Just Beachy!

No beach trip would be compete without:

1.) Daddy
2.) Wadding in the water
3.) Chasing the Seagulls
4.) running into walls
5.) Cole's trucks
6.) and of course, Nana (aka photographer)Considering how close SPI is to us, we don't go nearly often enough. First of all, the water is cold, the sand is...gritty, it's hot, and despite all my efforts, I never tan! So, really, if I can't tan, what's the point?

Well, I've been dying to go and take Cole because he's never been. I know, it's sad, we've never taken him. But just for the record, Will and I have had romantic getaways there;)...

So we finally went. Got some great pictures, ate some great food, and spent some fun family time together. I am only posting a few pictures because I am working on something BIG for Father's Day and since my dear snugglebug reads the blog I don't want to give the surprise away!

Mom joined us to be our "photographer" because I wanted some great shots, which we got. See post Kisses that Melt, the rest I'd like to work with for Father's Day and to doctor them up like the pros for framing on our own walls. Let me just clarify, I am not a professional nor do I wish to be, if you want a professional photographer, look for Melissa Rodriguez' blog on the right,-her work is fantastic! Now she is a pro-and a sweetheart too! She gave me some good advice and I think they turned out great. Thank you Melissa!I have no idea what he was saying or doing in this picture...

Take a Picture

One night Cole looked so cute I decided to post a picture of him ready to go to bed on his own in his crib. Well, now, every night, as I am shutting the door, he will whisper to me, "Mommy, take a piture." So tonight, I finally gave in and did. He has to sleep with his wipe, a car, a book, his big a#@ pillow, and his soft blanket. Talk about a set up!I should mention that Cole is just starting to learn to smile. He smiles all the time, just not on request. This is his first attempt at a "smile"-yeah, we're working on it! This mommy is a fan anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Milk Negotiations

Cole: "Mommy, I want applejoos."
Me: "Honey we're out of apple juice."
Cole: "Whaaat aboooowwwt... milk?"

Really,... they start negotiating this young????

Kisses that Melt

I was on my way home today, flustered, defeated, beaten down, and I just wanted to cry. I was heading home to a child and hubby who so needed me and I was just spent. I just didn't think I had it in me to be mommy, to turn it all off and be someone else's everything.

I called my own mom, because even at 30, sometimes I just want my mommy! She comforted me. I called hubby's cell phone, and was greeted by a a cheerful "Hi Mommy!". It was Cole, and all my worries and insecurities melted away. Turns out I so needed them and that they were in fact my everything!

As Cole would say when I kiss his boo-boo, "all better now"....and I am. Isn't it just miraculous what a sweet wet kiss can do for the soul?

Apron Transformation

Aprons are so mysterious to me. I have this thing, some might call it a love affair with them. They serve a purpose, right? Well, not for me. I like to wear them to fold laundry, to design on the computer, to load the dishwasher, to feed the dogs, and I love love walking around in them. I feel sexy (I am always wearing clothes underneath!) and homemaker-ish, like super-mom without having to really be any of those things.

I haven't been wearing them because my apron collection is...what's the word,...crappy. I have 2 beautiful aprons that my mom made for me when we had our little gift shop/cafe. But we did wear those to actually wait tables and they got dingy. Still, momma made them and they are just super duper cute. So I can't part with them. I also have one from Junior league but it's yellow! School buss does not equal sexy! Will has two but they are normal people size, which makes them way tooo big for me. So, I am apron-less!

I sit here typing on my computer with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders because I feel anything but sexy, homemaker-ish, super mom,... I am blah.

But guess what peoples? Guess what I got for mother's day? No, not an apron, even better. I got a freakin' sewing machine! Yeah! I am going to make me my own aprons. Someday, maybe, if I can get away from the computer to learn to use my sewing machine. Crap,...that's never gonna happen....I am, and will remain, apron-less :`(

Cole's Frequent Phrases

"What ya doing there mommy?"
"Where da firetruck go?" (when he hears sirens)
"Where da moon?"
"Movie time."
"I wanna see Cole." (every time we take a picture)
"I hunry."
"Excuse me." (everytime someone burps)
"I wanna jump in my bed."
"Thank you."
"That a big 'ol truck/dog/ball!"
"I luw you too mommy/daddy."
"It too big." (clothes he doesn't want to wear)
"Good boy."
"I sorry for throwing the ball, mommy."
"Run away mommy/daddy." (when he wants us to leave the room)

Some of Cole's Favorite's These Days

Before I had Cole, I thought that I would be very diligent at writing down his first smile, the first night he went to bed on his own, the day that he lost his umbilical cord, etc....but it hasn't been that way because it just had not occurred to me how busy life would be with a little one. So, I took to blogging because it was easier to feel like I was telling the world about Cole and our lives than it was to write it in a journal. I think actually writing was the part that I dreaded. I can't even remember when I had to write last. I don't want to remember. But what I do want to remember are Cole's favorite's at 2 years old:

Cars, the movie
cars
trucks
firetrucks
Nana
Tata
Tia
Kani
Mimi
Bop
Kitty
the moon
jumping on the beds
string cheese stix
milk
apple juice
pancakes
movie time
watching birds
the fan on in his room at bedtime
Uncle Blaine
Jana
Uncle Joseph
Max
Coke
the wheel full of cars at Mimi's
ice cream
candy vitamins
checking the mail
ringing the doorbell
Nana's van
Daddy's truck
and of course mom and dad

Beautiful Bedtimes

Bedtime hasn't always been this wonderful. We tell him fully awake it's time for bed and we get no complaints from him. He does make occasional demands for the huge red pillow, or a book, or the fan but he's a joy to put to bed these days.

He loves to give me kisses, and as I am walking away he says, "more kiss" and I kiss him and turn to walk out and he says "more kiss", and this continues until I tell him, "ok, goodnight Baby, no more kisses, kay?"

Now, as I kiss him goodnight, I give him a kiss and he says immediately afterwards, "no more kisses mommy".

Just melts my heart!!!

Good Boy Mommy

My mom, bless her heart, came over Wednesday and helped me clean the house from top to bottom. We spent the entire day doing it. But my house looks fantastic! She even managed to help me move furniture around in Cole's room and the living room.

With the new placement of Cole's crib, it is hard to get behind the crib to get his toys that have been thrown, pushed, or rolled back there without having to move 2 other pieces of furniture.

So naturally, when Cole's "firetruck" had fallen back there he asked me to get it for him. After 15 minutes of trying to get it with the broom, I decided to wedge myself in his crib and reach for it. No avail, my little hands didn't reach. So I got one of his books and finally I was able to get it.

I hand it to Cole and he says, "Good boy Mommy."

Mini Milestone:Potty Training

Cole wanted to take a shower this morning so as I undressed him and took his diaper off, he said "I wanna go pee pee poo poo in the potty". I scooped him up quickly and sat him on the toilet and within seconds he started peeing!

Now, don't get excited, I have very low expectations of potty training quite right now. But nonetheless, he was able to feel the urge to pee and hold it for just a few seconds! I am one proud mommy right now! WooHoo Cole!!!!

Shaddow cont...

My intent was to tell you about Shaddow on Saturday, but I left for a leadership retreat with the Junior League of McAllen and just this afternoon returned.

As you may have already imagined, Shaddow passed away on Friday. She had been coughing really bad on Thursday, so Friday morning we took her in first thing. She seemed to have trouble breathing again too. They took xrays and we saw that her heart was 3-4 times the size it should be. It was pushing up against her windpipe, hence the trouble breathing.

The damage was irreversible. We would have to limit her activity because any exersion caused the wheezing and coughing. This meant eating, walking, feeling anxious, basically just breathing was an exersion.

We were given two options: take her home and give her 4 different meds daily to help her cope or make the decision to put her to sleep.

So on Friday we all said "goodbye" to Shaddow, our chihuahua of nearly 12 years =`(

Shhh...

Just some silence today. A moment. For Shadow.