October 29

Our first snowstorm of 2011 was the first time that Owen was able to really play outside in the weather.  He was not a big fan but only because Owen does not like shoes and curls his toes whenever you try to put shoes on.  So as you can imagine, boots were not a big hit!  We got him outside for a little anyway, he just couldn't walk very well.  On the other hand, Gavin thought this was the best day!  He was helping Daddy use the snowblower on the driveway, and building snowmen & snow angels, but the most fun for him was running across the driveway and jumping onto the pile of snow created by the snowblower.  He would have stayed outside forever if we would have let him.

Owen's first time playing in the snow!

Brotherly Love!

Gavin is giving his devil smile under that mask.  He thought it was great that he could throw snowballs at Mommy & Daddy.

Gavin helping Daddy with the snowblower.

Owen's 1st Birthday!!

I cannot believe that over a year has passed since I had my second little boy, but it has and it has been a great year!!  It is amazing how different a second child can be from the first yet they look so much alike. 

Owen

• has 6 teeth now.
• is 21.5 lbs. (his 12 month checkup is next week so we will get an accurate height then)
• has been walking since 10.5 months.  This kid doesn't sit down!!  
• is quite a monkey - which is why this was the theme of his party!  He climbs on everything so we have to watch him like a hawk. If you turn around for one second, he is walking on the end table. 
• has had no problems adjusting to daycare.  He seems to love it and we have not had any meltdowns (from him) when I have to leave and go to work.  It certainly makes having to go to work much more bearable.
• LOVES the tub!  He can play in there forever, but when he is done, he will crawl out himself if you don't get him.
• LOVES to eat!  There is nothing so far that he doesn't like.  Recently, we just found out how much he likes tomatoes. 
• LOVES Gavin!  He follows him everywhere (which I'm sure will get old for Gavin)  and loves to hug Gavin.  They are really good buddies right now.  I can only hope that continues!
• is a dream to get to sleep.  After tub time, we snuggle for a few minutes while reading a book, then he simply points to his crib, cuddles up with his blankie and is off to sleep until at least 7:30 the next morning (unless I have to wake the poor kid up for daycare).

I am so blessed with my 2 boys and I can't believe that they are both growing up so fast!  Here are some 1st birthday pictures!

I bought this hat for Owen at the Covered Bridge Festival at Knoebels at the beginning of October.  I thought it was so cute!  Gavin had a prince hat so it was nice to have something that was just Owen's.

Hats are not really Owen's thing, but he is getting better.  He did leave this one on for a little!

Owen's special sign.  That hair is still crazy. I  think that it's a good thing that I didn't have a girl because I couldn't control Gavin's and I obviously can't control Owen's either.  His will be shaved by next year like Daddy & Gavin!

Hannah loves to wear the boys' hats.  Check back to the Christmas blog to see her in Gavin's Bears' helmet!

Owen likes attention!  He loved being sung to.  Thanks to Hannah for helping out so I could video tape!!

Owen's monkey cakes - of course they were banana flavored (which Owen loves by the way).  The top was for everyone and the bottom was Owen's to dig in to.  Unfortunately, he didn't actually dig in, but he did have some icing on his face.

Our boys certainly do not want for anything thanks to great family and friends!  Here is just a snapshot of his presents.  Of course he is going to be well dressed as well and he got a Cozy Coupe from Mommy & Daddy which we opened back in September so he could enjoy some time before the cold weather.

Great Week for the Boys!!!

This week has been momentous for my boys.  Gavin scored two goals in his soccer game on Tuesday and Owen clapped for the first time today!  I'm so excited for them.  I will attempt to post the videos soon!

Disney!!

The week of July 16th was such a great week.  We took the boys to Disney.  Of course this was crazy to take a 9 month but luckily he was such a good boy.  We went because Greg is taking classes to get his doctorate through Nova Southeastern University and had to attend a class during that week.  If Greg was spending a week in Florida, then we were certainly going with him. Luckily, my parents and brother went with us so when Greg wasn't there, I had help (and we appreciated the help when Greg was there too!).

The week was special for so many reasons besides just being in the most magical place in the US.  Greg and I celebrated our 8th anniversary, my brother, Aaron, celebrated his 29th birthday, and Owen turned 9 months old.  Owen got his second tooth on vacation as well.

Saturday

We arrived in Florida about 12:30 and Disney's Magical Express wisked us away to our hotel, Port Orleans - Riverside.  We didn't even have to claim our baggage.  They collected our bags for us and brought them to our room.  The only problem with the hotel was how far you had to walk to actually get to our room and they didn't seem to take into account that since I had an infant, I would in turn also have a stroller.  Unfortunately, we were on the second floor and there were only steps to get there so it was a little difficult but still very nice.

This was waiting on our bed when we got to the hotel.

We went swimming that afternoon and then got ready to attend the Hoopty Doo Revue.  It was a great show and dinner and a nice way to start the week.

 This was a funny place.  They slammed the bucket of chicken in front of Gavin so he thought the entire bucket was his and he didn't want to share.

Sunday

We started by eating breakfast at the Contempory Resort at Chef Mickey's.  Here the kids met with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto.  Gavin was very excited though disappointed because he was very much looking forward to see Daisy Duck so she could blow him a kiss.  Sometimes I wonder where he comes up with this stuff.  Owen enjoyed seeing Mickey and Goofy, but while I went to get us some food and my mom stayed with the boys, Minnie snuck up behind him and gave him a big hug.  This did not go over well and every character scared him to death!  Poor little guy.

Gavin loved every minute of the attention and Owen was fine until...

... Minnie attacked.  Gavin was trying to comfort Owen - it is really sweet how protective he is.

The way to Owen's heart is definitely through food.  Any girl that wants to marry Owen in the future will have to be a chef.  These Mickey-shaped waffles were his favorite!

Donald snuck in for a quick picture, but ... 

... Pluto was not as slick.

This was also our first trip to the Magic Kingdom. Gavin went on every ride even Space Mountain and Splash Mountain - not much scares him.  He really loved the Buzz Lightyear ride of course.  The greatest part of the Magic Kingdom is how family friendly it is.  Owen went on a lot of rides.  I was so worried that he would have to sit in his stroller all day, but he went on many.  We all loved "It's a Small World."  Gavin sang the song all week and Owen didn't know where to look since there was so much happening.
 

Gavin finally got to meet Daisy.  She did blow him a kiss.  Owen was exhausted from breakfast.

Waiting for Gavin and Daddy to get off a ride, Owen finally shows off that first tooth. He loves to wave hi and bye bye right now!

The boys were exhausted from a very long first day in Florida.  We were waiting for the electric light parade.  Gavin woke up to see it - he loves parades.  Unfortunately, it was too much for Owen - he slept right through it.

Gavin loved all of the parades, but this was his favorite!

8 months old - UPDATE

On June 22nd, Owen turned 8 months old. He is getting so big. Since then - Owen finally got up to crawl on his knees and he finally said Ma Ma. I can't believe that he is starting to talk. He loves to chase the cat around the house, the pool, and anything active. He still doesn't have any teeth, but I am hoping he gets them soon since he chews and drools on everything. He is generally happy and loves attention from anyone! He is already a ham!!

Happy Baby!!

Practicing crawling.

First time in Grammy & Pap Pap's new pool.

Happy Father's Day at Quaker Steak & Lube!!

Owen can't sleep without his favorite blanket! Too cute!

July 4th

The Fourth of July was a weekend event for our family this year. There was a lot going on and despite not getting to bed until very late each night from Friday to Monday, the kids were awesome. It is so exciting to share all of these first holidays with Owen and Gavin continues to party hardy!

On Friday, my mom, brother, and I took the boys to Gavin's favorite spot - Knoebel's. I love the Friday night bargain prices. You can't beat it. Gavin is such a dare devil. We don't even venture to the kiddie section anymore. Gavin's favorite ride is the Phoenix. Usually this is a Daddy and Gavin event, but since Daddy was umpiring a game, Mommy was allowed to go with him. We sat in the very front and if I wasn't with him, he would have flown right out of his seat. I was scared, but Gavin decided that it is more fun if he doesn't hold on, so I was holding on to him for dear life! Can't wait to see what he will want to go on in Disney World!

Saturday was spent with great friends. We all went to Autumn and Nick's house for the steak night we have wanted to do for 2 years! The food was great and the company was even better. Dominick and Penelope's new swing set is awesome and all the kiddos enjoyed themselves. We even topped the night off with smores and fireworks. Unfortunately, Owen and Penelope fell asleep before the show, but Dominick and Gavin enjoyed it!

Sunday was fireworks night in Ashland. We took a walk to get some light up swords for Gavin and his friend Jake, and my Uncle Jim got Owen a light up spinny ball thing that he absolutely loved! There were some personal fireworks set off before the actual show started and Owen finally got to see his first fireworks. He thought these were great! He sat with Aunt Brenda for Ashland's official show and though he loved the bright lights, exhaustion got the best of him and he fell asleep on her lap.

Finally, Monday was July 4th and we started the day with swimming lessons at Knoebel's. Since many kids didn't show up because of the holiday, Gavin got a lot of personal attention. He learned to float on his back today and enjoyed going down the slide a million times and going underwater. As I said before - he has no fear! In the afternoon, we went to my parents' house for our traditional family picnic and though we were missing some cousins (we do miss you guys!!), we still had a great time swimming, eating, and playing with sparklers!

Me and my Boys!!

Hannah posing with Owen and Penelope!

Owen and Gavin enjoying the slide with Aunt Teri.

Owen and Pap Pap watching Gavin with the sparklers.

Gavin enjoying the sparklers that Daddy got for him.

Swim Lessons

Gavin has been attending swim lessons at Knoebel's pool this summer. It is 2 weeks long for an hour every day and it has been great! They do a great job with the kids from beginners to advanced and it only costs a dollar for the entire week! BEST VALUE EVER!!

Learning to kick on the side of the pool.

Having fun jumping in. I'm surprised that he allows them to catch him because he loves to go underwater.

Learning to float. This is the third time trying. The first two didn't go this well, but he eventually got the hang of it.

Having alligator races in the shallow water.

8 months old!!

I can't believe it, but Owen is 8 months old today!!  Where has the time gone?  He is getting so big and doing so much.  On June 5th he said da da and on June 14th he waved bye bye.  I forgot how cute these little milestones are.  He loves Gavin more than ever and is determined to do everything that he does.  I only hope that using the potty is one of those things that he wants to do as badly. He is still army crawling, but has perfected this and can get anywhere he wants.  He also has gotten great at pulling himself up - especially in his crib.  He first did this in May, but has added cruising around the furniture as his favorite past time.
Owen also loves to eat.  Even though he has no teeth yet, we have started giving him some table foods simply because he will grab it right off your plate if you don't give him something.  Tonight for his 8 month milestone, Gavin got ice cream with sprinkles and Owen shared a watermelon italian ice with me.  He loved this!!  I can't wait to see what he will do next.

Pictures

We were able to get Gavin's 4 year old pictures and Owen's 6 month old pictures at the same time. Gavin's eyes weren't quite healed, but he is still adorable. Owen was also very personable this day and very cooperative - thank goodness!

4 Year Old Stats: 45 lbs. (96th percentile); 45 inches (98th percentile)

6 Month Old Stats: 16 lbs., 13 oz. (35th percentile); 27 inches (60th percentile)