Going to Coos Bay for the weekend! Should be a good time. We'll actually be staying in a hotel which will be a bit less time with the fam, but overall, a better sleep for all of us - and if you know me at all, you know I NEED sleep ;)
I've been feeling so great lately. Physically, mentally, spiritually... it's definitely been a week or 3 of encouragement. I got to lead our women's bible study for a couple weeks and that was great to learn and just grow in that area. Physically, this whole no-gluten thing has been amazing! I don't feel depressed like I used to. I'm not having thoughts go so fast through my head that I can't keep up... overall, I'm just more stable. I'm not exhausted all the time which has given me a new challenge... going to bed on time! Yikes! I've been staying up reading, baking, knitting, exercising, playing fruit ninja... you name it! By the way, the new arcade mode on fruit ninja is totally worth the $.99, buy it iPhone people!!
My boys are certainly growing. I'm amazed at the things Cole can communicate. Here's a list of some of what he "says" and how it sounds.
- Basketball (or any ball for that matter) - ba BAH
- Bottle - ba ba (also, but with a certain intonation)
- Thank you - ta too
- Please - bees
- Yeah - ya
- Yummy, yummy - num, nummy
- Cracker - cah cah
- All done - ah done
He's also communicating with his hands and nodding his head yes or no a lot. No especially, in regards to random food items, depending completely on the day, mood, color of the sky, whatever! That crazy kid! Last night he ate TONS of shredded chicken I put on his tray... tonight, he sobbed and cried and cried and screamed. We finally got him to chew and swallow one taste (that's all we require of him most of the time - often we just offer other foods until he eats something). I should mention tho, that grandpa came in after he was happily ignoring his food, then once we told him to take a bite before grandpa could take him out of his chair... well, then all the sobbing and tears began. He just LOVES his grandpa! He even loved another older gentleman we say at Scotty's Playhouse last week... something about the white hair? It's pretty cute most of the time :)
Cole has his own sign for music. Asher did as well. With Asher, he kinda pumped his hand up and down in the air, almost like raising the roof, but with a downward emphasis instead of upward (I know, funny way to describe it). Cole, well, he strums his nipples. SO FUNNY! I promise, we will record it sometime soon. We are guessing it originated from watching Mark and Asher strum a guitar. Cole would look at the guitar box and bounce, look really happy strum both hands right on both nipples. It took us a few minutes to figure it out. But that kid LOVES music. We didn't think anyone else could love music like Asher does, but I think Cole might actually enjoy it more! He'll strum in the car and nod his head going "eh, eh?" in a severely annoying voice to "ask" us to turn on the music. So endearing, how can a parent resist?? Then, as if he could get any cuter, he starts smiling, laughing, clapping and "singing" with the song... have I mentioned that in a good mood, Cole is one of the most adorable children ever?? Well, he is.
Cole really likes to get into the wipes, especially after his last cold. He walks up and pushes the little button, opens it up and then 10 wipes are on the floor. When I close the wipes and tell him no, he blows air out his nose as if to say "but I need my nose blown." Funny the ways they figure out what to do to get what they want at such an early age!
Asher, where to start! He had a really big boy moment yesterday. We gave him another haircut. Last haircut was at the "haircut store" where he cried and threw a fit until he got a sucker at the end (after which he promptly said "thank you" and clammed up tightly). This time, we tried it at home with the buzzers again. The last home hair cut was all scissors since the even more previous haircut was massive amounts of crying, drooling, failed bribes, shaking and sweating. Anyway, yesterday... a little hesitant that morning talking about it, getting excited about it towards dinner time (since papa was getting one too) and then a look of terror when he saw the buzzers. But, after a short explanation that it was just like mama's shaver and a prayer to God to ask for courage, he did amazing! Not one tear!! Then, to top it off, he did something else he hates without crying - mostly. He took a real shower! He cried a bit at first when Mark told him what he was going to do, but then he went in, got cleaned, stood to the side shivering, rinsed again and was a happy, clean, freshly trimmed boy. I could not be much prouder at this point! What a brave kiddo!
Asher is also FULLY potty trained! Plus, he'll go potty on almost any toilet or even at the beach in the sand! I have nothing to claim other than the genes. He just did it! We started letting him wear undies, taking him every 45 minutes, and eventually he was dry at naps, dry at bedtimes for a month or two... now, he only goes 4-5 times a day and hasn't had an accident since who knows when! It's crazy to fold his little undies thinking that he ever used to wear diapers. I'm already preparing myself for Cole to be less easy - prepare for the worst and hope for the best!
Anyway, this inadvertently turned into a very long post. But I hope you enjoyed the update! I will try and do it more often... along with some pics here and there :) I must say, I'm really enjoying Asher's age (and enjoying Cole more than I used to). It's so neat to be able to communicate clearly (most of the time) to your child. I am starting to grasp how fast it will go and trying to hang on to the little moments where my heart melts. God gave us such a blessing in children... I'm beginning to think they are worth the havoc they wreak on your body, budget and life ;) Love you all!
Copyright Eternal Grace Photography 2010 - aka, my friend Amber :)
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