22 & 9 and 2 In A Row

I didn't expect to post tonight, but Micole reminded me that Cooper turned 22 months old today and Colton turned 9. I haven't done a monthday post in awhile, so it seems appropriate. Two posts in two days. That's a new record!

Cooper spent part of his 22nd monthday playing in the snow with Ben, TJ, and Rachel. It was his first time playing in the snow.

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Young Colton on his 9th monthday. He's been sick for a few days but he's feeling much better today.

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I had a discussion today with a co-worker. We both agree that it is amazing that any children ever make it to the age of 5. There's all these little things that can happen with the younguns, mostly involving falling but there's plenty of other stuff like electrical shock or swallowing a coin or drinking cleaning fluid. Yesterday, Colton was pulling himself up on a toy when he fell through the glass on our curio cabinet. Micole said he was bleeding pretty badly at first, but when she cleaned it up all she could find was a little scratch. Lucky kid.

A few weeks ago Colton started pulling himself up on stuff, like the ottoman or the Imaginarium block that the boys got for Christmas. He had himself up on the Imaginarium, when of course (being one of his first attempts at this endeavor) he lost his grip and fell chin first into the block. I was upstairs when Micole screamed for me to come down. He was bleeding pretty badly out of his mouth when I arrived. Micole had me get a wash cloth for her. It cleaned up pretty fast, but it was scary. The same thing happened to Cooper at the same age, but it happened on the coffee table.

The funny thing about it was how upset Cooper was by the whole situation. Not an hour or so before he was pushing or hitting Colton for playing with HIS toys. So there he is pointing and screaming like "SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH MY BROTHER! DO SOMETHING PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! OH THE HUMANITY!!!! " He was utterly and completely terrified by the situation. I'm not sure if he knew what was wrong; he just knew something was WRONG.

Falling Behind

I've got a lot to post, but I'll probably save some for future posts (and hopefully this time the not so distant kind of future). 2007 hasn't been the best year, but I'll write about that in another post. Nothing all that bad to us mind you (so as not to scare into imagining something that hasn't happened). Things just haven't gone quite the way I had hoped. I was hoping 2007 would be a great year and it has started out on a less than stellar note in many respects.

Before I write anything about 2007, (and so I can get back some blogging momentum) I should at least talk about Christmas and post some photos.

Santa was very good to us again this year. Based upon the volume of toys currently spread across our floor, he's been way too generous. If Cooper has learned any cuss words it's entirely because I've injured my foot stepping on unseen toys.

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Cooper was very into the whole act of opening presents this year. He opened his presents, Colton's presents, my presents, and anything else he could find that was wrapped. There were so many presents that Cooper didn't open them all on Christmas day. A good stack of presents was left unopened, but Cooper found them the next day and opened them while I was at work. Colton wasn't interested in the presents this year, but I'm sure he will be next year.

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It was a very Elmo Christmas for the boys. Besides the chair and the big stuffed Elmo doll, there was a talking Elmo, an Elmo phone, and Elmo book.


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It's Lightning McQueen! Kapow! Kachow!

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This is the stack of presents left unopened on Christmas day.

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Cooper had fun playing with the wrapping paper. I'm not sure why we even bought him toys and you don't cut your foot when you step on wrapping paper.

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Despite not caring all that much about Christmas this year, Colton was tuckered out.

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Colton on Christmas day at Aunt Heather's. Notice the hair.

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He had his first haircut a few days later. I think he looks so much different.

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The boys are often found together. Planning something diabolical for sure.

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I don't remember the context of these two pictures, but they're funny.

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Aunt Kelly came to visit us with her boyfriend for New Year's. She brought her new puppy, who we affectionately call "Hula Dog".

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Hula Dog had a thing for climbing on Colton's butt.

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By the end of the year Colton was able to pull himself up on the first step.

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That ends tonight's portion of the blog. I hope to return soon with a post of 2007 pics.

A Quickie

I don't have much to say, but I had few pics I wanted to share and I've been getting some requests for more frequent posts.

This is what I came home to today. Mommy was in the kitchen and was completely unaware that Cooper was trying to bury his brother under toys.

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The pre-bath hug. Certain to be a classic photo for years to come.

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Cooper likes to play close the door-open the door with Colton. When we open it, Colton is always all smiles.

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The Monthly Post

I figured since it's been a whole month since I last blogged I better do it tonight(but it's not as if my top secret undercover work with the CIA hasn't kept me busy enough). So much as happened that I've meant to post, but which I probably have already forgotten, but I'll try to remember the high points and of course, post plenty of photos for Grandma Stella.

Colton Talks! His first word, much to my dismay, was "Ma-ma". I thought we were best buds, but apparently someone else has favored status with Colton.


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Colton Crawls! It's not the full 100% crawl, (Micole calls it the army crawl), but he's certainly mobile. For some reason, I'm just not as scared of Colton being mobile as I was with Cooper. I don't know if it's because of been there done that or Colton seems to be better behaved than Cooper and doesn't get into everything.


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Colton pulls himself up! He's been trying to get up on the ottoman with no results, but he will pull himself up by grabbing onto my hands. He's a strong kid. I didn't used to think with all of his heft he'd be an early walker, but I'm not betting against him now.


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Ohio State beats Michigan yet again! In the Marty-Micole era, Ohio State stands at 5-1 against the lowly Wolverines. If you throw Mommy's other team (she gets two, I only get one, but then I only need one), Michigan State, into the mix, then the Bucks are 9-1 during that same period. Domination! I need to bet more on these games.


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Cooper was ready for the game but then he slept through most of it.

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New flooring! We got new carpet and laminate in our living room. It's like living in a whole new house. We've even trained Cooper to clean the floors. We just need to teach him to put his toys away.


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Colton and Pappy.

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When Cooper really wants to sleep, he can sleep anywhere.

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Colton is so easy going.

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Cooper is a handful, but well worth it.

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Colton loves the Exersaucer.

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Cooper does too, even if he can't get into anymore.

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The Bonds of Brotherhood

These two little guys are tight. It's clear to me that once Colton gets up and running, they're going to tear this house apart together. They understand each other on an innate level. Occasionally I find them laughing, about what I do not know, perhaps hatching some sinister brotherly plot.

Micole was home today with the boys. She turned her back for just a minute and Cooper had given Colton a corn chip, which was firmly trapped in his teethless jaws. Micole pried the chip away, while simultaneously avoiding a heart attack. Both of the boys laughed the entire time. If she hadn't been on the verge of cardiac arrest, Micole says she would've grabbed the camera so that we could properly photoblog the event.

Cooper is constantly talking away. I'm not always sure if he's saying anything, but I'm catching more words. I got him to say "Colton" yesterday, which sounded a little bit like "Cotton" if you were to fill you mouth with cotton and say "Colton". I think he just said "downstairs" when Micole asked him where he was or he may have just burped. I'm not sure. Understanding his words at this stage is more of an art than a science and I'm not an artist. I'm sure he's reciting his doctoral thesis and I just can't understand him.

We didn't go trick or treating this year, but the boys did get dressed up. We went over to our friends' house while they gave out candy to the trick-or-treaters.

Cooper went as Sir Elton John.

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Actually, he was a dog. The breed of his costume appears to be a Swiss Bernese Mountain dog.

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Colton, of course, gets Cooper's hand me down pumpkin costume from last year. Thankfully, it still fit over his sumo wrestler physique. Barely.

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Good times.

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We had some professional photos taken this past weekend that have to be included here.

I think this one is on the Christmas card.

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Uncle Mikey won't like the fact that Cooper is in a sweater vest for his Christmas pictures again this year.

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Colton's getting pretty good at sitting up on his own.

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Cooper has a new tantrum where he closes his eyes and pretends he doesn't hear you. He'll peek out though and see if you're still looking at him.

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His hair is growing back in and redder.

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I like the fact that we get to keep all of the pictures, even the ones that don't get printed.

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A Half Birthday and The Terrible 19

Colton turned a half year old today, while Cooper turned 19 months. Colton's his normal self, but Cooper's been throwing the worst fits I ever seen. We think he might be sick. The thing is we all just got over being sick. I was sick first and then two days later it was Cooper and then two days after that it was Colton and then a few days after that we think we passed it on to Aunt Donna, Uncle Joey, and Grandma Stella. Grandma Stella even went to the hospital. I wasn't that bad, but it was the sickest I'd been in years.

Colton's already had his 6 month appointment and he weighed in at 21 pounds, 13 ounces. Only a gain of two pounds since his 4 month appointment. He fell from 98th percentile to 94th percentile. Maybe he's not going to be the world's youngest sumo wrestler. He's getting more exersauce for sure. Today he sat up on his own without any assistance. Alas, my rechargeable camera batteries are not holding their charge very well and that picture didn't make it to the camera.

Colton is such a happy baby. He should have his own trademark, Colton B - The Happy Baby (tm). He's in direct contrast to Cooper who is moodier. Cooper can be happy, giggly or he can be the whiniest little guy in the world. Little things upset Cooper. Colton is pretty happy as long he gets fed occassionally, you give him a little attention, and he has a clean diaper. It's amazing to me that two brothers from the same parents can be so different.

From last Friday at Ponderosa.

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Cooper at Ponderosa.

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On our way out of the house yesterday. He got a little cranky when we woke him up to put him in his carseat.

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Getting some exersauce today.

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Half a year old already.

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Cooper on his half birthday. Looking at some of the pictures from back then, Cooper seems to be a bit ahead of Colton on the sitting up part, but then he was a rail compared to Colton and he had much less weight to balance.

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