Happy Halloween

Our little skeleton on Halloween

Rowan's First Birthday

Mom Ramblings...

In typical fashion, I am a month late on updating our family blog...YIKES!! The story of my life these days...so incredibly busy. Where does the time go?

Our sweet little Rowan Brown turned 1 year old on October 1st. It's hard to believe that a year has flown by since he came into our lives. I can honestly say that it has been the best and at times, the most challenging, year of my life. I love being a Mom. I love being Rowan's Mom. I'm also one of those parents who doesn't sugar-coat the tough times or boast about how gloriously perfect my child is or how he never cries or has a bad day. I'm as real as they come. So, when I say it's been challenging I mean that in the kindest, most loving way possible because I adore my son. It's not like I've done this before - you know, the whole Mom thing. I have reached out to my bevy of beautiful friends who are parents, and some who are not, for advice, counsel and to see who wants to meet me out for a drink!! I do have to say that the most challenging days of my new job as Mom trying to balance working full-time, focusing on my family and squeezing in some "me time" were never outweighed by the days of complete joy and love that I have for my son. I have learned so much about patience, being truly present and how incredibly blessed I am. I have a husband who is learning with me and who I admire so much. He is all I could have ever hoped for in a father for my child and seeing him with Rowan makes my heart melt. Our love has grown because of that little boy of ours and while I've always known that Ryan and I were a "forever couple" it's solidified now. Thank you, Ryan, for being an amazing father and husband...this journey wouldn't have been nearly as fun or exhausting without you! I love you!!

Photo Shoot - 10 months...

The past few months...

Clearly I'm a little behind on updating our family blog. Between family travels, our work schedules and spending time with Rowan we have been a bit busy. So sorry!!!

Anyway, the last few months have been pretty amazing in terms of Rowan's development. About a week after he started crawling, he was cruising around the house and getting into everything. His vocabulary continues to grow and he knows where his ball, cup, car, train, book, bottle, juice, truck, Elmo, remote, straw, top, football, yes, there is a difference between ball and football, all are and will go get them for you when you ask him. And, he says Mama and Dada regularly. I've been teaching him sign language and he knows "no more" and "more" when we are eating. They've actually been really helpful for us because Rowan really loves to eat. :-)

At 10 months, Rowan started transitioning off of baby food and eating people food regularly. He loves fresh fruit, yogurt, waffles, goldfish, green beans, sweet potato, bread and cheese. He's still not a fan of peas and carrots though. He loves apple juice though. During this time we also transitioned from 4 bottles to 3 bottles throughout the day.

He enjoyed his first visit to the pool, watching Daddy's first EFL fantasy football draft (the first of many, I'm sure), trip to Knoxville to see his Aunt Ashley at UT, and photo session on the Vanderbilt campus. And, Mom and Dad got to even travel to Atlanta to watch the Hokies first football game against Alabama. Rowan's Grammy and Papa Lowry drove up from VA stopping in Knoxville to pick up Aunt Ashley to watch him that weekend. We really appreciated it and I know Rowan loved spending time with his grandparents and aunt.





Each day we marvel at what an extraordinary little boy we have in our lives, even on the days when we are tired and the 'to do' list looks like it will never end. We continue to count our blessings because life is so good.

And, I promise to update more regularly.

Our Little Beach Bum

10 months - big month for milestones

July was a big month for us - Rowan started crawling at 9 months 3 weeks. It was perfect timing for our busy month. We enjoyed lots of new travel experiences and very busy work schedules...that's why I'm so behind on our blog.

We traveled to Emerald Isle, NC for our first family beach vacation. It was nice to spend time with the Witherell side of our family. We really cherish that time because we get to enjoy it only a few times a year.







It was fun seeing the boys together. Rowan and his cousins, Quinlin and Calyx, got along really well. He even met little Miss Riley Wisecarver which meant that we got to spend time with our good friends in Charlotte. And we spent an overnight in Greensboro with the Martins. The overall trip varied which was really enjoyable since Rowan is officially on the move and getting faster by the minute. Variety is the spice of life in our family - lots of stroller walks - as much time as we can spend outside the better. Rowan's taste buds are continuing to expand with new experiences in the food department - chicken nuggets, watermelon, yogurt smoothies, blueberries, whole green beans. He is starting to really enjoy our food more than his baby food, so I have a feeling we'll be off baby food in no time.



Weighing in at 23lbs 10oz, Rowan is definitely growing and keeping us on our toes. His personality is really starting to emerge - he's a very focused and all boy! He crawls to show us where his ball, cup, truck and book are around the house. He prefers a ball over any toy though and will seek it out first every time! One of the most exciting experiences for us is watching his language skills develop - making new sounds. We think he's definitely going to have an opinion because he is constantly "talking" to us.

Madison & Baby Row Row

During our recent trip home to VA in June, Rowan got to spend some time with his sweet friend, Madison. Aren't they just the cutest?

9 months

June was a busy month for us. We traveled back to VA twice. Our first visit brought us to Charlottesville for Uncle Brent and Erica's wedding. Ryan and I enjoyed our first weekend alone with our friends from college while my Mom and grandparents spent time with Rowan. It was the perfect weekend. Then, we traveled back to VA a few weeks later for Rowan's cousin Landon's 1st birthday and Uncle Todd's 40th surprise party. It was our first time seeing Todd, Cate, and Quinlin since they left for Taiwan last year. And, it was even more special because we got to meet our nephew Calyx for the first time. Rowan has so many cousins (all boys) right around his age. I can imagine we're going to have our hands full trying to keep up with all of them.





At his 9 month check-up, Rowan weighed in at 22 lbs., 8.5 oz. and 29 1/4 inches long (80th percentile in all areas). He definitely was not thrilled about getting 2 more vaccinations and a blood test to measure his iron levels that day. Truth be told, neither was I. He's in the process of cutting his four top teeth, and it's quite a change from the experience of getting his bottom 2 teeth. He seemed to breeze through those with minor symptoms, but these 4 up top are really making him uncomfortable. We've had a few really difficult moments, lack of sleep and fussiness, but thankfully the tooth grumpiness goes in waves. I keep telling Rowan that he should be grateful he's getting his teeth. This way, he won't have to eat mush his whole life! Speaking of food, Rowan has been trying lots of different "real" foods lately which has been fun to watch and definitely messy. He's still not a fan of peas, like his Dad. We've phased out one of his feedings, so in addition to 3 solid meals a day he now only takes four 6 oz. bottles and we introduced a snack before dinner.



Another huge milestone this month included Rowan's first (and only...we hope) surgery. After many, many ear infections, we opted to get tubes put in his ears. We have been pleasantly surprised with how well he has done. We've noticed him making a lot more sounds since the tubes like bah, wah and oo's which is encouraging. And, he loves making silly noises with his lips and fingers and squeals a lot. Rowan hasn't started crawling in the traditional sense yet, but he definitely knows how to move around by scooting on his bottom. It's actually really funny to watch him bounce up and down while his legs are folded.

Sometimes it's the little things

This seems to be a typical night at our house. Ryan is always the comedian while Rowan is the laughing audience. Daddy can always make Rowan laugh.

Teeth!!!!

I was finally able to capture Rowan's two bottom teeth in a picture! Here he is one morning before going to Miss Margaret's, his nanny.

Our favorite Hokie is 8 months old

It's hard to believe Rowan is already 8 months old!!! He is changing more and more every day. Before we know it, he's going to be heading off to Virginia Tech. Okay that's our dream, but seriously - he continues to reach milestones and is truly a great boy! Eating solid foods (when they make his mouth) and his first trip to the zoo top our favorites list this month.

And, while he isn't crawling yet, Rowan likes to turn in circles on his stomach which is his version of getting around. It's really funny!!! We feel like he's getting really close to crawling soon which means we have some baby proofing to do.

Ryan and Rowan

A weekend ritual between Ryan and Rowan - hanging out and listening to music while Mom sleeps!!

The Best Mother's Day Ever

One of the many thoughtful things that Ryan did for me on Mother's Day. My video Rowan's Mom was the perfect start to our incredible day!!!

Da Da Da Da

Rowan was thinking of his Daddy while he was away in Aruba.

Rowan's 6 month photo shoot

A little over a month ago, we met with a local photographer at Centennial Park in Nashville for Rowan's 6 month photo shoot. It was a very cold April morning, so we had to cut our session short and came back to our house to shoot a few more set-ups of Rowan. Here are a few photos of our chubby little boy.

Hammer Time

Here's some video footage from a month ago of Rowan learning how to use a hammer for the first time.

Here Comes Peter Cottontail...

Happy Easter!!

I'm 6 months old

Happy 1/2 Birthday Rowan!!! It's hard to believe that 6 months have already flown by. Rowan has changed so much over these past few months. He is still a really happy baby - we're just amazed at how sweet he is. At his latest check-up, he weighed in at 18 pounds 15 ounces (75%) and 28 inches long (92%). We are convinced he is teething although we have yet to see an actual tooth. The constant drooling and the continuous "everything goes in my mouth" symptoms seem to be dead giveaways. Although, we have yet to see his pearly whites, Rowan has mastered all of the 1st solid foods, but he does not like peas. He seriously does not like them. Mom still tries to sneak them in with a fruit every now and then, but he's a smart boy and he always spits them back out with a "yuck" look on his face. Other notables - Rowan is drinking a 6 ounce bottle 5 times a day in addition to solid foods which he eats at breakfast and again at dinner. He's also outgrown most of his 3-6 month clothing, so we're transitioning into 6-9 month clothing now. His length is the primary reason although he has the chubbiest little legs which we absolutely love!!



Another exciting milestone for Rowan is that he is now sitting up on his own. Mom and Dad still get a little nervous with this latest transition, but it's been amazing to watch him grasp balance. He is also rolling over all the time. One of the best parts of Rowan's personality is his laugh. He giggles over everything and is definitely ticklish. Between his high-pitched squeals and blowing raspberries, he keeps us laughing constantly. Rowan also loves "airplane" with Daddy which always brings a smile to both of their faces.



One of Rowan's signature poses is his "laid back" arms folded behind his head when he sleeps. We have yet to capture the image on camera yet, but he's been doing it for a while now. It's Mom's mission to get it on film soon.

Over the river and through the woods...

We recently traveled to Toledo, Ohio to visit Rowan's Great Grandma along with his great aunts, uncles and cousins. It was wonderful to spend time with our family and introduce Rowan to everyone for the first time. Between the daily family gatherings and our trip with Uncle Jack to his favorite restaurant, we enjoyed quality time with everyone.



And, we even went to visit Aunt Barb at her craft fair. She makes the best blankets and scarves! We also went to visit Grandma Sally's grave, so that one day when Rowan looks back at the pictures from his first visit to Ohio he will know he was there and the inspiration behind his name.



On the way back to Nashville we stopped in Cincinnati to meet up with Rowan's Great Aunt Pat and Great Uncle Mike and Ryan's cousins, Meeghan and Mike and his fiance Julie for lunch. It was the first time Rowan was introduced to the Brown side of the family. We're looking forward to heading back to Ohio in October for Mike and Julie's wedding where we'll get to introduce Rowan to the rest of the Brown clan.



Ps. Uncle Mike thinks Rowan will grow up to be a Buckeye fan, but we know better than that! :-)

He's got those Witherell curls

We're not sure if Rowan will take after his Poppa or his Daddy, but we're pretty sure Rowan's going to have some curls if his after bath hair is any indication.

Has it really been 5 months already?

It's official - Rowan has started solid foods. Despite falling asleep after only a few bites on his first night, he's taken well to eating rice cereal.



His second night of cereal proved to be much better.

Bjorn Baby

So Tall

On the right, 11 1/2 month old Cassidy Marin White and on the left, 4 1/2 month old Rowan Brown Witherell. Yes, they are almost exactly the same height!!!

4 months old...

Rowan recently celebrated his 4 month birthday and it's been a month filled with lots of giggles and his first illness. He is constantly smiling and laughing out loud and his personality is very laid back. One of the easiest ways to get Rowan to laugh out loud is to start changing his diaper and/or clothes. He thinks it's a game and a funny one at that! Rowan is now completely holding his head up and working hard to sit up entirely on his own. Right now though it's a lot of bending forward and assistance from Mom and Dad. He also "talks" to us all the time. Another exciting discovery for Rowan are his feet! He's always trying to grab them. It's really fun to watch. Rowan also loves taking baths. Our nightly routine includes bath, book, bottle and bed. He's drinking 6 oz at every feeding and pretty soon we are going to introduce cereal. That is sure to be an exciting adventure.



At his pediatrician's visit, he weighed in at 15 lbs, 12 oz (75%) and 27 in (97%) long. Ironically, after our doctor's visit Rowan also got his first ear infection, well, actually he had two - 1 in each ear! So, our tall little boy also spent a week at home with us while we battled a fever and sleepless nights. Thankfully, after a week of getting up every 1-3 hours he has finally started sleeping through the night again. We are truly blessed with a great sleeper!! Ryan and I also enjoyed our first night out compliments of a dear friend of ours who watched Rowan on Valentine's Day! After a week of illness it was a much needed break for us.

So who does Rowan look like?

That's the big question. Jenn and I ask ourselves this constantly. The best we can tell so far is he's a fine blend. He's long and lanky and we think he may have gotten the height from my side of the family, but we are not sure. One thing that we know for sure is where he got his eyes. Those blues are unmistakable.

Mama's Eyes