Smiling!

Though Owen is still challenging our patience with prolonged crying, we've been trying to capture his smiles on camera.

And finally...

Styling Slim II

He made it! Owen is now wearing "real" outfits. Granted, these are the newborn size clothes, but he's getting pretty close to fitting into the 0-3 month sizes.

I've been going to "mom's mornings" group on Tuesdays with a great group of new moms. Yesterday, the 4 of us had kids at 10, 9, 8, and 7 weeks. It's pretty fun to compare the kids - Owen is by far the smallest, but he is also the strongest. He started rolling himself over this week. The first couple times, we thought it was a fluke, but now he will do whenever we put him on his tummy in a good mood. He pulls his head up so hard that his arms get stuck under his chest, and "plop" he's flipped on his back. He did it at mom's group yesterday (such a show-off), but I think it must be way easier to move yourself around when you're so small. I'm trying to capture it on video...

The Big Switch

Last weekend, we switched Owen over to cloth diapers. We're making the switch for a bunch of reasons that I won't go into here - there are about a zillion websites already doing that. I've been pleasantly surprised by how many other people are also using cloth. It's not just the hard core hippie environmentalists.

We laugh because the cloth is so much bulkier than the slim little disposables. The bulk is helping Owen fit into his clothes better!

Here are the answers to the first questions that we're getting:
- No, there are no pins. Cloth has come a long way since we were kids. We're inserting the cloth diapers into waterproof wraps that have velcro closures. Easy.
- No, we don't have diaper service. I'm attempting to launder myself. The first batch turned out okay, but I'll be perfecting the system for a while.
- Yes, we're still using disposables for trips, daycare, and just long stretches out of the house. Who wants to tote around a bunch of soiled cloth all day?
- No, regular baby stores don't really carry the supplies. We have one store in Bend carrying diapers and wraps, but hooray for the internet - Green Mountain Diaper rocks.

In starting cloth, we got two great pieces of advice to help set us up for success:
1. Use disposables for at least the first couple weeks after you have the baby. Don't try to figure out how to take care of a newborn and launder diapers at the same time.
2. Give yourself a break and use disposables when needed. Don't be so hard core that you can't throw on a disposable when you'll be out shopping or whatever.

We'll see how this goes. If Owen starts looking supper skinny in his photos in a few weeks, you'll know we've given up, but I'm encouraged to know that others are cloth diapering with success.

Styling Slim

I know that every baby is sized differently, but clothing Owen has been a bit of a challenge. We have been blessed with drawers full of clothes for the first year, but it's taking a while for Owen to grow into those sizes. He was an average length, but super skinny when he was born. Only "narrow" clothes seem to fit. Thanks to Dan and Jill (see below) for hooking us up with a pile of Gerber onesies. I can't wait for him to start wearing real outfits. For now, we improvise. I think Nana Sue and Grandpa Kirk will approve of this "soccer player" look we threw together on Sunday.

Each One Unique

Our friends, Dan and Jill, had a little boy on August 9. Joseph is exactly 5 weeks younger than Owen. While Owen weighed in at a mighty 5 pounds, Joseph tipped the scales at 9. Everyone was really surprised including Jill's doctor who asked, "Where were you hiding him?"

Joseph is already too big for some of his clothes, so Dan and Jill handed them down to us. They are just the perfect size for Owen. I told them, I would have to pull out the cute "summer" clothes that are the 3 months size from Owen's drawers and "hand me up" them to Joseph. Too funny.

We took comparison shots at church on Sunday: Joseph (1 1/2 weeks) and Owen (6 1/2 weeks).

Carole

My friend, Carole, was down over the weekend from La Conner. Quite the trek for her, but it was really fun to catch up. We learned that, while she gives it a good effort, Carole is not much of a dog walker. She better keep that teaching job! We also learned, that the two of us on a walk, talking, while wrestling the dog and stroller are not very good at following trail markers. Third time's a charm!

Hooray for the...

Pacifier!

We were trying to be sparing in our use of the pacifier (or "binky" - do we have to use that word?). Then, a friend's mom gave it to Owen in the middle of the day this week and he sat happily in her lap - awake and NOT crying - for almost an hour. I'm a believer. Over the last 2 weeks, we haven't been able to set him down for more than 60 seconds without him screaming (unless he was dead asleep). Now, he will chill in his crib, look at toys, listen to a story, or track faces. On Wednesday night, I spent 10 minutes in the kitchen prepping dinner while the baby was AWAKE.

I think it's so important for him to be able to self entertain a little bit, but I had no idea how we would get there with the constant crying. Now I get it. This kid just needs something in his moth and hands to feel secure. I think he even smiled twice yesterday...

Monday








Today

Taxpayer

When we got Owen's social security card in the mail, we thought we'd take a "I'm Legal" photograph. He was sitting calmly in Scott's arms until the camera clicked, and then this is the reaction we got. I guess he's not too stoked about paying those taxes...

On a not so fun note, Owen seems to have three modes these days: Sleep, eat, and cry. We were hoping he might start working on smiling about this age, but that seems highly unlikely amid the wailing.

If he wakes up in the middle of a nap, I'm trying to let him cry himself back to sleep. It's not working too well because:
1. I'm not good at leaving a crying baby when I know he'll stop as soon as I pick him up, and
2. If he starts crying and I'm not in the same room, Hudson will position himself between me and the baby and start whining or barking if I wait too long.
I guess it's good that the dog is looking out for the baby...

Namesake

My grandparents and Ramona came down from Ellensburg for a visit on Friday. It was their first time in Bend and they were headed to Portland to see other family this weekend. This was our chance to introduce Owen to my grandpa, Paul Schwarz, who Owen gets his middle name from. It was a great treat to watch grandpa hold Owen, just as he did with Todd and I when we were first born. Owen has some big shoes to fill to live up to his namesake.

Everyone got to hold Owen. My aunt Ramona was tickled pink - she is great with this little ones and chatted with Owen while he slept soundly in her arms. Technically, she his his "great aunt," but in our family, she is called a "Super Aunt" because great just doesn't do her justice.

I've been Tagged by Kim

Jobs I've had:
babysitter, cafe worker, pool watcher (not a lifeguard, just monitored who came and went), bank teller, charity casino dealer, theater usher, nanny, engineer, mom

Places for a Weekend Getaway:
Love the Oregon Coast. We went to San Diego this year - awesome! Backpacking - though we haven't been in forever. Camping. I would like to explore more of Oregon - Hood River, the Wineries, Northeast mountains, etc.

Movies I Can Watch Over and Over Again:
When Harry Met Sally, Top Gun, Braveheart, I'm a sucker for lame movies on TV on Saturday afternoons

Guilty Pleasures:
Blogging/Reading Blogs, Television - Heroes!! Gray's Anatomy, Survivor, So You Think You Can Dance, Project Runway, and on and on. I also love reading and napping, but those shouldn't make you feel guilty, right?

Places I've Lived:
Short List: Camas, Bellevue, and Seattle, WA, Bend, OR.

Places I've Been On Vacation:
Over the last two years: Belize, Las Vegas, San Diego, Maui, and the Oregon Coast. I think our vacations will be a bit more limited and close to home for a while.

What I First Thought When I Saw Scott:
I thought he was cute and noted that he was wearing a hat from a fraternity that was supposed to have "nice guys." Of course, when I tried to talk to him, he totally blew me off. We didn't talk again for a year, then went on one date and didn't talk again for another 4 months. Not exactly love at first sight!! We will always be thankful that our dear friend, Todd, was persistent and set us up on both our first two dates - even though they were 4 months apart!

If I'm in a Jam With Scott, Tactics I Use to Get Out of the Doghouse:
Try not to get in a jam in the first place!

Favorite Foods:
Cheese, Pizza (I could eat it everyday), Banana bread, Scones, Chocolate, Coffee, Peanut butter, Salmon, Tomatoes, Sourdough bread, any dinner that involves a new recipe and fresh ingredients - makes me feel healthy and accomplished

Websites I Visit Daily:
email (multiple times a day - I'm addicted), blogs

First Kiss Location:
In front of my parents garage

Places I'd Rather Be Right Now:
Exploring the world: Ireland, Turkey, Greece, Prauge, and Russia are all on the list. Oregon Coast. Hiking in our awesome Oregon forests. It all sounds great. However, it's hard to imagine I'd want to be away from Owen. We're just getting into our groove together as I'm understanding his rhythms and learning how to be home instead of "at work" all day.

People I Tag:
Since so few people know of my blog, I don't think I can tag anyone. If you're reading and have your own blog, give this a try. Good times.

Auntie Sara and Uncle Ryan

Ryan and Sara came to visit last weekend. It was their first chance to meet Owen. Ryan unintentionally got to be the “baby calmer” all weekend – we seemed to pass the baby to him every time Owen was getting fussy. Thankfully, Ryan is a natural with the little guy. We are looking forward to a day when they have kids and all the cousins can play together.

My parents were also in town and offered to baby-sit. We dropped Owen off and had 4 baby-free hours. (This was good motivation to make sure Owen would eat out of a bottle.) Ryan, Sara, Scott and I all went to dinner – I drank a whole beer – walked through Drake Park, got ice cream, and watched the "classic car cruz" through downtown. What at treat! We're thankful to have family we can so readily trust with the baby. We're already planning our "date night" for the next time mom and dad are in town.

With visitors in town, Scott also got to show off his birthday present - a slack line. It's kind of like a tight rope, but wider. Very popular among the rock-climbing set. It's supposed to help improve your balance (duh) as well as core strength. Plus, it gives us a use for our backyard - and it's fun!

I'm Growing

Owen's growing! He weighed in at 7 lbs, 3 oz on Friday. That's 40 percent weight gain in just one month. Look at these comparison shots...

Just Call Me...

Did your grandparents have their own nicknames? When we were growing up, we called all our grandparents “grandma” and “grandpa” somehow managing to avoid confusion over who was who. Sure, we sometimes asked my mom if that was the “Arizona Grandma” or the “Thanksgiving Grandma” but we figured it out. In other families, every grandparent has their own nickname – pop pop, nana and papa, oma and opa if you’re Scandinavian, maybe baba and dadu if you’re Russian. Sara’s mom was Grandma Cha Cha for a while. Do people name themselves or do these things just evolve? Only time will tell…

Grandma Sue or Nana?

Will Grandma Ethel get a nickname?

One Month Old!

Here are photos from Owen’s first month. It seems strange that one month ago we were trying to delay meeting him as long as possible. Sometimes I still can’t believe that he is a permanent part of our family – that 2, 5, or 15 years from now he’ll still be running (or lounging) around our house.



Reading Harry Potter with Dad...


Getting close to a smile... We love this face.

First Photos

Here are a couple of our favorites from Owen’s first week… At only 5 pounds, he seemed to sleep at every possible opportunity. He's still a great sleeper, but is starting to have more wakeful moments. It's nice to know that he feels secure with us...

He seems to already enjoy the sun, and it's a pretty sure way to calm him down by getting the sun to shine on his little head.


This is my all time favorite so far... "Zonked Owen."

Finally Committed

Well, as a compulsive blog reader, I figured the time would finally come when I would create a blog of my own. Having Owen seems like the perfect reason. We can post photos for friends and family, and I have a place to ramble about our cute boy and our confusions (and confessions) of parenting . We’ll see if I really have anything to write about, but at least I’ll have a place to post photos on a regular basis.