2 Year Old Pictures

A few weeks ago we had our good friend Kevin Derby take some pictures of Owen and our family to mark his 2nd birthday. Kevin did a FABULOUS job and I thought you guys would like to see them too. Here are 3 of my favorites but you click on this album link to see the rest that we posted on Facebook.

Happy 2nd Birthday Owen!

Two years ago today, the Lord changed our lives in more ways than we could ever imagine. At 11:06 pm, this little guy entered the world.

September 28, 2009- 1st Birthday
September 28, 2010- 2nd birthday
2 years later, he is such an amazing little guy. We love his sweet little personality and how he just loves on anyone. He greets everyone he meets with a wave and hi and uses his long eyelashes to his advantage. When I was pregnant with him, I prayed that the Lord would give me a baby who loves to snuggle and by golly, I got it. He loves to snuggle with you and be held. He is so laid back and low key. At times, he can be lazy in the sense that he wants you to do things for him instead of doing them himself like walk down the stairs or feed himself dinner. He is a lover of fruit, milk, dogs and all things Curious George. He loves his family and asks for them constantly. Lately we have learned that he doesn't require as much sleep as most kids his age. He also loves to wake up at the crack of dawn and take mid-day naps. He loves music and his new favorite song is Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.

He still isn't talking at the same level as his peers but he is making progress. Though he can't always use his words to express what he wants, he has found gestures (his own sign language) to tell us what he needs.

Owen, you are such a joy to us! You have taught us so much about ourselves and what it means to love unconditionally. You have taught me what it means to put others needs ahead of my own. We can't wait to see how great of a big brother you are going to be. Lord willing, we look forward to celebrating many many more birthdays together!

I am..

I saw this on another blog and thought it would be a good way to express my thoughts for the day..

Outside my window...a beautiful, sunny day. The temperature is still above 90 and it's the end of September. When will it ever fell like fall?

I am thinking...of how much I have to do before Owen's birthday party on Saturday.

I am thankful for...the Charlotte police officer who did not give me a ticket for speeding today. Also come to find out my inspection and car tags were overdue too, but I never thought about since I had never received the usual notice in the mail.

From the kitchen...I just had a yummy lunch of chicken gyros. Since visiting the Greek festival a few weekends ago, I have wanted them again. Luckily my version turned out pretty well.

I am wearing...a borrowed shirt from Kat and pair of capris. My wardrobe increased dramatically this weekend as Kat is letting me borrow a bunch of maternity clothes. I am so excited to have something new and fun to wear.

I am reading...Captivating by Stasi and John Eldredge. I have been reading this book for months now. I received a free copy of it from Thomas Nelson Publishers to read and review. The book isn't great but not all that bad. It's not something I just readily think of picking up these days with everything else going on.

I am praying...for so many things. For my brother a job, for my boys, this new baby, for my own spiritual discipline, etc. etc.

I am creating...some art work for the new baby's room. I am trying my hand at cupcake decorating this week as I try to make some monkey cupcakes for Owen's birthday.

I am looking forward...to December. I can't wait to meet this new little guy in my belly! He is so active, it makes me wonder what he will be like in this world. Will he look like his brother? Will he have the same temperament? Will he be a good sleeper and nurser? What will our family life look like with another little one? I'm also hoping he will come a little early.. :)

Carolina Kind of Day

This past Saturday we tried to fit in as many activities as possible I think. Unwilling to give up any fun activity, we agreed to do it all. So we woke up super early and headed to Chapel Hill to watch UNC play Georgia Tech. Because it was a noon tip off, we had to be there by 9:30 for tailgating, but it was worth it. We had a delicious breakfast spread and Owen enjoyed sitting in his own little chair and people watching.

Isn't he cute in his little jersey? He loved sitting in this chair and swinging his feet. Too bad his eyes are closed.

He loves his daddy.
Around the 3rd quarter, Jeremy and I left Owen with my parents and ran out to attend the wedding of one of my Carolina girls. Jenny and I were in a Bible study together all 4 years at UNC and I adore her. She is one of the most thoughtful and encouraging people I know.

Again I have gotten really bad about getting out the camera so there are very few pictures of this amazing wedding. For those who don't know Jenny, she is an event planner in DC so I knew this wedding would be spectacular and it lived up to it's expectations. The reception was in her parents' backyard but don't let that fool you. It felt like we were in an elegant ballroom. It was a wonderful evening of catching up with my college girls and hanging out with my husband sans a our little munchkin.

The two pics I did get: from left to right: York, Heather, me and Truesdale (no one has the same name anymore but they will forever hold their college names)
Jenny and all her pregnant friends: Mel, Mandy, Jenny, Trues, and me
No one told me how big that blue dress made me look. WOW, I will not wearing it again anytime soon. I also didn't get a picture that included Brittney, Hoke, or Allison, but the gang was all there. I only wish we could have stayed longer.

After getting back to my parents' house around 10 pm, we were exhausted! It was a full but fun day. :)

Can You Believe It?

Owen will be 2 in 2.5 weeks! It's hard to believe it's already time to celebrate his 2nd birthday. Because of his love affair with all things Curious George, we are having a Curious George themed birthday. It's mostly a family affair and a few friends, but I couldn't resist making invitations (and sharing them with you!).


Our friend Kevin Derby took this adorable picture of Owen for us last week. I thought the shirt was perfect for the occasion (love consignment sale finds!). Jeremy created the George graphic in the corner and the invites.

We can't wait to celebrate our little blessing! :)

What We've Been Up To..

I have been really bad about updating the blog and taking pictures lately. We've been really busy it seems like, but when I try to recount what we did my pregnancy brain draws a blank.

August 21st, we went to Boone to meet our new nephews. Jeremy's sister Erin and her husband had twin boys, Bryson and Landon. They are super cute and I would share some adorable pictures but out of respect for them, I won't.

August 23rd we celebrated 28 years in the life of Jeremy. His mom made his favorite cake, red velvet, for him while we were in Boone. Our friend Amy was gracious enough to babysit Owen for us so we could go out on a date. For his birthday, he got a Nook (an e-reader for those who don't know what that is.) He has LOVED it and as already read way more books than he has the entire year.

On the 28th, I along with the other bridesmaids, threw Lauren (my brother's fiance) a shower. I am a dork and forgot my camera so there are no pictures. It was a sweet time of food, friends, and fun gifts. It was fun to meet so many of Lauren's friends that I heard about. That weekend was also the first time my parents visited us in Charlotte. It was fun to take them around and show them our life here.

Later that week, we found out that Owen had hand, foot, and mouth again. He ran a high temp for about 4 days and we finally saw the doctor on Friday before Labor Day. He was finally better on Saturday so Sunday we packed up and headed to RM to say hey to my parents before heading to Durham. On Monday (Labor Day) we went to Durham to visit our dear friends the Derbys. We were great friends during our time in seminary then they lived overseas for 2 years. This was the first time Jeremy had seen them since they got back. Kevin took some pictures of us, which I'm excited to see.

Between these busy weekends, we have kept busy around town. We have played many times with our friends the Williams and the Browns.

One of our favorite activities is to visit this awesome children's library called Imagion. It has a different level for different age groups. The bottom level has a great play area for toddlers.

Owen's little buddy Samuel. Samuel wanted to be a big boy and sit in the chair.




Another fun activity is arts and crafts. Owen loves painting with these dot to dot paints.
His masterpiece.
He doesn't like to use just one medium...he thought it needed some crayon too.
We also like to visit the park and have playdates. Mondays is now Owen's speech therapy day. He has had 3 sessions so far and I feel like they are productive. We are working on Owen's mouth formation so she is having him blow bubbles, drink out of straws, and blow feathers. We also do puzzles to work on animal names and sounds. He likes the extra attention and I like the ideas I am getting.

Starting today, we are going to a Mom's group at the church we've been attending. I'm excited to meet more moms as well as having a consistent Bible study again. We are also trying out a Bible Study Fellowship class next Tuesday so our fall days should be pretty busy now. I enjoy that though as I have gotten stir crazy some this summer.

You are now to update with the Coxes..sorry for the long post. :)