6-8ish month updates...a tad late

So I'm a tad late in getting some posts up lately...what? It's not like I'm a new mom or anything ;)

So in a cliff notes version here sums up the last couple of months.

Well if it is not obvious...our love for you continues to grow to immeasurable depths. We obviously don't have another child to compare you to but you are the most incredible baby. You eat well, sleep well, smile, laugh, and truly, truly only fuss when your teeth are bothering you...or if I don't feed you first thing after changing your diaper in the morning...you are just like your mama, you wake up hungry. You don't fuss when other people hold you and will still go to anyone right now (I'm fear that phase may be coming to an end in the next couple of months though).

6 Months:
You started food and have loved EVERYTHING we have given you. It was crazy to see it only took you about 3 days to get the hang of opening your mouth and eating. I make all of your baby food which is actually really easy and fun. You are learning to use your sippy cup and sometimes you get going that lots of water comes out and you cough/choke a tad...so we are definitely still learning that one.

Mom had her first couple of overnight trips with her friends for her 30th bday. You stayed with daddy both times and did WONDERFUL!
Here is your Aunt T visiting after our girls night out (and spoiling you rotten with gifts-she always brings you a gift!)

Mom also worked a two day course she organized for Dr. Hobar and you were such a trooper going up to the LEAP office and played while I worked (well, and you had some ladies that LOVED to love on you up there too). During the course KK watched you one day and daddy watched you the other. That was the longest I had been away from you during the day time and you did great taking a bottle from other people.

You went to your first driving range with mommy and daddy and watched us hit some. Can't wait to take you one day and watch you play.

You LOVE the water so swimming and bath time is so much fun! Here you are swimming at Sanny and BoBo's with cousin Sam

Your schedule:
Nurse 8,12,4,7:30/8
Food 5:30-6 (by the end of your 6th month you were eating breakfast too)
Wake 8
Bedtime 8ish
Napping around 10-12 and 2-4 somtimes you need a 3rd cat nap around 5:30 but we're trying to ditch this one since it is so close to bedtime
We are working on siting up...almost there. You will ROLL all the way across the room to get to something, it's so funny to see how far you can go.

Stats:
17.3lbs
26.5inches

7 Months:
You've become a pro at sucking your thumb...which is good b/c you are such a chill baby and I'm sure that keeps you entertained...but I worry we are going to have a hard time kicking this habit one day :/

You went to Bubba's for your first time! You had scrambled eggs and oatmeal and of course loved it. Who doesn't love Bubba's?

The whole Mertz Gang came down to visit which was the BEST treat EVER!!! We had SO much fun with the entire family swimming and playing!

You got to play with your cousins, Abigail and Caroline from Tulsa...they ADORE you and always want to hold you. It is pretty precious. They say you "have soft hair for a boy." We'll take that compliment :) They also got to feed you your first french fry...needless to say you loved that as well! Shocking, I know.

You had your first grocery cart ride, at Target-no less, and LOVED it! You literally squealed with excitement. Pretty sure everyone in that store new who you were by the time we were done. We may have a talker on our hands. No clue where you get that from.

You had your first airplane ride to the beach. You did awesome! You could tell your ears hurt on the descent but as long as you were taking your bottle you did fine. You ALSO did great in a new setting. Your schedule of sleeping and eating did not skip a beat at all! I was impressed (I don't think we realize how good we have it). You did great with all the new faces and places too. You enjoyed the beach and didn't seem to mind the sand (which I was worried you might not like it's feel). Although, sadly half the trip it rained so we didn't get to the beach nearly as much as we had hoped.

Schedule:
7:30-8 Wakes
8 Nurses
9-9:30 Breakfast of fruit and oatmeal or yogurt (sometimes scrambled eggs is mom is up for cooking)
10-12 nap
12 nurse
2-4 nap
4 nurse
5:30-6 Dinner of Veggies and sometimes black beans or shredded chicken
7:30/8 nurse and bed

This is how you wake up morning and after naps...how can our hearts not just swell with joy for your precious baby boy! The Lord has blessed us indeed!

As soon as we put you in your crib to sleep (nap or bedtime) you immediately reach for the blankie or lovey that KK gave you and hold it while you suck your thumb. And I kid you not, I mean IMMEDIATELY you do that, I always have to pop your thumb out of your mouth just to get your sleep sack sleeve on and zipped up. You fall asleep like a champ.

You can sit up on your own now, you still roll all over the place. You have deep belly laughs which makes our heart literally melt (although you prob started that around 5-6 months I just have never written about it I guess).

You are starting to babble. You say "ba ba" all the time. Every now and then we'll hear a ma, da, or ya. You put everything to your mouth teeth. You have even run a couple of fevers at night with it.

You also had to start on Claritin because your allergies have been insane. I tried to avoid giving you medicine for them, but your nose was a faucet, your eyes were red and you were rubbing them all the time, plus sneezing. We give it once a day just before bed and you've been on it for exactly a week and it seems to help.

Stats (a rough guestimate of mom's measuring on the home scale and measuring tape)
19.5lbs
28.5 inches

You turned 8 months 4 days ago so we don't have a ton of new info to update on that yet...we'll get to that soon (I promise I'll be better this time...I think)

One year ago...yesterday

Exactly One Year Ago, yesterday, April 16, 2012 our lives changed in an instant!

We had just gotten back from our LEAP trip to Haiti that evening and were exhausted. Blake, like the usual hard worker he is, went to go check on the pool, our garden and yard. I on the other hand went to take a MUCH needed shower and to take a pregnancy test. Thinking we were not going to be pregnant this month since we had taken that month "off" of trying due to being out of town in Watercolor for our anniversary trip and then Haiti...Little did we know our God had other plans. I knew I had to take a pregnancy test that night so I could call our infertility Dr the next morning to let them know we were ready to start our next round of treatment. I remember having such unbearable stomach pain in Haiti and praying to God that if it was my appendix (I swore it was appendicitis) that he would put off any pain or rupture until I got back to the states and could go to a hospital at home...my guess now is it was our precious angel boy finding his home in my belly. Snuggling in if you will. Words can not do justice the joy, shock, and utter surprise I felt when I saw the words "pregnant" pop up on that test. It was, next to meeting you for the very first time, the most surreal and BEST moment ever of our road down parenthood. I'm not even going to try and type anything else on here to describe that night. I just know our God is the most gracious and loving father ever. No one can fathom all that he has planned for us. Ephesians 3:20 and 1 Corinthians 2:9. I thank our precious Lord everyday for the gift of our child. I pray we never take him for granted and love him unconditionally, like our Father in Heaven does for us.


Here is a tid-bit of that night. I had some of these OSU things saved for the day when I could tell your daddy that we were pregnant & since we just got back in town and had nothing in the fridge...I went and got pizza for dinner for us from Prego's. The sono was of the "egg" that my Dr was somewhat watching that round...Blake was unable to go with me to that Dr's appt so the Dr printed it off for him since I had not had ANY type of response in the previous rounds, this "egg" was a BIG deal (apparently BIGGER than we ever knew!)

It was PERFECT! PERFECT. And thank you Lord for electronics because I have it all on video too-although I'm not sure how to post video's on blogs :/ so you just get a still photo :)



Charles Hatch Bowen. My eyes fill with tears of joy just thinking about how you were brought into our world. You are the absolute BEST thing that has happened to your Daddy and I. I pray you not only see that in the way we love you, but also FEEL it. And more than that, I pray that you know that, even though you can't see or feel Jesus, that you know that he loves you infinite times more than your daddy and I do.

Thank you Lord for your blessings, big and small.

Lately...

Yes, I am posting two blog posts in a day...Don't judge. I'm WAY behind so while I'm sitting in one spot for more than 10 minutes (outside of eating a meal) I am getting this checked off my to-do list :)

Here's the cliff-notes version of our month thus far :)



Arboretum for KK's bday

Blake and I-He was in HEAVEN with all those flowers!

Hatch and his girlfriend-Libby

Happy Easter!


Sanny introducing Hatch to the duckies that are being added to the Bowen's backyard pond :) Can't wait for him to play with them in the years to come!


Hatch's first Easter basket



Hatch and Cousin Sam = Best Buds and lots of fun play dates






Almost rolling over...



Exersaucer time


He's started teething...you can see his bottom right tooth coming in. Praying all his teeth come in with as little pain as possible.



Belly Laughs After Bathtime

Bathtime


Naptime with Daddy




We celebrated our 4 year anniversary with an overnight staycation! My husband is the most incredible man and father. Words do not do justice how immensely blessed I am by his presence in my life. He loves me better than I could have dreamt a man would love me, he is an engaging father, an incredible best friend, a hard worker, and provides/tends/cares for our house, home, and family as I know God would have him do. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him! Our goodbye kiss as we leave for our FIRST night away from this angel!


Pics from KK while we were away


Playtime

On a walk with KK-looks likes he's "cheering" her on.. Go KK Go!


Still at KK's and sleeping like an angel





Did I mention he's teething? Think he'd rather have the real thing ;)


Just a little morning reading-he's wondering why these dogs don't look like Kenzie...



He turned 5 months! Holy Moly! Time is FLYING by...and we are trying to soak up EVERY moment of it. Thank you Lord for these 5 months, his incredible health, and the family you have blessed us with.


We love to have backyard picnics and playtime (aka mama needs a change of scenery and with this FABULOUS weather she needs some Vitamin D too!)


Airplane


Look at that Angel face!



His first visit down to the lake to visit Mimi and MawMaw! Traveling with him is quite the task-lots of luggage and the first night he usually doesn't sleep through the night, but by the second night he seemed to get it figured out. He did REALLY well during the days though! He is ONE HAPPY baby & everyone kept commenting on what a smiley baby you are Hatch. Someone even commented that hadn't heard you cry or saw a frown all weekend long. As much as we'd like to take credit and be uber proud parents, we know it's not us at all but how God created you. And we know he created you JUST right. ;) Keep on letting your light shine little buddy. Spread His love!


P.S.
Here are some 5 month stats
I weighed you the other day at our Square One Mom's group and you weighed 15lbs 9oz with a clothes and a wet diaper on so you are growing, growing, GROWING!!!

You are wearing size 2 diapers

You feed at 8:15/30ish, 11-12(depending on how long your morning nap goes), 2,5,8...we won't start baby food until after your 6 month appointment.

Your bedtime is around 8:30 and you wake up around 7:45-8.

You are still napping about 4 times a day about 90minutes after you feed but I think transitioning to fewer naps...because your first morning nap looks like this
9:30-10:30/11:30/12 (depending on the day thus why I think your consolidating naps). Either way, right now you nap much better in the morning than you do in the afternoon.

You are wearing 3 month clothes with some 3-6 month clothes in there to-still a little big but that just means we are getting our money's (and wear's) worth on your clothing!

Your hand:eye coordination is spot on! Anytime we put something within reach of your little arms you reach out and grab/touch it. Again, Daddy thinks you are SO athletic ;)

You love to chew on mommy's fingers and your teething toys. We know these teeth are going to come in and we can't pray that away, but we pray that come in quick and with little pain.

The only times you fuss is when you get bored with a toy and need a new scene, for about 3-5 seconds when we lay you down to nap you sometimes fuss but then realize you are tired and mom/dad know whats best for you and quickly stop. You have had a couple of nights when you get fussy because you haven't gotten enough sleep during the day. One time daddy took you to some friends and gave mommy the night off--I got a phone call about an hour in to you all being gone that I needed to meet you all in a parking lot. I could hear you crying in the background. Wailing is more like it. I have never heard you cry like that.Bless daddy's heart, he couldn't get you to calm down and needed some help. So I stayed on the phone singing to you and praying the whole time til we met in the Kroger parking lot ;) Since then you have only had one more fussy session at night...and then the lights went on...you CRAVE your schedule! So if we stick to your schedule and make sure you get enough sleep you are SO happy. Of course we pray and want to practice flexibility too ;)

You love to talk on your changing table, in the car, and in the evening. You are quite the giggley little fellow and your daddy and I just can't stand it! You are SO easy going that you have spoiled us. If all of our babies (God willing we get to have more) were like you we'd have enough children to have a football team ;)

We might venture out and take you to childcare at the gym soon (the dr would prefer May 1 so we will see) because this lady is SO ready to get back to working out. Although, the weather here has been WONDERFUL so we have been going on LOTS of long walks/runs! We are so lucky to have Alexis and her new baby, Emerson, live just a couple of streets away because they are our walking/running buddies. We are just about to pick a 5k to run together. :) Thank the Lord for new mommy friends. They are a lifesaver!