Big Bear gets Baptized

Last Sunday we baptized Owen at our church.  We found our church about a month and a half before he made his debut into to the world and we've tried to go as much as possible since he was born.  Our pastor even came to see us at the hospital to pray over Owen.  Due to some last minute snafus, the associate pastor and one of the regional leaders of the Presbyterian church did the baptism for us.  We love Kelly, the associate, so it ended up being great to have her involved.

Normally, since O was about 2 months old, we drop him in the nursery since he is generally too noisy and squirmy to sit there for the hour.  If we take him in, one of us ends up leaving or we end up not being able to concentrate on the service.  For this reason, I had a ton of anxiety leading up to the baptism and having him in church for the entire hour.  Plus, a four month old is kind of a loose cannon. You never know what you'll end up with!

Adam and I took him up for his baptism right after the Children's Sermon with his godmother, my cousin Allison.  The baptism was longer than our wedding, I swear!  We might have only been up there for 5 minutes or so but it felt like 2 eternities.  Luckily, Owen was in a good mood and he had just been fed, although right before we went up, it seemed like he was starting to get fussy.  I was so nervous.  Kelly read a bunch about the sacrament of baptism and Adam and I answered some questions on behalf of Owen about our faith and raising him as a child of God.  They did a prayer, and then Tom, the minister from the Presbytery, did the actual baptism.  He put a TON of water on Owen's head.  The faces he made were priceless but we think he might have just thought it was bath time so other than a little bit of shock, he wasn't mad at all.  Tom took Owen and walked him down the aisle to see the congregation and I heard he was very smiley and charmed all the ladies in church.

Kelly did the sermon and it was wonderful, she tied O's baptism into it a couple of times.  We had 4 rows of family and friends come to celebrate with us and had a big party at our house afterward.  Other than Owen being fast asleep in all of the pictures we took at the church, it was a perfect day.  We chose September 15th because it would have been my grandmother's 81st birthday.  It was a great way to celebrate her and Owen.

My sweet friend Kate took this video of the big event.

Four Months!

Dear Owen,

You continue to come out of your newborn cocoon and show us more and more of your personality every day.  You are the happiest little guy!  You have found your "voice" this month and you love to babble on and "talk" to us.  It sounds like you're trying to make G sounds and L sounds and you've gotten especially noisy during bathtime.

I'm working on reading all about Baby Led Weaning, it's how your dad and I plan to feed you and it will allow you to feed yourself from day one.  As part of that, we don't plan to start any solids until you decide you are ready.  We started putting you in your Bumbo at the table and involving you in our meals.  It made such a difference.  We used to have you in your bouncer on the floor and you would often cry during dinner.  Now you watch us and observe our every move.  You haven't started grabbing at our food yet or trying to put it in your mouth so for now, you'll keep on enjoying your own milk.  Involving you in family dinner from such an early age has been great for us and we love having it as part of our daily routine.  About halfway through the month I bought you your very own highchair at IKEA and you are loving it!  We still take your Bumbo when we eat at restaurants and people always stare at you being your happy little self at the table with us.

I'm amazed that every month that goes by, I enjoy being your mom even more than the last.  I think we have found a great groove together and I love having you as my sidekick.  I had no idea what my life would be like not working full time and only teaching, but it's been fantastic for both of us.  You do so well at child care at all my gyms and I love having time to get my workout in and teach.  It's the best thing for us for right now.  I was worried about it all working out for nothing.  You do great and I'm enjoying myself so what more could we ask for?

You love trying to stand with someone helping you out.  We'll either hold your hands or support your body as you press your legs down and stand up.  It makes you so happy!  Please don't skip crawling!  We are in no hurry to have a baby standing up and walking on his own, got it?  We bought you an Exersaucer and you love to sit/stand in it and play with all the fun toys.  The only negative about this new development is that you think it's funny to arch your back and try to stand up in the bathtub.  We almost have to restrain you to get you to simmer down in the tub and we don't take 20 minute splash fest baths anymore.

You had visits from both sets of out of town grandparents this month and spent time with everyone while we went out and had a couple of fun date nights.  We also went on some major shopping trips with them because you are outgrowing clothes at a rapid pace.  I have a hard time packing away some of my favorite things because so many things you wear are gifts from our sweet friends and remind me of all the time we spent preparing for your arrival.

You roll over from tummy to back all the time now.  Or I should say, you roll over when you want to.  Some days you cannot be bothered.  Sometimes I think you are getting ready to roll from your belly to your back but so far, you haven't gotten there just yet.  You do wonderful with tummy time and your baby pushups.  You can really lift that melon head of yours!  You've made a ton of other developmental milestones and you regularly are grabbing for your toys or my hair.  When you get a good grip on things, you give them a strong yank!  You are such a physical mover and shaker that it almost seems like you're getting thinner from all your "working out".  I get nervous for what is to come from you when I watch the bigger babies move around at the playgroup we go to.  We have been to a bunch of different playgroups this month and you love to watch older babies as they move around the room.  Since you sit up so well when you're supported, we got you your big boy stroller this month and so far you seem to love it!  We're also starting to shop for your big boy car seat because you are rapidly becoming harder to strap into the infant seat.

Other big things this month were moving you to your crib at night.   At first, you didn't skip a beat and still slept fabulously at night.  Napping during the day is hit or miss but we don't have the same schedule every day so you kind of adapt your daytime to whatever we have going on.  Your Rock N Play has been packed away, which was more funny than sad because you hardly fit into it anymore. Also in the sleep department, we also stopped using your Woombie and you now sleep in a footed sleeper (so cute) instead of all swaddled up.  Most of your big transitions have been made until you move to your big boy bed!  You are struggling a little bit to re-learn how to sleep.  From my reading, you are sleeping in longer sleep cycles like an adult and also starting to have so much more awareness of the world around you.  I think you sometimes wake up in the night feeling lonely for us.  It's been challenging to help you through this transition since you have always been a fabulous sleeper!

You had a great 4 month pediatrician appointment with Dr. Watkins.  You've been growing like a weed and you're only 4 measly inches away from being half of my height.  BABY, you are only 4 months old!  How are you so tall?  You got your second round of shots and I still maintain that you cry a lot harder when you are hungry than you do when you get shots.

Each month has brought so many more changes for you.  I am amazed at just how much you can grow and develop in 31 days!  Each month brings us new firsts and so many big adventures.  I love watching you grow into your big personality.  While you're starting to develop a preference for your daddy and me, you are still so engaging when people talk to you and you frequently flash your big grin and interact with almost everyone you meet.  I hope you always stay as friendly as you are, it runs in your family to have "never met a stranger".  Your smile could melt even the coldest heart and we adore your happy disposition.  When we were waiting for your arrival, we often thought about how cute a baby you would be but we had no idea that you'd be this fantastic and fun.  We love you and getting to spend each day with you is a gift.

Love,
Mommy

Stats and Milestones:

Height and Weight:  4 month pedi appt  27 inches (97th percentile), 18 lbs, 15 oz (greater than 97th %), head is in the 90th percentile

Diaper Size:  size 3s but you're moving to size 4 overnight diapers next week

Clothing Size:  you have just a couple of 6 month clothes that are pretty tight, mostly you are wearing stuff that is 9 or 12 month sized

First day with your high chair:  August 16

First playgroup with one of Mommy's new Moms groups:  August 20

First day in your Exersaucer:  August 10

First night in your crib:  August 2

First night without your Woombie:  August 19

Most nights, you still sleep through the night.  Your bedtime is generally sometime before 8:00 and you wake between 7:00-8:30 most mornings.  Sometimes you've been waking in the night but we're working on it!  

You are still eating between 36-40 oz a day at 5-8 oz per feeding.  You moved up to some faster flow bottle nipples this month, which you seem to like.  

Our routine really varies day by day.  You're starting to stretch into longer times of being awake and longer daytime naps.    

You are pretty funny when it comes to tummy time!  You like to roll over some days and other days you get mad.  You still love to play on your back and grab the toys in your gym.  You spent some time learning the Exersaucer this week and you love all of the fun toys that are attached. You're starting to find your feet and you're getting better with your hands.  You can sit up very well when you are supported and you're starting to get better with sitting on your own for a second or two at a time.  You love to have us help you "stand".  

Nicknames:  Owen Bear, Mr. Bear, Beary-Boo, Mr. O, The Baby, Big Bea, Beary, Baby-Boo

Things you love:  story time, snuggles with Mommy and Daddy, eating, playing with all of your new toys, your hands, eating your fingers, drooling like a monster, laughing at us when we say funny things and make funny faces at you 

Things you don't love:  being done with a bottle (this is a constant sadness for you!), being alone in your crib when you're trying to fall asleep, when no one is paying attention to you, changing outfits and/or diapers

(Outtakes from the 4 month shoot to prove just how much you are moving around these days!)