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!

A Pretty Nice Little Weekend...

We had a fun filled weekend full of friends, hot dogs, fireworks, and summer heat. (and it's not even the 4th of July yet!) Friday night we went to a Naturals baseball game with some friends. Ethan was so excited to see the baseball players and the field. However, the petting zoo, blow up jump things, and the play ground managed to distract him for quite awhile. He wasn't overly fond of the fireworks before the game, and his friend Jack was terrified of the team mascot. But both of them managed to get over their fears to have some fun.

Sunday night Bentonville First Baptist put on a huge "freedom celebration", and I don't think we've ever seen so many people in the square. They were serving free hot dogs, drinks, ice cream and popsicles. They even had Twila Paris (a blast from my Christian-music-filled childhood past) there to sing. We didn't manage to stay for the whole thing due to bedtimes, but we all managed to thoroughly enjoy the people watching and free food eating. I am not sure how we're going to top this for next weekend!

Wine Tasting

We had some friends over last week for our first ever wine tasting party. It was a blast. Everyone brought two bottles of one wine. We sat one bottle aside and then had a taste test with the other. We all ranked them and the winner got to choose what bottle from the stash they wanted, then the 2nd place chose, and so on. Most of us had no clue what we were doing, but we still enjoyed every wine and the food that went with it. I am ready for the next party!

4 Months Old

It's hard to believe that our "Big Top" has been with us for four months now. He's really starting to carve out his own place in the family as he becomes so much more social and chatty. He hates being laid on the floor b/c he can't see what going on, and his whole body seems to light up when someone starts talking to him too. We had his 4 month check up this week, and he's starting to even out in his height and weight (40th percentile for both), but his head is staying strong in the 90th percentile! Our doctor attributes his not rolling over yet to the size of his head...if he could just get some momentum behind it... Owen's latest tricks are sticking his tongue out (ALL the time), grabbing at objects, finding his feet, chewing on his hands, and making crazy squeeling sounds. And his favorite toy is the bouncer.

Down South

We headed South this weekend to see the Hoyle clan. It was Chris' dad's birthday AND Father's Day, so we had a lot of celebrating to do. The guys also had cattle to work, so the Ethan, Owen and I played with Kerri and the cousins. Ethan, as always, loved getting to see all the animals. Between the horses, the donkey, cows, goats, sheep, dogs, cats, ducks, and who knows what else, he has no need for any farm books! He gets to see them all first hand.

He also loves being the center of attention with his big cousins...although that's changing now with Owen in the picture. Alyssa took on the role of taking care of Owen, and she did an awesome job watching him. And I think Adam is glad to finally have someone younger than him so he can be in charge! Alex is the cool oldest cousin that can play the guitar, so Ethan is crazy about him too.

Actually...

Ethan is getting more and more entertaining. His vocabulary continues to expand like crazy, and it's been hilarious watching his personality continue to develop. Apparently I say "actually" quite a bit because Ethan has started incorporating it in almost EVERY sentence. You'd actually be amazed at how many times it's been said lately. :) He's also started asking the standard two year old question, "Why?". Oh, Lord, please give me patience! He's also started saying, "Momma, I love you lots" which completely melts my heart. Of course he's learning that after saying that he can usually get what he wants. I'm pretty okay with being charmed by him...so far...

The Lake

Last weekend we went to Lake of the Ozarks with our friends that Harris'. We stayed at Amy's parent's amazing condo that looked out over the lake. We were able to take a couple boat rides, ride a jet ski, enjoy some sun at the pool, and we even managed to stay up late both nights after the kids went to bed to enjoy some grown up time.

Ethan was a little hesitant about all the new things at first, but it didn't take long for him to fall in love with driving the boat and swimming with his dad. He also loved playing with Drew and Ellie. He and Ellie have a weird sort of love/hate relationship. They were either loving on each other or taking turns pushing each other. (Ellie is a year younger but she more than holds her own!) Drew, being smart, stayed out of most of their spats and worked on learning how to walk. We were able to see his first several steps at the pool!

Sweet Owen didn't make it in a lot of the pictures, but I am sure he had a good time observing all the craziness.

It's taken me a full week to recover from all the excitement, but I am ready to go back!

Whirlwind of a Weekend

Last weekend we went to Oklahoma, and I think we crammed about a months worth of weekend events into one weekend. We left Friday for Tulsa so that Owen and I could see our favorite Dr Asher there. My mom met us there and took Ethan on to Stillwater so that Chris and I could get lunch and do some shopping. It was amazing how just having Owen with us seemed like a vacation!That night we left both boys with my parents and celebrated our 5 year anniversary at the Atherton Hotel in Stillwater. We had a fabulous dinner at the Rancher's Club there. Owen took a bottle that night and the next morning, so we got a whole 15 hours with just the two of us. It was amazing.

On Saturday, we picked up Owen and headed to Norman to see Chris' mom. Ethan stayed with my parents and had the time of his life. My dad took him for donuts for breakfast, to Lowe's, to the OSU basketball stadium, the football stadium, for tractor rides, and who knows what else! I think my dad slept really well after the weekend!

That night, Chris, Owen and I headed to my friend, Brandi's, wedding. It was so good to see Kristin, Kobie, and Rachelle there too. We were able to all go out after the wedding and do a little catching up. It made me really ready for our annual Labor Day trip together.

On Sunday we were back in Stillwater for Owen's baby shower thrown by some family friends. It was great to see everyone there, and Owen got some really cute things. Now he actually has some clothes that his big brother didn't wear first!

It was such a fun weekend, and everything went so smoothly. We loved every minute of it, but we were definitely ready to get home.

Half Way to Hippie...

(This is Owen modeling his cloth diaper and his new favorite trick - sucking on his hand)

So, we figured since we had gotten into the natural child birth thing, we should go ahead and take the next hippie step to cloth diapering. Actually, it was mostly motivated by the thought of saving money, and some curiosity b/c everyone that does cloth diapering claims to LOVE IT. Weird, I know.

We made an investment of about $200 to get all the cloth stuff we would need (8 all-in-ones, 18 prefolds, 3 covers and 2 Snappis), and we figured that I would need to stick to it for at least 4 months to break even. We've got a month under our belt, and while I feel like we've got the hang of it, I am no where near LOVING IT. It really hasn't been too big of an adjustment. The extra load of laundry every third day is easy, but the smell of the diapers grosses me out. (and we're not even to the serious stuff yet!) It bothers me that some of the diapers are already stained...if I use them on our next kid, will they feel abused for wearing used diapers?! I see the bills for the shrink adding up... (any suggestions on stain removal other cloth diapering moms?)

On the positive side, I think the all-in-ones are really cute. It does feel good to not have to buy diapers, and our trash can is a lot lighter too. Like I said, though, I don't love it yet. So we'll see how things progress.

Big Top

My new nick name for Owen is "Big Top". The poor kid's head is huge, but he's doing a pretty good job of holding it up considering. We finally found our Bumbo (thanks, Papa!), and Owen really seemed to like sitting in it. He gets so frustrated when he's laying on the floor...I think he knows he's missing out on all the action.

I couldn't help myself...

Ethan is going to kill me for posting this picture when he's older, but I just couldn't help it! We're no where near being ready to potty train, but every once and awhile he'll ask to go potty. He's getting a little more particular in how he wants it all to work - he has to have a book and the door must be closed all the way with no one else in there. (He "scolded" me for opening the door to take this picture.)

My Guys

Ethan really has a way of making Owen laugh that no one else does. We've been trying to keep Ethan off of Owen, and then we realized that (for the most part) Owen really seems to like Ethan all up in his face! He laughs and starts kicking like crazy. Of course that just encourages Ethan more. I hope this little duo continues to enjoy each others company as they get older!

Owen is 3 Months Old

(Owen was intently watching his big brother perform for him. He was mesmerized! And just ignore the drool spot on his shirt. :) )

I can't believe my sweet little guy has been here for three months now. I am constantly amazed at how much he's changed. He's become obsessed with trying to get his hands in his mouth - his poor little face has the marks to show it as he's punched himself repeatedly. He's got the greatest little grin with two dimples that shows up more and more now. And he's survived his first "war wound" from his big brother. (a nice scratch on the face from Ethan getting a little too excited to see him.) I have a feeling Owen is going to be my dramatic child. He can be completely fine and then out of the blue he can let out the worst cry to let you know he's suddenly unhappy. He also has perfected the bottom lip turned down that is the most pitiful thing. One of these days I will get it on camera...

The ABCs

We've been working on our ABCs for awhile now. Ethan had it down but then regressed making up his own alphabet for awhile. It was pretty entertaining - lots of "elemenopies". But this past week week he decided to go back to the standard alphabet, and I was able to get it on camera.

The Wright Family

When we were in Oklahoma a few weekends ago, I was able to see my dear friend, LeAnne, and her family. She and I were kindred spirits in college. We spent many hours in the art studio together, survived being roommates, walked through life's many ups and downs, and shared all comedy that the male species in our lives brought. We're still sharing comedy in our lives - the males are just smaller (and waaaay cuter). Between the two of us, we have four boys. It was so fun watching Ethan and her son Titus play together. They jumped on the trampoline, fought with swords, played basketball, drew, played with trains, and ate popsicles...and that was just in an hour. I can't wait to see the boys grow up together...and what trouble they'll get in together!

1st Farmer's Market of '09

We made it to our first Farmer's Market this season this past weekend. The weather couldn't have been better! We had a nice walk there, saw several friends, played at the park, and had a moment of silence for the closed coffee shop. Apart from the missing scones and coffee, it was a pretty perfect Saturday morning!

All Boy

We had play group at the park this past week. It was the one nice day in a week full of rain...a week full of rain that produced a lot of mud puddles. The majority of boys could have cared less about the slides and swings. They were all surrounding the mud puddle throwing rocks and sticks in it. Of course Ethan was in the mix. My first instinct was to try and distract him in hopes that he'd stay clean. But I kept hearing my dad's voice in my head telling me to "let boys be boys". So I said nothing. And Ethan proceeded to walk back and forth through the mud for about 30 minutes. The rest of the kids stayed at the edge of the puddle, but Ethan seemed to prefer standing in it. When it was time to go, I didn't even know where to start the cleaning up. Wipes did nothing. So I stripped him down, let the mud dry and we threw him the car in just a diaper. Apparently I need a summer "mud kit" in my car for next time b/c I know this won't be our last mud adventure!

Update on Owen: he's off the medication. It was nasty stuff that made him miserable. He cried more during the five days he was on it than he has in his entire life. I got him into the doctor that does OMT in Tulsa this past Friday, and she couldn't believe our other doc had him on meds. She did some manipulation on him, that should help, and gave me some other instructions (that I won't write about due to the embarrassment it might provide Owen when he's older). He's back to his happy self that has slept all night for the past 4 nights. Happy Mother's Day to me!

My Squatty Body Boy has Reflux!

We took Owen in for his 2 month check-up last week. Overall, he was very healthy and has doubled his birth weight! The nurse told me that he was in the 90th percentile in head size (not a huge surprise since he has Dodson in him...our heads run large...let the jokes begin), 75th in the weight, and 25th in height. Short and round. :) I'm sure his height will catch up eventually...right?! We also found out that he has reflux pretty badly. It wasn't a huge surprise with the way he was spitting up and eating was becoming uncomfortable. She has put him on medication for two months now, which makes me cringe. I just pray that he won't have any bad side affects and that the medication will help his tummy. It's pretty remarkable how happy he's been in spite of being in pain. He's pretty wonderful!

Hero

Every night when Chris gets home from work, he and Ethan go upstairs so Chris can change out of his work clothes. And so they can shoot a few hoops in Ethan's room. This particular night, Ethan decided Chris needed help picking out what to wear. He chose Chris' basketball jersey, a pair of basketball shorts and then he told Chris that he needed a jersey too. When they came downstairs, you could tell Ethan was thrilled to be dressed in his dad's clothes. It was pretty sweet...

Laughing

I was playing with the boys on the floor yesterday and noticed that every time Ethan laughed, Owen laughed back. I caught some of it on video. I don't know if you can hear Owen over Ethan talking or not b/c Ethan was trying to climb on me while taking the video!

Claire's 1st Birthday

We took our first overnight road trip as a family of 4 this weekend to Oklahoma for Claire's birthday party. Both boys did amazingly well in the car, and Owen even slept 7 hours straight on Friday night for me. (although I wasn't able to enjoy it b/c I kept waking up expecting him to want to eat...) It was fun spending time at Mimi and Papi's house, and we loved seeing Jack and Claire. Ethan got to see his friend, Maggie, too. He hugged her goodbye, but she was playing coy. It was a great weekend with family, but I think it may take a little bit to recover. Chris and I were exhausted when we got home. Who would have thought adding one more kid to the mix to take so much more out of you!

The Sand Box

Ethan had some friends over last week, and the sand box was a huge hit. At one point all six kids were in it at once. It was hilarious watching the different personalities manifest themselves while they were playing. Kellen sat in one place, happy as can be, playing with the sand. Sam put everything in sight in his mouth and seemed to enjoy the way everything tasted. Every time we turned around he'd have a stick or a blade of grass hanging out of his mouth. Drew and Ellie were all over the place exploring. And Ethan and Xander, being the older ones, seemed to enjoy arguing over toys and bossing the other guys around. This is going to be a fun summer....

Owen's Big Weekend

Owen turned 2 months old this past Sunday and was baptized. Big stuff! Mimi and Papi came to spend the weekend, so he was able to bond a little with them. He also got to meet his Uncle Josh and Aunt Caylee for the first time. (Caylee is a photographer, so I put down my camera when she's around...unfortunately that means no pictures of her!) Owen is starting to spend a little more time awake these days. Although he caught his big brother's cold last week and spent three days sleeping it off. When he is awake, he loves making noises, eating, being held, and watching his big brother. I am looking forward to seeing more of his little personality emerge...

My Guys

We're starting to get into a routine of things these days. I am finally remembering to brush my teeth on a regular basis, and we've even managed to get out of the house before 10 am a few times now. Ethan seems to enjoy being a big brother. His main goal is to get a laugh or smile out of Owen. His hugs seem more like body slams, but we're working on it. Owen has been a great baby. He's only waking up twice during the night, and we're hoping that moves to once here pretty soon. He's started smiling quite a bit and his little laughs are pretty darn cute.

Happy Easter!