Owen, circa 1935?

I'm not sure they had 'I Love My Moms' t-shirts in 1935...but I think this is my all time favorite photo of the sweet boy (well, at least for this week). I took this photo not realizing that I had accidentally knocked my exposure off a couple of stops....it is completely overexpose but I wanted to take advantage of it. So I messed around in Photoshop and ended up with this older looking photo. Owen is sitting in a really cool antique bouncy seat that was a gift from Lisa in Missouri. Thanks Lisa - it fits Owen perfectly...in more ways than one!!

Look at these big blues (and no...I didn't enhance them in Photoshop...they are natural).

It's been a while since I've updated the blog....as usual. There has been lots going on lately with both work and in Owenville. Seems the days just fly by and there's always something that you wanted to do but didn't have time....like update the blog. Thanks Grandma for being so patient but........
we've had a lot of playing to do........and
...........playing to do.

Owen has been sitting up on his own for quite a while now. He only tips on occassion but if he is really focused on a toy, it doesn't even phase him. He's been doing the best thing lately - after a bath when we have him on his changing table...he pulls his towel over his face and waits for us to start the whole "where's Owen? has anyone seen Owen?" game. When the timing is just perfect (some times we have to ask the question at least 5 times), he jerks the towel down and giggles. He'll then do it again and again and again and again and again.........

We had the perfect weekend day yesterday. We all hung out, Owen took his nap, we played outside on a blanket and then Owen got to wear his new helmet and ride in his new bike seat. At first, he wasn't a fan of the helmet but after some adjustments and us explaining that we all have to wear helmets when we ride bikes, he was finally OK with it. It was a nice warm sunny day...we rode the bikes to the park and did a little swinging. It was a good day.

Not only did Owen get a new helmet and bike seat but he moved up to a big-boy car seat!! No more facing the back of the car....he sits tall and faces forward. He LOVES it! Sorry no pictures of him in his big-boy seat.

After Grandma Cindy left, Owen got really sick...the first time. He eventually got an ear infection and had to go to the doctor. That's ok because at almost 9 months old, that's not bad. Most kids battle a ton of different things during their first 9 months. Even when he's feeling miserable, he still tries to smile and be happy. It is so sweet. He's back in business now....happy and giggly all the time, eating tons and working on his vowel sounds (and sometimes 'esssss' not Y).

Today, I walked in the Minnesota AIDS Walk. It was cooooollllldddd and a little rainy but overall it was a great day! Our team, AIGA Minnesota, raised $5,685.00 (mostly thanks to Jay and Jim) and I personally raised $615.00, which made me third highest. A big THANK YOU to everyone who donated!! Your tax-deductible pledge will help support HIV education, advocacy and outreach efforts throughout Minnesota. We were #7 on the top 10 teams that raised the most money (there were only 7 of us total. Some companies had in excess of 50 team members and didn't raise as much as we did). Can't wait 'till next year....perhaps you could join us! Here's a picture of the AIGA Minnesota team (please excuse my ugly hat...but it was raining).










Happy Birthday today, Eric.

I miss you.