Notes on Owen

Owen is growing up and changing by leaps and bounds these days. I almost don't recognize the little man he's become; it happened so fast! I am trying to get some of his personality down on "cyber paper" here so I don't completely forget who he is at 19-months-old. I often feel like my kids lives are slipping through my fingers no matter how hard I try to savor each sweet little moment. So here's to jotting down a few sweet memories in the making of Owen!

The first thing that comes to mind is Owen's eating habits. He's getting 3 of his 2-year molars (yes, at only 19 months! Grr!), so he's stopped eating like he used to. The former Mr. Chubbos has slimmed down. He's decided there are only certain foods he likes, and he pretty much sticks to them- even though I continue to offer variety at every meal. The key, we've discovered is to give him the fork. Finger food is out, forks are in, folks! Once he gets a utensil, Owen chows! How very civilized, indeed!

At most mealtimes, when the fork trick isn't working its magic, Owen sits in his high chair, and snubbing the food I've offered, he points at the pantry and repeats "Ca-ka"- otherwise known as Cracker! Crackers are definately his favorite food!

Which leads me to his verbal skills. He is WAY more verbal in the last few weeks. Owen will sing a song on command, and will request to "Ree boops" (Read Books) frequently. He also loves little action rhymes and hand motions. He will come up to me, place his foot on my lap and say "Wee-wee-wee", which translates into his asking me to do "This little pig went to market...". He communicates really well; I feel like my little baby has suddenly become a kid!

I'm also noticing Owen recognizing relationships between himself and those in his house. He calls Finn "der-der" (brother), and randomly gives him "huds" (hugs). Owen also loves his baby brother a TON! The minute he sees Eli, Owen begins saying- in a tiny, baby-like voice- "Baby"! He points at Eli and tries to climb on top of him and give him kisses all over his body. The other day when his baby cousin Nicole, and still another day when his baby cousin Ryder were over, he did the same to them. It's funny he thinks they are the babies!

Lastly, Owen, who was once my Mama's boy to the core, definately has that cuddly baby side to him still. Every morning, I give him his bottle of milk when he awakes. He has to cuddle on the couch for a while after that. He loves to be rocked and hugged. It's so sweet- but when he wants to be down and running around, I definately can't get a kiss out of him for anything. He's on the road to independence, discovering everything he can about his little world around him. He is a monster of a boy at times, screaming at injustices like stolen toys or being locked out of the bathroom. But a minute later, he's cracking that huge, toothy grin. Love that little man!