Easter time!

Well, the weather has not been feeling like Spring, but it is here! Tomorrow is Easter. I keep asking Cole if the Easter bunny is going to come see him and he says "No, Easter bunny, NO!" Maybe after he comes he will not feel the same way. Silly boy. Here are a few pics we took with real bunnies two weeks ago. He loved the bunnies. We got a few cute pics thanks to www.shannonwatsonphoto.com

This afternoon Cole went on his first Eater egg hunt. We went to Northfield's Easter egg hunt because we missed ours at Donelson last weekend because Cole was sick. He loved it! and thought he was BIG stuff in his rain boots. He wasn't too sure about face painting or the Easter bunny, but fun was had by all.

"cheeeese"

Look! mommy look!

Popcorn hog!

No! Easter Bunny! NO!

"puldels"

Easter day was a soggy day so I was not able to really take pictures, but here are the couple I took after eating lunch with the family on Sunday.

playing in the water

Headed to church

Uncle Brad

KK and Papa

Our little family

23 months...he will be 2 next month!?!?!

Whenever anyone ask me how old Cole is I always say "he will be 2 next month" after about 18 months I stopped saying months. At 19 months-22 months I would say "he will be 2 in April" and now it is "2 next month!!!"...that is just crazy talk. Today, I went to visit my friend who had IVF. She now has a 6 week old baby boy. When I first walked in she gave me a hug, then she said "I have some stories and questions for you", I laughed and said, "isn't he 6 weeks?" she said he was on Sunday why? I said... "because at 6 weeks is when I thought I was going to loose my mind. I had terrible anxiety" She just smiled and said, "so it's normal? I am so glad to hear that". I seriously HAVE to write my book! I really should look more into it. NO ONE tells you this stuff. I would love to share my experience as well as others, since we do not all have the same baby. I really felt like I was able to help Lindzey today, not because I know all the answers, but because I am real and honest. I am not opinionated and my answer is always, this is what I did or this is what worked for Cole, etc...but you have to take the information you get and decide what is best for YOU and YOUR baby. Moms and women are just SO judgemental they can really make you feel bad, but then they never tell you the "real" stuff about being a new mom so then "as if" you do not have anything else to worry about, you worry more, thinking you are the only mom in the world whose child did X or didn't do X. I need to write my book :)

Cheeese!

Now back to my wonderful "2 next month little boy!" MESS, MESS, MESS :) That is what Cole is these days. My dramatic, hormonal, sweet loving and hugging little boy. He still loves the word no! I have tried to be more conscious in giving him choices and letting him have some choice in what he wears and does. I know as a teacher choice can do wonderful things for a child, yet I was not really offering it to my own child. He was so funny when I gave him a choice in his clothes for the first time. Remember choice is two, so I still have a say in the two I offer him :) I said "Cole, do you want to wear this shirt? or this shirt?" his little eyes lit up and he cocked his head as if to say, "seriously? are you letting me choose? or is this a joke?" It was SO cute! I could tell how much that did for him. So I really started paying more attention and letting him choose when possible. Hopefully this will help with our use of the word NO!

Reading with the girls

Cole still LOVES books and animals. He goes to bed every night with a flash light and a few books. As soon as I do not hear him anymore I go take them out, but it is just so sweet to hear him read on the monitor. I pray with him before I leave the room, but then I will hear him saying"Dear God, mommy, daddy, Bad, Bean, KK, fam-e, fends, Amen!" LOVE IT!! Brad, Ben and KK are definitely his favorites, but they are the ones he sees the most in everyone else's defense. Since I have not had a washing machine for almost a YEAR (March 25th will be a year, long story, just tell Casey what a saint I am to put up with him for making me go this long without a washing machine, it's his fault! and he knows it :) So Ben lives with Brad and those are the two places I do laundry the most, my moms and Brad's. Cheese is still a favorite. I seriously think he would eat it ALL DAY every day. I think he must dream about it. He even wakes up saying, "cheese, mommy?"He also loves peanut butter and his new found love, PBJ!. He loves his fruit too! Strawberries, Bananas, Grapes, Blueberries and Cantaloupe are his favorites. He also loves smoothies. So I blend it all up and throw in some spinach too! Those are mommy tricks you gotta use when you can. So the birthday planning is coming along and I cant wait to celebrate this little guys birthday next month. Thank you Lord for a healthy, happy and beautiful child.

Playing in the crib

PB is one of his favorites

My little farm boy!

Silly boy

Cole and his girls, Jessi and Julia

Just playing with my tractor

22 months

Cole's vocabulary is growing weekly I feel. He is saying so much!! One of my current favorites is..." Mommy, I want to hold you!" so sweet. Another favorite is "tum here mommy" and he grabs my hand to lead the way. He is a curious and very busy little guy. It seems crazy, but I am actually planning his birthday party. I have been thinking about it for a while, but today I just called to see if I could reserve a spot to have it and I found a cute stuffed horse that I got for a present/prop. Then when I got home from work the shirt I ordered for him arrived. It is adorable!!! He will LOVE it! He is VERY big into stuffed animals right now. He wants them all. The theme is going to be a barnyard.  He has just started noticing things in the store and wanting them as well. I am not looking forward to that! He as so upset the other day at Publix that he could not have the stuffed bear (they had all there stuff out for Valentines day). The weather has been yuck here. I have had a respiratory infection and Cole has had a lot of congestion as well. We are both ready for Spring and the pretty weather. We had a little taste of it on Valentine's day, but just for a day. We were able to come home and play outside with his big wheel type toy. He didn't want to come in. He loved being outside. That same day his class was outside playing and I had to get him from the playground. He looked at me and said "No, mommy, outside!"
Cole is definitely my child. Not only does he look like me but he acts like me, well and Casey too! He has my outgoing personality and is super friendly, but he has a little stubborn side (which he gets from Casey :) He can go from "No mommy" with major attitude, to "mommy I love you and mommy I want to hold you". He is a ham, but SOOOOO much fun!! I love everyday and thank God for this beautiful child he has blessed me with. It truly is amazing to be blessed to be this little kids mommy and watch everything through his little eyes. I thought Cole was repeating things, but these days he REALLY is! The other day I yelled, "Casey...." and then he yells "Tasey...." so funny. I talk to him all the time and he repeats everything back to me. Like "lets get some milk Cole" and then he will say "yets get some mik mommy". LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this little boy.

Loves him some stuffed animals

Cole's new ride from Uncle Brad

Being silly with mommy

He LOVES peanut butter

My little love bandit on Valentines Day

21 months...are you serious?

The time sure does fly when your having fun...well thats how the saying goes and it sure is true. You are SO big and so independent. You LOVE to explore and learn new things. You are always on the go. Your teachers at school say you are a "ladies man". They send me pictures from time to time. I love when they do. You love lights, turning them on and off and flashlights. You want to go to bed with your flashlight every night and look at your books. You are still very much into the word, NO. Ugh!! I think you are finally understanding a little that it is not nice to say all the time, especially with the sass and pointing you do when you say it. Goober!! You LOVE your Uncle Brad and the feeling is mutual. Just about every day when we get in the car you ask me about "daddy" and "Bad". You will throw in a Ben, "bean" and "KK" too sometimes. You got the croup last week, but we caught it early so it was not bad at all. It was a little scary at first, but it just lasted a little bit and then he was back to 100% Cole in just a few hours.
I am almost afraid to type this (afraid it may change), but you have decided you like to sleep in lately. You are also being such a big boy at bed time. I just lay you in your bed at night, you tell me "night, night..lub you" and I leave the room and you go to sleep. Such a big boy! It has been so nice. Of course you do this when mommy is contemplating another baby! For about the last month you have been sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday's, which has been between 8:30-9:00. Ahhhh... it is SO nice. I have actually had to wake you up for church on Sunday. You are hit or miss through the week. The latest I can let you sleep on the week days is 7:15 and that is pushing it, but I hate to wake you. If mommy and daddy have another baby you will have to teach them the rules! hahaha

with Chelsea and Bethany

Climbing up the back of the couch to turn the lights on and off

Coming back from the Dr. It was nap time and you just couldn't stay awake any longer

Good bye 2012

That is hard to believe, but what a wonderful and totally blessed 2012. The Lord has blessed us for sure and I am so grateful. We had many first in 2012 with Cole. He took his first steps, had his first birthday, spoke his first words, ate his first bites of "real" table food (although I wondered if that was going to happen at all. The boy loved his bottle! but he did give it up.) We had our first of many ear infections, our first surgery (tubes), etc...It was a wonderful year!!

Speaking about first...The boy has learned a word and he uses it all the time!!! NO! then he points his finger, NO NO NO!! Ugh!! He is totally testing his independence and wants to do everything his self. I have no idea where he gets it? Another thing Cole does that we think is pretty funny is saying " I stuck". It first started in his car seat, which he still uses, but if he cannot get somewhere (baby gate up) he will stand there and say "I stuck" or if he wants you to go some where with him and you are sitting down, he will come over and grab your hand and start saying "stuck". He also says "I did it!" It is the cutest thing. I am sure we will have more first in 2013 and as we approach 2 years old :)

My Ipad which Cole refers to as "Caillou" since that is what he uses it for

First taste of ketchup! It was a hit

New Arkansas hoodie from Jessi and Julia

Acting like Paw Paw Wilb and checking the receipt!

Last minute Christmas shopping with mommy

Watching some serious TV

What a JOY!! Fun at school and Christmas

not wanting to take a picture :(

checking out Gibson's new books

It is hard to believe this year is almost over and Cole is now 20 months. Wow! Hard to believe. What a joy he is to us. He is the funniest little kid. Something new all the time. Talking is the big thing. He has been talking for a while, but the things that he understands and repeats just blows my mind. He is just a little person! December has been busy and fun! I have lots of pictures to share and I am sure there will be more to come as we embark on the Christmas festivities that will be coming in the next week. On Friday, the 21st, we had Cole's "school" party. It was so funny to see the little kids sitting at the table and the parents all around talking and with camera's. Then of course they had to show out and do a little dancing. I love it! I love seeing that Cole is only 20 months and what he understands and does at school. They are so routine and that is so great for him. They tell them to line up to wash hands. All of the kids have a snowflake to stand on and they know to move up, step up on the stool, wash hands with assistance and then go to a chair to eat. When they were done they threw there plates away and put their sippy cups in the sink and went to go sit chris cross applesauce on the carpet to wait for all there friends. Blows my mind. I LOVE IT!!!

Mrs. Darlene and Chelsea the birthday girl

A little dancing with Mrs. Darlene and Grace

We had a book opening party

Checking out Lilly Kate's book, The Hungry Caterpillar

Yay!!! for Christmas. You were SO much fun to watch this year. You loved it and it was a joy to watch your face. You thought it was great, well everything but Santa. Some how after getting your picture made with Santa you became NOT a fan. We you came downstairs Christmas morning you just stood there and said "Wow! wow.....wow! Then you tore into it. Later that mroning we went to KK and Papa's and celebrated. You got a big rocking horse name Blaze. You thought he was pretty great. Uncle Craig got you a Caillou train and stuffed animal and Uncle Brad added to your savings bond. He is making sure you are financially secure. Make sure you listen to your Uncle Brad when it comes to money. He is the smartest I know.

Your Aqua Doodle Mat

DVD player and new head phones

Blaze! from KK and Papa

Santa CAME!!!