Goodbye 2007!

What can I say about 2007 as I reflect back on the year we've had?

First and foremost, we welcomed Chase into our lives! On May 25, a "tiny" 8lb. 7oz. bundle of joy entered our lives. And, since that day, we have watched him grow into the 20+lb. 7-month-old that he is today. He is a real Mama's boy, very laid back, and always full of smiles and giggles. What a joy he has been, and continues to be, each and every day! (Although, Cole might not agree so much!) Without a doubt, this is the single best event of the year for our family!

Cole has grown up so much over the past year! He mastered potty training, became a big brother, conquered his fear of riding in the '34 Ford, and got a brand new big boy room! He goes outside to play with his friends now, including inviting them over to play on his swingset or driving them around in his Gator. Every trace of his babyhood is long gone, with the sole exception of his beloved "blankie" that he still loves to sleep with.

He can now write his own name, and loves to use scissors and pencils to "write." He is even mastering his Leapster now and he looks so grown up with his head buried in a video game! He loves tools and spending time working in the garage with Daddy. They always have one project or another that they are working on together.

As I reflect on 2007, I realize just how much the boys have grown and changed. And, how fast it has all happened. I'm sure 2008 will be another great year filled with many new challenges and fond memories. And, while I look forward to watching the boys continue to grow and explore the world around them, I'd also like to figure out how to make it all slow down. They grow up too fast!

Goodbye 2007! It has been a fantastic year! But, now I'm looking forward to 2008 and all the new memories we will create! Here's wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

The day after....

I just love the day after Christmas! Its the one day out of the whole year where Cole doesn't need to be entertained. He just plays with new toys. All.Day.Long. Its awesome! It gives me lots of time to try to find homes for all the new gifts and clean up the Christmas aftermath. And, Cole is busy for the entire day!

I asked him what his favorite gift was this year and he immediately said it was his toolbox!!!!!! And, please be sure to notice his new Mater slippers which have not left his feet since he opened the box. He even asked to sleep in them! Those were a hit as well!

More Christmas Day Fun!

After playing with the new toys and gifts from Santa for a short while, it was time to head out for the rest of our Christmas Day fun! Our first stop was MomMom's and Big Granddad's house.

We had a yummy breakfast and LOTS more presents! To hit the highlights, Cole got talking tools, a chainsaw (which he promply used to try to cut down MomMom's Christmas tree!!!), and his most favorite gift of all this year....a TOOLBOX just like the one Big Granddad uses at the shop!

Chase opening a gift (he just loves the ribbon!)



Cole's favorite gift....a TOOLBOX!!!!!!!




A big "THANK YOU" hug for Big Granddad! Did I mention he loved the toolbox?!?!




Cole sawing down MomMom's Christmas tree.




MomMom and Chase


After opening gifts, we headed next door to Nonnie's and Baby Granddad's house. The entire Taylor family was there, including all of the boys' cousins! We had the traditional feast of homemade cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate. And, then we opened many more gifts! (And, Mom and Dad forgot to take a single picture amidst all the excitement! Bad Mom and Dad!!!) However, the boys each received many more nice gifts, including clothes and toys!

And, as we just couldn't possibly cram any more Christmas into one day....our next stop was Grandma "NeeNee" and Herb's house! We had a nice lunch and even MORE Christmas gifts! By this time, Chase was pretty worn out and he took a short nap while we ate and opened gifts. But, he did wake up in just enough time to finish opening his last few presents!

All in all, we had a very fun (albeit exhausting!!!) day! Everyone ended up with WAY too many gifts! But, a great time was had by all! (And, thank goodness Christmas only comes once a year!)

Santa was here!

Christmas morning arrived VERY early with Mom up before 5:30am! Mommy and Daddy both got dressed and ready before Cole awoke, bleary-eyed, at 6:30am. He stumbled across the hall into our bedroom and asked if Santa had been here. We told him that we better go see! Of course, the Big Man HAD been here and Cole was very overwhelmed at all the gifts!

He had asked for a Leapster and Whack-a-Mole Tower, both of which Santa delivered. However, he was so overwhelmed with all the other toys that it took a good 10 minutes before he even realized that both of the things he asked for were right in front of him!!!!

Cole discovering Santa had been here.



Santa's delivery. The boys must have been good this year!




Oh....HERE'S my Leapster!!!!!!!






Chase and Cole playing with the LeapStart Learning Table.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

We had the Simmons side of the family over this year for Christmas Eve! We all enjoyed a big dinner, presents, and lots of fun! We were also lucky enough to have Aunt Robyn and Grandma both here as well! Here are a few pictures from the evening:

Grandma and Cole













Papa and Chase














Nana and Chase













Cole and Chase














Aunt Robyn and Cole (in his Christmas PJs!)














Poor Chase was too tired to even finish opening his presents! He went to bed in the midst of the fun. But, soon after everyone left, it was time for Cole to go to bed. We reminded him that he needed to go right to sleep so that Santa could come visit. We put a few cookies on a plate, poured Santa a glass of milk, and Cole carried them both carefully to the fireplace. Daddy even made sure to open the fireplace doors so Santa wouldn't have any trouble getting in! And, without any of his usual complaining, Cole went right to sleep!

Not a creature was stirring...Not even a mouse...

Life at our house.....

stays pretty hectic most of the time! And, the last few days have been no exception! Sorry for the break in posting updates!

Chase is still in the "adjusting" phase with his new helmet. Today is the last day that he'll be taking it off for any length of time. After today, he'll be wearing it 23 hours a day. In the meantime, he has done better with it than I thought he would. He doesn't like it by any means, but he's getting used to it.

We had to make an emergency trip to the doctor's office last night at 6:00pm to have his helmet adjusted. (Have I mentioned that we have the BEST orthotist in the whole wide world who stayed late on a Friday night and kept his office open just for us?? Not to mention, he also gave us his personal cell phone number just in case we had any other problems over the holiday weekend! Yeah...he's awesome!) Anyway, after doing a little trimming and adding another little piece of foam, I think we're good to go!

Cole has been sick for the past several days. He was diagnosed with a viral upper respiratory infection. And, for the past 3 days, he has been covered head to toe in hives! The doctor said he was most likely allergic to some component of the virus. However, today his hives are gone and we're hoping that he is now on the mend!

Amongst all that, we're trying to finish up Christmas shopping, wrapping, and all the other fun stuff that goes along with the holdiays! We'll be seeing most of you in the next few days!

Chase got his helmet today!

The orthotist called yesterday to say that he was holding Chase's helmet in his hands and that he wanted to put it on ASAP. So, we went in today instead of waiting until Friday!

All in all, it has gone much better than expected thus far. Getting the helmet fitted properly required the orthotist to take it on and off several times and, each time, do a little trimming of the foam inside in order to get the proper fit. So, Chase wasn't too thrilled with all of that. But, by the time we left the medical building, he wasn't crying any longer and soon fell asleep in his car seat on the way home. (But, that could have been from sheer exhaustion at that point!)

Over the next several days, we will be taking the helmet off and on throughout the day. He'll wear it for a certain amount of time, and then we'll remove it to check to see if too much pressure is being applied anywhere. If so, then we'll have to take him back to have the helmet adjusted. But, so far, so good. By day #5, he will have worked up to wearing it 23 hours per day (only removing it for cleaning and for him to take a bath). We're hoping he will only have to wear it for a few months.















Oh, and not to be outdone by his little brother, Cole also decided to wear a helmet today!

A sign of things to come?

Let's hope not! I tried to keep a hat on Chase all day today in order to prepare him for his helmet that he'll get next Friday. He pretty much hated it and spent the whole day fussing and ripping it off his head. Jeez...I hope 7 days is enough time to get him ready for the helmet! Yikes!

Gotta love this hair!

Is it just me? Or, does anyone else see the resemblence to those Troll dolls from the 1980's?

I just want to hold Chase between my two hands and twist him until his hair sticks straight up. Oh, wait. It already does! (He's so cute!)

Botox for Babies?

I had no clue! I thought Botox was only for those seeking the "Fountain of Youth" or for those Hollywood types that need to pretend that they are just naturally over 50 with no wrinkles. But, I found out otherwise today! Apparently, Botox is used at the Torticollis Clinic here in town (and nationally, I'm sure) on children who just aren't responding to physical therapy alone! Needless to say, I was shocked about that bit of information!

Obviously, Chase had a physical therapy appointment today! I was a little disappointed to learn that he has taken a small step backward over the last month. At the last appointment, Amy was pleased with the way he was keeping his head straight and center for long periods of time, even though he didn't have the full range of motion. But, today she noticed that he was tilting his head again, along with still not having full range. The trouble is that his neck muscle is sooooo tight that its just not allowing him to turn his head properly. And, he is so strong and fighting us so hard with the exercises, that he isn't getting a good stretch very often because he is tensed up and working against us.

So, I was presented with 2 options today: one is a Botox injection into that tight neck muscle. Of course, I was shocked and stunned for a moment that this is even an option! I thought about it for a minute and told her that I wasn't sure I wanted to go that route. Something about shooting my baby with Botox just makes me cringe. But, I did promise myself that I would do lots of research and see what kind of success this treatment has had. I'm not ruling it completely out, but I'm leery. But, the way it was explained to me today is that the Botox will relax the muscle for a certain period of time (days, weeks, months? I'm not sure.) which will, in turn, give us a chance to really push the exercises and get his neck turning properly. The thought is that when the Botox wears off, he'll be "cured" since he'll have gained the full range of motion. Again, I'm leery.

The second option was a neck brace which will create a "lump" on the side of his neck which will force him to keep his head center. Neck stretching without anyone physically manipulating his head. Some babies don't mind the brace at all, others scream the entire time it is on. Who knows where Chase would fall on that one! My first question was how long he would have to wear it daily because I was not going to have him in a helmet AND a neck brace all day long! But, she informed me that neck brace would only be worn for 20 minutes a few times a day. Okay....I can live with that. So, the measurements were taken and the neck brace is being custom made for him in the next couple of weeks. Of this two options, the neck brace just seemed like the most obvious first step. I think I'd rather try it out for a bit before moving on to anything as invasive as Botox.

Poor Chase! This poor kid just can't catch a break!

Santa!!!!

The Big Man himself made an appearance in our neighborhood tonight...even braving the ice storm and fog! Although, I guess when you live in the North Pole, you are used to such weather.

Daddy and Cole trekked up to the pool area where Santa had stopped to visit the kids. The only good thing about the terrible weather was that there was no line to see Santa since everyone was hurrying home or didn't come out at all! Daddy said Cole started telling Santa what he wanted for Christmas, even before he had even sat on Santa's lap!! Cole asked for a Leapster, a Wack-a-Mole Tower, and a toy for Chase. (Wasn't that nice of Cole to think of his droolmonster brother?)

Santa gave Cole a candy cane and they were back home within 15 minutes! Much better than the 2-hour wait to see the mall Santa! :)

Growing up!

My baby just keeps growing up more every day...

We have officially put away the infant/toddler bathtub and Chase has now graduated to the big tub! Well, ok...he actually sits in an inflatable tub about half the size of the actual bathtub. But, still! Anyway, he took his first bath there tonight and just kept looking around wondering where he was! Cole was mad at first when Chase's bath water splashed out and (heaven forbid) TOUCHED THE VERY TUB THAT COLE BATHES IN!!!!!! But, he got over it pretty quick, I think. Mr. Drama.

And, at dinner tonight, I gave Chase the sippy cup for the first time and he LOVED it! He had no problem drinking from it and each time he sipped a little water, he just smiled really big and laughed! He was so proud of himself!!

Chase's Bad Day

Oh, it started off just fine. Chase woke up over an hour early, had an early breakfast and an early bottle. But, it just went downhill from there.... Today was the day he had a casting made of his head for the helmet.

He charmed the whole office and all of the other patients in the waiting room. But, that soon began to wear off as we waited nearly 45 minutes to be seen. Thankfully, about the time he was starting to let me know he was about DONE, the doctor called him back. Dr. K started out by taking measurements and pictures of his head. He told us that the amount of flattening was "significant" and that with a helmet we could hope for about a 60-70% improvement. Maybe more, maybe less. Just depends on the kid. While the doctor and I talked, Chase was entertaining himself by chewing on the doctor's tape measure. (Good thing the doctor didn't mind the drool!!!)

After all that was done, real fun began. He was stripped down to his diaper and the doctor put a stocking over his entire head, only cutting a hole for his mouth and nose. Of course, Chase FREAKED OUT about not being able to see and having this thing on his head. But, before he even got over that shock, the doctor applied wet strips of plaster on his head....across his forhead, over the top of his head, and down to back of his neck. Let's just say Chase wasn't happy. (I'm certain his screaming could be heard throughout the entire building!!!) After it dried, the cast was removed and Chase was very happy to be free from it! And, the poor kid was covered from head to toe in plaster!!!!!!!! I had to give him a bath right there in the doctor's office before we could even think about putting any clothing back on!

I wasn't able to take any pictures as I had to hold Chase in place during the process. But, here is a pic of another kid having the same thing done:















The casting will be sent to the lab and a custom helmet will be made for him. We go back on Decmeber 21 for the actual fitting of the STARBand. Just in time for Christmas. Oh, and we were informed today that insurance will not cover any costs associated with this treatment... Joy. Tell me again why it is that we pay those insurance premiums all year long???

Dadadadadada

Chase has started saying "da da da da" for the past week or so! He is also very close to sitting up now!

Oh, and in case any of you are considering any clothing items for him for Christmas gifts....he is filling out his 12 months size outfits already, so I'd say you better get 18 months so he can wear them a little longer!

As the lady at the pizza place told us on Sunday, "Boy...he sure hasn't missed any meals!!!!"

Good Grief, Charlie Brown!

A little background: Sunday night, Cole decided not to go to bed. We put him in bed at 8:30pm. He was up at 9pm and about every 30 minutes after that. Finally, at 11pm, we had had enough. When he ran down the hall yelling about sleeping on the floor of Mommy and Daddy's bedroom closet, we said, "Ok" and turned out the lights. At that point, he was (finally) begging to go to bed! He finally fell asleep, but was up at 5:30am the next morning. Needless to say, he was tired on Monday!

Thankfully, he was good for Nonnie all day. But, when he got home, he was a little on the grumpy side and trying everything he could think of to get into trouble. We were sitting at the table eating dinner, when Cole tried his hand at using some colorful language:

Cole: Where is that STUPID dog?
Mom: Cole!! We don't talk like that. Be nice or you are going to bed.
Cole: Mom....what do they say on Charlie Brown?
Mom: I don't know!! [thinking for a minute] Oh, I know! They say, "Good grief, Charlie Brown!"
Cole: Where is that GOOD GRIEF dog?

I guess that was Cole's attempt at using some bad language! Thankfully he didn't try to use any of the other colorful words he has heard around here!

94

94... That's how many pictures we had to snap of the boys today to finally get ONE good one to put on our Christmas card this year!

One baby who drools + one preschooler who is terrified to being drooled on = recipe for diasaster at picture time!

Webster's Cole's Dictionary

"CONSTRUCTIONS"

(con-strŭk'shuns)
--noun

1. a manual usually accompanying a technical device and explaining how to install or operate it;
2. Detailed directions on procedure;
3. Usually, instructions. Orders or directions: The constructions are on the back of the box.

Cole is thankful...

Today at school, Ms. Stacy sent home the turkey that Cole made right before Thanksgiving. I wish we could have gotten him sooner because he would have made a nice centerpiece for the table! Anyway, each tail feather is something Cole said he was thankful for:

I am thankful for candy.

I am thankful for glue.

I am thankful for my friends.

I am thankful for play dough, scissors, and paper.

I am thankful for fishing in the water.

Chase @ 6 months

Chase had his 6-month baby well-visit with the pediatrician today. Here are his stats:

Height: 27 1/2" (80th percentile)
Weight: 19lbs. 4oz. (80th percentile)
Head: 44 1/2" (55th percentile)

Mr. Chunky checked out A-Ok. He is meeting all of his milestones and is right on track! Poor baby ended up with 3 shots today....2 vaccinations and a flu shot. He has to go back in 5 weeks for a second dose of the flu shot.

Poor Cole was blindsided with a flu shot as well. I had told him he was just coming along to watch Chase's appointment. But, I realized once we were there that he hadn't gotten his flu shot this year and asked the nurse to give him one. So, he wasn't expecting it and that was probably a good thing. He climbed up on the table unsuspectingly, but once he was given the shot.... Let's just say he was NOT happy. He spent the rest of the appointment pouting with his lower lip out. Poor kid!

Happy 1/2 birthday, Chase!

6 months old already... Where did the time go????

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just had to share the cutest turkey that Cole made at school!

Thanksgiving was very fun this year! In year's past, we have alternated between spending the day with the Taylor side or the Simmons side of the family. Or, we have even had years where we tried to attend 2 seperate dinners. However, this year, we were lucky enough to have everyone in the same place! Nana and Papa joined MomMom and Big Grandad's Thanksgiving celebration and everyone got to spend the day with Cole and Chase. And, it made for a much less stressful holiday for Mommy and Daddy! :) Of course, we all ate too much and laughed too much (in part, thanks to Cole's entertainment*)! And, Chase celebrated his very first Thanksgiving!

This year, we are thankful that we got to spend the day with both sides of the family all in the same place. And, we are especially thankful for our two precious little boys!

*Who knew Cole was a Southern boy????

The word of the day is....

...Monster-ella.

You know, the kind of cheese you put on pizza. Courtesy of Mr. Cole.

Physical Therapy

Chase had his physical therapy appointment today, and Cole went with us! He is normally in school during Chase's appointments, but since this appointment was on a Friday, Cole tagged along. With a promise of a stop at Sonic for lunch if he behaved, he was very good! He entertained himself by rolling around on a yoga ball, stacking huge blocks, and then also knocking the blocks down with the ball! Sheesh! But, I couldn't really blame him for wanting to play. The place is like a 3-year-old's paradise with every kind of block, ball, rope, and hoop imaginable. And, he was very polite and asked Ms. Amy if it was OK if he played with the toys. So, all in all, it went very well.

Chase has good head rotation now, but is still a little shy of turning his head completely to his shoulder. And, the muscle is still a little tight and needs more stretching work. So, we'll continue with the physical therapy for a couple more months at least. But, he is making great strides and Amy is happy with his progress!

Afterward, on the way to Sonic, I looked back to see Cole playing with his teddy bear -- twisting his head left and right, up and down:

Mom: Cole, what are you doing to Teddy?
Cole: Physical therapy.
Mom: [laughing]
Cole: Why does Chase have to have his head turned?
Mom: Because his head and neck don't work good like yours. You can turn your head any way you want to. But, Chase's is broken.
Cole: Maybe the screws fell out.

Goodbye to an old friend...

Today we officially said goodbye to Cole's old friend....the potty chair. It has had a good run over the last year or so. But, it was time to say goodbye. That potty chair has seen it all... We started trying to potty train him the summer he turned 2 years old. Unfortunately, Cole was not a willing participant at the time, so we put the chair away for awhile. In March 2007, we decided that it was "do or die" time. With Chase on the way, I wasn't going to have 2 kids in diapers! So, we got the potty chair back out and threw away the diapers for good. We even let him decorate the chair with stickers in an effort to get him excited to use it. Cole spent countless hours on that chair during the first couple of weeks with LOTS of tears. Much of that time was spent in his closet as that was the only place he wanted to potty. So, we cleared out the toys and made a make-shift bathroom in his bedroom closet! Thankfully that phase only lasted a few weeks and we were then able to move the chair into the bathroom!

About a month or so later, he was standing in front of the toilet to potty (thanks to peer pressure at school!) But, he still needed that potty chair to go poopy. After all, that was the sort of business that couldn't be taken lightly! When Cole had to go, it didn't matter where he was....at the park playing, at school, or at Nana & Papa's house, we had to RUSH home for him to poop. Only HIS potty chair in HIS bathroom would do. Don't even think about asking him to poop anywhere but on his Royal Potty. Unacceptable.

After 9 months of looking at that potty chair in the bathroom, I decided this would be the time to tackle getting rid of that thing. We borrowed Nonnie's toilet ring (since Cole is TERRIFIED of sitting on the toilet because he thinks he will fall in!) and settled in for the battle, since matters such as these usually involve a "battle of the wills" around our house. I picked up the potty chair and hid it in the linen closet and told Cole it was gone. Put away for Chase to use.

Not 5 minutes after I tucked him in bed last night, he gets up to poopy. (Full well knowing this was only a stall tactic to delay bedtime, I told him no.) He pointed to the toilet ring and said, "Poopy" in his most stern little voice. Hmmmm? Uh, ok. So, we put the ring on the toilet and he.....sat. 20 minutes later he was back in bed. No poopy. But, also no fear of the ring! And, today he took care of his business using the ring, and never complained once! Could it really have happened that easily?!?!? I'm still in shock. And, the potty chair is clean, sanitized, and in the basement for Chase.

Now, how to get rid of that ring......?

House Party II

Just another funny video of Cole's dancing that we had to share... These are too funny to keep to ourselves!

Shake your groove thang!

Cole and Daddy had a little dance party last night while working on the pinball machines!

Update on Chase

We finally had our long-awaited appointment with the plastic surgeon today. About a month ago, our physical therapist suggested that it was about time to take the next step with Chase and get a professional opinion on helmeting. Chase was a trooper today...missing his nap and yet still smiling at everyone in the doctor's office! Dr. C told us that we had the option to do nothing except more physical therapy and we could expect about a 5% improvement in his head shape. Or, we had the option to try a helmet which could result in a 30-50% improvement. Of course, we opted for the helmet and at that point got a script for the DOC Band helmet and a referral to an orthotist. The helmet will run approximately $3,000 (plus additional charges for adjustments) and he should (hopefully) only need one. We are still unsure if insurance will cover any of this treatment...the doctor said it was about a 50/50 chance. So, keep your fingers, toes, and everything else you can crossed!

In about a week, we will be setting up the appointment to get fitted for the helmet. Of course, Daddy thinks he can just build something in the garage that will do the trick. But, Mommy is putting her foot down. :)

Here is a picture of the DOC Band and this will be similar to what Chase will be wearing (minus the pink flowers, of course.) I'm sure Daddy will come up with a really cool helmet design. Hmmm...I'm thinking flames, maybe??

Circus!!

Thanks to MomMom's connections, she scored free tickets to the Shriner's circus!!! Daddy and Cole went to the circus (Mommy and Chase stayed home) and met Zu, Julie, Alexis and Ashley there! A great time was had by all! Well....that is...until natured called and Cole had to come home at intermission to take care of busines that couldn't otherwise be done in such a public place! Aside from that, he had a great time and even talked Daddy into buying him a flashlight to replace last year's model that broke!

Reflections of myself

Last night, Cole was walking around the house in my shoes...literally. He ran to the closet and put on my shoes, along with a plastic tub he donned as a hat. He giggled and said, "I'm Mommy!!" Chris and I laughed and asked him, "What does Mommy say?" He thought for a minute...

Cole: "Cooooole, don't get anyfing else out!!"
Mom: What else?
Cole: "Coooooole, don't act bad!"
Mom: What else?
Cole: "Coooooole, don't break anyfing else!"

I guess maybe he does hear those things quite a bit! :)

Uninvited Guests

For whatever reason, our kitchen suddenly filled with ladybugs over the weekend! Cole was really excited tonight when one flew over and landed on his hand! He would giggle because it tickled him when it walked! I grabbed the camera and snapped a few shots of him playing with one... Look close to see it! (And, lets hope they don't stick around too long...)

I love carrots!

Under the knife

Daddy underwent some arthroscopic knee surgery today. (Ouch) He was a real trooper and (surprisingly) didn't even wimp out at the last minute! He is doing very well...never even needed his crutches! Hopefully he'll be riding his new bike in no time! Cole has been such a great helper too! His job has been to re-fill Daddy's ice pack and put it on his knee. He has also been really great about picking things up for Daddy when he needs help!

Happy Halloween!

My three favorite trick-or-treaters...

76 Trombones Led the Big Parade...

After the pumpkin carving last night, Cole decided to lead the marching band and play his favorite instrument.....the...banana.

Pumpkin Carving: Round 2

Tonight, Cole and Daddy carved our pumpkin! Cole, who is now an old pro at pumpkin carving, knew exactly what to do. He helped Daddy scoop out the inside and then watched as Daddy carved the scary face. And, remember Cole's ugly pumpkin from his field trip to the pumpkin patch? Look closely....it was eaten....

Silly Kid

On the way to Nonnie's house this morning, I was chatting away with Cole. We were talking about the various things we did over the weekend, his upcoming Halloween party at school, and what he would be eating for breakfast this morning. At one point, I turned around to take a look at him, and he was happily wearing his Halloween candy bucket on his head for a hat! I couldn't help but laugh! Sorry for the poor quality photo...my camera phone was all I had at the time!

The Party Animal

We went to Aunt Mary's birthday party today! Cole had a great time since many of his cousins were there to play with! He got to skip his nap, eat cake and ice cream, walk to the pond, and visit with his "party friends"! At one point, while Mary was opening gifts and the adults' attention was diverted, Dakota made Cole get into the closet and told him that he would "be safe inside." But, Cole didn't seem to mind at all!

Mom: Cole, did Dakota lock you in the closet?
Cole: Yeah.
Mom: Were you scared?
Cole: No. I found some wrapping paper and a bow.

I guess he found a way to entertain himself! (He wasn't inside for more than 2 minutes!) And, after getting out of the closet, and the presents were opened, many people began to go home. After awhile, Cole noticed that the crowd was dwindling and said, "Where are all my party friends? PARTY FRIENDS come back!!!"

Amazingly, for not having a nap, he was in a very good mood! Throughout the day, we'd catch him humming a little tune or singing. As we were driving home, he was singing Little Richard's "Keep On Knockin" and I couldn't help but laugh at his lyrics:

Beside my Mommy, but you can't come in,
Beside my Mommy, but you can't come in,
Come back tomorrow night and try it again.

All dressed up

Here are a couple of pics of the boys all dressed up in their matching outfits before Keith and Sara's wedding. Don't they look adorable? :)

Pumpkin Carving!

Today is Aunt Mary's 30th birthday!!! So, we spent the day with her and had lots of fun too. Actually, our first stop was Leo's Barber Shop this morning to get Cole's hair cut. And, then we went to Mary's house for some pumpkin carving! "Mr. Clean" (aka Cole) wasn't too crazy about sticking his hand inside the pumpkin to pull out the goop. But, once he figured out that he could use a spoon to do it, it wasn't so bad! And, he had the most fun using the carving knife to stab holes in his pumpkin! Mary even had some little "nails" made out of purple and green plastic that Cole hammered into his pumpkin. Guess his is adorned with a little bit of jewelry.