Mothers Day Weekend

Dear Owen,
Last weekend we went to Chicago to surprise Grandma for Mothers Day. It. was. awesome. She was totally shocked and I have the video to prove it. On Friday morning, your Daddy took us to the airport and we headed up north. Lucky for us, my friend Ginny and her Mom were on the plane with us to Philadelphia! All of us had to change planes there, so it worked out great. They were such a huge help since you travel with a lot of gear and it's hard for one person to navigate. Your Great Aunt Diane picked us up from the airport and we headed home. My original idea was to leave you in a basket on your Grandma's doorstep, ring the bell, and run away. But we decided to surprise her half way on her walk to Aunt Diane's house for dinner. See below:



After she got over the initial shock, we had a blast spending weekend together. You had your first haircut, opened Mothers Day presents with Grandma, and were generally spoiled rotten for almost a week. Here are a few snapshots from the weekend.

Post Haircut:

Some of us are really happy, Some are not:

Beefcake:

Laying around:Helping open cards:

Hopefully we can make this an annual tradition for Mothers Day Weekend. I love you!

Mom

Seven Months Old

Dear Owen,
Today you are seven months old. As I type, you are taking a nap at your Grandma Lumsden house. We came to Chicago to celebrate Mother's day together. Yet again, I can't believe that another month has flown by. This month has been all about movement. You are rolling, flipping, moving, and shaking. You can now flip from front to back and side to side without any problems and we frequently find you in interesting positions in the morning. This month also brought you two teeth. You have been drooling for quite sometime now and we were constantly checking for teeth. Now you have two. You also had your first haircut yesterday. Grandma Lumsden trimmed up the hair around your ears and the back. You sat very still and we have lots of photos. It's hard to believe that you already needed a trim since you still can't even really sit up very well! You are learning and discovery all sorts of new things on a daily basis. You are so much more alert and observant. Your personality is developing and you are being such a big boy now. I can't wait to see what next month brings.
I love you,
Mom

First Tooth

Dear Owen,
Your first tooth has been spotted! It has started to pop through the center of your lower gum. For the past say, two months or so, you have been drooling like crazy. Every time you acted fussy, we would immediately check your gums for teeth. But nothing was going on. No bumps, no tenderness, no white spots, nothing. Lots of folks have given us all kinds of advice about teething and how to handle it, so we were anxious to see one breaking through. Yesterday, I was messing around tickling you and when you threw back your head in laughter, I saw a flash of white under your gums. After a slight protest, I finally got you to move your tongue to verify the existence of the tooth. It was so exciting. Hopefully we can get a picture of your new toothy grin! How quickly you are growing up. Sigh.
Love,
Mom

Flip-Flop

Dear Owen,
You have started moving around in the crib. Last week, I checked on you during nap time. I swore I put your head facing your door way. But when I peeked in, you were facing the windows. I told myself that surely you weren't capable of flipping yourself around since you don't seem that interested in rolling over or crawling yet. Yet on Thursday, I came into your room to find this:

Proof positive that times have changed. This morning your Daddy and I noticed that you were fussing and carrying more than usual after we laid you down for a nap. I opened your door to find you on your stomach and staring at me like "Hello, you are supposed to be my people that help me when I can't turned over again" You actually flipped back to front on your own. Once you got there you weren't sure how to get back, so you decided to cry until we rescued you. It was too funny. Part of me can't wait for you to become mobile, but it all seems like it's going way too fast! Where did my baby go?
Love,
Mom

Six Month Checkup

Dear Owen,
Today was your six month checkup with Doctor Davis. He was pleased as punch with your development and over all health. Your weight is a whooping 17lbs 11oz. Your length is now 25.75 inches which moves you up to the 25th percentile. You have grown over four inches since the last time we visited him. No wonder we are moving through your clothes with the speed of light! I am sure that no one will be shocked to learn that your head is the 70th percentile. You have one big noggin my son. Doctor Davis gave us the green light to start introducing some more solid foods. He wants you to start eating them twice a day and slowly begin phasing out the bottle. He also told us that we should begin to introduce the sippy cup once you are fully confident in sitting up by yourself. I think we will begin to see a lot of changes in your "movement" in the next few months. You have started to reach for objects set in front of you and can almost sit up on your own. You kind of "swim" when you are on your tummy and yesterday you turned yourself around in your crib. I was kind of shocked when I came in and found you on your laying on your side facing the other direction. You also had three shots and a oral vaccine today. I thought you would be very upset about, but you didn't even shed a tear. I think it was just more of a shock than anything. All in all, things couldn't be better and you won't have shots when we go back for your nine month checkup.
I love you,
Mom

Discovery

Owen,
You've discovered your feet. It's a brand new world.
Mom

Six Months Old

Dear Owen,
Today you are six months old. You are growing up so fast, I swear I feel like you were born just a couple weeks ago. You are a sweet boy who continues to be such a little joy. You are so silly, so fun, and so happy. Your Daddy and I are incredibly blessed and lucky to have such good natured kid. We started you on some solid foods this past month with good results. Some foods are better than others, but for the most part you gobble up whatever we give you without complaint. Lately, you have been going through an "I want to do it myself" phase. You want to tell us when you are hungry or tired, try to hold your spoon, and hold all your own toys. You have even been- are you ready for this?- putting yourself to bed. One day, you just up and decided that you would squirm around and rub your eyes when you were ready for nap or bedtime. It took me a few times to figure it out. I just thought you were fussy, but then it occurred to me that wanted to be put in your crib and left alone. You are asleep within minutes. Sure, it's easier and takes a lot less time to put you down, which is great. And you are getting more and more independent, which is fantastic. But I have to admit I am a bit heartsick that you are starting to need your Mommy less and less (sniff, sniff!). What a big boy I have!
I love you son,
Mommy

My Action Pants Must Be In The Laundry

Dear Owen,
I am completely frozen in my tracks here. I have no idea how to surmount the overwhelming task that lies before me. So far, staying at home is proving to be a challenging job that I am so incredibly grateful to have.
My-To-Do-List:
Clean entire house top to bottom. Not just dust, swiffer, & tidy up, I mean clean things that have been severely neglected say.....the past year or so.
Laundry.
Prepare, package, and store your baby food.
Decide on short hair cut and make appointment. You are almost six months old (aka you love to pull my hair), summer is just around the corner, and I don't have time to fix my hair.
Figure out how to grocery shop/Costco with you in a shopping cart all by myself.
Write over-due Baptism thank you notes.
Laundry.
Drop summer school classes and register for the CNA course.
Send out April cards.
Laundry.
Try to get you adjusted to some sort of regular nap/meal schedule.
Paint the register in the living room.
Clean out closets.
Separate all items from said closets into: trash, Goodwill, or Craiglist.
Attend Bugs class, story time @ the Library, Mommy & Me, and play-dates.
Organize shelving units in the laundry room.
Clean out blue dresser.
Look for part time job.
Laundry.
Oh yeah....and look after you....which is the happiest part of my day! All I can do is kiss you and stare at you. I have so much to do I literally cannot even figure out how to begin. So I keep staring. Doing nothing. Any ideas on how to get started? And how it get it done efficiently? Any tips/suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated.
Love,
Mom

Home Sweet Home

Dear Owen,
I am sorry that it's been a while since my last letter, but in the past few weeks there has been a lot discussion and decision making going on in the Beale household. I am happy to tell you that as of April 1st, I will officially be a stay-at-home Mommy! I have been struggling with balancing motherhood and work since I went back to work. It has always been our dream that I would be able to stay home with you. A few days before your baptism, my manager called me into her office for a chat. The company I work for is suffering in this current economic state. In today's world, lots of people are losing their jobs and struggling to make ends meet. I wasn't shocked to learn that my weekly hours were going to be reduced from 40 to 30. This cut back still allows my company to keep it's employees while attempting to reduce cost. I can't say that I was surprised, but it was still a very sad day. This meeting proved to be the ultimatum we needed to make the decision for me to stay at home. After lots (LOTS) of discussion with your Daddy and other family/friends, we decided it was not in our family's best interest for me to continue working. With the majority of my salary going to childcare expenses, would it really be worth it? After much deliberation and consideration, we decided no. I am excited yet nervous. I have always been on the go and a very active person. I worry I will miss the adult interaction I have on a daily basis. It will be a change to have more solo time dedicated to you and the housework that is usually neglected. If everything works out, I am hoping and praying that your Daddy and I will soon be able to give you a sibling without having to worry about paying twice as much for childcare. I know this is the right decision for our family. While I am not entirely sure of the logistics of the finances, we are willing to take this leap of faith. I am confident that we won't regret this decision. Life as we know it about to change forever and I can't wait to start enjoying every day with you.
I love you,
Mom

Baptism

Dear Owen,
This past weekend you were baptised at our church. We had a wonderful weekend celebration with lots of family and friends. On Friday, your Grandma Lumsden arrived in the morning. She hasn't seen you since the New Year and she couldn't wait to give you a million kisses. We picked her up at the airport and headed home. You needed something to eat and get a quick nap. Your Uncle Ross and Aunt Amber were the next to arrive. When they got here, we scooted out to get some lunch and get everyone all checked into the hotel. We had to be back at home before 3 PM because Pastor V was coming over to meet with us to discuss the service. I am sure she was quite shocked when she meet the whole family and we all started talking at once. It was really funny because you were the one who talked the entire time she was here! You have started this growling/shouting thing and you were not shy about sharing it with all of us. After Pastor V explained the service, we hung around the house for a bit. Then we grabbed a quick dinner because everyone was tired from the early morning and traveling. Saturday was spent running errands and getting everything ready for Sunday. The weather was down right uncooperative this weekend, so we were home inside as much as possible. Aunt Kristi arrived from Washington DC that afternoon and stayed at your Grandma & Grandpa Beale's house. Sunday was the big day. I don't have any pictures from the church yet, but I will post them as soon as I can. You did a great job during the ceremony, even closing your hands in prayer while Pastor V held you. I was so proud of you and overcome with joy. It was an emotional day for all of us. Everyone at church was so excited and you could feel the love that our friends at GPPC have for us. I feel so grateful that you will be growing up with such a strong community of faith. After the service, all the family and my circle girls came back to our house where everyone crowded into our tiny living room. You had a total meltdown and were all out of sorts the rest of the day. I hated that you had to miss most of the fun afternoon, but it was really hard to settle you back down. All your naps/feedings were off and it took a toll on you. Even Monday was not easy because the weekend festivities threw us all off schedule. Sunday afternoon, your Uncle Ross & Aunt Amber drove home and yesterday your Grandma went back to Chicago. It's incredibly sad when they leave and we haven't even scheduled our next visit! They couldn't get over how much you had changed and what a grown up baby boy you are now. I hope that you don't have to wait too much longer to see them again. We are so blessed to have such great family and friends. I know that you will grow to love Guilford Park as much as we do.

Love, Mom

Five Months Old

Dear Owen,
Today you are five months old. I am sure I sound like a broken record (or in your case IPOD), but I seriously cannot believe how quickly you are growing up. You are literally changing overnight and learning new skills all the time. You have done an amazing amount of motor skill development over the past month. It was like you woke up one morning and said "I know I look like the cutest baby ever and now I'm gonna start acting like one!" So far, the best thing is hearing your laughter. It began slowly and was sort of disguised as other baby babble until you got the hang of it. But once you started laughing, there was no stopping you. We have also noticed that you are ticklish, which leads to even more wiggles and giggles! Your laughter is the sweetest sound. I love seeing you smile, laugh, and knowing that you are happy. You are also grabbing things and trying to put them in your mouth. Your hands seem to be in your mouth the majority of the day and you have become quite the drool-monster. Speaking of your mouth, you have also experienced a variety of solid foods recently. Your favorite is applesauce. You love, love, love some applesauce! This weekend you will be baptised into our church family. Grandma, Uncle Ross, Aunt Amber, The Beale Family, and lots of our friends are going to be there to celebrate with us. I know you will be able to feel the love that will surround you on Sunday as we celebrate another milestone in your life.
I love you son,
Mom

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Dear Owen,

You have started to giggle. Which in turn makes your Daddy and I laugh. Most of the time your laughter starts when we throw you in the air and catch you. But sometimes we hear it when we are playing or tickling your tummy. I took this little video last night when your Daddy was rough housing with you. Your laughter is music to my ears. I hope that you will have a good sense humor and that laughter will play a big role in your life. I love being able to hear that you are happy and enjoying yourself. So laugh loudly my son, because laughter truly is the best medicine.

Love, Mom

First Snow

Dear Owen,
Last night the snow fell on Greensboro! Before your Daddy and I went to sleep the flakes were steadily coming down and we woke up this morning to about 5 inches of snow. I think that's the most snow I seen since I moved here. Unfortunately, I was on a delayed start today at work, but your Daddy stayed home to take you out in your first snow. Good thing you had your snowsuit from Chicago! Apparently, you are not a huge fan of snow and your Daddy told me that things would have been a lot easier if I had been able to help him out. Daddy did manage to snap a couple of shots before you headed back inside to get warm. Hopefully next time we get a snow like this you will be a little older and able run around in it.

Daddy & Owen

Snow Angel

Protesting the Cold

Happy first snow day son! I love you,

Mom

What a Difference a Year Makes

Dear Owen,

One year ago today your Daddy and I found out we were expecting you. This morning, I looked back at my old posts from this time last year. It seems like just yesterday and yet so long ago at the same time. I was reminded of how incredibly blessed I am. I have the baby of my dreams and and I am loving every second of motherhood. Every. Single. Second. Yes, even the trying moments! This time last year, I remember feeling full of worry, anxiety, and nerves. I remember some dark times while trying to get pregnant. I also remember feeling cautiously hopeful. I never imagined my life would turn out this blissful.

_

This time next year, I will be the mother of a little boy who is one year and four months old. You might be walking and starting to talk. My birthday is at the beginning of December. I will turn 35 years old. For the past few years, I was always a bit sad on my birthday. My birthday reminded me that was getting older and I wasn't living the life I wanted. Or rather part of the life I wanted. I felt like I was failing. This year will be different. This year I am completely happy, content, and fulfilled. This year, I will wake up on my birthday looking at your sweet face and feel like the luckiest person in the world. I always wished for a baby when I blew out the candles on my birthday cake. My wish came true and I am finally a mother. I love you son!

Five Things I Thought I Knew

Dear Owen,
1. I knew motherhood would be hard.
I never labored under the preconception that motherhood would be a piece of cake. The constant diaper changes, the late night feedings, the crying, the exhaustion, and the mess-this is what I thought the real exertion would consist of. As it turns out, that stuff is easy. I could do those things with my eyes shut. The real challenge of parenting are the aspects that just can't be controlled: the vaccines, the unbearable longing for your Grandma, your first cold, the heartache of leaving you when I go to work each day, or watching tears stream down your sweet face and having no idea how to help you. That is the hard stuff. I can't imagine how I will deal with the first time you have your feelings hurt, the first time you work really hard at something only to fail, or the first time you have your heart broken.
2. I knew having a baby would be fun.
What I didn't account for was the joy. It sounds corny, but there is just so much joy surrounding parenthood and I never really expected that. You keep us giggling all day long, you are such a silly-pants, and I have the best time taking care of you. Your Daddy feels the same way. I go to bed at night so excited to wake up and spend another day being your mommy. Every day is an adventure and I laugh. A lot.
3. I knew once I had a baby, everything would be perfect.
You are perfect, that's for sure. But having a baby certainly does not right the world's wrongs by any means. I was guilty of romanticizing having a baby, assuming it would make my life perfect and everything would be roses. But unfortunately there are still arguments, bills to pay, and sky-high piles of dirty laundry. Having a baby does not make a marriage, but it certainly has brought your Daddy and I closer together. Having you did not "fix" my life, but it has definitely made me feel complete. No, everything is not perfect, but I am, possibly for first time in my life, completely and utterly content.
4. I knew I would follow all the rules.
Turns out rules are meant to be broken, especially in the world of parenting. "They" say lots of things, but all babies are different. What's best for one kid might not be for another. You can read a hundred different parenting books and come back with fifty pieces of conflicting advice. They don't call it Mother's intuition for nothing and it really comes in handy. In my experience, I have found that if it feels right, then it is right (or vice versa), despite what "they" say. I have found the confidence to rely on my own gut instincts in my four months of being a mom. No one knows you better than me.
5. I knew I would love you.
I just didn't expect to love you THIS much. This kind of love is totally and completely different than anything I have ever experienced. It's the kind you live and die for. I wish I had the words to describe, with eloquence, this feeling. It's too vast to try to explain. All I can say is this: you are without a doubt the greatest love of my life.
I love you son,
Mom

Four Month Checkup

Dear Owen,
On Friday we went to see Doctor Davis for your four month checkup. It was a great appointment and you rolled over for the first time while we were there! Your stats from the checkup are: height 23.5 inches (5th percentile), weight 14lbs 4 oz (30th percentile), and head circumference 42 inches (50th percentile). You are still growing outwards rather than upwards, but Doctor Davis doesn't seem too concerned about it. You are getting taller at the same rate at all your checkups and will probably hit a growth spurt soon to even things out. Everything else checked out really well and Doctor D put you on the table to see how strong you are. He asked us if you had rolled over yet and just as we were saying "Not yet", you flipped over! We were so proud of you. You also had your four month shots. Of course, I couldn't watch but you didn't cry for long, so I told myself that it wasn't that bad. Doctor Davis gave us the all clear to start experimenting with some solid foods. We need to start slowly introducing one food at time and see how it goes. Yesterday you had your first taste of bananas. So far so good! I am sure mealtimes and diapers are going to get much more interesting in the Beale household.
I love you son,
Mom

Four Months Old

Dear Owen,
Today you are four months old. Wow. I can't believe how quickly the first few months of your life have passed by and how you are growing into such a little boy right before my eyes. You are no longer the baby who just eats and sleeps all the time. You are so much more than that and your personality is developing more every day. First of all, you are nearly three times as big as when you were born. That's a lot of chubby cheeks and chunky thighs! You will get your official four month weight on Friday at your checkup, but my guess is around fifteen pounds. You've come a long way since I was so worried about waking you up to eat your two Oz every two hours. Speaking of eating, you are a champ. You take after your Mama and Daddy. You recently tried rice cereal and maybe venturing onto other solid foods in the near future. I see great messy mealtimes ahead of us!
You have also become quite the active baby. In addition to smiling, you play peep-a-boo, move your arms and legs, grab things, always have your hands in your mouth, and tell all sorts of stories. The morning seems to be your favorite time of day. Almost every morning, your Daddy or I are greeted with big smiles and lots of wiggling around. You are definitely more aware of your surroundings now and watch us closely when we aren't paying attention to you. You have also mastered the art of the pout and it's ALMOST too cute to resist sometimes! Even though you are changing a lot at a rapid pace, I want you to know how much I have enjoyed this past month. It is so exciting to watch you learn new things and develop into the person that you are. I am already so proud of you!
I love you so much son,
Mom

Rice Cereal

Dear O,
A few days ago you had your first taste of rice cereal. So far, we have only tried it a couple of times and you like it! There is a big debate in the parenting community about when to introduce solid foods and people feel very strongly about it. Our pediatrician recommended starting with some rice cereal about four months and see how it progresses from there. We aren't really in any hurry to push it on you, but you actually seem to be hungry for it. You already eat 4 bottles of 8oz a day and always want more! So your Daddy and I decided you might be ready for a little experimentation in the food department. I really have mixed feelings about the whole thing. On one hand, I am excited for you to to try new things and to begin to learn how to eat. But on the other hand, you are growing up way too quickly and I want my little boy to stay a baby. I guess that will be my dilemma for the rest of my life!
I love you son,
Mom

Stencil

Dear Owen,
This past weekend, I finally got around to a project that I have wanted to do since the fourth month of my pregnancy. And even though it's almost the fourth month of your life, I was determined to finish it. The message is very simple and profound. Hopefully someday you will be able to understand it's true meaning. We want to raise you with courage, conviction, and compassion for others. To do what's right. With all your might. I love you.

Love,

Mom

Remember Me?

Dear Owen,
Sweet fancy Moses, what a gawd-awful blogger I've been. The holidays and New Year were a whirlwind both in the lead up and the wind down. I've kept meaning to sit down to write you a letter for what seems like ages, but I just never found the time. I don't even have a good excuse. I have been reading other blogs and on Facebook, so I do feel somewhat up-to-date with what's going on out there in the blogosphere.
On the home front, our routine is pretty much solidified now. Solidified into basically not being much of a routine at all. We've got the whole bedtime thing down pat - 6:00 PM bath time, 6:30 feeding PM, and 7:00 PM tucked into bed. At that point, you are out for the night. But daytime is another story. We (Mommy, Daddy, and Nanny Aimee) try to get you down for naps, really we do. But you just don't nap well or consistently. Some days you'll get maybe two hours in. Other days (most days) you get twenty minutes here and there, but nothing substantial to speak of. I can't really complain though. You sleep about twelve hours almost every night of the week. We're very, VERY lucky . I guess it's my fault that you're not a great napper. I am desperate to get into a routine. We're always filling our days in different ways so you never seem to have the same day twice. Some days I stay home all day, some days we are out running errands, visiting friends, or have family things going on. I think all that variation really confuses your little "internal clock" so you just kinda ended up napping when you nap. If you nap at all. So I am turning this problem over to my experienced fellow mama bloggers out there. Any sage napping wisdom or daytime routine advice for us?
I love you,
Mom