Eating solid food....

Owen has been eating solid food for about two months now...I cannot believe how time flies.  I can't say that he has hated anything we have tried, he seems to not be picky (yet, hopefully never!).  It is so fun watching his face when he tries to figure out a taste, then open up wide for another bite if he likes it.  We started simple, single fruits and veggies, steamed and pureed.  Then I received the most amazing cookbook....it is Tyler Florence's Start Fresh (click for book on Amazon).  He is a genius.  We have made a number of things from this book and Owen seems to like it all and WE seem to like it all.  In the cookbook, he will give suggestions on how you (the adults) can eat also.  And we have...we had some summer squash, yukon gold potatoes and white onion roasted with extra virgin olive oil and thyme then pureed with a couple tablespoons of parmesen cheese.  Beau and I had that with pork chops the other night while Owen was enjoying the same thing (minus the pork chop for him).  And it was delicious...I couldn't get over it, it reminded me of squash cassarole kind of.  There are some unusual combinations like spinach and banana or spinach and pear with parm....but those are really tasty also.  Anyways, we have been enjoying it and Owen has been loving it!  I am just so excited to try every single thing in the cookbook, unfortunately some of the things I can't find at the store (parsnips?  golden beets?), but I WILL keep looking, I am determined to try it all!
Below is a link to his appearance on the Today show and it shows one of the recipes we have made, carrots, mango and apples...yummy!  I guess he also has a baby food line called Sprout, which I went to see if you could get at our grocery store and you can...looks good, but we haven't tried it.  Anyways, I would recommend the cookbook even if you don't have babies, I have been in love with it!

Tyler Florence on the Today show.

Swimming lessons

Owen and I have been taking mommy and me swimming lessons this past week at Texas Tech's leisure pool and we have one more week to do next week. Owen has loved going to the pool before we started this class so I was hoping that would translate to the lessons too. And it really has...he has been quite a little rock star, although this is his mother speaking so forgive the bias. He will go underwater, kick his legs, float on his back, kind of blow bubbles, and kind of scoop his arms. His teachers have gone on and on about how good he is doing, I have been so proud.  One day he wasn't happy in the lessons because he had to put on a life jacket, he did not like that a bit!  But we have had to do the life jacket again since and he was much better the second time.  

Here a few shots that I just took with my phone before lessons and one after. We are excited for next week!

We did it!  Week one of swimming lessons in the books!



7 months...Fourth of July....

Owen is now officially a 7 month old.  I have attached pictures below...the sticker thing was a fun idea, but now he is very aware of it and just pulls it right off.  I took lots of pictures without the sticker on, but he was on the move so it was a challenge.
We didn't do much on the 4th of July...just went to the grocery store, hung out on the patio, watched the Big Chill.  I had been staining our patio furniture for much of the weekend so we were enjoying our newly stained furniture a bit.  No fireworks for us, we were under a burn ban so no cities around here put on shows...bummer, but oh well.
Okay here are a few pictures.  I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend!

Hanging out on patio

Listening to Beau read

 With the sticker and his quick removal of it

Much better - no silly sticker, Mom!

Trying to document

I am not good at journaling, doing things like scrapbooks, baby books, etc etc...  I find I need to capture things somewhere though or I will always be saying, I don't remember when Owen got his first tooth, I think he liked pears, or was it peaches, when he started solids.....you see because my memory isn't so good either. 
So, I am going to make an effort to just jump on here to document even the little things so I have it somewhere.
Owen will be 7 months on Sunday...I cannot believe it.  I look at him sometimes and think, you aren't a baby anymore, you look like a little boy!!  We love him to pieces and have enjoyed him so much.  I am just going to list where we are so that this will be my catchup entry.

• Teeth - he has FOUR!  The two bottom ones came in first, between 4-5 months and the other two made their appearance the last couple of weeks.  Teeth are cute and adorable...but he is a biter.  I wish I knew what to do, suggestions are welcome!  I say, 'Owen, no!' and touch his teeth...sometimes this makes him cry (WHY would you talk to me that way??), sometimes he just laughs, sometimes he gives me a confused look and bites again.  Oh me, Oh my....
• Eating solids - we started solids at 6 months.  I held off as long as I could for a few reasons, but I was excited when the time came.  We have one of those cute little things that lets you make your own baby food.  So over the last month I made sweet potatoes, pears, peas, carrots, yellow squash, peaches...it really is super easy and they come out looking so pretty and tasty, I think.  Owen has also tried bananas and avacados using this little mesh thing that looks like a big ring pop almost.  Anyways, he wasn't wild about squash (I think it was too bland...I couldn't think of what to spice it up with) and he loves loves loves pears and seems to also really like peas, avacados, bananas. peaches and carrots...well that's about everything...ha!  So I guess the only thing he really didn't care for was squash.  Next I am going to experiment with mixing foods into little creations for him.  Can't wait!
• Movement - Owen is very close to crawling...he gets on all fours and rocks, rocks, rocks...gets on his tippy toes, then back to knees.  He can scoot backwards and roll a lot which puts him on the move.  But he is determined to crawl...he will sit there and rock back and forth then face plant, then try again and again and again...until he finally rolls and scoots his way down the line.  He also has a walker that we use on the kitchen tile...he zips around in that and chases poor Roma, she barks, he chases more...it's a circus here.  He also pulled himself up on the couch the other night all by himself. 
• Randomness
• He is a mommy's boy big time.  He wants me, he needs me, he has to have me.  Somedays it can take it all out of this mommy, between work and Owen, I just feel mentally, physically, emotionally tired (I am sure all moms feel the same way).  I am cutting back on my work hours so that should help, I will feel less stressed, and plus I enjoy all my time with Owen, especially when I am not trying to multi-task it with working.
• Sleeping...well he slept through the night for about 3 weeks and then we went to Oklahoma and it sent him topsy turvey and he hasn't done it since.  Mostly he gets up and just wants me in there, he won't let me lay him back down.  Beau has tried to go in there and he will cry and scream and look at the door until I enter, which doesn't take long because I cannot stand to hear him so upset.  The peditrician, at our last checkup, said, well you can let him cry it out...ummm, no I cannot...I physically cannot do that, I will start crying and it will just be a big mess.  I mean, he can't do this forever.....right?  (yawn....)
• Talking, babbling, yapping....he is very vocal....lots of bababababa, dadadadadada, mamamamama, nanananana, etc etc....sometimes it sounds like he is moaning, which is hilarious.  Anyways, I like to hear him talk and he likes to hear himself talk too.  
• Other sounds....he likes to click his tounge, it is so funny.  And for a few days he was grinding his teeth, which wasn't a great sound but he made an adorable face as he did it.
• Swimming!  He loves to go to the pool!  Texas Tech has a great leisure pool with a lazy river, wet deck, fountains, etc....lots of fun stuff.  We go during family hours and try to go a couple times a week, he definitely enjoys it. 
• My hair....he likes it, a lot.  He pulls it, he eats it, he twists up in his hand.  I have gone to all ponytails to try to avoid some of it, but he finds it.  He is especially into it when he is upset, its like it soothes him...or when he is asleep, when he falls asleep on my shoulder he will reach for my ponytail and then just hold it.  Melt me heart.....except when it's time to put him down and I have to quietly, carefully unravel/unclench his hand

That is all I can think of for now....I will post again this weekend, I hope.  A few pics from this past month are below.

Good morning, good morning...

I will not be blogging daily and I do not know what I will blog about....lots about Owen I am sure.  This whole thing started because of him, I wanted family to be able to read about our happenings through the pregnancy.
So good morning...a note for this morning...I love New Mexico Pinon Coffee...it is oh so yummy.  Check it out.  You have to order online, although if you live in or visit Albuquerque I am sure you could find it somewhere.  And if you catch this post in time, if you order by tomorrow (April 17th), you get free shipping!  Anyways, it is a favorite here at our house.  We got our massive shipment yesterday (we really took advantage of free shipping).  This morning we enjoyed coconut.  Other favorites include cookiedoodle, coffee cake, pumpkin spice and the regular non-flavored pinon coffee.
Anyways, give it a whirl if you are a coffee lover...I hope you enjoy as much as we do.
And of course, here is a good morning from Owen, he passed on the coffee for now, but I know he will come around.

Tag....I am it......

I have been reading these 'tag blogs' on all of my favorite blogs lately.  As the failed blogger come lately, I suspect one of my closest friends, Jennifer, wanted to get me back in gear so she tagged me...I love Love LOVE her blog, and don't know that I could ever live up to it, so I won't try.  You should check out its wonderfulness here.

Places I Go:

1. Grocery store

2. Target

3. Walks/jogs around neighborhood

4. Grocery store...okay, I had trouble because we are at home SO much and I LOVE going to the store and do it very very often, so it got two spots.



Favorite Smells:

1. Coffee

2. Pinon wood burning

3. Pumpkin anything

4. Rosemary



TV Shows:

1. Modern Family

2. Parenthood

3. Castle

4. Grey's anatomy



Favorite Movies:

1. What about Bob?

2. Somethings Gotta Give

3. When Harry met Sally

4. The Family Stone



Recommendations:

1. Relax - sit and take it all in

2. Communicate - don't assume

3. Reflect on what you are thankful for

4. Be optimistic - glass half full!



Favorite Things To Do:

1. Play and cuddle with Owen

2. Have wine with Beau

3. Hang out with my friends and family

4. Go to the grocery store (seriously it's wierd but I think it's because I absolutely love my grocery store)



Dislikes:

1. Nasty, dusty, windy days

2. Feeling rushed

3. Arrogance

4. Negative attitudes

Okay, I am supposed to tag other blogs here....BUT I think I have seen this on all the blogs I follow or I have seen that the blogs I follow have been tagged by the others (I think)...if someone checks this out and you haven't been tagged, do it now and say I tagged you.  :)

I am back....I hope....

Okay, I am going to try take two on this blogging thing.  I was inspired by two of my close friends.  First, I discovered my friend Regan was now doing a blog.   THEN my friend Jennifer gave me the extra push by tagging me on on her blog (which I follow her blog religiously :) ). 
So I am going to do her game of tag in my next post, but this is to announce my comeback...who knows what this comeback will have in store for me or this blog. 
I will kick off my comeback with a new picture of my sweet little Owen....he is a growing boy and a complete joy, I cannot get enough of his cute, chubby cheeks and handsome eyes....oh I know, the mom is gushing....I can't help myself, he is my love.