pie in the fall!

2) the dining room location: in the center of the house

(We want our home to center around fellowship and meals with friends and family.)

If you are in Austin or traveling through, please know we welcome your visit!

New Beginnings

Upon our return to Austin, we hit the ground running. Mark started his job on Dec 1st. Lindsay started looking for housing (apartments or a house) and researching doctors and midwives in Austin because, well, we're expecting a boy in April!

We have been blessed enormously in the past few weeks. Last night we celebrated our own family Christmas with a night out at our favorite restaurant: Z-Tejas.

We anticipate more big updates in the New Year, so will post upon returning from travels to visit family in Dallas and Virginia. Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year!