The Slide: Vol. III

Step Three: Bask in the joy of a slide well-slid. Methinks we shall tackle this slide again. 10/21/2012.

The Slide: Vol. II

Step Two: Go down the slide with my daddy holding me! Holycrapthisisawesome! 10/21/2012.

The Slide: Vol. I

 Step One: Get in position at the top of the slide. This. Is. Gonna. Be. Good. 10/21/2012.

18 Months Old!

A year and a half! This kid is a year and a half old. Wild. His highs are higher than ever—he can just sparkle. But his lows are pretty much the pits—he has been unloading some truly epic tantrums. And over absolutely nothing, too. (Well, it’s over something, obviously. But either we don’t know what it is or it’s something monumentally important, like him wanting a particular truck right this minute and oh-my-god-dad-if-you-don't-get-me-that-truck-right-now-the-world-will-end-i'm-not-kidding-it-will-totally-end.) Patience, young Skywalker. Weren’t the “terrible twos” supposed to start when he was, you know, two?

As much as we love this kid, it’s not all sunshine and roses. There are, ahem, challenges. For one, the kid is a walking calamity. It seems like we get daily “incident reports” from daycare where he has run headlong into a wall, a toy, or another child. He can’t seem to grasp the concept of an “inside voice.” Patience is apparently a completely foreign concept. And he’s a lot less tractable than he used to be.

But all of that stuff absolutely pales in comparison to the good stuff. He loves exploring our new house, running around, finding new hiding places, and throwing his various sports balls everywhere (usually down the stairs). Speaking of stairs, he’s getting much better at climbing and descending them (on his own holding the rails and taking the steps “like a big boy” with mommy and daddy’s help). He’s a terrific mimic—he can repeat most words we say, and even though he might not understand everything he’s saying, we think some of it is sinking in. He loves running up to windows and looking at all the construction trucks in our neighborhood (which will be here forever, it seems). He’s getting really good at balancing on one leg, which is just kind of fun. Sometimes he’ll even ask us to tickle him or to give him “googers” (a Diedrich term for blowing raspberries on the stomach). He loves walking on our backs while we lie on the ground (not a bad shiatsu massage, really).

Cole still loves school and loves to talk about his friends there. We had his first real parent-teacher conference, with a detailed and lengthy description of how awesome he is (in short: very). While we hate to leave him each day, it’s really gratifying to know that he’s in good hands with people that care for him quite a bit.

Speaking of people that care for him, one of his favorite new activities is using mommy’s iPad to do FaceTime with Opa and Nana or Gramma and Bobpa. We can’t wait for them to move out here and spend more time with us face-to-face! Cole’s a lucky kid to have all of this love. And we’re lucky to have him. 10/21/2012.

Football Friends

Cole was so excited to see his friend Emma, who came all the way from Minnesota to visit us with her delightful parents, Melissa and Jason.  They bonded over a terrible Hawkeye game, and took turns with one of Cole's favorite toys -- his football!  10/20/2012. 

Moon Boots

It took a little prodding to get him to try them on, but once they were on, they were not coming off!  10/20/2012. 

Cole at the Pumpkin Patch: Vol. III

Did I mention there was a corn maze at the pumpkin patch? Because there was! Cole was a big help in finding our way out of the maze. Not in terms of actually suggesting ways out of the maze, mind you, but in that his impending meltdown from being hungry and tired was one heck of an incentive to get out of there as soon as possible. 10/14/2012.

Cole at the Pumpkin Patch: Vol. II

That one's a little more your size. 10/14/2012.

Cole at the Pumpkin Patch: Vol. I

 Hey buddy, where are you going? I think those are a bit too big for you. 10/14/2012.

Bobpa!

Cole always loves hanging out with his Bobpa! 10/6/2012.

One Happy Kid

You guys ever get tired of seeing this smiling face? Yeah, we don't either. 10/7/2012.

"Fixing" the TV

Putting his screwdriver to good use. 10/6/2012.

Bathtub Fauxhawk

Yeah, he knows he looks good. 9/30/2012.

Seventeen Months Old!

Hard to believe that this kid is this old already! It's been a crazy month--we actually waited a few days on his Guido pictures this month because we closed on our new house on September 25, so his actual 17th "month-day" was pretty crazy with packing, cleaning, and getting ready to leave behind renting for the time being (hopefully forever, but you never know).

Cole has grown by leaps and bounds this month, both physically and mentally. One of his favorite sayings is "on your mark, get set, go!" Coming out of his mouth, however, it sounds more like "taco, taco," which is just way too cute. He discovered his belly button (his "buddit"), and he never seems to tire of showing us (and anyone else around) where it is. He can be very polite, saying "he go" (going for "here you go") when he hands us something, and saying "niiiiice" (imagine Eric Cartman from South Park) when he puts down his milk cup gently and without splashing it everywhere. And he's friendly as all get out, waving to everyone as we walk in an out of daycare, a restaurant, or just about anywhere else we go. He's getting to know his stuffed animals better, asking specifically for "Geedo" the orangutan, "Teddy" the bear, or "Lammie" the lamb. He still loves sports, and has been having a lot of fun throwing and rolling the football to Daddy. His artistic side continues to blossom, too, as he loves his art projects at home and at school, when he'll "pat pat pat" some leaves to get the glue to stick to a piece of paper or further develop his abstract painting skills. Oh, and he's quite the dancer--he loves spinning in a circle (he'll do this while holding his football sometimes, and then put the football on the ground like an adorable touchdown dance).

On the negative side of things, he got some bug at daycare that he promptly gave to his mom and dad, starting an epic month-long cold cycle where we kept getting each other sick. Not fun. And he still loves drinking his bathwater, which upsets his stomach, but apparently, kids this age aren't so terrific at listening to reason.

And there's one more thing: Cole had his first kiss at daycare! Apparently, the class was playing outside, and some little minx grabbed Cole's arm, pulled him behind the shed, and gave him a smooch. Word is, he was pretty surprised, but when this rather forward young woman tried it again a few minutes later, he was fully on board and kissed her right back. Not sure how to deal with this. We're still processing the news. Weren't we supposed to have like 15 more years before this kind of stuff was happening? In any event, it's so much fun to watch this kid's personality develop. He's got a good heart, and that's what matters the most. 9/30/2012.

Cole at Beaver Creek: Vol. II

Cole and his buddy John Karlgaard sure seemed to love their weekend digs in Beaver Creek--all kinds of new and pretty stuff to see! Here they are checking out the mountains out of our window. They're probably dreaming of when the ski runs will open up for the season, but they're probably a bit too young to hit the slopes just yet! 9/15/2012.

Cole at Beaver Creek: Vol. I

Our good friends Sarah and Dan Karlgaard came to Colorado for a wedding, and we got to hang out with them for a couple of days. The wedding was up in Beaver Creek, so Cole loved the beautiful fall colors, the picturesque mountains, but mostly, walking barefoot in the soft grass--which is apparently a very serious and solemn occasion for our little guy. 9/15/2012.

Drummin' at the Zoo!

So, the Denver Zoo has these drums set up right after the great apes, so every time we finish up checking out the orangutans and gorillas, Cole here likes to bang out a hot beat. A future Matt Cameron, Ringo Starr, or Charlie Watts? Probably more like Animal, actually.  9/9/2012.

Buddit!

One of Cole's favorite things lately has been to lift up his shirt and show people his belly button--or, as he calls it, his "buddit." Incredibly cute. I mean, look at that face! And the buddit pointing! Now back at the face!  I rest my case. 9/9/2012.

Waterfall!

 

Or, in Cole's parlance, "Wafa!"  Which is totally close enough. Of course, he says the same thing when he wants a waffle in the morning, but we're pretty sure which one he meant here. 9/2/2012.

Hiking makes me hungry

 

For my finger.  Nothing hits the spot after a long day of hiking like gnawing on your finger. Am I right, people?  All the babies out there, you know what I'm talking about.  9/2/2012.

Cool Dude

 8/25/2012.

Swing!

Playtime at the park by the townhouse!  Cole was only slightly into swinging today.  8/25/2012.

More

Just a little signing caught on video.  One of his favorites is, of course, "more."  8/12/2012. 

Peek a Who?

Peek a Who?, by Nina Laden, is still one of Cole's favorites.  He gets especially excited over the choo-choo train!  8/10/2012.

The 16-Month Guido Outtakes: Because There's Just Too Much Cute!

 

 

Did you guys know that bathwater is delicious?

 

Because it totally is.  8/14/2012.

I'm Crazy Banana Head Boy!

In honor of Adam Sandler's old "last minute Halloween costume idea" sketches on SNL: "I'm crazy Banana Head Boy! I have a piece of banana on my head!  Now, doesn't that deserve some candy?  Now gimme some candy!"  8/25/2012.

16 Months Old!

Cole is 16 months old. Wow, did that sneak up on us! Sometimes it's hard to even comprehend how much older he seems. He's walking and running so much more confidently, though he still takes his fair share of tumbles. He has a blast kicking around his little soccer ball and throwing his basketball. This kid practically loses his mind (in a good way) when he sees a basketball, so we're grateful to Opa and Nana for getting him one of his very own! He's talking up a storm, seemingly adding words by the day. His current favorite is "bus" (either to tell us that he sees a bus or he wants us to sing "Wheels on the Bus" to him, which happens about a thousand times a day). He's also better at saying "please" when he wants something, and he also signs something that he thinks means please, so that's nice. He's continuing to point at the things he wants, too, which is very helpful in figuring out what the dickens he's after! Other favorites: bye bye (often accompanied by a cute little wave); tunnel; Bryce; Chelsey; waffle; go; purple; and butterfly (well, it's more like "bubby," but he always says it when pointing at a butterfly, so we're counting it). Oh, and his daycare folks claim that he said "dinosaur," but we've never heard it. We'll believe it when we hear it. He's becoming quite the expert at animal sounds, too. Here's a sample: Us: Cole, what do cows say? Cole: Moo, moo. Us: Cole, what do sheep say? Cole: Baaa, baaa. Us: Cole, what do lions (or bears, tigers, or dinosaurs) say? Cole: Roaarrrr. He also knows that horses neigh and that pigs oink, though his neighs and oinks aren't quite as solid as his moos, baaas, and roars. But I swear you can tell he's working on them, which is all kinds of adorable. He's going through a bit of a mommy phase, which is sad for Daddy. But it's cool--it'll even out once we get into the "playing catch and going to batting cages" phase of our relationship. Unfortunately, he's figuring out our tricks, too. Redirection isn't too effective anymore, so we're enduring a lot more screaming. Yes, we have officially entered the Realm of Tantrums. It is a dark, awful place, and I can't wait to leave it. But what can you do? If you give him lots of attention for his bad behavior, then he learns that screaming gets our attention. NOT the message we want to send. But on the other hand, you want to do whatever you can do to stop the screaming. Ugh. But with that said, he's still an incredibly happy kid most of the time, for which we're very thankful. This kid's smile? Lights up a room. Ridiculous, I tell you. (And no, I'm not biased. This is objective fact. Stop judging!) We love you to pieces, bud. 8/21/2012.

Big Boy Hair

The result!  8/12/2012.

Haircut

 

It looks red, right?  But we swear:  in person, it does not look this red.  Mommy wouldn't mind if it were a little auburn, though (and sometimes we see highlights...).  Anyhow, Mommy and Daddy gave Cole his first haircut today.  We were originally thinking we'd take him to a cute little place with airplane chairs, but we kept pushing it off and pushing it off, until we decided it was time and couldn't wait a day longer.  Mommy used the shears, daddy used the clippers, and Cole's sweet little curls came off.  (Tear.)  8/12/2012. 

Tackle

 

Cole already loves playing football with Daddy.  8/12/2012.

Snack Attack

 

One of Cole's favorite words is "cracker."  He's a carboholic like his parents.  8/11/2012.

Still Happy

We're nearing the "take-out or delivery only" stage, where Cole's pure joy at an eating establishment is our pure joy x10.  8/11/2012. 

Happy

Who needs toys when you've got a spoon?  8/11/2012.

Feeding Ducks with Mommy

8/4/2012.

Walking with Daddy

8/4/2012.

Choo Choo

We visited a choo-choo train in Estes Park with Nana, Opa/Grandpa and the Dakes.  All aboard!  8/4/2012. 

Wings

Cole's hair makes little wings behind his ears.  We know we should give him a haircut, but we just can't bring ourselves to do it yet.  8/4/2012.

House

The new house is coming along.  We like to visit to see how it's doing.  Scheduled move-in date:  September 18, 2012!  Come visit!  7/28/2012.

Spoon

We probably started working on this spoon thing kinda late, but Cole seems to be picking it up pretty well. 7/22/2012.

Drummer Boy

Cole's feeling percussive.  7/19/2012.

Fifteen Months Old!

We think Cole is officially a "big boy" at 15 months old (despite the thumb-sucking you see above).  And big boys equal big fun!  Much of Cole's energy has been spent on perfecting his walking . . . and running!  He pretty much mastered the walking right away (as he should have, after all those months of cruising practice!), and has since begun picking up the pace.  Let's just say Cole hasn't quite perfected the art of running yet, and has the bumps and bruises to prove his lack of skill.  The little guy thinks his legs are moving faster than they are, and he tends to get a bit ahead of himself.  This results in him, well, literally getting ahead of himself, and tumbling face-first into walls, floors, doors, you-name-it.  In other news, Cole continues to love tickles and giggles, which of course makes our day, every day.  One of Daddy's new favorite games is to start laughing (guffawing, really) at nothing in particular, and Cole will start giggling hysterically right along with him.  I guess our little guy is not immune to the contagion that is laughter.  Cole has also taken up a few new hobbies.  First, he is "cooking" and loves it.  Come on over and ask him to cook you something, and he will oblige by getting his sweet little hands on the first spoon (or drumstick, he's not choosy) and bowl he can find.  He will start stirring away and will almost certainly offer you a bite of his pretend concoction.  Second, Cole has been loving art projects lately, which is super fun for Mom.  He doesn't always get the correct end of the marker on the paper, and often would rather eat crayons than draw with them, but once he sees his utensil create a mark on the paper in front of him, he expresses a great amount of joy in his creation!  Third, he's really getting into dancing.  Whenever he hears a song with a good beat, he'll start bobbing right along and sometimes even starts shuffling his feet a little.  He definitely has his preferences, and if you ask us, he seems to have pretty good taste in music so far.  On the language front, Cole's favorite word is still "ball," and his favorite kind of ball is the basketball.  He's trying really, really hard to say it, but it always comes out something like "ba-ba-ball."  And, man, he goes nuts when he sees one:  He's all, "Ba-ba-ball!  Ba-ba-ball!!  Bababababallllll!!!!!"  It's adorbs.  Other current faves are "cracker" (sounds just like it!), "banana" (more like "nana") and "cheddar bunny" (sounds nothing like "cheddar bunny," but somehow I know what he's saying).  Oh, and notice a theme?  He's loving food (mostly bananas and grains, but he's still pretty good with meat, fish and veggies, too, knock on wood).  Cole is also mastering parts of the body and will point to his nose, head, toes and ears when asked.  Not so quick on the eyes, but, really, who wants to get poked in the eyes, let along poke himself in the eyes?  Can't blame him.  One more thing:  Cole has taken to gleefully yelling, "Weeee!!!!" when he gets excited during play.  Weeee!!!!!!  7/21/2012. 

Bongo

Cole and Colin love making use of their Denver Zoo passes, a gift from Nana.  Today, they enjoyed playing the bongos over by the primates.  We love our little monkeys!  7/21/2012.

Artiste

He wanted to call it "Water Lilies" and seemed a little miffed when I explained the possibility of confusion with another artist's well known work.  For now, we'll call it "A Study in Wrist Control."  7/15/2012. 

Proof!

He's walking!  The first steps (about 5) happened on June 20th, but July 1st was when he really started going.  Here's proof that our buddy is officially a toddler.  7/1/2012.

Independence Day

Happy Birthday, America!  Cole celebrated this Independence Day at two -- yes, two! -- parades.  Our favorite part?  Watching the Hastings High School (from Minnesota!) band march their brass through the Park Hill neighborhood in Denver.  Especially fun?  Cheering loudly for our Minnesota friends, only to find that we were surrounded by Minnesotans, who, upon hearing our cheers, began to root along with us.  Go Minnesota!  Go America!  7/4/2012. 

Cole and Colin

Cole and Colin spent some quality time together at the cabin over the weekend.  Cole loves to watch and follow his cousin.  What great buds!  7/1/2012.

Ball

And a victory dance.  6/24/2012.

Fourteen Months Old!

Our big boy is fourteen months old!  The past month has mostly involved a lot of getting into the groove in Denver.  Cole continues to enjoy (read: love!) his daycare center, especially his teachers, Dawn and Lisa.  He is so funny when we arrive in the morning -- he always waves and gives a big smile to the women who sit at the front desk, and continues to wave down the hall as he passes teachers from other classrooms.  He's a star, he is.  Cole continues to suprise us with new words, and really watches us and his teachers as we read to him.  It is fun to observe him practice as he whispers sounds softly to himself.  Recent additions to his vocabulary include "bubble," "purple," and "star," although "ball" is still by far his favorite.  Speaking of "ball," Cole's throw is getting really good!  He can't get enough of playing ball with Mommy and Daddy (or anyone else who will entertain a game).  We think he would roll, throw and chase one of his many balls far into the night if we didn't insist on ushering him upstairs for his nightly bath (also one of his favorite parts of the day -- until we take him out to dry him off, that is).  In other exciting news, Cole took his first steps this month, and we think he's going to be walking up a storm really soon!  6/21/2012.

Snack with Daddy

Just a little snack with Daddy at Cole's new friend Phoebe's birthday party.  6/16/2012. 

Buddy in a Basket

 

One of Cole's favorite pastimes involves dumping all the toys out of his toy basket and climbing right in.  6/2/2012. 

Stacking

Cole, Master Stacker.  5/24/2012.

Bear!

Cole loves bear watching at the cabin!  5/18/2012.

Swing

We're lucky to have this sweet little park by our house.  Cole loves to swing!  5/21/2012.

Let's Go!

Cole is ready for another ride up the mountain.  Possibly his last trip in the Bjorn, which he's quickly outgrowing!  5/28/2012.