Fourteen Months!

Dearest Owen,

My sweet boy, you are FOURTEEN MONTHS OLD TODAY! You continue to be the light of my life and everyday is a new adventure with you. You have become enamoured with your "DA-DEE" and ask for him all day long. Everytime the door opens you call his name again and again. He is equally as smitten with you and he lights up each night when you shower his cheeks with your open mouth kisses before he hands you off to me for "baby milk and night, night." You say Mama, less and less but you have your Mama all day long.

Your favorite book right now is "Moo, Baa, LA LA LA" and you ask for it EVERY TIME we sit in the rocking chair by saying, "Moooooooo!" Your Daddy and I are so tired of reading it and both of us know it by heart but hearing you recite the animal sounds and point to them on the pages still amazes us every time you do it. You love to pet Harleigh and crawl after her whenever you see her saying, "Kit-ty! Kit-ty!" Your Nana and Papa got you a touch and feel puzzle for your birthday which you love. Daddy says, "Owen, bring me the horsey" You bring him the horse and say, "yeeehehe" for the horsey sound. "Ba Ba" for the sheep. "Moooo" for the cow. And, of course, "Quack Quack" for the duck. You also say "uh, uh" for a doggie sound, and "chicken" now, but its for when we give you chicken nuggets ;) You can point to my eyes and nose and have even pointed to your tummy a few times. So smart, my boy!

You are more giggly these days and love to be ticked underneath your chin or have raspberries blown on your belly. You are so easy going and I cannot count the times people comment, "Is he always this good?" the answer is simply: Yes. You have gotten taller but haven't filled out much. Your arms and legs are slender and I'm afraid you've inherited the "Reese butt" -- or lack thereof. No butt to speak of on you, just like your Daddy and your Papa. Your hair is a definitive strawberry blonde now and the wispy ends curl up when you are sweaty. I adore your silky little curls, I sit and twirl them around in my fingers after you've fallen asleep in my arms. You love to have your teeth brushed at night and still say, "Night, Night" and sign milk when you are tired.

Spring is slowly making its way to us and being outside is one of your favorite things. We take walks or visit the zoo when the weather is nice. You cruise around the furniture and you can walk behind your little mail cart unassisted but still no steps. You know how to turn around and slide down off the couch backwards - something you managed to teach yourself. Your favorite thing to do right now is pick up tiny, tiny things off the floor and put them in your mouth. You pick them up, hold them up to me and then right in the mouth they go. Dirt, lint, wrappers, PENNIES! Anything you can pick up with your little fingers. Its impossible for me to keep the floor spotless so I spend my days fishing yuckies out of your mouth. You eat better from the floor than you do from the table and your Daddy and I have contemplated putting your dinner down on the carpet for you to enjoy (I kid, sort of...)

There is something so special about you, Owen. A quiet wisdom behind your eyes that I am sure you will amaze us with one day. With you, everything come is its own time and you are teaching me more about patience than I ever thought possible. There are days when I wish you were chubbier or more mobile or that you could tell me exactly what you want and then I sit back and realize that you are perfect and I have nothing to worry about. But I'm your Mama and worrying comes with the job but I promise you that I make it a point to drown myself in your adorableness and be thankful for the last fourteen months of perfect days the two of us have spent together.

My perfect boy, my heart is yours.

Mama