"CHARGE!" - Eight Months

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Inspiration: Linus Van Pelt jumping into a pile of leaves.
Fun Facts About Owen:
  • Hates wearing bibs.
  • Can feed himself Puffs.
  • Babbles with "Muh muh", "Deh deh", and "Tah tah".

It's finally Fall! It's time to pull out the sweaters, drink warm Starbucks drinks, and wear boots! Uh...NOOOT!! I'm SO over the heat, and I cannot wait until the weather cools down and STAYS that way. It's going to be in the mid/high 80's all week. *Sigh*

In other news, Owen has become more vocal this past month. He can pronounce a range of consonants, and he's experimenting with how loud/soft and high/low his voice can go. He says "Mama" and "Dada", but we're not entirely sure if he KNOWS that we're "Mama" and "Dada". He has come up to me a couple of times today and said, "Mama", but it could just be a coincidence. 

Other than being vocal, he's still the same little dude with huge amounts of energy. He's more observant and is starting to learn cause and effect. He also tests me and Ralph by touching things that he shouldn't be touching (Sound Bar, remote controls, blinds, his stroller, my laptop, etc.) while looking at us with the biggest and naughtiest grin you could ever imagine.


He's also getting a lot better with his balance. He's always standing and side-stepping while holding on to the sofa/ottoman/wall/whatever. I'm expecting he'll be walking on his own in a couple of months, and Lord help me when that happens.


...and he's getting better with his hands. He's holding a bottle on his own, and he can feed himself Puffs. Eating Puffs on his own took a long time, and I'd say his success rate of getting one in his mouth is still at about 75%.


He still doesn't have any teeth, even though he's drooling nonstop (the heck?!). Ralph and I feel like we're living with a Xenomorph - EVERYTHING is covered in drool. Owen is still eating well and has tried a wide range of foods. It doesn't look like he's allergic to anything, not even peanuts. He DOES, however, have food aversions, and he starts stretching and turning his hand side to side to let me know he's had enough of whatever I'm giving him. He just hates green beans and peas.


As far as sleep, Owen is...not good at it. Hahaha. I don't know how else to put it - he's a terrible sleeper. I miss the days when he took long and frequent naps. I would say he takes two naps during the day, and each one only lasts like an hour or two. He hates sleeping, and he fights it all the time...he doesn't even sleep through the night yet. *Sigh* Soon...soon...


 All in all, he's a good baby. He's a little Tasmanian devil, but he's a good baby. :)


And, as always, we're making our frequent trips to Disneyland. Now that it's getting cooler (sort of), it's easier and more enjoyable to go. It is NOT fun taking a baby to Disney when it's hot.






I can't believe Halloween is NEXT week! I need to hurry up and finish our costumes. I was all over our costumes about a month ago, and I quickly got over it. I'm not good with the sewing machine, and I only learned how to use it through YouTube videos. Doesn't help that I have ZERO patience and high expectations.

Anyway, here is the "blooper reel" of this month's photo shoot. A huge shout out to Ralph for always helping me out when these photos are taken. It's not easy. Owen had a couple of meltdowns during this one.




Until next time!

Ralph's 30th Birthday

Saturday, October 10, 2015

I've known Ralph for 10 years, been with him for 9 years, and been married to him for 2 years. Do you know how many Christmases, Valentine's Days, and Anniversaries we've celebrated together? A LOT. And by now, you'd think I would've run out of things to do/buy for him, but I'm very fortunate that Ralph is easy to please and has a never-ending wish list of nerdy things he wants.

But for his 30th birthday, I knew I had to do something awesome. I wanted to do a scavenger hunt! So this morning, Owen woke up at his usual time (5:30am), and I had him wake up his dad with a birthday card. It read:

Good morning, Daddy! Happy Birthday!
Be prepared to do lots of searching, okay?
For around our home are little bags hidden,
And inside each one is a clue and a token.

These clues will lead you to your new toy.
Mommy, Wendy, and I hope it brings you much joy!
So now it's time for you to get outta bed.
The first clue is right under your head!

Each clue had a Disney Star Wars Pin. Time for Ralph to start another collection! :)

So the first clue was right under Ralph's pillow, and I had to sneak that in there right before he woke up. Here are the rest of the clues. (I had so much fun writing them in Owen's perspective!)

CLUE #1
This white basket is full
of lots of fun things.
Clue #2 may be under 
my teething rings.
(Answer: Owen's toy basket in the living room.)

CLUE #2
I'm immediately taken here
if I've had a massive poo.
Draw back the curtain,
and you'll find the next clue.
(Answer: The bath tub.)

CLUE #3
You're more than halfway there!
Isn't this fun?
You buckle me in here
when we go for a run.
(Answer: Owen's jogging stroller.)

CLUE #4
Put on your shoes.
You need to take a walk.
I'm usually strapped in here
whenever I hear the Ace Man* talk.
(Answer: Owen's car seat. In my car.)
*Ralph and I usually listen to Adam Carolla's (aka The Ace Man) podcast in the car.

FINAL CLUE
Are you getting excited?
This is the last clue!
Come back and find me.
I have something for you!

I needed Ralph to leave the apartment so I could take out his present from its hiding spot (and also to take a quick snap of this little dude.)

Even Owen helped Daddy open his present.
Needless to stay, Ralph is stoked about his new toy. I'm pretty sure he'll start building that thing later today.

After the scavenger hunt, I took Ralph to eat at Stacks Pancake House. Luckily for us, we arrived a little before 7am, and it wasn't busy at all.

Nutella S'Mores French Toast was uh-mazing.

And after that, Ralph wanted to take Owen down the street to the park while it was still cool. Of course, no one else was there, so we had the whole playground to ourselves. It was Owen's first time, and he really enjoyed the swings. Ralph and I took him down a few slides, but he wasn't really into it...but I think he was just sleepy.





AND THEN AFTER THAT...we went to Target to do some grocery shopping. So a scavenger hunt, breakfast, fun at the park, and a trip to Target...all by 9am on a Saturday. I think we'll spend the rest of this hot SoCal day indoors, watching sports and eating junk.

Oh, and HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY, RALPH! Can't wait to celebrate the next 30 birthdays (and more) with you. :)