Nothing Better Than Laughter

It's been a fun weekend so far. Thursday we had a great play date over at the Alvarezes. We were going to go try and feed the ducks/geese at loch raven, but it was cold and rainy, and decided to try it another day. Owen and Sofia had a great time, and we were there about 1 1/2 hours before Sofia was ready for her nap, and we headed out. Owen then helped me pick out a birthday present for Aunt Lizzie at the mall. We had such fun running throwing pennies in the fountain and just having a blast.

Thursday evening we had a showing, and had to get out of the house, we attempted to feed the geese, but were frighted because they were so aggressive, so Daddy basically tossed the bread, and headed to the park instead. We hiked the entire trail (just under 1/2 mile) and Owen walked the whole way finding sticks and having fun outside. He just LOVES to play outside.


Friday evening Owen had a babysitter, so we could go out to dinner for Elizabeth's birthday. The babysitter, Laura, did a great job, and even had to put Owen to bed for the night. He went to bed very easy for her, so that was a relief. It was very nice having an adult evening out, we really had a nice time.


This morning we had a very interesting wake up call. Owen discovered that his chicken dance duck was right next to his crib, so we were in deep sound sleep and heard - SO YOU WANT TO DO THE CHICKEN DANCE??? Needless to say, I was quite startled (and have since removed the chicken dance duck to another location in his room. I think he thought it was funny! The weather was pretty crummy, so we pulled out all the toys and played in the family room. Owen was so funny giggling at so many things. I will never get tired of hearing him laugh uncontrollably.

We took a short road trip to check out the lot, probably the last time before they break ground. They are supposed to start digging the whole on Wednesday, and we're excited and nervous at the same time. Still very nervous that we haven't had any bites on our house, but are still optimistic that the right owner will come around soon... Hopefully very soon.

Then this evening, we went to visit Dave, Lisa, Carson & Noah. They had a cookout and Owen was shy at first, but then warmed up quickly after seeing Carson (4) big boy toys. He had a slew of Thomas Trains, Cars, Jay Jay Planes... it was great. Owen had a ball, and even though we were out past his bed time, he really enjoyed himself. Noah (20 months) had a bit of a tough evening and conked out for a nap, he's not used to sharing and was very upset with Owen who was playing with his toys. It was great to see them, and we had a really nice time.

Little Linus

Ahh, finally a breather. It's been a very hectic week. Sunday we had our first call to poison control. When Owen woke up Sunday morning and his pampers diaper had exploded. There were these "gel" crystals all over the crib, so I freaked and figured he must have put some in his mouth, although I have know way of really knowing, but he had some on the outside of his binky, so we felt we should err on the side of caution, and call. Poison control said as long as he wasn't choking or gagging and he drank some liquids, ate breakfast and pooped he was probably fine. Other than that we had a little more relaxed day. It was rainy, and we really didn't do much, quite a nice change of pace.

Monday, Owen went to school, and he was a little fussier than normal at drop off. I think the party on Saturday threw him off a little. That and he's teething, so he's been very cozy and cuddly, he just carries his blankie everywhere. But he was off to school and had a good day. It was also our first "incident" report at school... Apparently Owen fell off a mat and banged his head. So I had to fill out a paper saying that I understood the injury and took responsibility for further treatment. They put ice on it but he was fine... the bump was gone by dinner.

Tuesday we had Gymnastics, again another great class. Owen had really warmed up and has started understanding the routine better. When we were almost finished with songs, Owen left the room and headed to the big gym. He was ready to go (only about 2 min early). He ran straight to the pit! He's also start warming up to the other kids and the teacher. It was really great.

He's talking so much now, he's almost having conversations and chatting in a different language. It's great. He also sings along with his music, and chimes in on certain phrases he knows are coming, it's so neat to hear! He has been teething, the eye teeth are coming in, and I can tell it's making him very uncomfortable. He's been dependent on the binky again, and holding on to his bunny and blankie like Linus. It's very adorable, and he just snuggles with it and puts his head down on it.

Today, was a pretty normal Wednesday, Owen had school, and then came home and didn't really nap. He only slept 1 hr 30 min, before waking up. His naps have been significantly shorter than normal this week, but maybe it has something to do with the teeth. (That's such a parenting cop out... must bee teething, you can blame almost anything on teething!) After the too short nap, we went to the country club for an early dinner. Owen was very good, he's been tolerating much longer periods in the high chair, and it's making meal time much more manageable.

The rest of the week isn't quite a busy, hopefully we'll be able to slow down and enjoy the next few days, and hope the warmer weather returns!

Great Weather = Lots of Fun

This morning was terrific, the weather was just perfect, so after breakfast, Owen and I headed out in the jogging stroller again for another run. It was great. We went much further today than we did on Thursday, although we only stayed out the same amount of time... It was a great way to start the day.

Today was Owen's open house at school, we went to give Daddy a chance to check out all the things that have changed at school. They really did a nice job, they had a petting zoo, a moon bounce, all classrooms had craft projects going on, the playgrounds were open, a DJ, even a pit beef stand/hot dogs. It was great.

Obviously all the big kids loved the pony rides, and the moon bounce was full of big kids, so we were afraid to let Owen go in, but boy did he want to!

He enjoyed showing off on his playground, it was great and so cute.

He also has been very chatty, he really has picked up his verbal skills significantly over the past 3-4 weeks since his ears have been clear. What a relief! Here's a cute video of him chatting away. It doesn't always make sense, but it's very cute.

After the open house we headed to 5 Guys Burgers & Fries for lunch. Owen was so cute, eating his fruit salad and munching on french fries, and dancing to the music at the same time, it was so adorable, and he was VERY good. Some meals are great, and this was one of them. Other meals... we'll let's just say it's a work in progress.

After lunch, we headed home. Owen took a nice 3 hour nap, and then we went to Toys R Us to buy our own Moon Bounce. I found a little tikes one that was on sale for about $40 off, and then we had a $10 coupon... Owen will get a lot of use out of this over the coming years, he LOVES to bounce, and this one has a slide and was very easy to set up and take down (although it was a little heavy, but Daddy lifted it no problem.

Before heading home to bounce, we decided to check out Chuck E Cheese. Owen was taking everything in, and loved the show, and played games in the toddler area.

Daddy and Owen even played some skee ball! Owen has quite an arm, and almost made it up the ramp. It was very impressive!

Owen also got a chance to meet Mr. Chuck E Cheese. He immediately honked his nose. I was glad to see he wasn't afraid of him like he was of the Easter Bunny at first. He went right up to him, we were very proud.

Then gave him 5. It was very cute. Since Owen is so young 30 minutes there was more than enough, and we only spent $5... I'm sure as he gets older, the visits will get longer and the bill will grow. But today was a lot of fun, and I would definitely take him back sometime soon.

We got home and immediately inflated the bouncer. Owen really enjoyed it, it was great.

I know we will use this for many years to come... It was a great investment, and lots of fun. I can hardly wait till our next playdate!

Busy, Busy Bees

It's been a busy week already!!! Tuesday we had play date in the morning with Sofia and Ms. Robyn. They came over to our house for a little while to play, we were going to meet at a park but it was too cool out, and still wet from the rain. Then we had gymnastics. I really wish I could get some photos of how much fun Owen is at gymnastics, he really loves it and is getting a lot out of it. It's just too dangerous for me to drag the camera and spot him. Maybe next week, I'll try... It's such a fun class! Wednesday at school he made an adorable visor that he brought home. He's not a big fan of hats but he did allow me to take a few quick shots of him wearing it. He feels it's more of a save than a wear hat... I do have to get him wearing a hat or sunglasses or something outside, because we play outside all the time, and sunscreen is good for the body, but it doesn't protect his little head! Last night we had a showing at the house, and it ended up being quite a late night for Owen, but he played outside with Daddy the whole time and was very good.

Today was extremely busy. It was a bit of a rough start to the day with a few temper tantrums over silly things - like sunscreen, juice, you name it... but we recovered and started with a play date at the Meadow Wood Park in Lutherville with Sofia and Ms. Robyn.

The park was very crowded and Owen wasn't thrilled about sharing the swings. He likes to swing and swing and swing, but this place only had 2 baby swings and about 50 kids there... But we managed. The park is definitely "THE" place to be if you have kids in Lutherville... but that also means it's very crowded.

We had a good time, it was short, but it was definitely a place I'd go back to. We're trying to hit new parks all over the place to explore and play outside. It's been a lot of fun so far, and I'm already looking forward to where we might end up next week!

After the play date in the park, we came back home and took a run... yes, that's right, I'm finally working out again. We both need to build up a little endurance to this, but today went great. Owen loves the jogging stroller, but gets very fidgety when we pass the playgrounds, so I'll have to figure out how to run routes that avoid them, at least until we're almost done the run.

After lunch and a way too short nap, we played outside again, blowing bubbles and playing on the swings. We had a nice early dinner that EVERYONE enjoyed (a rarity around here) and then went to check out the lot.

They've staked out where the house will be, if the stakes are accurate, the house looks very big, and we thought we had a bit more back yard, but we won't know how the house is situated until they break ground.

I think it's going to be fine, the plot looks better than the stakes, only time will tell. We've been pushed another week (yeah an extra week to try to sell the house), to the week of May 7th. Owen loved walking all around the lot, it was so cute!

Then we went to Busy Bees and had a snowball, our first of the year. Owen had cherry, and it was his first one!

Last year he had a few bites of mine, but he was so little we never let him have much. He so cute tonight feeding himself.

Then we went and fed the animals (or Daddy did anyway). Owen was very surprised to see Daddy hand feeding corn to the goats and horses. It was very cute.

He even looked like WOW these animals are BIG - where's the rest of it??? I just see big legs!

He was pretty pooped towards the end, and when we started walking back to the car he'd had enough, and wanted up. When I picked him up, he just put his head down... so cute! Guess someone realized they need a longer nap. When we came home he was exhausted, and again suffering from major diaper rash bath time was no fun. But he had his nighttime snack with Daddy and books with Mommy and then went to bed without a peep...so far anyway...

Hmmm...

So, dare I say my toddler is spiteful? Well, maybe a little, maybe just out to prove me wrong, or maybe just I don't know what a toddler is really capable of. Or maybe I'm just seeing a glimpse of his teenage years might be like! YIKES!

It's been a crazy few days. Very busy, we have had some house showings and needed to get out of the house, and Owen is always very accommodating. Today, was the first Tuesday in 5 weeks that we haven't had a showing! But we did have a birthday party for Maggie, so we needed to leave anyway... since the party was after 6 (which meant he probably wouldn't eat till after 7pm), we decided to try to feed Owen dinner before we left, then he could nibble at our meal. He HATES to eat alone... so naturally he wouldn't touch anything I offered him. So, we left with a very frustrated toddler, and to top it off we even ended up at the wrong restuarant!! But we got to the right place, and everyone was surprised at how much Owen had grown. He was a little bashful at first but quickly warmed up. I can't figure out when he will eat vs. when he won't eat. He's so unpredictable... So we tried offering him some of the food being served... I swear, I was telling my Aunts that he barely eats anything, and just to prove me wrong, Owen consumed everything in sight! He ate bread, drank water, had fruit, french fries, graham crackers, just about anything passed his way, like I've never offered this to him... And yet I know tomorrow, he'll refuse any of the above... Every day is different... EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT!!!!

On to something OTHER than food... Mommy bought Owen a recorder yesterday. He hadn't really figured out how to "blow" things, so Mommy and Daddy thought this might help. But within just seconds of showing him how it worked, he figured it out! He LOVES it, and I can hardly take it away from him to even go to sleep... I think he knows it's a big kid toy.

Even after such a long night tonight - he got to bed nearly 1 hour late (and no bath) he just loves his story time. Although tonight was probably the 1st in MANY weeks that he didn't gobble down the milk. I actually think he went to bed with a full belly. Hopefully he'll sleep well tonight and have a good day at school tomorrow...

Well as for food, we'll keep trying. He has his good days and then not so good food days... but hopefully soon, he'll really start to understand there is more to life than just milk, and even if he's too tired to consume food, he'll be better off if he eats the solids. We'll get there, eventually...

Fun Outside & The Zoo

We are just soaking up every moment of outside time we can. It is so nice outside. Owen is definitely suffering from some allergies, but we're trying to monitor it and give him the prescribed allergy medicine and see what's going on. But Owen loves the outdoors.

Friday night, we had a showing at the house, so we had to get out for a while. Owen had a good day at school, but not a very good nap, so we had to cancel our play date with the Alvarez family, and we just went out for pizza... Well that sounds like an easy plan, but Owen wasn't in the mood for Pizza John's. It was about a 30 minute dinner total, so not our best performance, but fortunately we were out of the house long enough for the agent to come and show the property.

Then we got home and it was still so nice out we decided to take a wagon ride around the block. Daddy took Sam Dog inside, and then accidentally closed the door locking us out. OOPS! We called Granny & Pop but they were at dinner, we couldn't figure out how to get in the house (despite the fact that our spare key was hanging on a key box pad on our front door)... Mommy did some thinking and finally figured out that I could call customer service for the lock box and get my pin to get the key). It was a relief to get back inside quickly and uneventfully (meaning we didn't have to break a window or anything crazy like that...)

Today we couldn't help but enjoy the fantastic weather, so we headed off to the zoo. Owen lasted about 2 hours, which was pretty good. We started off with him in the stroller and explored the wilderness. Owen enjoyed the ducks and seeing the animals.

He loved helping Daddy push the stroller around too. In fact when he was pushing, he barely cared about any animal... just wanted to walk and push the stroller.... hmm, we could have done this for free!

We got to see just about everything, we even got a glimpse of the baby elephant! Owen liked the zebras and the giraffes too... but towards the end of our zoo visit, despite the fact that we were the farthest away from the car that we could possibly be, Owen began to rub his eyes and get tired.

Rubbing his eyes, caused him to rub sunscreen into them, and combined with being tired caused an inconsolable melt down. He cried almost the entire way to the car and the ride home. He was so tired, but couldn't shut down and fall asleep in the car seat. When we did finally make it home, Owen zonked out for a 4 hour nap. WOW!!! He was tired.

When he got up, we decided to stay in for the evening and just have fun in the back yard. We brought out the ball pit, which has been in hiding ever since our house went on the market.

Owen was delighted and just so happy playing in it. It was really cute! He loves to walk around, grab a rock, take it around the back yard, and then throw it back and get another one. He also loves to climb the hill and come running back down... Sometime he goes face first, other times he makes it. Either way he just bounces up and starts over again.

Overall, it's been a fun weekend so far, despite the meltdown today. Hopefully, tomorrow will be just relaxing and uneventful - but every day is different, so who knows!

A Much Better Day

Although busy and hectic, today was a MUCH better day. We got off to an early start and had a jam packed day planned. We started at the playground by Kenilworth Mall with Ms. Robyn & Sofia. It's been nice being able to get outside, and this morning was gorgeous, the temperature was just right for a great hour of playtime. Owen loves to swing, and it was nice to see Sofia again, Owen was a little shy on Tuesday when we got together with them, but today he was more himself.

Then Owen had to head off for a follow up at the ENT. Again the news was all clear. He also had a hearing test done, so we were at the office about 90 minutes, which is a LONG time for a toddler ready for lunch. But Owen was a real trooper. The exam rooms are definitely more challenging to wait in, because you're basically sitting in 1/2 office 1/2 toxic playground... And guess where curious toddlers want to go... I was just so relieved to hear that Owen's ears were still clear, and we're starting to win the battle against illness. He does have some allergies, so we're keeping him on the Claritin, and starting back up on the Nasonex (nasal spray).

After the ENT, we weren't able to go home, because we had a showing scheduled between 12-2, so that meant, we needed to push his nap way later than normal. We headed to the mall to meet Daddy for lunch. After lunch, Mommy & Owen had a ride on the carousel. He had been such a good boy and he just giggled the whole carousel ride. After that, Daddy had to leave because he had a conference call, and Mommy & Owen went to the park. We had still an hour before we could get back inside the house. (So strange, to not be allowed in your own house...) It was MUCH warmer, the slides were too hot to slide, and so we just played on the swings. It was tough to push this extra hour, but Owen was very good, even let Mommy apply the sunscreen.

We came home at 2pm on the dot, and Owen went straight down for his nap. He was exhausted. He had played very hard for more than 6 hours! Probably the hardest I've ever pushed him.

After nap, we had more outside time (YES, I'M LOVING SPRING!), and then dinner. Unlike last night, Owen was ready and willing. He was much more cooperative and we had a much more pleasant dining experience. I felt so proud of him.

We even got MORE playtime outside after dinner. It was a great day.