Toddler Time

Owen is officially a toddler.  It's hard to believe that I don't have a baby anymore and feels just as bittersweet as every other stage.  He walks where he wants to go, drinks cow's milk from a cup and has learned to communicate.  There have been a series of moments in the past month that proved Owen is gaining independence and have all caught me totally off guard.  The first time was at the aquarium.  Owen was walking all around, choosing what he wanted to look at and where he wanted to go.  It made him super mad when we tried to pick him up and carry him away from what he was looking at.  He had very little interest in the aquatic life but was all about the small stair case he discovered and the other kids running around.  The next moment was multiple weeks later when Owen mastered going down the slide all by himself.  Ty and I looked at each other with moist eyes after it happened the first time, both in awe of how quickly he is becoming a little boy.  Finally, I was out in Ballard after a doctors appointment and realized we were just in time for baby story time at the library.  Turns out, Owen isn't a baby anymore.  He was the oldest kid there.  I was embarrassed, realizing that we were crashing the baby story time, all the little ones were laying on blankets while Owen trampled over them.  Note to self, figure out the day and time for toddler story hour.

I hoped and prayed that when it was time to stop breastfeeding it would be a natural, easy transition. Thankfully, that's exactly what happened.  I was reluctant to stop nursing early in the morning because Owen would wake up between 5 and 6 am, eat, and go back to sleep until 7:30 or 8.  It was easy and we all got to sleep in.  I had weaned down quite a bit and was only feeding him twice a day, morning and night.  One day he slept until 8 and it was clear that he didn't need to eat in the morning anymore.  Despite the fact we both still enjoyed that quiet moment, I knew we were ready to give it up.  I stopped feeding him in the morning and continued to feed him at night for another week or so.  When I totally cut him off, he was pissed.  We had a few rough days and now he's totally over it.  I feared that nursing for too long would make it harder for him to give up emotionally and I feel like we were right on the cusp.  He certainly wasn't happy about it but he moved on rather quickly.  As much as I loved breastfeeding, I haven't look back.  14 months was long enough.  Nursing Owen was a wonderful thing and I am so thankful that we were able to have that experience.  While I miss the quiet moments we spent together nursing, I am enjoying the toddler experiences that have replaced them.

The worst part of the weaning process was the hormonal shifts and how horrible they made me feel.  I was exhausted, craved sweets and had headaches.  I even took a pregnancy test because I couldn't think of any other reason I would feel so awful.  Turns out, it was the weaning.  Nobody gave me a heads up on that one so I was totally blindsided.  Hopefully I don't gain weight now that I don't have an extra 500 calories pouring out of me in milk everyday!  I guess it's time to start paying a little closer attention to my diet and scale back the second helpings of dinner.

My little toddler is talking more and has added "ball," "dog," "go," and "yay" to his vocabulary.  He likes trucks, playing in the back yard and going down the slide.  He is turing into a good little eater and no longer drinks from a bottle.  Fruit is his favorite food, he's obsessed with raspberries, blueberries, pineapple, watermelon and oranges.  Goldfish and cliff kid bars also top his food chart.  He is going to bed later (7-7:30) so we are attempting to get into the habit of having dinner as family.  Owen loves Jake and plays with him all the time.  He's got 4 new teeth poking through and has developed a little stranger danger.  He still loves people but takes a few minutes to warm up and clings to our legs until he's comfortable with his surroundings.  The mini tantrums have started.  He loves to put things away and is very methodical.  Doors that are opened need to be shut and blocks need to go back in their bag.  I'm pretty sure that is a developmental thing but Ty is convinced that he's going to be a neat freak like me.  Now that Owen's walking I'm much more motived to get him out of the house and we are discovering all the toddler hot spots in town.

At the 15 month check up Owen was 24 pounds (66th percentile), 32 inches (77th percentile), and his head circumference was 19 inches (60th percentile, down from 90th).  His body is officially catching up with his head.

Maui Family Vacay

We just spent seven lovely days in Maui on our first "real" vacation with Owen.  We've done multiple long weekend trips but this was our first vacation that was just the three of us and required traveling via plane.  As we prepared for our trip I was told over and over again how traveling with a baby isn't really a vacation.  You're still a parent and therefore don't really get a break, they said.  I was anxious to see how it would turn out because I can't image going on a trip without my little love nor can I imagine not wanting to get away for the next ten years.  I wasn't too sure about the six hour flight with a little guy who isn't crazy about sitting still or napping outside his crib, how the time change would effect Owen's schedule and whether or not there would be a whole lot of relaxing.

Our trip with Owen was much different than the ones we took before he was born but it was equally wonderful and definitely still a vacation in my book.  It was incredible to have seven uninterrupted days of family time, to watch Owen explore and to be in the sunshine.  Owen had a blast and loved playing in the sand, wading in the ocean as the waves came in and swimming in the pool.  My days didn't consist of napping and reading in the sun like they did before, but walking along the beach with Owen and obsessing over how adorable he is.  There is seriously nothing cuter than him him wearing his little swim trunks with his face covered in sand, smiling from ear to ear as he runs toward me.  One of the most incredible things about being a parent is experiencing the world through your child's  eyes.  We were enamored with watching Owen enjoy his first tropical vacation.  He toddled around in his miniature flip flops and took it all in.  He was super awesome on the plane, slept well and adapted to the changes in his schedule without a problem.  Every time we try something new and big we are surprised by how much easier it is than we expect.

Ty and I realized that he hasn't been off work and with Owen for a full week since paternity leave.  The two of them had a blast together.  They swam, built sand castles, dug holes, waded in the ocean and walked up and down the beach.  Maybe that's why I felt like it was a relaxing vacation, Ty provided the majority of Owen's entertainment and we tag teamed the parenting responsibilities.  I love watching the two of them together.  As I sat on the sunny beach and watched them play I was completely content.  I am crazy about both of them and being away from the daily grind was such a great reminder of why.  Ty also got up with Owen who was awake at five am every morning thanks to the time change.  Ty is the morning person of our duo and for that I struck gold when I married him.  I really wish I could jump out of bed early in the morning with a smile on my face but it has never happened and I have finally come to terms with the fact that it never will.  Ty, on the other hand, is always up with the birds and ready to roll.  So he takes the morning shifts and I love him so much for it.  I think it's one of the many reasons we make a great team.

In our previous life Ty and I loved cooking while on vacation.  We would stay in condos for the kitchen and make trips to the grocery store everyday.  Not this trip.  By the time we made it to Safeway we had already been there for over 24 hours and were so starving that we came home with a cart full of junk, hoping we remembered everything and wouldn't have to go back.  Our dinners consisted of pizzas, hotdogs and tacos.  In the evenings we just wanted to relax and sink into the couch.  We learned that maybe a condo isn't the best place to stay with kids.  It worked out well this year but in the future I think a hotel with a kitchette is going to be the best way to go.  The amenities that come with big hotels-- the pools with water slides and kids club actives would be awesome for Owen.  He flies free until he's two so hopefully we can get away for another vacation before the end of November!  Aloha!