Who does he look like?

Since Owen's been born we are bombarded with "Oh, he looks JUST like Jimmy!"  Or, "He's got Judi's eyes!"  So, I thought it would be fun to look at some of my and Jimmy's baby pictures and compare them to Owen's!

Here are the newborn pictures...

Jimmy's newborn picture.

Owen's newborn picture.

Judi's newborn picture.

To me he looks more like Jimmy in the newborn pictures, but it could also be because both are pictures of them sleeping.

Here are some infant pictures... I tried to pick pictures where all three of us have the same expression on our faces so you can compare easier.

Jimmy as an infant.

Owen as an infant.

Judi as an infant.

Now, in these pictures, I think he looks more like me!




Here are some more infant ones...

Jimmy

Owen

Judi

He definitely has my hair color!  Owen has light brown hair with a little blonde in the light, just like mine in this picture.  He even has a streak of blonde that goes from the front left to the back, you can't see it in the picture above though.  Jimmy had blonde as a baby!

What will he look like in years to come?

Maybe something like this...?

Or this...?

Or...

GO SKINS!!!

Or...

Or...

Or...

To be completely honest, I think he is a perfect mix of the both of us!  You can definitely tell he belongs to me and Jimmy.  At the end of the day, Owen is not a clone of anyone.  He is his own person and he looks just like Owen should!  He has his own personality that is unique to him.  He is one special little boy.

God made him just perfectly.  :)

Big thanks to Cindy for all the baby pictures of me and Jimmy! xoxo

I can't help but post these adorable pictures of Owen smiling and laughing that I caught the other day!  He just LOVES his play mat!

Doesn't this look like the 'first day of kindergarten' picture?!?  TOO CUTE!

You can kind of see his blonde streak in this picture!

Such a happy boy!!!



Here are some more cute ones...

Daddy and baby

Hanging out watching T.V.
(Don't worry, I have him strapped in!)


Doctor Update:  Owen had his two month appointment on August 28th.  At that time he weighed in at 12 pounds 11 ounces and was 23.5 inches long.  He is in the 75th percentile for both weight and height.  He's a big boy!  He got one vaccine orally, which he loves and sucked down.  Then he got three shots in his little meaty thighs.  He did very well with the shots.  Of course he cried at first, but as soon as I picked him up and cuddled him he stopped and laid his head on my shoulder.  Just about melted my heart!  He was perfectly fine that evening, just slept a little longer than usual.  The doctor said he is looking just perfect!  His next appointment will be at four months.


Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Love,

Judi and Jimmy

Owen is Two Months Old!

Owen is already two months old!  It feels like just yesterday we brought him home from the hospital!

I included his first week and first month picture so you could see how much he has grown and changed so far.  :)

One week.

One month.

Two months.

Sleep:  Owen is doing exceptionally well with sleep.  We feel very fortunate so far.  He has his last feeding at about 10:00 and sleeps for about 6 hours.  He wakes up around 4:00 and eats then goes right back to sleep.  He then wakes up between 6:00 and 7:00 for his morning feeding.  Throughout the day he will eat about every two hours.  In the next few weeks we will be attempting (notice, I say attempting) to phase out his early morning feeding so that he will sleep for 8 hours.  

The last couple nights we have tried to transition him to sleeping in his crib instead of in his bassinet in our room.  This has been a little rough!  He falls asleep on his own really well, but awakens earlier and realizes he is hungry.  So his schedule it a little off.  Each night it gets better, so we'll get there!

Size:  His two month appointment is on the 28th, so we won't know his exact size until then.  My prediction is that he is at least 12 pounds and 22-23 inches long.  We just moved him into the size 2 diapers.  They leave a little room for him to grow in length, but fit him well around the belly.

He definitely cannot fit into any of his newborn clothes anymore.  He is wearing all 0-3 month clothes or 3 month clothes.  I had to buy him some more onsies in this size, we didn't have enough to make it one week!

Special Visits: The visitors have slowed down.  We haven't had anyone new come visit this month.  It's been nice to finally settle down and get into a routine.

Special Trips:  Owen has been to three different wineries with us this month!  Jimmy and I went just the three of us one Saturday afternoon.  We went to a winery we have never been to before called Narmada in Amissville.  We liked their white wines, I wasn't a fan of the reds.  It was nice to have some time just between the three of us!

Mommy's drink and baby's drink!

We also went to The Winery at Bull Run with my sister, her boyfriend, and my brother.  This winery is about 5 minutes from our house, so it's very convenient.  We had SO much fun together!  This time it was nice to get out with some family.  I'm lucky to have family that I LOVE to hang out with!

Fam time!

Sleeps through everything!

Love my sis!!!  <3

Lovin' Auntie Lulu!  <3

Last night we met up with some friends at The Winery at La Grange.  Owen did perfect, as usual!  It was really nice to get out with some friends and have some snacks and wine!  We sat outside and enjoyed the cooler weather.  :)

Firsts:  This month Owen had his first 7 hour stretch of sleep!  Woo Hooo!  He is officially 'sleeping through the night.'  However, I'll be happy when he sleeps 8-9 hours.  That's more my style.  :)

Developmental Milestones:  Owen can now hold his head up on his own!  He loves to look around when you are holding him.  He is so much more interactive now.  He laughs and smiles at you when you play with him.  I got some incredible pictures of him on his play mat the other day.  I put a few on facebook, so you may have seen them there too...

Giggling away!

This smile lights up my world!

Can't stop giggling!

He LOVES getting his diaper changed.  When you put him on his changing pad he just smiles away!  Sometimes it will take us 20 minutes to change him because we are having so much fun making him smile or laugh!

Ready for my clean diaper!

Owen has also found his hands.  He loves to suck his hands and his thumb.  

Sucking his thumb!

Within the last month he has lost all the hair on the top of his head and new hair has started to grow in.  His eyelashes and eyebrows are also darkening.  Looks like he'll have light brown hair like I did as a baby.  :)  His eyes are still blue, and likely will stay blue since both Jimmy and I have blue eyes.  I took some close ups so you could see!  

Big baby blues!  

I hope everyone is enjoying the last bit of summer!  I'm so ready for the fall... I can't wait to wear my skinny jeans and riding boots!

Love,

Judi and Jimmy

Owen is One Month Old!

I cannot believe it's already been a month since my little man was born!  Here is his one week photo...

And here is his one month picture!

And I couldn't resist posting this picture too...

I love that little smirk!

Sleep:  The first four weeks went really well.  Owen is sleeping soundly at night, waking every 2-3 hours for feedings the first three weeks.  As he grew and eased into his fourth week we lengthened his sleep time during the night to 4 hours.  Now he has his last meal at 11pm, one middle of the night feeding at 3am, and a morning feeding at 6-7am.  This allows us to get some more sleep!  Most nights he does really well sleeping, then waking up, eating his whole bottle, and returning to sleep.  Of course, sometimes we have fussy times in the middle of the night... who doesn't with a 4 week old?!?

During the day he is eating every 2.5 to 3 hours.  He has some wake time afterwards and then goes to sleep until his next feeding.

Size:  At his 3 week appointment he weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces and was 20.75 inches long.  We can tell he has gained more weight since then and is growing longer.  He is in the 65th percentile for his height, and 50th for his weight, and size of his head.  Right where he should be!

He is growing so big already!  We noticed his newborn diapers are getting really tight around the legs and that sometimes they would leak, so we moved him into the 1s.  They fit great around the legs and tummy right now, although he still has a little bit of growing room in the length.  I anticipate we'll stay with this size for awhile.

Some of his newborn clothes already don't fit anymore!  I have yet to pull them out of his dresser and put them in a storage container for our future children... one of these days when I get a break, that will get done! Some of his newborn clothes are still fitting... and he can now fit into the 0-3 month sizes.  Sometimes it all depends on the brand of clothes, seems like not all 0-3 sizes are exactly the same!

Special Visits:  We have had TONS of visitors in the past month!  Of course we had lots of family come visit us in the hospital and at home.  I tried to get pictures of each person holding Owen... here are a few:

Cody holding Owen for the first time!

Auntie Lulu holding Owen for the first time!

Uncle Matt and family came to visit from Texas!

Special Trips:  Owen's first outing was with me and my Mom to dinner while Jimmy went golfing.  He did wonderful, he was an angel!  Slept the whole time!  Next, Jimmy and I had to get a new dishwasher so we took him to Lowe's with us.  On the way home we stopped for lunch.  He was wonderful the whole time!  This past Friday Jimmy and I took him to my Dad's office to surprise him.  He was so surprised, it was really sweet!  My Dad and Jimmy got to show him off.  :)  Afterwards, I met up with some friends at a winery and brought the little man along.  He did GREAT!  Slept the whole time, even when he was being passed around.  My friend (who has two kids) wanted to feed and change him, he did great with her, of course, she is a pro!  She showed me how to change his diaper right on her lap.  Looks like he will do great at the wineries!  Woo hoo!!!

Owen had his first trip out of state!  On Monday this week we took a trip to Jimmy's office to show him off. He did really well on the drive up to Columbia, Maryland.  All the ladies in his office were just goo-goo-ga-ga over him.  It was adorable to see!  Even Jimmy's boss held him for a little bit!

Firsts:  Owen had his first bath a few weeks ago.  He LOVES bath time!  He sits in his bath hammock and lets me pour warm water and suds him up.  He doesn't cry at all and actually looks really content and happy.  I think he likes the warm water washing over him.  Afterwards we wrap him up in his whale towel (thanks Auntie Lulu!) and he just loves being snuggled up!

Love the look on his face!

About to snuggle in his whale towel.

Owen also had his first photo shoot!  We set up a package with a photographer and she will be doing his newborn photos, and then another session at 4 months, 8 months, and one year.  We are so excited for her to capture these moments in our lives, she is an amazing photographer and we LOVE her work!  Here is a sneak peak photo.

Isn't he just precious?!?

She also did a blog about her time with us and Owen where you can check out some more of her photos.  Here it is:  http://alicaudillblog.com/?p=

4097  
Developmental Milestones:  Owen is getting stronger each day.  He is holding his head up more and more and for longer periods of time.  He was doing this at less than a week old.  I don't think it will be long before he is holding his head up on his own for as long as he wants!  He is now starting to follow you with his eyes and recognize my and Jimmy's voice.  He will turn his head and look in our direction when we talk.  He is also starting to interact through smiling.  His smiles are progressing from just a reaction to gas, to a reaction to people.  It is precious to interact with him and he smiles back at you!  One of life's little precious moments!  Owen also has started tummy time.  He really enjoys it.  When we put him on his mat he kicks his back legs like he is trying to crawl and lifts his head up.  He is now recognizing the toys on his mat and sometimes reaching for them.

Chillin on his play mat... check out those baby blues!

Well, I know this blog was really long, so thanks for spending the time reading it all!  I hope everyone enjoyed hearing all about our little man and I hope everyone is having a fabulous summer so far!

Love,

Judi and Jimmy

Baby Owen's Birth Story

He's here!!!!! 

Meet Owen David Blankenship

Born June 25th, 2012 at 11:12 am

7 pounds 5 ounces and 19.75 inches long

The love I have for this little guy is indescribable, simply magical.  I can't imagine my world without him.  

He truly is the love of our lives!

As most of you know, I was scheduled for a c-section on June 25th because Owen was breech.  All went according to plan.  I was nervous the morning of the c-section, not knowing what to expect and what pain I would experience.  Overall the experience was great.  The most painful part was the IV (sorry to those who have had natural births!)  I was taken into the OR at about 10:30 where they gave me a spinal, which was no more painful than a regular shot!  I was expecting it to be much more painful.  Soon most of my body was numb and then they brought Jimmy into the OR.  Jimmy sat right next to me holding my hand.  I was squeezing his hand SO hard!  And of course, already crying, just from being overwhelmed with emotion.  They began the surgery and everything went perfectly!  Out came Owen!  I'll never forget the first time I saw him, when they held him over the sheet for me to take a peek as soon as he was out.  I'm tearing up now just thinking back to that moment!

While they were weighing him and checking him out Jimmy got to walk over and watch them.  He got some really cute pictures of his legs sticking straight up (being breech, that's how he was in the womb).  I haven't had the time to put them on the computer yet, still on the camera or iPhone.  Once he was all cleaned up they brought him to me while they finished sewing me up.  I got to hold him right against my cheek.  The anesthesiologist was so sweet, he kept wiping my tears!

After the surgery was over they moved me back into recovery.  Jimmy and Owen were already waiting in recovery for me.  I spent about an hour and a half there while I regained feeling in my body.  It was such precious time with my family.  We each took turns holding Owen, and me crying of course!  I'm pretty sure Jimmy shed a few tears in the OR and recovery room as well!

Once my recovery period was over they moved me into a private room.  This is where all my family came and got to meet Owen for the first time!  Here are some pictures of the grandparents holding him...

Owen and Grandma 

Owen and Papa B

Owen and Nana

Owen and Pops

Owen and Mimi

Here are some more cute pictures of Owen!

Owen and Uncle Aaron!

Hello World!!!

Happy Birthday Owen!

Daddy ordering me some Jello!

Sleeping on mommy the first night home.

Overall, my experience was wonderful.  All the doctors and nurses were kind and caring.  The pediatrician came daily to check him out and each time he was doing wonderful.  My OB came each day to check me out as well and each time I was doing well also.  The c-section went extremely well.  My healing is great.  I barely took any percoset in the hospital (only twice) and haven't had to take any at home.  I am already going up and down the stairs more than once a day and on my own!

He is the joy of our lives and we feel so incredibly blessed by God to be this little guy's parents!

I hope you enjoyed all the pictures!

Love,

Judi and Jimmy

38 Weeks

Almost there!

Along: 38 weeks!  Owen is now full term and could come at any time!

Size of Baby:  This time, instead of typing what my book tells me about his size, I actually have an accurate size!  On Tuesday this past week we had an ultrasound which told us he is already about 7 pounds.  His head, abdomen, and leg percentiles are all in the normal range.  He could now come at any time and would be considered full term.

Gender:  BOY!!!  Owen 'Secret' Blankenship. 

Sleep:  I've still been sleeping pretty well.  I'm waking up once or twice a night.  Each morning I wake up I'm thankful for another mostly restful night, as I know this will not be the case for very much longer!

What I Miss:   I still miss wine.  I really miss it this time of year when the weather is so nice.  All I want to do is sit outside on our deck or go to a winery and relax and enjoy the weather with a nice glass of chilled pinot.  Only a little while longer... :)

Cravings:  Still craving the sweets a lot.  Smoothies, pop-tarts, peanut butter... root beer floats!  Luckily my weight gain is still in the normal range, considering all the cravings!

Symptoms:  I'm pretty swollen now.  Today I was at Target picking up a few things and some woman tells me "Oh my gosh you're feet are SO swollen!!!"  I laughed, but thought to myself... thanks lady, as if I don't already know!

Best Moment this Week:  The best moment this week was getting to see him on the ultrasound screen one more time before he arrives!  He was moving around a ton - of course!  We got to see his heart pumping and hear his heartbeat, just such a magical thing.  Truly is a miracle!

SPECIAL UPDATE:  We found out this week that Owen is sitting breech!  That means I'll be having a scheduled c-section.  The c-section is scheduled for Monday, June 25th.  It is interesting that I was sitting breech when my Mom was pregnant with me as well, and I was her first child.  Kind of funny that the same exact thing is happening to me, AND Owen will be born on the 25th - same day as me!  My Mom said he'll be just like me - a happy go lucky baby who always smiled and laughed.  Boy, I hope that's the truth!  Jimmy says he is breech because he just wants to be closer to my heartbeat, which of course, made me cry!  So keep us in your thoughts and prayers on June 25th!  And pray he doesn't decide to come any earlier than that!

Since Owen will be born on June 25th, this will be my last blog as a preggo lady!  Next blog will include pictures of Owen and his birth story!  I can't believe this is happening so soon!!!  

Love to all!

Judi and Jimmy

36 Weeks

Holy cow... I'm huge.
I wore this same outfit a couple weeks back in one of my blog pictures, I thought it would be interesting to see how much I've grown when wearing the same shirt!  Looking at this picture now... I'm scared.  LOL!

Along: 36 weeks!  One more week and Owen is considered full term.  

Size of Baby:  Owen weighs about 6 pounds and is measuring about 20 inches long now.  In the next few weeks he will just pack on the pounds until he arrives.  All his systems are equipped for life outside the womb!  

Gender:  BOY!!!  Owen 'Secret' Blankenship. 

Sleep:  I've been sleeping pretty good still.  I get up once a night and easily fall back asleep.  Most nights I'm still sleeping pretty comfortably, considering the belly!  Each morning I wake up I'm thankful for another restful night, I know it won't be like this for very much longer!

What I Miss:   WINE!  A new winery opened up about two miles from us.  It looks so awesome and I'm a little sad I don't get to enjoy it just yet... a few more weeks and I can go tasting!  Hold on Pinot... I'm coming for ya!!!

Cravings:  Lately it's been peanut butter, chocolate, smoothies, and sweets in general.

Symptoms:  I'm now getting pretty swollen.  I had to take my wedding rings off the other day and it was pretty difficult and hurt quite a bit.  I was getting scared they weren't going to come off!  I'm probably not going to put them back on until after Owen arrives and my swelling goes down.  I still have a mark on my hand where they were because they had gotten so tight!

Best Moment this Week:  My Oma and Opa came to visit last weekend!  My Opa went to his 50 year reunion at West Point and they drove down from New York after the reunion to visit for a few days.  It was so nice to see and spend time with them!  They came over to our house for brunch and lunch on Saturday last week and we got to sit and talk for awhile.  They got to see the nursery all set up and Owen's bathroom.  My Oma was taking pictures and video taping his room!  It was so touching seeing both of them so excited for Owen!  I always miss them so much when they leave.  Jimmy and I are already talking about how we can make a trip out there next summer with Owen so they can see him and spend some time with him (and all my other California family too!).

My Oma got a kick out of Owen's bathroom and so I thought I would add some pictures of it!

My mom found these cute sea themed decals, so we put them up in his bathroom to continue the sea theme from his nursery!

Another set of decals I put up.

My Oma got a kick out of his little robes!  I know he won't be able to fit into them for awhile, but we had the hook on the back of the door, so I figured, hey, why not hang them up!

I hope everyone is enjoying the start to their summer!

Love to all!

Judi and Jimmy