1 YEAR OLD!

Our baby is already one year old. How did that happen? I swear I just had him not too long ago. So one year old and so many firsts. Owen has such a sweet soul. He has an infectious laugh and a smile that brightens up any room he enters. He has a love for the outside world and enjoys shopping trips and taking in all the people watching. He patiently sits in the shopping cart and will flirt and eye all those that pass. He gets quite the response from passer-bys. People actually stop us quite a lot to tell us how adorable he is. And I mean how can Darren and I possibly disagree?

He has a thing for the check out girls and will sit, wave and talk to them. They just eat it up. There was one lady in the grocery store the other day that Owen kept waving and saying hi and bye to. As we were walking down the long aisle he was still waving and saying goodbye. He started to really belt out the bye as we got further and further away from her. It was quite comical!

He has many teeth and still likes to take a quick bite out of your finger if you are dumb enough to allow it to go anywhere near his mouth. :) He loves to give big, wet, open mouth kisses when you ask for kisses and still loves a good face mush every now and again. His vocabulary is expanding each and everyday. He is repeating words and sounds and now understands the cause and effects of toys and games. It is amazing to see how his brain processes new tasks and how he thinks things through and eventually figures out how to be successful. Our little baby is getting to be a big boy!

We celebrated his first birthday on Sunday, 2/22. We had a nice party at our house. Owen's birthday party theme was a red, white and blue party. We superimposed Owen's face onto Uncle Sam and his invites read, Owen wants YOU at his red, white and blue first birthday party! Everyone came and wore their red, white and blue. Owen was a true show boat. He worked the room like he was a politician trying to get your vote! He would enter a room, walking of course because he is now a pro and greet people with a hi, wave and smile and when he felt like it was time to move on - that he did. Onto the next bigger and better crowd!

He received wonderful presents from all of our generous friends and family and then it was time to strip him down for his birthday cake. We sang Happy Birthday and he got really excited clapping and squealing with glee and excitement. He did not disappoint when it came to his own chocolate cake. He went to town and did a very good job getting his sugar high that we ended up paying for that evening when he didn't want to go to sleep or sleep in his bed. It was all worth it! Owen, Darren and I want to thank all of you for thinking of us on his FIRST birthday. It turned out wonderful and is one to remember! Love you ALL!!!