Not much happening over here

We're still here!! Just not much exciting happening. This past week, the boys got new shoes and that was a quick adventure. There's a great kids / women's shoe store that we love so I picked the boys up from school early one day and took them to have their feet measured and pick out new shoes. I'm really really quick when it comes to that! Only tried one shoe on each boy and we were done and gone. Eli got new shoes because he wore the old ones out, let's hope these last a little while. Cole got his first pair of shoes - some fun Stride Ride blue sneakers - because he's close to walking and he needs his own shoes, not Eli's hand-me-downs.

Friday night we tried to go to the pool but the only one who got wet was Eli as he jumped in the water and then it thundered so we had to leave. It must have been the fastest pool trip in history. Saturday we did our normal Y visit and I did a spin class / did a quick run. After lunch and naps, we did make it back to the pool and actually we all got wet this time. However the water was very hot and it was miserably hot outside. We made the most of it and spent a lot of time in the big pool. Today, I did a short bike ride before taking the boys to Lowe's (note to everyone: if you buy something and it goes on sale within 30 days, they'll give you the sale price. I got a 20% refund of our frig purchased 10 days ago!). Then we went to Ryan's house for a play date. It has been a while since Eli & Ryan have gotten to play together and, even more important, a long while since Carol & I have had a chance to catch up. This afternoon we did a family grocery store trip, opting not to brave the heat again for the pool. Family grocery trips have actually started being fun because I send Tim & Eli around the store on a hunt for a few items at a time off our list. Eli loves finding the item and then yelling for me as he gets close to me and announcing what items he found. It sounds silly but we do have fun and it keeps everyone happy while shopping. The boys are now sleeping and it's time to get set for another week.

Eli being silly Friday night before our failed pool visit.

This is Cole's new favorite thing to do. He climbs in and out of his wagon walker.

Such a sweet face!

Saturday, Eli started putting his head under water and announced to me that he was swimming. He did it over and over.

Going under.

Cole had lots of fun at the pool as well.

He loved being pushed around in the dump truck.

Eli climbed on the play structure, announced that he was a life guard and blew his whistle.

Super Star Cole this morning.

Eli & Ryan - how did they get so big?!

Cole getting a ride from Daddy.

THIS is what happens quite a bit in our house. Dump truck / wagon races. Usually Cole is pushing the wagon walker but this time Tim was pushing him and chasing Eli. Lots of fun, noise and laughter when this is going on. I love that Tim got in on the action.

Surviving the weekend

Ok, so the truth comes out........things have been hard in our house lately. Cole just has not been a very happy baby and we've been struggling to figure it out. Eli is also in a defiant phase where he doesn't want to listen to instructions and does all the things that he is not supposed to do. We have been struggling with finding patience.

Yesterday I took Eli & Cole to Evan's house for a play date. Evan & Eli used to be in the same class but Evan has moved up and the boys miss playing together. The not-quite 2 hours was pretty intense. Eli loved running all over, acting silly and Cole wanted to chase after them but he's not there yet. (I'm sure Evan's parents felt sorry for me.) After lunch, we attempted nap time and the boys only obliged for a brief period of time. Everyone was cranky so we decided that it was time to get out of the house; the boys usually do well just by getting out. The outing didn't go so well but we made it through. We were so happy to get a break at bedtime but that barely lasted an hour before Cole started screaming. It was a long night.

Fortunately we had plans with Miss Katie for her to watch the boys this morning so Tim & I could go on a bike ride. We were so tired that we almost didn't go ride but we pulled it together and actually did a pretty tough ride, riding a lot of hills. After our bike ride, we went to Barnes & Noble to hang out for a bit. The time away did us a lot of good! On our way home, we stopped and got some soy milk for Cole, wondering if milk / dairy is causing him tummy troubles. He loved it and was in a much better mood for the rest of the afternoon. We're not confident that a "fix" can be that easy but we may be on to something. Poor little fella might just constantly be feeling bad. We haven't found that "fix" for Eli's defiance and lack of listening / cooperation but we're not giving up on that one either.

I think I'm going to go enjoy a few minutes of quiet before I fall asleep where I'm sitting.

Cole enjoying snack with the big boys

Playing dress up - Evan as a fireman, Eli as a policeman

I love this picture - such good buds.

Eli "helped" me make cookies today. He actually came in after the dough was made and wanted a taste.

Eli decided that he wanted to rip the pages out of his Monster Jam program. We're not sure what got into him, it's actually a surprise that it lasted this long.

Our Little Dancing Machine - Toddler Version

Eli cracks me up with his dancing.

Mommy's Birthday Celebration

My birthday was yesterday and I must say the day did not turn out how I expected. It was a rough morning and the house seemed totally out of harmony. I was throwing my own pity party about how terrible my birthday was going to be and wondering why everyone always tries to sabotage my plans (I had an 11am spa appointment for a massage and Cole had to stay home from school. If you recall, Eli hijacked my stay-cation the week before so now do you see why I felt that way?!). Tim stayed home for the day to take care of Cole so I could keep my appointment - I was going to lose my money anyway if I didn't go. Oh yeah, forgot to mention that we were also getting a new frig because ours bit the dust a few days ago. Don't you love big appliances as a b-day present?

So, about 10:20am I headed to the spa hoping to enjoy a few minutes of down time before my appointment. I had a hot stone massage and it was marvelous. I had to make myself relax and not let my brain wander to think about normal life stuff - that was tough! For a little while, I was pampered and totally didn't think about much. After that, I ran by the Kids Exchange consignment sale to look for Eli's fall / winter wardrobe. Not much luck this year. Just got a few things.

We had made plans with our friends Kara & Brian to meet with the kids at the pool and do pizza dinner again, hoping that the kids would wear each other out playing. I didn't realize that our Friday night pizza night was converted into a small birthday party for me. Our neighbors were also there. We enjoyed pizza and then a yummy chocolate cake that Kara had baked and decorated for me. I felt horrible for giving Tim a hard time about not doing anything for me for my birthday and he loved every second of it (Kara had talked with him earlier in the week). We had a great time hanging out with our friends. I loved being wrong and having my birthday turn out completely different than I expected!

Mommy and Cole

Eli & Owen - pizza and watermelon, yum

my awesome chocolate cake

It was really fun being serenaded by these cute boys - Max, Alec, Henry, Eli & Owen.

Kara and Faye - thank you so much my friend!

my new frig

all nice and clean.....for now

Fresh corn on the cob - YUM

Eli had corn on the cob for the first time tonight. It came out of our garden and he loved it!

Cole's 12 month check up

Ok, so I'm a little late getting this post up. We just had a few little things going on. =)

Last Tuesday (7.6.10), Cole had his 1 year check up. Here are his stats:

Weight - 25 pounds, 15.5 ounces (90th percentile)

Length - 31 inches (90th percentile)

Head Circumference - 48 cm (90-95th percentile)

Yes, I have another big boy! He is doing great and, based upon the 12 month questionnaire I had to fill out, is developing perfectly. He is doing all the things that a typical 12 month old should do. He got 3 shots and boy did he hate that! Eli went with us since he was home from school and he seemed completely unphased by Cole's crying from the shots. Eli, by the way, weighs 39 pounds!

Over the past month, Cole has started cruising EVERYWHERE. If he has something to hold on to, he is on the move. We have seen him crawl a few "steps" but his preferred method without help is either cruising or scooting. I noticed his poor little ankles look bruised from all the scooting so I hope he gets brave enough to let go and walk soon. He is doing really well with his walker and looks like he is getting close to walking on his own.

Sleeping is great. He's usually good for about 11-11 1/2 hours a night. Which is marvelous! He's so cute to watch in the video monitor because he is all over the crib and doesn't like being covered up. He reminds me of my little brother when he sleeps on him tummy with his butt up in the air (sorry Billy, that's what you get for me being older than you!).

Eating is still a challenge. Cole loves beans - beans of any type. We have decided to cut out yogurt because he had been having tummy issues and every time he spit up, it smelled like yogurt so we gave it a break, reintroduced it and it started happening again. Amazingly, Cole hasn't suffered and has tried a few new things. He's also on whole milk and working on giving up the bottle. We're trying to get to sippy cups during the day and bottle only at bed time. Wish us luck!

He & Eli are so much fun to watch. Cole is starting to look more like Eli; nothing like when Eli was a year old but like Eli looks now. You can definitely tell in their looks and actions that they are brothers. I am so happy to have two such happy and loving boys. Both of them just light up and cheer when I pick them up for school. It doesn't get any better than that!

Boo Boos

Had to post pictures of Eli's boo boos of the past two days. He looks like a rough and tumble little boy. Good thing I brushed up on my first aid recently!!

2 on the face - the nose is from flipping over Cole's new walker yesterday and the one on the forehead is from eating the pavement tonight while we were on a walk. He caught himself for the most part but his head still hit. I'm not quite sure how it happened, he was just all of a sudden down.

The leg wound from earlier this morning, unbandaged.

Got him to use an ice pack for just a little bit. He hates ice packs and medicine.

The rest of our weekend and a great flea market find

Took a few cute shots from this morning with Tim's parents and then our family trip to the flea market. We took the boys to walk around and see what kind of treasures we could find. We were on the hunt for end tables and vinyl records. Lucked up on the end tables but didn't find any records we were interested in. Tim & I enjoyed a little quiet time this afternoon while the boys napped and then we played at the pool. Tomorrow will be a new day, getting us all back into our regular routine.

Eli scraped his leg this morning on a retaining wall. I doctored him up and he milked it for all it was worth! You probably can't tell but those are M&Ms in his cup.

Cole having fun with Grandma N.

Eli hopped in their back seat and said he was going home with them.

Grandpa having a little heart to heart with Eli, telling him to be good for us.

All "heart to heart" talks must be followed with a hug. Eli absolutely loves his Grandpas.

Playing on my truck. With his clumsiness lately, I was really nervous.

Being silly on the way to the flea market.

Riding around looking for treasures. The boys got lots of attention from folks at the flea market.

Cole enjoyed a few mini Oreos on the way home.

My new end tables! We found two that match for only $20 each!!

The exact thing I was looking for. What a great find!

Cole's birthday celebration

We had a great time this weekend celebrating Baby Cole's 1st birthday. Since his birthday falls on a holiday, we opted to have his party this weekend. The party theme was an easy one - red, white, blue and lots of stars. We even asked party guests to wear the theme colors. Last week, I had an unplanned helper for the party preparations. Eli woke up on Tuesday morning with Hand, Foot and Mouth disease. I had never seen it before but knew it when I saw it. We had Cole's 1 year check already scheduled for Tuesday so Eli tagged along and the doctor confirmed my suspicion. I had taken the week off work to clean around the house and prepare for the party so Eli ended up being my shadow for the week. We did have fun hanging together for the most part but he was pretty miserable with sores in his mouth so I spent a lot of time trying to comfort him and make him feel better. He helped me make cupcakes and sugar cookies. And in hindsight, it was nice to have some time alone with him. He doesn't get undivided attention when both he & Cole are home. He can drive me crazy but funny thing, as I commented to Tim, Eli is like a 3-year old version of me.....and he totally is! I think that's why we can get along great and he can get on my nerves all at the same time.

Cole's party was Saturday morning and lots of our friends and family came over to celebrate our sweet little boy. It was almost like a party for Eli because our friends also have kids Eli's age so the toddlers and the babies had fun playing together. I loved having all the kids happily playing in the back yard - happily the great word there. I remember some crying here and there when someone fell or got a boo boo but the kids got along great. They played in the bounce house and on the swingset. We had a cookout and everyone enjoyed burgers and chips, we even made sliders for the kids! After playing and eating, we all sang Happy Birthday to Cole and watched him dive into and devour his cupcake. He loved it! A much different reaction than actually on his birthday when he wasn't too interested in the cupcake. He then took a shot at a sugar cookie. He's totally got a sweet tooth, definitely my son! After everyone ate their cupcakes, we let Cole tear into his birthday gifts. He got so many wonderful things from his friends. I'm having to remind Eli that the gifts are Baby Cole's and not his. He was VERY interested in Cole's gifts.

We hope that all the kids who came had fun and took good naps that afternoon for their parents. Eli and Cole took decent naps, nothing stellar but enough to get them through to bed time. Tim & I enjoyed a little more time with our families before my folks headed home. Tim's parents spent the weekend with us. It was so great having both of them here and having their help.

I had a great time planning Cole's party. I love making birthdays special for my boys. I know Cole will totally remember his 1st birthday party and still be talking about it when he's 30! (ha ha ha - I really do know that he won't remember it!)

Goodie bags for all the party kids - keeping with the star theme

My 1st attempt at decorating sugar cookies - I was quite pleased.

Table set up - red / white / blue and stars everywhere

More of my cookies - now I have the fever to make and decorate more!

Had to include his birthday banner.

Owen, Noah & Eli flopping around in the bounce house.

Two buds back together, sharing cheetos.

Eli, Noah & Evan - Eli's buddy from school.

A great picture of Robin & Kylie (Noah's mom & sister)

Sweet Baby Faye - Owen's sister. Love the Wonder Woman shirt.

Cole and his peeps - Jack and Kylie

can't beat a cheeto

the swingset got quite a workout.

Eli & Matthew eating watermelon - they were so cute. Such big boys.

Cupcake table.

Close up - I love the cupcake toppers.

Family photo

Cole really loved the icing.

love messy face pictures

He did a great job of devouring his cupcake.

I love my little boy!

Y-U-M!

Eli and all the other kids (and adults) enjoyed cupcakes too.

Grandma & Grandpa C

Noah gave Eli a big brother gift. Eli loved it and they hugged after he opened it. I am a sucker for cute little boy pictures!!!

Here's Jack - one of Cole's buds at school.

and Jack's brother, Matthew - he & Eli used to be in class together.

Noah, rocking his star gear.

Sarah, so sweet in stars!

Uncle Mike & Aunt Mary - I love this picture.

Cole got some Monster Trucks of his own. I've had to come up with a color coding scheme to keep his and Eli's identified. Cole's now have red nail polish on the bottom (Thanks Millie Mom for the idea!)

a super cute bear backpack from some of our neighbors

fun with hats!

Cole got a great stainless bottle and hat from Aunt Cary. He loves the bottle.

Peek-a-boo. Cole was so happy all day and had a great time at his party.

My brother and his girlfriend were pooped from all the action.