I know I start all of these age milestone posts the same with "Has it really been __ months
already??" But honestly, has a year and a half really gone by since that tiny little guy surprised
us and changed our lives completely?? It's so hard to believe. Even harder to believe that
in just 3 short months, this little guy will be a big brother.
Owen amazes me every single day and I could not possibly love him any more. He is so
energetic, genuinely happy and so full of life that it is contagious. Watching him navigate
through his day always puts a smile on my face. I always thought that once Owen was born I
would want to go back to work, but after being able to spend so much time with him, I couldn't
picture my life any other way. I'm so thankful that I am able to be home with him.
Owen has one speed, and that is a full on run. He lifts his shoulders, pulls both arms to a 90 degree angle, leans his head and upper body forward and takes off. Ryan has equated it
to a Frankenstein run. His upper body stays in one position and his little legs run as fast as they
can safely carry him. It doesn't matter if he is going down the block, or simply from one couch to
the other, his speed of choice is a sprint. I think he actually gets more tripped up when he
tries to slow down and walk. It's so foreign to him that he's not quite sure how to get his feet to
move that slowly. He's so fast I need to speed walk just to keep up with him. And forget trying
to turn my back for more than 5 seconds. He'll be three houses down the block in that amount
of time and I'll have to take off running just to catch up with him. He definitely keeps us on our
toes, but I figure it is good exercise for Ryan and I. Let's hope baby #2 can keep up with him. ;)
He is also entirely fearless. He likes to walk up and down the stairs instead of sliding on his
butt or belly. He gets so excited when he is on the last stair with nothing left to hold onto. He
shouts "Go! Go!" a few times, steps off the last stair, steadies himself and then claps
because he is so proud of himself for stepping down without falling. And the bottom stair is
just the beginning. When we're at Peekaboo Playroom, there is a 1.5 foot ledge near the front
of the play space for the parents to sit on. He runs back and forth across that without a care in
the world and then goes to step off it, like it is only 6 inches off the ground. He's not afraid of
water, falling doesn't even phase him anymore, and new kids don't intimidate him in the slightest. He is a tough little guy and we are super thankful for that.
Owen is also one of the more vocal toddlers I have spent time with. He is constantly talking
and narrating what he is doing. Most of it is in his own special language that we have not quite
been able to translate yet, but he throws out a few key words every now and then. He has about
8 words that he says consistently. Then there are the times where he says something that both
Ryan and I look at each other and think, did he really just say what I think he did? His current favorite word is "Ma-ma," which I always love to hear. He's started saying it a lot more recently.
Instead of standing up in his crib in the morning yelling gibberish to get our attention, it is now a
clear "Ma-ma, Ma-ma, Ma-ma....." And when he is upset, or needs something, or just wants to
make sure I am still around, I am serenaded with a chorus of "Ma-ma's." I'd be lying if I said
it didn't make me totally happy to hear every time he says it.
Current Words: Mama, Daddy, Go, no-no, done, 'gain (again), Raar (lion), Moo (cow)
Weight: 24 lbs 6.5 oz (50th percentile)
Height: 32.75 in (50-75th percentile) He's moving up on the charts. Woo!
Favorite Foods: FRUIT, FRUIT, FRUIT! Especially strawberries, watermelon, oranges and
grapes. But he also likes pears, blueberries, and bananas. Vegetables are a little more
difficult, but we do our best to get them in him even if it is in the little food pouches. All we can
do is keep offering them to him and hopefully he takes a liking to them at some point. Other
foods he likes are chicken nuggets, fish nuggets, turkey meatballs, spaghetti, yogurt, crackers,
pizza and sour patch kids (yes you read that right). He may be a spitting image of his dad,
but that is one thing for certain that he gets from his mom.
Favorite Toys: He loves busy work and anything that uses his fine motor skills. For example,
he loves playing with his duplos and legos, he loves pouring things from one cup to another,
he loves any type of stacking toy (specifically his Melissa and Doug geometric stacker), and he
loves playing with the toy Grandma made him where he threads small sections of a water
noodle onto a rubber hose.
Favorite Things To Do: LOVES playing chase, especially when he is the one being chased.
Loves winding down and watching a show before naps and bed (typically Mickey Mouse Club,
Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Sesame Street, Finding Nemo or Lilo and Stitch). Is a huge
fan of his new "Big Boy Bath" time, which means he is in the full size tub instead of his toddler
tub. All we need to do is ask him if he wants to go take a "Big Boy Bath" and he hurries
upstairs, grabs his bath toys, throws them in the tub and runs to Daddy to get undressed. He also LOVES being around other kids. He lights up when other people are around and gets
so excited when he has company come over to our house.
Favorite Books: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, I love you Stinky Face, Little Pooky,
But Not the Hippopotamus, Hugs All Day
This list of favorite books changes frequently, but when you go to read him a bedtime story and
you don't choose one of his current favorites, he will definitely let you know it. He keeps
reaching over towards the book bin until you pick the right one and then he will relax in your lap.
So now I have just resorted to letting him run into his room first and I tell him to pick what
stories he wants to read. And sure enough, two to three of his favorites are laid out
on the chair waiting for us.
Speaking of bedtime, and hopefully I don't jinx myself, Owen is a great sleeper. He goes down
so easily at night and for naps. We of course go through our little routine which consists of bath,
brushing teeth, books, and our kissing ritual with Lovey and Monkey. Then we lay him down,
cover him with his monkey blanket, tell him we love him, and walk out. This is one of those
times where we are quite certain we have received a "love you" in return, but it's just so hard to
be certain if that is indeed what he said. He normally sleeps between 10-11 hours per night,
then takes two naps during the day totaling another 3 hours or so. I tried to move him to one
nap, but he is just not ready for it yet. He is very much a creature of habit when it comes to
sleeping, so it is very easy to tell when things are off and he just needs his rest. For example,
I know without a doubt that if I put him to bed late, he will be up extra early the next morning. It's
just how his little body works. So I do my best to keep him happy and rested and so far it is
working out great. He is somewhat of an early riser, getting up between 6:00 and 6:30 every
day, but with a bedtime of 7:30 that is to be expected. And Ryan and I love having our
time together once he goes to bed, so we are reluctant to push it back any later. Our
sanity and down time is well worth the early wake up call. :)
We've come a very long way in 18 months and I'm looking forward to all the new milestones
and discoveries we have in store for us.
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