It feels like the last day of school before summer vacation...

I can't beleive that April 30th is here...and almost over now!! Since January, when I officially made the decision to request a long, long, long leave of absence from work, and since March when I learned it was approved, I have had this day marked on my calendar and counted down toward it. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my professional life, will dearly miss all of my work friends (many who feel like family--{except for the one that is family--won't miss him since I see him every day}), and will miss my clients. BUT, I love being a Mama, too and am so excited to have this opportunity!

Today was not as emotional as I thought it may be....I have been very mentally prepared for it, I guess. AND, I still have one more month of being on call to support my team if they need me, so it isn't over, over. But, I won't be going back to the office. At least, not until September 2010....that's a long time from now!!

Tonight, some girlfriends and I went out to celebrate my last day in the office and Shanon's birthday!! What fun!!!

The pic of all five of us came out blurry...the waiter didn't focus on us ;-) But, here we all are in two separate pics...

Shanon {happy birthday!!} and Erin {cute hair, BTW, forgot to tell you tonight}

me, Val, and Megan!

So fun! Girls, I am so excited to join the ranks of the SAHMs!!! -- now, if we can only get Shanon to join us!!

To the team formerly known as Team Stroud... I appreciate so much having had the opportunity to work with all of you. You guys all rock and I will miss the most *important* parts of the job, like....the buckets, Keno, team meetings {such as those had on the top floor of the Dunhill in Charlotte}, the *awesome* Madlibs {should I post the all-time-best-one--you-know-where ___ rescued ___ from a sinking car--on this blog?} and, well, a lot more that I just can't think of now cause its late. You all are awesome and I know that Teams Hoyt, Meli, Collins, and Manning will make the Top 10 Teams list in an Annual Meeting in the not too distant future!!

I do have a beautiful vase to remind me of all of you daily--thank you so much!!! I LOVE it!!!

Off to bed now! I have a big day tomorrow...my first day at home with Owen, full time!!

An hour in the life of Owen...

My entire life, I have been told that you can read me like a book. Apparently, I am quite expressive ;-) and don't have to even say what I am thinking most of the time. I think Owen might have inherited that same trait....see what you think...

All of these photos were taken within a one hour time span. See if you can guess the thought/action/activity... My best guess* is below each photo. Enjoy!

(*)Obviously, when it comes to what he is thinking...I am going out on limb here and guessing that since I am his mama and have learned to read him and was watching the boy in action when the photos were taken that I know his thoughts. I could, however, be wrong. Maybe he will correct me in 10 years or so, when he is reading this post from whatever form of Internet we have then...will this be archived somewhere for him to find? Who knows....

Back to the game...

Photo #1.

1. "I am ready to go outside and Mama isn't moving fast enough...even more frustrating? She has that darn camera in her hand."

Photo #2.

2. Watching the ball roll under the couch and wondering when it will stop and if Mama or Daddy Q will help him get it back.

Photo #3.

3. Clucking his tongue...this photo was snapped "mid-cluck". {I had to look up how to spell tongue...tricky, that word!}

Photo #4.

4. Calling Bubba...frustrated that Bubba (fka Tobie) isn't responding ;-)

Photo #5.

5. He was walking 'round and 'round the coffee table...then, an idea struck him, he smiled, and ran off....

Photo #6.

6. Bracing for a big lick from Bubba {ahem} Tobie.

Photo #7.

7. Just enjoying the feel of the water on his little hand...

Photo #8.

8. I have been trying to get Owen to blow on dandelions...here, he is blowing on a stick (hard to see because of the collar on his shirt)...just a plain, stick...nothing really to blow here...hum.

Photo #9.

"Mama just told me not to throw this rock. The last time I threw a rock, I landed my sweet little self in a time out. Should I throw it or should I not?"

Photo #10.

10. Yay!!! A lift from Daddy Q so I can make a "Gooooaaaaalllll". The thrill of accomplishment is sa-weet!

And that, blog readers, was an hour in the life of Owen.

These boys are such good friends...

N came over to hang out with us tonight...and boy, did we all have a great time! N is such a sweet, well mannered little man. Daddy Q and are hoping he rubs off on Owen a little bit more ;-) I took a few pics while the boys played tonight...here is our evening in snapshots.

Both boys looking at the camera....
Both boys NOT looking at the camera. Daddy Q was making N laugh. O was checking N's shoes (he is really into shoes lately....last night he brought mine to me, gestured for me to hold out my foot, and proceeded to put them on me...)

Owen wishing he was just a little bit taller...

N doing his very favorite thing to do at "Arah's House".

Both guys playing with the balls...N started using the word "goal" tonight every time he threw the ball. And, if Owen missed...N would say "almost, Owen Michael." So cute!N with the basketball...

just a sweet smile from a sweet boy....

The boys digging in the dirt. They "took turns" being in charge of the pail. They would take it from one another in regular intervals...neither got mad...so, I assumed they had worked out some sort of system. Well...after a few times of taking turns, when Owen went to snatch the pail from N, N said "No, Owen Michael." Owen looked at him, let go of the pail, turned around and said "Oh, Bo-ble" in the most disgusted voice he has and walked off to play with his balls. It was HILARIOUS. But still...no tears from either boy ;-)

Owen upset that his ball blew away, "uh oh"....

Then, it was dinner time. It is quite obvious that N has some serious table manners.... He didn't need that stinkin' bib...no wonder Mom didn't have one in his bag. This little man makes very little mess.

N, the neat one...

O, the messy one...

O finished eating a good 10 minutes before N. We got him cleaned up and let him leave the table. I asked N if he was ready..."No, Arah. Still Eating." Okay, buddy. So, N ate and ate. O kept coming up to him with toys or to talk to him...he would say "No Owen Michael. Still Eating." Mom was thinking "Yeah, Owen. Big boys take their time and don't make such a mess....are you getting all of this???"

I was so looking forward to giving these boys a bath together. I had my camera ready, loaded the tub up with bubbles (to avoid getting too many body parts in the photos & for some added fun), fetched the toys from upstairs, and filled the big tub for the big event. only problem... O has NEVER had bubbles in his bath and they completely FREAKED him out. He screamed and screamed and screamed. So, he got a really quick bath and then N got to enjoy that big tub all to himself!!

Thanks for letting us keep N tonight! We all had a blast and can't wait to do it again. Daddy Q thinks N is going to want to come over for dinner every night just to watch the show that Mr. Messy puts on.

So, the next two photos are from last night. Daddy Q and I were in the office with Owen while I edited pics I took of Kim, Eric, and Baby Rider who is still in the belly! Owen saw my video camera, picked it up, and did this...

Such a clever one, that Owen!!

Being little is tough...

I get weekly updates from babycenter.com for Owen and Baby Q2. The update for Owen this week was: "Being little is tough, especially when someone bigger than you dictates what you'll wear, and when you'll take a bath, go to bed, and eat meals. One of the only ways your 15-month-old has to assert herself is to say "no" or refuse to cooperate. To cut down on the number of no's you hear, try to limit your own use of the word — toddlers are great mimics, after all. You may be pleasantly surprised by the results."

At Owen's 15-month pedi appointment, I was told that it was time to start time outs. Hmm. I thought, Owen doesn't really do anything that is "time out worthy". Since then, with the help of family (you know who you are), I have learned that maybe there are a few "limits" I ought to set for the little guy. You know...make my house just a little bit less of a "yes" house and not let O get away with EVERYthing. For pete's sake, we re-named the dog to Bubba, 'cause that's what Owen calls her...it's cute!!!

So, oppposite of babycenter.com's advice to not say "no" so often...I am on a quest to say it at least once or twice a day...

After listing Owen's "offences", we decided on the following changes:

1. He can't play with the telephone {I really will miss this, I found it was so funny watching him dial a crazy long, say 173 digit, phone number just to be told by the operator to hang up and try again...I find humor in this...strange, I know}

2. He can't play with the remote {I saw the consequence of this action being that he turned off the t.v. show he was watching. No more Elmo?....that's the effect of causing a change in the channel, my little man...your learning here).

3. He can't use mama's electric toothbrush on the various fixtures in our bathroom and bedroom to make fun, silly sounds that make him belly laugh.


Though they may sound trivial, those are three pretty big changes in our house as these are "toys" that became favs of O's.

But, guess what, Owen has been fine with this. He gestures toward the phone, I say "no, we don't play with that any more {cause Grammy and Dr. Kessinger said no ;-) }, but you can play with insert any of Owen's actual toys here." He truly has been okay with this for a week straight. Hmm...I guess limits are working.

You know what the hardest adjustment for Punkadoo and me has been? The doc encouraged me to encourage him (read this like "help me, help you" in Jerry McGuire) to use his words. So, instead of responding to the grunts, gestures, or sounds that he makes {and that I have learned the meaning of}, he needs to use his words. This has resulted in more intense tantrums than I thought a 15 month old would be capable of. He screams, throws himself on the floor, pouts the biggest pout in Texas, and cries, cries, cries.

Mama watches, and in the most patient, loving voice I can find {75% of the time -- I use the exhausted, stressed voice when the nicer voice isn't to be found}, I encourage him to tell mama what he wants.

Well...last night was a break through. He wanted chips and queso. I got a tantrum and a half. After encouraging words ;-), I got a look of confidence from him, followed by "cracker?" Close enough, little man! I can work with that a lot better than I can the tantrum. I said "Oh, you want a chip." Here you go, Owen. He then held it toward the queso, sans tears. I held the queso out to him. He dipped, and all were happy.

I am sure that being little is tough, but I am *surer* that being mama to a little 'un is tougher ;-)

Baby Q2 Update

I had my 28 week doctor appointment today. My midwife wanted to schedule a C-Section in the event that I don’t go into labor on my own. She didn’t want me to go past 39 weeks, and the 4th of July holiday threw a wrench in the timing. Got the news later today, that Baby Q2 will be delivered on June 29th, at 12:30. So…unless I go into labor on my own before then, that is when we get to meet our new little boy or girl!!

I really would like to have a VBAC, and will do a trial of labor if I go into labor on my own before 6/29 {maybe on 6/28--Grammie and G.G.'s shared b-day?!?!}, but I don't feel like the odds are in favor of this! I will say that having a date has given me a new level of excitement--I was pretty shocked by my reaction since I want so badly not to schedule a baby. I guess the facts that -- I cannot wait to meet Owen's little brother or sister, cannot wait to hold a newborn in my arms again, cannot wait to watch these two grow up together, cannot lose sight that having a healthy baby is way more important than having the birthing experience I really hoped for, AND, the end got 2 weeks closer {which is 2 less weeks of pregnancy in a Texas summer} ...made this pretty darn exciting news to me today.

Yay!! Can’t wait to meet Baby Q2! I have a strong feeling it’s a boy {not that it means much, since last time I had a strong feeling it was a girl--I think my "maternal instinct" is broken}.

10 weeks to go!!!!

We have lots of fun news to report...

...but, no pictures to go with it.

First, Paw Paw Mc's big bass did win that tournament!!! It was such an exciting weekend for him and the rest of the family. {so exciting that I left home sans camera} We listened to 105.1 - a Lufkin station - broadcasting the event as we all drove toward Sam Rayburn in hopes that Larry's fish would stay the largest and leave him on top of the charts! It did. There were a couple of other 10+ pounders weighed in on Sunday ... they weren't as big as Paw Paw Mcs, but they made our hearts stop a beat or two!

When we finally got there, it was 2:00 and weigh-ins were over. So, we got to just hang out and wait to find out what all of the prizes were. Owen's Paw Paw Mc is now the owner of a massive R.V., new Dodge truck, new boat, and a Stealth. Wow-wee. Now...how does one get all of those "toys" home with them? ;-) Good thing we did make the trip. Grammie drove the "old truck" that followed Owen and I in our car, which followed the Daddy Q in the Dodge, which followed the boat, that was pulled by the R.V. Can you say hilarious. I totally, totally HATED not having my camera for this adventure. Good thing Paw Paw Mc is famous now. You can see photos on these sites (the first one has a pic of the whole family in front of Paw Paw Mc's winnings!).

http://www.fishingworld.com/News/Read.php?ArtID=000025118&BID=000032122

http://www.sealyoutdoors.com/

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=localnews&pnpID=974&NewsID=958026&CategoryID=20207&on=1

{even ESPN ran a story about Paw Paw Mc!}

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/fishing/news/story?id=4081742

Wow! Paw Paw Mc, that is one big bass!!!

You think I'm big?

Well...check this out!!! http://www.sealyoutdoors.com/
and this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvMrsWrL5TI&feature=channel
Paw Paw Mc caught the biggest bass of his fifty year fishing career today!
Yay, Paw Paw Mc!! Here's hoping that fish is big enough for the tournament win!!

I may be pooped by the end of tomorrow night, but I will be there to cheer you on!!!

Love,

Owen

We took a little drive today...

Today, N, his mom, Owen, and I took a little drive. We loaded up and headed to Kilgore for lunch and a little play time with our respective families. After lunch, Papa Tex and I took O to the park. He and I took turns manning the camera, so {seldom as it is}, you get to see me in a pic playing with the little man. Here are the images I liked the most from our afternoon!

Owen on what I think is an older-than-me bench. Dad said I probably sat on it when I was little. I bet he is right! I will have to remember this bench for future trips with more camera equipment (I only had one lens, and would have LOVED to have had my portait lens with me).

Owen handing Papa Tex a bit of mulch. Thanks for sharing, O!

A moment with Papa Tex behind the camera when Owen decided to stand still and look that way...rare indeed.

Owen sure did enjoy the "big boy tire swing." I wasn't sure if he would hang on tight...but, he did!! He came back to these over and over and over!!!

It was a quick trip, but lots of fun! Can't wait to do it again, Papa Tex!!!

Owen's Easter entourage made for a fun-filled weekend...

Friday morning, while I should have been preparing for the arrival of Owen's Entourage, I took him to North Park Mall for a photo op with the live bunnies. N's mom and I thought we would be smart, get there when they first opened, pop them onto the "set", get a photo snapped, and be on our way so we could each prepare for our guests. Well....after nearly 3 hours of waiting, we finally got to see the Easter bunnies. Cute photo...but, not sure it was worth the stress of having lost 4 hours of preparation time for the guests--we had dinner at 9PM. Oh well!!!


G.A. Julie was the first to arrive, followed by Grammie and Paw Paw Mc, who were closely followed by G.G. (Great Grandma), Great Aunt Dona, and Cousin Hunter. We had so much fun and are so thankful to everyone for making the trip to our home to share the holiday weekend with us!!


Saturday, Daddy Q's Birthday, was a fun-filled day! Many of us went shopping for a bit. Then, we all headed over to the park to feed the ducks!! First, O wanted to play a bit. Do you see what I mean by Entourage? Look at all of the people looking at O. This little guy was truly the center of attention for 3 days straight! As if he isn't spoiled already!
N and his Mom, and her 2 nieces joined us for a while. Owen and N were eating the duck food....pretty darn hilarious! Here they are...N with a biscuit and O with a flour tortilla. Funny boys! N looks about a foot taller than O in this pic ;-)

The boys have started sharing with each other...O is offering him a bit of tortilla--I think N is laughing at him. I would have, too, N. Why would you want a squished tortilla? What was O thinking?

Tortillas are gone...now, he's eating the bread ;-)
Entourage, Take 2! Paw Paw Mc went and woke up some ducks so we could feed them! Then, some dude caught a fish, so Mc took him over to touch it. The rest of us watched ;-)

Grammie and Paw Paw Mc played a bit of ball with O. This really is his very favorite thing to do!

That night, we cooked the same meal that Daddy Q and I learned at cooking school last weekend. The fam wanted photos of the food, so here goes!!

The salad...red lettuce and watercress with herb dressing.

The main dish...chicken with a tomatillo herb sauce.

The side dish...Veg and Potato with an Herb Marinade. Yum, Yum!!

Last, but certainly not least, we had Daddy Q's B-day cake!!! Thanks for having a birthday, hun, so that we could have cake!!!

Sunday morning, Owen discovered that the Easter Bunny had come to see him, leaving behind presents!!

After church, I tried to get some photos of Owen with various family members. It is really hard to get Owen to be still and look at the camera these days. But, for Easter. Really, Owen, couldn't you have given me a little something to work with? Oh well...here's what we got!

Owen with the Grandparents, Take 1....{okay, this is just so funny that I can't get too upset}

Take 2...it'll have to do....

Then, after O's nap, we finally got to hunt some eggs! But, between finding the snacks inside and stopping to eat them before moving on, the Entourage to play with him, and all of the balls in the house that needed playing with...egg hunting didn't last long.
It was a fun five minutes!!!

How do you think Owen is going to adjust to sharing all of this attention in 3 months???