Owen's 18 month update

So our little guy is a year and a half old, and we can't believe how much he is growing and changing. He has always been a delight, but his little personality continues to emerge in big ways. Every month I record his accomplishments and cute/funny things he does, and for his 18th month I have written more than ever before! I'll list some of the things he has been up to recently.

Old Man Owen (who eats bubbles)

* Owen's vocabulary has grown to more than 40 words, and he enjoys pointing at things and naming them, especially the moon, cars, balls, shoes, bubbles, animals and birds. His favorite phrases to say are: thank you, please, help please, bye bye, night night and bless you (and not just when you sneeze, but also if you cough or yawn. One day he had the hiccups and it sounded like this for 10 minutes: "Hiccup. bless you. hiccup. bless you. hiccup. bless you." It was cute how he was blessing himself). Apparently he loves being a polite child, and I am thrilled. These days there are plenty of older children who have no manners whatsoever and don't respect their elders, so we are trying to teach him at an early age...and he seems to enjoy it! (He also has started to sing, repeating "doo, doo, doo" in different variations and saying E-I-E-I MOO MOO in a sing-songy voice for Old Mcdonald.)

Enjoying his first ice cream cone with Daddy

*O's interests right now are birds, butterflies, balls and rocks. He absolutely loves birds and will stand at our windows doing his version of the sign for bird and saying "birdy" and "tweet tweet." Thankfully, many birds, including a red-headed woodpecker, have made our backyard home, and he gets to watch them in action every day. He also enjoys butterflies, which he calls "flies," and likes to visit them at the butterfly atrium at our aquarium. His obsession with balls persists (his first word was ball), and he is proud to own as many as he can get us to buy. Rocks are his newest fascination, and we continue to find them in his pockets and strewn throughout the house after he comes inside from his rock collecting expeditions.

*Our boy is a kissing machine! He always hugs and kisses his stuffed animals, which he takes naps with and drags from room to room. Before bed each night he will give Roby a kiss, then turn and kiss me, and repeat this over and over, saying the "muahh" sound...it is so cute! He also responds to the word "umma," which means "kiss" in Malayalam, and kisses his bruises and scrapes because that is what mama does :)

I actually think he looks like me here (for once)!

*O is becoming very independent and likes to do everything himself. He has mastered the use of adult forks (the baby ones seemed to hinder him) and is pretty good with the spoon. He loves brushing his teeth at night-although we have to do it for him and then he pretends afterwards- as well as brushing his hair and pretending to clean. He has a miniature broom and follows us around sweeping, pretends to dump the dust pan in the trash, and wipes at spots with a paper towel. He certainly is becoming our little helper!

Future graffiti artist?

(notice 3 of his favorite things in this pic taken by my friend Stephanie: rock, ball and chalk)

*Finally, Owen is drinking whole milk. He wouldn't touch it for the longest time, and I was worried that it would hinder brain development (which is why whole milk is good for toddlers). My friend Alyson suggested Carnation Instant Breakfast, which he loves. Then I gradually lessened the amount that is in his milk, and he is nearly weened from the sweetness. He ate really well for awhile, but now he is becoming extremely picky, which i suppose is the nature of toddlers. Sometimes he picks at his food and won't eat much at a meal, and other times he will down several meatballs, veggies, yogurt and fruit! So you never know with him. At his well check-up last week, he weighed 24 pounds and is now 34 inches tall. He is still in the 75th percentile for height and has gone up to 35th percentile for weight. He has always been a long, lean, baby just like I was at this age (believe it or not!) I thought it sweet when Owen's pediatrican said, "He certainly is the type to make you want to have another baby, but I am way too old for that!" He wins her over with his charm every time! (The doc also said, "In my 14 years as a pediatrician, I have never heard a baby answer to his mom asking what a squirrel says!" He clicks his tongue when you ask him that :)

O demonstrating how he "exercises."
He also twirls in circles when asked to dance & stomps when you ask him about his happy feet.

Roby and I got a family pass for the Chattanooga Aquarium and have been taking him downtown on the weekends for a visit with the fish, then a stroll around town and lunch. It has become a sweet little ritual for us lately. We also take him to Coolidge Park by the Tennessee River, where he enjoys running around on the grass chasing every toy, ball and kite that aren't his and going for a whirl on the hand-carved carousel. He still has his reservations about the fountain the children play in at the park, standing at the edge in his little swimming trunks holding on to our hands. I suppose as he gets older it will appeal more to him. We delight in watching him experience new things as he explores the outdoors and his surroundings.

*There is just something so refreshing about viewing the world

around you anew through the eyes of your child!*

Owen and I recently visited Joyce and Tobi in Houston for their baby shower and Owen's Nana and Debby Auntie just stayed with us for a few days, so I will post pictures soon.