Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Owen

Owen can call his grandfather by a name now. We have always referred to Mr. Moon as Pop-Pop and Owen calls him Bop.
Are you kidding? He calls his grandfather by a name but I still remain nameless? What? The child can't say Grandmother?
Dang.
He can also say "more" which I have spoken of before. He says more all the time. It is his most frequently used word. More grapes, more cracker, more turkey, more books, more balls, more playing with the light switch, more holding him. More, more, more.
It's a huge world of mores, people.
He can climb up his changing table and lie in position to have his diaper changed.
He can say, "fall." This does not surprise me. He falls off of things all the time because he never quits climbing. Chairs, tables, changing tables. Whatever you got, he'll climb it.
He can say "Elmo." It's more like "Melmo," but it's clear enough.
He can say "mermaid." He kisses every mermaid he can get his lips on whether in books or hanging on walls.
He raises his hand like that kid on the first row when the teacher asks a question if he sees a pretty girl. I am not kidding. He really does. Raises his hand and looks at her as if to say, "Hey! I'm cute! Check me out!"
He can point to all the things on the pages in his books. Where is the dog, the cat, the ball, the grapes, the strawberries, the bananas, the balloon, the socks, etc.
He can put the broom away by himself. Where it goes. After he sweeps.
If you ask him to go get his doll, he does.
He is learning to sleep by himself.
He still loves to nurse.
He can wipe his own hands and face.
He can squish tomatoes and send seeds flying everywhere and then laugh. He calls tomatoes "moes."
He can say dog and cat and meow and cow and moo and of course he can imitate the rooster. He can say apple. And beer, of course. Every bottle is "beer" to Owen. I find this only slightly disturbing.
He laughs when I burp and make funny faces or sounds or "find" him when we play peek-a-boo.
He can throw his head back and his tummy out and laugh like a man.
He can kiss his doll like a daddy.
He can operate the toilet paper roller quite well.
He can wrap his arms around me, he has wrapped my heart up in those arms.
He is not yet fifteen months old and he has a pretty good working knowledge of a great many things and a vast understanding of the English language.
He can charm me with a smile. He can make me laugh with a look. He can make me do anything he wants.
He is all the babies I have ever loved.
He is no one but himself.
He is Owen and I love him.

And he better give me a name soon because I am jealous as hellfire of his naming his grandfather. "Bop," indeed.
And when he says that, Bop, when I point to a picture of Mr. Moon and ask, "Who is that, Owen?" my heart melts and I am in love with the world.

21 comments:

  1. Oh, I loved that list. It made me remember my own little ones back then. Don't worry, he'll have your name soon enough! What will he call you - Mama Moon?

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  2. Oh, I love the idea of him calling you Mama Moon! though of course grandmother is so much more dignified, right? :)

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  3. I see Nobel Prize winner all over this list.

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  4. My grandson who is a little less than double Owen's age has taken to telling us how much he loves this and that.

    Yesterday he chose a toy frog at the zoo for his Mama because 'Mama just loves frogs'.

    Language development is one of the great joys for parents and grandparents alike. When little ones start to put words to things and people, whole worlds open up.

    Soon you'll get your name. I'm Grandma, who are you?

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  5. Isabella was about that age when she started calling my dad 'papa'. My mom got nothing until she was close to 2 and she called her 'gamma'.

    Joey was much the same. I think they say the names of the ones they love the most almost last...has something to do with they know and trust the ones they love the most and don't have a need to name them.


    AND!! I'm so glad you stopped by my blog and left a comment. Made me brighten with a smile!

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  6. :) I love it when you talk about Owen. You two are so tight and it's just a precious picture of grandma and grandbaby interacting like y'all do. Love it. You've got something special there, Ms. Moon, but you know that.

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  7. I think Mermaid is a good name for you. Or Mer-Maw.

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  8. Mel- I don't know what he'll call me! I'm waiting for him to figure it out.

    Kori- True!

    Jucie- I'm thinkin'...

    Elisabeth- I am so fascinated, watching this boy develop. And as a grandmother, I have the patience to sit and watch, to help, to not worry about what I need to do next. When I am with him, I am doing exactly what I want. Being. With him.

    Rebecca- Well, he'll name me and call me when he wants. I can't wait.

    nicol- Really? I feel like I'm being so self-indulgent when I talk about that little man. But it's my blog and I HAVE to do it.
    Thanks.

    Quietgirl- The very essence. To me.

    Omgrrrl- When my brother was very young, he called me "Mer-mer." I would not mind being called that at all.

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  9. The pretty girls and beer bottles are definite signs of genius.

    xoxoxo

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  10. Michelle- You really would not believe the whole arm-raising thing. It's...absurd. Right back to the wooly mammoth and man behavior. I'm surprised he doesn't tackle them around the knees to bring them down to his level, those pretty girls.

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  11. Oh thank you for this sweet and lovely "progress report." Owen is magical, as all babies are.

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  12. Owen is a smart fellow. Keep it up Owen.

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  13. If he can say Mermaid, he can say Mer Mer. Teach him.

    How do you think I got the name Nee Nee?

    I taught Cupcake what a Panini was!

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  14. I love the arm-raising thing! As for the naming his grandma thing, don't worry. Babies name the things closest to them last. No need to name them because they never go away. That's why most babies say daddy before mama. Why say mama if she's always attached to you? You should be proud that he hasn't named you yet - it means he finds you solid as a rock and trusts you to stay and be there for him. All the same, I hope for you he learns soon because I'm sure you'd melt even more.

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  15. Lora- My belief too.

    Syd- He's got some future. And a very fun present.

    Omgrrrl- I'm screwed now though because I've always called myself "grandmother." I can't change my name now!

    Mwa- Do you think that's true? They do always say "daddy" first.

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  16. Bop is such a great name for a grandpa.

    My nieces call their grandmother Gaga and their grandfather Grumpy. The girls are all grown now and they still call them that. I love the lack of convention.

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  17. He'll do it when you least expect it, at least that's what my grandchildren did. My grandson started out calling me Gah-eee when he was not quite 2 and then out of the blue one day he switched to "Granny" which is what he calls me now (he's 6). My granddaughter (who is 2) is calling me Nah-nee right now, but I think she will probably switch over to Granny too because she wants to do whatever her big brother does. It is such a thrill when you realize they are calling you by name though, I can certainly see why you are jealous of Mr. Moon!

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  18. Bop is a great choice. It just fits.

    Love you so!

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  19. I love this Owen List Poem =o) You are such a Grand Mother, Ms Moon. As others have said, maybe he just needs a shorter name for you. Grandmother is such a mouthful for a beginner. How about Moonie? Not to be confused with the cult, of course... or Ma Moon.
    Wrapping you both in these arms. x0 N2

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  20. I am very absolutely completely convinced that is true. I read it somewhere about the word "mama" and I've observed it over and over. Take it as a compliment and melt all the harder when he says it!

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.