Sixteen Months Old (...and one week)

Dearest Owen,

So many of our friends and family refer to you as "baby Owen" and while you will always be my baby and I still get glimpses of your babyness when I cuddle you close, you're becoming more of a little boy with each passing day. This past month - even the last week - have brought so much growth and development for you. YOU FINALLY WALKED!! I know I claimed to be patient and comfortable about letting you reach each milestone in your own time but your walking was a huge hang up for me. I was ready for you to be upright and exploring your world. I was eager for "baby Owen" to be able to join in at the park and not have to lag behind on the swings because you are the smallest. I was so ready for you to stop crawling around on every gross surface, carpet and floor examining "yuckies" to put in your mouth.  And then one day you walked across the room, with no fan fair and probably ten consecutive steps, so confidently, as if you'd been doing it all along. Your Daddy and I rushed around for the camera and managed to get a repeat performance for posterity's sake (and your adoring fans).  It took you a few weeks to realize that walking truly is more efficient than crawling and this past week you have been exclusively walking. At home, at the park. You've even been climbing stairs!

Mobility has brought a new-found sense of independence for you and with it, temper tantrums. If I don't let you brush your teeth/stay at the park/brush your teeth/walk near dangerous things or brush your teeth you drop into a pile of baby mush and scream at the top of your lungs. Diaper changes are a wrestling match between the two of us and 50% of the time you win. I'd like to tell you its sweet but honestly, it makes me want to give myself a "time-out." We are entering into new territory and I need to bring my "A" game for you. I need to let you explore but set limits and be firm but loving when you protest.

You are more aware than ever before and you amaze us with your perception and social grace. You say, or attempt to say so many words now. Your Papa bought you a Mr. Potato Head and the moment he took it out of the box, you removed the hat and exclaimed "at!" and then pretended to put the tiny plastic hat on your head. You've never said hat before and now you actually enjoy wearing your own hats (a battle I've been fighting with you for weeks now) so I am most appreciative to Mr. Potato Head for encouraging my fair-skinned boy to protect his little noggin from the sun.

Your teeth are perfectly straight and you wrinkle up your nose when you smile, exactly like I do. You have thick, dark eyelashes that flip up and flutter when you blink.  Your legs are still lanky but your fingers are chubby and sun-kissed from the early days of summer. Your hair is a light strawberry blonde and curls up in the back and over your ears. No matter how many people ask if you are a girl, your Daddy and I cannot part with those baby curls. 

I wish I could remember all of the things you've done this month but its honestly been so many I can barely keep track.

• You point to your nose, ears, eyes, hair, toes, mouth and belly button
• Your Daddy taught you to play with the shape sorter and you figured it out in one afternoon!
• You stack blocks and cups and make airplane and car noises with your toys.
• You love to sit in your playroom and "read" independently.
• You eat whatever we're eating and drink from a straw cup without handles (the package said 2yrs and up!)
• You say, "shhhs" (shoes) "at" (hat) "cool" (school) "boo-baba" (blueberry) "kickers" (crackers) "ba" (ball) "chzzzzz"(cheese) "sar" (star) "eye" "tee" (teeth)  "tee" (tree) and "tee" (three). 
• You also say, "Papa" and "Nana" and they were just tickled when you asked for them by name 
• For some reason you refuse to say, "moo" anymore but you do say that the frog says, "mmm mmm"  
• Whenever we ask you to say, "Owen"  you say, "Dada." 
• You used to hold up one finger when we asked you how old you are. Now you hold up three fingers and say, "tee"
• You love to hear us count and sing the alphabet
• You love to dance and listen to music and just last week we heard you "singing" to yourself in the car (*I melt*)
• In addition to your sloppy, open-mouth kisses, you give the most wonderful hugs and squeezes now, complete with sound effects :)

We moved to a new apartment, you're third place in less than 1.5 years! We rode on a tractor and picked strawberries. We went to the children's museum and started back up with swim lessons again. With all of the growing and exploring you've done, you still love to be kissed and cuddled. Whenever you're feeling disconnected from me, you toddle over showing me the sign for "milk" and want to be held close. I'm so happy you have a safe place there and even though you put your smelly little toes in my face, and talk, and pat my face while you are nursing, I am always reminded that you are my baby. And when I look down, I see the same baby I've seen since the moment we met. Baby Owen, my beautiful, perfect baby boy.

Love and Squeeeeeezes,
Mama