Leaves and Accessories

Cole loves to accessorize... His item of choice these days is this hat.  He loves to put in on when we're going to run errands, I think he knows how cute he looks in it... 

His other favorite is my sunglasses.  I bought him a pair of his own, but apparently he prefers the over-sized look.  

We have been really busy lately with therapy, and when we have been at home it has usually been raining, but today we had some rain-free down time, so we made the most of it.  Cole spent his time gathering leaves...

And tossing them up in the air... I am glad he loves leaves as much as I do.  There is just something about all things fall that I find cozy and calming...

Cole plotting his next move... He is rarely standing still, especially when we are outside, but he did pause for a moment after throwing leaves to decide where to go next... I love his face.  I cannot believe he is going to be a big brother in just over 3 months and he will also be starting preschool at the same time...  life as we know it is about to change forever.  Once he adjusts, I know he is going to love having a little sister.  We are naming her Lola after Cole's favorite cartoon character.  3 months feels like forever in terms of being miserably pregnant, but I know the time is going to fly by, so I am trying to make the most of the rest of our alone time.  

Cheese

Cole has become quite the little poser over the last couple of days... he will bring me my camera and start saying "cheese..." and wait for me to take his picture.  I love it, because I am finally able to get a bunch of shots of him smiling.

I love this picture, because it is obvious he is trying really hard to keep still and pose and holding still is pretty rare for him...

He kept wanting me to take pictures of his belly... so I am putting this one on here, because I am pretty sure it is what he wanted.  Who wouldn't want to flaunt that cute belly?

My boys, "cheesing" together... 

Spring Sunshine

Spring has been so much nicer to us this year than it was last year... Cole and I have been able to go to the park just about everyday and he is loving all of the outside time.

On Saturday we went to the U Village... we had never been there before... I am in love with that place.  Not only does it have just about all of my favorite stores, but it is in the prettiest part of Seattle and close to some really amazing old houses that I loved driving past.

This is Cole expressing his excitement at getting to be a big brother.  We are expecting baby Bergam #2 this winter and we couldn't be more excited.  Life is good...

Comfortable

Cole loves to fall asleep on his floor, so every night I go into his room to move him to his bed... but last night, when I saw this little arrangement he had made for himself, I could not bring myself to move him.  I love how deliberately he placed the pillows all around himself... He has been a very busy little guy lately... Two weeks ago he started pre-preschool and he is loving it.  On school days, when I tell him where he is going, he gets very excited and runs down the stairs to leave... It is hard to be away from him but at the same time I try to make the most of the free time that it gives me. 

What We Have Been Up To...

Yesterday we celebrated Sean's 26th birthday... It wasn't that different from every other day, since it was Sunday, but Cole and I tried to spoil him by making his favorite foods and making sure that he didn't have to change too many diapers:) We tried to take a serious family picture to document the occasion, but since Cole was content on making silly faces, Sean and I decided to join him.

Cole has perfected his Aunt Brittany's smile... for any of you who read my blog and knew Brittany when she was a little girl, this smile will look very familiar to you...

I love the content look on his face in this picture... lately, he loves to play with his animals and he always makes them run around mid-air...  I have tried to teach him different animal sounds, but he seems to think that all animals growl...

And he has been learning his letters... if you look at his lips in this picture, you can see that he is saying the letter 'A'...

He started swimming lessons today and I was thrilled with how much he enjoyed the water.  Until now, he had pretty much zero pool experience, so I was nervous about how he was going to do, but he did not want to get out of the water when the lesson was over, so I am taking that as a sign that he loved it.  It is insane how much he seems to change from week to week now that he is 2.  We have also started lessons at The Little Gym, but I don't have any pictures of that, since cameras aren't allowed there... but he loves climbing around there on all of the mats and toys that they have.  It is definitely a challenge keeping him busy every day, but I am finding out that there are a lot of fun things to do with him around here and that is making it a lot easier.

4 Years Ago...

It is crazy how much we have grown together over the last four years... I cannot think of anyone else I would rather have by my side to go through all the ups and downs of life with.  

This is Cole Attempting to Pose for the Camera

Every time I told him to say cheese, he would throw his arms back and strike this pose.  I am not sure what look he was going for, but at least he was consistent. 

I Am Glad He Is Here

I cannot believe Cole has already been with me for 2 years!  Labor was a nightmare, as is evidenced by my appearance, but I love this picture, because it is of the first time I held him and I love the look in his little eyes...

When Cole turned 1, I thought he seemed so huge, but now looking back he seems so small... 

Maybe that is because of how much he has grown in the last year... It seems like Cole has wanted to be 2 for quite some time and he is already almost too big for his size 2t clothes.  Two years has flown by, but at the same time it is weird to think that I ever had a life without Cole.  Sometimes I look back at the years before I had him and it seems strange to me that I didn't miss him then.  I love my little guy...