1 year, 1 month, 1 week, 1 day old

Owen is 1 year, 1 month, 1 week and 1 day old today. I really think this has to be one of my favorite stages to go through with my children. They are constantly absorbing everything that they come in contact with and they catch you off guard when they choose to contribute to the world around them.

Overall, Owen is still pretty mellow kiddo. Here is how you will often find Owen:
So deep in thought. He just listens, observes, absorbs with such a sweet, closed-mouth smile across his face.

Occasionally, you can get one of these out of the lil' lad. You've really done something special to get a full-out smile out of the boy. It is pretty adorable, so I don't know why he keeps it to himself. But if you go in to pick him up from nap time, let him go crazy on the couch, or swing the camera strap side-to-side, you know...one of those times of things, then you will get this smile out of him.

He is also absolutely adorable when he hands you his toys. He is such a good boy and loves to share, pick up his toys, and feed others. How could you refuse that face?

His fine motor skills are pretty good. He loves stacking his buckets, blocks and train pieces. He will move things back and forth to practice putting them where they fit.

As of today, Owen has 1 month exactly until his surgery to correct the craniosynotosis. Our goal (well, my goal. It is evident that Owen doesn't share this same goal as I do.) for Owen was to have him walking before his surgery. He has one more month to perfect his movies. The lil' stinker doesn't seem to be in a hurry.

Sure he has taking some steps. He cruises like crazy. But he just doesn't seem to interested in walking. There is something about crawling that's got him going back for more. Perhaps it is an addiction. Is there Crawlers Anonymous classes we can sign him up for?

I've given him the pep talk for walking. He is fully aware of the fact that I want him to be a well-established walker after his surgery; that-a-way, I don't have to worry about him bumping his head on everything imaginable. Seems like that large noggin' of his always manages to find and make friends with the coffee table, chairs, walls, etc. He has butt heads with every piece of furniture in our house, it seems! So it makes sense to me that he should seriously invest some time in his walking skill; so when he is done with his head-boggling, skull-cracking surgery he will be done with the toppling over stage. I don't think it is happenin'.

Overall, I am totally ready for the surgery. Not worried. Well. Not crazy worried. I just want it done. I am not meaning to wish the next month of our life away. But I am so ready not to have this on my mind all the time. I guess it isn't on my mind 100% of the time. Potty Training the big sis still occupies a crazy ridiculous amount of my brain cells. By the time his surgery hits, the potty training should be totally perfected & all we will have to worry about is how to cram Owen in to a protective bubble so no over-helpful big sister hurts the lil' lad too much. It is good to know, though, that we are still in God's hands. So no matter where we are: presurgery, during surgery, post surgery--all we have to do is go to the Lord and ask for strength. That will do more good than any plastic bubble I could ever manage to find.