This weekend, we are going to Odessa for the big high school rival football game (Odessa High vs. Permian) and may have some trick or treating lined up with some of Grammy Kitty's friends. We just aren't sure yet. We will come back to Lubbock later that night so we can go to church Sunday and take Owen to a few places all dressed up. We are looking forward to Little Monkey's 1st Halloween!
Happy Halloween-Week to each of you...
Carianne
This is the ceiling fan I painted. This room did not have a ceiling fan when we moved in, but we added one once we knew Owen would be joining our family. I painted it with the exact same paints as I did the letters above.
This is my favorite part of the room! We call it Owen’s “plaid wall” but I guess, technically, it is more of a “block wall.” Call it what you will, but I LOVE IT!! Austin (my husband) and I used a laser level and three different widths of tape to get the design on the wall and then my mom came over to paint the boxes. We told her random was the key, and we love how it turned out!
Here is a picture of the wall with the bedding. We are dog lovers, so we chose Carter's Puppy Tales as Owen's bedroom theme!
This is Owen's dresser. On it is the Puppy Tale's lamp that we use nearly every night while we put Owen to bed.
Owen's crib has probably changed the most. It now sits against the "plaid wall" and the bumper and mobile have been removed.
I made the wall hangings above Owen's crib last summer. They are fabric pieces that I sewed together. I then used an old pair of blue jeans for the letters. I traced the same letters you saw in the first picture above and adhered them to the fabric with some sticky iron on stuff (the name escapes me). Once that was done, I zigzagged around each letter for a more completed look! I love them. Owen does too. Especially the "n" since it was within his reach up until recently. He loved knocking it off the wall and watching it fall!
This is one of the only pictures I have of the room "being lived in" and even there, it has changed a little recently with my desire to rearrange. I love the rocking chair. It belonged to my late Gramma Lovell, so it is a wonderful addition to my little boy's room. It was a dark stained color but we painted it to match the caramel color used throughout the room.
Thanks for stopping by to see Owen's room.
:) Carianne
You are still wearing a size 4 diaper and 12- or 18-month clothing. Just for comfort as you crawl and stand and sit and scoot and lay (and repeat 13,942 times a day), Mommy has been putting you in mostly 18-month clothing. Just tonight, I noticed your 12-month footed jammies are a bit snug in the feet, so it looks like we will be putting those away when the time comes to put up all your summer stuff. The days have been warm, but the mornings and evenings are cool, so it will be mostly jeans or sweats from here on out.
When it comes to food, this is where I don't feel like I documented things very well. Last month, I had a list on the counter with :) and :( that I would add to each time you tried something new, but this month, that just did. not. happen. I know you have tried several new foods, I just may not remember them all. Grammy Kitty thought you needed an Oreo, so here is what you thought of that:
It was so cute because Grammy opened the Oreo in front of you and you immediately knew what to do! You scraped the cream off with your teeth a little at a time and thought it was pretty yummy. You giggled the whole time.
We have had a lot of steamed veggies lately...sweet potato mostly, but other veggies as well. You like chicken noodle soup, the stars variety and the alphabet vegetable variety. Mommy mixes the noodles and/or vegetables with some warm water and rice cereal and you love it. You love Papa's homemade applesauce and have nearly gone through an entire jar by yourself. We mix it with various things and you just love it. Mommy made chicken pot pie muffins the other night and you loved those. You still enjoy yogurt everyday as well as a banana. You get to feed yourself a lot more often than this time last month, but sometimes Mommy just has to feed you to avoid a mess (because bath time and/or changing clothes may not fit into the schedule with students coming over). You do pretty well feeding yourself, except for the whole mess factor! 3 things that happen: you throw food on the floor - mess #1, food falls down into the seat of your highchair - mess #2, and food ends up lots of places...in between each and every one of your fingers, in your hair, along your eyebrows, in your lap, stuck to your clothes, etc - mess #3. Mommy knows that this is an important way for you to learn to feed yourself, but sometimes it just can't be that way. We are also working on sippy cups and hope to have you completely off bottles within the next month. You don't seem to mind the cup, but you aren't as well-trained with them as you are the bottle! Every day is an opportunity to learn and practice, so that is what we will keep doing. Mommy is looking forward to this being your last month on formula. You will be allowed to have real milk at that time, and we will continue to introduce you to as many foods as possible.
You still have 8 teeth, but they have grown in quite a bit! You look more like a 2-year-old than a near-one-year-old. You have stopped grinding your teeth, Praise the Lord!!
You crawl and stand and crawl and stand and crawl and stand about 100 times a day. At least. You walk along EVERYTHING you can touch...the back door, the dining room, the couches, the DVD racks in the hall, the refrigerator/stove/cabinets, the back side of the front door, etc. You would much rather stand and walk, but you know how fast you can crawl, so you opt for that mode of transportation the most. You have started "challenging" yourself when it comes to crawling because you now like to crawl with something in each hand. This forces you to use your elbows more. It is really cute, and if you think those 2 items slow you down...they don't!!!
In the last 4-5 days, you have started taking 3 and 4 steps here and there. Yesterday when Daddy was home with you, he texted me and said you had taken 13 steps unassisted. I replied and said, "HOLY MOLY." Today, you took 9 steady steps before falling down, so it looks like you will be toddling all over the place in just a matter of days. I better get some rest and buy some energy bars, huh, Little Fellow?!?!
Your sleeping pattern remains the same...10-12 hours at night and 2-3 naps during the day. It seems that you take 2 naps most often, but there are times when you want to take a third nap. Mommy enjoys that surprise third nap because she is able to get some things done around the house!
Your sounds and babbling have changed quite a bit. You have started a new sound "pah-tha" that you say A LOT!! You haven't said anything resembling "mama" or "dada" in a very long time, but today, you started saying what sounds like "mom." Who knows what you will do/say next! I wish you were talking a little more than you currently are, but you are doing just fine. Mommy has started having you repeat the /p/ and /b/ sounds so that is pretty cute. You still don't say "hi" or "bye" but you do raise you arm up in the air like you want to give a high five. Sometimes you do it when someone is leaving the room or house, but other times you don't.
You got your 5th haircut this month! Mommy decided it was time and took off quite a bit of length one night during your bath. (The idea was so it would have time to grow back out before your birthday party!) We love your long, straight hair! You get so many compliments on it!
Your favorite face is a wide open mouth accompanied by rapid hand and leg movements. You move your wrists around in circles very quickly and kick your legs when you are excited or very interested in something! It makes everyone laugh! Sometimes you scrunch up your nose, which also makes people laugh! Such a character, that's you!!
You are interested in sounds, movement, music, toys, outdoors, people, going places, laughing, squirming, pretty much everything! You are such a happy boy and you really do love life. I just think about your smile and how much you love being active and (while it makes me tired sometimes) it really makes my heart happy! I love being your mom and Daddy loves being your dad. We are two people who don't deserve a boy as amazing as you, but we sure are thankful that God thinks otherwise. You are such a little blessing. A sweet little gift from God, and we love you to the core!
Love, Mommy and Daddy
This little Play Hut set was a Christmas gift from Gramommy (Austin's mom) and he really enjoys crawling through it and playing with all the plastic balls. It is really (I mean REALLY) fun tracking down all those balls at night when it is time to pick up toys! ;)
So. Normally, I like to post the milestone picture at the very beginning of the post. Today was quite different for numerous reasons! First of all, Owen has a cold, so that made him a little less camera-ready. His poor little snotty nose was priority number one today!! Second of all, I was all alone at home, hoping I could capture the perfect shot and post this blog while Owen napped. (We know now that THAT didn't happen!!) Third of all, Owen is one squirmy little dude! Once you get through all the pictures below, you may be, just maybe, as tired as I was after all the attempts. In each picture, there was one thing or another going right, but they never all lined up to create that "perfect" picture. When the light was good and the "11 months" paper was in place, Owen wasn't looking. When he was looking, the paper was nowhere even close to being seen. When I tried other options for placing the sign, Owen figured it out. It was fun, just like anything else we do together, but tiring just the same. Notice also that the sign looks more and more pitiful the further down you go.
This one ended up being the best, and I was juuuuuuust about to call it good and use it...
...but when Daddy came home several hours (and an outfit change) later...
BINGO!!!
The perfect picture and a perfect way to end the post! (And yes, I made a new sign!!)
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one of our family of three!
The pumpkin in the third and fourth pictures is the one we purchased. We are hoping to decorate it sometime this week. Since Owen is so small, we decided that we are not going to "carve" the pumpkin, but instead, scrape off the outer orange color in a design to revel the pale orange color underneath. We aren't even sure of the design yet, but we will figure something out!
We took Owen for Halloween portraits this week, but unfortunately, I don't have access to electronic copies of the pictures. Once we get the actual pictures on Friday, I am going to scan them so I can post them on the blog.
Hope you are having a happy fall...
:) Carianne
These are my FAVORITE pjs that Owen owns (and may even have been in a picture or two along the way here on our blog). We got them at Kohl's and Owen has worn them several times. It won't be much longer before they are being put up in tote #4 of clothes that no longer fit. Sad, sad day.
Owen's buggy is nothing new, but the license plate is!!! Owen's Great-Aunt Bev got it for him so we put it on his car as soon as we could! It looks like he is pointing at his new "plate" saying "Hey, check this out!"
This little toy (Dino Rider by Fisher Price) is AMAZING!! Grammy Kitty found it and ordered it for Owen. He got the hang of it so quickly and fell in love with walking behind it. He is so proud and stands up so tall. He struts and opens his mouth wide with excitement (as seen in the picture). These days, he is pulling up easily on everything and is even able to stand for a few seconds before strategically falling to the floor on his bottom. We have noticed that he thinks about his falls before he actually goes down. On a few different occasions, Owen has taken a couple baby baby baby steps unassisted. It won't be long before he is running wild all over the place. Oh, help me Lord! ;)
"Mom, could you please get out of my way??"
Owen is served a variety of foods each day...crunchy, soft, squishy, mushy, dairy, veggies, fruits, etc. This is his favorite place to put it. In case you can't tell, these are green bean pieces. The kid loves green beans, but he also loves knowing that if he drops food, he can look over the front and sides of his high chair to see Olive down below gobbling it all up. I think he feels sorry for her so he is bribing her to like him.
Owen doesn't go behind the love seat too often, but on this day last week, he was having a blast back there. He plays with books back there and sneaks toys into the same area so he can bang on the window "better." Again, help me, Lord!! ;)
Owen wants to be the new poster boy for SSI where Grammy Kitty works. It only took me 38 tries to get a handful of good pictures.
I couldn't resist this little pumpkin from the Wal Mart produce department for my little "punkin." We have plans to take Owen to a pumpkin patch soon to pick out a pumpkin for our porch and carving, but this will do in the meantime. I just have it sitting in amongst his toys for him to enjoy whenever he wants. He really likes the stem and likes to pick it up (by the stem).
Just a couple cute smiles...
On Saturday, October 2, we went to David and Jennifer's house because their little Caleb turned one. He was a delightful little host. His mommy and daddy had a nice meal planned for the guests and some yummy cake balls (some were chocolate and some were strawberry). The burgers, hot dogs, chips, grapes, and drinks were delicious and the weather could not have been more perfect!!
Caleb and Owen played together a little, but there was a lot going on with other kids, grown ups, picture-taking, eating, etc, so they just did what babies do...whatever they felt like!
Caleb had a chocolate cupcake for his big "cake smash" moment...
...so he inspected it for a short while...
...and then decided it was pretty yummy. He was so cute. He sat with his mom and dad while they opened presents. I can't wait until he comes to our house to celebrate Owen's first birthday in about 6 weeks.
Saturday afternoon, my mom and dad, along with my brother and 2 nieces, came up from Odessa to celebrate my 31st birthday a couple days early. Along with some gifts for me, my mom thought Owen needed some "practice" opening gifts before his big day on November 20. What you see below is Owen "practicing" opening his new, larger, hooded towels. One is a lion and one is a frog. The other "practice" gift was a box of diapers.
Isn't this a cute one of Dad, Owen, and Mom? If you can't tell, Owen is holding the side of his overalls. These are Osh Kosh overalls from Great-Aunt Bev. He was absolutely positively adorable that night!
Here is a good one of my boy and me.
Does this look like the face of someone who just enjoyed a few bites of spice cake? I think it is!!
For my birthday dinner, I chose Blue Sky. They have burgers, fries, onion rings, milkshakes, hot dogs, sandwiches, etc...and it was delicious. I got a green chili cheeseburger with grilled onions and an order of onion rings. Mmmmm. When we got back to our house, we had the aforementioned spice cake and vanilla ice cream. Following that came presents!!! In no particular order, that night I received:
a blender
Uno Flash
a cookbook for baby
flip flop slippers
a flour sifter
postage stamps
2 scratch-off lottery tickets (I won $3!!)
money
Hobby Lobby gift card
snacks and canned goods from Farmer Dad
Twilight Woods assortment from Bath and Body Works
snack foods (my mom used as filler material)
Today, my actual birthday, I received texts, e-mails, and facebook messages OUT THE WAZOOOO!!! I feel so loved and blessed to have so many people say those 2 simple words that made a smile come to my face and happiness fill my heart. As if that wasn't enough, flowers arrived from Mom and Dad. That was definitely a day brightener to an already bright day! The mom of one of my students came by with a gift after lunch. Those sweet Tuckers gave me some (more) Twilight Woods so I am set in the good-smelling department for quite awhile! Aside from the regular hand lotion, the other items I got today were different from the items my mom and dad gave me on Saturday, so now I have a MEGA assortment! Along with the Twilight Woods came a Creamy Pumpkin candle that smells pretty darn amazing. Tonight, Austin's mom, Billie Lu, took us all out to Carino's where I devoured my Grilled Chicken Bowtie Festival. Wow, it was delicious. At home, we had brownies with caramel and pecans that I requested from Austin. Once again, and with a side of ice cream...it was delicious. Yesterday, I got a package in the mail from my best friend, Riley, but I didn't open it until tonight...it was a HAND MIXER!!! I love to bake, but it was beginning to be less fun because my beaters were getting rusty. No one should have to bake with rusty beaters!! Hooray for Riley and for my new hand mixer! Let the baking commence!! Today, I also opened my card from my aunt, MJ, which had some spending money inside! Once again, I say hooray! Austin's mom gave me Uno Flash on Saturday night and then gave me some money, a Circle E candle (Apple Strudel) and a bag of Peanut M&Ms tonight. Kyle, Austin's brother, gave me Season 1 of Boy Meets World. I used to watch that show all the time and I loved it!! I always thought I had a lot in common with Topanga but we'll see after I start watching it again! I can't wait! Austin, my love, gave me a very sweet card along with Beauty and the Beast on BluRay! I would say that Beauty and the Beast has always been one of my top 3 favorite Disney cartoons, so I am thrilled to add it to our movie collection. Overall, this birthday was wonderful to the max. So many loved ones, so many friends, so many great memories.
This was Owen last night before eating a bedtime snack. It looks like he is smiling, but he isn't. He's whining. It is, however, a cute shot of his new October pjs that I got at Wal Mart a few weeks back. The waistband of the pants say "Peek A Boo."
What's this? Owen has discovered toilet paper? Yes. Yes he has. What a stinker, huh? Normally, I would have said, "Oh my goodness, don't waste that. Toilet paper costs money." But.......upon seeing this tonight, I said nothing. Instead, I ran into the kitchen to get the camera. Oh, my life!! My blessed blessed life!!
Hope you all have good things happening in your life these days.
Carianne
