7 month photos

 Here is my growing boy...

This is not our BEST photo to date, 

but as you scroll down you will see what I was working with. 

His foot is just so much MORE entertaining than his mommy 

attempting to take pictured of him. 

Yum.Yum.

Look how I have grown...

Video Update...We are Home!

7 months old!

Owen,
You are 7 months old today. I will say one thing right away, you NEVER cease to amaze me. Things are not always easy for you, but you continue to smile and love just as much through the rough times. This says so much for your extraordinary character. You may be small, but your personality is larger-than-life!
Here are some things about 7-month-old you:
- You smile all of the time, but when you frown I cant believe how serious you look.
- You have your two bottom teeth! (they are about half way in)
- You roll easily from your belly to back. On the "flip side" however, you refuse. (probably because you despise tummy time)
- You eat a vast array of solid foods but bananas are your favorite.
- You love to JUMP! Jump in your Jumperoo, jump in my arms, jump on your own while we hold your hands. JUMP, JUMP, JUMP!
- You sleep with your blankie up over your face. ( I have come to terms with this, although I am still not crazy about your risky sleeping style)
- You wake only once a night to eat. (that is when you are not sick, don't get me started!)
- You enjoy watching Elmo. When you were in the hospital and would start fussing, we could put the Elmo duck song on and you were happy as could be. Although the rest of us could sing it in our sleep.
- And of course, speaking of hospital, you were (are) in the hospital for a little virus known as RSV. Baby, this thing laid you out for a few days. You fought your way out to the other side and you are on the mend. Praise the good Lord. (8 days and counting at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, my friend)
Weight: 14.75 pounds (unfortunately you lost some with the virus)
Length: approx. 25 3/4 inches
My baby boy, with all of our struggles, we remain so happy in our blessed little family. That is what we are, blessed beyond measure.
"Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed." -Deuteronomy 28:6
I love you Owen. Thank you for being the light and joy in our lives each day.
Love,
Your Mommy


























These are not our traditional monthly photos (which I will post at a later date), but we are living in the moment. The moment being room 8416 at VCH. >

Things are looking up!

Owen is off of his IV and they have turned down his oxygen to the lowest setting. He is still receiving breathing treatments but he sounds a lot better than
he did. We can't wait to go home!

RSV, go away!

Well here we are again. In the hospital with the little guy. To be honest, with his condition, there is no place I would rather be. Most of you know, but Owen has RSV. It started on Friday with a cough and by Sunday afternoon Owen had a temp of 103 and was having problems breathing (wheezing and labored). Brandon and I drove to Vanderbilt and have been here since. I thought Owen was bad on Sunday but he has progressively gotten worse. The doctors say that is normal and it gets worse before it gets better. He is on oxygen and fluids. The goal is to wean him from his oxygen, but the few times they have tried, his O2 levels drop. His temperature keeps spiking as well. They are monitoring him closely, giving him breathing treatments and deep suctioning every few hours. RSV is bad, but some babies take it worse than others. Owen is one of those babies. He has been coughing so hard and long that he has broken blood vessels covering his face and chest. On the bright side, X-rays showed no pneumonia. Hopefully we are on the mend and each day that follows shows improvement.

Hello Tooth Fairy!

BIG news! Owen's first little white cap has broken through the gum. It is about time. 

I will post pictures as soon as it comes all the way in. 

Who Am I?

Who am I?  For 24 years I was "just me". For 9 months I was pregnant.  And now for almost 7 months I have been a mom.  And add to that a daughter, a wife, a granddaughter, a cousin, a niece, an employee, a teacher, a friend, probably even sometimes an enemy, and the list could go on.  Whew, that’s a lot of things to be!  The best one by far is being a mom.  I am Owen’s mom.  But I feel as though those 9 months of being pregnant never existed.  I look at myself in the mirror and see almost zero sign that I was ever pregnant.  The only thing left is the slightest hint of the pooch gaining those 42 pounds during pregnancy left.  I had a doctors appointment a few weeks ago and I have never felt so out of place sitting in the waiting room.  Like I didn’t belong there because I wasn’t pregnant.  Never mind the countless appointments that I just had with a big belly in tow.  When I go to Babies R Us to get some things for Baby O, again I feel like I don’t belong.  Like only pregnant women were supposed to be in that store.  Ridiculous, right?  I can’t believe how much I miss being pregnant.  It truly defined who I wanted to be for so long, and just like that it was over.  But then I think the goal wasn’t to get pregnant, the goal was to bring home a healthy baby, and we did that.  So why am I struggling seeing myself as a mom?  I guess because I’ve only been doing it for a few months?  Maybe it’s because I don’t get the attention that I did when I had a big belly?  People who don’t know me have no clue that I have a new baby at home.  They just see me as a “normal person.”  And what’s so wrong with that?  I think back so often to those final days being pregnant, and how everything just fell into place.  But again, keeping the eye on the prize, we brought Owen home. What am I saying through my ramblings? I am saying to those pregnant moms who read this bog, even though it seems like FOREVER until D-Day, try to slow down and enjoy this time. You will miss feeling those kicks and even those incessant doctor appointments. So who am I? I am Owen’s biggest fan. The end.

Disclaimer* I am NOT wanting to be pregnant again for a while. 

My Happy Baby... helping me in the kitchen. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

On February 14th, 2011 at 3:00 pm Brandon and I walked into the ultrasound office and this is what we saw:

The three letter word that changed my life... B-O-Y

One year later, on February 14, 2012, this is the face that I get to see, my forever Valentine. 

I am one lucky mommy! 

Happy 1st Valentine's Day, Owen. 

We love you!

Update

Owen's Tube procedure went very well. The worst part was hearing Owen cry because he was hungry. The doctors and nurses were great. Even though it was such a simple and quick procedure they understood that I was still a nervous wreck. I cried when they took him from me. However, by the time I dried up my tears, Dr. Workhaven was back saying the procedure was over. In the recovery room most of the babies were crying, and rightfully so. When Brandon and I turned the corner to see our little guy, he was sitting up alert and as happy as can be. He gobbled down some Pedialyte and was ready to go. All in all our experience was fabulous. He seems to feel great and was even sitting up on his own in his play pen last night. My baby boy is getting so big. I am so proud of him!

Tomorrow

Owen gets tubes tomorrow. His appointment is at 10 am. The procedure is at 12pm. I am sure all will go well. Brandon and I are a little nervous about the anesthesia part, but we know he will be fine. I will update as soon as possible.  

New Embroidery Projects

Here are a few new projects I have been working on. 

Owen's new Onesie

 Wipes Case for Baby Jackson

Me and my little man...