O Christmas Tree

The most wonderful time of the year

We jumped on board with the Elf and the Shelf this year. The idea is that the elf is watching if the kids are naughty or nice and that he will of course report this to Santa. So you hide the elf somewhere new each night and the kids get to find him in the morning. I'm pretty sure Joel and I are having more fun hiding the elf than the kids are finding him. It also comes with a book that explains the elfs job to the kids and has good pictures.

A local bookstore was having pictures with the Grinch. Jovie and Cohen both gave the grinch a high five. Neither one of them wanted to sit by him alone so I had to jump in the picture while the book store employee took a quick picture. Jovie playing at the park.

Thanksgiving at Uncle Mike's

Here are a few pictures from Thanksgiving this year. We had Thanksgiving dinner at Mike's house this year. The kids and I spent the day preparing some food at home in the morning and then went to Mike's for the remainder of the day. Joel was working nights so he came over just in time for dinner and then went off to work. We had a fabulous meal and had fun hanging out there in the evening. A friend of Jonne's had brought a reggae cd over and Jovie had a great time dancing to the music.

First Words

Jovie has been saying mama for the last 4 or 5 months. Her second word was banana and came at about 15 months. In the last four weeks her vocab has taken off. Here is a list of the words she knows: hot (she knows that the stove is hot and which foods are suspect to being hot on her plate or high chair), hat (I got pretty excited when we had a few cold days last week and bundled the kids up), belly (Cohen and her love showing and poking each other's belly, eyes (she points to her nose, ears, and or eyes when she says eyes), head (she picked that body part up super quick), shoes (she says shuzzs, and she loves to get them from wherever and bring them to me), bubbles (she repeated this the other day when we were playing with them and has known it ever since), dog (this was her 3rd word and it is hard to recognize this word but it's the same sound everytime so it counts:^)), and Diego (from Go Diego Go, her and Cohen's absolute favorite show, she says DeeGO).

Halloweeners

Jovie at a local Halloween festival. She is sitting in a pumpkin graveyard.

Superman and Tinkerbell are ready to go trick or treating.

Al and Peg Bundy, Daphne, and an 80's rocker celebrating Halloween.

Pumpkin Patchin'

Both the kids liked playing in the playhouse at the pumpkin patch.

Hayrack riding.

Petting alligators. Yep, that's right. The Phoenix Herpetological Society was at the pumkin patch the weekend we went and the kids got up close and personal with an alligator, huge tortoises, snakes, and iguanas. It was pretty cool!

Miss Jovie is ready to go!

Mother Natures Pumpkin Patch.

Cohen's Birthday

Joyride

California

We went to San Diego for a few days last week. We went to the beach, to Sea World, and to the 'World Famous San Diego Zoo.' It was so fun to hang out discover things with the kids. We had SO MUCH FUN at Sea World! It was really awesome! We stayed there from open to close (9a-10p)and by the time we left we were all delerious, but the good delerious:^) Here are some pictures from our trip. Mission Beach. Jovie and I played in the sand while Cohen and poppis went in the cold Pacific Ocean.

Shamtastic!

Jovie was a bit unsure of the dolphins.

Cohen liked to touch the dolphins and feed them jello cubes.

Hey, we know these guys. Sea World had an area that was called Sesame Streets Bay of Play (or something like that) that had 3 kiddie rides, a Seasame Street Show, and tons of play area for kids to run around. It was so great to be able to let the kids run around in between shows and exhibits.

Cake face

Now that I am having luck uploading videos on blogger, I had to share one of my alltime favorites.

Swimming to the Steps

Here is a little video of Cohen swimming. He has been swimming like this for a few weeks now and we are now working on getting him to use his arms.

When it rains it pours!

Yesterday Jovie took her very first baby steps!! Two consecutive little steps!! Can't believe my baby will be walking around soon.

And yesterday Cohen nailed all the major colors. We have been working on our colors for a long time but for the last 3 or 4 weeks I've been making sure we devote at least 10 minutes (that's about Cohen's max for a "lesson") to talking about and practicing color recognition. For the longest time, he knew blue. I would point to something blue and ask him what color it was and he would know that it was the same color as Doc Hudson from Cars, so he would either say "blue" or "that's like Doc". We used this kind of recognition for many of the colors he learned. And last night he nailed all his colors and didn't divert to calling things green when he wasn't sure, which is what he used to do. Cohen showed dad his new color skills when he got home and got them all right again. So cool!!

Also last night, we were playing outside for about 20 minutes before bed and Cohen totally got the hang of pushing his pedals on his tricycle! He was so excitied when he figured out he could make the tricycle move by himself, while sitting down no less.

Also, this weekend we went swimming and Cohen showed me all his new skills he's learned in swim class. It was a huge difference from the weekend before! I guess that's what 3 swim lessons per week will do for you;) He was holding his head under for 3+ seconds, he jumped in and the kept his head down and kicked over to me. And we would go under together and open our eyes too! So cool! I was super excited about his new swim skills and it makes me want to practice more and more! All these exciting developments just bring out the Tiger mother in me and make me want to do more and more with him. Neurons are a firin' and I love it!!

Learing to Swim

Cohen started swimming lessons in April at our gym. He loves going to the pool and he really liked the swim instructor, Miss Karen. We started with lessons at the gym because we had a two free months that came with our membership, then we had such a good time there we decided to do another month. In our last month at the gym swimming lessons, the instructor suggested that Cohen move up to the next level of swim class. The next level swim class had Cohen in the water with 2 or 3 other toddlers and the instructor, no mom! This was the first activity Cohen has done that was not mommy and me. It was kind of nice not having to go in the water with him and watching him from the "sideline." Also, Jovie was able to come with me and watch rather than going to the gym daycare and so I was relieved that I didn't have to worry about them coming for me with a sign reading my name because Jovie was upset in the daycare. Here are pictures of Cohen's swim class. The kids sit on benches in the water that are 15 feet apart while the instructor takes one at a time back and forth while they practice kicks, putting their heads in, and using their arms.

This month we have started swim lessons with one of the moms in my moms club, who is a certified swim instructor and does lessons at her house. We've just started this week and it looks like we will do two to three lessons a week for a few weeks at least.

When we're not is swimming lessons Cohen uses his floaties in the pool and does quite well with them. He is able to float with them on and even jump off the side of the pool without anyone catching him. I also let him jump off the diving board the other day at Uncle Mike's house and that was quite fun as well. I know some moms choose not to use the floaties for various reasons with their kids but for they work well for us. They allow me to be able to manage both Cohen and Jovie in the water at the same time; which was something I didn't know if I would be able to do at the beginning of the summer. I was glad to make this happen because so many summer activities are centered around the pool here in AZ. Happy Swimming all!

Cake face

Jovie had a Very Hungry Catepillar themed birthday/pool party for her 1st birthday! We had a few friends over to uncle Mike's house to help us celebrate Jovie's big day. We ate foods that the very hungry catepillar ate, ate catepillar cupcakes, and had fun in the pool! The highlight of the party was when Jovie ate her birthday cake. Her cake was the part that made up the catepillars head. After we put the cake on the tray of her new princess throne, she put her fingers in the cake and then she face planted into the cake and started inhaling cake and frosting. She came up for air, looked around and went right back down, face in cake. It was SO, SO funny!!! It was an awesome and fun first birthday!!

Cars

Last weekend we went downtown to see the 3 life size cars from the movie Cars 2 that is coming out on June 24. The cars have been touring the country and made a two day stop in Phoenix. Mater, McQueen, and Finn were there. We are excited to take Cohen to the theatre to see Cars 2. So far the kids have been to the the theatre twice. The first time Joel, the kids, and I went to see Tangled at the 3 dollar theatre and then last week I took them to see a movie as part of a summer movie pass activity that the theatre does during the week. Cohen did great both times, but got a bit restless at the end of Clifford's big movie, but then again so did I. Jovie does well too but also gets a bit restless after about 45 minutes of movie going. Speaking of movies, Cohen isn't aware yet, but as Joel said I made a "major error" and left our copy of the movie Cars at grandmas house, in Nebraska. Thank goodness for shipping.

I heart Nebraska

Over Memorial Day weekend we went to Nebraska to help Len, Joel's grandfather, celebrate 80 years. We had a blast hanging out with all the relatives from the Staudinger side. Joel's uncle has a son that is Cohen's age and it was fun to play with him and watch him and Cohen interact. Cohen was lucky enough to get some more lawn mower rides in and he also had fun playing in the sandbox. We also got to see my family a bit and connect with some good friends, including my friend Corena who had a baby named Saryn in late December. Family, friends, food, and a lush green landscape. I love you, Nebraska.

Holiday

At the beginning of May, we met my family in Florida for a family vacation. We had several beach days, went on an airboat tour, did some snorkeling, and went to Miami for a day. We had such a fun time! This was our first real family vacation and I can't wait to take more!

Easter Sunday

We did it!

We did the walk last weekend! In a tradition of crappy weather for us and the March of Dimes walk, the forecast was 90% chance of rain with a high of 50 degrees. It was a cold walk for sure and sprinkling in the beginning, but by the time we finished the walk we had warmed up and were dry. It always feels so good once we finish, even though the weather has always been dreadful.

A huge thank you to all who donated to Team Cohen! Thanks to Joel's mustache and my facebook soliciting we raised $500 toward funding research for preventing prematurity. Participating in the walk always gives me a heavy heart as I read all the t-shirts in honor of the super duper preemies and the babies that didn't make it. We feel very lucky to have Cohen and that he is doing so well. Looking at him now, you'd never know that he was a preemie. Thanks again, all!

Week 4 Mustache

Pulling up for toys

A fan was born

Last weekend Joel and I had date night (we had it in the late afternoon though, so we could be back for bedtime). Jenn, an awesome first year resident in the program with Joel, offered to babysit for us. With no kids in tow, I knew it was my time to hike Camelback. It was so much easier and relaxing without carrying a baby! Last time we went, we took Jovie, it started raining, and I nearly had a heart attack. It was a great hike and I can't wait to do more hiking in the area. After we hiked, we grabbed some take out from a nearby resturant for us and Jenn. As we were waiting for our food, who rides up on their bike but Steve Nash, of the Phoenix Suns! I recognized him right away. He was with a girl who ran into get their food while he waited on his moutain bike. I went and told Joel, "hey, that's Steve Nash." I went outside and without anyone with him or otherwise bothering him, I had to take my chance and ask him for a picture. I did it mostly to impress my brother and his girlfriend who are huge sports fans and Nash fans. After getting home and talking with a few people, I found out about Steve Nash's reputation for being a modest guy, a great team player, and contributing to green projects. So there you have it, I am now a Steve Nash fan and am putting it on my Phoenix bucket list to see him and his teammates in action.

Week 3 Mustache

Week 2 Mustache

Week 1 Mustache

"I see plane, mama." -Cohen

While sitting on the front porch swinging.

"I don't want to"

"I don't want to." I've heard this sentence from Cohen a few times in the past couple of days. Forget the content. The sentence structure is awesome!

Baseline Mustache

Our 3rd Annual March for Babies

We will be doing the March of Dimes March for Babies again this year. This year the march is on April 9, and we will march here in Phoenix. I'm guessing the weather will be great and not like the previous two years in Nebraska. The first year, there was a tornado watch and it was wet and sprinkling for half the walk. And last year, we "marched" at the Omaha walk which is held at Mahoney state park. It was SO windy and cold at first. Both times ended great though, and I was so glad I had done it and that my family took the day to do it with us!

This year, Joel will grow a mustache to raise awareness and to help raise money. We will continue with our goal of $211 in honor of Cohen's birth weight 2lbs, 11oz. Joel has always liked the idea of growing a mustache and his good friend Jay raises money for kids with cancer in an event called Mustaches for Kids. Because March of Dimes is the cause that is close to our hearts we decided to grow a mustache for it! We will post weekly pictures of Joel's mustache, until the day of the walk, when Joel will hopefully and willingfully shave it:^) The week one picture is soon to come, so stay tuned!

My babies won't stop growing!

Last week, Jovie got her first tooth! Her bottom left incisor! And a few weeks ago she began sitting up on her own (from a laying down position). And sometime in between these milestones, I realized that my baby is huge! i just woke up one day and saw that Jovie is a much bigger infant and not the little baby she once was. She also seems to be going through a little stranger danger. Sometimes when I introduce her to new people she gets her pouty face out and starts crying. And there is also a pattern of her crying for each babysitting experience that she's had (about four in total). Another interesting thing was that Jovie got the chicken pox in February. She only had maybe 25 pox total (i guess chicken pox is often mild in infants). She didn't really have any symptoms but we stayed home until they healed over because its such a contagious virus. Of course, Cohen didn't get it because he got the vaccine, kids usually get it at one year. Jovie won't need the vaccine now because she will have a natural immunity, like Joel and I had because we had chicken pox as young kids.

Cohen is doing great! He still loves to go to park and he asks for it all the time when we leave the house. He'll say "park? park?" We recently got some sand toys to take to the park with us because some of them have sand boxes and he absolutely loves to play in the sand. I'm trying to talk Joel into building a sand box for the back yard.

Also, I know I say every post about how Cohen's vocab is taking off, but it just so amazing to watch! He now puts a lot of small sentences together and also says a lot of single word sentences too. He always tells me when he hears Jovie get up from her nap "Jovie up" and others sentences float out of his mouth like "go outside mama," and other cute and more spontaneous in the moment sentences too. It amazes me how much more things he retains now too. Like the other day put his hand out and said "too slow" in reference to the high five game we had played earlier that day.

We now have fish in our fish tank and Cohen loves to help his dad feed the fish. We also have one shrimp in the tank that Cohen has fun trying to find (he hides a lot). It warmed up here last week, with afternoons in the 80's and so we are having a great time soaking up the sun. Cohen loves to play with bubbles. He will run after them and chase them and he also likes to see if he can catch them with the wand after they go up in the air. Cohen's music class is over and I'm thinking about doing another class. I think tumbling would be great.

It's the Middle of February Already!?!

There are some things I didn't understand before becoming a parent. Like when I used to ask the little neighbor boy what happened to his legs when they had bruises on them. And then last summer, I learned how that happened when Cohen looked the same way from falling down, running into things, and just being a boy. Also, when my sister, Kel, used to have her daughter sleep with her in the bed. I was concerned about SIDS and her rolling over on Amira and I questioned it.

Tonight, Jovie is sleeping beside me as I write this. She has been sleeping in my bed for the past couple of months, right around the time that she stopped sleeping through the night. After sleeping through the night since she was about 2 months old, she now gets up two times in the night to eat. It's very easy to have her right beside me rather than accross the house to get her. It's also nice to be able to quiet her before Cohen hears her and wakes up because of it. Also, it helps that Joel has been working nights and there is plenty of room for her in the bed. Joel has one more week of working nights, and at that point she may or may not go back to sleeping in her room. Either way, it's what's working for us now. I like that parenting has made it easier to be less judging of others, although I'm sure these AHA moments are not over.

Jovie is almost eight months old! She is talking a lot more, saying ba, ba, ba all the time. She is close to crawling and can move from one side of the room to the other by rolling and pivoting around the floor. She gets up on all fours of rocks back and forth so anyday now I will have two mobile kids! Help me;^)

Cohen now has a very impressive vocab! And he can (and will) repeat anything he hears (even 3 or 4 syllable words that come out jumbled, which is super cute and kind of funny. He also recognizes family...Grandparents, his cousin, Amira, and his aunt and uncles. I love that he knows his family! As the previous post mentioned, Cohen is super into cars and trucks! He got the movie, Cars, for Christmas, and loves it! He brings me the remote and says "cars!" We have watched it a lot! And of course, we see Cars merchandise in every store so it has futher fueled the love. Cohen knows his name and how old he is. He can also count to five or so and can sing some of the ABC's song with me, most of this is from memory right now. We are also doing a music class at the community center. Cohen loves to dance and be silly and he has a blast at the class. His favorite part is when we bounce the balls on the parachute. They fall off the parachute and the kids gets get to run around and pick them up.

After Joel finishes nights, he will do six weeks of days at one of the hospitals and then he will finish the year (thru June) doing off service rotations like pedeatrics, family med, and ER which will be nice because his schedule will be lighter. The month of January was ridiculously tiring and a bit lonely as Joel was working constantly and studying in his off time. Thank goodness for friends! And TV!

goodnight cars

I just put Cohen down for his nap. Before he got into bed he placed all of his little cars and trucks on one side of the bed and then crawled in on the other side. I covered him up with his blanket and then he covered the cars up with the rest of the blanket. What lucky cars he has!