Memorial Day Trip to Chicago

This past weekend we traveled to Chicago to see Brian's extended family. I have to confess that I was really stressing over flying with an infant. What if he cried for the entire flight? What if everyone on the plane hated us because we had the crying kid? We waited until the last moment possible to board the plane. The only person behind us was a father traveling with his little girl who looked to be just over 1 year old. He must have had the same idea as us....keep our kids off the plane as long as possible. As we walked down the aisle to find our seat you could just see the look of terror on people's faces, wondering if they would get stuck sitting next to a crying baby. I suddenly felt guilty for all the times I, too, sat on a plane and grumbled under my breath about the crying child behind me or the little kid kicking my seat.

All of my fears were unfounded because Owen did AWESOME!!! He ate and then slept for a little bit and then was cheerful for the rest of the flight. He was passed around to many people throughout the weekend and handled it like a champ. Brian has a wonderful and large family. :) It was so good to see them and introduce them to Owen. It was a highlight to introduce Owen to his great-grandparents and to see cousin Kelly for the second time. The boys were so cute together! Grandma McHugh keeps buying them matching outfits that make them look even cuter. We took over a hundred pictures of these little guys together! What a blessing to be a part of such an amazing family.

We love Owen....and Penn State!

Aunt Megan came to visit last weekend and loves taking pictures of Owie. She just emailed these to me last night. Could he be any cuter?? I don't think so!

Hmm.....

This morning I went out for a run with Owen. We passed a man wearing a tight blue sweatsuit. He was walking two dogs, listening to his ipod AND smoking a pipe! I thought I was juggling a lot by holding my ipod in one hand and pushing the stroller with the other. Now if only I could walk dogs, while pushing the stroller while wearing a tight blue sweatsuit......skills.....that would definitely take major skills.......

Dear Owen,
Yesterday was my first Mothers Day as your Mom. I got pampered and celebrated all day. As I reflected on the day I recognized that without you there would be no celebration and pampering for me. You have filled my life with more joy than you know. I love being your mom and getting to spend every day with you. In the morning you always wake up with a pleasant spirit and just lay in your crib making adorable noises. When I come in to your room to pick you up you get the biggest smile on your face. What an awesome way to start my day! Your smile melts my heart. All it takes is one look from us and you get a huge grin across your face. You have had some issues with allergies and reflux and yet you have still managed to have a peaceful and happy demeanor. I know when I don't feel good I am not half as cheerful as you have been! I enjoy watching you discover new things like your hands and feet. You are not one to really suck on a pacifier but you seem to love sucking on your hands. Daddy seems to think you will be right handed because you seem to suck on that hand more than your left hand. We will have to wait and see if he is right. No real words come out of your mouth yet but you seem to have plenty to say to us. You babble and coo more and more each day. You and I have daily conversations where no audible words are spoken but they are some of the best conversations I have ever had.

Being your mom has already shown me how often I fall short and how imperfect I am. I have been praying that God helps me to walk in todays grace instead of living in yesterdays mistakes. You are a forgiving little guy and never seem to notice when I am in a bad mood or when I don't do things right. In spite of my many shortcomings I pray that you would grow up to know that you are loved by a God who formed every part of your being in perfect fashion. He loves you more than I ever could and I hope that through my love you are able to catch more of a glimpse of God's great love. I am so excited to walk through life with you. I dream of all the things you will get to do with daddy and I. We will surely take trips to the park, sing silly songs and dance around the house. You are a joy to me and you will always be a sign to me that God is faithful and he answers our prayers. I love you Owen. Thank you for making my first mothers day and my life such a wonderful experience.

Love,
Your Mom

The Best Mothers Day!

This was my first official Mothers Day as a mom and it was awesome! I have the best husband and son in the world. The day started with a five mile run. Brian found a new trail that we will surely visit again. We ran in the early morning sun with a beautiful creek to our left and farmland to our right. We may have burned calories by running but we consumed way more than we burned throughout the rest of our day. :) We got home and Bri made us pancakes with peanut butter syrup and bananas. We then took a nap while Owen napped and afterwards got ready for the day. The three of us did a little shopping and then got Qdoba burritos for dinner and ate at a nearby park. The night was topped off by a cheerful Owen getting a bath and then Brian and I munching on some brownies with soy ice-cream. The soy ice-cream was thanks to poor Owie who can't handle dairy. But seriously, the soy ice-cream is actually pretty good.
I love my boys a lot and am so thankful that they are what I get to wake up to every day. Thank you Jesus for giving me more than I could ever deserve!
P.S. Yes, those actually are his shorts on his head. Thanks Bri for that one!

Life Just Gets More Fun!

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Life with Owen gets more fun each and every day. He smiles all the time and talks in his own little language constantly. New sounds and pitches come out of his mouth daily. He still loves his bath time and for some reason talks non-stop as soon as we take him out and put him in his towel. I think he likes the freedom of no diaper and no clothing. :) He is moving on to 3-6 month clothing and seems to be getting bigger by the day.

With the warmer weather we have been having, Owen has gotten to go on his share of runs with the jogging stroller. One of the best parts about running for me is getting to listen to music on my ipod. I love running, but I love music even more. My favorite thing is to download a new cd and head out for a run to discover what the music will gift to my listening ears. I lose all track of time and sort of forget I am even pounding my feet on the pavement. As I thought about this, I realized life with Owen is much like going out for one of my favorite runs. When I go into his room every morning he looks up at me and smiles. I smile back and realize that the day ahead is like a new song being unfolded in front of me. I am not sure what it will sound like but I know Owen will do new things and I will get to discover more of his sweet personality. I may love music, but oh little Owen how I love you so much more...........your song is sweeter than any I have ever heard before.