Same clothes, different day

Does Owen own any shirts other than this yellow Iowa T? This picture was taken four days and (more importantly) one laundry cycle after the previous post ...

It is quite possibly his favorite shirt, though. And he does love his Hawkeyes. Or perhaps it would be better said that Owen's dad loves his Hawkeyes and Owen loves his dad.

I'll take that too.

We've had a good week Owen began his new day care on Tuesday. Amy drove him to Kim's house early so she could linger with him and help him with the transition. But when she put him down, he was off like a shot to play with the other kids and the many new toys. It sounded a little like a don't-let-the-door-hit-you-on-your-way-out moment for her, but how exciting that he likes his new place so much.

The week has been all about exploration. One of the real changes in the past couple of months is how in touch he is with his wants and needs to do the things he wants to do. Whether it's wrestling on the bed, playing in the neighbor's toy truck, sliding in the back yard, or lavishing further praise on the air conditioning unit, he's definitely harder to redirect than ever before. And, God knows, a toddler requires complete attention.

This means you ...

Our favorite new word of the week include "hoist," but the real highlights of the week have come from words being strung together. Counting from six to twelve (?) seems to hold great fascination. He can now also read one of his ABC books cover to cover, a talent which becomes especially cute at "J: Jack-in-the-box."

... or "Jack-a-box."

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Last day of school

It was surprisingly sad picking Owen up from his last day at his day care today. I'm so used to making the drive up Main Street after work, it will feel odd taking a new route on Monday.

Owen was playing outside when I arrived. He'd spent much of the afternoon shouting "Go Hawkeyes" to anyone who would listen (he's such a proud little Iowa fan, but he comes by it naturally) and playing in the little house outside on the playground.

It was extra special that two of his favorite teachers were there to see him off. We got pictures with Libby (above) and Diana (below), who were favorites of ours as well. We're excited about starting at his new day care on Monday, but it is still sad to say good-bye to the people who watched over him as he learned to walk and talk, and were genuinely concerned about his health when we were going through the hardest days prior to his celiac diagnosis.

So thanks to all of you who were such good friends to little O. I hope the road construction that begins on Main Street this Monday makes it easier to take Linden instead ...

B-i-i-i-g Truck!

Owen had a fun weekend with lots of company. Grandpa and Nana Aalberts arrived on Friday afternoon. Owen skipped going to day care and they played outside, then we all took a walk to visit the fire trucks ("fuffs") when I got home .

More play time on Saturday. Grandpa and Nana made Owen a little kitchen set as a birthday present, which kept him occupied for hours, until Grandpa and Grammie Ives arrived in the big moving truck with Auntie Pam's things. Owen was in heaven. He ran back and forth in the bed of the truck and squealed with delight.

Auntie Pam has moved in for an 11-week internship at the nursing home where Amy works. She's all set up in the basement bedroom suite and Owen is enjoying all the extra attention.

He's been an absolute hoot lately. When I picked him up from school yesterday, his teacher said he was laying on his cot a nap time saying "Haircut, haircut, haircut, haircut ..." Finally someone walked over and said, "Owen, did you have a haircut?" "Ah," he said. Then he was quiet.

It's nice to know he's still thinking about it a week later.

On Sunday Amy, Owen and I went to the studio to take some family/two-year-old pictures. And, speaking of pictures, we also enjoyed seeing Mom and Dad's travel pix from China. It's still strangely hard to believe they were actually there, even after seeing the shots.

I blame this on Owen ...

A great pediatrician

We took Owen to his pediatrician this morning for his two-year checkup. Dr. Rosa was thrilled with how he looked and how he was responding to his new gluten free diet.

We're delighted with her. Celiac disease is elusive and many doctors don't think to test their patients for it until they have exhausted every other possibility. Meanwhile, the patient suffers additional malnourishment and a wide variety of symptoms from stunted growth, to irritability, to intense stomach aches.

Owen's diagnosis, however, came within a couple months of showing symptoms which has made all the difference. His distended belly is now looking normal; what had become an outey belly button is now safely tucked inside.

Some stats from today:
Weight - 33 lbs (up from 29 lbs a month ago and landing him in the 93rd %)
Height - 36" (85-90th %)
Head circumference - 50.5 (90%)

Two years old

Owen turns two today. Amy found a terrific gluten free cake recipe, which we made last night. My contribution was a trunk full of Thomas the Tank Engine balloons, which should be a hit. We've been talking to him a lot about his birthday, and he seems to understand that this is a special day just for him. Amy is going to pick up some regular brownies at the store to bring into his day care this afternoon so that we can share the celebration.

Like you would imagine, his birthday means more to Amy and me in terms of stepping back and thinking about everything that has happened in those two years. To think that we were in Tucson then. It was pre-Dartmouth, pre-Illinois. And it doesn't take into account all of the changes he's gone through, learning how to walk, talk, run, and play.