First Haircut

From the very beginning of his little life, Owen has always had a lot of hair. His "mohawk" caught lots of attention in the hospital and for the first few weeks. As it grew and got heavier, he began to lay down into the "comb over". The comb over has gotten quite long and when it was wet, it would hang into his eyes.

Reluctantly, I gave into the fact that it was time for a haircut. Last night we finally got it done. Sadly there are no cute kids places here so we visited my mom's hairstylist and she cut it.

Owen, who normally is very smiley and fun-loving, was scared to death. He was fine while she put the cape on me and then on him, but once those scissors came out the tears started rolling. (I wish I had the video to show you but our new computer doesn't have the same attachment for downloading. One is on order...so I'll post it later.)

Who is this woman?Ahhhhh, I don't like this...
Still not happy...(you can see his two bottom teeth though)
We distracted him by having him look at himself in the mirror.
Whoa, my ears look lower.
Are you done yet?
No more Mommy, I like my hair.
Owen was given a little certificate commemorating his 1st hair, complete with locks of his hair. His hair really does look cute and he was much happier once we walked out of the salon. Hopefully the next haircut will go a little smoother. :)

8 months old

Happy 8 month birthday little man! We are enjoying you more every day.

At 8 months, he...

• is 20 lbs. and 28 1/4 inches long.
• has tried a variety of new foods this month including: acorn squash, pumpkin, mango, peaches, and today yogurt.
• has 2 teeth on the bottom. He makes this face when his gums itch. Doesn't he look like a little man without his dentures?
  
• is sleeping 10 hours straight a night.
• napping 2 times a day for about 2 hours at a time.
  
• can say mama, baba, and many other vowel sounds. (I have tried desperately to get it on film but the camera distracts him.)
• is not crawling but is moving his butt up in the air and trying to move. He can get up on his knees and his hands, but not at the same time. :)
• loves playing peekaboo and bouncing on your knees.
  
• loves to laugh esp. if you make funny noises and he loves to be with people.
• has crazy amounts of curls. His hair is ridiculously long...I think it's time for a cut.

He is such a sweet boy and I can't believe how the months are flying by. Make them stop!

Bathroom Remodel

Our half bath downstairs used to look like this with the previous owners. Notice the huge mirror, the huge gold towel bar, and just plain white overall look. What you can't see his the gold lights that look like something in Hollywood dressing rooms. It wasn't our style at all.Now it looks like this...



For a week or two now, the toilet in there has been leaking so Saturday Jeremy finally had the opportunity to try and fix it. While we were eating lunch, we were watching HGTV and I got the inspiration to redo this boring bathroom. Jeremy was game so we set out to update it. This remodel was done very cheaply; how you ask? We used paint we already had. The mirror was originally above our mantel in the living room. The light fixture was on sale at Lowes for $16. All we had to buy then was a towel rack, toilet paper rack, new handtowel and rug. Super cheap! We still need some pictures for the walls but I thought it turned out well. Next on the list is the living room...it needs something on the walls and some revamp of the mantel. Homeownership is so fun!

The Lake

Sunday we were invited to the lake by our long time friends the Adams. It was a yearly tradition for my family growing up and I was excited to be able to take Owen.

Owen was all decked out in his sun gear. Notice how long his swim trunks are!
Uncle BP went to speak at camp and stopped by to hang out before going back to Charlotte.


Owen was obsessed with Dad's water bottle so Dad decided to see if he would drink some. Owen with the Adams' oldest son, Dennis. I used to hold him like this when I babysit him when he was little. Now he's in college and holding my son. Wow I feel old!
Owen finally fell asleep on Papa's belly. Papa decided he needed to lend him some moral support by taking a nap too.
Papa covered him with his hat to keep the sun out of his eyes.
Time for the water...gotta put your life jacket on first. (He wasn't so sure about it.)
In the water with Daddy...he cried the whole time. The water was cold though.

He did like riding on the boat and even took a little cat nap. Hopefully we can visit again when the water is warmer and we can teach him to enjoy the water. Thanks Adams for having us!

It's official

I'm going to be a...
I know it's weird for me too, but I signed my contract this morning. Starting in September I will be a co-teacher/assistant in the 3 year old class at a church here in town. The preschool is 3 days a week for 3 hours. Owen will attend Mother's Morning Out at the church while I teach. I'm excited about this new opportunity and look forward to how God is going to use me and what he is going to teach me through this experience.

(PS I posted 3x today! Keep strolling down for cute pictures of Owen.)

Scrub a rub dub, Owen's in the tub

Lately we've been giving Owen baths in the sink. It is just the perfect size for him and it saves water not having to fill up the whole bath tub. He loves it! He loves to splash with his hands as well as chew on this rubber squeaky blocks. As most of you know, the kid has abnormally long hair and when it's wet it goes down past his nose. Last night the way the water parted he looked like Alfa (without the cow lick in the back). I thought he was so darn cute that I had to share. :)

"Mommy, why are you taking my picture?"
"Oh ok, well I should smile for you!"
Let's taste this one.
I know I'm cute.
Yay! I love taking a bath!This last one makes me chuckle. He is so stinking cute! Look closely at the bottom and you can see his first tooth! The one right beside it is starting to come through too.

So what do you think? Is it time for his first haircut?

Sippy Cup

For some time now, Owen has been obsessed with our cups when we drink. He has even tried to drink out of his bath cup. Yesterday while searching in his room for something, I came across some sippy cups that friends had given us as shower gifts. I brought them down and washed them and decided to see if Owen would drink out of them. I put a tiny bit of water in them and tried to show him what to do. While it looks like he has the ability to hold onto and put it up to his mouth, he hasn't quite figured out how to suck on it. I let him play with it while I washed dishes and by the end he was just eating the nipple. Oh well, I'm in no rush.Look how big he is now in his highchair!!

Skirt

Here is my latest sewing creation. This skirt sewed up rather quickly and wasn't too difficult. I love this fabric by Amy Butler though it is rather bold. What I also love is that because I made it at sewing class, I was able to finish the edges more professionally with the surger. My instructor also used this nifty machine that did a blind hem so you can't even see it.

I'm in the process of actually creating my own pattern. I am trying to develop my own diaper and wipe case. I have made one prototype but feel like I would like it a little bigger. Be on the lookout!

I have had many people tell me I should sell myself. I have thought about creating an Etsy store but am scared to jump in. Would you people actually buy anything? I'm afraid to create all this stuff and then it just sit! Let me know your thoughts!

Thoughts for the day

• I forgot how fun 4 wheelers are until this weekend when I got to ride my father in law's.
• I am now the proud owner (well sort of) of a Bernina sewing machine! For those of you who don't know, it's a REALLY nice sewing machine that my mother in law is letting me use until my niece Madison is old enough for it. I'm excited and now need some new projects!
  
• Teething is awful. It interrupts sleep patterns that were finally regulating themselves. Owen does have one tooth now! It's only half the way up but it's there and it's sharp!
  
• This cool weather is wack. I would like upper 70s again please.
• The Twilight series is addictive. I read the 3rd book (600 pgs.) in a weekend. Can't wait to start the 4th one!
• We finally got Owen's hospital bill from when he was in the special care nursery....7 months after his stay. PTL for insurance is all I have to say!
  
• I got offered a position at the preschool. They want me to be an assistant in the 3 year old class that is 3 days a week. I'm going to visit on Thursday and check it out. I have to review the contract and decide.
  
• I finally changed my cell phone number to a RM number. If I didn't email you and you want it, leave me a message and I'll get it to you.

Ok that's it...that's all I got.

Our Week

I'm sorry I have been a slacker on the substantial blog post recently. Here is our week in recap..

Friday night: Jeremy had to take pictures at the community college graduation so Owen and I had dinner at my parents since my brother was home. The 4Runner had a flat tire so we had to ride with BP. BP and I went shopping together while Mom babysat.

Saturday: We did yard work/house work then had lunch with the family while the car got new tires. They were needed very badly! Late afternoon, we visited Nashville's Blooming Festival. It was really quite sad and puny. It had some craft booths, rides, and food. They did however have some fun beach musics. We were going to go back that night and hear the Coastline Band but a huge storm blew up. Instead we cooked Mom dinner and watched a movie.

Sunday: Mother's Day in Raleigh...already blogged about that.

Monday: I had an interview with a church preschool here in town. They have a position open in their 2 and 4 year old classes. They also have a Mother's Morning Out program that Owen could attend while I work. I should know something by tomorrow, though I did receive a very complimentary email from the director the next day.

Tuesday: Owen and I visited a playgroup. They were having lunch at Chick-fil-a so we joined up. Owen was one of the youngest as most of the kids were preschool aged. They have lots of fun events planned so I hoping to attend those and get to know the moms better.

Wednesday: I went walking with one of my best friends from high school Dawn and her two boys. Owen got fussy on our last lap around the track so we headed to the car. He continued to fuss in his seat and in a hurry to get out of the parking lot, I backed into a van! My 4Runner is ok but the van has a dent in the front fender. I could not find the people so I left a note and they called me back. The man was super sweet and acted like it was no big deal. He is going to take the van to get 2 estimates and then call me back. I pray that it's not a lot, especially since we just had to put new tires on the car.

Today is laundry day so I can pack us for our trip to the mountains. We're off to Jeremy's family, which we are really looking forward to since it's been forever since we have seen them.

Ok enough...sorry for the list like details. It's all I have time for...off to do laundry!

Craftiness

It is Wednesday, which means I had sewing class last night. Here is the latest creation...a grocery bag holder. We have a MILLION grocery bags so I needed somewhere to organize them. This was easy and is a nice addition to our pantry.
See how they come out the bottom.
I realized that I never posted pictures of Owen's renovated nursery. A few weeks ago my mom, Jeremy, and I painted Owen's nursery. We painted these khaki stripes and I think it turned out well.
The wall hanging is actually Owen's comforter. Since he doesn't use it, I decided to use it to decorate.

My next project is a skirt. Stay tuned..

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! We spent my first Mother's Day with my family. We had 4 generations together as my Mom, Ma-Ma (grandmother), aunt, and I were together. We let the boys come too though! Before leaving we celebrated as our family of 3 and I got an awesome camera...see post below. Then we headed to Raleigh to have lunch with the fam. Everyone wanted some Owen lovin' of course.

Uncle BP and Owen

Aunt Jennifer, Ma-Ma, and Mom

BP, Mom, Owen, and me (man I look pasty!)

Mom and Daughter (we were matching without even planning it!)

"Uncle" Cameron

Ma-Ma with her great-grandson

The Boys Club...they smoked cigars on the patio.

Aunt Jen getting some love.

We had a great time. Mom, I hope you had a wonderful day. Please know how much you are love and appreciated. Thank you for all your support, advice, and love for us. I am who I am because of you. I love you!

Emma, we're sorry we couldn't be with you today. Please know how much we love you too! We can't wait to see you on Friday. We hope you enjoyed your present. :)

In the bag..

I know most of you are on the edge of your seats wondering what was in the bag. Well...drum roll please. It was a....
A new point and shoot camera!! We have a nice Canon digital SLR but it is big and difficult to carry around all the time with my diaper bag and purse. I wanted a camera that I could keep in my purse so I could take pictures anytime the moment struck. Really I just have aspirations to be Jaime Brown who is a super mom who is great about documenting every moment of her children's life in photographs. :)

I'm really excited about this camera! Jeremy found one that had been refurbished so he got a terrific deal on it! What's cool about this camera is that it is equipped with Wi-Fi which will also me to transfer images and email my photos directly from the camera! I also like that I can take short movies, which will be nice to get cute little things Owen does without having to get out the video camera.

Today's pictures were not taken with the new camera though, because I didn't have an SD card. We have remedied the situation now so be on the look out for more pictures to come.

That's Just Wrong..

Yesterday morning I went up to Owen's room to get him up and saw this present on the table beside his crib. Jeremy must have put it there Tuesday night while I was at sewing class. Since Owen was asleep when I got home, I didn't find it until the next morning. Below you can see what the note says...

How wrong is that? You put a present out days before I can actually open it. Jeremy knows how much it would bother me...he blames Owen but I have reinterated to him numerous times that our 7 MONTH OLD could not have done it. It could only be a mean spirited husband! I'm dying.. I gotta know what is in that bag!!

New things on the horizon..

A couple of fun things may be on the horizon. First, my friend Kat found us a play group today that meets here in RM. We are going to check it on Tuesday. I'm excited to finally find a group of other stay at home moms.

Second, I have been looking into half day preschools here where I might be able to work and Owen would be able to attend. I have a meeting on Monday with one so please pray for me. I would love the opportunity to earn some extra cash for our family and get out of the house a little.

Not necessarily fun...but a new thing. I am considering changing my phone number over to a RM number finally. I am not looking forward to having to notify everyone including doctors, insurances, etc. I have had this number for almost 5 years now and I'm not really sure who all has it. What if that long lost friend tries to contact me and can't? One solution is that my brother is not using his RM number anymore because he has a company phone. I can switch to his number and leave a message on my old number with the new number until his contract runs out. Friends, be on the look out for an email or Facebook message in the next few weeks.

Owen's new foods this week...pumpkin and zucchini. The pumpkin went ok;I have to admit that though I LOVE pumpkin, it didn't taste that great. I added some apples to it and it was much better. Zucchini is on tap next.

Stay tuned for updates...

A little of this and that..

FYI..There will be no continuity to this post...just a bunch of random thoughts.

First, Owen is sleeping much better! He has finally gotten the hang of the routine and goes down with very little trouble. I have to qualify this though and say this is while we are at home. He needs a bed and to be by himself to fall asleep. He is like his mother in that he likes to be social so if people are around...he's going to want to stay where the action is and not fall asleep.

His first tooth is about to pop out! I can see the white cap just below the surface of his lower gum. It seems to be taking it's sweet little time though.

I am currently entralled with the Twilight series. I was reluctant to read it because I thought it was just another vampire book and I'm not too keen on vampires (or anything scary for that matter). My friend Kat is OBSESSED with the series and was adamant that I read it. After seeing the movie, I was convinced and I read Twilight in 2 days. I'm currently waiting on Kat's husband to finish book #2, New Moon so I can read it. They really are good and honestly I've been impressed by many of the themes of the books, such as sacrificing what you want for the good of others. Also there has been no pre-martial sex which is rare these days!

We went to visit my Grandma Piner this Sunday. She is obsessed with Owen of course and actually told me that she loved me more now that I gave her a little boy to play with. I feel used! :)
My aunt Carolyn also enjoyed rolling around with him on the floor. (Yes, he is without pants..it was hot in my grandma's house!)

Mother's Day is Sunday. I know I'm a mom now but I really don't feel like this day is for me. I keep thinking about what I need to do for my own Mom and grandmothers. We were on the ball though for my mother-in-law and her present is already in her hands. (Emma, we hope you liked your photo book! We enjoyed making it for you. See you in 2 weeks!)

I am continuing to make Owen's baby food. I love it...not only is saving us ton of money but it is fun! I am trying new foods for myself as well. This week he had acorn squash, which I had not had either. It was yummy! I think I'm going to make it more for Jeremy and I.

Ok that's enough randomness for one day.