Lion Towel

Baby Talk

It's so fun to watch Justin's knowledge of the world around him, and thus his vocabulary, grow. Here are his current words in their order of appearance.

1. Da Da/ Daddy
2. Hi (Justin loves waking Daddy up in the morning by swatting him and saying "HI, da-da, HI!!")
3. Uh-Oh (This started out as an "I accidentally dropped something" and has turned into an intentional throwing of things on the ground just for the opportunity to yell "uh-oh!". It was also funny when he first started using this word, since the emphasis was on the wrong syllable. Now he's got it right.)

4. Ma-Ma
5. Pretty (This started over Christmas when we would point to the Christmas lights calling them pretty. Now he points to anything that glows or is shiny and says "pretty." Bill is trying to get him to point at ladies instead. :-) )
6. Bye (Justin embarrassed a lady trying to sneak out of church early the other day. He softly said "bye" to her as she was slipping on her coat, and when she didn't say "bye" back he shouted it so the whole church could hear. Hilarious!)
7. Da (All animals right now are "da's")
8. Ba ("bath")
9. Buddy (Justin has started saying "Hi Buddy!" to Bill. SOOOOO adorable!)

10. Buh ("book")

11. Baw ("ball")

January 21st

So I'm a day late, but that is unfortunately because I didn't get home from work until super late last night and went straight to bed. But, yesterday was Justin's 1st birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEETHEART! Here is my prayer for you:

May you always know the depths to which you are loved.
May you see the dignity and worth in all human beings.
May you love the Lord your God with all that is in you, and follow Him all the days of your life.
May you be genuine, generous, compassionate, empathetic, gracious, and wise.
May you be blessed with good health and many, many days.
May you grow through all suffering, keeping things in perspective and giving thanks for what is good.
May you always light a candle instead of cursing the darkness.
And, may you always remember that the God who knit you together in my womb continues to DELIGHT in you!

Love,
Mom(my)

Noises

From baby babbling to actual words, Justin has become quite the talker! I love listening through the door when he wakes up in the morning and talks to all his stuffed animals. Here are the real words he says:

1) Daddy - This started as "DaDa" and was lingo for Bill or anything he touched (like his computer). Now, Justin will actually point to Bill or a picture of Bill and say "Daddy". So adorable!
2) Hi - Justin LOVES to say "hi" to very nice looking ladies at church, waitresses, me when I come home from work, or anyone who comes to get him from his crib. Sometimes "hi" is followed by a wave. Or, a swat, as in when I use Justin to wake up Daddy on the weekends. He will say "Hi Daddy, Hi!" and swat Bill until he gets out of bed. Very entertaining for me!
3) Uh-Oh - On our drive home from Pennsylvania over Christmas, I taught Justin the "uh-oh" game to entertain him for an hour. Basically, the game consists of me putting something in his hands, which he immediately throws on the floor, looks to see where it landed, and looks back and me and says "Uh-OH!" Hilarious, until we got home and he decided to play the game with his dinner.

On random occasions, I will catch him saying other words (or things that resemble real words), but not with any consistancy. Some of these are "tat" for "cat" and "all done" after finishing a meal. We're also doing baby sign language with him, and the only sign he does at the appropriate time is "all done." He can't quite do the 2-handed version, but will wave his hand in front of his plate when he is finished. This has been soooo helpful, and sometimes I'm surprised by how much or little he eats before letting us know he is done.

A Few Christmas Photos

We're home from another trip out east to celebrate Christmas with my extended family. Here are a couple photos...I'll try to post some more once we finish unpacking and I find the digital camera cord!

My Dad's Parents with Justin

We were able to spend some time catching up with friends Alison and Dominic in Cleveland on the way.

Justin Learns About Hanukkah

Justin likes Daddy's new glasses.

We had a nice trip, although Justin has turned into a Stage 5 clinger. If I'm out of the room, he is completely fine being with anyone else. But, as soon as he catches a glimpse of me, he will start whining and will not be satisfied until he is back in my arms. Although it's nice to feel special, I do hope he grows out of this soon!

It was so fun to see Christmas through his little eyes. He, of course, loves Christmas trees, lights, and ripping wrapping paper. One of the funniest events was Justin getting a sheep skin from my grandparents. This was a strange family tradition that I never really understood until now. As soon as he saw it, he started cooing, petting it, and rolling all over it. Hilarious! Bill and I determined it was like cat nip for babies. :-) He also started taking a few steps...so far he can do 3 in a row. But, who knows when this will turn into full-fledged walking. He had taken a step or two when he was 9 months old, and then seemed to forget it all until he reached 11 months. :-) We hope you all enjoyed the holidays and wish you all the best in 2009!

Merry (early) Christmas!

Dear Friends and Family,

As Advent draws to a close and the words of “Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel” reach their culmination, we pray that you open your hearts once again to the birth of the Christ Child within you. And, may you all know how much you are loved and appreciated throughout the coming new year.

With Love,
The Osmun Family

We get together with our friends from high school for a Friends Thanksgiving every year the Saturday after Turkey Day. Here's a photo of Heather, her daughter Nora, Justin, and I from that day.