here it is!

(you can just see his tooth, right by the tip of my finger)

so, here it is, cole's tooth... ta-dah! it's finally up enough to catch on camera, but let me tell you, it was a process. not only finding just the right setting on my camera, but waiting for him to fall asleep for his nap so i could actually get a good view of it! his nap this morning was much-needed; he was up for a few hours last night (or rather, really really early this morning) and so none of us got a whole lot of sleep. he slept EXCELLENT the past 5 or 6 nights, ever since that little pearly white popped through, so i'm guessing the next one is really close- i can feel a bump where his other bottom front tooth will be coming through, so it's no wonder that he's a bit fussy again! poor baby! anyway, uncle tedly was asking about cole's new tooth so these photos are kinda for him but i thought all the rest of the family would enjoy seeing them too.

(just barely visible, i had to turn off the flash for these otherwise the entire photo was WAY washed out...)

yesterday, when kelvin got out of the shower after work, he picked cole up and said "cole and i are going to andy's so i can get some songs from him for my phone; you can take a little time for yourself... stay home or go out, whatever you wanna do." oh my, i almost fell over! i didn't expect to hear that! so, i took him up on it and had a chance to go look around for a few hours by myself. i wanted to find some dress shoes for sundays but just didn't find what i was looking for. so i hit up bath and body (it opened monday) and got some lavender-vanilla body wash and pillow mist... i LOVE that scent! then i went to target where i found some hair lotion (to try to tame the frizz- it's from umberto and it was on sale, so i figured, why not... it was a good deal and i haven't had anything for my fuzz for awhile), a scented oil burner (way cheaper than bath and body, and i can get just the lavender-vanilla oil from there when this stuff is gone) and some new pacifiers for cole. they're nuk from gerber and they are called naturalflex (or something like that), and they're supposed to imitate nursing. they do, as far as i can tell, but i think cole has totally forgotten how to work a pacifier... he just chews on it, and then when he tries to suck on it, it kinda pops out. then he gets frustrated. at least he likes this one, so i'm hoping he'll get the hang of it. he can't go around sucking on our fingers or shoulders forever... and if nothing else, he at least likes chewing on it! that's worth something, anyway.

cheeseballs and esp's

(he just was not going to be happy unless he got to try mommy's cucumber...)

alrighty... just to clarify (before i forget), in this case, esp means economic stimulus payment. i was on cafemom.com yesterday evening and saw an article that said that people were supposed to start getting these checks in may, but because of a new computer program or something, the government is supposed to start handing them out today. cool- while i AM a tad bit leary of the whole thing (i mean, since when does our government just hand out free money without having a hidden catch somewhere...), i used this cool online tool at irs.gov to figure what our esp payment would be using our tax return info and let's just say that i'm happy with the results. yeah, go do it for yourselves- it's a way to kill time until this 'free' money shows up... sorry, still a little suspicious! c'mon- admit it, i can't be the only one just a little curious about the whole thing- look at the track record... yeah, enough rambling. onto the cheeseball. the cheeseball in question is none other than the wonderful baby boy that i am SO blessed to call my son. his latest thing? posing for the camera. while not as complex as his last newest thing (which i'll get to in a minute), it's just plain funny. it started yesterday afternoon, when he was goofing around with kelvin... i ran to get the camera to take more photos of him and his daddy, and wouldn't you know, he got this silly grin as soon as i turned it on. ever since, he does this thing when he sees the camera, where he leans forward, tilts his head back a little, scrunches up his eyes and gets this really wide smile. he actually poses! he knows he's being funny too...

(the cheeseball and his daddy- he thought it was extra funny that he had kelvin's string in his mouth!)


his previous 'newest thing' was last week- i had so many things to do, including making more baby food, and of course, i couldn't carry him around the whole time. seems that his exersaucer and he oceanwonders tunnel were a no-go, so i just set him on the kitchen floor with various toys and (safe) kitchen utensils. he was fine for a while, then started whining. i let him carry on, then all of a sudden, i heard him fall backward and hit his head on the linoleum and cry. i thought. it just so happens that when i turned and ran to get my poor baby and kiss his little noggin better, what i found was cole, sitting on the floor where i had left him, hands pressed against the floor. as it turns out, he found out that if he slapped the floor with his little palms and then 'cried' really loud, it got the same reaction as if he really HAD hit his head. ha- smarty pants! he got me a second time, but then after that, mommy got wise... and he had to resort to screaming at the top of his lungs to get his way. what a goober! smart, but still a little goober... my, but they learn quick!

(this morning, posing for mommy- see the cereal on his face?)

(starting cosmo a little early are we?)

and, as for the tooth, it's still there! we've been able to see and feel it since friday, so that's really exciting! and along with his tiny lone little chomper has come a few good nights and some naps. wow- what a difference! he's still a bit demanding and all, but he IS only 8 months, and still hasn't gotten the crawling thing down yet, which lends a little frustration to the situation. he'll get it, one of these days!

family weekend

(my favorite from the whole weekend- it's precious the way cole is leaning against his daddy!)

the weekend with mom, dad and the girls was great! i wish i could post all the photos i took, but it's just not gonna happen. i guess i should probably do a narrative recap...

elissa flew in to phoenix wednesday night- her flight came in at 9 pm, so we didn't make it to bible study... we got home a little on the late side (for us, anyway) and after a good but short night's sleep, we were rarin' to go! thursday, elissa, cole and i went to explore the "shopping" here in casa grande. there's not a WHOLE lot, not like back in wisconsin, but we hit up kohl's, had subway for lunch, then went to target and jc penney. we found a few good deals but not a lot. friday, mom, dad and sarah came down. kelvin took the day off of work so we could all be together an extra day. elissa had a slight (haha- slight!) luggage issue that wasn't sorted out very well- her luggage was supposed to come into phoenix-mesa on thursday night (this is on account of elissa accidentally booking a ticket to vegas, getting off the flight just in time, but not being able to get her luggage). mom and dad were going to pick it up and bring it with them, but the people there said they didn't have it. this resulted in more tears and frustration (poor sasa...!) and as it turns out, her luggage was there the entire time! so, dad and kelvin headed back up to mesa to get the prodigal bag while mom, cole, the girls and i hung out at the pool. sarah was bound and determined to go back to wisconsin TAN... no if's, and's or but's about it. which brings us to saturday- we figured we should all go and see something cool, original to arizona. nobody was really interested in driving for more than an hour or so, so we kind of settled on this ironwood national forest near tuscon. wouldn't you know, we couldn't find the place. or rather, we couldn't find anyone who could tell us where to go. oh, we got directions but they led us to nowhere... so finally we stopped at a gas station. the lady there seemed to know exactly what we were looking for (i have to mention, there were none of those little handy brown signs you usually see indicating you are nearing a state or national park, forest, whatever). THOSE directions didn't really help us much either, so we once again turned around and headed back the way we came, again stopping at the gas station. this time, the lady told us that there really wasn't much to see, that ironwood was just a 'forest' with no trails or info or anything. well. had we known THAT... at least the day wasn't a total waste- we saw some beautiful countryside! so the day was definitely not a waste... we ended up laying out by the pool again while dad and kelvin went off-roading for a few hours. they really had a blast, judging from the looks on their faces when they told us what it was like! on sunday, we headed up to picacho peak in the afternoon (meeting in the morning, of course) and then we stopped at the picacho peak dairy queen for supper. the hiking was great- we took a trail that was a bit more difficult and made it about a third of the way before heading back down. good thing too- it was getting a bit steep, i was wearing sandals, elissa is pregnant and cole was riding on kelvin's back- really, the circumstances were not at all conducive to hard-core hiking. but it was great to get out, get some exercise, panic over how high up we were and how are we going to get down!! sunday night, kelvin and dad went to pick up andy from the airport (he flew back home for the weekend) and mom and us girls had a little 'therapy'- thanks again, mom! really- it was good! monday brought another day of work for kelvin while once again, we girls laid by the pool! first we made fruity little drinks in margarita glasses (courtesy of elissa- thanks, hun!)- they were yummy! mom and dad watched cole for a few hours so i got a chance to actually LAY out by the pool- great for all of us, since they got a little quality time with the grandbaby and i got a little quality time to myself. kind of- i should say that i got a chance to hang loose and chat with my sisters, no other obligations or interruptions! thanks again, mom and dad! monday night, we all had supper here before they headed back to phoenix. actually, i thought we'd end up with a cold casserole because sarah was entertaining cole on the kitchen floor and his giggles had us all watching him instead of eating! it was funny though, definitely better than a piping hot meal (actually, supper was still nicely warm by the time we sat down to eat)- i'm very happy to say that i got the end of it all on the camcorder! when i replayed it the other day, i could hear elissa laughing really hard in the background! so, that was our family weekend. it was SO wonderful to see everyone again, and made it seem like we're not quite so far away. and, now we are looking forward to having kelvin's parents here again toward the end of may. good thing everyone likes to travel!!

(auntie elissa gave her wallet to cole to play with about 10 seconds before the picture was taken- quick work! later, he got a good old-fashioned ride in a box- it was from our new inflatable bed)

(friday at the pool, splashing in the water with auntie elissa; chilling the the shade- check out the bottle in his hand- what a dude!)

(with auntie sarah in the kitchen saturday a.m.- are they two peas in a pod or what!! love, love, love cole's goofy grin!)

(with grandma)


(gotta love this one- grandpa's hat almost fits, lol!)






(mom, elissa, sarah and i with our fruity concoctions. i should probably add, they are definitely non-alcoholic! just in case anyone was wondering, i though i should maybe clarify that.)


(gotta touch the baby belly! call it early bonding with our new nephew-to-be...)


(great photo of mom and dad with cole- proud grandparents!!)

and on one last but very exciting note, about an hour ago, i got a text on my phone from our neighbors back home- little maggie lee was born on friday, she's 7 pounds and 19 3/4 inches. congratulations to barb, steve, rem, gabby and henry on the new addition! can't wait to meet her! miss you guys too...

more than you wanted to know...

i was blog-hopping and found this- i actually enjoyed the last one, so i think i'll have fun with this one too. (don't worry, i WILL post pics, probably tomorrow when i don't have to hang onto cole every minute...)

1. where were you three hours ago?
ummm, i think i was napping (!) with cole. amazingly.
2. who are you in love with?
my husband and cole...
3. have you ever eaten a crayon?
well, i guess i often wonder why i've done many things- thankfully i've never had to ask myself what would possess me to eat colored wax
4. is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?
quick scan... yes. cole's little plastic piglet toy, a half a bag of lentils (the bag is pink, not the lentils), the dishsoap, my underwear (see #46).
5. when is the last time you went to the mall?
monday i went to the outlets here with mom, elissa and sarah- oh, how i miss the REAL mall...
6. are you wearing socks right now?
nope, not in arizona. it's, like, 90 degrees out and my circulation is fine, thank you very much. therefore, i do not require socks.
7. do you have a car worth over $2,000?
yes... anyone need a car? we really wanna sell it...
8. when was the last time you drove out of town?
oh boy- no clue. i never really go anywhere and when i do, i'm always riding.
9. have you been to the movies in the last 5 days?
nope.
10. are you hot?
literally or figuratively? the a/c is pluggin along wonderfully and i have some serious body image issues, so i'd say no. to both.
11. what was the last thing you had to drink?
diet pepsi. still workin on it... ahhhh.
12. what are you wearing right now?
man, i picked a great day to do this... i'm actually wearing something other than pj's- a denim skirt and a tank top (i'm inside, mom!)
13. do you wash the car or let the carwash do it?
usually the car wash, it has more ambition than me. oh, but sometimes, kelvin and i wash the vehicles and have a good old water fight. but for now, the carwash... no hoses here at the apartments.
14. last food you ate?
left-over lasagna, a kiwi and a piece of string cheese. yum.
15. where were you last week at this time?
hangin at the pool with mom, elissa, sarah and cole. come back, you guys!
16. have you bought any clothing items in the last week?
sheepishly, yes. and for myself. i found a sundress on the clearance rack at the gap outlet and a white bolero to go with. mom spotted the bolero... i have my new convention outfit!
17. when is the last time you ran?
probably tuesday night... i'm not for sure on this one. exercise is too painful so it usually gets blocked from my memory (kidding), but tuesday night, cole puked, so i had to run to get stuff to clean up.
18. what's the last sporting event you watched?
see answer to above question- watching is just as painful as participating. again, kidding. i really am not interested in sports... does watching the little kids from the complex run around the grassy area count?
19. what's your favorite animal?
cats. definitely.
20. your dream vacation?
oh-hoho! lying on the beach in jamaica- blue water, white sand, nobody around for miles. i haven't decided yet if i'd do this solo or include kelvin and cole... is that horribly selfish?
21. last person's house you were in?
hmmm. i think andy's, i'm not sure.
22. worst injury you've ever had?
other than post-partum recovery (ahh, what we do for our kids...)? i don't know if it really counts as an injury, per se, but i had a nasty case of sciatica in high school...
23. have you been in love?
uh, yeah! that's why i'm married and have a baby- one love led to the other...
24. do you miss anyone right now?
lots of people- my family, friends, everyone back home... and my kitties. i miss them still, every now and again. i see they've been adopted, so that's cool!
25. last play you saw?
oooh, i remember this one! fiddler on the roof- mom and dad took cole so we could go see it. yay for my little sis, she was a wonderful villager!
26. what is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex?
oh gracious, i have no idea. i don't think i have one...
27. what are your plans for tonight?
it's payday, so walmart, take-out, feed the baby, bathe the baby, put baby to bed, hope desperately baby STAYS in bed, put self to bed... am i forgetting anything?
28. who is the last person you sent a facebook message or comment?
i think it was kayla, i'm not sure.
29. next trip you are going to take?
probably a big one over one of the many baby toys strewn about our small living quarters. at least it won't cost much... :)
30. ever go to camp?
are you kidding? i am the most anti-organized-sing-a-long-let's make-daisy-chains person i know. that, too, was a joke. no, i don't think i have.
31. were you an honor roll student in school?
yep.
32. what do you want to know about the future?
preferably, everything- i have this issue with being really anxious if i don't know what's going to happen and when. but then again, we don't know the future for a reason, so i guess no. maybe i really shouldn't know.
33. are you wearing any perfume or cologne?
eau de barfe de la bebe. not my first choice, but it's what was handiest, i guess.
34. are you due sometime this year for a doctor visit?
yeah, but i'll probably forget. and, i'm NOT going to that quack here! i'd rather fly home. unless we get lucky with a baby #2, then i'll definitely have to go.
35. where is your best friend?
my guess is he's on his way home from work. the rest, they are here and there...
36. how is your best friend?
fine and dandy, i guess. at least, he sounded fine when i talked to him a few minutes ago
37. do you have a tan?
YES!!!!!
38. what are you listening to right now?
the neighbor's stereo. so nice of him to share! oh, and cole- he's blowing razzberries on my bare shoulder.
39. do you collect anything?
yes- junk. i think packratism is hereditary- you should have seen my grandpa and grandma k's garage in medford! actually, i'm really starting to pare down... now it's mostly coupons for baby stuff and, well, baby stuff.
40. who is the biggest gossiper you know?
hey, not a nice question! if you think about it, almost everyone has gossipped at some point in their lives; besides, if i said that someone was the biggest gossiper i know, that would make me a gossip too.
41. last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over?
ooops. the first and only time (so far, knock on wood) was in march or early april of 2007- i went around a car that was taking too long to turn and forgot to take my foot off the gas. in my defense, i was daydreaming about how i wanted to do the baby's room... i got a warning, for anyone who cares to know.
42. have you ever drunk your soda from a straw?
uhhh, hasn't everyone? c'mon- i don't think i know one person who hasn't, at some point in their lives. unless they've never had soda...
43. what does your last text message say?
i don't know, but it was probably from kelvin, in which case, nunya bizness!
44. do you like hot sauce?
ha! bring it on, baby! the hotter, the better!
45. last time you took a shower?
last week was bath week, so... no. that was a joke too. it was this morning, with my son letting me know he was NOT pleased that he had to sit and wait.
46. do you need to do laundry?
yes. all the time- at this moment i have to do towels and the load of whites that includes the pink underwear from #4.
47. what is your heritage?
german, dutch, and a wee bit of choctaw, as legend has it. german and dutch for sure.
48. are you someone's friend?
probably. i don't like to answer for anyone, in case they've changed their mind, but last time i checked, yes.
49. are you rich?
not really, but what's money anyway? i have so much more... i would say yes. i have a family and a roof over my head. what else do i REALLY need?
50. what were you doing at 12 a.m. last night?
i think that 12 am would technically be this morning, not last night, but anyhoo, i was sleeping. i think. no, wait, yeah, i was! yay!

there you have it. it's a long one, to which cole is vigorously and loudly protesting ("quiet, sweetie, mommy needs to do her inane and pointless writing!"). it was fun, anyway- can't wait to see if anyone else does this and what their responses are! (hint, hint...)

toothage!

we have a tooth! i noticed it about a half an hour ago; we were reviewing the weekend's events on the camcorder and cole was whining so i offered him my finger to chomp on. i felt something, like a little grain of sand or something, and when i looked, i couldn't really see anything- babies usually aren't very cooperative when you try to look in their mouths, but i felt it again, then once more to be sure, and yes, it's the tip of his first tooth! it's his bottom right, for anyone who's interested! my baby is growing WAY too fast... :)

what i love...

this morning was a bit on the difficult side- cole wasn't happy unless he was being held, and i had THINGS TO DO, like make more baby food, fold laundry, wash sheets, take a shower... things that i had been putting off but needed to get done today. so, as most of my morning was spent listnening to my son screaming at me for every ounce of attention, i thought of the things that i love about him...

*i love the smell of his baby breath- it's so sweet, even after being asleep for half the night. it's cool that babies don't have morning breath...
*his soft skin- especially after he's had his bath and lotion, because then it smells really good too.
*speaking of smells, i love the smell of his head.
*i love that huge, still-toothless grin that he has when he looks at me in the morning... he sometimes wakes up crying, but as soon as i pick him up, he's almost always mr smiley.
*i love the sheer joy he finds in the simple things- bubbles in his bath, his 'grabby' (green blanket), a quick mid-morning cuddle...
*i love the look he gets when he has his bottle- he rolls his eyes back, flutters his lashes and just melts in my arms, as if he's never tasted anything so good. utter bliss...
*i love how sometimes, he talks in his sleep. it's funny, especially since it's still baby-babble, just really quiet, just above a whisper.
*i love how he's fascinated with my hair when it's down and drying after my shower- he reaches out real slow, just barely runs his fingers over it and looks at me and smiles this sweet, content little smile.
*i love how warm and droopy he is when he falls asleep in my arms or on my shoulder.
*i love the way he screams when i turn around or leave the room- as long as he doesn't scream too long. it's wonderful to feel so needed!
*i love the way he depends on me for everything, even if the responsibility is overwhelmingly scary sometimes.
*i love that he's mine.

as i write this, cole is asleep in the middle of our inflatable bed (which is surprisingly luxurious, for an inflatable mattress), all tiny and peaceful. he had his bottle but fell asleep before he got the rest of his lunch. my guess is that he'll wake up relatively soon and want his veggies and cereal. yesterday he had only formula and cereal, with the exception of a little applesauce for a snack, because he threw up three times since last week thursday. he threw up thursday night, sunday night and tuesday night. i have no idea what to think, since he hasn't got a fever or diarreah or anything else. he was quite gassy until yesterday (wow, can my son pass gas) but other than that, no other symptoms. he had a normal appetite, it just didn't stay down a few times. thankfully, he wasn't heaving or gagging; he just emptied his little tummy in one big mess. i did call theda-oncall to see what i should do, and the nurse i talked to said that she really had no suggestions since there were no other indications of any possible illness or anything... she did say, however, that in her professional opinion, he does have infant reflux. of course, she's not a doctor, but she does know what she's talking about. she also mentioned that he might have developed a sensitivity to something, probably his formula, since it's soy-based. and, of course, she advised that i take him to our doctor here before switching his formula... that's the last thing i want to do, considering this guy seems to be a certified quack. i mentioned my hesitation to take him to the dr here, and she was really understanding... apparently, she agrees with me on that one! i am REALLY hoping that cole's issue was because of over-excitement or something; once i am sure he's done with the puking, i'll be more than happy to feed him somewhere other than the kitchen (it's the only place besides the bathroom that's not carpeted and therefore easier to clean)! poor baby- at least he's only done it a few times (always in the evening, alway around supper time or shortly after) and isn't dehydrated or anything. i'm sure there's no reason for extreme concern, but i can't help but be worried! after all, he's my baby and he's little and we waited so long for him, i'm afraid that something might happen to him. call it first-time mommy syndrome, i guess.
anyway, not too much else happening in our little corner here... still can't post any pictures, so those will have to wait yet again. technology- grrrrr!

help!

apparently the photo-posting issue is kinda wide-spread... i can't post pictures either! how frustrating. when things are back in order with the technical stuff (i'm sure that the blogger techs are working hard to straighten it all out...), i'll post photos and stuff from the past week. until then, guess i'll just wait patiently. or not. i'm not a very patient person.

8 months

yesterday i decided to take cole's 8-month photos. i HAVE kept up on his monthly pictures, i just don't have good editing software or a printer, and i am still waiting for a good computer to do all of it on. i have all the shots saved onto disc, though, so when i'm ready to get them out, a bunch of you will get several months all at once! i know cole's technically not 8 months until friday, but when the opportunity for a good shooting session presents itself, as a parent, you just run with it. who cares if it's a few days early or late? anyhoo, the time was perfect... between nap and lunch, he was happy and goofy, a little uncooperative but that's to be pretty normal. he did really well, and i was happy with him. not as happy with the photos, though; they turned out decent, but with the way the windows and lights are in the apartment, it's almost impossible to get good lighting. i don't have any lamps here, otherwise i could have rigged up some makeshift backlight to get rid of the shadows... if i had more than one lamp, i could even try to make side lights! i found several websites that show how to make homemade studio equipment (pretty basic stuff, mostly softboxes and stuff, muslin backgrounds too), so maybe in the future, i can get some better-quality shots! still, i love, love, LOVE taking pictures of cole! he's so funny sometimes! here are my favorites from yesterday...

(so cute the way he put his head to the side... i LOVED it!!!)




(playing with daddy on sunday afternoon)



("hiding" from daddy... lol)





(oooops.)

sunday afternoon cole was playin on the floor with kelvin and crept himself backward until he got wedged under the chair. he had a lot of fun, till he realized he couldn't wiggle himself out. he's still determined to get everywhere just by scooching backwards. talk about stubborn... he's so close to crawling, i wish he'd just do it already! he'd be alot happier. into much more trouble, but happier none-the-less, which means the rest of us will feel a little more relaxed.
oh, and elissa gets here today! for those of you waiting for baby news, feel free to visit her website... they had their ultrasound yesterday (hint hint). :)

"-"

yeah, i gave in and tested this morning. it was negative, which really is ok, given the way the night went with cole. what a stinker... bed at 8-ish, up and ready to PLAY at 10. it took about an hour before i was able to deposit him into his bed (finally)... then up at 2am and 3am. but, he at least he waited till 6 before getting up for all day! why he is SO happy, i don't know. if i had a night like that (on an increasingly regular basis), i'd be crabby as all get out. hmmm. mr sunshine, i guess. so anyway, no baby this time, but like i said, i really am ok with it. as long as it doesn't take another 5 years... and i will put up our ticker again soon. just have to get a more accurate length for it... :)

new kicks, shades and a rocker!!

what a smile- i had to post this picture... i love the expression in his eyes! so lively...! so, today kc and i went to the outlet mall and paid a visit to the oshkosh b'gosh store. last time kelvin and i had been in there, i saw these adorable (soft-soled) sneakers, but didn't get them. the tag said $30 (!!!) but there was a sale going on so i could have gotten them for $10. i doubted that they'd still be on sale today, but i looked, and sure enough, they were! so, i got them... his first big boy shoes because they have laces! and then at the checkout, i made an impulse buy- the smallest pair of sunglasses i have ever seen! they were just under $9, so i got them (they were 30% off) and let me tell you, seeing him in them was TOTALLY worth it! later, kelvin and i had to run a short errand, so since we were going out in the sun, we put the sunglasses on cole. on the way into town, he took them off after he was strapped in his carseat, but on the way home, he was such a total dude... he left them on and just coolly looked out the window... it was SOOOOO funny!


and, since there are a LOT more photos of cole and daddy than cole and mommy, daddy kindly took this shot...



yep, big boy shoes that TIE! it didn't take him long to figure out how to untie them... laces are pretty entertaining! i just love them, almost like baby converse sneakers (auntie sarah, are you proud?)




and the cool shades... he's sitting in our ROCKING CHAIR!!! it's just an indoor/outdoor metal mesh rocker, but it is just what we need... hello, sleep? i hope. the shades are kinda funny- cole's little nose is pretty stubby yet, so they just sit kinda suspended over his schnoz. at least he keeps them on. even though i got them more for giggles, they might really get some use since it's rarely cloudy here.

"test" day

just a real quick note here... i'd like to say thanks to all of you who have wished us luck the past few days- it means a LOT! we aren't planning to test for a week or so, just because my cycle has fluctuated a little since cole was born. it's usually only a day or two either way, but i want to be REALLY sure that there's a reason to test before i gear myself up to take one. don't worry, we won't leave anyone in the dark... if anything, just look for a different ticker! :)

to recap the last month: photos!

(11th april, 2008)
ok, so this old dino of a computer is dead set against letting me put these pictures in order... i apologize! at least i SHOULD be able to get some captions- it's kinda hit or miss with this pile of bits and pieces! technology- phhht!

(9th april, 2008)

these particular shots are for elissa- THIS is how he holds his burp-rag, hands free! he thinks it's really funny and giggles when we acknowledge that he's doing it. he knows he's funny...

these pics are for mom and dad... remind you of someone? (he does this EVERYWHERE... including on my hand when i'm holding him... just twirls or rocks his hand back and forth!)

this picture belongs with the other ones at the bottom of the page (they are from 7th april). this was cole's first bubble bath... he had SO much fun! he always loves his bath, but he was on cloud nine with this one!

this is from when we were in wisconsin for grandma's 8oth... dad was having a good time walking with cole, and mom held his hands while all three of them 'danced'. it was a pretty sweet moment...


monday, 17th march was the day we went to see grandma and grandpa b. in clintonville. cole got a fun ride on grandpa's office chair and the grandma let him 'help' on the computer. cole was in his glory!!

these were some that were taken about two weeks ago. cole just happened to be mid-blink when the first one was snapped... he looks like he's enjoying some pretty strong stuff! lol ;). the other one was a few days after he started his pink eye meds... you can't really see it here, but there was still a bit of puffiness and red along the rims of his peepers. but the smile is priceless!

our new favorite thing to dress him in... some old guy asked if he was really fbi... yes, of course! he's undercover as a baby- duh!

just for kicks... when we were all sick, i made a run to the kitchen for more ice and when i got back, this is what had been left from my glass. doesn't that just make your day... and yes, our nightstand is actually a cardboard box.

and... the rest of cole's bubble bath snapshots!! i love how he looks so in awe of those suds in the first picture... he really did have a blast!

there... now that i've gotten a bit caught up, i can relax. yeah right... a nap would be nice! i'm hoping my darling son will go down soon; last night was NOT good! bed at 8.30, up at 9; bed at 9.30, up at 10; bed at 10.30, up at 11. in the swing till 3, with me on the couch. he was very restless the whole time he was in the swing, so i only got to doze a little. then he woke up again, fell asleep on my belly, in his bed at 4, up for the day a little after 5. the chamomile did not work it's magic last night, neither did the teething tablets or tylenol. just a bad night, i guess. oh well... i've given up on getting any decent sleep for awhile! it's seems you can handle things better when you just roll with the punches, so that's the way i'm gonna do it from now on! if nothing else, this whole bedtime business really keeps things interesting... :)

the package has arrived!

yeah, it sounds like some military code phrase, i know... like, the eagle has landed or something like that. but anyway, yes, mom's package finally came! it's a long story involving what mom and i agree smells like a delivery cover-up... excuses, excuses. tsk, tsk, tsk, united states postal service! it's great to finally have my camera cable back, and cole looks adorable in the outfit that my dad sent! for those who aren't familiar with the shopping habits of my father, he rarely sets foot in a mall, much less picks out an entire outfit. let me tell you, he did GREAT! thank you SO much, dad! (and cole says, "thank you grandpa!!) cole can't wait to model it for you for real... :)
i am now faced with the daunting task of posting photos from the last 4 weeks. i realized that i really have to pare down on which ones i post, since it could take ages. this is due to our partially disabled laptop. i say partially because while it DOES run, it takes it's sweet time. also, we have a broadband internet connection that is rather narrow-minded when it comes to the definition of high-speed... i hope someone got that so i don't sound like a complete idiot. it was a joke...

so, here's cole at mom and dad's on 3/15. he learned to make this funny face just a day or two before. i have NO idea where he got it from... possibly his daddy?


i love theses pictures... auntie sarah and uncle tedly "teaching" cole to crawl! it was SO cute, like he had his own support team! and the one of him and ted... priceless!


and, here's 'little buddy's' new duds from his grandpa... he looks so cute! the socks are a bit big, but they'll shrink a little in the wash. right now, the entertainment value is pretty hefty, though. something he can throw around without breaking, smack into his forehead without getting a bruise... best of all, mommy doesn't mind cuz socks aren't breakable! you can't see the belt on these photos, but it's really sweet- it has airplanes on it to match the one on his shirt.
so... i promise, there are more photos coming, but like i said, it will take awhile. it took me over an hour to finally get things straightened out enough to where i could actually publish this post... i had to start over at least 5 times. ridiculous. but, i got it done!
and a little update with cole and his sleep habits... last night went really well! he fell asleep VERY reluctantly around 9.30, then got up briefly just after 2, and then slept again until just after 6. good boy! the past few days, he's been getting up around 6 or a little after, sleeping right through kelvin getting ready for work, eating breakfast, etc. surprising, since his 'bedroom' is also the living room/dining room! i am impressed... i am also getting a rocking chair. enough said.