New Photographer in Town

 Ok, we did a major splurge and bought a really nice camera. Mark loves taking pictures and decided he wanted to make it real hobby. It's amazing, we can take pictures of the same events with the same iPhones, and he always manages to find an interesting angle. So he figured he'd step it up a notch. Here are a few of his latest compositions. 

                            

1285 Alpine Way

1285 Alpine Way will always have a special place in my heart. It's the first place Mark and I shared. It's Owen's first home. We've done quite a bit of work on the place, and now it really feels like our own. One of our favorite things to do is to sit out on the porch or the deck and enjoy the outdoors. Our home is perched on the mountain bench of south Provo, so we get to overlook the valley and witness the sunset each night. It sits right at the entry to our neighborhood, which means we wave on all our neighbors as they drive up the road. We listen to the nearby quaking aspens and waterfall. We invite springtime into the house through open windows and let the breeze blow through our white linen curtains. 1285 Alpine Way is a wonderful spot to call home. 

Owen's Blessing Day

Owen William Ostebo was blessed in our ward April 20, 2014 by Mark. It was a beautiful Easter Sunday, blue skies and warm spring breezes. Owen was so happy and contented that day. I don't know if it was coincidence or not but he seemed so happy. Mark gave him a wonderful blessing, and we learned even more about Owen's sweet personality. He's come to this earth with a lot of love to spread.  Mark, my dad, uncle Joe, and Mark's dad held Owen in the prayer circle. We were elated to have both sets of grandparents and even a great grand attend.

Hanging out at home the night before Owen's blessing

Three Months Old

Sometimes I think I should just rename this blog to All About Owen. He's captured our hearts and joyfully taken over our lives. I heard a friend once day her baby needed her just as much as she needed him. That's exactly how I feel about Owen. He's pulled me from all my selfish time....I can barely get to a shower during the day or do the dishes...and I've never been so happy giving life to another. It is so rewarding. By far my favorite time is rocking him to sleep at night and snyggling him as he hums to me contentedly. I feel like he's letting me know it was a good day and he's ok with this new family he's come to.

This month Owen is ALL smiles. He's really come alive as if to say 'I think I'm ok with this whole earth thing.' He has found his hands and chews on them all day if not plugged with the bink. He now plays happily with his little jungle gym toy. If he could rate his favorite activities it would go 1) eat, 2) bath time, 3) be held by mommy. He really does love his mommy! I'm totally flattered and I'll enjoy his petitions to be held and cuddled while I can. I keep reassuring Mark he'll soon be the favorite once Owen really figures out play time. He holds his head up and is kicking his legs in an attempt to roll over during tummy time. He has really discovered his voice and squeals and yells at his toys or at us to get our attention. We think he knows if he's not getting our full undivided attention! I love watching the joy he spreads to other people with his smile that lights up the room. And as a family we're making huge strides as we've finally gotten into a routine again!

Two Months Old!

Owen is two months old! He is just growing ever faster it seems. He is learning how to smile, which does nothing but turn his parents into mush. He LOVES taking baths and kicks his little legs and splashes the water with his arms. We are getting closer to sleeping through the night. He usually sleeps for one 5-6 hour stretch, and then 2 hours after that before he is awake and ready for the day. He is much more alert now and wants to play with a little jungle gym we have for him. He loves the sound of his voice and is practicing all sorts of oooh's and ahhh's and squeals. At night before he goes to bed, I sing to him and rock him to sleep. He will usually coo and hum right along with me. Owen is sure keeping us busy and we love every minute! 

Two Peas in a Pod