16 months


Dear Owen,

On Sunday, March 20, you turned 16 months old!  It is hard to believe that you are nearly a year and a half old!  This has been a fun-filled month watching you grow and change right before our eyes.  Mommy keeps saying how fast it's happening and it's no lie!  One day you don't know something and the next day, not only do you know it, but you NEVER forget it! 

So much information from your 15-month post remains the same: diaper size, clothing size, eating habits and favorite foods, napping "schedule" (if you can call it that), love of walking and running, etc. 

A couple things that have changed include:

Your latest tooth count.  Currently, it stands at 12.  You have 4 molars and we think more teeth between your 8 front teeth and those molars are not far from coming in.  You have had your fingers and hands in your mouth quite a bit in the last few weeks!  There have been some nights when you wake up crying in the night (not typical at all) so we give you a bit of tylenol and/or a sip of water and you are back to sleep in no time.

The number of words you say and associate is through the roof!  Honestly, Mommy has lost count.  It is remarkable how much you talk, observe, point, and respond to.  You can point to pictures in books if we ask you to find something.  You can go across the room to get something when asked and follow other simple directions.  You can captivate an audience (no matter how big or small) just by smiling or making one sound!  Priceless is what you are!!  

Your favorite songs these days are:

• Itsy Bitsy Spider.  When you want Mommy to sing this to you, you hold your fingers together and say "Itsy Bitsy! Itsy Bitsy!"  You like to fill in the words "washed," "sun," and the "itsy bitsy" near the end.  Your face lights up when you hear this song and when you know you have done a fabulous job "performing" your part!  
• If You're Happy and You Know It.  All Mommy has to do is sing "If..." and you get your hands ready!  As the song continues, you clap, stomp, and say "Amen" at the appropriate places!!  It is so precious to see and hear you so involved with songs that make you happy.  You even throw your arms into the air for "Amen" which makes it that much more adorable!  We started this song with "hooray" but we changed it as soon as you learned "Amen" and we have never looked back! 
• ABCs.  Your favorite thing to say when we ask you what letter we are pointing at is "ABC! ABC! ABC!"  You think the trio is a word and you say it every time we ask about a specific letter.  For the last week or so, you have been able to correctly identify "O" and "E" about 90% of the time.  Sometimes you pick out an O off the cover of a book, from your alphabet puzzle, or on the wall hangings on your wall and bedroom door.  This is one proud mommy!!!  1 or 2 down, 24 or 25 more to go!  

Animals are your most favorite things!  Your new favorite is giraffe.  You can point to and say: cow, pig, sheep, duck (still "guck" in some instances), puppy, cat, goat, horse, hippo, fish (usually "ish"), bear, bird, frog, monkey, owl, and of course, giraffe.  You love to make pig and monkey sounds.  Pigs say? *and you snort repeatedly* and monkeys say? *and you proceed with high pitched ah! ah! ah!*  Oh, and how can Mommy forget lion? *as you roar like a lion*

Family members that you say are Mommy and Daddy (very consistently now), Papa, Grammy Kitty is more Kitty than Grammy these days, Joe, Cindy (although sometimes it isn't very clear), MoMo, Nina, Grandpa is Pa TAH' (however you spell the word as it sounds in my head at the moment), Kyle, and we are still working on Gramommy's name.  You even say your cousin Deuce's name when you see his pictures.  Oh, how Deuce would love playing with you now!  

Other things worth mentioning:

• You love looking out windows!  The living room, the back door, the guest room/office are your favorite spots to stop and watch.  You say "bird" and "cars" quite often while doing so.   
• You now (usually) cry for a few minutes when Mommy or Daddy leave the room/house.  You also cry and whine when either of your grandmas leave.  Come to think of it, if it's a person you have had fun with, you don't want them to leave.  Definitely understandable!  
• Puzzles (wooden) are your favorite toys these days.  Between those, books, Praise Baby DVDs, and occasional blocks, you are a HAPPY kid!  Oh, and anything with wheels!    
• Sometimes you help yourself to the cabinet and pantry shelf contents, bringing your food choice to us and calling it by name.  
• You get a funny little shiver down your spine and stiffen both arms when we sternly get on to you for whatever reason.  You know so many things are a "no no" and you will let us know this by pointing and saying "no no."
• About 50% of all diaper changes are horrendous experiences for everyone involved.  You must be sung to, have lotion rubbed all over you, have THE correct book in your hand, have your duck pacifier for that moment, be in the mood to have a clean diaper put on you, and/or any combination of the above.  After bath (nighttime) diapers are the worst because you HATE HATE HATE leaving the bathtub.  
• You like to say "tee tee" and "poo poo" quite a bit and even like to run into the bathroom toward your training potty and say "potty potty" while you point.
• You would live outdoors if we let you. 
• Sadly, there have been fewer and fewer pictures taken of you as more time has gone by.  You are sort of anti-camera as you look away and preoccupy yourself completely when Mommy is ready and in position.  If you haven't tried, Little One, it is quite hard to catch/chase, focus, and entertain (for smiling purposes) all at once.  There are days Mommy just can't get a good picture...and has little energy to continue trying after 14 failed attempts!  :) There are also days when the camera (which may be sitting on the kitchen counter) is the farthest thing from Mommy's mind!  You and Mommy lead busy lives, you know!               
• You got another haircut in Odessa over Spring break and you look mighty fine, once again! 

To the list of words listed on the 15-month post as well as all those mentioned above, we can now add: blueberries, puzzles, blankets, barn, okay (with a southern twang -- o ka eee!!), blocks, Olive, Shelby, trucks, diaper, boat, flowers, tree, bowl, spoon, mouth, tongue, toes, "oh gosh", and our most favorite JESUS!! Mommy taught you that a cross reminds us of Jesus and now every single time you pick up or see a cross, you say "Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!"  You are such a cutie!  It will be so great when you learn that Jesus lives in your heart and died so that you may live!! We hope you have a passion for Jesus, for helping others, and for loving your friends and neighbors as much as you love yourself! We are truly blessed by God for all he has done for us and our family. You have made our lives better and richer and we are so thankful for the gift that you are!

Love you much Little Man,
Mommy and Daddy

(Mommy's debit cards personalized with two photo favorites!!) 

Mommy is a WEIRD-O!!!

Going to feed the "gucks"

Stud in a sweater!! 

And here's something a bit terrifying as you approach your 2nd birthday...

and those *I won't say it*

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ twos!!!

This is what two Owens look like!  Eeeeeeeeek! 

                 

Just kidding Little Man!  If there were 2 of you, we would just be having twice the fun, twice the blessings, and twice the mess.  Haha!  We love you, love you, love you! 

The ABCs of Me!!

Age: As of yesterday, I am 31 years and 5 months old!  

Bed size: We have a queen-size bed.  We love love love our cozy pillow-top mattress!  Our wood and wrought iron headboard was given to us by a dear friend, Debbie Tucker. 

Chore you dislike:  All of them.  Just kidding.  I guess I would have to say dusting.  Or washing muffin tins.  Or cleaning toilets.  None of those are very fun at all. 

Dogs: 8 1/2 year old terrier mix, Olive and 3 1/2 year old German shepherd, Shelby.  We heart our pups A LOT!! 

Essential start to your day: I have recently become an oatmeal ADDICT so in the morning, I can't wait to make a bowl.  I get the old fashioned oats in bulk at a local farmer's market grocery store and to them, I add a sprinkle of brown sugar, chopped walnuts, and dried cranberries. 

Favorite color: Green.  I love all greens.  Lime, kelly, avocado, jade, forest, olive, teal, etc.  My second "fav" is red.   

Gold or silver: silver

Height: 5’10″

Instruments you play: I played the clarinet from 7th grade through 12th grade and those years in band were some of the BEST years of my life...so many memories and treasured friends.

Job title: I am a stay-at-home mom mixed with a private tutor and homeschool teacher (for the children of other people). 

Kids: Owen, the 2nd love of my life. 

Live: Lubbock, Texas...but home will always be Odessa, Texas

Mom’s name: Kathryn Rose, a.k.a. Kitty (Side note: My mom is amazing and wonderful and selfless and kind and hard-working and talented...and EVERYTHING I want to be as a wife and mother.) 

Nickname: I have no nicknames and for that, I am so grateful!  I LOVE my name very very very much and find joy in the fact that it was never shortened or ignored. 

Overnight hospital stay: I stayed in the hospital 3 nights after having Owen.  Overall, it was a great experience. 

Pet peeves: Oh wow.  I wasn't prepared for this one.  I have so many.  I guess junk mail.  (After visiting the site getannoyed.com just now, I am 'smelling' a pet peeve blog post in the future!!  Haha!)

Quote: How about Scripture?  Be still, and know that I am God.  Psalm 46:10

Righty or Lefty: Righty! 

Siblings: 2 brothers.  Joe is 33 and Andy turned 30 last week.

Time you wake up: Because Owen is a fairly late sleeper, I wake up between 8:30 and 9:00 most days.  I am going to start retraining my body to become more of a morning person so I can go to bed at a decent time and wake up earlier to accomplish a handful of tasks. 

Underwear: JCPenney.  Nothing fancy, nothing pricey.  Just necessary.

Vegetables you don’t like: Oh gosh, I love every vegetable I have ever tried.  Corn, green beans, broccoli, squash, bell peppers, onions, potatoes, zucchini, asparagus, brussel sprouts, radishes, celery, carrots, cabbage, eggplant, etc.  I did have beets once mixed in a soup and it was pretty gross, so I will say BEETS!!

What makes you run late: I am rarely late now that I have a little one to tend to.  Weird, I know.  You'd think it would be the opposite.  I guess the thing that makes me late (if and when I am late) would be lack of planning...not having something I need to take with me near my purse, forgetting that I needed one more thing, getting outside only to realize I need a jacket...things like that! 

Xrays you had: Just those done on my teeth each year, and sonograms on my belly on and off throughout 2009 when Owen lived within!  :)

Yummy food that you make: Oh, I have to say that I make many many many yummy things because I enjoy cooking and baking a great deal.  I'll say my frosing-mixed-in-the-batter cakes are atop of the yummy list at the moment.  I've got it down to a science and it only took a dozen failed attempts early on!  (This really is a hard question though...meatloaf and spaghetti sauce come to mind too!!) 

Zoo animal favorites: I love the lanky gracefulness of a giraffe!  And they have really cool purplish-black tongues!  I can't wait until we can take Owen to the zoo! 

Happy week to each of you!

Carianne

If You’re Happy & You Know It…Installment Two

·         Sleeping with the window open/Sleeping with socks on – This really only applies to the winter months, but I do love snuggling up 1.) in bed 2.) under my two blankets 3.) in a cold room 4.) with socks on.  About 90% of the time, I end up kicking my socks off in the night, but it’s nice to start a night’s sleep cuddled up in covers with warm feet.  

  

·         Creative mind – I like to think I have a few creative juices flowing through me!  If I had an unlimited supply of funding, I would love to paint rooms in our home, jazz up picture frames, create one-of-a-kind wall art, mix and match fun décor items, etc.  I am not too much into drawing or sketching as I am into creating things out of craft supplies.  If I could make a living doing it, I most certainly would!     

·         Succumbing to your urge to nap – I love me some good nap time!  I very rarely get the chance to snooze anymore, but I love being able to crawl into bed knowing I can have some uninterrupted, peaceful, middle-of-the-day sleep!  1 ½ to 2 hours is the perfect nap length in my opinion!

·         Bobbing a tea bag – In the last several months, I have become a tea drinker!  I like making chai tea and herbal tea.  My favorite is vanilla chai from Bigelow brewed in water and then made perfect with splenda/sugar and milk!  Mmmm.  Hot tea just feels good all over.  I like it iced too, but I rarely have the patience to let it cool down!  Starbucks makes a really yummy chai with Tazo brand concentrate, but since I don’t like to spend money, I just do it in my kitchen!   

·         The joy of being kind – Oh, Kindness!  The world could use more of you!  There are so many people who don’t know how to be kind and/or choose not to be kind and it just tears me up inside!  Sadly, sometimes I am one of those people.  I get so impatient and selfish that I sometimes don’t think.  The good news is that I always apologize when I say something unkind and then I strive from that point on to be a better person.  I am (very much) a work in progress!  I feel that helpful, loving, generous, compassionate, friendly, KIND people are what this world needs!   

·         Basic, easy-to-follow recipes – If a recipe leaves out an important step, seems a bit unclear, is too involved, or has too many hard-to-find/weird ingredients, I usually steer clear.  I never mind a challenge, but when it’s a guessing game, I don’t really like to take chances.  I am so thankful for the internet, cookbooks, recipes given to me, and my mom’s knowledge to help me in new culinary situations.  I love cooking, baking, making snacks, trying new recipes, seeing others enjoy my tasty treats, and adding new recipes to my “favorites.”    

·         Waking up to snow – I always loved when I would wake up to find that school had been cancelled due to snow!  Those were the best days off because they were unexpected! Living 2 hours north of where I grew up, it is a bit colder here.  Snow is more likely to fall in Lubbock during the winter months compared to “down south” in Odessa!  Most of the time, the school district will announce a delayed start rather than a cancellation, so kids here usually don’t get to experience that awesome feeling I used to experience!!     

·         BLTs – Oh man!  I love BLTs!  I like the bread lightly toasted with a light smear of mayo!  Mmmmm.  Add a handful of chips and a dill pickle on the side plus a nice cold beverage and we have a winner!  

·         Having two pets – Our dear sweet pair of pups, Olive and Shelby, are such a special part of our family!  Shelby’s the outdoors-y type while Olive prefers to spend much of her time relaxing indoors – as far away from Owen as possible.  Haha!  All kidding aside, they are such wonderful dogs and we love them very much…our canine kids!!     

·         A day with friends – I cannot remember the last time I had an entire day with (a) friend(s), but I do love my friends!  “Friend time” is like no other...  There is just a special bond, fun memories, contagious laughter, a strong connection, a feeling of love and acceptance that can’t be felt with anyone other than a dear friend! 

·         A romantic dinner – Austin and I don’t have the chance to go out much.  Ever.  If and when we do, we go the casual route and just enjoy having a bit of a break from high chairs, sippy cups, food messes, diaper bags, and strollers.  I think we’ve gone to eat alone only three times in fifteen months!  When it comes to “romantic” we don’t really have any gushy, candlelight, all-dressed-up, expensive, “romantic” dinner desires.  That setting and those things just don’t fit us.  It’s pretty simple.  We like to be together.  We like to eat.  We like a variety of foods and restaurants.  Oh, and I like to be cheap.  Haha!  I guess I chose this as a “happie” for those reasons as opposed to the romantic option.  I guess if I reworded the “happie” it would just say “A dinner” or “Dinner with your spouse.”  Haha!!!!!

·         Making progress – I love projects, but I love them done now.  My way.  Perfectly.  Without breaks.  Without interruptions.  Organized.  That’s just the way it is.  Our garage, my office, and the shelving in my clothes closet are all things I would like to “make progress” on.  Now.  My way.  Perfectly.  Without breaks.  Without interruptions.  Organized.  :D   

·         Heart-shaped pizza – This was a “happie” listed on Valentine’s Day and that is exactly what we had for dinner that night!  Heart-shaped pepperoni pizza and a smores dessert pizza, both courtesy of Papa Murphy’s!  It was oh-so-yummy!   

·         Certified public accountants – I happen to love my/our CPA because he is my Uncle Lon!  He is an amazing uncle, very caring and complimentary, extremely talented in many ways, an excellent pancake-maker, and quite generous!  I have such fond memories of him and my Aunt Kathy growing up and even moreso now that I am an adult, married and with a little one!  I also love that he hired my very best friend, Riley, nearly 5 years ago!!      

·         An invitation to lunch/Chatting and eating – We all have to eat…and what better way to enjoy a meal than with a dear friend, loved one, or a combination of the two!  Some of my best memories come from dining with someone I care about.   

·         Kitchen drawer stuff – I like to have an assortment of gadgets that make kitchen experiences easier and more fun.  My current kitchen drawer favorites are my tea bag squeezer and our new egg cracker!  What fun!   

·         Remembering what you’ve learned – My mommy-memory is nothing like the memory I used to have, unfortunately, but I do love remembering things I have learned:  school subjects to trivia to interesting facts to helpful hints to people’s names to events and milestones to jokes and so on.     

·         Nature’s gifts – Trees, grass, flowers, shrubs, sunrises, sunsets, streams, oceans, clouds, fields, forests, farmland…I love it all.  Thank you, God, for making so many beautiful, colorful, breathtaking things for us to feast our eyes on each day! 

·         The Internet on your phone – I am not too into technology, but I do like having the Internet on my phone.  It comes in handy when I am waiting in line somewhere, bored on a road trip, looking up a phone number, etc.  I could certainly do without Internet service on my phone since I have it at home, but it’s a nice convenience in this fast-paced, technology-driven world!    

·         Toasted cheese sandwiches – I call these ‘grilled’ cheese…and I’ve been told I make a mean one.  Paired with tomato soup or some hot chicken noodle soup, there’s just nothing better!!     

·         Your beverage of choice – I like water throughout the day, usually cool from the freezer door with no ice.  Occasionally, I enjoy a cup of hot chai tea, a glass of chocolate/white milk, a cup of coffee, a diet drink of some kind, or yummy fruit juice.  I know most beverages are packed with calories, so I try to limit those as much as possible!     

·         Yogurt’s smoothness/Making a smoothie for breakfast – I have not made a smoothie in a very long time, but my favorite combination includes: (fresh or frozen ~ whatever I happen to have on hand) blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, banana, lowfat yogurt, and light fruit juice or low-fat milk.  The blended goodness is not only delicious, but also healthy, satisfying, and convenient!   

·         Being realistic – I try so hard to be realistic, but I fall short more times that I would like to admit.  I tend to set high expectations for myself and others, which isn’t always the most realistic thing to do.  Call me a perfectionist.  Call me anal.  Call me annoying…haha.  Whatever you want to call me, remember (and I repeat) that I am a work in progress! 

·         A sewing machine hard at work – I just learned to sew about a year ago and I love it!  I have yet to tackle clothing and anything terribly difficult though.  What I like to make are quilt tops!  I have made several to date and look forward to being able to work on more in the future.  It’s a neat way to see creative ideas and precision come together into a beautiful work of (cozy) art!

·         Having people to love – Nothing says happiness like love from another person.  I am so blessed to have people in my life that I love with ALL my heart…a loving husband, an amazing baby boy, supportive family, caring friends, determined students, and even my sweet pups!!

·         Rubbing your hands over a crewcut – I love the feeling of a crewcut!!  It’s so soft and fuzzy. 

·         Clean pillows – I love crawling into a bed that has just had the sheets and pillowcases changed.  The softness and smell are unmatched in my book.  Cozy and wonderful! 

·         Sticky-note reminders – I am happy about sticky notes and the fact that they were created for human use…but I have a problem utilizing them properly!  You can read about that here. 

·         The perfect cup of coffee – I am not a daily coffee drinker.  I love it, but I don’t make it often.  I rarely visit the local Starbuck’s or Daybreak coffee shops.  If coffee’s there, I drink it, but if it’s not, I drink something else.  When I do have coffee, I like it made all different ways!  Sometimes I just add milk.  Sometimes I add milk and sugar/splenda.  Other times, if and when I have flavored creamer on hand, that makes for a yummy cup of coffee too!  Sometimes I make it iced, and other times I enjoy the steamy warmth!      

Happy March!

Carianne