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!

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Hawaii

We just returned from an amazing family vacation to Maui, Hawaii...just the three of us! We feel so blessed to be able to have this special week away together, just in time for the holidays!

At the airport, getting ready to board our flight.

(I'll always remember this moment!...I said "Owen, Smile!" and he turned to look at me, propped his arm on Brian's shoulder, and smiled! Coincidence?...maybe! But he responded as if he understood, and it was precious!)

Reading books, one of our many attempts to keep Owen happy during the 6 hour flight. Yikes! He did remarkably well, not really fussing at all, and sleeping for about an hour two different times.

We've arrived! And with enough lugage that it appeared as if we were moving to Maui. :) What's amazing is that Brian & I shared one suitcase (and a laptop bag) and the rest of the luggage is Owen's. Toys, clothes, food, stroller, carseat...incredible what it takes to travel with a baby!


Yay! We are in the hotel room and Owen is thrilled to streatch out and roll around for the first time all day. Let the vacation begin!


View from our hotel room balcony. We spent many hours each day enjoying this balcony as Owen took his naps.

Hawaii was Owen's first experience at a beach...not a bad way to start!

...and as you can see by his smile, he loved it!

Owen enjoying a bottle on the beach...or a "picnic" as we like to say!

And of course there was plenty of pool time!

one of Owen's favorite pool activities

watching in amazement as other kids run, splash, & play

And some of our favorite moments...cozy towel snuggles after fun at the beach or pool!

Throughout the week, we enjoyed:

wonderful walks each day...

...dinners at fun beachside restaurants...

...stunning sunsets...

...and cozy bedtime moments.

Hard to say goodbye! But it was a wonderful week, and we have holidays with family to look forward to upon our return.

Mele Kalikimaka!

(Hawaiian for "Merry Christmas")

7 Months

7 months old and on the move! Well....sort of, anyway! Owen isn't crawling yet, but he "rolls with purpose" as we like to say. He does a great job pushing up on his arms, pivoting toward something he wants, and then rolling to get there. It is so amazing to see his mind working as he as he maneuvers his way toward a particular toy. Great 'problem solving' skills being developed! He has 2 teeth on the bottom, and one about to break through on the top. Owen is enjoying the sound of his own voice - and participates in our conversations with all sorts of squeals and shouts. He is doing great with solid food....tolerating the cereal and enjoying fruits & veggies. His favorite toy remains to be "Mr. Monkey" (who you can spot in previous blog postings) and his favorite activities include jumping in his “jumparoo” and giggling in a mirror. Owen is very good natured - with a contagious smile, great facial expressions, and a wonderful laugh. He is such a blessing and gift...bringing us so much joy! We love him to pieces!

Thanksgiving

During this season of Thanksgiving we cannot help but reflect on our gratitude for all of God's goodness and faithfulness. And one of his greatest gifts is family! We enjoyed a wonderful weekend in Portland - full of special times and delicious eating :) We hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday as well!

Family Time

The month of October brought many opportunities to spend some wonderful time with family. Along with our earlier posts which were dedicated to some of these special events, we wanted to share a collage of photos from these additional family times. We are so blessed to be surrounded by such a wonderful and loving family.

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