What does a cow say?

"ooooooooooo" or even sometimes, "booooooo".

Yes, we've made our way to new animal sounds. A duck says "kak, kak." A lion says "wawrrrrr" in a very gruff voice. And a cat says (on occasion), "mow" in a high pitched voice. For several days, the lion's "wawrrrr" was accompanied by a belly pat and a quick glance down at his shirt too! Hmmm, I wonder why?

Owen is adding new words, signs and sounds every day and is becoming an expert mimic. It's actually frightening to know how much and how quickly they soak up everything around them at this age. You can just see the wheels turning behind those big, blue eyes and are reminded of the need for regular use of substitute expletives.

We can now identify about 9 or 10 words that Owen uses. "Wow" is by far his new favorite and is used all day long. That one usually gets a good chuckle from bystanders...for instance he was in the cart at Lowes, looking at lighting fixtures with Mommy and he yells "Wow!", very clearly and several times over--much to the delight of other shoppers. "Baby" is a close second for favorite word and he likes to point out all the babies he sees, including his own reflection.

He knows somewhere around 20 signs (I stopped counting at 17) and continues to amaze with his ability to communicate. We live close to Dobbins Air Reserve Base, so "airplane" is regularly used throughout the day...he hears the planes before we do and lets us know they're coming!

His favorite game is peek-a-boo which he usually initiates by putting his head down, and popping up with a big grin and a quiet "pah!" or "pee!" Favorite fruits are kiwi and "gups" (grapes). And we are having some real misadventures in self-feeding with utensils!

He still loves to swing and loves anytime he can run freely outside. His playroom has been a HUGE help as it is his place to roam and there is no such thing as "don't touch." Going to the playroom first thing in the morning has become a ritual (and Mommy or Daddy can lay on the floor still half-comatose). I'm not sure who to pity more when it comes time to give up the room for Baby Stone #2, Owen or us! (No, that was not a hint or foreshadowing of any kind...calm down)

More updates to come soon (I promise). Thanks to the couple of you who wrote to tell me I'm falling down on the job. Gotta cut back on the daytime TV and bon-bons on the couch.