Chilly Willy

It was very cold yesterday morning, so I dressed Cohen in the only hooded sweatshirt in his closet. It was size six months, but he squeezed into it - yes, he needs new fall clothes! Take a look at those teeth! Oh my gosh, he is so cute. We call him our little Michael Strahan!

Tough Guy

Cohen had his first flu shot this afternoon and didn't even flinch! I was expecting screaming and tears, but he just stared at the pretty nurse and didn't move a muscle. He is so tough, and I was one proud mama!

Cohen's new favorite thing to do is clap his hands. He does it all the time - while eating, while in his jumperoo, while swinging. Cohen's music puppy started singing "If You're Happy And You Know It," and Cohen immediately smiled and started clapping his hands. Our baby is a genius! Well, at least we think so.

Also, this may be too much info, but Cohen is now completely weaned. He did it himself. I've tried to breast feed him the past few days, but he looks at me like I am crazy. So, I guess he's finished. My body is still adjusting, but Cohen is doing more than fine! I had hoped to make it to a year with him, but I think 10 months is pretty darn good. It was probably the most challenging thing I have ever done. Whew.

Our little man is so grown up...where did our baby go?

Sorry everyone, no pictures this time, but I promise to post some new ones soon!

10 Months

Cohen must know that today is special because he clapped his hands the entire time he ate breakfast this morning. Stinka' Man is 10 months old! Only two more months 'til he gets to dig his hands into some birthday cake.

Cohen LOVES sitting in the desk chair. I spin him around and around, and he smiles the entire time.

Fall Fun

October has begun, and we are loving the cool weather. Despite being a sick house (Cohen and I have both had colds), Cohen continues to make the most of every day. He no longer scoots, just crawls, and he is getting fast! Cohen loves walking around the house holding on to our fingers. We can't wait to start chasing after him when he walks on his own! Cohen now has FIVE teeth! He pretty much feeds himself these days. He loves picking up food with his "pinchers," and he's gotten quite good at it. I think he might be right handed because he usually feeds himself with his right hand. The cutest thing happened the other day during lunchtime. Cohen figured out how to play peek-a-boo with me. He would pull his t-shirt over his face and then lower it while I said, "peek-a-boo!" Cohen smiled and laughed and repeated the game over and over.





Cohen wore his FSU colors proudly at the park. Such a sad loss yesterday. At least UVA beat the Tar Heels!

Race For The Cure

I woke up earlier than usual this morning to participate in the Race For The Cure 5K. It was a beautiful morning in Charlotte, and Cohen and David got up early to wish me luck. It truly was an honor to participate in an event of such magnitude. I'll admit, I got a little teary eyed when we took off at the start line. The energy was amazing. Once I was able to pass through the crowd of other racers and walkers, I tried to take in exactly what this race stood for. Despite running with a cold, just thinking of all the people affected by this horrible illness helped push me to the finish line - 28.02 minutes. There was a huge hill at the end that was a killer, but I am pretty happy with my time given the huge crowd of racers to fight through.

Now, the boys and I are heading to the park and lunch when Cohen wakes up from his nap. Then, college football all day and Jaguars tomorrow!

Monday

While most people have a "case of the Mondays," Cohen is having the time of his life! Here's a glimpse of Cohen's Monday.

Swingin' on the front porch

Hangin' out at ImaginOn (check out his shoes!)

Spaghetti dinner

Not pictured: Walk around the neighborhood with Grady, play time at home, trip to Reid's, two naps, trip to Harris Teeter, walk to the park, more swinging, slide ridin' and story time with Dad.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Cohen had a fun weekend with his Nona and Granddaddy! Friday night, we went to dinner at Zio, where Cohen flirted with all the little girls in the restaurant. It rained all day Saturday, so Cohen enjoyed a full day of football watching. Too bad FSU lost. Nona and Granddaddy cooked us a fantastic dinner Saturday night and babysat so David and I could go out for a bit. It was a relaxing and fun weekend!

Cohen is loving his new pajamas!

Cohen playing on his new lion - Thanks Nona and Granddaddy for the awesome toy!

Good Morning!

So, Cohen is now wearing size 12 month pj's. Oh my goodness, I can't get enough of him in these. I held him twice as long last night before bedtime, and I've given him about 200 kisses this morning. Cohen is a little bundle of sweetness wrapped up in these jammies.

Small But Mighty

Cohen is getting bigger by the week and continues to reach new milestones. He had his first spaghetti dinner tonight and loved it! We had so much fun watching him pick up the noodles. At times, he would twirl the noodle around like a lasso. It was hilarious. Cohen is getting more and more adventurous with food. His current favorites are yogurt, cheese, watermelon, crackers, bananas, carrots and Cheerios. He always grabs at our food when we eat, so he enjoys new tastes here and there. Cohen is also walking around the house while holding on to our hands. If we turn our back for a second, he is climbing up the stairs (this happened twice today - time for the baby gate!). Cohen waves hi and bye on cue (unless he gets shy). He waves goodbye to David every night right before I put him to bed. Cohen now has three teeth, and the fourth is starting to poke through. Tonight, he was talking up a storm, saying "Da-Da" on cue. Cohen is making lots of new friends at the library and neighborhood play group. He is planning to be a golfer for Halloween. Our very own mini-Tiger Woods.


Cohen playing with the golf club that came with his Halloween Costume. I love this new t-shirt on him. It's Tonka and says, "Small But Mighty." It's so true!

Update

Cohen is loving the North Carolina September weather. We have been staying busy with daily walks to the park. Cohen's new favorite activity is going down the "Big Slide." Our boy is fearless. He kicks, smiles and squeals just walking up the steps. His dimples can be seen across the park as we ride down the slide together. Cohen could play on the slide all day if I let him. I love that our sweet man is such an adventurer. I can't wait to take him on his first roller coaster ride.

Fall has gotten off to a great start. Football, outdoor festivals and cookouts fill our days and nights. This past weekend, David enjoyed a boys getaway to Vegas, and Cohen and I had a fabulous weekend in Charlotte with GG and Papa. The most exciting news is our Florida State Seminoles TOOK DOWN the #7 ranked BYU Cougars.

Here are a some pictures taken over the past couple of weeks.

Cohen hanging out in his birthday suit, watching his "brothers" wrestle in the backyard. Look at that profile. His nose and mouth are to die for!


My boys cooking out

Cohen playing at ImaginOn

Cohen got the coveted toy - All the babies fight over this one.


Cohen and GG ready for game day

Cohen wrestling with Papa

Big Boy

Cohen had his nine month check-up yesterday. He's such a big boy! He weighed 19 lbs 2 oz and is 27 1/2" tall. Cohen couldn't sit still the entire time, so he crawled all over the exam room while we talked to Dr. Ball. He did enjoy chewing on the tongue depressor. At times, it would just hang out of his mouth, and we couldn't help but laugh. Cohen's latest move is waving hi and goodbye. He gets shy in front of other people, but we get lots of waves at home. It's the cutest thing ever! Cohen also transitioned to a "big boy" car seat! Thank you, Jon and Anna for the awesome seat! Cohen loves riding around town in style.

F.L.O.R.I.D.A. S.T.A.T.E., Florida State, Florida State, Florida State, Whoo!

Look who is ready for the game tonight! I am so nervous, as usual. Cohen is very excited even though he will be asleep before kickoff. We'll do a couple rounds of the Warchant before bedtime. Hopefully I don't wake Cohen up with my screaming and cheering! Go Seminoles!

Six Years and Nine Months

Today, we celebrate Cohen's nine month birthday AND our six year anniversary. We are so blessed to have each other and our sweet little man. Cohen continues to amaze us every day. He cruises around furniture, babbles up a storm, gives open-mouth kisses (Cheerio breath is the best!) and laughs constantly. Cohen was so excited for his first Game Day yesterday. Despite UVA's embarrassing loss to William & Mary, David and Cohen remain optimistic for the season. Cohen can't wait to watch some real football tomorrow night when FSU takes on Miami. Go Noles!
Oh, and David and I celebrated our anniversary last night at Ruth's Chris. We had a blast eating at the bar and watching football. The real highlight was sitting next to Panthers players, Jonathan Stewart and Kenny Moore. When we were waiting in the valet line, we goofed off with them as they practiced football stances. Too funny!




Wait, UVA is losing to W&M?

Here They Are!

The fabulous five - Cohen, Lillian, Julia, Brady and Mae - met at Freedom Park for a play date yesterday afternoon. We all had a blast swinging and playing in the grass. Sarah even brought Ellie to join in on the fun (she's 3 weeks old!). Cohen and I were both exhausted when we got home. We're so lucky to have such amazing friends!

Julia, Cohen, Mae & Brady swinging


Brady and Cohen fighting over the same toy, as usual.

A True Lady

Meme, we miss you every day.  You were a remarkable woman, a true southern belle, and you will never be forgotten.  Words can't describe your wonderful spirit or the lasting impact you made on everyone who had the pleasure of knowing you.  Thanks for making me a better person, a better woman and a better mom.  I will be doing the jitter bug this afternoon in your honor.  We love you!

August and Everything After

August flew by!  It is hard to believe that September is here and Cohen will be celebrating his first birthday in a little more than three months.  As usual, our house is staying busy!  We had a great weekend visiting with David's cousin from Switzerland, Phillipe, and his sweet girlfriend, Sandrine.  Saturday, we cooked out with our favorite neighbors, Jonathan, Heather and Finn.  College football starts Thursday night, and Cohen can't wait!  

Click on the two pictures below to get a close-up view of Cohen's two teeth (one on the top, and one on the bottom).

Cohen loved sharing an apple with Mom.