Playmates

By mid-September (Leo just past 5 months and Owen just shy of 3), Owen and Leo had just begun to play together.  Here's what playtime looks like:

Owen demonstrates a new found interest in baby toys, especially anything that Leo is holding.  Leo tries to shove everything, including both hands and at the same time, in his mouth.  Owen explains to Leo about the toys that he can't play with yet (he enjoys this part, I think) and about the things he will teach him to do one day.  Leo stares at Owen like he is THE most enthralling and captivating person on the planet.

Cape Romain

One Saturday morning in early September, we drove up 17 to Cape Romain, a National Wildlife Refuge, to enjoy the gorgeous weather.  We stopped and picked up a bite to eat at Jack's Cosmic Dogs along the way (their slaw is out of sight, and their veggie dogs are quite good).

Bill and Owen enjoy their dogs by tailgate:

Here we are at Garris Landing looking out onto Sewee Bay:

Oftentimes on the weekend, we seek out a park or preserve of some kind, or we just find a place to be on the water.  It always leaves us feeling peaceful and grateful.  And, the glorious months of September through mid-December in Charleston are our handsome reward for making it through July and August, so it is important to take advantage.  And, on a day like this one, to drive a few miles to take in a view like this one:

We sat out on the end of the pier for a while, and Owen ran down and back until he was about to collapse.  Here is a video of the scene - there is a sweet moment at 1:40:

 

Love ya.

So Much Cute, So Little Time (and Sleep)

See.  THIS is why I take pictures.  Because otherwise, I would have NO memory of THIS:

I mean, I don't even remember it now, and these photos were taken just over a month ago.  (If I don't write something down these days, it will leave my brain in 4.5 seconds flat.)  But there's my baby boy, having fallen asleep on the guest bed beside his crib with belly full of milk and a face full of angel.

Love him.  Love every picture of him.

September

On a gorgeous afternoon in early September, I got a few quick pics of my faux-hawked babe:

It was so pretty that I tried to try to talk Owen into joining us, but he was cooking with his Dad and couldn't be bothered.  But it was REALLY so nice outside, so I insisted.

They weren't giving me much to worth with at first:

But I like the serious, pouty shots, too, so no problem:

I like this one:

Hey!  There's a tiny smile!  (See? This isn't so bad? Just as much fun as helping Bill make pizza, right?)

And then a full smile (from Owen, at least.  Leo was ready for bed.):

One more for good measure.

"Okay, mom.  We're done now."

Okay.  Thank you.

Classic

A classic Owen moment: he emerges with some hilarious accessory, waits for your reaction, laughs his head off, and then runs off to get another one...

Here, with a headlamp and an American Gothic expression:

And then he's off...

Nap Time

While some of his friends have dropped their nap, Owen is definitely still in need of one.  But this summer, nap time started to be more of a struggle.  Owen would spend the first hour (or more) singing loudly, having pretend conversations, repeating things we laughed about earlier in the day, getting toys out of his cabinet: anything to deter sleep.  When he finally did fall asleep, he would sleep HARD.  (Still does.)  Sleep like I slept in the 10th grade. 

He might finally succumb to sleep around 2 or 3pm, and then we have to go in to get him up around 5pm.  Here is one of those times, moments before waking Owen from a teenager-quality slumber:

And another:

(He's also about as happy to be woken up as I was in the 10th grade.  Or now, really.)

And then.  THEN.  Owen started getting very creative with his tactics.  He began using the diaper wipes as a means of communication for how he felt about having to take a (much needed) nap.  He would take a brand new package of Seventh Generation wipes, take them all out one by one, and press the moisture into his sheets.  (This renders the wipes about as useful as a dryer sheet on the next diaper change...)

I mean, seriously?!??

We would tell him not to and would try our damnedest to remember to put the wipes where he couldn't get them, but I think that just brought more joy to getting them and doing it anyway. 

So, at 5pm, feeling happy that he had fallen asleep, we would then walk into find this:

Thankfully, this trend ended along with Summer.  (Which is really good, because, while entertaining the first time, it was getting to be both maddening and expensive.)

Folly Flip Book

At the end of August, we returned to our lovely friends' lovely house on Folly Beach.  Owen and Jase had a ball running and romping together, as always (look at the next 4 pictures in flip-book style):

After playing so hard, it's important to take a break for a snack and some meaningful conversation:

Cutie:

The rest of us had considerably less energy thanks to the two newest members of the gang: Leo and Morgan.  Here, Travis sneaks in a 60-second power nap (Morgan - 6 weeks old - obliges):

Thank you for another wonderful weekend, friends!  New-baby exhaustion can't stop our party...