Snow Day

It snowed this week in Cincinnati! It really was only like 6 inches, but you would have thought it was 6 feet the way people around here acted...it was hilarious! Schools were cancelled...before it even started snowing! Grocery stores ran out of milk and bread! We're talking SIX INCHES, people!!!

As much as I truly despise the cold weather, I was actually excited about this snowfall. Any excuse to stay inside in our pajamas all day is alright in my book! It was also the first time it has snowed since Owen has been old enough to "enjoy" it. Thursday afternoon, we took the opportunity to introduce Owen to playing in the snow! It took me 30 minutes to get Owen bundled up...we maybe lasted 7 minutes outside :)

Surprise, surprise...we have no pictures. Justin took Owen outside as I ran upstairs to grab the camera. The battery was dead. Ugh - I was so ticked. Instead, we have some video!

Coming Attraction

The Myers' family has some exciting news to share - we will be adding a new member to our family in a couple of months! Owen will be a big brother to little brother Myers on or around May 21! Although, if our new little guy is anything like Owen, it will be closer to June! Owen was almost two weeks late!

This pregnancy came to us as a pretty big shock. Yes, we are fully aware of how these things happen, but we definitely weren't planning on it to happen! When we found out our new little peanut was coming, Owen had just turned 9 months old! Honestly, I really struggled with the idea at first - for a while, really. I had this crazy, irrational fear that Owen would think he did something wrong or he wasn't good enough, so we needed a "new model". I knew Owen wouldn't know any different - that he wouldn't remember life without his little sibling, but that made me sad, too (stupid pregnancy hormones!!).

This pregnancy has been a little more difficult than my first. In the beginning, I was quite a bit sicker than with Owen. Oh yeah - I also had to keep up with an almost-toddler. A stinker of an almost-toddler who stopped sleeping one week after we found out I was pregnant. He went from 11 1/2 hour nights to waking up multiple times throughout the night. This went on for three months!!! Luckily, Owen has the best daddy (and I have the best husband), and he helped out A LOT. I am pretty sure I wouldn't have survived those first months had it not been for Justin!

Things have really gotten a lot better since the shock of the baby has worn off, and the queasiness of the first trimester has passed. I am super excited about our new little guy. And super excited about Owen being a big brother. He will be a great big brother - he loves hugging other kids (although, he often ends up tackling). He has a long way to go with sharing, though :) We had our 20-week ultrasound this week, and things with Baby Myers #2 (I get tempted to be lazy and just type B.M. #2, but that makes me think of bowel movement, and I don't like referring to my children as crap...unless I mean to :) are looking great. He's right on schedule, and definitely a boy!

It's a boy!

Even though Owen has no idea what's in store for him, I think he's getting pretty excited for his new little brother, too :)

Christmas

Mommy and daddy dropped the ball big time at Christmas by not taking very many pictures. I know, I know - what kind of parent does that?!?! I mean, last year, we SORT of had an excuse, right? A three-week old, no sleep, blah, blah, blah, but, this year, we get a big fat F. Maybe one of these years, we'll learn.

We spent yet another Christmas mostly in the car, traveling all over the place and to many different celebrations in not that many days. I think that is one of the big reasons why we did not take many pictures. :( We were too busy making sure we had all of the gifts going to the right places, all of our stuff, all of Owen's stuff, Owen :)...that right then in that moment, the camera wasn't really a priority. In hindsight, I wish we had made it one.

We had a great holiday, though. It was great to be around friends and family.

We got to see a lot of family we hadn't seen in a while, and Owen had a blast getting to know some of his cousins! Between both sides of Justin's family and my family, he has seven cousins that were born within eight months of him! Of course, I don't have any pictures (except the few that I stole from Facebook), but it's pretty insane!

Sorry, Hoop - it wouldn't be a post about family without an obligatory "Burton Boys" picture! This get-together actually involved some minor pushing and toy-stealing...it's getting interesting!!

Hey! Santa brought me a kitchen. Yes, Santa is lazy and didn't put it together first. And yes, it's purple and for a girl (there ARE boys on the back of the box), but I play with it all the time!!

Jonah's toys look cooler than mine!

Inspecting each other's toys

We actually managed to get one with them BOTH looking up!!

Santa!!!!

This was the first year we got Owen's picture taken with Santa...and I could not have been more thrilled! Although, I suppose it would be funny to have a picture to look back on where Owen was screaming and you could see the look of terror on his face, but I am really excited about the way it turned out! I will admit, though - I was really worried. Owen has been going through a bit of a "I want mommy all of the time" phase, and I just didn't know how that would bode for Santa. He was fascinated with Santa's (real!) beard, so after that, he was set! He just needed mommy and daddy acting like fools off to the side to get a good smile, and there you have it...a perfect first picture with Santa!

O Christmas Tree

With the exception of last year (you know, newborn baby and all), since Justin and I have been married, we have made it a tradition to go out with Justin's family and pick out real Christmas trees. The place we have gone to in the past was the "lazy man's version" of a Christmas tree farm - you pick out your tree, point it out to the workers, and they come and cut it down for you with a chainsaw, tag it, and drill it into your stand for you by your car :) For those of you who may not know me very well...that's my type of place!!

Unfortunately, that place is really far from where we live now, and for the sake of not having Owen in the car for two unnecessary hours, we went somewhere "real". We had to do the work. Let me rephrase that...Justin had to do all the work. A few weeks ago, we went out with Grandma and Grandpa Myers, and Aunt Kristen and Uncle Chris to pick out trees. Despite the cold temperatures and the early start, we had a great time. We piled Owen up in about thirteen layers of clothes, but he really had a great time!

Ready to pick out some trees!!

Resembling Randy from A Christmas Story...he could barely move!

The Myers family and our tree*

Kisses from mommy always helps the cold

Kisses from daddy never hurt, either!

Owen was way more interested in the cat than picking out the tree

One wiped out little dude

* Our Christmas tree did not survive very long in Casa de Myers. It currently resides in the Yard de Myers. My allergies got progressively worse and worse once we got the tree home, so it was soon replaced with a fake tree that brings out no allergic reactions from me, has no bristles to clean up, and there is no chance of a rabid squirrel coming out and attacking us all :)

It's Party Time

A few weeks ago, we had Owen's first birthday party. It was a great time with friends and family. He wasn't really too sure about the cake. He never really dug in too much - he kind of prissily (I am not sure that's a word) picked at it until we decided that was enough. He had a blast opening presents, though! He got a lot of great gifts that have completely overtaken our house! We are so blessed to have so many friends and family that love Owen so much!

I guess since Christmas is officially over and I am just now getting around to posting Owen's birthday party pictures, I may post Christmas pictures sometime in March! :)

You mean, I get to eat this?!?!

Power to the people!

Let's tear into these presents!

Um, Dad, I'm one now. I can do it by myself!

Surrounded by lots of cool stuff

Pushing around his cool new bee

Playing with his favorite "toy" of the afternoon...Great-Grandpa Myers' walker!

Happy Birthday Owen!!!

So, this post is obviously a little late (one week, to be exact). Owen's 1st birthday came and went a week ago. It was pretty emotional for me - I think I cried about five or six times! I just can't believe it's already been one year!! It's just crazy!

Here is Owen the day he was born...

Here is Owen exactly one year later...

Holy cow...what a difference a year makes!! We had a pretty rocking party for Owen a few days after his birthday...as soon as I can get a chance to download our pictures, I will try to get some posted :)