baby's first christmas. . .is done, thank goodness.

We in the Paradis household are pretty happy Christmas has come and gone. The three of us feel like we've been going a mile a minute for about a week and a half. I finally understand why those with small children don't stay until the end of the party. . .ever.

The smallest person needs the most stuff. Diapers and food and bottles and toys and extra clothing (because I've already learned that lesson the hard way) and teething rings and rash cream (although we've never had a diaper rash) and don't forget the Tylenol because you never know what might happen. . .and while we're thinking about it, might as well throw in the thermometer because they probably don't have one where you're going. And oh, right. . .the Cheerios and snack trap and those little disposable place mats you bought that stick to the table to protect your hosts' dining tables. . .and how about some Aleve for mom, too? And where are the car keys. . .again?

Repeat that for about four days.

Then we get where we're going and it's miserable trying to keep Cole in one place because Christmas is exciting and the other kids are exciting and presents are exciting and putting ribbon in our mouth is exciting and stairwells with no gates are exciting and so are sharp-edged coffee tables. Which for some reason, doesn't matter how many times we pop our head on it we're going to do it again. . .and again. . .

And it's okay because it's Christmas and we love our families and want to spend time with them during the holiday. . .

But what all the other people with small children don't tell you. . .is that you don't really spend any time with your families at all. . .because you're busy doing all of the above and actually spend most of the day on your knees. . .roughly 6 inches in back of Cole with one hand ready to stop him from pinching his cousin, or putting that pebble that he found on the carpet in his mouth. . .

And we haven't even gotten into the amount of loot you come home with during this first Christmas with a baby. . .

Plastic toys as big as furniture that light up and play music are in every corner of the place. He was given 4 ride on toys. . .and he doesn't have any friends! I'll have to recruit neighborhood kids to start a bike gang so they can ride together. Everyone was so generous and we really are so lucky.

But the things he wants to play with the most? The boxes. . .the wrapping paper. . .the bows. You mean that's all we had to get him for Christmas? Does that last for the 2nd and 3rd Christmases?

The one thing we take solace in. . .is that we see other family members have come through the throws of the first few Christmases better for it. They trudge in, having spent hours in the car with one kid in each arm, one tiny bag slung over a shoulder, and are happy with happy kids. They say 'Merry Christmas' and mean it. We'll get there. . .we just need to find our groove. ;-)

Am I psyched about this seat or what?

I can't remember the last time I've been so excited about something that is absolutely not for me.

A good buddy got us a fantastic deal on a Britax Boulevard convertible car seat for Cole and it arrived in the mail yesterday! I would give her public praise and share her name, location, and other stats with you. . .but I'm afraid you'll bother her for amazing deals of your own. . .so let's just say "I know people." That sounds way cooler, anyway.

So I've been doing research (of course I have) on car seats for awhile now. . .which one do we want. . .when will Cole need the upgrade. . .will it fit in my 2 door coupe (which we're still not getting rid of). . .and that's when I came across the Cadillac of all car seats.

Besides being absolutely gigantic (don't worry. . .I measured the Subaru). . .it's more plush and cushy than any adult sized chair I have in this house. In fact, when we unwrapped it yesterday, Cole climbed right in, found his snack trap filled with Cheerios. . . and started watching the news. Perfect! More importantly, Britax has one of the highest safety records and folks everywhere swear by the comfort and safety of this seat. It'd better be that good considering the original price tag! ;-)

Hopefully Cole's new Britax will mark the end of his "extreme distaste for riding in the car." His car seat now sits low in the bucket seats of the car, and he can't see much, and I think the extra height will allow him to check out what's going by the windows. . .finally.

I took pictures for you. Just in case you wanted to get just as excited about the seat as I have.

Cole has also gotten his top two teeth in the last couple of weeks. It really makes him look different when he laughs or smiles. He's also constantly trying to feel them with his lips so he "pouts" to get the teeth on his bottom lip.

I tried to get a little picture for you. . .but this is a close as I got:

I'm a published author!

And. . . I'm published. Yes, you can tell others that you know me.

A buddy of mine turned me on to this website called Baby Cheapskate. It's a fantastic site that I've used pretty frequently to find great deals on baby gear, toys and diapers. Each week the author researches the best prices for formula and diapers. That's my 2 second plug for the site. . .check it out if you are a mom or not. . . you can find great deals for the little ones in your life.

Anyway. . .I wrote a review of Luvs diapers for the site and it was published today. They reimbursed me for the price of the diapers. . .so. . .that would mean I was officially compensated for my writing. So I'm published and paid. ;-)

Here's a link to the review. . .

http://babycheapskate.blogspot.com/2008/12/diaper-review-luvs.html

meetin' the big guy

Here is Cole's first picture with Santa. . .he mostly just spent the time tugging at his beard (which was real, I'll tell you).

new teeth + no sleep = an empty bottle of chianti

Cole has a new tooth! That's the only happy part of that news. . .the rest. . .has made for a tough few days.

Bill and I are walking around the house in sleep deprived vegetative states; reminiscent of those first few weeks with our little man. Cole has refused to sleep for more than 2 hours at a time all week. He doesn't want to be held, but he doesn't want to be put down. . .and he is biting everything and everyone around him.

He's a big fan of these teething biscuits I found for him. Just to see what they were like I tried to bite one. . .and couldn't. Cole had the biscuit in pieces within a minute! I've been freezing thick carrots to give him to suck and bite on and that seems to work, too.

This tooth will make his first on the top and has just broken the surface of the gums yesterday. There's another on the top that I can feel budding through as well . . .so I'm sure his restless biting will continue for some time.

Making matters worse, he has a pretty nasty cold to top it off. He can't breathe when he's eating, which makes him cry, which makes his nose run more, which makes him cry. . . repeat. . .repeat. . .repeat at 2:30 a.m.. . . repeat at 4:30 a.m. . . .which makes me cry. . .which makes my nose run. . .

In positive news, he's mastered crawling away from me at top speed the second he sees the bulb syringe approaching.

The house smells like eucalyptus. Humidifiers are going at a constant full speed. . .boxes of Kleenex on every table. . .it must be winter. The only time he's been sick is exactly one day after we've seen other kids. . .if only we could keep him in a bubble. ;-)

Cole did manage to play a little guitar with his dad yesterday. . .Bill pulls out the guitar and plays a little for him and he joins in. Cole actually cries when guitar time is over! At his request, Bill is not in the video. . .so don't tell me I'm horrible for only focusing on the kid.

It's a bit grainy and dark because the only light on was the Christmas tree, but I think it looks more rock star that way.

save some turkey for someone else!

Well, Cole's first turkey day has come and gone. We had fun. Although I took some pictures throughout the day, only one really came out. At least it's the good one. . .





Here is he finishing off the turkey leg we gave him. . .





We also had our 9 month visit with Dr. M earlier this week. Proud to say Cole clocked in at 18.9 pounds and 28.5 inches. Looks like he has no problem with the weight issue anymore.

Can't believe his next visit will be at his year check up. . .man, this is going by so fast!

one minute of madness

Turn your speakers up to hear this madness. . . this is Cole's new "learning" table. . .and it wasn't even a gift - I actually got this for him. One guess what I "learned."

One more "darn it!" to put in the books. ;-)

picture day!

Our first photo shoot went. . .um. . .expensively. And that's the nicest adjective I can think to describe it.

My boy smiles all day. . .every day. . .except for the 15 minutes I'm paying a photographer to take his picture. His first pictures. The ones we'll look at for years to come. The first family Christmas card. And the highlight of our living room wall decor. Figures.

Thank goodness we were working with a professional, because I truly thought after watching the photo session that I would be stuck paying the sitting fee and purchasing nothing else. I have no idea how that woman was able to capture the few good shots that she did.

If you're thinking to yourself. . ."I didn't get any pictures," . . . don't worry, you will. I just need to get myself out to see you to deliver. ;-) In the meantime, here are a few of the noteworthy shots of my little man:

Bill calls this one his "planet of the apes" pose

Here I am actually "dropping" him for a laugh . . .

And this picture really captures the absolute Charlie Brown-ess of his head

I know I said I wouldn't do it again. . .

. . .but I did. I let Cole try and feed himself yesterday. Here's the aftermath:

Cole and I had lunch yesterday with a friend that is the Director of Counseling Services at a local college. Here he is relaxing on the floor in her office having his first therapy session. He even looks like the epitome of mental health. . .

I also was going through some old posts ( I can't believe we've reached 43 already!) and think we should clear a few things up:

* that butternut squash I said to try. . .don't bother. It was terrible.

* none of you could tell me that his cloth diaper was sticking out of its protective waterproof covering? No wonder he peed over everything in a 3 foot radius! Look at this picture:

* we haven't actually been to church with Cole yet except for the Baptism.

* I'm still talking about Cole's poop to anyone who will listen.

his first heist!

My son is a shoplifter. It's sad but true. We went to the Mall of New Hampshire today to spend some time away from our new carpet (the new carpet smelling fumes were killing us both!) and Cole tried to smuggle a treat for himself out of a store.

Cole was a fantastic little guy until we were in the Disney Store. We do a leisurely lap around the store and as I'm wheeling him down the aisle that leads outside. . .a store employee steps in front of us, gives me a nasty look and says "You're not going to put that back, are you?"

I look at Cole and he's got half of a stuffed Bambi's head in his mouth and two hoofs are soaked. He'd been sucking on the darned thing for awhile, it would seem. And no. . .I didn't see him grab it. And yes. . .I know it's large. Don't judge. Now I know the length of his reach. . .

And of all the Disney characters to choose from. . .Bambi? So weird. But fortunately for me, Bambi was on sale. Cole would hardly let it out of his reach to scan the tag. We got home and he insisted on napping with Bambi. . .and here are some pictures of the two new friends playing.

Also. . .he's started to climb on everything! We've started to baby-proof the place to level 2. . .standing. Here he is standing on the gate. . .now he just needs to figure out how to get back down!

We also scheduled Cole's first pictures for next week! Wait until you see what I've planned for him to wear. . .even down to his hat. These will definitely be pictures that we'll use to embarrass him in front of his first girlfriend. . .when he's 30. ;-)

that darned miss mary beth!

I have to tell you about our first visit to Baby Story Time at the library yesterday. . .

Picture it. . .we're in a cute kid-inspired decorated room in the library. . .about 15 moms with babies ranging in ages from 6 months to about 18 months. . .all laughing and playing and running around. . .they hand us a book, some bubbles, a jingle bell and a plastic Easter egg filled with rice. Miss Mary Beth holds a large stuffed Pooh Bear and tells us all to sit down in a circle and we'll get started. How much more fun could you have at 10 a.m. at the library?

We sing hokey pokey . . . we sing our alphabet. . .we say a few nursery rhymes. . .we blow bubbles. . .and "jingle" along to a kiddie rendition of YMCA. . .and I'm thinking, this is great. Cole is in absolute amazement of the place and the kids and the singing and fun going on. And then it's time to read our books. . .

We are told to sit the babies on our laps crossed legged. We all have the same book and the plan is that we'll all read them together. So I sit Cole down. . .which, incidentally, is how he sits with Bill every evening when they read their books together so Cole eagerly finds his place on my lap and is ready to go. . .and we start reading.

And he starts fussing. Almost immediately. The other children are mesmerized by their moms reading a story that is echoed throughout the room. Mine is trying to pull away from me in that way he arches his back and pushes at my face to break free. Miss Mary Beth looks at me to make sure everything is okay and I somewhat forcefully replace Cole to my lap and whisper to him that mom is reading him a story, too. . .and he loves stories. . . and should be good to mom in front of other moms and listen to the story. . .especially while we're in public at the library. . .but he just keeps trying to break free.

I can see that I'm losing this battle so I gingerly put Cole on the floor to see what he'll do. It seems, at first, that he still wants a story but just would prefer being on the floor. Phew. I continue to read. And then he turns around. . .and starts to crawl through the circle. . .over to Miss Mary Beth. . .puts his head in his hands and intently continues to listen to her read the story!

And I'm abandoned across the circle, with my book still in my hand. . .and moms are looking at me because my baby obviously would rather listen to Miss Mary Beth. . .and I panic. So I give one of those "silly kids. . .what won't they do?. . .please excuse us" sort of smiles and I grab Cole and bring him back. We immediately go through the same process. . .he breaks free and crawls across the circle to another mom. . .puts his head in his hands. . .smiles this time. . .and listens to her read the story.

This is where I give up. I figure it's not a huge deal if Cole wants to listen to other moms read him a story. . .regardless of how damaging it is to my ego. . .but now the issue is. . .I'm still by myself in the circle reading a baby book to no one! And I continue to read to myself! Baby cake. . baby cake. . I love you. . .baby cake. . .baby cake. . .eat a shoe. . .or whatever the book read. . .it was a blur at this point.

I'm fully aware that this is all in my head. . .but it was the longest baby book I'd ever read. . .horribly embarrassing. . .and I swear that several times Cole looked back at me just to rub it in. After the stories, Miss Mary Beth dumped a box of toys in the middle of the room and the babies had fun playing with the toys and each other. . .

And in the end Cole met a nice chubby baby named Joseph who really liked to keep his fist in Cole's mouth. Of course I was far too embarrassed to be taking pictures for you. . .so I don't have any proof of this event. But if we decide to return next week. . .I'll sneak a video for you.

What I can share, however. . .is a picture of a latch hook I made for Cole! Yes, me. And yes, latch hook. I seemed to remember liking latch hooks and thinking they were nice. Once I made one. . .I realized they aren't very nice and now I have this scratchy, sort of ugly rug thing that I need to do something with. Here are some pictures of my masterpiece:

stroller strides

My arms are still shaking from my workout this morning. Cole and I joined Stroller Strides today. . .for those of you unfamiliar with the program. . .Stroller Strides is an exercise program for moms that incorporates their babies using the stroller. And before you knock it. . .I have to tell you. . .it was one of the toughest workouts I've had in awhile.

Check it out at http://www.strollerstrides.com/

When I told a friend of mine that I was going today, they said "who have you become?" And I agreed. When I told Bill, he looked up at me from a magazine he was reading, nodded, and continued to read. I could never imagine a day that I would be comfortable with the fact that I needed (and might actually enjoy) a mommy's workout group. Today's that day. And I might have been embarrassed if this class didn't push me until I almost threw up.

Cole enjoyed himself too! You can imagine that watching his mom jump rope, grunt during squats, make ridiculous attempts at push ups and pull ups, lunge, run, jog, practically crawl to the finish line and then beg for mercy would be quality entertainment. He didn't make a peep for the 70 or so minutes we were there. He watched quietly and intently and cracked a smile when I made wheezing noises. Not funny, kid. . .not funny.

The class is run at Hampshire Hills (a very nice athletic club in town, for those of you that don't know) and their membership fees are such that I wouldn't be able to even hang out in the lobby on most days. . .so being able to hub-nub with the Amherst moms was entertaining for me. Although my two door Subaru that hasn't been washed since I was pregnant stuck out in the parking lot! ;-)

Because the class is run in their athletic dome, it's chilly and we all need to be bundled up. Here was Cole this morning. . .before class started. . .

And that was his face for the entire class. . .until he saw me struggling to do my ump-teenth sit up. . .that was apparently funny too.

9 months and climbing!

Look what I found this morning . . .just in time for Cole's 9th month. . .

We had to lower the crib and take the bumpers out because Cole is starting to climb up the rails. Bill has seen him standing while holding on to the top of the rail. I have only seen him on his knees, but it was enough to take a few pictures for you. Cole was very proud of himself!

happy halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Cole and I carved this pumpkin the other day. . .well, Cole watched politely while I carved. It's by far my best work. . .I'm usually limited to the triangle eyes, nose and mouth designs.

This was Cole and I last Halloween: the "oh, look, it's two pumpkins" joke is old. . .so don't say it. . .

I got Cole a Halloween costume, but I got it in an 18 month size . . which is way too big for him. Not too sure what I was thinking or when I thought Halloween was. . .exactly. So needless to say, there will be no costume this year. Bill's been teasing about a drawing a moustache on him so we'll see what happens while I'm at work.

Choosing to not bother Cole with a costume is probably a good idea because this week has been a tough one for the little man. Yesterday he slept for a total of 29 minutes all day! He literally chewed his own hand raw. We've tried frozen washcloths, teething rings, my fingers, his fingers, baby Tylenol, baby Ambesol and some old fashioned rocking and cuddling. . .but it doesn't seem to help. We are all hoping this tooth breaks soon.

Cole has been eating very well despite his tooth troubles. He's learned to pick up food and put it in his mouth. He doesn't get the food in every time. . .and sometimes he gets frustrated because the food is clenched in his fist, and his fist is in his mouth. . .but he can't figure out how to get the food out of the fist. It's fun to watch. I tried to take a video of it for you but he's learned to get excited when he sees the camera. . .so he just giggled and forgot there was food in his fist anyway.

We've switched from Cheerios to these organic puffed brown rice thingys. I can't find organic Cheerios anywhere. I've been to the earthy-crunchy health stores, grocery stores, Wal-Mart, Target. . .you name it. . .trying to find Cheerios that are organic and not flavored. So we decided on puffed rice. It's healthier anyway. We were going to try those Gerber finger puffs. . .but the amount of sugar in those things was appalling! No wonder kids are bouncing off the walls. . .jacked with sugary peach puffs all day. Or. . .maybe the boring un-sugared rice puffs are why Cole's so fussy. . . ;-)

And finally. . .who knew that my old magazines would be the best toys ever? Who needs fancy toys that light up and make noise when you can put a magazine on the floor and entertain a baby for at least 40 minutes?!? Cole looked at the babies in the magazine. . .talked to them. . .and then ripped them out of the magazine and thew them all over the floor. It was the longest period of our day that he wasn't fussing over his teeth:

Oh, and totally unrelated to Cole or this blog. . .check out this blog I found from a woman in NH that writes about great NH related stuff:

http://livinglocalnh.blogspot.com/

It's mostly about how to support local NH businesses and farms. . .but I've gotten some fun recipes. . .check out the Italian Stew with butternut squash. . .yum.

flu shots and cheerios

Cole had his weight check today with Dr. M and I'm happy to report that he passed with flying colors. He clocked in at 17.7 pounds. . .about a pound heavier than our last visit. He hasn't grown in length enough to notice. . .but he's gaining weight the way he should according to Dr. M. . . .phew.

We did, however, have to get a flu shot. I didn't have Pops to hold Cole down this time either. I'm pretty sure the shot was tougher on me than Cole. Cole barely flinched! Tough to keep track of all these vaccines but the flu can be a nasty thing for an infant. . .so Dr. M gave us a preservative-free option (meaning no Thimerasol. . .which is linked to Autism in some children) and we decided it was the best option for us.

Dr. M is also my doctor and Bill's doctor. . .and we'll both be looking forward to getting our flu shots at our next visits. Great!

Cole and I have been trying to stay as active as we can while the weather is cooperating. We bundle up each afternoon and still go for our walks. . . he doesn't try to tear his hats off anymore, either!

Here we are getting ready to go. . .

Cole also tried yogurt for the first time this week. Sorry to say I don't think he's a fan. . .yet. I'll try to disguise some in some banana mush later and see if that works.

Is that priceless? Funny that he still opens his mouth for more while making that face!

Cheerios were a big hit this week, too! He finally has seemed to learn how to grab food and feed himself. For awhile there. . .I'd hand him pieces of banana or a piece of tofu and he would just smash it in his fist and laugh. Today, he grabbed the Cheerio. . .placed it very carefully in his mouth. . .and was very proud of himself!

check this out

Look what I found while going through old pictures. . .that's me and Tracy not too long ago. . .





(There were other people in the picture as well. . .but I don't want to put their early 90's hair on the Internet. . .) ;-)

I know a lesbian. . .he works at the post office!

My Grammy died this week. Stinks to have to start your update that way. . .but it's what we've been consumed with this week, so I tell you. I was just telling someone on Sunday that she was doing well. . .playing cards with friends and going to church. And on Tuesday morning she was found in her apartment.

I'm sadder than I thought I'd be, too. It's made me think about our relationship and how it relates to me now that I'm a mom. My Gram was closer to me than any aunt, uncle or cousin I have, and for a good portion of my teen angst years. . .closer to me than my folks. She was able to explain things in a way I could understand when I wasn't willing to listen to many other people. We were very close and she was a confidant of mine that I'll really miss having around.

If I didn't realize it before, I sure do now that I need to help Cole establish relationships with his grandparents like my folks did with mine. Both my grandparents really helped shape who I am, and Cole will be very fortunate to have similar relationships with his.

In classic Grammy style. . .she wrote her own obituary. Here's a link to it: http://www.webfh.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=206753&fh_id=10707&s_id=06A7980AC04FE44678BF842173AE69F9

I think I laughed out loud when I got to the part that said. . ."she enjoyed going to Foxwoods." She sure did.

Some friends have reminded me of some funny Gram moments that we've had together. . .like the time. . .

. . .she asked a group of my friends if they knew what condoms were. . .and then fell into our Christmas tree because she was drunk. . . .

. . .told another group of my friends that "she had a friend that was a lesbian. . .and he worked at the post office". . .

. . .gave Bill a martini when he was 19. . .

. . .told my most recent boss that I really shouldn't be working for his "crummy place" because I have a Master's Degree. . .

. . .pinched Cole to hear him cry because "she just loves the sound of babies crying". . .

. . .brought a dish of raw meat stuffing to Thanksgiving and insisted it had been in the oven for over an hour. . .

Makes me laugh. . .and that's a good thing.

Cole got a neat CD the other day. . .Lullaby Renditions of Radiohead. Radiohead is one of Bill's favorite bands and this CD is a collection of their songs, made into instrumental lullabies. I think Bill enjoyed it more than Cole. If you're interested. . .they have about a million others to choose from. . .like lullabies from the Beatles, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin, AC/DC, Metallica, the Cure, Bob Marley. . .and more! http://www.rockabyebabymusic.com/web/page.asp?pgs=products

We'll be in Gardner most of the weekend, but Monday will see Dr. M for our weight check up. I'll keep you posted next week how we made out!

scrambled eggs with cauliflower?

So let's see. . .what's been new this week?

Cole's still fussy with what I think is more teeth on our horizon. He's not sleeping through the night. Cole was sleeping through the night a few weeks ago, and then he started getting the two bottom teeth - and now he wakes 2-3 times a night. It's not fun. Luckily, he's only awake for a few minutes and then back to sleep for a few hours.

We've got quite a daily routine down, though. . .and Cole certainly appreciates it. His naps, feedings, and bedtime routine are like clockwork. I'm not home a few nights a week now due to work, and Bill has become a master of putting Cole to bed. Some nights when we are both home I ask him to do it because Cole responds much better to dad's bedtime routine than mom's. ;-)

Cole has started to crawl which has been exciting. He gets up on all fours, and really thinks about what to move and how. . .and then makes a few "steps" before falling down to scootch the rest of the way.

Here are a few pictures of Cole tackling his Teddy this morning:

And then realizing I have a camera and crawling toward that. . .

Cole spent a bit of yesterday afternoon at Memere Paradis' with Aunt Debbie and Aunt Pat. He was totally worn out and slept like a champ when he got back (I'm sure they did, too!). He came home with some new toys and had a great time.

Aunt Debbie also gave me a fantastic book by Jessica Seinfield (Jerry's wife), called Deceptively Delicious. It's loaded with fun kid-friendly recipes that "hide" nutritious fruits and veggies into traditional kid fare (i.e. macaroni and cheese with pureed squash in the cheese!). I've already looked through the entire thing! Although Cole isn't ready for mac and cheese yet. . .Bill might be the perfect guinea pig for some scrambled eggs with cauliflower! ;-) Thanks Debbie!

Check it out if you're interested:

http://www.deceptivelydelicious.com/site/

The only other thing we're dealing with right now has to do with our nursing schedule. So here is my disclaimer:

Stop reading now if you're like my friend Kara and :

1. refuse to believe I have that anatomy

2. refuse to discuss that I use them to feed my son

Okay, now that we have everyone on board that wants to be. . .

I think Cole and I are starting to wean from nursing and it's a bit sad to think it's come earlier than I would have liked. My work schedule and my place of employment isn't conducive to pumping so I've slowly started to deplete the source. Some would say, "just pump in your car", but it isn't safe for me to do that in an empty parking lot at midnight.

For the past 7 months Cole was 95% breastfed and we supplemented with formula a tiny bit when we travelled or to mix with food. Within the past month we've gone to a 50 - 50% and we're going through cans of formula much quicker. Cole will nurse for about 20 minutes and then be hungry shortly after as opposed to eating 8 ounces of formula and being fine for a few hours. We do still use nursing to soothe him and to put him to sleep which is nice.

In my fairytale world of what it was going to be like when I was a parent, I was planning to breastfeed right up until a year old and possibly later. When I think about how tough it was to breastfeed at first - I can't believe we've lasted this long. I can remember literally crying those first few weeks when I'd hear Cole wake up for another feeding!

On the plus side. . .gradually decreasing his nursing has made weaning more comfortable for me physically. I've not had any of the discomforts people complain about and I'm certainly ready to be able to have a scotch and a beer whenever I'd like. ;-) But there is something to be said for the bonding of breastfeeding. . .and if you've done it you'll understand. . .that it's a tough thing to give up.

So I'll keep you posted on that! ;-) I'm also researching where to have Cole's first professional pictures taken. If you have any suggestions. . .send them my way.

apple picking

Here are some pictures from Cole's first trip apple picking today. Although some of the posed pictures didn't come out so hot, there are some candids that are just great!



Cole rode on Uncle Jack's back all day.





Trying to pick his own apples. . .

The great pumpkin. . .

And finally. . .time for a nap!

Cole's big dunk

Cole had his "big dunk" last weekend. Sunday was his Baptism at St. Pat's during the regular Sunday mass. Bill and I had gone to a class to get us familiar with what was going to happen but neither of us remember them telling us that we'd be so involved from start to finish in the mass!

We were told to follow the priest down the aisle to start the mass which sounded harmless enough. . .until he stopped at the back of the church, announced to everyone that we were Cole's parents and would be having him baptised today. . .and then proceeded to ask me to tell the congregation what we wanted from them on Cole's big day and throughout "his Christian life." OMG. I hadn't had a feeling like that since sophomore year geometry when I hadn't done my homework in 5 weeks and was being asked to explain the problem on the board.

I'd like to tell you what I said but I've blacked it out of memory. . .I seem to remember asking them to help us teach Cole faith. . .or something of that sort. Then Uncle Jack and Aunt Colette (Cole's godparents) brought up the gifts, and the five of us were called up to the dunking booth in the middle of mass for what seemed like an eternity.

Incidentally. . .I'm sure it wasn't all that long but I thought I might pass out when I watched the priest with the shakes hold Cole up over his head to show the congregation their new member.

We then headed out to breakfast and the whole deal was done in just a few hours. Of course our families were more than generous to Cole, we had a lot of fun, and Cole still smells of the oil the priest doused him in.

Unfortunately, I told Aunt Tracy not to use a flash in the church (I know, I know. . silly) and so we don't have any pictures from the ceremony. I will, however, show you the shaky priest picture and just apologize that it's fuzzy:

Please notice his monkey shoes.

I'm pretty sure every good man started with a pair of monkey shoes. . .

regardless if he's wearing a dress.

And here are a few from breakfast with his godparents:

more teeth, rocking dinosaurs and 17 pounds later. . .

We've had a rather boring week. . .but boring is welcomed! Cole got his second tooth but really handled it like a champ. He's been a tiny bit fussy just on the day the tooth breaks. . .besides that he wants to gnaw on every hand he can reach. He's developed quite a bite that hurts if you're not ready for it.

We went for our weight check with Dr. M yesterday and was told we'll need to go back in another 6 weeks. I feel. . .or rather my arms feel that Cole is gaining weight just fine, but he's dipped a little on his 'track' so she would like to check and confirm that the dip is related to his recent increase in activity level. He weighed almost 17 pounds and grew almost another inch from his last check six weeks ago. So long as we have the same growth in October, we'll be all set.

Cole is eating everything I put in front of him. He'll make horrible faces at foods like avocados and peas, but eat them all up and ask for more. All while making a "this is horrible" face. He's having about two servings of fruits and veggies with cereal everyday in addition to his normal milk intake. I'm still convinced I have a future linebacker on my hands.

He's also started to get up on his knees and rock back and forth. We're not quite at the crawling stage yet, but he's scooting everywhere like a pro! I tried to get some pictures this morning of him on all fours, but he laid down every time I tried. He's much more interested in getting a hold of the camera. . .

Cole also sat on his rocking dinosaur this week and loved it. Course he needs to be supported while riding, but I can easily see that this will be one of his favorite toys. He even "pet" the dinosaur nicely when I asked him to! (We finally got rid of both cats this week and Cole has been missing being able to chase them).

Please notice the "wall" of pillows along the drapes so Cole stops pulling on them.

The entire room is lined in pillows!

Finally, I caught Cole playing the bongos this morning on his own. You can see them on the floor in the living room (as every one's set of bongos tends to be!) He crawled over to them and started banging on them and then turned and looked at me and smiled. So of course I grab the camera to take a little video for you of Cole the experienced bongo player and this is what I got:

(and please disregard the Halloween sleep pants I'm wearing. . .)