ELEVEN Month OWEN!

It's true! He's now eleven months old, our sweet baby boy. We are grappling with the fact that he will soon turn one. This little dear is so, so precious to us.

 He knows how to tap right into the mushy, warm and fuzzy places in our heart. Just look at that smile!

 Big brother isn't normally too far away. A few times (okay, really far more than a few) I have sat back in awe of these handsome boys. How could they possibly be ours?

 Owen's cruising on everything! He's stood for a split second on his own before grabbing ahold of the closest thing. He's started cruising from furniture items to other furniture items that aren't quite in reach.

 He still scrunches his nose, which just makes me melt.

 The scrunching of the nose reminds me that I want to remember all of the little details, like the way his hands look.

 And the way he bites his gums when he's trying something new or hard.

 And his many different expressions!

 Owen adores Leif and pets him ever so gently. He treats him so well, stroking his head, nose, and ears. The love is certainly mutual.

 Over the last month or so, he's gotten quite a lot of teeth. EVERYTHING goes into his mouth. Sticks are teethers when we're outside, spatulas and toys and teething necklaces are his go-tos inside.

 Owen has a single crown in the perfect spot. I love the way his hair fans out around it. His hair is getting just love enough that I am starting to think about cutting it. I think we'll wait until after that first birthday.

 His hair seems to be decidedly blonde, but with a touch of strawberry.

 Just another picture of a spot I want to remember. Don't mind me ;)

 Here he shows off his teeth! He has three on the top, with one more coming in. And two on the bottom, with a few more budding under the gums on either side. As the picture shows, drool often clings to the bottom of his lip and chin, these days.

 Sometimes his deep blue eyes bore into me and I know that he has me all figured out. A wise soul, this one.

 There's just so much to love about this eleven month old.

 And he just loves his family members, always keeping tabs on where everyone can be found. Here he is looking toward Ian in the swing in our backyard.

 So far he remains confident in his shuffle crawl, with one leg tucked in front and the other in the crawling position, his arms doing most of the forward movement.

Most of the time you'll find him sitting and observing the people around him. If music comes on, he immediately starts bobbing to the beat. It's absolutely adorable!!

In unfamiliar places he will cling to whoever is nearby from our family. Yesterday, at library story time, he kept a fistful of the back of Ian's shirt in his hand the entire time. Gosh, it was sweet. And Ian would occasionally turn and give him a hug or a smile or a head bonk.

 He's been on a plane for a second trip up to Portsmouth, NH. On the way back, one of the passengers asked him to high five and we taught him how. He LOVES this new skill and will laugh and give you twenty, even one hundred, if you will oblige.

Owen David, you are truly a delight and joy!

Happy 11 Months!

You love: cuddling with Papa, singing, dancing, petting Leif, playing with Ian, being held or worn in the carrier, cruising the furniture, the panda bear Schliech animal (always in your fist!), the teething necklace from Aunt Phoebe, crawling, dancing and bobbing, and just plain being awesome.