My First Baking/Freezing Day

Yesterday,I had my first major baking/freezing day. It took about 7-8 hours total with clean-up, etc. but it was well worth it. Now, my two freezers are stocked with great food for my family to enjoy.

Read more about it here.

Our Little Chatterbox

We have a chatterbox on our hands! Cole has been jabbering since he was about 7-8 months old. It was definitely his own language but he would tell us what was on his mind and anyone else that crossed his path. It was not the typical baby talk such as the same sound over and over. He would put several sounds/his words together, change his facial expressions and tone. It was a true conversation he was having with us and others. The preschool workers at church always comment on how much he talks and how early.

Cole has always been quite the mimic. From an early age, we would make sounds (clicking our tongue, white noise like a bad radio station, etc.) and Cole would copy us. Very funny.

We think he first word was puppy. I know weird. It was not Mommy or Daddy, but puppy. He loves our dog, Maci. She gets him every morning when he wakes up and he grins from ear to ear.

He is now 15 months (16 months this coming Saturday) and I am trying to be better about writing down his milestones and making a list of what words he can say, etc. I know that I have probably left off a few, but here is the list Brent and I have been able to come up with:

1. outside
2. Maci
3. Mommy
4. Daddy
5. bye-bye
6. hi
7. Bebe
8. Papaw
8. head
9. nose
10. ball
11. doggy
12. puppy
13. hat
14. cat
15. snack
16. more
17. please
18. all done
19. uh-oh
20. Mama
21. night night
22. car
23. Nathan
24. book
25. no
26. yes (more like yea)
27. go
28. bat
29. door
30. Mimi
31. nannie = banana
32. crackie = cracker

**tries to say bellybutton when you ask him where it is

Also, Cole's Bebe taught him patty cake while we were in Colorado. It is incredible how quickly he understands and processes what we try to teach him. He is soaking it all up!

15 Month Check-up

Last Friday, I took Cole in for his 15 month check-up. It was supposed to be a normal well visit with a few vaccines and his annual flu shot. But when his doctor was listening to his heart, she heard something she was not comfortable with and wanted him to get an EKG. She told me that a normal heartbeat sounded like bum bump, bum bump, but Cole's had a long pause that could be an arrhythmia. She also said the way it sounded was normal in adults (when we take deep breaths) but it is not usually heard in children because they breathe at a faster rate, but Cole was super calm and still while she was listening, so she may have been able to hear it that day. (I am hoping she was just able to hear it.)

I didn't ask any questions. I just said okay. I wish I asked more questions.

Then, I told her about my big ultrasound while I was pregnant, where they look at all the organs and make sure they are all developing properly, and that my OBGYN saw something in one of his chambers. At the time, my doctor said it could be nothing that she has seen it before or it could be early sign of down syndrome or something else. There was no way to know before Cole was born unless invasive tests were performed and all that would have done was simply let us know ahead of time. We didn't do the tests and I do not remember having another ultrasound to see if it was gone later in my pregnancy. After hearing that, Cole's doctor wanted him to have an x-ray too.

So after we finished the well visit, we were sent to the imaging center for the x-ray and the hospital for the EKG.

Since all this was on Friday, we hoped we would be called on the weekend, but we were not and had to wait through the weekend. It was tough. I called like 4 times on Saturday morning.

Cole's doctor called this morning, but I missed her call. On her message, she said that the x ray came back normal but there was an abnormality found on the EKG, so she was referring us to a pediatric cardiologist at Texas Children's Hospital. Again, she said it could be nothing, because if Cole moved too much during the test, it could give a misreading, so I am hoping for that. She would like him to get a special ultrasound of his heart next to rule anything being wrong out.

So now, we are waiting again. His EKG was sent to Texas Children's and they will read the results, evaluate it, and get back with me to make an appointment in 3-5 business days.

**Update**The doctor just called me back. She said the EKG must be read by a pediatric cardiologist because they are read completely different then how adult tests are read. With kids, they also get more false positive because of too much movement. At this point, she is not too worried but does want Cole to see the specialist and have Echo-cardiogram (an ultrasound of the heart) preformed at TX Children's. The EKG did not show an arrhythmia, but it did show that his heart may be enlarged on the right side making it have to work harder to pump the blood through it.** (Update from original post.)

Please pray that absolutely nothing is wrong with Cole's heart. Pray for any healing that needs to be done. Pray for any doctors or nurses that see him for wisdom and discernment of how to treat him. Pray that Cole would cooperate for any testing so that we would get accurate results that are clear for the doctors to read. Pray for peace as we wait and patience as we wait.

We will keep you posted. Thank you for all your prayers.

Trunk or Treat

Last night, at our church, they hosted a safe alternative to Trick or Treating door to door called Trunk or Treat. Cars piled in the parking lot, opened their trunks and provided games and candy for all the kids. They even had a great preschool (4 and under) area for Cole and his friends. It was so fun to see everyone all dressed up in their costumes.

All week or month rather, I have been trying to figure out what Cole should be for Halloween. I always thought I wanted to make or create his costume so it would be creative, unique, and possibly free. But I had not one idea, until yesterday morning! I told Brent, "Hey, let's make him a pro skater. Surely, we can do that. He has jeans and a hoodie. We can totally make a board." So we did. We already had some errands to run, so we headed to the mall and looked for the perfect shoes and hat. I was not willing to buy anything that he could not continue to use after this one night. We found some awesome Vans at the Vans store on SALE and then search all over for the hat. We weren't having much luck. There were several kids hats, but not the right look. If he didn't have the right hat and just any hat, the whole outfit would have been thrown off. So we were at the Vans store for the second time and I saw a great hat, but it was a for a man, not a toddler. It was knit and Brent liked it for our upcoming trip so we got it and I stitched the back up to make it fit Cole for the night. Yes! It was perfect.

Now, it was time to go back home and make/finish Cole's prop. The skateboard. To make this, we used all items we already had around the house: cardboard, spray paint, toilet paper rolls, dowel rods, and internet printed out logo. We used a piece of a cardboard box for the board. There were two folds on either end that were great because it allowed the board to not look flat and have tips. Brent spray painted the top of the board black and the bottom white. We printed an Element logo off from the internet and cut a stencil out and spray painted that maroon. The wheels were toilet paper rolls with dowel rods in the center. As we were making this, we kept thinking of ways to make it better. I really wanted to make the wheels able to spin, but that would have been more time, maybe the next one. :)

Play time is my favorite time...

Cole loves to play. He is all boy and is definitely experimenting and trying new things every day. In the picture below, he has one of his favorite balls. I say one, because balls are his favorite toy in general and points them out everywhere we go. You know those big concrete balls in front of Target stores or HEB's? As soon as we get out of the car, he points and yells, clear as day, "ball!" Lately, he has started to play this game with this ball. Brent and I can't quite figure out what the rules are exactly, but he is definitely having FUN. We try to join in but I think we mess him up. It's pretty funny to watch.

Ever since Cole has started to actively play, he has wanted to carry as many things in his hands at once. He will work so hard to get just the right hold and balance to carry as much as possible. Whether it is two balls like in the photo below or two of his golf clubs, he always has something in hand and walks this entire house all day long. He is not a sitter, but a mover and a shaker. And I love it!

Below is Cole and his dad in the fort we built him in our living room. He loves to go in there and read with us. It is precious! I love reading to him. He doesn't often sit for the entire story but I just keep reading as he walks around. He can still hear the story so that counts right?? His favorite book right now is "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" or the his monkey drumming book that Miss Beth got for him. He enjoys drumming on his or my legs. Too cute!

Just like his daddy, he loves it outside and playing golf. We didn't teach him this at all. Brent was just outside with him one day and got out his golf set. Then Brent came in and told me to gave the camera. He said check out Cole, look what he is doing. This is one of my new favorite photos.

The Swap Party

Last week, my friends and I got together to have a "Swap" party. Don't know what that is? Neither did I, but it was so FUN! You should totally try it with you friends! Or tell me you want to be invited to our next one! There will be more for sure. They can be seasonal, themed or anything you want them to be.

My friend Teresa hosted the first one and did a great job! She did some research to help her plan the first swap party and found a ton of information about how to run one. We had about 7 girls show up and had a ton of stuff to swap with one another. I can't even imagine all the stuff we could have had if all the girls we invited showed up. I think the amount was perfect for the first one and now that we know what to do, the more the merrier! Come on girls! Go through your house and your closets. What does not fit, is not being used, and you don't want back??? Swap it!

We had books, movies, home decor, shoes, tops, jackets, pants, skirts and accessories to swap. Teresa had a section set up for each category and clothes were sorted by size. It was so organized! We all went through each section together and took turns choosing items in accessories, home decor, and books/movies. The clothes were also done by type but we all went through them together. If we liked it, then we made a pile. If more then one person liked it, then we worked it out ourselves. There were suggestions of a coin toss or getting opinions of who it looked best on from some of the sites, but we didn't end up with too many items being fought over. We are all too sweet for that (wink wink). Then after we were all finished, we sat around and showed everyone what we swapped and found out who it belonged to once before. It was so fun to see something that was collecting dust in your home or closet be so appreciated and excited about by someone else. For me, I left happy not spending a dime, having new-to-me clothes in my closet, and knowing that someone else, that I care about, enjoying things I was no longer putting to good use. What a great concept!

You can do this any time. Seasonally. You can have themed ones. You could do a toy swap for kids. Or a children's clothing swap. The sky is the limit.

Here are some helpful links to plan your Swap Party:

#1 Planet Green

#2 Real Simple

#3 eHow

#4 Recycling Week

#5 wikiHow

Click here to view these pictures larger

We've Been Some Busy Bee's

I know. I am not keeping up our family blog very well. I have changed the look and taken a few names off, but other then that I have not shared pictures, stories, or anything that has been happening around here lately. And that's been A LOT!

October has literally flown by for us. Every weekend we have either been out of town, studying for a huge exam, or having garage sales. Next weekend and the last weekend in October, we have almost nothing on the schedule. We do have a few fun things like Trunk or Treat at church (which I have to figure out what Cole will be this week!) and Ava's birthday party.

I promise that this week is so much slower for me, only a few things on the calendar, instead of 20, that I will do some blogging and update you all on our lives.

Here are a few things I need to/may write about so you have something to look forward and so I will remember. I have had trouble remembering lately because there has been so much. Must get organized. :)

-Dallas weekend with Jon and Steph
-Lake weekend with friends
-Brent's test
-Swap Party
-Garage Sale
-Upcoming Trip

11 to 13 Month Pictures on Shutterfly

Click here to view these pictures larger

More Evidence!

Cole is Walking!

Do I have a Walker or a Step Taker?

My question is simple or I thought it was...Do I have a walker or step taker? I can't decide and the world wide web is not helping me answer my question. So what do you think???

According to dictionary.com, the definition of walk is:

to advance or travel on foot at a moderate speed or pace; proceed by steps; move by advancing the feet alternately so that there is always one foot on the ground in bipedal locomotion and two or more feet on the ground in quadrupedal locomotion.

Well, Cole does that, but when is it legitimate to call him a walker, to check that off on the milestone list, to add it to the list of accomplishment on the right side bar of this blog? **Side note, we are not pushing or rushing this, I am just really curious of when a parent goes from saying "yes, he is taking some steps" or "yes, he is walking."**

Each day Cole gets better at walking. Last night, he took 19 steps, then a lego got in his way. He got right back up and then took 28 steps. Cole is not able to get to a standing position on his own yet, so either Brent and I have to stand him up or he has to crawl to the next object that he can pull up on. I have noticed this week it is about half and half: half crawling and half walking. Although today, he has pretty much walked all over this house. He walks along cabinets, walls, holding on to one of my hands or completely independently.

So what is your thoughts? What stage of life is Cole in? Crawler/Step Taker? Or Walker? Is there a middle stage that I don't know about?

Happy 1 Year, Cole-Man!

Dear sweet boy,

I (your mommy) can't believe one year ago you came to us and we met you face to face. Your dad and I were so excited for that moment to finally meet you, but we had no idea what else was in store for us. God has truly blessed us when He gave us you for this time. Every moment with you is new and exciting and a joy and a blessing, even those moments when you are upset, even those.

You are...

our son

unique

special

loving

a friend

happy

created in God's own image

a cousin

a crazy noise maker

content

fearfully and wonderfully made

precious

a grandson

funny

brilliant

a nephew

handsome

sweet

a consumer of all foods

a talker

loved

You are COLE.

We love you so much Cole-Man!
Love, Mommy and Daddy

For pictures of Cole's birthday party go here.

NoiseTrade Widget

NoiseTrade Widget

Happy Dada Day/11 months old!

Happy Dada's Day, Brent! You are a great dad
to Cole! Love, LA & Cole

Today, Cole is 11 months old. I can hardly
believe it. He takes steps with us and stands
alone for short periods of time, still shaky though.
He will get it soon, no doubt.



check out Cole's little farmer tan
watching the U.S. Open with Dada

Cole absolutely loves it outside.

most days we hit the neighborhood pool but
today we enjoyed the pool in our own backyard

Cole is tasting the grass at this point...found out it
does not taste so great...

Check out more photos here. Enjoy!

Doorpost II Promo 3

Doorpost II Promo 2

Our Latest Home Improvement Project!

Over the last week and a half, we completed the latest project: new floors in the living, dining, kitchen, and entry way. We are so excited to have new, fresh flooring in our entire home, minus 48 sqft that makes up the laundry room. Most of you know, but we bought this home from smokers and since we do not smoke we did not want to breathe in all the second hand smoke. So over the last 3 years we have been making improvements/upgrades that our home desperately needed and ridding our home of the smoker smell. This was our final step! Whoa hoo! All the future improvements are simply cosmetic. Check out the pictures below:

Happy Mother's Day to Me...Early!!

Cole said MAMA!!! WHoa-hoo!

I thought he said it yesterday but I not certain but TODAY I am because he was looking for me!

YAY!

Brent's Trip to Mombasa, Kenya

We have had lots of visitors lately...

We have kept very busy this year and it is only mid-April! Between Brent's upcoming examine and trip to Africa to my trips to College Station and Roundtop (that will be its own post sometime), we have found some time to be at home and have people visit us here.

First, in mid-March, Brent's parents came to visit us. Here is Cole with his Mimi and Papa. We had a great, relaxing visit with you both. Thanks for coming to see us!

The very next weekend Matt and Larra came to Houston to shoot a wedding and we got to keep Brody. We were thrilled! I love getting to play Aunt Leigh-leigh! It does not happen often enough! Love you Brody-boy! We had a great Friday night talking and playing with Matt, Larra, and Brody...Cole missed out on Friday because he goes to bed so early (that is not a complaint :) ). But Saturday, Cole was up and ready to play. Brody and Cole had a great time together! We are glad you were able to come and see us and thanks for letting us keep you, Brody!

Then two days later, Dena, Larra, and I (plus the boys) went to the Roundtop Antique Fair, only we never actually go to Roundtop (we hit a few other small towns around there with better deals or basically stuff in our price range). Last year, Matt and Brent played golf while we were shopping and found this amazing patch of bluebonnets behind Wal-Mart, so we had to stop again this year and take some pictures of the boys. Aren't they beautiful!

Brody 14 months, Cole 8 months

(this photo taking by Larra)

Next Sunday afternoon, we went to the Shell Houston Open. Our friends Keith and Ashley were given some great tickets and invited us to go with them. Thanks Rodgers! We also met up with the Zacs and Gilberts too while we were there, but it was super crowded being the final day and all, so we didn't hang out that long together. Cole did great and even got a nap in. We could not bring cameras or cell in with us so we took a picture when we got home...had to...my baby is in is plaid shorts! Soooo cute! Both of you! ;)

Then just this past weekend, it was Easter. My parents came down to celebrate the holiday with us and also had some business in Austin. While they were here, we hung out with my brother and his family and my Aunt Lois and Uncle Gayle who live in Spring. It was a great weekend, but we were all exhausted Sunday afternoon. If the Masters weren't so exciting, then I am sure there would have been more naps taken! :) Thanks for coming mom and dad and thanks for hosting us at your home Dave & Katherine!

Seriously, I need to get in front of the camera sometimes! I think it has been months since I had a picture taken with Cole...

Cole's First Easter Celebration

"Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" -John 1:29

We celebrated Cole's first Easter at home in Houston. My parents came in on business and stayed with us throughout the weekend. After church at Tallowood, we headed over to my brother's house for lunch with his family. It was a great weekend to celebrate our risen Lord!

Our hope is to teach Cole about the real meaning behind this day and that is not about bunnies and hunting fun, colorful eggs. Sure it is fun and fun is good but it is not only about that; it is about our LIVING God. We will definitely be learning how to relate this to Cole as he gets older and has more understanding.

Moving on to the pictures and fun...

Cole's Easter basket

The hunt begins...

Cole loves his new shoes!



the next Tiger Woods

We are working on our...

Curb Appeal!

Well, it was definitely time to get outside and work on making our landscaping look better. It was not appealing whatsoever in my opinion and probably many others. We have lived in this house almost 3 years now and have basically mowed the lawn and continuously pulled weeds out of the beds. It would take hours there were so many. But it took us this long to do something because there were far more important projects inside our little "fixer-upper."

I wanted to take 2 of the 4 big trees out of one flower bed. Seriously, too much for such a small space. It was awkward and overgrown. So when Brent was in Africa, my parents were here visiting for a few days and my dad always loves a good project. He got a towing chain and Brent's truck and started pulling after he first cut around the base of each tree. The first one came out pretty easily and we were both surprised but pleased. So naturally we thought the second would come out that easily too. Not the case. All was well, just took MORE time. Then with all the mud we tracked on the driveway from the trees, it took me about 2 hours to wash the driveway...it was thick and caked on! But well worth it.

When Brent returned, we both worked a full Friday and Saturday outside moving rocks; laying a new border; planting 10 Snow White Indian Hawthorns, 3 Bay-breeze Indian Hawthorns, and 2 Oleanders; laying weed guard material; and putting out 29 bags on mulch. We planned to add some other small plants to bring in color, but we need another free weekend.

Here are the results:

Typing too fast...

So I thought about something once I got home yesterday...I was typing so fast that I left out half of my week while Brent was in Africa...I did so much more then what I wrote about, so when I can I will fill you in but right now it is Cole's bedtime and he is letting us know it. Until next Panera stop...

We're back...

I know...I used to be better about updating our blog, but I also used to be connected to the internet at home too. Well, we are working on that and looking into different services so that we can be again really soon HOPEFULLY. I am at Panera now and I am not sure how much longer Cole will hang on. He has been awesome for 50 minutes, but it is 3:22pm now and his naptime is at 4pm. I will type as fast as I can.

We have been busy around here, especially Brent. Brent has been preparing to take his Professional Engineering exam for a couple months now and the exam is Friday, April 24th. Please start praying now for that. It is an ALL DAY exam. During this prep course, he took 10 days off to go on a mission trip to Mombasa, Kenya. I will try to get him to do some postings about his time there and share some pictures real soon.

While he was gone, I stayed VERY busy. Teresa and I took Cliff and Brent to the airport on Thursday, Feb 27th and when I got back home my parents were there to spend the weekend with me and Cole. It was also my brother's birthday the following week so Katherine, his wife, planned a birthday party for him. My dad and I also worked on the landscaping. Brent and I have not completed the project but when we do it will have a post of its own.

Papaw playing with Cole.

Our visit with Dottie at Loupot's.

Brody and Cole playing ball with Maci.
They both get a HUGE kick out of this game.

Watching he chase the ball.

Yay! Daddy's back!

Wants to crawl! This is progress.

Enjoying bath time.

How Cole sleeps these days.

Play Time video

See Cole's stats bar on the side of the blog for more little updates.