Christmas

We had a quiet Christmas at home with our little family. With New Year's plans with all of Todd's family and my mom in California with the sisters, it worked out for us to have Owen's first Christmas with just the three of us. The night before, we set out the stockings and presents, with a few additions from Santa overnight!

Owen usually sleeps until around 6:30, but he must have sensed the excitement because he was up and ready to go before 5 a.m.! We played around, had breakfast, and he didn't even pay attention to the tree until we woke Todd at 6:30 to start the presents.

Owen had lots of new fun things to play with including trucks, Fisher Price bus and farm, Winnie the Pooh, bead maze, and lots of new books. I know they say some kids love wrapping paper, but Owen wasn't that interested. But boxes and gifts bags? Sign this kid up, he loves to crawl inside them!

And Baby Makes Three

We have been so behind on Christmas preparations this year. Apparently last year we threw out our tree after the holidays because it was broken? I don't remember that, but I do remember trying to take it apart and the dent in the molding near the stairs as a result (oops!). So, since we missed last year's Christmas sales, we were on the hunt for a new tree at a reasonable price. We saw one we liked, but it was too expensive and we kept checking back to see if it would go down in price. Todd finally went back on the 24th and asked to talk to a manager. When he did, they ended up giving it to us for 70% off - a super steal for such an awesome tree!

Owen wasn't quite sure what to make of it... but surprisingly has essentially ignored it after his first exploration. I love the lights, it is definitely going up early next year so we can enjoy it longer!

Every year, we buy a new ornament for the tree that represents something that has happened to us during the year. We have one for when we bought our house, when Todd starting working for the Department of Corrections, one for my half-marathon, etc. This year's addition...

Latest and Greatest

Some of the new fun things Owen is doing...

• Head bobs - when he is talking to his toys, when he is crawling around (tilts it side to side), when he is being silly with us - too funny!
• Breakdancing - hands on the floor, feet on the floor, butt in the air, and dances around in a circle! I think it is a bear crawl in 360 mode, but it looks like he is showing us his dance moves!
• First visit with Santa - the Volunteer Fire District brings their fire trucks all decked in Christmas lights into our neighborhood every year, with Santa hanging out on the back. We wrapped Owen in a huge blanket and his toque and went out to watch them go past, but they ended up stopping in front of our house and our neighbor, one of the firemen said 'bring Owen over'. I walked up to Santa and put Owen on his lap - it was amazing - Owen just sat there staring up at him for the whole time Santa talked to him. I was completely unprepared since I thought he wouldn't let me put him down, so no pictures were taken. But, in my mind, I have the best picture - foggy night, white lights on the fire engine, Owen in the khaki fuzzy throw we have and his little gray Hurley toque, with his head tilted up and his mouth slightly open, looking up at Santa. Cute boy, I still can't believe he did it!
• Owen the Explorer - Owen has been having a lot of fussy days lately due to some changes in his reflux meds and teething yuckiness. To distract him, Todd has been taking him on new adventures around the house. He now loves to open and shut the microwave, pull open the high cupboards, check out the peephole, the air intake, the lights, the ceiling. He loves it!

First Haircut

Can you see the difference?

On our way - slightly 'sideswept' since his hair is too long in the front!

After - just a small change, but it looks super cute!

We took him to Todd's barber, Elyse, who was so great with him.

Where am I...

...who are you and what are you doing with those scissors?

Consulting with Dad about the situation

He sat super still and with just a little trim around the ears, back and front, he was done!

Communication Station

Time to start some signing with Owen - he is getting frustrated that we don't know what he wants, especially since he uses the sign for all done when he really means it, but also when he wants more! He is consistently using, 'mama, dada, dat (cat), and oh-oh (uh-oh)'. He waves 'hi' and 'bye' and when we say 'tubby time' heads for the stairs, then up the stairs, down the hallway, and into our bedroom to the bathroom. It cracks us up!

Distraction 101

When Owen was little, I cut his fingernails when he was sleeping, but now he will pull his hand away if you try. The new distraction? Super Bass by Nicki Minaj.

Happy Feet

I love how Owen kicks his little feet when he is sitting on my lap reading books, or how he jumps up and down beside the tub when he is waiting for it to fill up. It is so cool watching him learn - in his two favorite books, when we get to the page with the cat, he says 'dat dat' and when we start tubby time, he lifts his arm up so I can help him pull his shirt off. I love that he is understanding routines and sequences (the speech therapist in me jumping out!). So proud of everything he does, really!

New Adventures

Owen has been having trouble sleeping lately (thought it was teething, now thinking it's that he is hungry, poor baby!) and I am definitely having trouble with my supply of milk for him. Power pumping, Blessed Thistle, Fenugreek, and now More Milk Plus (wow, that stuff is strong!); hopefully we will get back on track. In the meantime, he has been taking yogurt without any tummy troubles so we retried lactose free formula and he is doing great. I am so proud of him - he hasn't had a bottle since the middle of September yet he took the bottle like a champ, no sadness, and chowed! I hope my supply will get back up, but it is such a relief to have an option just in case!

I love that he will go get out his books to read!

He was trying to figure out how to climb it - he's used to it being on the ground without the legs where he would treat it like a speed bump on his crawling adventures

New skill - opening cupboards and finding fun stuff to pull out and play with

Over the past two weeks, he has made a huge jump in his eating - he's not a fan of the food grinder, but he is loving small bites of soft food from our plates! Favorite thus far? Mashed potatoes and gravy - mmmm...

Canada special - popcorn twists (no resemblance to popcorn, okay - soft meltable cornmeal snack!)

Mint Tuxedo - Oreo knock-offs - and way superior to the originals

Chili? Seriously surprised by this one

The Cold North

We went up to Canada to visit mom over the first weekend in November. Her wood stove was not working and the house could not have been more than 50 degrees inside! A few days before we left, Owen got his first bad cold and he had a horrible harsh cough that made him cry when I tried to feed him in the night. He didn't have a fever thank goodness, but the cough just broke my heart. I had Todd bring in water and a dropper and I gave him little sips until he could calm down enough to eat. I know it was just that dry yuck you get in the night when you have a sore throat, but as an adult I am not a fan and I could go get myself a drink of water. Poor baby - I had Todd give him a priesthood blessing on the Wednesday before we left and he did great overall. I slept semi-upright with him to help with congestion, but even if he wasn't sick, I would have kept him in bed with us. It was way colder at night in the house. I feel bad for Mom having to be there in the cold, she is getting her new stove soon, but wow; it was definitely an adventure!

First Halloween

I wasn't going to buy a costume for Owen since I knew we wouldn't be taking him Trick or Treating, and the ward party was past his bedtime, but then I saw this on Amazon and it won me over...

He wore it for pics at home and at lunch at the office to show the girls, maybe 15 minutes total, but it was worth it!

Finally Interesting? How About Always...

Someone asked me how old Owen was the other day and when I told them 9 months, they said, 'don't you wish someone would just bring them back to you when they are over a year and finally interesting?' I was floored - first and foremost because how could you ever want someone to take your baby away from you? Yes, being a parent is hard work, but the rewards of having this precious little spirit in our house are too many to count - seriously annoyed on multiple levels. And, secondly - how can you say that this age is not interesting? Over the past three months, Owen has said, 'mama', 'dada', learned to crawl, learned to pull himself up, began climbing stairs, bear crawls, laughs at his toys, loves to do Wheels on the Bus and Pattycake, sings himself to sleep (hums), has 5 teeth, and communicates his wants and needs to us in a million different ways. Tonight, after bath, he didn't seem tired, so instead of going to the chair to read books, I put him back on the floor to play. He looked at me and started to crawl over to the fireplace (or so I thought), but he actually went to sit in front of the chair and then looked back at me to see if I was coming. He cracks us up when he sees a door open and tries to push it closed, or lays on his tummy and kicks his feet when he is in his bed. Just this past week, he has started scrunching up his face when he smiles, then laughing and he did it every time we passed someone in the grocery store on Friday night - the grandmas in the crowd were going nuts over him!

Every time Owen climbs the stairs, he takes something with him, places it on the stair ahead, climbs up, then puts it on the next stair, and climbs up again - so funny

Loves his toothbrush

Taking inventory of our food storage

Shameless plug for cutest baby ever

All the entertainment you could ever want...

Trying to be like Dad

Why can't I pull this thing down?

I know I saw my car in here somewhere...

Hallelujah

Owen has only been crawling for a month, but he is already a speed demon! His favorite toys currently are the floor vents and the curtains - he loves to bang his toys on the vents and hear the sounds they make. He is chasing his ball and cars all around the kitchen and before you know it, finding something fun to get into! When we say 'Yay, Owen' and cheer him on, he will stop what he is doing and clap, then wave his hands in the air. A little hallelujah praise or maybe some old school raise the roof?

Hangin' Out at Achieve

Owen in 'his' room at Achieve, pre-toy explosion

Being back to work full time has been a bit chaotic, but we are adjusting as a family. The toughest thing for me has been the second pump time that I had to add now that I am not home to feed Owen at 1:00. No matter what I do, I cannot get more than 3 oz the second pump time and so, over the past 3 weeks, our freezer milk supply has slowly dwindled (so annoying that my body doesn't respond to the pump, because if I nurse Owen at those same times, he always gets enough to eat - weird little quirk that happens sometimes according to my lactation consultant). We tried to add some formula to the breast milk bottles, but Owen had allergic reactions to milk, lactose free, and soy. Our last options - hypoallergic Alimentum, Nutramigen, or Elecare - aka partially digested formula (and it smells like it's partially digested, trust me, it's nasty). We started small with 5 1/2 oz breast milk to 1/2 oz Alimentum and Owen took the bottle, but only drank 4 oz (always takes at least 6). When Todd tried 5 to 1, he refused the bottle. As Todd ran out to the freezer to get more milk, he called me to say he was using the last 5 oz of my supply and he would be at the office at 1:00 so I could feed Owen. And, so now, with a little schedule rearranging and one of the clinic rooms an "Owen" room, Todd and Owen are at the clinic from 10 to 1, so instead of pumping I feed him at 10, he naps, plays, eats at 1, then heads back home. Again, I am so grateful to have Todd home with Owen so we can make this work. If this would have happened and he was in daycare I am not sure what we would have done. We are so blessed!

SAHD

When we first found out that we would need a new solution for Owen in the afternoons, with me having to go back to work, we decided we needed to fast and pray for a solution. The answer came quickly and was a surprise, but we both felt such peace about it - Todd would stay home with Owen while I went back to work. What a blessing to know that we were being guided to the right decision. Todd's last day of work with Corrections - August 31st, my first day back full time at Achieve, September 1st. I will miss my time in the afternoons with Owen, my little buddy always going on errands and to doctor's visits for work; he was such a trooper with all of our busy days! I am grateful that I can still be home by 4:15 to feed him, play with him, and do bath, books, and bedtime snuggles. Todd is excited about the opportunity to be a stay-at-home-dad and to be able to spend more time with Owen. And, for the first time in 6 years, we will be home together at night! We are so blessed!

The World Beyond

It's amazing what you can discover....

Hey Mom and Dad, did you know that there is more to our house around this corner? And behind this chair?

Drinking from a straw is pretty fantastic, messy, but fantastic!

Shadows are fun times

Our backyard is huge!

I love watching him learn!

SAHM Envy

When I first got pregnant, I thought for sure I would be a 'work outside the home full time' kind of mom. But, as the due date grew closer, I knew I couldn't leave him and Todd and I, with our opposite work schedules, were able to avoid daycare. Mornings with Dad, afternoons and evenings with Mom. I am fortunate to have very understanding bosses who allowed me to do management stuff from home in the afternoon and so I only had to be at the clinic until 12, then home to be with Owen. Now with Tammy leaving, I am the only 'experienced' clinician and will need to be on site. Not only to just be a presence, but to take over some of her caseload and to supervise the students that she and I committed to. I have a million emotions about the whole thing - but overriding it all is anxiety about what to do for Owen on those two days. Stay at home moms, kinda jealous of you right now.

All Things Cute

Everything Owen does is pretty amazing (at least to me and Todd it is!). Recent fun facts...

• shakes his rattles straight arm style, looks like he is involved in some sort of sword fight
• rolling all over the floor, moving himself in circles, up and rocking on all fours - crawling TBA!
• pats my shoulder when I carry him
• starting to splash like crazy in the tub, also standing up in it all the time ~ can I just say again how much I love the Tummy Tub?
• laughing at his toys
• first trip to Canada

• new sound combo makes it seem like he is saying 'hey'
• sitting up by himself, but needs a 'spotter' close by just in case

It's Always a Good Time for a Faux-Hawk

Showing off his new 'mmmmm' sound...

Looking a little bit like a member of KISS - happy half birthday, Owen!

Future Foodie

Supporting healthy relationships with food starts with food exploration, right? I think we have this area mastered...

Sweet potatoes - ate, used as a rejuvenating face mask, then painted the table

A beard of peas

A soothing sweet potato foot soak, just for good measure

I love that Owen loves food so much - I just wish it loved him back. Too much (basically more than 2 tbsp) gives him a tummy ache and the pediatrician said to stop everything except his beloved oatmeal, and retry in a month or so.

Scoot

Owen's current mode of transportation - push through legs, lift body, scoot back, repeat. He started out by the hanging elephant and 5 minutes later he was one scoot away from running into the wall.

Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes

There were no sandals to be found in Owen's size, so some slip on boat shoes, pirate style are his summer go-to gear. Everyone that told me that there were no cute boy clothes... so so wrong.

But really, does he even need shoes? Baby feet - the only time in one's life when chubby feet are considered cute!

Proud Daddy

First Father's Day for Todd - Owen and I made him some yummy breakfast and let him sleep in a little before heading out to church. They are such buddies, Owen loves his Dad so much and he is always looking for him when he leaves the room. I have so many favorite moments about the two of them and their adventures, but my favorite recent one... a few weeks ago I came home from work and Todd said that he had put Owen in the Bjorn and taken him out to the garage to look at and talk about 4 wheelers and tools - he is one lucky kid!

Canadian Pastime

Why the official sport of Canada is lacrosse and not hockey is a mystery to me; but finally after years of drought, a Canadian team is in the Stanley Cup Finals. And of course I am watching, which means that Owen may be catching more than just a few glimpses of television. Considering my extreme patriotism, I only have one Roots sweatshirt to wear on such occasions. And then I remembered the Baby Legs I bought when we were wishing and hoping for a baby. Let's be honest, they are basically baby leg warmers, but they had my precious maple leaf all over them and I couldn't resist. Poor Owen may not appreciate this later, but he wore them for a brief picture while we cheered on the Canucks. To maintain his honor, he wore his camo onesie while being subjected to the whims of his fanatical hockey fan mom.

Next year, when another Canadian team is in the finals (here's hoping anyway), I'll be more prepared with quality Canadian apparel for the littlest hockey fan in the family.

Je t'aime ma tante

Ariene and Johan flew in to Spokane for three days before driving to Montana to meet his parents. Can I say from the rooftops, "I MISS MY SISTER!" Once a year, sometimes twice, is not nearly enough and even though we talk on the phone, I wish we lived in the same town. When we are both feeling sad about the distance, we always end up talking about our BYU days and how much fun we had there. I think because it was such a key time for us, we want to go back. And every time I have gone back since I graduated, we have gone together and the memories are almost overwhelming. I hope that Owen can have that type of relationship and memories with his siblings too. So important!

I was so excited for her to be able to meet Owen and spend time with him. He loved his Auntie A from the moment she walked through the door and my heart crushing moment - her singing to Owen in French when he was sad and tired in the car. He stared at her, mesmerized the whole time until he fell asleep.

Paul Simon

New in the past week:

• found his toes, now pulls off socks during diaper changes
• reaches for toys, if he can't get it, pulls the blanket until it is closer - coincidence?
• grabbing faces, hair, beards (thanks for being patient Uncle J!)
• thinks oatmeal is awesome
• so close to rolling from back to tummy, now a master at tummy to back
• fake coughs

It makes me think of a line from a Paul Simon song - 'slow down, you move too fast'... I feel like I'm going to blink and suddenly I'll be giving him a hug as I drop him off for college. Any wonder why I am having a tough time moving him from the crib in our room to his own room down the hall?

Daddy and Me

Owen is the luckiest kid in the world to have a dad like Todd. Because of his work schedule, he is home with Owen in the mornings while I am at work and he does such an amazing job. He has bottle fed a very tough reflux baby with such love and patience, holds him in Owen's preferred 'ready for sleep' position until his arm is numb, and plays with him non-stop through the morning. Maybe all dads do this, but I think he is extra diligent and is in a constant conversation with Owen about the things they see as they go about their day. This over the shoulder position is the one I usually see when I come home - when Owen has just awakened from nap and he is cuddled into Todd's chest, then I see a little head pop up over Todd's shoulder when he hears my voice.

Todd is always drinking out of a big blue cup and Owen is fascinated by it. He watches Todd drink from it and it always trying to grab it. So Todd decided to let him play with an empty one and Owen immediately put tipped it up to his mouth, just like Dad!