Owen at 18 Months!

Our Owen is now a whole year and a half old!  It is so incredible how he has changed in so many ways since hitting that big milestone.  John was able to take Owen to his 18 month checkup and it appears everything is going great!  Owen definitely shot up since his one-year checkup and is very tall for his age.  He also thinned out quite a bit - probably from all of the running he's doing!

Height - 35 1/2 inches - 99%

Weight - 27lbs 8oz - 87%

Head Circ - 19 1/4 inches - 99%

Owen surely is no longer a baby but instead really likes playing and trying to keep up with the "big kids".  It is fun to watch him trot after Megan and Alexa and laugh as he plays with them.  He is doing a great job at the church nursery too and loves playing with the kids and teachers there.  No problem leaving us either!  One of the funniest things Owen plays is "Fetch".  Thanks to Megan and Grandpa Gennrich's Puppy School, Owen now will fetch things on command.  Complete with the panting, picking object up with his mouth and retrieving it to us.  Good boy!

Now that Owen's growing up it's becoming more evident that we need to make time for one-on-one time.  John gets some quality time with him on Thursdays when Megan is at Preschool.  I started taking Owen to the Fireflies Sunday School program Megan was in last year.  Owen can go to this class for 2 years and he is already off to a good start and we have a fun time in class.  He is already catching on to the action prayer they at snack time - even though we do the "Hands Up High" prayer at home there is something different about seeing other kids do it too.
 
Owen is very aware of his actions and cause and effect.  He really likes to drop toys from his high chair on purpose and say "uh-oh" as he lets go.  He also thinks it's very fun to shut doors - no matter what kind.  Puzzles and shapes are very fun for Owen.  He likes the chunky puzzles and is pretty good at them but he actually likes a toy cookie jar where he puts different shapes through holds in the sides.  I'm very impressed that he can tell all of those shapes apart already!  Owen has taken a recent fancy to markers.  He loves pulling off the covers and scribbling on paper.  Let those creative juices flow!

Our most major accomplishment since Owen turned 18 months is getting rid of his pacifier.  That is the same age Megan was when we banished it from her.  I think it's the perfect age because they are very aware of themselves but still haven't had the pacifier too long.  The night of Owen's 18 month birthday I took him into the kitchen and snipped off the tip of his pacifier in front of him.  He helped me throw that away and then do the same to another small piece I cut off.  He wasn't ready to give up the entire thing quite yet but instead just walked around with the strap attached to his PJs and said "Uh-oh... uh-oh".  I let him sleep with the "broken" suckey that night - and yes, he had to cry himself to sleep.  The next day he still had the "broken" suckey but he kind of ignored it.  And that was it - he was off it!  He cried himself to bed about three nights but has been fine since.  On occasion if he gets cranky or tired he will start digging in my pants pockets probably looking for the suckey but quickly remembers there's not one in there!

Unfortunately, Owen came down with a bad virus last month.  It possibly was hand, foot and mouth disease.  He was a little warm a couple days and didn't have much appetite.  Then he got a bad spotty rash over his whole body.  You can still see some of the bumps but they don't bother him anymore.  What I found out during this is he really likes to be massaged with lotion - especially on his legs.  Poor guy - I just hate it when little kids get sick.

Owen is getting good at saying people and objects.  He is constantly pointing to things wanting us to tell him what or who they are.  Too bad he doesn't really say Daddy or Grandma yet but they will come.  He likes to say Mama, Papa, Abby, Keeper, Bella, Lily and so many other words I can't even remember right now.  He still hasn't put anything together yet but I'm hopeful it will come soon.

Now on to some pictures.  Here are a few I snapped of him during the Fall Cousin photo shoot:

 

 

 

Getting ready for Ethan and Alexa's b-day party - someone wants to sign the card!

Having fun with the party favor from Lily's b-day party - Owen, what funny lips you have!

Thanks for the suckers, Auntie Kristin.  I wouldn't trust Owen with a full sucker to himself so I convinced Megan to share.  He is not wanting to give it back!

Finally, what a fun picture!  You can see how Owen's hair is growing, proof that he has a sweet tooth and a fantastic smile!  He wasn't too sure about the ice cream cone at first but I think he enjoyed it.  Of course Megan never thinks he deserves full treats and was very eager to finish his at this point.