Preschool Trick or Treat

Today at preschool the kids got dressed up in their Halloween costumes and trick or treated around to all the church staff's offices. The MMO kids even got to participate as their teacher drove them around in the big red buggy. Owen was a cute little giraffe. I really wish I could share all the awesome pictures of the other kids but to protect their privacy I can't. What is it about kids in costumes that make them so cute and squeezable?

13 Months

This last month has flown by! Owen is now 13 months and is getting into everything!

This month:

Weight (my calculations): 23.2 lbs
Height(my calculations): 31 in

• He is sleeping 12 hours a night. After finally getting back to a good 2 naps a day schedule, he slipped back into only wanting to take his morning nap. I have tried putting him down still in the afternoon but he just talks/plays for 45 mins. The last few days we have tried skipping the morning nap and he has taken a good afternoon nap. Maybe he's ready to drop..I just think he's kind of young for it.
• He is officially weaned from breastfeeding. He loves drinking cow's milk in his sippy esp. if it's been slightly warmed.
• He is starting to eat more of what we eat. He likes pancakes and most chicken casseroles. He is still obsessed with cheese sticks.
• He is wearing 12 month clothing for the most part but some 18 month stuff fits.
• He loves his daddy and doing what he does. Here they are watching the Panthers together one Sunday.
• He has learned how to open drawers. His favorite are in the bathroom; therefore, doors must be closed at all times.
• He is now crawling exclusively on his knees (no more army crawl) and is super fast!
• He loves to look out the window.
  

• He loves dogs of all sizes. He wants to pet them and he even lets them lick his face. (Not that I really like the dogs doing it!)

• He loves beating on stuff and making noise. Here I caught him banging on a metal bowl.
• He loves to look at/read books. He loves these miniature board books that we keep in the living room and can be found looking through them often.

• He is cruising the furniture and will take a few steps behind his push toy. However he does not like to walk holding our hands.
• He loves his grandparents. We are blessed to live near my (Shannon's) parents and they are over often. Owen gets excited to see them now and has become quite the Papa's boy. (Dad is eating it up of course!) He loves his Grandma and Grandpa Cox too though we don't get to see them as often. On that note, he is also a social butterfly and is not afraid to go to anyone. Here he is with my Aunt Carolyn this past weekend.
  

• We are starting to have to discipline him. He is having to learn the word NO. He loves pulling down the curtains next to our front door (they are only attached with magnetic rods) and pulling down the speaker stands.
• He is fascinated with the dishwasher. If only he could empty it the right way! :)
• He has learned to wave bye bye and can play peek a boo with his own hands.
• He says mama, dada, and other random syllables.
• He has started biting his friends at MMO. Not sure what to do about that because he's not really old enough to understand. His teacher tells him no and moves him but he still does it. Any suggestions?
• He is just the sweetest thing! He is an easy-going, fun-loving little man. We couldn't be more blessed to have such an amazing son.
  

1st School Pictures

The preschool I work at had a photographer come in and do school pictures for the students. Because Owen was there in MMO, I had his picture done too. Much to my surprise, it turned out great! Most of the time he was chewing an apple or throwing them out of the basket. He also was skipping his nap to take this picture.

This was taken right around his 1st birthday and though I only have one pose, it saved me from having to go somewhere and money thanks to my teacher discount. :)

So here is the first of many school pictures to come.

Pumpkin Farm

Tuesday my friend Kat and I took our little ones to Hillridge Farms in Youngsville. It was so much fun! They have so much to do and see.

The kids especially liked looking at the animals. Owen and I were excited to see a real llama. Two of our favorite books to read together are LLama Llama Red Pajama and Is Your Mama a Llama?.
We then took a hayride to pick out a pumpkin. Look at all the pumpkins! Owen was like, "Mom, why are you putting me in all these orange balls?"
"Mom, I think there is a better one over there."
Natalie and Owen fighting over a pumpkin. "I saw it first!"
Natalie finds a better one. "See I can carry it all by myself."

Hayride back to the car. Owen is suffering from seasonal allergies or something and wasn't really into it.
Kat and Natalie.
Then we got to play in a pit of corn. I never would have thought to play in corn but it was so much fun.
We buried Natalie in the corn.
Owen filling the boat with corn.

After we had our fill of corn we took the kids down the giant slide (in our laps of course). I think the adults had more fun than the kids. Kat and I both agree that we can't wait until next year when they will be able to enjoy it even more.

Wordless Wednesday

12 Months Old

Owen went for his 12 month well-check up today.

His stats:
Weight: 21 lbs. (25%..The doctor doesn't want him to dip down any lower so he asking me to give him some Pediasure each day. Evidently I need to be feeding him more.)
Height: 31 in (90%)
Head: 18 3/4
Shots: 3

At 12 months, Owen:

• is drinking whole milk 3x a day from a sippy cup. We are trying to wean off the last nursing session before bed but he is very attached to it.
• sleep 10 1/2- 11 hours a night and most of the time taking 2 1-hour naps
• has 6 teeth. 2 on top and 4 on the bottom.
  
• wearing 12 month clothes though the pants are kind of long. He has a longer torso.
  
• is finally starting to crawl some on his hands and knees. When he wants to move fast, he goes back to army crawl.
• is pulling up on the furniture (and the speakers, the window sills, our legs, etc.)
  
• is walking all the way around the ottoman. He will not let go and stand on his own though.
• is in love with cheese sticks. He gets so excited when you pull one out of the fridge.
  
• loves to talk (in his own language of course) and esp. loves making the ish sound.
  
• likes to sway and dance to music.
• loves to gnaw on wood, including his crib, his toy hammer, the legs of the kitchen chair (yeah I don't know)
• can point when you ask him where mommy and daddy are
• loves looking out the window.
  
• always smiling and loving life.

He is just so much fun right now. He is becoming such a little person and we can see his personality emerge more everyday. We love our little boy and watching him grow.

Tarheel Born and Bred

Saturday Owen experienced what will hopefully be his first of many Carolina football games. As far back as I can remember, my family has had season football tickets. I'm very thankful that my dad has kept them now even when we are grown so I can now take my kids.

Saturday's game against UVA worked well with Owen's schedule so we thought it would be a great time for him to experience it for the first time. We arrived in Chapel Hill around 10 am for our tailgate breakfast; of course Owen didn't nap on the way there..he was too excited. We had an awesome tailgate complete with biscuits, eggs, muffins, sausage, etc.

Owen had a great time being passed around and fed by all parties.

Once in the game, he was awe struck by all the sights and sounds. He especially loved the old men who sat behind us. They would play peekaboo with him, which made his day. He spent the whole first half bouncing from lap to lap and trying to take off the hat of the man in front of us. He even got to meet his friend Samuel, son of one of my college roommates) for the first time. Sadly we forgot to take a picture!

Finally in the 3rd quarter, he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer and zonked out on my shoulder. After he got too heavy, he moved to Jeremy's lap, where he stayed for the remainder of the game. I really can't blame him..the game became a snoozer when our offense decided to call it a day.
Despite the loss, the Cox and Piner family had a great day. (We missed you BP!)
(Aren't you impressed with my self portrait attempt...best one ever!)

We tried to make up for the sorry game with a yummy dinner at PF Changs. It worked! Our bellies were full and we all napped on the way home..luckily Dad didn't. :) Thanks Dad and Mom for keeping the tradition alive! GO HEELS!