Owen, our first born ,entered our world five and a half years ago!!! He has pretty much been on the go ever since. Sometimes it hard to remember that he was once the baby I used to nurse and cradle in my arms. He had grown at an exceptionally fast rate. Maybe its because he is a first born and maybe it's because before he was 2 he was a big brother and before he was 4 he was a big brother again! And shortly after he turned 5 he was a big brother for the third time around !! A lot has happened in his short life!!!
Owen is goofy. He loves to talk in a pretend, only Owen language. He makes the craziest of faces and body movements. Owen is smart. He is so naturally good a math. I think he knows more about phonics than he gives off but he doesn't enjoy it as much as math :) He is curious. Wants to know about everything. And the whys are never ending some days. But he is starting to solve more of his whys, all on his own. He remembers everything. Honestly. Things that mean a lot to him, events, adventures, conversations, gifts.... He remembers all be details of it all. He definitely cherishes things that are of value to him, whether he knows he does this or not. Owen, as crazy goofy and silly and loud as he is, when we are around people he doesn't know, or want to be around, he is very much a combination of introverted and the fact that he just knows what he wants and what he wants is not to talk to you. We definitely don't want him to be rude to people. And sometimes right now, as he is learning, he can be rude. But I admire his will to be who he is and not cave into the pressure of "you have to talk to people and be socialble" mentality. He will, I am sure of it. One day he will just have the desire to start up conversations with a kid he doesn't know, to play more with them, to not growle at people when they say hi(yikes,I know!!!) right now, he is just not there. When i pray for him, I pray that when he finds his voice to speak to those not in his close circle of people he loves, that his voice will be to glorify God and share the gospel. That his extremeness right now will be transformed and he will have boldness to talk about God!
Owen loves fiercely. He doesn't want to share the people he loves. Which is a blessing and a struggle sometimes. Again, he doesn't easily open up to many people, but for those who are blessed enough to have that privilege, he loves us intensely. Sometimes thinking he is he only person that matters to us at the moment:) I love that about him. He is so sure that his brother, or daddy, me, grandma.....loves him so much, that we don't need anyone else! I am glad his heart is so sure in that. We do love him so much!
He loves to be held to sleep still. Even at 5 and a half he wants us to lay with him at bedtime. He is actually sleeping through the night, in his own bed, about 98% of the time! It's crazy bizarre. I honestly thought the day would never come, that at 3 in the morning, for the rest of his life, he would find his way into bed with us, and now I wake up thinking "where is Owen and why he is not crawling into bed with us!?" Bittersweet. Growing is so good for them, but so hard for us :)
Owen is physical. As stated above , he loves to be held to sleep. Well even in his play, he is physical. Just a simple hello to his brother who is running into the room might be a giant hug, leads to a tackle to the ground, leading to full fledged wrestling. There was a time he loved to give "cow kisses" meaning he would lick us all over our face!!! Yea.... He had to put an end to that, but he still desires to give them sometimes!!!
Owen wants a "zillion" babies and a "school bus" to transport us all around! I told him when he and his wife have children, feel free to have a zillion :) his response is he never will get married :)
Owen is a thinker and a big time feeler. But maybe he doesn't realize it. He always has had big, sometimes unexpected, breakdowns, over things that seem absurd to us, but to him, in that moment, are huge to him. Like the other day when he wanted Henry to crawl under the "tunnel", his legs, while getting into the car, but he didn't.... Well that led to an intense hour long tear and scream fest. Sadness and anger. He wanted to control the situation, and reenact it exactly as he wanted, and no alternative would be good. Back to the beginning, Owen knows what he wants and exactly how he wants it!! It will come in handy when he is older :) it's a good thing.
He still picks me flowers, wants to play with me, and me read to him. In so many ways, he is still so little. But when he offers his help to make dinner or do laundry or clean; when he asks to hold Posey, or to help soothe an upset Ellanore; when he solves math problems with just a look or when he runs with his long, lightening fast legs, I am reminded how big he really is. It's been a joy to raise him here past 5years. I honestly can't believe it's been 6 years since he was still growing in the womb. That he was once the little newborn boy that nursed for hours at a time, and I could easily cradle in my arms . Now his skinny, long body is more than half of me , his legs wrap around me with ease, and carrying him in my baby carrier is not even an option!! I love him. My heart is walking around with him. It hurts to see him grow so fast; it's a blessing to see him grown so fast. This boy will be a man one day. I think he is going to be a great one.
