All You Need is Love

This weekend marked a monumental event in the life of a little boy with two moms: the first Father's Day. While J and I never sat down and discussed what we thought Father's Day might look like in our home, it became apparent that we don't need to worry. It's true that Owen doesn't have a dad in the traditional sense of the word, but he has an abundance of men  in his life who love him more than life itself. While most children celebrate one dad on Father's Day (or maybe a dad and a step-dad), Owen will be fortunate enough to live his life surrounded by three grandpas, a godfather, and four uncles!  He will have a choice when it comes time to make crafts for dad in school! In fact, he may need to stay late that day to have enough time to make something for all of his men! ;)  When it comes time for father/son events, Owen will have his pick of the litter! I'm sure, depending on the event, his choice might change.

Let's say there's a father/son gaming event- clearly Uncle Michael (AKA Uncle Mario) will be his man!

If his school one day decides that they are sponsoring a father/son photoshoot trip, Grandpa Bill will be Owen's guy!

 Uncle Brett will be there should ANY event arise involving cars, guitars/music, movies, Bon Jovi or blondes.

 Jonny G will gladly jump in for sailing events, bike rides, porsches, and anything involving alcohol (hey, you never know what might come up in college).

 Grandpa Ron is a stellar kite maker/flier, croquet player, and frisbee thrower. He would also readily stand-in for Captain Kirk or Dr. Spock for a school play.

Uncle Ronnie is Owen's go-to guy for anything zombie or vampire-related!!

Uncle Micho will be there to teach Owen how to be an all-star vigilante, should the need arise.

 And Papa will be Owen's fellow pink-shirt wearing, tool wielding, Osh-visiting, trouble-making pal!

So, yes, it's true; our son has two moms. But don't think, even for a minute, that this means he doesn't have an overabundance of love pouring in  from all of the "dads" in his life. I'm sure, as he grows, we'll run into unforeseen questions and new territory that we couldn't possibly have anticipated. We'll flounder at times, as all parents do. I'm confident, though, that we will have the resources, and the on-call men, to help us navigate everything from potty-training to puberty, and beyond. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and we are lucky enough to live in a village of mighty-fine people!!

Don't Blink

Last night, as J and I sat on the couch after Baby O had gone to bed, I realized that our little baby boy is quickly becoming "a real boy". I mean, the kid has teeth! He can scoot himself pretty much anywhere he wants to go, sit up on his own, and adamantly refuse food at will. It's unfathomable to me that, in the course of 6.5 months, my little 8 lb ball of mush who couldn't even hold his head up, can now sit on his own while playing with toys in his bubble bath. A montage of images flashed before my eyes set to any one of a list of country songs about babies growing up too fast. In a moment of panic that I wasn't fully appreciating every moment of Baby O's baby years, I decided to start a blog. As most people have a difficult time following my logic, (except for a special few, namely BF, KDB, and my dad) let me break it down for you.

Last year at this time, I was just a little bit pregnant (anyone who has been pregnant knows full well that there are degrees of pregnancy). Today, I have a son. Since I've been surprisingly lackadaisical in updating Baby O’s baby book, I need to start chronicling this adventure of our sprouting Bean. I need to be able to look back and remember the joys, challenges, and complete misadventures we faced as first-time parents.

Oh, and also, my sister-in-law (J’s sister) is moving to China in a matter of weeks. We feel it is our moral obligation to keep Aunt Beast posted (via a China-approved blogsite) on the happenings of Baby O while she’s living her dream of experiencing life abroad. Let it be publically known that we support her decision to move to Shenzhen, but have serious misgivings about her current lack of a return flight.

That being said, let the blog begin. Aunt Beast, this is for you (ok, and for me too).