Six Months.

I've been meaning to post about Owen hitting his six month milestone for awhile now. I'm still just amazed how quickly six months went by and that my little baby is now an infant and changing so much every day. At his six month check up all was well. He is doing ok on development, but a little behind on a few things. I have to remember he is a month behind gestational wise so we need to allow for the extra month. Every baby moves at their own pace and when Owen is ready he'll hit each developmental milestone.In honor of being six months here are six things about our little man.

1. He's the happiest little guy there is. He's always smiling and when he's not it doesn't take much to get him to. He also still does this insanely cute little side smile and most of his smiles are huge and fills up his cute face and chubby cheeks. For the most part he goes with the flow and loves to watch everything. He's content and happy to roll on the floor, loves to be held and snuggled, and gets a kick out of playing with Carter.
2. He's starting to fall into a more consistent routine now and boy are we grateful for that. He usually takes a short 15-30 min. nap in the morning, either at the gym or in the car. Followed by a long nap after lunch during Carters nap that ranges from 2-3 hours. At night, he will sleep for a solid ten hours and will sometimes wake up to eat and then go back down for another 2 hours. For a little guy he doesn't seem to sleep that much during the day, but as long as he takes a good nap and sleeps at night I'm happy. He's still an avet thumbsucker and prefers to be walked rather than rocked.
3. He loves bananas, pears and learning to love sweet potatoes. Not a big fan of rice cereal.
4. He's moving, slowly, but scooting with his head down and on the floor he pushes off on his tippy toes and slides a little. Still waiting for the rug burn to appear on his forehead and I'm hoping sometime soon for his sake he figures out how to lift his head while on his knees. If all else fails he's a solid roller and will go from one side of the room to the other.
5. Teeth- he's got em! Two little bottom teeth have just appeared in the last four days. The first one on Saturday and the second one this morning.
6. Bald no more. His hair is starting to grow back in from his hair cut and is beginning to even out with the top mowhawk. It's even starting to lighten up. I don't think he'll be a blonde, just a light brunette. He still has a little baldish spot in the back, but that too is starting to fill in with fine little baby hairs. I love that my babies have hair and I love panteine prov hair gel for styling their little cool men do's. The lady at the gym still calls him Jimmy Neutron and he still has a great mowhawk.Six Month Stats. Height 27 in., Weight 18 lbs. 9 oz. , FOC 44cm all within the 50-75%.

Owen has been full of surprises from the moment we found out I was pregnant. It was another surprise when he came a month early and spent two weeks in the NICU. A surprise that as soon as he came home it felt like he had always been here. Life is more of challenge with two children. How do you split up the time between both and doubting yourself about how you are managing your time. I've discovered it is possible to love each of them the same and differently. I've been stretched farther than I thought possible and each day Owen teaches me that I can stretch further and that I can learn more patience and compassion and selflessness. What a wonderful sweet spirit he has and a blessing it is to have him in our home and in our little family.

Shamu.

We took a short trip this past weekend to visit my mom in San Antonio and introduce our boys to Shamu at Sea World. Carter is such an animal lover he was in heaven, for the most part, minus a few meltdowns because he missed his nap. Carter also loved all of the time he had with Mike and I believe Mike was impressed by the massive amount of energy it takes to keep up with Carter.

We visited the dolphins, the horses, the mini aquarium to see fish and sharks And of course Shamu. Owen however slept through the Shamu show Believe, which was ok by me. Owen was wide awake and maybe even more entertained with the Viva show, with loud music, divers and dolphins.

Carter played at the splash pad and had a great time cooling off...

While Owen hung out with Grandma in the shade.

Mike wins the daddy of the year award for his heroic efforts at Sea World. In the little Shamu section of the park designed for kids there is a large ship with nets and tunnels about 25 feet in the air. Once you enter the array of tunnels it's a long way from one side to the other and only one way in and one way out. Carter headed in and Mike and I split up to cover both exits, just in case, can't lose your eye on a toddler in a large amusement park for a second. Carter got half way through and lost his shoe in the netting and then got his foot stuck. Our little man was there alone in the netting crying, while larger kids climbed over him. Mike ran from the exit to the entrance and scaled the netting and sped through the tunnels like lightening to save Carter, and then like a super dad climbed through the rest of the tunnels with Carter while I waited for them at the exit. How blessed are we to have such a kind and speedy husband and father to care for us. Thanks for being a super dad Mike.

At the end of the day we loaded everyone into the car and before we made it out of our parking row both boys were fast asleep.

This was my moms last weekend in San Antonio so while we were there we helped her pack everything and move out. She's in the process of looking for another travel nursing position and will most likely be leaving Texas. We were fortunate enough to have her here for six months, long enough for me to feel like a have a little footing and can manage both boys now. She was a great help and support and although she only came about twice a month, it was nice to know if I needed her she could jump in the car and get here. We'll all miss her, her yippey dog, well we won't miss Molly as much.

While packing Carter found other ways to entertain himself. Where's Carter?

I thought the safest place for Owen during the moving process would be in the portocrib. That was until Carter pushed the suitcase over to it and used it as a stepping stool to climb in with Owen.

I hear this a lot, "That's one happy baby." Very true.

The drive home was long but we discovered having two kids in the car has its advantages. For the last hour and half in the car both boys were awake and played together in their car seats. Laughing and smiling and sharing whatever toys Carter would let Owen have. We had a really great weekend and it was nice to get out of Houston for once.

A little of our day.

Just thought we would share a little of our day with you. They are both playing with a strainer, I'm telling you the best toys around are the ones already in the pantry. Have I mentioned lately how good of a hugger Carter has become? He knows how to give a pretty awesome hug and loves his brother. If you listen closely you can hear Owen growling. It's his new baby talk. The way these two interact each day cracks me up and I can tell that they are on their way to becoming the best of friends.

Downward Facing Dog.

Owen is figuring out the world on his tummy and is now entertaining the idea of moving ahead. No longer is he content in one spot. He wants to go and move and reach. He's figured out how to get on his knees, get on his elbows, and sometimes both at the same time. But unfortunately he hasn't figure out how to do that and keep his head up. So in the meantime he has a pretty wicked downward facing dog Pilate's pose. That is, when the temptation of sucking his thumb doesn't get in the way. I love this kid.

Towards the end of the video if you listen you can hear Carter say "cheese" as he walks into the video. Here is his smile that followed his interuption. Atleast he's putting together the word cheese and smile. Cute huh?

New Floors.

This past weekend we pulled out the carpet and put in new wood floors. We decided to take out the carpet in hopes that it would help Carter's allergies and would contribute to getting rid of the dark purple circles he always seems to have under his eyes. At this point I'm willing to try everything.

This is Carter with his working gear on.

So Friday night Mike and I pulled up the carpet, pad, tack strips and Mike put down the plastic underlay. Look below, see I totally helped! At this point I was still a little nervous about our decision and if we would really be able to finish it on Saturday.

Mike decided to "tag" our living room before installation.

Saturday morning Scott came over to help lay the actual flooring. Mike and Scott are the "dream team" and were able to get so much done quickly. They were done with the flooring by 1, and then Mike and I installed the corderround and I painted the baseboards, a wall in the living room and touched up paint in the dining room. It was a very productive day. The only thing left to install are the transitions, but Mike made those and we have to stain them before he can lay those. We're really pleased with how they look. I just need to find a rug that I like that I can still throw in the washer.

So what do you think?

Living room before.

Living room after. I think it really makes both rooms look larger.

Dining room before.Dining room after. Now I feel like we can actually eat in here and not have to worry about spilling. Carpet in dining rooms seem so odd to me.

Now I'm still working on cleaning everything and getting rid of the dust this project created. It's really given me the extra push and urgency to start our spring cleaning.

self.

I was tagged by Lynette to take a self portrait. The rules are that once you're tagged, you must take your picture right then and there. No editing. No changing clothes. No adding makeup. That's right, we wanna see the real you.

So, with all embarrassment and shame put aside...this is me.

We went to the gym that morning and at the last minute decided to meet some other mommies at McDonalds for lunch. I came home took a quick shower and threw my hair back and ran out the door with the kiddos. Here I am after we got home, just put the kids down for naps and decided to check blogs while I waited for Owen to actually fall asleep. So, no cute hair do and no makeup. Just me, freckles and all. The cheesy grin tops it off. I do take pride in the fact that I actually showered and was smelling pretty. :) Good thing my husband loves me for who I am. :)

I tag, Marie H., Heather O., and Sarah K.

Bust out your cameras right now ladies. Let's see you!

Mini Giant.

Carter is unusually tall for an almost two year old and can reach everything. He's like the "mini-giant." Even when my cup full of water is on the center of the island, yup, he manages to reach it. Then pour it all over himself and the floor while trying to get a drink. He's soaking wet and so is half of my kitchen. Instead of getting mad, I was grateful my drink wasn't red and just laughed and took a picture to capture the adventure. You'll also notice he is wearing Mikes shoes. He is fascinated with shoes and we don't wear shoes in the house. So we've had to put a lock on the closet downstairs with the shoes, if not he'd have every pair out and on his feet. Since he was about a year he's loved them and has been able to pick out pairs that match. He's actually pretty good walking around in other peoples shoes, except my church heels still give him a hard time.

Owen loves the excersaucer. He has some competition with Carter, who now has decided it is more fun to sit on top of it rather than in it. Just after this picture it toppled over. Don't worry no one was hurt.Feeding solids. That alone is an adventure and so is cleaning up the aftermath. This week I've been working with Owen to learn how to sit. He's getting better, but still flops over after a short time. But we're making progress and he's constantly doing baby sit ups so I know he's ready. Carter is the funniest person Owen knows. Really, he watches him like a hawk and any attention Carter gives him he fills with laughter and the largest smiles. This can become a challenge when Carter is doing something he really shouldn't be. Like flinging his fork around during dinner, Owen giving him a reaction adds full to his fire. But other times it's fantastic, Owen cries, Carter runs to him and pats him on the tummy or back and talks to him. Owen laughs and no more crying. Now when we take pictures Carter wants to sit in Owens lap. They both had a good time with this one.Owen had a few rough days last week fighting the virus/cold that both Carter and I also had. The afternoon of this picture he was miserable and fighting sleep, so I wrapped him up and snuggled him while he cried and finally gave into sleep. My mom watched the boys on Saturday while Mike and I went to the temple. As she was feeding Owen before bedtime, Carter opened the pantry and took this little basket and filled it with fruit snacks and his cars. He then began waving goodbye and repeatedly told her "bye-bye" as he shut the pantry door and turned, walked out of the room and headed up the stairs. A month ago he would've tried to carry all of this in his hands and thrown a fit when he got up two stairs and began losing his stash. Now he uses baskets, empty wipe containers or tote bags to carry more things at once from the first to second floor.

You don't always have to leave the house for an adventure. The boys make sure that each day we do something new creating our very own daily Dille home adventures. I can't even remember what is was like before we had kids... sigh, I believe the house was a lot cleaner.

Easter.

Easter was pleasant this year. We went to church and had our gospel cups filled for the week. I listened to a really great lesson in Relief Society and gained a greater appreciation for my Savior and his sacrifice. If you have a chance, I highly recommend D&C 122: 5-9.This is the first time the boys have worn ties. It was a special holiday so everyone looked their best. The only way I could get Carter to pose for the camera was with all of his toys.
After church we had brunch, took naps and made a delicious dinner with ham, festive potatoes and green bean casserole. The boys got an Easter basket of goodies and so did Mike, so all of my boys are happy. We watched Bolt with Carter and I believe he loved it and actually sat through most of it. It was a good Easter.
Carter exploring his Easter goodies and Owens too.

Blue Bonnets.

One of things I love about Texas are the fields of Blue Bonnets. I also love that most families here indulge in the opportunity to take their children out into these fields and take pictures. It's almost like a right of passage for the spring. Since we moved here five years ago, I have looked on the walls of friends houses and envied their pictures of the blue bonnets with their babies. No longer will I envy those pictures because I now have my own with my little family and my babies. A big thank you to Marie for taking our pictures and for your beautiful family letting us tag along on your family tradition. We had a wonderful morning and loved every minute of the adventure, even with the crazy wind and cold. The flowers were beautiful and so was the Texas country side. Makes me want to move out of the suburbs so we can see more of this.

It was windy, cold and for the most part and Carter was a normal two year old. One minute happy the next minute melt down. The picture below is one of our outakes. I thought I would share it so you would feel like you were there with us. :) We love this stage too.

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