Christmas eve morning, Cole ate pancakes for the second time ever. Before Cole even turned one, the lovely Peppermint Tina sent him a care package with a fish pancake mold thingy, and she said "before you know it he'll be clamoring for pancakes!" Well, I wouldn't say he's clamoring, but if I make them in the shape of a fish and add a generous amount of chocolate chips, he will at least eat them!

*In the photo, Cole is saying "Ffffisssssshhhhhttttthhhh" as he displays his ffffisssssshhhhhttttthhh.

Fish is part of the traditional Italian Christmas eve feast, and this was as close as Cole got to eating any. All of us nearly missed our fish dinner when the power went out while I was cooking. My many nights of working late in the downstairs office came in handy because I was the only one who could safely navigate the house in complete darkness. By the light of my flashlight/nightlight and Cole's tiger and dog flashlights we ate what we could salvage of the meal. No electric meant no heat too, so we put on our warmest PJs and all snuggled in bed together. Sounds cozy? Well, then you've never shared a full-size bed with my family. It was a restless night for all of us, but one we'll remember.

halloween

At least I'm getting these photos up before the next holiday gets here...

Cole was Plankton (from SpongeBob Squarepants, if you're not hip to Nick) this year, and there were 2 big surprises related to his costume. The first surprise was that Cole kept his antennae on his head during all of his trick or treating. He cried when I took them off to put him the car. You would've thought I had stolen all of his candy from the way he reacted.

The second surprise was that no one at a 2-year-old's birthday party held the Saturday before Halloween knew who Plankton was. But then again, not a single person at the same celebration recognized his Charlie Brown costume last year. The best part of the party was the Moon Bounce. Cole loves to jump whether it be hopping on the ground or flying high in his crib. It was so much fun to see him just throw himself around and not worry about him getting hurt. If only I could pad his whole room...

2 years!

The hustle and bustle of moving is behind us and the drywall dust began to settle just in time for Cole's second birthday. We had 3 consecutive weekends of visitors and his birthday was celebrated 4 times with the last candles being blown out on October 28th with his little friends. I baked our traditional duckie cake again and then a mongo Halloween-themed cake for the kid party, a co-celebration with 2 other October babies. Cole's favorite word is "No" but that was replaced by "cake!" for the last few weeks.

Cole talks constantly now, although, it is not all in English. I'm fairly fluent in Colish though so we can communicate pretty well. He has a new joke where he points to his elbow and says "ELLLLLMMMMMMMMOO" and giggles. He CAN say elbow, he just doesn't want to. He'll also insist on calling something "CAAAAAAKKKE" just so you'll correct him and he can protest by saying "CAAAAAKKKEE" over and over again.

Cole is putting words together now too. "More cookie" is a favorite of his. The other night as I crawled into bed at 6 a.m. I was greeted with my favorite sentence "Hi Momma." I had no idea Tony had brought him into the bed until I heard his little voice. It was so cute that it ALMOST made no sleep okay.

Cole's love of music is now expressed through song as well as dance. We can perform a lovely duet of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" or "Row, Row, Row your Boat" with Cole singing the last word of each line. He surprised me the other day by singing along to "Loco Man" from the Mighty Wind soundtrack which I guess I have played a lot in the car.

Cole's a helper, and he proudly helps with the laundry and grocery shopping. He'll take things out of the washer (love the front loader!) and hand them to me one-by-one. He'll also push the laundry basket full of clothes into my room for folding, which is where I take over. At the grocery store, Cole insists on putting the items in the cart for me which led to broken glass and embarrassment in Aisle 9 last week. He also helps unpack the groceries when we get home, but I've learned to move the breakables to the counter right away. We're always learning new things together.

naptime

Here's proof that I'm not the only one who's tired. Cole climbed up into Gram's lap on Monday and fell asleep within minutes. I left to go to the grocery store, but Tony told me that my mom fell asleep for a while too. Naps for everyone!

bubble bath

Once Cole was big enough to bathe in the big tub, Tony took over bath time. It's become a fun nightly routine for the two of them. Last week, Tony decided it was time for something new and slipped a bottle of Elmo bubble bath into the shopping cart during our trip to the store. That night, Cole had his first bubble bath and now every night he calls for bub-bo bub-bo. Tony covered his head and then Cole began to add side burns. Within minutes, he was covered with only his face peeking out from the mounds of suds. Cole had a blast, and we all had a good laugh. We've determined that the 3(!) capfuls Tony used the first time is definitely too much especially since the rinse cycle took longer than the bathing part.

I'm the bad guy because I won't let him have a bubble bath every night. Besides, he gets more excited if it's a once a week (or less) treat.

walkie talkie

Cole's vocabulary is growing rapidly now. Tony has been wishing for Cole to "really talk", and now I fear he is regretting that wish. Cole's 2 favorite words right now are "no" and "out". He's creative with his use of "out". He says it when he's done eating and wants to be released from his high chair, and he also uses it when he wants me to come out of my office and play with him. I guess in his mind, he wants me to be freed from my office. Funny thing is when he says it that way, I want out too.

Here's a pic from our big trip out, our vacation in Point Pleasant just a few short weeks ago. Sadly, it feels like it was a year ago already.

babysitting

Last Saturday night, Tony and I went out alone for the first time since Cole was born. We have left Cole briefly with our parents once or twice, but never for more than an hour or so. Our friends Mark, Elaine, and Nina came over to watch Cole, and Nina really deserves the most credit for making the evening successful. She's only a month and a half older than Cole and her presence kept him thoroughly entertained. He gave us big hugs when we left and was a little uneasy, but with 3 of his favorite playmates there he was ready for fun.

I called about 10 minutes after we had left to see how the transition went, and Elaine said he settled in immediately. [I did a lot of babysitting as a teen, and I remember the transition that takes place after the parents leave. Most kids put on a show for their folks before they leave, and then quickly settle down for fun with the babysitter.] They had popped in the Sponge Bob movie and everyone was fine. The only trouble they had was that he would not go to sleep for them. He cried and insisted on being picked up by Mark. I know Mark and Elaine would not fall for this trick with their own Nina, but they didn't have the heart to let Cole cry. Everyone was still awake when we got home at 12:30 a.m., although Elaine didn't look very perky. Cole passed out quickly, but he made us pay on Sunday. He woke up still tired and was fussy, squirmy, whiny mess, but at least we all had fun on Saturday night!

whistleblower

Cole recently learned how to blow a whistle. He has both a small lifeguard whistle and a slide/pennywhistle that he can now use to torture the neighbors. He does know how to make soft sounds and not-so-soft sounds, and he clearly has a preference.

A side effect of all the whistle blowing, is that Cole temporarily forgot how to use a straw. We were at the diner for dinner and Cole had a cup of milk that he absolutely could not drink. He kept blowing bubbles in his cup and he was clearly confused. It was funny to see him trying to work it out for himself. Luckily I had an empty sippy cup in the bag for him.

Cole quickly re-learned his straw skills with a Red, White and Blueberry smoothie at Wegmans Friday night. As I have said before, when properly motivated, he's a quick learner. He can feed himself dessert with a spoon, but anything else requires help (and coaxing).

tricycle

Cole outgrew his pushcar that we bought him for his first birthday, so cousin Kody is now cruising around in the little red coupe. As a replacement, Cole got the coolest tricycle I could find. It arrived just in time for Uncle Tommy's visit and we all had fun with Cole's new wheels.

It's a Kettler, fully loaded with a rear dump bucket, handbrake, front basket, and of course a bell. Cole can't peddle yet, but he can ring that bell all day long. His trike also has a removable push bar and a footrest, so he can sit back and enjoy being pushed around until he can reach the pedals.

Cole loves his new trike and he likes to sit in it all the time. He runs to it each morning to ring the bell and make sure it is in good order.

birthday bonanza

We made 2 more trips to NJ in the last few weeks for birthday parties--Mom's final 50th blowout BBQ and Kody's first birthday. Now we're staying put in VA until our vacation at the Jersey shore.

At Mom/Gram's party, Cole used up all his clothes in one day. First there was chalk drawing, which he enjoyed thoroughly...as did his shirt and shorts. Then came the rain, and afterwards, splashing in puddles. The next day we had to buy him new shoes because his sneakers were still soaked through. Cole had just about outgrown them, so it was good timing. Cole got his first pair of sandals in a size 6.5 and swim shoes in a size 7! The rest of him is growing just as quickly. My grandmother joked that soon he'll be able to carry me, and I told her that would be a welcome change.

corny

We spent Memorial Day weekend in NJ to celebrate Mom/Gram's birthday...again. Her birthday month was drawing to a close although I'm sure she'll celebrate some more during her visit to her best friend in Florida next week. Mom christened her refinished deck and new grill with a big cookout Saturday night for friends and family.



Cole still won't eat meat so he didn't appreciate the hamburgers and hot dogs. However, he was interested in the corn on the cob. Up to this point, he has refused to try the corn kernels I have cooked for him, but he will eat the Gerber freeze-dried ones sometimes. When I husked the corn in the morning he wanted to touch it, and that night we gave him a piece to play with. I demonstrated how to eat it and he just laughed, but then he tried it! He only took about 6 bites before he dropped it on the floor, and he didn't pull much off, but he liked it!

pappa's got a brand new bag

Cole has a new favorite CD.

choices

Cole has learned that he has choices, and today he chose not to eat.* The last few days he has insisted on cheese and grapes for lunch and dinner, and today I refused to let another day pass without veggies and meat. I managed 3 spoonfuls of sweet potatoes before he burrowed his face into the back of his highchair. Now we're both playing hardball. Who will win? I honestly don't know, but don't tell Cole.

*Note: Don't worry! Cole continues to eat hearty breakfasts of cereal, waffles, and bananas. At least, he's rarely stubborn in the morning.

I think part of the problem is that he doesn't want to eat mushy baby food anymore, but at the same time he's not willing to accept all chunky food either. He will eat chunks of fresh fruit, cheese, breakfast foods, and his body weight in Goldfish pretzels. He used to eat fresh peas, but those now hit the floor. There's no doubt, we're in the midst of a transition, but I sure hope he "chooses" chunks soon.

18 months

Cole's latest milestone snuck up on us so suddenly that I didn't even make his check up appointment until 4 days after he turned 18 months old. I used to have his doctor appointments planned out well in advance, and that was when they were only a month apart.

Cole's new statistics are: 33" tall (75%), 24 lbs. (30%), and 19 1/2" head (90%). He is still built like Charlie Brown. He's tall and lean, and I hope he enjoys it while it lasts, because eventually he will resemble his not-tall, and not-so-lean parents.

I had taken the first available appointment which was at 9:40 in the morning, and I had to wake Cole about 2 hours earlier than his usually start to the day. He likes to sleep in which is something Tony and I fully support and encourage. However, I didn't know he would have a "test" at this appointment otherwise I would have scheduled it for a time when Cole is more alert. The doctor had a little kit ready for us with blocks and a doll. I realized that Cole was supposed to show that he can stack blocks, which he can do easily, but instead he arranged them in a neat row and picked them up one-by-one to study them. Next he was presented with a tiny 4" baby doll and miniature bottle. I know he was supposed to try to feed the baby, but he doesn't know what a bottle is, and instead he poked the baby in the head repeatedly. I have no idea what kind of notes the doctor wrote, but I found Cole's response to the test to be hysterical. I know he has the skills the test requires even if he didn't perform on cue.

The only part of the appointment that did worry me was Cole's reaction when the nurse returned. He knew! He knew immediately that he was going to get shots and he had a full blown panic attack. He shook and began to cry so hard that he held his breath and began to turn bluish. The nurse waited until he let out the big cry and took an even bigger breath before she gave him the shots, and she worked so fast she put the bandaids in the wrong places. Afterwards I scooped him up and he was quickly consoled and began picking at his looney tunes bandaids while I pulled on his pants. The whole ordeal went very quickly and he walked out of the doctor's office with dry eyes, but I'll never forget that look of panic and how I felt during that moment.

It's been a year and half of moments--happy and sad, fun and challenging, exhilirating and exhausting--moments with Cole that I have treasured.

vocabulary

Cole's vocabulary is growing, but his choice of words continues to surprise me.

He is fascinated by dogs and is quick to point and announce "da" everytime he sees or hears a canine. It's a curious new word because we have a cat, and he has shown no sign of saying c-a-t.

But then on Sunday, after returning from our trip to Wisconsin and finding our attention-starved Kittenhead meowing throughout the apartment, Cole began his own "meow" which sounds more like Mao (as in Chairman). Now whenever he sees her he starts to Mao, Mao, Mao, and when he approaches her he Maos as if he's talking to her in her language.

Cole is also trying to say "bird" and "balloon." Ballon is shortened to "boon," and bird is just "buh."

at the park

Here's a pic from last week's trip to the park. Elaine, Mark, and Nina are on their way to Florida this morning. They are planning to move there this year and they'll be house hunting during this trip. It's hard to know they are leaving, but at least it will be a nice place to visit. Nina is Cole's first friend, and Elaine is my number one friend. It's making me sad just thinking about it.

spring slides and whee

Warm weather arrived this week, and Cole and I ventured out to the playground on Tuesday. Initially it was overrun by older kids and I was afraid he would run in front of the swings and get clocked, so I pushed him around in his car until the scene was quieter. The sunshine felt good and the forsythia was in full bloom...perfect for some snapshots.

Cole amazed me by how well he could balance himself on the slide. He doesn't need a spotter behind him anymore to keep him from falling backwards. We still have to put him at the top because our local tot lot doesn't have stairs for him to climb, but once he's there he's ready and eager to push himself down. I still wait for him at the bottom in case he comes down faster than expected. Tony got home in time to join us, and it was great to be outside together. We had so much fun that we hopped in the car and drove over to a nearby playground so Cole could go on the swings. He didn't seem very comfortable though and instead he went on more slides and played in the mulch.

Yesterday we went to Burke Lake Park with Elaine and Nina, and the kids were fearless on the double slide there...not so much on the big covered twisty slide. In their defense, it wasn't slick enough and Tony almost got stuck in it. Nina's so agile she can run up the stairs and then sit down and slide all by herself. Cole still needs some help so he doesn't try to just walk down the slide. He needs the reminder to sit first, but I'm sure he picked up some pointers from Nina. Her word for slide is "whee," and she said it a lot!

danish duck

Kristen and John sent us a great package of goodies from Denmark, mostly of the candy variety except for this stylish hood for Cole. Kris has told me how they bundle the kids up over there with such efficient layers that they are practically waterproof. The hood she sent is a size larger than the one that Olivia, the 3-year old who she watches during the week, but it still barely contains Mr. Cole's cheeks!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Cole turned 17 months old yesterday, and taking photos of him is not as easy as it used to be. I'll share some of the outtakes next time. I'm exhausted!

king of the jungle

Cole's vocabulary has more than doubled in the past two weeks. Granted his vocabulary consisted of only one word (Bath), but still he has made substantial progress recently. He can now say "cheese", "boo!" and today he added "RAAAARRR." I know RAAAARRR is more of a sound effect than a word, but he knows that it's the sound the a lion makes.

We were playing with his Little People Noah's Ark this afternoon, and we play a game with the alligator/crocodile where I put my hands together to make a mouth and I chase him around saying "chomp, chomp" and he feeds my hands the alligator, his own hands and feet, and anything else within arm's reach. Giggles ensue... The rhino also chases him while pushing his horns into Cole's belly...more giggles. Then he reached for the lion and I made my best roar and then Cole copied me. This time I laughed too. His roar is more like a newborn lion cub, but then again, mine isn't very intimidating either.

dancing baby

Here's a shot from last week's trip to Culpeper. This is Cole in a "Footloose" moment in the one of the empty model homes.

He's got a few new moves. The other night he was working on a head bob while he had one hand in his pocket, very hip-hop. Mostly, he still favors a Riverdance, high stepping style. In fact he rarely walks, his gait has become more of a hoppy and happy jog. I can't wait to see what he does when he has more room to move and a clear path to pick up speed.

egg

Cole got an early Easter egg today---right on his forehead. He ran full speed into the front panel of the couch when he took the turn too wide. There's a pile of pillows next to the couch that has been his crash pad since he started walking. Now that he runs, he loves to dive into the pile and "hide."

His egg is blue and purple and the swelling is already going down, but the doctor told me not to let him take his afternoon nap as a precaution. Of course, today of all days, he woke up 3 hours earlier than usual, so he was already sleepy. The doc also told me to watch him if he starts stumbling---but of course, he's stumbling, he's exhausted. The best I could do was delay his nap by 2 hours and then I laid down next to him so I could watch him. We both woke up feeling better.

We made a drawing together of his egg, and I promise to scan it tomorrow.

concert catchup

It's been a very rough week here with the highlight being the They Might Be Giants show Wednesday afternoon. Cole came down with a stomach virus very suddenly Sunday night. He's never really thrown up before, even as a baby he rarely spit up, so the ordeal was scary for him and for us. We went through all our crib sheets and clean pajamas, and by morning he was wearing a too-big shirt with sweat pants. He had 3 baths that night, and threw up on me twice, in his crib twice, in a trash can, and the bath tub (not while bathing).

Cole's appetite has been slow to return and he's been a little sleepier, but he's feeling better every day. By Wednesday, the only remaining ailment was gas that smelled like we only fed him rotten eggs. We thought this cloud of gas might work to our advantage at the concert, but it didn't gain us any space. We got there 2 hours early which in fact was right on time if you wanted to be be up front.

TMBG played a great mix of the new music for the kiddies and old faves like Istanbul, Constantinople and Dr. Worm. Having seen them three times before, I can tell you that the show really wasn't all that different from what they would've done in a club. Sure, the amps were set a little lower and there wasn't room for a conga line, but it was the same energy. The show was truly fun for all, and we hung around afterwards to have goodies signed for Cole and his friends.

fork and spoon

At Cole's 15 months doctor's appointment his pediatrician asked if he was feeding himself with a fork and spoon. Cole has used a spoon successfully only a few times. He prefers to manhandle his food and show it who's boss.

On Sunday we visited the Nesbits at their new home in Southern Maryland, and we stopped for dessert in a tiny coffee shop on Solomon's Island. Their specialty is key lime pie, and Cole will agree that it is worth the trip. We offered him about a 1/4 of a slice, and it did not last very long. He began by poking the pie with the fork, and eating only the little sticky crumbs that clung to the fork. As he got more excited he stabbed the pie with such force, he split the remaining piece in two, and half of it stayed on the fork long enough to get it to his mouth.

So, I guess the answer to the doctor's question should've been, "Yes, but only when he is properly motivated."

TMBG

Cole will be going to his first "concert" February 23rd (thanks to a tip from Anna!). I've always liked They Might Be Giants, and their live shows are a ton of fun. I'm not familiar with their new music for kids, but I did notice their involvement with the title sequence of the Disney Channels's Higglytown Heroes. Their smart, funny tunes are great for all ages, so I'm open to hearing the new album/CD/DVD aimed at kids. I wonder if they'll pander to the parents with "Particle Man" or my fave "Birdhouse in Your Soul."

On a side note, I think the Disney Channel is a totally evil marketing machine and I'm offended by how obnoxiously blatant the advertising is. In between shows, there's a series of segments promoting their "stars" albums and merchandise. Keep in mind these stars are kids born into the Disney machine to be later spit out as the next Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake. I'm not slamming all things Disney, but I'm not letting Cole watch the channel either. We'll go to Disney World someday and I'm sure we'll have a great time, but we won't be buying Raven's next album.

nursery rhyme time

I introduced Cole to the Itsy Bitsy Spider one rainy day, and this weekend, I dusted off some other old nursery rhymes that I thought I had forgotten. Cole loves Where is Thumkin? although he doesn't seem aware of his own thumbs. He just holds his hands up at face level and wiggles all his fingers as I sing it for him. Oh, and it gets even cuter, Saturday night we read to him from the Muppet Babies alphabet nursery rhyme book (obviously not the exact title, but I'm too lazy to go get it right now). The book was a lovely gift from the Millers which we have kept tucked away until Cole was ready for paper pages. With the help of the Muppets, we remembered all of Ring Around the Rosie and by the third time I sang it, all three of us were dancing in a circle around the living room. I never thought something so silly could be so much fun, and I don't think I've enjoyed Ring Around the Rosie that much since I was a little girl. We all had a good laugh and Cole will now grab both of your hands when he wants to play again.

Cole just started holding my hand while I walk with him. He used to just tug and twist like a poorly trained pup, but our pup is growing up and is now willing to hold hands in exchange for the freedom to walk like a big boy. Today we strolled into the bank together with Cole talking to himself with each step. He acted as if he had much more important business to attend to than I did.

crayons are fun

Cole has really embraced drawing in the last two weeks. He's now making purposeful marks as opposed to stabbing or drumming on the paper. As you can see, he's exploring colors and seems to like them all equally. He also enjoys putting the crayons back in the box and dumping them all out again. It's amazing to watch him suddenly accept something new.

If only he were as open minded about his dinner menu. He's loved all the new things we've tried for breakfast--sliced banana, cinnamon raisin toast with butter or cream cheese, and real oatmeal. Dinner and lunch have become more of a struggle, but I'm sure the fact that he seems to be getting 2 new teeth on the bottom isn't helping the cause. Still, I'm looking forward to the day when he makes up his mind that he likes chunky food beyond breakfast.

snow

Winter took its time getting here, but January felt like, well, January, for the most part. We've had a couple snow storms in the last 2 weeks, and the entire metro area goes into panic mode. Tony and I are both comfortable driving in snow, having plenty of experience in Green Bay and Rochester, but since the 9 million other drivers on the road aren't as well trained, we avoid going out. It's made for some nice quiet weekends.

On January 22, we finally got Cole into his snow suit and out in the elements. Maybe he was tired or uncomfortable in his Michelin suit, but he was not a fan of the white stuff. His reaction was of course documented on film and video. He stood completely, perfectly still and whined. After 5 minutes, we all went back inside.

Last weekend, we found ourselves in a surprise storm after a dinner out at Red Robin. [I know it's a great burger joint, but I'm hooked on the messy Chicken Teriyaki sandwich.] On the way to the car, Cole was fascinated by the snow and tried to catch it. He smiled as he felt the snowflakes on his face, so maybe there's hope for sledding and snowmen and hot chocolate in his future after all.

with love from me to you

Thanks to LJC for the code!

weaning

Cole had weaned himself and nursed for the last time the day after Thanksgiving. I didn't write about it sooner because it happened so gradually and without any fuss that I wasn't even convinced that it was over for a while.

When Cole was about 10 1/2 or 11 months old he decided on two nursing sessions a day. Both were short, one was when he woke up in the morning, and the other before he went to bed. Then at 11 1/2 months we began giving him whole milk in his sippy cup, but he refused to drink it. In fact he found it so vile, that he would refuse his cup altogether after a taste of milk. He had never had formula, so I decided not to offer it to him and instead go straight to the milk, but Cole had other plans. After much trial and error, he has accepted "milk smoothie"--a blend of Gerber yogurt drink, whole milk, and water. I've been slowly decreasing the water, and eventually I hope to phase out the yogurt drink, but at least we found the magic formula! The pediatrician told me not to worry about it too much because he gets plenty of calcium from the yogurt and cheese that he devours every day.

As for the weaning, I was prepared that it might be emotional for me, but it really wasn't. (Dooce's post on the topic had me in tears, but she had complicating circumstances.) I was ready to stop too, and I remember thinking that Friday morning that this might be the last time, and I felt more relief than sadness. Breastfeeding was a great experience for me and Cole. I never had mastitis, and when he weaned, I didn't have any trouble with engorgement. Sure the first few weeks after Cole was born were exhausting and uncomfortable, and the bras and nursing pads were demeaning and just plain ugly, but we made a good team, and I'm glad that I did it.

BATTTHHHH

Cole has said his first word, and while it may seem like an unusual choice, it did not surprise us. "BATTTHHHH" Cole loves his bath time, and he recently graduated to a bigger tub. It's inflatable with a flat bottom so he can stretch out his legs and really enjoy his soak. It also means he has more room for splashing.

heard 'round the house

"Hey Kel, bring me the aspirator. He's got a meatball up his nose."

Heard while Tony was feeding Cole his dinner. Yes, it was a meatball, and yes, we did get it out.