Smiles

Finally! I got one of Owen's smile on camera!

Since I couldn't get Brennan to smile (out came the stoic face), I got him to show his teeth instead!

Joining the Ranks

It's official, as of yesterday. I'm joining the ranks of fellow stay-at-home moms. We made the decision just recently, after our affordable daycare option fell through. After exploring the other daycare options, we realized that it just didn't make financial sense for me to return to work. Daycare would have been most of my monthly salary, along with the other increased expenses that would have resulted from a return to work.

Thus, the writing appeared on the wall. I submitted my resignation yesterday morning with a mix of sadness and excitement. Sadness because it really had been a very good job for me (even if a little mundane) and I enjoyed the people that I worked with. Excitement because I was finally going to get to be home with my boys and get to participate with them in things that I had been missing out on while I was at work in the morning, things like playgroups, library story time, and women's ministry at church.

I know that the path we are choosing to have me home with the boys isn't the easiest path. There remain financial difficulties. There will be loneliness since I won't have the outlet of a job to satisfy daily adult interaction (with people other than my husband). There will be the normal trials and tribulations that come along with raising children. It will be days filled with running the home and running errands to help make it a bit easier on my hard-working husband. Days filled with Clifford and Sesame Street, books, Legos, playing outside, nursing Owen, changing diapers, and loving on our boys. Shaping our kids to be responsible, loving, caring human beings. What higher calling could there possibly be?

Morning Boy

Happy Father's Day!

But how quickly moods change...

On Our Nightstand, Part 8

Here's another installment of the books that we've read recently that we would recommend.

1. The Five Love Languages of Children, by Gary Chapman
2. Parenting with Love and Logic, by Foster Cline and Jim Fay
3. On Becoming Babywise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep, by Gary Ezzo
4. A Walk with Jane Austen: A Journey into Adventure, Love, and Faith, by Lori Smith
5. Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen
6. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, by Donald Miller
7. Be CentsAble: How to Cut Your Household Budget in Half, by Chrissy Pate
8. Green Goes with Everything, by Sloan Barnett
9. The Beginner's Bible, by Karen Henley
10. The Scarlet Thread, by Francine Rivers

Good Morning

Owen really enjoys mornings. Now that he is more awake, he definitely enjoys looking around and taking in the world around him. But mornings are his best times. And we are loving his first little smiles. It's hard to capture them on film, though. He's just like his big brother--the camera comes out and out comes the stoic face. Nonetheless, he is one happy, easygoing little boy!

Worth a Thousand Words

John took this photo a couple weeks ago and I finally decided it was time to post it.

Boy trying to give gentle kisses to baby brother...or Boy exhibiting cannibalistic tendencies?

Things to do with Blueberries

Since we have 3.5 pounds of blueberries just waiting to be eaten or otherwise consumed in some sort of tasty baked good, I started looking for some recipes other than just the obvious muffins or pancakes/waffles. I love the website allrecipes.com. One of their search functions allows you to search by ingredient. I was slightly surprised when the top two recipes that appeared were for alcoholic beverages: Lemon-Blueberry Martini and Vodka Blueberry Liqueur. Who knew? Alas, I think I'll stick with the safe Blueberry Coffee Cake and maybe save the Blueberry Vodka Martini for next year's blueberry harvest...

Blue Days

Our playgroup took an outing this morning to pick blueberries at Mt. Olympus Farm. Blueberries are one of Brennan's favorite fruits, as evidenced by the fact that he much preferred to pick and eat as opposed to putting them in the bucket to take home. Owen rode nicely in our Snuggli carrier and slept a good chunk of the time. We had a great time--I got to spend time with the other mom's, Brennan got to play with the other kids, we picked somewhere around 3.5 pounds of blueberries, and we enjoyed a nice picnic lunch with everyone in the shade to cool down (it's the hottest day of the week today--high temps in the 90's!). I think we're all going to head out there again next month to take advantage of picking our own blackberries!

It took some guidance to help Brennan figure out to pick only the berries that were blue instead of the ones that were green. Once he got that down, he couldn't seem to pick (and eat!) them fast enough!

The bounty. I'm thinking muffins, I'm thinking pancakes...Yum!

Six Weeks

Owen is six weeks old today--where has the time gone?!? His Zantac seems to be helping him out very well (hallelujah!) and his fussiness/crying is now at a more normal level instead of constant, all-day long cries. At his one-month check-up, we found out that he had an eye infection which we have since treated with drops and is completely cleared up. Poor little guy has had quite a few issues to contend with at such a young age!

It feels like we're finally starting to get to know this little guy, and we sure do love him a lot! Brennan loves his baby brother a ton. He really enjoys kissing him, holding him, trying to carry him, putting his pacifier in his mouth, and pointing and laughing at Owen when we change his diaper. Jealousy issues have been virtually non-existent, for which we are truly thankful! And because Owen is so portable at this stage, there hasn't been too much disruption for Brennan--we've been able to go out and do things that are special for him, like playgroup activities and library story time.

Tummy time was on the agenda for today and Owen really loved being on his blanket from Great-Grandma Winter and testing out those neck muscles. Other times we've done tummy time, he hasn't been a big fan, but today he really soaked it up. It's moments like these that make me want to stop time and really savor the moments with our kids.

Daddy Does Bathtime...

I was out feeding Owen one evening, so John took over bath duty again. Hopefully this will be the only mohawk either of my boys ever has!

Unswaddled

In those rare times when Owen sleeps unswaddled (he really loves his swaddle!), he does enjoy a little arm elevation!

Visit Recap

We enjoyed a week-long visit from my parents. It was a nice treat, especially since I hadn't seen them in over a year! Apart from just enjoying their company and watching them enjoy their grandsons, we were able to do some fun things around Richmond since my dad hadn't been out here before.

I know I already posted about Owen's dedication, but this picture captures Brennan's relaxation during the service. We tried to have him stand near us, but he much preferred to watch the event by lounging on the nearby stairs!

The fresh strawberries were fantastic! It's amazing how quickly 10 pounds of berries goes when five people are eating them!

Daddy and Owen bonding at the berry farm.

We took a day trip out toward the mountains one day. One stop we made was to visit Appomattox. This photo is of the McLean House, where the surrender was signed to end the Civil War.
We spent some time exploring Maymont Park and enjoying watching the bears.

This was the closest we've ever seen the bears! Normally they are up in a tree or laying on a rock toward the back of the enclosure. This time, they were hanging out right on the other side of the fence!

We sure do love this little guy!

The grandparents and the grandsons. Gotta love trying to get a two-year-old to sit still for a photo!

Berry Farm Fun

We took advantage of the Memorial Day holiday to pick some of the last strawberries of the season at the Chesterfield Berry Farm and enjoy the other activities at the farm. Boy, were those some good berries!

Sheep-boy!

This year, Brennan was very interested in helping pick the berries (and eat them!).

Owen got in the berry-picking action, too.

Brennan loved to point out things and ask "what's that?" as we went on our wagon ride.

Playing in the corn was loads of fun!

Brothers

Dedication

My parents are here for the week to visit us and meet Owen. Because of their visit, we decided we'd go ahead and have Owen dedicated at church this week. It was a special time to present him before our church family and recommit ourselves to each other and commit to raising Owen (and Brennan) in the ways of the Lord. It is our hope that both boys will come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior at a young age.

One Month Old

It's hard to believe Owen is already one month old! Already, it's difficult to remember what life was like before he entered our world (although we do remember is was much less noisy!). Brennan has proven to be a wonderful big brother. He loves to help carry Owen, give him kisses, give him his pacifier, and just plain be around his baby brother.

Sorry it's not a better photo...it's hard to get a picture of him where he's not screaming! Here's hoping the Zantac fully kicks in soon...

Gotta love those tiny feet!

Diagnosis

Since Owen's homecoming, we've had a few good days with him, but most of his days have been unending bouts of fussing, crying, and sometimes screaming. Naps have been hit and miss for him, and spit-up has definitely increased. We went in to the doctor this morning for his one-month check-up (a few days early) and the diagnosis confirmed what we already suspected--acid reflux. We left with a prescription for Zantac and a hope that this will help his little tummy to start feeling better, giving all of us some much needed relief!

Anniversary

Happy seven years!

Bathtime!

Owen got his very first big boy bath tonight. He treated the whole thing very calmly and barely made a peep--quite the contrast to Brennan's screaming the entire time during his first bath!

Daddy and His Boy

Meeting Friends

We had an impromptu visit from our friends, the Bredbenners, on Sunday afternoon. It's always good to see them, but this visit allowed us to introduce them to Owen and them to introduce us to their new baby, Julia, who is only a month older than Owen. Fun times!

Cookie Thief!

I turned my back for a minute to rinse out the mixing bowl, turned around, and discovered my little cookie thief with chocolate all over his hands and his face! Apparently, Brennan is tall enough to reach them on the cooling racks on the counter. So, it was off to the table to finish his snack.

Legal!

Owen is legal! We received his birth certificate and social security card in the mail this week. The best part...Virginia is his official birth place!

Pool Time!

My parents helped us acquire the sandbox shown a couple of posts back, but they also got us a little pool for the backyard to enjoy on hot days like today. We christened it this afternoon when the temps hit the high 80s. We filled it up late morning and let the sun warm the water in preparation for a 3 o'clock splash. And splash we did... Check out the pics and the video.

Visit from Grandma and Grandpa Downer

We enjoyed a nice visit from my parents last weekend. They came up to meet Owen, spend time with Brennan (and us) and attend my cousin's (their niece's) graduation from the University of Richmond. Here are a couple of pictures of them getting quality time with the grandkids.

Sand Play

Now that we have a yard to play in, we've been excited to start getting more outdoor toys for Brennan to play with. The newest addition is a sandbox, courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa Downer. It definitely makes outdoor time more fun!

Chalk Fun

I am entering my second week home with the boys while John is at work. It certainly hasn't been without it's challenges--and sleep deprivation makes everything seem much worse than it really is--but I really do love getting to be home with them. Owen has been a relatively easy baby thus far. He's settled into a routine pretty well and pretty quickly. Brennan does well with entertaining himself while I'm nursing Owen. He has unfortunately figured out that it's very difficult for me to discipline him while I'm thus occupied, so that's when he tends to have some "moments" where toys get thrown with a little more frequency than normal.

Now that I'm feeling better after giving birth, I'm ready to venture out and really enjoy my time with both of them. I successfully took both boys to Toys R Us yesterday to buy some sand for Brennan's new sandbox. Owen slept and Brennan did fantastic walking beside the cart with me. Today, we get to head to a doctor's appointment for another Owen weigh-in.

It is an adjustment for me to be home with them all day, since I'm used to only being with only Brennan in the afternoons. I'm definitely glad the weather is so nice so we can be outdoors! It certainly helps with entertaining Brennan for a while. Today's project was playing with sidewalk chalk. It didn't take long before the lure of sticks to collect outweighed the fun of decorating our driveway!

Happy Mother's Day!

Sticks

Brennan is fascinated by sticks. He loves to collect them whenever we are outside. A stick with a pine cone attached is an even better find!

Indoctrination

Let it begin! The hat's a little big, but he has all baseball season to cheer on the Twins!

One Week Old

We are slowly adapting to life with two boys. So far, it's not as chaotic as I was picturing it. Owen is a wonderful baby. He sleeps a lot (sometimes making it difficult to even wake him up in order to nurse him!) and does quite well at night. He has his fussy moments, but they are few and far between and usually only occur because he's ready for a nap.

Brennan seems to be adjusting well to being a big brother. He loves to give Owen kisses. He's also fascinated by Owen's hair. He points to it and then to his own hair. Maybe it's because Owen's hair is so different from his own (for the record, when I was born, I had a lot of really dark hair so that's where the dark-haired boy gets it). Brennan hasn't really shown signs of jealousy, just some behavior difficulties--but it's hard to tell if that's just Brennan being two or reacting to a new baby in the house.

For me, it's been an adjustment to remember life with an infant. Brennan seems like a giant compared to Owen! It's certainly different to have to be up at night again because I'm on-call for meals. We know Brennan and his personality, his likes and dislikes. We are just starting to get to know Owen, and it's difficult not to compare the two. It's a shift in thinking to remember that Owen is not a carbon-copy of his brother. He has his own distinct personality, likes, and dislikes. But, so far, it's been fun getting to know this little guy!

Getting ready for a nap

Gentle kisses

Rare

It's a rare moment when our little sleepyhead stays awake for longer than just a few minutes. We had to capture the moment on film!

Going Home

Owen and I were discharged from the hospital on Friday after a two-day stay. Owen's birth was far less eventful than Brennan's was, which we were definitely thankful for! Even though our stay at the hospital was pleasant, I was definitely ready to be home. There's just something about being able to sleep in your own bed and recover in your own home as opposed to a sterile hospital room!

First ride in his car seat!

After a quick tour of his new home and room, Owen quickly succumbed to his favorite activity--sleep.