Seven Month Sweetie!

 Today Mr. Cole is 7 months old! 

Cole has found a new love...  Clapping.  We watched Cole learn to clap one night at dinner.  He would smack his hands together and then look at his palms like "What is making that noise?"  Since then, it is pretty much his favorite thing to do.  He especially loves it if Taryn will sit with him and they clap together.  He just beams.  Precious stuff! 

Cole is pushing up on to all fours now and rocking.  He can kind of do the backwards worm, but it makes him mad because he wants to go forward.  Cole LOVES food.  You can tell he thinks he is beyond formula and baby food.  That boy just wants a steak or something.  But, his two teeth and poor eye hand coordination just don't allow it yet.  Cole wants to be into EVERYTHING, but at the moment, we can still keep him away from stuff.  But, if there is an iPad or a remote control, plates & silverware, or anything else that looks interesting, he will about fling himself out of your arms to grab it.  Not gonna lie, I am a little nervous for when he is crawling and walking! 

Cole used to be such a wonderful sleeper, and these days he is not that great.  He used to sleep from about 8pm until 4 or 5am.  All of the sudden, he decided he started needing a nighttime bottle and has been waking up at 1 or 2am.  I tried all of the tricks, reducing the amount of the bottle, letting him cry it out, etc.  None of them worked.  I finally just decided I was losing MORE sleep trying to trick him out of a nighttime bottle than if I just sucked it up and got up and gave him a bottle.  So, I am hoping he decides he is done with it sometime soon. 

Cole still has the poofiest hair on the block and some big blue eyes.  He has a very intense stare.  He smiles a lot, but it is still rather serious and studious.  Kind of the opposite of his sister who is a total dramatic goofball.  He has a quiet, cute giggle and sometimes will laugh so hard his eyes flutter shut. 

Cole continues to be long and lean, though he has packed on some chunky thighs recently.  We don't go back to the doctor for awhile, so we don't have any new stats to provide. 

Oh, my sweet Mr. Mister.  You are such a sweet little fellow.  You know how to make your mom melt with a look.  I now understand why they say daddy's girls and momma's boys.  This year is flying by so fast and I am thrilled that you have just one more week at daycare before a summer spent with Mommy!  I want to savor all these last baby moments before I have a big boy on my hands! 

Someone is SIX months old...

 Our cute little Cole is a 1/2 a year old!  Ok, it was actually 10 days ago, but I am just getting around to making it blog official.  Cole has started to know what he wants.  Our once patient and mellow baby is now much quicker to let us know what he does and doesn't want.  He is still pretty calm and people are always complimenting him on his behavior.  Cole still loves to watch his sister and he gets SO excited when she gives him attention.  One of the cutest things ever is when they are in the car.  Cole faces backwards and just stares at Taryn.  Taryn will just talk and talk and talk  to Cole and he just smiles.  It definitely makes trips to town easier! 

 Stats: 
Weight - 18lbs 6oz - 63%
Height - 27.25 in - 72%
Head - 44.3 cm - 75%

Cole has 2 teeth (both on the bottom).  He is currently wearing mostly 12 month clothes.  He needs stuff that fits his long skinny torso.  (I wish I knew what that was like!)  He wears size 3 diapers.  Cole eats about 4 bottles a day, each one is 7oz.  He eats rice cereal, veggies & fruits for both lunch and dinner. 

Cole is a bit smaller than big sis was at this time. I think it actually allows him to do a little bit more.  He is already able to get his booty up in the air.  He actually loves to sleep like that in his crib.  He is sitting up for a decent amount of time and playing with many more toys.  He can scoot a little on his belly and if you put him on the ground, he will not be where you left him!  I can already tell he is going to be an active guy here soon.  When you are walking with him or sitting with him on your lap, he will just grab for anything he sees.  We're in some trouble once this guy can crawl and walk!!

We still can't quite figure out who Cole looks like.  We see glimmers of many different people, but there is no definite person in the family that he favors.  Most strangers have started to say that Cole & Taryn look a lot alike, but I don't personally see it.  Perhaps it is that their personalities are so different that skews my view of them.  Taryn is loud and dramatic, while Cole is quiet and mellow.  They couldn't be much more different! 

 On the sleep note, we have definitely taken a huge step back.  Our once awesome sleeper has become rather restless at night.  He is actually squaking right now.  Generally, he just wants rearranged and a paci reinserted.  Still, it is not conducive to a rested mommy by any means!  He has also been wanting his morning bottle earlier.  What used to be a 5am bottle is now requested at 4am, 3am and even 2am.  Not cool, buddy!  I hope that we can get this under control soon! 

Likes:  blocks, food (especially veggies), being tickled, Taryn, dancing with mommy, starting to really dig Grandma Mary, the kitties (he is actually very gentle!)
Dislikes:  hide n seek, sleeping in the crib (too bad!), being kept up when tired, not as into bathtime recently... strangers, especially old people,

One day Taryn asked to play hide n seek.  I said ok, and she went and hid.  I was carrying Cole and we went to find her.  When we found her, I said BOO and Taryn jumped.  Cole got a frownie face and started crying.  Then it was my turn to hide.  So, Cole and I went and hid behind a door.  When Taryn came to find us, I jumped out and said BOO again.  Again, Cole started to cry.  I told Taryn we better call off the game since it was scaring her brother.  She (being the older sibling in training) proceeded to say "BOO BOO BOO BOO" to Cole.  Even though we were just standing in the kitchen, even that made him cry.  Poor little scaredy cat! 

Cole, I have truly loved these first 6 months we have spent with you.  It is so fun to watch you grow and learn new things.  You are sweet little guy and you are showing me why people always say the mother-son bond is something special.  You are adorable with your poofball hair and your big, bright blue eyes.  I must say, I was never one to fall for the baby blues until I met you.  I am looking SO forward to a month from now when I don't have to leave you and we get a summer of fun!  We love you baby boy! 

Give me FIVE (months)!

Wow, I haven't blogged anything since Cole's 4 month post.  Bad blogger!  Sorry! 

 

This weekend Cole turned 5 months old!  He spent the majority of last month sick.  First with RSV and bronchialitis.  He never really fully recovered from that before he got an ear infection.  FINALLY, the doctor gave him an antibiotic and got him fully well!  Meanwhile, big sis had strep throat and was also on an antibiotic.  We should have just taken a match to this germ filled house!  

 While he was sick, Cole was not making a lot of strides in developing new skills.  Since he is finally feeling better, he has gotten extremely fast at rolling over from his back to his belly.  He tries to push his booty up to crawl, but he ends up doing the yoga pose, downward dog, more than anything.  He is getting a lot closer to sitting up by himself too.  He has found his voice and loves to yell.  He doesn't make a lot of sounds, just kind of a creaking sound or one long syllable of yelling.  He has a quiet laugh that we have been hearing a lot more of.  He is starting to have a sense of humor and thinks it is funny when he grabs his diaper during a diaper change and then I take it away from him. 

 You can kind of see his personality in these pictures.  Everytime he would smile he would look away and do it.  He knew he was giving me a hard time and thought it was funny.  What a jokester! 

 We don't have a doctor's appointment this month, so we don't have any new stats.  Since the illness, he has been growing a lot and has really chunked up.  Cole is wearing mostly 9 month clothing and size 3 diapers.  He eats rice cereal and baby food at dinnertime.  He seems to like veggies more than fruit.  I think the fruit is a little too sweet or tangy for him!  Otherwise, he tends to drink 6 oz bottles of formula. 

 I THINK Cole is about to have his 2 lower teeth pop through.  You can feel the lumps where they are and he has been majorly cranky and having trouble sleeping.  I am more than ready to get those darn teeth through so my wonderful sleeper will return!  Despite the teeth, he usually just wakes up once a night for a bottle.  Sometimes he wakes up needing the paci, but that is a quick fix.  Our only sleeping problem is that we cannot get him out of his bassinet.  He has a rock n play that has an incline.  When we swaddle him and put him in it he sleeps like a charm.  When we put him in his crib, he really only sleeps for like 4 hours.  When I have to work in the morning, I tend to really get lazy and choose the bassinet route even though I KNOW I need to get him sleeping in his crib.  Don't want him taking that rock n play to the college dorm someday. 

Cole still thinks his big sis is about the most interesting thing in the world.  He loves to stare at her and whatever she is doing.  Even at daycare where there are a lot of kids to watch he chooses his big sister out of the crowd.  He is starting to have a bit of stranger danger and seems to especially be wary of old people.  (Try explaining that to your elderly neighbor lady!)  He has started reaching for us when he wants to be picked up. 

I am starting to think Cole's eyes will be staying blue.  And they are very blue.  His hair is SO poofy and does not like to lay down at all.  We have already given him two small haircuts.  That hair grows fast!  It looks like it will be a light brown and I still think he is going to be left handed. 

Cole is such a sweetie pie.  Always ready to smile at you and give you those big blue eyes that melt your heart.  I can't beleive that next month he will be half a year old.  The time has flown!  I can't wait for the summer when we get to go outside and have fun in the sun!  We're almost there! 

We love you Mr. Mister! 

Cole-Roy is 4 months old!

On the 16th, Cole turned 4 months old!! 

I feel like this month was rather wasted on illness.  Cole started to have a cough.  I tried to jump on it early and get him in to the doctor.  Well, Doc kind of just wanted to wait and see.  Backfire much?  Five days later, he was definitely NOT better so we made a trip to Urgent Care.  Cole got a chest x-ray, a nasal wash and a nebulizer treatment.  Fortunately, it was NOT pneumonia, however he did have RSV and Bronchiolitis.  This mom is ready for summer! 

Likes:  Big sis, smiling, grabbing things, baths, peeing in the bath, kicking big sis in the bath, burrowing in people's arms to go to sleep, standing & sitting, snatching things, when we talk to him, when mommy kisses his chin, "flying baby / falling baby", trying to watch the tv, having crazy flailing arms.

Dislikes:  The Bumbo, the current illness he is experiencing, coughing, the nebulizer. Laying down without someone there near him. 

Cole is wearing 6-12 month clothes.  I am getting a bit nervous because his wardrobe is pretty much cashed out after this size...  I wasn't sure how big he would be or how fast he would grow before he was born, so I wasn't sure whether to buy summer or winter clothes for the 9-12 month range, so I kind of just stopped.  I'm paying for it now!  Or rather, when I have to buy him a wardrobe I will be paying for it!  We just bought our first box of size 3 diapers, but we are just using them at night right now. 

Cole's 4 month stats: 
Weight - 15lbs 5oz.  I had a minor freak out when I found out his weight (Lee took him to the doctor).  He had been 15 lbs 15 oz just a week earlier when he went to the doctor.  I knew he had eaten poorly while he was sick, but that seems like a lot for a baby to lose.  Lee calmed me down by saying the first weight was WITH a wet diaper on and a full stomach.  The second was naked with an empty stomach.  Still...  Cole is around the 50th percentile for weight. 
Height - 26.25 inches.  Around the 90th percentile.  Long and lean.

Cole is really entering the "fun" age when he starts to actually do stuff.  He is close to rolling, but he seems to want to skip that and go right to sitting, crawling and standing.  He is starting to enjoy toys, like his exersaucer, his mat and his ball.  He loves to snatch things, often with his left hand, so if he ends up left-handed, you heard it here first!  He has quick hands and good dexterity and I can just see his dad scouting him for future sports! 

Cole is just the sweetest little boy I have ever met.  He is calm and mellow and doesn't get riled up about much.  When you talk to him, he gives you a big smile with his tongue sticking out and his eyes just shine.  His big baby blues are what strangers always comment on when we are out.  Grandma calls them his movie star eyes. 

Cole got his first "haircut" this month which was really just a mohawk removal.  He had a long patch of hair that wouldn't lay down.  Now it is all one length.  However, it still sticks up everywhere!  This is what my hair was like when I was young and is pretty much what Lee's is still like, so he really didn't have much hope here.  In two weeks Cole will be baptized in the chuch here in town. 

Cole, I hope this next month brings you good health and lots more smiles.  While I don't want to wish away your baby months, I can't wait for summer to be here so I can be home with you and your sister.  We will have so much fun this summer!  You are my sweet little baby boy and the perfect completion to our family.  This mom couldn't ask for anything more!!

I can write my name!

At Taryn's preschool, they dot the students name and then the kids trace over it.  At home, I pushed Taryn a little more, writing her name and then having her write it below.  No dots.  The other day, while playing with her whiteboard, she told me she could do it herself.  No dots, no example.  And she did! 

(At first I was like "Oh crap, how am I going to keep this for her scrapbook?  It's on a whiteboard."  Thus, the pictures.)

Angels... When they're sleeping.

I feel like I have gotten an inordinate amount of "sleep pictures" lately.  Perhaps because this is the main time that I actually have time to run and get the camera and snap a few shots. 

 

 Taryn has been avoiding naps.  The result...  She zonks out in the car and will barely wake up for dinner!

 Lee enjoying her sleeping in his arms for the first time in a loooooooong time. 

 How do you sleep like that?  She must have had a sore neck in the morning. 

Another nap in the car carries over into the house. 

 He makes sleeping look good. 

 Snuggley soft!

 Sleep thinking. 

 Sleep vogue-ing. 

Sleeping with the remote control.  Must have learned that one from Lee!

Welcome Wes!!

 Last weekend we went to meet my cousin's new baby, Wesley Owen.  He was a good sized little guy, weighing 8lbs3oz at birth.  However, he looked so tiny next to our little beefcake Cole.  It is amazing what 3 months will do! 

We are so excited that my cousin had a baby boy right after us.  The Klemme side of the family seems to be tapped out on grandkids, leaving Cole 10 months younger than the closest cousin on that side...  And it's a girl.  It will be great for him to have a playmate on my side of the family! 

If you think 3 months makes a big difference...  Talk about what a difference 3 YEARS makes!! 

Congratulations Carly & Bake (his name is actually Blake, but Taryn calls him Bake and it has caught on...)  You have a cutie on your hands! 

Siblings Share Everything!

Well, at least they share shirts... And they share a dad that likes beer.   

(Same age, same shirt, same bouncy seat... Definitely different physiques!)

Our little 3 month man!

 A few days ago, Mr. Cole turned 3 months old.  I feel like he grew and changed a bunch the week he turned three months old. 

 Cole is an amazingly good, laid back, mellow baby, apparently following in the footsteps of his old man.  He started daycare 2 weeks ago and the daycare lady has been throwing around terms like "best baby" and "easiest baby I have taken care of in 20 years".  Cole hardly cries and really just fusses a little when he is hungry, tired or has a dirty diaper.  He loves to smile and coo and make gurgling noises, especially to Mommy.  He looks deep into your eyes and is a little charmer.  He loves to watch his big sis and will crane his neck around to see what she is doing. 

 I don't have any measurements for the month since we didn't go to the doctor.  Cole is still long and lean, though.  He is almost out of 3-6 month clothes, especially the one piece rompers.  He must have huge feet because I have had to get socks for 6-18 month old boys.  He has almost no baby rolls.  He loves to try to sit up and stand.  When he is laying on his back, if you grab his hands, he immediately is stretching his neck forward, trying to sit up.  I have a feeling he is going to meet a lot of physical milestones early for this reason. 

Cole still loves his baths.  Incredibly.  As soon as you place him in the water, he's smiling and splashing and kicking.  He will get this serious look on his face and then do a serious splashing session.  You can tell he thinks he is really swimming. 

Cole still has his baby blues.  Not sure if they will stay or turn green like the rest of the family.  He has fluffy, light brown hair that is filling in quickly. 

One of Cole's gifts is the gift of sleep.  He loves his naps and is really turning into a great night sleeper as well.  Quite often now, he will go to bed between 8 and 9pm and not wake up until after 5am.  This is better than his sister was sleeping at 6 months of age!  One day last week he slept from 8pm until 7am.  It is amazing.  He has also been known to take a 4 or 5 hour nap at daycare if he is feeling drowsy. 

Happy 3 months sweet Mr. Cole, we love you so much!  I can feel it when I look at you and you smile.  I see it in Daddy's eyes when he plays with you and in Taryn's actions when she fawns over you.  You are as calm and quiet as your sister is loud and dramatic.  We feel so lucky to have you complete our little family.  You are SO incredibly loved! 

Like Father Like Son

Cole is a sleeper.  We could not have gotten much more lucky in the sleep department.  This is a gift that he gets from his dad who has been the master of naps since he was a baby.  One day it was Cole's bedtime, but I had a couple urgent matters to attend to, so I had to put him in his boppy for a few minutes.  Taryn was sitting next to him "reading" to him.  I came back into the room about 5 minutes later to find him asleep.  This looks nearly identical to how Lee sleeps with his hands up on his chest.  The only thing that could make this more like Lee is if the Dr. Brown's bottle was replaced with a beer!