At 17 months, he has more personality than most people we know at 17 years or more. This kid takes gregarious to a new level. He's a rampant flirt (watch out for that one in high school), flashing his big bright baby blues and toothy smile at all the girls. All it takes is a wink, smile, or wave in return to send him into a fit of smiles and giggles.
He's probably one of the most objectively cute toddlers I've ever met. Now, I say objectively because, subjectively, most babies are cute. I've observed very few babies/toddlers however that get quite the attention that Owen attracts. People stop and smile as their walking by on the street or in the Metro station. Strangers strike up conversations based on one syllable words. And I'm not talking "baby people" either.... I'm talking about men in business suits who ride the Metro all day every day. Kids hardly older than he is whisper to their mommies, "Mommy, he's so cute!" The sheer number and variety of people entranced is a bit overwhelming.
According to Owen's folks, he's an excellent sleeper. How many 17 month old kids do you know that sleep just about whenever you want them to, for as long as you let them? I'm guessing not many. Trish told us that he'll sleep in until 11 am if they let him. Did I mention that he's also a good eater? Andy and I tried hard to pick restaurants that would serve kid-friendly fare, but we needn't have worried. Whatever Mom and Dad eat, Owen eats. In the course of a weekend, we watched him eat chilli, deep dish pizza, hamburger, a Chipotle burrito bowl, scallops, shrimp, and other things I temporarily forget.
Of course, no one is perfect at any age, and particularly not at 17 months. Owen had his tired, fussy moments, but even the fussing seemed to end pretty quickly. Trish and Dean, from our relatively brief observations, are masters of what dog trainers call positive reinforcement training. Poor behavior gets ignored, or, in some cases, a firm/stern "No whining, Owen."
Piggies! (We were at the Kid's Farm at the National Zoo.)
Whatever Andy's selling... Owen's not buying...
Oh, wait! Maybe he is! 
I wanted a picture of Andy carrying Owen, something he did quite a bit over the course of the weekend. He looked completely natural doing it, and it was the first time I've ever seen him hold a baby and look comfortable doing so. I think that Owen, for his part, loved being carried by someone that tall. I guess this picture will have to do. Needless to say, we were sad to see our friends and their adorable baby leave at the end of the weekend. We have to remind ourselves that very few babies are as sweet and easy as Owen appears to be. Yes, I know you love your child regardless... yada, yada, yada. I still want one like Oh-Oh.
So Trish and Dean... we have one question we forgot to ask: What catalogue did you order this one from? We'd like to order a similar model someday. :oP
1 comment:
Owen has gorgeous eyes-- really do stand out. And I am sure seeing him giggled and grin make them sparkle even more!
RE: strangers -
This is one the most surprising things about having kids I think - about 90% of people turn silly and cute around them.
It is amazing being on trains (or really in public) with Jack - one time I was on the T with a 18-22 year old guy that basically looked like he walked out of a rap video (big chains, do-rag, baggy jeans etc). Jack waved at him, he waved back with a big grin, Jack waved again, he waved back again, this went on for like 20 cycles before the guy got off the train! I was shocked...
Oh, and business men are often dads themselves so despite the clothes, are often baby-people:)
Going to the grocery takes about an extra 10 minutes, not because the baby is fussy or anything, but because you have to talk to like 5 people and answer "how old is he?" etc. Even here, in New England!
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