Picture Post!

Be aware... here's a barrage of random pictures!!

So, Owen has lots of different facial expressions. Every day he makes me laugh! Most of them are quite serious or disgusted or very old man-like.

no more flash, mom!!

all wrapped up!

sleeping angel..

What are you looking at? 

"Hey all, look at this awesome blanket!"

"If I hold my head like this, can you still see my double chin??"

I try to get pictures of everyone holding Owen.

Kelsey loves holding him and is CONSTANTLY asking if she can. She's pretty good at it, actually, but I have to watch that I don't tell her to "hold his head", otherwise she will, quite literally take her hand and hold his head.

Kelsey takes holding Owen very seriously

Marco isn't getting as much cuddle time with this baby as he got with the girls. Probably partially because of all the people we've had here , and partially because he has to share with the girls as well. But, perhaps it also has something to do with the fact that if I get an embarrassing picture, I WILL post it! HAHAHA

I tired to get a nice picture with daddy..

until I discovered the ears sticking up behind the couch!! HAHAHA

Morgan likes getting in on the cuddle action as well. Mostly, I think, because of the attention lavished upon the person holding the baby.   :)

serious...

happy!

We've been doing stuff other than holding the baby and taking pictures of him. (Hard to believe, I know!)

Marco picked all the pears from our pear tree and so one day decided to can them all. 2 large buckets of pears turned into 14 large mason jars full. Not a bad effort!

canning pears with welding gloves - how men do it!

And, of course, we also have to do "the tourist thing!"
While the girls were at preschool one day, we went up to Te Mata peak. Jeanette closed her eyes on the way up (and down), but once up at the top, it was a STUNNING view! Actually, it was one of the best days that Marco and I had seen. Usually on warm days its also quite hazy, but this day turned out sunny, warm and clear.

taking pictures of tourists taking pictures! 

I wanted to perch Owen atop the rocks, but passing tourists wouldn't let me

Jeanette's on the TOP of the WORLD!!

Actually, we take a lot of pictures of each other taking pictures... that's a bit odd, isn't it??!!

Owen - 4 weeks

Today, Owen is 4 weeks old!
And, today Owen has decided that he needs to eat constantly! Honestly, I do NOT remember the girls going through growth spurts!! I fed him at 10pm last night, then he woke at 2am - that's not too bad. But then the little booger decided he was hungry at 4, 6, & 8!! ARGH!! I'm tired, little man!!! At 6 am, I tired to convince Marco that he probably just had some gas, but when Owen gave him a hickey, I quickly got roused from my beauty sleep..

I don't think much else has changed in a week. He's growing more. My midwife weighed him again last Tuesday and in the previous 6 days he'd put on another 400g (that's 14 oz!!)! I can certainly see his face and arms and legs filling out at a rapid rate! He'll get weighed again this week, and I'm betting its another similar gain. That 400g put him at 3.950Kg (8 lbs 11 oz), which Jeanette pointed out is what one of her kids was born at. So, he's finally "normal sized!"

I've been working at getting him put to bed on time and getting him to sleep in his bed. Its been a bit hard since we've also been trying to do touristy things this week. But, when we're home, and when I've caught him at the right time, he's done great to fall asleep on his own, in his bed. However, if I keep him up just slightly too long, he gets REALLY alert ... and won't fall asleep. But, a few times isn't bad. Plus, it gives me an excuse to rock him and cuddle him to sleep :)

"Morgan, get off my blanket!!"

We also decided to get some family pictures taken today. 

Siblings!!

Creativity

I am not artsy. 

I am not musical. 

I cannot sew, knit, or paint. 

I can barely cut a straight line with scissors. 

These are facts. 

And no, it would not be any better if I tried harder. 

I would not learn these things if I tried longer. 

For 30 years, I have tried harder. 

For 30 years, I have tried longer. 

But, these are the facts about myself that I must face. 

Once and for all. 

however, time and time again.. I see something, and I think:

"I could do that." 

Then I try. (I try really hard, sometimes too). 

Wanna guess how it turns out??

Following are a few examples, of my "extra special" creativity in the photography department, as of late. 

First, I saw this picture:

 

Cute, eh?! Yeah.. so, I thought, "that doesn't look that hard.. I can do that!"

Sure.. 

Here's how MINE turned out! 

Whoops! Don't Fall off!! 

So.. then there was this one: (and I'm sorry, but whoever I pinned it from, didn't have it pinned from the right source - sorry)

But SO cute! right?!

So.. I tried this one too... 

I'm not sure which one is worse..

Anyway.. so, then I spotted these last 2:

http://blog.weathershenker.com/ 

And this one:

http://lindseyagoddardphotography.wordpress.com/

Both of which, I thought were gorgeous since they used the baby's daddy's pilot's hat. 

Well.. can you guess how MINE turned out?

Firstly, I'm not sure how the first photographer got the baby INSIDE the hat.. there's no way, mine would do that!! So, after that.. I think they just go from bad to worse.. I even tried some with both the hat AND the tie.. Shockingly bad!! 

So, there you have it. I am NOT a photographer. At least not of newborns in awesome poses. Strike off one more thing from the vast array of creative choices. Some day, I will be ok with having no creative talents. But until that day comes, I will continue to try my talents against professionals and I will continue to fall short and hard!

Hope you had a bit of a laugh at my expense.. :)