2013 in Pictures

January

I was very pregnant and we were preparing for baby brother.

February 

Welcome little baby Ro!

March

Learning how to be a big brother,

trying to sleep through the night,

enjoying our precious, sleeping baby,

potty training,

and Rowan's first Easter.

March had some rough spots, but we had lots of fun getting to know little Ro.

April

 Things started to turn around in April, as the weather got warmer, and we could play outside.

 Glimpses of my happy Zane returned,

 Rowan turned two months old, 

and these three boys couldn't look more alike. Love!

May

 May marked Rowan's first zoo trip,

 I turned thirty,

 this little boy turned three months old,

we all went to OK for farm camp 2013, 

and we FINALLY got to have a potty party for this potty trained boy. It nearly broke me, but we made it!

June

 In June Zane turned three and started to like his little brother a tiny bit more.

 These two pictures are two of my all time favorites of Zane.

 This was also the month that little Rowan started to look less like his brother and more like himself.

July

 The highlights of July were Able and Kari's visit for the fourth

which included Zane's first parade.

And our first family vacation, as a family of four, to the mountains in CO.

August

 This was the month Zane got his first cowboy boots,

 Rowan learned to sit up,

 turned six months old, 

and most importantly Zane went bowling for the first time!!

September

 In September the winds of change began to blow, but nothing was final yet. Above was a big highlight of the month, a camp out complete with fishing and smores at Papa's.

 And a happy baby boy who was crawling all over the place.

October

 October was full of sad good byes and 'lasts' with our friends in St. Louis.

For me the last zoo trip with the Wamser clan was one of the hardest.

Saying good bye to all my SLCH friends was very sad and hard as well. I miss them so much!

Lots of packing as we prepared to say good bye to our first home.

Then we ended the month with Rowan's first Halloween, in Oklahoma.

November

 Lots of farm fun,

 Zane randomly learned how to ride a bike,

Rowan was a wild child,

and we celebrated Rowan's first Thanksgiving.

December

We welcomed Gary Able Korenak into the family this month.

 There was lots of Christmas prep,

Christmas fun,

and finally Christmas with the Korenaks.

This year was full of changes, wonderful, difficult, challenging, frustrating, sad, happy, new, different, running the gantlet of emotions. We left a place that we loved and a wonderfully comfortable life for one that will hopefully be better for all of us here, but we are ending this year still in limbo. We are trying to get everything settled and figured out, but it is quite the process. With all the changes and challenges we were greatly blessed in 2013. We have two healthy boys, we are surrounded by loving family, and have lots to look forward to in the year to come. Many thanks to everyone who has helped us, prayed for us, and wished us well over the past year. May everyone have a happy, safe, wonderful New Year!!!

Rowan's 10 Month Udate

Pretty sure I just wrote his nine month update, that went way too fast. Not sure what all has changed. He did go to see his new pediatrician this month for his 9 month well visit. He is 29 inches tall, 19lbs, and healthy as a horse. I always go back and read Zane's month update when I write Rowan's and I cannot believe that Zane just started crawling at ten months old. That seems insane since we have been chasing after little Ro for months now. Zane was just starting to pull up and try to cruise, while Ro is standing unassisted for periods of time and walking holding onto hands. Rowan, however is much smaller, so has a bit of an advantage.

Rowan needs to have his eyes on Zane at all times. This seems crazy, as playing with Zane usually ends in tears, but I get it. Able was the cause of lots of tears in my life as well, but I couldn't get enough of playing with him growing up, even after he shut me in a dress up closet, tried to close me in a couch, and so many other things. That being said when Zane goes to sleep at night Rowan becomes a whole new man. He rolls around on the floor, laying on his blanket, and is much less tense, and so much happier. You can tell that he is really tired but powers through for an hour of playing without the fear of his brother trying to kill him.

 Ro remains terribly busy, crawling all over kingdom come, pulling things off shelves, looking in cabinets, eating whatever happens to be on the floor, put everything in his mouth, and all the other adventures of your typical ten month old. He would really like to be in the bath room or laundry room. He is sure there are fun things to do in there and can't understand why I won't let him go explore. This month he found Zane's tool bench and spends quite a bit of time hammering, opening the doors, and he can even reach the drill lever that makes noise now. Rowan loves all technology, especially computers and cellphones. The other night, after Zane had gone to sleep, Grandma let him play with her computer, highly supervised of course. He loved it, looking like a little old man checking emails and his blogs. He did move on to her cellphone which was equally as fun.

 Yep, he is looking at pictures of Gary.

On the eating front he eats great, lots of fruits, green beans, peas, breads, and could really do without milk but drinks a few bottles a day only under protest when he is very sleepy. He has started taking one long nap in the morning and not really going back to sleep in the afternoon, unless we're in the car (which we often are). He is sleeping better at night, some nights even all night long, can you imagine! His schedule is changed up quite often with trips to the city, sleeping in a pack and play, then he gets off again. But sometimes sleeping through the nights is leaps and bounds better than big brother at any age, so we're very excited.

Rowan now has four teeth and seems to think they all need to come in at the same time. His whole top gum is swollen and looks terribly painful, so lots of Tylenol and Baby Motrin this month. Hopefully he slows down a bit, no need to go overboard with the teeth just yet. Zane only had two one his first birthday so Ro's way ahead of the curve. He is still not a fan of cuddles, but does need to check in with Mommy quite often. Lots of crying 'pick me up pick me up,' only to then wriggle his way back down to the floor immediately. He can walk holding onto your hand, which is so adorable, and I know he'll be toddling soon.

Overall he is a very happy boy with a funny sweat little spirit. I love his little face in the morning, with his hair all a mess and his little binki. He doesn't make very much noise when he wakes up, just plays happily by himself until we hear him murmuring in there. Zane loves to go talk to him first think, "hi Ro Ro Ro baby." Too much fun.

 Ro still loves his binki and is very good at finding it and getting it in his mouth while he's sleeping. He also loves playing binki kisses with daddy.

That's my little Ro baby, getting too big way to quickly. This month was his first Thanksgiving and next month he will celebrate his first Christmas, welcome in a new year, and hopefully move into a new home. Lots of excitement ahead!