Ekkkkkk

I am WAY behind in blogger world! I lost my USB cord to my camera and mom's jump drive so I have been filling my camera up with TONS of pictures but can't get them to the computer!
So for now here is a cute video of Abby, Mel and I at the KC Zoo!

Check it out!

Check out my Sugar blog! New cakes are up!
ChicSugars♥

First Hair Cut!

8/14/09

Abby got her first haircut August 14th. I was a sad to see her baby-baby hair cut off, but I was sooo glad to see her mullet forming hair style gone! Abby did GREAT! She didn't make one sound or fuss at all! But that might have been because of the cookie she had hiding under the gown.
I guess I was too excited for her first hair cut and forgot to take a before picture!

Welcome Baby Kaylee!

8/12/09

My best friend Britta welcomed her baby girl Kaylee Elizabeth into this world!
August 12th, 2009
8lbs 2oz 20in
This was everyone that greeted Kaylee as she enter our world! There was great-grandma, grandmas, grandpas, great aunts, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends!
Congrats Kevin and Britta! She's beautiful!

Mazingo Lake

8/11/09

Brent and I took Abby to the lake here in town. I have been wanting to take Abby so bad because I just knew she'd love it! Sand, water, food-one big mess! But it was so fun! Nana stopped by after work and we had such a blast!

Uncle Ry & The Quad

8/1/09

Ryan and his wife Krissy got Abby a Barbie Quad for her birthday! She loves riding it and can do it all by herself!

Watermelon Bliss

8/1/09

Abby had a blasting chilling out on a hot summer day with her big chunk of watermelon.

Abby the fish

7/19/09

Abby doing her 'fishy face'!
I love this goober head!

Baby Shower for Kaylee!

My best friend had her baby shower July 18th! Her mom and sister-in-law threw it, I was just in charge of the cakes! It was a lot of fun and she got the loot! Earlier this year Abby and I went with Britta and her mom, Terri, to Britta's 3-D ultra sound. I've never seen one done and it was amazing! The detail the 3-D gives is remarkable! I will have to look into it with my next one!
In the pictures from top left to bottom right: Abby & Braxton, Britta, Britta's mom, Terri & her grandchild, Madison, Britta & her sis-in-law Mary Sue, the cakes, Mary Sue & Madison, and one of Britta's crazy aunts, Tina!

Congrats Devon and Shadow!

Devon and Shadow tied the know July 11th 2009!Devon, Shadow and their handsome son Kayne!

Happy 4th of July!

July 4th

For the past couple of years, Brent and I would go floating with a bunch of friends on July 4th!
We leave in the morning and usually get back just in time for late evening BBQs and fireworks at the golf course!

Happy 4th of July!
Love you all-Brent, Tory and Abby!!!!!!!!!

Happy Father's Day!

Father's Day and July 3rd

Brent is an amazing dad! I am so lucky to have such a supportive and caring father to our child! He works so hard so I can go to school and be home with Abby! But his day is never over when he gets off work. He is always so excited when Abby greets him at the door! For being such a hard working daddy, Abby got Brent 3 tickets to a Royals game, for a guys night out!Brent, Payden and Landon! July 3rd 2009.

While Brent was with his buddies, Abby, Christy, Curtis, Stef, Mom and myself went to Ken and Angels anual 4th of July party! (July 3rd this year!) Abby was so fasinated with the fireworks! She would point and shreek at them all!

Grandpa K!

June 15th

We are so glad Dad was in town for Abby's birthday party, plus a few extra weeks after!
We love you Grandpa K!

Shiny Black Boots

June 14th

Abby loves going to Grandma and Grandpa Abreu's house! There is always so much to explore! But on this particular day her biggest interest was Grandpa's shiny black boots! So we put her in them and she danced away. She thought these boots were the greatest thing!

Summer Days!!

June 7th

Abby is such a water baby! She loved the pool and all the kids in it! She had no fear of the water and would take off and go as deep as she could and then some! She loved the slide and jumping into the water and splashing!

Swing & Sand = So Much Fun!

Grandma Sonya and Grandpa Hal got Abby a swing and sandbox for her birthday!

It was a huge hit!

Tulip Time

Tulip Time-Pella, Iowa May 9th 2009

Mom, Abby and I went to Tulip Time to meet up with some friends and their little ones! It was a lot of fun and so beautiful!

Oliver(April 26), Laila(May 1) and Abby(May 23).

Zonked after a LONG day!

Jenn & Oliver, Me & Abby, Jamie & Laila!

Can't wait to see you guys again next year!

Extended Rear Facing

Ahh I have a lot of catching up to do but first I wanted to share this video about Extended Rear Facing.

By law a child can be turned Forward Facing at one year AND 20 lbs, but AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) released this statement and information on Extended Rear Facing on April 4th 2009.
http://aapnews.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/30/4/12-a

What to consider when positioning carseats for toddlers.

Lori O’Keefe
Correspondent

New research indicates that toddlers are more than five times safer riding rear-facing in a car safety seat up to their second birthday. Following are some safety tips for car seat use:

All infants should ride rear-facing in either an infant car seat or convertible seat.

If an infant car seat is used, the infant should be switched to a rear-facing convertible car seat once the maximum height (when the infant’s head is within 1 inch of the top of the seat) and weight (usually 22 pounds to 32 pounds) have been reached for that infant seat as suggested by the car seat manufacturer.

Toddlers should remain rear-facing in a convertible car seat until they have reached the maximum height and weight recommended for the model, or at least the age of 2.

To see if your car seat is installed properly and to find a certified passenger safety technician in your area, visit www.seatcheck.org or www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cps/cpsfitting/index.cfm. You also can call 866-SEATCHECK (866-732-8243) or 888-327-4236.


Abby is an official Extended Rear Facer at one year and 22lbs!
Joel's Story
Car Seat Safety.org

Party Day!

We celebrated Abby's birthday last Saturday at mom's and it was so much fun! It was great having all the people that love and care about Abby at the same place on such a special day! We had an awesome cook out! (Thanks Nana M. and Grandma S. for doing all the cooking!) I just stuck with the baking.

Abby's birthday cake, smash cake and cookie favors I made!

Friends, family, food and trampoline FUN!

Opening gifts, eating cake and playing!

12 months past.

Late Friday night May 2, 2008 (35 wk) I had a lot of bright red bleeding so I went to the hospital. They immediately hooked me up to the monitors and did an ultrasound. Come to find out part of my placenta has torn and separated. They kept me in the hospital for the next five days and was released May 8 on modified bed rest. May 14 I start to lightly spot again so I went back to the hospital. May 15 I had another ultrasound done to look for a safe amniotic sac for the amniotesis. But no luck finding a amniotic sac. But I had to stay in the hospital until the spotting stopped, which it never did. My doctor talked to me about inducing me around 38 wks since that was a safe point at my pregnancy to deliver. So on May 22 around 6:30pm they inserted the cervidil so hopefully begin to thin me out and get my body ready for the pitocin the next morning. The cervidil was definitely doing something because I was cramping and contracting all through the night and the pain meds they were giving me just made me extremely sleepy and sick, very sick! The next morning, May 23 they started the pitocin around 6:30 and was only dilated at about 1/2 cm. But by about 10am I was at a 4 and able to get my epi. Getting the epi wasn't bad at all, but the effects the epi had on my body was horrible! I got so so sick! I slept the entire time and had absolutely no energy. By 3pm I was fully dilated and ready to push, though I was not ready to push! The epi had worn me out and I felt as if I had weights tied to every limb of my body. It was a yucky feeling. I pushed for about an hour and a half then the doctor tried to suction out the baby. He tried it 3 times with no luck, and the baby's heart rate dropped I was sent for an emergency c-section, but I was ready for it. I had nothing in me to push anymore. Ugh, my delivery nurse did not handle this emergency situation very well at all! She panicked! As they were rolling me down to OR my IVs were pulling everywhere and the bottom half of the bed was falling off and hitting me right in the crotch, OUCH! Then Brent was waiting in the hall as the got me ready for surgery and he almost missed the delivery because the nurse forgot to go get him! In the end all the chaos and craziness was worth it because at 5:00pm we welcomed our beautiful and healthy baby girl into this world!

Abrielle Jean Owens
May 23, 2008
7lb 6oz 19in.

1

Well turned one!
I can't believe how fast this past year as flown by!
Abby, Where I live is in your heart by. Spring has come again bringing green grass and blue skies. I feel like my life can't get much better than now. To look in your big beautiful eyes and see such hope and love. I see my future in you as your mother. I cry with the overwhelming love I feel for you. My heart feels close to bursting each time I see you. I wake up knowing no matter how bad the night before that I will get to see your smile.Each day with you is a gift. A gift I never thought I needed or would ever know, but that I'm so very grateful to have. I never could have imagined how out of breath with love and happiness I could be. You're one now and I cry to see you so beautifully growing older and into your own self. Not much else matter this day but that I'm blessed to spend it with you. I love you my little girl and Happy Birthday. Oh and thank you for choosing me.
I love you!

11 months!

I can't believe my little Abby is 11 months old! And only 17 days from TODAY she will be a year old! She is growing too fast! I miss my itty bitty newborn, but I am totally in love with my wild and crazy baby who is turning into a toddler!
She is doing so many fun and silly things that I probably will forget some if I try to name them all so I will tell you my favorites!
Abby is a crazy good walker! I am so shocked how quickly she caught on to walking...she is a pro!
She won't move in the grass! It's so funny, she will stand still in one spot, sit or squat. The pictures above were taken on 4/23/09.
She is a champ at eating! She loves her fruit!
She is drinking great out of her sippy cup!
This girl is healthy as a horse! Other than teething side affects and a stuffy nose I thank Him for blessing us with an extremely healthy child!
She loves to give "snuggles" to everyone. It doesn't matter where you are, you could be sitting on the couch or laying on the floor or sitting at the kitchen table, Abby loves to come up and lay her head on you and give "snuggles"! She is the sweetest thing!
She is a people person! She loves waving at everyone and showing off her SIX teeth in the cutest grin. That is everyone BUT her Uncle Eric. We don't know why yet but she is TERRIFIED of him!
She loves to be outside. She follows me out to the deck everyday to water the flowers and play with the water in the watering pail.

And my FAVORITE thing of all...Thank you Nicole and Weston for introducing me to different way of communication between mother and child; sign language. When they came to visit in Nov. of 2007 and I saw how Weston could communicate with Nicole before he could speak I was AMAZED! Ever since then I knew I wanted to teach my child to sign with me before she could communicate with me verbally. And.......SHE HAS! Abby has shown us her first AND second sign! "More" and "eat/food". And we are soo close with "all done" and "dog". I am trying so hard to get a video of this but every time I get my camera out she is more amused by it than signing for me.
Her favorite movie is....Signing Time: My First Signs. When she hears Rachel singing and signing the theme song she comes running to dance along.
Being able to watch Abby sign is so amazing and such a wonderful feeling!

Congrats Krissy & Ryan!

Warning: Major Picture overload!

CONGRATS Krissy and Ryan! They tied the knot on April 18th 2009!Ryan proposed last May the day after Krissy graduated from NWMSU. (I think, correct me if I am wrong!)
April 17th

The weekend festivities started of Friday. We left for KC around noon to attend the wedding rehearsal at 3. We had a little time between the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner so we headed back to Ryan and Krissy's new house before the dinner.

April 17th
We ate a a cute little Italian restaurant called Cafe Italia. The food was delicious and Abby enjoyed a little bit off everyone's plate but her favorite was Grandma's salmon. During desert 2 of Krissy's bridesmaids put together a slide show of Krissy and Ryan. It was so sweet to get to see such adorable pictures of the couple as babies and children.

April 18th
Getting all prettied up for her 'Uncle' Ry's and 'Aunt' Krissy's BIG day! (Bottom left picture: Abby thinks air drying is the best dry!)

Our family! I love those two!

The Owens side: Grandma Sonya and Grandpa Hal. And Brent with his dad.

The Hansel side: Susan and Dave, parents to the groom, Ryan's older brother and bestman Kris with his wife Staci. Brent and Kris. And crabby Abby with her Aunt Susan.

Awwwe, the LIMO. It was HUGE!
Brent and Ryan (the groom).

My sweetie! I love you so much!

The ceremony was soo beautiful and Krissy looked absolutely stunning!!! I only got a couple pics from the ceremony because I got in trouble with the photographer, oops!

The reception was also gorgeous! Pictures left to right starting at the top: Abby with her cousin Faith. Partied out on Dave's lap. The groom checking up on his favorite 'niece'. Dancing with my HS tumbling coach. Abby with her supper on her face! Daddy and Abs. Abby loved dancing with all the guys that night!

The newly weds first dance and cutting of the cake! My favorite picture is the bottom right. Ry must be whispering secret loves to his new wife! Congrats again guys!

The reception was a blast! The food, dancing and family was a great way to end Krissy and Ryan's fairy tale wedding! It was absolutely beautiful! Hope you 2 had a fabulous honeymoon!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone! I know it's late, but better late than never. Anyway, Easter was so great. I love getting to spend time with family and remembering what Easter is all about.

Saturday April 11th: (Here's Brent)-Well hello everyone this is Brent. On the day before Easter Abby and I went to the Annual Albany Easter Egg Hunt. It was held at the Golden Living Manor. Tory and Meg took the day off to go shopping. So it was very exciting for me to take Abby to her very first Easter egg hunt. She loved picking up the eggs all by herself and she loved all the little kids. Oh man that place was packed. It was very special Abby and daddy time that I will always remember.

Sunday April 12th: We started the morning off with the Easter bunny doorbell ditching Abby's 1st Easter basket at Grandma Sonya's, then headed off to church with Brent's family. They attend the Baptist Church. Brent's Uncle Dave is in the church's choir and put on a stunning Easter Cantata performance. The music was great and the message was absolutely beautiful! And Dave is a fabulous singer! After church we went over to mom's to eat Easter lunch and a mini egg hunt in her backyard! It was a quick hunt because the wind was a little chilly. Abby was the only person who got a basket from the Easter bunny, he has good taste-he picked out the dress she is wearing in the pictures! ;)

After we stuffed ourselves at Nana's we went over to Grandma Hazel's to eat again and play!

Abby just loves her cousin Garret. She wanted his Nintendo DS so bad she was snuggling, hugging and kissing her way to it all afternoon! In the picture she's trying to give him a kiss! After that we went to Aunt Susan's and Uncle Dave's for supper. I really need to remember to take pictures there! I always forget! The food was yummy though and Abby just adores her 'Uncles' Kris and Ryan and her 'Aunt' Staci!!!! Thanks for being such sweet people in her life! :) You all are going to be great parents! Kris and Staci are going to be parents here SOON! Go check out their journey of adoption from Ethiopia!

And She's OFF.......

Abby is WALKING! She took her first steps to me the night of April 9th! It was so exciting! A few days before this happened I had just picked up a couple pairs of shoes at Old Navy to match a couple of her outfits. I had no intention of buying them so she could WALK with them, just keep on cruising like a cool cat! But on the night of the 9th I guess she just had to have that one tennis shoe I was holding because she let go of the sofa and took about 3 steps to get it from me! And ever since then she hasn't kept still!
Below are a couple pictures and videos.

The one of Abby and Brent is from the night she took her first steps (4/9). Top right, showing off her other new kicks (4/10). Bottom right, just looking cute in a squat (4/13).

Sorry it's sideways. 4 days later working hard on walking! (4/13)

Getting pretty good at it! (4/20)

Baths, Books and Bedtime!

4/1/09
I love getting to spend all day and everyday with Abby! It's always a different adventure everyday. But my favorite part of each day is night time. And not just because it's bedtime! There is just something about that last hour and a half each night that is so special to me. Our bedtime routine starts around 6:30/6:40 every night. We start off with quiet play in the living room. We build with blocks or play pass the balls back and fourth, back and fourth, back and fourth....or put the cookies in the cookie jar, just something quiet and not to rowdy. At 7 we run bath water, Abby gets nakie and EXCITED while the tub fills. Every night she is the biggest goober in the tub. She loves to splash, giggle and jabber with her rubber duckies and throw around her stacking cups! I also get a bath even when I'm not in the tub! After her wash down she gets to play some more until the water is done draining. Next is the "fun" part, the lotion and pajamas! I try to slop the lotion on as quickly as I can before the naked runaway escapes and slip her jammies on faster than she can slip out of them! Once the jammies are on we lay together as she drinks her bottle. She loves to touch my face or pet my fingers when I hold her bottle. She is the sweetest thing ever! Next is book time. It is my favortie time. It is so special to me as she sits there looking and listening to pictures and words. She loves to help me turn the pages (even before I am done reading the page)! But the best part is reading her favorite book, The Big Book of Beautiful Babies. She loves to give kisses to every baby in the book and gets super excited at the very end when she gets to give herself kisses! Once the books are done we sing a little song then she is off to dream for the night! She is a great sleeper and always refreshed and energized for the next adventurous day!

Great Grandma Hazel's

March 28

I love spending time over at Brent's grandma Hazel's house when all of his aunts, uncles and cousins come down! All the caos and all the kids running around with wrestling and rough housing around reminds of my family when I was little. I miss that so much but it's also so great to watch Abby be picked up, hugged and kissed by everyone!

Abby is..

10 months old!
It's so hard to believe my little, teeny-tiny Abby is just 2 months away from turning one! These past 10 months have been the best 10 months of my life. I love getting to spend everyday with her and watching her grow more and more. But I feel soo lucky to get to spend many more hundreds months watching and playing and learning with my sweet sweet Abby!
Abby's Can-Dos this month:
She is a fabulous cruiser. Anything that this girl can get her hands on she cruises along.
She is a SPEED crawler.
She can go all day long yelling dadadada and now nanannana.
And if she isn't saying dada or nana she is just yelling and babbling at the top of her lungs. (She is a riot at restaurants!)
She stands unassisted anywhere from 15-20 seconds but she now realizes what we are doing when we let go of her hands and plops right to her bottom.
She loves my keyboard. She tries to pound on it every chance she gets.
She loves food! She is a great eater!
Her new favorite toy is an old X-Box controller that Brent gave her so she can play like daddy.
She loves to show new people how she can blow raspberries and make silly faces.
She likes to touch and pull at Grandma's and Nana's cats and dogs. She just thinks it is so funny!
Bath time is so fun. She loves to splash and squeal in the water and never wants to get out! The wetter the better.
She is sleeping great. Bed time is 8 o'clock and wakes up around 7:30. Naps are a little sketchy but are gradually getting better.
We love you Abby!!!