Girls Weekend, Boys Weekend

So, my trip weekend before last had been in the works for a while...partly a celebration of being able to leave the house for more than 3 hours (yay for a weened 1 year old) and partly any excuse to visit my dear friend Taylor...so off I went to New York City.

Taylor works for an Austin-based ad agency in Manhattan and will only be there for a short time before returning to Austin (she had better keep her word--I'm keeping mine), so it was a perfect time for a visit. It was a great combo of touristy things and things only a "native" would do. We packed a LOT into our short weekend:
1) took a harbor tour and saw the Statue of Liberty, and most of the city skyline including where the Towers used to be
2) saw Marry Poppins on Broadway half price! It was supercalifragalisticexpialidocious (sp?).
3) ate at loads of great restaurants (some very late at night)--we recommend the "Blue Ribbon" tour.
4) went to Tim Keller's church--awesome!
5) went to ground zero
6) got my picture taken w/ a couple of very friendly NYC policemen who were helping us navigate the crowd at the "Spanish Heritage Parade" taking place on 5th Ave.
7) did LOTS of window-shopping. Beware: in NY, a $500 purse sounds reasonable after you've just seen a $16,000 purse at Bergdorfs...
8) ate a hot-dog on the street (not for breakfast, Mom)
9) grazed Central Park
10) navigated the subway all by my self (such a big girl!)--I actually convinced a few people I was a native b/c they asked me for directions!
11) went to Time's Squre (so overrated and anxiety-provoking)--we only went to get our Broadway tickets
12) drank lots of starbucks--it's a rule.
13) did NOT get to take my much anticipated tour of the Federal Reserve Bank because Monday was a bank holiday, thank you Christopher Columbus (the only disappointment of the weekend).

Here we are at Rockefeller Plaza. It was a beautiful weekend so we did lots of walking around. I actually went back Monday morning while she was at work and stood outside of The Today Show on NBC--Kyle saw me waving and holding up a picture of Owen. I saw all the cast (except Al--he was on assignment) and a few fun guests including Jim Cramer (mad money), Dakotah Fanning, and a kid who got his arm eaten by an alligator and now has a wicked mechanical prosthesis.




My mom and Sid and two of their friends were actually in town for the weekend too--so at Taylor and Sid's request (demand?) we went to Hillcountry BBQ to watch Texas kick some OU bootie. It was actually really fun...totally authentic. Lone Star, Blue Bell ice cream, Big Red, sausage from Lampasas, Texas/Austin stuff everywhere, including a couple hundred displaced Longhorns, or at least Texans. Not exactly what most people would in Manhattan, but it was really fun. I actually ran into a guy from high school who lives up there now. What a small world! (And yes, I'm wearing burnt orange, much to Kyle's dismay.)
Speaking of old friends, here I am w/ my old highschool friend Cara. We reconnected through Facebook (how else?) and got together for a very upper-west-side brunch. Super-fun. (Taylor actually knew her from camp too, so really really small world.)
Here I am w/ the doorman at the famous Plaza Hotel...this is NOT where I stayed. Taylor's efficiency (one-room) apartment is technically in Soho (south of Houston--say, Howston, St.) but in her words is sort of in no-man's-land. It's great...so quintessential New York. It's in a great old building, and she pays an arm and a leg for less than 300 square feet. Literally, an arm and a leg. :)
Here is my way-cooler-than-me friend Taylor musing some modern art by a famous guy whose name I've already forgotten. We went to the MOMA to see the visiting Vangogh exhibit and saw this guy's stuff too...you'd recognize it/him: An arrangement of drawings of cambell's soup cans, Marilyn Monroe, splatter paint...you know. Andy Warhol? Yes, I think that's it. Anyways, we weren't allowed to take pictures of the Vangoghs, but they were pretty impressive even for someone who knows nothing about art, especially modern art. I can see why Stary Night is in practically every dorm room in America.

All in all it was a FANTASTIC weekend. What made it even better was getting to come home to my sweet husband and hilarious little boy. They tell me they had a great weekend as well, which was music to my ears, and I actually believe. Kyle said it wasn't easy (which was also good to hear), but he really had some good male-bonding time w/ Owen. What a blessing all around!

First Professional Photoshoot

When we learned about this little portrait studio (and how inexpensive it was), we sort of felt like bad parents for just now taking Owen for his first photoshoot...but alas. It was more fun than we thought it was going to be. Also, it was nice to have Bee there to help us narrow down our favorites. It was all fun and games until (under her watch, eh hem) Owen fell and busted his lip--at least it was after the pictures. Anyways, here are some of our favorites...

Classic.

Jailbird.
Wicker? Okay.Cupcakes again? Yes, thank you! (Oh, this picture was taken as he did his little spin-move, where he kicks his legs to pivot around his bottom in a circle.)
Woohoo for being naked and eating a cupcake!

(Make sure to check out the post about his birthday party below.)

Party Day

Happy Birthday Owen! One year ago today he was born and boy are we glad!

We had Owen's first birthday party on Saturday and had such a wonderful time. We were lucky enough to get to use the wonderful playground at our church--perfect for a bunch of little people and us big people too! The weather was absolutely perfect and I think everyone had a good time!

My mom (Bee) came into town Thursday evening and after Gymboree on Friday morning we finally made it to the store. We didn't start getting food ready until dinnertime, so we were up pretty late. We made chicken tortilla soup, a chicken ceasar salad sanwhich on chiabatta bread (hard to eat but yummy), several dips including the world-famous guacamole from Sarah Jane's Houston Aunt, and two kinds of cupcakes which (not to be boastful), but I was very proud of: vanilla vanilla, and chocolate w/ peanut butter icing--I think there were about 5 dozen total. Plus, Owen had is very own little 6-inch cake--perfect for destroying! Perhaps it was all a little overboard--but that's what Bee and I do...I sort of think I can't help it, and why would I want to!--I like it!

Here is the birthday guy w/ Bee. We had lots of fun friends from the party--most of our Bible Study, Tanya and Lee from Durham, other Redeemer friends and our favorite neighbors; it was great to get everyone together and eat and play w/ the kids and enjoy the beautiful afternoon outside. Also, we had a lot of fun watching the giant mylar "1" balloon that Owen accidentally set free float away--it was amazing how far you could see it on such a clear day.
And here's what first birthdays are really all about...his first cake. (We have a really great video of the whole ordeal but its too long to post...sad.) Initially, he went at it with his little pincer grip and picked at it as if he were trying to pick off all the colored sprinkles. That lasted until I picked it up and held it in front of his face, thinking he would just go for it. He moved his head towards it a few times (hands shaking w/ excitement) but he always backed up before taking a bite, as if he was too overwhelmed. Finally, we cut it open w/ a knife and what you would expect finally happened. It really didn't get everyehwere until the end, when he got a nice bit in his hair, ears, eyes and nostrils.
Doesn't he look like such a big boy? In some ways it really is hard to believe its been a year and in other ways I can't remember our lives without him...I have vague memories of doing a lot less laundry and seeing a lot more movies, but I know we wouldn't trade it for the world.
I know at this age a party is mostly (if not all) about us (and having fun pictures to show him someday) so by those standards the party was a hit! It's also good to be reminded of how very very very blessed we are to have Owen Timothy in our lives--to celebrate both all that God has given us, and who He is. On that note...here's a look back. Enjoy.

On. Off. On. Off.

I swear I just turned around for one minute, but that's all it took fo Owen to make his way into the off-limits office. I'm pretty sure he was trying to post a blog or send an email!

What? I just wanted to personally communicate with some of my fans, Mom!

On. Off. On. Off. On. Off. On. Off. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

OFF!

ON!

This new trick was cute until Kyle was trying to watch his only 15 minutes of tv--the news. Okay, still a little cute.

Bee is flying in this evening, so signing out until the party is over!

Scary Monkey, Gymboree, etc.

So, Owen's babbling is still non-specific, meaning he says mama and dada, but not as a name for us. He is, however, communicating w/ "Scary Monkey". Scary Monkey is a stuffed monkey I bought him at the beach that is wearing a cheesy "I love Holden Beach" t-shirt. It wasn't until we got him home that we realized that SM makes a horrible screeching sound when you squeeze his belly. No doubt it's supposed to sound like a monkey call, but it more closely resembles a cat being run over by a lawnmower or something equally disturbing. Kyle started it--let's get that straight from the beginning. Squeezing SM's belly to get a reaction out of Owen. First, shock. Eventually, kicking and smiling and squealing--sounding just like SM! Now, when we are in Owen's room, he reaches up to SM and squeals until we squeeze his belly (SM's, not Owen's).

All fun and games until last night when we were trying to wind Owen down for bed (a challenge in itself because it was the first night w/ no nursing! Yea!), but he kept squealing and looking for SM. Kyle couldn't stop laughing. Perhaps we can distract Owen w/ a bedtime story? Yes, unless it's Kyle's "dramatic reading" of the book "I love You Through and Through"...almost as scary as SM himself. So, our first evening w/ no nursing and Kyle's full involvement in the "bedtime routine" was very interesting...

Anyways, Owen finally went to sleep. SM may be finding his way back to the beach soon...

In other news, Owen has his first "gym membership"! We joined the Gymboree here. It's great. It's basically a 45 minute "class" once a week where he gets to crawl through tunnels and up big foam ramps and stairs, play under a giant parachute, play with bubbles, etc. All w/ this crazy teacher lady singing and banging a tambourine (it's like being in a musical you don't know the words to...but I bet we learn). It was hard to take pictures and participate too, but here he his braving the tunnel. In similar news, he is quite speedy making it up our stairs (w/ supervision). And if they were a little wider I think he could almost come down them...time will tell.

Here he is doing a little exploring outside. If I could just teach him to use a trowel. Next spring...
And "helping" me w/ the dishes. Dirty utensils are no match for him.
I think that's about it. Oh, he's got 2 more teeth. The other one on top has poked through and there is one on the bottom. We're busying ourselves this week preparing for his BIRTHDAY PARTY on Saturday. My mom is coming and it is supposed to be a beautiful day, so I'm excited. Until then...

Teeth, Grapes and Push Toys

So, just a little Owen update.

1) He is finally has his FIRST TOOTH! Friday morning he and I were playing and I spotted it--just a little millimeter of a white line peeking out from his gums, on the top! (Most babies get their first teeth a lot sooner...and they usually get the bottom first; but we know Owen likes to do things his own way on his terms, so we're not surprised!) Luckily, the other top tooth looks like it won't be far behind, so he won't be a "snaggle tooth" for long. I'll get a photo, asap.

He's been pretty fussy the last few days (b/c of his tooth?...we've been waiting to blame fussiness on teething for 11 months)...he's not sleeping well, and he's not eating well. Pretty much the only thing that he wanted today was grapes. The boy LOVES grapes; about as much as Kyle loves ice cream, which should put things in perspective for those of you who have been to our house after dinner...

"You looking at ME?"

"I LOVE my push toys! I LOVE being in the grass! I love everything!"
Owen's appetite for repetition is enormous when it comes to going up and down our little "hallway" with his push toys. (Uncle Alex asked if they were like an old person's walker...yes, but more colorful and you can ride them when you get older.) His waddle is not unlike my walk when I was 9 months pregnant with him...especially interesting from behind. Just another sign that walking for real won't be that far away...now when he crawls, he often does it on one knee and one foot--that definitely needs a name.

"A Bold Undertaking"

I mentioned in my last post that we had a crazy week last week...

But first, what you're really here for--an update on Owen. :)

He's doing great, of course! He continues to get easier and easier on the fussy scale, and more and more rambunctious, interactive, fun, etc. He's a sneaky little booger--getting into anything he can--opening the fridge (he gets mad at me when I close the door and he can't get in), trying to get in the toilet to splash his hands around (we now have to keep the lids down). He's definitely "cruising" around furniture and love to pull up on us, which makes walking difficult! Beyond the crawling and standing up (and letting go!), his seemingly favorite move is one we like to call the "sit n' spin". He sits and spins himself around by kicking/scooting his feet. Sometimes he actually uses the move w/ a purpose to face something he wants, but sometimes he just goes around and around and around...

He's enjoying his big boy finger foods and doesn't like to be fed anymore. He's also taken to trying to feed us--grapes are a favorite.

This probably won't sound like a big deal to anyone else, but he's just in the past week or two starting sleeping in a new position. For 10+ months he layed flat on his bag with his blanky on his face, arms up over his head. Truly hysterical. Now he's got a 2nd position: a funny little side position--almost pike-like, and sometimes his feet are in the bars of his crib. Either way--why are babies so stinking cute when they're asleep? Ooohhhhh, the nights of rocking him and rocking him and trying to get him to stop crying so we could all get some shut-eye! Seems like SO long ago (thank goodness)! There was that 3rd position today, but I'm hoping he'll outgrow it (see post below)...

I feel like toys are becoming a bigger part of his life--I guess becuase he is actually playing with them and sometimes even by himself. We have a few new balls and a couple of borrowed push toys that are a big hit right now! Our favorite non-toy entertainment is peekaboo (I never thought there would be so many ways to play this game, and that it would never cease to be fun for him) and clapping. Boy, do we love to clap! (Seriously though, it is amazing to know that he understands what we're saying/doing and he can follow a simple instruction!)

Okay, enough about Owen, right?

THE BEACH TRIP: A BOLD UNDERTAKING

So, my neighbor and good friend Ann realized that Kyle and her husband Terry would both be gone for several days last week and she had a hankering to get her two kids (David, 2.5yo, Lauren, 7mo) to the beach one last time for the summer...It didn't take much convincing. We started talking Monday and decided on Tuesday to leave that night w/ the kiddos asleep in the car.

We tried to do things to make the trip as easy for ourselves as possible...we had a house rented at Holden Beach (where we went in May), bought easy food; all things were going according to plan...

Until her SUV battery decided to die while we were driving through Greensboro. It was now or never w/ a very excited toddler who HAD to get to the beach...so we had to rent a mini-van (actually a blessing in disguise) at the nearby airport and transfer all the stuff and three kiddos (1 sleeping, 2 too-wired to sleep). Back on the road. Until I got pulled over for crossing the center line at 2:30 in the morning on a small neighborhood street at the beach while going approx. 20 miles an hour trying to find the beach house in the dark w/ poorly lit address numbers--4 houses from our destination. No ticket, but he wasn't very nice and he woke up all the babies w/ his loud speaker and flashlight. Ugh. I think we all got to bed about 4:30 and I know they got us up at 7:30. Let's go to the beach beach beach! (Did I mention that all of this was only barely pre-hurricane?)

The next two days were a blur--sunny beach time, nap times (for me, not for Ann since she has two--that makes you think doesn't it!), toddler discipline, "family" meals, lots of tag-teaming and fun mommy conversations at night (over a glass of wine). Owen is fascinated by David--who needs toys when you have at toddler to entertain you? David brought us make-believe coffee from the coffee shop. Owen demonstrated his ever-increasing maturity by studying the sand, but not putting it in his mouth! And Lauren, well, she's just an angel.

Seemed like some other things went "wrong" while we were there--but I can't remember them which means it was a good trip. Except one: Ann's wallet got left behind at an ice cream shop and they closed early and we couldn't get it back and then she got a call from one of her cards saying someone was using it. Not a fun way to end the trip. Oh, and she got pooped on in a major way on the way home, with no accessible change of clothes--so two things.

In the end, we got the mini-van returned, her cards cancelled and reordered, the poop cleaned off, and the kids had a wonderful time (heck, so did we!) and we didn't even get any rain until we got back home! Lots of work, but well worth it. Although next time we're bringing our hubbies!

David and Owen playing in a puddle on the beach at sunset. Good times. By the end of the evening Owen was COVERED in sand-mud (most of it put there by David). :)

His face doesn't look happy, but trust me, he was.

Ann and sweet Lauren.

Mother and son w/ bad beach hair.