One Year Old

Owen is now one year old! Here is a photo of the family at Owen's first birthday party. The theme of the party was Lions (Löwen Owen, if you've been paying close attention to the blog), hence the cake. Owen still growles, but not so much when he's pooing. Now it's when someone (including him) burps or farts. He tries to copy the sound by growling. Owen was particularly happy in this photo - he went psycho with all the attention.

So what's new with Owen? Maybe the question should be what isn't new with Owen. As anyone with children can tell you, they change just so quickly at this age! There's no way to even remember all the major developments, let alone describe them. Here's just a few of them.

As we mentioned last post, Owen is cruising furniture. He's been crawling like a mud crab (only forwards, not sideways) for quite some time, but now he really likes to stand. The one year mark is about the average age for children to take unassisted steps, and Owen tried really hard to meet that deadline! He's been standing up with the assistance of furniture, and then letting go for a few seconds, before falling promptly down. At least he's worked out how to fall without donking his head on the hard floorboards (isn't pain a wonderful teacher?). On his first birthday he still couldn't do it, but it'll come soon. Here's a photo of him cruising the couch (photo coming - missing due to a computer crash).

Owen's gummy grin was very cute, but it's gone now, replaced rapidly with more and more teeth. First the two bottom ones came out (see photo). Then by his first birthday he had three more on the top! (Photo coming - another victim of the computer crash). With teeth has come a much greater ability to eat - even an apple! Not that he needed the encouragement. He's been an eating machine for most of his life, and is getting a little belly! In fact, food motivates him so much, that most of his first words were used to get more of the food he wants, and less of the type he doesn't like.

We mentioned before that he doesn't really play with other children. His main interaction with other kids is trying to steal their toys or maintain possession of his own. That presents a problem when his hands are full and someone else has toys in their hands. Solution? Drop the ones in your own hands to free them for an agressive takeover! Here's Owen stealing from James, a little younger.

Everyone comments on Owen's funky hair style. It's hard to capture it in a photo, but here's a good one. Owen's here with his Grandma and Great grandma, trying for the keys and mobile phone. We still haven't cut his hair, and now that it's a bit longer it doesn't stick up as much :(

Having a mum for a speechie means the pressure is on. What's his first word going to be? Contrary to what most people think, babies rarely have mum or dad as a "real" first word. They do babble "mamamamamam", but that doesn't count if they don't use it with understanding. As mentioned earlier, his first words were used during eating. The very first was "More". Very useful if mum or dad is too slow with the next spoonful! Some other early words were "No" and "car". He's getting much better at copying our words now. Even when he can't say the words, he copies our sign language. Here's an example of "uh oh!". His copying is not only for communication - here's Owen trying to turn on the TV, just like mum and dad.