Owen is three months old!

Owen turned three months on Saturday, January 29th. What a difference three months makes. He has discoverd his tounge and his hands and really enjoys sucking on both. He is also really starting to enjoy some of his toys, especially his activity gym and bouncie seat, although his favorite pasttime seems to be looking at himself in the mirror. An activity that will most likley be just as fascinatig when he becomes a teenager.

While he still hasn't entirely moved out of his 0-3 month clothes, many of his favorite items are getting a bit tight in the tummy and short in the legs. Mom has been going through his newborn stuff, packing it away and getting his 3-6 month clothes ready.

He is doing great at daycare, which makes mom and dad sigh in relief. He has no problem moving between bottle and breast, and is even getting some formula to supplement when mom is not around.


Sleep is still an issue, but getting better. Michele, his daycare provider can't believe he can be so happy on such little nap-time but mom and dad know better. There's just too much fun stuff in the world and Owen doesn't want to miss a minute of it.

Pirate or Cat Burglar? You decide

Owen's first day at daycare...

Owen had his first day at daycare on Jan. 20th. He did great - mom, not so much! It was hard to leave him with someone else, but we are very lucky to have found the perfect daycare situation. He goes to an in-home provider who is only five blocks from our house. This will be great in the summer when we can pick him up with the stroller and have a nice walk home! His provider only has four kids *two one year olds and a five month old. Owen makes the fourth child. She is a very sweet woman (I knew this when I found out she adopted her pets from the Humane Society!) who is great with the children. She has three kids herself,and they are wonderful! We feel very fortunate, as GOOD infant daycare is hardto come by here in Minneapolis.

JJ and I have worked our schedules so that he gets Owen ready for daycare in the morning, drops him off around 8:00 and then catches the bus at 8:20. I go into work at 7:00, get done at 3:30 and pick Owen up at 4:00. Working for the state and having a great boss who let's me set my own schedule is a wonderful help in getting adjusted to working life with a baby.

Owen is getting more and more fun every day. He is incredibly vocal, full of
laughs and giggles and we are pretty sure he will be rolling over soon!

"Why, I oughtta..."

Owen clearly has a future in boxing...

Another Good Night...

Owen slept soundly from 9:00 to 4:00 last night. He didn't wake again until about 7:00 but he wasn't crying so I just let him hang out in his crib and quietly wake up until 7:45.

It was great both him and his mom who really doesn't enjoy getting up three or more times a night !

Aliens have Stolen Our Baby...

And replaced him with a much happier version!

As many of you know, Owen hasn't exactly been the easiest of babies to care for. He has been very alert and active since he was born (which of course I attribute to his keen intelligence) and along with that came fussiness, sensitivity and a boy who loves to fight sleep.

Lately, since his sleeping has improved, he has been the happiest, giggliest little boy. He will sit in his bouncy seat while I clean the house, he doesn't cry with every clothing or diaper change and he seems to be on somewhat of a scheduel. I am trying to make sure he has a nap, even a short one, every two hours or so and this, along with his miracle blanket, have helped Owen to relax and enjoy himself more. I am so glad...

Unfortunately, he still gets pretty fussy at night, right when JJ gets home, so a lot of this improvement is missed by him. I am sure it will get even better though, and JJ will have more and more time to really enjoy his time with Owen instead of just trying to soothe him.

Owen Sleeps!

Last night was great. Mom had her first night out with friends (a knitting party, no less!) and Owen stayed home with Dad. While his consistent crying wasn't much fun for Dad, he did manage to get him to sleep at 8:30. Owen didn't wake up again until about 2:00. After a little late night snack, he slept again until 6:00! It was great.

He's been in a great mood so far today - and is currently fast asleep in his swing, or as I like to call it, "Mom & Dad's most prized possession."

Let's hope this trend continues!

Shark Attack!

Fortunately for Owen, his Auntie Darcie arrived in the nick of time to save him from one of Minnesota's lessor known predators - the Great Lake Shark. Owen innocently thought, being a shark himself, that he could mke friends with this unrelenting monster of our 10,000 Lakes. What a close call for little Sharky!!

The Miracle Blanket At Work

Last night we finally had some real success! Owen slept for almost six hours straight. It was great! I got up at 3:15 to feed, change and re-swaddle him and he slept again through to 6:30. Success!

Let's hope this trend continues.

In non-sleeping news, Owen is growin' more and more interested in his surroundings every day. He currently LOVES his bear mobile over his changing station, his play mat, looking in the mirror, and about 10 minutes of his Baby Mozart video. He is also starting to notice Danger and Sake. Just think, it won't be long before he's crawling around the house and chasing them!

The Great Houdini Sleeps

Despite his ability to get his feet free, Owen is doing better in the Miracle Blanket. Last night he slept from 9:45 to 2:15! After a quick snack, it was lights out again until 5:40! At that point Owen is starting to wake for the day, so he only slept for about an hour and then he and mom rocked in the glider and watched the sunrise through the windows of his room. It was all very beautiful and peaceful until the diaper blow out. Then, the warm, snuggly baby was yanked from his mom's lap only to be stripped, washed, re-diapered and clothed. This was not a peaceful moment.

The Great Houdini

Well, last night was our second attempt with the Miracle Blanket. Somehow, Owen manages to get his feet free - he is clearly channeling the spirit of Houdini, because we wrap him up tighter than Thanksgiving leftovers.

He went to bed around 10:00 (way to go JJ!) and was up at 12:30, 3:30, 5:00 and 6:00. I know he can sleep longer than that at a time - he regularly does so in the car and in his swing. We will keep plugging away, but wish me luck that it gets better before I have to go back to work on January 20th!!

Owen's birth

Here is a photo of Owen when he was just born.

For those who don't know, Owen's birth went wonderfully! Danette had been put on bed rest for swelling and high blood pressure on Monday, Oct. 26th. She was supposed to have another doctor's appt that Thursday, but instead her water broke and she and JJ headed to the hosptial. Once there, she was informed that she wasn't really dilating or in labor, so she and JJ walked the halls of the hospital (they even went to Subway) trying to get things started. Nothing much happened until about 11:00 that night when the contractions started to get pretty intense. JJ was a wonderful labor partner and with his help, and the help of our wonderful midwife, 23 hour laters, on Friday morning at 7:10 Owen arrived.

Owen at two months

JJ and I are just starting this blog with the hope that our friends and family near and far will be able to share in the joy that is Owen. Of course, we think he's pretty fascinating.

Owen is growin! At his two month check-up he weighed in at a hefty 11 lbs 8 oz! He also got his two month shots, making both mom and baby cry.

Currently, our goal with Owen is to get him to sleep in his crib. While we love having him sleep with us, he is VERY noisy and it is hard to really get any sleep. So, Danette bought a "Miracle Blanket" with the hope that it helps make the transition for him easier since he seems to hate his crib!