Dear Cohen

Happy 7 month birthday, my love. The first 6 months seemed to run a bit slow for the most part but this last month has flown by. I think that's how it's going to be from here on out. And I don't think I like the time flying by so quickly.

You still don't have any teeth popping through but my goodness, how you love to chomp down hard on anything you can get in your mouth, especially the joints on my fingers. Your new favourite teething toy is the rubber spatula Mommy's friend, M-B, sent to you. She was right--you love it more than any of your "real" toys!

You're now sitting up all my yourself all the time. We still put you in Fort Cohey in case you topple over, but so far you've only landed on the pillows one time in the last week. You do not like to lie on your back anymore, and you make sure we are aware of that bit of info. And we can forget about tummy time all together. And rolling over was so 6 months. 7 month old boys named Cohen Gray have no time for rolling over anymore.

So far you have readily eaten everything we've given you, except for peas. You are not a fan of peas. But oh how you love pears, carrots and sweet potatoes. We have yet to give you prunes but that's because you don't need any help in "that department." I'm not ready for the consequences of prunes, but we'll work our way there.

In the sleep department you are still a great sleeper. Most nights we can plan on you sleeping 11 hours straight, which makes for a happy little and big c and VERY happy Mommy. I have several favourite moments each day, but I think my most favourite thing is listening to you chatter away to your crib bumper upon waking up and then seeing your huge smile when I poke my head over. Every morning without fail you lunge, with open mouth, toward my face as I get you ready to nurse. I laugh out loud every single time!

And we can always count on you having a great time when we're out for a walk. Watching you take the world in as we stroll around the neighbourhood causes me to stop and ponder what it's like to be you seeing things for the first time. I can only imagine what's going on inside that beautiful strawberry-blonde head of yours.

I cannot wait to see what you've got planned for us this month my darling.

Love,

Your biggest fan, Mommy xoxo

p.s. Here are some photos Mommy took yesterday inside Fort Cohey.

 
 
 

Why didn't I think of this?

If you're an observant person, you'll have noticed I've added a list (on the left side) of all the blogs I envy and look at almost every day. Please don't go reading theirs and not come back to mine. They are beautiful to look at, have millions of readers every single day, and make tonnes of money from the advertisers they've got but I've got the content. I mean, come on, they don't have Cohey Bear to talk about.

A couple of these blogs both mentioned this one blog that I really wish I could have created. But a) I'm not creative enough and b) little c doesn't nap well enough to stay asleep while he's repositioned. Just take a look-see and you'll see what I mean.

More Sun Valley photos

 

Showing off little c's cleavage.

 
 
 
  
  

Two road trips in one crazy weekend

Anyone who saw my post on Facebook the other day knows that I'm referring to taking little c on his first AND last road trip for a few years.

I think the boy just likes to stay home, like his Daddy. Not like his Mommy at all, although I do like my own bed and can't get a good night sleep anywhere apart from it. He didn't much like sleeping in the pack & play in the closet I guess.

He cried almost the entire weekend. The most challenging part was the car ride. He cried for 2.5 hours of the 5 hour trip...both ways! Confined in such a small space with him hollering was a little trying on the old nerves. At one point I was tempted to undo my seatbelt, open the car door, and hurl myself out just to escape it. Fortunately common sense kept me in my seat.

He just wasn't his normal self. But as soon as we got him home on Sunday evening, he was fine and slept for 11.5 hours straight. Thatta boy!

He did enjoy his first swim in the Sun Valley Resort pool though. He just wanted to show off his moobs and his new swimmin' trunks for the ladies.

Oh well, you live and learn. I think going forward we'll just leave him home while we go off galavanting or we'll save money and just won't go anywhere, much to my chagrin.

The one great thing about the weekend is little c got to meet his grandparents, aunts, great grandma, great aunt and a couple of his cousins for the first time. If they want to see him again before he's 5, they're going to have to come down here though!

Little c did not get the memo to look like you're crazy. He looks a little scared.

Before you go judging us for not putting a shirt on him to keep the sun off of him, we waited until 5:00 p.m. to take him for a dip and he was also slathered in sunscreen. 

 

More photos posted tomorrow.

 
 

  
 

Who's Barbara...

and why do you keep repeating her name?

This weekend little c discovered the "b" sound. And I swear it sounded like he kept saying Barbara over and over again. Sometimes it was in a loving way. Other times it was demanding, like "Barbara, if I have to tell you one more time, I'm going to freak out!"

Not sure who she is, but why can't he replace her name with "Mama?" I mean, it's the only thing I say to him now in hopes that he'll catch on.

Man boobs (a.k.a. Moobs)

Guess WHAT?!

You know how I told you about rubbing lavender oil on little c's feet before bed? I was telling a very smart friend of mine that tidbit and she advised me to do some research. Apparently there is a link between lavender and tea tree oil and boobs on pre-pubescent boys. (click on boobs for more info from WebMD). It's all over the web, so you know it's true! Even boys that used lotion or shampoo containing either or both oils were affected (google it). Who knew an oil like that could have such a big effect on hormones.

So we're halting the new nighttime ritual. Little c will have enough battles to fight (hairy feet, small hands that smell like cabbage, big head, an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope), he doesn't need moobs.

But Mommy does! Bring on the lavender oil!!

An exciting first is just around the corner

We've got the uber expensive baby sunscreen that we bought at the organic store. Several hats. Ultra cool sunglasses. Little Swimmers diapers. And a brand-spanking-new bathing suit ready to go for little c's first dip in a swimming pool at an undisclosed location.

You'll have to check back here on Monday to see if he liked it and where this alleged pool was.

Don't worry. I will not include a photo of me in a bikini. That might make you throw up in your mouth.

All oiled up and nowhere to go...except to sleep

For the last 2 nights we've rubbed lavender oil on the soles of little c's feet at bedtime.

And for the last 2 nights, little c has slept almost 12 hours without interruption. No 2:30 cries for attention. No 4:30 cries for Mommy to run in and hear his latest joke he just made up. No 5:30 cries to show us how he can tie a cherry stem into a knot with his tongue (okay, he can't do that just yet, but I'm sure that N, the boy born on the exact same day as little c in his "class", can probably do it. This kid has 4 lbs on little c and can crawl. Douche).

Is it a coincidence? Maybe. But we're not going to try and find out by ceasing the oil rubdown.

Assisting Mommy get dressed in the morning by sucking on her purple shirt.

I can see him as a 4 or 5 year old in this photo. Weird. Not ready for him to grow up quite that fast.
 
 

Poop, hoop, loop, coop, stoop, CROUP!

We enjoyed our first trip to the Emergency Room at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City on Friday night. I was climbing into bed at 10:00 (oh how life changes after you have a child) and heard the most HORRENDOUS noise coming from little c's bedroom. It sounded like he was struggling to breathe. I rushed in and sure enough, he was.

Threw on clothes, grabbed big c, and the 3 of us rushed up to the hospital. I had already taken out my contacts so I had to drive with my glasses on. The lenses in my glasses are from circa 1932 when I could see better. I couldn't see crap out of them but me driving with those on is still better than big c, who has uber night-blindness.

I dropped them off at the doors and went off to find a parking spot. When I walked through the double doors of the ER, I was immediately bowled over by the congestion and craziness. It was stuffed to the gills with sick kids and their accompanying parents. Crazy night to get sick or fall off something or accidentally drink a bottle of bleach.

A respiratory expert immediately came out and listened to little c and said she thought it was croup and got a mister thing. It looked like a crazy, misting bong. Little c was in heaven. Something new to bite down on!

I swear it's because of little c's cuteness, but in less than 40 minutes, we were in Triage room #1 and a sweet and efficient nurse took care of us before the doctor came in and said it was definitely croup. Poor little c! Some Tylenol and a steroid cocktail and we were on our merry way since he reacted so well to the steroid. Sure he's grown boobs and talking in a falsettto voice but hey, at least he doesn't sound like a barking seal anymore.

I'm sure there will be many more trips to the ER, especially since we have a boy. I heard that they are 20x more likely to need emergency services than girls. Okay, I just made that figure up since I'm too lazy to google it, but I'm sure it's close to that.

Better watch your back, Monet!

More Photoshop fun. I cropped my mom out of the photo (sorry Mom!), cleaned up some stray hairs on the right side of his head (our right, not his), and applied some funky filter to it in order to make it look almost like a painting. Hours of time wasting ahead!

Baby math

We put little c to bed every night at 7:30. Like clockwork, he wakes up at 6:00 a.m. almost every morning. Small deviations occur sometimes, but I can usually plan on getting up at 6:00.

The other night we put him down at 7:00 as he had skipped his much needed afternoon nap and was absolutely exhausted. He woke up the next day at 5:00.

Two nights ago we were at our friends' house for dinner and we didn't get him to bed until 8:00 and what time do you suppose he woke up at the next morning? 7:00.

It seems that a half hour adjustment in his bedtime leads to an hour difference in his wake up time.

Now that's an equation I just can't figure out.

Better watch your back

I'm teaching myself how to use Photoshop and this is my first design! Not thinking it will win me any awards.

You crapped your pants AGAIN?!?

Since little c has been on his medicine for his ear infection, he has had MAJOR blowouts every single day. When we pick him up from "school" he is wearing a different outfit than what he wore when we dropped him off.

It's a good thing the doctor warned us about the increase in volume and the decrease in consistency. Oh, and that it would be red. RED!!! The first blowout the day after the doctor's visit, I thought he'd been rummaging around in the fridge again and had dumped an entire bottle of strawberry rhubarb jam down his diaper.

So tomorrow I'm going to send him to school wearing a garbage bag with holes cut out for his head and arms. That'll teach him!

And now a cute photo of the chronic pooper.

Gettin' in the groove

I feel like we're finally in the groove of things. And I'm loving it!

I don't even mind little c's 6:00 a.m. wake up anymore. I nursed him, had him dressed and had lemon blueberry muffins from The Best of the Best (shout out to my Canadians) in the oven before 7:00 a.m. It's a great feeling to get things accomplished before my former wake-up time.

And now that big c is taking him to "school", I have a little quiet time before I have to leave for work.

Now if only I could groove myself over to the gym!

 

Tummy time with Daddy.

A cute photo just because

Have a great weekend everyone! See you back here on Monday after our weekend of fun!

 

Why I should win MOTHER OF THE YEAR

I am so deserving of that prize. Do you want to know why?

The last few days little c has been cranky. As in I-don't-want-you-to-put-me-down-EVER cranky! No problem, I don't mind holding him since I only get to see him for 2-3 hours per day. He also hasn't wanted a bottle. Doesn't mind the cereal or the carrots, but his actions imply "please don't wave that bottle in my face, Mom. I will only keep batting it away and will cry EVEN LOUDER!"

The other night, when he awoke and screamed for 2 hours, that should have been another clue that something wasn't quite right with the wee one. But no, I'm not bright enough to pick up on these things.

When he woke up yesterday morning with his eye sealed shut, MOTHER OF THE YEAR pried it open with her fingers and dug out all of the hardened eye snot with her finger nails. No moist, warm cloth to gently ease it open. Full on stretching eye open with thumb and index finger.

I'm sure you can submit your nominations online somewhere.

Post Script: If it wasn't for his daycare, the poor kid would still be in agony and probably wearing an eye patch. The director of the daycare called me yesterday afternoon and said they thought he had an ear infection. A visit to the walk-in clinic last night confirmed it. Poor kid!

Mommy Math

Pureed carrots + sneezing baby = A trip to the dry cleaners and an enormous mess!

Yankee Doodle Dandy

A photo montage of the weekend, or the part of the weekend I brought my camera to.  Not seen are images of the 3 of us going out for breakfast, lounging in bed together, Daddy backpacking overnight on Friday, Mommy bike riding, little c crying, or little c eating almost an entire jar of carrots.

Little c traveling in style and comfort on his first out-of-utero hike.

 

The view at approximately 8500 feet above sea level.

Learning that we were only 1/4 of the way up. We promptly turned around.

Giving his buddy Anthony a red, white and blue hug.

The Hancock Family!

 What did I tell you? People cannot resist pinching those cheeks.

 
 

Trying to peer down Charlotte's very festive dress. And also wondering how she ended up on his lap.

 

 Attack of the Cohey Bear!

 
  

Gone back to blonde

Wishing I was still a red-head.

But maybe I'll have more fun now.

Bring on the blonde jokes!

And now, a cute photo of a sleeping bear.

For Canadian eyes only

 

HAPPY CANADA DAY, HOSERS!!!

We wish we were eating Nanaimo Bars and Butter Tarts with all of you today.