Snow Ninja

Cole is an outdoorsman.  He loves being outside and screaming and kicking always ensues when trying to get him inside.  Here is he just after walking out the door...FREEDOM!

At the edge of where the path is clear....should I move on?

Walk on into the snowy world!

I am ready to snowboard!

I am a snow ninja!  Check out my moves!

The snow was pretty good here.  This is more snow than I have seen since moving from Ohio.

Deadly Icicles.

The snow ninja will conquer.  Check out his gloves!

Another shot of the icicles.

The snow ninja is mowing the snow and has his super powerful mommy-mittens on!  Cole's practicing for mowing lawns this summer!

Happy 18 Months and a Snowstorm!

Wow!  A year and a half since we were blessed by your birth, Cole!  You are just the best thing we have ever been given!

You are helpful, nurturing, snuggly, and forever kissing (especially the girls).  You are smart and of course, adorable!

You love the outdoors and never want to be inside.  You also love dogs, but you aren't sure what to do when one gets close to you.

You sleep with stuffed animals and blankies and you aren't afraid to cry (that is supposed to be a joke...he is a toddler!).

We are learning more about you everyday and toddlerhood has its ups and downs, but...

Baby, you are awesome all around!
Cole turned 18 months today.  He walks, he talks, he is a toddler.  We had a pretty awesome storm today.  Jonathan went into work for maybe a half hour before leaving because the roads were pretty bad.  More pictures coming tomorrow.  I am sure Cole will want to get back out in the snow!

100% Boy

Cole loves cars, balls, and dogs the most of all.  His first words aside from Juice, Dog, and Daddy, may be "ruff, ruff, ruff" and "roaaaar".

Who needs expensive ramp toys?  I have Daddy's hardcover books that are already filled with adventure.

Vrrrm....we need to work on that sound!

He tried to sit on the book and slide down it after this.  That was when 'playtime with Daddy's books' was over.

Voluntary Hugs

Cole has started giving more hugs on being asked to do so.  It is still very much when he actually feels like it, but it is very sweet to be embraced by your child.  Here's Cole and Jonathan hugging last night.  I love these guys!

Motionless...

For those of you who don't have toddlers or who forgot what toddlerhood is all about they lay motionless like this approximately 25% of the time and during that time they are asleep.  Some percentages of sleep/wake are even less than 25%.

Poor Cole has another ear infection and a horrible hacking cough.  He laid like this for a while and allowed me to dress him, change his diaper, and put lace-up shoes on him.  Usually this doesn't happen so easily.  I felt so sorry for him.  We went to the doctor and one of his ears was red, one was infected, and his throat was all red.  That explains the horrible naps the past several days and the horrendous fussiness that was only soothed by Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and toiletry bottles.  Hopefully he will feel better in the next few days...

He weighed 24 lbs and 5 ozs on the doctor scale while fully clothed, so he has put on a little weight (and gotten taller) since 15 months.  I am now going to bed because I am feeling a little achy and possibly sick!  Good night!

Anniversary, Baby Shower, and Clive Cussler Books

Cole has begun an obsession with Clive Cussler books.  We don't mind as he is our favorite author, but he is constantly taking the books off the bookshelf and filling up containers with them as if to haul them away for himself.

Cole also likes toiletries and carrying them around.  This is slowly coming to an end because he is figuring out how to get lids off and choking hazards/poisoning is an issue, so we are ready for meltdowns.  We haven't let him carry them around too often, but for some odd reason they soothe him.  This is the day of our anniversary he carried these around.  He was all dressed up, but did not behave well in the Olive Garden due to his cold.  It was an ok time...he usually does much better.  We also got completely horrible service, but at least we didn't have to do dishes:).

NOT A PREGNANT PIC:).  Note to all of you who may think so!  I like my side view better than my front....too wide:).  Me before my friend, Kellie's, shower yesterday.  I hardly ever get dressed up with full makeup and all so I thought it would be good to get a picture:).

Kellie and myself at her shower!  Her baby, Nate, will be here in just a few weeks!  We are so happy for them!

Another Clive Cussler book moment.  Handing a book to Daddy.

Hoarding the Clive Cussler books in his toy bin and reading one upside down.

Checking out the books he just brought in to Daddy..."Oh, Sacred Stone, I like this one!"

Cole has a bad cold.  We are going to the doctor tomorrow.  He has a nasty hacking cough and maybe an ear infection.  His colds hardly ever have fevers, but this one carried one for several days.  He seems ok with the fever now, but we need to get that cough and those ears checked.  Poor guy.  He's cutting a molar and at least 2 eye teeth as well...

Happy 5th Anniversary!

5 Years ago today we were in a church in Brecksville, Ohio, saying "I do."

Today we live in a house in Jenks Oklahoma with our 18 month old son and say "I still do, now and forever."

I love you, honey!  We've been through a lot of craziness and we have come out even stronger!

I am looking forward to the next 5 years of adventure with you!

Cole Moves

Cole thinks that this play table my parents got him is a chair to relax on.  He takes the table out and sits in it.  Then he loads it with his stuff and pushes it around the living room and kitchen.

Cole walks to the couch.

Cole runs, but sometimes stumbles.  He's biting his bottom lip to put pressure on the tooth coming out on his top gums.  He did this with his first upper teeth, too:).  So funny!

This Weekend...Cole Walks On!

Jonathan and Cole yesterday after Cole's afternoon nap eating soup together.
And watching football.

Kisses...so sweet! I love them so!

Cole riding in his wagon today. He had a more lovely time than the look on his face would indicate. He really likes the wagon.

Pushing the lawn mower my parents got him for his birthday. He walked around with it the whole time he was outside and not in the wagon. He walked a whole lot today and was very tired tonight. Last night we went to some new friends' house and Cole walked almost the entire evening not holding on to anything. We were all chatting and no one was making him excited so he really did very well! Today, in the afternoon he walked a lot, too, he almost started running a few times in the living room.

Walking with Daddy.

Eating "dessert" with me tonight. It is a ricotta cream and is out of the south beach diet cookbook. It is almost like eating a cannoli without the pastry shell and with spl.enda...pretty delicious. I am glad Jonathan snapped this picture of us since there aren't many.

Here We Go!

Here's Cole practicing walking and running with his push toy and then the real thing...

Walking Video Coming Tomorrow!

We got him on video tonight! It takes a while to edit and save and post, so I will try to do it tomorrow, but he has been taking several steps at a time!!

Spiky Hair, Throat Infection, and Walking!

This is Cole's second throat infection. The doctor says that it is better than an ear infection, but Cole seems to be much more grouchy with the throat infections. He had one right after we moved here, so we wonder if the antibiotics killed it completely before. Oh well, he is on Zithromax and hopefully it will take care of him in a few days. He is a great sleeper and he started waking up at 5 and 6 in the morning which is not his norm lately. I like the extra sleep, too, so hopefully he will feel better very quickly. I feel like I have no energy from being up so early.

Here is his new haircut styled. This is the expression on his face when he watches Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He loves that show!

Oh! Big News and Videos coming soon! Cole took 2 steps this morning to Jonathan! He took a few shuffle steps this afternoon and just took about 4 steps at around 4pm today!

I originally had a "fixed photo" where I removed the red-eye, but I think unless I find another way to fix it that it made his eyes look too weird. Here is our demon red eye boy...

Haircut

Here is Cole's haircut that Jonathan's boss's wife gave him today. We went over there to visit with Tiffany and their almost 3 month old and also to get Cole a haircut. We both love it! That is a shadow on his left side, by the way, not hair that is longer. Cole did ok...not his usual for getting his haircut. He has been kind of an emotional nightmare lately with wild swings from happiness to anger. Tonight he was totally angry he didn't get to hold a tube of lotion and sleep with it (like we would let him). We hid the lotion, brought the screaming child out to settle down and read a few more books and then put him back down. Jonathan heard him in there laughing minutes before he calmly fell asleep. Is this an 18 month type thing he has going on? I venture to say yes. We thought about taking him in to get his ears checked because usually that is the only time he is so grouchy, but we will wait another day and see how he acts.

Cole Speaks

Cole tries to say a variety of words in this video, but these certainly are only a sample of the words he attempts and he chatters to himself and us all day long.

Some of the neat things going on with Cole right now:

The lining up of the trucks is still going on. Last night we found 4 trucks parked side by side against a wall. It is so cute...they were all about the same size, too, so it was like a little parking garage.

Cole is REALLY into being read books by us and he can point out MANY objects in books which continually impresses us. He can find dogs, bears, cats, fish, birds, flowers, balloons, fireplaces, moons, and other things, too. The other night we were reading Goodnight Moon and it has an illustrated fireplace in it. He pointed at the fireplace in the book and then looked up at our fireplace and pointed at it and made a noise. It is just amazing to see your child learn. Now when he points out dogs he also points outside, too. His favorite books are Goodnight Moon and Go Dog, Go (we aren't surprised by the dog book at all:). He also points up when he hears an airplane go by and attempts to say airplane, but usually it is just a shriek of delight.

Another really funny thing Cole does is when he eats, he will only eat the things that are uniform and look right. For example...he LOVES canned carrots, but if there is one that is out of round he will not eat it, he will hand it to us. If a green bean is opened up (halved) he will not eat it. If cereal is stuck together he will not eat it! If a goldfish cracker is cracked or not uniform...we get it handed to us or thrown from his highchair. Squashed peas or beans, etc. I can't think of any other foods, but it is like that with just about anything. It is so funny because he is not really a "picky eater" in that he eats a variety of meats, beans, fruit, and veggies, but if his food is not uniform he won't eat it:). It is funny and irritating all at the same time:).

Cole Standing and Practicing Walking

Sorry about my "weeeee" noise...hope it didn't hurt your ears! The first video is of Phil and Diana Wood working with Cole on walking on New Years Day. The second video is of Cole standing up on his own tonight. He did it for the first time yesterday when my friend, Kellie, was here and we know it was a very important piece of the puzzle to him walking. Hopefully it will happen soon! It is about time, almost 18 months. So, while we were fine with him being a late walker it is time for him to do it!

Cole Stands Alone to Show Off!

We didn't get a video today, but we will try to post one tomorrow.  Cole stood up by himself today from a crouch and he stood for up to 20 seconds at a time with fresh legs.  Once his legs got tired, though, it was harder for him to stand up.  He stood by himself in a response to my friend, Kellie Richards, being here to visit.  He was totally showing off for her.  I wondered if he wouldn't do something big today since he's been getting so close to walking (especially with someone new around).  The last time Kellie saw Cole he was 3 months old.  Kellie and her husband, Josh, are going to be parents next month!  They are adopting a baby boy, Nathan, and we couldn't be happier for them!  Kellie and I talked and talked all day long.  We usedto play guitar together and they were our neighbors in Guthrie.  We miss them and we will miss them again as they move to Pennsylvania with little Nathan in tow!  Thanks for visiting, Kellie!  I had the best time!

We think he will walk very soon now that he knows he doesn't need an object to help him stand!  Life may change a bit as he walks, but he has been pulling up and into things since 14 months and he is very close to the far end of the "12-18 months" normal walking time.  So, we are glad he is finally reaching this milestone.  He actually almost took a step toward me this evening with Jonathan's telling him to "walk to Mommy".  So, soon we will have video of both him walking and him standing up on his own.  All we need to do now is have a way to get the videos on here!

For the Grandparents...

Cole "walking".  He lets go of whatever he is standing against.  Usually it entails not leaning against something, but here he is leaning...

Scooting and playing with one of his favorite trucks.

Trucks drive on couches around here.

I am not sure how to post videos anymore, but we have one of his practicing walking.  Let me know how to do it...the film strip icon has disappeared from my editor...not good.