The Birthday Party

We were so excited to be able to share Owen's birthday with Jacob again this year. They are 4 days apart and had a shared party two years ago! This year we went to Safari Run, a super fun indoor play area.


Dad hits the slides with the boys.


The party gang:


Some cake:

Nathan playing ball (of course).

Happy Birthday!

Nathan says good-night!

Nathan loves to say good night. This isn't the best video, but when we tell him it's time to go ni-nite, he starts to run around and give kisses and wave frantically! While we're lucky he doesn't fight bedtime, he still doesn't sleep through the night! Good thing he's cute!

A Birthday Wish!

He is FOUR! Owen Wayne is four years old. I cannot wrap my brain around it. That first year so insanely vivid and simultaneously a complete blur that it makes no sense. He's four.

These are pictures taken on January 26th:

2007:

2008: 2009:2010:2011:Amazing! A little about our four year old:

• He is still a kitty-cat!
• Loves to hike, explore, climb, and run.
• Loves books and to read.
• Doesn't eat much and currently survives on toast and butter.
• Sleeps fine....from about 8pm-5:30am.
• Still naps 1.5 - 3 hours a day.
• Is very loving and snugly.
• Is starting to tolerate his brother.
• Loves Diego and Scooby Doo.
• Is completely unpredictable.
• Easily frustrated.
• Clever.
• Sweet.
• We love him. We absolutely love him.

Owen had a great day.
We got him the Leap Frog Explorer.
But he was clearly more excited with the hippos!
LOVED the hippos.

Momma and the birthday boy. Look at that face!

Here's Owen making his birthday wish:

Did you hear that? How freakin' sweet is he?! It really does bring tears to my eyes.

"I wish mommy would be forever."

Vocab test!

Nathan has had a vocabulary explosion the past few weeks. I do love this stage, because he'll try to say anything, which cracks me up.

Here's a list of the words he can say and most people can understand:

1. ball (at least 100x/day)
2. kick
3. catch
4. more
5. please
6. blueberry
7. waffle
8. cup
9. bottle
10. bubble
11. dog (followed by a deep woooof)
12. cat
13. bat
14. bike
15. nite-nite
16. dada
17. mama (rarely used, but can say it)
18. Owen (O-ah)
19. Maddie (with a huge smile)
20. Jack
21. up
22. uh-oh
23. cheese (as in picture taking cheeeeeeese)
24. diaper
25. cookie
26. hot
27. hat (and he usually has one on his head these days)
28. book
29. all done
30. bath
31. bye

I think that's it. He can also sign quite a bit: more, eat, all done, hat, cookie, ball.

31 words at 15 months is pretty darn good!

Our Backyard Fun!

We have lots of fun in our little courtyard patio!

A Visit With Nana

We met Nana at a park in Burlingame. It was wet and cold, but everyone still had a good time!Can you see how dirty this kid is? But he has a ball, so he's happy.

Owen running! Weird!Nate had to go home to nap. But Nana, Matt and Owen went to the fire station.

Nathan Loves a Ball

So the other night, Nathan insisted that he have a ball in his bed.

INSISTED!

"Ball. Ball. Ball."

I was hesitant, as any good mother would be. We go through our bedtime routine and as I put him the crib and he says "Ball. Ball. Ball."

I hand him the ball. Cover him up. Kiss him good night. Leave. Expecting to hear bouncing and "uh-oh" once he throws the ball out of his crib. I wait. I hear nothing. I go in not five minutes later to find this:



The boy really, really loves his ball!

Silly Moments of Pride

Owen reads books before he falls asleep, sits in his bed and looks through his books for twenty or thirty minutes, then lays down and goes to sleep. I always think he's not going to take his nap. But he does. And I don't why, but this silly thing makes me so proud.

Another Zoo Trip

While we love the Oakland Zoo, it was so freakin' cold this day!

Big Boy

Can you believe how old he's looking?!

A Bestie's Baby

Toni and Joe King welcome baby Scarlett on New Year's Eve!