Owie

This is what we call Owen sometimes. Owie or OT. Usually when we call him a nickname he reminds us that he prefers being called Owen.

This child could not be more like his daddy and that alone makes my heart skip a beat. I love how much he looks up to Blake.

He has said so many things lately that remind me he is no longer a baby. He's no longer really even a toddler. I ask him at least once daily to stop growing to which he giggles and reminds me he's "almost 4, then 5, then 6"!

The other day I was trying to fix dinner and the boys wanted to play on Starfall.com. I love that website and Owen is great at using the computer, but I still hesitate letting him on the computer when I am not watching. So I offered the unthinkable... a movie. He was quick to remind me that "movies and TV aren't good for your brain!" but he added, "like starfall is!" Oh, it stinks when your kids remind you of what you tell them all the time! I laughed and told him he was right!

Owen is wonderful with kids and is the best big brother I have ever seen (yes, I know...I am biased). He takes such good care of Sadie and reminds Cooper of the rules of our family. He is such a tender guy and when there's a tiff between him and Cooper he often cries that his "heart is broken" and quickly forgets what the fight was about.

Right now Owen has a new favorite book called the kissing hand. Let me just say it's a must have! It's about a little raccoon that has a hard time leaving his mommy for school. This couldn't speak more to Owen as he LOVES being with our family and HATES having to be separated for any reason at all (church, school, etc.). The book gives the wonderful idea that you kiss each others palm when you say good-bye. When you feel lonely during the day you put your hand to your cheek and let that kiss rush down your arm to your cheek and then to your heart. It's just incredible to see how much this helps Owen and how much he loves his kissing hand.

My mother-in-law actually gave Sadie the book for her Gotcha Day last month. She wrote the sweetest note to Sadie in the front about how in adoption you have one palm that is kissed by your forever mommy and the other is kissed by your birth mommy. Oh, that brought me to tears thinking about how much our sweet children long to be near their birth parents and to feel their kisses and their love. It reminded me that as much as they miss Blake and I when they are at school, there are many moments that they miss their first family. So, this book became so much more for our family as it can help with the grief and loss that adoption can cause to an adoptee.

Since Owen is our oldest and they tend to be the guinea pig of parenthood, we are learning so much about adoption through him. It's amazing to see how much he does love talking about his adoption, but in the quiet and intimacy of our home. He is very sensitive about talking about it in front of others. I believe it's nothing more than him just wanting to be like everyone else. He also does not like to be the center of attention or the topic of conversation.

So, pray for us as we are learning how to handle and field questions about our family in public. We don't want to walk around "on guard" but we also don't want to just keep answering people with their silly questions just because they are asking. Please pray that as their mother, and the one who is mostly with them when these questions come up, that I will remember I don't owe any answers, but I owe my children privacy and protection about their incredible story. That is my job as their mommy!

Owen is hearing and learning so much about how to handle these things just by listening to how I field them day to day. Sorry for the rambling...but this guy is getting so big and is so smart that this is what comes to mind when I think of him....protecting his heart and his story.