Monday, June 10, 2013

Owen

two days old

one month old


two months old

three months old

four months old

five months old

six months old

seven months old

eight months old


Monday, May 20, 2013

Letter to Baby

Baby Owen,

My sweet little nine month old - you are just so fun!  You are a whopping 18 pounds and 27 inches long!  I look at you when you're all nice and cuddled up in my arms while I rock you in the middle of the night (several times in the middle of the night, to be exact) and I can't believe that in a few short months you'll be one.  You are such a joy and I love that you're a little momma's boy...for now.

I say you're a little momma's boy, but there are times where you want nothing to do with me and you cling to your daddy.  If he tries to hand you off to me, you're turning away and grabbing at his shirt.  Your daddy thinks it's pretty funny...and so do you!  It's a fun little game we play.  You still aren't a fan of letting others hold you if I'm around.  You feel that as long as I'm within ear shot, you should be with me and that's that.  Sometimes this mommy needs a rest!  18 pounds is getting heavy to tote around, mister!

We had your tubes put in a couple weeks ago and you seem to be doing better now.  Dr. Gardner said your left ear was super infected so I'm really glad we went ahead and did this.  You were in good hands, although you didn't care for being toted away without me.  When we got back to recovery you were coming out of the anesthesia and not happy.  I fed you and your daddy rocked you, and after a little bit of you still crying, I decided we would just head home and maybe you would fall asleep in the car.  Sure enough, as soon as we pulled out of the parking lot you were asleep.  And you slept most of the day.  You're babbling more now, and hopefully you'll start crawling now!

Speaking of crawling, you are doing much better at being on your tummy now that you have the tubes in.  You are getting that upper body strength and keeping that head way up and you're kicking those legs like crazy, but they've yet to cooperate to move you.  You can twirl yourself in a circle, and you've scooted yourself backwards a time or two, but that's about it for now.  I know you'll get it.  Or you'll go straight to walking.  Pulling up isn't quite there either.  You like to stand and bobble around while we hold onto you, so maybe you really will just go straight to walking.

You have learned how to clap and you clap all the time.  Done nursing?  Clap.  Luke gave you a toy?  Clap.  Daddy stubbed his toe?  Clap.  It's really cute and I love this stage of learning all these new things!  I can't wait to see what you learn next.

We love you little one!
Mom and Dad

Saturday, April 27, 2013

letter to baby

Dear Baby Owen,

8 months old, pushing 9 months, and so now I find myself pinning ideas on Pinterest for your first birthday.  How did we get here so fast??!!

You still have no interest on being on your belly, but I feel like you'll probably be a little butt scooter, unless all the other kids in your daycare convince you otherwise.  Because the majority of the kids are around the same age, give or take a few weeks, you all hit the same milestones about the same time, which makes it super fun for your teachers.  Imagine all the fun they experienced a couple weeks ago when about 5 of you cut teeth at exactly the same time.

Luke and I are trying to get you to pull up so you can play on your activity table.  You're not quite sure how to balance yourself on those little legs of yours quite yet, so I hold you up in case you try to fall forward and hit your nose on the table.  You love any play time you can get with Luke.  He likes to come up to you and pretend to sneeze, and you crack up.  You think that's the funniest thing you've ever heard!  Your dad and I love listening and watching to you two play.  Luke is pretty anxious for you to get bigger.  The other day he got mad because you're too little to play and drive the jeep with him.

You have cut both bottom two teeth and it has been hard.  You are not an easy teether and let it be known that you are in pain.  It breaks our heart, but it's a necessary evil.  And because you still nurse (trust me, I've tried to wean you), when you're done, you've started biting me with those sharp little teeth and it.is.not.funny.  OUCH!  And on top of biting me, you pull my hair, pinch my arms and scratch my neck while I'm rocking you to sleep.  Last night I just couldn't take it anymore and laid you down in your bed, turned your mobile on and called it a night.  You finally gave up the ghost and fell asleep.  Maybe we have ourselves a new nighttime routine.

You're on your 3rd ear infection, this time it's a double ear infection, and so we're going to see one of the doctors I worked for during my externship to talk about tubes.  I hope that after we get tubes you'll start sleeping better.  When we stayed at M and Pa's the other night you were up for 3 hours refusing to sleep.  I finally woke up M and told her I was getting your brother up and driving us home.  She sent me to bed and rocked you to sleep, slept in the room with you and was a true blessing for letting me get 2 hours of sleep before you got up again to nurse.

We went to visit Grandma and Grandpa during your dad's birthday weekend and had a great time.  Next year, you'll be old enough to go to the baseball game with grandpa, dad and Luke.  You were a good traveler!  We're planning a vacation so I hope you'll continue to travel well :)

We love you little man.
Mom and Dad

Thursday, April 18, 2013

funnies

When I asked Luke to pick up his toys he said 'Never, never, never!' and then crossed his arms in defiance.  Guess who picked up his toys :)

Luke is into storytelling and his story goes like this:
Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a lion who said 'roar!' (this is where he roars).  It's not a tiger it's a lion.  The end.
And then he says "That's a great story"

Luke got down in the floor to play with Owen, but he got a little too close and Owen grabbed a handful of Luke's hair.  Luke cried out "Help, Mommy!" while Owen laughed a little too much.

While staying at my parents house, I specifically stated that Luke was not to have the iPad in bed.  My mom was putting Luke to bed that night and so when I finished putting Owen to bed I went to check on Luke and mom.  It's a good thing I checked because they were playing on the iPad.  My mom said 'Busted!' and Luke said 'Buster!'  We all got a good laugh and then I had to take the iPad.  Busted, Buster!

Life sure is fun with a 3 year old!!

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Letter to Baby

Dear Owen,

You are seven...pushing eight months old.  As a matter of fact, you'll be 8 months old next week, so i'm super late getting this post up.  I can't believe how fast this month has gone.

My word, you're doing so great at daycare.  You love watching all the kids play and interacting with them.  When we walk in you get excited and can't wait to start your day.  They feed you the squash or avocado I send with you (I think it's time to start trying new foods) in the morning and then you have been eating prunes and apples to help with your digestion (which is working!) in the afternoons.  You have a hard time digesting foods and we have had to give you a suppository twice, but the prunes and apples are doing the job...for now.

You're still nursing like a champ, I just hope that my supply can keep up with your demand for a little while longer.  I really don't want to switch you to formula, you're picky enough as it is.  You definitely have a strong opinion about what you do and don't like.

When we stay at M and Pa's house, I've started to sleep on the sofa bed and leave you in my old room.  It seems to be working better this way, you're only getting up twice a night instead of being up 4 or 5 times at night.  We're both resting much better and that makes us both happy campers.

You put absolutely everything your little hands can grab in your mouth. My phone, the remote, fuzz.  You name it, in it goes.  Maybe that's what is messing up your little digestive system.  You do like to play more and more, and now that you're doing so great sitting up, I can leave you and accomplish something - like a shower - without full on fit throwing.  Although, this just means you're getting closer to being mobile.  And that I don't like.  You've had your eye on your brothers trains, and he's going to flip out the moment you tear apart his Thomas track.




Tuesday, February 26, 2013

letter to baby

Dear baby Owen,

You are 6 months old now and really starting to get quite the little personality!  Celebrating your brother's 3 year birthday and you being six months, I've realized that you two are growing at incredible rates of speed.  Slow down, boss.  Slow.down.

You started daycare this month and you really seem to fit right in.  I was super nervous because I could not for the life of me get you to take a bottle.  You fought it tooth and nail, but the very first day when I picked you up, they said you took the bottle like a champ.  You just like to give your mother a nervous breakdown.  I see how this is going to play out.

We started you on solid foods and you really like avocado and butternut squash, but then you got sick and stopped eating solids all together.  You won't open your mouth.  You tighten your lips together, make a fist and yell at us until we stop trying to feed you.  So my life is consistent upon getting you to eat again.  Don't make me crazy!!

You're sitting up pretty good, but if something gets your attention, you topple over.  You haven't quite mastered how to get back up.  You really do like sitting up though and think it's much better if you have toys all around.  Luke even plays with you, but he doesn't like to share his trains.  We'll work on that.

You still aren't sleeping through the night and I'm really starting to get worn out with the multiple times I'm up with you.  I finally started making your daddy take a shift and that has helped, but when we stay at M and Pa's, we're on our own and I'm running around in a daze.  You love to be swaddled, but you're a master at getting your arm out and knocking out your pacifier.  It's loads of fun :)

I can't believe you're half a year old.  You are such an amazing addition to our family and we love you so much!

Loves,
Mom and Dad

a birthday letter

Dear Luke,

You are THREE.  Let that sink in for a moment.  You.are.three.  And what a terrific three year old you are.  Well, minus the tantrums :)

This past year has been pivotal in your development.  We started two barely talking and now you are talking full blown sentences.  You are so inquisitive and I love that about you.  One of my favorite things you say is 'What's that sound?'  or 'Where we going?'  After being asked a million and one times, I usually respond 'Crazy' and you say, 'No, we no go crazy, we go (fill in the blank to where I've told you we're going the thirty times before changing my answer)'.

You are learning your letters and numbers and it amazes me when you spot one you know and tell me what it is.  You have also learned a lot of your shapes and you can spot them a mile away!  I'm so proud of everything you have learned, you're such a smart little guy!

The other day you asked me a question and I responded, 'Yes, baby'.  You looked at me and told me 'I'm not a baby, I'm a big boy!'  Yes you are.  Or if I say 'Sorry, Charlie.'  You respond by saying 'I'm not Charlie, I'm Luke!'  It's pretty funny how you're catching on to those ideas.

You are potty training like a champ! You like to stand up say, 'Watch this, mommy!'  and sure enough, you start to potty.  Now if I could just get you to aim :)  One of these days I'll get you fully potty trained, a drivers license and you'll be graduating college.  These days seem to fly by!

You're quite the negotiator and if you really want to do something you might say 'Don't say no, say yes'.  I can't help but laugh and so you typically get to do whatever it is I may have said no to before.  Or you'll put your hand on your cheeks and look up at us with the sweetest smile, bat your eyes and say 'Please!'.  You have us wrapped around your little finger and you use it to your full advantage. 

You love trains, cars and airplanes.  You really want to ride on an 'hairpane' and ask us all the time if you can.  When you're a little older I guess we'll need to buy roundtrip tickets to Dallas and spend the day flying.  You look at cars and ask if it's like mommy's car, M's car, Grandma's van, etc, etc, etc.  You're really starting to make correlations between things and it's great.

Your little 3 year old self is so fun and we love you so much.  The tantrums we could do without, but we absolutely adore you.  You'll always be our 'baby luke'.
Stop growing so fast.  I'm not prepared for you to know more than me :)

We love you to infinity and beyond!
Mom and Dad