For the last 17 months, I've said, "this is my favorite age." This month is no different. We're having a blast. Our little boy still loves to be on the go, often bringing his shoes to me and requesting 'Go, Go, Go?" before 8am. Because we don't often make it out before 8am, he has taken to climbing to keep himself entertained. It started on the couch (he's been working on it for quite some time), and now he can do it unassisted. Over the course of the month, he also figured out how to climb on the kitchen chairs... he'll even push the kitchen chair up to the counter and climb up toward his beloved 'Ca-Cas' (crackers).
We also had a great visit with Grandma & Papa Cooper this month. The highlight for me was the company and extra help around the house. The highlight for Owen was undivided attention, book reading, hugs, giggles, treats, etc.
His current favorite book 'Where's the noisy firetruck'. Flip the flap and the siren goes off. How cool is that? It's even cooler because he has torn some of the flaps completely off, so the siren goes off when you flip the page!
Looking at the starfish at the aquarium with Papa
This is the 'petting zoo' part of the aquarium, but Owen just preferred to splash in the water.
A perfectly sized cubby hole
Owen the jellyfish
Looking at the DOGS (fish) with Papa
Getting ready for bed. It's a rough life when you have oodles of love! He loved to cuddle with his Papa.
Since Oskee moved to StL at the beginning of May, Owen's really taken to his stuffed dog. It's the first stuffed animal he really cuddles with.
Mother's Day started out with some good book reading time
Owen loves to walk, walk, walk, and when he spots a DOG he gets REALLY excited. Hands fully in the air, shouting DOG, and he's about to take off!
Here he is running after a crow (DOG).
Chillin with G&P.
It was nice to have additional hands to chase him =)
He and daddy worked on going up the stairs on his feet. He's almost mastered going UP on his feet, but down is still on the belly.
He's curious about everything we do, and he really enjoyed helping himself to my Chai from SBUX.
Mother's Day 2012 Family Photo at the Arboretum
I've been collecting loaned-out baby gear over the last month so that I can pack it up for baby girl. The bumbo was recently delivered home, and Owen has had a great time sitting in it. It cracks me up that his legs are still skinny enough as a 17 month old to fit in it.
His new favorite perch: At the table with us.
I repeat this a lot: "Bottom on the chair, please".
Catching up on his Forbes magazine.
This picture is a 'wait and see what else is to come from our great Memorial Day weekend with the Culbertsons' teaser. Owen sat on the stair and watched daddy load the car. He was SO excited to 'Go, Go, Go!' and he was sitting in his favorite spot: a stair or ledge.
Additional fun developments from this month:
- O can point to his belly and his ears. We are working on nose, but he gets hung up at the cheeks. He also really loves to put his fingers in daddy's ear.
- We've also started in to the animal sounds. A dog says 'wuff' and a monkey says 'ah ah ah'.
- Every mama should have a little boy that loves his cuddles as much as my O. He's been a little extra cuddly (different than clingy) lately... think he knows there is a ridiculous amount of change coming our way?
- Our neighbor taught him to blow kisses. It's ridiculously cute. He will also give me kisses... and Amity too!
- Still loves to play boo(!) and wave at everyone, but his newest favorite game consists of jumping on the chair or bed and saying 'Boom, Boom, Boom'. Again.. more opportunities to say 'Bottom on the chair please, Owen'.
- He imitates the movements to 'The itsy bitsy spider', and we sing it a lot.
- Teeth: Still 7, but we are working on 2 more bottom teeth.
- His hearing is very keen & he can distinguish motor sounds from outside. If it's a car, he'll call it accordingly, and if it's a plane, he points to the sky and says 'CK'. Mike and I have tried to figure out how to spell his word for plane, and it's a hard ck sound with a slight 'e' at the end. Maybe Key minus the 'y'? However you spell it, he says it ALL of the time.
- Speaking of words we have a few new ones: Big Car, Baseball (said with a lisp), baby girl (Di Di Gaaa), choo choo, balloon (boon), cuckoo (a song on one of his favorite CDs), and.... MAMA. Finally I have my own identity =) He doesn't say it as cute as he says Dada, but I will take it!
Mike has officially moved to StL, so Owen and I are flying solo in cool, rainy Seattle. We just have a few weeks left, though, and we are SO excited to be 'home' soon. I imagine most of the post from his next monthly blog installment will have grandparents, cousins, etc!
