Owen says "Yes for SB9!"

Owen needs some help everyone. Currently, the laws that say that the food Owen eats (called "medical foods") are covered by insurance are set to expire very soon. When that happens, Owen and all of his friends with PKU might have a very difficult time getting the food they need to keep their brains healthy. That's the last thing we need.

A bill is before the Oregon Senate sponsored by Senator Courtney. Senate Bill 9 can be read by clicking this link. Thank you Sen. Courtney! As you can see above, we've got 9 Owens for Senate Bill 9.

Insurance companies are difficult enough to deal with. Owen is just shy of 15 months old now, and we've gone 3 rounds with insurance companies to get them to understand that this is not just a nice thing, but rather absolutely essential for Owen's growth and development. Each time has been a struggle, and that's with current laws backing the cause. I fear the fight when we don't have state laws backing our efforts.

This sort of item will never get major media attention. But, how many Senate Bills have such a cute face attached to it?

Call. Write. Pester. Direct all of those things toward your elected representatives. Please.

We made it through...

Well, we made it through Owen's first illness. Boy oh boy, did he get sick. Two Wednesdays ago, Owen showed some stomach problems. By Friday, Andrea and Mimi took Owen to the emergency room for some fluids via IV. At this point, he hadn't really had anything since Wednesday. Saturday showed a touch of improvement, then he slid back downhill until he hit the pit of his illness on Monday, when we headed back to the ER. This time, after the second IV, we had a plan in place and by Wednesday (one week in with barely any food and hardly any liquid.) we were turning around a touch. It's now Saturday and Owen is back to his normal rambunctious self.

We learned a lot from this. First off, Owen can get really sick, really fast. And, second... we now have some neat tricks up our sleeves to help keep Owen energized with proper nutrition even when he can't take his normal Phenex formula.

The photo above is Owen waiting with his mom for IV #2. At this point he was really not feeling well, and now we know why.

But, we're all past this. (Dad, Mimi and Gramps got the crud too) and we're all enjoying a little guy with vibrant eyes and energy... even if it means we've got to spend more time chasing him around again.

Ready for battle!

Owen is ready for battle. He's got a helmet, and he's got ramming speed all figured out. Watch out world, here comes the Owenator!

And, when the seas come into play, Owen is ready to go as well with the Owen Naval Force. With his personal water craft, he'll be able to survive treacherous waters, build a fort once he establishes a beach head, and will dominate any defensive maneuvers with his precision implementation of the spoon-chilla

Owen eats his broc!

For a while, Owen wouldn't eat anything green. Now, he eats asparagus AND broccoli. Check it out:

There are parties, then there's PARTAYS!

Everyone under 3 feet tall decided to have a party at Schreiner's place last Sunday. This was the first party where the kids really played with eachother... no help needed from parents.

The big kids even got in on the fun...

The scooter was the real winner of the day. Several different combinations of riding and pushing happened throughout the afternoon, with big smiles all around.

Thanks to Carl for these photos. Dad decided to leave the camera behind for once.

And, a bit of news: Owen will be a big brother late this summer! yay!

Thanks Dr. Paul!

Owen got a new bowl and spoon during the smoking "after christmas sale" otherwise known "Dad's b-day sale"... So far, it is the best set yet for Owen to eat by himself. His latest favorite? Dr. Paul's blueberries!

As you can see, the execution is good... but the accuracy has some work yet... See below for an analysis.

Owen gives Christmas two thumbs up!

Owen had a pretty darn good second Christmas. He started things off with this REALLY BIG box... and paper that was OK to tear. When he opened it up, he found inside:

A very cool lady bug scooter! It rolls very well on Mimi & Pop's wood floors, and has some very cool springy antennae on the front. Owen's new ride is AWESOME!

And then there was dinner. Mom and Mimi made Owen some fruit salad and mashed potatoes and Grandpa made Owen some squash. It was a real feast! (note: Owen still doesn't do well with plates. That's why we're direct to the table top.)

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Let the festivities begin! And... for any of you that see Owen, please follow the instructions on his shirt.

Party Animal!

For all of you that thought Owen wouldn't pick up 'bad' habits at the Christmas parties, I think you're officially wrong. We were partying with some sparkling apple/berry cider, and Owen just had to sip from those 'fancy' sippy cups.

The glass covered his entire face. I wonder what the view was like from inside...

Making Doughnuts!

Owen helped Mom make two batches of doughnuts. One batch for Owen and one batch for mom and dad. Both were apple cider flavored.

The end product: Owen got little doughnut drops dropped in a cinnamon and sugar coating. Mom and Dad got a more standard size with an apple cider glaze. Yummmmmm.....

Milk and Cookie!

Owen and dad both had milk and cookies tonight. Well, Owen had one special cookie and Owen's milk and dad had plain old milk and plain old cookies. Owen is actually doing a very good job drinking out of grown up glasses all by himself. Yay Owen!

It's snOwen 2.0

Owen finally got to walk in fresh snow. Needless to say, he LOVED it! He's also got a good snow hat, and that makes any trip out in the extreme weather more fun.

He's also got a mom that loves him very much, and it shows. Here they are enjoying a nice crisp morning with a side dish of laugh.

Owen roasting...

...by a not-so-open fire. Jack Frost awaits outside for nose nipping.

When mom and dad were cleaning the carpets, Owen saw an opportunity to sit up on the hearth as the normal barrier was temporarily removed. He also saw the need to retrieve an empty DVD case. Why? We have no idea. Result? Owen had fun with the altered layout of things inside.

Helping Mom!

I think I work too hard. But, hey... these windows need washing! For some reason, there are hand prints that go up to right about here...