Ladies & Gentlemen, we have a toddler.

Today is Owen's 1st birthday.

Let that soak in for a minute.

My baby is no longer a baby, but a toddler. I've lost track of how many times I've teared up thinking about this the last few days. I swear, and I know this is ridiculous, that Owen even looked older when he woke up this morning.

We are having his real party on Saturday, but we did a little bit of 'celebrating' today. For lunch, we went to Matt B's (which, if you're not from MKY, is the most glorious pizza place in the state) and Owen happily nommed a breadstick while Ross and I enjoyed some nice, greasy pizza. Then we went to the park.

Owen loved going down the slides and playing in the dirt.

Here's Owen at only a few minutes old:

And these are from our park adventure today:

That was fun! Let's slide some more!

Check out this dirt I found, Mom!

Daddy wanted to slide, too

Just a- swingin'

My favorite men

He wouldn't smile in a pic with Mom...

But he did have fun trying to steal my sunglasses

What a difference a year makes.

Owen has been such a blessing, and every moment of this past year has been priceless. It's been hard at times (the newborn days, for example), but it's all been worth it.

I have never been more proud of anything than I am of him.

Owen James, I love you more than everything. Thank you for making me smile every day. <3