Tom and I had run to the store to get a few things we needed for the party and to give Owen a chance to see us leave. When we came home, this is what we saw:
Tag Archives: Papa
Project Desensitization
So tonight Tom and I went out again, leaving the kids (Owen) behind. He was just getting ready to get in his bath so I went up to tell him.
Me: Owen, daddy and I are going to the store.
Owen: [Looking down.] I’ll be crying.
Poor kid. But so cute because of the way he said it…like he was resigned to the fact he’d be crying but wasn’t actually that upset about it.
But as it turned out, Lin said he did pretty good. Phew.
Four more days to go.
Separation anxiety starts…now.
Tom and I had to run to the store tonight and likely wouldn’t be back by Owen’s bedtime. He has never had any separation anxiety…so we didn’t think anything of leaving and having Grannie and Papa put him to bed.
But apparently tonight was the night.
We got home about 10 minutes past his usual bedtime and he was still up getting a story. And he was crying. Complete with fistfuls of Kleenex. 🙁
Lin said he had been like that on and off all night, saying he missed us and he’d never see us again. 🙁 And then when he saw me he cried harder. Poor kid.
So now we need to try and desensitize him a bit before we leave for four days. 🙁
Build with me, papa!
Grannie Lin and Papa arrived around 4, and Owen quickly got Papa building with him! And Charlie jumped in the box as soon as it was empty!
And Katie checking out Papa’s face!
Katie and Papa
I’m sure there will be a bunch of these in the upcoming month…
Okay, it’s time.
So, Owen loved opening presents, but usually didn’t seem too thrilled with the actual item. But I knew he’d get to them eventually…so it’s fun to see what he’ll bring out of the toy room next.
Just now, he came out with three new packages of Cars cars that he opened from papa and Grannie Lin last night. 🙂
Bedtime light
Thanks papa and grannie!
He wasn’t terribly interested in it when he opened it…got a little interested when he saw it in action…carried it around but refused to put it on…until bedtime when he HAD to have it! Fast forward 15 minutes and he was out of bed so I went in there and he didn’t want it on anymore and HAD to give it to me (versus just putting it on his dresser).
I’m sure it will get lots of use in the future.
Beginning and end of day.
Getting ready to leave Papa and Grannie’s house, squatting by papa’s hand print and Owen’s name. (Be sure to ask them the story if you ever see them!)
Cuddling with daddy after the long drive back to Gramma Jean’s house…
Captain America!
So when we were passing through Troy on the way to Grayling, we stopped at Costco for some formula (we hadn’t brought enough). Along the path to the formula, I saw the same Halloween costumes like we had in North Carolina, except they had a bigger selection…so I grabbed a Captain America for Owen. We didn’t show it to him right away, but saved it as a “poop reward” in case we needed the leverage.
Well, we brought it to the U.P. with us and he saw it. My dad saw it, too, and REALLY wanted Owen to wear it. Except…I had already deemed it a poop reward and things in that area were NOT. GOING. WELL. so it was seeming fairly unlikely that he was going to earn the costume while we were there (we have cleaned more than our fair share of poopy underwear in the few days we’ve been here). And Tom and I DO NOT go back on our word with Owen, so he HAD to poop in the potty to get it. I think my dad was more heartbroken than Owen was. 🙂
Well, long story short, he had a tiny poop that made it in the toilet (though, honestly, I think it might have been stuck between his cheeks and it just FELL into the toilet) but I really wanted to get Owen excited about pooping—and let my dad see Owen in the costume—so I counted it! Owen was GIDDY with excitement about the costume, and of course he had to put it on and parade around in it for everyone (he loves an audience).
And then with papa’s swim goggles (which came home with us—thanks, papa!)
Lots of family photos!
Grannie Lin with the kids
Papa with the kids
I wanted to get all our blue eyes in a photo, but I settled for three of them. 🙂 I’m really happy we all have my dad’s eyes. ♥
Linda’s mom and dad, aunt and uncle, and a family friend all came over for dinner tonight. They all LOVED holding Katie and all threatened to steal her. 🙂
Katie’s Box
We didn’t want to haul a pack-and-play with us, and since Katie isn’t mobile while sleeping yet (other than maybe scooting a few inches one way or another) we weren’t too worried about just putting her wherever. The first night at the hotel she got put on a blanket on the floor. At Papa and Grannie Lin’s, she got a Rubbermaid box. 🙂
Welcome to the real North!
I love this sight:
We were surprised at the amount of tree color in the U.P. considering it was only September 16.
After what seemed like a short 7½ hours (after two long nine-hour days, 7½ felt short), we made it up to the Upper Peninsula to see my dad’s new house…MAN, that’s a drive. (Here is our total one-way trip from North Carolina.)
See that tiny point? That’s where we were—Eagle Harbor. We joke it’s Alaska.
The view from the back deck—I have to admit it’s nice:
And Owen having a blast playing with cars out there:
And Papa meeting and feeding Katie for the first time…
Happy birthday, papa!
I have two Rod Torques!
Katie had given Owen a Rod Torque (“damaged” version) so when we gave him the one from Grannie Lin and Papa (the “undamaged” version), he ran around saying “I have two Rod Torques!”
Playing with papa
Growling like monsters!
Hiding from papa!
Drawing Owen on the driveway.
Two tickles!
Of course I missed the first part of this scene…the first two times papa and gram were tickling him and when they stopped he’d say “Again!” And since they were both tickling him, he was saying “Two tickles! Two tickles!”
Look at all the cars!
Gram decided to line up ALL of Owen’s cars… When all was said and done, it was just over 100 (and then we found more later). Owen loved it!
C’mom, papa!
Owen and papa!
Owen’s 3rd Birthday Party!
Owen’s birthday cake—he was so excited he wouldn’t stop jumping for me to get a good picture! (It was made by an acquaintance of ours. I decided to splurge this year and have someone else make it so it was his first REAL birthday cake!)
This is what it looked like after I decorated it with his own Cars cars (while he napped):
Family photo!
Since he had so many presents, we started opening them before the party. He loved the bowling pins from Grandma Marsha and Uncle Rob! (After we played with them as actual bowling items, they turned into soldiers!)
I have no idea why he plugs his ears, but it happens often:
Drinking out of his new big boy Cars cup!
“Happy birthday to you…”
Trying to blow out his candles…
We didn’t get a group picture, but we celebrated with Papa, Grannie, Dad, Mom—and our good friends Roger and Ursula and their kids Virginia and Caroline!
Walk with papa and driving the police car!
Geting ready to head out on a walk with papa:
Back from a successful golf ball hunt/walk:
And finally driving the police car!! YAY! Unfortuately, he refuses to steer!
And then we finally got him steering! Somewhat. 🙂
Bath night with gramma and papa
It’s bath night here so I told Owen to go say “Gramma—bath time!” and he went right over and said “Papa—bath time!” Since my dad can’t resist that cute voice, he is now getting a lesson from gramma in giving Owen a bath. 🙂
Happy birthday, papa!
On mark! Get set! Go!
Splashing in the water table with papa. Grannie Lin taught him “On your mark!” which comes out “Onma! Onma!” 🙂
First sandwich!
Owen usually likes taking a bit of whatever papa has (cookie, cake, sandwich), so he’s had a few bites of PB&J along the way…which was surprising, because every time we’ve tried to give him jelly, he’s refused.
But apparently papa was the key, and Owen ate part of a PB&J sandwich while Tom and I were out. Of course, I require photographic proof or it didn’t happen 😛 so I got this video today!
First bowl of ice cream
Owen has certainly had ice cream before, but today we went to Oberweis Dairy with Papa and Grannie Smith and ordered him his very own bowl (instead of just feeding him bites of ours or letting him lick our cones).
When he got down to the bottom of the cup he was having a hard time, so Tom took over feeding him.
Then the manager came over to check on us, and gave Owen a balloon and some stickers!
Owen’s new (old) friend!
Grandpa Mike and Grannie Lin bought Owen this stuffed bear for his first birthday. He didn’t really think much of it at the time, so we just set it on the fireplace ledge next to another bear of his. And it just sat there. Until last night, when he went and sat on it, then dragged it out and set it on the couch where he kept laying on it and playing with it.
This is why I keep the camera close at hand. 🙂
Road trip!
We took a road trip to Frankenmuth to meet up with Grandpa Mike and Grannie Lin—and Great Grandma Pat and Mary Kay (who were down to Traverse City from the U.P.)! Unfortunately, Owen only got about a 40 minute nap on the way there, so we knew the afternoon might get a little sketchy… But he did pretty well at the park with us before lunch and I even got a few great pictures!
I caught him jumping! Look how high he is! I never even realized he was jumping when I was taking the picture!
Lunch at the Bavarian Inn didn’t go quite as smoothly as we had hoped, because Owen just got really tired of sitting in the high chair and HATED the accordion player who stopped in our room—but had plenty of fun walking around and hanging out with grandpa while we ate. Then it was back to the park for some playing, where Owen lasted about an hour until he needed to nap.
Haircut!
It seems like we JUST got his hair cut, so I looked back on my calendar…and it was just over a month ago. Before that, we were making it THREE MONTHS between cuts. Hoo boy. I just can’t stand to have him look like a ragamuffin. 🙂
He did about the same this time…not loving it, and standing while she cut it. The dum dum sucker helped again, but unfortunately it could not help at all during the razor bit at the end. I am still amazed at how my fairly well-behaved toddler can turn into a crying snotty mess in a matter of seconds once that razor comes near him.
At one point where he was starting to get really upset, Grandpa Mike even handed over HIS sucker…but it didn’t help.
Owen is 17 months old today!
On the back porch at Grandpa Mike and Grandma Linda’s house in Traverse City.
And our group photo from the family picnic…
Owen and the Oreo
Someone had a taste of their first Oreo today, thanks to Grandpa Mike and a free sample table at Costco! Gee, he liked it…can you imagine? 🙂