Owen - Your Life as a One Year Old

October 5, 2006: You turned ONE today! We can't believe a year has already flown by. You're growing up way too fast. We celebrated your birthday with balloons, cake and presents. You liked your cake. Grandma M. and Aunt Christine were present to help you celebrate.

October 10, 2006: You are walking!!! On the evening of this day, after dinner, you walked clear across the kitchen floor! We can't believe you're WALKING!! You made mommy cry because you're growing up way too fast!!

Thanksgiving 2006: You and Mommy flew all the way to Rochester, NY to spend Thanksgiving with Mom's side of the family and to see her friends. Uncle Mike was there as well. You were a good boy both on the flight to and there! Mommy was so impressed and relieved! You had a lot of fun playing with your cousins, Daniel, Julea, Mairin and Natalie.

End of November, Beginning of December 2006: Mommy never got over feeling jetlagged from our trip to Rochester. On Dec. 2nd, we found out why. Your little brother or sister was growing in Mommy's tummy.

Christmas 2006: This was a fun holiday. Grandma and Grandpa Q, Aunt Liza and Aunt Sara flew all the way from Vermont to spend Christmas with us. You LOVED all the attention you got from them! And they loved giving it to you! They stayed a week. We surprised them with the news that another family member was on it's way.

December 31, 2006 - January 1, 2007: Happy New Year. We had plans to spend New Years Eve at some friends' house, but you came down with a little cold and fever so we ended up staying home. You got Daddy sick too.

February 3, 2007: You peed in the toilet for the first time! (And last time... for a while until further notice!)

February 7, 2007: You had your first bubble bath and shower. You had so much fun! You were all smiles and laughs.

February 17, 2007: We celebrated Daddy's 34th birthday early because he had to go to Florida for about a week for work. We went to the Cannery Seafood Restaurant and had a nice dinner, but not before both you AND Daddy got hurt! You and Daddy were horsing around while Mommy was ironing a shirt. You accidently kicked Daddy's glasses into his eye which caused him a lot of pain. While Mommy was tending to Daddy, you somehow burned your hand on the iron. Neither of you were too happy that evening, but at least dinner was good.

April 2007: You're starting to show early signs of the Terrible Twos! You didn't like being told "No," or that you can't do something. You don't like having things taken away from you. When that happens, you throw yourself on the ground and have yourself a little tantrum. You would also cry for no reason. You would hit Mommy and/or Daddy.

April 2007: You are starting to know your shapes. Not the easy ones like square or circle, but the more complicated ones like heart and star. You can even say the shapes! You know a lot of words by now and can even identify pictures on TV and in books. You love fish and constantly sign that one every time you see a fish anywhere. When we ask you to say “Cow,” you say, “Moo,” instead. So funny!

April 2007: You are FINALLY sleeping through the night and going to bed without much complaint!!! You are also counting! If we hold up fingers 1 through 5, you know what they are. We are so impressed. If you count on your own, it goes something like this: 1, 2, 4, 9, 10. You are saying new words every day!

May 2007: At 19 months, you can count to five on your own, but when you go past five, you skip a few numbers. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10," or something like that. It's so amusing to hear you count. You like to count going down the stairs in our house. This month, on Mommy's birthday, we found out that you were going to have a little sister!

June 2007: You went on a vegetable strike, much to our dismay. You absolutely refuse to eat any vegetables unless we sneak them in something like carrot muffins. You are speaking in three or four word sentences now. You spent a fun day out with Thomas the Train but fell asleep on the Thomas train ride. We got you your big-boy bed and switched you into a bigger room, one you'll share with your sister, Ana. You like your bed and you've been doing well sleeping in it. You're running everywhere now and trying to jump. You love jumping. You're now play-acting, for example, you "cook" up something using utensils and bowls and pretend to eat and you offer some to Mommy. You're also giving commands and telling Mommy and Daddy what to do. You're so bossy!!

July 2007: You're still on your vegetable strike! You're persistent. You love going to the park and you're able to get around pretty good. You're climbing ladders and becoming more independent. You're running around so much these days and with that comes a lot of falling. You got your first few official band-aid boo-boos on your right elbow and knee. You like going to the water park and getting a little wet. At first you were a little skeptical, only going while holding onto mommy's hand, but now you're a pro. You love being outside and going for walks with Daddy. You went to the Vancouver Zoo and saw some animals for the first time in person. You also went to a little bug zoo and had a good time running around playing with the books and toys. You're FINALLY weaned off the bottle! For the longest time you wouldn't drink your milk out of anything but your bottle. You would drink anything else in a sippy or regular cup, but not your milk. This time mommy was persistent!


July 31, 2007: You became a big brother! Your little sister, Ana's arrival was the first time Mommy spent time, longer than a few hours, away from you. It was very hard to be away from you, but the times you came to visit Mommy and Ana at the hospital were treasured! Grandma M came about a week before Ana was born and you spent a lot of time with her getting reacquainted. Grandma was a HUGE help for Mommy in the last few days of her pregnancy, but even better for you because you really enjoyed her company and attention!


August 3, 2007: Mommy and Ana came home from the hospital. You were a little unsure about our homecoming but after a while you warmed up to it. Mommy was so happy to be home but very frustrated with post c-section limitations, wanting nothing more than to hold you and cuddle with you, carry you around and play with you!

August 2007: Grandma M stayed until about a week after Ana's birthday. The next day, Grandma and Grandpa Q came! They helped Mommy out with the baby and with recovery. They kept you busy with walks and plenty of attention. What fun you had! The fact that you had a little sister and that she was a permanent addition in our lives still hadn't struck you. You are counting into the 20's and you know your ABC's! You are also speaking in 3 to 4 worded sentences and even responding to some questions. After Grandma and Grandpa Q left Daddy took some time off to help out and spend time with you and Ana. Daddy loved his time at home with you and had a hard time going back to work! During Dad's time off we took you to Vancouver's PNE, an amusement park. You had so much fun!! You rode on the merry-go-round for the first time as well as the ferris wheel and a few other rides. You loved the giant slides and of course, the sugary doughnuts we let you eat.


September 2007: You can count to the 20's on your own. You can sing a few songs, do the ABC's and count your numbers all on your own. Your favorite tv show is called Hi-5, especially the episodes involving robots. You can name all the animals in your animal books. You're still not potty trained and still on a vegetable strike that now includes a growing number of fruit as well. You still don't have the best sleep habits, but we've taken a break from training you on anything because Ana's arrival completely rocked your world. You take comfort sleeping in Mommy and Daddy's bed, which we're happy to allow since there's a new baby in our lives. If it means you'll sleep better and through the night, so be it. It's easier to deal with one keeping us awake all night versus two! Besides... we love cuddling with you!

October 5, 2007. Happy Birthday! You're officially 2! You've been growing by leaps and bounds! We are amazed at the speed of your maturity. You've had several haircuts and your smile went from gummy to toothy without much complaint from you, even though you did have a day or two where it wasn't easy to deal with. You've gone up several shoe sizes and outgrew clothes! You're talking and picking up words like nothing we've ever seen before. Even the bad ones! You are constantly making us smile and/or laugh and your capacity to love is just endless. We treasure every hug and kiss you give us. You've been testing your bounds, pushing your limits (and our buttons sometimes!!), exploring your world and showing more curiosity than a cat. You're like a sponge in that you learn and absorb new things quickly, often on the first try. You seem comfortable in your surroundings, willing to give new things and experiences a chance (but not food!). We love that about you, that while you do show caution sometimes, you're still an adventurous little spirit. And a smart one too! We love you so very much!