10 Months (a little overdue)

Our little Owen is now 10 months old. Luke and I have truly enjoyed this stage. He is playing new games everyday and making us laugh with his new sounds and animated facial expressions. Here are some of the highlights from this past month.

He is now 19 lbs 7 1/2 oz.

Owen added one more tooth, bringing the total to 8. His teeth came in out of order, and after the onslaught of teeth at Christmas, we were wondering if the fourth bottom one would ever make its appearance. Although a good month or so behind the rest, it finally popped through making for a nice even set on both the top and bottom.

Owen is a dancing machine! If you haven't caught the latest video on facebook, you should take a quick look. We have enjoyed several evenings of laughter now that we have a little booty shaker on our hands.

Owen has started to really interact with his toys. He enjoys opening books, turning pages, and babbling like he is reading a story. It sure does melt this English teachers heart! He also loves his cars. A couple weeks ago he started pushing them around the floor while making a baby motor sound. We aren't quite sure where he picked this up, but Luke has had tons of fun getting down on the floor to play cars with his little man. A toy shout-out would not be complete without mentioning his continuing love for all things electronic. During our last trip to Yakima, Owen suffered a major meltdown just 30 minutes away from my parents house. Luke's solution was to hand Owen the cell phone. He spent the next 20 minutes pushing buttons on Luke's phone while the screen would light up. Don't worry, Luke's phone was locked so he couldn't place any calls or send texts.

Owen's playtime activities have become much more interactive this month as well, with hide and seek certainly becoming a favorite. The minute we say "we are coming to get you" he darts off down the hall. Part way to one of his favorite spots he turns around to make sure we are still coming. Then, he finds the most obvious spot to hide and laughs the minute we find him. He especially loves to hide right in front of the bathroom door, in the middle of his closet, and by the baby gate in the hallway.

Although Owen isn't walking on his own yet, we think he is pretty close. He can push his toys and chairs around like a crazy man, and he is starting to stand on his own for a few seconds at a time. I can't believe we will have a wobbling walker soon.

Owen is starting to explore cause and effect. This has probably been going on for some time now, but it has really become rather entertaining as of late. He loves to hit things together, throw toys so he can watch where they land, and open and close things. It is great to watch his little mind at work, if only we knew what he was really thinking.

He is also showing a new love for climbing. Yikes! When we are on the floor, he likes to use us as a platform to play king of the mountain., and whenever he spots a staircase he b-lines it over there just so he can go up and down over and over again. Unfortunately, his new love for stairs has also brought out the tantrums in full force anytime we pick him up to move him to safer ground.

Here are some pics from our latest adventures.

Playing at the parkHanging out at Grandma and Grandpa Maissen's house

Taking full advantage of their unbarricaded stairs!

Lots to Celebrate!

On Sunday we celebrated both Luke's 30th birthday and Owen's dedication at church. The dedication was such a special event for us. Although Luke and I have the priveledge of raising this sweet little one, we also recognize that he first belongs to God. Therefore, Luke and I, along with our family members and church family, made a promise to raise Owen and teach him about Christ's love and our relationship with Him. We feel so blessed to be Owen's parents and are thankful every day that God has entrusted us with this special gift.

After church we all went back to our place to celebrate. For his birthday, Luke requested a Sunday brunch with his mom's signature angel food cake and strawberries for dessert. It turned out to be quite the feast! The afternoon was filled with relaxation, family, and of course the best entertainment of all, Owen. It was a such wonderful day celebrating the two biggest blessings in my life!