The Name Game

We cannot come up with a name! Our soon-to-be-due little boy is currently simply known a "Brother". We would like your help!!!

If you suggest the name we use, we will send you a gift card (to Starbucks or Target or anywhere you would like). PLEASE help us (specifically me, Zach in threatening to name our son Willard)!

You can either post the name on the comments or send the suggestions to mommacolez@sbcglobal.net.

As for the picture, it was just so cute I had to post it--it doesn't really have anything to do with the blog:).

Six More Weeks! (Give or Take...)

Only six more weeks until brother is full term!!! (I am going for the 38 weeks, then the sooner the better!)

I am making out a list of folks to email when the joyous day arrives. If you would like to be included please send me an email to mommacolez@sbcglobal.net. I will put you on the list to let you know and send pictures of the little prize fighter. Don't worry, I do not send spam and I will not sell you email to anybody. (Unless the price is right.) (Kidding, totally kidding.) (Sort of.)

On the Mend

After over a week of fever, we finally got some antibiotics. They sure don't like to give medicine to kiddos, hoping their body will take care of the illness--and I really do appreciate that, I don't want to give my baby medicine that he doesn't need. But, after a while it is so nice to get medicine that will make him feel better.

Last night Cole looked like he had circles under his eyes (we figured it was because he was not getting enough sleep), but this morning they were nice and swollen. So back to the doctor we went. It seems like Cole may have allergies just like his daddy, and he may have a sinus infection after they have bothered him for so long.

I put up a picture, but it hard to see the bags under his eyes.

Sleepy...

The weather is icky today--enough to make me sooo very tired...OR, it could be:

1) My toddler, who would rather sleep on the floor with a blanket and pillow than in his new bed.

2) My husband, who stands up out of bed while he is sleeping and talks about working in the attic since that is what he has done for the past three weekends and as many weeknights as I will let him.

3) My every growing belly with a baby, who is practicing his defense from a curious big brother and over-zealous coonhound. By the time he is here, he will have perfected that hitch kick and double jab needed to protect himself.

Cole is back at his Mother's Day Out since the outbreak. I have tried to get as much done as possible (including catching up on my blogging). It is nice to sit for a while and I am sure Cole is enjoying being back with his friends. He LOVES to play!

Tummy Troubles

Well, we spent most of last night in the hospital. We thought Cole's tummy problem had come back. Happily, it did not, but it took about 6 hours and a painful test in the ER to ensure that it had not. It was really hard to let them run tests that we knew would hurt him--especially because by that point we were pretty sure he was fine.

He is doing better today, a little tired--but I think we all are since we didn't get home until around 11, and then I wanted to make sure and wash all the hospital germs off of us. He is not acting at all like yesterday (holding his tummy, lethargic, crying...) just a little clingy and sensitive.

As frustrating as it is to be in a hospital for 6 hours, it beats being there for the three days like we were each of the past two times and not knowing what might be wrong (like the first time). It also serves to remind me how wonderful Cole is and how blessed I am to get to stay home with him! Being a parent is hard!

31 Weeks and Counting...

I went to the doctor today and found out that I have gained 6 pounds in the last 4 weeks! Yikes!!! In my defense, I have started swelling a little, so let's pretend that a lot of that is water weight. I am also slightly anemic (common during pregnancy), so of course I need to do a lot of resting. I should probably take a nap today, oh, and I guess a little iron.

I only have 7-9 weeks left! A little scary, but I am looking forward to meeting our little boy (who still has no name!).

In other news, Cole did not come down with Fifth Disease and we can now come out of seclusion!!!

I put a posted a picture of Cole and me (as requested by my mom) (again, yikes!!!) and of the three of us. This was Easter a week ago.

Clean Up

Clean up, clean up

Everybody, Everywhere

Clean up, clean up

Everybody do your share

If you have a kid or you have taught younger kids, you have probably heard that song before (Thank you, Barney), and that is what Cole and I have been trying to do. We have joined a website, www.flylady.net. It is supposed to get up organized and help us keep our house cleaned a little at a time. We do okay now, but I am trying to look for a solution for when the new baby gets here. I will let you know if it works.

Cole is a big help. Whenever I get my broom out, he has a broom that he gets out. He cheats though. He always steal my dirt piles for his own dust pan. I do all the work and he gets all the glory :).

Cole also LOVES to put things in the trash: paper towels, his diaper (after that have been properly folded and the mess secured), mail, and unfortunately his toys when he is done playing with them for the moment. I try to look and rescue you them, but there are a couple things that have gone missing, and I have a sneaking suspicion they have found a new home via the trash can.

Big Boy Bed

The official crib to toddler bed change has taken place. The crib is now safely hidden away in the new baby's room. I have to admit, there were a few tears. None on Cole's part; I just can't believe my little boy is getting so big!

The bedchange is going fine. Cole and I (mom) are both a little more tired. With his new found freedom, Cole likes to be up and at 'em at 5:40. And he wants Mommy to be up too! We tried to put a baby gate in his doorway and encouraged him to play when he got up early--but alas, he climbed over the baby gate too!

He was up about three times last night and had to be put back in bed. I think he fell out--but the distance to the ground is much closer than it used to be so all is well. I am sure he will get the hang of it soon!

Yard Work

This cold weather in April is crazy!!!--Although the weather doesn't seem to be as cold to me as to others--my internal thermostat is pretty off.

In hope for warmer days, I decided to post pictures of Cole and Daddy doing some much needed yard work in March. This will be quite the project for years to come, but for now, we are just doing the minimum needed to look descent.

Easter and a Poem

A poem for you...

(To the cadence of Humpty Dumpty)

Coley Woley slept on a bed;

He fell off and hit his sweet head.

On Saturday, we tried taking one side off of his crib (suggested possible by the crib manufacturer and a nurse that I had asked) since Cole has recently taken to climbing out of his crib. He went to sleep beautifully, but about two hours later he started to cry. He tends to sleep pretty well through the night, so this was a bit odd. We decided to check on him. Cole had fallen off the bed while he was asleep and somehow rolled underneath. We walked in to see the grumpiest little Cole emerging from the depths of the bed skirt. As soon as we knew he was fine, we could not stop laughing. (In fact, even now the vision of our grumpy little Grendel will send us into a laughing fit!)

My grandma wisely suggested putting pillows on the floor by the crib when I relayed the story to her. I don't know why we didn't think of that to begin with!

I put up a picture of Cole from yesterday, all adorned in his little Easter outfit. It was a cold Easter (it snowed a little on Saturday), but the afternoon warmed up enough for us to go outside for a little bit.

My Boys

Okay, I admittedly wasn't that great at my last blog, so I am going to make a strong attempt at this one. After all, I have too wonderful sons (although we technically haven't seen one of them) to report about.

The eldest of the two has been working on his climbing skills and can now successfully climb out of his crib. The first morning he started crying at 5:30 and our attempts in letting him "cry it out" for a while ended with a creeking door and Cole running down the hall (trying to escape the grasp of the evil crib, no doubt). The second morning I thought I would just make it in there as soon as he started crying so he didn't crawl out and hurt himself. Instead, at 6:10 I hear the rattling of our door knob and jump up to open the door. Cole is there squealing with delight, happy that we could join him so early in the morning. We have changed his crib up a bit, which has served to confuse him enough that we have had a couple days where we didn't have to worry about him. After a visit to my sisters house, we are going to make the change to a toddler bed. I am a bit nervous about this.

As for Brother, he still has no name. Any suggestions would be great! We like strong, not common (but also not odd names). He has been kicking and jumping in my tummy and I think he will be strong like his brother.

In other news, Cole and I (mom) have both been exposed to Fifth Disease. We found out yesterday afternoon that one of the kids in Cole's Mother's Day Out class had it. We are praying that neither of us get it. It is apparently not good for pregnant mothers, as it can mean bad things for the baby. I immediately called the doctor and found out the range of affects it may have. It may be nothing or it may be really bad--so pray for us that we all remain healthy. Unfortunately, it also means Cole probably can't go back to MDO for a while (maybe at all) until the incubation period had passed and none of the other kids get it.

I posted a picture of Cole. He is awfully cute--but if you look above his left eye (your right), he has a knot. At music class, he and another little boy had a head-on collision...A typical day/injury for him.

As I said, I will try to do a bit better on this blog. Check it and leave me comments!