Orlando and SeaWorld

Over Labor Day weekend we met Grandpa Grumpy and Grandmama in Orlando so the big boys could to go MACNA (Marine Aquarium Conference of North America).

Owen with Grandpa Grumpy and Grandmama

Grandpa Grumpy feeding Owen ravioli for dinner

The second evening there we went for a quick swim after dinner, before bed. This was Owen's second time swimming but this time he absolutely LOVED it. He started splashing the minute he got in the water. We also got him a float so he can just hang out in the water. He wasn't too fond of it that night but has grown to love being in it.

Owen splashing around

Owen going for a ride on Jed's shoulders

Taking a quick bath before bed playing with face wash since we had no bath toys

Grandpa Grumpy and Owen both sporting their overalls

While the big boys were at the conference during the day time Owen, Anna and Grandmama went shopping, swimming and spent one morning at SeaWorld. This was Owen's third trip to SeaWorld but he had the most fun this trip. He watched with wide eyes at every exhibit we visited and every show we watched.

Owen watching the flamingos wandering the sidewalks

Owen watching the Killer Whales at the Shamu show

Owen and Anna in a fish tank

Owen Turned 9 Months Old

We were so excited to celebrate Owen's 9 month birthday because we had several milestones to celebrate. (We apparently didn't take as many pictures this month so several are from the same day. However, it would appear that we took even few than we did, but this is not the case, it just so happened he seemed to have the same outfits on the days we snapped pictures.)

Owen a few days after his 9 Month Birthday

The weekend after Owen's birthday we met up with Terri Smith at Goodwood again so she could capture Owen's 9 month pictures. As usual, Terri did a fabulous job and some of the photos she took can be viewed on her blog. One of her signature shots are her Memory Shots and we now have one to remember Owen at 9 months. Thanks Terri!

Owen's 9 Month Memory Shot by Terri Smith

Shortly before Owen's 9 month birthday he learned how to walk along the furniture. This past month he has really worked on this and can now walk like a champ. He is so strong and has decent balance so he can even stand by himself for a few moments, or at least until he realizes he isn't holding onto anything. He walks around the house using the furniture and walls and walks all around by pushing anything that will move. A few weeks after his 9 month birthday he learned how to sit down from standing (no more falling over) and to push up to sitting from crawling.

Owen practicing standing and pushing his walker

Owen in the new fish tank

Owen cuddling with his seahorse during nap time

Owen loves to give out kisses to just about anyone he knows. Most of the time, the kisses are normal, wide-open mouth, slobbery baby kisses that he lays right on your lips. With Jed however, Owen kisses Jed's nose and sometimes locks on. It is quite humorous but a bit painful for Jed.

Owen giving Dad a "kiss"

Owen taking a nap draped across Dad's legs

Owen is still such a happy baby, unless you are withholding food. He rarely cries unless he legitimately needs something. We are truly blessed to have such a good tempered child. The poor baby is even generally happy despite teething. We knew a tooth was coming because he had been chewing on everything he could and drooling like crazy. Plus, he had a few cranky times here and there for no apparent reason, so we knew something was up. Sure enough, on Jed's birthday we woke up and little Owen had cut a tooth on the bottom. About two and a half weeks later his other bottom tooth cut through. The two keep pushing up and, if he keeps his tongue out of the way, they can be seen really well. We think the top teeth are close since he's been drooling all the time again and his gums are swollen, but nothing yet. No pictures of the teeth because he keeps them pretty guarded but we'll keep trying.

Owen posing for the camera

In addition to being so happy, Owen is often content just playing with his toys and making a mess. One of Owen's favorite games is taking all of the toys out of the basket after we put them away. One afternoon Owen was playing on the floor with his toys and as usual, he had taken them all out of the basket. He wasn't making nose banging his toys around like he usually does so we knew he was up to something. We looked down and he had crawled into the basket and was happy as could be just sitting in the basket.

Owen playing in his toy basket

Owen getting kisses from Dad

Owen playing with the PS3 controller

Jed got laid off in the beginning of July. He has a new job and was back to work in about a month but while Jed was home we pulled Owen out of daycare. During Daddy Daycare the boys had plenty of time to hang out and cause trouble. While at home, Owen started saying "da-da" frequently and started saying "ba-ba." (Ba-ba was supposed to be ma-ma but Owen just can't figure out the difference between a b and an m.) While at home he also learned how to drink out of a sippy cup and perfected his tongue sticking out skills.

Owen causing trouble

Owen working on the tongue tricks

For the past few months we put Owen in his crib to take a nap. Sometimes he falls asleep right away but sometimes he stands up, holding the crib rail, crying until he eventually falls or sits down and goes to sleep. The days he stands up and cries we often go in to check on him and find him in the strangest positions. One day he was too tired to stand up and cry so he was sitting down and eventually slumped forward and fell asleep. We couldn't resist snapping a few pictures.

Owen folded in half sleeping

Owen walking along objects

Owen sticking out his tongue

Owen chilling in his highchair

Everyone knows that Darth loves to play fetch and Darth can't wait for the day when Owen can throw his ball for him. Darth thinks Owen's ready and keeps giving him the ball but Owen isn't sure what to do with it and Darth isn't sure why Owen won't throw it.

Owen and Darth both confused

Owen having a good ole' time

Owen playing with a pillow, a common occurrence,
often resulting in him rolling around on the floor with it

Owen trying to dodge a kiss from Dad

Owen Turns 8 Months Old

Owen a few days after his 8-Month Birthday

Owen is such a fun and happy baby but he gets MAD when he wants to eat. That boy loves, loves, LOVES his food. Often, after a good meal he gets this food coma look on his face and passes out for a solid nap.

Passed out after dinner- you can even see the food cup in his right hand

You remember the Lindsay Lohan "Milkaholic" uproar from the E-Trade Super Bowl commercial. Well, I always say that we have our own little Milkaholic and here is the proof.

Owen passed out after a milk bender

Owen is such an explorer and is so inquisitive. He is always exploring new places and trying to figure out how things work. Baby proofing around here takes on a whole new meaning because he outsmarts all of our tricks to keep him out of and away from certain places.

Owen exploring the dog crate

Hanging out in the evening, Owen controlling the remote

Enjoying the outdoors, watching Jed work in the garage

Future motorcycle rider- Owen ready to go for a ride

Although we are trying to get him to sleep in his crib whenever he naps, he does occasionally fall asleep on the couch or on the floor playing with his toys. It seems there is something about sleeping in the living room that he just can't bear to close his eyes... we often find him sleeping with his eyes open. At first we thought he was just being still, starring at the ceiling fan until nothing we did caught his attention.

Owen sleeping with his eyes open, not even the flash woke him

Like a true infant, Owen has put just about everything he can find into his mouth. Plus, although his teeth haven't made an appearance they are on their way and he likes to find relief any way he can. Since his last birthday he has become a lot more mobile and is able to get to the objects he wants to taste.

Owen chewing on the foot stool

Owen LOVES the camera so as soon as he heard the click he was done with his chewing and had to pose

I had come across some of Owen's newborn pacifiers and set them aside to put in the attic with his newborn clothes and other items he no longer uses. One of them got knocked on the floor and it soon became his favorite toy for over a week.

Owen using the newborn pacifier as a teething toy

Owen sucking on the newborn pacifier with his normal pacifier in his hand as a back up

Owen has learned several new tricks since his last birthday including sticking out his tongue and saying "da da" but his greatest accomplishments were starting to crawl on all fours, pull up and transferring and walk along objects. Once he figured out how to crawl on all fours he was unstoppable, he got quicker each day.

Owen playing with the cheapest toy of all, a Pampered Chef shipping box

Soon after he learned his new pulling up skills, after we got home from work, I set Owen down in the midst of his toys and went into the kitchen to start dinner. I looked back and he was gone, I knew he couldn't have gone far because he was still a slow crawler. We couldn't find him at first but then looked under the table and he had pulled up on one of the chairs and was just standing under the table looking around. He hadn't quite figured out how to sit down from standing yet but it didn't matter, he was happy as could be.

Owen standing under the table enjoying the new views

Owen is such a smart boy, he only has to watch you a few times to figure things out. Owen knows that his frozen milk is stored in the deep freeze so not long after he learned to crawl he would crawl over to the deep freeze and bang on it when it was time to eat.

Owen on the move, crawling through the kitchen

Owen also absoluelty loves water, especially taking a bath. He can be in the worst mood ever and as soon as the water starts running for a bath and he'll come crawling into the bathroom. Plop him down in the tub and he is suddenly happy as can be.

Owen enjoying a bath before bed