Happy First Birthday Owen!

So, Owen's one year old today.

I can't believe it's been a year already.  It really hit me when I was thinking yesterday, "Why can't I remember what I did last New Years?"  Oh yeah, I was in the hospital :-)  In some ways life has changed dramatically, and in others it feels like it's always been this way.  Four kids have been an adjustment, but I now wonder how much of my struggles with it have been the low iron and zero energy, and how much four kids would've kicked even my healthy butt? :-)  But, man, I love this little baby.  He's sweet and cuddly.  He sucks on his two middle fingers when he's tired and I think it's the cutest thing in the entire world.  Owen marches to the beat of his own drum -- a very, very slow drum.  And he doesn't actually march, as he refuses to get around on his feet.  In a word, this baby is lazy.  Really, really lazy :-)  He took forever to crawl, but once he did he did it expertly -- but slowly.  Even now at a year, he slowly crawls around with precision, but he's not very quick, he has yet to figure out how to crawl UP onto anything (a step, a stool, a toy, etc).  He seems so much younger than his one year -- he's tiny (just over 17 lbs, I think), and he's not super mobile.  He can stand up to his activity table, and walk around it, but that's all -- he won't hold our figures and walk, he won't push a toy, and it makes me wonder if he'll ever walk.  Or talk.  He chatters here and there, says "Da da da da," whenever he sees Greg or is happy, and says "Ma ma ma ma" at times to me, and when he's mad.  Other than that, he doesn't seem to have much intention of communicating with us anytime soon.  You'd seriously just have to know him, but the best way to describe him is just 'young' . . . I think few people who see him would guess he's a year old.  He's nowhere near what one would think of as a 'toddler'.  But you know, don't tell anyone, but I love it.  I love my tiny baby (although for my own peace of mind I wish he'd pack on some pounds -- the kid eats protein nonstop, and I still don't know how he's so tiny, I'm not sure where he's hiding these calories), his sweet baby features as he snuggles up to me, sucks on his fingers and gazes into my eyes.  I'm in no hurry for him to grow out of this stage, and I know it'll be gone before I know it, so I'm just enjoying this extra baby time. (But I'm glad it's my fourth kid; if it was my first I think I'd be freaking out over milestones and whatnot -- after four kids I'm really getting the whole 'they all grow at their own pace, they learn to do what they learn to do when they're ready to learn it.') 

He loves his siblings -- though he's still a little worried around Ellie (for good reason, she accidentally knocks him over a couple times a day with her raw enthusiasm for life).  He's super excited when Dad comes home now, and perks up as soon as he hears his voice, and crawls and reaches for him as soon as he sees him.  He stands up in his crib waiting for me to come get him in the morning, but the silly kid hasn't figured out the BEST way to get attention is to make noise in bed -- he fusses a little when he first wakes up, but after that he sits or stands quietly just waiting for someone to come get him -- which means I check on him often during long naps, just waiting for him to be awake one of the times I go in and him standing there.  He still naps twice a day -- something I both love and don't.  I like the two 'breaks' from a tiny person who wants to eat things that choke him -- morning nap time to get ready and clean up a little, and afternoon nap to accomplish bigger chores or projects (when I have the energy to undertake such things).  But, I'm looking forward to the one nap a day, to clear up our schedules to go and do some more fun things during the day.

I can't imagine our family without this little guy -- I'm so smitten with him, I spend long periods of time each day just holding him, playing with him, singing him songs like "You are My Sunshine" and I love him more than words can say.  Happy Birthday Owen!