Owen's big week

I don't actually know how Owen feels about this week. I'm guessing for him, it's been a week just like every other, but he has grown so much this week. He has accomplished the delicate art of sitting, and is getting his first tooth.


The sitting thing is awesome. He is really starting to get tired of the various contraptions we have to entertain him. Everyday when I drop him off at school, he just watches the bigger kids that sit in their little pin, and it's so obvious he wants to be there. This week, he finally figured it out. He can sit for a while without falling, unless he moves too quickly towards something. When he does fall, he just lays there and starts playing with something new. It really looks like he is just playing it off, like he had wanting to lay down all this time.


The teething bit is not as awesome. This caught us by surprise, although it does explain some recent bouts of fussiness. He has been a major drooler since he was born, so we've always just written off drool as something he does. Like he drools puddles and puddles. Most weekend days when we are going to be around the house for awhile, I let him hang out in just a diaper. It's easier than having to change him 5 times in one day because his drool soaks through the bib and his shirt. It's gross. So a little drool in our life is not indicative of teeth, it just means Owen is Owen. And he has always been a pretty oral baby. He chews on everything around. One day last month, before he had completely figured out the whole hand to mouth situation, I caught him chewing on a toy hanging from a little baby gym. To get the toy in his mouth he would move his head around until the rings fell perfectly into his open mouth. It was really funny to watch, and he probably spent more time attempting to get the toy into his mouth than anything else.

Lately, he has enjoyed chewing on his feet. There are times we will pick him up and his socks are soaking wet. So socks are another item of clothing that I don't bother with anymore if we are just going to be at home all day. Thank goodness it is summer in Houston, perfect weather for a diaper baby.
Madeline didn't start getting teeth until she was about 9 months, so I had not thought about the possibility of teeth. Yesterday Owen was sitting and drooling, and he started doing this weird thing with his tongue where it looked like he was trying to lick his bottom gum. I didn't even catch half of the weird faces he was making. It was so funny, I could not stop laughing!



Then, he reached for my hand and put my finger in his mouth, and immediately I could feel the tiny tip of a new tooth under the gums. Randomly, I'm kind of excited for him.

Summer

I have heard so many people wax poetic about summer. I'm going to be honest, it's not my favourite time of year. I really prefer spring and fall. I love spending time outside, and summer in Katy is not made for outdoor activities. We go swimming, and go to the park , and we take evening walks, and eat outside. Ok, that last sentence made summer in Katy sound magical. But all of those are early morning or evening activities. Daytime is brutal. We usually spend the hours from 11-5 hiding out inside doing crafts and trying to keep the house somewhat orderly (ok, Andy and I are the only ones trying to keep things orderly, Madeline loves a mess). But in a spirit of optimism and looking at things from a positive light, I am choosing to concentrate on the things I like about summer.

I love early morning visits to the playground.




I love bubbles and pajamas.




I love swimming. I love the smell of sunscreen on my little ones.




I love bringing Owen outside so he can do the exact same thing he always does, except outside. And I love his new set of faces he's learned to make.




I love setting up the sprinkler toys and inflatable pool in the backyard and watching Madeline and Nelson go crazy.




I love flowers in full bloom.




I love sno cones, and red tongues.




I love that the time gets all jumbled up and an afternoon visiting with friends quickly turns into evening and night. Afternoon swims quickly lapse into dinner and popsicles.




I love evening walks as the sun starts to set.




And I love summer naps, and summer nights.

Thursday Nights

One of my favourite things about our neighborhood is all of the activities at the nearby shopping center. They have a beautiful outdoor space with fountains that are made for kids to play in. They sponsor a farmer's market every Saturday morning, and during the summer have a concert series on Thursday nights. Each week brings a different kind of music, but always the same atmosphere. There are kids, so many kids, running and playing in the fountain. And parents visiting. And all smiling and having a good time. I am hoping to go as often as possible this summer.

Happy Father's Day

Andy is probably one of the world's best fathers. He loves both of our little ones with all of his being. He is so helpful with all of the practical stuff. He is exactly what I never knew I wanted, but always did. It makes me so happy to know that our children will grow up with such a great role model and loving father. Because that is exactly what Andy and I both had growing up, and we are so thankful everyday.

Dining Al Fresco

My favorite warm weather activity is outdoor dining. I think everything tastes better when the sun is shining on your skin. We try to have picnics at different parks as often as we can, but for weeknight dinners, we are big fans of backyard dining.



Madeline is a little too small to comfortably eat on our patio furniture, so we usually just spread out blankets and have a picnic. It's kind of fun and feels very comfortable to just sit and eat watching the sun set on another day. When there is a quiet minute you can hear the joyful screams from neighborhood kids playing or the daily conversation of a couple walking along the trail near our house.



After dinner Andy and I take turns playing with Owen and talking about our day. Madeline usually plays with Nelson, ro invents some game to play. This past week she acted out animals as we named them. It was so funny to watch, and pretty hard to photograph, but I kind of think some of the blurred ones are cool.




For a moment I always forget that I am not in some sort of wonderful movie and that this is indeed my life, and then I smile.

Found

You know that wonderful feeling you get when you reach your cold hand into a old jacket on the first cold day of winter and find a $20 bill. That $20 is like the best $20 ever. It is the best way to start a day.
I hardly ever use our point and shoot camera, but I usually keep it with me for those random moments I don't have our nice camera around. Tonight, I reached for it and realized the memory card was full. I was amazed because I hardly ever use it. When I uploaded the pictures I realized I had pictures on there since Halloween! It was kind of fun to find all these pictures. These random snapshots of our lives the past 7 months.
So much has changed. Madeline's hair is so much longer. Her face looks so much more mature. Mine looks so much less puffy (I hope). Owen is alive, and has grown so much.
These are by no means all of the memories from the past few months, but some of the random moments that I'm so glad to relive.


There were laughs at home, rode trips, fun with dogs, and holiday parties.


There was fun with boxes.


There was snow in Katy!


There were Christmas wishes, and Christmas gifts.


There was fun with family.


There was swimming and love.


There were walks to the turtles.


And there were naps for all.

These pictures are certaintly not the best photos we have, and not at all a culmination of our last 7 months, but tonight they were as sweet as those hidden dollar bills just waiting to be found.

Yay for the Enrights!!!!

My dear cousin Ellen after months of waiting finally got the phone call she has been waiting for. A little girl in Ethiopia has been matched up with the Enright family. In just a few short months Ellen and Braegan will become a family of 5 and a little girl will be theirs forever. That little girl has no idea how lucky she is. Just look at this family.




They have such a capacity for love. It is inspiring.

I tried to explain adoption to Madeline tonight. It went something like this:

Me: There are lots of ways to make a family. Mommy and Daddy can love each other so much a baby grows in Mommy's belly like what happened with you and Owen. But sometimes, some mommies cannot take care of their babies so some really nice and very wonderful people adopt them and make them part of their family.

Madeline: That is so nice mommy. Why can't their mommy whose tummy they grew in take care of them?

Me: Yes, Madeline, adopting is really nice. But sometimes the mommy who's tummy they grew in doesn't have the resources like money or food to take care of their baby. (at this point I really didn't want to get into the idea of maternal death so i skipped that part).

Madeline: But you won't let someone else adopt Owen right?

Me: No, Madeline, you and Owen are ours and my heart would break into a million pieces without you. You and Owen will always be ours.

Madeline: Good mommy, I think Nelson would miss Owen (I guess she felt really secure in her place in our family and I'm pretty sure Nelson would not miss Owen). Mommy, I have a good idea, why don't you grow a baby in your belly and then let someone adopt it. That would be so nice.

Me: Maybe, probably not.

Ok, so I don't think she totally understood that, but at least we tried.


I cannot wait to meet the luckiest little girl in Ethiopia. Ellen, you and Breagan are such amazingly wonderful people. We are all lucky to have you in our life.

Jarntip + Shawn

Weddings are one of my favourite things in the world. I would love to just go to random people’s weddings and just soak in all the love and happiness that comes with a wedding day, like Wedding Crashers, but less hook up and more fly on the wall. It is a day filled with so much joy, and hope, and happiness.

I love the anticipation of waiting for the bride to walk down the aisle, even though I JUST saw her 10 minutes ago.



I like to look at the groom, and watch him watch her. I love to hear all of the readings and declarations of love, especially when they are words I've never heard before.



I love all of the decorations, all the little details the bride has worked so hard to coordinate.



I love celebrating afterwards. I love night weddings where the day fades into night.



I like the dancing, especially when everyone has had a bit much to drink, and doesn’t notice that I am not in fact the great dancer I pretend to be.



I love the cake (who doesn’t love the cake!).



I love watching total strangers joining together to love two people. I love getting together with old friends who I don’t see often enough.



And of course, I love the kids. I love that they don’t really know how important this day is and they don't care. They came to dance and eat cake. And they are always so happy.



I really think weddings are a lot like a birthday (like the actual day a little one is born), except with pretty clothes, dresses, cake, and dancing. It is a day full of hope and excitement. A day that no matter what goes wrong is always the most perfect day you could ever imagine.

These pictures are all from my friend, Jarntip’s wedding this past weekend. It was even more beautiful than the pictures. It was a perfect night that I want to do all over again.



Congratulations Jarntip and Shawn. We love you!