Maxwell Christmas Photos

Here are the pictures from our time with Scott's family. Kate does a great job of capturing everything, so she burned us a CD of a zillion photos. Just four posted here to give you an idea of our time.

Owen enjoyed his lunches in Grandma's High Chair. Carrots and Sweet Potatoes were both big hits.

A rare family photo after brunch with Scott's family. It was fun to see Cousin Chris, since we visited with her in San Diego when I was pregnant.

Opening presents on Christmas Day at the Lake. Shoes from Aunt Kate.

Favorite Toy #2 - the Cement mixer. Owen is still playing with it every day - it won't be long before he's pushing it across the floor.

Christmas Summary

I'm a little slow getting pictures posted, but we had a great visit to Seattle for Christmas. Thankfully, my two biggest worries were put to rest on the first day. He did great on the plane (only cried the last five minutes during landing) and went to bed without any problems at my parents house.

We felt so well cared for the whole visit. Scott's mom is stocking up on baby gear, since she's going to have a local grandaughter in April, so she provided us with a travel crib and high chair. My mom rearranged her art room to give Owen his own space and stocked it with diapers and food, so we didn't have to hit the store.

Our events included:

• Scott had breakfast with the guys.
• I took Owen to meet Amy and Sam and Colleen and Luke. Love my girls! We missed you Liz! Why didn't I take a picture??
• Annual party with the Montessori families. Yes, the families that I was in preschool with. This was a year of wine, engagement celebrations (it's about time) and gift donations to the Ronald McDonald House.
• Brunch with Scott's extended family.
• Christmas Eve with my family. Aunts and Uncles got to meet Owen. Opening presents.
  
• Christmas Day with Scott's family. Lots of food and relaxing at the lake
  

Owen was certainly spoiled with wonderful presents. I'm thrilled that he got so many books, so I can start reading something new. His two favorite toys were a soft book with rubber handles (for biting) from my parents and a toy truck (cement mixer) from Scott's uncle Conrad. Here's pictures from the time with my family. I'll post the pics from the Maxwell's separately.

Montessori Party - Despite predictions, Owen didn't spew on anyone all evening.

Can you believe we've been having a holiday party with these families for over 25 years?!

Nana teaching Owen to play the drums - he loved it and now is banging on our tables, counters, etc. Cool noises!

Christmas Eve walk in some rare Seattle sunshine.

Favorite new toy #1 - the soft book with chewing pieces. This one came back on the plane.

New Design

I'm working on a new blog design. So far, just pilfering from other blogs, but I'm determined to get into that HTML book and figure some stuff out. I'm sure it will be a constant work in progress - but it's fun to learn something new...

Best Toys Ever

No matter what you get a baby, they will always decide what they consider a toy. Owen's current favorites are the Christmas oranges on our counter and his rings. Oh man, those things are amazing. You know the linking rings you use to attach toys to your crib, play bar, or car seat? Owen could care less about the toys, but a string of rings - pure heaven! They make rattle together, fit in his mouth, have lots of colors - what more could a baby want. Owen got a huge pack of new rings for Christmas and gets these huge, wide eyes ever time we hand them to him. So cool - so cheap!

He Provides

After my ranting post the other day, I heard a nice reminder on the radio. The DJ was saying, instead of laying in bed at night worrying (it won't change anything), think about your blessings instead. I leads to a better outlook and a much better night's sleep.

Well, yesterday evening, I got a call from my boss. Our company set aside some $$ to reward people who could work some extra hours in December to help us hit our year-end numbers. Since I'm just a part timer, I only put in a couple extra hours (like maybe 4 over the last three weeks). Anyway, Russ was calling to thank me for doing my part and let me know that my "thank you" check was in the mail. I figured it would be $50-$100, but no. It's basically the exact amount of the vet bill I had to pay the other day. I nearly fell on the floor. Hurray! A weight lifted and the reminder I needed - He provides.

Santa Came Early

Since we're headed to Seattle for Christmas, Santa paid us a visit on Sunday during Owen's nap. We felt kind of silly having an actual present opening with a 5 month old, but Owen totally surprised us by really paying attention and enjoying the experience. Mostly, he wanted to eat all the wrapping paper - shiny, crinkly, so fun!
Santa brought Owen the high chair I posted about earlier. Also, lots of supplies for eating - spoons, bowls, sippy cups. Scott got Owen his first Bible and some new toys. Despite his lack of income, Owen also managed to get presents under the tree for both Scott and I . Apparently he shops at Barnes and Noble because he got Scott the Dangerous Book for Boys (Check it out if you haven't heard about it). and he got me a book on HTML, so I can learn to do cooler stuff with this blog.

Of course, Scott and I also exchanged gifts, but our focus was certainly on the baby. I'm so excited that he's starting to really pay attention to the world around him.

Urgh...

Just because I have to vent...
- I have a cold that won't go away.
- Our car just went in for the 4th rediculously expensive repair service since we bought it in March.
- Pippin the cat got sick last week, spent 4 days at the vet, and still isn't better. I had to drop him back off this morning. The vet bill is climbing by the day. How much is a cat worth?
- Our hospital bill for Owen's birth finally came - thankfully our insurance is good, but that's one more thing for the credit card bill in the same month as Christmas and the items above. At least we have a milage card...
- I got all my Christmas cards stuffed and addressed last week, but I decided to go the "easy" route and order stamps online. They're still not here. Come on, I ordered from the POST OFFICE - just drop them off with the mail!

On the plus side:
- We found a baby-sitter and were able to attend two holiday parties last week. Tonight is Scott's work party, so we're getting out again. The blessing of having a baby that goes to bed at 7:00 and sleeps awesome.
- We had Christmas at our house on Sunday - great photos when I get around to it.
- We're headed to Seattle on Friday for nearly a week. We're looking forward to seeing friends and family, celebrating the holidays, and having a nice break from work.

Time to Eat

Today at daycare, we started a real effort to get Owen eating some solids. We think he's been fussy lately because he's not satisfied with just a bottle, so Miss Megan gave him a lunch of rice cereal. He ate it up! The result: a wonderful day at daycare, a happy, laughing kid this evening, and a pleasant bedtime routine. I guess we'll keep working on the feedings.

In some ways, I'm excited for Owen to start exploring new foods. On the other hand, it's a little sad to realize how fast he is growing up. We're prepared though. Santa already delivered Owen's Christmas gift - a high chair. Looks like he has a little growing to do before we'll use it. Thankfully we have a bumbo chair and his swing that should work for feedings for now.

Oh, and here's why we had everyone giggling and pointing at us when we walked around the Christmas Parade this weekend. Scott got lots of comments about his "two heads," but Owen was warm and happy the whole time we were out.

Five Months Already?

Can it really already be December 5? Owen is 5 months old today. When he was born, 5 months seemed so far away. For some reason, a 5 month old baby sounds ages away from a newborn. It's amazing to me that we're already there. Sure enough, Owen is changing before our eyes, and is so incredibly different than the baby we brought home from the hospital. I tell Scott that he's not a baby baby anymore - he's now a growing infant.

Just in the last week, he's really starting to work on rolling over and is getting close in both directions. We're also seeing more of Owen's personality. This picture really says it all. He gets so excited when he's wiggling around on the floor, trying to stand on our laps, or getting ready for a bath. I LOVE his squeals and giggles.

Finally, here's a picture of our whole family at Thanksgiving. Owen had all his grandparents, aunts, and uncles in one place. Scott's Dad made a great dinner, and we found enough chairs for everyone to get a spot at the table. It was fun to spend a weekend with our family and introduce Owen to his Uncle Todd (how crazy does that sound?!). We're thrilled that Ryan and Sara are expecting a baby in April, so Owen will have his first cousin. And, it's a girl - hooray!