You Know You're the Parent of a Toddler When...

You leave the house wearing clothing covered with food, and you don't really care. I don't mean you have an old stain on your clothes - I mean there is a glomp of food attached to your leg that you don't even bother to wipe off.

Monday afternoon I left the house for my last final exam of law school (hooray!) wearing a pair of jeans that actually had two giant curry spots on them. The accident happened 2 hours prior to leaving the house, but I didn't bother to change. And THEN, when I got to the final, where I walked among people who do not leave the house wearing food on their clothes, I received TWO separate comments about my curry stains.

COMMENT 1: "Looks like you spilled something on your jeans! Do you want to use my stain remover marker?"

COMMENT 2: "Did a highlighter explode on you?"

Alas, I didn't have it in me to explain that, well, I just didn't care. And I knew that in a couple of hours, I would have cottage cheese, or blueberries, or sweet potato, all over me anyway.

Owen and James Brown

The (Little) Music Man

I am a big fan of singing in the car - really loud, breeze through your hair kind of singing. And in the past few weeks, Owen has become a fan as well.

I was driving home, the windows down, the music up, when Owen started "singing" along with loud "aaaahhhhhs" while kicking his legs back and forth. Then he started clapping. It was great!

But Owen's love of music has also ended one of our favorite nighttime rituals of singing lullabies. I would be singing and rocking him back and forth in the rocking chair. The lights were out. Owen was nursing. And then he would start clapping. Or better yet, he would sit up, milk spewing onto my lap and his pajamas, and clap.

That ended the lullabies. But just for now. Or maybe I need to pick songs that will really put him to sleep instead of making him into a party animal right before he drops off to sleep.

Happy Birthday, Owen!

One Giant Cupcake

It's Owen's first birthday! Hooray!

Due to some fortuitous class cancellations, I do not have my evening seminar tonight, so Owen, Dave and I are going out to dinner with Myah and mom Dina at a restaurant that brings cake and singing waitstaff. We have to get it in before he becomes too cool for such things.

This first birthday is as much a celebration of Owen as it is a celebration of parenthood. Last night in class I received a text message from Dave that said, "Happy Waterbreaking Anniversary!" It was so funny to receive at that moment, because that's exactly what I had been thinking myself!

Then after we ate a late dinner, I looked at the clock again and thought, We were just checking into the hospital, and the staff asked, 'Where have you been? We've been expecting you!' but how could I tell them that I had been cuddling with my cat and eating macaroni-and-cheese?

And then we crawled into bed and I looked at the clock and remembered, "A year ago today, my mom was driving through a snowstorm in Oregon to get on a red-eye so that she could be here for Owen's birth."

Thanks to everyone who's sent good wishes to us. Our little "April Fool" has been an awesome addition to our family.

Food Milestones

Owen Wears His Dinner on His Head

Owen had his first restaurant meal last weekend - we ordered him a grilled cheese sandwich with an applesauce side off the menu at our favorite sports bar. The sandwich was cut into two triangular wedges, and Owen held one in each hand and kicked his legs out everytime he wanted some applesauce. He was happy. No, it was more like giddy.

Then two nights later we found ourselves out for sushi with friends, and ordered Owen (and Myah) an avocado roll. Owen ate not just the rice and avocado, but the seaweed also.

Yesterday morning Owen and I had the exact same thing for breakfast - waffles with blueberries and bananas. He loves eating big people food. Enough with the baby food - you have to sneak a spoonful into his mouth for him to eat it.

Purim Fun

I've added two photographs taken Monday night at our synagogue. We were celebrating the holiday Purim: Owen is a gorilla, and Dave and I are adults dressed up funny.

The Purim carnival was held during Owen's nap time, so he wound up sleeping through most of the event and dinner. As I was awkwardly holding him and eating dinner with my left hand, a woman came up to me and said, "Oh, I thought you'd brought your dog." She thought Owen was a dog cradled in my arms, rather than a child. I guess that's what happens when you dress a baby as a gorilla and let him take a nap.

First Word Update: Kitty!!!

And the winner is... KITTY. On Thursday, I pointed at Arlo, said, "Arlo," and Owen pointed at Arlo and said, "Kitty." Ooh, I was excited to tell Dave. And then Dave heard it later. And Owen's said it a handful more times, too. Yay Owen! You're talking!

I heard Owen say "ball" yesterday. Not sure yet if it was coincidence or not, so I'm reserving judgment on that one.

THEN today, I was talking to Dave on the phone, and Owen heard Dave's voice and said, "Dada."

THEN today, Dave and I both conferred and decided that Owen has been calling me "Mom-mom."

I had this feeling that once Owen started talking, he'd be rolling. And I was right. What a funny little guy.

Owen and I went to the zoo today, and surprise, surprise - his favorite animals were the lion pride.