6 Month Favorites

6 Months Old

I took Owen for his 6 month check up last week and he checked out great! He had to get 3 shots this time :( but he was a trooper. These shots didn't seem to bother him as much as his 4 month round which was great. He is doing so well! He now loves to get up on all fours. His Noni says that he's doing the "downward dog" Yoga pose, it's so cute :) He has started playing games with us too and it's so adorable. He will make a "ha" noise and then wants you to do it back at him. Then he'll do it again and loves to go back and forth with you saying "ha" over and over. He gets really excited about new things these days and wants to touch everything and everything he touches goes in his mouth of course. He also has a little "mischievous laugh" too. When he's gotten into something new and interesting (and something he probably shouldn't be in, like the trash can!) he will make a funny little excited type laugh. Any time he does this I know he's gotten into something that I better get him away from. I discovered this new little trick this morning while he was playing at my feet in my room while I did my makeup. He was right under me, but he moves so fast and before I could blink he was over at the trash can trying to pull paper out of it. It was quite funny, but I'm onto his new little scheme so next time I'll know when he's up to his little mischief!

6 Month Stats:
28 1/4 inches long-97th percentile
15lbs. 12oz.--25th percentile
44 cm head circumference--50th percentile

Solid Foods that Owen's eating these days:
Rice Cereal
Oatmeal Cereal
Sweetpotatoes
Squash
Greenbeans
Peas
Apples
Bananas
Pears
Prunes

Movin' Right Along!

Well, I think he's got it! I dunno if this is "technically" considered crawling, but it's close enough for me! Here's a video of Owen that I took while we were playing in his room this morning. We have discovered that if you put an interesting toy (or any shiny object really) out in front of him, it motivates him even more to get to it. We discovered this last Sunday while both sets of grandparents were over for dinner. The remote control was out in front of him and Owen was bound and determined to get to it! Good grief, he's already trying to be in charge of the remote control, haha :) He is going for his pirate hook in this video, a toy given to him by my good friends Stephanie & David. He loves this thing by the way! It has a little handle on the inside and he can grab onto it perfectly...with close supervision of course, it says ages 3 and up on the label, but as long as I'm right there with him, I've let him play with it a few times already. I'm sure it will grow to be a favorite toy as he gets older! Thanks so much Aunt Steve & Uncle Jones, we love it already! :)

Laid back week

Well, there's not been a whole lot going on around our house this week which has been a nice change from the past few weeks. We've been spending a lot of time at home lately--me catching up on housework (ick!) and Owen practicing sitting up (he hardly ever falls over anymore) and attempting to crawl (he still hasn't quite mastered it, but so close). He has also learned a new trick: how to "blow raspberries" as we always called it growing up. He sticks out his tongue and blows, making a "pffft" noise. He thinks it's quite amusing too as he always laughs afterwards. We laugh too, of course, as everthing Owen does these days is cute to us :) Hopefully it will be a while before he realizes that he can do it while he's eating and make a HUGE mess! Speaking of eating (and huge messes!) this child is not a neat eater, at all! At first, he really was, but not now! Owen is forever trying to grab the spoon or bowl out of my hand and he's constantly grabbing big handfuls of food, which he always seems to promptly smear all over his face. Oh well, I guess it allows for some cute photo opportunities :)
Fingerpainting with sweet potatoes, niiiicccee.....

This past Saturday my dad's side of the family got together to celebrate my grandmother's 70th birthday. We surprised her and I think she had a wonderful time. Some of her friends from Florida even came up that she hadn't seen in over 20 years. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of Nonnie (what we call my grandmother) and Owen together, but here are a few that I got of him in the pool with Geebee.

August Favorites :)

ALMOST got it!

Owen is soooooo close to crawling! He now gets up on his hands & knees and rocks back and forth. He even moved his knee forward the other night just a little bit. It's only a matter of days and my little man is going to be MOVING all around the house! He is just so adorable when he gets up and I can just see the determination and concentration on his face. I just watch him with so much joy as his little mind works so hard at trying to work together with his body. I am excited for him because I see the desire he has to move and I know how close he is to realizing this goal, but at the same time it's a little bit bittersweet because I realize he's no longer my tiny little baby. Besides, once this child starts moving, he's not going to stop--and I have a pretty good feeling I'm not going to either! :) Off to baby proof my house, but here are a few shots of Owen in action that I took yesterday...

WATCH OUT WORLD, HERE I COME!!!

5 month post

Like I mentioned in my last post, I've been so busy lately! I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and blog so I'm catching up now (sorry this post is almost an entire month late!)...

Owen is getting bigger and bigger every day and I swear that child wakes up with new tricks every morning. He is ALMOST crawling and I can hardly believe it (not quite sure I'm ready for it either!) but he cannot be stopped, that boy loves to MOVE! He can sit up unassisted for a good 30 seconds or so now. As long as he doesn't see the cat or dog and get so excited that he falls over! He loves his animals and is forever reaching out to them and talking to them. Margo (our dog) loves him right back and always wants to play, but Delilah (our cat) isn't quite sure yet. That may be because Owen has reached out a time or two and grabbed HUGE handfuls of her hair--for some reason she just doesn't seem too crazy about that ;)

Loving on Margo

Look what I can do!

He is eating quite a variety of solid foods now and is doing very well with them. He has 3 little "meals" right after his 7am, 1pm, and 7pm feedings. He is now eating rice cereal, sweet potatoes, squash, bananas, & green peas. I am going to start him on avocado this week too. He loves to eat in his high chair and tells me all about what he's eating. He talks with his hands just like his mama :) which occasionally gets a little messy when they get in the way of the spoon!

I love my cereal...

...but it sure is messy!

Owen's newest thing is sucking his thumb. It actually surprised me that he's just now taking up thumb sucking at almost 6 months old, but it just started last week. He does it especially when he's tired or hungry, but he will put his thumb in his mouth just about any time. I may not love this newest "trick" later on, but right now I do...he's just so adorable when he does it! So precious :)

Sitting up AND sucking my thumb at the same time, am I talented or what?! :)

No surprise here, but EVERYTHING goes in the mouth these days! I really have to watch out what I put near Owen because before I know it, he has it in his mouth. The other day we were at the grocery store and I thought I had my list out of his reach...but I was mistaken! He snatched it right out of my hands and put it right into his mouth. I had to pry his mouth open to get the bits of my list out! When everything was said and done my list was wet and slobbery and I could no longer read what I had written on it, I just had to guess what we needed :)

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Owen's 5 month stats:
weight: 14 lbs. 130z. (10th-25th percentile)
height: 27 1/4 inches (75th-90th percentile)
head circumference: 17 1/4 inches (50th-75th percentile)
*these are all "unofficial" measurements done at home & percentiles according to BabyCenter.com

Babies, Babies, Babies!!!

Between my 3 friends who had babies 2 weeks ago (all in the same week!) I have been busy, busy, busy! Katie had Catherine on 8/19, Rachael had Asher on 8/21, and a HUGE surprise Sara had Jack on 8/23-he was 6 weeks early!

Updates...
Catherine is doing so well and she is such a trooper, to see updates on her, check out Katie's blog. Please remember baby Catherine in your prayers tomorrow (Tues, 9/2) as she will undergo surgery for her CDH (congenital diaphragmatic hernia). Her surgery will be about 1:00pm.

Asher is so adorable! He had to have some coaxing just like Owen and had to be induced. He has SO much hair and it is so stinkin' cute :) Here are some pics of cute baby Asher!

Jack surprised us all and came 6 weeks early! Sara & Richard went out to dinner two Fridays ago and ended up having a baby instead! Sara's water broke while they were out and so they headed to the hospital. Her doctor tried to stop contractions so they could give Sara some steriods for Jack's lungs, but he was just so excited to see his mama & daddy that they just couldn't stop the little guy and he came early Saturday a.m. He is still in the NICU so that his lungs can develop a little more, but we're hoping he can come home really, really soon! He's doing great and has already gotten so much stronger. He is absolutely BEAUTIFUL and I cannot wait to kiss his adorable little cheeks! Here is a quick peak at the little guy and his sweet mama (who is looking absolutely fabulous by the way!) I am so excited for my wonderful friend and I cannot wait to get the boys together...I just know they're gonna be bestest friends just like their mamas!

Catherine Update

I spoke with Robyn last night and got an update on little Catherine. For the most part, it is not new information, but rather details and further explanation of what is going on with our sweet baby girl. Here is what she told me:

Catherine's lungs are not oxygenating her organs as they should and that is why she is on the ECMO machine. For those of you (like me!) who had no idea what this ECMO thing is, it stands for Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation and it takes over functions for the heart and lungs, pumping blood and exchanging carbon dioxide for oxygen outside of her body. The immediate goal and a specific prayer request is that Catherine be able to get off of ECMO as soon as possible. It is good for her while she is on it as it is providing vital oxygen to her body, but long term it is not good for her. I did a little research, and ECMO can damage red blood cells which are the cells that carry oxygen so that is one (of probably several) reasons that she needs to get off of it as soon as she can.

Also, Catherine has a weak aortic arch. This is the curved portion at the top of her aorta. I did some research on this as well, but I am quite medically challenged and could not really follow the technical definition of what exactly it does so you might want look that one up yourself if you would like to know more about it. I'm afraid I would completely mess things up if I attempted to go into any more detail about it! Basically what we need to know about this is that Catherine's lungs and heart are competing against each other rather than working together and this is quite tiring for her tiny little body. This is the other specific prayer request--that Catherine's aortic arch will strengthen so that her heart and lungs can work together and not put as much strain on her body. Originally Catherine was to undergo surgery a week from her birth, but now they are putting off any surgery for 2 weeks. I wasn't given a reason for this, I can only guess it is to allow her body to strengthen and grow as much as possible.

Catherine's condition was a bit critical on Wednesday night, but as of yesterday evening (Thursday) she was stable and doing well. Katie and Donnie have a hotel in Charlottesville so they are very close to their baby girl. Their local support team of family and friends that come to the hospital each day (about 20 people I believe!) are scattered all over Richmond (where Katie & Donnie live) and commute back and forth to Charlottesville (about 1 1/2 hours) each day. This group includes Katie's parents--Peggy & Terry, her brother--Matthew, a lot of Donnie's family, our friends Robyn, Emilie, & Shelly, and many others as well. Please also keep this group in your prayers--for their traveling safety as well as for their strength & stamina as they minister to and encourage Katie, Donnie, and baby Catherine.

Our prayers are being heard and they are working! So many praises to our wonderful and merciful Lord! Please be in specific prayer for Catherine's aortic arch to strengthen and for her to be able to get off of ECMO as quickly as possible. Also please be in continued prayer for Katie and Donnie. They are doing so well and are so very strong and such an INCREDIBLE source of support for each other.

Before they call I will answer, while they are still speaking I will hear. -Isaiah 65:24

Beautiful Baby Girl!

Catherine--a precious little miracle

sweet, sweet family

Update: Very early this morning, Catherine was transfered to another hospital 1 1/2 hours away from where she was born so that she can see a cardiac specialist. Katie & Donnie were able to go with her. When Katie and Donnie first found out about Catherine's condition their baby girl was given a 20% chance of surviving 48 hours--as I type this, Catherine is 4 hours away from that milestone. Praise, praise PRAISE our wonderful Father in Heaven! He is so full of grace and mercy! Please pray for continued strength for Catherine as well as endurance, assurance, and strength for her parents. God is so very good and He is in control!

Catherine Marie

Katie gave birth to Catherine Marie Davis last night at 10:15pm. She was scheduled to be born on Thursday, but God had other plans and she made her debut a little early. Catherine is intabated and is in the NICU, being quite the little fighter. If she continues, she will undergo surgery in a week. Please continue to pray for this sweet one and her mama & daddy.

God has a perfect plan for darling Catherine. He is in absolutely control attending to every detail of her brand new little life.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11

Jumping and Laughing

Owen love, love, LOVES his Jumparoo! He would stay in that thing all day if we'd let him. The only time he really ever wants to get out is to sleep or eat. He has loved it for quite a while, but now he's a jumping maniac! He really seems to concentrate while he jumps, you can just see the determination on his face. It is so funny to watch him go to town in it. This kid LOVES to move, he never wants to stay still! I just had to take this video of him last night jumping for his Noni and Uncle Chris :)


Also, Owen has been laughing for a couple of months now, but now it's a full belly laugh that is just so contagious! I just love the sweet, sweet sound of my happy little boy!!! Here's another cute video of him laughing at me yesterday while he was in his exersaucer (his second favorite toy). Please excuse my growling noise, but it really cracks him up...oh the things you do for your children :)

Beach Pictures

Dichiara Family Beach Trip

Last week we headed to Panama City Beach with Tony's parents, his brother (Chris), & Chris's girlfriend, Ashley. I hadn't been to PCB since high school and I must admit, that place has really cleaned up :) Tony's parents own a condo on the west end of Panama City and it's very nice. We had a great time going out to eat, taking walks and playing on the beach, and spending time at the pool. Tony and I even got some time to check out the workout facilities :) We (okay I) took about a billion pictures while we were there and even had a classic white and khaki photo session :) (I'll post some of those pics separately). The weather wasn't really sunny, which actually worked out quite nicely for Owen. Since the sun wasn't blazing down on us, we stayed pretty cool. It was a great last trip before Tony had to go back to work and we had such a nice time! Our favorite place that we ate was called Schooners. It was right on the beach and had very YUMMY food. After dinner we walked out on the beach and watched the sunset. It was so beautiful! Here are some pictures that we took... Just before sunset--Owen's face is so funny!

Chris & Ashley with Owen at dinner

Relaxing in the Adirondac chairs outside of Schooners :)

Noni & Grandpa with Owen at sunset

I love my little guy!

Here are a few others pictures that we took during our trip...

Owen discovering sand for the first time. He loved it! He wriggled his toes and kicked his feet just watching the sand move underneath him. It was so fun to watch him play in it.

I snapped this while we were taking a walk along the beach one day. I love the way it turned out!

Playing with Noni in the pool. I think Owen might be a natural when he starts swimming. He kept kicking his feet over and over. He loved to watch the reflections in the water and make lots of splashes.

Going back to the condo after swimming. I thought this one turned out so precious :) Owen loved the pool so much, I think he would have played in there all day if we had let him!

Life isn't Fair...

Life isn't fair. God never promises us that it will be. "Fairness" is a human invention. God does what's best for us and whether or not we think it's "fair" evolves from our own human perspective of things. Still though, when bad things happen to good people, many of us often cry out to God, "Lord, it isn't fair!" That's something I have been doing quite often these days.

You see, my dear friend Katie and her husband, Donnie, are expecting their first baby, a precious girl they have named Catherine Marie. Several months ago, on the day of their big ultrasound to find out the sex of their child, Katie and Donnie were given the news that their sweet baby was not developing correctly in the womb. Catherine has something called a congenital diaphragmatic hernia. From my understanding, basically that means that her stomach is growing in the space where her lungs are supposed to grow and this isn't allowing her lungs to develop properly. Her heart is also on the wrong side of her little body and I believe that this also is contributing to her condition. While she is in the womb, Catherine is just fine because she is getting all of the oxygen that she needs from her mommy. However, when she is born, Catherine faces only a 20% chance of surviving more than 1-2 days.

When Katie gave our friends this news do you know what she said? She said that even if God gives her Catherine for a few minutes, she will be the best mommy in those few minutes that she can possibly be. I have no doubt that she will either. Katie is amazing. Her faith is incredible and unwavering and though she has no idea why God has chosen this path for her, she doesn't question Him. She walks with faith and trust in our Lord. I am inspired by Katie. She truly is an amazing Christian woman.

As a new mother myself, I have been particularly burdened for my darling friend. Since she told me about Catherine in April, I have been in constant prayer for Katie, Donnie, & Catherine. Katie is scheduled to deliver Catherine on August 21st. As that day quickly approaches, I cannot tell you how many times I have cried out to God that "it isn't fair." As I hold my own healthy baby boy in my arms, tears stream down my face as I think of the possibility that Katie may not be able to experience this with her sweet little girl. Why has God chosen this path for Katie and Donnie? Why can't Catherine be healthy? It isn't fair God, it just plain isn't. God answers my cry too. His plans are far too great for me to understand and besides, He never promises us "fair." He does promise us this though, that no matter what happens He will never leave us, never turn His back on us, and He will carry us when we need Him too.

God may perform a miracle and heal baby Catherine. He may not. I don't know what is going to happen. I do know that it will be exactly God's perfect plan though. For now I passionately pray for my sweet friend and her family. I ask for your prayers as well. If you would like to read more about Catherine Marie Davis, you can visit Katie's blog. She has written letters to her baby girl and she posts them on her blog. Katie is an amazing writer. More than that though, she is an amazing, amazing Christian and I love her dearly.

Owen's Baptism

Last Sunday we had Owen baptized at church. It was such a wonderful day! Words cannot describe how incredible an experience it was for Tony and me to stand before our family and church body and dedicate our son to our Lord and Savior. He was baptized in a very special day gown that belonged to my grandfather. He looked absolutely precious! Afterwards, we had a brunch with our family and close friends at my parents' house. There he wore another very special day gown that my mom hand smocked and made just for him. He looked so adorable in both of them, but I think the one my mom made is my favorite :) It was also my mama's birthday and she was very sweet to share her special day with Owen. It was so fun to get together and celebrate both wonderful events! Hope you had a GREAT birthday mama, I love you so! Here are a few pictures of Owen's baptism as well as some other pictures I took of him in his special gowns.

Playing with Grandpa after the service
Looking out the window with Pops
My Nonnie is so proud of Owen :)

...and so is Dean! (Tony's grandmother)

uh oh! starting to get a little sleepy!

asleep at last in Noni's arms :)

the day gown my mama made

up close details of the smocking

my Papa's gown

full shot

sweet little booties

It must have tasted pretty good because Owen tried to chew on it the whole time I was taking his picture!

4 months old

Last week we took Owen to the doctor for his 4 month wellness checkup. He checked out great and is doing so well. He did have to get 4 shots :( but he was such a trooper. I think he hated being held down on the table worse than the actual shots and he stopped crying as soon as I picked him back up and cuddled with him for a bit.

The doctor gave us the go ahead to start him on cereal, so we've been doing that for about a week now and it's going very well. He really seems to like it and has started opening his mouth for the spoon. He's even fussed a time or two when I couldn't get it in his mouth fast enough :) The other day Tony was eating some ice cream with a spoon while he was holding Owen and Owen opened his mouth and tried to take a bite of it. It was so funny! He definitely already knows what a spoon means, haha!

Some of Owen's tricks these days...
-rolling from tummy to back and back to tummy
-laughing out loud
-LOTS of babbling and putting different sounds together
-standing with assistance (I think he'd sleep standing up if he could!)
-sitting for a few seconds without assistance
-pulling his knees under him when on his tummy (hasn't quite got the strength to support himself with his arms yet though)
-lots of bubble blowing and raspberry noises
-putting EVERYTHING in his mouth!

4 Month Measurements...
14 lbs. 1 oz. (25th to 50th percentile)
26 3/4 inches long (9oth to 97th percentile)

I misplaced the sheet they gave me at the doctor, so I don't remember what his head measurement was, I'll update that later.

Here are a few of his 4 month pictures as well as some shots of him eating cereal for the first time...

my sweet angel

Something was pretty funny ;)

4 months old...already?!

Eating cereal for the first time....mmmmmm

He likes it :)