This week's milestones

Owen hit some BIG milestones this week. He has become a pro at pulling up on just about anything he can. And, has started to hold his bottle. (Yes, we know he is WAY too big for his bouncy seat....it is just at the perfect angle for him to lounge and drink his bottles!

The "Tongue" Phase

Owen, as do most babies, goes through "phases". Meaning, he does something funny/cute for one to two weeks and then quits doing it just as fast as he started. We have to be fast to identify the phase and get a photo (or video) of him doing it, otherwise we'll miss documenting the memory! The current phase is the "tongue" phase. Owen sticks his tongue out in a variety of ways when he is concentrating on doing something. Here are some pictures of Owen sticking his tongue out while playing with (on) Daddy. Sorry the pics are a bit blurry....Owen moves quickly!!!

Fangs

Owen's teeth have not come in in typical fashion. He has his two bottom middle teeth and then his "fangs". It appears as though he is cutting his top middle teeth...so the big 'gap' should fill in soon!

Nine Months!!!

Owen and his Daddy....making the one of the best sounds in the world

Owen and Nash

Quick snippet of Owen 'talking' to his buddy Nash....and trying to shake hands...

Owen's best friend

Owen and Nash get along so well and have a lot in common. They are both laid back and they have the same jobs (eat, sleep, poop). Here are some great pics we got of Owen and Nash.

Pop and Owen

Here is a great picture taken of Pop and Owen at Aunt Ople's 98th birthday. Again...it was a wonderful day full of family and great celebration. Everyone was smiling that day!

Just Keep Swimming....

Owen and Mom went for Owen's first swimming lesson at the YMCA last Tuesday. We thought it would be a hit because Owen LOVES his bath....but we were wrong. Owen screamed the whole 30 minutes of the lesson. The water was cold and there were a bunch of activities going on in the pool. It was loud in there, which we think freaked Owen out. Our next lesson would have been last Thursday, but we could not go because Owen had a fever. He is on the mend now, so hopefully we will go to our next lesson on Tuesday.

98 years young!

Aunt Ople turned 98 last weekend! We drove up to TN with Nonnie and Pop to celebrate. It rained all the way there, but the sun came out in the afternoon and it was a beautiful day. Even more beautiful than the weather was the family being together to celebrate Aunt Ople.
Owen was a champ. He is such a good traveler. And of course, everyone ooo'd and awe'd over him.
Here are some pictures that were taken:

Aunt Ople with her cake

Owen with Aunt Ople

Owen with Pop's hat on (it was sunny!!!)

Problems with some Baby Products

Recently, we have had some problems with some of the baby products for Owen. First we discovered a hole in our pack 'n play. The pack 'n play is very gently used and the hole is definitely not one that could be created by a baby. It is about four inches in length and along the seem where the side mesh meets the solid fabric of the base. So...Mom wrote to Graco and told them the issue. Graco responded by sending us a FedEx prepaid label so we could ship the item back to Graco at their expense. They will replace the product upon receipt.

Then, a station on Owen's "Around We Go Activity Center" had never really worked correctly. It was what Mom had named the "squishy fishy" station. Basically, it consisted of some fish inside a water filled cavity. There were two shells on either side of the cavity that when pressed would squeak and were supposed to put air into the cavity and make the fish move. The shells were very hard to make squeak and the air did not move the fish around. So...Mom wrote to Bright Starts and told them the issue. They wrote back and said that the center we got had been replaced, but the activity modules were interchangeable. So, they sent us a replacement module. Now Owen has something new to discover (the frog hopper module).

And finally, we bought a new set of Playtex Ventaires 9oz bottles at the beginning of March. This was our third set of bottles and all had been washed the same way (by hand in hot soapy water). After two weeks of using the new bottles, the stamped graduated indications on the side of the bottles was disappearing. This made it quite difficult to fill the bottles to the proper level. So....Mom phoned Playtex and after answering a bunch of questions and confirming the manufacture date of the bottles (also stamped on the bottle) the company admitted that there was an ink problem a couple of years ago and they we just happened to get one of the sets that used the bad ink. Playtex offered to send a coupon for $15.99 that would allow us to replace the set.

All of these issues have been relatively minor, but all of the companies involved have been very understanding and accommodating. It is reassuring to know that Playtex, Graco and Bright Starts (all big manufacturers of baby products) stand behind their products and support their customers.

More foods

This past weekend, I made up nine different foods for Owen. Some repeats (apple, peaches, mango, sweet potato and carrot), but also added some new foods (kiwi, broccoli, cauliflower, and eggplant). He has tried the cauliflower, and I will introduce the others as the week goes on.

We have also started to introduce puffs. Owen wasn't sure at first (pulled a funny face any time one was put in his mouth). But now he gets excited when the puffs are placed on his high chair tray. He is proud of them too...he picks one up in his hand, raises it in the air and says "ahhhhhahhhh!!!!". Then he finds his mouth, puts the puff in, pulls a face and starts 'chewing'. He is so funny to watch! Very entertaining!

Gobble Gobble

Owen had turkey for the first time last night for dinner. I pureed some cooked ground turkey. It looked like soft dog food and he was late for Thanksgiving dinner...but I didn't tell Owen that. He didn't know any different and he LOVED it.

Grinding Two Teeth??

On Friday evening, Mom heard new noises coming from Owen's mouth. They were not nice noises...they actually made Mom feel the same way as when she hears finger nails on a chalk board. YUCK! Mom figured out that Owen was grinding the two teeth he has in his mouth! Seriously!??!?! WOW....Who knew!?!?! We looked it up online (what did parents do without the internet?) and as usual....it is normal for kids to grind their teeth. It is called Bruxism and is more common for toddlers to have (i.e. when more teeth are present). But for Owen, he is simply getting used to having teeth in his mouth.

Owen and Nash

Owen definitely has a friend....a furry friend. Nash is still curious of Owen, especially when he is at his level (on the floor, in a play station, etc.).
Here is a picture we took of Owen "standing" next to Nash.



Thankfully, Owen is not afraid of Nash and enjoys to pet him or grab his tail if Nash gets too close.

Cloth Diapering

Cloth Diapering has been SO much easier than I ever imagined it would be. Of course it helps that we have a set of beautifully sewn diapers by Bear Tooshies (owned and operated by Gram (Sue) Lloyd).

Changing Owen's diaper has gotten much easier too. Now that he is eating solid foods, we hardly ever have to use the diaper sprayer, as his poops are solid as well and just roll right off the beautiful suedecloth (inner fabric of the diaper). We have added a second liner to his daytime diapers and a third to his nighttime diaper. This has resulted in fewer compression leaks (mainly happened when he was playing in one of his play stations.

We have a little routine set up at our house that simplifies the washing process. It includes using the typical wet bag to store dirty diapers for no more than 2 days. Every other day, the load of diapers is washed, sorted and folded. The sorting and folding happens after Owen has gone to bed, while we have our feet up on the ottoman and catching up on a DVR'd TV program. Before we know it, all of Owen's diapers are cleaned and ready for another use.

It is so nice not having to pick up diapers every week at the store, or trying to find room to store all the disposables. It is also nice not having to use much diaper cream, since Owen has yet to get diaper rash. Yippee for cloth diapers!!!

If any mommies or daddies reading this are interested in cloth diapering and want more information, please let me know. The diaper factory is still up and running (read: Sue Lloyd is making and selling diapers). We know they work! Here is Owen modeling one of his red and navy diapers:

No more swaddle!

Ten days ago, we went stopped swaddling Owen...cold turkey! I (Mom) was REALLY nervous. But, a nice cool glass of white wine helped after I put Owen down in his crib for the first time without being wrapped up in his Miracle Blanket. Owen cried for fifteen minutes the first night we did not wrap him. The second day (a Saturday) he napped without being swaddled too. He did not sleep that well, but enough to get him through the day. The second night he only cried for five minutes before falling asleep unwrapped. And the third night, he didn't fuss at all! Since then, Owen has put himself to sleep each night and typically in a different position. We think he is trying them all out, since until now he has been forced to sleep on his back with his hands by his sides!

Yogurt

Gram was so excited for Owen to be able to try yogurt. She stated that Mom LOVED yogurt when she was little (and for the record still does). So....for Mom's birthday, Gram and Pappy bought a yogurt maker. Who knew that making yogurt was even possible...but it turns out....it is quite easy! And it is great because pureed fruits can be mixed into the yogurt to make it naturally sweet and tasty for Owen.

We are the proud owners of the Euro Cuisine Yogurt Maker:


Our first batch was perfect. Without adding any sugar or sweetner, Owen does shudder with the first bite. But after he gets a taste of it, he wants more and more!!! Owen has had banana yogurt, mango yogurt, blueberry yogurt and peach yogurt. Good stuff!!!!

Eight Months old!

This past Sunday, Owen turned Eight Months old!!!
Here is his monthly picture

Grow with me!

Here is a collage of Owen's monthly pictures (starting with his two month picture on the left and ending with his seventh month picture on the right).
(You can click on the photo to enlarge it)
Look how much he has grown!
I think what is most impressive to me is how his neck has grown!!! :)

Nonnie and Pop visit

Last weekend, we were blessed to have Nonnie and Pop visit for a few days. We all thoroughly enjoyed their visit as well.

Nonnie and Mommy took Owen to get his picture taken in Owen's new sailing outfit. Here are some screen shots of the pictures that were taken.




Pop and Daddy worked on the Big Green Egg table and made some great progress! It won't be long now before Daddy has a great workspace on the deck to smoke/grill dinners for the family!

Nonnie and Pop really enjoyed their visit with Owen and commented how happy the little man always is. They also maintain that "Owen looks like Owen" when they were asked who Owen looks like. He is a happy, cute guy!

We are already looking forward to our next visit with Nonnie and Pop. In three weeks time, they will be back so that we can all go to Tennessee for Aunt Ople's 98th birthday!

Gram and Pappy Visit

Gram and Pappy visited two weekends ago and we loved every minute that they were here. They thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Owen and thought he was pretty special.

As usual, it was a productive weekend. Gram and Mommy made a bunch of baby food for Owen. Enough to get us through Stage 1 foods. Pretty soon we'll be able to start Stage 2 foods.

NOTE:
Stage 1 = single ingredient foods, like rice cereal, and pureed fruits and vegetables.
Stage 2 = single ingredient and combination foods that are strained, instead or being pureed.

Gram also filled our freezer again with meatballs, meatloafs, chicken pot pies and mashed potatoes. Such a big help for our busy weeknights!!!
Pappy enjoyed a few games of golf at local courses, but also loved playing with Owen and singing (read: humming) the songs he used to sing to Owen when he was just a few days old. We need to get Pappy some print outs of the words to the songs he likes to sing, as he ends up humming most of them. :)

We're already looking forward to Gram and Pappy's next visit.

Moving towards a mouth full of teeth...

Owen's bottom right "central incisor" is definitely present! But...the bigger news is that two more teeth are showing up. Oddly enough...they are his top "lateral incisors". The only reason I know the name is because I googled "baby teeth names". See the diagram below.
The reason this is odd is because typically the bottom middle teeth come in and then the top middle teeth. I keep telling Owen that he didn't read the book that indicates the order that teeth arrive. :) He certainly is going to look funny with his top front 'fangs' in place without his two front teeth!

Shame on me...

Shame on Mommy for not blogging in almost a month! Lots has gone on....so I will be posting a few blog entries tonight (hopefully).

Rough Spot

Out of the blue this morning, Mommy stuck her finger in Owen's mouth to check out his gums. And...to her surprise...there was a small rough spot! For whatever reason, he won't let us look in there though. If we try to open his mouth, he covers up his gums with his tongue.

All else is well. Owen is getting really vocal. His noises are still cute and we love hearing him 'talk'. Mommy weighed him this morning and he weighed 19.5lbs. The weather is beautiful here this weekend. Temps in the 60s and sunny! Yesterday, the whole family went for a walk. Owen sat in his stroller like a big boy for the first time (i.e. without being in his car seat). He did really well just looking around and enjoying the fresh air. After a nap this afternoon and a snack bottle, we are going to for a walk again. Can't pass up this weather!

Seven Months Old!!!

And Happy Valentine's Day!!!!


We've had a busy weekend. Daddy picked up fruit and veggies at Whole Foods on Wednesday last week. Starting on Friday, Mommy made baby food. We now have a freezer full of frozen cubed baby food. There are cubes of mango, papaya, peaches, apples, pears, green beans, peas and sweet potato. We still have bananas, butternut squash and acorn squash to make up. Owen seems to love it all. Several people have asked what foods Owen likes best and what foods he doesn't like. So far, he seems to like everything and we haven't found anything that he won't take.

Today is Valentine's Day. Owen's first. Mommy is pretty lucky because both Daddy and Owen said they would be Mommy's Valentine. :)

Some of our favorite things that Owen is doing right now:
1) Reaching for toys when we offer them to him
2) Making all kinds of faces/expressions
3) Opening his mouth up wide and cackling
4) Reaching up at Mommy and Daddy to be picked up (he does this when he is happy and sad)
5) Hanging on to the sleeves of our shirts when we carry him around, and even tighter when we walk up the stairs with him
6) Not spitting up his milk anymore!
7) Spinning on his belly to get to other toys or to see Mommy, Daddy or Nash when they enter the room
8) Going in reverse, but then getting frustrated because he is moving further from the toy he wanted to get to (Owen hasn't found forward gear yet).
9) "Kissing" Mommy (too hard to explain....you'll just have to see it!)
10) Sleeping through the night!

Snow and the Olympics on a Friday night....can it get any better?!?!?!?

It snowed here in Alabama yesterday, which meant that all the schools were closed, as was Owen's daycare. Daddy stayed home with Owen in the morning, while Mommy went to the office for four hours and then we switched places so Daddy could go into the office. When Daddy returned, there was about 2 inches of snow on the ground. We bundled Owen up before his bath and got a quick picture with the snow in the background. It's Owen's first snow...but we don't think he really noticed it. :)



After a bath, it was time to get in the Olympic spirit. Owen wore his "Olympic" onesie (Thanks Aunt Sharon and Uncle Dan!) and Mommy wore a CANADA sweatshirt! We captured this pic before sitting down to watch some of the opening ceremonies.

Owen's first Super Bowl

The Indianapolis Colts are playing the New Orleans Saints tonight in the Super Bowl. Owen was all dressed for the big game and hanging out with Daddy. Father-Son bonding time!

Owen also enjoyed some new food during the game. He had acorn squash for the first time tonight (he can't be our son....he LOVED the squash...something neither mommy or daddy like). Owen enjoyed the first half of the game, but he quickly lost interest in the "Magic Screen" (aka the TV) around his bedtime (7:15pm).

Owen's favorite toys!

Owen has a few favorite toys right now....
His Move and Crawl ball is a hit.

Don't be fooled by the picture above. Owen has not yet started crawling. He can rotate and move backward...but has not yet found 'forward gear'. :)
And his "Step and Play" piano

Our Big Boy...Sitting all by himself!

Owen is sitting all by himself for brief bits of time these days. He reaches and grabs for his paci or toy that he drops while sitting and sits back up straight. He is getting so strong!


We also introduced some new fruits this weekend. Papaya and Mango. Owen seemed to be a fan of both of them. He no longer wants to recline in his high chair when he eats. He sits up straight and practically dives on the spoon full of food with an open mouth. He is such a great eater. He is eating lots too (hence the fat belly seen above!). He puts down 31oz of milk a day, 2.5 tablespoons of cereal and 4oz of other solid food (green beans, peas, squash, sweet potato, pear, apple, banana, papaya or mango).

The only other update is that we believe it is safe to say that Owen is sleeping through the night. They say it takes seven days to form a habit....well....Owen has slept through the night (dropping both his 1am and 5am feed) for 16 nights! Owen goes down at 7:30pm and we have to wake him to get him ready for school at 5:45am. On the weekends, he sleeps in (just like us!). Hopefully this blog post does not jinx us!

Happy Half Birthday!!!

Owen is six months old today!!! We can't believe Owen has been a part of lives for half a year! He is such a happy blessing in our lives.

The last week has been a bit of a challenge though. Owen had been dealing with a cough and some congestion for over a week. But then last Friday he started developing a fever. To the doctor we went! His white blood count was high, so he was prescribed antibiotics. Owen showed a bit of a loss of appetite on Saturday, but other than that he was still his happy little self.

Today, Mommy took Owen for his six month check-up and shots. Owen sat up and played during the doctor's visit, which made it fun for the doctor to interact with him. He weighed in at 17 pounds, 13 ounces and was measured to be 26.5 inches long. So...technically he shrunk half an inch! HA! Not likely. The decrease probably has something to do with him being stretched out too much at his last doctor's visit or not being stretched out enough at this one. Either way, Owen is in the 50th percentile for both weight and height. All of his other vitals and milestones were right on track. It was a great check-up.

And....here is the ball picture for this month!

More solid foods!

Over the past week we have introduced solid foods into Owen's diet. It has been fun to say the least. Feeding times are now extended and a little more messy...but we've enjoyed seeing his reactions to different foods. We started with sweet potato and have since tried a second vegetable - squash. Surprisingly, he likes it more than his mommy ever will! A few days ago, we introduced pear at his lunch time feed. So, now the big man is up to one fruit and one vegetable serving a day! Tonight...it's green beans for dinner! YUM!
We are making all our baby food. It is a lot easier than it sounds. Cooking or steaming is completed quickly and then the food processor purees fabulously! Most of food then gets stored in ice cube trays in the freezer, but we keep out enough for Owen to try in the "Baby Cubes". They work great!

Christmas 2009

We had a wonderful first family Christmas. As most of you know, Owen was baby Jesus in our church Christmas Eve service. Which meant that we were Mary and Joseph! This is the only picture we have (taken by Arthur Young with his phone and screen captured from Facebook).


After the service, Owen had his bottle of milk and cereal while Mom and Dad enjoyed a nice piece of fish, a salad and a potato. Then, it was off to bed so Santa could come! Santa certainly found us. And Owen must have been extra good....as he enjoyed many many gifts! Too many in fact. We didn't get them all opened until two days after Christmas (we only have a small window with him that he will comfortably stay in our laps to open presents!).

Nonnie and Pop flew in to share the day with us and stayed through the weekend. We had a wonderful visit and enjoyed their help and company as usual. Gram and Pappy cruised the Caribbean over Christmas, but were here in spirit. They surprised us by hiding some Christmas gifts when they were here at Thanksgiving, which included a photo frame containing pictures of them with Owen in his "Baby's First Christmas" outfit and Santa hat that they had gotten for him. TOO CUTE!
Here is a picture of Owen in the outfit on Christmas Day


Here is the family before Christmas dinner


And a little glimpse of our tree


Owen is getting so strong. He has mastered rolling over (both back to front and front to back). He LOVES to show off his new skill. He enjoys being on his tummy more now than he used to. When he is there, he pushes up to look around. He will even stay on his tummy with his head up while being read to or to gum a toy for a while.

Owen's First Big Boy Feeding!

On December 26, 2009 we fed Owen some big boy food....cereal with a spoon!! He pulled some really funny faces and Daddy captured it on video!!! Since then, Owen has had one serving of sweet potato and he seemed to like it. And this morning, Owen had his second serving of cereal and ate it all up with less ugly faces!

Christmas in Texas

Last Friday we drove to Orange Texas to celebrate Christmas with the McReynolds family. It took us 10.5 hours to drive down there and Owen was a real trooper. That evening, Owen got to meet his great grandparents (Mamaw (Waunice) and Papaw (JD)). Then on Saturday, he met many many family members including the newest one, Greyson (12 days old and a great-great grandson to Mamaw and Papaw!).

We then drove to Dallas-Fort Worth with Nonnie and Pop to spend a few days there. We rested on Sunday and enjoyed a visit from friends that came over to meet Owen (the Lucke's and the Herold's). Our niece, Grace, also came over that evening and we shared dinner, exchanged Christmas gifts and watched her new Christmas movie (Santa Buddies!). On Monday, we took Owen to Portrait Innovations to have his pictures done. He was a perfect little model and we got some great shots.


Monday night, Mommy went out with some great girlfriends that she used to skate with. And on Tuesday, Daddy took a test for his online Accounting class and later that evening, we met the Gallian's out for dinner. It was a packed-full few days, but it was great to spend time with Nonnie and Pop.
Owen has mastered rolling over from his back to his belly. And, he is really starting to push up. Won't be long before he starts crawling around!

Christmas Eve

Our first Christmas Eve with Owen has come and gone. Owen was baby Jesus tonight in our church Christmas Eve service. He was perfect! He slept until we got up front and then all he wanted to do was stare at Daddy (Joseph!). Mom (Mary) was holding him the whole time, and is paying for it now (sore back and arms!). It was such a nice service and precious memories were made. Owen is sleeping, so Santa can come a bit early. We are looking forward to a great day tomorrow.

Five months old!!!

Our first family Christmas Tree

Last night we bundled up and went to a Christmas tree farm here in Oxford to cut down our own Christmas tree. It is actually our first family Christmas tree, as we have not put one up in recent years because we have never been home for Christmas.

Here is the Christmas tree farm:

Mommy and Owen

Daddy cutting down the tree

It was tough work for Owen. He fell asleep on the one minute drive home.


The undecorated tree


Stay tuned for the decorated tree (it is done...but we have not taken the pic yet!).