Category: Cole

My Cole

Cole was born at the end of May, 2006. From almost the start of my pregnancy with him, I thought he was a girl, mainly because I felt the opposite with him than when I was pregnant with Ryan. We didn’t find out ahead of time, so I was really surprised when he was born and the nurses told me he was a boy. Joe had thought he was a boy, so he wasn’t as surprised.

We had only decided on a boy’s name on the drive to the hospital- we had a few names we had been floating around, but decided on Cole, if we happened to have a boy.

I was absolutely in love the second I laid eyes on my sweet Cole. I was so very happy that I was able to have a vaginal birth with him, because I had a c-section with Ryan (he was breech and never turned.) The c-section was the worse experience of my life, but I’ll save that for another post. I felt so powerful and alive after Cole was born, even though it was the hardest thing I had ever done. I was in labor for 40+ hours with him, and slept about an hour total, so I was completely exhausted, but the thought of having to have another c-section, if I didn’t keep working, kept me going. I’ll post Cole’s birth story here at another time too.

Almost immediately, I knew Cole was very different than Ryan. For one thing, he didn’t want to be put down, and wanted to nurse non-stop. After not sleeping for 46 hours, by the time he had been born, I knew I needed some rest that first night, so after nursing him to sleep, we asked the nurses to take him for a while, so Joe and I could sleep. The hospital we had Cole at, is very baby friendly and the nurses actually hold the baby- they don’t put them in a nursery- in fact they don’t even have a nursery there, and they only keep the baby until they start showing signs that they need to nurse, so I felt confident in letting the nurses hold him until he wanted to nurse again.

Two hours later, they brought Cole back to me (it was around midnight), and those two hours of sleep seemed like heaven. Cole started to nurse, and he nursed, and nursed, and nursed, and nursed. By 4 pm that afternoon, he was still nursing and he would scream if I set him down, even to change his diaper, or even if he was asleep; he would wake up immediately as soon as he was out of my arms. I didn’t think too much of it at the time.

A week later, he still screamed every time I put him down and I was beginning to realize that I had a “high needs” baby on my hands. I really dislike that term, so I decided to call him my “cuddle-bug”, and “extra attention” baby. After reading about these types of babies on the Dr. Sears website, I decided I needed to tune into what Cole was trying to tell me, and go with it.

It has been hard at times, but he has rewarded us so many times over. He has the best personality, and his smile can just melt my heart in a moment. He can be completely upset, crying, and mad, one second, and as soon as you pick him up, he is all smiles. I also get rewarded with that giant toothy, gummy smile every morning when he wakes up. He actually doesn’t cry when he wakes up; he just looks around and when he sees me, he just breaks out his smile. He has challenged me in ways I never thought I could take, and some days I didn’t think I was going to make it, but it also seems like the love I get back from him is double what the challenges are.

He seems to be a mama’s boy 100% right now, in that he is just now letting Joe hold him and cuddle him more. He really didn’t allow Joe to cuddle with him very much- he definitely preferred me. My mom, (Nana), and Joe’s mom, were life-savers for me those first few weeks, in helping me with Cole and Ryan. My mom came out for a short visit and got Cole to take a pacifier which was a much needed break for me, being the human pacifier to him, and he would allow her to hold him, so I would be able to have a few moments with Ryan, or grab a shower. Joe’s mom and dad were great in taking care of Ryan for me and giving him extra love and attention when I couldn’t.

So now as Cole is approaching his ninth month, he is still very specific on what he needs and wants, but he’s “chilling” out a bit too. As he is eating more solids, he doesn’t need to nurse as much for food as well as comfort, but he will still track me down, crawling with tears running down his face, if he has decided he needs to be nursed that second.

Sleep is still a challenge for us because he wants to be nursed all night, even though he isn’t hungry- he just craves that human contact. Still, when I think about how fast this time goes, I know it won’t be very long before I am wondering where his baby days went, and be wishing he still wanted me to hold him all night.

I am so glad he is who he is, and I would not trade him for a second. He is the sweetest, and most lovable baby, I could ever dream of having. I love him so much, it makes me get tears in my eyes thinking about him. I hope in the future, he will not lose the intensity that he has, because that is what makes him my Cole.

(The picture at the top was Cole at 6 months, and the picture below, I took today.)

Cole Household Ryan

Rub-A-Dub-Dub

To save time, we usually try to give the boys a bath at the same time. Ryan is pretty serious about “his” toys, and “baby Cole’s” toys, and Cole wants to play with whatever toy Ryan has (of course). In the interest of keeping the peace, we will usually try to get Cole washed and out of the tub fairly quickly since he likes to go to bed anyway, and Ryan likes to play in the tub longer.

Yesterday, all the stars must have been lined up correctly, because not only did both boys take a bath at the same time, they shared the toys, had fun, AND posed for a picture-

Ta-Da!

No, Cole isn’t growing that fast either- he is standing all the way up and Ryan is kneeling. Two happy, clean, and smiling children before bed- who could ask for more than that?

Activities Cole Family & Friends Ryan

Monster Trucks & Snuggly Sweet Dreams

Post author By A Mama's Blog
Post date February 3, 2007
1 Comment on Monster Trucks & Snuggly Sweet Dreams

These two things don’t necessarily go together, but tonight they did for us. Ryan’s Grandpa (my dad) called last night to tell us there was a monster truck show in a neighboring town tonight, and he thought Ryan would get a big kick out of it, since trucks are one of his favorite things. So Joe went to Home Depot today and got a deluxe earphone headset to protect Ryan’s ears, and he was ready to go see Bigfoot!

My dad came and got Ryan about 7 pm, and they got home at 10. Ryan had a blast and couldn’t stop talking about the trucks. He was especially interested in the one that turned over, and “had lots of men come out to turn it back over.” It was really nice Ryan and Grandpa had their first Saturday night out.

Meanwhile, we have been having some major sleep issues with Cole; he has been having a really hard time going to sleep and staying asleep. Right now, he doesn’t have his own room, so he has been sleeping in our room. With big brother out on the town, I decided to try to see if I could nurse Cole to sleep and then put him to sleep in the crib, which is in Ryan’s room. The first attempt failed, as Cole woke up the second I set him down in the crib. I nursed him again in the glider, and then put him back in the crib. He woke up and was fussy, but didn’t cry. I kept patting him on the back, and held his hand while he groaned and moaned a bit, but after about 5 minutes he went to sleep, and has been blissfully sleeping ever since. This is the longest stretch he has been sleeping in quite a while- 4 hours now and counting. WOO HOO!

After a quick shower for Ryan, (to wash away the truck exaust smell) we decided to let Ryan fall asleep in our bed, so he wouldn’t wake up Cole. I put him in his P.J’s, and snuggled with him for 10 minutes, until he drifted off to sleep. It has been a long time since I have been able to snuggle with Ryan before bed, because I am always trying to put Cole to sleep, and I had almost forgotten how sweet it is. He held my hand, and stroked my wrist, until he fell asleep. I realized how much I miss that. When you have more than one child, it is amazing how many things you take for granted that you used to be able to do with only one. I am hoping that as Cole gets older, he will start to sleep better, and I’ll have more time to snuggle with Ryan, and then with Cole.

There is nothing like holding your sweet child in your arms, as they drift off to sleep. They are so peaceful, and purely sweet. This is one of the best parts of being a mother- when you can just be, with your children and soak up their essence.

Activities Cole Family & Friends Music Ryan

Music Class

Since Ryan was about a year old, we have been going to music classes, specifically, Music Together, on Thursday mornings.

Music has always been a big part of my life and my family’s life. My grandmother can play the piano brilliantly from ear. She can’t read music, but she can sit down and play any ANY song. She has performed in public many times, in various states and venues. My parents always encouraged my siblings and I in music, and I studied the flute from the time I was in 5th grade all through high school. I still have one and pull it out play it on occasion. I played the flute in the youth symphony during high school, as well as in marching band, jazz band, and orchestra. I participated in a lot of competitions and always really enjoyed them. I can also play the piccolo, piano a bit, and percussion- the mallets and xylophone. I also was in choir in school, and enjoyed singing, but my real love was playing the flute. Our band in high school actually got to be in a Disneyland parade, so I got to play the flute while marching down Main Street in Disneyland.

My older brother played the violin during Jr. high, and high school, and was also in the youth symphony. One of my younger sisters inherited my grandmother’s talent for the piano, and she can play the piano by ear, and she can read music. She also plays the violin, and taught herself (yes self taught) herself the clarinet. She also was very active in music during school, and played in the youth symphony. My youngest sister played the french horn, my mother sings, and my father can play the bass and has an amazing “musical memory.” He can tell you which composer, which orchestra, etc. plays a certain piece of music.

So by now you have gotten the idea how big a part of music has been in my life, and we hope to pass that down to our children. The Music Together program emphasizes that all children can learn to sing in tune, and keep a beat, when taught early enough. Ryan sways to music already, and his teacher says that is how small children keep the beat. He can hear a song, and “drum” the correct beat. He seems to really like singing, dancing, and playing instruments already. He is really interested in the guitar; I think because our MT teacher lets the kids come up and play her guitar after class. Joe and I have been talking about starting Ryan with an instrument when he is four, all though I don’t know what instrument it will be yet.

During the course of the class, we have also gotten to play with drums, tambourines, triangle, rhythm sticks, individual bells, and mallets just to name a few.

Our teacher is wonderful, and she allows siblings up to a year old to come with the older sibling for free, so Cole has been introduced to music as well, since before he was born. He bounces along to a lot of the songs, “plays” the rhythm sticks, and claps. Sometimes at home if I am singing, he’ll just start bouncing along with the beat- it is really neat to see. So I hope by attending Music Together, it will intoduce and start Ryan and Cole down a road for a life-long love of music.

Here are a couple of pictures of Ryan and I at class when he was about 18 months old (they are the only pictures I have of us during class, and were taken by my sister when she visited a class with us. The program encourages parent participation, so I am usually too busy participating to take pictures. 🙂 )

Cole Ryan

Out of the Mouths of Babe’s

Post author By A Mama's Blog
Post date January 28, 2007
3 Comments on Out of the Mouths of Babe’s

Ryan isn’t really a “babe” anymore, but he still can say the funniest things. Usually on Sunday’s he goes over to his grandparents house, and Joe (my husband) will pick him up later in the afternoon. Today Joe said that Grandma told him that Ryan asked for more milk, and she asked him what the magic word is- most children at this point, would beam up at their grandma and say, “please.” Our little monkey said, “Damn it.”

As Joe and Ryan were cuddling before bed, I went in (after getting Cole to sleep) and hugged Ryan. I asked him to tell me that he loves me, and he crinkled up his forehead, and squished his eyes together and mutters, “I love you, Mommy.” Not exactly the tender bedtime moment I was after, but oh well- it made me laugh. If he is already doing this at 3, I can only imagine what he will be doing when he is 13, and I ask him for a hug!

Cole is learning something new everyday. Yesterday, as we were driving around in the car, doing errands he started to giggle and laugh. He usually is very quiet in his car-seat, or he cries until he falls asleep, so we were wondering what was so funny back there. He was laughing for a good ten minutes. When we stopped the car to get out, I discovered he had pulled his socks off and was tickling his toes, and cracking himself up.

Today he really started to clap. We were singing a song with Ryan, and Cole just started clapping along. Now if you clap, he’ll immediately start up. Here are a couple pictures of him, showing off his new skills.