Mandy and Chris

Favorite

2012-03-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

Pretttttty sure this is in my top ten favorite photos ever:

Happy Pi Day!

2012-03-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

We celebrate Pi Day around here in a VERY creative way...by baking a pie! :)

Cole loved helping out:

And then, of course, reaping the rewards:

The finished product: Frosty Peanut Butter Pie! so yummy!

One guitar

2012-03-13T21:23:00.002-07:00

This is so cool:

Related: who on earth thinks of these things? I mean, it's not like I go through the day thinking, "Hey! Let's get five people playing a song on a single guitar!"

adoring

2012-03-12T16:29:00.002-07:00

This is the look Cole often has on his face when he's interacting with his adored Daddy:

Yes, apparently Daddy really is that awesome.

Working

2012-03-09T05:30:00.000-08:00

It was the inevitable question. The one I knew was destined to arise at some point during the party.

"So, Mandy - where are you working over there in Medford? Was it hard to find a job?"

"Well," I say - "I'm actually not working right now. Just staying home with Cole and loving it. I haven't even looked for a job over there because I'm so content being home."

Silence.

My friends (and former co-workers) don't know what to say. They avoid eye contact with me. They change the subject immediately.

It's not something I'm ashamed of, being a stay-at-home mom. I don't see anything wrong with it and I'm proud that I have this distinction. I'm glad that I have the confidence in myself and our decision. But I'm not going to lie - sometimes, it's hard not to feel a little defensive when surrounded by these amazing women - all working moms - who are some of my dearest friends.

After my confession, I'm tempted to fill the silence with excuses and reasons. "We can't find reliable and affordable daycare...Jobs are so scarce right now...A second income would just boost us up into the next tax bracket, anyway..."

But as the excuses are starting to leave my lips, I think to myself, "Wait a minute. I don't need to excuse anything. These wonderful ladies don't feel as though they need to excuse their desire to work, so why should I say a reason for staying home?"

It's so easy to feel ashamed, embarassed, lazy for being a stay at home mom. I don't think it's a career path our society puts a lot of value on right now. Americans are famous for cultural extremes and I think the working mom situation is a definite example - we try so hard to limit the guilt/expectations for moms who work outside the home, we end up downplaying moms who stay home.

But you know what? Right now, staying home works perfectly for us. It's a dream come true to be home all day, every day with my little guy. Is staying home the right decision for everyone? No way! But I sometimes wish we could all be a little more tolerant of what works for an individual person and his/her family.

How about you? Have you ever felt judged for a personal family choice, and if so, how did you deal with it?

Family Day Part 2

2012-03-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

After we hiked Table Rock, we hurried back home so Cole could have his regular afternoon nap. The nap which is usually around an hour - but Cole was so pooped from the hike, he ended up napping for 2.5 hours! It was awesome.

When he woke up, we decided to milk the beautiful weather for all it was worth and have a picnic:

He spent a good part of the picnic like this (not so used to bumps and cracks in cement pathways, I guess):

Daddy brought a tennis ball:

This is what Cole's face looks like every time he throws a ball:

Chris was THRILLED to see that Cole carries the tennis ball like a football - and I adore the concentration lines on his face!

Playing ball is SERIOUS business:

Until Daddy comes along...

It was a great break in the winter doldrums to have a family day!

Never

2012-03-07T10:20:00.000-08:00

Table Rock

2012-03-06T13:45:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was momentous. Chris has spent EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND since Christmas either on call or working on our rental house over in Klamath Falls. Every.single.weekend. Needless to say, we were in need of some family time - so Sunday, we dedicated the whole day to just us.

We started off with a beautiful hike of Table Rock:

The weather was INCREDIBLE - 67 degrees! And then today it is snowing...what the heck, Southern Oregon weather?!

I love that he still wants to hold my hand:

Now, ok - I looked up the hike beforehand to see the difficulty level was because I'm a wuss, and the official website labeled this hike as Easy. Bull, I say to that. This was NOT an easy hike. Not hard, but FOR SURE not Easy. Just ask the poor couple we saw sweating buckets while trying (keyword: trying) to push a double stroller up the trail. It was not a stroller kind of hike.

Mt Mcloughlin:

Finally at the top!

Cole was VERY impressed with the views:

Tomorrow, I'll post pictures of the second half of our Family Day :)

Potty Training

2012-03-03T19:02:00.000-08:00

Here's what arrived from Amazon.com today:

Yup. We're going to start venturing into the Great Unknown Territory known as Potty Training.

dum dum DAH...

I am intimidated. I am nervous. I have no idea what to expect.

Maybe that's for the best. Maybe having zero expectations is the key to potty training. Maybe we're not even ready to start potty training and I'm rushing things. And maybe I'm overthinking everything before we even get started on the darn potty training.

So for right now, we're just exploring the potty, getting used to it. We are slowly going to introduce to Cole the whole potty-training gig, with no pressure and no reward system. I'm just going to take it one day at a time and adjust expectations accordingly.

Right now, Cole just thinks this little potty makes for an awesome new chair!

Ok everyone - any potty training tips for a newbie like me?

Brush

2012-03-03T18:54:00.003-08:00

Reason #19,878,303,898,430 why I love this age:

Cole loves to help clean, so I bought this mini broom thingy for him - only, I didn't show him what it was supposed to be used for. This is what he decided to do with it:

Yup, works great as a hairbrush too!

21 months

2012-03-02T03:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Cole,

This past month, I've been full of nostalgia for your babyhood - in mourning, if you will. You are a full on toddler now - with the exception of your speech, hardly anything remains of that teeny tiny newborn we brought home from the hospital.

You are such a little PERSON, my darling. At one of your speech appointments, they asked if I could describe you in one word. I was all, "That's like trying to choose a favorite book! It's not possible!" You are made up of so many different pieces. Intelligent. Loving. Independent. Passionate. Thoughtful. Messy. Strong-willed. Generous. Persistent.

How could I choose just a single quality to label you?

This month, I am especially loving watching your little mind make so many connections. We were reading a book that had some flamingos in it - when we got to that page, you ran to get a different book that had flamingos in it too! You were so excited and so proud of yourself. You are practicing counting, learning one-to-one correspondence. You are passionate about animals, the moon (oh, how you adore the moon!), hot-air balloons, and BOOKS.

You are finally starting to work on saying some words, too - not just grunting and pointing. "WA-ER" for water, "MILL" for milk, "YIYT" for light, "JEWY" for jelly, "MOO" for moon. It's nothing short of thrilling, to have concrete evidence of all those neurons that I just know are firing in your little mind.

You also have learned the letter "O". If you see it somewhere in public, you'll point and scream "O! O!" You can find it in any books we're reading. I am so proud I could burst. You're working on letters K, A, X, C, and E as well, which you can identify most of the time.

As always, I'm amazed at how incredible this whole parenthood gig is. You are fun and difficult and smart and funny and challenging in so many more ways than I would have thought just a mere twenty-one months ago. Some days are hard and exhausting; but most days are amazing and fun.

You make our lives more complete than we ever knew was possible, little man. We love you more than anything,

Love, Mama and Daddy

Lovin'

2012-02-29T20:10:00.000-08:00

Cole, giving Chloe some love:

She is truly the MOST PATIENT dog in the entire world:

He loves his Chloe!

Hide and Seek

2012-02-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

Cole has recently learned how to play hide-and-seek.

Here he is hiding:

Can you see him? I know, me neither.

Rules of Possession

2012-02-27T06:14:00.000-08:00

A Toddler's Rules of Possession:

1. If I like it, it's mine.
2. If it's in my hand, it's mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
5. If it's mine, it must NEVER appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I"m doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it looks just like mine, it's mine.
8. If I saw it first, it's mine.
9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
10. If it's broken, it's yours.

-source unknown, but probably someone who had a toddler. This is dead-on.

Walks

2012-02-24T19:26:00.001-08:00

On our walks lately, Cole has been ditching his stroller and ~~walking~~ running for part or most of it.

I can't put my finger on what exactly is SO ADORABLE about him running around like this. Is it the grin on his face? the rosy red cheeks? the short stumpy legs going a mile a minute?

Whatever it is, I wish I could bottle it and keep my little mister on it forever. I think I might explode from his cuteness.

Just call me putty

2012-02-24T10:37:00.000-08:00

Yup, that's right. I am putty in the hands of my outrageously adorable toddler.

Take lunch time last week, for example. We had a normal lunch of yogurt, salad, shredded cheese, tomatoes drizzled with balsamic vinegar (yeah, weird, Cole loves balsamic vinegar), and a peanut-butter-and-jelly (JEWY!) sandwich.

Lunch time can get a little crazy around here. I'm usually getting Cole's food, then desperately trying to unload the dishwasher while he's contained in his highchair (to avoid his "helping"), and sometimes if I'm lucky, I have enough time to sit and wolf a sandwich too.

Well, on this particular day, I happened to have my back turned putting dishes away when I hear the dogs hop off their spots on the couch and trot as fast as they can toward the high chair.

Uh-oh.

If the dogs are making a break for the high chair, it usually means one of two things:

A.) There is food on the floor, graciously dropped from Above.
B.) Hm, never mind. I guess it's just the one reason. Food.

So I turn around just in time to see Chloe and Nala frantically inhaling shredded cheese that happens to be ALL OVER the floor, the high chair - even in Cole's hair. I have just enough time to think, "HOW could he have managed to get it EVERYWHERE?!" when he giggles and tosses the cheese in the air.

ARGH!

And then, he takes his cup of tomatoes drizzled with balsamic and TURNS IT UPSIDE DOWN ON NALA'S HEAD. Sticky balsamic vinegar, all over the dog.

GAH!

So I'm pretty sure my face looks something like this:

when Cole looks up and sees me. Instinctively, he knows I'm pretty darn upset - he's pretty observant that way. But this toddler of mine knows his power over me. First, he gives me the wide-eyed, "but I didn't know I wasn't supposed to!" look:

Then, he further begins the putty process by flashing his cutest grin and pointing to the mess ALL OVER THE FLOOR AND HIGH CHAIR and saying, "GHEE! GHEE! "WOOF!"

Uh-oh. The cute little baby talk words that he knows get me EVERY SINGLE TIME. Oh gah, I'm starting to melt. Maybe he just wanted to show the dogs some love, right?

NO! NO! must-not-let-toddler-turn-me-to-putty...must. stand. ground...

He gives me the adorable side-eye, as if to assess how far gone I am.

I march over, desperately holding onto the tail end of my annoyance. "What a mess! You are done eating if you are going to make such a big mess!"

Then, as I'm reaching for his plate to take it away, he grabs my arm and goes in for the kill - a big, smacking, adorable wet kiss planted right on my hand. And then a sweet little pat. And big doe eyes looking searchingly up at me - I can almost hear him saying, "You can't REALLY be mad at such a cute, sweet little boy, NOW CAN YOU?! LOOK HOW ADORABLE I AM! I GAVE YOU KISSES!"

And for good measure, one more smacking kiss.

And it's the final nail in my putty coffin. I am officially a putty, pushover, fall-for-the-doe-eyes mama.

I give him a hug and a kiss back. Let's just hope the kid never learns my weakness for an "I WUV YOU, MAMA!". We'd REALLY be in trouble then.

Yogurt Face

2012-02-22T20:58:00.000-08:00

I bought some Greek yogurt cups on sale last week - Cole is a huge fan! I think he feels very grown-up, eating his yogurt out of the container instead of on his plate.

I, however, am not quite as huge of a fan. It's a little on the messy side:

"Want some, Mama?"

"All done!"

Yes, that is yogurt in his hair. And his eyebrows. Up his nose. In his ears. And on his eyelashes.

It's everywhere. But he adores it. And he's adorable when he's scooping it into his mouth with both hands.

How to entertain your toddler

2012-02-21T20:41:00.000-08:00

Like I said earlier, Cole is SO INTO reading right now. SO SO SO into reading. Like, I cannot get anything else accomplished because we are literally spending 3+ hours a day READING!

Who knew reading could be so exhausting.

And it's a good thing. An excellent thing. I am so proud of my active little toddler boy loving his books so much. It's super fun for both of us to snuggle on the couch with the dogs, a blanket, and a huge stack of books. But occasionally, I need to do things like shower and laundry - and it's hard to do those while reading to Cole.

So today, in desperation, I emptied a bag of kidney beans from the cupboard into a bowl, tossed in a couple measuring cups, and plopped it on the floor (who knew I'd ever be looking for ways to drag my child AWAY from books?!).

Cole was sufficiently entertained to allow me to unload the dishwasher and eat a piece of toast before he saw his books on the coffee table and brought one to me - "BOO! BOO!" (book).

It was perfect :)

Gender Stereotypes

2012-02-20T21:48:00.000-08:00

I adore this video that's making its rounds in the blog world lately:

Now, me being the liberal mama that I am, when Cole was born I was determined to raise him as much as possible without stereotypes, gender or otherwise. Not that I was going to name him Storm and not tell anyone his gender or anything - not that extreme - but I did want to follow his lead on what he was interested in.

Cole naturally gravitated toward being interested in trucks, trains, animals, candles (I know! it's still so random!), and books. But if he starts to show interest in dolls (age appropriate) or cooking (he actually loves to cook, and one day when we have room I'm planning on making this), I will follow his lead.

My main question I ask myself when struggling with a parenting question (or any question, to be honest) is: "Is this behavior hurting anyone? If my child grows up with this behavior, will it hurt anyone?"

What harm would happen if my son happened to like to play with dolls? It hurts no one. If it made him happy, isn't that all that matters?

If our world was a little more free from stupid, meaningless gender stereotypes, heartbreaking stories like this or this wouldn't happen. Little kids wouldn't feel bad about themselves because they happened to love pink, or wear a blue shirt even though they're a girl, or want to ask Santa for a doll.

I wish we could all just quietly observe our children's cues and allow them to follow their own interests, instead of forcing or pushing our own adult agendas onto them.

What do you think? How would you handle it if your child wanted a stereotypically opposite gender toy?

"Mew! Mew!"

2012-02-19T21:02:00.000-08:00

I had a clever post all written about Cole's love for music ("Mew! Mew!" he says), but somehow it got lost into the black hole that is the internet.

So instead I just leave you with these pics - can you BELIEVE how old my boy is looking?! And so handsome...although I may be a tad biased:

It's pictures like these that make me long for another baby - a teeny tiny little newborn, now that my baby has no traces of baby left!

Compulsive Reader

2012-02-18T20:49:00.000-08:00

At last count, I have over 1500 children's books. Yup, that's just the kid's books, not counting my own books. Part of that is from teaching...but I have to admit, all those books are really coming in handy right now.

Because Cole is a READER. He reads all the time. Just today, we spent about 3 hours total reading. And if I didn't have all those books, we would be reading Eric Carle for 3 hours a day.

I KNEW all those books would be worth moving 3+ times...

Cole even reads during snack sometimes...I know I shouldn't let him, but I tend to be a little permissive when it comes to reading :)

Birthday Planning

2012-02-17T07:55:00.000-08:00

Cole's birthday is a short 3 months away! While I REALLY don't want to go overboard with buying him things (we're more about the experiences rather than more STUFF), I do plan on getting him one or two things:

1. A trip to a zoo. We will FOR SURE be going to a zoo of some sort for Cole's main birthday present. I can hardly wait, he will LOVE it. This kid just adores his animals and I know it will be the coolest thing he could ever want.

2. Lacing beads.

via

As I've mentioned before, Cole has off-the-charts amazing fine motor skills. I know these beads are for ages 3 and up, but if he plays with them under supervision he'll have a blast.

3. Books:

Books are ALWAYS a good bet for my little guy. He spends so many hours a day reading - on his own, with me, in his crib...I love buying him new books to read.

-Press Here

This book looks awesome. It's an "interactive" book - each page has a set of instructions, and when the instructions are followed and you turn the page, something "happened". I think Cole would enjoy it.

-Little Bear

I don't know what it is about these "Little Bear" books. I mean, they're beginner CHAPTER books, so they aren't short. But Cole adores the one we have - we read it over and over and over and over... well, you get the point. I'd love to get the rest of them.

-Gallop and Waddle

We have "Swing" in this series, so when I heard there were animal versions out there, I knew Cole would be ALL OVER them. Books + animals = Cole happiness.

-Gossie and Gertie

Cole has the original "Gossie" and reads it constantly. The storylines are adorable, the illustrations are sweet - I'm pretty sure Cole would love the whole series.

4. a Bilibo

via

Seriously? I want to get this for Cole because I want to try it out! It looks like so much fun - and totally open ended play, which is my favorite!

5. Jumbo Magneatos

via

I just know my little engineer/builder would have a blast with these magnetic construction toys - and these ones are jumbo sized just for toddlers.

6. A sand and water table:

via

I'd really love to be able to make a wooden one for Cole - the normal plastic ones just aren't sturdy enough for him. I've seen these filled with sand, water, rice, dried corn, snow - Cole would love it.

Hilarious!

2012-02-16T09:06:00.000-08:00

Click on the picture to see the whole thing:

This guy posted his phone number on Facebook, saying he was bored, so someone thought they'd remedy that! I am crying laughing over this!

"Woah!"

2012-02-13T10:22:00.000-08:00

Cole gets very excited about trucks:

Maybe I should change his name to Linus

2012-02-12T18:20:00.000-08:00

Yet another example of the cardboard box phenomenon:

When I was pregnant with Cole (and even before I was pregnant), I made SO MANY blankets. Crocheted blankets, quilted blankets, taggie blankets, silky minky blankets. All sizes, all shapes, all fabrics. I loved the idea of Cole getting attached to a special "lovey" to help him feel more secure. So I made blankets - beautiful (if I do say so myself) blankets with hours of labor put into them.

Then we had Cole. And Cole needed to be swaddled - lo and behold, none of the HUNDREDS of blankets I made worked for swaddling. So at about 2am one morning, in the midst of bleary-eyed sleep deprivation, I took an old holey jersey flat sheet and chopped it into four ratty pieces to swaddle Cole with.

Turns out, they were perfect. They were just the right size, sorta stretchy but not too flimsy, and the perfect weight for all seasons.

But now, even though we haven't swaddled Cole to sleep in months, he still loves his "blanky". The ratty, holey, blue jersey sheet-reject that is not even a little bit cute. He passes up all those adorable (and time-intensive) blankys I made for him and chooses to get attached to the cut-up sheet with unfinished edges.

All that matters is that he's happy, right?

Daddy

2012-02-10T13:57:00.000-08:00

Cole and I sit on our front deck, playing in the sandbox while waiting for Daddy to come home. At the sound of every car passing by, Cole stops what he's doing to peer through the bars, "Da? Da?" Sometimes a car that looks suspiciously like Daddy's will go by, and Cole's face will light up...only to fall as it passes by.

Then he sees it. Daddy's car, pulling down our street. He lets out a squeal and clasps his hands excitedly under his chin. Then he does a happy feet dance, running to stick his hands through the bars to wave to Daddy. "DA! DA! DA!"

"Hi Handsome!" Daddy says, as he gets out of the car, with big smiles all around.

Cole runs to me to be picked up, so we can go inside and see his Da.

It's one of the best parts of our day.

One of those days

2012-02-09T16:20:00.000-08:00

um, WOW.

You ever have one of those days?

The kind of day when your toddler seems to think EVERY book belongs on the floor; and EVERY toy needs to be out of the toybox; and EVERY item needs to be out of the cupboards and drawers in the kitchen and scattered all over the room; and EVERY piece of recycling needs to be removed from the recycling can and placed in hazardous places on the floor.

The kind of day when your toddler refuses to nap, even though his mama has a cold and all she wants in the whole wide world is to take a nap (and maybe win the lottery. Heck, at this point, my chances of winning the lottery are a LOT higher than my chances of taking a nap).

The kind of day when your toddler won't even let you eat a snack; instead, he clings crying to your pant legs, insisting that you A) give him whatever you are eating, even though he ate half an hour ago and will just throw whatever you are eating on the floor or B) STOP STOP STOP eating and PLAY with me!

The kind of day when your toddler finds his milk sippy cup and commences pouring milk all over his toys, books, and the recycling that is on the floor.

The kind of day when your toddler finds his guitar in his toy box and decides to chase after the dogs with it, banging them with it whenever he gets close enough.

The kind of day when your toddler pulls several folders of important information (you know, tax returns and stuff) from the filing cabinet and throws them into the bathtub full of water.

The kind of day when your toddler decides to poop five times (yes, FIVE times!!!!), which wouldn't be the end of the world except that to him, diaper changes ARE the end of the world; so you are forced to practically sit on your child while wrestling diapers and onesies and pants and socks off him while he is kicking you and screaming like you are inflicting torture upon him. You may or may not have a black eye from these encounters.

Uh, yup. That's the kind of day we had. The kind of day when I just have to remember to DON'T carpe diem. That on this trip up Mount Everest (AKA parenting), it's ok if I don't love every single second of picking up after my child's mess, and wishing that he would just NAP ALREADY, and hoping that I can hold onto my last scraps of patience until my husband comes home and I can hand off my child and go take a nap. It's ok. Not every day is great, and I'm not a bad mom for having one of those days.

Tell me, ever had one of THOSE days? What do you tell yourself to get through it?

ice cream

2012-02-08T07:45:00.000-08:00

Cole's first taste of ice cream:

(no, it wasn't for breakfast...he just tends to stay in his pajamas until after lunch... or after his afternoon nap...some days we do actually get dressed around here, I promise!)

I think he liked it:

Discipline vs Punishment

2012-02-07T10:26:00.000-08:00

Oooo-eee, I'm about to open a whole can of worms with this post.

Now that Cole's starting to get a wee bit older, we're starting to venture into that great unknown territory know as Discipline.

Few words in the English language attract more discussion than the word DISCIPLINE. As a society, we're quick to pass judgements regarding the subject - "Oh, that child just needs someone to discipline him!" "Wow, not the way that I would discipline!" "Give her a spanking, THEN she'll know how to behave!"

My problem is with the word "discipline". Too often I think our society mixes up "discipline" with meaning "punishment" - usually spanking or time-outs. Discipline, in fact, has nothing to do with any sort of punishment. It means to teach. Kids are not born knowing how to behave appropriately, and they are not born with perfect impulse control. Discipline is pro-active - it's giving warnings, it's explaining, it's helping your child know exact consequences for any misbehavior.

Punishment is done AFTER the fact - such as spanking.

Which brings me to ...dum dum duuuuuummm...we are not planning on spanking our children.

GASP!

And no, we are not going to be one of those families in Walmart with screaming children who are using Whiffle bats to hit their parents. Not choosing to spank DOES NOT mean not choosing to discipline and punish.

While there are many reasons we have for choosing not to spank, here are some of them:

1. Hitting is wrong. Hitting is not how you deal with problems. It is not ok to hit anyone, ever. If Chris was upset with something I was doing, would it be acceptable for him to hit me? Of course not. HOW does it make sense to spank someone, a child, to teach them? It seems so counter-intuitive to me. There are so many other options for discipline. Most parents who do choose to spank (over 65% of parents spank) do so not necessarily because they LOVE spanking, but because they don't know what else to do. They are at a loss as to how to discipline, so they resort to punishment.

2. It is not ok for hitting/spanking to be used as punishment in any setting other than at home. If you are forced to hit your child to get them to "behave", how on earth are they expected to behave in places where spanking is not allowed?

3. Every single parenting expert I have ever read denounces spanking, with the exception of two. And those two parenting experts said spanking was ok to use sparingly, as long as it is performed calmly and without anger or frustration. Have you EVER seen anyone spank who is NOT angry or frustrated? It's impossible.

4. The majority of child abuse cases begin with a spanking. Not that I would EVER abuse my child, but it's still something to think about. An extreme situation of that is described here.

5. Flat out, spanking does not work. It is not a long term solution, but a short term solution. More on that is chronicled here.

6. "I was spanked as a child, and I turned out just fine!" Truly, one of the most common arguments for spanking I hear. Chris and I were both spanked (infrequently) as children, and I like to think we turned out pretty darn good! In fact, I delayed writing this post because I didn't want our parents to feel critized for their choice in spanking us. They absolutely did what they thought was best at the time. However, my parents didn't wear seatbelts growing up - the research on seatbelt safety simply wasn't around back then. Does that mean they didn't make us wear seatbelts, because they didn't and they turned out just fine? Of course not. Research for parenting is evolving and growing just like research for anything else - just because Chris and I as parents make different choices than the previous generation doesn't mean we don't love and appreciate how our parents raised us.

7. Picture this. Your child is one year old and just learning to walk. He takes a couple steps, but falls down. Would you spank your child for falling? No, of course not. He's learning, it will take time to practice and figure out these new skills. The same goes for behavior - kids are not born knowing how to behave appropriately. It takes practice and learning to control emotions, channel overwhelming feelings in socially acceptable ways. Spanking does not teach the child what to do instead.

Do I think that spanking Cole will automatically turn him into a violent, playground bully who thinks hitting is the only way to solve any problem? Of course not. And I'm not going to pretend that the thought will never cross my mind, to give him a quick swat on the bottom.

But my goal as a parent is to do the very best I can for my child - and spanking may not be the VERY BEST choice for us.

Tell me, what's your opinion about spanking?

happy birthday Gram

2012-02-06T07:49:00.000-08:00

Dear Gram,

Happy Birthday!

Love, Us

exploring

2012-02-05T21:09:00.000-08:00

Pockets

2012-02-04T08:56:00.000-08:00

Things I've found in Cole's pockets since he discovered what pockets are for last month:

rocks
handfuls of dog food
letter magnets
bottle cap
balled-up tissue
dirt...lots and lots of dirt
coins
pinecones
a floating candle
leaves
paperclips
a used gift card
acorns
an apple slice leftover from lunch
a mini tube of toothpaste

so true!

2012-02-03T18:32:00.000-08:00

via

This is a pretty accurate depiction of Cole's brain - except for the cartoon part. The phone-interruption part (every.single.time) and the "eat what Mama's eating" parts are both SPOT-ON!

20 months

2012-02-02T20:42:00.000-08:00

Dear Cole,

Oh boy. You're outta the teens and into your twenties. I was thinking the other day how close your 2 year birthday is. Four measly months away...I can hardly believe it!

The most exciting thing that's happened to you this month is your evaluation for early intervention services with speech. Oh little mister - you were a rock star! There's nothing that makes your mama more proud than showing you off to other people and you did not disappoint! I was a little worried because you tend to be quite shy in new places with new people, but you pulled through.

After testing, the therapist mentioned your incredible fine-motor skills. At 20 months, you have fine motor skills that are higher than most 3 year olds! Not that I'm surprised, but it sure made my mama heart swell with pride! Your gross motor and cognitive were also right on target, and you proceeded to impress the testers with your fantastic knowledge of body parts (at last count, you know 16 when most 20 month olds know 3-5). You most likely qualify for speech therapy, and I'm excited to get going with you on it! I can't wait to hear you talking and telling me what's going on in your mind.

You've been doing some really grown-up things lately - sitting at the table, undressing yourself, and putting your own clean laundry away. I love it - every little step you do reminds me how big you are getting, right before my eyes! You're also growing out of your clothes at an amazing rate - your little pants are turning into high-waters and your pajamas are nowhere near long enough anymore.

My darling boy, this month I especially want to remind you how much your daddy and I love you, no matter what. We do have high expectations for you - we want you to be hard-working, kind, and tolerant. But if something happens that's out of your control - like your speech - we want you to know that we'll always love you. If you end up being dyslexic, bad at math, tone deaf, unathletic - no matter what, as long as you're happy and trying hard, that's what's important.

All our love,
Mama and Daddy

2012-01-31T09:11:00.000-08:00

File under: people I want to be like

Playing in the Park

2012-01-30T03:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend we were busy hanging out with Gram AND Auntie Meg. Auntie Meg hasn't been down for a visit since Cole was born, so it was great to have her here and Cole loved showing off his mad park playing skillz:

Like Daddy, Auntie Meg had almost as much fun playing on the park equipment as Cole did!

I'm not gonna lie...he MAY be a better driver than I am already:

Thanks for coming down for a visit, Auntie Meg!

Deep thoughts for a Saturday

2012-01-29T16:16:00.000-08:00

"For most of life, nothing wonderful happens. If you don’t enjoy getting up and working and finishing your work and sitting down to a meal with family or friends, then the chances are that you’re not going to be very happy. If someone bases his happiness or unhappiness on major events like a great new job, huge amounts of money, a flawlessly happy marriage or a trip to Paris, that person isn’t going to be happy much of the time. If, on the other hand, happiness depends on a good breakfast, flowers in the yard, a drink or a nap, then we are more likely to live with quite a bit of happiness."

-Andy Rooney

This is something I've been thinking about a lot lately. I feel as though some of my life has been spent waiting and anticipating, looking forward to the next step: eager to finish school, get married, move to a better job, be able to afford more things, and of course - have a baby.

Always with the thought in the back of my mind, "My life would be perfect IF ONLY..."

The past year, however, it seems that has all changed. Is it a conscious choice? Is it simply that circumstances have fallen into place to make life great?

Maybe a little bit of both.

All I know is that I have felt almost overwhelmed by how content, how blissfully joyeous I feel with our little lives and our little family. There's no more of that burning desire to move to the next step, to push on with the next great thing.

We have some rough days, sure. Occasionally days where the tantrums make me feel like burying my head in the sand or fast-forward the days. But every.single.day, I wake up and I am purely HAPPY. I am looking forward to our day, even if it's a day spent in pajamas, doing laundry, and chasing Cole around the house.

I think it's what happens when everything you dreamed your life would be, actually happens.

I love my life.

What is a Homemaker Worth?

2012-01-27T21:08:00.000-08:00

Found this article on Yahoo the other day - "How Much is a Homemaker Worth?"

According to it, as a homemaker and stay-at-home mom, my annual salary should be $90,000.

I must say, I do agree. Although, when I told that to Chris, he said, "No - you're priceless!"

Say it with me - "Awwwwwww..."

What are you "worth"?

Speech and Language

2012-01-26T21:03:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned before, Cole doesn't talk. He babbles and says some beginning sounds, but he's way behind on his speech development.

So far behind, in fact, that he's been referred to a speech pathologist for testing.

Now, this is a GOOD thing. At least that's what I keep telling myself. If he does have a speech delay or some sort of impediment, now's the time to get it taken care of. Better to get a head start and get things moving so by the time he starts school he'll be talking just like the other kids.

But even as I advocate for my son and request testing - because the pediatrician wasn't too concerned, but in my mama heart I knew something wasn't quite right - even as I make the phone calls to schedule the appointments, there's a sliver of doubt and dread in my mind.

Did I do something wrong? Did I fail him as his mama? Is his speech delay a result of me?

Sometimes I can brush away these fears. Haven't I done everything right? Haven't I researched and planned and made changes just so Cole could have every possible advantage? We don't expose him to TV, because of the risk of speech delay. I talk to him frequently, narrating our actions to help him catch on. When he babbled as an infant, I babbled back to him to teach him the cadence of conversation. I never interrupt him. I patiently tell him the word of each object when he points curiously to it.

Haven't I done everything right? What did I do wrong?

Is it even my fault that he's not talking yet? How much of a child's development is nature and how much is nurture?

Mealtime

2012-01-24T21:36:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is about watching Cole eat, but I love it. I could watch this kid eat allll day long - wll, he eats 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, so I guess I kinda do. Something about the concentration, the independence...I just adore watching him.

Hinder the morning routine

2012-01-23T21:26:00.000-08:00

Every morning, I'm the first to get up when Cole wakes - usually around 6:30 or 7, bless his little heart. But every morning, without fail, the second Chris gets up out of bed he opens the bedroom door so Cole can come "help" him get ready.

And by "help" I mean "hinder".

Even though I'm the one who gets to stay home and Chris is the one in a rush to get out the door to work, he patiently allows Cole to empty all the bathroom drawers, stack Daddy's colognes on the toilet lid, and try on Daddy's shoes. He even lets Cole "help" him shave:

The best part of this little morning routine? Watching Cole's face light up when he hears Chris' alarm clock go off, because he knows he'll get to spend just a few fun minutes with Daddy. "Dah! Dah!" Cole says, scrambling out of his high chair and pitter-patter runs to the door.

I know, Cole. I like spending time with Daddy too. :)

Obsessive compulsive much?

2012-01-18T12:31:00.000-08:00

I'm afraid my child MIGHT be slightly OCD.

Here's why.

Yesterday, a lightbulb burned out in the hanging light over our breakfast bar. Cole FREAKED out. FREAKED, people. You'd think the world was ending from the state of his behavior. He refused to be ok with that bulb being burned out - it was intense.

And then there's his food. HEAVEN FORBID a pea gets into the compartment where is bread is. If, by chance, this HORRENDOUS thing occurs, Cole points at the offending pea with such a look of distaste and a loud "UGH!" that it's all I can do to not crack up. Dude, it's a pea. It's ok.

And if you ever come over to my house and happen to hold Cole's hand as he walks down the stairs, you will be treated to a show of pointing to every single mark or dent in the wall on the way down. No joke, he's like a tour guide. "Here's the black mark on the wall, here's the blue mark on the wall. There's the dent." On the way up the stairs, he'll pick up any miniscule piece of dirt or lint or chewed up tennis ball (thanks Chloe!) and hand it up to me like "Mama! WHY don't you ever vacuum!? DISGUSTING!" And he does this EVERY SINGLE TIME we are on the stairs. And if we make it halfway down the stairs without him pointing out the marks and dents? You can just bet we have to turn around and come back down again just so that he can point them out with his big grin on his face!

Now, you'd think with all those adorable obsessive-compulsive behaviors, I'd have a sweet little neatfreak helper on my hands, wouldn't you? Nope. Cole has no desire to keep his toys in their neat state - on the contrary, he seems to be most happy when his toys are dumped out of the basket and all over the floor, like this:

But then? He'll take a few of those toys from that mess and do something absolutely OCD adorable with them:

OCD or no OCD, I love this little man. He loves his routine just like his mama.

Nature Walk

2012-01-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

Some afternoons Cole starts to get a bit fussy and I start to get a bit stir crazy.

And then I know it's time to get outside.

We are so lucky to be just a short drive away from a gorgeous state park with an awesome nature trail, so I throw a coat onto Cole and we head outside.

Cole is so happy just running around the trail, picking up dirt and rocks and smiling big happy grins.

It doesn't take much to make my little man happy.

Five things

2012-01-16T08:38:00.000-08:00

Five quick things:

1. Cole is finally (sorta) saying a couple more words. He has "mail", "more", "Da" (Daddy), and "Ba" (bath). Yesterday we went to a nearby state park for a walk - when he spotted the river flowing next to the path he pointed at it and said, "Ba! Ba!" Apparently all bodies of water are bathwater!

2. Nala can open the baby gates with her nose. She is one smart cookie, that doggie of ours.

3. Lately, Cole has been perusing the newspaper with me in the mornings. It is absolutely adorable to watch him "reading" while making official "Hmm...hmmm..." noises - and the occasionally "Whoa!" when there's something extra-cool.

4. I know this is nothing new, but Cole just adores music and insists we listen to it frequently. His favorite is Adele - I think he has a crush.

5. Cole has been very into "tails" recently - when he sees an animal with a tail, he'll point to the tail emphatically, then to the dogs' tails. Then I'll ask him if he has a tail and he'll grab his backside with a panicked look on his face - "Oh no! I've lost my tail!" It's beyond hysterical.

Snow!

2012-01-15T19:08:00.000-08:00

My one complaint about living where we do is that it snows so rarely. I'm one of those crazy people who LOVES snow.

However! We got some snow this morning! Big, fat, beautiful flakes that fell mysteriously from the sky - and Cole was THRILLED! well, thrilled and a little confused. It's not his first snowfall, but it's the first he could really go out and experience - so he wasn't one hundred percent sure about the fluffy white stuff.

Here's hoping for more snow days soon!

You know you're in desperate need of a haircut when...

2012-01-13T09:51:00.000-08:00

Your hair looks like this:

*Shortly after these photos were taken, Chris attacked Cole's hair with cutters and he ceased to look like an electrocuted little boy. Just in case any of you were worried.

Independence

2012-01-12T05:30:00.000-08:00

Independence.

It's one of the top five qualities I want to instill in my children.

So why is it my hearts breaks just a tiny bit when Cole does something all on his own that he used to need my help for?

It's not the big events like walking and talking that really tug at my heartstrings. It's the first time he reaches up to the counter and pulls down his sippy cup. It's the first time he yanks off his socks and puts them in the hamper. It's the first time he "brushes" his own hair.

Slowly, my baby is needing me less and less - which is the whole point, after all. Everything I do, every interaction with him is designed with his eventual independence in mind.

I am eventually going to render myself useless...but that is how I'll know I did a great job as his mama.

an example of bad parenting

2012-01-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

Ooops. So here's an example of really terrible parenting on my part.

But he was just so adorable. I had to catch it on video just once. I promise, I'll never do it again.

(Oh, and don't mind "Evita" in the background. Cole and I have a thing for musicals.)

2012-01-10T08:37:00.000-08:00

Hmm?

Oh no, don't mind me. I'm just sitting on the sofa, reading a book, like an actual little boy or something.

Yup, further proof I'm not a baby anymore (Mama shakes head in disbelief).

19 months...plus a week

2012-01-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

Oh little mister.

What a month it has been.

Which is part of the reason why I'm writing your 19 month update a week late. oops.

This month, to me, has seemed a bit like a roller coaster. Really high highs and really low lows.

You see, I, most unfortunately, am a perfectionist. I want things done right, all the time, the first time. And I am discovering that parenting is not a perfectionist type of situation. I find myself second-guessing what I'm doing while raising you during the difficult periods.

And, my darling son, we've had a few of those difficult periods this month.

I know, it's nothing new. It's because you are growing and developing and flexing your independence muscles.

But could you please, pretty please, try to flex them in a way that does NOT involve screaming biting kicking tantrums?

We've had some tantrums. Some pretty epic ones (you even demonstrated one for Grammy on the way home from the park. I'm sure she'll never forget it - you screamed almost the whole walk home.). You especially like to start them in public, which is SUPER embarassing.

The worst part? I just have no idea what to DO when you are standing there having a screaming biting kicking tantrum. I've done all the research, but everything I've tried doesn't seem to work. Is this a situation in which I just need to give each one more time to do the job?

I so want to be understanding, my darling boy. I know you have all these huge grown-up emotions filling you up all at once and you're just not quite sure the appropriate way to handle it all. And I'm trying to help without making you feel ashamed of yourself. But when you get into that furious tantrum-y funk, nothing I do seems to make it through your black wall of anger and frustration.

I'm a little at my wit's end.

But the good news? It will get better. I know it will. We'll figure it out together, just like we always do. Sorry, buddy, that you being first born makes you my default "practice baby". I guess it comes with the territory. I'll be sure to screw some things up with any younger siblings that come along, just so they don't feel shafted.

And the more good news? Even with the tantrums and frustration, you are the most fun ever! Your daddy confessed to me this month how much fun he is having with you, and how much he enjoys playing with you now that you are getting to be so much older. You are sweet and loving and kind when you're not frustrated, and I'm pretty sure you have better table manners than most adults (using your silverware correctly, wiping your mouth with your napkin...I DIE from the cuteness!).

You still adore your candles. Today in the store we passed a candle aisle, and you sniffed loudly (your sign for candle), so we wheeled the cart over there and you picked out a candle and proceeded to sniff and beam proudly at everyone for the rest of the trip. adorable. You are becoming a bit bossy and very particular about certain things. Sometimes you want me to sit on the floor right ::here:: (and you will point your finger right where you want me to plop down) or put the block ::here:: and if I dare set it down an inch to the side you screech at me and point harder. Little dictator. You insist I hold your sippy cup at all times and heaven save my hearing if I need to set it on the counter.

You are also incredibly snuggly. I seriously thought my snuggly baby days were numbered when you started walking, but they have come back and then some. You tuck your hands under your tummy and lean your head against my chest or shoulder...and I feel like I can never get enough. I know soon there will be a day you won't want to snuggle, so I'm soaking up every minute I can.

My darling boy, even with the tiny rough patches here and there, there's no way I could possibly imagine our life without you in it. Even on those days when you have tantrum after tantrum, I want you to know that your daddy and I love you more than anything, no matter what.

Love, Mama

Have baby, will travel

2012-01-08T02:54:00.000-08:00

Dear Interwebs,

Can I just ask ya'll something? K thanks.

How on earth do you travel with a baby/toddler/child?

I'm just asking, because Chris and I tend to do a lot of traveling. With my family scattered literally ALL OVER the United States, we spend the majority of our vacation time traveling. Before we had kids, I swore that I would never let kiddos impede our travel plans - we still have so many places we want to see, not to mention family we miss!

Ha. Ha. Ha. Then I actually HAD a child. And the first few months weren't too bad, actually. No better or worse, just the added amount of STUFF to bring along. But then Cole became aware of his surroundings. and realized when they were unfamiliar. and then the "No Sleeping When Anything in the Universe is Even Slightly Off-Kilter" chapter of our lives began.

We're pretty lucky that Cole really does quite well at sleeping most of the time when we are home (actually, that's not luck. That's months and months of hard work and sacrifices to make that happen). But the instant we hit the road and try to put this little guy down for night-night time in any place that is not his Very Own Crib, we regret it.

It's gotten so bad that I literally do not ever want to leave home again.

Every single vacation in the year 2011 has been fun and exciting, but the strongest memories that are etched in my mind of each one is me crying while Cole refuses to sleep. Bend for a job interview?? Frantically walking Cole around so he'll stop crying long enough for Chris to sleep. Portland with Gram and Great Grandma BB? Spending all night holding Cole so he'll hopefully sleep, when in reality he just cries all.night.long. Epic Yellowstone vacation? We finally had to just give up and let him sob himself to sleep (this after 2-3 hours of trying to soothe him) - and he still would wake up at 4 am!

It never fails, people. This kid is a creature of habit with his sleep, but it's throwing a kink in my traveling plans! So what do you do when traveling with baby? Suck it up and try to nap when you can? Or are you like me, and resign yourself to the fact that you won't be traveling till baby goes off to college (assuming, in fact, that he'll actually sleep in a strange dorm room and won't be commuting so he can sleep in his Very Own Bed?)?

Running running

2012-01-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Cole LOVES to run.

I often wonder if he's going to end up following in his dad's and papa's footsteps and become a cross-country runner, because seriously? this kid? RUNS.

We go to the park several times a week - most times, he couldn't care less about the equipment. Slide? not interested. Climbing? nope. He'll just run around and around and around the equipment in circles.

He also tends to do a bit of running in the house:

Hot tubbin'

2012-01-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

Cole continued his love affair with the hot tub while we visited Gram and Pap:

my little water baby...do I foresee swimming lessons in our future?

Christmas Part 2

2012-01-05T05:30:00.000-08:00

Since we spent actual Christmas Day in SoCal with my folks, we reserved New Year's weekend for Chris' side of the family. Grammy and Papa and our nephew JJ came over to celebrate and open EVEN MORE PRESENTS (we are so spoiled!):

Cole was such an expert by now at unwrapping, he helped everyone unwrap!

Including Grammy's new kindle:

Papa got a new backpack for his four wheeling trips:

More puzzles!

I just love love love this picture:

Opening my present...I see what it might possibly be...

But I can't believe it!!!

OMG OMG OMG it's a zoom lens for my camera!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I think my crazy face says it all here) (and then also the happy tears)

I put this on my Christmas list under the category "I would love it but I'm sure I'd never get it" - thanks to my hubby, my parents, and my in-laws, it ended up under our tree!

First official pic with the zoom lens - I can't believe how much I love this thing!

And then Cole got his last gift - a tricycle from Grammy and Pap:

"Oooo...it's so bright and shiny!"

"Oh! A bell! A noisemaker! Yes!"

ring ring

Check out that bokeh! I love it!

It's not every little boy that is so lucky to have TWO Christmas celebrations!

Christmas Part 1

2012-01-04T06:40:00.000-08:00

File under: latest Christmas update EVER!

Ok, so I'm a little late to the game with the whole Christmas posting - and for absolutely no good reason. Oh well. Just think of it as your Christmas season extended a bit!

Waking up Christmas morning:

SO MANY PRESENTS!

Wake up, wake up Daddy!

Opening presents:

You guys, this kid KILLED me with the presents. Usually we end up taking at least all morning to open presents (we always do it one at a time, so everyone can see what everyone got and their reactions - it also helps slow down the overwhelming excitment of it for the kiddos), but my little guy? He took a WEEK to open everything. It was crazy. He'd open a present, then play with it for a while, then check out what everyone else got. We had to convince him to open the next one! But I was really happy that he was so chill about it - I always want him to recognize the generosity and effort that goes into choosing gifts, not simply rush through opening everything.

Lots and lots of books! (his favorite!)

A guitar!

"Here you go, Uncle Stu!"

"Hmm, what's in this one?"

A new puzzle!

Auntie Meg got a Cricut for cake decorating!

My new peacoat!

Uncle Stu gave Cole a candle - he just adored it!

And he was SOOOO excited about his new rainboots from Gram and Pap:

Seriously, he was stomping around in them and refused to take them off!

More candle lovin':

Gram and Pap got a Jeep wine tour:

And Cole's last gift was a basketball hoop! Got to practice his mad sports skillz...

"Whoa!!" he said:

"Here, Mama, let me help you with that."

Going in for a layup:

Christmas dinner:

Whew! It was a bit of a whirlwind vacation, punctuated by a complete lack of sleep on our part (more on that to come later), but it was so worth the drive to have our family all together for Christmas!

Christmas in Southern California

2012-01-02T09:31:00.000-08:00

For the first time in 4 years, my side family was able to all be together for Christmas this year. My sister and brother-in-law flew down to my parents' in Southern CA; and Chris, Cole and I drove the whole night to make it down too:

Thanks to some miracle drug the vet gave us, Chloe did not puke on the drive up for the first time EVER! It was magical!

As per new family tradition, we made the trek once again to beautiful Temecula for wine-tasting and other fun. We enjoyed an amazing lunch at South Coast Winery:

The four original Browns:

And, of course there were some interesting sights to see - like this tattoo shop. Not just any tattoo shop - a *Christian* tattoo shop. Nothing like a specialty shop...

Oh, and this gentleman? "Need job 2 train 4 olympic tryouts." Again with the specifications. Any guesses what his sport would be? I guessed shot-put.

Cole did a great job of entertaining himself during the drive:

"Peek-a-boo!"

Cole hung out with Auntie Meg and Gram while the rest of us did some REALLY fun wine tasting!

More Christmas pictures to come tomorrow!

45 Most Powerful Images of 2011

2012-01-01T09:40:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons I love photography so much is because of the emotions it can capture, the stories it can tell.

Here is the 45 Most Powerful Images of 2011 - fascinating, sad, uplifting, and amazing. Which one is your favorite?

Park

2011-12-31T15:46:00.000-08:00

As per annual tradition, we brought Cole to the park near my parents' house again this year. Last year, my little mister was so teeny tiny! And then this year... well, let's just say I had a few tears in my eyes watching him play and remembering our last visit.

Going up the stairs ALL BY HIMSELF!

Going down the slide ALL BY HIMSELF!

Going up the slide ALL BY HIMSELF! (are you sensing a theme here?)

PS. I know, I know, it's against the great unwritten Park Rule Book to let kids go up the slide instead of down. If I had a dollar for every time I shouted that during playground duty, I'd be a millionaire. But just look at the smile...I couldn't tell him no! :)

When Cole is concentrating really hard, he sucks in his upper lip:

"No, no, Daddy, I don't need help. I got this!"

And for one last tear... this was last year at the park:

And this year!

I can hardly believe it myself!

Backyard

2011-12-30T15:32:00.000-08:00

We need to get this kid of ours a back yard.

Seriously, he spent over an hour running around outside in the backyard while we were visiting my parents. Not playing, not DOING anything, just running in circles like a crazy person while I watched and took pictures.

He did, however, take a couple of quick breaks to give me some special rocks...tell me those big brown eyes don't make your heart melt!

He's so easily entertained.

Eating with a spoon

2011-12-22T21:08:00.000-08:00

Well, we're still practicing the whole getting-food-IN-the-mouth thing...but at least most of it's getting on his face! That's an improvement - eating with a spoon is not an easy skill!

Christmas Excitement

2011-12-21T08:51:00.000-08:00

Cole's getting excited for Christmas:

Can't you see the excitement in his face?

The top-secret baby information the CIA doesn't want you to know

2011-12-20T05:49:00.000-08:00

Are you sitting down?

Ok...here's the most valuable little nugget of information you will EVER get when it comes to your baby.

It may save you hundreds, no, THOUSANDS of dollars.

And no, it's not the magic formula to get your baby to sleep. Seriously, people, if I had that I would be buying Chris a motorcyle for Christmas instead of what I am actually getting him (which is not a motorcyle). (Sorry to burst your hopes, babe.)

It's this: YOU NEVER EVER EVER NEED TO BUY A BABY/TODDLER/YOUNG CHILD A SINGLE TOY.

EVER.

Truly. Toys are the most unnecessary objects created for babies.

Why? Because they will play in/with/around a box quite happily for hours.

Case in point:

See? Aren't you glad I just saved you a bunch of money?

You're welcome.

Family Photos

2011-12-19T06:33:00.000-08:00

When Chris asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year, I told him what I wanted most was professional family photos of us.

See, as a sorta-photographer, I end up with tons of adorable photos of Cole, but I really wanted pics of our whole family (especially after trying to take a family photo last year). Two weeks later, I was on the phone making an appointment with the incredibly talented Crystal of Borrowed Expressions Photography. So here are the fruits of her labor:

(Cole was looking raptly up at an airplane!)

My favorite! :)

One of Cole's favorite books:

What do you think? Which one was your favorite?

A Sunday Share

2011-12-18T08:09:00.000-08:00

I've been following a blog (New Mom...New Cancer) for a couple of weeks now, ever since I heard about the story of this incredible family on CNN. The mother was diagnosed with cancer in January. And then their sweet baby daughter, named Saoirse, was diagnosed with cancer as well in April. Last night I was shocked to learn that after a brave and heartbreaking struggle, Saoirse died last week.

She was born on June 1, 2010, the day before Cole was born. She was only 18 months old.

I feel so many emotions. I am so overwhelmed with thankfulness that my own sweet baby is so healthy and strong. But I am so, so heartbroken at this family's unimaginable loss. I am so angry that such a beautiful and promising life was cut short. I am furious that this child ever had to know pain and hopelessness. I am livid that this little girl's parents are left behind to pick up the broken pieces of their lives and try to make sense of a senseless tragedy.

I cannot, cannot imagine what these parents are feeling, nor can I imagine how I, a complete stranger, could in any way help ease their pain. But I feel an overwhelming desire to do SOMETHING, to help, to show my thankfulness at my child's health and my sadness that not everyone is so healthy.

We could make the choice to give a child some toys, or clothes, or books for Christmas. Instead, I think I want to donate to a foundation that raises money with a single purpose: build research that will eventually eradicate childhood cancer.

So would you join me? Would you make a donation this year to help? Go here to make a donation online or by mail. I simply cannot sit by and do nothing while these parents are mourning.

Mamas, hug your babies a little tighter this morning. I know I will.

My little old man

2011-12-16T22:02:00.000-08:00

Sometimes Cole has these adorable mannerisms that are just like an old man! Like lately, he's been standing and walking around with his hands clasped behind his back:

And of course, his buddy Chloe is by his side!

Genius proof

2011-12-14T18:25:00.000-08:00

Further proof, in case you needed it, that my child is indeed, a genius:

PS. He may or may not have been able to resist the new presents that are under the tree...

The meanest parents, part two

2011-12-12T20:02:00.000-08:00

So, do you guys remember how we deserved the meanest parents ever award for Cole's first birthday party?

Yup, we're doing it again. No presents for Christmas.

Ok, we're not that bad. Cole's getting a few presents for Christmas (mostly books). But truly? This kid seriously plays with candles and potatoes most of the day - and I love it that way.

So instead of a lot of little presents that Cole doesn't play with and usually just turn to clutter, we're taking a different route.

1. We're saving up for something big. Like REALLY big:

I know he's way too small for this right now, plus we are living in a rental at the moment, but in a couple years a play set like this is going to be AWESOME. Like so awesome I'm not sure who's going to play on it more, Cole or Chris. Instead of spending a lot of little money on small toys that don't last long, we think it's a better investment to purchase something like this that Cole (and future kids) will get to play with for years.

2. We're going for experiences, not STUFF.

The first year Chris and I were married, our parents each ended up giving us plane tickets for a family vacation with each side for Christmas - to Disney World with Chris' parents and to North Carolina for a family reunion with my parents. Truly, it was the best gift ever - fun, quality time with our families. Why not pass that tradition along to Cole? Instead of more possessions, let's work on focusing on family time - a trip to the zoo with grandparents, or a membership to a children's museum. Experiences are far more meaningful and special than toys that aren't needed, plus have an added bonus of curbing those greedy gimmie habits that can creep up on kids during the holiday season.

What do you think? How do you choose your child's gifts for Christmas?

Victorian Christmas

2011-12-10T19:26:00.000-08:00

Today we joined our friends Kadance, Sean, and Declan (who is Cole's BFF) in Jacksonville for their Victorian Christmas celebration. Jacksonville is an awesome historic little town (fun to visit even when they aren't having their famous city-wide yard sale!). The whole downtown is decorated to the nines with festiveness:

Christmas carolers!

A giant Christmas tree and a horse-drawn carriage ride - Cole really liked the carriage ride!

Although, he wasn't too sure about the horses...they were pretty big:

He also wasn't too sure about Santa - this is the second Santa we've visited, and while Cole loves Santa in books, he DOES NOT want to sit on Santa's lap in real life. But sweet baby Declan was just fine with it:

Taking a coffee shop break:

It's so much fun getting out and doing new traditions!

Wine glass talent

2011-12-09T05:05:00.000-08:00

So you know the part in "Miss Congeniality" where Sandra Bullock plays wine glasses for her talent?

Apparently there are people (or at least one person) out there who seriously do that. I am dying to know how long it took for this guy to learn how to play wine glasses.

Here's a little Christmas wine glass music to get you in the holiday spirit!

Cole + Candles

2011-12-08T05:36:00.000-08:00

You know, most kids have some sort of "security" blanket. It might be a lovey, a blanky, a special toy...

my son has candles.

No, not lit candles, what kind of a mother do you think I am?

For some crazy reason, Cole has an extreme love affair with candles. Big ones, small ones, unscented ones, colored ones, white ones, candles in a jar, floating candles... you get the picture.

The other day I could not get him to nap until I let him fall asleep with a candle nestled in his crib next to him. (What? You don't fall asleep with your head on a hard, cold, glass candle? Maybe YOU'RE the strange one...)

Most days he refuses to leave the house without holding onto a candle, in his stroller or carseat. Cole will grab a candle to hold while I'm reading him a story or changing his diaper. If we are in a store and he spies a candle, he'll sniff loudly and enthusiastically until I wheel the cart over to let him smell it...or a whole aisle full. He spends at least an hour a day smelling his collection of candles, or stacking and moving them around.

I know. My child is so strange. But he loves candles and they make him happy...and that makes me happy!

Reading

2011-12-07T06:37:00.000-08:00

Grammy and Papa came for a visit last week, and Cole gleefully seized the opportunity to have someone else read to him:

2011-12-06T08:19:00.000-08:00

"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about."

It's the cat

2011-12-05T05:58:00.000-08:00

For some reason, I cannot stop laughing at this picture. I think it's the cat.

via

angry face

2011-12-04T06:17:00.000-08:00

I post a lot of pictures of Cole on this blog - and most of them are adorable, smiley pictures.

But truthfully? My little mister is not always smiley (he IS always adorable). He has a very strong little personality. Occasionally, he face looks something like this:

Or this:

I'm a little jealous...I'm pretty sure I don't look that cute when I make a grumpy face!

Christmas Tree Hunting

2011-12-03T05:16:00.000-08:00

We made our annual trek to Bob's Christmas Tree Farm to pick out a Christmas tree this year, with Gram and Pap:

With Gram and Pap:

Practicing to put the star on top:

Cole liked this one - a true Charlie Brown Christmas tree:

Love these boys!

Giving Daddy kisses:

Yay for the start of the Christmas season!

18 months

2011-12-02T05:22:00.000-08:00

Dear Cole,

Today, you are 18 months old, which seems all at once very young and very old. Very young, because it feels as though you've been around forever. Very old, because I just can't believe my teeny tiny mister is already 18 months!!

My sister told me once that there are three stages of babyhood: the part where they understand less than a dog does, the part when they understand about the same, and then the part where they understand more than a dog does. You, my boy, are officially smarter than our dogs - and it is amazing to behold.

You are making such amazing connections. Yesterday, you found a brass key (our mailbox key is a little brass one) and you walked to the door saying, "Mai! Mai!" (mail). You found a picture of a Christmas tree in a story book and pointed to our Christmas tree. If you spill something, you run to the drawer with the towels and hurry back to enthusiastically wipe up the mess. You are fascinated by other kids as well.

You are so loving, my darling boy. You dole out kisses like candy - to Daddy and me, to the dogs, to your grandparents. It is beyond adorable. Today I taught you how to give Eskimo kisses, which you thought was hysterical, so I foresee a lot of those in our future too.

While you still are only saying a few words, your fine motor skills are off the chart. You run and climb like nobody's business. Especially the running. Last week in the grocery store you took off running and I seriously had to book it to catch you. Pretty surprising considering how much smaller your legs are than mine!

A couple weeks ago, my friend Kadance and her baby boy, Declan, were riding in the car with us. Declan fell asleep in his carseat while Kadance and I were talking in the front. We were interrupted by you loudly shushing us, because you noticed Declan sleeping!

And while I occasionally tear up when I remember what a tiny little helpless lump of cuteness you were just a short 18 months ago, I am so thrilled to see how much growing and learning you have left to do.
We love you with all our hearts, my son.
Love,
Mama and Daddy

oops

2011-12-01T13:29:00.000-08:00

Sorry everyone. I've had a small case of writer's block for the past couple of weeks, which is why there have been no new bloggity-blog updates.

But! All good and bad things must eventually come to an end, including writer's block! So stay tuned for some AWESOME (ok, mildly interesting) posts to come.

In the meantime, check out some of these very cool websites:

-I see potty training on the horizon for Cole-man, and this post really helped me put my expectations into perspective.

-Looking for a fabulous time waster or need to procrastinate? This website is for you.

-An incredibly thought-provoking blog article is here.

-And this talking dog video makes me laugh out loud every.single.time.

Back to our regularly scheduled blogging tomorrow!

Sleep

2011-11-18T19:39:00.000-08:00

Things have been AWESOME around these parts where sleep is concerned.

Somehow, a switch has been flipped in Cole's little brain and he has suddenly discovered that SLEEP IS GOOD!

He has been sleeping 12 hours straight at night (I KNOW! SO COOL!), a 1.5 hour morning nap, and a 2 hour afternoon nap.

I know. it's AMAZING.

Here's our secret:

An early bedtime. Like REALLY early. Like take what you think is an early bedtime and subtract an hour from that. I know, I know - it's so counter-intuitive. "I want my baby to sleep later and longer, what are you doing telling me to put my kid to sleep earlier?!"

But I read A LOT of baby sleep books. At least 10. And even in my sleep-deprived state I noticed one consistent piece of advice in every.single.one: put your baby to bed earlier. As adults, we underestimate just how much sleep babies need. We underestimate just how early babies (and kids) naturally get tired - especially if your baby is a morning-baby like mine is.

Cole goes to bed at 6 pm. Which can be incredibly inconvenient at times. But IT WORKS! He falls right asleep and sleeps a solid 12 hours.

Which means I'm a whole new woman. I hardly know what to do with myself.

mail

2011-11-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

My little mister just ADORES walking out to get our mail. It's one of the highlights of his day (the other highlight being the ten seconds when he discovers I forgot to put up the dog's water dish). If I ask him if he wants to come with me to get the mail, his whole face lights up and he scrambles for the door, saying "Mai! Mai!"

And the only thing sweeter than taking him to the mailbox is watching Daddy walk with him to the mailbox - Chris slowing his long strides to match Cole's toddling steps. Cole's face lit up with excitement as he looks up at his dad.

my boys, going to get the mail.