9 Months

Here are a few thoughts and updates on the last few months.

Owen is now 9 months old! We celebrated in my favorite place on earth, Bethany Beach. We spent a week there with Ben & Trisha, Mom & Dad, GG, and a few cousins on both the front and back end. Every time I am in Bethany, I think about how blessed and lucky I am to have such a place like that to escape to. There are a few things in the works right now, discussion amongst family, as to how we can keep the house in the family longer-term. My prayer is that we find a way as a family to make it happen. I love bringing Emma and Owen there, and Emma's at an age now where she remembers it and looks forward to going there. We had a blast swimming in the waves several days, I watched her go from timid to yelling, "ride the wave, baby!".

Owen 5 months

Owen 6 months

Owen 7 months 

Owen 8 months

Owen 9 months

Out of the Fog

Owen will be 5 months tomorrow, and I finally feel like we are slowly emerging from what I like to refer to as the newborn fog. Days and nights are becoming more established, I'm no longer scared to leave the house in fear that he will need something immediately and I won't be able to get to him. I'm more prepared with extra diapers, clothes, bottles, etc. I feel like we are getting this.

Something awesome happens when a baby begins to smile and interact with his parents. Suddenly, he is no longer our "fat stranger" as Brandon and I so lovingly nicknamed him in the hospital. He is now one of us, a piece of our family puzzle that would be incomplete without him.

I don't have much to share in terms of updates except to say that we are taking things one day at a time, being flexible when we have to be, and allowing myself the freedom to let others watch the kids while I run errands, work out or whatever. Owen has tried bananas, oatmeal, and seems like there might be a tooth coming in soon. He is our smily guy and we love him so much!

Three months

Four months

Catching up on Owen

Wow it's so much harder to keep up with monthly updates on the second child. Sorry, future Owen, it's not that I love you in a secondary way, it's just that life is so much busier these days. Here are a few highlights from Owen's first couple months.

Owen started smiling around 6 weeks. This is such a turning point because up to that point there isn't a lot of back and forth feedback and life with a newborn can seem like all work and no reward. Once he started smiling everything changed. Suddenly I know that I can sing "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" or "you are my sunshine" and I know I'll get a smile out of him. Having these tricks in my back pocket are so helpful and make being a mom feel like something I actually might be ok at.

At his two month check up he was 11 pounds, 12 ounces and 23 inches. So he's gained 2 pounds and grown 2 inches since birth! This is another reward, knowing that breastfeeding is going well and he is gaining weight and growing at a good rate. Considering all the heartache and frustration I experienced with breastfeeding Emma, this is such a relief to have very little issues feeding Owen.

We are looking forward to our trip to Disney World tomorrow! I am hoping that we all enjoy ourselves despite traveling with 4 kids 5 and under. Considering there are 6 adults I really hope we all share the load and arrive in Orlando in one piece and not mad at each other :)

One month

Two months