A party for Owen

First birthdays are so bittersweet. I was so excited for Owen to turn one...he made it through his firstyear healthy & happy, & has had so many milestone moments. Isn't it funny how excited you get as a parent for such small accomplishments for your child...I still remember the first time he smiled, the first time he picked up his ball on his own, the first time he finally was able to put those tiny fingers together to grasp a crumb of food, and his first moments of crawling across the floor & that big smile as he reached the other side. Those times are worth so much to me and I hope I never forget them. But for me, the end of the first year also means that my sweet little baby is now a toddler, with each day bringing him closer & closer to independence from mommy & daddy. He is growing up so fast and I'm trying my best to hold on to every moment before it passes me by. So here's to Owen, whose little toothy grin and big blue eyes, long eyelashes and tiny little fingers & toes just make my day, my week, my whole life. Don't grow up too fast please, hold on to my finger & toddle around just a little while longer, don't quit giving me those slobbery open mouth kisses quite yet & just let me rock you to sleep in my arms & sing you a few more lullabies...please stay mommy's little boy as long as you can.

bowling with bottles                          (1) Discovery bottles for little kiddos (2) Owen's first finger painting (3) Lollipops for big kidsSpecial Thanks to photography student Kate Charde for taking these pics