Happy Birthday Owen!

Yesterday, 1/30/2012, my baby turned 2 years old!!! We actually had a birthday party for him on 1/28/2012, which he had a lot of fun at with some aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. We had a Mickey Mouse theme, as this is the one character Owen always seems to recognize and shouts out. Though he says "Mick-i" instead of Mick-e, LOL! It's cute! Owen had a great time at the party, loved the decorations, loved getting to play with all the other kids, and REALLY tore into the birthda gifts!  I guess Christmas really prepared him:)

I realized as I was writing in Owen's journal on 1/28 (Yes I am keeping a journal just for Owen, and have done so since before we physically met him), and I realized that on 1/28/2011, we had our court date and had been told YES, we would be a forever family. That night, we had gone back to the baby home and gotten to spend a little more time with our baby, playing and feeding him. we even got to put him in his 1 year b-day boy shirt. When i planned his b-day party this year, I didn't even realize the 2 dates coincided, but I told Andy while writing in the journal, it seemed fitting that we celebrated on that day this year too. It also shows us that we did get to celebrate his first b-day, and the gift we all got was our family. It brings tears to my eyes still. I had to leave him for 10 more days that night in 2011, and it was hard. This year, the 10 days following 1/28, are spent all together, and that is an amazing and awesome gift too:)

The sad thing is, Owen had gotten a cold the week before his party. He was doing better, so the party still happened. Then I ended up getting the cold and am still fighting it off. But, the doctor confirmed today that Owen now has a double ear infection, which I had suspected since he about slept 0 hours last night. So, his actual b-day day was spent at home, and not at Chuckie Cheese like we had planned due to me being ill, and then today, Owen and I still aren't feeling quite right. We are on the mend however, and I'm looking forward to celebrating our gotcha day!   Thanks to everyone that made Owen's b-day so special and for the prayers and thoughts as well as sharing our story to this point. We are a forever happy family:)!!!

 Nana made Owen a Mickey cake:)

Daddy, mommy and Owen getting ready to blow out the candles:)

Owen opening a card and gift:)

Owen opening up a Mickey toy:) I think he yelled "Mick-i."

New meaning to "my way or the highway."

Owenhad SEVERAL meltdowns today. Not sure what was wrong with him, oh wait, but I do. It's called "I want it." His melt downs consisted of "I want to leave the family room." "My phone..I want it." "I want to climb", "I want crackers." "I want juice in the family room (which is not allowed)." "I want mommy's piece of pizza." "I want the lotion."  And probably several that I missed.

Seriously. Owen thinks if he screams and cries enough he will break me. Tonight, I thought I was going to. Luckily, Andy came home a bit earlier than normal, and was able to deal a bit more with the meal time and bed time melts, but boy, I was not happy with trying to divert his attention, timeouts failing to make a dent on his attitude, and just trying to figure out what exactly was wrong most of the time.

It's nights like these that my patience really needs help on, and where I feel like a horrible mother. I felt bad too because I was VERY ready for Owen to go to sleep tonight. I still liked getting to hold him for a few mins, but I also like the break from the crankiness.  I'm sure he probably has days where he feels like that about me, but he just can't voice it yet. Knowing how smart and stubborn, and like me, that Owen is, I have no doubt that voice will come sooner than Iwant, LOL!!!  Everyone pray for my patience, as we really get into the major months of the terrible2s.