Dearest Owen. You turned six months old yesterday! I waited until today to blog because you had your checkup with Dr. Dalton this morning. I wanted to get all your stats before I began to write.
Before I dive in, let me just say how much we love and adore you.
Your current weight is 20lbs 9oz (93rd percentile).
Your current height is 28 1/4 inches (95th oercentile).
Your current head circumference is 46 1/2 centimeters (above the 97th percentile).
You are still wearing mostly 6-9 month clothing, but I have put you in a few 6 month outfits that I really like (and don't want you to outgrow just yet), and they fit you well! That will most likely change in a week or two.
You are wearing a size 3 diaper, but are less than 2 pounds away from the minimum weight for a size 4. Sheesh!
You drink about 28 ounces of formula a day. In addition to formula, you eat baby food and rice cereal 2-3 times a day and love it! You are such a BIG boy in your high chair and oh-so-adorable. Your favorite baby foods are all of them!!! Fruits you enjoy are bananas, pears, and apples/applesauce. You have yet to try peaches because Mommy hears that they are really tart! The veggies you enjoy are squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, and sweet peas. Of those, you have only had sweet peas once. You did not spit them out, but I could tell on your face that they are your least favorite. You gobble up squash and sweet potatoes like it is the last meal of your life, so it is pretty obvious that those are your favorites. Daddy and I laugh at you sometimes when you are in your high chair eating. You gladly open your mouth for a spoonful of food and as soon as you swallow (and we are reloading the spoon), you make a yelling, grunting sound that is HILARIOUS! We think you are saying, "Hurry up!!" Maybe you are saying, "Hurry up, please." In any case, it is quite funny to see you so excited about your yummy food. Mommy hopes that you are not a picky eater. We will do our best to introduce you to lots of different, healthy foods.
Mommy and Daddy are excited to announce that you have 2 teeth coming in as of this week. We felt the first one on May 16 while at dinner with some friends, and we discovered the other one this morning while waiting to see Dr. Dalton. So far, your teeth don't seem to bother you all that much. However, Mommy is ready with teething tablets and orajel if that changes!
You sleep 8-10 hours at night without waking up. You have had a few nights when you get a little restless, but you drift right back to sleep when we reposition you on your side and give you your sleeping buddy, Morris the monkey (pacifier). You nap a few times a day. Typically, you take a long nap in the morning and another long nap in the evening. During the day, it varies from a couple 30-45 minute naps to one hour-long nap. Mommy never knows what to expect, but she is always ready!
You have several expressions that are so adorable. Of course there is your smile. Then, there is the face that you make when you suck in your bottom lip. It looks like you have no lips, and when you make a cute little cooing sound to go along with it, you are simply irresistable. On the other hand, sometimes you pooch out your lips and start smacking. This, too, is a funny look that causes us to grin. You cry some, but very rarely. You are such a happy, happy, happy boy, and that makes you so much fun to be around. When you wake up in the mornings or from a nap, you lay in your crib so content and just make noises. Mommy loves to listen to those noises awhile before coming to get you.
You are very interested in things. Sounds. Movement. Toys. People. Olive. You stare some, and other times you reach for things. Sometimes you just smile (while staring ~~ at Olive), and then sometimes you turn your whole body to look at something. It is wonderful seeing you get familiar with the world. You enjoy going for walks in your stroller but sometimes Mommy just takes you outside in the front or back yards to look around. We hope you love the outdoors!
You have started trying to copy people's expressions and movements. Slapping your hand down on things, trying to stop someone from moving their hand or finger across your high chair tray, and copying a facial expressions are just a few of these interactions.
Your arms and legs are constantly in motion! You love jumping in your Jumperoo (still) and enjoy kicking your legs while on the floor. Your hands are constantly grabbing at things, including your bottle, toys offered to you, Mommy and Daddy's glasses, things on the table (if you are sitting in Mommy's lap while she is tutoring), your feet/socks and so on. Your fine motor skills are developing so very well and we are so proud. Something else you have done for awhile now is touch various things with your fingers fanned out and moving. (I can't think of a better way to describe this motion. Maybe it is more like the motion of scratching.) You do this to the couch, people's pants or shirts, Mommy's hand, the table, books, toys, your interactive toys, and even your hair. It seems that you are extremely interested in textures.
You are able to roll over easily and sit up with minimal support. You try SOOO hard to sit up on your own when you are laying on your back. You raise your head several inches and look around while your feet, too, are raised several inches off the floor/mattress. It is so cute. It looks like you are doing a kind of "crunch" to tighten your ab muscles. It shouldn't be long now before you and Mommy are playing face to face on the floor or bed. How fun!
Oh, Mr. Cutie Pants. I could go on and on about all that you do and all the ways you make us smile. If I forgot anything that is "post worthy" I will update the post. For now, here are a few pictures from the last month. (The captions in "preview mode" are not lined up quite right and I am not sure what the issue is. Captions are listed BELOW each picture.)
Happy boy!
First time in your high chair.
Just plain cute!!
Uncle Andy's hat.
Fun in the Jumperoo.
Love the smile, yet again.
Sent this one out for Mother's Day to the grandmas and great grandmas.
This one too...
Going out for a walk.
Learning how to pet Olive..."gently."
"Reading" and rooting for Grammy's Cleveland Indians!
Sweetness.
Precious.
The two above are two of my new favorites!!!
Hello to everyone who reads Mommy's blog! Thanks for stopping by to see how much I have grown!
I am looking forward to all the days, weeks, months, and years of being your Mommy, little sweet Owen. I love you to the moon and back...and then some!
Love,
Mommy
On May 1, unimaginable tragedy struck our family. In my mind, 19 days later, the tragedy is still quite unbelievable. My sweet little 5-year-old nephew, Joseph Paul "Deuce" Lovell, Jr. drowned while on an all-male family fishing trip at Lake Brownwood. Words cannot even begin to describe the heartbreak we have all felt this month with his absence. This little red-headed boy was AMAZING in every possible way. He was well-liked, intelligent, compassionate, happy, energetic, friendly, and helpful. Deuce was such a joy to be around. Pure delight. "Fun" personified. I could really go on and on with kind words, loving tributes, wonderful memories, and additional personality characteristics but there isn't nearly enough time or space. I am just so thankful that my heart is overflowing with good memories and happy times spent with my little Deuce.
Not sure of the date on this one.
Helping out at one of my baby showers. September 2009
I love his sweet hand. September 2009
SpongeBob pjs from Austin and me. October 2009
Birthday "cupcake" cake. October 2009 
With Grammy Kitty and Owen rooting for the Indians. February 2010 (I think) 
