The Baby

Dear Cohen,

This has, quite possibly, been the fastest year of my life.  I can't believe that a year ago I was staring up at operating room lights waiting to hear you cry.  I can't believe it's been a year since the doctor held you over the drape and I saw your sweet face.  I can't believe a year has passed since I held all 9 pounds of you in my arms for the first time. 

I can't believe that twelve months have come and gone and you've been in our lives.  What did we ever do without you?

You are so much more of a baby at this age than Ainsley or Freddie were.  I'm not sure what it is but I'm amazed when you do things because you're a baby. 

At 1, Ainsley and Freddie were running.  They were toddlers.  You have started walking, and you've come a long way in 3 weeks.  But you are still unsteady and still prefer to crawl half the time.  At 1, Ainsley and Freddie were both working on their first words.  You babble and point and yell and grunt, but I don't really hear any real words in there.  You say "bopba" for almost everything.  Could be bye-bye, could be baby, could be puppy.  Not sure.

You are clingy.  You love to be held.  You love snuggles and hugs and kisses.  But at the same time, you are my most independent child.  You can sit and play with toys for an hour on your own.  You follow your siblings around and play with the same toys they do.

You love attention.  You clap for yourself and look around waiting for everyone else to join in.

You love to eat.  Actually...you love to feed yourself.  I can barely get you to spoon feed any more.  You want the bowl/plate/utensil yourself.  No more mashed sweet potatoes or applesauce, you want little bits of food that you can pick up and chew yourself.

You know what you want...always.  And when you don't get it, you get mad.  You have a temper and that little head just shakes so vigorously when you are presented with something you don't want.

Since day one, you've been a momma's boy.  I really am your favorite.  But lately, you want all of daddy's attention too.  You get upset when either of us leave the room.  The minute daddy gets home you do your little body shimmy where you tighten up in excitement and then you throw your arms in the air for him to pick you up.

You LOVE Ainsley and Freddie.  Freddie cracks you up with everything he does.  Doesn't matter what it is, it's funny to you.  You have started giving Ainsley big hugs when she picks you up.

You love games and you love to be surprised.  Sometimes you pull the hand town off the stove handle and crawl around with it on your head, only to sit up, pull it down and say "Ahhhhhh!" to whomever is watching.  Then you smile and do it again.

You have such a personality and you want to be in the middle of everything.  You don't really like sitting in your highchair for meals.  You want to be at the table.  If Ainsley and Freddie are talking in the backseat, you try and talk too.  When the older kids go to the basement to play, you rush towards the door...only to be stopped by mommy or daddy.  You don't want to miss out, you want to be involved.  I believe, you think you're as big as them.

After I had Ainsley and Freddie, so many people assumed we were done having kids.  People are like that, we had one boy and one girl...perfect, no reason to add another.  Ainsley and Freddie are my cake and ice cream, but you Cohen, are my cherry on top.  That little extra sweetness that makes the dessert complete. You are everything that reminds me how blessed I am.  It's amazing how such a little guy can be the last piece that completes our family so well.

I love you CoCo, no matter how big you get, you'll always be my baby.

Happy Birthday.

Love,
Mommy

Double Folds

The mountain of freshly washed clothes are spilling out of the basket.  Pant legs twist around their pairs, while socks and shirts cling to one another. 

I sigh deeply and begin the long task in front of me, always thankful that I can do this chore while zoning out in front of the television.  Not so grateful that my son is now a toddler and life's mission is to make me refold the same shirt 8 times.

Like always I make four distinct piles: mine, Clif's, Ainsley's and Freddie's.

I fold shirts and tuck socks until my wrists and arms are sore, all the while sorting the piles and catching up on the latest episode of Modern Family.

I take each pile to it's respective room and put the clothes in the appropriate drawers.

Ainsley's are last.  Mostly shirts, dresses and shorts.  But at the bottom of the pile, when all others are put away, I find a lone pair of jeans.

I stop and stare at these little pants and for some reason my eyes well.  They're double folded.  I hadn't realized when I was folding, but there they sit with two folds instead of one.

I always double fold my and Clif's pants.  It keeps them shorter and fitting in the pile neater.  But the kids pants?  They're already short and small and fit nicely in their piles.

Apparently, not the case anymore.  I did it on auto pilot but now they sit, staring at me, reminding me that she's not a baby or toddler anymore.   She's a big girl.  With tall, lean big girl legs.  That only fit in long, double folded big girl pants.

I blink back the dampness in my eyes and scold myself for being so silly.  Laundry?  I'm getting all emotional about laundry?  What is wrong with me?

I pause a moment, wondering if I've missed other things while on auto pilot.  This laundry episode has shown me how life can jump.  I've watched her grow up for almost 4 years, but all of the sudden these double folded pants make me realize how big she is.  I shake the jeans out of their fold and hold them up against my body.  Before I know it, she'll be borrowing my clothes.

How has it gone by so fast?

I fold them in half, then over and over again.  Double folded.  I slip them into the drawer, where they fit perfectly.

Run of the Mill Update

This week has been sort of crazy...aren't they all though?

But in particular, I've decided that I need more stability in my life, so I've been pushing myself to get things organized at my in-law's house.  I have not made it very far.  Also, I'm doing a bit of contract work for my old company.  So that hasn't left much time for blogging.  I love my blog, but money's always going to win out.  So if anyone wants to pay me to write my blog every day...speak up...PLEASE!!!!

See, although we moved here 2 months ago, I don't really feel like we've moved.  You know?  We've been in Richmond every single weekend of those 2 months getting the house ready, packing, moving stuff, etc.  Now, that we're past that stage, I feel the need to become a bit more settled.

The basement, which is basically where my little family has it's living space, is a wreck.  I mean we have the main area set up nicely, but the kids toys are everywhere - awe, just like home :)

The storage area of the basement is nightmarish!  As we unloaded our cars each week, the stuff that needed storage just kind of got tossed in a pile.  So now that needs to be a bit more organized and neat.  Especially if Ainsley every wants to use her trampoline again.

So that is my goal.  To have all that cleaned up by Freddie's birthday party...next weekend.  Ahhhhh!  Lots to do, and very little time to do it.

Speaking of birthday party...can you believe it?  I can't!  I can't believe that my little monster will be 1 next Friday!!!!  Where has the time gone?  So in honor of the approaching birthday, here is a little update on all that Freddie's doing these days...the good, bad and ugly.

The Good
I always heard that second children don't talk as early as the first.  So, I gotta say, that I'm a bit blown away at all that Freddie "says."  Here's a list of his most common words:
-Baaw - Ball.  The kid loves a ball.  The only thing that excites him more than a ball is the song "Baby Beluga."
-Baa Baa Baa - Baby Beluga.  My MIL has this song on a CD and Freddie asks for it.  Ainsley learned this song right around her first birthday.  Freddie will say Baaa, Baaa, Baaa while he rocks back and forth and tilts his head to the left - BUT only the left.  He doesn't go right. If you don't believe me, watch this...



-Nigh Nigh - I believe this is Night Night.  But I think he also uses it for Nanny.  He always says it when we're saying good night to everyone.  He also says it when I have gone past bedtime.  But I also randomly hear him say it when Denise is around.  So maybe it has a duel meaning.
-Ahhh Daaa - All done.  I'm trying to teach him signs, so he says this with great enthusiasm while vigorously shaking his hands in the air.
-AHhh DoTT - He says this a lot, I'm thinking it's "What's that?"

-Uhhh Ahhh - Uh Oh...everyone's favorite
Then of course we have the Muma and Daada which are always wonderful to hear.

Freddie can also wave bye-bye, clap, do the sign for "all done", I think he may be trying to do the sign for "more" but it looks like clapping, dance, play patty-cake, feed himself, drink from a sippy cup and stomp around the house.  He is not graceful (see the ugly section).

The Bad

-He LOVES the toilet paper roll.  Don't turn your back on him in the bathroom because in less than 5 seconds he can empty the roll of toilet paper by spinning it with is fat little hands.
-He bites.  I have the bruises to prove it.
-He hates any activity where you are forcing him to be still: diaper changes, getting dressed, getting undressed, strapping him into his car seat/stroller/highchair, wiping his nose.
-He doesn't really like the dogs to be near him - probably because they either knock him down or lick his face until he can't breath.  BUT, he loves the dog bowls.  Sometimes I'll look over and see him concentrating very hard with his mouth closed.  That's the sign for "I just put a piece of dog food in my mouth and it's really hard and I'm not sure what to do with it, but interesting flavor."  Also, I have to hide the water bowls or he'll soak himself.

The Ugly
HE IS NOT GRACEFUL!!!



He did this while walking.  Really.  He falls, randomly.  I know that he just started walking, but I don't feel like Ainsley was this klutzy and she was pretty brave at this age.  She wasn't really apprehensive about walking.  But then again, maybe I was just more on top of her all the time.  Who knows the reason.  But he literally was walking towards Ainsley's doll house when he fell face first into it, broke one of the windows and was stabbed in the head with the jagged end of the wood.  I saw the broken window first and I gotta say that I was sure we'd be making a trip to the ER.  But he's good.  I think it looks worse than it is.