Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Cole at 6 months!

Cole had a well check-up this morning, so a 6 month update is due! 

He is now 16 lb 3 oz, and 26.8 inches long. He is in between Carter and Ella at 6 months weight wise (They were 17.5 and 15.15, respectively), but he is the exact same length that Carter was (Ella was 1.5 inches shorter)!  He's very much an averaged size little dude!

Lookin' cute in the exam room today!
 We've got rolls!
 Big sister came along, and was a great helper.



Cole is now nursing 5-6 times a day, and has 2 meals of purees each day (breakfast and dinner). He does still get a bottle at bedtime, and has been holding it on his own here lately. Still needs a little help, but he's getting good at it! I've been making all of his baby food, and now that he's over the initial "ick" factor of all the new textures and tastes, he really loves it all! So far, he's had applesauce, pears, bananas, prunes, carrots, green beans, and peas. I'd say his favorites are prunes, carrots, and green beans, though he eats all of them well. Maybe I'll finally have one who eats absolutely everything like his Daddy! Coming soon will be strawberries, squash, sweet potatoes. We'll see how he likes those. He also got a sippy cup with water in it for the first time yesterday. Not crazy about the cold water, but loved playing with it! 



We also have been giving him these little teether biscuits sometimes while everyone is at the table, so he doesn't fuss at the sight of everyone else eating, and not him! I promise, he likes them! This was the first one he had in a while, so he's just getting used to it. ;)




He loves to ride in his stroller and be outside. We often bring him on the front porch in his excersaucer and ride scooters up and down the street. He loves watching the big kids!! Also, swinging in our backyard or at the baby swings at the park are a favorite, especially if someone is jumping in front of him and saying "boo!" He does love a good game of peek-a-boo, just like his sister did! And he loves to be tossed up in the air - that will really get him giggling too! Still ticklish as ever and thinks it hilarious! 

He is now taking a bath in the bath tub like a big boy! Usually we do Carter and Cole separately, but every now and then they get a few minutes in there together.



He is sleeping 11-12 hours at night, with a bedtime between 7:30 & 8pm. He is taking 3 naps per day. He doesn't have specific naptimes other than morning, midday, and afternoon naps. As busy as our days are during the week, he's lucky to get two naps in his crib. Usually he has one nap on the go. 

He is still the happiest and sweetest baby there ever was. He loves to watch Carter and Ella, he's always fully entertained just with their presence. Though he's not crawling, he's definitely mobile in that he rolls and scoots anywhere he wants to go. I'd even say he's got a little army crawling going on, especially if he is motivated to reach a toy. His favorite toys right now are anything with fabric attached to it, burp rags, tags on blankets, and the disposable wipe cases that I carry around everywhere with me. They make a fun crinkly noise that he loves. He's outgrown his playmats (he doesn't stay on them) and his bouncy seats (he turns over while in them), so he spends most of his time in the floor, the excersaucer, or the sit-me-up seat that he has. He also likes his doorway jumper, and spends time in that usually when we're upstairs.

Check out this move he did in the bouncer. Strapped in and everything, flipped himself over to try and reach the package of wipes that he dropped. Little squirmy toot! 

 
Love, love, love this boy! Can't believe we've had him 1/2 a year already! Looking forward to lots of fun with him this summer, as he gets to explore more, and go swimming, and spend lots of time with his siblings!!

Friday, March 27, 2015

Frozen on Ice 3/27/15

Today we had a girls' day, and went to see Frozen on Ice with friends. We bought our tickets back in May, so we've been waiting for this day for a LONG time! Well, Ella didn't know anything about it this morning, so technically, I have been waiting. She has been oblivious. But was so happy and so surprised! :)

She was so excited, she was hanging out with me in my bathroom while I got ready!
A few quick pictures before heading out the door.

Love my big girl.


We all were able to ride together, and the girls loved that!!
Ready to go!
 Cute girls.
 That's $75 worth of light toys right there. YIKES!! They loved them, though!
 Me and my girl.... she's just a little bit excited, can you tell?!

 And we had great seats, too, so they were all able to see really well!
Our whole group. Amy with her two girls, Lucy and Grace (4 months), Me and Ella, and Ashley and her daughter, Taylor.
 Those light toys were put to good use!


 Elsa!
 It even snowed on us all. Ella is eating her beloved cotton candy. She was almost as excited to get cotton candy as she was just getting to go. I made her promise that we'd bring some home for Carter, and she gladly saved some for him. Sweet girl!
 The costumes, characters, and set were all wonderful! 

 Let it Go! I kept hoping I'd catch her singing it, but no. She told me later she was "too shy" to sing along. :)
 The braid. Not sure I've ever seen so many braids, or Elsa dresses, under one roof! So cute!!
 We loved Olaf

 How cool is the snow monster?!
 One of my favorite parts.... so cool what they do at the end!
 
 The very end.... Ella said, "I don't want them to leave, I'll miss them!"
 We enjoyed it!....
 But were sad when it was over.....
:(
 She couldn't wait to get home and tell Daddy all about it.
What a fun girls' day we had!

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Recent Videos

I take videos often on my phone, but I'm not very good at remembering to upload and post them. Here are several videos that go back a little while. Like maybe to January?! Enjoy! :)






This was on Valentines Day. Eric let the kids pick out a treat for me at Market Street. Love how proud Ella is of it. :)
Ha! Not thrilled.

So much cuteness.

Poor baby.
This is the attitude I have to deal with from her. I wanted her to dance and sing with me, and this is what I got instead.
Some of Cole's sweetest moments are when he's sleepy and ready for a rest. He gets deliriously happy, and loves to be tickled and played with right before naps. One of my favorite times of the day!

Oh man, this is my life with these kiddos!

Cole had his first experience swinging in the baby swing at the park this week. Listen for Ella in the beginning, she's so proud of him! She spots him, and says, "Lucy! Let me show you something that my baby is doing!" Love that.
So fun, and so happy!
Loving the doorway jumper now, too. This boy is just getting too big!!

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Cole's First Taste of Cereal

Cole had his first tastes of cereal today, at 5 1/2 months! This poor baby has been watching us eat and so interested in it for a while now..... figured it was time!                                                                    Started off okay....

 Getting progressively more disgusted....
 
 Yep, gagging now!
 Poor baby, don't think he liked it much. :( We're going to have to practice!
 Here are a couple of videos of the fun. Excuse my loud and obnoxious big kids! ;)         




                                                                                        
Hope he starts to like it a little more.... we'll see!

March 5th, Snow Day #3

I never would have thought we'd be snowed in again in March! But we were. All of us I think were pretty much over the snow on this last round, but after staying in their jammies for a while inside, they did go out to play in it again, and tried to make the best of it. 

This does look like a pretty perfect snow day, doesn't it? Fire on, PJs, baby napping, Daddy home, and board games. I mean, even the dog all cozied up on the couch! Perfect. (The kids were even getting along!!)


 Snow angels

 Snow man hugs
Ella really loved our first snow man we made on Saturday, and she was broken hearted when he melted. Seriously. I drove past the front of the house to show her what was left of him on Monday (nothing but a tiny snowball), and she cried real, sensitive, sad tears for her lost snowman. Boo-hooed even. Really tugged on both mine and Carter's heart strings. I told her we'd make another one next time it snowed (not knowing that would be in just a few days), and she insisted on a "girl one" next time. With a bow. Sooooo, a "girl one" is what she got on Thursday.
 A very fashionable snow-woman, with her leopard print accessories! Ella loved her. (guess I forgot to take a picture of Ella with her).
Then we went inside and made snow ice cream with fresh snow, milk, sugar, and vanilla. It was more of a milk shake, but it was yummy and the kids loved it!

Thumbs up from Carter!
Later that afternoon, our neighbor friends knocked on our door with a "gift" for the kids. We bundled and headed out to see what they had for us. 
 
It was a giant snow ball! They had rolled it all the way from their house around the corner. Actually I think this was the third or fourth one they had started. Each one before it had gotten too big to keep pushing, so they abandoned them and started again. HA! I couldn't stop laughing because Erin (their Mom) was so tired and out of breath when they finally got here, she had gotten her work out in for the day! And now, 3 days later, that giant snow ball has turned into a giant mud puddle! HA! Oops.
 Anyway, the kids had a snowball fight and played a little longer. But this time it was all melting and it was pretty muddy, so we had some messy kids to clean up! But I know they had fun. :)



 Hopefully this will be my final snow post of the season, as we are all ready for spring!!