8 Months

I fall more and more in love with this little guy everyday! He never ceases to crack me up. As I was trying to take some pictures of him, every time he'd see the camera's red light, he opened his mouth to smile. I couldn't get one picture where his mouth wasn't open...

He's continuing to show signs of being VERY independent, and there have been some incidences of him showing a stubborn little spirit lately too. He's never been a huge nurser, so when we introduced "solid" foods, he took to it very quickly. But now that he's realizing he can start feeding himself, he yells the whole time we try to feed him. Once there is food for him to feed himself, he's happy as a clam. With his continued mobility, I have started having to tell him "no, no" to some things. It's amazing that he knows exactly what that means...he'll stop, look at me, and yell very loudly to let me know he doesn't agree. Toddler hood is going to be fun!

Swinging at the Park

My friend, Lynne, took these pictures of Owen at the park yesterday. They made me smile, so I thought I would share. For some reason the swing tasted really good...

7 Months Old

It's been weird how fast the last seven months have gone. Somehow I thought with having a second child that all the milestones wouldn't be that big of a deal because there wouldn't as much time to pay attention to them... And there isn't as much time, but I think it makes them almost more exciting. With Ethan, I was anticipating new accomplishments weeks before it happened, but with Owen it seems like all of a sudden he's doing something new. Like when we were at Panera a few weeks ago and it just hit me that he could sit in a high chair! It was almost more exciting for me than it was him. Even riding in the seat of the Target cart seemed like a huge deal to me! I am also experiencing some major differences between Ethan and Owen... I never once strapped Ethan in to a high chair, his stroller or any sort of grocery cart. He just stayed put. Owen, however, has shown me just how important those straps are! Within the first two minutes in the maiden voyage of the Target cart, he almost climbed out. He never sits still.

He's officially mastered the "belly scoot". Between rolling and pushing off with his feet, he's all over the place. It's taken me off guard as I have had to start the baby proofing process sooner than I was ready to. And EVERYTHING goes in his mouth. This has been a new experience for me because Ethan was not oral at all, but Owen can manage to find the smallest toy or piece of paper in a large room to put into his mouth.

Miscellaneous other things: We also had his first tooth pop in on the bottom. We knew something had to be going on because the normally laid back Owen was very cranky. Naps are finally starting to become regular. And he LOVES eating solids...so much so, that I think he'd wean himself completely if I'd let him. I am not ready for that yet!

Mimi, Papi & a Trip to Tulsa

We made a quick trip to Tulsa last week and got to spend the afternoon with Mimi and Papi. Papi took Ethan to buy an Iron Man action figure, and Mimi played with Owen while I was at the doctor. It was a fun getting to see them so spur of the moment!

We'd been debating buying a dvd player for our car for longer trips, but we realized that you can download videos to an iPod. So Ethan watched his tv shows in the car on our way to and from Tulsa. It was a little weird seeing him in the back seat with his iPod and earphones. He's 2 going on 16. Crazy.

Emma

Our next door neighbor, Emma, had her school musical on Thursday night and we went to watch her perform. Ethan was captivated the whole time the kids were singing - it was pretty funny. He was so excited to see her after the show, he ended up tackling her and breaking the flower he brought to give her. Oh, well, she appreciated the sentiment!

"I help you?"

Ethan has started really enjoying helping out around the house, and of course he wants to do it with no help. After getting over the initial "it's easier to do it myself" thought, it's been fun to try and help him learn how to do things. And I've realized that I need to get him used to helping out now while it still seems "fun". I have a feeling that will go away very soon... He helps with laundry, unloading the dishwasher, vacuuming, and sweeping. Now if I could only get him to clean bathrooms...

A Little Crimson & Cream

We went to Norman last weekend to see Chris' mom and to catch an OU game. We had a great time hanging out with Grandma Debbie. I think Ethan drank twice his weight in peach water (Grandma's favorite drink...and Ethan's too), and Owen loved all the attention. Chris and I were given tickets to the game, and I even wore crimson to show support of my hubby. (it was a little more "Razorback red" than "OU red", but you work with what you have.)

Labor Day Weekend '09

We were in Oklahoma last weekend for Labor Day. It was a packed weekend full of family and friends. Jack and Ethan seemed to enjoy hanging out with each other...for the most part. It seems like it takes a little bit for them to get used to having each other around, but usually by the end of their time together they're best buds. There was lots of football watching, tons of wrestling (even with Mimi), they got to see Pistol Pete and the OSU football team, and eat tons of Mimi's good cooking. Ethan slept quite well when we got home.
We got to meet two of my cousin's kids for the first time too. Joshua was a little mini-version of his dad, and Dylan was adorable (sorry I didn't get a pic of him). Owen and Claire seemed to have a good time as well, but they tended to observe the chaos more than anything. Give them a year and they'll be creating chaos of their own.

Free Stuff, Mommas Out There?

The BirthNetwork of NWA is doing a giveaway for anyone to pamper mommas as well as bring awareness to The Birth Survey. I took the Birth Survey after having Owen, and wished I had had access to something like this before I delivered Ethan. It is such a great resource to check out local health care providers and get feedback on other people's experiences. I highly recommend taking the survey, and be sure to check it out if you're looking to deliver anytime in the near future. Read further for more info...

Three Ways to Win in the Month of September

1. If you have given birth in the last three years, complete The Birth Survey and save your confirmation code to enter at www.birthnetworknwa.org.
2. Join BirthNetwork of NW Arkansas as a consumer member or renew your BirthNetwork NWA consumer membership and be automatically entered to win.
3. Blog about the Pampered Mama Giveaway and The Birth Survey during the month of September, then click here to give us a link to your blog post and enter to win!

What is this All About?
The Birth Survey was created to help women share their maternity care experiences and learn from other women's experiences. As advocates for mother-friendly maternity care, we at BirthNetwork NWA we believe that the quality of your care matters to your health and that of your baby.

When you take the Birth Survey, you can let other women in NW Arkansas know about the great (or not so great) care you received with the doctor or midwife you chose. Feedback like this will help other women find the best maternity care available, and it also helps hospitals and doctors improve. We’re all about healthier, safer, better births for mom and baby.

Visit www.birthnetworknwa.org for more details

Daddy Ethan

Ethan got really quiet the other morning (never a good sign), and when I walked into the play room he was attempting to get my baby carrier on him with his dog in it. When I asked him what he was doing, he said he was being Daddy Ethan with his baby. It's masculine enough if he's playing a Dad, right? :) Regardless, I thought it was pretty cute. It didn't last all that long...Batman was calling from the other room.

Buddies

Owen had his first little buddy come over last week. Kyle Sutton is four months younger than Owen - not that you can tell by the pictures! I have a feeling they're going to be friends - when they saw each other on the floor they both smiled and tried to grab at each other. I think Owen must like having someone his own size around.

The Funny Dog

I don't know what it was about this dog that cracked Owen up so much the other night. Maybe my obnoxious dog impersonation? Anyway, hearing his little laugh makes me smile, so I thought I would share. I love this age...

Brothers

This picture made me laugh, so I had to share. Owen looking very chill. Ethan looking quite ornery. That pretty much sums it up.

6 Months Old

I cannot believe that Owen is 6 months old now. It's truly been a blur... I absolutely love the age that he's at now as he's interacting with us more and learning new things like crazy. He's figured out how to get around by rolling and scooting, so our days of putting him in one place and him staying there are over. The other day he "chased" me across a blanket at the park by rolling, and every time he got to me he had pride written all over his face. His big brother can still make him laugh like no one else can, and his whole body seems to smile when people talk to him. He can sit up pretty well on his own, but his head generally throws him off balance after too long. He's sleeping better for naps now that he's out of the bouncy seat...come to find out (according to "The Baby Whisperer") that he's a "spirited" type personality that does not like to be restrained/contained. Once he was able to move, he was able to fall asleep a whole lot faster. Poor kid, he was trying to tell me that... He also HATES being in a baby carrier facing me. I tried to wear him while shopping the other day and the entire time he yelled and pushed off my chest arching his back. I kept getting looks from other people like I was abusing my baby. Once he faced out, though, all was well.

We've attempting introducing "solids" a few times now, but he's not a huge fan. He gives me this look like "What are you doing to me??". He does, however, love to play with his sippy cup at dinner time. If he ever gets any water out, he gets really surprised. And he seems to want to put everything in his mouth...so it looks like I'll get to pay my dues with this kid as he eats dirt, sticks and everything else. Oh, the good times we have ahead!

Heaven

Ethan loves playing with the girls that live in our neighborhood. They're always so sweet to him. This particular day they pretended to be sick with "the rolie polies" and Dr Ethan would heal them. This is how they thanked him for saving them... He may have to change his career path from sports to medicine.

Pistol Pete

(Chris may kill me for posting this, but I couldn't help it.) When we were in Stillwater two weekends ago, OSU had Fan Appreciation day where people could meet the football players and see the field. Ethan and Jack only wanted to go to see Pistol Pete. My dad managed to bypass the hour-long wait to get inside so that the boys could do this, but once they saw Pete, they both were terrified. (His head is really large...and Katie pointed out that his face needs a little work...) Anyway, they both managed to warm up to him a little and pose for this picture. You can tell Chris really loves Ethan - not many OU grads would be willing to be in an OSU picture...

Spiderman

There isn't much "grey" in Ethan's world when it comes to liking something. If he likes it, he REALLY, REALLY likes it. The past few weeks he's started really liking Spiderman. (Chris has shown him some of the classic Spiderman cartoons on YouTube.) It worked out well using this new found love during potty training...he was thrilled to see that Spiderman was on his big boy underwear. And he was even more thrilled to have his underwear double as a mask so that he could be Spiderman. He's been riding around the house on his bike singing the Spiderman song the past week... And poor Owen has even joined in, maybe not as willingly. When I came to pick Owen up, he mysteriously had this sticker on his forehead. He didn't seemed too concerned, though.

Bath Time

Ethan and Owen took their first bath together the other day. Ethan kept screaming, and we initially thought that it would scare Owen. Instead, he found it very entertaining.

Lake Texoma, Friends & Their Kids, 2 Birthdays, My Parents, The Flu, Grand Lake, Sharing the Flu, Rolling Over, Potty Training, & a Stomach Virus

That pretty much sums up our last three weeks! For some reason we managed to cram a whole summers worth of events into a very small time frame. We had a blast (minus the sickness), and now we're trying to recover.

We started out the fun by going to Lake Texoma with Chris' dad and his brother's family. We all had a blast riding on the boat, watching everyone attempt to ski, eating Aunt Kerri's amazing food, and playing lots and lots of pool.

The Monday after we got back from the lake, my dear college friends Kobie and Christi came to spend the week with their boys. Chris was gone in Florida for work, so we had the house to ourselves. It was so fun watching our little guys play together, and after crazy days chasing them around, we still managed to enjoy some good conversation over drinks and chocolate. We were even able to hit the town the last night they were here to celebrate my 31st birthday.

My mom and dad came into town the week of Chris' birthday. My dad did several things on my never ending "to do" list which included solving our litter/sand box problem! My mom made curtains for me, and they watched the boys one night so Chris and I could have a date night. Unfortunately, while they were there Chris and I came down with the flu.

After we recovered from the flu, we headed to Grand Lake where we met my parents and my brother Jon's family. Ethan was able to go fishing for the first time with his Papi, and he even caught his first fish! Jack and Ethan played well together as long as Ethan didn't touch Jack's cross (his favorite thing to play is church), and as long as Jack didn't touch Ethan's stuff animal, Pineapple. Jack peformed numerous church services for us, and Ethan managed to play along even though he wasn't exactly sure what was going on. Aunt Katie even made them priest's robes out of blanket! While we were there, Owen did his first "roll over" from back to front. He's managing his "big top" quite nicely these days! The last night of our trip, Jack came down with the flu, and then the next day poor Claire got it too. So, the trip ended on a sad note, but all in all it was a fun time.

When we were finished with all our company and travels, we started potty training with Ethan. We packed up all his diapers, put them in a trash bag, and haven't looked back since! He's done really well - not one night time accident. Unfortunately, he caught some stomach virus which caused the first week of using the toilet to be rather interesting. He's been a trooper, though, and now that he's feeling better, he's using the potty like a champ. I am pretty sure he's eaten his weight in Sour Patch Kids (his reward for going potty).

A little behind.

We have had a pretty crazy month, so I am a tad behind on my postings. We had a good 4th of July celebrating with some friends here. Ethan was a little leery of the fireworks at first, but he ended up loving them. Owen slept through them all like a champ. I was rather thankful to have that holiday over because are dear neighbors seemed to like celebrating it every night late all week long. The guys in my house didn't seem to notice, but I did not enjoy being kept up late!

Ethan is getting more chatty than ever. The "stories" and questions he comes up with continually crack me up. He's started drawing robots that are pretty cool looking, and I am hearing "I do it myself" a lot. Owen is getting better and better at maneuvering his large noggin. Tummy-time isn't spent face down anymore, and he's started sitting up by himself (with help from the Boppy). He's continued to be an easy, sweet little guy that smiles with his whole body - makes my heart melt everytime!