#1 - another RQOTD...
What are your biggest pet peeves?
Those that top off my list (and are subject to change depending on my mood) are: ignorance, bad drivers, not being able to admit when you're wrong, and those stupid shelf bra things in tank tops! :)
# 2 - some random cuteness of the day!!
my little monkey after bathtime tonight...
Random Question of the Day....
What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?
(found this question in one of my Dove Promises 63% Cacao Dark Chocolates...mmmm mmmm good!) 
I'd have to think about this one some more....and I don't know that I could pick just one thing...
...but my first thoughts are that I would - finish grad school while working FT, OR maybe start my own business, run a marathon, write a book, or perhaps be a stay at home mom! :)
What about you?!
So...I turned 30 last Saturday...WOW, I can't believe I'm 30!! I thought I'd be in my 20s forever...My wonderful hubby and mom decided to suprise me with a little get together with friends and fam on Saturday! I have to say, I kinda had an idea they were up to something, but didn't think all the people who came would be there! Thank you to everyone who came - it was a great time - and it really meant a lot to me to have you all there! :) 
To round out the celebration - when I went into work on Monday morning I had quite the fun suprise too!! Thank you guys, you're an awesome bunch to work with! :) 
In other news, for the past week or so, Owen hasn't really been eating very well (so unlike him, I know) and then yesterday, he refused to eat at all at daycare - so I went over there around 2 to nurse him and he did eat for me, for which I was so relieved...but he just isn't himself! He has a cold and his poor little eyes are just so puffy and sad looking...sickness sucks in little kiddos, but on the selfish side of it, when he's sick it gives momma lots of cuddle time...all he wants to do is be held and cuddle...what a sweet little man!! As far as his ears go...we've been dealing with about 3-4 months of ear infections :( 4 differnt antibiotics, many sleepless nights and a visit to the ENT later, we have surgery scheduled for tubes on April 9. Please pray this does the trick for him!
O tried formula for the first time EVER! I'm pretty darn proud of myself for exclusively breastfeeding him for so long especially with being back to work full time since he was eight weeks old! My frozen stash of milk is dwindling though, plus I will be going away in a couple of weekends for shopping extravaganza 2.0 in Schaumburg...so I had to supplement with some formula so I could build the 'stash' for when I'm gone...He didn't even seem to notice the difference :)
Owen's new tricks include clapping and 'dancing' and drinking from a sippy cup! He thinks he's so cool when he copies what we do. He still loves to growl and thinks just about everything is hilarious! He also got to try out his new carrier at the Riley Trails a couple of weekends ago, and LOVED it (especially loved bonking dad on the head with his toy) - we probably walked about 2 miles and Owen never fussed once! He loves the outdoors. We also tried out our jogging stroller the other day in some trails across the street from our house...Owen seemed to love the bumpy ride so much - that he fell asleep!!
Hikin' with dad...
clapping...
Bath time fun...
Can you believe the difference in these two pics? He's grown up so much (not to mention the helmet has dramatically changed his little head - of course you can't see the back here, but just his forehead alone has changed a lot)...
I just discovered the best website ever - its a site where you can go to download FREE workout mixes for your ipod!! If ONLY I had known about this before spending so much time making fun running mixes in the past.
Anyway, the best thing about this site, is there is also an area where you can download a training mix for going from "first day to 5k" I love this idea....I've really wanted to get back into running, but just haven't found the time or felt like I knew a good way to get back into it...but I think this will be just what I need!
What's really cool is that this interval training mix plays music and then has a little "chime" that lets you know when to go from walking to running and vice versa...much easier than trying to follow some of those interval training matrix things that are out there.
Can't wait to try it out tomorrow! I'll keep you posted on how it goes!
So my intent for this blog was for it to be an outlet of sorts, for anything I felt like spouting out, yet the primary focus has been (and expectedly so) my little man. So - in an effort to get some variety in here - my Owen posts will be mixed with those including other little tidbits. And what better way to start than a post on shopping!!
Recently, the writer of a blog I love to read has challenged her readers to put out a post on tips to save $$$ and still look cute...I love a challenge (and love to shop) so here you go...
The biggest strategy for bargain shopping is to head straight for the clearance racks – if I know where I’m headed once I get somewhere, there is less of an opportunity for me to stray and purchase something *gasp/wince* at full price. It's amazing the deals you can find when you’re persistent and patient.
Among my favorite spots to bargain shop: TJ Maxx, Younkers, and Kohl’s. Other spots I've had some luck are Chico’s (they do 50% off already reduced items frequently), Maurice’s (I recently hit a random sale where select regular priced items were 75% off), and even WalMart has some fun finds – love their George line.
Here’s a shopping excursion in the life of me: while perusing a bargain blog - I found a coupon for 30% off at GAP and Old Navy, so I decided to head to Old Navy on my lunch hour today where I picked up the following:
And the following for my ‘gift bin’ (which is a bin of deals I just couldn’t pass up – but for which I didn’t have a recipient in mind – I keep these things on hand for ‘future use’)
Grand total – 19.97
Other than shopping strategies, my tips for dressing on a dime are: stick to basics for bottoms (think brown, black, grey pants and or skirts) and go for the fun in your tops which you can mix and match with different bottoms. Cheap jewelry (which you can find @ Claires, WalMart, Maurices, etc) also helps make something plain look fun! I also recently fell in love with scarves...The Bridge in downtown Holland has TONS of fun ones - and are anywhere between $10-15!
Bottom line, is be creative, think outside the box! And have FUN! :)
Lots to report on the development of my little man!
His new point of pride (and mom's too) is that he has learned how to wave - at first it was more of an accidental thing - and starting around the last week in Feb he does it intentionally - he will wave at anyone who is around him and smiles so proudly as he does it - he even waves at the babies in his Baby Einstein video! Here he is, waving (just a little in this clip - I've really got to get a cute waving session on film) and also screaming at the cat (see below for details on his love for the cat) - notice how he tries to wave while he's screaming but he's just so excited, he can barely do it (so cute!)...
Mobility-wise, Owen has no interest in crawling or even rolling over for that matter - I think he'll be the type of kid who bypasses the crawling stage and just takes off walking! He's already started to pull himself up to standing. While he's sitting on my lap, he'll grab on to the exersaucer and just stand right up!
His newest discovery is the cat! Usually he screams (a gleeful scream) when he first sees her and then continues to scream like a mad man until she leaves his line of vision. When she comes near him, he loves to try to grab her tail - here's a video that showcases his love for her (and her subsequent fear of him)...
Don't worry - he was fine - I think it scared me more than it did him (if you couldn't tell by my shrill scream). (btw, the wonderulf background noise you hear is my friend Mr. Milker)
Verbally, Owen has moved on from the gremlin laugh and has begun to growl...yes, growl. On Thursday, at daycare, he was gobbling up his sweet potatoes and cereal (because he was STARVING, that boy is wasting away to nothing at a hefty 21 lbs!) and a little girl in his room came walking/crawling near him and he growled at her! Wow, quite the territorial little bugger! But he also uses this new-found vocal ability to show excitement as well! I really need to capture the growling on film - it really is something - everyone at daycare gets such a kick out of it!
Stay tuned for the 8 month photo shot - yeah, that's right, he's 8 months old already!!
In the meantime, here are a few pics to tide you over!
