My baby's growing up on me!! =(

As I sit and write this post I am listening and watch Owen play and I reminded how fast these past almost 8 months have flown by. He is so much more vocal and mobile-even from a month ago. He is now imitating me if I make laughing noises at him, and is trying to stand up!!! He pulls himself on our furniture, but ever crazier he puts himself in this position where is feet and hands are on the floor but his butt is straight up in the air! I try to get pictures of that but it always happens too fast and then he falls.

Speaking of falling, he has his first shiner. Yes, the kid is crazy I am telling you-or maybe he's just a boy? He was climbing on our sliding glass door to stand up and look at Charlie in the sun room and he fell right on the corner of our sub woofer speaker..ouch! He cried for a good little bit and I could tell it was going to bruise. Sure enough it sure did-but not too bad.

Our friend's Nicole and Lehr let us barrow this push toy that converts into a toy that he can sit on. Joe was testing it out with Owen at church and I was pretty far away. I looked up and had no idea that it was MY kid on this toy looking so big! As soon as I realized it I got teary eyed and the people around me had to tell me to get it together!! I am telling you he is huge and he looked like such a big kid on this toy!! Such a fun stage we are in-lots of work, but lots of fun!

Looking so handsome before church. He spit up 3 times before we left, needless to say we didn't leave the house in these pants.

Family time at the park

Joe and I took Owen to the park for the first time yesterday. We had so much fun! We put Owen in the baby swing and he loved it!! He was so cute, and it made me realize my baby is growing up. He wasn't afraid, he just sat back and enjoyed the "ride". After all three of us swinging for a bit, we all laid on a blanket and cozied and soaked in the beautiful Georgia fall afternoon. Needless to say I was once again so thankful for Friday's and even more thankful for my sweet sweet family. Here is a very SHORT video of Owen swinging Joe took with his phone. We forgot the camera...but don't worry I have a feeling this will not be our last visit to the park =)

A video for IsAAc!

I am happy to announce the arrival of our friend's, Tim and Mariah's baby boy!!! IsAAc O'Bannon Bower was born this morning at 12:45 AM (Cali time), weighed 8lbs 1oz, and was 20.5 inches long. Tim, Mariah and IsAAc live in California. Tim and Joe were roommates from freshman year in college pretty much up until a year or so before Joe and I got married. We were so happy when he met and fell in love with Mariah. Mariah and I have become very very close-she is one of my bestest friend's. We all can't wait for our boy's now to become friend's and to grow up together! Yay!!!

Here's a video Owen made special just for his new best bud IsAAC. (PS. he wasn't as much into making the video I was- he he he) Love you lots Bower's and can't wait to meet your little guy! xoxoxox


happy bday isaac! from jen braun on Vimeo.

I'm so in LOVE with my boys!

Last night I was moved to tears by how much I love my husband and little boy. Sunday nights are my small group night with my girls, which usually means Joe and Owen get some good one and one time. Something that we both feel is very important. So, I open up the garage and pull my car into my side and on the wall I find the sweetest message to me. Joe had made a HUGE sign that said "Mom I love you love Owen" I stated crying right then and there. I happened to have my camera in my purse, so I got myself together and took a quick picture, I knew that was going to be blog worthy. I raced upstairs and covered Joe in kisses and thanked him for loving me so sweetly. He explained that he and Owen had a long talk on the porch that evening. They talked about how sometimes you can't just tell mommy you love her, you have to show her you love her too. (sweet huh?) Can I just say how lucky I am to have a husband who will teach my son to love me and someday love another woman so sweetly! Gosh, I am so sooo blessed!

7 months old!

Owen turned 7 months old yesterday. I am in awe on how quick the time goes by. Everyone told me that is the case, but until you actually are living it it's hard to understand. It's been the best 7 months ever!

Owen is a clapping machine. He is very smart. Anytime he hears anyone saying "yay!" he starts clapping-whether it's a yay for him or not! He loves when you sing patty cake with him, he will start the clapping right on Que. In fact, it was the sweetest thing last week we were talking to my mom on the web cam and mom started singing patty cake to him and he started clapping with her! Smart kid huh? He loves talking to his Grandma and Papa over the computer-we love the web cam and are thankful for technology!

He also is crawling so well! He no longer army crawls anywhere-it's a full on fast crawl. He is a determined little guy. When he wants something he crawls with his eyebrows scrunched and his tongue sticking out and he goes for it! It's usually something he not allowed to touch like the computer, or cords to the computer. And when you tell him no, his new thing as of last week is the cry for like a half a second (bottom lip out and all-very dramatic!) and then he stops. He goes to grab that object again, I tell him no and the crying starts all over again. It's a real challenge these days. My favorite thing he is doing these days is becoming attached to Joe. They are so stinking sweet together. He is starting to get excited when Joe comes home from work. Or he cries sometimes if I'm holding him and he sees Joe walking out of he room. Joe then will go to get him and he snuggles right up to his daddy-so precious! He also is climbing up things like the dishwasher, the chairs and sofa, and inside his pack n play. He is going to be walking soon! Owen is a lot of fun and such a good baby, Joe and I thank God for blessing us with his life everyday!

Weekend update

The Braun's had a very nice weekend. Friday was a day of rest and getting away for both Joe and me. Joe got some good friend time with Jeremy (who stayed with us this past weekend-he officiated a wedding for our friend's Chris and Leah) I got to spend time with some of my favorite girls that evening and love on little Olivia without having Owen to take care of, which is really nice! Saturday, we got all dressed up, got a babysitter (well Mike and Michelle Penny-2 sitter's I guess) and hit the town for Chris and Leah's wedding downtown at The Abbey-very beautiful place, even more beautiful wedding. I had so much fun! It was excellent food, and a night where I got to dance my little heart out with my friend's Megan and Jeanne for a good portion of the night! Joe was such a sport, he just talked with the other husband's/guys who weren't dancing and let me have a good time with my girls! Sunday was a great day at church learning about tithing and a full afternoon with naps! Overall great weekend with a great balance of fun and rest.

His newest thing

Owen is clapping clapping clapping. He loves to clap. He is such a happy baby and full of such joy. I love him!! ( I apologize in advance. I taped this one way and can't figure out how to flip it around-so it's side ways)

A GREAT Bithday weekend!

This weekend was just great! It wasn't too busy, and it was spent with some of my most favorite people. Friday night I had an urge to cook. I found a new and very fun website and wanted to try a recipe I found on it. I made roasted game hens and roasted veggies. We had our awesome friend's Mike and Michelle over to be my guinea pigs (what a bad friend I am!) Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and I was happy I was adventurous. I am not the best cook, unlike my mom, but I do enjoy it. And if I have recipe to follow I enjoy it even more.

Owen LOVES his daddy's cell phoneMy favorite picture! It melts my heart.Mike and Michelle Penny. Owen loves them and so do we!!!

Saturday, was my 26th Birthday!! I cannot believe I am 26 and that it was my first birthday as a mom. Interesting I say, very interesting. I got woken up by my boys singing me Happy Birthday and Joe made me chocolate milk to enjoy in bed. Owen was cute, he was all smiles and was clapping the whole time. What a great way to wake up in the morning!! We then went to a combined BBQ birthday for me and a girl at our church. It was very sweet and great to hang out with such great friends. After the BBQ we came home and napped. That evening my sweet friend Jessica came over and baby sat Owen for us and me and Joe went on a hot date. =) We went to one of our favorite restaurants, that holds many memories for us, California Pizza Kitchen! We shared our usual...BBQ chicken pizza and a chopped salad (yum yum!) and then headed to the mall down the street to just walk. We stumbled across a store I fell in love with a few months ago that I forgot about. It's called Teavana and it's a loose leaf tea shop. I got a starter kit and it included a tea maker thingie, 4 sample teas, 1 pack of German sugar cane, and a measuring spoon. In the shop they have all kinds of beautiful cast iron tea kettles and sets. And a huge loose tea leaf selection. It was so fun and very unexpected. So, the last two mornings Joe and I have enjoyed two yummy cups of tea! I think this may be a new hobby...

Last night we went to a surprise dinner for my friend Mitzi. Mitzi worked at Cumberland for a LONG time (like 7 or 8 years or something) she wore many hats there and did a crazy amount of work. She quit her job there last month and is looking for new work. We wanted to thank her and love on her so she knows just how much she is loved and appreciated. We ate at La Paz and it's one of my favorites, so I was in food heaven!Owen getting some good lovin' from Katy!!Me and Mitzi...LOVE her!Me and my man!!

This is Faith. She belongs to our friend's Kevin and April. She cracks me up, she always says "Can I pet baby Owen?"

Overall, it was a great weekend. I do have to say birthday's and holidays are hard for me. They make me realize how much I miss my family. I had great conversations with my parents and sister on my birthday and a belated birthday wish message from my brother yesterday. I love my family and I am praying for a way for us to all see each other soon! It helps though when you have awesome people around you to share these kind of days with. Joe and I blessed by the amount of people who love and care for our little family here in Atlanta.

Being the church

I am so grateful to be apart of such an AWESOME church! We have started doing this thing called Faith In Action which we hope becomes a part of our DNA as a church. Sunday was the second time we have gone to Argyle Elementary and have served the school. We do not meet for service that Sunday morning, instead we meet together at the school. We do projects like landscaping, painting and cleaning bathrooms, scrubbing walls (which I did), painting games like 4 square and hop scotch on the black tops , and staining (which Joe did). It is so refreshing and fun to get outside of the walls and help the community. In the evening we get back together as a church and worship and have communion together-oh and ice cream too! Doing things like this and being apart of a church who believes these things are important is just one more confirmation of why God brought us here to Atlanta. It is amazing to see how it charges our congregation and how we all work together with such wonderful servant's hearts! I can't wait until Owen is big enough to serve along side of us during things like these.