11 weeks

Another week down in the record books... This week, Owen slept for six straight hours in the night for the first time! Yay! He only did it the one night, but I am hoping that's a sign that he'll be a good sleeper and start making it through the night soon!

He continues to enjoy lying on his back and watching anything moving...his mobile, the toys dangling from his play tunnel, the ceiling fan, Mommy's hands...whatever. It gives me a nice break once in a while because he's usually content to do that for at least 15-20 minutes at a time. Cheap entertainment! Also, I've been trying to get him to mimic me when I stick my tongue out at him and he finally did it for the first time tonight. Another milestone (however minor) to celebrate!

I am now officially done nursing and pumping (I guess I have been for a couple weeks now, but forgot to mention it before), so O is on a 100% formula diet. He does just fine; I'm quite sure he never knew the difference. I, on the other hand, still wish nursing would have worked out better for me, but I've long since come to terms with that and am now grateful for being able to eliminate the stress of pumping several times a day from my life. I didn't even realize just how stressful it was until I quit doing it. I will just say that I am a much happier, and more relaxed mommy now!

O in his "cancer" shirt (his astrological sign), a gift from Amanda and Will . It says, "born romantic, loves to be thoughtful." Sweet! But the sign is a crab after all, so that must be why he's such a crab sometimes.

At Green Lake in Seattle with Daddy, Colby, and baby Chloey. She is about a month and a half older than O, but he's such a chunk, he looks so much bigger than her!

"I just love staring up at Mommy & Daddy's ceiling fan! Good times."

10 weeks

This past week we've struggled to get Owen back on some kind of schedule (not that he was ever really on one) after his surgery, but were up against an extra-fussy little attitude. He's finally starting to feel better, though, and we're fast realizing that the better he naps during the day, the better he sleeps at night. Getting him to nap during the day, however, often proves to be a challenge. The only surefire way is to take him somewhere in the car and he's sure to fall asleep...and then stay asleep for hours in his car seat! I've heard that it's not a good idea for babies to sleep strapped into their car seats for too long though, and it's not something I really wanted to get in the habit of anyway, but it does work. Now we just need to figure out how to get him to stay asleep for longer than 30 minutes in his crib during nap time. Hmmmmm.....

Daddy and Owen cheering on the Hawkeyes (despite Mommy's attempts to root for Iowa State).

How can you resist smiling at the pure glee expressed in this picture? This was taken while O was watching the mobile over his crib. I also have some video below.

Mommy trying out a new position in the Moby wrap. O did not like this one very well. We just need to practice some more.

Video of O watching (and smiling at) the mobile above his crib. Good times.

Meeting family, shots, and surgery!

It's been some kind of week! Actually, the past two weeks have been quite intense. Last week in a good (no, great!) way. O got to meet his aunties, Rachie and Jackie. (Oh, and Jeff and Todd, too.) We had so much fun while they were here and everyone was so helpful! I didn't even have to ask...Rachel and Jack just jumped right in and did it all; from feeding, diaper changes, bathing, holding, calming, etc. They were great! And they'll both make great mommies one day, I just know it! Rachel, perhaps, sooner than later...because she and Todd got engaged while they were here! (Finally!) Since it's their story, I'll let them share it, but what a fantastic surprise!!! Congratulations, you two!

This week, on the other hand, has been a whirlwind of a different sort. Owen had his 2-month check-up on Wednesday, at which time, he received his first round of vaccinations. He was a real trooper after the three needle sticks and just slept for the first few hours. But that evening, the poor little guy was inconsolable...screaming off and on for several hours. Fortunately, he was back to his happy, smiley self the very next morning.

However, during his appointment, the doctor identified a hernia (turned out to be two, actually), so we visited with a pediatric surgeon on Thursday. The only way to treat this type of hernia (bilateral inguinal hernia) is through surgery (gasp!) and the doc recommended doing it sooner than later because of a risk of serious complications. So, we ended up having the surgery scheduled for the very next morning (today). Although the doctor assured us that this was a relatively common and routine surgery, we were pretty freaked. We were mostly concerned with the risks associated with anesthesia in young babies. But, long story short - all is well that ends well. We arrived at the hospital at 6:30 this morning and were discharged by 5:00 p.m. O is recovering well and, other than being a bit fussy this evening, he is actually doing quite well.

Mommy and Daddy had a few worried moments (to say the least!), but discovered just how loved this little boy is by all the support, kind words, well wishes, and prayers of friends and family throughout the day. We are so blessed!!!

And now, the latest photos...

Thought this was a cute expression on his face.

Brothers. (Someday they'll be best buds, I'm just sure of it.)

Getting pretty good at those smiles!

If this is not the cutest darn picture you've ever seen, there must be something wrong with you! : )