#125 - What does Owen say?

Owen is talking constantly these days. His favorite phrases are "Help, Mommy", "Look at me, Mommy", "Snack please, Mommy", "That one, Mommy". Do you see the common word? The below video sums it up pretty well.

Lou also taught Owen to say, "boo yah". Owen thinks he's pretty cool saying it.

#124 - Daddy's Day, Hilton Head and Mommy's new hobby

A lot has been going on in the Saez household. First, today is Father's day. The day out of the year that we designate as the day to honor all the Daddies in the world. We hope that your day was very special, whether you celebrated with your father, celebrated from far away, or celebrated in memory.

Owen was especially excited to give his Daddy the little gift that he had made him (well, made with a little help from Mom). Owen just can't wait for that first fishing trip with his Daddy. I think it's coming pretty soon - as soon as the temperature drops a bit down here. And, if you can't tell, that's Owen's footprint inside of the fish.

This weekend, Lou had to attend a pharmacy conference in Hilton Head, so the little guy and I tagged along. A weekend at the Crowne Plaza, with its three pools, and endless beaches, well, could you blame us? Despite Lou being in class a good bit of the weekend, we managed to turn it into a little Father's day getaway. Owen did remarkably well in the hotel. He was so captivated by all the new sights and activities that he totally wore himself out. We got to hang out at the pool most of Saturday and Sunday, where he tested out his new floaties (life jacket thingy), and build sandcastles at the beach.

Midday Saturday, my cousin, Holly, and her two children met us for lunch. It was the first time we'd seen Peter since last summer, and the very first time we'd met little Ellie. Peter looks just like his Daddy, and is the sweetest little boy. He and Owen immediately started playing together and doing all the boy stuff - climbing things, chasing each other, etc. I love that our children are about the same age. It brings back such wonderful memories of the relationships I had with my cousins growing up.

Ellie is a cutie pie! She's a big girl, and all squishy and loving, and just the sweetest thing ever. She looks so much like her grandmother, I think. Here are a few pictures from our lunch:

This first picture of the boys is great......

but this one, I think, is just priceless!

Here's little Ellie, with her belly full and about to fall asleep. I could just squeeze those cheeks all day!!!

Here we are hanging out at the beach....

My handsome husband, who is also a wonderful, loving, patient father to our son. We are truly blessed!

Remember for Mother's Day.... Lou bought me a sewing machine. Well, I've been taking a few sewing classes to learn how to use the machine, and with the help of a good friend, I made this little outfit for Owen last week! Can you believe it? I'm the most non-domestic, uncreative woman I know, yet, for some reason, I've really enjoyed learning to sew, and I'm quite proud of my newest creations.

#123 - Mommy's Boy

I can't remember if I've posted about this yet, but Owen has become such a Mommy's boy. He's always been one to a certain extent, but lately, it has been getting pretty intense. He seems to be permanently attached to one of my legs, or holding his arms up in the air, saying, "Mama, mama, up, up." Nine times out of ten, if I'm in the room, he refuses to go to anyone else, even Lou. While it's definitely sweet, and certainly warms my heart, it makes doing simple things like laundry and cooking dinner a real challenge.

Now, if he wants to have fun and giggle, he goes straight to Daddy, because clearly, he's the fun parent! Lou can have him in giggling fits in a matter of seconds.

One of the latest things that Owen does is to take his toys under the table in the family room. He hides out underneath the table skirt with his toys, and occassionally sticks his head out for a little game of peek-a-boo.

Here's a picture of the little man before church this morning. I love this cute outfit (courtesy of the Flemings, of course). Speaking of church......Lord, help us. Cause it's truly testing our patience as parents. Owen has been such a handful the last few weeks. We've spent more time outside of church, walking around the restless boy, than we've spent inside participating in the mass! Any advice?

#122 - The Fireman

#121 - Memorial Day Weekend, Part 2

The other special part of this past weekend was Kaylin's 2nd Birthday Party. It was at Jen and Claudio's house, and despite a few rain sprinkles, it was a really fun celebration! The kids had a great time playing on their new swing set, blowing bubbles, and even running through the sprinkler. Jen did a terrific job putting it together.

Here are the proud parents of two-year old Kaylin Erin Bonomo.

Aunt Helene kept the children busy with the bubbles, and lots of other fun toys she brought.

Kaylin loves giving Owen hugs. Owen looks like such a stud-muffin there, doesn't he?

Jen and Dad. Dad's been working in Jacksonville for the past few months on a project, and Jen and Kaylin have gotten to spend a lot of time with him. I'm a little jealous! :)

Catherine and the little guy. At the party, people were surprised that Owen could climb the stairs of the swing set by himself and slide down the slide solo. He's such a boy - he'll climb anything, and does not want your help!

Owen and Grand-Papa. 92 years old and looking great!

Nana and the birthday girl.

Pretty and delicious!

Singing Happy Birthday to Kay Kay.

Aunt Heidi holding Owen. We were about ten minutes away from a melt-down, and out came the paci. Heidi looks great, doesn't she?

And.....here's the meltdown.

But, had a wonderful time this weekend with all the family. We're so lucky to be able to spend the special day with Kaylin. She's the sweetest little girl. I can't believe it's been two years since she was born. I remember it like it was yesterday. On Sunday, May 18, 2008, Jenifer and I were having a joint baby shower at Epping Forest. We were both pregnant (Jen was 35 weeks and I was about 25 weeks) and so excited for the shower with all our family and friends. Shortly before the shower started, Jen called me up and asked, "How do you know if your water has broken?" WHAT???? Yep, Jen's water broke on the morning of our baby shower. But, Jen wanted to keep it a secret, quickly go to the shower, then head straight to the hospital. So, that's what we did. By 3 pm, she had checked into the hospital, and about 24 hours later, Kaylin was born. What an exciting day! We love you, Kay Kay!!!

#121 - Memorial Day Weekend, Part I

A few videos of our trip to Jax this weekend for Memorial Day and Kaylin's Birthday Party. On Saturday, we met Dad, Catherine, and the boys where they were staying at the beach. More pictures of the weekend coming later......

A quick story about the football at the beach - two random guys were tossing around their football in the water. One overthrew the ball, and Owen siezed the opportunity to go and pick up their ball and run away with it, like it was his to play with! Fortunately, they were sweet about it, and we had our own football back at our chairs for Owen.

And, here's the little guy chasing the birds around the beach.

#120 - Summer's here!

First Communions are done. Graduations are done. Memorial Day is next week. Must mean summer is here!

Yesterday, we loaded up the family and headed out to the beach, Cocoa included. This was the first time that we had gone to the beach since last summer, so Owen probably had no recollection of what it was. On the way there, he kept asking where was the "wa wa", and when we walked over the dune and he saw the expanse of water ahead of him, he started waving and said, "hi wa wa" over and over. He was so excited. We undressed him, applied the second coat of sunscreen and got his bathing suit on. But, as is typical of him, he refused to go play until he could eat a snack, as you can see below.

Then, it was off to the water - he was a little timid and unsure of the ocean's waves, and would stand on the edge of the waterline watching the waves come in and out. Before long, as the water would recede back to the ocean, he'd run forward and wait there. But, once the next wave came forward, he'd turn and run as fast as he could back towards the dry sand, laughing and giggling the entire way. This back and forth into the ocean kept him happy for about an entire hour!

He was also captivated by the driftwood and seaweed, and by the end of the day had collected quite a collection, of which he used to help him draw in the sand.

The cute swim shorts are courtesy of the Fleming boys. We learned the hard way that they are still too big on him, and the water weighed them down, therefore causing our sweet little boy to walk around the beach like a thug.

We truly don't know who had more fun - Owen or Cocoa. Lou let her off the leash a few times, and she ran up and down the beach like a little puppy, thrashing through the waves, and having a blast. Of course, that only made Owen laugh even more.

Pretty soon, we relocated back to the tidal pools, and we got to relax while Owen played with the sand.

It was just the right amount of water for him to splash around in without feeling overwhelmed.

And of course, like a typical little boy, it wasn't long before he was slinging the mud/sand all over the place. By the end of the day, he had dried sand caked in his hair and every fold in his body.

His shorts got so bad (we were pulling them up every 30 seconds or so), that Lou finally suggested that I take the rubber band in my hair and use it to cinch the waistband around the swim trunks. Worked like a charm!

And, to prove to you that he really did inherite his Mommy's wavy/curly hair, this is what it looked like when we got home from the beach!

We had a great time! Both Owen and Cocoa were sound asleep within 60 seconds of us leaving the beach. They were worn out!