10 Months

Owen is 10 months old! And now that he can move...this was by far our most difficult photo shoot! Highlights of this month include moving to Portland, learning to drink out of a sippy cup (although he prefers to play with it rather than drink from it), reaching his arms up when he wants to be picked up (so sweet!), and of course...crawling! Owen moves fast and we have to stay on our toes to keep up. Not long after crawling, he started pulling himself up onto his knees. With these abilities, a new world has opened for him, and we love watching him explore and discover his new skills. Owen's favorite toy of the month (and if you read past posts, it really does change monthly!) is a Glo-Worm who's face lights up and music plays. Owen also enjoys his basketball hoop, his Dinosaur book (thanks, Grandma Pam!), and the soccer ball is still a favorite. Owen also loves to take off his socks (he's fast!) and putting everything in his mouth. He has many new facial expressions and sounds - and is showing a terrific sense of humor. We are grateful for another wonderful month with our sweet Owen.

Owen's silly new "O" face - a look of surprise. He now follows this look with a smile, because he knows we'll be smiling or laughing.

Yes...I can crawl off this chair...just watch me!

Fine, if you won't let me crawl off the chair, I'll just take my socks off instead.

Oh yeah....mom's holding the Glo-Worm!

That silly Glo-Worm! Now let me have it :)

Crawling

Owen is on the move! He started crawling last week and is getting better & faster by the day. Time to baby-proof! He has already headed for the computer cables (yikes!) and the stand of DVDs. It is so fun to see him get around on his own. And we realize this is only the beginning!

Here is a video of Owen crawling toward his basketball toy (click the "play" arrow below the image). Classic Owen, and probably most 9 month olds, once he reaches the toy - the ball goes straight in his mouth! When he's sitting up he does actually put the ball in the hoop, though. A skill that makes his dad very proud :)

9 Months

Owen is already 9 months old! We love seeing his personality and abilities grow every day. He is such a joy! Owen has a great giggle and wonderful sense of humor. He loves to smile, "talk" and make silly sounds. Currently, his favorite toys include a Winnie the Pooh honey pot given to him by his grandpa Jim, a stuffed soccer ball from grandma Pam, a singing Glow-Worm, a little stuffed turtle with a mirror on it's tummy, and his books (although currently he prefers to eat his books rather than read them). Owen still primarily gets around by rolling, but he easily gets into a sitting position, and up on "all-fours" rocking back-and-forth...on the verge of crawling. Owen eats well in his high-chair, and has learned to feed himself little cheerio-like puffs. He still occasionally protests the bottle (a flashback to earlier days when he refused the bottle entirely...ugh!) so we've started working on drinking from a cup so that he can learn new ways to get the fluids he needs. Owen loves to look at our kitties (watch out kitties, as soon as Owen can crawl he'll be after you!), and we recently have been going to a local Gymboree play center on a 2-week free pass. He loves "Gymbo" their clown mascot, and Safta (Grandma Julie) bought him a Gymbo puppet for fun at home! We love you Owen, and look forward to seeing all the new ways you will learn and grow during this next month!

January Highlights

It's been nearly 4 weeks since our last post - we apologize! January was a huge month of transition, and time got away from us. For those who don't know yet, we've moved back to Portland! Brian was offered a terrific job opportunity, and that - coupled with the fact that our parents (aka grandparents!) are all in Portland - led to the decision that it was time for a move. It's been bittersweet, as we loved our home and life in Seattle. But thankfully, Seattle is still just a short drive away, and we look forward to future (and frequent!) visits. Linnea is blessed to have the opportunity to be home more with Owen, and meanwhile continue working with her same company remotely. Leading up to this transition Brian was home with Owen for the month of January. He spent the month planning and packing for our move - no small feat! Here are a few photo highlights from the past several weeks. And now that we are more settled in Portland, we hope to be back-on-track with frequent postings!

Owen, enjoying all sorts of "guy-time" at home with dad!

Out to lunch with Blake & Angie.

Owen sat snuggled between Blake & Brian. He can barely see over the table. So cute!

Opening a belated Christmas gift from Blake & Angie. A darling bear from "Build-a-Bear", and I wish we had a photo of the front of the shirt...it says "I Love My Cousin"!

Congratulations Blake & Angie on the wonderful news of a baby on-the-way! We are so excited for you...and for all of us! We can hardly wait to be an Uncle, Aunt & Cousin. We love him/her already, and are praying for a healthy pregnancy, delivery, and all of God's very best for his/her little life!

First photo in our new apartment in Portland. Just taking it all in!

(we're in a short-term apartment lease while we house hunt)

A visit from Safta

Happy Birthday great-grandma Marion!

Welcome home uncle Brent! I missed you!

(Brent has been on a cross-country road trip with two friends for over 4 months)

Feeling like such a big-boy in my new highchair!

Seeing dad off to work during his first week at his new job. We are proud of you, Brian!

(so funny...Owen's smile is now often a "grin". I love it!)

Diana

When Linnea went back to work after Owen was born, we were fortunate to have family members come and help us with Owen for the first month or two. In the meantime, we were looking for more permanent childcare options. We found wonderful Diana, a nanny with lots of experience and love to provide, and made arrangements to have her work with us until December. She would be starting with another family in December, and we count it a blessing that Owen was able to spend his days with her throughout the fall. Diana is kind, gentle, fun, loving, and a Christian - which was an extra special blessing for us! She quickly became an extension of our family. We had no doubt that Owen was getting the very best care during the day, and it was obvious how much he loved and enjoyed his time with Diana. Diana...thank you for a wonderful season! You will always be a very special person in our lives!

8 Months

Owen is already 8 months old, and the biggest update of this last month has been...teeth! Owen broke 4 teeth on the top in the last month. Three of which came through at the very same time, which actually landed us in the emergency room when he very uncharacteristically inconsolable for about 3+ hours one evening. Being that it was the night following the return from our trip to Hawaii, we were concerned it could have been his ears (from the flight, perhaps?) but while at the hospital, the nurse commented on the 3 teeth that just came through. What teeth?! There were no teeth earlier that afternoon! Ah...no wonder he was hurting. Poor baby! In addition to the new teeth, 8 months has Owen sitting very well on his own (how fun to sit him on a blanket with some toys, and watch him play!), loving the sound of his own voice (his newest sound is a growl - usually out of excitement. So funny!), splashing in the bathtub, and waving goodbye. We know crawling is just around the corner...but no rush. :) We love watching Owen discover the world and look forward to another fun month!

Owen's First Christmas

Merry Christmas 2009!

(click to enlarge)