Babysitting

On Memorial Day Michael and I went out with some of our friends to see a movie. It isn't the first time we've left Owen, but it is the first time Grandma and Grandpa Grant watched him at our house. I wasn't worried at all about leaving him. I knew he was in good hands. I fed Owen right before we left and knew he would want to eat while we were out so I showed Grandma where the frozen breast milk was. I had pumped and frozen it according to the instructions that come with the breast pump. When we got home Owen was asleep on Grandma's shoulder, but things really didn't go that peacefully. He refused to eat! He has taken milk from a bottle before so I didn't think it was that. I woke him up and tried to feed him again and he just kept giving me this strange look so I decided to try the milk myself. YUCK!!! It was the grossest thing ever. I'm surprised I didn't throw up on the floor. Poor guy was refusing to eat because the food was bad. I don't blame him. The other day I call the leader of The Le Leche League (breastfeeding support group) she said that some women have an enzyme in their milk and when it's frozen it goes bad. I guess I'm one of those women. So from now on I'll have to pump and just refrigerate the milk and not freeze it.

Let's go for a dip!

When Owen and I went down to visit Grandma and Grandpa Martin a couple of weeks ago Grandma Martin had this pool waiting as a surprise for Owen. It is just the cutest thing!! She actually found it at a garage sale. When she showed it to me I noticed that there were 4 Velcro circles on the top of the pool. I thought it was for a cover to keep leaves out so we went back to the garage sale to see if they still had it. It turns out it was for a sun shade for the pool. Another neat feature is you can hook up the hose to the tail of the elephant and it squirts water into the pool. It's just so cute I love it! Since it's been so nice I got it all cleaned out today and filled it with water and let it sit in the sun all day. When Michael came home we took Owen out in his birthday suit and let him take his first swim. He wasn't too sure about it because it was cooler than his bath water. He was only in there for a few minutes, but if he's anything like me when it comes to swimming I know there will come a day when I'll have to pry him out of it.

4 1/2 months old

Today was Owen's check up at the pediatrician. He had to get 4 more shots. I hate those things! He really did well though. He just cries when the nurse gives the shots and once I can pick him up and snuggle him he's fine. In fact he was asleep in the car and that was within 5 minutes of having the shots. The thing I love about going to the pediatrician is we get to find out how much he's grown. Owen now weights 13lbs exactly, he's 23 1/2 inches long and his head is 42 centimeters in diameter. All that said...he is still really small in comparison to other 4 1/2 month old. The doctor doesn't seem concerned though and I love that he's still small. He received so many 0 - 3 month shorts outfits it's nice that he's actually able to wear them. I was just sure they would never get worn because he would be too big when the nice weather came.

Recliner

The other night we were watching a movie and Michael took Owen and just propped him up on his legs so he wouldn't have anything to kick. Like any other kid Owen tries to do anything to keep himself awake. Since he couldn't kick he just started zoning out and then eventually drifted off to sleep. He slept like this for quite awhile, so long in fact Michael's legs started to burn from holding him up. Daddy's make great recliners!!!!

Lights...Camera...Roll

Here's an action shot of Owen rolling from tummy to back. He's not very happy at this moment because it's the second time he's rolling over since I didn't have the camera ready for the first time. I wonder what's going through his mind......

Why should I roll over I mean this lady is just going to roll me back on my tummy. What's wrong with me laying on my back. If she rolls me over one more time I'm just going to get really ticked off so she'll knock it off!

Rubber ducky you're the one!

This is the first time I've bathed Owen with his rubber ducky. He is learning to use those hands of his. He hasn't figured out how to reach out and grab things yet, but if you put something on him he'll take a hold of it. The funny thing is he's so strong and wants to sit up so bad that lately he's been leaning forward towards his hands to put things in his mouth
instead of making his hands come to his mouth. It's been making it difficult to put him in anything because he's constantly falling forward and getting mad. It really is amazing at how much his motor skills have improved in just the last 2 weeks. They really do grow right before your eyes!

Big Boy

Owen is in such a hurry to be a big boy. He loves to stand up when you hold him and he is pretty good at balancing when you sit him down. Sometimes he looks like a bobble head doll wobbling about though. He even gets mad now when I wipe his face off. Such a boy!!!! Also he has been getting more grumpy about letting me hold him like a baby. He only stands for it when he's eating and when he's really tired. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though because Michael and I are both stubborn so he's just like us.

Exersaucer

On Mother's Day I put together Owen's Exersaucer. It was a gift from two of my friends from work, Nikki & Christa. It's has a circus theme with monkeys, lions and elephants. The neat thing about the new exersaucers is you can buy new toys and switch them out with the old toys when your kid gets tired of them. There called Switch-A-Roos and you can get them at Babies R Us. I remember when my niece Camryn was a baby her Exersaucer wasn't like that so she was just stuck with whatever toys came with it. Owen is still a little small to really play in it. He mainly just stands there and stares at the toys and then eventually falls into them. He'll get the hang of it soon enough and I'm sure it will come in handy when I need him to be entertained for a moment.

Letting go

When Michael and I started trying for a baby back in 2000 we never thought it would take as long as did. Along the way we did seek fertility treatments such as using Clomid, IUI and ultimately IVF. I was actually able to conceive using IVF once, but sadly the baby died when I was 6 weeks pregnant. We still have 8 embryos (babies) frozen at the fertility clinic. After much thought, Michael and I have decided to give those embryos up for adoption. Since God has blessed with a child of our own naturally we just don't feel that is the route we should be taking anymore. If God chooses to bless us with another child naturally we would be thrilled. We are encouraged that a couple going through the same pain that we did might actually conceive a child using our embryos. It is a little strange to think that their might be other children of ours out there one day, but that was a chance we took when we started this whole process. It is hard letting go of them though.

The man in the mirror

Today I was holding Owen in front of the big mirror we have in the dining room and he really noticed himself. He was actually flirting! He was making googly eyes and smiling all cute.

Rolling Over

On May 18th Owen rolled over for the first time. He rolled from his tummy to his back. At first I was kind of in shock. He really hadn't tried to roll over before. He's never been a fan of tummy time so it's not like we had given him much opportunity to try. This last week or so we really started being more diligent at giving him tummy time. After changing his diaper I thought I would give him some tummy time and then before I knew it he was on his back. I only really caught it out of the corner of my eye because I was getting some baby wipes from his diaper bag. Of course I called Michael and told him the good news. Later that night we gave him more tummy time and he rolled over two more times, once to the left and once to the right. It's so cute how he does it. He lifts himself up on his tummy so his head and upper chest are in the air and so are his legs. Then he turns his head over and lets the weight of his head flip him over. Now I don't think Owen will spend much time on his tummy because he knows he can get out of it.

Mother's Day

This was my very first Mother's Day! Michael was so sweet. He made breakfast in bed. We had bacon, eggs and toast. YUM! Then I got to open my cards from my Mom, Owen & Michael. Owen got me a $20 gift card to Gene Juarez and Michael got me a $140 gift card to Gene Juarez for a massage and a manicure. I love the spa!!!! Later on we watched movies and Michael even helped me vacuum since the cats shed a ton of hair while we were on vacation. It was a great day!

Stretch...........

Owen is the cutest stretcher. I just love it when he stretches. He doesn't just stretch a little, he gives it his all and he makes it look cute. This is on the floor of the airport waiting to board the flight. I decided to change him so I unstrapped his Swaddle Me blanket. The first thing he does every time it comes off is pull his arms right up to his head and curl his legs up. It's must be like a breath of fresh air for him.

Security

This was taken at the Billings airport. Owen is still in his Swaddle Me blanket because he just woke up. Whenever we fly anywhere we are always chosen for an extra security check. Unfortunately Michael's name is one that is commonly used by terrorists so red flags goes up immediately. We have gotten quite use to it though so it's no big deal. They just take us aside and pat us down. They even had to pat Owen down which I thought was funny.

On our way home!

This pictures was taken at a rest stop in Sheridan Wyoming. Owen decided it was time to eat so we pulled over. It was such a nice rest stop. They had facilities, a visitor center and even a playground for kids. Off to the side there was this patch of grass that was so green and covered with dandelions, it looked so pretty. Yeah, yeah I know they are weeds but, weeds can still be pretty.

Sugar Bear

This is my Aunt Linda, she has 4 grand kids and one of her favorite nicknames is Sugar Bear. I think Owen got called Sugar Bear over a hundred times. It's just another nickname to add to the long list that we already have for him.

This pictures was taken at my Uncle Clif's house. Michael and I were out riding horses and Owen got a little fussy after being changed. Aunt Linda held him tight and got him calmed down so he could take a nap.

Outdoor fun

My Aunt has a wonderful backyard with a swing set for her grand kids. Wyoming was having a heat wave while we were out there. Most of the days the temperature was in the upper 70's to mid 80's. We played outside a little with Owen when it wasn't windy. Michael was trying to get Owen to "walk" and he really knows what he's doing. He actually puts one foot in front of the other. Genius baby! I took Owen down the slide and wheeled him around in the plastic wheelbarrow around the yard. He didn't mind it too much. I can't wait until the weather in Washington warms up so we can have more fun outside.

Teething!

Yes you read that right, Owen is teething...already! I don't know if 4 months old is early or not, but it sure seems early to me. I was hoping he'd hold off until 6 months. No such luck! I noticed he was drooling a little more before we left on vacation, but my mom always told me it was a different kind of drool when babies teeth, more stringy. Once we got to Wyoming I noticed he was gnawing on his pacifier more than sucking and that's when we realized it's started. We ended up going to Walmart and getting him a teething ring, some toy keys and Baby Orajel. He's been gnawing away at everything, his fist, blankets, his bib, wash clothes, teething rings and my fingers. He slept through the night everyday we were on vacation, but the two nights we've been home he's been waking up more. I've been giving him the nighttime formula Orajel, but it worries me because they say it can actually numb a baby's gag reflex and they can choke. One of the times he woke up last night I think was because he was coughing trying not to choke on all that extra saliva. Poor baby!

Bath Time

I usually give Owen two baths a week when we're at home. On the trip we bathed him once in the sink. He had never been bathed in the sink before. He's always gets washed up in his little baby bathtub. Since we practically brought the whole nursery with us we thought we would leave the bathtub at home. Grandma helped me bath him and he didn't get too upset. He's used to laying back so he wasn't too happy when the water ran over his face. He survived though!

Bumbo

Owen got lots of fun stuff on this trip, shoes from Great Grandma, toys from my cousin Melody and Aunt Linda bought him a Bumbo. It's a funny name, but I remember it because it's wear his Bum Goes so it's a Bumbo. It's this soft spongy chair that helps babies sit up. The first time I saw one of these I got really mad. I thought they were something that would force your child to sit up earlier than their bodies wanted them too. After seeing them again I realized it's just a chair that designed to help them sit up so they can see around. It doesn't force them to sit up on their own any earlier than they would normally. Owen can hold his head up most of the time, but we did have to put a pillow behind his head to help him out. He really enjoys sitting in it.

Great Grandma & Grandpa Giest

You've met GG & Peepaw, they are my Dad's parents so here are my Mom's parents - Great Grandma and Grandpa Giest. We went to their new apartment the day after we arrived since we got in so late. Owen got to go from his mean car seat right into Great Grandma's arms and he promptly fell asleep. After he woke up Great Grandpa got to hold him, but not for too long because he decided he was hungry. Great Grandma off course had fun presents for Owen such as clothes, a robe and the cutest little shoes ever. I love them!

Happy Time

Okay so it wasn't all bad in the car. There were some fun times and this was one of them. Michael was sitting next to Owen talking to him and Owen was just talking and smiling right back. It's amazing at how one smile can make you forget about all the screaming, well almost!

Driving vs. Flying!

Here we are just a few days ago starting our trip. We drove out to Gillette, Wyoming (I was born there) to see my Mom's side of the family. We hadn't been out there for 5 years. The car trip didn't really agree with Owen very much. There were many, many stops along the side of I-90 to feed, burp or just hold a crying little baby. We were so happy to arrive at my Aunt and Uncle's house. After such a traumatic time in the car we knew we just couldn't drive home with Owen. The car had been totally ruined for him. So we flew home instead! We drove out with my parents in their new Chrysler Aspen so they drove us to Billings, Montana (The nearest place that Horizon flies) and we flew home thanks to our sister-in-laws flight passes (She works for Horizon, bless you Becky!!!). Flying home was so much better than riding in a car with a screaming baby. Owen really did great too. He was asleep for the takeoff and most of the flight. He did manage to dirty two diapers though, but since he's still small it wasn't a big deal changing him. He fussed a little on the landing, but when we went to pick up our luggage most people were shocked to know there was a baby on the flight because they didn't hear him.

Two nights in a row!

The last two nights Owen has slept all night. 9 hours on Wednesday night and 9 hours and 15 minutes last night. Boy I could get use to this!!!!

Pictures

As well as keeping this blog updated, I also have a scrapbook for Owen so I try to take as many pictures as I can. Lately when I've been talking to Owen he will start smiling and I'll grab the camera to take a picture. Once the camera is turned on and pointed at him he looks at me like what the heck is that thing and stops smiling. I liked this picture because I was peeking around the side of the camera trying to get him to smile and he almost is, but he's looking up at me not the camera. I thought it was cute.

The boys!

Here are the boys in my life! Michael is so great! He has been working so hard to provide for us. He has even started doing some side jobs to bring in extra money. He really wants me to stay home and raise Owen. It looks like God has answered this prayer as well. I will be staying home full time. I'm so happy that Owen will not have to go to daycare. It is just another blessing in a long list of them that proves that God is great!!!

So proud!!

This is Grandma Grant and if you've been reading this blog for a while now you might notice something missing in this picture. Try over a 100 pounds!!! Last year after exhaustive research my Mom made the huge life altering decision to have gastric bypass surgery. She has real excelled with it. Don't think it's been easy. There is a lot of determination involved. There are bunch of thing Mom can't eat anymore or she'll get really sick. The thing that I find amazing is that Owen will never know his Grandma as fat. He will only know Grandma as she is now. Owen will never look at Grandma going up the stairs without huffing and puffing and think twice about it because he will always know her to be able to do that just fine. The only way he will know that she used to look different is by seeing pictures and hearing stories like, I remember when Grandma wouldn't have been able to do that. I do remember though and looking back at pictures of Mom when she was heavier I was never not once ashamed of her, but I can tell you now I'm so happy that she is healthier and I'm so very proud of her for all that she has accomplished.

Practice

Yesterday I have a whole bunch of Michael's family come over for lunch - Grandma & Grandpa Martin, Great Grandma & Grandpa Martin, Uncle Jon & Aunt Becky and their daughter Camryn. Camryn is going to be a big sister come this November so she got some practice holding Owen. She did such a good job! She is going to be a great big sister and a big help for her Mom & Dad.

Mariner's Game

This past Saturday was Safeco Day at the Mariner's. I was able to get 8 tickets (Thanks Scott), but there were actually 10 of us there, because we had Owen and our friends Kevin & Julie brought there 7 month old son Kadyn with them. The other tickets were used by Grandma & Grandpa Grant and some other friends from church, Micah and Kim. It was sure an adventure taking Owen to his first game. As you see he was decked out in his Mariners bib (Thanks Grandma). What you can't see is under his bear outfit (Thanks Aunt Michelle) he was wearing a onesie that said Little All Star and a sleeper that said Future MVP. He was definitely layered and for good reason. It was windy and cold!!! Sadly the Mariner's poor starting pitcher, Weaver let 6 runs come in all in the first inning. They ended up taking him out of the game....in the first inning!!!! Needless to say we never recovered and we left in the 8th inning because we were freezing and it was getting late (it was almost 9). The only complaint I have about taking a baby to Safeco Field is that the men's restrooms do not have changing stations in them. Hello, there might be a single dad who brings his kid in diapers to the stadium. There was however a family bathroom so Michael and I did use that one time, but still it's the principle people!!

Dinner!

For past few weeks Michael and I have been eating dinner at the dining room table together. This might be common place for some of you, but not for us. We usually would eat dinner in the family room while watching a movie. It's been really nice though. I love saying grace and then chatting about our day. Owen doesn't always joins us because sometimes he's taking a nap, but when he's not sleeping I've been putting him in his highchair so he's can be up at the table with us. He's still pretty small to be sitting in it, but luckily it's reclines a little so he's doesn't fall over on himself.