Owen is now creeping up on the 7th-month mark, and he is a delightfully happy little guy! He has a smile for everyone always and absolutely loves to be included ~ no sitting on the sidelines. For example, if Collin and other big kids are running around the playroom, Owen much prefers to be plopped in the middle of the action on the floor where he can be bombarded and tossled to being placed in the safety of the exersaucer or along the sidelines. He thinks it's hilarious when he accidently gets knocked and seems to think it's part of the fun.
July 24, Owen had his 6 month shots and fared very well ~ just a mild fever for a day or so. He weighed 18 pounds, 8 ounces. Developmentally, he's on the move! He is now grasping for small objects (such as Cheerios) with his thumb and pointer (not yet successfully though) and passing objects between his hands (even from his feet to his hands at times!). He is excellent at reaching for items that he desires. In fact, he frequently demonstrates his lack of fear, lunging nearly out of my arms towards objects he wants! It's funny, I know that Collin went after what he wanted, but I don't remember him
lunging like Owen does. Literally, Owen will twist his body so that his top half is facing something practically behind him then he'll dive towards it. It's great fun to watch! And it's encouraging him to crawl! He tends to twist and turn to the point where he's now turning onto all fours. He hasn't started rocking back and forth on all fours, and he hasn't started moving his arms or knees yet, but he's darn close!! (I'll get a pic soon! I keep missing the moments!)
But crawl or not, Owen can get around! Putting his skills together ~ "scootching" on his belly, lunging at things, and rolling over ~ he can pretty much get to anything within a foot or two of this starting point. It's great!
Although he isn't sporting any teeth yet, Owen has started to drool and showing signs that teeth are in his future (to his benefit in the drool department, he's no where near Collin's record - at least 3 shirts a day due to dampness!) . He's also now eating lots of baby food and drinking up to an ounce and a half at a sitting out of a sippy cup!
Pic Above: Owen is a champ at sitting now! Here he is really getting into the sand ~ watching it fall between his fingers, running his hands through it, tossing it in the air and watching it fall all around. And of course, tasting it. Truly, everything goes into a child's mouth.
Collin continues to crack me up every day. Most recently I have found great amusement in watching him pick colors and shoes. If a box of crayons or markers is placed in front of him, he will (at least 99 percent of the time) reach for the pink one first. He loves pink! And if girls shoes are around, he will put them on without fail. We were in Cougar this past weekend (near Vancouver, WA) camping with family, and he put on Paige's little jelly shoes every chance he got!
One thing he's really starting to do more of is stack things. For example, I was watching him eat this morning, and I noticed him "playing" with his cantalope. At first thought, I wanted to tell him to stop and to eat it properly. But then I stepped back and realized that he was - very carefully - stacking each piece of his cantalope atop of another in a tower and then eating the top one, which always made the tower fall, so he had to keep starting over. It was too cute!
Also, he has become quite adept at memory games and problem solving. For example, we have a Pooh book that shows pictures of Pooh with blocks stacked three high labeled "A", "B", and "C." Then the next page is Piglet with blocks stacked three high labeled "1", "2", and "3." Then there's a square, circle, triangle on the next page, and lastly, a bumble bee, flower, and a honeypot. Anyway, there are blocks attached so that toddlers can stack their own blocks to match those in the book. And Collin can now mimic every page. This is a major mark considering that one month ago, he was completely at a loss for even the concept.
We're also working on our letters. He knows that M is for Mama, D is for Dada, O is for Baby O, and N is for Natalie (neighbor - Na-Na) . We're also working on C for Collin, but he has a hard time with Cs. For example, he pronounces his own name "Dollin" or "Don-Dun" (Marley calls him "Duh" - perhaps a common toddler pronunciation link?). I suppose we'll probably introduce E for his favorite character Elmo next. We borrowed an Elmo music cd from Natalie a few weeks ago, and he absolutely was crazy about it. Thankfully we gave it back to her (and he doesn't know that I burned a copy), so when he asks for the song, he follows up his own request with ... "Back Na-Na Elmo's Dong" (Song!!! : )
Pic Above: We can't find Collin's floppy hat, so he's started wearing mine as a consolation! Most of the time he can't see a thing because it's fallen over his eyes!
Owen smiling as we near the barns and he hears the loud animal sounds!
The boys grow still as a calf nears and sniffs for Collin's scone.
Talking with the sheep.
Petting the alpaca.
Are you having a fun birthday? "Yes, Mama, YES!"
Collin cautiously reaches up to pet the horse's nose.
Hello, Horse. My name is Collin.
They could handle the animals, but a clown ... here they are watching the clown create balloon animals. He made Collin a blue doggie.
Posing with Rainbow the Clown.
Mama, if I shriek in this building, it will echo!!
Did you hear that!?!
This is so much fun!
What are we doing next? I can't wait! (We're waiting in line for Collin to milk the cow.)
Milking the cow was so cool ~ milk actually came out and filled the bucket. Then you dumped the bucket into a measuring cup to see how much you'd milked. Collin really got into it and was splashing milk everywhere!!
Blowing raspberries in the hay.
Little Boy Blue come blow your horn! Here's Collin touting the kazoo he found in the hay pile.
