Poling Publishings

2012-01-22T21:00:00.000-06:00

One of the fancy toys received for Christmas was a Power Wheels truck. The kids loved to sit in it and play with the real radio, but the sound of the tires and engine scared them silly at first, causing Lyla to jump out and Cole to get wide-eyed. It took a week and some coercing, but they finally got used to it and now love their truck. Mom REALLY loves their truck because now the backyard is FUN and I can start preparing dinner or anything else with them outside and safe.

Cole wanted to drive the truck but was just too timid. We watched some youtube videos of others driving and that got him in the seat but he didn't want to hold the pedal down. Finally, mom sat in the passenger side and pushed the petal while he drove. I slowly moved his foot to the pedal and he realized, "HEY! This is easy and Fun!" He loves changing the speed from slow to fast and really loves to drive backwards. Guess he is trying to be Mater. :-)

This was taken after church one week after Christmas. The first thing the kids did when we got home was run in the backyard and hop in the truck. Lyla is a first rate passenger too. She thinks all Cole's crazy driving is exciting, even if it does jostle her around. Cole has even gone on the sidewalks and an ally road with his truck - his maneuvering is pretty good too!

2012-01-21T20:53:00.000-06:00

Cole pretty much doesn't nap any longer, but there are days he needs one. Problem is he fights against the idea of laying down with mom in bed or going to his room. But if I can encourage him to even sit a minute or be still and silent, this is what inevitably occurs.

Sleeping at the top of the stairs waiting for mom to come out of her room.

Sleeping in front of the desk waiting for mom to write an email.

Notice these two both occurred while "waiting" for mom. This oddly enough is a new tactic I've found. If I tell him to be good and quiet for five minutes, then we will go outside or play a game, or something. This calms him and even to my surprise, enables him to fall fast asleep, usually in a matter of 2 or 3 minutes!

These are getting less often, but for a child that never fell asleep anywhere but his bed, these moments astound me and make me want to cuddle up right next to him too. :-)

2012-01-20T20:45:00.000-06:00

Back in November, after Cars 2 came out on video, Rick thought up an ingenious family activity night. He borrowed the projector and screen from church and blew up the air mattress in the living room. I made popcorn, the old fashioned way - stove top, and we enjoyed it even better than if we were in the theater. We learned Lyla can eat almost an entire large bowl of popcorn all by herself and that Cole prefers to sit in front of the laptop screen rather than see it large. Seriously, he ended up sitting in front of the ottoman where the laptop was playing the movie. haha! But we knew he loved it because he requested the movie everyday pretty much until Christmas when his Aunts gave him his very own copy of Cars 2.

2012-01-19T21:10:00.000-06:00

The kids are enjoying the cool days and the warm days this winter, but most fun for me is how they are interacting more and more. Lyla loves to play in the dirt and mud right along with Cole using all the tractors and cars he has. The road construction by our house has finished but now they are building new homes and Cole is definitely supervising those activities now.

Here are some pics of them playing by the cleared land for the new homes...

And yes, that is Lyla picking dirt out of her mouth with her dirty hands. hahahh! She just HAD to see what it tasted like!

For the most part our days have been 50's or higher temps but we have a few days of 30's and 40's. The kids thought the cold was fun at first but now Cole says to me after a few minutes, "Mom, it's FREEEEZING! Let's go inSIDE!". Hmmm...wonder who he learned that from???

One of the funniest and delightful things to watch them do is "play rough". I think I've posted about this before. Well, their new thing is that they want to be naked - sometimes with diapers, sometimes without, sometimes with underwear. I can't believe they even want to because it is still chilly in the house without clothes! Well, anyway, one day they were doing their thing when they decided to play chase and then play rough. I happened to have the camera handy. I love to hear them laugh!

2012-01-19T20:40:00.000-06:00

Sometimes Lyla takes a long nap and goes to bed later than Cole. She really enjoys this time to play by herself or with mommy, but usually she spends it reading books or talking with her toys. On one such night, since she was playing by herself, I started vacuuming the kitchen. When I got to the living room, I found her like this.

Eating mini-marshmallows (who knew how she found them or reached them!), sitting in her toy story chair in front of the TV, chowing down. Not a great picture, but boy was she HAPPY!

2012-01-18T20:35:00.001-06:00

We had an absolutely fun Christmas. Cole and Lyla loved all the Christmas lights and went to see Santa so many times I lost count. We watched a couple of Christmas movies on Netflix and they still ask to see them and question me as to where Santa went now. We have a couple of Christ centered videos as well. We watched one for FHE the last Monday in November and another for FHE the first Monday in December. The remainder of the month they repeatedly asked to watch them. Their favorite, of course, was the animated Nativity. In fact, they asked to watch it again just yesterday. Lyla especially loved playing with the various baby Jesus figurines on the tree and in Nativity sets.

Some fun things we did closer to Christmas was to make gingerbread houses at Daddy's work:
(kids not pictured here but you get the idea)

A visit to Santa Town where you can enter a cowboy town to see Santa and Mrs. Claus in a log cabin, with one of the reindeer out front (a REAL reindeer mind you), have snow in TX fall on your head (from a machine of course), listen to live music, roast marshmallows, see TONS of lights, ride a pony and see sheep, bunnies, and llamas at the petting zoo as well as see other exotic animals and of course, chat with Sheriff Frostbite (aka Frosty). There are some really cute shops there too.

My parents came to town for Christmas Eve. We enjoyed a nice turkey dinner - my first attempt which thanks to a fabulous recipe and guidelines, turned out great. Rick had made it before so I knew it was good. We opened presents in the morning and then went to church. Lyla was excited about everything in the stocking but fizzled out when it came to actually opening a present. I'm not sure she was feeling well. Cole didn't mind that at all though - more presents for him to open! He definitely enjoyed the unwrapping almost more than what was inside!

I was glad that our kids had fun especially glad that they remembered that it was Jesus' birthday.

A video of the kiddies enjoying the music at the mall...

2012-01-18T18:43:00.002-06:00

Rick likes to listen to music and dance around with the kids (especially Lyla). Well this particular morning, Lyla had decided she was NOT going to wear a diaper and she was going to wear Cole's underwear. (Granted she didn't have any of her own at this point. We went out and got her some, but she still prefers Cole's. I kind of don't blame her since they fit so well and the panties just kind of lay there limp.) She started bouncing to the music and clapping her hands. Our little diva!

2012-01-18T18:41:00.000-06:00

This adorable video was taken December 1st. We always read to Cole and Lyla before bedtime. This time Cole decided he wanted to do it himself. He read the entire book and then started a second round so I grabbed the camera!

2011-11-13T20:25:00.001-06:00

So much to catch up on so I'll just dive right in. First, was Rick's birthday. I try a new strawberry cake recipe every year trying to find "the one" that just thrills him. No, this year was not it. Every year I think, "YES! This sounds awesome!" But it never quite turns out how I think. But the kids enjoyed blowing out the candles and licking off all the icing. Cole doesn't like us to actually cut him a piece of cake. He just want to like the icing off the entire thing. Good thing he at least likes to use a candle or a spoon instead of his fingers!

For my birthday Rick treated me to a weekend in Dallas. Kylene was kind enough to watch the kids for us as my mother dealt with some health issues at the time. The kids really loved their time with her and now Lyla loves to randomly call out for "Kaka!" and of course they want her little doggie too.

About a week before Cole's third birthday he started having a hard time falling asleep for naps. So I would let him stay up and he was surprisingly delightful! I actually enjoy our time alone and he is so loving, cuddly and quiet during that time that I think he loves it too. Some days we "play school" and work through a preschool workbook and sometimes we play games together or trains. Since the time change he has needed a little nap on some days and I've found him to easily take that nap without any frustrations if he lays down with mommy in her bed. I have loved this too. Sometimes we sleep; sometimes he sleeps and then I get up and do some chores; and it seems this past week, I slept and Cole would get up and go play. haha! Sweetest moment ever...I was falling asleep and Cole cuddled really close to me, kissed me on the forehead and said "Sleep Tight!" and then jumped off the bed to go play. Awww...

I always dreaded the days when Cole wouldn't nap, but it has really been a refreshing change. He cleaned windows with me last week. He helps me pick up the house. I think he just enjoys the one on one time too since, more often than not, he turns into a teasing monster when Lyla wakes up. (Obviously, not wanting to share mommy anymore.) I have been trying to think of more ways to give him some individuality rather than doing things with Lyla. I've noticed him pull away in Kindermusik, not wanting to participate and the instructor noticed it too. She said it could be he is ready for the next class (where you go without a parent) or that we just need to put him in a class without Lyla. So we are going to try taking him to a different class this week. We will see how it goes. We just finished Hot Shots Soccer which he also did without his sister. So now I'm trying to think of something else. Any ideas???

We have been working with Cole on brushing his teeth. Some days he is excited and ready to go all out. Others, not so much. I even bought that blue rinse he has to brush off hoping to get him excited. That worked for two days.

But the big 3rd birthday was SO MUCH FUN! It seemed to go on and on which made it all that more exciting for Cole. We celebrated at home the day of with a cake I put his new Thomas train on. My parents were able to come for that.

He opened Grandpa and Grandma Poling's gifts that night too.

His birthday party for he and his little friends was the following Monday. I made a tiny green cake for Cole and green cupcakes for everyone else.

We had tables set up for the kids to color train pictures with crayons or watercolor. We played pin the Face on Percy and had all of Cole's trains out for the kids to play with. Oddly enough, Cole was playing with his oldest set here. He still loves this little $10 or $15 train and track we got at Walgreens. He is the sentimental type. :-)

Lyla loved all the kids there and especially their little siblings. She is a baby fanatic. She always wants to give them a pacifier and she even wraps them in HER blankie! WHOA! I about died the first time I saw her give a baby her blanket to make them feel better. Soooooo precious. That's our Lyla! Oh yea, and she loved the cupcakes.

Some gifts didn't come by his party, but that was awesome to Cole because he kept getting gifts in the mail. He still is a little excited there might be a present for him when we get the mail. haha!

Now onto HALLOWEEN!

The kids had a blast. They had been prepped to dress up as characters for "SuperWhy" all month. Cole was Wyatt (SuperWhy) and Lyla was Princess Pea (Princess Presto). Their wands light up and play messages from the show. Lyla's costume came with a crown too but it wouldn't stay on. We went to a Trunk or Treat at our church Saturday night. We didn't go out again on Halloween night, but instead gave away the candy they got on Saturday. Is that awful? I didn't think so since they were actually thrilled to give it to others coming to our door. They thought it was great fun!

This guy was so happy to be fully dressed up and was prepping all night to say "Trick or Treat", but kind of chickened out at the actual Trunk or Treat. They both were kind of bewildered why people were giving them all this candy, but more so as to why everyone looked so funny!

Cole Saying Trick or Treat!

And Lyla's attempt...

The weather has cooled off and the kids love it. We started going to a new park a little further down from our house. Cole calls it the pink park because it has a pink slide. The tennis courts are right next to it and he has a real fascination with tennis. I've never seen him attempt to hit a ball and throw a ball longer than when he tries tennis. However he thinks he is supposed to hit the ball down, not out and across, so he gets a bit frustrated. I have a love-hate relationship with this particular park. We have lots of fun and the kids play really well there. The hate? Well, they also tend to get really dirty there. I don't know why. I think they just think that is what they should do at this park. So, so dirty. Cole picks up the rocks and dirt and puts it on Lyla and she does the same back to him. I tried to stop it and then I thought, "Really? That probably IS fun. Big deal, we take a bath."

Lyla is our little freedom child as well. She always takes her shoes off and loves to be without clothes too. I think I solved the shoe problem by buying her lace-up keds that were big to give her growing room. (I think her other shoes were too small and they were velcro - WAY too simple for this girl to get off.) But here she is in her glory....

And doing her balance beam routine....

They used to play a balance beam game at Music Makers (a free program mom's get together and do at our church on Friday mornings). I'm guessing that's where she got the idea.

And lastly, the carnival was back in town this past week. They brought some kiddie rides this time around so we took Cole and Lyla on Monday. They had a little train that they rode a couple of times.

And Lyla wanted to ride the horses on the carousel.

They both went down the tallest slide I have ever seen and BOTH loved it.

Here is Lyla's reaction after the ride. Her face looks scared but she is pointing to the slide and asking ot go again. haha! She is totally going to be a thrill seeker. Scared, but wants more!

So how is that for a month and a half update? I'm positive I missed so much of the cute little stuff they do. My apologies to all. But here is a final video of Cole making a video before we closed our eyes for a nap.

2011-09-29T14:17:00.002-05:00

Rick has Monday's off work which leaves the whole day usually for playtime with Daddy. It is so much fun. This past Monday Rick took the kids in the morning so I could clean house. It had been awhile since I had gotten the nitty gritty and I was so grateful.

Anyway, since 1970, our church has asked families to set aside Monday evenings for a "Family Home Evening" (FHE). It is a time to have fun together as well as an opportunity to teach the children about gospel principles and other important topics (like manners). Our family did it while we were growing up, and as we got older it became a time to actually ALL be together as well as coordinate schedules as everybody seemed to have so much going on. I always looked forward to FHE.

Honestly, we have been a little slow on starting it with our children because A) we already were spending the day together and B) I really was unfamiliar with how to teach young toddlers. But we both knew it was important that the gospel be taught in the home and not just in church. Obviously, it is something we do on a day to day basis in normal speaking, playing and correcting our children, but this little time set aside is still crucial. So for a while now we have been trying to actually plan a lesson and activity together and have been doing some fun things. I have also realized teaching toddlers about spiritual things really isn't that difficult and that I really enjoy it. I love to see Cole and Lyla learning new things. We do it in fun ways and they get excited. Their favorite is catching fish and then learning about what is on the fish. (i.e. sharing, helping, hitting, yelling, prayers, singing, etc.)

This weekend is general conference for the LDS church. It is a time when we are blessed to hear from the prophet, Thomas Monson, and the twelve apostles. So in preparation we brought out pictures of them so we could talk about who they are and why we would want to listen to what they say to us about living Christlike lives. They loved it and kept wanting to look at the pictures. Cole and Lyla really enjoy looking at pictures. They always ask me "Who is that?" whenever they see any pictures of anyone. Sometimes it is a random picture at the store and so I say "I don't know" or make up a name. This has been great since we have so much family living far away.

We then played "Follow the Leader" and sang the chorus to "Follow the Prophet" as we marched around the house. Cole and Lyla giggled the entire time and of course Daddy then turned it into a chase which made it even more fun. For those that don't know the song, I found it on youtube (anything is there now).

Afterwards we had a birthday kickoff party. Three of our birthdays are in October (Rick, me and then Cole) so we decided to start early. We made funfetti cupcakes (Rick's favorite) and put candles on them so Lyla and Cole could practice blowing them out. Cole was SUPER excited. As you can tell. Lyla caught on to the whole festivity pretty quickly and very much enjoyed her cupcake too.

So now mommy is very, VERY excited for birthdays. Guess I should decide what kind of festivity we will have for Cole. A friend of ours asked him what kind of cake he wanted and he said "Green and Yellow" and has been saying it since. Hmm...Pistachio cake? I doubt he would like that. He actually doesn't usually eat the cake anyway, just the icing. So I'll be sure to pile on lots of green and yellow icing. Maybe he is wanting a Percy Cake? He is green and yellow! Or maybe I should make it easy and just do something like below. Cole is already excited for Christmas AND Easter and keeps adding things to his wishlist. I just have to remember to add them whenever he tells me something else he likes. (Wishlist links are kept permanently at the bottom of the blog page.) Oh yes, and the reason he is excited for Easter is because last Easter he got a little Percy train in an egg and is hoping for another since he lost it. He also got a Thomas the same way but hasn't lost that one. This boy is a train and cars lover! Just like any other little three year old I suppose!

2011-09-28T15:52:00.001-05:00

Lyla is getting so big. She speaks really well but doesn't enunciate enough for strangers to understand her. I started listing all the things she says the other day and finally quit when I filled an entire sheet of paper all over. It's all happened so quickly! She is fiercely independent but is beginning to realize that a little help from mom isn't all that bad (thank heavens). She loves to climb and does many things that Cole would never have done at her age. For example, this playground ladder. She got it without help on her first attempt. After doing it a few times, she started to realize there is a chance of falling so she kept saying "help, help" in the video. She just wanted me there to make sure. She climbed up it a number of times after the video too without saying help.

She still loves her blanky and doesn't go many places without it. And she still sucks those fingers. Occasionally she finds it amusing to play with a pacifier instead of her fingers but really, she is happy with what she has got.

She is a book aficionado. She still prefers to read them to herself but sometimes lets mommy read one, okay maybe two, books to her. She is will spend a great deal of time just flipping through books each day. The librarians promised me that is just as good as if I were reading to her so I quit trying to prod her to let me read with her. She also loves to build things with blocks, legos, stacking cups, etc. She is really good at it as she has really good coordination and balance. Lyla loves to sing and since she repeats sound well she is pretty good at it. Strangers won't know what she is saying but they will know what she is singing because the tune is spot on. Her "Twinkle, Twinkle" is so cute it makes you want to cry. (promise. it's not just because I'm her mommy.) She enjoys "Super Why" and "Thomas" ("choo-choo's" to her) with Cole and frequently asks for "Whhy, Whhy" even when Cole isn't around. She enjoys watching "Signing Time" but almost never signs anything.

Lyla is daddy's girl 100% and boy does she have him wrapped around her little toesies too. She lights up like a Christmas tree when he comes home and jumps up from wherever she is and runs to him yelling "DaaAaadddEee!!!" Heartwarming.

I think Cole is becoming more of a momma's boy because he only lets me put him to bed. On the nights he wakes up for some reason or another (sick, storm, etc.) but that is because he knows he has a really good chance of getting in bed with mommy and daddy if Dad comes. He has about 0% chance with mommy. (cruel, I know.)

Cole is almost three and is definitely maturing. He speaks SOOOOO well that it even shocks Rick and I. He is still shy but is getting better at trying new things or meeting new people. He is starting to give up naps here and there but does really well at playing in his bed for about an hour or hour and a half if he doesn't nap. Thank goodness!

These two fill my days with craziness and delight. And I love it!

Day Out with Thomas

2011-09-28T15:51:00.001-05:00

So I haven't been taking pictures lately which means I don't post. They just kind of go hand in hand. I've not been carrying my camera around and all the pics on my iphone are blurry or off color now for some reason. But it is what it is.

Last weekend we went to Burnet, TX for a "Day Out with Thomas". It was so much fun with lots to do and the weather was perfect. Lyla loved the coloring. She really does enjoy drawing and coloring. Much more so than Cole does, but she is messy and crazy with the colors. So unless I can sit right beside her we don't do it. She spent a lot of time with daddy at the coloring table.

Cole went to play with all the trains on the huge train table multiple times. We would leave when he would get frustrated with the amount of children at the table (because then he couldn't actually drive the train anywhere) and then come back later.

Cole played in the train bounce house once. He wanted us to come in but it was too small.

So he moved on to miniature golf with Lyla (and she and daddy made that lovely necklace she is wearing too).

They got balloons from conductor clowns and we saw Sir Topham Hatt. Cole really couldn't wait to see him. He even stood patiently in line just for the chance to touch him. He is holding his hand in the picture.

I can't believe I didn't get a picture of the actual Thomas train but here is Lyla standing outside the gate right in front.

When Cole first heard Thomas blow his horn and then drive around the bend he started pointing and saying Thomas. I was fortunate to have the video on. And for those that know Cole, he is NOT dramatic and doesn't show a lot of emotion. THIS is a genuinely very excited Cole. Trust me. I was so happy for him I was fighting back tears. I'm such a blubbering mommy. But he was very interested to get back to the small trains too.

The REAL train was on the other end pulling and then pushing "Annie and Clarabell" (aka. the passenger cars). It was loud when the horn blew and Cole didn't like that very much so by the time it was our turn to ride he actually didn't want to. But by the time we got on, made silly faces at the camera,

and realized it was much more quiet INSIDE the passenger car, he was all smiles and excited to be on the train. The ride was only 20 minutes but perfect for two little tots who were hungry by then and ready for naps. It was really a great time for everyone!

2011-08-13T22:34:00.001-05:00

I just realized Jillian took a few photos with my camera. (Yep, haven't used the real one in weeks...) and I found this GEM! My new favorite photo of Grandma and Lyla.

In between our trips the kids were playing out back. Cole was chanting something and dragging Lyla around. So I crept closer to figure out what he was playing. Turns out it was "Ring Around the Rosies"! I quickly grabbed the iphone but I only caught the last of it. I was so shocked because we only played that a couple of times awhile ago. However, since I realized he enjoys it, it has become a favorite. It ends up turning into a spinning session with crazy hilarity on the floor and we love it!

Lockport, New York

2011-08-10T22:01:00.002-05:00

So we again took separate flights to New York. This time it was because originally Rick was going by himself. Then he was going to bring Lyla, but when the cheapest tickets he could get meant staying 5 days, that was just too long without daddy and Lyla, so Cole and I got tickets too. It was another long day of flying with already tired children but overall it was pleasant.

The very first thing Cole and Lyla did was ride on Great Papa Solotes' tractor. Cole asked to ride it every day and got very adept at it. Lyla even loved to ride it too. So Skip and Papa Solotes would take turns taking the kids for rides.

I was a little concerned with the tight sleeping conditions in George & Yvette's two bedroom home, but it all worked out wonderfully. The kids shared a room with Rick's parents. Cole slept on a twin air mattress on the floor. Lyla had a pack n play. Rick slept on the couch or floor and I slept on another air mattress or couch in the living room. Kaitlyn and Jillian either slept on the air mattress, at a friend's house or Natalie's apartment.

While Rick and I were at the wedding, Cole and Lyla went with the family to a party celebrating a cousin's graduation. They loved it and now Cole gets very excited at the mention of a party. After all, there was a lot to do in their backyard! We later joined them at the festivities.

We went to Darien Lake (an amusement park) one day thanks to Natalie who got free tickets for us from her work. Cole had a terrible allergy attack the night prior and was up until midnight, but we decided to go anyway. He was pretty good considering the circumstances. He rode many rides and enjoyed them but was also very scared in many too...notice the grip he has on Rick's shirt.

He got to ride his very own train! It was man powered so when it would run out of oomph from the initial push they would have to go push him again, but I thought he did great for never having "pedaled" with his hands (wait, or feet for that matter).

There was a mighty breakdown at one point that was finally resolved with daddy beating out little seven or eight year olds to win a cookie monster. Cole went on to ride the bumper carswith Cookie Monster. He did really well for never having driven by himself or pushed a pedal to drive!

All I have to say is "Thank Goodness for Cookie Monster!" I think he just needed a lovey and we hadn't brought his blanket. Since coming home he hasn't been all that thrilled with him other than to sing "C is for Cookie" and push a magnet shaped "C" into his mouth. Lyla finds him adorable and cuddles and lays with him, but calls him "Elmo" no matter how many times I correct her.

Cole got to see a Thomas & Friends show while Rick and I went on a roller coaster. He even participated which was rather shocking to me. (He is behind the "INA" sign.)

And even as tired as he was he wanted to ride motorcycles. I could tell he was afraid, but he held on and didn't get upset. That was a huge leap for him.

Little Princess was such a trooper too. She loved all the things to see and enjoyed the rides right along with Cole.

It was so great to spend time with the family and enjoy some cooler weather. Although it was unusually hot for Western NY, it was cooler than Texas. We'll take 85 - 90 degrees any day! Cole and Lyla really enjoyed playing in the shaded yard, going for walks with Grandma, playing in the water or going to the playground.

I would often find Cole talking with Great Grandma Solotes in the kitchen. He would go on and on and on. It was sooo sweet. There is a little TV in the kitchen and they would watch it together and talk about it. Or she would ask him lots of questions and he would give her the most detailed answers. Lyla captured Great Papa Solotes' heart right away. Of course he also bribed her with M&M's to sit with him. After that she would always want to sit with him in hopes of getting some chocolate.

We also visited Lake Ontario and went swimming at a friend's home where the girls surprised Cole with some Thomas toys and swimming trunks. You can see from his face he was delighted.

We were able to do so much, but at the same time have such a relaxed and lazy vacation.Okay, at least I was lazy. With so much help around I totally chilled. It was awesome.

And of course Rick had to eat at all the old stomping grounds. We even stopped at a the classic "Reids" for lunch and ice cream with the kids.

Overall, it was fabulous and it felt like leaving home again when it came time to actually go home. The only regret was we didn't make it to Rochester or Palmyra. Just not enough time in five days for all that we would want to do there. Hopefully it isn't another three years before we are able to return and see the Solotes clan!

And THANK YOU to Jillian for the majority of these pictures. Once again, I was a total slacker with the camera.

Lake Hamlin, Michigan

2011-08-05T22:15:00.001-05:00

Okay, time to catch up on the fun month we have had starting with our trip to Michigan. Rick and Cole flew together and Lyla and I took a separate flight. It was the only way we could use our frequent flier miles to go. Lyla was a nightmare on the first flight but an angel after that. I have to say that the Chicago Children's Museum inside the airport really, REALLY helped to make the trip pleasant and keep Lyla very entertained. Overall, the kids were pretty good travelers and Lyla was even better on the way back.

I have to say that I was very poor at taking any pictures at all while we were there. I took a few but I should have taken so many more. It was a beautiful week on the Lake with family. I was just too busy relaxing and enjoying the grandparents around to realize that I would want these pictures! Oh well. Here are some highlights though...

Cole played on this tractor multiple times. You can see it was definitely a thrill.

Cole and Lyla adored playing in the sand and in the water. Lyla is a little daredevil and kept trying to get you to let go of her. She would just step right in. That's fine on the beach area but by the cabins it is the dock. They would both lay in the sand, grab water in their buckets and pour it on the sand, dig it up and start all over again.

Grandpa Poling brought a fishing pole and a tractor for Cole to play with and boy did he love them both. At any given time you could see Cole outside driving the tractor through the dirt. He loved to roll it down the sidewalk until it hit the grass too.

We took a trip to the sand dunes on the side of the lake one day with the kids. Shockingly Cole wasn't afraid to climb it with Grandma Poling. (He usually is afraid of heights.) Even better was rolling down it again, and again, and again with daddy!

Cole can't even open his eyes when asked to smile for the camera. The combination of uncontrollable laughter, sand and sun didn't make it easy! Playing in the sand and in the dirt with his tractor might be some of the rare occasions that Cole didn't mind being dirty. I love this picture because the dirt is so out of character for him. However, the cupcake mouth is totally Cole. He loves cake!

Lyla on the other hand thinks dirt is her best friend. She bathes in the stuff. In fact, she thought she would try eating it too.

Hmmm...yeah, that didn't work out like she thought.

Although we were there for July 4th, we didn't play with them for days later. Cole really loves sparklers as we play with them at home, but the "Pop-its" were new and boy did he love throwing those at our feet! I totally lost track of time and he was up until almost 11:30pm! I had forgotten that dark doesn't even come until about 10pm there. That was hard for him the first night to get used to going to bed before the sun went down.

Ludington is a great place for young families to vacation. The beach off Lake Michigan is so clean - no rocks or dirt or anything. I think they comb through it every night. There is a beautiful lighthouse to walk to and a fun park right on the beach. We went there a couple of times and played on the swings, slides and in the sand.

Oh, and doesn't Rick look like a movie star or something here. Have to say I enjoy having the casual and scruffy Rick on our vacations! (Um, even though I think those were Yvonne's sunglasses. Hahah!)

We also went to a park on another end of Lake Michigan where most of the boat docks are and the steamboat to cross the Lake. This was an amazing playground - the largest and coolest I have ever seen. Rick and I loved playing on it. Lyla thought she was so cool running around on it with the big kids. Cole somehow forgot his fear of heights and tall slides in the chaos and enjoyed every second. The "bumpy" slide was definitely his favorite.

We also enjoyed the soft, green grass to play in. I miss soft grass. :-(

There was a little kiddie playground too. I took Lyla there and behold, she decided that steps were for sliding down (which I quickly put an end too) and slides were for climbing. Frankly, it shocked me. The girl is crazy.

It was a lovely trip and we can't wait to do it all again. We were home maybe four days when Rick up and found cheap tickets for us to go to Buffalo, New York to attend a friend's wedding, see his grandparents and spend time with his family that was visiting there too. We had not been there with the kids ever so we were very excited but details of that adventure to come in the next post.

Here's a video of Cole and Daddy on the dunes.

2011-06-29T19:10:00.000-05:00

Wow! I was reminded by more than one friend that it has been a long time since I updated the blog and I couldn't believe it had been over a month! We have been busy enjoying the summer heat and napping I suppose. So this will mostly be an update of pics and vids you have missed.

Cole is very into taking self portraits with my new white iphone (thank you Rick!)

We have visited Austin a few times as Robert and Beverly moved to Illinois and Ryan and Jefra are moving in two weeks to Florida. We are trying to get the most cousin time in as possible. Lyla thinks she's one of the big kids.

Here are Cannon and Cole showing me they can count to ten. These boys are going to miss each other!

On one of our trips we went to Austin Children's Museum. I love that place. Cole had such a good time playing with the trains. Here's Lyla enjoying the slide.

We bought a few hanging flower baskets for around the house. After being up a few days we found a cute little nest and two eggs...and then four eggs! I love the watch the mommy and daddy guard their little ones. Cole likes to check up on the them too.

This was taken a bit ago but it shows just how much Cole LOOOOOOVES ice cream. We started reading scriptures at night and he eats a popsicle or ice cream. Bad habit to start? Well, at least he enjoys it!

It seems everyone is leaving us because my aunt and uncle that live here are moving for a year as well. Cole and Lyla adore playing with my cousins. Cole used to be afraid of their toy robot but now loves him. This robot really is cute.

Since injuring my back again, I started physical therapy. It has really improved things but I still deal with daily back stiffness, popping and being sore. Aunt B has watched my kiddos for me quite often so I can go to therapy without worries. She of course puts them to work too.

We have had Hudson, one of Cole's buddies here in College Station, over quite a bit as well. I thought this was so funny. The towels were out to sit on for lunch and they had been playing in the sprinkler. Then they suddenly both decided to lay down and sunbath.

Yes, even thought it is killer hot here we have still managed to play a lot outside and we swim at Miramont. That is always nice because then they can see daddy even if it is only for a little bit.

As you know Cole drinks Soymilk. Well, daddy made this little man out of his box and gave him a single drink box and said it was his son. Cole played with these guys for quite a while. They did everything he and daddy do - cuddle, take naps, play rough, eat, etc. It was adorable!

I often catch Cole rocking out in the back seat. This is his mild rocking. Sometimes he starts mouthing the words too. It is so great. Too bad he gets shy when he catches the camera.

We are heading out this week to Lake Hamlin in Michigan to enjoy a week full of family, boating, cabins, bocce ball tournaments and cooler weather! Can't wait!

2011-05-21T21:34:00.000-05:00

These kiddos are two peas in a pod most days. They love to play together. Usually Lyla gets rolled on and squeezed by Cole. Yesterday he started rubbing her head in the grocery cart just to annoy her. It starts early, doesn't it? But generally they are all loves and hugs. Lyla watches and copies Cole and Cole thinks Lyla is funny. He gets excited when he sees her do something new too. Here they are having milk after their naps. This was a month or so ago because Lyla doesn't use bottles now.

We pulled out the sprinkler the other day and let the kids run around. They mostly stayed away from it but enjoyed being in their bathing suits. Cole plays in the dirt - but only with his gloves on. Silly boy. I love this suit that my sister-in-law Beverly gave to Lyla. She liked it too. She didn't want me to take it off.

Cole loves to watch mommy put on makeup and I let him play with my brushes. Sometimes I let him use the cover up and he makes dots all over his face. Well, this time I was NOT paying attention when he got into the blush and had a heyday!

Grandpa Poling came for a visit last weekend. We loved having him here. Cole was uber excited as he continually asks to go to Chuckie Cheese with Papa Poling. They have some one-on-one time there and he loves every minute.

The purpose for the visit was to see Rick graduate! YEA!!! I was so proud of Rick. It is some dang hard work to study while working, having a family and being so involved in church. There should be special awards given to those who do it successfully!

Seriously, I could not be any happier. There are not many who can juggle so much and maintain sanity and happy relationships. Rick manages it all with finesse. He is truly inspiring. But I am so glad it is done too!

There is a train that drives around inside the mall by my parent house. They started it at Christmas and just kept it going. Cole and Lyla rode it at Christmas and loved it. So when we were in Austin for Rick's graduation we made sure we took them again. Just look at his excitement even before it started!

Lyla wasn't too sure at first but trust me she got into it!

Watch the video to see Lyla hanging out the window...

2011-04-28T15:43:00.003-05:00

Spring is here! But it feels like summer. Either way, it is beautiful here and we are enjoying it. We actually went swimming at my Uncle's home here in College Station last week and both Cole and Lyla LOVED it. Neither really wanted to get out of the water except they got cold. Once they got warm they wanted right back in.

I didn't get a picture of the swim but here are some recent pics of playing outside (before they got dirty). They were just too cute not to share.

We had a multi-day Easter Celebration. Easter morning the kids awoke to a trail of jelly beans leading to their Easter baskets. Once Lyla realized she could eat the beans she followed that track stuffing her face with all she could keep in there. It was a lot of fun to do a real holiday tradition now that the children are getting older and can enjoy it. Later than evening we went to my Aunt and Uncle's for dinner. We got some pictures of the family - well, we TRIED to get a picture of the family together. This is about as good as it gets.

Lyla was already tired by this point. But we did get some cute ones of her playing with the flowers. She loves flowers. It's one of the words she says often.

Cole wasn't quite as cooperative but we managed with what he gave us.

Rick has Mondays off work so we invited some friends over and we had an Easter Egg hunt in our backyard. The kids loved it. And we had a visitor! (Too bad Lyla didn't know who that really was.)

(Her blue lips are from a ring pop. She is a lollipop fanatic! Just loves 'em!

Oh, and Thanks Aunt Natalie for my dress!)

Easter always makes me feel so much gratitude. I love the green coming back,the flowers and the sun (though the sun doesn't really leave in Texas). This year, I felt especially blessed to have these healthy and beautiful children as part of our family.

We may have our moments of freakish health scares. For example, we found out a couple of weeks ago that Cole is allergic to the sunscreen I used on him all last year. (weird) He broke out in red bumps all over. His skin looked a little swollen for the first day or so. It has been nearly two weeks and he still has bumps on his arms and legs. Poor guy. Why is he allergic to everything?

Yesterday, Lyla woke from her nap with a red mark on the side of her face. I thought it was from sleeping on her hand, but after 45 minutes it had not even slightly faded and was hot to the touch.

I sent this picture to my mother and Rick and asked their opinion. Well, I called the doctor and the nurse said it sounded like heat rash, but if it got worse to go to the doctor. About an hour later it had filled in and was really red - turning purplish. When she started crying a lot, wanting me to hold her and asking for milk, I knew something was wrong. We took her to urgent care (because the docs where then closed). They said it was a good thing we brought her in because it was an infection in the soft tissue of her skin. They couldn't say for sure what kind, but that she just needed some antibiotics. We searched all over for a bite, scratch or other opening where the infection could have started but found nothing - except for what appeared to be dried food by her ear. The doctor said it could have been an inner ear infection that spread but that was just a guess too. Odd thing is after waiting for her prescription the redness had faded again and she was getting back to her playful self. We are giving her the meds all the same.

Still with all these minor ailments I feel very fortunate. A friend of ours just found out their 3 year old has leukemia and will spend the next six months in Houston at the children's hospital there. I can't imagine. Upon hearing this I became extremely grateful for temporary skin rashes and little fevers. We are truly a blessed family.

2011-04-06T15:31:00.000-05:00

Well, Cole's potty training didn't last very long. After 2 days he did NOT want to go to the bathroom and would say "NO!" then go in the other room and pee. He wasn't ready but thought it was fun to try it for a day or two I guess. So we are back to diapers. Oh well.

Lyla is walking now. She isn't totally steady but she can manage about half way across the room before she falls. I think she gets nervous because she will start to lock her knees and try to walk like Frankenstein and then of course, falls. Last week she was an absolute different person. She was definitely not feeling well. She slept poorly, was teething and had a rash on the back of her neck. She cried a lot, didn't even try to walk or talk and wanted to be held. She isn't completely through with it because she is still teething and back to two naps. We had been doing one nap for about a month I guess. I miss my cheery Lyla and worried that since it was going on for so long that she suddenly was going to turn into this beast of a toddler. But slowly she is getting back to herself. I don't know what it was, but it was bad. Trust me. She didn't even want to play outside. She didn't even try to play in the dirt. Yes, this girl can't wait to get into dirt. She even loves to rub food all over her. What a nightmare to clean. Cole was always so neat and liked to be clean. He rarely needed baths - once a week was good for him. She needs one almost every day. Somehow she is always a mess. A cute mess. But a mess.

While we were in Austin a couple of weekends ago, Lyla crawled into the toy closet, climbed up onto a chair and played "work". I found her in there like that. I wonder what she was going to do to get down. She loves to climb.

I think Cole was nearly two before he even attempted to get up this ladder. Not her! She could do it before she could walk. This picture is funny because she is pushing out her belly and making silly faces. She was so excited to get up there and eat!

Cole watched a "Thomas & Friends" video with Cannon while we were in Austin. Guess what? Now he is hooked. We use Netflix to watch them on our Xbox. I actually thought they were SO BORING, but what I realized is the old ones using toys with eyes that move are boring. The new ones with computer animated faces are very, very cool. We watch "Thomas and the Kite" mostly. He loves the song and gets really excited when the words come up at the end. He still loves Toy Story and Cars but now we have a new love. He was always calling all the blue trains "Thomas" so when I pointed out there is a number on the train associated with each name his eyes grew big and wide. I can tell he is already starting to memorize them. Love this kid! He is all boy but with the cuddles, hugs, kisses and gentleness to endear him to your heart forever. For example, last night at dinner he was stroking my left arm as he ate. At first I thought I didn't really notice, but then it went on and on until he practically leapt out of his chair to press his head to my chest and squeeze the life out of me. Is there anything better than that?!

After dinner, it was time for baths and BOY were they on something. Cole swam and spewed water everywhere. Lyla was on a giggle fest and kept falling in the water from laughter. Blood shot eyes to prove it!

And finally, I also took some videos of them

PLAYING

KISSING

and SAYING HELLO

Oh my cuties! I just love them!

2011-03-23T21:36:00.000-05:00

Today Lyla had her first nail polish. Aunt "B" watches Lyla on Wednesdays while Cole and I go to Kindermusik. When I returned to pick her up she had some pretty toesies!

I love it! I probably would have painted them even before now but Cole has a fascination with polishes in the grocery store so I've avoided him seeing them like the plague at home.

Cole has showed so many signs of being ready to potty train for awhile now. It has been me that has lagged behind. I just thought the entire process was going to be challenging and messy. But in hearing other moms talk about their experiences over the past couple of weeks, I realized it may not be so bad. So we picked up plenty of pairs of underwear at the store yesterday. I didn't wake up this morning thinking this was the day, but somehow I asked him if he wanted to wear his "Superwhy" underwear after I took his bedtime diaper off and he was thrilled. We made it through music class without any problems. We had a little accident at my aunt's house but I was expecting it. On the way to her house from class I told him we would go when we got to Aunt "B's" and he said "NooooPE!" Meaning, this is a foreign toilet, no thanks.

The biggest shock was when he actually went poo on the potty! Whoa! I expected some big tadoo but he said he needed to go so we went. He sat there and I asked him if he wanted mom to sing some songs. He said yes. We sang "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window" and "Elmo's Song". Then Lyla joined us and I asked him if he would rather we leave. He said, "Yes, Mom, Lyla, leave." After a few minutes and talking through doors (and peeking through the door...sorry I just couldn't resist as he was being such a darling and so modest...he is going to kill me later, right?)

He said he was done and he was! YEA!!!! We did have another tiny accident later but he managed to stop and come get me (I was upstairs with Lyla) to go potty and finish. Oh I am so relieved! This doesn't feel like work at all! Cross your fingers this keeps up and we will be down to nighttime diapers only! (Oh yea, I put a diaper on him for his nap but it was dry after the nap. Yeehaw!)

2011-03-17T23:13:00.000-05:00

This week has been jam packed full of fun. Grandma and Grandpa Poling came on Sunday and stayed until Thursday evening. Cole had been looking forward to their visit and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. They took him to his favorite places...twice...and spoiled him rotten (trucks, airplanes, fire engines, oh my!) I don't think it took even a half hour before Lyla was squeezing both of their necks like she had known them all her life. Even Aunt Ashley made a trip up to see the kids. I wish we had more time with her but we loved what we got! Each day was full of so much play I think everyone was worn out by the time evening came. Now that things have quieted down here I suddenly feel like my little toddler turned into a little boy all while they were here. He just seems to act older. He even smiled on cue.

Grandma Poling taught Cole how to play "Hide & Seek". Believe it or not, Cole seems to prefer seeking because even when it is his turn to hide he starts counting and jumps out at "10". Here are some fun clips of him playing.

Lyla has incredible verbal skills for a one year old in my opinion. She signs and speaks "ball" (baw baw), "bubbles" (buhhls), and "outside" (oust or outs). She signs "milk", "eat" and "drink". She can also say "da da" (and knows it's Dad but sometimes uses it for Grandpa too). We have heard her repeat after us on a couple occasions "toy" and "book" too. Wow. She is very good at copying sounds her daddy makes and tries to make the animal and tractor noises in a farm book we read together. She even mimics the vampire laugh in a Halloween book we have - I actually think it's sort of a creepy book but both of our kids have LOVED this book year round. I know I've got to get her "speaking" on video or no one is going to believe me. I guess we'll start with her vampire laugh.

Love my dumplings!

2011-03-12T20:00:00.000-06:00

On our afternoon walk today, Cole decided to explore the piles of dirt nearby our house where they are preparing to make new roads and build homes. When the workers are not there I will let him touch the "feet" of the tractors if they are easily and safely reachable. Well, today he wanted to touch one that was over a rough terrain so I didn't want to take the stroller there but it was still close to me. Cole decided to walk there by himself. I warned him that if he wasn't careful he would fall and maybe get hurt. He made it there safely but got really excited on the way back to the stroller and yes, tripped. He got up, dusted his knees off and looked at me and said, "Told you, fall. Told you, fall. Told you, fall." All the while shaking his head and raising his eyebrows looking down. I laughed but inside I was thinking, "Do I ever say that! If so, I must have said it one too many times if that's what he thinks right after he falls!" Eek! Still it was funny to watch him basically reprimand himself.

2011-03-12T14:10:00.000-06:00

Have a mentioned how much I love springtime? Today is the perfect reason why. It's sunny but not too hot with a great breeze. We picked up some soil from Wal-mart and planted some flower seeds. Cole and I filled up water pitchers and watered the soil and then we flew a kite. Dad taught him how the other day and man is he a pro. It went REALLY high today. I don't remember flying a kite when I was little but I'm sure I probably did. I have to say I really enjoy it.

2011-03-11T18:06:00.000-06:00

Breaking News! I guess that exhausting day of going back and forth with walkers convinced Lyla she was ready for the next step. Yesterday and today she has attempted to walk before she crawls.

I give her a week before it can officially be said that she walks.

2011-03-11T12:15:00.001-06:00

The kids were eating strawberries with their lunch today. Cole prefers to just bite off pieces of the strawberry and obviously I was cutting them up for Lyla. Well, she didn't like that one bit. She kept signing "ball" and saying "ba..ba". When she got really upset, I finally gave her a whole one to see what she would do. She handled it just fine! She sucked on it until pieces fell off. When she finished that one she asked for another "ball". Silly girl.

2011-03-09T13:45:00.000-06:00

Lyla's first birthday came and went without a really big tadoo but we did have cake and presents with the kids. Cole vividly remembers presents from Christmas so he was VERY excited to open those gifts!

I really thought Lyla would be walking by her first birthday but she hasn't seemed very interested in it for the past couple of months, but boy was she into it yesterday. For literally an hour she ran back and forth through the house with any walker she could find.

My trip to Florida with Rick was so fun and SO NEEDED. We felt like newlyweds again without the kids to worry about. Knowing they were having a great time with their cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents definitely made things easier. I was thrilled to hear that they didn't even complain while we were away. When Rick left on Wednesday, I explained to Cole that dad was on a trip and he would come back. So the day before I left, I told him I was going on a trip to see dad and that I would be back too. My mother said Cole completely understood and would say, "Mom, trip, dad, come back." Awesome. I love that he didn't worry because he totally knew everything was fine. One thing we did do at Grandma's house is finally give this boy a haircut. Going from this:

to this:

He was a pretty good sport about it all considering he hates his hair cut which is why I had let it go so long. His reward was a piece of gum which he is chomping on in the pic above. (Although I hate giving him gum because he ALWAYS swallows it. His intestines must be full of the stuff by now.)

We mostly went out for dinners as Rick was in meetings on and off throughout the day. I enjoyed the time to read books and bask in the sun. I'm so glad it was warm and beautiful. We went to a Hibachi grill at the resort the first night, pirates adventure dinner the second night and a murder mystery dinner the final night. All dinners were good with the most fun being the mystery dinner. Rick actually was asked to take part in it which made it even more fun. The acting and quick improve of the group was outstanding.

Here are a few other shots. After the pirate dinner we walked around and found this massive carousel ride. I thought I was pretty good with scary rides and considering that this is swing carousel which I love (and is NOT scary), I was super excited. Let me tell you this was HIGH. I had to shut my eyes when it was at the very top but would open them if they dropped even a few feet from there. For some reason my eyes just would NOT open at the very top. It was thrilling.

It's good to be back home again too though. We are enjoying the warm weather and spending a lot of time outside. These videos are from before we left but we Rick took them to the park to fly a kite so I'll try to post those videos soon.

Cole is still very into animals. While we were outside he was so hyper that his animal sounds all came out as yells. I thought it was so funny.

Lyla officially loves slides now and both she and Cole prefer to do them on their tummy. She loves to explore the dirt and grass outside. She knows the sign for outside and uses it ALL THE TIME. The little thing could live outside and probably be very happy. I don't mind it except for the very dirty clothes and scruffed up shoes and knees in the pants. Learn to walk baby girl and you will love it even more!

Yesterday, it was rainy and gray all morning so I pulled out a pop-up tent I bought at Wal-mart after Christmas when they were on clearance. The kids LOVED it!

Cole does a lot of singing now too. I've got to get this on video. I don't know why I haven't yet really. He will start singing to most things he has heard before. He just makes noises and tries to follow along. It is so cute to hear him just start singing. I hope he always sings. It makes me happy. I feel so blessed to be his mother.

Little Princess went to her one-year checkup yesterday and weighed in at 19lb 5oz. That is actually 5 ounces less that Cole weighed at age 1, but she is 2 1/2 inches shorter than he was! Our little girl is still only 5th percentile for height and is 25th percentile for weight. The doctor said he thought I was rightly justified in taking her off whole milk and giving her 2% instead because her weight gain is still really good. She is just a shorty (27 inches to be exact). She is so much fun to be with. After her shots she was not very happy but she still seemed to make the best of it. I feel so blessed to be her mother.

2011-02-22T13:18:00.000-06:00

So it's been nearly a month since I posted and yet I feel I have nothing to say. We've been visiting parks, libraries and stores this month. We have basically been out and I've been well, lazy, about anything else really.

We are celebrating Lyla's birthday tonight since we leave for Austin tomorrow to put Rick on a plane for a business conference in Orlando for a week. The kids and I will stay at my moms until Friday when I will join Rick in Florida for a few days. I am sure the kids will have a good time with their cousins and grandparents but still it is the first time I will be leaving them overnight with the exception of the night Lyla was born. I am not worried about me. I am worried about them wondering where mom went. But they probably won't even notice with so much going on at grandma's house.

But alas here are pics of the kids - I haven't been taking many but here are a few!

She is still cute when she is mad...

Last Sunday as soon as we got home from church I threw on some pants or shorts over their onesies and we enjoyed the sunny warm weather. Lyla enjoyed her fruit. Thoroughly.

Cole ran around with a little flag he pulled up marking where the gas line was for the construction going on in front of our house. Hope they didn't need that!

I was trying to get Lyla on video making funny noises. It didn't work but this is still cute.

She loves the slide...

And has learned TO slide...

They are enjoying the weather and want to go outside RIGHT AWAY. Hence they are still in their pj's.

Lyla is so ready to walk. She climbs very well now (as evidenced above). She stands all by herself. She can go from sitting to standing without holding onto anything. She has even taken a step or two here and there but then just decides she prefers to crawl. I'm actually ready for her to walk. Most moms dread it but I think she will love playing with Cole more. I won't worry about her knees or feet (shoes) getting scuffed by crawling and she can follow me better!

Cole is talking so much now. He is still quiet in public places but he is a little chatter box at home. Odd for the boy who would make a peep. But I love it. He also enjoys singing. His favorite is Elmo's Song. He sings the ABC's to whatever tune it's playing and joins in for most songs on the CD's we have. We have him in Kindermusik again this semester because he just loves it. If you were in class with him you wouldn't think so because he mostly observes but we play the songs and games at home and he get so excited every time. I love to hear him sing. He has such a sweet voice. I hope this continues.

Oh yes, and Lyla is doing very well with sign language but she definitely has a mind and will of her own so I'm pretty sure it won't take her long to figure out how to get exactly what she wants! She is really good at repeating gestures and hand movements. For example, A lady sitting behind us at church taught her how to blow kisses after 2 minutes. She has been doing it ever since.

2011-01-27T23:05:00.000-06:00

Grandpa Rees with his baby girls who appear to be giving the A-Okay signs (or getting there as in Ally's case).

And my favorite little men...

2011-01-27T21:45:00.000-06:00

Lyla shocked me yesterday when she learned and used without prompting the signs for "milk" and "more". I was pleased with the milk but didn't expect her to learn another one in the same day, especially since I had never signed "more" for her before. My little princess is growing up. Here's a video of "more". It is a little hard to get milk on video since she does it randomly, namely when she wants it and then I run and get it so she doesn't think her signing goes unheard.

We spent the past few weekends in Austin. Cole loves being there since it is 100% playtime. He loves having new toys to play with and his cousins to enjoy. He really can't stand to leave he loves it there so much. I literally have to force him in his car seat. Poor thing. But he loves it once we get home too because he forgot about his cool things here.

Cole finally adjusted to the dog, "Blue", and even asked to hug him. All the little kids love to play in Blue's kennel.

I think he is getting over his fear of animals and heights because today at the park he let the goose eat out of his hand AND he climbed up and slid down the TALL slide all by himself! Cole is really taking off with his vocabulary too. He tries to copy most every word I say now. Prior to this he was so afraid to say something wrong he wouldn't try. I'm so proud of him!

Jefra tried to get a great pic of all the cousins together but being that they are all so young that is probably going to a one in a million shot. I just love this one though because not one of them is looking at the camera. Oh kids...

Lyla and Ally are now 11 months! I can't believe how quickly time is flying by. They love to sit by each other and play. Ally is a lot taller than Lyla. She is going to be the tall, lean, shy cousin while Lyla will be the shorty but bubbling over with personality.

This past Monday, I played with Lyla, Cole and Cannon outside. They had such a great time together. As usual the only problem we have with sleep while at Grandma's is being exhausted from playing so much! We even wore out Cannon. I swear he would have fallen asleep in his highchair during lunch if Lyla hadn't been teasing him. Here's the little cherub knocking on the back door to get Lyla's attention.

And he got it! Lyla loves to play with Cannon. She teases him, pokes at him and pulls his hair - just like she does with Cole. She tries her darnest to keep up with those two.

Oh and let me just say that I am SO grateful for beautiful Texas sun! I love being outside with my kids. Though I must say I may speak differently come July.

2011-01-15T00:37:00.001-06:00

Here's a little video of Lyla playing for the grandparents out there.

2011-01-14T22:40:00.002-06:00

Rick's gift for Christmas was a much desired calf and foot massager. He has used it every day. Cole has definitely noticed and has decided that he needs to use it too - but not Lyla.

2011-01-14T21:40:00.000-06:00

Lyla is moving along swimmingly in her development. She learned to clap the other day for the first time and I caught it on film. She would only clap while eating (which is where she first learned it) but now she does it all the time and it's getting louder too. She loves to do it because everyone gets so excited.

Her interactions with people are so fun. She gives hugs, kisses, waves good-bye (sometimes), gives "touch" and high-fives. We are working on fist bumps which she currently finds funny when we do it so I'm sure it won't be too long before she has got that down. I think the problem there lies in that she doesn't voluntarily make a fist (hence her slack in signing milk too. That or the fact that her fingers in her mouth with a little whine is enough said, right?).

Lyla also understands the game of chase. She will get so animated when Cole crawls towards her and she jumps into my arms so I will take her away while giggling with delight and kicking her legs for all it's worth. Daddy loves to play this game too.

And finally she has mastered "Peek-a-boo". Cole never really got into this game but Lyla adores it. I will find her randomly putting things over her face and head only to drop it and look at me with anticipation. I love it and so does Cole. He really loves to interact with her more and more each day. Although he is still a little unsure about sharing some of his favorite toys all the time. There's a two-year old for you!

2011-01-14T16:46:00.000-06:00

A day in the life...(with cell phone pics)

This morning we took Lyla to the doctor as I was concerned that she might have an ear infection and didn't want to go the weekend with it getting worse. Her norm is to suck her fingers when she gets sleepy or when she doesn't feel well. The fact that she was doing it most of the day had me concerned. She had been rubbing her ears as well. So after a few days of debating I finally brought her in. Turns out she didn't but doc says she does have a sore throat which could be the sucking fingers - in addition to teething of course.

Cole wanted to go with me to the doctor even though Dad was at home because he knew that these little gizmos were waiting for him. Having a cool toy that isn't anywhere else at home is a great attraction to go to the doctor! As soon as we walked in, Lyla almost jumped out of my arms to get to them as well. They played with them about 10 minutes after our appointment too. Cole calls them "Choo-choos". And he makes the train sound when he plays. I love it!

Cole and Lyla playing with the mirror at the doctor's office. Cole usually loves to play with all the doctor instruments on the wall too. He holds the otoscope to his ear, then mom's ear, then Lyla's ear, etc.

We then went to the mall to go shoe shopping for Cole. He needed some church shoes and a new pair of decent casual shoes. We had him sized and he is a 6.5 but a 7 or 7.5 was recommended to have growing room (especially since dress shoes are hardly ever worn and won't wear out before he outgrows them). After some shopping we had lunch and Cole begged to go in the play area. I usually avoid this place since it is so dirty but he had been so good all afternoon we went for it.

Cole loves to climb on these red mushrooms and slide down the other side. He prefers this over the real slide (the height thing again). And the biggest surprise to me was how much Lyla LOVED this place. She was squealing with delight and scampering everywhere. Every mother and child there became enamored with her. When she finally got bombarded with children trying to hug her and kiss her she only became more enthused (instead of scared). But I rescued the tot from the germs dying to get on her fingers and eventually in her mouth.

With smiles and excitement like that, we will just have to come more often but prepped with lots of wipes and hand sanitizer!

2011-01-14T16:34:00.000-06:00

Well, it appears I should be playing catch up as I have so much to report on and I'm positive I will miss something. I have been slacking on taking pictures which usually means I'm not prompted to blog. So sorry. So most of these pictures posted are actually from the worst camera known to man on the market today - my 2.0mpx cellphone. It's a nifty tiny thing but, man, does it take awful pictures. I just have forgotten to put my camera or ipod in my purse. Well, also because the camera seems to be having lighting issues too. I'm hoping a new battery will help that out. Anyway...

Christmas was so fun for the kids. Cole & Lyla love absolutely everything they received and play with all of it. This has been so great because they have started to play together and without Mom! We spent Christmas in Austin. And sadly, I only have one picture. Lyla doesn't really like to use walkers anymore or even hold your hands and walk. She is determined to stay a crawler because she is TOO AFRAID of getting hurt. She won't even go up the stairs at all - not even one step - because she got hurt once. So seeing this event was big.

She definitely is strong willed this girl. Many times she refuses to eat unless I give her something she can feed herself. She loves to make a mess with food. Even if I'm feeding her she will put her fingers in her mouth (I guess to feel it) and then get it all over her face and everywhere else. Yes, feeding a child is such joy. She has even refused to eat in her highchair because Cole and I were not sitting down. (i.e. I was making waffles and feeding them to Cole while I cooked more. She wouldn't eat anything and sat in her chair making sad faces, sucking her fingers and moaning. I picked her up and she signed "eat" and then proceeded to eat an entire waffle while being held. Silly girl!) But she is such a delight. Truly there could be no better temperament on any child. Just a little determined, which isn't a bad thing at all. I know she isn't the happiest in this picture but she was just dang cute being all demanding!

Here is one picture from my phone after Christmas. Actually this was taken the same day as the above highchair pic. Don't ask me why I didn't grab the camera instead.

What have we been doing with all of our time you ask? Well, on the nice days (which have been many until this week) we go to the park down the street. Cole does his usual digging in the rocks but has backed off the slide. He seems to have developed an odd fear of heights. Nothing has happened to him (that we know of), but he just is afraid now. I don't know if this is a phase he will grow out of or not.

Lyla would love it if she stayed all day in the swings.

Sometimes we go see the ducks at the community park. We discovered these ducks as we went to see the lights at the park. Cole loves them and they are not afraid of you. I don't usually bring food for them because Cole is usually hesitant for them to get really close so I don't want to give them any reason to come closer.

Last week was bedding and towels wash day. The kids were in such good moods which made it so much easier for me to be busy doing chores. But they were so dang cute I quit working and just started playing and taking pics.

Like I said, we were washing bedding. They love the guest bed the most to play on. Maybe because that room is so sunny. Who knows. But they were stinkin fun to watch! They were just moving around too quick for my dying batteries in the camera to get any really great shots.

Lyla will pose for pictures or depending on her mood, lunge at the camera. Example:

But Cole almost never looks at the camera. He always moves right before you take it and they end up like this. You can see that he is just thrilled with himself for tricking me once again. I'm glad he gets such joy out of the little moments in life.

But Daddy can hold him still for a minute so I can at least get a pic of those precious eyes.

And here they are being so, so, so cute. Oh, and one more thing...Cole often doesn't like to get fully changed. If it's bedtime, he will want to keep his shirt on usually. If it's morning, sometimes he will only let you put a new shirt on and keep his PJ pants on. This was one of those mornings.

Yes, Lyla sometimes gives kisses open mouthed. You never know what you are going to get! But that's why Cole wouldn't kiss her back. Haha!

2011-01-14T16:28:00.000-06:00

So yesterday I bought Lyla and Cole some new jeans at the consignment shop here. I was so excited to put them on Lyla since they were some cute flares. I mean, just look at her little cute little butt!

They looked like a nice fit to me...

But when she tried to crawl or pull her legs under her to sit back down she ended up laying face down on the ground sucking her fingers. I wondered if she felt okay or if the pants were too tight after all. Well, after leaving them on for about and hour I decided to take them off and see what happened. She was being so sad and that just isn't Lyla. As soon as I got them off she scurried across the room, sat up and laughed. Yep. Too tight. Wonder if she will ever want to wear tight jeans as a teen? hmmm...

P.S: Yes that is Lyla standing all by herself. She can do this for a while and squat down to sit from there instead of just falling. Therefore, we know this girl can walk, she just chooses not to.

P.S.S: Isn't she looking CHUNKY! Love my chubsters!

2010-12-21T08:34:00.002-06:00

And here are more videos...

Lyla really does enjoy feeding herself. She gets so excited when it comes to food.

Lyla loves to play with anything Cole has really but she enjoys knocking over blocks, hanging upside down, giving high-five, "touch" (using your pointer to touch someone else's pointer), waiving, standing on her own then falling into your arms, swinging, chattering and smiling.

Cole is very into pretend play right now. He enjoys cooking, eating, dusting, vacuuming and mowing.

He also enjoys
coloring (but mostly asking mom to write everyone's names down),
building towers with blocks (and of course knocking them down),
playing games on the ipod touch (one of his favorites is Tom Cat - a cat you can pet, knock down, give milk to, and more. The best part is the cat will repeat anything you say so he loves to talk to it!),
singing (he sings loud in church),
praying (he now babbles when we are praying a lot of the time),
counting (knows 1 and 2 by sight, 3 is getting there),
pointing out colors (his favorite are green and purple),
singing the alphabet (he gets a letter here and there and is very excited about it),
watching the tractors outside (says backhoe, "truck-door"),
watching the ducks and the goose at the city park,
running around grocery stores while mom keeps calling his name so he will stay within arms reach!
talking on the phone (real or pretend)

He's a great big ball of fun. We love our little man!

2010-12-21T00:30:00.000-06:00

Okay, okay, here is at least one video. Lyla is strong and stands on her own. She can go from sitting to standing quickly and vice versa but she does not like to get bumped, jarred or hurt. This keeps her from walking and from going up the stairs usually. But on this day she tackled the stairs and did it like a champ. She has only attempted it two other times since though. Good. I don't need to keep checking the stairs to make sure she isn't on them yet!

Oh yes, and Cole got some PJ's he was pretty excited to have on.

2010-12-21T00:20:00.004-06:00

Can you believe this little angel is almost 10 months old?!?!

And it was just last week that she had her 9 month well-check. She is doing fabulous and even took the shots with very little crying and it was the first time she didn't lose her breath from them. Our little girl is pretty petite. I knew that was coming because I look at other little girls even a month or two younger than her and they look older, taller, and more mature in the face. Lyla still looks like a little baby. She is 26 inches long (4th %) and weighs 17 lb 5 oz (16th %). She's been about that weight for a while now as we've had to take her to the doctor a few times in the past couple of months. She sure eats like a champion so it's just genetics that keep her small.

She is short so she still looks chunky all around. To give you some idea though she still fits in her 6 month PJs (starting to push the legs, but still we manage) and she wears the tiniest shoe sizes. She fits in her 0-6 month Robeez we got at a consignment store. We just bought her a pair of shoes and they are 6-9 month shoes with room to spare!! Little feet, little legs, little girl with two little teeth!

Oddly enough Lyla weights THE EXACT SAME that Cole did at this age too. He was just two inches longer so looked a lot skinnier. But look at him now...he starting to lose his toddler looks and becoming a little boy. (So sad...)

There is so much more to add and update but I don't have the time right now. I wanted to at least provide more pics of the kids. I will post new videos and updates tomorrow...hopefully!

2010-12-12T17:11:00.000-06:00

Each Christmas season we say we are going to get out Christmas cards. Yes, it is a dying tradition, but I love getting them and so I should be sending them. But, alas, another season will pass and I will NOT get them out. Life is pretty busy and hectic but so delightful too. I love this time of year.

Christmas and Easter are my favorite times. I love the slight chill in the Texas air (nope, not a fan of cold). I love the newness of life around Easter. Truly the two are linked for we would have no Christmas, no rejoicing, no giving if there was no Easter. We celebrate Jesus' birth because of the life he lived and the sacrifice he gave. We celebrate Christmas and show our love for others because He loved us.

No matter what you may believe, it can be an occasion to give and to love. It need not be founded in a faith in Christ, but I am grateful for the faith that I have. This is a video reminding us of the true meaning of Christmas set to a beautiful song. I rarely share personal insights like this or even topics at all related to religion, but I felt it important to share a little of the joy that is taking place in our home at this time of year and this video and song represented it perfectly. I hope you take it as a little "Christmas Card" from the Polings. Maybe next year we will finally get the real thing out. Merry Christmas!

2010-12-04T15:28:00.005-06:00

So many things going on!! First, Thanksgiving was fabulous at my Uncle and Aunt's home here in College Station. My brother Robert and his family came into town and stayed at our house afterward as well. Cole loves their kids and Ally is the same age as Lyla. It was so fun to see them interact. Ally is afraid of everyone really but she adores Cole, and vice versa. She would let him kiss her and hug her. He was so gentle about it too. Jade is 8 and Jeremiah (aka "T") is 7 so Cole enjoyed hanging with the big kids. I guess T slept a little bit in the rocking chair in Cole's room and Cole still talks about it. He loves re-living past events. As a matter of fact, he still tells stories of when Grandpa Poling was here and when playing with a toy one of his grandparents gave him he will tell me which one as he picks it up to play with it. I love it. I love hearing what is on his mind.

Speaking of what is on his mind, it seems to be going POTTY! A few days ago he pulled off his shorts and tried to take his diaper off. I asked him what he was doing and then wondered if he wanted to go potty. He said "Yes" (which he pronounces "hh-es"). And, well, HE DID. And he goes at least twice a day if not more now. I ask occasionally and sometimes he wants to and others he doesn't. Sometimes he comes to me and asks. My little baby is growing up!

Lyla is back to her bubbly self. She is still hesitant to walk. I think it is because she is always so dramatic when she falls or bumps her head, etc. She wants to do it without falls I think. However, she has popped a second tooth and I noticed the top two are coming in as well so perhaps her head is elsewhere and less focused on walking. She laughs so much. She thinks it is hilarious to put her finger in your mouth. Oh yes, and mommy is trying to wean her completely. She nurses 1-2 times a day now and takes formula for the remainder. She has been wanting to nurse more with this new tooth though. I'm just ready to be done though. Odd, I know but I have my reasons which are probably TMI for the blog. Anyway, I'm glad to have my little personality back after her ear infections and virus. It took a bit to recoup from all that. Oh yes! And she sleeps through the night!!! YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!! And here she is just being Lyla.

While Robert and Beverly and family were here we went to Santa's Village here in town. It was a very magical place with little shops, petting zoo, bullrides, smores, firepits, etc. Like stepping into a winter cowboy town. Here are some pics from the event.

The family in front of the TX Flag of Lights

Ally and Lyla. It was COLD that night (well, for TX). Of course it was 70's a day later.

Cole, Jeremiah and Jade in the fake snow.

The family with Frosty (they call him Frostbite).

2010-11-23T22:32:00.003-06:00

So this is a video of Cole dancing and clapping spoons together. This is a song used in Kindermusik. He enjoyed it so much in class we did it at home for the next few days too. He got so shy though when I pulled out the camera so you missed his rambunctious dancing. Lyla gets in the act too.

2010-11-23T22:12:00.004-06:00

So like I said we've been sick over here. I was congested and had a sinus infection which weakened my immune system and lead to Strep. How you say? Well, doctor says that given we know Rick is a carrier for Strep (as in he can have it but not get sick, thus can "carry" it) that makes me essentially a carrier too. I just won't get sick until my immune system is low. And no, we don't carry the strep virus all the time just infecting everyone willy-nilly. Promise.

So Lyla wasn't feeling well while Grandpa Poling was here. It started Saturday, November 12th when she popped her first tooth. (YEA!) I was genuinely surprise to find her bite my finger while feeding her at the park and find that it HURT! And it obviously hurt her too because she cried. Royally. She loves her drama that girl. Don't hurt her. You'll get an act.

Anyway, so Monday it started with a fever which persisted until Wednesday. At first I wasn't concerned because I thought it was a teething fever, but after three days with her sleeping TONS and generally needy and sort of limp, I thought it might be more. Also, that is when I started feeling worse and felt strep-ish myself. So she and I saw a family doctor. He said she had an ear infection and prescribed Amoxicillan. "Great!" I thought, "So this will be done soon." I got on meds too. But Wednesday evening and Thursday she got CRANKY. Really cranky. I can't say she was cranky until then. Friday morning a rash showed up all over so we headed to her pediatrician. Turns out my poor girl was dealing with teething, a DOUBLE ear infection, and a virus all at the same time. The fever was viral and the rash was just the after effect. (It's gone now.) Her pediatrician gave her a new, stronger antibiotic too. I was glad because she hated the Amox but loves this new stuff.

We are starting to catch glimpses of our playful, sweet Lyla again. Thank heavens! I feel so sorry for moms with babies who have tons of ear infections. The ear drops help somewhat but generally the thing that would snap her out of her crying and wailing was going outside. So this is what we did a lot. Poor thing. Looks miserable, huh?

And baths. She loves the water. She loves baths with Cole. She loves her brother. Seriously. She lights up like a Christmas tree when she sees him. (Speaking of which, ours is up now - earlier than we've ever put it up.)

She lays down in the water, licks it up (see above), splashes it as hard as she can, chews the bath toys, lets Cole pour water all over her - face and all, and generally comes to life no matter what the mood. Oh and she also enjoys standing up - this is her creeping her way to standing. She thought she was being so funny since Mom kept trying to get her to sit back down.

Here's a cute video of them in the tub too.

The only benefit to Lyla being that sick: she learned to cuddle. Well, at least with Mommy. I enjoyed that part immensely.

2010-11-23T21:46:00.003-06:00

Cole had his 2 year well check two weeks ago. We went to a new doctor (Dr. Ransom) recommended by my aunt who has taken all her children to him. Cole prefers males so I was excited about the chance to take him to a male doctor at a new clinic hoping he would no longer associate the doctor with pain (aka. shots). He loved the waiting area playing with the automatic doors, water fountain and beads. However when it came time to go back to the room he freaked out. He didn't want me to take his shoes off to get on the scale and was generally crying and asking for home. Mind you I had Lyla with me too (not such a good idea in hindsight) so it was tasking but we made it through. When we got to the waiting room I gave him his ipod and he entertained himself nicely even when the doctor came in.

The doctor was SO GREAT with Cole. He made Cole laugh and let him play with anything he wanted. I'm sure Cole was thrilled that we simply left after he checked him out. Dr. Ransom gave me some advice on 2 year old behavior but other than that things are good. Well, he did tell me that I need to get pretty firm with Cole sticking to no more than 16 ounces of milk a day. So we've been trying a ton of techniques to get him to eat more and drink less. Some days it works, others it doesn't. He is teething like crazy so I'm sure that affects his moods and his likelihood of eating too.

Cole has also had a cough for a few weeks too. We actually went back to the doctor today to make sure it wasn't anything serious and it isn't. Phew. Best news about this visit - he was THRILLED to be there. He ran into the office way ahead of me and laughed and ran around like he was at the park or something. He skipped into the back when called and hopped on the scale, let the nurse take his temperature and smiled while she did it. A resident came in first to look Cole over and he didn't freeze up or get scared (The resident was male. hmm...) When Dr. Ransom came in he asked for the duck (doc makes duck noises when he checks out their stomach). Dr. Ransom went on and on about how great Cole is compared to other 2 year-olds and the resident nodded in strong agreement. I assured them that is only because Cole has never received shots here so he has nothing to be afraid of, which means I'll probably be getting his shots elsewhere always so he doesn't completely melt down when we have to go to the doctor (because I know he still does as he did when we took Lyla but that is another post).

The 2 year stats: 25 lbs and 34.5 inches.

Rick's dad came in last week to visit and he said his mother told him that doubling the 2 year-old height is a good estimate of how tall they will be as an adult. That would make Cole 5'9" if that is the case which is probably about right given Rick is 5'9".

And speaking of Grandpa Poling's visit - it was SO FUN! He took Cole out nearly everyday for some one on one time. They went shopping, played at Chuck E. Cheese and ate at Chic-fil-a. Cole would come back so exhausted. Cole also loved Grandpa's new truck and thought playing in it was worthy of doing "again" and "again". (Those who know Cole, know he loves his "again".) And sorry, but I don't have any pics of the visit. I don't know why I don't take pics when people come over. Ugh!

But here's a pic of one of our days playing outside. Now that it has cooled off Cole is all about being outside - all day, every day. Mom loves it too though.

2010-11-23T21:45:00.001-06:00

I know it has been so long since I've blogged. We've been busy and then sick so I'm just now getting around to it. The next few days I'll post some new stuff...promise. First up...carnival outing.

A little carnival comes to College Station twice a year. So November 1st we packed up the family and headed to the mall parking lot to give it a try. Cole loved all the lights on the rides. The first ride he went on with daddy was really, really fast and LOUD. It didn't look that fast watching it but after one go around he was waving his arms doing the "all done" sign. I felt bad for him, but as soon as he got off he wanted on again. We distracted him and went for a more tame ride - little trucks that ride on a track. Again he went with Dad and he loved it.

He seemed to be getting the hang of the rides idea so we let him go on the next one alone - little boats. He rang the little bell the entire ride. He doesn't look too thrilled but he was. Trust me. The video quality is poor. (Way to go iphone - does anyone know how you get better quality? How or why do people use the iphone video if it is no good for web sharing?)

So we eventually went back to the trucks and let him ride them alone but he didn't like that and endured the ride signing "all done" the entire time. Oh well. We went on some other rides too. He talked about the carnival for quite a while and wanted to go again so overall I'd say he enjoyed it even though he would get a little scared on some of the rides.

Afterward we went to Golden Corral to eat. Lyla ate like an adult and crazy as it may be so did Cole! We kept laughing at how much Lyla was eating though, and to top it off she had dessert too! She gobbled up ice cream - yum, yum!

2010-11-01T14:25:00.003-05:00

My kids are just growing up so quickly!

Lyla is starting to crawl in a more traditional manner, though she still plops to her belly and army crawls. Her preference is standing mostly. She can hold a stand using pure balance and determination for up to about 5 or 6 seconds. She is speedy at getting away from me during diaper and clothing changes. But she is so cute and proud of herself for her accomplishment it just makes it funny.

She enjoys eating baby food now but prefers whatever we are eating. You can tell when she really likes something because she'll make "yummy" sounds. I love finding things she loves to eat!

Cole gets jealous of Lyla at times but mostly adores his sister and enjoys playing with her. He is looking forward to her being stronger and able to take his wrestling easier.

This is a funny clip of Cole dancing to the music on Toy Story. He was very excited this day. He was eating cold rigatoni pasta and calling it cheese. He ate it like candy.

See these two large balls? We have these as $2 alternatives to what he wanted at Target. I don't remember what it was he wanted when I got the green one, but I got it because he doesn't really have many soft balls at home to play with and he seems to like the larger ones. I got the red one because he was SO UPSET that I wouldn't buy him a baby doll that crawls. He saw it on the shelf and just went crazy. He put it in the basket and begged for the "Beebee!" Usually he is pretty good at getting distracted and we can leave the store peaceably but not this time. I tried telling him he has a REAL baby at home and doesn't need a fake one. That obviously didn't cut it. The ball didn't take away all his complaining for the baby but I wasn't going to fight two wants at 8 in the evening. I gave in to the ball. He loves them. They're cheap and fun. The only problem? He wants to sit on them but doesn't like falling off.

Saturday before Halloween was full of fun, fun, fun. Cole dressed up like Woody from Toy Story, minus the actual shirt and he refused to put on the boots. His hat looks like a Mexican Sombrero here too. Actually he fought me putting it all on. After all, I had just woken him up early from his nap in order to get them both ready for the Hay Ride at Miramont as well as the Trunk or Treat at church. You can see how excited he was about getting dressed up.

The activity at Miramont was small but very nice. Cole decorated a pumpkin with puffy stickers and sugar cookies with all sorts of candy and icing.

This is Lyla in her pea pod. It was Cole's costume from last year. He wore it (okay, squeezed into it) at 12 months old. Lyla didn't even wear it as well as Cole (aka, squeezing into it even more) at only 8 months!

A few minutes later she was like this...and stayed so pretty much the rest of the evening.

Cole loved the Hay Ride because he is VERY into tractors from "Cars" and from the construction going on in front of our house. Here he is with daddy on the ride while eating candy.

Here are a few more pics from the Miramont event.

Afterward we went to the Trunk or Treat at church. If you have never heard of one before let me sum it up. People open their trunks up in the parking lot and pass out candy. Some decorate them, some don't. And kids go from car to car "trunk or treating" instead of house to house. It's a safer and faster version of the traditional Halloween routine. It is rowdy and so much fun. There were about 50-60 cars there I think so LOTS of candy, though I didn't let Cole take any home actually.

Halloween day was pretty calm. We didn't even get many kids by the house. I think we just live too far back in our neighborhood because there were TONS of people up near the entrance. Cole and Daddy played with some sparklers outside but we didn't go out other than that.

2010-10-21T22:35:00.003-05:00

Cole got so many cool things for his birthday, but this hat was one of his favorite. I don't think I've ever taken a picture of how he walks around some days with blanky in hand (sometimes two of them) with his milk cup almost empty just hanging out his mouth. I can't believe he doesn't take it out. He'll keep it in there forever.

And Cole's other birthday surprise came today! I put it together while he was napping and told him there was a surprise for him after he woke. He got VERY excited when he saw it had PEDALS! His legs are a little short to reach the pedals when you turn the steering column but by tonight he figured out how to slouch and reach better. He is working on the whole "steering" mechanics as that is totally new to him but this is definitely a winner!

(Note blanky in hand again. :-)

2010-10-20T20:02:00.007-05:00

Cole's 2nd birthday was such a mix of fun and disasters that all you can do is laugh. It all started out well. We actually it started the night before when daddy brought home sparklers from work. Cole LOVED them!

In the morning, he watched his favorite show and while I was busy with Lyla, I came back to find this:

Yep. Lotion in his hair, all over the couch, his clothes, everything. So Lyla went down for a nap and we went into the tub for a wash down (and a haircut). Later we went to Kindermusik class (which he adores). I treated him to a mommy and son lunch at McDonald's where they have a fun playscape too.

Then we were off to pick up Lyla at Auntie B's. He loves it there and even thought his Uncle Lynn was hilarious in a scary Halloween mask. Then it was home for naps and that is when everything started going askew. He woke up cranky - bad news. But I hoped a walk outside would cure that. Then dad came home with Cole's balloons and cake. (I had intended to make one but time and energy just escaped me.) As Cole started playing with them I thought, "I'd better go hold the balloons so they don't fly away." But then I saw dad had a handle on it and instead I grabbed the camera inside. I got one picture.

Then this happened.

Uh-huh. 2 minutes of fun. He actually enjoyed seeing them fly away though.

I bought regular candles for Cole's cake at the same time I bought Rick's "3 and "0" for his cake. Well, they were nowhere to be found so Cole had to settle for a "3" candle to blow out. Uh-huh. So sad - not that he knew, but we sure did and I felt terrible.

Daddy and Cole dived into the cake. Then Cole started his allergic reaction. Uh-huh. No cake for Cole tonight. It was the icing though so he did get some later.

Cole enjoyed opening his gifts and we were so excited to have him open up the disco ball he loves so much at Chuck E. Cheese. Rick has a sort of curse though. Nothing he buys ever works. This time was no exception even though he tested it to make sure it turned at the store. Yea, it turned. The lights just don't work. Uh-huh. Well, he has another surprise coming, it just isn't here yet. Hopefully, that will make up for the blunder. You can see he was enthused for this "ball" (well, not overly so given he was already exhausted but this is pretty excited given the circumstances).

All in all the day was fun for Cole as he still doesn't really "get" what birthdays are. Every time we would sing to him he would say "mouse" (aka. Chuck E. Cheese where he has seen him sing to others). But I have definitely resolved to be much better at birthdays from here on out as some of these "Oops" could have been avoided!

2010-10-19T16:03:00.004-05:00

Cole and Lyla were playing so cute today that I thought I'd pull out my camera. Though Lyla is so quick now I don't get very many good pics of her as I would like. Cole has always avoided the camera like the plague. The few shots I got of just him CRACK me UP! What is he trying to be? America's Next Top Super Model Toddler? hahaha...I mean, look at his pout!

Hands in the hair...

Oh but he is a sweet boy...

Well, the rest aren't so model-ish and yes, it does appear that Cole is ready to whack his sister, but no, he didn't. He always just wants to squeeze her or hit her or lay on her (which Lyla finds funny). I think he just wants to be close but not sure how to get out this immense affection he feels for her. He never hits her as he stops himself, but this sure makes for a funny picture!

They love to play in Lyla's room on the guest bed and in her crib. This is in her crib. Cole was clapping his hands on her tummy. You would think it hurt but she thought it was hilarious. Silly girl. Whatever he does, she loves.

Oh yes, and she now stands in her crib. This is always fun (not) because she doesn't know how to get down so she just screams bloody murder when she is tired of it. This is especially delightful when she stands up before going to bed. I'm sure all moms have been there.

And lastly, her energy faded and she resorted to her usual stance.

Cole turns 2 years old tomorrow. I can't believe Lyla is almost 8 months. Where has the time gone? Lyla now takes a bottle, and oddly enough, seems to prefer it sometimes. She even takes formula. I've had to supplement for various reasons. So thank heavens she drinks it! Most of all this girl loves to eat. She wants to eat, eat, eat! The exact opposite of her brother in that area for sure. He could care less. Give him milk, milk and more milk. Oh yes, and Cole is officially a "Cars" fan. I think he has watched the "Tractor Tipping" scene 100x's in the last three or four days. Great fun for mom too. Well, actually I prefer watching "Cars" over "Toy Story". For some reason, "Cars" doesn't get old to me. Well, at least not yet...

2010-10-12T22:58:00.006-05:00

The past few weeks have been pretty full for the Poling family. Rick and Cole made a quick trip to Miami, FL to be with Grandpa Poling for his last day as a police officer and his retirement party. Cole is still free to fly and Rick wanted to have some daddy and son time. They got there on Friday afternoon, surprised Grandpa at his party and then went to the Miami zoo on Saturday and home on Sunday. I was so excited to see my men when they got home, but unfortunately, the entire escapade wore out little Cole that he was less than enthusiastic about anything for the next couple of days. He seemed to take it all out on mom. No hugs, no love, nothing. He gave me the cold shoulder for two or three days. But once caught up on naps and filled up with food he was back to loving mom and everything else too. (He really wouldn't eat for daddy while he was in Florida - he is just a routine kid. He needs it to eat otherwise he will always just want milk - all day, and only milk. He drank a half-gallon in just two days in Florida.) Sorry, no pics to share of the event but Rick did send me this one from the airport - it was a "Make a Wish" flight so there were balloons, juice and cookies for the kids.

Cole is even more attached to Daddy now than ever after their party time. Everything daddy does, Cole does. Dad wore a hat so Cole needed a hat...(and he loves all hats now in general).

While they were away Lyla and I enjoyed some alone time. It isn't often I get Lyla and just Lyla. It was heaven really having a quiet house again. I didn't realize how busy and noisy it usually is until Cole was gone. Wow he keeps things happening here. She was adorable (as usual) and enjoyed our one on one time too.

I discovered a few things about my girl having more time together. She loves dolls - well, at least Cole's Woody doll. She usually picks it over anything around her. She loves earrings. Not so much to grab them out of your ear, but she is almost mesmerized by them and stares at them adoringly. Does the same for shiny rings or necklaces too. Girl much? Also, she loves to look at herself. She even gives herself slobbery kisses in the mirror...

As well as blow raspberries just for the fun of it...

Lastly, Lyla is a crawler but more like a leap-frogger. Her cousin Ally, has the traditional crawl down pat but Lyla just really prefers to work on walking. She will pout to have us stand her up and from there she wants to let go of your hands. What does she think will happen? She also practically leaps off the bathroom sink. We used to sit Cole in the sink while we got ready and he was content to play with everything around him. Not her. She stands up in the sink and then crawls out almost immediately. How am I ever going to get ready now? Seriously, this girl wants to grow up too fast! (Oh yes, and she loves make-up brushes too...)

And here are some crawling videos.

Cole will be two next week. T-W-O! Again, I'm probably a loser mom, but we are just doing a family cake and presents. I just don't see myself whipping up a big thing in the next week. I should have been more on the ball but I'm pretty sure he won't care, right?

2010-09-29T12:53:00.002-05:00

Down the street are these black signs with red circles. Since we moved here Cole and I have always played a game with them. I'll hold him up high so he can touch them and then we'll run to the next to touch it and so on. It's strangely one of his favorite things to do. This was him sort of playing the game without mommy...and I tried to get him to talk on camera. It worked...sort of.

Cole talking more...sort of...

I put Lyla in the playpen probably at least once a day. This is for my own sanity. When they get really mobile it's nice to have a place to play where I don't have to worry about what they are going to get into. Cole loves to join her in it but sometimes annoys her to pieces. She usually recovers quickly from his shenanigans and overall secretly loves that he is there trying to play with her.

Cole watches the way we play with Lyla and tries to mimic us. He tries to tickle her neck but ends up clawing at her face, he plays "peekaboo" but ends up smashing his hand against her face and he tries to play "little piggy" or tickle her toes too. He means well so I try not to be too hard on him and he isn't really hurting her, just annoying. She better get used to it I suppose.

2010-09-28T21:41:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I was getting ready in the bathroom and Cole was with me like usual. He grabbed my contact case, handed it to me and said "Wa-wa" - meaning, "Please put water in here." So I did. Then I continued putting on my make-up. When I looked at him again he had water streaming from his eye down his cheek and he was dipping his finger in the water in the contact case and putting it in the other eye. I cracked up laughing. Seriously, so cute to see him copying me. Even to the extent of poking himself in the eye to put in his "contacts".

We've been having so much fun outside these past couple of days. The mornings are mid-60s so Cole has taken off running each morning as it seems his energy is never-ending when it isn't scorching outside. I love it. Cole loves it. Lyla loves it. We are once again outdoors all day except to eat and sleep. I have lots of video from the past few days too. It seems cooler weather has made us all happy and excited, hence making great video memories. I'll be posting some soon!

(Oh yes, and apparently the kiddos got a hold of my camera touched the lens. So I've got fingerprinty photos and video. Hmm...)

2010-09-26T21:36:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I was reading to Cole after his nap. He asked to read "Pat the Bunny" and when we got to the mini-bunny book inside he started crying. I mean REALLY crying and pointing to the bunny. Then he blurted out "buuunnny"!

Kristina: "You want the bunny?"
Cole: Nods head and points to bunny. "buu-y"
Kristina: "Okay, well, we can get you a bunny."
Cole: Crying harder, REAL tears. "BUU-Y"
Kristina: "Oh, well, we have a little green bunny in Lyla's toys. Do you want that one?"
Cole: Nods head yes.

So I trek downstairs and find the little green bunny only to find when I bring it to Cole he crumbles to a lump of tears. "NO! no!" (More crying.) I am wracking my brain trying to think what he could possibly want. Then I remembered this bunny from Grandma Solotes for his first Easter.

We pulled it out this past Easter and he played with it making him dance but nothing too spectacular. I put him on top of his closet shelf because his stitching started ripping out. Cole never asked about him when I put him away. Could it be this was what he wanted? No way. Well, lets see.

I pull it down and boy do I wish I had the reaction on video. Running to the bunny and holding out both arms "Buuunny!!!!" He hugs him and plays with him for about an hour afterward. Bunny joins us for dinner, for brushing teeth, for sleeping, for breakfast, he wore a tie this morning like Cole in getting ready for church (and almost came to church). Cole put a bib on him to eat. He gives him kisses and tells him "Nigh-nigh" at nap time and bed time.

Cole has a new best friend. Bunny. And mom and dad think it is utterly adorable.

Lyla was my little princess today. I couldn't stop taking pictures of her because she POSES for them. It cracks me up. She LOVES the camera. Plus she had on a pretty dress. :-)

Oh yes, and Lyla crawls. She usually lunges with her feet and plops her head into the carpet and pushes back up with her arms, but today was different. Today she army crawled to get to the Woody doll on the floor. (Cole would normally NOT have that, but he was sleeping.) She can pretty much get to where ever she wants except back into a sitting position which frustrates her but she is getting really close to doing that too so I'm sure it won't be too long. Before I know it she is going to be running around this place - and Cole is DYING for that day to come. He can't wait. I can.

And up next is my first complex photoshopping - took out all the background. I was going to clear up her complexion and add a different background, but hey, it's getting late. Learning how to take out the background was lesson enough for today.

2010-09-24T14:14:00.004-05:00

For the past few weeks I have been preoccupied with other things instead of updating the blog. My apologies. We had Rick's mom and step-dad over for a week and then my computer crashed and my cellphone was momentarily out of commission due to an overload of Lyla slober. Then I was figuring out how to fix my computer, phone shopping (just in case), computer shopping (just in case), creating a brochure for my mom's store and then putting the house back in order. Phew! Now I have some pics and videos for all the Cole and Lyla lovers out there.

So let's see, here's a brief summary of Grandma and Grandpa Solotes' visit. I didn't take many pictures so these are from the grandparents camera.

We went to the park.

Lyla showed off her mad swinging skills.

Although he was afraid to go on slides by himself for a while, Cole is now a pro. He is wearing his new NC Charlotte jersey (where his Aunt Jillian is attending).

Cole got a Toy Story tent which he adores and loves to play in with Lyla and daddy.

He also has a Mr. Potato Head (which he doesn't share with Lyla) and Toy Story PJs. He has worn these PJs nearly every night since getting them. Mom and Dad love them too so we just keep washing them. :-)

We went to Chucke Cheese (and there learned that Cole knows how to say "mouse"). And Cole has a new favorite place to visit and adores Chucke. He asked to go on the merry-go-round by signing horse and saying "neigh". (He usually got very afraid on these types of rides.)

And we had a awesome date night at Miramont in the Portofino Restaurant.

Lyla and Cole both loved the time with their grandparents. It was so fun to play with them everyday. It felt like vacation for Rick and I too with two more adults around all the time!

Last Monday we made a trip to Brenham, TX to visit the Blue Bell factory. Blue Bell ice cream is only sold in the southeastern US so some of you may never have heard of it. But even though it is only sold in 19 states it is the 3rd highest selling ice cream in the US just behind Breyers and Dryers. FYI: the most popular flavors sold are Vanilla, Cookies and Cream and The Great Divide (which is 1/2 vanilla, 1/2 chocolate). Cole loved the cow statue and both kids were pretty great on the tour. It was a lot of fun to have a family outing even though the kids naps were completely messed up due to them falling asleep on the way home.

Now for the videos...

Lyla gets super giddy when she is tired. This is an example. But the laughing can turn to crying really quickly too.

Lyla got a new swing too. She loves it. Cole loves it too...uh oh.

Lyla will NOT eat baby cereal. I tried rice, wheat and oat with formula, with breast milk, and with fruit. None of the above worked. She would crinkle her nose and spit it out. However, she will eat other baby foods like sweet potatoes, applesauce, pears, etc. She just hates cereal I suppose. It is so fun to feed her. She says "yum" with almost every bite. And now if I'm feeding Cole she thinks she gets some too. She will crane her neck and her whole body trying to dive into the food.

And she eats baby puff cereal. Loves them actually. It's a great way to keep her from getting cranky in church or elsewhere. I realized I had never really tested her fine motor skills so yesterday I put her in the high chair and tested them out. Wow! That girl almost has the pincer grasp down (though I'm not sure it's seen here in this clip). Now just getting the cereal in the mouth. Later she realized if she sucked her fingers sometimes the puffs would stick to them and then she could suck it off the fingers. I watched her eat baby puffs for almost a half hour just in amazement at how well she did. This is only a short clip but still for most viewers there isn't too much exciting here.

Cole got an indoor/outdoor slide as well. This combined with the swing saves Mommy from hiking out to the park on those super hot days (though it is cooling somewhat now).

Now I'm off to see if I can squeeze in a nap. I feel a cold coming on. I think Cole has it too. Yuck.

2010-09-02T14:38:00.004-05:00

Lyla had her 6 month well check today. She is doing great! She is now 15 lbs (25th percentile) and 25 inches long (20th percentile). Oddly enough her length at 4 months was 25 inches as well. Hmm... even stranger...Cole's 4 month length was about the same as his 6 month length. Either it was a fluke reading at 4 months for both of them or my babies don't get taller in those two months.

Cole's Length vs. Lyla's:

Anyway, being that she now hovers around the 25th percentile her growth has slowed since she was at 50th or so at the 4 month mark. That seems about right since she is smaller than other babies we know at her age now - including her favorite cousin, Ally. But she is still very healthy as anyone can see from her super chub thighs. (Sorry about that babe!)

Cole's Weight vs. Lyla's:

She still has decided she doesn't want to eat baby food which is okay by me. However she is nicely drinking a little water from a sippy cup. Wow! Definitely not like her brother in that arena. It isn't a lot but she actually seems to enjoy nibbling on it and then drinking a little. Oh, and she sort of eats fruit (see video)...we put apple slices in the netting. She sucks on it for a little bit but just tires of it even if you hold it. I just don't think she likes anything but milk - definitely like her brother there! Cole glady finishes these off for her, as well as any baby food I make for her to try. Jealous much, are we? Yes. He wants anything we are giving her.

Lyla loves to touch faces, looks you in the eye and smiles when you talk to her. The doctor said that babies who love to touch faces are extroverts when they grow up. Again, definitely NOT like her brother. So we'll have our shy guy and our outgoing little girl. They'll make a great pair. :-) They already do.

Oh yes, and Lyla is a pretty good sitter now (even though the videos are from when she first started learning). She even rides in the cart at the grocery stores without a problem. It seems so odd to me because she is so tiny but she holds herself very still and enjoys the ride!

2010-08-28T15:23:00.005-05:00

Okay, so I have no clue as to what we've been doing for the past 3 weeks other than the usual get up, eat, play, run errands, nap, play, ...etc. etc. But in the midst of all that usual-ness, Lyla became an official "sitter" although I usually am on hand or a pillow is nearby to catch the eventual fall. She seems to still prefer to play on her tummy though she definitely can sit. As evidence:

Yes, and she is now allowed to play in the sink as we get ready in the morning. Man I love sinks. They don't require me to bend down to the ground (because I'm still having back issues) and boy do my kiddos find them fascinating. Is it because of the shiny faucet or because they love to look at themselves in the mirror? Hmm...

Oh yes, and Lyla loves to stick out her tongue. There were a few days that all she did was hang it out like a dog in the wind, but now she's calmed down and only does it once in a while.

Baby girl is definitely teething but she does it all with a smile and just is a little more needy in the "hold me" arena. But the average joe wouldn't even know she's teething since she is pretty much cheery all day. I do think a little stranger anxiety is setting in though (unfortunately).

It is such a blessing to have little Lyla. It is so easy to get her to smile and laugh. She adores her big brother and like him, is hard to tear away from "Baby Signing Time". When it's on, it is almost comical how she turns to look at the TV no matter what you try to distract her with.

Cole has decided it's okay to use his words now and it starting to say a lot of words. Some are very clear but others only mommy really knows what he is saying. Some words he says:

Purple (a favorite), Cole, Car, Cow, Buzz, Woody, Bubble, Cat, Hot, Star, Potty, Shirt, This, Thank You, Store, Door, Mail, Milk, Blue, Cook, Peas, Please, Fly, Bye, Hot, Eat, Water, Slide

There are others I'm sure, but this is what comes to mind at the moment. And obviously his signing vocabulary is much more expansive.

Oh, and I finally got him to understand what "Smile!" means. This is his camera "smile" (aka. the fake one). And his uncle is going to University of Alabama, hence the AL shirt. The watermelon? Well, that's just one of his favorite things to eat.

The laying on the crayons? Well, that's just because he loves "colors" so much. You would think it's Christmas morning when I ask him if he wants to color. And that is what makes being a mom so fun!

2010-08-08T15:01:00.002-05:00

Oh my little girl is growing up too quickly!

She has gone from this just minutes after birth. . .

to this two days ago. . .

A very fast 5 1/2 months! She is just a delight to have around. She is so observant and happy. She also has good motor skills. I have to be careful what I'm holding when she is in my arms because she will grab it quick as lightening. As stated before, she is NOT camera shy like her brother. Rather she hams it up pretty good which makes taking pictures so much fun with her!

She is sitting in Cole's Buzz & Woody chair which his Grandpa and Grandma Poling gave to him along with some other Toy Story goodies. They visited last week and saw first hand just how much this guy is in love with Toy Story! It was so much fun to have them here. Lyla loved them both and even our shy Cole remembered his grandparents. Here's Lyla with her Grandma.

Cole has asked for his grandparents everyday since they left last Thursday. So I've been distracting him and have taken him out of the house to playscapes at McDonald's and Chik-fil-a to keep things interesting (and to avoid the midday heat).

We will go to the park in the evenings after 7pm when it isn't so hot. Lyla has enjoyed our little trips there as well.

Lyla enjoys her swinging and her Jumparoo - Cole likes to combine the two in one for her. As soon as I put the Jumparoo up he asked if he could swing in it. He settled for swinging her in it.

Yesterday I was in the kitchen cleaning or something when I looked at Cole in the living room. He had the spray bottle of water and was tapping it on the couch and then wiping a cloth over it. He did each cushion and then moved on to the ottoman. . . just like he saw mommy do when I cleaned the leather on the couches a couple of weeks ago. It was ADORABLE. Thankfully, caught on film! (He eventually moved on the the end tables and entertainment unit and dusted them too.)

Oh, and here's another pic of Miss dumpling, just for kicks.

2010-07-29T13:00:00.006-05:00

The past couple of weekends have had us traveling around so it has been busy but so fun. First, we went to Austin to spend time with family and celebrate my little brother's birthday. While there we made a trip to Zilker park with all the grandkids and took Cole and Cannon to the Austin Children's Museum. The entire time we lived in Austin neither Rick nor I went to Zilker park so of course we visited as "tourists". And as for the museum, I had no idea it would be such a haven for Cole. I really expected most of it to be too old for him to enjoy but I was so wrong. He could have spent the entire day there had we not had little Lyla and his naps to be concerned with. Unfortunately my camera was caput the entire weekend so the pics are borrowed from Jefra.

The Zilker Zephyr Train - VERY HOT but Cole and Lyla loved it while it was going!

Cole and Cannon at the museum (more pics and video on Jefra's blog)

Last weekend Rick had a CCMA Conference (Country Club Managers Association) to attend in San Antonio at the new Marriott TPC. It was so beautiful and so nice to be surrounded by such beauty...and a big waterpark included with your stay. These are nice mini-vacations primarily paid for by Rick's employer since they cover the hotel room. (Thanks Miramont!) The conferences are always family friendly with spouses and children invited to each meal if you would like and this time they had a photographer there to take family pictures Sunday evening.

The rooms are huge so we had enough space for 2 Pack-N-Plays for the babies. Cole doesn't really do well sleeping in unfamiliar places so he slept with us the first night (ugh!) and then we put his crib in the bathroom (yes, big enough with space to spare) the second night. Still, even with that he was super overtired by the end of each day. Lyla is easier and pretty much went right to sleep except when we forced her to stay awake and go to dinner with us. :-) So here are some pics ...

The hotel room

The resort. This was taken before it was finished as they added a large kiddie park with three slides and sprinklers as well as two adult tube slides. Guess they wouldn't look so peaceful in a picture! The lazy river wraps around the adult pool. Even Lyla loved the river, she just laid back and enjoyed!

Cole going down the kiddie waterslide all by himself. He sputtered in the water afterwards but he managed!

Dad and Cole had such a good time in the water.

Unfortunately, I also injured my back while at the water park. I wasn't doing anything except bending over to pick up sunblock. I knew it was bad as soon as I did it. So instead of enjoying the water and the resort on Monday I spend the morning pushing the kids in a stroller as that was easier than picking them up in the room while Rick was in meetings. We were going to stay that afternoon when his meetings were over at noon but instead my mom drove us home while my dad and Rick golfed. I went to the doctor in Austin and found I slipped a disk. The walking in the stroller actually did a lot of good in the end and probably pushed it back into place. I still have muscle soreness and am really careful doing anything. This is the second time in five years that my back has done this which is too bad I guess. I've had little episodes before but only twice where I feel like I really can't do anything and the pain is so bad I can't help but cry. I feel for anyone who deals with chronic back injuries. I've got the knee problems too but the back is 10x's worse. But we enjoyed our stay in Austin for another day while it gave me time to recover with help around.

Now for the KIDS UPDATE:

Lyla is now rolling over both ways on her own and enjoys the exersaucer. She can barely stand up in it but if she leans over can lay one foot flat. Otherwise she just tip-toes around in it. But as you can see, she loves it.

Lyla is also teething and/or has a cold. She has a constant runny nose and is wanting to bite things constantly.

Cole is now in love with Toy Story and Rick gave in and bought him a Woody and a Buzz doll this past weekend. He loves these guys and all he wants to do is watch Buzz jump off the bed in Toy Story over and over and over and over and over and . . . (you get the picture). But he also loves to play in Lyla's crib. . .

He likes to try on mom's flip flops (though these are Aunt Jefra's) and yes, that is a dirty diaper in his hands. You know I have no idea why he was holding it or where it went after that? SCARY!

Lay next to her, on her, over her, as well as make her laugh, point to her ears, pinch her nose and give her great big bear hugs (which sometimes she doesn't like too much). They are so much fun to see together. It had been a while since I had taken some decent photos of them so we had a little photo shoot this morning. Cole was totally uncooperative but did give me some cute shots of them together.

But Lyla is VERY cooperative for the camera. As I said before, she's our little model. It makes it so fun to take her picture.

She has also discovered her feet and aren't they cute?!

She looks so much like her cousin Ally in this picture, if I cropped it before the ear you would really have to do a double take!

She is always so alert and reaches for everything. She keeps reaching for Cole's sippy cups too...hey maybe she'll drink from one early!

My happy little girl! She is so precious, I just squeeze her all the time!

Oh, and if you've never heard her, she sounds just like a cat when she squeals. Our own little kitty.

2010-07-15T14:37:00.004-05:00

It's been so long since I posted I don't even know what has been going on other than the kids getting bigger and cuter day by day.

Let's see...I guess we'll start with Lyla's 4-Month well-check with a new doctor. The doctors here in College Station seem to all work in "hospital-like" atmospheres or huge clinics. I've been spoiled by our cute little pediatric office in Austin where we received personalized attention in a home-like atmosphere. So we switched to the only Ped doctor in the area that is in a practice all by her lonesome. The good news: The front desk staff and nurses were SO NICE and Dr. Patricia Goen was AWESOME! Cole freaked out (as usual) when she came in and even more so when she took Lyla from me (Mr. Protective). But the way she held Lyla and worked with Cole was PERFECT. The bad news: the office is the only low-income clinic in the southern College Station area so it may not always be so nice when we visit though today it was pretty empty and quiet. This is definitely the only practice where I had to sign SO MANY documents stating our income, why we don't need free vaccines, etc., etc. That had me really worried and I had made up my mind we weren't going back until I met the doctor and the professionalism of the staff changed my mind. At the first clinic we went to here the nurses wouldn't pick Lyla up after the shots when I was still wrangling with Cole and getting him settled. This nurse picked her right up and started calming her. Maybe some mothers are anxious and don't want the staff picking up their children but I find it endearing. Cole was afraid of the nurse too until she gave him some books and went out of her way to try to find something to entertain him, an A++ in my book. Oh, and Lyla's cry when she gets shots are, um, no other word I can think of, but heart-shattering. This is my baby girl who almost never cries but simply wimpers or fusses. These cries would kill Rick if he ever heard them! She can't even breath right she is trying so hard to get some grip on what the heck just happened to her.

So here are the stats: 13 lbs 8 oz (Though they weighed her clothes and diaper on - weird but I noticed them doing it with other children too. This is the only place I've gone to where they do that. I wonder why???) and 25 inches long. She's actually 4 1/2 months old which puts her at 31st percentile for weight and 61st for length. Even though these are higher percentiles than Cole was at for this age, she is basically tracking right along what measurements he was. They are almost identical in size at this age.

Oh! there's my little sweetie!

So anyway, Lyla started sleeping on her back - a change she made all by herself. She started rolling over onto her back and decided she liked that best because she would roll over as soon as I would lay her down on her belly. Well, since that time she forgot how to roll from her tummy to her back. Oops! But she has mastered rolling from her back to her tummy. (Doesn't that seem harder??!!)

Last week she and Cole were playing on the floor when I pulled out this ball that moves around. She REALLY wanted this ball. This is a picture of her pulling up her butt attempting to somehow inch forward. Little Miss! You are NOT supposed to crawl yet! But she loved that Cole was playing with it. She wanted to watch him the whole day. At one point Cole got close enough to her and she started sucking on his leg. He thought that was a trip and kept telling me there was water on his leg. haha!

She is super smiley, loves her alone time but then wants to be talked to as well. She does her fair share of chattering and cooing too. A recent development is her smacking her lips and licking them when I'm feeding Cole dinner. Soooo...I gave her some applesauce...which she loved...and then last night a teensy bit of rice cereal...which she ate right up. Oh dear. I think this one's an eater. Too bad I think feeding babies this little is messy and just a plain hassle. Sorry chik-a-dee! I don't think this will be a regular habit until later!

What?! No food?! No fair!

Cole loves his little sister. Actually, it is his fault I fed Lyla anything at all. He always insists on sharing his food with her and giving her his milk cup after he is finished. (Because he's sure she wants some too...) Cole lets us know exactly what he wants multiple times a day. If we are going to watch a video, he lets us know WHICH ONE and gets upset if it's the wrong one. Yes, he is in the tantrum throwing age and he does so only when he can't do what he wants when he wants (like watch TV, go outside, play with daddy, etc.) but we are blessed that these are rare and mild. I attribute that to sign language. He can always tell us what he wants, it's just a matter of if he can or not at the time.

Cole is doing so well going to the library for story time. He didn't act afraid at all the second time we went and romped around the kids section afterwards forever, pulling out all the books, opening them on the table, looking at me with big wide eyes, signing "book" and them jumping up to get another. I'd say he feels right at home there now. We went to Kindermusik with a friend this week and Cole loved it. I was proud that he didn't throw fits when it was time to put away the toy or musical instrument. I was really, really worried that he would. He is definitely learning new things by watching older children and enjoys it. We still go to Chick-fil-A for playtime some days and he is FASCINATED with the cow. He loves that thing - not scared of it at all. (It seems the man dressed like a cow is there every time we go!)

Today at the doctor's office a young boy left the office to sit out in the hallway. Cole had a fit pointing out the door to the boy. He was definitely concerned that this young boy should be in here, not out there by his lonesome. It took some persuading to convince him that the boy was just fine and not to worry about him. Our protector.

His new words are: Cole (As recent as yesterday...he just started saying it over and over and over again all day, except when dad came home); battery (He says "bat" and some other nonsense but I know what it is.); store; Mayer (his friend); car. Well, those are all I can think of right now but there are others I'm sure.

About three weeks ago I made Cole chicken nuggets and gave him some ketchup to dip them in (he loves dipping). Well, the chicken went to waste, the ketchup was ALL he wanted...

Cole also loves to play in the sprinklers with daddy. I think it is adorable.

And so life goes in the Poling household.

2010-06-29T00:55:00.005-05:00

These are the some of the many faces of Cole. He has become quite expressive lately. He rolls his eyes, he twists his lips and looks to the side, he squeezes his eyes closed and opens his mouth like he is silently laughing, etc. He most often makes these faces near the end of eating, but in the instances above he was climbing up a step ladder we have and looking at himself in the living room mirror. He LOVES to make faces in the mirror. He still sits in our bathroom sink when we get ready and gets real cheeky with the mirror. I love it. Rick laughs hysterically. We love his little personality. Now if we can only get him to be more social...we went to Chik-fil-A today to meet some women from church and their kiddos. The idea was to the kids would play in the play area and us moms could chat. We are all new to the area so it was ideal. There were two other kids there just a month apart from Cole. The bad news: Cole cried for about 10 minutes as soon as we got there. If anyone knows Chik-fil-A's in TX, they know they are ALWAYS crowded. The good news: after about 30 minutes of sitting with mom he actually wanted to go play! I stayed with him for a bit and then he even played without me until some big kids came and pushed him aside. I wanted to punch them. This was a play area for 3 and under! Not 7 and over! But I didn't say anything. I just held him until he calmed down again. I think it was successful in the end. He wanted to play with the other kids too - when there was 3 or less around. He just got overwhelmed when there were more and cried.

But this kid makes me smile everyday. I love being his mother. See this ugly overgrown bush of flowers (we don't know what kind but I really should do something to it...)

There's a secret in there....

Surprise! He loves to hide. You can barely see it in the picture but look at those pinky cheeks just brimming with excitement for me to find him. His smile is HUGE. I wished I actually caught it on film.

We've been taking Cole swimming at least once a week. We got him this floater suit and after one use he is getting really good. He can balance in it now and lays his head back in the water and floats. We are still very close to him though because he doesn't hold the float long but he's getting better every time. He thinks the jacket is cool and loves to put it on.

Oh, and here is Miss Lyla. She's a little doll. Smiley and happy nearly 95% of the time. Such a delight. I love to get her from her naps. She pops her fingers out of her mouth and gives me the biggest smile with her eyes wide open. Somewhat similar to this but not quite.

And as you can see, she is becoming quite expressive too...

She loves to pull her dresses up and suck on them. I actually find it adorable so I've been putting her in more dresses. (Thanks Grandma Poling for this one!)

But her favorite thing to play with is still her fingers. She's content to lie anywhere and play with them. They must taste good!

Second to that would have to be Mr. Blue Giraffe. She coos at him, yells at him, yanks him off her bouncy seat, etc. If you remember, Blue Giraffe was the first thing that got Cole to laugh on camera. Blue Giraffe has a way with babies. If you need a refresher on him, here's the video of Cole.

Sleeping Beauty

2010-06-11T21:55:00.007-05:00

I went to wake Lyla from her evening nap because it had been going on nearly 2 1/2 hours (WAY too long...) and this is what I found.

Let's hear a collective "Awww"! And yes, she sucks her fingers. It looks odd but mommy loves it because she puts herself to sleep most of the time. In fact, she slept 9pm - 7am last night. Here's to hoping this baby stays sleeping!

We then proceeded to enjoy some setting sun light pouring into the room for a photo session. She loved it. (She loves the attention.)

Cole nearly always can't wait to kiss his baby sister when she wakes up.

And again, "awww...".

These are the moments I want to remember forever. Oh, except of course, during this little photo session, Lyla had her first official "blow out". Out the diaper, out the clothes, and yes, out onto this nice WHITE duvet cover. Thank heavens it's washable!

2010-06-04T22:27:00.005-05:00

Cole and I like to take short little walks while Lyla takes a morning nap. I usually listen to music via earbuds. Cole never asked me to listen, but I brought one to his ear and his eyes opened wide. He was hooked since then. He now wants to hold one bud while I listen to the other (which makes walking in a stroller quite difficult). I also learned that his "dancing" is squatting as this video shows.

My little boy is growing up so quickly. He likes to get the mail with mom too which he says as "Meh, Meh"! It's his new term to want to get in the stroller too. He loves to hold the mail key and holds it tight until we get back home and hands it back to mommy.

Cole also loves the camera which makes it difficult to get video or pictures anymore. He wants to snap them. He knows what smile means, but these are the looks when you ask him to smile for the camera. Oh Cole! All posterity is going to think you are a sullen little boy when in fact you are a big ball of kicks and giggles!

Cole was playing with Lyla's rattles and toys. She doesn't kick her legs as much as Cole did so feet rattles don't really excite her too much. Cole asked me to put them on his ankles though. He spent the rest of the day with them on, as seen in the video... along with his new fascination with the bumbo seat. He sits in it and tries to slide it around the kitchen floor. He wishes it had wheels so badly!

So our little angel Lyla is in the process of learning to sleep in the crib instead of the bassinet. She just got too big and too strong for it. Turns out she has the same problem Cole had with the crib - he wants to cuddle into a corner. The first two nights she woke up about every 2 hours with her head jammed against the railings. Ugh! So I went ahead and ordered a bumper, but in the mean time I made a makeshift bumper from rolled up blankets. She slept like a rock as soon as I put them in. My little snuggle bug!

Lyla discovered her hands this past weekend and this is usually what she is doing now - staring at them.

She is also very good at pulling and batting at toys above her. Guess that hand-eye coordination is kicking in! Unlike Cole, Lyla LOVES the camera. However, this is her expression when she spots it - wide eyed, deer in headlights.

She is such a delight. I just can't get enough of her smiles and laughs - yes, LAUGHS. This girl seems to be ticklish already too! Sometimes her laugh is a short chuckle and other times a screeching girlie laugh. She is getting so easy to put to sleep, which is about the only time besides being in the car or the stroller that makes her fussy. Yep. What baby doesn't like the car or the stroller!!??!! My Lyla, that's who! I'm making her get used to them though. We take a trip daily. We will see who is more stubborn now!

But look at this darling? Who can stand to see her cry?

Daddy is so cute with Lyla. They matched today! (Again, notice the wide eyed look.)

And I don't know why, but I love this picture.

2010-05-20T14:48:00.002-05:00

Seriously, I can never think of catchy or interesting titles for my blog entries so I think I'm forgoing them from now on.

Things have been busy here. We made a trip to Austin for Mother's Day and for my niece's blessing. (Ally, 3 days younger than Lyla.) It's so great to be with everyone and I love getting the two girls together. I was ecstatic that Cole warmed up to his Aunt Kylene and Lyla enjoyed her Sunday Sacrament nap with her too!

Since returning I've been trying, trying, trying to get Lyla on a schedule. She was SO CLOSE before going to Austin. She was going to bed between 7 and 9 and naps were getting somewhat predictable in length. This made me so excited because then I can plan outings and get out of the house with Cole, which he loves. Guess she wasn't having any of that because now it's total randomness - even midnight wakings wanting be up 1-2 hours! Ack!! But I'm dealing with it okay because she so SO HAPPY! Seriously, this girl smiles, coos and talks nearly the entire time she is awake and is getting pretty easy to lay down for naps. For some reason it's hard to get her to sleep prior to the first night sleep period. I'm sure that will end soon too.

Lyla is VERY strong. Monday night she rolled from her tummy to her back twice! She's halfway done it since then. I don't think she does it because she enjoys doing perfect yoga cobras. See!

This has put a predicament in our sleeping plans for her. We bought a bassinet mattress for her, instead of just using a pad, so that she might be able to stay in it longer. Well she pops her head up so high that I'm sure in a matter of a couple of weeks she will try to roll OUT of the bassinet. Ugh. Time to by that 2nd crib!

Cole LOVES to play with Lyla. He continually insists on sharing food and toys with her. He really cannot wait for her to grow up. Cole also has a new fascination with watching ANYTHING on the computer. Seriously. He even watched half an episode of "House" with me. (I watch almost all TV shows on the computer from Hulu.) He doesn't even watch more than 15 minutes of anything on the TV! hahaha....

Cole continues to love to play outside and I think both he and my allergies have subsided a little. He loves to watch for airplanes in the sky (a new sign he does) and bugs on the ground. But he doesn't like the bugs. He usually freezes and watches them until they leave his vicinity or asks me to pick him up or hold his hand. I'm glad. I don't want him playing with them. Especially since we have lots of these in our yard...

Apparently they are stinging WORMS. Not caterpillars. Yuck. We also have some not-so-friendly wasps that love our house. Ew. Mom hates bugs too.

Cole is sort of finicky about cleanliness. He likes to get dirty if he's doing it on purpose. Otherwise, he wants me to clean his hands, his feet, his face, etc. Unfortunately, he has started a very gross habit that I am trying desperately to teach him out of...that is A) peeing in the bathtub. (He insists on standing up like daddy and doing it. I'm sure he did it before while sitting, but seeing him stand up, pee and chuckle like it is some victory is something totally different. Um, especially if you're in there with him. Ew.) And B) pooping, yes, POOPING in the bathtub - ON PURPOSE. It seems he did it on accident once and now thinks at some point bath time turns into poop time because it doesn't matter what time of day we give him the bath, he poops. Double Yuck. Gross. Ugh. Bleh. Barf. Obviously, getting mad at him doesn't work. Sorry to share this grossness, but someone has to share my pain, right? That's what blogging is for, yea? I'm sure this phase will pass quickly - we are just working on transferring that "okay, let's pee and poop" thought process from the TUB to the TOILET. Wish us luck. And any suggestions are welcome.

Onto better topics. . . my adorable children with their daddy. Aww...

Rick picked us up Smoothies after his workout (hence the sweaty daddy) and Cole slurped daddy's right up. It was questionable since it was made with milk but our allergy-prone baby didn't get sick! Is this a sign that his whey/milk allergy is alleviating?

And just look at our little Buddha-baby!

Cole loves, loves, LOVES his daddy. If he hears a car, he does the sign for dad or says "Daah!?" I hate saying no to that or telling him dad isn't going to be home today. This morning dad ran out after laying Cole next to me in bed with his milk. After finishing his milk, Cole SOBBED and I mean SOBBED with his hand on his forehead doing the sign for "dad". It broke my heart. Finally, he calmed down, snuggled next to me, and fell asleep for another 45 minutes. Ahh, Heaven.

Cousins!

2010-05-03T14:55:00.005-05:00

Last Tuesday we were honored to have Jefra and Cannon come stay with us. Jefra spent Wednesday through Saturday taking a training to be a car seat technician. We spent those days playing with Cannon and teaching him lots of new things like how to go down the stairs properly,

put the rings on the stacker,

play T-ball,

mow the lawn,

play in the sprinklers

(which he didn't like so much),

chill in the pool,

and watch "Baby Signing Time".

Yep, we love our little Cannon.

He is such a happy little guy to have around!

Cole literally smothered him with hugs and kisses the entire week. By Friday, Cannon would scream and bat at him to get away. Then it seemed Cole did it on purpose just to annoy him. Oh boys!

Lyla is having fewer fussy periods and sleeping longer at night. There was even one night with an eight hour stretch! Yea for mom!

She is smiling so much that I can't stop taking pictures of her. I have a million but here are a few favorites.

Cole and Mom spend so much time outside that we usually come back in with itchy eyes and ears with lots of sneezing. Well, he must have touched something in the field across from our house and then rubbed it all over his face. He broke out in hives in a matter of minutes and his eye was almost swollen shut. He looked like he got beat up. My poor boy!

I gave him Benadryl and taught him not to scratch. He did so well after I showed him what his face was doing. His little hands would reach up to scratch and then he would remember and drop them - mostly by himself but needed some reminders too. The next day he was still a little swollen and started itching and rubbing the next night so I gave him Benadryl again before bed just because I also noticed he scratched the back of his neck so much the night prior that he bled! Needless to say, I am now restricting outdoors time. We still go outside just not all day like we used to.

So Jefra is now an official car seat technician which means we switched Cole back to rear facing. He has been okay with it for now. We'll see how he does the next time we have a long drive to Austin! Thanks Aunt Jefra for making us safe!!!

2-Month and 18-Month Updates!

2010-04-26T21:15:00.004-05:00

I pulled out the infant playmat the other day and Cole was SO excited to lay next to Lyla for some fun. She was pretty thrilled to have him there too.

But pretty soon the fun turned into a cuddle fest for Cole. He first tries to pick her up and since that doesn't work he lays next to her and pulls her in close. Then he tries to snuggle with her like he does with us - on top of us - but that's not so good with a little baby!

(NOTE: So apparently, one of the time Cole actually got ahold of my camera for a minute without my watchful care he changed the video settings and this awesome video is VERY poor quality. So you'll have to look hard to see what is going on.)

So little Lyla is now 2 Months!! Her well-check went, um, well. She is now 10lbs 13oz. Cole wasn't this big until he was almost 3 months and at that time he was 2 inches longer so he still seemed little to us. I call her my little buddha because she is so cute and chubby like one. I love it! But after saying that, she is pretty average - 50th percentile for weight and head size. She's only 20th for length but that could change in a matter of days really. Lyla still spits up and vomits quite a bit in her sleep - a sure sign that the reflux continues. The doctor says holding off on starting solids has been found not to be true so is suggesting we consider it at 4 months as it usually helps with the reflux. I don't know. We'll see how it goes. She was pretty well-behaved during her visit too but I totally forgot to give her Tylenol when we got home. Cole always handled all his immunizations so well that I didn't even think about it. Well, a few hours later her leg was so swollen and red and she was SHRIEKING. She would try to sleep through it while I was holding her but even then she would wake up and scream. I felt so bad for her. I've never heard her make that sound before. When I finally did get her to sleep, she was exhausted and well, she is still sleeping and it's been 4 1/2 hours!

Now Cole at the doctor's office is a completely different story. He is crying and kicking the minute we walk in. I brought lots of things to try and distract him and once we were in the room alone he was fine but after someone walked in, everything falls apart. Poor boy. I decided to just give him the rest of his shots today (3 left) so we won't have to have any more until he is 4 years old. Hopefully, over the next 2 1/2 years he will get over his fear now. But the nurses handled it all in stride with both of my babies screaming at the same time, Lyla wanting to go to sleep and Cole justing wanting Mama and OUT of there! Can't say I blame him though.

And finally, as promised, the video of him saying "more". I realized today that for a few weeks now he's been saying "door". It dawned on me because he says it the same way he says "more". So I tested to see if it was right. I pointed to the door and asked him what it was. He said "Doh" just as he says "Moh". Eeek! He has been going "Doh, doh, doh" for DAYS. I just thought it was gibberish but it all makes sense because he loves shutting all the doors, going to the doors and asking me to open them, etc. Hmm...I wonder what else he has been saying...???

Whoops! Almost forgot to provide the stats on Cole. He normally floats between the 5th and 10th percentile for weight. Well, for all those who wondered if he really is getting enough to eat (because he kind of picks, although since we've tried to give him more freedom to feed himself and *GULP* make a mess, he eat A LOT more) he is now 20th percentile. Doc was very pleased. He is 23lbs and 32.5 inches tall (55th percentile for height).

Signing Time

2010-04-26T09:15:00.001-05:00

Cole and I have been watching clips of signing time videos we don't have on the internet. There aren't too many out there but this by far is his favorite and asks for it again and again so I thought I'd share for all those interested. He has the "Baby Signing Time" series but there are a lot more videos in the "Signing Time" course.

Nick Jr.'s "Signing Time" - Feelings Music Video from NickPress on Vimeo.

Video Overload

2010-04-25T22:16:00.007-05:00

So I finally was able to grab Rick's iPhone from him to download all the pictures and video he has accumulated so I could share it with the world. Since a lot of it is old I will just move on but here are some recent videos of Dad's time with Cole.

At the park swinging: I asked Rick why he was screeching at Cole like that. His response, "Because it made him laugh!" Oh. Good answer.

At Gatti's playland on the Carousel. Cole just looks totally bewildered on this ride like "what is going on?" It just makes me laugh.

Saying Lyla. Sometimes he actually says it and other times it's "lalala" and others just the "L" sound rolling his tongue along his teeth. He knows we think the latter is funny so he I think he does that one just to make us smile.

Cole's first sign was "more" and now he is saying it but leaves off the hard "R" sound so it ends up sounding so cute. I have some video to upload from my camera and then I'll post that one along with him smothering Lyla with love.

Today he realized he could actually say "Ball" and so has been saying it quite a bit today. He also can say "Peas" (he loves them).

His new favorite past time is looking at my family picture taken when I was pregnant with him and pointing to all the people. If he can say their name, he tries. He is pretty good at me saying the name and he will point to the correct person. Oddly enough, though he hasn't really warmed up to my sister, Kylene, 99% of the time he points to her right after "Papa" and he even says "Ka". How's that Ky?!?! He is trying to say "Jade" and usually can pinpoint her right away too - no surprise there. They adore each other. But his all time favorite is "papa". When he wants to play with the picture he points to the piano it's sitting on and says "papa".

More Pics from Rick's iPhone:

Cole and Daddy at Chick-fil-A while Mommy is in the hospital with Lyla. (Post edit: this is NOT Chick-fil-A but Gattiland - I used the wrong pic. Oh well!)

Daddy and Lyla a few days old. Amazing how quickly they grow!

Cole loves to be outside. I'm glad that most days are sunny and beautiful here so we don't have to have the battle of why he can't go outside. I'm also grateful for a fenced in backyard but wouldn't you know it, he prefers the front (I'm sure because there is A LOT to explore).

Here he is pushing his mower around. This mower turns into a vacuum inside the house. He drags this thing everywhere!

Yep, he's playing the cool card here.

Picture Post

2010-04-12T21:43:00.002-05:00

Cole at the Park - we played with Robert, Beverly and their kids on Saturday. Cole had the best time ever. He loves playing with big kids. Jade is a little mother to him. I love watch them all interact.

Lyla chilling in between naps.

Lyla was sitting in the corner of the couch propped up by the side and a blanket in front. Cole was standing in front of her so she kept trying to lean towards him...so I let her and this is where she landed.

Aunt Kylene and our Princess Lyla

Cole has decided this is his seat too...He loves to sit in the bouncy seat and turn on the vibrations.

Daddy Day

2010-04-05T20:42:00.005-05:00

Cole and Daddy spent the entire day together. This was AWESOME for mom as I have been trying to work on an actuarial project in between naps and playtime with the kids. Dad first had to take him to the doctor, which Cole absolutely hates. We are afraid he has a UTI. We should know more by tomorrow. But after that he got to go tie shopping and then off to Gatti Land for pizza and games. Rick said he had a blast. But to end it all he got to play in the water while dad washed his car. I love watching him play with the water. He gets so giddy. By the end of it all Cole was exhausted but you could tell he didn't want the day to end so he still fought sleep. Poor baby! I actually missed him today. But here are some captured moments while washing the car. He is growing up WAY TOO FAST for my liking!

(the video quality is very poor when I upload this to youtube as I was holding the camera the wrong way...)

Happy Easter and More

2010-04-03T22:24:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow is Easter and it seems it came too early for me. I didn't get out the baskets or the bunnies or anything at all so it doesn't seem like the normal Easter holiday for me. I blame it on the daze of new mommy-dom.

However, we had an AWESOME visit from Rick's dad and brother, Jim. Jim was a natural with Cole and Lyla. I think Lyla attached herself to him. She was so cute holding his finger and snuggling up with him.

Cole has been having so much to deal with that he hasn't been the best of spirits, but he is an amazing trooper. He is getting all four 2-yr molars at the same time, new baby sister, new home and nap transition - all at the same time. He seems to be coming out of the worst of it now. But through it all, he LOVES his sister. I expected some animosity to creep in towards her but nope, just love. Aww...

I laid her on the boppie and he laid right beside her and put his arm around her legs. I was glad to have the camera handy.

I finally got a double stroller - just an umbrella one - but it works for now. I wasn't sure how Cole would like sharing his space but he LOVES it! He doesn't even want in his previous stroller. I think he mostly loves looking over at Lyla because he does it about every 5 minutes and won't let me pull the shade over her because then he can't see her. He pushes it back up every time. Awww...what a cute big brother, right?

We usually walk to get the mail. We used to do it when Lyla was sleeping because the monitor works all the way to the mailboxes (yes, it is further away than down our driveway). On our walk yesterday, Cole wanted to stop to play with these weeds.

You can see how pleased Lyla was with this momentary stop.

Lyla is growing leaps and bounds and is basically out of anything in newborn sizes. I can't believe how fast that happened because Cole seemed to be in them forever. Seriously, does this look like a 4 week old baby?

She's our little angel and she puts up with a lot as she is often left to "work it out" as I go help Cole or put him to sleep, feed him, etc.

And she is definitely keeping those blue eyes. I can't say this is the most flattering picture but you can see how blue her eyes are so I thought I'd share. And you can see she is getting lots more hair in to fill in the empty front. Yea! If her hair grows as quickly as Cole's, it will be no time before I'm curling it and putting in hair bows. (Yea!)

I've been kept busy this week and am thoroughly exhausted, but all in all it is such a rewarding time for me. I'm so lucky to have this beautiful family!

Borrowed Pics

2010-03-21T18:07:00.003-05:00

Jefra got some great pictures of Cole and Cannon together as well as some of Lyla. See her blog for details but here are the pics borrowed from her blog - thanks again Jefra!

Peanut Butter and Bubbles

2010-03-20T16:02:00.003-05:00

So I went to get little sleeping beauty out of the car while Cole was in the kitchen...

Little did I know that Cole can turn a half-screwed-on lid and within one minute I came back to this...

My first instinct was to tell him "NO!" but instead I said, "Stay there!" and ran for the camera. He thought it was hilarious too...as you can tell.

Cole loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but loves to eat peanut butter straight from the jar even more (thanks to Daddy for teaching him that).

Cole is just so much fun every day. I want to squeeze him every minute of the day and smother him with kisses. Some days he feels the same for me because he'll give me hugs and kisses all day. His new favorite way to give me hugs is from behind while I sit on the floor. I just love that he thinks he is surprising me.

Cole's new favorite toy is bubbles. "Auntie B" was kind enough to introduce him to bubbles and even bought the most amazing bubbles I've ever seen. Seriously, if you've never used Gymboree bubbles, you are missing out. They float around forever and you can catch them without popping. I think they have silicone in them or something like that. He squeals with delight trying to catch them or just running in them.

Cole is communicating more and more everyday. He saves his words for only the important things like "Mama" (which is for Mom or for Dad), "Papa" (Grandpa or sometimes Dad too), "B" (for Auntie B), and "Beebee" for baby. And he is just now starting to use "Dada" for Dad - Phew! But he nods his head yes and no with the "yes" being so pronounced and in slow motion it cracks us up every time. He signs A LOT and therefore tells us most things he wants. He understands an incredible amount. For example, if I'm feeding Lyla and he wants something that I can't get for him while feeding her, I ask him to wait until she is finished. "Can you wait?" and then he nods yes and politely waits a minute or two and then asks again nicely, unless of course, he is tired and then everything is dramatic and a crisis. I'm going to add a list to the right of the ideas or words he can communicate either through sign or words so the grandparents can keep up.

We had Jefra and Cannon and Beverly, Ally, Jade and Jeremiah visit for a bit this week. We had so much fun. Cole loves visitors and we loved getting together with the babies and visiting. Jefra had planned to stay the entire week but Cannon got a really high fever and since he was recovering from a recent bout of croup, the doctor thought it best he go get checked out. Cannon is such a calm and happy baby it was so sad to see him so sick! We are going to Austin this Sunday and Monday since Rick was asked by his boss to go to a conference in San Antonio. We are excited to see everyone again!

Growing Pleasures

2010-03-13T11:10:00.006-06:00

So finally I have a moment to give an update on Lyla and Cole. First I need to catch up from Jefra and Cannon's visit last week. Cole really enjoyed having a playmate. We had the cutest video of Cole "talking" to Cannon on the stairs but alas, I accidentally deleted it so this one will have to suffice. It's cute just not as funny as the other.

Hopefully, they are coming again next week. Cannon had a scary bout with croup last week so if he is all better then they will be here. So hopefully I'll have more fun videos of the two playing. In this picture Cole was showing Cannon this book but I failed to capture the moment exactly. Oh well, they are still cute together!

Cole really, REALLY wants to play with Lyla. He offers her his food, he tries to run cars on her belly and head, he tries to give her his golf club, etc. Sometimes by the end of the day Lyla has been so bugged by her brother she cries when he comes close. But mostly he just loves to kiss her. He is just like his daddy and does it over and over and over again. It is the most adorable thing ever.

She actually slept a lot during the day yesterday so he hadn't seen much of her. In the evening he kept asking where she was. (He didn't know where she was because we moved her bassinet into the downstairs bathroom so we can't hear her when she lets out little yelps or is settling down at night. Is that weird? Yes. But it works.) I kept telling him she was sleeping but he wanted to see so I brought him to her. He then insisted on kissing her and touching her. So sweet!

We tried going for a walk outside with Cole in the stroller and Lyla in my Beco baby carrier. Well, Lyla didn't like that one bit. She wanted to be free. So we headed home and while Cole played in the front yard I put Lyla in the stroller just to sit, and WOW she loved that.

Cole and I often go play outside in the late afternoon while Lyla sleeps. We have about 100 yards or so before we are out of range for the baby monitor so we go everywhere in that amount of space. Cole loves to play in the backyard but really loves the front yard (aka: the street). So I am teaching him to hold mommy's hand if he wants to go further than the sidewalk. He is funny because he has no problem holding my hand UNTIL we get to the street then he struggles to break free. My little explorer.

Lyla is such a joy and seems easy compared to what Cole was like at this age. She has a little reflux which is what makes her cry out sometimes in the middle of sleep (hence the move to the bathroom). I got medicine for her yesterday. The doc says cutting out dairy might help too but I really don't want to have to have my second child on soy if I can help it so I'm drinking milk in hopes her system will adjust. We'll see. But she is a good sleeper. She goes 4-5 hours between nighttime feedings. Day feedings are anywhere between 2-4 hours. Her awake periods last anywhere from 1 hour to 2 1/2 hours. And she is WIDE awake during those times. I think I've gotten her used to the fact that mommy doesn't play at night so just go back to sleep. Yea! And I think our little girl is keeping those baby blue eyes. The odds of having blue eyed children were against us but I think we may have a winner!

You'll notice a little peeling on her arms and hands. It's actually all over her body. It doesn't make for pretty pictures so hopefully it all comes off soon. I've a horrible habit of trying to peel it off while she's nursing. Our 2 week check up was yesterday and she is a whopping 7lbs 15oz. Usually babies are barely back to birth weight by then. Like I said, she's a BIG eater. Fine by me since it induces lots of sleep. :-) She's also grown 3/4 of an inch and is now 20.75 inches. That puts her about 70th percentile for length and 50th for weight. So she is slender for her length. She definitely has her Grandma Solotes fingers and nails. They are dainty and beautiful and I think of her Grandma every time she holds onto my fingers.

Rick has been so helpful these past weeks. It is easier for him to stay home during the day on account of his work schedule and needs at the country club, so he has been getting up with Cole and feeding him so I can sleep in a little or take care of Lyla. He'll watch Cole until he goes down for his nap at 10 or 10:30. This has been so awesome. I love to watch him with Cole. He is such a fun dad. He adores Lyla and his tenderness for her just oozes out of him. I love my little growing family!

Baby Lyla and Cole

2010-03-04T16:18:00.005-06:00

Sorry I didn't get around to updating the blog as soon as I would have liked. My mother has been here until today which meant any free time I had I was forced to take a nap. Although I have been anxious to share my little one with friends and family, I'm glad I napped. But my sisters have done a nice job of posting updates.

So for pictures of Lyla's baby shower go to Kylene's Blog HERE

For pictures of my new niece, Ally Jordan, born 3 days after Lyla, you can go to Kylene's Blog HERE or to Jefra's Blog HERE. I haven't seen Ally yet but we are planning a trip to Cedar Park this weekend to see friends and family and get the two cousins acquainted. My aunt pointed out today that the two girls have the same letters in their first name - how cute!

Well, Cole has been doing so well with Lyla. He obviously likes her and is interested in her but gets a little jealous when he sees her with mom a little too much (like during feedings). He has wanted to be swaddled like her and has often tried to move her and lay where she was lying. I'm assuming this is to get the same attention she got. Here are a couple of videos of Cole checking out this new baby.

We were switching Cole to one nap but he just isn't ready. He was cranky and waking in the middle of the night. So the past three days he has had two naps, or one nap and quiet time in the afternoon, and he is back to my happy baby and sleeping through the night.

Jefra and Cannon arrived this afternoon and we are so excited to have them here. Cannon has grown so much in just the month we have been here. Cole still isn't sure about this other baby playing with his toys. He just watches him cautiously. At least he isn't yanking them from him or hitting him or anything.

And finally here are a few pictures of our precious bundles.

Day 2 of Life:

Learning to play golf:

And already frustrated:

Relaxing

Daddy Time:

Big Brother & Baby Sis:

Lovely Sleep:

With two children I oddly feel like we have a real family, like we were just playing house or something before. Isn't that weird? I love having us all together!

Welcome Baby Lyla!

2010-02-27T08:49:00.003-06:00

So Monday, February 22nd, came and went without any baby coming. Because Cole had arrived 2 1/2 weeks early, I was now getting anxious for little Lyla to be here too. I had random contractions Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday but nothing steady or timeable. That is what was getting annoying. My Aunt had been given some caster oil by a friend of hers that swears by it after having 10 kids. I was feeling so exhausted Thursday that I thought for sure the contractions would start. When they hadn't by about two in the afternoon, I told my aunt to go ahead and make me a Caster Oil Smoothie. Believe it or not it was really quite tasty (good job Auntie B!) and then I sat and waited. It took a few hours before I realized I was quite bloated but nothing else.

At 7:30pm Cole and I left their house to go home and put him to bed. (Side note, we are switching him to one nap because he has been fighting the second nap so much, so he was having a bad evening as this was the first day doing so.) Well, I started a contraction right as we were leaving and then had 2 more on the way home which is only a few minutes. I thought they would slow down but they didn't and each one was strong. I had 2 or 3 more putting Cole to bed and then realized that they were about 3 to 5 minutes apart, strong, going on for about 30 minutes and not slowing down. Oops! Better call dad, auntie to come stay with Cole, and mom and dad to go ahead and start driving here from Austin. By the time Rick got home from work about 15 minutes after I called the contractions were definitely 3 minutes apart and about 1 minute long. I just kept walking around the house as it was the only way I could get through them they were so strong.

So long story short, Lyla was born at 10:37pm, 3 hours after my first contraction and only one contraction of pushing!!! She was 7lbs 3oz and 20 inches long. The nurse said I probably could have just pushed about the time I got the epidural. I wish she had just said that - I didn't care how the contractions stopped, I just didn't want to feel any more. Still, I love epidurals. The relief after having such intense pain is almost better than when you see your little baby. I will say that it was MUCH more bearable standing up through contractions. Laying down or sitting about kills me and I can barely make it through one. I had tried standing when I had Cole but my legs kept giving out on me. Not sure why that didn't happen this time. Rick was such a trooper - he supported me standing even though that meant he was hunched over. Poor man had such an achy back that evening. I love him for it though!

Lyla looks very similar to her big brother. She is a strong one who moves her head around a lot and she loves to be spoken to. She is a really good eater which means she goes a longer time in between feedings. I love that because that means more sleep for mommy! Lets hope this keeps up! We are leaving the hospital this morning but going to see the doctor tomorrow at some point so they can test her biliruben count again. We are doing all we can to avoid jaundice this go around. She is already showing some in her face but her levels are low enough that any action besides feedings and sunlight isn't needed.

Cole came to the hospital yesterday and did really well with Lyla. He knows the sign for baby and just kept pointing at her and signing baby. He tried to poke her eye out (that's a good sign - he loves the eyes and always tries to touch them on people or animals he is interested in). He even gave her a kiss and held her for a minute. He'll be a good big brother. Well, he did get jealous when he saw me cuddling her to calm her down. That may take a few days (or weeks) to get over.

So that's the update for now! I'll post pictures and more when we get home later!

Playing Outside

2010-02-20T16:13:00.005-06:00

So the weather has warmed up here and Cole has been loving playing outside. We went to the park down the street one day and surprisingly all he wanted to do was walk around. He went on the swings for a little bit and climbed on the kid toys a bit but mostly just walked around and "talked" to this little 5 year old who was riding his bike around and ringing a little bell. They were so cute together.

We've played in the backyard a fair amount too. He doesn't walk too well on the straw-like grass so he mostly stays on the back porch.

Until the other day...see the bird bath in the corner. In about 2 minutes he finds it too, and here is what ensues...

The video is kind of long but so cute. I love my little boy. He really is growing too quickly. I want him to slow down now. (Okay so putting the 3 videos into one wasn't working when I'd load it to youtube so here are the 3 separate videos.)

No Lyla yet. I hadn't progressed any when I went to the doctor on Thursday afternoon - still 2 cm dilated and 50% effaced. He asked if I wanted to schedule an induction on Monday, my due date, but I said no. We'll see how things go this weekend. I had random contractions Thursday night but haven't really had anything since. I go to the doctor Monday morning for another check-up. Maybe she'll be ready to come on her own then!

My Big Little Boy

2010-02-16T17:22:00.005-06:00

So Cole's hair got ridiculously long. He last got it cut right before Christmas. It wouldn't look bad after a day or two of laying on it but it began to bother me because it would always look messy and crazy at church (after his bath and nap). So Rick took him to get his hair cut yesterday. When he came back my little baby boy was no longer a baby. Don't get me wrong - I love the clean, short cut but now he REALLY looks like a toddler instead of my little baby. He's maturing leaps and bounds everyday so I guess the haircut fits. (By the way, Cole hates his hair cut and with dad it was no different. Rick said it was very traumatic. He just squeezed his hands together and endured it after Rick said he would take a bath with him once they were done - Cole's favorite thing to do with Dad.) So now this is his new bedhead instead of the Einstein-do he used to wake up with...

And an outing with dad wouldn't be complete without dad buying him a gift. He got him a baby set of golf clubs - just 2 plastic ones that come in a case with three balls you can hit into the putting green inside the bag. I didn't think Cole would get it or like it but BOY was I wrong! This morning he used one of the clubs as his vacuum and then went and swept the kitchen floor with it. Maybe we should get him some real cleaning tools and he can help out with chores! But this is him with his clubs last night. (By the way, we painted the guest bedroom yesterday and my comments are regarding the touch ups needed. And don't worry - I just taped, Rick painted; though I did paint the entryway...)

Cole has mega hearing too. For example, this morning the TV was on, he was playing with his toys and I was talking to him. Then all the of the sudden his head pops up and he starts signing bird. Yep - a bird had begun to very faintly chirp outside at that moment. I don't know how he heard it. He had to have been listening for it - or he can hear the TV, mom and the bird all at once.

Cole definitely has favorite videos (Baby Signing Times) and now wants them on 24-7. This is how I found him the other day.

Why is he in here like this? Because he couldn't get the left door open and his signing dvds are on that side...

And boy does he get upset when I say he's had enough TV for one day! He does eat better while watching them though, and it is very hard to get him to eat well.

Here is another fun video of Cole...this is him on Sunday night playing with Daddy. As you can tell, he loves playing chase and carrying his blankie.

And finally, no baby yet. I go to the doctor again on Thursday and I'll update you then. Lyla is at least 6 pounds though so there won't be any inducing unless I want it (but I don't - though ask me again if she's still here this time next week).