Little Red Wagon

We went to Mom and Dad's this weekend for the annual Pheasant Hunting Trip (more pics of that to come) and we found some little boy toys at my Grandma's house for Cole to bring home. Among them were a Tonka Truck that belonged to my Uncle Bobby, a Christmas music box, and a little red wagon. We played with all of them in the car except for the wagon and when we got home Cole had an extended playing session with it while we unpacked the car. He is into pulling things right now so it works great and can carry a lot of toys!

More Christmas Tree Decorating

Just a continuation of those pictures...

Christmas Tree Decorating

While Cory's family was here for Thankgiving we set up and decorated the Christmas tree. It worked out great and Cory and I even snuck in a trip to the mall to do some Christmas shopping. But the best part of it was that on Friday night Pops got out the train set and set it up around the tree. Cole was completely fascinated (and still is). He sat and watched the train for a LONG time. At one point he got up and walked away, we all thought he was done and were remarking on how long it had held his attention, then he returned with a pillow and flopped down on it for a more comfortable vantage point! It was pretty cute! He is still very interested in it so it has served as a great buffer between Cole and the tree and he hasn't even pulled too many ornaments off! Here are some pictures of the process.

Look Alike Contest Continued

These pics serve a dual purpose. They are a pretty good indicator of how much Cole favors his father. They are also some good pictures of our family outing to pick out a Christmas tree. We did this the day before Thanksgiving and it was pretty close to naptime so Cole was sleepy and VERY serious.

These last two are of a very concerned baby whose daddy was lashing the tree to the top of the car. I think he was a little worried about the safety of his number one guy!

Look Alike Contest

We have gotten a mixed review on who Cole looks like so far. We get a lot of Daddy. They have very similar smiles, eyes and sleeping faces. We get a few of Mommy - mouth and serious face. And we get a lot of Uncle Eric. So I thought I'd post some pics of Cole with Uncle E for posterity and we'll see who he favors as he grows!

Lots of New Pics

Well I have a LOT of catching up to do. So really I'm not even going to try. I'm just going to post a few quick narratives to go with new pictures and consider myself updated! So this first set of pictures was just a productive Thursday for mom and Cole. Before Thanksgiving we cleaned out the pantry and did a deep cleaning of the kitchen. Cole was a big help as you can tell from the pictures!

Fall Festival #1

Tonight we went to a "Fall Festival" at Cole's school. We didn't stay long b/c he was acting tired and ready for bed (I say acting b/c he is playing and pulling on my shirt as I type which is over an hour after we left - haha). But I wanted to post pictures b/c we debuted the turtle costume that Grammie (or Nay-Nay) made for him and he was pretty cute!!! And no the suit is not too small, it's actually pretty big so it rides up his legs a bit as he crawls or squirms. Anyway, here are a few pics, not the last you'll see of the turtle costume!

Cole is One Year Old!

It seems unbelievable that a year ago today Cole was born! To Cory and I it seems like it was yesterday. But when we think back to all of the changes and developments that have unfolded in his life and in the lives of our family this year, and realize that it has been a VERY busy 365 days.

So to recap the big birthday weekend....
Gigi and Pops picked Cole up from daycare and spent the afternoon and evening just being grandparents. They took Cole to the park and he fell asleep in the swings so it was back to the house for a "pre-party nap". We had our annual OU/TX party on Friday night. Cole played with his pal Peyton and we had a great time with the OU crew. Grammy (or Nay-nay), Grandad, and Uncle Eric all arrived on Saturday and Cole had a very busy afternoon entertaining and loving on all four grandparents. Cory went to the game and had a great time, he got home just in time to help us prep for the big birthday party. We ate dinner and then Cole ate his first cupcake! He absolutely LOVED being the center of attention. He laughed and clapped and smeared green frosting on his daddy's face while we all laughed and clapped too! Then he opened presents and rode his new four-wheeler around to more laughing and clapping. A good time was had by all and Cole ended the evening with the to-be-expected post sugar high meltdown. But we thought he totally deserved it b/c he had been so well behaved all day. He has so far celebrated his actual birthday with a morning of grandparent goodbyes, church, lunch with Grandad and Nay-Nay, skype session with Aunt Biz, phone call from Aunt Katty and an afternoon nap.

And for the record...
At a year old Cole, you are VERY active. You can crawl very quickly and when you see your daddy across the room you "turbo crawl" to him. You can pull up on ANYTHING, you will take some independent steps to get from mom to dad or vice versa. You are soooo close to walking that I'm guessing you'll be really doing it in a matter of weeks. You think that everything is a push and walk toy..... boxes, pots and pans, chairs, your highchair.... absolutely everything. You are very interested in the dogs, you love to chase them, feed them, pat them and in general just chatter at them until they run around like crazy! You are also very snuggly. You are always willing to give hugs, lay your head down for a quick snuggle and pat backs, arms, etc.

You are still VERY interested in all kids. You cry at daycare drop off but then through the day you play like a champion with your buddies. You are inquisitive, quietly observing things that are new. You are a little mimic - making any sounds we make, clapping when we clap, clicking your tongue when we do and just this last Wednesday you figured out how to wave. That was the 14th and by today you were waving goodbye to the grandparents like a pro!

You are an adventuresome eater and will try anything we offer you. However, you have a funny little habit of throwing things off your tray onto the floor when you don't like them or are finished with them, especially your sippy cup which makes a loud bang when you do it! We are working on breaking you of that habit. You have always loved water and bathtime so that is often a favorite part of our day. You giggle and splash and generally make a big comotion in the tub. You have also learned in the last few weeks to turn the hot and cold knobs. We tell you "no, no" b/c we don't want you to burn yourself and so now when you touch the handles you'll shake your head no as if you are telling yourself not to do it even as you reach for those forbidden knobs!

You are full of giggles and curiosity, a joy to all who meet you. You are also going to be a big brother in a few months and we are already seeing little signs (like the snuggling and the gentle patting of the dogs) that you will be a great one. We love you very much and are so proud to have a one year old baby boy who is so wonderful! Happy First Birthday!

Busy - Part 2

This was several days ago but I thought the pics were cute. Cole LOVES to get into the pantry and help himself to anything on the bottom shelf (which happens to be boxes so some of his favorite foods like Ritz, Cheerios, etc.). He is so pleased when he finds something he recognizes and last Thursday I caught him feeding Ritz cracker to Norman after getting them out of pantry. Again, I noticed this misbehavior b/c he was giggling like crazy to have Norman (who is usually pretty leary of coming too near Cole) eating crackers out of his hand!

Busy - Part 1

I am WAY behind on the blogging but I had to post these two funny series of pictures that will show you exactly how "busy" our household is these days. I'm hoping to get caught up on the blogging in the next few weeks so I can print off a book of Cole's first year complete with all major milestones and memories so watch for those "past posts". But for now, here are some funny pictures that I took today of general "busy-ness"

PS - I was in the closet getting dressed when this happened so I could hear him but not see him. I had known this was coming b/c of his growing interest in toilet paper rolls but he just hadn't gotten a crack at one w/o my interference until today. And you will notice that I removed the roll b/f taking these pictures so he couldn't empty the ENTIRE thing but man he was giggling as he did this!

8 months old!

Cole you are eight months old today! You are growing so fast and changing daily! Today you weigh just shy of 19 pounds. You are a very happy baby and you love to sing and squeal and just generally use your voice. You are not crawling yet but you are working hard to get there. You will get up on your hands and knees and rock and you can roll or scootch backwards to get yourself in close proximity to any toy or person that you have your eye on. You still think your dad is the funniest person you've ever met and giggle uproariously at almost everything he does. You have recently become really attached to your mama and just love to be in her arms at all times. Your parents are pretty smitten and because you are such a well behaved and good natured baby we spend a lot of time just playing on the floor. Your dad is in charge of crawling and walking lessons and you guys love to lay on the living room floor together. Mom is in charge of reading and learning so we play on the floor of your room with books, flashcards, puzzle toys, etc. You are very thoughtful and many times we catch you surveying and studying a situation very seriously - we think it is amazing how you contemplate things and then once you are satisfied with your understanding you dive in. Already at eight months you seem very well adjusted and intelligent and we are very proud of you!

Places You Have Been
Dallas, Texas and surrounding metroplex (home)
Guymon, Oklahoma (Grammie and Grandad)
Elkhart, Kansas (to visit your great grandad)
Amarillo, Texas (arrival city of your first flight and to meet Aunt Mary Beth)
Norman, Oklahoma (Aunt Jenn and Uncle Jarrod's)
Wichita, Kansas (Gigi and Pops)
Tulsa, Oklahoma (Aunt Katty's)
Manhattan, Kansas (Aunt Biz's)
Chicago, Illinois (for Steve Lindo's wedding)
Beaver's Bend State Park (first camping trip)

Foods You Have Eaten
Avacado
Yellow Squash
Zucchini
Peas
Sweet Potato (favoriate!)
Roasted Eggplant with Parmasan
Carrots
Broccoli
Peaches
Applesauce
Pears
Blueberries
Banana
Potato
Lima Beans
Beets
Papaya
Mango
Apple Juice/Prune Juice (as recommended by Dr. Mix)
Hamburger bun (hehehe, not on Dr. Mix's diet but you were hungry in Manhattan and would not eat the planned avocado)
Wheat thins (I'm sorry, these are a big no no, salt, wheat, sharp edges but mom eats them and you love to try what she is having!)
Green Pepper strips
Graham cracker (again probably a no no but we were all having s'mores on the camping trip so we thought it was only fair)
Ice cream (dad likes to give you one tiny bite of his sometimes which isn't often b/c he isn't a big sweets guy)

This is you and dad making a fruit pizza (so add to the list above strawberries, kiwi, blackberries)

Books you have listened too

You love to listen to people read to you. So I'm not even sure what all you have heard from grandparents, aunts and uncles. But here is a list of the chapter books we have read together before bed and then some of your favorites (both to listen to and to chew).

The Adventures of Huck Finn
Persuasion
The Joy Luck Club
Any Berenstein Bears book
Cool Daddy Rat
The Hungry Catepillar
Any Sandra Boynton book

Any Dr. Suess book

Babies

Any Richard Scarry book

Duck in a Truck

The adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Ellison the Elephant

Make Way for Ducklings

New Furniture

Last weekend Cory and I "inherited" (read stole) some new furniture from my parents and grandparents. We noticed that Cole is really interested in anything that makes noise and loves to bang his hands on things so we figured that he needs......a piano!!! So my parents and Grandad gave us Grandma's piano. As long as we were at it, we took some other furniture as well. So I took some pictures today of Cole enjoying the new living room. I didn't get pictures of him playing the piano but he has done it 3 times today. I can't tell what he really things about playing it, but I have played it FOR him a few times today and he really likes that. He does tummy time on the floor while I "play" (read struggle) through some easy stuff to get back into it. I think it is going to be a great stress reliever for me! Ok, so on to the pictures!

This isn't new but these are Grandma's placemats!