Memorial Monday

I love fresh corn on the cob; I hate shucking it. So today I thought I'd get some help. And of course it's always good to get to eat what you worked for!

Hope you all enjoyed your holiday weekend - we sure did!

Owen at the Carnival

A Weekend Away

Last Friday morning Bob and I packed up the car and joined our good friends Audrey and Walt at Lake Anna National Park in Virginia to enjoy a camping - "cabining" is the more appropriate term - weekend. Saturday was a beautiful day spent fishing from the docks, and evening brought an intense rematch of the card game Pitch from the night before.

It was relaxing and fun, and I did fine being away overnight for only the third time since we brought Owen home. I knew he was safe and happy with his Nana (despite not feeling great she came to our house to stay with the little guy - thanks Mom!), and although I missed him, I did enjoy myself.

But come Sunday morning, I was eager to get on the road. Two hours into our drive found me on the edge of my seat with anticipation of seeing Owen. As we got closer to home, I had a lump in my throat thinking of walking in the door and swooping him up in a big hug. Ah, happiness!

I've always felt that Owen was meant to be our son; and so I don't linger on the periods of pain on the path we took to reach him, or regret anything that happened along the way. I celebrate all the special moments we've had with him: the first time Bob and I saw him; the evening we brought him back to our Kokshetau apartment, "officially" our son; the day we finally brought him home to Maryland. There are so many moments of joy, and I know without a doubt there is no child I could love more.

Yet there is one thing about Owen's life and adoption that breaks my heart - that we were not there when he was born. That no parents held him close and told him he was loved; nor counted his ten perfect fingers and ten perfect toes in hushed amazement. No Mama gazed into his eyes or wiped his tears; no Daddy held him tenderly and whispered "my son". No family celebrated his arrival on that, his first day in this world. I like to believe (and do) that Dr. Natalia and the nurses at the Maternity Hospital treated him with care, tenderness and professionalism, but oh, how I wish he was surrounded by love on the day of his birth.

So perhaps I treasure each day with Owen a little more. For as long as he'll let me, I will smother him with kisses and wrap him in hugs, and tell him over and over how I love him. I gladly forgo the perks of a career, the protection of an extra paycheck, the freedom of my own schedule to spend each day letting Owen know how very glad we are that he came into our world. And I hope it is enough to make up for not being there at his first breath. I think it is.

Mother's Day Weekend Pics

From the top ...

Owen hanging out with his buddy Wiley
Daddy and Owen taking a stroll around Nana and Pop-Pop's yard
Owen's "Asian man walk" - hmmm, learned from Jack Cole?!
Nana, Owen and Mama on Mother's Day*
Uncle Rich, Owen and Aunt Cathy on Mother's Day*

* yes, Freud would probably say Owen has an oral fixation

Owen Update

In honor of Mother's Day Weekend (shouldn't it really be more than just one day??) I thought I'd do another Owen update ...

Owen's love affair with anything on wheels continues. He is always "driving" his cars/trucks/trains on the window ledges, across the couch cushions, and on the TV trays, usually accompanied by a "vroom, vroom" sound.

He loves the cats, likes to pet them and sit with them and kiss them, and he knows them by name. If I ask, "where's Ava?" he points to her, and so forth for all four cats (that's way better than most adults can do!)

Sometimes on our walks around the neighborhood he'll reach up for my hand and hold it for a few feet (or until he's distracted by a leaf, flower, bug or tree). So sweet.

At the playground he enjoys the slides, ramps and bouncy ride-ons, but he really likes to fit little pieces of wood chips through the drainage holes in the jungle gyms platforms. Our little engineer.

He continues to eat fruit like crazy, and he'll eat green beans (with a little ranch dipping sauce) and cherry tomatoes too. He likes crackers but not pretzels, M&M's but not marshmallows. And he likes to share my Strawberry Frosted Mini-Wheats.

Owen enjoys sitting at the kitchen table now; you can just see in his face that he thinks it's a big boy thing to do! Guess it's almost time to retire the high chair and get a booster chair.

Still no chatter box, but he's added a few interesting words to his repertoire lately, including Mama (finally!), purple, tractor, and seahorse.

When we get ready to go somewhere he'll go to the little chest where we keep his shoes, pick out a pair and bring them to me. Some days he chooses his sneakers and some days his Robeez, but he always gets two of the same.

The majority of time he eats (fingers, fork or spoon) with his left hand, but he will throw a ball, handle toys, and draw with either hand. So we still don't know if he's a leftie or a rightie. Or maybe he'll be ambidextrous like his Uncle Rich!

He's still as sweet as ever!

I'm looking forward to celebrating Mother's Day with my mom, and I'll be thinking of (and thankful for) all the great moms I know, including my mother-in-law, sister, sister-in-law, cousins, aunts and amazing friends. I love you all!

Packing Peanuts

Remember that package Nanny sent the other day (which also included a gorgeous artisan glass candlestick and heart for me) ... Owen and I had fun with every part of it!