15 months

Cohen,

You are 15 months old.  You will always be my baby, but man, you certainly have your toddler-sized skills down!  I am anxious what the "twos" will be like after experiencing the last few months!

Just saw your pediatrician:
You are 23.11 lbs (20%)
You are 32.5 inches (75%)
and you have a big head (70%) for all those brains ;-)
You are growing out of your 12-18 month clothes but the 18-24 are still a bit big.
You have your 4 teeth still, and just cut the upper left one (#5) a few days ago.

This is your signal for 'so big' or when we ask 'how old/big are you?'

You are a good eater, and love love your carbs and sweets.  No milk or banana for you - they give your entire body and diaper area a rash.  Some favorites are graham crackers, lucky charms (!), vanilla yogurt, chili, spaghetti, and french fries.  You get overwhelmed when we put more than a few things on your tray and will swipe it all off to clean up.  Also, you've started to become annoyed with your high chair and want to sit at the table with all the big people, but you just aren't steady enough for a booster seat yet.

No more bottle for you - Daddy has a night-time routine with you and you even reach for the crib on days you are really tired.  However, you are a morning person like your mom and get up before 6 every. stinkin. day.  We've tried adjusting bed time, but you have a LOUD internal alarm in the mornings...

You are Mr. Independent (NO idea where you get this from...) At meal time, you want to feed yourself or you won't eat.  You use a spoon with your oatmeal in the mornings and a fork when Mom's feeling up to cleaning afterwards.  More of the food makes it in your mouth than not, which is a surprise when you see how you eat...

You understand when we give you directions and usually follow them (see Mr. Independent above)  Favorites include, go get your books, trains and/or paci.  Or 'who's home??' and you run to the garage door.

You are walking, running, and climbing.  Daddy 'chases' you around the house and you just laugh and laugh.  Sometimes you chase us back...or the dogs...but they don't get a kick out of it like we do!

 Since you climb all the time (above) I took you to a gym class this month.  I'm thinking you need the real deal since you scaled the rock wall in no time with NO FEAR.  This no fear has resulted in several bad falls lately.  You have busted your chin, your nose, and your forehead all within the last two weeks.  Yikes!

Your love language has to be physical touch.  Everyone that comes in contact with you calls you a cuddle-er.  Despite being independent, you will always come back and give a hug before your next focus of play.  You want to sit on our laps when we read or when you watch your favorite show, Mickey Mouse.

Wrestling with Santa!

You don't use words much, but you babble like we understand every syllable.  You do sign a bit as well.  The sign for food is the same as drink right now, and you do that one pretty emphatically.  "All done" that started at the end of meal times is now your favorite thing to 'tell us' when its something you don't want to do (i.e. diaper change, ride in your car seat, get in the shopping cart)

I want cupcakes...why isn't anyone listening to me?

You love dogs and animals.  I think a zoo membership is in our future...

Amazon had some jumbo magnetic letters that arrived this month and you play with them at least 3 times a day.  You like to find things that they stick to (the dishwasher and the washing machine), or throw them.  We definitely find them around the house in random places!'

Your Grandpa is still your favorite person ever, although you have been more attached to Cici this past month.  You giggle when Daddy gets home from work, and love to mess with your cousin Ace when he comes to visit.

 Trying on his boots ;-) You go to his closet and get his boot jack for him when he asks you too!

 This is you looking at Grandpa...seriously...you are TOTALLY obsessed!

You love your day school and your teachers (who are now Mommy's friends, too!) but you love that morning nap time...so you've fallen asleep a few times before lunch at school.  I love when they send me pictures, but especially this one :-)

You've experienced two snow/ice storms in December.  Although you 'saw' snow last year you were only a few months old, so this was really your first experience.  Since you love being outside anyway, I think you were just frustrated that the snow suit was awkward to walk with. (notice the nose boo-boo)

Blessings,

The Colors!

I guess with the madness of marching band, I've never really noticed the leaves changing during the fall.  With walking Cohen to school, running through the neighborhood, and being home most of the day, I've gotten to really watch the color of the trees change!

Last weekend my dad, Patrick, and I took Cohen to a park to look around at the pretty leaves.

Why does he look so old here??

 

Patrick and Dad were playing around with settings on their cameras so I was the model while Cohen played in the leaves. Some of the pictures came out sooo good! 

 

Can you tell we took pictures on a Saturday?? GO POKES!!! I still can't believe we are in the top 10- does anyone else remember when we were scared every year if we would even BE in a bowl?

We are SOOO in trouble when this one is older...

The next Monday, Patrick was off of work (bank holidays are awesome by the way).  We took Cohen to the Tulsa zoo with my sister and little Ace.  He wasn't quite old enough to understand the animals, but he did like to look at them all.  Here is the iguana picture - they were eating.

Daddy and Cohen. I think they look more alike now!

What does the fox say????

Cohen's FAVORITE part of the zoo was the train.  This was his face for the entire 15 minute ride.  He LOVED it. 

 

Audrey and the little cutie. Ace didn't love the train quite as much...guess we will have to break him in some more!

Cohen at the petting zoo.  He was more interested in the grass and dirt, really.  Maybe in a couple more months he will make animal sounds? Audrey can get him to make a funny noise when we ask him what a sheep says (baaaabaaaa) but that's about it.

And blogger is being weird, so here is another few pictures from the leaves' park - I'm saying GO POKES (or hurry up and take the pic because Cohen is running down those stairs!!!!!)

Almost been 9 years of marriage!

The best family shot we could get that day LOL!  Blessings,

Halloween 2013

I am completely behind on these posts, but since I've documented most of our big events on here, I'm going to try to catch up!!

This year for Halloween we were in Tulsa so we decided to go hang out with the cousin ;-) Little 7 week old Ace was a Frankenstein and Cohen was Pistol Pete (hahahaha!)

We all 'decorated' cupcakes for a church fall festival.  Cici and I got some cute designs on the cupcakes.  Check out Cohen's 'decor....'

Decorate = Taste Test

For Halloween night, it was a bit chilly but his pistol pete costume was nice and warm.  He was really excited to be Mr. Independent and walk in the streets.

 By the third or fourth house Cohen figured out the process.  He would walk up to the door and knock ;-) The candy was more of a toy and he enjoyed dumping his basket and then putting the candy back into it.

Ooooo, bright colored candy!

I think the flash freaked him out...

It was a bit of a challenge to keep up with a mobile baby.  Our pictures from that night weren't the best, but we got 'em.  He ate a three musketeers candy bar. By ATE, I mean, DEVOURED it!  Next year we will have to figure out what do tell him happened to all the other candy.

All done! Tired....

I hope you all had a good holiday.  We loved hanging out with our family and meeting our neighbors. More catching up to come!!

Blessings,

First Birthday Party!

Cohen,

We had a crew of family members come up and help you celebrate your first year.  Since I am behind on your blog as it is, I will let the pictures do most of the talking ;-)

Uncle Mike and sweet cousins!!

Aunt Laura and the bday boy!

Aunt Alex and Cohen, after the fun outside and an outfit change!

You woke up that morning so happy (as usual!) You are definitely a morning baby and 7-8 am is your best time of the day!

Lady, Poppy, and Olivia...Cohen loved all the attention - ha!

Finley playing with the balloons!

Uncle Matt - I think you look similar here!

I'm cute - I know it, and I LOVE the attention....

 After the cake smashing, the best way to get you clean was with the hose.  You LOVED it.  I think we turned it on a few times that day just to watch your reaction. 

Later that week, a good friend of Patrick's took some family pictures for the celebration.  We decided on the sock-monkey theme and just went with it.  I figured we all deserved a party after making it through the first year with a little one!

Happy Birthday lil stinker.  This first year has been the BEST.

Blessings,