I have a blog?

Oh yeah. I do. Except I've neglected it for the past month. Yikes. I've gone back and forth between a) not knowing where to start since so much has happened between now and the last time I posted and b) regressing into an "I don't want to be vulnerable on the internet" phase. While yes, this blog is a great avenue for sharing my life, I am wary of potential random stalkers. Somewhat of an irrational fear? Maybe, especially when I read other blogs that document every last detail from where the author lives to what his or her kids' names are to when he or she was born, etc. At the end of the day, I'm pretty sure I only have about 5 faithful readers (hi Mom!), none of which are anywhere near being considered crazy.

The holidays were absolutely wonderful and amazing - both Thanksgiving and Christmas, especially seen through the eyes of a child. Okay - that sounded good, but really B had no idea what was going on. NEXT year maybe we'll be able to experience the joy of the seasons through her excitement once she's able to focus on more than just crinkly paper and bows that taste extraordinarily delicious.

My New Years resolutions this year are pretty much the same as they always are - work out more (I mean, start working out), get more organized, focus more on my faith which has been sadly neglected amongst all the busy-ness and distractions in my life, learn about photography, and start cooking more. I will say that I made an amazing meal last week - chicken fried steak and these potatoes plus a side of broccoli. The potatoes were to die for, and I have a battle wound in the form of a blister on my chest that I got when the oil splattered out of the pan as I began frying the steak. I was so proud - oh the sacrifice...

And lastly - I would like to happily announce that this blog has become www.stacybowen.com. My tech-savvy bro in-law purchased the domain name as a Christmas gift (awesome!!), which means that now you don't have to remember all of those dashes in between the really long title of this blog. In case you're one of my 5 readers who happens to be away from the favorite links on your own personal computer - have no fear, just remember my first and last name and you're good to go. How's that for anonymity? :-)

Naptime

Dear God,

Thank you for our precious daughter. Please teach K and me to better identify her sleepy signs so that we can put her to bed before she becomes an overtired maniac.

Amen

3-Month Photos

Now that B is almost 6 months old, I decided it's about time to post her 3 month photos. We had them done at Sears, and they did a surprisingly good job. While it took an extensive amount of time to get these photos due to editing drool off B's chin in one shot, they compensated by providing extra prints which we appreciated. Here she is!!

High Chair Cutie

FOR THE LOVE!

When I married K, I was fortunate enough to inherit what he likes to call, "Luck of the Bowen." Luck of the Bowen is a very real phenomenon involving none other than bad, bad, bad luck. This phenomenon occurs on a regular basis, and can be magnified during big events. For example, during our move it rained the entire day. Luck of the Bowen. During the middle of washing sheets / towels to use the first night we moved in, a belt popped and the dryer completely stopped working. Luck of the Bowen. This "luck" is even contagious. The morning of the move when my Dad woke up to transfer a load to our new house, his pickup wouldn't start and was out of commission for the rest of the move. LUCK OF THE BOWEN!

You can only imagine my absolute disgust, frustration, and exasperation with this stupid luck when I began to see 3 signs of RATS / MICE in our BRAND NEW HOUSE! FOR THE LOVE!!!!!! Wasn't the rat problem at our old house enough? Compounded by roaches and snakes?? That is all the vermin I can stand for one lifetime. Really, it is. Yet - oh how the signs point to the fact that we're going to have to face this problem all over again. (Insert desperate sigh).

SIGN #1:
On multiple occasions, I've heard a pitter patter overhead while both sitting in the study and hanging out in B's room. This is where the denial begins, and instead of thinking about rats in our attic, I blame it on cute squirrels prancing around on our roof with lovely acorns in their mouths. Surely it's just squirrels running along the shingles...

SIGN #2:
B and I like to sit outside on the back porch sometimes. One day last week it was raining and I had her all snuggled up in a blanket while we sat at the patio table. There really are a LOT of squirrels in our yard since we have pecan trees nearby, so we were watching them play in the trees and along the top of the fence. I'm pretty sure our conversation went something like, "B - look at that squi - AAAHHHH!!!!!" as I saw a MOUSE running along the bottom runner on the fence. It went all the way across the back, then turned the corner and went up towards our house. Needless to say we promptly ran inside and I said a prayer that the rodent was not running for cover into the same house that I was running to for cover. This one is much harder to deny, so I had to get creative and blame it on the neighbors. We've lived here for 2 months. SURELY we don't have rats or mice. Surely it's just the neighbors. Poor mice-infested neighbors...

SIGN #3:
I have an AWESOME tomato plant growing this year. It makes me so proud to know that I've kept it alive by remembering to water it regularly. I can't take full credit as my Dad's the one who pruned it back this summer, fertilized it, and selected appropriate placement in the sun to encourage it to grow. I mean really - LOOK at all this fruit and foliage!!!!


SO - in the process of getting out a little fertilizer from the garage as a snack for my tomato plant, I noticed that both corners of the bag had busted. I tried to think it was a coincidence (must just be an old bag?), but then noticed that Abby's dog food that had been sitting in the garage had a few tid bits of food laying on the ground beside the bag. Another coincidence (another old bag?), or a rodent looking for food?? SURELY a coincidence.

Everything came to a head last night when K claims he saw a rat running in our garage. On a 2nd occasion later that night when going to put out traps he said, "I just saw it jump from your golf bag to the trailer." This A) really makes me want to NEVER use my clubs again ever and B) makes parking in the garage a NIGHTMARE instead of a luxury!!!!!!!!!!!! B) makes me very sad and angry as this was one of the things I was MOST looking forward to about our new house! And need I remind you that in our old house we had a detached garage, meaning there was substantial separation from the rodents. In our new house? Oh yes - attached. Meaning you better make darn sure nothing runs inside behind you as you enter the house. FOR THE LOVE!!!

Happy Halloween!!!!

B was a strawberry for Halloween this year. We took her to the Arboretum for the mandatory new parent pumkin patch photo shoot this past weekend. Unfortunately we went during what could've been naptime, and she was having no part in smiling. The first picture is the first shot we took, and the only hint of a grin that we got.



When I said, "B - tell me how you really feel," this was her response:


You might've figured out by now that she likes her sunglasses. Really? I promise, she does despite her expression:


Daddy's little girl:


In other news, we started rice cereal this weekend. B took it like a champ, and did much better today learning how to swallow.



Ohhhh the days of vienna sausages, lima beans, and smelly poops are on the way!!!

5 Months Old

Update on the Insanity

Oh yes, the insanity continues; however, it's dwindling down slowly but surely now that we're in our new house. The move is over and done with for the most part, although we still have a few things at our old house that we need to move over. Pictures will be forthcoming. We hope to have curtains in the next week or so which will make a big difference. Of course the decor is still far from perfect, but I'm accepting the fact that it's going to take time to get things the way we like it.

We have managed to have some fun in between all of our recent craziness. It's October, which means State Fair time, which means that I'm one happy camper. We introduced B to Big Tex this year and pushed her around in the Bob. She was a champ and looooooved her first corny dog.




This is one of my favorite pictures and totally shows who she is - laid back, taking her paci out of her mouth to chew on it instead of suck on it, with her tiny toes curled around the stroller bar in front of her.


For K's birthday we made our first mini vacation to Possum Kingdom Lake. While B did have a breakdown on the way out there, for the most part she stayed on schedule and took great naps and slept really well in her pack and play. I'm sure you can tell by my really tan skin that we've been out in the sun a lot this summer. I hope my golden glow stays through the winter.


And lastly - here's a close up of her 2 teeth that are popping in. Yowza.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!!!!

4 Months Old

Height: 26 cm - 95th percentile
Weight: 13 lbs, 7.5 oz - 50th percentile
Head circumference: On a piece of paper in her diaper bag in her room where she's currently napping. To be honest I've never understood the significance of this stat...

--B's 4 month doctor's appointment went well, although her vaccines left behind some serious welts this time.
--Surprisingly, her bottom left tooth is already in with the adjacent tooth about to pop through any day now. She continues to drool nonstop and puts anything and everything into her mouth.
--Her hair color is turning a little lighter, and her eyes are still beautiful blue!! Mine were blue until at least 18 months (maybe longer?) then turned hazel-ish.
--Still loves bright colors. Is becoming increasingly aware of her surroundings and reaches out for toys, books, anything in front of her unless she gets distracted by something else.
--She's rolled over from tummy to back, but not back to tummy quite yet. I get so excited when she reaches each milestone, but a feeling of bittersweetness follows as I realize once again how quickly she's growing!!

Picture Update

New favorite chew toy? Her toes:


Love this spunky grin!


Talking to Uncle Bubbie on Skype while sitting on top of the computer desk in her Bumbo. He missed seeing her in her sunglasses!!


Tummy time and drool - the perfect combo:


Love that grin when she wakes up from a nap!

Random

1. I need to get my hair cut. K likes it short. I do too, but miss being able to put it in a ponytail if it's too short. Plus I can't stand the stage where it gets half stuck in the back of my shirt collar.
2. I think Luvs are the best diapers out there. We've tried Pampers and Huggies, but Luvs are extremely absorbent and are my running fave at the moment. While they do not have the dirty diaper indicator line, I have to say that the quality for the price is superior to all other brands.
3. B and I spent some time in the hall closet tonight for fear of a tornado striking the big D. After she started coughing I realized said closet was likely full of who knows what kind of mold and dog hair, so exited promptly. Thankfully the tornado missed us.
4. Moving puts me in a bad mood.
5. My new favorite breakfast is Boost. Yes, the drink for old people. Is super easy, tasty, chock full of vitamins and minerals, and fills me up. We've been out for a while, so I've resorted to Lara Bars. Still satisfying, but not nearly as much as a Boost. Both are usually supplemented by a glass of tea and a mid-morning brownie.
6. I am obsessed with putting frames around the plate mirrors in our new house. Don't ask me why. One night I lost a whole bunch of sleep over it. K tells me it will be 6 months before he's able to work on this project as it is not a priority relative to the rest of the items on our new house to do list. He is a good man for managing my expectations, but still - oh how the mirrors need frames!
7. Can you believe that ATT U-verse is not available at our new house? Oh darn.
8. My new favorite discovery is the drive thru teller line at the bank. I don't think I've ever used this feature until now. It is the BEST. Especially when you have a baby. And there's something so gratifying about hearing the whooshing sound as you hit the send button and the cylindrical container flies up the tube into outer space. Love it.
9. I made meat loaf and corn on the cob last night for dinner. And it was GOOD! I don't think K was as proud of it as I was, although he assured me he liked it. The secret to boiling the corn is to put sugar in the water along with some salt. And for the meatloaf I used a glaze of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and honey. Mmmmm.
10. Is it weird that I burp almost every time I'm trying to burp B? I'd like to answer yes to my own question. Burping aside, she's still my favorite:

B's reaction...

...when I told her we were almost out of peanut butter M&M's:


Time to make a Sam's run!!!!

A Smile :-)

The Bowens are stressed. I'm not gonna lie - having a baby, renovating a house, and having a husband switch jobs all at once is too much. K thrives under pressure; however, he admits he's reached his breaking point. Did I mention we have too much on our plate? Yet there's nothing we can do about it now as we find ourselves in the thick of it all except to persevere and endure.

And cling to the edge of the cliff with our finger nails.

I'm exaggerating - a little. In retrospect we couldn't really have changed the timing on any of it, and once we get settled things will be worth it. We are both so ready to have a clean and organized new home. We started packing this weekend. By started packing I mean loaded up a whopping 2 boxes of books. At least that's 2 less that we'll have to pack in a week when our house is done...

In the past I kept a journal. In Microsoft Word. Typing out my thoughts is way simpler and quicker than writing with pen and paper. I've said this before, but documenting my life in general provides a written reminder of the ways in which I've grown and changed over a year's time. I used to look back and think, "What did I do this year? What did I learn? How did I change and grow as a person?" Not having a good answer to those questions often made me feel like I wasted a whole year. Being able to read my thoughts and see the obstacles God brought me to / through and how He changed my heart provides much comfort and encourages me to continue trying to live life to the fullest for another year.

SO - all of this said, I went back through the archives in my blog, mostly to see how far we've come. Instead of finding deep, heartfelt lessons that I'd typically write in my journal, I found several great posts that made me laugh. Smile. Not think about all the things on our to-do list at the moment. Just what I needed. In no particular order, these are my top 3 favorites:

"Arbuckle Wilderness...Wow! What a Difference!"

Calling All Verminators

Who says dogs don't smile?

And of course, this little girl always brings a smile to my face!

3 Months Old

Our sweet daughter is still growing like a weed and is 3 months old today - can you believe?? A few likes and dislikes at this age:

LIKES:
--Eating
--Attempting to stick her entire fist in her mouth
--Her swing
--Kicking her legs while cooing in her pack and play
--Her paci
--Being held while walking around
--Riding in the car
--Bright, colorful toys

DISKLIKES:
--Afternoon naps
--Tummy time
--Being hungry and overtired
--Losing her paci

She's mastered Zoolander's blue steel look:


And also enjoys sitting up like a big girl in her bumbo:


Her squeals of delight when she sees me peek over her crib in the morning and the way she holds onto my finger when she's nursing are 2 of the many priceless moments that I am so lucky to cherish while being at home with her all day. Thank you to my wonderful hubby for working so hard to support our family. This baby girl is the joy of our lives and we love her so unbelievably much!

P.S. Happy Birthday today, Mimi!!!

La la la!

This little girl loves to sing. I think she's going to be a soprano one day. :-)



A soprano with long beautiful eyelashes...


...and a stellar mo-hawk!

Like Uncle Bubbie...

...like BG! These 2 loooove their sunglasses!

Another House Update

Progress continues to be made on the new house, which means that my freak-out level has intensified dramatically as I realize that decorating doomsday is rapidly approaching. While I am excited for the grand finale of this stressful project we've embarked upon, I am terrified at the idea of furniture placement throughout multiple empty rooms, drapery selection for all the windows, and really just decorating in general. Oh how I wish I had even just one tiny decorating gene in me...

I have enlisted the help of my college roommate as she's quite talented at interior design, but I'm still anxious about the end result and just want so badly for it to look like it's from a magazine!!

Updates include 1) kitchen granite and backsplash, 2) stone around the fireplace, and 3) almost completed bathrooms. We are clinging to the light at the end of the tunnel!!!






And of course - what would a post on a baby blog be without a picture of baby? Here's B in a hat - what a cutie!

First Laugh!

B has been talking up a storm lately. We spend lots of time partaking in "changing table chit chat" which entails conversation, song and dance, typically following a diaper change. B has some great stories to tell and loves to coo and kick her legs while we chat.

She's been pretty camera shy, meaning that every time I try to capture one of her stories on film she becomes mesmerized by this silver object in front of her face and goes radio silent. I thought I would try again today to see if she'd cooperate.

As a disclaimer, I absolutely do not have what it takes to post a video of myself chatting in "baby talk" to my child. I respect others who choose to share this online, but personally just cannot bring myself to do it - hence the silence in the background in the video below. If you listen carefully, there is a small gasp after what I believe to be B's first laugh, and I almost - ALMOST - busted out with high-pitched praise to her for giggling right there on camera (don't worry - the moment I stopped recording my voice escalated 10 octaves and I was a baby-praising Mama). It happens right after the first hiccup. Wait for it, wait fooorrr it....

Correction

So did anyone notice that I called B's new paci an orthopedic paci in the previous post? By orthopedic, I mean orthodontic. And the "something different" that I thought was a great lifesaver has become much more work than anticipated. It's required a grand total of about 20,001 trips back and forth to B's crib in order to re-insert paci after she spits it out repeatedly and starts whining. That being said, it's hard not to melt when she gives me a huge smile from her crib and looks at me with those big blue eyes after I sweetly chastise her for not sleeping. What a little stink pot!

8 Weeks Old

Ta daa!! The last of the weekly updates is here! I will certainly continue to post pictures of B, but have decided to switch to monthly updates from here on out. Her hair is especially out of control this week, and her expression in the first photo makes me smile. "Seriously Mom? Another photo session?"

Girlfriend B continues to do great. I think she's gone through a growth spurt this week as she's been rather fussy, especially before naptime. As a parent you learn that if one thing doesn't work, you try something different. The "something different" that seems to have worked (at least temporarily) is a new pacifier. She's graduated from the newborn soothie to the playtex orthopedic paci. Has saved us from having to walk around the house while doing multiple squats in an attempt to get her to stop crying when she becomes overtired.


On a positive note, I think she might have slept through the night once this week. I put her down around 11:15 and she didn't wake up until 5:30, although in my book I wouldn't really consider night to be ending quite that early...

Mimi and Pop came in town for a visit this week which was a wonderful treat. We took B to the Farmers Market and picked out some fresh veggies - green beans, squash, the best peaches I've ever had. It's a place I've always wanted to go since living in Dallas but never seemed to get around to. Will be going back for certain.



In other news, B has mastered the art of blowing spit bubbles:


And this is her reaction when I told her we were going shopping at the mall:


I about died laughing when my brother responded back, "Whatever, I bet that was her reaction after you told her Aber Daber just farted!" Ha.