Update: Month Twenty Four

Whether I believe it or not, my baby is two years old.  For the past week we have been practicing with Cole, telling him he was two, and he had been saying that just fine....ask him today, and he said "free" (three)!  By the end of the day he was saying four (through giggles)...silly guy :0)  Cole is busy at two, but that's no surprise, he was busy at one!  One thing he is especially busy working on is talking...he has been putting two or three words together, and is quick to repeat anything that Kate says.  We recently moved turned Cole's car seat to the forward facing position, so now he tells us everything he sees as we are driving down the road...it's really cute!  I could go on and on, but I will let you enjoy some pictures until the next update :0)

 

 

 Being a goose as usual.

 

 

"CHEESE!"

 

 

Figuring out his birthday present...a remote control car.

 

 

Blowing out the birthday candles.

Update: Month Fifty Four

Because it's Friday the 13th, you get a bonus Kate update!!  Kate is 54 months old today...some might say 4 1/2...whatever :0)  Since her birthday, Kate has continued  to have a thirst for knowledge and can count past 100 and has recently starting doing subtraction.  We decided not to put her in preschool this fall, but she is about to start dance class again and she says that she wants to play the piano.  I told her we'd need to get a piano, and they are hard to get, and she assured me that "Oh no mom, we could just put it in the back of dad's truck!"...not hard at all!  I love all the cute/funny things that she says, and I try to write them down so I can look back someday and smile :0)  I actually need it now to remind myself how cute she can be, as she is a sneaky little devil and she doesn't love listening...two things we are currently working on...I'll keep you posted on that!  She loves to hike, and is able to do our whole "trail" as she calls it with no problem.  She especially loves to guess what animal left certain tracks or poop, then we look it up when we get home.   

 

 

 Sort of a half smile.

 

 

I hope Kate doesn't lose her love of swimming over the winter!

 

 

Such a good big sister!

Update: Month Twenty Three

I won't even say it, but I know you know what I'm thinking!   Cole is a busy boy...busier by the day!  He makes me laugh and almost cry daily, and I am in total denial that he will be two in a month...(there, I said it!).  He is talking up a storm, but along with that comes some serious frustration when we can't understand him.  He is in a temper tantrum stage and sometimes he will have one for no reason at all....like this morning at breakfast...  He is such a funny guy, always playing a joke to make you laugh, and I will always fall for it :0)  He and Kate are the best of friends, and I pray that they stay that way always. 

 

 

I shouldn't have encouraged this, but I needed to get a picture...  I had just got Cole out of the bath and he was hanging out in his room while I got Kate out of the bath.  I heard him making horse noises, so I went in to check on him, and this is how I found him!  Keep in mind this is not our stuff...as I took the picture I told him that he was not allowed to do this again!  He's done it once (or twice) :0)

 

 

Cole was in heaven at Adam and Julia's wedding because he was able to play in the "scram", which is Adam's desert jeep.  Just look at the sheer joy on his face!

 

 

Such a big boy!



Update: Month Twenty Two and three days

Wowzer!  Twenty two!!  The months are just flying by, and I'm doing my best to keep up with them...and Cole for that matter :0)  Cole is acting more grown up with every update I write and I can't stand it!  I was just looking back at pictures from last summer and I had a hard time believing that I was looking at the same baby/little boy!  The best part of Cole "growing up" is that it has been easier for him and Kate to play together for longer periods of time.  They are so cute playing house or restaurant, and it is not as frustrating for both of them as it was a couple of months ago.  Since Kate does most of the talking, Cole just follows her lead, but he doesn't really seem to mind....we'll see if that changes as he becomes more vocal :0)     

 

 

Cooling off in Gran's sink.  Sometimes a sit in the sink is all you need to be happy!



 

Excavating the rocks at the pond.  He was WAY more interested in doing that than getting in the water.

Update: Month Twenty One

Well now I'm just mad at myself for being such a slug!!...  In 12 days Cole will be 22 months, which is a whole other issue....YIKES!!  SO, twenty-one...well, we have quite the little talker on our hands, but of course with that comes some moments of serious frustration as Cole knows exactly what he is saying but nobody else does.  One of his newest  words is "eyes" (ice), of which he is as obsessed with as shoes!  You can't have a drink without Cole wanting to stick his hand in and grab your ice...maybe it has something to do with the 90 degree temperatures lately?!  Whatever it is, it's just another thing that makes Coley Boley who he is :0)

Have you seen these?  They crack me up!  I have seen them a few times now in public restrooms...it's a fold down seat for Cole to "hang out" while Kate and I go about our business.  The really funny part is he likes it (as you can see), and he heads over to it as soon as he sees it!



Oh he's stylin' in those shades!

 

And he knows it!

Update: Month Twenty and nine days..

Let's pretend that I'm not consistently late with these updates...or maybe I'll just face the fact that I am twenty times busier than I was with just Kate and stop talking about it :0)...  Oh this boy...he cracks us up daily!  He has been talking up a storm this month, and we are loving every minute of it!  His top words include "hesee" (horse), "wa" (walk), "doh" (go)...which has already evolved into "go", and "sue" (shoe)...which he is obsessed with...there have even been a few nights that he has slept with his shoes over his pajamas because he refused to take them off!  He has started holding up one finger (but saying "do" (two)) when people ask how old he is, I guess he's already prepping for September!... He and Kate have been busy playing house complete with babies and purses, both of which Cole loves.  He is so cute putting the babies to sleep and then telling us to "shhhhh" as he walks off waving bye and carrying his purse :0)  He's not all gentle and nurturing though...immediately after this little game he can slam stuff around, go push his trucks into the walls, and throw rocks in the driveway...he's multidimensional :0)  I love it!

 

 

Getting ready for take-off...

 

 

He's been jumping form the couch to the ottoman like a crazy man!!!  He gets pretty excited on the landing!!

 

 

He's showing the truck on the game he's playing on my phone.



Update: Month Nineteen

I missed it again...but who's counting? :0)  Nineteen months, yikes!  As I've said before, I've got a BUSY boy on my hands...combined with Kate it's complete chaos here!  Cole has really started "talking" a lot more this past month.  He says "he ye go" (here you go), "le go" (let's go), "bye dad!", "TAY!!" (Kate), and when we're at the dog park he yells "INNY" the whole time.  Of course we love to make him repeat all sorts of other words so we can all giggle at the outcome :0), and he's happy to oblige.  Have I mentioned that Cole is a climber?!  I can not leave the kitchen without coming back to him standing on the table...I've started flipping the chairs up on the table, but then I worry that he will pull them down on himself...definitely worse than just standing up there!  He enjoys jumping on the bed or off the couch (after he and Kate have piled all the cushions on the floor), and now that it's finally nice outside he enjoys playing in the yard all day long! 

 

 

He's not going to believe that I used to let him walk around in these pink boots!  And he's never going to want to admit that he loved them!  I finally put them away, but while they were out he would constantly bring them to me so he could put them on him.  He's sitting on the vacuum...another favorite thing to do...ride it around while I'm cleaning :0)

 

 

Why play the drum when you can wear it like a helmet?!

 

 

"Coo coo"

 

 

That's his "more food now" face.  Insert a big "aaaahhhh" here.

Update: Month Eighteen...and 10 days...

Well, the 30th came and went, and for (I think) the first time EVER I forgot that I even had an update to write...busy much?!  Cole is more verbal by the day, and although I don't want him to get any older I can't wait to hear his little voice more and more!  He has the funniest "word" for yes, it sounds like a no, and it's hilarious :0)  He is OBSESSED with trucks and tractors, and if Marc brings a machine home from work, Cole promptly gets his coat and heads to the door so he can go out and investigate!  He loves the phone and  we can't talk on ours unless Cole has one too.  He especially loves it if we put ours on speaker phone and he just chatters away at whoever is on the other end.  He has no new teeth to report, a point that stresses me out way more than it affects Cole :0)  Enough for now, I'll leave you with a few pics of the wee man...

 

 

This is how you will often find this little guy :0)  Smiling, and with some leftover food on his face...

 

 

He's a whopping 19 pounds 12 ounces and 30 1/2 inches these days!

Update: Month Fourty Eight

...And one week...  Boy oh boy, 4 years old!  I can hardly stand it :0)  I believe that last year I wrote that Kate was turning into a little girl, and now it's pretty official that she is one!  Kate is so amazing!  We are constantly in awe of her.  She has been learning to read (she can read about 15 words, and she is always working on sounding out new ones!) and she is a wiz with numbers.  She is doing the Kindergarten Brainquest cards, and she knows them all!  She really has a hunger for knowledge and learning that I hope she never loses!  When she's not working on reading and math, she can be found singing, dancing, playing with Cole, and using her crazy imagination.  She is always up to something, like showering in the laundry basket or playing the mom (while I play Kate).  Kate has been asking for chores to do...her favorites being feeding Indy and unloading the silverware from the dishwasher, so we made a chore chart that she can go to check off her tasks as she does them.  I'm sure she'll want an allowance next :0)  Her newest "big deal" has been learning to swallow pills, and maybe it's just because I'm a nurse, but I think that's super cool!  On to the pictures :0)



Kate and Indy have been best friends for 4 years now. 



Fashionista Kate...she made this "outfit" herself :0)



 

I have a hard time getting Kate to look at the camera and not make a silly face.  This is usually what I get.



A sweet little smile.  

Update: Month Seventeen (And Four Days)

There's a really good explanation for being four days late with this post...I couldn't do it on February 28th because I couldn't bear to think that Cole was 17 months old yet!  I figured I had at least two more days because I was being jipped by the short month.  Then the 2nd came and I realized that SADLY I had no pictures of Cole from the whole month of February!!!  None?!  Well, there were a few of both the kids playing outside, but I wanted Cole alone...so I began trying to get him to look at the camera...  The following is what I got.  He will not stay still long enough for me to get a good one, and all the reaching is him trying to touch the lens!  But enough of that, let me tell you what Cole has been up to aside from being camera (sort of) shy.  The short story...this boy is BUSY!  He climbs, jumps, and runs non-stop!!  He is "talking" up a storm, and we all love it.  He makes animal sounds when prompted (or not), and his favorite is the monkey.  He'll start doing it and Kate will say "I don't see a monkey, what's he doing?".  She can't see the logic in making the noise if there's not really one around :0)  Cole has got four new teeth since last month...still no molars, but having all his front teeth sure makes biting a whole lot easier!  And speaking of biting...ouch!  Cole thinks it's pretty funny to nip the rest of the family with those sharp little teeth of his...hopefully by next month I'll be able to report that he's over that! 

 

 

"Just let me touch the lens!"



 

"I can't touch it?!  Why not?"



 

"AHHHH!"



 

Beautiful blue eye.



 

"So, seriously, I can't touch it?!"



 

Something I forgot to mention that Cole does that is really cute.  He holds his hands over his ears when the blender or vaccuum are on.  He also makes a noise for them, it's pretty cute!

Update: Month Sixteen

Month sixteen brings a little boy who is obsessed with trucks, tractors, trains, and dogs.  He makes a sound for each and if he hears one (usually a truck or dog...), he runs to see it.  He says "daw, woo woo" pretty much non stop and it is pretty much the cutest thing ever!  Cole also makes other animal sounds including sheep, cats, horses, and monkeys.  Aside from all that he loves reading, and his favorite book right now is called Truck Duck, which he pronounces "truu duu".  As he turns each page he keeps repeating "truu duu", even if it is cab crab or boat goat...again, cute stuff!  His other favorite thing to do is wrestle with dad and Kate.  Marc pretends that Cole is knocking him over and he just thinks that he is the toughest guy around :0)  Cole has also been quite the dare devil, much to our dismay...lately he has taken to jumping off the furniture!  Luckily I know some great orthopaedic surgeons!  He still only has four teeth, but manages to get the job done with those alone.  I don't think that I need to say that I am quite busy!!   

Wearing dad's ear muffs!  

 

Little boy blue :0)  Cole loves playing on the playground with Kate!  He especially loves the slide!!

Update: Month Fifteen

Does each month pass as fast for you as it does for me?  Or is it just the fact that I am constantly chasing two kids around that makes it go so fast?!  As much as I may "complain" about it sometimes, there is nothing that I' rather be doing, especially when one of the cuties I'm chasing around is Coley!!! 

He finally got a fourth tooth just last week...maybe it was my singing "All I want for Christmas is Cole's front teeth!"  I'm hoping some more come in soon, although I mentioned before that being toothless doesn't stop this boy from eating!  To add to his list of fake sounds, Cole has been doing a fake nose blowing...we've been doing a lot of that in the last month and apparently he thinks it's pretty fun to do!  If only Kate thought so as well...  Cole walks around "talking" all day long, it's especially funny when he has a phone and he's "walking and talking"!  As far as real words, I have nothing new to report, and although I know he is right on track it's weird, because Kate was saying about 20 words at this age!  But enough comparing...  Cole continues to be obsessed with trucks, dogs, and now cows.  In fact the new milk we started buying has a cow on the front, and he starts mooing and wants to hold it when he sees it!  I might have to give Cole his first hair but soon because as you may be able to see in the picture below he's beginning to get quite the mullet! 

 



 

Cole loves to wear this sweater.  Where ever it is tucked away, he manages to find it and then he brings it to me so I can put it on him.  I have to admit that I love it, becasue when I first knit it for Kate I was hoping that her sister or brother would wear it too :0)

Update: Month Fourteen

 Why do babies have to grow up so fast?!  This past month Cole has really started to think he is a "big boy"!  Even with a lack of teeth he wants to eat only solid foods, he's (finally) drinking milk (thank goodness!), and he is trying to transition to ONE NAP.....NNNNOOOOO!!!  The only good part about that is that I can shift bedtime to an earlier time (for one kid anyway).  Cole is constantly hugging and kissing us, and he loves to snuggle...I pray that he stays as sweet as he is now forever!  He continues to be a happy little guy, and he has the funniest fake laugh that he does if he hears someone else laugh or if he hears you say that something is funny!  He is finally saying mama, although not as often as he says dad.  He also says hi, bye, and (his version of) Kate.  He makes animal and truck sounds, he is starting to point to his head, hair, nose, and mouth, and he is now signing "more".  I LOVE watching how Kate and Cole are able to interact together more, but it is frustrating for both of them at times.  Kate loves to play store, but when she mentions it Cole thinks that we are literally going somewhere so he just hangs out by the door waiting to leave, meanwhile Kate has headed to the living room to play...minor miscommunication!

 

 

Cole has only three teeth...those bottom two and one on the top that we call his "snaggle tooth" :0)

 

 

 For being such a "boy", Cole LOVES stuffed animals!  He always sleeps with one or two, and often brings one up in the morning.
 

He's quite the dare devil these days!  He can also be found climbing the kitchen chairs, the couch, the tub...pretty much anything you can think of!

Update: Month Thirteen

Oh how the time flies...it's time again for another update!  In the past month Cole has gone from walking to running around the house!  It is seriously crazy how fast this guy can get around!!  He is also trying to climb more and he does this funny little thing where he lifts his leg trying to get up onto things while making a cute grunting noise :0)  He constantly has a new bruise somewhere on his body from a crash, and I suspect that that will only increase in the coming months.  He is obsessed with trucks, turning anything he picks up into one, and he even made a truck noise the other day when we came out of a building and there was a truck parked on the curb.  Cole is trying to communicate a lot more this past month and it is so much fun!  He lets up know when he wants his shoes and coat on by bringing them to us and he says hi, dad, mom, and even Kate (tay)!  He has also started saying "wow!", which is my favorite!  As Cole gets better at communicating he and Kate have been better at playing together and it is so amazing to see :0)  It will only get more fun for the two of them from here!  I can't wait!

 



 

This picture is "so Cole"!  He truly is the happiest little guy :0)  He and Kate have really enjoyed playing in this box the past few days! 

Update: Month Twelve (and six days)

I don't even know where to start.  I may have said it already, but I'll say it again, I can not believe that Cole is one!!  I have a toddler!!  I don't want a toddler, I want a baby...but that is what happens, they grow up (too fast) right before your eyes!  You think I'd know that since this is the second time around, but it's still so hard to wrap my head around!  If I do have to have a toddler, I'll take this one for sure!  Cole is the happiest baby I have ever met!  Aside from the scream he has recently started doing, he hardly ever fusses and is so easily distracted that if he does start to fuss you can usually stop him before he ever really starts.  He had a rough first half of the month (I thought he was finally teething) and had it not been for the 103 degree fever I would not have know that he was really sick...turns out he had a double (horrible) ear infection.  So he spent 10 days on amoxicillin (which made Kate REALLY mad  because she wanted the "special pink medicine" as we have called it when she has needed it in the past) and is as good as new!  I think had it not been for that he would have been walking even sooner.  Back on the 12th he started taking 3-4 consecutive steps and by the 22nd he was walking across the kitchen...that's when we finally called it!  Today he was walking with his arms by his sides, no longer above his head or out in front of him for balance! 

Cole loves to talk on the phone and can often be found babbling into it.  It's especially funny when he walks and talks!  He also loves to dance and his signature move is the funniest little head bob.  He moos and barks for the cow and dog, says Dada, has said Mama only once, and has just started pointing to eyes and nose.  And last week he melted out hearts just as Kate had when he started signing "I love you"! 

 

 

Cole was really cracking himself up here!  He had just finished dinner and was using the rag as a hat :0)

 

 

This is when he wasn't feeling so well.  You could tell because he was actually sitting still.

 

 

Playing hide and seek in the closet.

 

 

Wearing Kate's boots!

Update: Month Forty-Two

Month Forty-two, also known as three and a half, otherwise known as CRRRAAAZY!!  Kate is already looking forward to turning four, thanks in part to the many birthdays we have this month...it's got her in the spirit!  As for me, I hope time slows down a bit and March doesn't come for a while!  Although Kate can't wait to be four, she has been doing a fair share of regressing lately.  As Cole becomes more active, Kate seems to want to act more like a baby...babbling, crawling, whining...to say that it's trying my patience (which I usually have a limited supply of) would be an understatement!  And while she acts like that at home, her teachers assure me that at school she is well behaved, helpful, and happy...thank goodness!!  Hopefully she'll be the same at home soon!!!  (Fingers crossed!) 

 

 

A visit to the zoo...hanging out with the monkeys.

 

 

Kate is such an amazing big sister...most of the time :0)  That's one cute duo! 

 

 

Two silly "cheese" faces :0)