2 Years Old!

My little man turns two today. I have witnessed so many changes take place over the last 365 days. My chubby, easy-going infant turned into a rambunctious toddler. His communication went from mainly crying/whining to actual words and simple sentences. Crawling turned into walking. Then running. Then climbing.

Three weeks after Colton's 1st birthday, his very first tooth appeared. And then another, and another until he had a total of 16. Only his second year molars have yet to pop through the gums. When he was 14 months old, he got his first hair cut. I thought I would cry when his daddy cut off all his blonde curls, but I got over it. At 15 months, he went from two naps a day down to one. A month later, he began taking steps on his own very cautiously. Finally when it seemed like this child would never walk, he did! Right here in our living room, a week after turning 17 months old. Language development also seemed to take forever. At 18 months, Colton only had a vocabulary of five words. Then it grew and grew until he was saying a new word every day. Now he can say about 40 words.

I've changed another 2,000 diapers this year. Made about 300 peanut butter sandwiches. Watched more Sesame Street and Barney than any adult should ever watch. Lived through a hellish week of teething (i.e. no sleep) while first year molars came in. Walked probably 1,000 miles "just to get outside", either pushing a stroller or following behind a very curious toddler who was all too eager to look at rocks, twigs, or leaves. Visited nearly every playground within a ten mile radius so said toddler would put pent up energy to good use, ensuring a solid 2-hour nap in the afternoon. Said, pleaded, and even yelled the word "no" too many times to count (a million?). Kissed, hugged, and snuggled at least several thousand times. Loved so much I thought my heart would burst.

This second year of Colton's life has been filled with exciting milestones, tantrums, frustration, joy, and amazement as I've watched my baby become a boy. Every day I fall more in love with him and marvel at the beautiful child God has blessed me with. He melts my heart with his kisses and fills my life with his fun-loving spirit. I am so honored to be his mother. Happy Birthday, Coltie!!

23 Months

This is the last time I will be posting Colton's updates in terms of "months", because in the next thirty days he will turn two and then I will simply say that he's two years old. As I'll do whenever anybody asks me how old he is. The exact month, and when he was fresh out of the womb, weeks, have always been vitally important to me when speaking about my son. They have been my benchmarks to measure his developmental progress against. Now the pediatrician won't even require seeing him for another whole half of a year. I suspect I will learn to use "halfs" with as much endearment during the next several years of Colton's life.

So as we count down to the big "2", here are some of the things my little monkey has learned and experienced this past month. He's up to 18 words now!! If I tried to put them all together in a sentence, it wouldn't make much sense but at least his vocabulary is growing. Last night at dinnertime, Gregg asked him to say "more please" before another helping of spaghetti, and I did a double take when Colton actually said it! He can now identify five different body parts, and we're working on some more.

Colton now has almost all of his teeth, except for the second year molars. The upper right cuspid came in this past month, and the lower ones just made their way through the gums as well. And my "baby" has given up his binky. For good. After he lost one and chewed holes through two others, we just decided to stop giving it to him one night three weeks ago. The first few nights were a little rough, but overall he's been completely fine without it. It seems I underestimated my kid!

He enjoys being my little helper, and I use that term very loosely. He'll hand me stuff out of the top rack in the dishwasher to put away, often faster than I can get them dried. When I move laundry around, Colton will place the wet clothes one at a time into the dryer and then close the door, sometimes before they're all loaded! He also puts his dirty clothes in the hamper, and once in a while he's put his socks (which he likes to take off after his nap) into the washing machine. It is so cute to find one little pair of socks in there when I go to start the laundry in the morning.

Because it's been so stinkin' hot, he's had lots of opportunities to play in the water and he LOVES it! Whether it's running through the sprinkler, playing at a water table, or splashing & kicking in the pool, Colton can't get enough. It is so much fun to see him enjoy the water in that pure, unadulterated way.

I'm excited (and a little terrified) to have my little boy turn 2. As his second birthday approaches, I'll be taking a look back at this past year and all the milestones he achieved. Can't wait to see what his third year brings!

22 Months

Crazy how time flies. I didn't even realize it was the 14th until sometime this morning! Colton has had another busy month learning through play, making discoveries, and having fun outdoors. He LOVES to go outside and take walks, exploring nature all around him. He'll pick up rocks, sticks, pine cones, point out flowers and squirrels (which he calls "dogs"), and say hi to cars passing by. He also enjoys looking at the small brook we have by the clubhouse in our condo development and throwing sticks & rocks in it. Colton really likes trucks, too. He gets very excited when he sees one zoom by, everything from the mail truck to the ice cream truck. I don't think he realizes yet that the ice cream truck actually has cold, delicious treats on it. He just seems to like the fact that it plays (awful sounding) music. :)

This past month, he appears to have gained an ever greater understanding of what we say (oh boy). He observes everything we do and copies it. Whenever it's time to pray before dinner, Colton will stop what he's doing and fold his hands right along with us until Gregg finishes praying. He sorta grasps the concept of using a napkin, too. He knows that you need a napkin to wipe your face- only he holds it in his fist and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand! He knows what taking a bath means and starts gesturing towards the baby bathtub when we say "it's time for your bath". Colton also understands what it means to put something back or go back to the place that we were before. He can now pick out our car out of all the other ones parked in our lot and reaches for the door handle to get in.

Colton began saying the word "this" about four weeks ago, and uses it all the time to ask for what he wants. I keep having to play the guessing game to figure out which "this" he means. I'll hold up an object and he'll either shake his head no or mumble what sounds like "yeah". Then I make sure I say something like "oh, you want the cup." Colton also just said "car" for the first time this morning, and it sounded like he said his cousin's name (Kate) yesterday when we were at my in-laws'. The only sentence he says right now is "Hi dog".

He's taking bigger risks with climbing, which freaks me out. Colton climbs from the couch to the tv cabinet, then stands on top of it to reach the window blinds, because he likes to open and close them. Another thing of his is climbing on top of the nightstand drawer and jumping off of it onto our bed! He is seriously a little monkey.

I've started thinking about plans for his 2nd birthday already. We'll probably do a Sesame Street or Elmo theme. I can't believe that he'll be 2 in only two more months!!

21 Months

I can't believe another month has gone by, and as with any other month, I've seen plenty of advancements in my little boy's development, however subtle they might be to other people! One of the advantages of staying home with him is that I am able to witness every part of his growth as it happens. And it is so exciting and rewarding.

Colton's gross motor skills have continued to improve in the form of running and climbing. He has started opening our clothes drawers and using them as steps to climb up onto the dressers. He will use anything he can lately as a stepping stool in order to climb on the bookshelf, deck railings, even his crib. While I applaud his resourcefulness and sense of exploration, it also drives me nuts and makes me a little afraid that he's going to get seriously hurt. Besides climbing, Colton loves to run (away from us) and he looks hilarious doing it. He runs with his left arm swinging at his side and not gracefully, often tripping over his own feet. One of his favorite things to do now is also riding his Little Tikes ride-on toy up and down the hallway. He'll ride it out onto the deck every chance he gets.

I've noticed that Colton's receptive language has grown tremendously during the past month, where it seems like he really does understand everything we say. He is starting to comprehend simple consequences, too. The other night while sitting in the highchair, he was dangling his fork over the floor and Gregg told him that if he dropped it, he would not be allowed to have any more french fries. Colton thought for a moment, then put the fork back on the highchair tray. He has also added the words "okay" and "cheese" to his vocabulary and the phrase "no way". He's begun using "no" as a way to communicate that he doesn't want or like something. Before he went around saying it with no real purpose, and only when he encountered an object or room he knew he wasn't allowed to touch/play in. Gregg pointed out recently that Colton is imitating a lot of the words and simple sentences we use on a regular basis, though they aren't very clear yet.

Another exciting development is Colton beginning to engage us in play. Before he would mostly just play by himself, even doing some imaginary play. But now he'll hand us an object he wants us to use in his little play scenarios, along with running and hiding with the hopes that we'll go find him. He's not a very good hider yet though. He always starts giggling whenever we get close to his "hiding spots"! The nursery workers at church also tell me that Colton has started actually playing with the other children at various points during nursery hour. Last weekend, we decided it was time to get him his first box of crayons. As he scribbles with them on a piece of paper, I make a point of telling him which color he is using. I also have to remind him that crayons are not a snack.

I'm finding his behavior a little easier to manage these days, now that he's found some new ways of communicating his needs. That, and I have been praying for wisdom as a mom. I'm realizing that God fills in the cracks and gives me exactly what I need while I stay home to take care of my son. Hopefully I'll find some time to blog more often, something more than just the monthly Colton update... :)

20 Months

Only four more months until my little man turns 2! Although, I think the "terrible twos" have already started. Colton deliberately does things he knows he is not supposed to do, and sometimes it seems like he isn't listening to me at all. I think part of it is he wants to test my authority, and another is he has so much energy that it has to go somewhere. From the minute he wakes up to the time he goes to bed, he is going non-stop (with the exception of his afternoon nap). He loves to climb and explore right now, so he has a hard time with anything that limits this freedom. He's also asserting his independence more and more these days, while still wanting to be close to Mommy.

We had a really rough time a few weeks ago getting Colton to go to bed at night. It was especially frustrating because we've never had sleep issues with him, and all of a sudden he resisted going to sleep in his crib. I'd get him ready for bed, and as it got closer to bedtime he would become increasingly agitated and even anxious or fearful. He would scream as soon as I placed him in the crib and after I'd say goodnight and turn to leave, inevitably he'd throw up. So I'd have to get him out, change him, change the sheets, take the bumper off, and Gregg would wet vac the carpet. This went on for six nights in a row. Sometimes after an episode we'd just put him to sleep in the pack 'n play that's in our room, and I'd wake up every time he coughed or stirred. Other nights I'd put him back in the crib, and he would cry & scream for several minutes before crashing only to wake up at 3 or 4am crying for me and wouldn't go back down again easily.

Gregg and I began arguing with each other over what to do, and in the meantime nobody was getting any sleep. The situation really forced us to work together to find a solution and, more importantly, pray about it. Finally I suggested Gregg start putting Colton to bed because his anxiety seemed to be related to not wanting to be apart from me. The first few nights were still rough, but there were no incidents of puking and there haven't been any since. Honestly, the whole thing made me really question whether I actually want to have another kid. I know this was a phase, and it seems to be behind us now, but I still don't know if I can go through something like this again.

There are plenty of times where I see glimpses of the Colton I knew as a baby: sweet, easygoing, lovable. Sometimes it's hard to remember that he's still the same kid when it appears that he's been replaced with a tempermental, energetic toddler who makes it really hard to get anything done around here because I constantly have to stop what I'm doing to discipline him. At least it started getting warmer this past month, so I could go for walks with him and take him to the park. Even being able to open our sliders off of the deck so Colton can play on it has been a huge plus. He has practiced his climbing skills at the playground, discovered leaves, rocks and twigs in the park, and played to his heart's content out on the deck while waving and saying "hi" to everyone who passes by. He has shown that he is willing to let go of me in order to have some adventures on his own, knowing that I'm never too far away and will be right there to comfort him if he falls down and cries. We're both walking that delicate balance of independence and reliance on Mommy.

Colton still only says about four words with any consistency, but it seems like he is finidng new ways of communicating his needs and wants to us. I am trying to encourage him to talk by not just giving him what he wants when he whines or points, although I know exactly what it is. I wait for him to at least say something, even if it's gibberish, and then I'll say what the actual word is back to him. There is so much that he understands now, like when I ask if he would like some milk, he'll go directly to the fridge and pull on the door handle. If I tell him we're taking the dog for a walk, he'll open the hall closet and reach for the leash that's hanging up. Then he likes to carry the empty poop bag until I need it. He is becoming pretty helpful in his own way. Colton enjoys pushing the swiffer around and sweeping up the dust bunnies and dog hair on the floor. He hands me pieces of lint or garbage (if we're outside somewhere) and then if I instruct him to throw them away in the trash can, he does. When we're having a playdate with my friend Erin and her two girls, he will give the baby her pacifier or toy.

Some days it seems like the easiest thing in the world to take care of him and others it's amazing I'm able to get a load of laundry done and cook dinner while he whips through the house like a tornado. Sometimes I'm in desperate need of a break because I'm so frustrated and exhausted from dealing with him, and others my heart literally aches because I love him so much and can't bear to spend one minute away. Colton is teaching me a lot about myself every day. It's hard to believe he's more than halfway through his second year already!

19 Months

This past month in my little boy's life has been one of the most challenging so far. It's as if turning a year and a half flipped on a switch somewhere inside him to become quite the handful!

Colton now almost runs and since he still isn't the most coordinated kid, many times he trips over his own feet and lands flat on the floor. He is also climbing on EVERYTHING. A few weeks ago, he figured out how to hoist himself up onto our couches. Colton then goes from the arm of the couch to the television stand and sits on it while turning the tv off and on. Once he's up there, he'll always gesture for his remote (an old one we took the batteries out of). He's also been climbing on our kitchen chairs and is not content just to sit on them- no, he gets up onto the table as well! If we don't strap him in his hook-on chair, he stands up in it and climbs onto the table from there too. It makes me want to pull my hair out!!

During the month Colton cut at least six new teeth (that I can see): both upper and lower molars, and two incisors. Teething never seemed to affect him before, but this time it really took its toll. My poor little guy had a lot of diarrhea, which caused a nasty diaper rash, along with a fever of 101 degrees. The fever only lasted 24 hours, thank goodness. The day Colton had it, he was definitely not himself- crying over the smallest things, whimpering like he was in pain, not eating, not playing with his toys. All he wanted to do was cuddle with me. That night he woke up almost every hour, crying. By the afternoon he was pretty much back to his normal self. It was an awful and scary thing to see him go through though.

Colton's receptive language has really taken off. I'm surprised at all of the things he is able to understand now. He responds to requests and commands almost all the time- unless he's deliberately disobeying us. Sometimes he gets confused, like the other day I asked him to give me the bowl I let him play with and he gave me the ball instead. He's been pretty good about picking stuff up and putting it away when I ask. I've been making him clean up after himself when he makes a mess, such as dumping out his toys all over the floor or throwing handfuls of dog food.

Colton is trying to imitate some new words too, like "juice" and "spray" (for the handheld water spray we use during his bath). He's been saying "hi" a lot lately. For a while, his favorite word was "no". Last week it was nice outside so I took him for a walk in his stroller, and he said hi to everyone we passed by. He also says it when we arrive at somebody's house and when he hears the Skype dial tone, since we do video chat with Gregg's mom. When we're getting ready to go out somewhere, Colton will go to the hall closet and start reaching for the coats. One night before Gregg came home, I asked him where Daddy was and he went towards the front door and said, "go?" He also found an old set of keys somewhere one day and immediately went to the door to "try them out". He doesn't say much (at least that's intelligible), but he sure picks up on everything!

His temper is getting worse, as to be expected. He's started throwing and occasionally hitting when he doesn't get his way. I try to communicate that this isn't acceptable behavior, either by giving him a one- minute time out, or putting right him down if I've been holding him and then walking away. I say "no" a lot also, but I don't think it's nearly as effective. I'm trying really, really hard not to lose my temper when he gets out of control, but it isn't easy. I know he doesn't have the communication skills to express his frustration yet, and I want to teach him how to deal with it appropriately. On the flip side of the tantrums, Colton gives me and Gregg kisses, even without being prompted. Generally, he is still such a sweet little boy and I am so pleased to be his momma. :)

18 Months!!!

I can't believe my "baby" is 18 months old! Or a year and a half. Or halfway through his second year of life. However you want to say it, he is growing up!!

The past month brought some exciting developments, the biggest of all being Colton finally walking on his own. At first he sort of seemed to stumble around like he was drunk, but eventually he gained more balance. He no longer crawls anymore and instead walks quite confidently (and quickly) to wherever he wants to go now. I am so excited that he has at long last reached this milestone.

I'm definitely seeing more of his personality showing through, as well as that temper! Colton wants to do a lot of things on his own, and is very proud when he's able to do so. Like turn off his own light, feed himself a container of yogurt, or reach up to the counters or table to get something he wants. With more independence comes a power struggle between him and I for everything from getting dressed to cleaning his hands and face after each meal. He will not lay still on the changing table anymore, so I've resorted to changing him on the floor. He's even given me a hard time about his nap lately. I used to rock him a little, pop a binky in his mouth, and he'd be out cold in two minutes. But lately, not so much.

When we tell Colton "no", he will repeat it back to us several times. Not in a talking back kind of way though. This is his way of showing us that he understands what is off limits. Sometimes he'll do something or go to an area of the house he's not supposed to (like the bathroom) and then stop himself and say "no no". I've discovered that while he can be pretty cantankerous with the two of us at times, he is passive with other children around his age. If, for instance, another toddler takes a toy from him, he just lets them take it. This doesn't seem to phase him. He might stare at the kid for a few seconds, but he always goes and finds something else to play with right afterwards.

Something new he's been doing also is finding a secluded part of the house when he has to poop. The past few days, I've found him hanging out by the side of the refrigerator making the poopy face. Gregg says this is a good sign that Colton is starting to recognize when he has to "go". Just one step closer to potty training. Yay.

Of course, he can't actually tell us he has to go bathroom yet. He's still only saying about six words. But he does understand a lot of simple commands, like "bring me the ball" or "come here". And the other day I said "who wants a snack?" and Colton immediately popped his binky out and handed it to me. He also raises his arms up when he wants to be held or get out of his hook-on chair. He will pass his plate to one of us at dinnertime when he wants food, too. I've been working on pointing out different parts of Coltie's body to him, and he knows where his nose is almost 100% of the time.

I am so pleased with the little boy he's becoming, always learning and revealing something new about himself every day. We go for his 18 month well visit tomorrow night, and I'm anxious to see how much he's grown! It's hard to believe he'll be celebrating his second birthday this August.

17 Months

It's been exactly one month since my last post. I've gotten really bad about blogging! I did want to update a little bit, while I have a few free minutes. Colton's doing great. He enjoyed opening presents on Christmas and playing with all the new toys he got- enough to fill another condo! Today he turns 17 months old. Yesterday, I realized how tall he's getting and felt a pang of nostalgia for when he was an infant. He's just growing up so fast.

Colton now points to what he wants and makes a sound similar to the seagulls who said "mine" in Finding Nemo, when he asks for something. He can say six words, including "mama", "dada", "dog", "hi", "no", and "bye-bye". He also pretends to talk on the phone, which is the most hilarious thing to watch, and points the remote at the tv. He loves to clap along to music and right after a song is over, too.

My big boy is getting good at feeding himself with a fork and spoon, and actually eats more of what's on his plate if it's stabbed with a fork first. He also tries to get his own socks and shoes on. Colton loves to feed Tess her dog food, one kibble at a time, and throws her tennis balls for her to catch. The two of them have become quite the pair, playing nicely together when one of them isn't napping. They like to play tug of war with Tess's rubber bone or Colton's socks.

Coltie started sharing his food with me and Gregg, whether we want it or not. He also climbs up into our laps when we're sitting on the floor. He got a big boy chair from Gregg's parents for Christmas, and he loves getting in and out of it. It's so cute when he sits there watching Barney, with his toy remote in one hand.

Colton can stand confidently all by himself now, and last Thursday, he took his first steps!! His preferred method of getting around is still crawling, but he has random moments throughout the day when he decides to walk. Just another milestone to remind me that he isn't a baby anymore.

Over Christmas, I found out that my sister is pregnant and due in July with her first. I am so excited for her and to be an aunt again! It's kind of funny to be the one giving baby advice when not so long ago, I was a brand new mom with no clue how to take care of a newborn. It will be nice to offer some help and support to her as she goes through this journey.

16 Months

It's hard to believe that two years ago this week, I found out I was pregnant with Colton. It seemed like forever before I would get to meet him for the first time, and now he's 16 months old! A happy, active, VERY vocal toddler that has filled my days with joy and my heart with so much love it feels like it's going to burst.

This past month, Colton has finally started to come out of his shell and actually interact with other children at playgroups instead of cling to my leg the entire time. He also doesn't freak out as much if I leave the room and have another mom watch him for a few minutes. He still won't let anyone else hold him besides family members (and even that circle is pretty limited). I'm so glad to catch a break now and then, while an aunt or grandma changes or plays with him.

Colton has discovered how to climb stairs and could do it all afternoon if I let him. He races all over our condo with his push toy every chance he gets, and has become quite good at turning it around corners. He's getting better at standing by himself, not feeling the need as much to cling to the wall or a piece of furniture for support. And he did take a step all by himself, one time right after I let go of his hands. My little boy is still not confident enough to walk on his own, but I figure it's just as well because when he takes off I'll be chasing him around even more than I do now!

No real words to speak of yet, but he constantly babbles all day long in a language only he can understand. It is the cutest thing I've ever heard. I'm sure he understands way more than he lets on. For instance, whenever Colton goes by the door he waves and when I ask him where the light is, he looks up and stretches his hand out towards the ceiling fan.

I'm so excited for his second Christmas! He should be way more into present opening than he was last year at only four months. :)

15 Months

Colton is 15 months old today! He's leaving the baby behind and turning into a little boy right before my eyes. I think he'll be walking by himself very soon. It seems every chance he gets, he grabs something and starts walking with it across the room. I remember not too long ago when Colton was so afraid to even hold onto a push toy. He can also stand by himself for several seconds, though he's not too crazy about the idea. Once he realizes that he's doing it, he'll immediately looks for sometihng to grab ahold of or just plops down on the floor for safety.

Colton likes to reach up on his tippy toes and touch door knobs now. He has an endless fascination with those, as well as the kitchen garbage can and of course the dog's water dish. Really, who needs toys when you have these items?? Another favorite thing of his is taking all the diaper changing supplies out and climbing into the compartment once it's empty. It's the perfect little space for him.

My little guy is chattering up a storm these days. He still talks gibberish, but it's actually starting to sound almost like real words. He is always trying to carry on a conversation with us. Colton also waves when you say "goodbye", and claps his hands when you say "yay". It is the cutest thing! And he's become quite the chick magnet, too. Women young and old ooh and ah over how adorable he is, and he just smiles and waves at them like he's eating up the attention. People tell me he's going to be a heartbreaker.

Colton is up to four teeth now! His two front ones came in this past month, and now he looks like Sponge Bob. It appears that a couple more are starting to make their way through the gums on top, also. It's fun to hear him crunching away on snacks.

I didn't realize that my last post was his 14 month update. I've been really slacking at blogging since I spend a lot of time over on Facebook. I do still read everyone's blogs and try to comment when I can though! Here are some recent pictures:


Halloween 2009


Showing off his two front teeth


Playing in the changing table supplies compartment


Walking with his push toy like he was born to do it

14 on the 14th

14 months that is! My little man is getting so big and grown up.

Colton walks with his push toy from one end of the room to the other now. Before he would only walk a few steps with it. He also cruises from the couch to the tv stand to the window and end table in the living room, where he used to only cruise the length of the couch and then plunk down again so he could crawl to where he wanted to go.

His new favorite thing to do is take stuff in and out of something. He loves taking out all of his blocks one by one and then putting them all away, right back in the container. He sometimes "puts back" the books he's taken out and looked at during the day, too. For the past month or so, Colton's morning nap has been getting shorter and shorter until now he just fights it. I'm beginning to think he doesn't need it anymore. That will be a sad, sad day when he goes down to only one nap. Even sadder than him giving up the bottle and binky! He still happily takes a binky at any time though, which I know I have to help him give up in the next few months. :(

Another tooth has come in over the last few weeks, right next to the first one on the bottom. When he smiles or has his mouth open, you can see them clearly. Colton also started drinking from a straw, which wouldn't be a big deal except we had these Munchkin cups for months and he refused to drink out of them until I left his favorite sippy cup behind at the doctor's office in September. I decided to try them again, because the only other sippy we have leaks. It only took him a day to learn how to use the straw and he's never looked back!

October 2008:























October 2009:

13 Months

Already through the first month of his second year! I'm so impressed with all that Colton's been doing and learning since he turned one. Of course, the biggest development over the past month was the cutting of his first tooth!! I noticed on Saturday night that he has another one coming through the gums, this time on the top.

In addition to cruising all the furniture, Colton will walk when we hold his hands. He is starting to figure out how to stack things and put objects inside one another. He likes to "help" me put away things, too. They're usually not in the right order, but it's so cute that he tries. Once he piled Gregg's socks and shoes on top of each other and made a tower out of the pots & pans, putting the big soup pot on top of the little sauce pan! The other day Colton worked at fitting the lid back on his blocks container and even though it was upside down, he managed to line it up correctly.

He says "momma" frequently now, usually when he wants something. Colton is still really wary of other adults. I tried leaving him in nursery these past two weeks, but he wouldn't stop crying for me. So I just stayed with him in the room and talked to the nursery workers, which was good fellowship at least. I'm not sure if I should just let him "get over it" by not coming back to the nursery once I've sat in the sanctuary. It's frustrating not being able to get a break and sit through an entire service.

Here are some pictures of my cutie:

Whoo Hoo!

Yesterday, I felt something sharp and bumpy in Colton's mouth. Today, I was able to get a glimpse of the most adorable little... tooth!!!! Almost 13 months old, and he finally has his first tooth. I hope to get some pictures of it to post soon. 'Cause you know, everyone is just as excited about this as me. :)

Happy 1st Birthday, Colton!!!

What a difference a year makes!

August 14, 2008























August 14, 2009























I know I sound like a broken record, but I really cannot believe my baby is already a year old. How is that possible?? It seems like just yesterday that he was born. During this time last year, I was being prepped for my C-section and getting really nervous about the surgery. I would get to meet Colton for the first time only half an hour later. When I finally got to hold him in recovery, I thought he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I know everybody says that about their child, but I didn't expect to feel like I was looking at the most amazing and precious being God ever made. I couldn't believe that Gregg and I had created such a beautiful little boy together.

I'm getting misty eyed thinking about the fact that he's no longer a baby anymore, but now a toddler. The tears start welling up also when I think about how proud I am of how much he's grown and developed in these past 365 days. This morning I made him his own omelet with cheddar cheese and he had whole milk in his sippy like a big boy! He is almost 100% on cow's milk at this point, and I'm about to get rid of the only bottle he has during the day. He had no problems with the transition from formula to the moo juice and I am so glad we can stop paying for expensive formula now!!

In addition to whole milk, Colton's also tried toast, blueberries, yogurt, whole wheat crackers, scrambled eggs, and yes even peanut butter this month. He hasn't had any adverse reactions to the PB, and he seems to really enjoy it. It's hard to believe that only a few short months ago, he was eating pureed baby food and now he is eating meals at the table with us.

Besides crawling really fast, Colton started to pull himself up to kneel and stand holding onto furniture. He's also taken a few steps, but he's not ready to try walking on his own yet! He learned how to get back down once he's standing and can reach for and grab a toy that's on the floor with one hand while he holds onto the couch with the other. Colton loves to crawl from room to room looking for me and enjoys being chased. He shrieks excitedly when he knows I'm coming after him!

I am amazed how much he's transformed in just the last few weeks with his physical and intellectual development. He's definitely got a mind of his own and he's starting to test limits. He understands the word "no", even if he doesn't always obey. Usually after I tell him no, he will stop just short of the object he's not supposed to have and stare at it and goes to touch it, then stops himself like he's trying to have self-control. You can almost see the internal dialogue he's having with himself: "I really want to play with/chew on/bang this object, but mom said not to and I really want to please her, but it's just too tempting!" There are many times when he looks to see if we're watching him, and when he knows he doesn't have our full attention he will go for whatever we've told him he couldn't have. Then he wails when we take it away or remove him from something.

Diaper changes have turned into a full-on battle. Colton has much more important things to do now than be changed, like throw all of his toys & books all over the floor, chew on dog toys, explore the contents of our closet, etc. He also fights me hard when I'm trying to get him dressed in the mornings. He always attempts to turn over on the changing table and crawl away, or sit up and start playing with the diaper rash cream, his nail clippers, and the bottle of vitamin drops. It is so frustrating that sometimes I want to say, "Fine, stay in your stinky diaper!!"

It is a full time job just to keep up with him and chase him around the house. I've found him in the bathroom going through the garbage, trying to stick his hands in the toilet, and throwing magazines around. In the kitchen, he loves to go for Tess's food & water bowls and play with the garbage and recycling cans. I kinda miss the days when he was NOT crawling.

Colton is putting a lot of syllables together to try and form words. It's still just a bunch of gibberish right now, but it's so cute. Sometimes it sounds like he's talking in Swedish! He did say "doggie" a few times, where he actually said it straight to the dog so I consider that his first official word. It's so much more rewarding to read him stories now because he recognizes pictures and gets excited when I turn the flaps in his Peek-a-boo books. He loves when I make different animal sounds to go with the book, and makes the cutest sound when he sees a dog, cat, or baby on a page.

I'm really excited about his birthday party this Sunday. After all the hemming and hawing, we decided to just have it here at our place. It'll be pretty low key, mostly just family. I'm going to make a few dishes and put them in aluminum pans so people can serve themselves. We'll also have some snacks, and of course cake! Then Colton goes for his 12 month doctor's visit on Monday night, and I'm curious to see how much taller and bigger he's gotten. He definitely feels heavier than he did at his last appointment, but I know now is when his growth supposedly slows way down.

I am so blessed to have had this little boy in my life over this past year, to have witnessed all his milestones, put him to bed every night, rocked him to sleep, given him big kisses on his soft pudgy cheeks, hear him laugh, and watch him grow from a tiny baby into a toddler. It feels like he has always been with us, and I just can't imagine my life without him. I love him a thousand times more than the day he was born, if that's even possible. I'm looking forward to what's to come in his second year. Time to change that ticker...

One Year Later

It's so hard to believe that my baby is going to be 1 on Friday. During this week a year ago, we were making all the last minute preparations for his arrival. I had my final doctor's appointment to check up on how the baby was doing and go over everything involved with having the C-section. The day before Colton's birth, Gregg and I enjoyed a nice lunch out at Fuddrucker's and talked about how it was our last full day together as just a "twosome". In the middle of lunch, I received a call from the hospital telling us when to arrive, and we phoned our families to let them know when they could show up.

This past year has been the most challenging, frustrating, and rewarding of my life so far. I had to learn so much about taking care of a baby. I didn't know anything about diapering, bottle feeding, swaddling, burping, etc. I got a crash course in mothering pretty quickly and nothing's been the same since.

I had to overcome all the internal voices telling me that I wasn't going to be a good mother. I was so discouraged when breastfeeding didn't go according to plan. Colton had difficulty latching on and he would always seem to fall asleep in the middle of a feeding. He slept so much in the hospital and when we first brought him home that I actually thought there was something wrong with him! (It turns out I just have a really good sleeper. Even now he takes two naps during the day and sleeps for 11 hours overnight.) At the time, breastfeeding was like a complicated mathematical problem and I didn't have the strength emotionally, physically, or mentally to figure it out. So I decided to try the pump, but it was really painful. I had the stupid thing on the highest setting and I still got very little milk. Before the first week was over, I just resigned myself to the fact that Colton would be exclusively formula fed. It was the best decision I could have made for his health and my sanity, but it sure didn't feel that way at the time.

Right after he was born, I was an emotional wreck. I don't know if it was the dramatic shift in hormones paired with the monumental life change I had just encountered and all the painkillers I was on, but I'd be sobbing hysterically one minute and laughing uncontrollably the next. I didn't know how and if I would ever make it through that first week home from the hospital. Eventually I started learning how to do things and bonding with my baby, who once seemed like such a foreign creature. Colton started sleeping through the night, and before I knew it he was outgrowing his newborn clothes and I stopped stumbling around like a zombie. Then before long, he was interacting with us by smiling & laughing and it was time for him to try baby food.

I kept watching and worrying about his development, though he was progressing just as he should. I was concerned that he was too chubby, he couldn't stand tummy time, he wasn't reaching for toys, and on and on. The anxiety that I had about doing something wrong or messing up my child somehow was overwhelming. So I read everything I could on what to expect the first year, took some good pointers and tossed out the rest. I learned to read my own baby's cues and stopped fretting about every little thing.

This past year has felt like a marathon, and on Friday I will cross the "finish line" only to begin running another race with new obstacles and challenges as Colton enters toddlerhood. I'll have to learn how to discipline, provide well-balanced nutritious meals, and (oh joy) potty train. Colton has certainly come a long way since his days as a teeny, helpless newborn. He can completely feed himself now. He's standing on his own and imitating words. He is mobile enough to get to where he wants to go. He is asserting his will and independence more & more all the time. As I look back at how much he's grown physically and developmentally, I am so proud of all the things he can do. I am thrilled with the little boy he is becoming. I'm truly blessed to be his mother and look forward to celebrating his first birthday at the end of this week!

11 Months

My baby entered the last month of his first year today. It's kind of bittersweet. The final countdown to one has started!

This past month I've found myself having to say "no" a lot due to Colton's endless curiosity with all of our household items. He can really move around fast now. He finally learned how to crawl forwards, so I've had to repeatedly stop what I'm doing and remove him from something. And on Sunday morning, I found him sitting up in his crib for the first time! He can easily get into a sitting position now from being on all fours. Colton is practicing standing too, holding onto me or a piece of furniture. He doesn't have the confidence yet to take a few steps and can't get back down on his own, but his balance has gotten so much better.

My little boy has discovered the fascination of opening and closing whatever he can get his hands on- doors, cabinets, drawers- and promptly pulling out their contents. Time to get safety latches! He loves finding the pots & pans and playing with them on the kitchen floor. He also enjoys reaching into his push toy and taking out all the blocks one by one.

It sounds like Colton is trying to deliberately imitate specific words, like dog. When I say "doggie" to him, he'll try to say it back and start to say something like it whenever he sees Tess enter the room. He's also begun saying "mama", but I don't know if he really associates this word with me or not. It could just be one of those syllables he repeats over and over.

Colton is on all table food now. He flat out refuses to eat baby food, although he'll let me feed him oatmeal as long as there are a few pieces of fruit on his highchair tray to pick up and feed himself. The other night I actually decided to make a soup from some of the leftover jars, figuring if he won't eat it at least me and Gregg will! I added some noodles and ended up giving the pasta and peas that were already in the jar to Colton, and he ate it right up. This past month he's tried a wide variety of foods including banana chunks, avocado, zucchini, pancakes, french toast, macaroni & cheese, cantaloupe, pork and chicken. So far there's been nothing that he absolutely refuses to eat. Hopefully he won't turn into a picky eater later on.

A few weeks ago, I started the process of weaning him from the bottle. He's down to two bottles a day from four. He drinks formula in his sippy at lunchtime and dinnertime now. I'm working on cutting out the bottle when he wakes up from his afternoon nap next. I think the hardest one to replace will be the morning bottle, but we'll see. Since he eats three meals a day plus two snacks, I've also been slightly reducing the amount of formula he gets. I'd like to have him at least try whole milk before his first birthday, but we won't be switching exclusively to milk until he's one.

It seems like Colton continues to get a little heavier almost every day. People still tell me all the time how big he is for his age. It gets annoying after a while. It's not like I'm feeding him cheeseburgers and fries!! His hair is growing like a weed, well past his ears and curling up at the ends. He's starting to look like Matthew McConaughey in Dazed and Confused.

Coltie is still generally so sweet and event tempered, but he definitely has a mischievous side. And he has moments of pure stubbornness, usually during diaper changes. He all of a sudden decided that he hates getting changed and kicks his legs when I'm trying to put a new diaper on him. I've gotten kicked in the chest, stomach and arm which let me tell you hurts. I try to be very firm with him and tell him no in my best parenting voice, and sometimes he listens and other times he doesn't. I know that he is starting to understand what "no" means, but sometimes when I say it he just laughs like he thinks it's a game. Then I want to laugh too, but I try to maintain a straight face, one that conveys I'm not happy with his behavior.

Colton will also pitch a fit if he's in his hook-on chair too long. I used to be able to leave him in there with a few toys while I cooked dinner or checked email or something, but those days are over. He's associated his chair with eating, so when he's finished he wants OUT. He wants to be crawling around exploring, not confined! When he decides he no longer wants to be at the table, he'll get red faced, ball up his fists and whine until there's no tomorrow. Real cute, huh?

His laughter is infectious though, and can make up for all the times when I'm at my wits end with his screaming. Tickling, funny faces & sounds, and peekaboo always get the giggling started. I love his laugh and gummy smile (still no teeth yet!)

Well, here are some pictures. The next milestones post will be the biggie!

 
Playing with Mommy's pots and pans

 
Grinning after lunch

 
Having a blast in his cousin Kate's swing

10 Months

Colton's reached the double digits! In about eight more weeks, we'll be celebrating his first birthday. Crazy.

For some reason, 10 months just seems so much older than 9 months. Colton's gross motor skills have really taken off recently. He doesn't exactly crawl, but he does move around quickly on all fours. It's more like creeping, I think. He never seems to go forward in a straight line, but he always gets to where he wants to go. Colton continually gets up on his hands and knees with his tummy up off the floor and rocks back & forth like he's going to crawl, but then his legs slide backwards and he's flat on his stomach again! He can also stand pretty well with assistance now, holding onto my hands or a piece of furniture.

He still does not have any teeth, but it hasn't stopped him from eating. We've moved him up to Stage 3 foods, since the portions are slightly larger and the consistency is chunkier. It's still hit or miss with me feeding him from a spoon, so I've started spreading out the contents of the jar on the highchair tray and letting him feed himself. He seems to tolerate me spoon feeding him better in the morning, when he's less cranky, than in the evening. Colton tried a few new foods this past month too like broccoli, steak, mashed potatoes, and spaghetti & meatballs. Lately he really wants to eat whatever we have on our plates. He'll lean forward, eyes wide, with an expression that's like, "Can I have some, Mom, huh? Can I, can I, can I?"

Even though he's eating more solids and continuing to drink the same amount of formula, it seems like his weight gain is tapering off. He only gained one pound between his most recent doctor's visit, on June 1, and the one before that, on April 6. And he dropped from the 90th percentile in weight to the 75th during that time also. I'm not too concerned; actually I'm kinda relieved that the weight gain has slowed down. He's still a very healthy and happy baby!

Just in the past week or so, Colton has started forming the "m" sound with his mouth. I could have sworn that he said mom the other day. :) I've been signing the word "more" to him every time I offer him more of something. One day six months from now he might catch on and sign back! I really do think he was trying to imitate the actual word a few days ago just as I was about to place another handful of Puffs in front of him. You can disagree, but I know what I heard. Oh, and apparently my son thinks the word "poop" is hysterical. I was changing his dirty diaper and said, "Somebody made a stinky poop", and he burst into laughter. Typical boy.

Colton discovered his love for banging toys on the table and dropping them on the floor. It drives me crazy sometimes that I am constantly picking them up. His favorite toys include soft blocks, nesting/stacking cups, his beach ball, and this freaky looking rubber shark that he got at the doctor's office. He still enjoys racing around in his walker and likes to grab things off of the tv stand, end tables, and shelf in the living room.

His sleep is still really good. I'm so thankful I have a child that doesn't fight taking his naps or going down for the night. As long as there aren't any other distractions in the room, he will usually go right out. If I stay in his room to put away laundry or something, then he'll want to stay awake because he doesn't want to miss anything. Most of the time Colton doesn't like me to rock him to sleep anymore. I always try to cuddle with him a little bit before putting him to bed, especially at night. He's started trying to push my arm away as I'm holding him in the rocker. I feel kinda sad about it, but I know it's time for him to just fall asleep on his own. So instead of fighting him, I place him in the crib and tell him goodnight or have a good nap and that I love him.

My little boy is certainly growing up! Here are some pictures (of course):

9 Months!

My baby is nine months old today. Already 3/4 of his first year has gone by. I can't believe he only has three more months before turning the big 1!

Colton continues to amaze me with what he can do. He wants to do a lot of things on his own already, which can be frustrating because it feels like a battle of the wills sometimes between us. It is also pretty neat though, watching him grow into this little person who is constantly exploring the world around him.

He is so intrigued by everything these days, and anything (literally anything) can become a plaything. Last night at dinner we let him have the top to the pasta sauce pan (it had cooled down) and he had a blast turning it, banging it, and trying to chew on it while we finished eating. Colton likes to examine his toys while playing with them, too. He'll chew on something for a while, then take it out of his mouth and look at it carefully, then back in the mouth it goes! He really likes toys that play music, such as his Fisher Price telephone. His face lights up when he hears the kiddie voice singing the Alphabet Song or something else.

Colton has become quite good at feeding himself and he'll try just about anything we put in front of him. So far he's tried bits of soft cooked pasta, green beans, cheese (yellow American and Mozzarella), bagel, and watermelon. He holds onto his sippy cup with one hand and feeds himself with the other. And he LOVES Puffs. It doesn't matter what flavor, he gets all excited when he sees the container and promptly spits out his binky when we put a few down in front of him. We will sometimes hide them behind a toy or his cup and encourage him to find them. He's gotten really good at this game and the reward is always the yummy Puff and praise from us! Colton is now eating two meals of solids a day (cereal & jar of Stage 2 fruit in the morning, Stage 2 veggie or meat/veggie combo in the evening) with two snacks in between meals, in addition to the 24 oz. of formula he's been getting since about 5 months.

He's no longer content to just stay in my arms and snuggle in close (except at naptime and bedtime); he is a baby on the move! Whenever I'm holding him, he tries to reach for something interesting within his grasp. He barely sits still on my lap anymore to take his bottle. He's always looking all around, squirming to get free. Colton now takes control of how much he wants at a time. When he has to burp or doesn't want any more, he grabs the bottle and pushes it away.

Around the end of April he finally learned how to roll from his tummy to his back, and now there's no stopping him. He rolls all over the place to get to where he wants to go. Sometimes he'll rock back and forth on his hands and knees like he's going to start crawling, but he's not quite there yet. He does push himself backwards, however. Yesterday he found himself under the end table in the living room for the first time and thought that was pretty cool.

Colton is so expressive now, making all kinds of faces and gesturing. He "chatters" almost non-stop to his toys and us. He's added a few more syllables and sounds to his baby talk. Sometimes it seems like he is acting out a scene from a play with all his banter. He is such a ham, too. He'll do something funny, then watch for our response.

I've had to pack away nearly all of Colton's 6-9 month clothes and move him up to a size 4 diaper. He's the size of most one year olds already. He has a lot more hair and it is coming in beautiful! Not too fine, not too coarse. Until I got pregnant I always had really thin hair and Gregg's hair is thick, so I think Colton got the happy medium between the two. He's looking so much like a little Dutch boy these days (Gregg is mostly Dutch).

Here are some pictures (shocker) from the last month:

8 Months

Today my baby boy turns eight months old. He is definitely not a helpless little infant anymore.

He started feeding himself Puffs and Cheerios a couple of weeks ago and is now a pro at it. He can pick up his sippy cup in both hands with no problem and slurps the juice vigorously as it dribbles down his chin and onto his bib. Colton continues to grab the spoon away from me at the beginning of every mealtime. He loves waving it around and chewing on it, while I feed him with another. I think it may be time to introduce more finger foods because he doesn't seem too interested in eating what's offered on the spoon.

He can now pass an object from one hand to another effortlessly and understands that when a toy falls on the floor or rolls out of his sight, it hasn't disappeared. My little guy finds his binky after it's gotten lost somewhere in his crib and pops it back in his mouth. He's such a smarty.

He's begun protesting in the mornings and evenings when I get him dressed. He gets all worked up and it can be really stressful to change him in and out of clothes. As soon as I pick him up off the changing table, he's just fine and dandy though! Colton has certainly learned how to voice his opinion and say (in the only way he knows how) "I don't like that, Mommy!"

On the flip side, he has also learned how to show his affection by reaching out to touch mine and his daddy's faces. Sometimes he'll grab my cheek or hair just to see what will happen. I want to be mad at him because it really really hurts, but then he squeals and grins and I end up smiling too! He doesn't understand the word no yet. Sigh.

Colton's still getting over his cold from last week. He's got a runny nose, which is kinda gross, but sleeps through the night okay thanks to the makers of Vicks.

Here are some more cute pictures of him over the last month, including a couple from Colton's first Easter:






Who is the fairest baby of them all?


All dressed up for Easter Sunday


Checking out the Easter goodies he got from Grandma

7 Months

I can't believe we're at the seven month mark already! Before I know it, I'll be sending out invitations for Colton's first birthday party.

It seems like his sixth month was a lot shorter than all the previous ones, just because he turned 6 months old in February and we always "get cheated" out of two days since it ends on the 28th. Nonetheless, Colton seemed to grow and develop more during his sixth month than any other.

Our little boy is now sitting up without assistance, which makes playtime so much more fun (for him and for me!). I dragged the Pack 'n Play out of the garage and set it up so he can sit in there and play to his heart's content. It's much softer (and safer) than spreading out a blanket on the rug in the living room and plopping him down. Colton has also become really good at reaching for and grabbing exactly what he wants. He's rocking his "Learning Toolbox" and gets really excited when he pulls the lever that plays all the music. That never seems to get old. To him anyway. I can't tell you how many times a day I've heard the Alphabet Song.

He loves to scoot around in his walker and chase Tess all over the house. He's getting pretty fast and can go from the dining room to our bedroom in no time. Colton adores the dog and shrieks with delight whenever she comes near him. She's a good sport and lets him pull on her ears and grab her fur. He also loves when Gregg plays Peek-a-boo with him and makes funny noises. He really likes the wind up to whatever noise comes next. Nothing can make him laugh like his daddy.

Colton's figuring things out during mealtime, too. I introduced him to the sippy cup and mostly he enjoys just chewing on the handles, but once in a while he does recognize that he needs to bring the spout up to his mouth in order to get the delicious juice inside. He also bangs it around on the table and highchair tray. So far he's tried Puffs, Cheerios, and those biter biscuits. He likes the biscuits best because they're easier to hold (and probably taste better). He can grab the other things, but rarely actually gets them in his mouth. They usually end up either stuck to his hand or on the floor.

He's still pretty even tempered, but he has started to assert his own independence. Especially during feedings. He insists on holding the spoon and has a mini- meltdown if you take the spoon away. So he gets one to play with, and I feed him with another. Colton will definitely let me know if he is finished eating or doesn't like what I'm trying to give him. The battle of the wills is beginning!

During this last month, he started moving around a lot more also. The baby bathtub now has to be used exclusively in the bathroom, because he'll kick water everywhere in the kitchen. He twists and turns on the changing table so much that it's hard to get his diaper on! Now I know why they made those changing pad straps. Oh, and Colton can also grab the tabs and pull them off now (not that he actually knows what he's doing yet). I always have to have a toy available to give him so that his hands are occupied. He puts up a fuss when I hold his feet together, too. Sorry, but that poo has to be wiped off somehow!

Colton has these little "conversations" with his toys. He was babbling considerably before, but now there's inflection in that babble. It is so adorable! But the biggest triumph of all... he can tolerate being on his tummy for at least twenty minutes!! So he may actually crawl someday after all. While on his tummy, Colton pushes himself up and reaches for toys. I am so proud of him. I'm excited to see what this next month has in store!


Playing on his tummy!


Sitting up in the Pack 'n Play.


Enjoying his yummy biscuit.


He was absolutely enthralled with the laundry basket one day. Who needs toys, right?