Kinda weird, but this post was originally named just "April and May Happenings", but I had a suspicion that I had already named a post that...which I did last year. Heh. Guess I get lazy at blogging in the month of April. ANYWAY...Happy Belated Mother's Day to all the mothers out there! Last year, Owen was only a little over two months old (and I was still on maternity leave) when I celebrated my first Mother's Day. Now that he's over a year old and I'm working as a part-time nurse, I now realize (MORE THAN EVER) why Mother's Day exists. It really is the hardest job out there; however, being a mother is the best thing that could have ever happened to me.
For Mother's Day weekend, we went to Grayson's first birthday party on Saturday, had dinner with my family Saturday night, then had lunch with Ralph's family on Sunday. I'm not sure why, but I barely took any pictures this weekend. The heck was I thinking?!
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Grayson (on the right) was born on STAR WARS day! You know who else was born on Star Wars day? ...
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...Owen's cousin Max (little boy in the firetruck on the right)! This was taken a couple of weeks ago at Christopher's birthday party (Owen's other cousin). Christopher was born on Earth Day. :)
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Christopher smashing his cake! His birthday party theme was Where the Wild Things Are.
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It was also my mommy's birthday in the beginning of April. Lots of special events this past month!!!
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Okay, now that this post is officially all over the place, I think now is a good time to jump to Owen's updates:
Eating
Owen continues to be a good eater, and we're very fortunate that he still likes his fruits and veggies. Sweet potatoes remain his favorite food, and they're the first thing he goes for (and finishes) before he even looks at the other stuff on his plate. Oddly enough, he likes peas and green beans, which he NEVER liked in pureed form. And because he's not averse to veggies, I don't really have to "sneak" them in his foods anymore (like spinach in his omelette, or sweet potatoes in his pancakes)...though I do make him green smoothies every so often.
Sleeping
Owen having a sleep schedule and sticking to it is--for lack of a better term--awesome. Nap times aren't even a battle anymore. All I have to say is, "Owen, ready for a nap?", and he heads for his bedroom. It almost worries me how well he eats and sleeps...because I'll expect it from the second child, who, of course, will probably be the worst eater/sleeper ever. (No. Do not read between the lines. I am not pregnant.)
Being Bad Playing
So...Owen's idea of playing is doing things that drive his Mama and "Datton" (that's how he says "Daddy") up the wall. Here's a list:
- Taking all the small toys from his toy bin and throwing them at Wendy.
- Bringing pillows into the bathroom.
- Dipping his hands in Wendy's water bowl.
- Pulling all the tissues from the Kleenex box.
- Attempting to dump Wendy's kibble from its container.
- Pulling his dad's socks out from our closet.
- Opening and slamming shut cabinets/drawers.
- Opening the pantry door and taking out his snacks.
- Pulling the kitchen towels from the oven handle.
- Attempting to run down Wendy with his scooter.
Poor Wendy, right? At least Wendy gets to eat all the food he drops on the floor....
When I need Owen to sit down and relax (like when I'm doing chores or just NEED a moment to not chase him around the apartment), I put on Inside Out. Oh. My. Goodness. He doesn't MOVE! Unfortunately, he only likes the first 15 to 20 minutes of the movie; after that, chaos resumes.
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Bubbles are another great way to get him to stay still for more than 5 minutes.
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Talking
I knew it was coming, but I was surprised that he didn't learn this word sooner - my son knows how to say "no"; and he doesn't say it just once. Oh, no. He says it several times, and it's usually after WE say "no", as if he was mocking us or something. Hmph.
Other words he has learned to say are:
- "cacker" - cracker
- cookie
- Mum-mum (crackers for toddlers)
- "chee" - tree
- "buh buh" - bubble, ball, balloon, or bye-bye (he waves his hand when he says bye-bye)
- "nana" - banana
- "appuh" - apple
He still doesn't call for me, which makes me sad. He always calls for Ralph. Even when I ask him to say "Mama", he responds with, "Daaaaaatton". Whatever.
Not an Owen update...but still...
Mama's Weight Loss
With a little help of the stomach flu towards the end of last month, I hit my monthly weight loss goal (and then some). I lost 5 pounds in April, which is a total of 14 pounds since January 1st of this year. 20 more pounds to go!
Until next time!
