21 months

My dear Owen, in two days you will be 21 months old. Your mom just gave you your first official haircut and although it's still pretty long, people are finally no longer calling you "such a cute little girl." :) You just recently learned to give me a hug but we call it a squeeze. You can say Mama, Dada, Nana, Papa, Meemee, Gigi, shovel, eye, ice, no, hot, gobble, and Elmo. Neuw = more. Da-dow = towel. Dath = bath. Die = Bye. Uh-dah = what's that. "Ba-dow" is your word for everything you don't know how to say. You can roar like a lion, bark like a dog, chirp like a bird, laugh like a monkey, and moo like a cow. Before every meal we reach for your hands and say "let's pray" and you say "no" and pull away, and then when we start praying you immediately change your mind and reach out your hands to hold ours. You don't need your booster seat anymore, instead you climb up on the chair and kneel (or stand) while you eat. And you're a good eater. Some of your favorites are pizza, spaghetti, bread with butter (you just eat the butter), bagels with cream cheese (you just eat the cream cheese), and anything you can "dip." When we ask you, you can point to your elbows, knees, cheeks, hair, eyes, nose, and just about every other body part. You and mommy love to draw with crayons on the big brown paper, and make pictures of monsters with glue, feathers, puff balls and googly eyes. You love to play with the neighbors Callie and Audrey, and with your good friend Ava Manni who affectionately calls you "Owie." You love hanging out with Erin in the afternoons while mama is at soccer practice. You bring me indescribable joy each day when I come home from work and you shout "dada" and run to meet me at the door. I still love giving you your bath before bed. Most nights, when I head to bed later than you and your mom, I go into your room, shine the light of my cell phone on you in your crib, put my hand on your back and ask God to protect you, bless you, and grow you into a man of great faith. I love you buddy. - Dad