First Steps

 Cole is a WALKER!  Okay, so he doesn't do it all the time (only when he is in the mood, or really wants want you have but won't give it to him unless he walks to it), but a walker all the same.  He walked all the way across the kitchen twice today.  Of course, I was at work.  Thankfully, TJ is quick with the video camera (his Iphone) and captured the moment for me.  He would not even take 5 steps after I got home.  This week, he has also started doing this hilarious thing where he scoots himself backwards while in the crawling position.  It is too funny.

Jackson and Dad went to pick out shoes, a baseball glove and baseball pants today. Jackson is really excited about T-ball this year. 

Yesterday, TJ was grilling and Cole was standing at the back door (just a glass screen), pushing as hard as he could because he thought that he could get out to Daddy.  He would push real hard and when he would see a tiny sliver of light between the door and the frame, he would try to stick his foot through it.  This entertained him for a good 15 minutes.  Everything is more interesting when you are one, apparently.

This weekend, Jackson and Cole are staying at Grandma and Grandpa's Friday night.  TJ and I are going down to KC and shopping, going out to dinner with David and Jana, and then staying at their house on Friday night.  Up bright and early on Saturday morning-Rock The Parkway Half-Marathon starts at 0730.  I am pretty excited, only slightly nervous. 

BRRRR!

Well, it is one week until I run the Rock The Parkway half-marathon.  It is about 35 degrees outside today, making training very difficult. I am running 12 miles tomorrow, my longest run yet, and it is not supposed to be much warmer.  BRRR!

Jackson was on Spring Break this week. Not a very good week for it. BRRR!  It has been cool all week, and I worked everyday.  We had his parent-teacher conferences on Wednesday, and other that learning that he is a typical 4-year-old boy who cannot sit still and has trouble concentrating for long periods of time, it was  uneventful.  Oh, and there was the mention of blowing bubbles at his neighbors during story time.  Boys, gotta love 'em.

Turns out Cole's ear infection bug was resistant to amoxicillin, so we changed antibiotics, and are still trying to get our happy baby back. He is still very fussy and pulling at his ears a lot.  Tonight is dose #3 of new antibx, so I am hoping tomorrow is better. 
He is still teasing us with the walking thing.  Loves to walk when holding someone's hands, but very timid if he is on his own.  Oh well, soon!

Growing up so Fast

Tonight was Kindergarten round-up at Coleman Elementary School.  Jackson did great. They have it set-up in the lunchroom/common area and we first sat and listened to the principal, school nurse, counselor, and kindergarten teachers give a few tips.  Then they take the kids to the gym to play a few games while they continue to talk to the parents.  This is when Cole decided he was done!  Squealing, screaming, jumping out of my arms done!  So, Cole and I made a quick exit.  Oh, well.  We waited for them to finish and then turned in our paperwork and got signed up for Jackson's kindergarten screening and SUMMER SCHOOL.  Then we stood in line for dinner-this was pretty neat-they had it set up exactly the way it will be when they get lunch at school.  After that, we went upstairs to meet Mrs Houser (Jackson's teacher next year) and see her room. 

A quick walk this evening, then bath, and time for bed.  Wouldn't you know it would start hailing within 30 seconds of me laying Cole down.  BUT, not a peep!  YEAH.  I hope these boys love storms as much as I do.

Now, 4 mile run on the treadmill for me, only 11 days until Rock The Parkway half-marathon.

Ouch! I'm Sleepy.

Cole did not sleep well Thursday night.  He was up at 10pm, 11pm, 12am, 3am, 4am, 6:15am-up for the day.  Okay, so I knew there was something going on with the little guy, but what?  I texted Dr. Veligati his symptoms and usually hear back within 30 minutes.  Well, it had been an hour, so I called the office. He is out-of-town-Like way out-of-town, like Costa Rica out-of-town....Why am I not in Costa Rica??  Sunshine, beaches....Anyway, I digress....Back to Cole.  So I asked if they could get him in to see another pediatrician, yes but it might be a couple of hours, unless we get there soon, and they could squeeze us in.  So, twenty minutes later, at 9:30, we were seeing a doctor.  Ear infection in both ears, Poor Baby!  No wonder he could not sleep.  So Cole officially has his first bacterial infection, and is on his first round of antibiotics.  At least we made it through the first 12 months with none.

TJ's alumni basketball tournament is this weekend (one of his favorite weekends of the year) and it falls on one of his other favorite weeknds of the year-the first and second rounds of the NCAA Basketball Tournament.  Jackson went to both of Dad's games today.  He likes to go out on the court with Dad and dribble.  Cole and I went to the game this evening. 
And I had a Junior League event called Cinderella's Closet today .  Cinderella's Closet is a "store" organized and staffed by The Junior League of Saint Joseph where girls can come "shopping" for Prom or other formal dresses at no cost to them.  That's right, absolutely free.  All of the items (dresses, shoes, handbags, and jewelry) are donated.  It is really fun to work, and of course, especially exciting to see girls choosing dresses that I have donated. 

Cole is making the "L" sound now. Fun and new. And he is saying "Mama" some now, but not always, so we will wait and see.  Babbling constantly.

The Great Pretender

Cole is a great pretender.  The following are a few examples of his mad skills.
Playing in the basement with the kitchen, he pretends to drink, eat, stir, etc.
Riding in the car, and I reach my hand into the backseat to hold his hand-he pretends to take food out of my hand and eat it-lips smacking and everything.
Playing in the sand pit in the backyard, he stirs sand in a bucket with a wood chip and them pretends to eat it.
Okay, I am starting to feel a theme emerging here.  Maybe my child is not some amazing pretender.  Maybe my child just loves to eat, and has many ways of telling me.
Aside from the obvious-he has started signing the word "Eat". 
I am confident this is one of his favorite pasttimes.  Well, he was born into the right family, I guess.  We do love to eat.
We dropped the morning bottle yesterday, and that is going well so far.  He seems to be drinking more from his sippy cup throughout the day.  Now, only the bedtime bottle left to go.

Next week are parent-teacher conferences with Jackson's Preschool teacher, Mrs. Schmeisser.  I think I know how that will go.  "Jackson needs to focus on his handwriting and sitting still".  HELLO! he's a boy, of course he needs to work on his handwriting and sitting still.  Good Luck to me!  I can not believe he will be in kindergarten next fall.  Just a few short months left of my little boy being home with me.  I am going to enroll him in summer school in June to get him used to riding the bus and so he will know his way around Coleman (the grade school he will be attending) come fall. 
Aunt Cheri Patterson (Associate Super-Intendent for the St. Joseph School District) called the principal of Coleman today and hand-picked Jackson's kindergarten teacher-Mrs. Hauser. 
Oh, it is good to have connections.

Please Listen

Jackson gave Cole a ride in his truck today for the first time.  Cole loved it!  He was bouncing to the music Jax had playing on the radio, and thought that being with brother and going fast was great.  Jackson tires of having Cole in there very quickly, but is really good with him, putting his hand behind Cole's head so he will not hit it on the plastic "headrest". 
We got to play outside quite a bit today.  Cole crawls/walks with assistance straight to the road every time.  I do not know what makes it so  much more fascinating than the driveway, but it is as if he is drawn to it.  He does not like to crawl in the grass- I am sure the texture is funny-feeling on his hands.

Cole was taking a few steps on his own again today.  Still very timid.  But getting very confident standing alone.

Recently, Cole learned to drink from a straw.  On that same day, he learned that if you flick the end of the straw, whatever liquid is in the cup goes spraying across the room. He found this absolutely hilarious and continued to do it until I took the cup away from him, upon which he squealed until I gave it back to him.  He promptly started flicking again.  ORNERY! 

Jax is having some listening issues.  He does not like to do it.  TJ and I will tell him to do something 3, 4, 5 times before we eventually have to raise our voices to get him to move his tush.  Threatening time-out doesn't even work.  Not until he is actually sent to time-out does he seem to respond, and then usually with tears.  It can be something as simple as putting on his shoes, or as difficult as remembering not to take toys away from Cole (very hard for a 4-year-old).  Oh, the joys of boys!

Walking on Sunshine

Well, the little man took a few steps on his own today.  Yeah, we are getting so close to walking.  He will stand on his own for 10-15 seconds at a time now.

I took Jackson and Cole to the St. Patrick's Day parade today.  Jackson was a true gentleman.  He did not beg for candy.  He just waved to the floats and then waited til there were no vehicles coming to run and get whatever was left too far out for him to get from the sidewalk.  It wasn't real long, but Jax got lots of candy.  Not good, since I decided to give up candy for Lent (I know, we are not Catholic, but I thought it would be a good time to learn a little discipline). So now, instead of eating some candy, I am baking a cake, and I already licked the bowl.  Oh, Well, so much for discipline!
Lots more sunshine today, so a lot of time spent outside.  Wonderful!!
Both boys love being outdoors, which bodes very well for my spring/summer. 

Little Boy Hugs and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I am typing this blog as Cole eats his first grilled cheese sandwich(a Jackson favorite)-What a Hit-and Jackson sleeps in the car in the garage (we ran to the post office and gas station and when we got home they were both out in the back seat).  Cole can hardly fit enough grilled cheese in his mouth at one time to keep him happy-Yeah, people food.  Grandma came over when she got off work today so that I could go for a run-Thanks, Mom-I got in 6.5 miles.  The boys and Grandma played outside (it is about 50 degrees, but no wind) while I was gone, chasing balls down the street, riding bikes, etc.

Dad went to the Big 12 Tournament in KC yesterday and today.  Mizzou beat Texas Tech last night.  Here's hoping for another win tonight.

Now, did I ever mention how absolutely sweet little boy hugs are? NO? Well, they are amazing.  Obviously, I have been getting little Jackson hugs for a few years now, and they are fantastic.  He is all boy.  Even his hugs are rough.  He just flings himself at you, and you had better be prepared or you will get knocked over. 
Cole has just started giving really good hugs.  The feel of those heavenly chubby little arms around my neck practically make me swoon and the smell of his hair as he buries his angelic little face into my neck takes my breath away.  I love the way he holds me so tight, like he never wants to let me go.  Sometimes I even get a little pat on the back (like "Job Well Done today, Mom").  These are some of the many moments in each day with these two little boys of mine that I would not trade for anything. 
Don't get me wrong-we have our not-so-great moments, too.
Time-out is visited by Jackson sometimes more than once a day, and I sometimes have a hard time leaving the room without Cole bursting into tears.  But, even those moments I would not trade.
Jackson will eventually have to learn self-control, and I will give myself at least part of the credit for him getting there.
Cole will learn that you can not put Mommy in your pocket and take her everywhere-college comes to mind, but first let's get through leaving him at the babysitter's.  Separation anxiety is something that we did not experience at all with Jackson, so I am completely baffled by this seeming inability to understand that Mommy will ALWAYS come back.  I am open to advice at this point.

PS. no fun stories from the babysitter last night. Jackson must have been tired.

Oh, the torture!

Jackson does not like to write his name!  It is not his name so much, but that it takes so much concentration (and time) for a 4-year old boy to sit still long enough to write Jackson Patterson.  He starts doodling, talks about anything else he can think of, and, of course, tries to get away with terribly sloppy handwriting.  At Kinderclub (a once-monthly meeting at Coleman Elementary School for children who will be entering kindergarten next year) last night we received a list of all the skills Jackson should possess before he starts kindergarten next fall.  One of them is writing his first and last name.  Oh, he can do it!  If you are willing to wait about 20 minutes-the boy procrastinates with the best of them.  The only other skill on the list that he does not have mastered is tying his own shoes.  We will work on that soon-I am sure that will also be a test of Mom and Dad's patience.  it is not a short list. It includes such things as zipping one's own coat, knowing all the colors, listening quietly, following directions, putting together a puzzle, knowing the shapes, and knowing the ABC's, etc....

Cole, my dear sweet child.  Please stop getting up at 5 'til 6 every morning. You are going to kill Mommy if I do not get some more sleep.  Thankfully, Daddy got up with you this morning, and I slept until 7:30. 
We are going to wean Cole off of the bottle in the next couple of weeks, which should be interesting, since he does not really care for a sippy cup.  Down to 4oz this morning, will continue to let him have 6oz at bedtime for a few more days, them drop that to 4oz and hopefully off by the end of the month.  Good Luck to us!!

The boys are having a babysitter tonight-Amy.  The last time Amy was here, she and Jackson played "Bolt"-you know the Disney movie about the superhero dog.  Anyway, they were playing Bolt, and Jackson says to her
"I'm Bolt"
Amy-"OK"
Then Jackson proceeds to lick her face!  He says "That what dogs do".
Of course, Amy thought this was hilarious-thank goodness for fun babysitters.
So I am excited to get home tonight, and find out what crazy things my children have done this time.

Backblogged

Well, I am about a week behind on the blogging.  Cole turned 1 last Monday, and between doctor's appointments and packing for our trip to the Bahamas, I have not blogged. 
Cole had his 1 year well-child check last Tuesday.  Poor baby-had to get four shots!!
Here are his stats from his office visit with Dr. Veligati. 
Ht: 30 and 1/2 inches (75%)
Wt: 22.4 lbs (~50%)
Head circumference: 18 and 1/2 inches (50%)
 
I was a little concerned because Cole is still not saying a lot of words (he says Dada and Hi), but Dr. Veligati says that is fine.
After the appointment, Cole went to Amber's, but ended up getting sick, and had to come home.  This made Mom and Dad really nervous, since we were supposed to get on a plane for the Bahamas the next morning. I couldn't leave if my little guy was sick.  But, it must have been a fluke, because he did not get sick again.
We took both boys to Nana and Papa's that evening to put them to bed (and watch the Mizzou game).  Nana and Papa said Cole was pretty fussy Wednesday and Thursday (probably a combination of shots and missing Mom).
On Friday, the boys went to Grandma and Grandpa's after Jax got out of preschool, and Grandma said Cole was not fussy all weekend.  Jackson had fun riding all the farm equipment and Cole was very enthralled by the deer hanging on the wall.  Both sets of grandparents had fun with the boys while Mom and Dad were lounging on the beach in Nassau with Uncle Ryan and Aunt Jeana, who, by the way, found out they were pregnant while on the trip.  Yeah, new cousin for the boys coming in November.

In Nassau, Bahamas, we laid by the pool and on the beach, went shopping downtown, swam in the pool, took walks down the beach, and TJ(and Ryan and Jeana), ever the joiner, played basketball, sand volleyball, tennis, karaoke, swimming relays in the pool.....
I read lots.  I love to sit and read in the sun.  We took salsa lessons, and TJ got to dance onstage and perform a trick with some of the resort employees.  I even went to a movie-"The King's Speech"-alone.  None of my trip mates could believe I was going to a movie while on vacation.

We were so excited to be home and see the boys.  We missed them so much, but were glad to get away at the same time.  Cole was very fussy on Monday and did not want Mom out of his sight. I think he was afraid I would leave again.  Now, I have about 5 loads of laundry to do-back at it!