Owen 5.5

Dear Owen,
This week we went out walking a few times and we had a lot of  really good conversations... the first of these included you spotting theses shoes

you told me with no reservation that these were wedding shoes...you said "these are really perfect because of the jewels"... then you asked if you should buy them now to give to your wife on your wedding day. I almost let you because how sweet is that? I realized that we wont know her size of shoe until you meet her though so no shoes. I couldn't believe how thoughtful you have become...not to mention romantic!
The next day we walked again and this time you talked a lot about your house...the one you going to have when your married. This house is going to be bigger than the first united Methodist church in downtown Salem as we passed it you said "my house is going to be like that building...except bigger and taller it will have fountains in all 6 bathrooms and a large pool upstairs" "to keep all the kids quiet" I had to ask if  a life guard was going to keep them safe as well because drowning is not a great way to keep children from making noise. you said " its going to be a big pool momma with not very much water in it...not very full? you know so no one can die in there." I ask how many kids your having and you said "two the first time then one and then maybe two again" I said "twins? you want twins first then one baby then twins again?" and you said "actually I want ten twins...and like a hundred kids" I said "you wife is going to be one special lady to give you all those kids..." you said " not all at once momma they will come out at different times" as if to intimate that any woman even remotely interested in birthing ten sets of twins and a hundred other children would only be special if they all came out at once. I am of course laughing at this point and you ask why...I said "well I am just imagining you with a hundred kids in a pool"... you said "maybe just the ten twins actually"
yeah just the ten twins that is a little more manageable...

Owen you are funny and sweet and loving. You love your brother and soccer and dinosaurs. You love playing with toy guns and making really good shooting sounds. You want to be a scientist. When it is your turn to pick a movie on net flix you always choose an adult documentary about nature or dinosaurs or the way things work.

You also love ice cream...who doesn't?

I think you will make a fine papa and scientist someday. You make me smile. You are wonderful.
Love Momma

Henry 14 months

Dear sweet Henry,
You are a busy baby. I know all babies are busy at your age but you seem to out do them in some ways...you are very verbal and you chatter all the time...you say a few things that we really understand as well. you say "Oweh" which is Owen. You say Momma and Papa as well just not as often. You can say "more" and "boof" which means dog or animal(you don't seem able to differentiate between animals at this point so they are all boofs). You also say "oh wow" and "wow wow"(which are your Papa's and my favorite things to hear...so funny) and you sign the word  please.

 You eat a ton and you still like almost everything we give you but you are becoming slightly more discerning in your tastes(beans are out now as is frozen corn).
You learned to walk about two weeks ago(13.5 months) and you enjoy carefully walking places. You are still obsessed with stairs and would climb them all day if allowed. I love how smart you are...you have totally mastered cause and effect and I love to watch your little brain work. You learned to give raspberries the other day on our tummy's and faces and you think it is hilarious(we think so too). You are a climber you love to climb the trunk behind our couch and then onto the back of the couch and then down onto the couch then to the floor and then back again. You love your brother and love to have people sit on the floor with you while you play and dance and putsy around.

You are sweet as can be and love to give us all loves-you put your little head on us and hum while you hold on to us-it is the very most precious thing you do. You also hold your hands above your head when we say "how big is Henry?" and then we always say "soooo big" and then you drop your hands... its better than cute .

 You do a few things I am not the fondest of...things like demanding holding when it is impossible for me to hold you and  throwing huge tantrums. When you are angry you like to bang your head against anything you can find...the floor, my face, the couch...and then you cry harder because you have hurt yourself...its sad and frustrating and funny all at the same time but I could definitely live with out you doing that. You have a strong sense of what you want and sometimes those things just don't line up with reality...your learning though and we love you through it all because your you and we cant help loving you sweet boy.

 I cant believe how fast this last year has gone by...seeing you walk around is just crazy. We love you more and more each day and love to watch your personality come out in all that you do. I am a very luck lady to have two such wonderful sons. I am glad that you are mine.
love Momma

One

Henry,
You turned one year old yesterday. I am so overwhelmed by how fast this first year has by... Words just escape me when I try to explain how much I love you. You have been here one short year but it feels like you have always been with us... Your family adores you Henry and we just cannot get enough of your sweetness. You are a gift, a treasure, and we will never stop loving you.
love  Momma.
a few of my favorite pictures of Henry from this year

First day

first week 

First photo shoot

First bath

First month

Three Months

Eleven Months

One Year!

We love you deeply sweet son. Never forget.

10 Months

Henry,
Today you are ten months old! You have officially been out of the womb as long as you were in it!

Henry you have changed a ton in the last couple months so I will start from the top and work my way down. You have almost no hair but the little that is starting to come in is blonde as can be. It is even more fair that your brothers was. You have 5 teeth as of today. You LOVE to eat!! You will eat any old thing we put in front of you. Seriously you will eat anything...I have always prayed for a good eater...your brother was always super picky so you being an incredible eater is a great blessing and proof of Gods grace. Some of your favorite foods are frozen grapes, avocado, turkey, pears, brown rice cooked in home made chicken broth, green beans, black beans, and bananas

You have learned to crawl...kind of. its this sort of mix between crawling and scooting...we shall call it scrooting. Its adorable whatever it is and your thrilled with your new mobility and are having a blast testing all the limits of our not very baby proofed house(add to list of "to dos"...put little plastic guards back in plug in wholes)

you scrooting away from me towards the wires.

 Some other fun developments are that you love to chatter away pretty much all the time and you have about 4 voices you use regularly. The falsetto, the growling monster, the squealer, and the normal Henry voice.

this is what most of the photos looked like. you are always moving at least one part of your body.

You have quite a wide range of nick names so far. I will document them here for you to be embarrassed by later. First there is Henny, then henny penny puddin and pie, Hank(of course), Henners, stink bottom(Owens nick name for you), little mister, mister mister, buddy, broth(short for brother also an Owen name), little, tiny, doozer(thank aunt Lindy for that), and hanky panks. Hank is the most widely used by me and little buddy is what your papa calls you. Owen thinks up new ones all the time and they are usually nonsensical but sometimes one sticks.

We are head over heals for you little Henry. All of us... your whole entire family just thinks your grand. Your a funny little guy and you are happy and contented most of the time but you definitely share what opinions you have. I cant believe you belong to me! I feel doubly blessed and am so thankful for your sweat self.
I am your lucky momma and I love you

5

Owen,
Yesterday you turned 5! I can hardly believe that 5 years have come and gone already... words actually fail me. You are so big now. You are a real live boy no more preschooler left in you and all vestiges of babyhood long passed.

This was your cake. you were really impressed...which is funny because it was a monumental flop. The cake was vanilla with mostly chocolate frosting(I had to add some left over colored butter cream to fill in when i ran out of chocolate). You loved the effect and specifically asked for the number 5 to be on there.

We had the 3rd annual cookie frosting party... this year only a few of the kids did the frosting...and I am left with a giant bag full of cookies the neighbors will be getting soon. Owen you loved eating the butter cream frosting. That's about all you did with the whole cookie bit this year...next year we will try a new theme.

We saved our presents for you until the evening and you were really excited about all of them. I always have such a bitter sweet feeling about giving you gifts... bitter because I always wish it could be more but sweet because you don't even know or care that you have not received a lot. I am glad that you are so easy to please and that you have such a great capacity for joy.

This picture is blurry... but so is life sometimes... this year has literally whirled by me. I find it so hard to accept that your 5 and that I have had you for this huge amount of time and yet I am still getting to know you. You are still my sweet natured little boy. You have compassion for those who are hurt and needy. Owen you have a very gentle spirit and you are kind and loving to everyone around you. You are also always moving and there is honestly constantly some sound effect coming out of your mouth. I fear that the days of snuggle ups on the couch are nearing there end and that someday soon you may even decide kissing me is gross(please never feel this way...). I am treasuring every last drop of your littleness because it is disappearing before my eyes as the new big, independent you is emerging. I love that your growing and changing but it hurts a little too. I still remember the feel of your warm baby body so sweet and tiny in my arms. I am even more in love with you now than I was then... Imagine that...
Love, Your Momma

6 months

I honestly can't believe its already been 6 months since you were born little H!! You are a sweet and friendly sort who chatters a lot and smiles often. You don't laugh very frequently but when you do find something funny enough its a sound that makes everyone in our house come running. You are very different from your brother... he was an independent player who didn't sleep so well and had almost no opinions about everyday things. Henry, you on the other hand are not the best at independent time and relish the company of your family and mostly your brother... you sleep well(possibly because you never stop moving when you are awake) and you have opinions about lots of things to name one having your nose wiped/picked. You still have no teeth which is another difference between you and Owen(he had 4 by the time 6 months rolled around) you can roll over from front to back and back to front, you can sit up with only a little assistance, and you love love love to be held.
You have begun to try your hand at some avocado... and have been enjoying the experience thoroughly.
We love watching you grow and change... we think you are the bees knees Henry!

Owen loves you with a love that doesn't end... he misses you when your apart and loves to hug and kiss you. he continues to make up songs for you and tell you all about life in this world.He has never had a moments jealousy towards you. You generally adore him and light up every time you even hear his voice...sometimes you are more reserved with your feelings and just need a few feet of personal space...


Having you in our lives feels so natural...like you were always here somehow and yet we are still getting to enjoy figuring out who you are. I love you more each day and am so thankful to be your momma!

Bottoms up

Dear Owen,
You really like putting unders on your head(a thing that was started by your papa during a hide and seek game to keep you from peeking...now you just like to wear them there) and last night you decided that your head needed unders and jammy pants. I really have been enjoying you this week. You have said some pretty funny things like yesterday when you asked for chocolate milk and I said we didn't have much milk left but I would do my best. Then you saw me still sitting on the couch-30 seconds later-and said "Momma do your best...go on...go on" and waved me toward the kitchen.
later I was trying to get you to hurry up and said "Owen hop to it" (something my mom used to say to me) and you hoped and counted "one,two" and said "I hopped two" yes you did buddy... you sure did.
I love you kid.
Momma

4 Years old

Dear Owen,
Today you turned 4! I cannot believe how fast the time has flown by. I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday and since you love to hear me tell the story...

Here it is...On the night you were born there was a huge storm. There was thunder and lightning and rain and wind. Trees fell down on power lines and people everywhere had no power.There was floods in the streets and in our basement. The wind and rain were so fierce that they shook the windows in the hospital. You arrived 4.5 weeks early and were delivered by surgery from my tummy. Right after they took you out of my tummy the power actually went out in the hospital(even the generators were out) and some one in the operating room yelled GET THE FLASH LIGHTS!! Then they said to me "don't worry everything will be fine"...and it was. You were safe and healthy and mine.

You love to here the part about the flash lights most of all and ask me to repeat that part...you love flashlights. I couldn't believe how precious and perfect you were when you were placed in my arms. I thought I would burst from joy and pride. I look at you today blowing out 4 candles on your cupcake and feel exactly the same way.I cannot even express in words how much I love being your mama.

Tonight we asked if you would like anything special for dinner...not sure what we expected you to say... you asked for cottage cheese, bananas and hummus and chips and said "that's a really special dinner" your Papa and I just laughed and said "sure why not"... you eat those foods on at least an every other day basis.

I love you kid and I am so happy God gave you to us.

Love Mama

Stream of conscious

We went on another fall walk yesterday. I can tell that the leaves are going to be gone in a week or so. I really wanted the chance to enjoy them again before their fire and gold brilliance is gone and we are left with nothing but gray for 5 months.




When we go on walks together I make sure and answer(well try to anyway) every question you ask. I ask your opinion on things like the sound of crunchy leaves under our feet and patiently listen to your 10 minute responses. It is good for me to hear you. It helps me to know you...to know your heart and soul.



I feel a little nervous sometimes about having another child in my care...I don't know what it will be like to have two kids or to raise "boys" plural. How will I ever get to really know this baby the way I know you little O? We have been just you and me for so long now that its hard to even imagine it any other way. I am a little afraid of what is to come and how my life will change, but I am so excited to meet this new person God is making inside me. I know he is someone very important for our lives and that we need him in ways we are not even sure of yet... I feel so glad to have this opportunity and so terrified of it at the same time.



Owen you are the one who mad me a momma and I am so happy that you did... it just seems foreign to think that I will be someone elses momma too... I hope that doesn't sound like I'm not excited about it because I am...but its a whole new world that's completely uncharted for me and I am a slow explorer.

Letter to the Sprout

Dear tiny baby living inside my belly,
Having you on board has been a whole new experience for me. I have been sick, had about a million food aversions(ok lets face it I only like about 5 things to eat right now and everything else is out), I have this new uber sensitive gag reflex thats triggered by smells, seeing something undesireable, thinking about food I dont like, crying or coughing. My skin is plagued with teenage-esk acne, and my hair is not growing nearly as fast and glorious as I remember it growing last time. Basically this is the most opposite experience I could have from carrying your soon to be big brother around.

I don't mind though-I mean It is the last thing from fun-but feeling you move around in there and hearing your tiny little speedy heart beat makes it worth it. I know that you will be your very own person, that you wont be exactly like your brother, that you might not even be a boy...and I will love you who ever you are. You are already so very dear to me I am getting really excited to find out what kind of baby you will be. I know that I am in no way ready to be mother of two but I think it will grow on me and that its not something you can truly prepare for.

In just two or three weeks we will find out if you are a boy or a girl...we didn't do this with your brother...we waited until he was born... but with you I cant wait to know! So we will find out and give you a name and I will feel like I know you just a little bit more than I do today. Every one-except me-is convinced that you are a girl your G.G and Grammy and one good friend of mine even refer to you as a girl when they talk about you... soon we will see and we will all be excited no matter what!
That's pretty much all I have for you right now sprout. Keep growing and moving and I will see you soon.
Love Mama

Owen 3.5

Owen you are 3.5 now!! Oh my word how you have grown in the last 6 months. I am always amazed at your development. Not only intellectually but physically too(as cliche as this is to say)you have actually shot up like a weed.

Almost all of your babyisms are gone, you have used the toilet day and night for the last 6 months,you only sleep during rest if your sick,you do puzzles like a mad man, you sing songs (and make up your own),and you can memorize books now!! You you still have a bit of trouble saying your L's they come out as W's and your R's are still really soft(which I love and hope they always are).

There are still funny things that you say...your sandals are your "samples" chocolate is "choclick" you mix up she and her... so a common sentence is "we go see she?" or "is her coming too?" you still say "amimals" and when you say zoo it sounds like jew.



You LOVE the show Kipper-which is the most mellow T.V show ever-about a English dog and his animal friends. You also enjoy Veggie Tales and Pink Panther quite a bit.

You have always loved to read-well being read to and looking at books- but now you memorize the stories. This week your favorite is Miss Lucy had a Baby.

Owen you ask us "why" constantly. It can be exhausting,and sometimes, I don't know the answers to your questions...last night you asked your Papa "why I poke myself in the eye"...things like that no one really understands buddy.

I really love you and your inquisitive nature. I love that you don't just sit and let life pass you by. You are active and curious about everything, qualities I think will take you far.

3

Owen you are three now. Well technically your three and almost a month- but since your loving momma cant keep up with her blogging and breathing at the same time- this is my tribute to you being three.
This is going to be sappy and poorly written because its coming straight from my heart and lets face it I am sappy and I don't write well.

I cant believe you are 3!! The time has passed by way to quickly (the way all seasoned mothers told me it would). I continue to fall more and more crazy in love with you every day. Its funny that you after only 3 years have extracted more love from me than I knew myself capable of producing in an entire lifetime.

We do spend all of our time together so I guess its not strange but for me to know you like the back of my own hand (better than that really). I never anticipated knowing another person the way I know you. I know your reactions before they come. I can tell in the morning if its going to be an easy or a hard day for you just by taking you in. I know your smell, your voice, and the feel of your tiny hands (all perfect). I know each smile and each furrow. And still Little, you suprise me with your newness on a daily basis.

You are full of compassion sensitive to the emotions of others the way few children are, You are contemplative and wild, You are inquisitive and passionate about the way things work. You love with a fierce undiscriminating love that your Father in heaven is most definitely proud of.
I am proud of you
I love being your momma
I love you.
momma