Texas Trip

We've been back for five days, but all three of us are still feeling a little jet lagged from our great Texas adventure.  (Would I have to have actually left the Central Time Zone to legitimately claim jet lag?)  Better question:  What was I thinking when I booked a flight that didn't get us back to B'ham until 11 PM Sunday night? Well for one, I was being cheap.  And for two,  since we took off several hours past his usual bedtime, Owen should have been unconscious for the entire flight.  Bah!  The little stinker was wired.  The airport and all of its strange inhabitants proved too exciting, and so he was left feeling simultaneously exhausted and over-stimulated.  By takeoff, he had the wild-eyed look of a strung-out junkie, and he didn't surrender to sleep until the lights of Birmingham were coming into view below us.  Thank goodness Scott was with me, or I might have passed my wriggling, whining bundle of joy to the lady across the aisle.

Never-the-less, we all found being in Texas far more enjoyable than leaving Texas.  Not to get too philosophical, but both Owen and my hometown are so much a part of me that it was strange for me to think that he was seeing it all and meeting everyone for the first time.  We loved introducing him to his extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins.  Owen wants to send a special "Get Well" message to his Uncle Paw-Paw, who - despite being in severe pain and just days away from major back surgery - was there bright and early to meet Owen on his first morning in town.

Some of Owen's favorite parts of the trip:

• Touring the Toyota Center with Aunt Jenny
  
• Chewing on the awesome paper, but not paper, place mat Amy gave him at Lupe Tortilla's
• Playing with (and unintentionally mauling) cousins Audrey, Travis, Abby & Gabe
• Having not one, but two photo sittings with the wildly talented Viviana.  Want to see?
• Meeting Pico, the neighborhood peacock (Our neighborhood is popular with local farm animals seeking asylum.  We've also previously hosted a few longhorn steer & a chicken.)
• Being the guest of honor at a Texas BBQ hosted by Coach and DD.  The food came from a place called Straight Off the Road BBQ  - a name I hope refers more to location than to how they find their meat.  
• Being with family and friends and knowing how much he is loved.  He must have been held by nearly three dozen people over the course of a few days.  Which reminds me...who gave him the cold?  Fess up!

Rocket Man

We're back from the Lone Star State!  So much to tell, but I'm still waiting 

for a few pics from DD before I write the Texas-sized chronicle of our visit.

Here's just a tidbit:

On our first full day there, we went into Houston to visit Owen's Aunt 

Jenny at work at the Toyota Center.  It was great to see how excited 

Jenn was to introduce her nephew to her co-workers, and I was surprised

to learn that many of them follow the happenings of Owen via this blog.

(Hi guys!)  Owen was born on the night of the Rockets' opening home 

game this past fall, which was terrible timing for Jenn, who had planned 

to be here in Birmingham for his birth.  She said her co-workers spent 

much of that day trying to console her, but she just kept crying! 

No worries Jenn.  I think Owen will forgive you for missing his debut, 

especially since your job is also the reason he will now be able to tell 

people he once used an NBA court as his private playground.     

Hey Owen! Who's the greatest guy in the world?

Happy Father's Day Scott!

I had a great little video to post as a surprise for Scott, but Photobucket is acting more like Kickthebucket today. I'll try again tomorrow. Hmph!

Wedding Weekend

Well I'm finally posting the pics from Mark & Michelle's wedding last weekend.  A migraine slammed me in the head Sunday night and then hung on for 5 days or so, but I think I'm now on my way back to the land of the clear-headed!  

Side note for my Texas family who will now be concerned that I'm dying:  I have already received doctor confirmation that I am NOT suffering from an aneurysm, brain cancer or even meningitis.  Said doctor did cruelly prescribe Vicodin, which I cannot take unless I want Owen getting high with me.

Be glad the wedding pictures aren't scratch 'n sniff.  It was an outdoor ceremony in 95-degree heat.  The damp ring around Owen's neck is from all the ice we gave him, and it looks like he's going to have my flushed cheeks (Yay! A genetic resemblance).

We still had a wonderful time celebrating with Scott's family- and DD too.  She flew in for the occasion to be Owen's date, and it didn't take long for them to hit the dance floor together.  (Since I couldn't find any music I liked for the remix, just play "Unchained Melody" in the background while you watch it and you can recreate the moment.)

Congrats Mark and Michelle!

   

Guess what today is...

grOWEN & gOWEN

I've put up a lot of corny blog titles, but this one is by far the worst.  I just 

can't resist a pun.  And if you've spent much time in the company of my 

mother, you know where the blame lies!

I feel unoriginal for bringing this up, but Owen is growing and changing

so much.  Of course, that's what all babies do.  But he's completely 

reinvented himself in the past two weeks.  He's moving all over the place, 

staying awake longer, making new sounds and new facial expressions,

and (I'm going to risk a jinx by writing this) sleeping much better.  At this

point Owen seems destined to become either a mechanic or the Wicked 

Witch of the East, as I keep finding the lower half of him protruding

from various pieces of furniture around the house.