Owen's Visit to Camp Gammy and Pap

I recently wrote about my first night away from Owen. It was a much needed getaway for Brett and I to reconnect and enjoy each other's company without the tug of our little man. Well, we have now had an extended "getaway" except he's the one who has "gotten away". My sweet little baby is spending a week "on his own" with my parents - Camp Gammy and Pap as I like to call it. He is having a blast and much to our dismay, we don't think he misses us or needs us as much as we like to think he does.

It took me a few days to get used to him being gone. I was still feeling that little pit of anxiety that I had to get everything done immediately because at any time he could wake up from his nap and my attention to chores, etc. would be lost. I have used this time wisely though. I have napped a lot, resting this poor pregnant body has been a must. I have organized our house and decluttered lots of stuff that needed to go. I have grocery shopped and prepared meals and feel organized and good about what I'm feeding my family. But most of all, I have dedicated some time to two people that I have neglected a little bit.

Brett and I spent the weekend almost as if we were "young and carefree" again. We went to the movies and saw the Dark Night, we went shopping, we went out to breakfast, we sat on our patio and chatted for a while. We basically just enjoyed being with each other. I wrote before how important it is to me for us to stay connected as a couple. It is something I have struggled with since the day Owen came home from the hospital. He demands a lot of time and attention, but in order for us to be good parents, we have to be good partners. This last weekend and these evenings this week, we have had a chance to remember what it's like to be "just us" and it has been wonderful.

The other person I have been able to spend some time with is this little boy growing inside me. I remember being pregnant with Owen and loving moments when I was completely present and feeling him move. It was like he was almost here already and I was getting to know him. I haven't done a lot of that this time around. As I've stated many times, Owen requires a lot of attention. Sitting with my hands on my belly and talking to BB2 doesn't happen a whole lot. I try to do this at night, but I'm so tired. Without Owen around, I have been able to connect with the baby and feel so much closer to him than I did before. I'm starting to visualize what it's really going to be like with a new little guy here. I've talked to him so much more this week and began doing some practical things to prepare for his arrival as well. It's amazing just how different it is the second time around, but we just now decided some details of his room and purchased a crib. I can't wait to meet him and have him be a part of our amazing family.

I hope this isn't misconstrued by any means. I miss Owen more than I can describe. Every time I watch a video sent by my mom or dad or see a picture of something fun they are doing, I want to wrap my arms around him and get one of his wide mouth kisses. I'm so thankful that he has family that he loves so much and that love him so much that being away from us is perfectly OK. I think we are both enjoying our time apart, but I can't wait to hear that little shriek when I pick him up!

Life 1, Bogging 0

No. I didn't crawl into a deep dark hole, curl up and refuse to go back to work or interact with the rest of the world! Let's just say that life has gotten in the way of blogging, unfortunately. I've always enjoyed sharing our ups and downs with friends, family, and those of you out there that I probably will never meet. But when things get rocky or even just busy, sometimes the smartest thing to do is to know what to let go of. Taking time each day to sit and type and upload pictures just happened to be that thing that I needed to let go of for a while. So...what kinds of crazy things have gotten in the way of blogging? Oh, you know, being a working mom to a crazy little guy, trying to maintain some control over the four legged creatures in our house and trying desperately to still be a semi-good wife to the love of my life. You know just a few little things and maybe a few big things here and there. Here's just a few highlights I've missed blogging about...

In November, we traveled to St. Louis to visit a good friend of Brett's from high school and his family. They were such a great hosts to all (even Lucy and Tucker made the trip) of us. Owen loved the top of the Arch.

Owen's first Thanksgiving...we spent it at home in our PJs. Brett and I ate frozen turkey dinners. Not kidding.

We celebrated our first Christmas as a family of 5!!!

Everyday is a new adventure!

Our Valentine's traditional date at Chipotle and Oberweiss was a little different this year, but for the better!

Owen loves the warm weather and his first 1st birthday present - a Little Tykes 3 in 1 Trike. When my parents came to visit in March they took Owen to Toys R Us to pick out his present a little early.

Owen posing with Gammy, Grandpap and his new trike.

Happy Easter!

And last but certainly not least, Owen is going to be a big brother! We are expecting another little one in October!!!