And now I'm 2

... months that is.

This week O-Man turns 8 weeks old. I can not believe how time has flown by. His next appointment is not until the 31st for his true "2 month" check up. So I'll update with stats after that. But in the mean time here is what Owen has been up to during this 2nd month of life...

Sleep - anywhere from 3-6.5 hrs. Typically he starts with his "long sleep" which is 4.5-6.5 hours then wakes to eat and then will go down for another 2-4. It's so nice having to only wake once during the night now. Our normal schedule is head to bed sometime between 9-10:30 and wake between 7-8:30. So really he is doing great.

Naps- Little man has such a random day time schedule. I really let him sleep or play as he wants (no waking a sleeping baby from this mama). But he is awake more and more so his napping is becoming less and less.

Clothes- well early on this month he still fit 0-3s (and still has just a couple "big ones" that are working) but he's already upgraded to 3-6. He is growing so much!

Favorite things-  being outside! Owen just loves the outdoors, this is one of our "go to fixes" when he is fussy. But in general he is just a happy camper when the sun is on his face and wind is blowing through his hair.
He also LOVES bathtime. Seriously he is all smiles, coo's, and giggles when we are in there. He takes baths in a mesh "chair" that sits in our big tub. So I sit in there with him and splash and laugh also. He has started doing this new thing where he will arch his back up out of the "chair" and shoot his arms and legs out stiff. It seriously looks like the kid is trying to float.

Things we couldn't live without-  Aden and Anise blankets, Mam paci's, our strollers (since little man loves his walk), Ring Sling, and bath chair. Oh and how could I forget... Wipes, wipes, and more wipes! (must have extras everywhere we go)

Milestones- lots of social smiles, tracking, recognizing people, sleeping 5+ hrs

Major Events/ Activities- went to Dates and Lauren's going away party (we sure are going to miss them),  went to the zoo, went to Josh's work for the first time, and went to the Oil Ranch. pumpkin patch,  Oh and Halloween will soon be here.

Living the Dream: Mommyhood

Being a mom is always what I've wanted to be. Of course I want to make a difference to other people also. But mainly being a wife and mom was always my lifelong dream. So naturally I didn't want to just be any ol' mom, I wanted to be super mom. I wanted the perfect child who gets the best of everything out there, and I was going to follow every rule in the parenting books,  in the perfectly cleaned house with cookies baking in the oven and dinner on the table when my husband got home from work, while maintaining a fashionably put together look. ::haha:: Then my sweet Owen arrived.

I quickly realized none of that crap matters! I've got stacks of dishes, trash that has missed the garbage man 2 times in a row, diapers sitting on my night stand, I haven't taken a shower in a few days, and don't even get my started on the things we've had for dinner since our little one's arrival. But I really don't care! We are having the time of our life.

Time has been flying by so quickly that I am glad I've been spending it doing the things I love. Owen and I are spending lots of time with family and friends. I am so thankful he we have so many people who love us and want to spend time with us. We do lunches, and coffee, and sit on the porch in the rocker. We go on "field trips" that there is no way he will remember. We chat for hours with friends and the time just flies by. We cuddle, we watch TV, and we sit in the tub and laugh. And while trying to soak up every minute of every day- I just don't even care that other "things" are getting left behind. There is time for all that stuff later. But for now we live!

We live with love in our hearts and smiles on our faces and try to fill every minute of every day with wonderful memories.

Catch Up: Month 1

Stats

Weight/ Length: 11pounds 11 ounces and 23 and 5/8"

Sleep: 3-4 Hours at a time. Wakes to eat and the fast back to sleep. He prefers to sleep on my chest or on his tummy. But we put him in a Rock and Play Sleeper for nighttime (this is right next to our bed). Still napping frequently during the day. Typically 1-2 hours at a time. And he will nap just about anywhere: carseat, in your arms, in his bouncy chair... Just not flat on his back


Hair: We've still got it! It's constantly changing colors. These days it's got quite the red tint to it. Josh has his fingers crossed that he's not a full blown "Ginger" - but we'd love him even if he did :)

Diapers: Size 1 (this is where we've been since NICU). Prefer the Pampers Swaddlers.

Clothes: He could fit newborn for the first week or 2 (thankfully we only bought 1 package of onsies for this reason). But has  been wearing 0-3. Primarily Polo's and Pocket Tee's- Daddy wants his little one to be a Frat Daddy!


Favorite Things: being held! This boy loves to cuddled non-stop. He also likes to go outside and be rocked in the rocking chairs, go on car rides, being swaddled (with arms out), sleep in our bed,  and eat!

Things we couldn't live without: Zip up sleepers (none of those crazy snap ones), Rock and Play Sleeper, Pacifier (Soothies), and sweat pants (as jeans are to restricting but going pantless makes for a chilly boy).

Milestones: Picks up head (he's been doing this since week 1), pushes with his arms and legs, gives social smiles

Major Events / Activities:  Had his Bris (which went very well) and was introduced to the congregation, attended Cullan's 2nd Birthday Party, Watch football at Gramma and Grampa's house every Sunday, out to eat frequently.

The big 25

So 20 months ago I created this list of 25 things I wanted to accomplish by age 25. Well... I turned 25 two weeks ago. And I didn't accomplish as many of the things on the list as I thought I would have. But I did have an amazing 20 months... and boy have things changed! But just for fun here was my list and I've checked off what I did manage to accomplish.

1. Lose 50 pounds - not 50... but 25 (and that is after the baby... and it's only been 6 weeks)2. Have a full time job
3. Buy a house4. Become a long-term volunteer with an organization
5. Run in a 5k
6. Host a holiday!7. Go to another country
8. Put together a "history" photobook for my dad of his scouting career
9. Go to a winery
10. Take a cooking class
11. Help put on a large event (gala, wedding, large party, etc)
12. Learn how to use photoshop (or similar program)
13. Finish a scrapbook
14. Make a quilt
15. Have seen all of my immediate aunts, uncles, and cousins
16. Go on a Cruise
17. Read at least 10 ENTIRE books (real books not children's books)
18. Learn how to change my own tire / basic maintenance on my car
19. Take a vacation with my mom
20. Refinish furniture21. Learn how to use fondant (and have it look good) =)
22. An outside activity at least once a month (fishing, camping, hiking, etc.)
23. Not eat out for a full month
24. Spend a week with no computer access (by choice)
25. Stay Debt Free!

Although I can't say say that I successfully accomplished this goal, I did accomplish many other things! And they are things I wouldn't trade for the world. I got to work with an incredible group of kiddos for one school year (major life changing experience). I was able to spend irreplaceable time with my mother and law before she passed away. I have grown closer to my family than I ever thought was possible. Josh and I have an fantastic marriage. And we now have an amazing son who is the center of our world and I have the privilege of being a stay at home mom so I get to be with him 24/7 !

Turning 25 seems like a turning point. I am no longer in my "early twenties" and feeling like I am viewed more as an "adult" rather than just a "young adult". I still have many dreams and ambitions that I'd love to see accomplished. I'm not sure when I'll get to them all... But I'm sure they'll happen... When I'm damn good and ready :)

Looking Back: Owen's Arrival

Owen is now 6 weeks old and we are getting into the swing of a great routine. So it's the perfect time to take advantage of a napping baby and reminisce/ share about Owen's arrival. Be prepared it's a tad long!
On the Monday before Owen made his debut we went to the hospital ready for a baby. I had been having contractions all night. But much to our dismay, once we arrived the contractions had stopped and little progress was made (still at 2 cm). After visiting with our doctor we made the "walk of shame" back down to our car and headed home. I was exhausted, bummed out, and sort of embarrassed.  Later that day I met with the doctor again (at my scheduled appointment) and started planning an induction for the following week if he had not arrived on his own by then.  But the doctor kept telling us that our baby would make his debut before an induction would be necessary.
That Monday night the contractions kept coming, nothing major though. I knew on Tuesday that things were still in motion, but continued on with my day. I knew there was no point in sitting around waiting. Throughout the day I had contractions- they got longer, a bit uncomfortable, but really just annoying at that point. By Tuesday night I knew I had to be in labor. I felt sick, more uncomfortable, but still no consistent contractions. So I ate some pizza with Josh, took a hot shower, and tried to head to bed. But silly me, baby had other plans :)  I was up all night taking lots of hot baths and showers.
Around 5 am I woke Josh up and told him that I thought I should call the doctor and we should think about heading in. When we got to the hospital I asked the nurse to check me right away, because if I had to do the "Walk of Shame" I wanted to get it done quickly. She laughed, but agreed. When she said that I was 6.5 cm I was shocked. I'm not sure why. But I couldn't believe it was actually "go time". Josh and I continued to sit around, chat, and laugh. When the Dr got there I was 7.5cm.

At that point we did all sorts of fun (not!) medical stuff like IV, break my water, and put in the epidural. During this time we found out that there was a bunch of meconium in the water. So it was likely that our little man was going to have to go to the NICU to be checked out. But even this plan was quick to change.

I then developed a fever and had to be put on antibiotics and pitocin (to hurry the labor along and get our little man out). At this point we were told that once he was delivered he was have to immediately go to the NICU and I wouldn't be able to see him for 4 hours after deliver (due to my unknown illness). This was a major blow. I had all sorts of thoughts running through my head. For some reason I wasn't scared for him or I about whatever was making us sick, because I knew we were in an amazing hospital with great doctors and nurses. I was upset because I wouldn't get to see him right away. I wanted to badly to hold him right away, to feed him, to start our bonding, and to simply hold him and love on him. But I had to let it go. This wasn't the time for emotions to be running a muck! It had to be done. And he needed to be delivered safely so we could be together as soon as possible.

Before I knew it, it was time for our little man to make his arrival. Little did we know that our story still had another twist for us. After pushing tirelessly for 2 hours it became apparent that our little man was getting stressed and that we needed to get him out. And quickly! So our plans quickly (very quickly) changed and we began prepping for a C-Section. There were so many doctors and nurses and people all around getting us ready. I got all sorts of medication, was given tons of information, and we were quickly on our way.

Once situated in the surgical suite Josh joined me and we anxiously waited to see how the rest of our story would unfold. Before we knew it our doctor said "Anna, I found the problem, " he chuckled as he continued, "you know how I have a big head... well your sons is bigger!" He then lifted up our sweet boy, and they whisked him off to get checked out. Josh went over to the baby's table side as they suctioned out the meconium and wrapped him up.  Josh then brought the baby down to my eye level and I was able to see his sweet face and give him a quick kiss before the 2 of them hurried back to the NICU for further evaluation.  (My mom took these pictures from a window into the surgical area. It was so nice that they let her sit there and wait for us! It was so nice that she was there to help me and support us during our changing plans!)

The process was so fast. From the time it was decided that a c-section was necessary to the time that Owen was born, only 30 minutes lapsed! Thirty Minutes! I am still in awe of how quickly the staff was able to get it all done.





I don't remember tons about the "recovery area"- except that I kept sending Josh to go back and check on Owen and to take pictures for me.  But I do remember that in the recovery area is where I was told that Owen was in perfect health! And that he was a whopping 10 pounds and 22 inches long! My big ole' boy was the rockstar of the NICU and I would be seeing him in a few hours.

Those next few hours were killer! I felt like I was never going to get to see him. But soon enough I had my newest love in my arms. He locked eyes and were instantly falling more in love with one another.



This was certainly the best day of my life (aside from the day we got married). Being a family of 3 is far better than a family of 2. It seems like he was always meant to be with us. And God defiantly created this little man just for us. He fits in perfectly!