Owen speaks and dances

Today, at his 5-week mark, Owen started talking. For the first time he was looking up and making those sweet vocalizations that will one day become words. I’d forgotten how invigorating it is to round that corner from a baby who only vocalizes frustration (crying, fussing and maybe grunting as he works on a poop) to a baby who starts singing more harmonious coos with eyes that say, hey I’m intrigued, maybe even a little delighted by this world I’m beginning to know.

In fact, Owen’s vocalizations have captured us all along. Often when he is half asleep he lets out little Chewbacca-like grunts and groans that inspired Rob to nickname him Chewie. He also does a little fast asleep sucking or chewing on thin air that makes the name doubly appropriate. (The bad nicknames don’t end there though. Rob and Will also refer to Owen as O-Dawg and O-Brother from time to time.)

I know they’re not supposed to show up until about 6 weeks, but today Will and I were also pretty sure we caught a couple genuine smiles, no gas required. Of course the smiles that delight Will most are still the gassy red-faced ones, when Owen, working to create yet another messy diaper for us to change, gets a look of cross-eyed consternation and an accompanying grimace that actually passes for a sheepish smile. Will watches that worker’s smile and throws his head back and laughs and laughs. And then I smile too.

Here’s a photo from this evening, when Owen was dancing to the Okeelee Blues Band.