5 months

I've had this post done for a while. I was trying to add some video of him rolling over, but I haven't taken the time to figure it out, so I might as well post this already!

Owen has definitely grown since his 4-month appointment. We've been pumping him with 2-3 oz. of formula in addition to nursing at each feeding. His little face, belly and legs are getting chunkier. In the past month he has gained about three pounds (the same amount he gained in the first four months of his life!) I think Miles is a little surprised by his weight gain and keeps saying, "Maybe we shouldn't feed him so much." I continue to assure him that this is what babies are supposed to look like...not like the skinny little boy we were so accustomed to. But Owen is still in his 0-3 month clothes, so as "fat" as he looks to us, he still has a ways to go.

Lately his sleeping has been all over the place. Sometimes he wakes up after only 2 hours and continues to wake up throughout the night. Other times he sleeps through the night without a peep. I don't know what's going on with him. It's very inconsistent.

But what's really been driving me nuts are his naps. For the past couple weeks, he rarely sleeps longer than 30 minutes. I was so used to his 2-3 hour nap plus other 1-hour naps throughout the day. Which was great for me to get some sleep or to get things done around the house. Now, I'm lucky to get 20 minutes of shut-eye or accomplish even the simplest of tasks. It's been especially tough since I have been exhausted with his erratic night time sleeping. And then on top of it, Owen will take a short nap only to later fall asleep on me/the boppy while I feed him. Ugh. Can we please consolidate these naps?!

Otherwise, he is doing great and continues to grow and develop in a healthy way. The most exciting event of the past month is that Owen learned to roll over! On September 10th, he rolled over from his back to his tummy. And I am a terrible Mom. I was in the other room on the computer while he was on his play mat laying like this:

I walked in to check on him because I heard him grunting...which he was doing because he had rolled onto his tummy! He was laying like this:How the heck he rolled over to that angle is beyond me. So I missed the very first time. I was sad. Gratefully he repeated the milestone for me within about 30 minutes. However, after that, he stopped rolling over for a while. But recently on the 24th, he perfected his roll and did it multiple times in a row very quickly. As exciting as his accomplishment is, it's a sad day as I officially cannot leave him unattended on the changing table or my bed. :( What's especially funny about him rolling over is that he hates being on his tummy and after a little while will start fussy and crying about it. So then I roll him over to his back and he just as quickly rolls back to his tummy. He's such a goofball. He just needs to learn how to roll from his tummy to his back so he can take care of it when he gets frustrated.

Something he's done for a while but I've failed to mention is that he gets the hiccups all the time when he laughs too much. It's kind of sad, but really funny.

On Sept. 15th, I caught him full on sucking his thumb. He's done this before, but not since he was very tiny. He hasn't actually done it since, and instead continues to suck on his fingers, fist, and pretty much anything else he can get in his mouth. But I still thought it was pretty cute.

The next day at 12:30 AM (after he did one of his, "let's wake up only a couple hours after you put me to bed" moments) some fire engine sirens went by outside. He looked up at me, gave me the biggest pouty face ever, and burst into tears. Loud noises really seem to scare him, especially sirens or when other babies cry, loudly. On the other hand, if I make a loud noise like "Boo" when I play peek-a-boo with him, he gives a timid smile and then ends up giggling.

He has also started sticking his legs straight up in the air in a pike formation. This led to... Finding his toes! Also on the 16th, while getting his diaper changed he discovered his feet and started grabbing at them. Now, most diaper changes end up with his toes in his hands in an attempt to bring them toward his mouth.

Owen has also started sucking on his thumb while drinking from his bottle. He's very talented that way.

He gets delirious when he's tired and sometimes he will giggle at nothing before falling asleep in my arms. This makes me laugh, but I quickly remind him that it's not time to play, but time for sleep!

He likes to bounce.

When he sees me or Miles, he gets really excited and does this movement that's like a flailing fish out of water. Other times he does a big smile and then shyly turns he face into my shoulder.

He has gotten quite adept at grabbing his pacifier out of his mouth and will suck on it backwards and sideways. Sometimes he can get it back in his mouth the way it's supposed to go.


Lately he has been exploring his voice with squeaks, yells and all kinds of crazy, fun noises.

It is really fun to see his cute little personality developing. He is a goofball for sure!

Costco

I love Costco. You get things in bulk for cheap. I've decided that's how I blog. I do Costco-style blogging...in bulk. Hopefully they just aren't too "cheap." :)

The Big Three-Oh

A couple weeks before my birthday, Miles surprised me with an early gift. He called me from work and told me he had something for me when he got home.
Me: "What is it?"
Miles: "You'll devour it."
Me: "Is it something I can actually have?" (I went off sweets for a month until my birthday)
Miles: "Yep. Any guesses?"
Me: "Is it The Hunger Games?"
Miles: "Nope. Any more guesses?"
Me: "No. The only things I can think of that I would devour would be sweets or The Hunger Games."
When he got home he surprised me with this:


So I was right. I yelled at him for lying and telling me my guess was wrong, but he said, "Well it wouldn't have been very fun if you had guessed it right!" Silly boy. I was still ecstatic anyway and especially surprised since we had gone to Costco to buy the trilogy and they told us they were all sold out in the state of Utah. Miles said he went to Costco that day with some guys at work and there were just three box sets sitting there, so he snagged one. Yay for me!

He again surprised me by bringing home these beautiful flowers after work the night before my birthday.
The morning of my birthday we went and took family photos. We paid for bridals in our wedding photography package, but I never had them taken. So our wedding photographer, Michael Lloyd, told us that we could just cash in later with some family photos. So after Owen was born I called him up and basically said, uh...three years later that I wanted to cash in on those family photos. So we recently set it up for the morning of the 28th. Those pictures are to come once he finishes the editing. I'm really excited for them. :) After the photo shoot, Miles told me that he didn't need to return to work because he had taken the day off to spend it with me and Owen! That was again, a nice surprise. We stopped by Jamba Juice and got my favorite smoothie (Strawberry Dreamin) before going home to feed Owen. Afterward we went to In and Out for lunch. We shared a burger, fries and shake.

Miles attempting to feed Owen a fry (but not really):

Me about to enjoy our burger:

The rest of the day was spent running some errands, shopping around and spending time together. We were going to go out to dinner at Bombay House, but both of us were pretty full from lunch so we decided not to. Mitchell and Marci (my brother and sister-in-laws) stopped by to say hello. We also rented 500 days of Summer to watch (the chick flick Miles let me pick out for my birthday) but didn't end up watching it cause I was too tired. Sigh. I really am getting old.

The next day my visiting teachers came over and Adri Nye brought me these absolutely DELICIOUS cupcakes from Cocoa Bean. The red velvet was especially to die for.

All in all it was a pretty chill birthday, but it was good. I didn't necessarily want to make a huge deal out of it. Not that I'm afraid or ashamed of turning 30. I just didn't need a big celebration. Mostly I just wanted to spend time with Miles and Owen. In all reality, I am feeling pretty good about being 30. For the most part I don't feel old, unless I'm around 18/19 year olds or young 20s that really just remind me of how mature I feel. ;) Also, my sisters are 13 and 15 years older than me, so I've always had them to look at as examples of what is to come. They most certainly do not seem old to me, so I've never thought of 30, 40, or now as my sister is approaching 50, as old. I am also feeling good about life in general and where I am at in this stage of my life. So as far as I'm concerned, in the words of Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30, I feel like I'm "thirty, flirty and thriving!"

Felix Ryan Murray

While I worked at Wastach Mental Health, I made some good friends. One of them is Kelli Murray. We were both pregnant while I finished up working there and she recently had her baby boy. His name is Felix Ryan Murray. He was born on September 9, 2010 at 17:17. I got to visit them in the hospital a couple days after he was born. Even though Owen is only a few pounds heavier, it's amazing how little and how much lighter newborns are. You really do forget when time flies by and suddenly your own little one is not so little anymore. :(

Proud parents, Kelli and Kyle, with a sleepy Felix:

$100 Gamble

Yesterday I made a bet with Owen. I said, "I bet you a hundred bucks you're going to start crying when I lay you down." (I was laying him on the bed momentarily so I could take care of something and he typically cries or fusses when I do this). Well...he showed me. He layed there and smiled..and continued to do so until I returned to pick him up. I said, "Well you showed me!" And now I am wondering if I owe him $100. Maybe I'll put it in a savings account for him.

Garden Fresh!

Miles and I have a small garden. And by small, I mean super small...about 2 ft x 6 ft or something like that. Our HOA has a small area they put planting boxes in and have divided it into 12 plots. Last year all the plots were taken and we were on a waiting list to get a plot. Luckily someone ended up moving and we got an offer to take over their garden. They already had tomatoes, peas, and carrots planted, so we just left it as it was. We mostly only ended up with tomatoes and a few peas since they over-planted for the area. But we were super happy with it anyway.

This year, we were more ambitious and wanted to plant peas, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Miles spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to divide the box into sections big enough for each vegetable. He read up in Square Foot Gardening and did some other research to determine how we could best use our space. Well...our ambitions fell short. Owen was born on April 30th, the same weekend we were hoping to plant. So that detered us for a while. Then we ended up have a crazy late frost with snow falling and sticking to the ground on May 24th! So our garden didn't get planted until June, so we missed out on a month of growth time. And with all the changes, we just didn't have it in us to figure out the logistics of it all anymore so we only planted tomatoes. Not to mention, we did what the previous owners of our plot did and over planted. I know...FAIL.

However, that being said, we have still had some great roma tomatoes to enjoy this summer. Unfortunately our beef steak tomatoes are growing a little slower. We also planted some basil on our front porch and recently enjoyed some fabulous BLTs with fresh tomatoes and basil. YUM! Miles also made some delicious salsa with all our tomatoes. So even though we don't quite have our green thumbs down yet, we have been able to enjoy our produce this summer. Maybe next summer we will do better.

These tiny tomatoes were the first in our garden to ripen. We were wondering where they heck they came from since we didn't plant any cherry or grape tomatoes. However, we think that maybe our Roma's cross-polinated with the cherry tomatoes in the plot next to ours making these little guys. So it is not our fault that one of our roma plants ended up with runts. They are actually great for salads, so we're enjoying them.

Modesty

My sister-in-law, Megan, is doing a project for her hale at BYU Hawaii about how modesty helps to prepare for temple marriage. Here are my thoughts on the subject...

Making sure I had a temple marriage was always very important to me. I did not want anything to get in the way of my that. So in order to reach that goal, I had to make sure that I was temple worthy, along with my future spouse. Modesty is an easy place to start toward that goal. I found that the more modest I was in my thoughts, words and deeds, I was able to have the Spirit with me to guide me in making good choices for myself and those I dated. By being modest, I also helped myself and my fiance to remain chaste by not inviting temptation into our relationship. The world shows such a different perspective on what it means to have a "loving" relationship. But by respecting one another and saving ourselves for marriage, we showed the greatest love possible to each other. I am so grateful that I was able to be sealed in the temple to my husband for all eternity. I am also grateful that our baby boy is sealed to us as well, and that our family is forever. Nothing is worth having those blessings taken away from us.

Scrub

That's what I feel like these days...a scrub. I have officially become a scrubby mom wearing pajamas (sometimes a t-shirt and shorts) and no make-up, covered in spit-up, drool and other fun things. Gratefully I shower every day, but my hair usually just ends up in a pony tail. Sigh. I think I'm going to make a goal to actually get dressed in decent clothing and put make-up on everyday. Ok...maybe at least every other day. Gotta start somewhere...

The Seventeen Second Miracle

Miles' cousin is a famous author. His name is Jason F. Wright. He is probably most well known for his story, Christmas Jars. However, he has written a number of other great, heart-warming books. His most recent novel is called The Seventeen Second Miracle. It is due to come out on my birthday, September 28th. However, Jason, being the awesome guy he is, sent us an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of the book a couple weeks ago. I thought I would give a shout out and encourage everyone to buy/read the book.


First of all, the coolest thing about the book is that there are two characters named Miles and Kendra. How awesome is that? Not to mention they're sweethearts in the book too. :) Besides feeling pride in the fact that I got named in a novel, I really, truly did enjoy the story. It is a quick read and keeps you going at a fast pace with short chapters. But what I liked best was the fact that it is a story (like many of Jason's are) that encourages you to take action in your own life through the virtues it teaches. It makes it feel doable to participate in simple, kind acts (or seventeen second miracles) that brighten the lives of others as well as your own. So go out and buy it for yourself, your Mom, your Dad, your sister, your friend, or your coworker. It's a story everyone can enjoy!

Labor Day of Love

To my dear Miles,

Thank you for giving me a weekend of labored love.

On Friday...

Thank you for taking the day off to spend time with me, Owen and our friends.

Thank you for getting up with Owen in the morning so I could get some extra sleep.

Thank you for suggesting that we take the lift up to Sundance and go for a hike because you knew it was something I would enjoy doing, even if it meant doing something you would rather not.

Thank you for holding a fussy Owen on the ride up and back on the lift.

Thank you for carrying Owen in the baby Bijorn in the hot, swealtering sun.

Thank you for being willing to hike until everyone else was worn out and ready to turn back.

Thank you for sitting on a sharp, pointy rock, on a narrow path to feed Owen his bottle.

Thank you for not grubbling or complaining when the day didn't go just as planned.

On Saturday...

Thank you for getting up with Owen so I could get some extra sleep.

Thank you for making me breakfast.

Thank you for taking care of an oddly sleepy, yet sleepLESS baby who kept waking up from his nap so I could take a late morning nap.

Thank you for watching Owen so I could run to the store.

Thank you for texts that made me feel loved and missed while you were at the football game.

Thank you for calling to let me know where you were and when you would be home.

Thank you for appreciating me and the work I did to clean up the house.

On Sunday...

Thank you for waking up to give me a blessing in the wee hours of the morning.

Thank you for helping with Owen after a 2 AM feeding.

Thank you for cleaning up my barf bowl when I was too weak to do it myself.

Thank you for getting up with Owen and feeding him when I was aching with a fever and chills in bed.

Thank you for bringing Owen to me when he was ready to be fed and I was well enough to feed him.

Thank you for watching him ALL DAY while I recovered.

Thank you for buying me ice and ginger ale to help my weak, recovering stomach.

Thank you for pampering me all day.

On Monday...

Thank you for getting up with Owen in the morning so I could get some additional sleep.

Thank you for cleaning the house in the morning.

Thank you for jumping in the back seat with our crying baby and letting me drive the rest of the way home from Lagoon because my tummy was still upset from the flu.

Thank you for using our garden tomatoes to make delicious salsa.

Thank you for using our ripe bananas to make yummy bread.

Thank you for cleaning up the kitchen when you were done with your creations.

Thank you for putting Owen to sleep when he passed out from pure exhaustion.

Thank you so much for being such an amazing husband and father this past weekend...and always.

I love you forever!

Love,

Kendra and Owen

Labor Day at Sundance

Oops! I thought I posted this and just found it was saved as a draft. Here's to a belated two-month old post...

On our Labor Day weekend, we were pleased to have a visit from our good friends, Rachael and Richard Rose and their little girl, Anna. We met in our student, married ward. I was Rachael's visiting teacher for about a year, however, before we really got to know one another. Rachael told us while she was out here that it was when she saw Miles and me interact, that she decided that she wanted to get to know us better. After that we spent some time together and decided we absolutely loved the Roses. This led to many dinners, parties, and some enjoyable vacations to St. George and Zion's National Park. Unfortunately, Richard had to go and graduate and get a job in Washington. So they are now living near Seattle and we are so sad that we don't get to see them very often. Lucky for us, they came to Provo for a few days while visiting Utah.

Miles took the day off of work on Friday so that we could go spend the day with them. Rachael mentioned they wanted to go for a hike and explore some of the beauty around Provo. Miles's work uas year-round lift passes at Sundance, so we decided to take advantage of that opportunity! We packed up some sack lunches and snacks and headed up to Sundance. To start off our day, we sat outside and enjoyed our lunches in the beautiful weather and scenery around us. Once we were done, we rode the lift to the top of the mountain. I must say, however, that the ride up and back was a little stressful. Owen was not too happy to be in stuck in his baby Bijorn and was a bit fussy. On the way back, Anna and Owen seemed to take it in turns to get fussy. Unfortunately there was little we could do to appease them as we were riding high above the ground with no way down. So we all suffered for a little while until we could get off the lift. However, we really did enjoy the view.

Some pictures from our hike:

An exhausted little Owen:

At the top of the mountain before we headed back down on the lift:

It was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed it, even with fussy babies. Thanks Richard, Rachael and Anna for the fun day and weekend!