Owen is just a month shy of a year old and it is absolutely crazy to think about. He is so sweet, so joyful, has the best smile, is a tride and true Mama’s boy, still has a very coy and blushing shyness whenever someone new looks at him or says hello (he doesn’t freak, he just tucks right into me and hides his face, usually smiling or with no expression), is super active and crawls with a left leg drag (so cute) and walks holding one hand, cruises from anywhere on anything, loves food, claps for himself 25 times an hour, nurses 6 times a day still, hates getting new teeth (has 4 officially and getting the 3-4 on top now), loves his sister, grabs faces of everyone (becoming a bit of an issue with other babies…need to socialize him to understand that’s not normal haha), and we just love every single ounce of him.

Owen’s personality is coming out more and more. He’s not very careful (gets a lot of bruises and has had 3-4 bloody noses), he’s a little impulsive, he’s so beyond sweet that I wish there was a better word for it but sweet is how I’d best describe him, he’s cuddly, he’s fairly needy and likes a lot of attention but also can entertain himself better than the other child in our house :)), is held a lot of the time, and is QUICK. He gets everywhere he needs to get and is showing us very quickly and not baby-proof our house is. Here are some of his newest or most notable things we want to remember:

• He cries almost a sobbing instant cry when you take him into our room for a nap. It’s pretty fake. It’s very quick and once he’s in his sleep sack, he’s almost always ready to sleep but this dramatic reaction to the lights turning off has happened forever and it’s funny.
• He grabs my face and glasses any chance he gets still — and this is rubbing off
• Delaney taught him to kiss and he kisses with his tongue out and laughs a giddy giggle
• Has a breathy inhale-laugh that he’s done since he was tiny and I hope he never stops
• Loves to play pass with everything. He gives you whatever he’s playing with, does his inhale noise and puts his hand back out to get it back. He will offer it to everyone in his presence on a rotating basis and it’s adorable
• Never stops moving – he wants to walk so badly but won’t let go, which makes him pretty frustrated (and an exhausting person to hang out with 24/7) but oh so cute
• He shoves food in his mouth by the fistful and eats faster than Morgan…we think
• Claps for himself and everyone around him all the time. Doesn’t do any baby sign but claps when he wants more and kinda signs “all done”
• Favorite foods: broccoli, cauliflower, chicken, burgers, falafel, hummus, adult meals with lots of flavor (mexican, indian, thai, greek…etc), watermelon, scrambled eggs, potatoes (burnt out by sweet potatoes, rightfully so). Dislikes: zucchini, anything too soft (apple sauce, baby food, anything mushed!) and reacts with a very dramatic gag and turns red
• Is never full and drinks amazingly out of a straw
• Sleeps on his right side usually and sometimes his tummy now. Still uses the pacifier to fall asleep but also kinda hates it and always throws it out of the crib
• Wakes up at 5ish and has been nursing in bed until 6 since the beach, takes two (short!) naps at 9 and 2 but hopefully getting back into a better rhythm
• Loves the car and rarely throws a fit (I remember at this age, even a 15-min car ride would terrify me with Delaney unless she was asleep. Feel very lucky with this!) and will always fall asleep
• Loves to swing at the playground and push the walking toys
• Loves to get dizzy, be thrown in the air, and go fast on things
• Gets over injuries pretty quickly but is definitely sensitive
• Can be held by other people pretty well but its 99% better if Morgan is NOT around — but he will reach for Jordan and certain friends even when Morgan is holding him, which is new!
• His mood is very dictated by hunger and sleep (it is for all of us, duh) but if he is hungry or tired or both, it’s difficult to get him distracted for anything until he’s had food or sleep or milk
• Is an animal in the bathtub and stands up immediately, drinks the water, and is insane
• Eats lots of sand at the beach, doesn’t love the heat, LOVES having his feet in water (doesn’t love the pool too much but doesn’t dislike it), and can’t get enough of sticking his hands in salt water and sucking on his fingers