09/09/09 = 1

Dear Bowen,
You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. This past year has been the best year of my life. I am so very thankful for you and so blessed to have you! I love to listen to you talk and giggle. I love to watch you get extra excited as we go outside or out to see the dogs. I love that you love blueberries and pickles...just like me. My favorite part of the day is getting you out of the bathtub and snuggling you up in a clean towel at the end of the day. You have a light in your eyes like no one else and a spirit ready to roar. Thank you for letting me be your mommy. I am the luckiest mommy in the world. I love you so much. Happy FIRST Birthday!
Love, Mama


I'm one. Mr. Pup is one, also.

Oh! Happy Day!


Let's get our cake on!

These two people are all over me!

Yum, yum,

and more Yum!

With my Memo!

My smash cake...

My puppy cake!

Really, mom.

Checking out my cakes before we start!

Opening my presents!

Year in Review

I am so glad I did this. It wasn't my idea, but a good one at that. I had seen a friend do it before. The pup was a gift from his uncle and the first time I did this picture when he was 10 days old, I just grabbed it quickly without much thought. It has turned out to be quite the centerpiece. My little man has grown so much, and it is so much fun to see these pictures together. We've had a fun birthday week and the birthday party pics will come very soon in the next post. ENJOY! Thanks for following my little angel, too!

10 days old

1 month

2 months

3 months

Here I Grow Again! 4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

1 year old!

Pool and parties!

!What a fun summer we've had! However, it has been back to work for mama and back to Mrs. Pat's for Mr. B! We had fun in the pool in the backyard and fun with friends and family. Bowen is 11 months old and he is already eating me out of house and home. I literally cannot keep enough food for him to eat. He is on all table food and loves most everything...except for dairy. It is almost like if he knows milk went into making it, then it's not going to cross his lips. If it does cross his lips, then there is some gagging and slight retching in store for the audience. I am sneaking it in here and there, but not really worried. He loves vegetables and fruit and most everything else, so we will rest easy! Getting ready for the big 1st birthday. Get ready to see the Mr. Pup's year in Review!!

Just hanging out being 11 months old with my pup.

I am really telling m y mama something here....

Happy Birthday to Ellie and Emma Spillyards! (I really like girls..I think they're pretty!)




Are you gonna give me some of that pizza?

Finally!!

Fun Summer Baby!

We've had another great month! Much more time at home to spend together. We had a very relaxing Fourth of July, and we have had fun swimming at the big pool and the little pool in the back yard. Bowen is still not traditionally crawling...but he has his own moves and army-crawls faster than lightening! He loves electrical cords of any type and will bypass 100 toys to get to one electrical cord 25 feet away. We now have a barricade in the den so Houdini can't escape. Bowen is pulling up all over the place and would much rather stand than sit. He was standing up in his crib today when he woke up from his nap, so here we go.......
I had a Tri-Delt reunion in Fayetteville and had so much fun. Bowen had his first visit to a sorority house! Starting young, I guess. We also visited Morrilton on the way and stopped by PapaDoc's office for some picture time. Hope this finds you all doing well. Enjoy and stay cool!

10 months for me!

These puppy pictures are not easy to take these days. You've gotta move quickly!

Still being silly!

Happy 4th! It wouldn't be right without fireworks and goldfish!
This lucky boy got to actually go upstairs in the Tri-Delt house to see the bedrooms..."Man on Second!"

Visting PapaDoc's chair...but just for fun..new teeth don't need much work!

I like to jump off the side to my Mommy...over and over again!

FUN at the pool

"Whatchu talkin' 'bout Willis?" (this is dedicated to my Uncle Alan)

9 on the 9th

What a busy month! We have been traveling so much this month visiting family and friends. Sometime in the last month Bowen turned 9 months. He had a well-baby check up and the doctor said Mr. B did not weigh enough! He is within normal limits but dropped in percentile, so she wanted to see his weight come back up. So, we've been shoving just about anything in Bowen's mouth that he will accept. Accept is the key word here!
We've also traveled a lot to visit grandparents and great-grandparents. We went fishing on the White River and learned to camp with a baby. (Okay, we were in an air conditioned cabin with a kitchenette...but it was still a lot of work!)
Bowen took his first ride on an airplane and did great! No crying for Bowen. He loved it and loved watching the people. He also loved pulling the barf-bag out of the seat...over and over!
I hope every one's summer is going well. It is a chilly 100 F here today, so we are cooped up inside!
Enjoy the pics!
9 on the 9th...puppy in tow!

This was my great Nana's rocking chair! So cool!

I love this airplane!

Here we go!

My Happy Mother's Day

I forgot to post these with the other post. I had a WONDERFUL first mother's day. I am so lucky to have Bowen and hope that I am half the mother to him that my mother is to me. We love you KitKat!

I've got these cool trucks on my shirt!

Love,

Love,

Love,

and more LOVE!

Swine Flu, Cabo, and Ear Infections- Oh My!

And yet again, I am sorry for the delay. I am now HOME for a few weeks and school is out! There has been so much going on, I could write for days. But-no need to bore you all! We have had a fun filled month and it all started with the Swine Flu! No, nobody contracted it...but it made it's way into our lives anyway.
We've had a family trip planned to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for almost the past year. Departure date- May 3. The week prior to the 3rd, the media decided that there was no better news to report on than the Swine Flue "Pandemic". Everyone said- "don't go!" -even the vice-president. Bowen was supposed to go, too. ("You can't take that baby!") Do I take my first born infant son to a "diseased" country? Am I a horrible mother? It was a hard week..we were literally going one morning, not that afternoon...going the next day, not going the next. Bowen ended up having ear infections all about that same time. These were his first, and they were BAD! Two different antibiotics plus a Rocephin (another antibiotic) shot later-they were finally gone. I hated it for him. He was moaning and feverish and couldn't shake them. It wasn't in the plan for Bowen to go to Cabo, I guess...so off to Grammy Camp in Texas he went!! I was NEVER going to leave him and I cried my eyes out, but it ended up for the best for everyone. He was missed terribly, but I know he loved being with his Grammy, too. Thank you very much, Grammy, we appreciate you! We also had some exciting news while in Cabo! Bowen has a new aunt-to-be! Congrats Uncle Alan and Aunt Monica! We can't wait for the wedding!
So motherhood brought me several firsts this past month- ear infections and leaving my little one behind. I am still learning.
We returned from Mexico for cousin Ashley's wedding. She looked beautiful, and we wish Daniel and Ashley all the best!
Bowen is 8 months old! I am so proud of him. He is a sweet boy and has a great disposition. He is starting to become opinionated on what food he eats (hmmm..not fun!) and he is rolling and army-crawling all around. You can't leave him alone on the floor anymore! Enjoy the pics. The next post should come sooner than this one did!


Drum roll.....8 MONTHS OLD!

Such a sweet boy! (party boy, too!)

My first watermelon! (If you are what you eat, Bowen is a watermelon..that is all his mommy ate last summer!)

Cousin Ash- the beautiful bride!

Fiesta! (with a luau shirt on--this Fiesta was in LR..not Mexico!)

Daddy kept me one night while Mommy had a work-thing...Daddy, put me in my bed!

First ride by myself in a shopping cart! (I think he looks so big..I got teary-eyed when I got this developed.)

The Arch

"Yahoo" the Wahoo (yes, we named him--and ate him.)

Minus one little cutie..the gangs all here!