Welcome Piper and Lucy Lavine!

I usually use this blog to write about Owen, but tonight, I have to take a minute to welcome Piper Marie and Lucy Marie to the world. One of my very best friends had her twin girls last night and I couldn't be more thrilled for her and her husband!!! They've been down a long and difficult journey and to know that she and her babies are safe and healthy is such an incredible relief. Both babies are around 3 1/2 pounds and are doing wonderfully. They are in good hands in the Children's NICU and I cannot wait to meet them. :) Jen is like my sister and I am so excited to be an honorary Auntie to her girls and her angel baby, Sam!

I've said it before, but We believe in Miracles!!! Congratulations Jen and E - we love you guys!

Playing with Friends

Today our friends Nick and Ev came for a playdate with their twin boys Ayden and Zander. Owen had a lot of fun.....

Sharing the horsie with Zander and AydenClimbing on the horsie

Showing Zander the lights on the stereo

Taking all of the books out and playing with the remotes with Ayden And finally, enjoying a snack

Growing Up

We were talking at Ronda's today about how much the boys have grown and changed since this time last year. They are all walking, chattering and enjoying their time together. Today they went to the puppet show at the park. Apparently Owen was quite a ham! He got up and danced and sang and when everyone clapped for him, he clapped too. Ronda said he was the star of the show.

Liam, Owen and Sully this time last yearLiam, Owen and Sully today

A Masterpiece if I do Say So Myself!

On Friday, Ronda had Sully and Owen fingerpaint. They both did a really good job and she named each of their paintings. Owen's is Ketchup Meets Mustard on a Grassy Knoll. Watch out, this one might be on auction for millions in a few years!

Another Fun Playground

We tried out a new playground by our house yesterday and it was so much fun! They have a lot of unique, different toys to play on, plus there was a huge open field that Owen LOVED walking around, chasing me and Paul.

Chasing my DadaThis mulch is hard to walk in!

Weee! Weee! Weeee!
Look at these fun things!!!

Me and Dada on the merry-go-round
One of the world's best sounds...Owen's giggles are pretty cute too! ;)

Our Little Chef

Owen loves to play with wooden spoons and pots and pans lately. I usually will put some little thing in the pot for him to stir around. This weekend, I was looking for something new and fun to put in the pot, when I ran across a bag of marshmallows that had been open in the cupboard for a little too long. They were a little hard, so I figured they make a fun noise when he "stirred" them around in the pot. Instead, this is what happened...

A Date with Momma and Nah-Nah

Ronda needed today off, so I stayed home with Owen. We had a day packed with fun! First, we went to the park and met up with our friends Jen, Ben & Norah. A group of their friends from their ECFE class meets each week at a different park and they graciously invited us to join them. Unfortunately, Owen was getting pretty sleepy, so he was whiny. He took a nap and ate lunch, then it was off to pick up Grandma for a trip to the zoo. I kept telling him that we were going to get Grandma and he kept saying "Nah-Nah," so I think that is now her name!

Checking out the mulch at the playground

Getting a closer look

Watching for seals
Hi little seal!

I love giraffes!
Me and Nana riding the train
Weee! This is fun!

Riding on the carousel with Nana

15 Month Owen

Owen had his 15 month well baby appointment yesterday. His pediatrician is very pleased with how well he is doing. He weighs 24 pounds, 10 oz, putting him in the 50th percentile for weight. His head is 19", putting him in the 80th percentile, and his height is 32.25", putting him in the 90th percentile.

He got 7 teeth between 10 months and 12 months, but hasn't gotten any since. His doctor said he has another one just about to break through. He's become a fairly picky eater. He LOVES, LOVES, LOVES berries, but spits out peas, green beans and beets, which he used to gobble up as quickly as we'd put them on his tray. He does however, try to eat rocks every chance he gets!

Owen walks everywhere now and hasn't crawled at all in the last two days. It's so hard to believe!

He loves to dance, kick a ball, push his lawn mower and play with his baseball bat. He loves to look out the window and even attempts to say window. He never minded the grass until last weekend. All of the sudden, he hates it! One day at daycare, they played outside and he sat on his butt, holding his legs up the whole time.

I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by. He's not a baby anymore, he's an active, happy, little boy who doesn't sit still!

2011 NICU Reunion

Each year, Minneapolis and St. Paul Children's Hospitals join together and put on a party for all of the NICU "grads." This year it was in the grandstand at the MN Fairgrounds. It was really nice! Lots of fun activities for the kiddos, jump tents, lunch, and a chance to create a quilt square for the quilts that hang in the hallways of the NICU. I remember spending a lot of time in the hallway looking at the quilts and seeing all of the photos of kids who were either very sick or very early and then seeing photos of them years later, healthy and happy. Some days that is what helped me get through being at the NICU, just reminding me how grateful, blessed and hopeful we should be. So it was important to me to have Owen represented on a square on this year's quilt in hopes of brightening someone's day who is standing where we once stood.

The start of the 2011 St. Paul NICU Quilt

Meeting up with Micah! He was born 3 weeks after Owen and has had many surgeries. He also goes to the same pediatrician as Owen does, so we catch up with them once in awhile. So glad that he is healthy and doing so well now!! He has one surgery left and then he should be done!

Sleeping in an isolette for weeks as a newborn...

Checking out an isolette now as a big boy!

Meeting Stella the doggie, one of the volunteers at Children's Hospital - he loved her paws!