Owen's First Time to Sit at the Dinner Table

Welcome to the big leagues, Baby Boy!

He looks so big... :) & :(

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Owen is 6 Months Old!

A very Happy Half-Birthday to my favorite new 6 month old! My Baby Owen has been on the planet for half a year. As much as I have tried to dig in my heels, time keeps on ticking away. I am enjoying every second of O's babyhood. He is such a bright spot in our family!

Joy. Pure joy.

At 6 months old:

* Owen weighs 15 lbs even (10%) and was 27 inches long (72%). That, my friends, is the definition of long and lean! He is such a string bean! I have been pretty stressed about his weight for the last month. I'm just not used to a baby that is this skinny! The pediatrician is doing some tests to make sure that there isn't anything medically going on that would cause him not to gain weight, but she doesn't seem too concerned. We should have the results from the lab work back by the end of the week. I think that I will rest much easier once I know that those are all normal. Owen's head circumference was 43 cm (29%).

* Our little Love is getting so much more interactive! I got out our exersaucer last week and he went crazy over it. I could just see his little mind going into overdrive trying to figure it all out. It is probably his favorite piece of baby equipment right now.
* However, Little Mister still loves his swing, as well. He cranes his head to look at all of the little bugs and gets all wonky in the seat.

* He is rolling EVERYWHERE! I can lay him on a quilt and he is across the room in no time flat. He mostly rolls towards his right side - that seems to be his preference. We have had to get super vigilant about the gate at the top of the stairs. Let the baby proofing begin!
* Owen is at that stage where he loves his feet. I caught him sucking on his big toe in his bed earlier today. One day this boy will be over 6 feet tall, I'm sure. I just had to document that, way back when he was a wee babe, he could reach his toes to his face. Ha!

* This boy is nuts for his Papa. And, the feeling is mutual, I can assure you. O lights up when he sees is Dad. I love to watch them together.
* Owen's hair is starting to come in on top, but it is so blond that it doesn't show up in pictures. The bases of his eyelashes are also blond. As anxious as I am to see what he will look like with hair, I can't get enough of this bald head!
* We finally got a video monitor for the nursery. So... Owen moved upstairs to his room last week. I was sad to have to shut down the newborn suite (a.k.a. our master bedroom closet), but it was time. He seems happy in his own space, and I am enjoying being able to get ready without worrying that I will wake the baby. :)

* I had to take a picture tonight to prove that Owen is doing much better with his cereal. A certain family member was quite concerned about how sad O was in his previous cereal pictures. I hope that this sets her mind to ease. ;)
My Precious Baby Boy,

Oh, how I treasure every minute that I get with you! You are such a tremendous blessing in my life. You will never, ever know how much good you have done in your Mama's heart!

You have started waking up again in the night over the last few weeks. Oh, my heavens - those middle of the night feedings are taking a toll on your Mommy. I sleepily stumble up the stairs to your room, usually in a fog. As tired as I am, I still love to see your smiling face when I peek into your crib. All of the grouchiness just fades away. (Of course, if you would like to go back to your 10-11 hour stretches, I'd sure be grateful. :) )

I have always sang "You Are My Sunshine" to you and your brothers. Recently, I discovered the Elizabeth Mitchell version of the song. Her version makes me tear up every time! I know that one day, many years from now, I will dream about what it felt like to hold you as a baby. I'm trying desperately to train my arms to remember exactly what your little 15 pound body feels like. Oh, how I love to snuggle with you, Baby Boy.

I adore you so, my sweet Doll Baby. Happy Half Birthday to you! I look forward to many, many more days of celebrating you.

I love you to the moon and back,
Mommy

Owen's First Attempt at Rice Cereal

We gave our sweet little Owen his first few bites of rice cereal on November 1st. He is almost 6 months old and seemed to be showing signs of being ready for solids. So, we took the plunge a week early. :)

It went.... Well, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Smiley and happy sitting in his Bumbo...

Cooing and sticking his tongue out...

Letting the first bite dribble out of his mouth...

Trying to make himself like it...

Nope, this stuff is not good...

Why are you torturing me????

Poor kid. He hated it! I remember how much Drew loved his first experience with solids. I kindof expected Owen to be the same way. Notsomuch...

In his defense, Owen had never had formula before, and I mixed the rice cereal with Enfamil. I guess that he wasn't a big fan of the taste. We have continued to mix his cereal with formula every night, and he has gotten progressively better. I am pleased to say that he gobbled it up last night like it was his job. We've made good progress! :)

Another milestone marked off of the list...

Halloween 2011

The boys had a ton of fun this year dressing up and going trick or treating. Clayton was an Air Force pilot, Drew was an astronaut, and Owen was a monkey. They were pretty cute! :)

Clayton carved his first solo jack-o-lantern at a friend's birthday party. I thought that he did pretty good.
Lukey got to go trick or treating with us! He was a darling little Buzz Lightyear.
Clayton begged for aviator glasses. He thought that he was big stuff wearing them!
Owen was a cutie pie little monkey, if I do say so myself. ;)
It was actually a hand-me-down costume from Clayton's first Halloween. Too cute not to use again!

Halloween 2005

Halloween 2011

The Big Boys

O just rode in his stroller - happy to be along for the ride. Sweet little boy...
Clayton and Drew made quite a haul! I'm looking for a dentist in our area that offers a candy buy back program. Ha!

What might have been...

Since this blog is our family scrapbook of sorts, I feel the need to be more vigilant in documenting historical events.

A couple of weeks have passed now, so I think that I am ready to talk about the World Series this year. Our Rangers were so close to winning the whole series, that we could taste it! Wade's parents happened to be in town during game 6, and it was an intense night at our house while we all huddled around the TV. Twice the Rangers came within one strike of winning, only to let the Cardinals get another run. It was heartbreaking.

There were very high highs...



Followed by very low, lows. My Hubs face was so distraught after the game. I really wish that they could have pulled it off. There's always next year, though! We aren't fair-weather fans around here. Go Rangers!