Photos from Early December

Pre-Christmas Videos

Driving his new Birthday Jeep in the Snow! Thank you Pop & Granny!

Checking out the massive snowfall from our garage last night.

Owen & Aunt Lizzie

Owen singing Frosty the Snowman

Owen mailing his letter to Santa

Enjoying the 1st Snowfall

Owen really enjoyed the first snowfall. Last year, the only snow we got, Owen had a terrible ear infection, and wasn't able to go outside. This year, he's been asking for snow for weeks, as all the Christmas shows and books have winter scenes. So he got what he's been asking for on Dec 5th, and loved every minute of it.

November 2009

We had a lot going on during the month of November. As the weather got colder, we tried to figure out ways to let Owen still enjoy being active, without as much outside time as we have had earlier in the fall. So we moved our Bouncy House into the basement, and that has been a great way for Owen to play especially in the evening after dinner. We also had a great time at the Imagination Movers Concert.

He also learned how to ride his tricycle and gave up wearing pull ups during the daytime (he still needs to wear them at night). He has done remarkably well, and we are so proud. It's not to say there are not accidents, but we are certianly understanding the concept of using the potty and being a big boy. He also attended a couple of really fun birthday parties and had a trip to visit Grandpa & Grandma Bev. Daddy's birthday was also during November and Grandma came down to visit for that too. Not to mention Thanksgiving which was lots of fun, and everything went very smoothly.

Then there was the Christmas decorating. Owen was so very excited to see all the neat decorations, the tree, and we bought a new Lionel train for underneath of the tree. He has been enjoying it so much, and is much more understanding of the Christmas Holiday, and is extremely excited about it. I can tell we're going to have a lot of fun this season.

Here are some videos -

Riding Tricycle

Painting Pine Cones

Talking to the Turkey

Thanksgiving 2009

Photos November 2009

October Fun & Halloween Treats

It was a pretty rainy October, so we had a very low key month. We all caught and survived the swine flu, and had a terrific Halloween. We also got to the playground many times during some very nice days (in between the very rainy days). We also had a fun play date in Columbia at Playwise Kids with Melissa and Alik. We had 2 fun play dates with the Alvarez family. Halloween was so fun this year. Owen proudly wore his costume, and really enjoyed Trick or Treating. He also really enjoyed giving candy out to the kids that came to the door. Too bad it rained and kept some of the kids away. We had a lot more kids last year, but it was still quite fun.

IT'S A BOY!

We found out yesterday, during my 20 week ultrasound, that we are expecting a new baby boy. We are all so excited and delighted. According to the ultrasound, the baby looks healthy and seems to be growing well. Everything seems right on track so far, and we are just so very excited to soon welcome a baby brother for Owen...

It really has been a VERY fun and exciting month!!!

September 2009

Another fun and exciting month. Enjoy the pictures! Our long, relaxing and fun family weekend in Ocean City was definitely the highlight of the month... It's been very fun month.

August Videos

So Owen absolutely LOVES the microphone... We were playing in the basement, and he found the "rock band" microphone and just started singing! Seriously belting out some tunes! And even funnier, he was giving the song his own personality! It was so funny... there are probably 10 videos of him singing different songs. Hopefully we won't ask Santa for a karaoke machine. He cracks me up!

While preparing for Baby Nora to come for a visit, Owen discovered how much fun his baby toys were... He had a blast playing with this toy all day. He hasn't played with it in over a year!

Finally, having a blast bouncing in our bouncy house (in our garage) during a thunderstorm...

August 2009

What a fun month of August. Although the cruise and Owen's very successful transition to a big boy bed, were the big highlights of the month, we had a lot of fun doing other things! Owen had a blast at Port Discovery during a birthday party for a girl in his class, he loved climbing the 3 story jungle/gym tower! It was so much fun. We also had a very fun play date with the Bender's - bouncing in our backyard and playing with toys!

Owen had a chance to come up close and personal with two little babies - Nora who is actually about 5 months old, and baby Jackson, who was only about 5 weeks old! Owen was very excited about the babies coming over, but once they got there, he couldn't believe that was what all the excitement was about! We've had a lot of baby talk in our house lately, and to see Baby Jackson, who can't talk or communicate or do anything but eat or sleep was shocking to Owen... I think Owen thought there was going to be a little more fun... but he'll get there! He doesn't quite grasp that there will be a little baby in our house, but he's already showing signs that he is going to be a GREAT big brother!

Owen also started his preschool class (it's a preschool prep class, and he'll move to the 3 year old preschool class room in January). He transitioned pretty well, although we were both a little sad to see him move up and leave his other teachers. But the new teachers seem great, and he is doing very well! Setting up for a very good school year!

Big Boy Bed

Major Milestone! We purchased Owen his very own big boy bed on Saturday. He very excitedly helped Daddy put it together and put his crib in the baby's room. He is so very proud of his bed, and realizes what it means to be such a big boy! He was so excited to go to sleep, he wanted to go to bed at 5pm when Daddy put the bed together!
He is so very proud of his big boy bed, he shows everyone when they come over, and when he goes to bed, as we're climbing the stairs, he says - I'm Going to my big boy bed! I'm SOOO EXCITED!

And he's been sleeping very well so far. I don't want to jinx us, but so far, he has not changed his sleep patterns at all, and he has even taken great naps, which was my biggest concern. I'm so very proud of my little man.

Bermuda Cruise 2009

What a fantastic trip! So many memories. Owen had such a wonderful time, it's hard to get all the pictures (there are SOOO many) to share! We left Baltimore last Saturday, and Owen truly enjoyed himself. He was so fascinated with the fact that the cruise ship was going to be our "home" for a week! He couldn't figure out where our car was going to be and where all his toys were. He loved when we sailed from Baltimore. Because we sailed at 4pm, it was a long day for Owen without a nap. So his first dinner was a little rough, but he powered through after a little melt down, and then he and Mommy went to bed. He was so excited it took him almost an hour to finally settle down. He just couldn't get over that everyone was on the cruise ship and he'd see them all in the morning. Too funny.

Owen was our little photographer. He would take any camera and take pictures. The funny thing is all the pictures he took! He took some GREAT photos! And some really funny ones. He would make them do funny faces, and everyone complied... So cute!

The second day was at sea all day, and we explored the ship, played bingo, played shuffle board, went swimming, ate and ate and ate! It was a great and very relaxing day. Owen was very excited to go dancing after dinner. He was a little dancing machine (as he called himself). They wouldn't let him in the nightclub, but we managed to find one of the lounges playing music. He had a great day.

The third day, we arrived in Bermuda, and since he didn't get to bed until after midnight (which was pretty much the norm for the cruise), he was kind of tired, so we decided just to relax, do a little shopping, and then take a swim on the ship. He did take a great nap this afternoon, and was much more rested at dinner. And he was SOOO excited for the pool party that night. There was a huge party with a band, and DJ, and LOTS of dancing. He absolutely had to have a blinking daiquiri, and had a blast dancing the night away. He was so cute!

The fourth day, was also in Bermuda, and we headed out to take a train ride around the port, and then played at a local playground. Owen had a blast, running around and burning off some energy doing "kid" stuff. The we just ventured to the beach to check it out, and then back to the ship for sailing time. And again we danced the evening away, this time with Aunt Jess, Aunt Liz, and Granny. Daddy and the boys went to smoke cigars.

The last day at sea was a little more laid back, Owen didn't want to swim in the pool, because it was a little rainy and very windy, so we tried to occupy ourselves doing other things. We explored the ship, walked around the decks, played some shuffleboard, and enjoyed our last day on the ship. Our last night was very fun, during dinner, they had a parade of waiters and Owen LOVED it, he was clapping and waiving his napkin, and taking photos of the waiters. He really enjoyed it. Then in true Owen form, we capped off the night with a little dancing.

What a great trip!

Bermuda Cruise

Here are some video's of Owen dancing on the cruise ship. He is quite the little dancer, and had a blast doing it! The first two videos are at the pool party the last one is the final night on the ship. Owen really didn't care what kind of music was played... he danced line dances, UYMCA, Macerena, Electric Slide, you name it. Even a piano bar, and a jazz band. He just loves music and loves to dance.

July Videos

Owen (2 1/2), Taylor (5 1/2) & Sienna (2) playing on the beach in Hilton Head.

Owen swimming in the pool at the beach house in Hilton Head. He was so independent and really loved swimming this whole trip! He was a little fish!

Owen playing with Pop-It's after the 4th of July. He wasn't strong enough to throw them and make them pop, so he used his hammer, and had a blast!

This one cracks me up... One night we were teaching Owen his name, how old he is, where he lives... I kept saying what's your name - he'd say - Owen. Then I'd say what's your last name - he replies – I don’t know. I would explained his last name is Schantz, and he would add - Come Back Here. I'd then explain - no your name is Owen Schantz. When asked again - Owen Schantz Come Back Here. Then he says - Right? It cracks me up! He's absolutely convinced his name is Owen Christopher Schantz Come Back Here... Oh, he also thinks he's 5...