Bottles, Boppys and Bumbos

These days there are all kinds of baby products on the market that all parents "must have" in order to keep their child safe and help the child develop properly. It has required a great amount of research to determine which of these products Owen would really benefit from and which are just another gimick to get our money...like the 40,262 types of bottles that claim to be the most "realistic," or 632 products that make him into a bubble boy to protect him from germs just to have the dog lick his face when we turn away.

There are some of the new items out there that are great, though. Owen's newest thing that is definitely not a gimick is the Bumbo. Leslie sent us the Bumbo a while back and said that Jack loves his. Well, Owen loves his too. The Bumbo helps him sit up, so he's been enjoying some eye-to-eye conversations with Mom and Dad at supper these days.

Owen Supports Live Music...Will You?

Last week I saw two completely different sides of the music world. Monday I woke up to see the embarrasment that is Britney Spears all over the tv making a mockery of music...or a statement of what the music industry has become, take your pick. If you managed to missed it, check it out on You Tube, I'm sure it's there.

Then Friday night I went with Matt to see Wilco. What a show. In the last few years I've see a lot of good shows (Coldplay, U2, Jamie Cullum, Keane, John Mayer, CommonGround Band ;-)...) and this one was right up at the top of my all-time best list. If you ever get a chance to see these guys, go. Even if you don't know their music, you'll love the show just on the sheer talent that they have.

In today's digital market, so many non-talented people are getting paid millions of bucks for personality instead of talent. Support live music and get out there and hear what real musicians sound like!

And that's our rant of the week...

A Sampling of Owen and Mom's Daily Activities

One thing that Owen and Mom like to do is find ways to make coming home from work more enjoyable for Dad. For example, Dad came home to this nice NASCAR poster hanging on his closet door. This poster explains how to be a race fan, which is very important information, since Ryan is not a race fan. Apparently being a race fan involves growing a moustache. Owen and Mom enjoyed making their little joke.

Going to Church

Owen got all dressed up for church on Sunday...and only made it to the time in between church and Sunday school in his nice clothes. There was a little blow-out. Thankfully we had an extra set of clothes. At least we have the pictures!

I was lucky to catch this between two sneezes. That's quite the expression.

Why Owen Is a Bigger Man Than His Dad

On Thursday we went to the doctor for Owen's 2 month check-up. He's a growing boy. The last time we went he was around the 50th percentile on everything. This month he's up around the 75th percentile. He's currently 23.5", 11lb 12 oz, with a 16"...yes, 16" head. Big ol' noggin! The doctor says he's in perfect health.

They did confirm that Owen has reflux, but all we can do for that is keep giving him his antacid.

So, why is Owen a bigger man than his dad? Because Owen got 4 shots and only cried for about 30 seconds total...including while the nurse was giving them. Ryan's a big pansy when it come to shots, so way to go Owen!

And finally, our political statement of the week. All of those folks who think that a socialized medical system would be great for America apparently haven't sat in a waiting room lately. We were at the doctor for over 3 hours. We love our doctor, but that's ridiculous. So, if those are the conditions when there's competition, imagine what it would be like if there was no competition. Going to the doctor would be a full day event. Think, people!

Meeting the Great-Grandparents

Owen got to meet his great-grandparents on Ryan's side last weekend. Granny, Memaw & Mr. Billy all came by on Saturday.

Meeting Granny

Meeting Memaw

That's My Boy!

Owen went to his first football game last week. He did really great and had a good time. It seems like he likes crowds...must be like his dad. It wasn't long at all until he had all the cheerleaders wrapped around his little finger. Sure, it didn't hurt that Aunt Ta was making the rounds with him...that just means he knows how to work his connections!

He fell asleep halfway through the third quarter and slept like this for a while.

You Might Be in Louisiana...

We had a great weekend in Louisiana. Owen got to meet his great-grandparents. He went to his first football game, and had his first trip to the lake. He even got to meet the horses. We'll be posting those pictures throughout the week.

But first, a little reminder of what life in Louisiana is like. You might be in Louisiana...

When this guy is part of the football officiating crew. He held the down marker. They also had a rotating group of guys moving the chains.

When this is where you water ski.

When your intertube doubles as a baby bed.

A Message to All Displaced Louisianians (Especially Billy)

When I thought of this, the original recipient was Billy James. But as I started thinking about the folks that are looking at this blog I realized that there are lots of others in the diaspora - people born in Louisiana but displaced somehow.

So, for all of you in the Midwest (Mandy) eating corn all the time, overseas without pork (Morgans, Byrds and Johnsons) or anywhere else in the world...back home your mom is still making good food. And this last weekend I got to enjoy some of my mom's food back home. Crawfish fettucini...mmmmmmmm. So, get home whenever you can so your mom can cook for you. Just because you haven't had it in a while doesn't mean it's not there.

A Shout Out to Our Mountaineer Friend, Alicia

Owen would like to offer his congratulations to the Appalachian State Mountaineers, the new home of our friend Alicia, on their big win over Michigan on Saturday. We are fans of the underdog at our house (being fans of Louisiana Tech and Iowa State you get used to that). Alicia, I hope you watched that game!

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=ncf&id=3002355