More Bode pictures

Boy oh Boy!

Christy and Michael are the proud parents of a beautiful, and I mean beautiful, baby boy! His name is Bode Kekai Madara, he was born at 2:50pm on 2/27 and weighed in at a whopping 8lbs 6oz. Christy was a trooper through 23+ hours of labor and was able to avoid a C-section despite the doctors' predictions. He is healthy and everyone is doing well. Congratulations guys!!!!!

Pictures and prayers

Charlie and Ethan enjoying a tall cup of milk after a hard day at school!

Laying down with daddy...

Gotta smile for the camera!

Kisses for daddy...mommy got hers once she put the camera down!

And for the prayers...I'm not a praying person but I was hoping everyone could keep my sister and her husband in your thoughts and prayers today and tomorrow, and after that! She's being induced to have her baby, a big baby as far as they can tell, and I am really hoping that her delivery is okay, that she is safe, that the baby is safe, and that they all have a wonderful life together! Michael, her husband, has been a rock for her through the pregnancy which has been hard the last few weeks...the baby is very big, she's a tiny person, and her body has ached in every way! Good luck all three of you! I cannot wait to meet Nalu and hold him/her in my arms!

Another person to keep in your thoughts...a friend of mine is losing her dad to cancer. He's on hospice and has days left to live. I am so sad for her and wish I could help to make this better. I hope she can get through this okay and heal once he is gone.

And lastly, I have been following this blog (http://www.cfhusband.blogspot.com/) for a few weeks now, I stumbled upon it while visiting a former preemie's blog. It's a story of amazing courage and faith and love. Tricia has CF, Nate is her husband, and Gwyneth is their daughter born at 23 weeks. Tricia is waiting for new lungs and Gwyneth is trying to grow and eat so that she can go home someday. Nate is holding them all together and blogging about their daily ups and downs. Very inspiring...

Business venture

I decided to start a little project that I wanted to share with all of you. The blog where you can check out the details is: www.keikicloths.blogspot.com

I decided, after making some for my sister's new baby (still waiting for it!), that I would make and sell some home-made burp cloths. I am calling them "keiki cloths." Keiki is Hawaiian for baby. They are simple, but I think, very cute. I will start small, selling them to friends and family who are interested in purchasing them for other friends and family, and if it turns into more, great! My mom will also be selling them through her business (A Basket Case).

They are machine washable on cold and machine dryable. They are much cuter than plain white burp cloths and much cheaper than you can find them in the local boutique stores. A pack of three will be $20 and the single Hawaiian fabric ones are $10 each. If you know what theme a nursery will be or what the mom's favorite colors are, or the favorite cartoon character of an older child, I can try to customize as much as possible! So check out the blog for pictures of my creations!

It's snowing!

It snowed here finally. Now it's icing and will turn to rain so it's short lived but at least Charlie got to wear his snow boots finally! He's not a fan of the snow, he liked pushing the shovel for about a minute and then said "I cold, inside mommy". He seems sensitive to cold and would rather be sweating than anything else. So we were out for all of ten minutes while I shoveled and then it was back inside. I need to ge ta sled and then he would love it. Maybe next year! He's still peeing on the potty 3-4 times per day. Today before his nap he actually pooped but I think it was pure accident. He only seemed to notice the pee and kept saying "bye pee-pee", nothing about the poop. Here's some recent pics:

Very polite two year old

We have been having so much fun with Charlie lately! Not only has he been talking and talking and talking...alot, but he has just been so much fun to interact with lately. The potty thing is fun, and when he sits on the pot but nothing happens, he sings this "no potty" song which is really funny. When he does go potty, he wants to "push the button" (flush the toilet) and sings, "bye potty" in such a cute voice. A few times this week, he's actually asked to go "nightnight". I didn't believe he really meant it the first time he did it but he went right to sleep. What two year old asks to go to bed? Expecially when he's watching the only TV he's allowed all day, and it gets cut short because he wants to go to sleep. I think we should be grateful for such an amazing little boy and not have any more kids...we'll be in for a rude awakening when we have a normal toddler next time! He has also been very cute in his appropriate use of manners. He passed gas at dinner the other night and promptly said, "scuse me". He said it twice today when he burped as well. I'm trying to teach him that "scuse me" doesn't need to be said when he hiccups. He also says, "betchu mommy" (bless you mommy) when I sneeze. It melts me...absolutely melts me.


On a different note, it looks like Charlie will have a new cousin (http://babymadara.blogspot.com/) hopefully tuesday or wednesday. Christy is being induced on tuesday afternoon and we should meet the baby that night or the next day! I can't wait! Stay tuned for more news!

Well, it's been a busy few days for the Cohen clan. Charlie has really taken to using the potty lately. A few times he's told me (by grabbing the front of his pants) and a few times I ask, he says yes. But he has peed several times, sometimes multiple times in a day and he thinks it's great to watch me clap and cheer and sing a silly potty song. I'm glad I can amuse him so much! He is still hat obsessed and has gone as far as putting it on Sidney...she hates it as it covers her whole head and she runs around in circles until it falls off. He sleeps with the hat next to him in bed and then puts it on when he wakes up. Notice the picture of him in his crib. He took a spin around the block on his tricycle ( I pushed) and he had fun, although was eager to go back inside and play cars where he could push them around. We went to the please touch museum again today. He had fun as usual. It was crowded due to the holiday, but still fun. It's nice to be able to go there for an hour or so whenever we want. Thanks for the membership Bub, Zayda, and Tutus! We had dinner with Bubby and Zayda last night which was delicious, and I ran 16 miles yesterday. It was a great run as I had learned some lessons from the 15 miler last weekend. It took me 5 minutes less than when I ran 15 miles, and I nejoyed the entire thing. My feet are tired today but I am not sore or injured which is a bonus! The next two weeks my long runs are only 12 miles, ramping up for the next long one being 18 miles, then 20 miles. Holy Cow! Hope everyone had a good weekend and has a good week!

Loving my boy

Happy belated Valentine's day everyone! We've been having fun here at the Cohen household. Charlie peed on the potty twice at the end of this week. That was very exciting. He's been alot of fun lately, more so than usual. He has actual conversations with you about his "baby" (a musical giraffe that he slept with every night from the day he came home. He recently found it and sleeps with it and carries it everywhere, and calls it baby!), he talks about Elmo (a new fascination) and about the hat he wears everywhere which is my hat, and he calls it "mommy hat" but he literally wears it everywhere. I picked him up from school on thursday and he was at the sand table wearing his hat, playing. His conversations also include talks of sidney (ninnee), his cars and stickers. He's been talking alot on the phone as well which is alot fo fun for those on the other end...I have to translate a bit! Alex took me out to a nice restaurant for Valentine's night (Estia was the name). We had a wonderful time while a co-worker of mine hung out with Charlie. Her man lives in sunny CA so she gladly accepted the invite to hang out with Charlie. He loved her and woke up the next morning asking for her. I guess mommy is chopped liver sometimes! My sister has not had the baby yet and we are anxiously awaiting its arrival! She'll be 39 weeks on monday. Running is going well. I am slotted to run 16 miles tomorrow for my long run. I'll let you know how that goes!

Delayed opening...

We had a bit of a "winter storm" here overnight. It was snowing/icing/raining andthe streets got pretty messy. I didn't even think to check and see if daycare was closed or delayed, etc. I got home from work and we were on the doorstep or his school by 10 of eight....I was so tired and couldn't wait to go to bed. Rang the doorbell, no answer and realized that there were no lights on. I panicked. There's no way I could stay up all day...i used to, but now that he's been in school part time, I've had the luxury of sleeping after I work! Go home because of course I didn't bring my cell phone...call school and the message says that they will be open 1.5 hours late. Phewwwww! So at at 8:40 we got back to school and there was a madhouse. Everyone was dropping off their respective child/children (usually it's a staggered drop off rate), and everyone was rushing off to work. Only one teacher had made it in so far. So at the time we got there, there were 12+ kids and one teacher...and parents were actually leaving. It was like a mini version of lord of the flies. I stayed until two more teachers came. I wasn't that tired. I could hang out and wait to make sure there was the appropriate supervision. So then I slept...too late. I slept through or around all three alarms I set to get my butt up and out of bed for a run. I guess I"ll go twice as far tomorrow! Here are some pics of Charlie getting dressed to brave the cold! The hat is mine and he has plenty of his own that he refuses to wear...he likes the purple and dark pink one. Choose your battles right?!

Ear infection number.....?

Well, I think I found the reason for Charlie's crankiness, fever, and general unhappiness the past several days. He woke up from his nap yesterday (monday) with yellow pus draining from his right ear. Yes folks, another ear infection! We were at the doctor's on friday and the woman who saw him remarked that his ears were prettier than she's ever seen them, but to keep an eye out for drainage because of his recent "acting like he has an ear infection" and fever. Well, it came to a "head" and started draining. I do like to have a reason for his crankiness, and I am sure he's also going through a growth spurt, but another ear infection! Come on! At least there's no antibiotic to get filled. No doctor to go see. The rules from ENT are: see drainage, gives floxin drops for five days. They gave me something like 10 refills because you also use it if he dunks his head underwater more than two feet, or swims in a lake or pond...yeah right! Oh well, Charlie gets ear infections...there are worse things for sure. Does this mean he'll be a really good teenager for us?!?!?!

Charlie likes to play!

Here's some pics from end of last week, and the weekend. I took the boy to the docs on friday morning because he was running a high fever (104) for >24 hours so they wanted to check him out. He was really out of it, tired, no energy. They tested him for strep (negative thank God) and he was better by saturday morning! He hung out with his daddy saturday morning while I slept after working friday night and then I went for my longest run yet...15 miles! It was invigorating but tiring and I learned a few lessons which is good b/c this weekend is supposed to be 16 miles! We ordered Mexican food for dinner and Charlie woke up in the middle of the night with, what I assume, were growing pains. He was crying and writhing around and grabbing his legs and couldn't get comfortable. So I rubbed his legs and gave him tylenol and were were all back to sleep an hour later. Sunday, we went to Downingtown to see my parents. They watched Charlie and put him down for a nap while we went and saw No Country for Old Men. Great movie, very violent, but great movie! Thanks for watching the boy tutus! We then had a yummy dinner made by my mom. We got to see Christy who is about to pop. She could have the baby anyday now and she's ready for it. She's 38 weeks and is sooooo uncomfortable. I can't wait to meet my little neice or nephew! This morning Charlie and I went to the Please Touch Museum and played for a while. It's really cold out! He is talking up a storm and has this new independence streak going on. Definitely a two year old!

Trying to smile at the doctor's

Two year old with an attitude!!!!!

My sweet baby boy has been in quite a mood the last couple of days. He's been miserable when he wakes up (usually he sings himself awake and is thrilled to start another day, no really, he's usually VERY happy in the morning), miserable when he goes to school, miserable through dinner, and then I leave for work. I've worked the last three nights, and they have been very hard nights for me, busy, stressful, etc... I wonder if he's picking up on that or just going through a "thing" all by himself. Yesterday, after throwing a huge tantrum, he tells me, "mommy, I ky(cry)". Although I was psyched to hear him say that to me, I was very well aware of the fact that he had cried and was still trying to figure out what the fuss was all about. This morning, he slept in but still woke up with his diaper in a bunch, and as soon as he saw me was crying and fussing and whining about something...what it was, I have yet to figure out. After 1/2 hour of a battle that was ugly and loud, he was dressed and getting into his car seat. He looks at me and yells, "you MY mommy". Again, very cute but what is this attitude he has the past two days? He has a cold, one that he's had for two weeks now, but I can't blame it on ear infection (my old scapegoat) when he has tubes and was given the "ears all clear" on monday. Teething? Nope, he's got all of his including his two year molars. General two year old misery I guess. No fun and I hope he snaps out of it soon!

More "Please Touch" fun

We went to the museum again on monday and had so much fun. It was basically empty so he had the run of the museum. We actually ran into one of my old primarys (baby I cared for every time I worked) at the museum which was strange. I haven't seen him since he was itty bitty and he's now almost two and running around. Very funny and fantastic to see. It makes me feel very good about what I do! This weekend was fun. On saturday was Alex's birthday and we met my family and his for brunch in Manayunk. He didn't know that everyone was joining us so it was a fun surprise. I got to see my sister's ever growing belly which was neat. She's very uncomfortable but looks beautiful. I cannot wait to meet the baby! Charlie looks at her with a bit of amasement and I wonder what's going on in his mind! We say there's a baby in there but I know he doesn't get it. We then went to the Please Touch Museum with my parents (tutus) as they haven't been there before and wanted to see where he spends so much time...it was CROWDED! We still had fun, but it was alot harder keeping track of him while there's hundreds of other little ones his size running circles around you! I worked on Saturday night, and Sunday we had an impromptu super bowl gathering. Charlie had fun playing with tutus and his little buddy Quinn (http://littlemightyquinn.blogspot.com/). It was a good weekend! My bronchitis is better and I feel 99.99999% all good! Monday after the museum, we went to CHOP for a follow-up ENT appointment. He looks great, no speech therapy as he is now speaking like a two year old. He can copy almost all words, says things we didn't know he could say and is basically our little vocabulary machine! Because of this, there will no longer be a page element listing Charlie's new words....there are too many to keep track of and I think it's a matter of time before he says everything! It really is so nice to ask him what he wants to eat and have him tell me, "ammal cacker"!

Pictures

Charlie and his cool new haircut and cool new shirt from Tutu from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Thanks for helping me look like a rockstar tutu!

Myself with Christy (my sister) and her growing belly/baby. Can't wait to meet you Nalu!

Here's just a few pics of yesterday. Alex brought me home some tulips (my favorite!) because I have bronchitis and a double ear infection (maybe charlie just takes after me!). I am on antibiotics as is Alex who is also sick...midnight we were both up hacking and sneezing and taking medication...kind of comical! The jammies Charlie is wearing are a favorite of his. He got a pair from his Aunt Kim and Aunt Christy so he has twice the obsession! And we also had cane training session #2 last night. This time I got a snapshot of Charlie's help. The woman brought some goggles last night that are designed to simulate ALex's vision in bright but flourescent (the worst kind of light for him) light and it was really scary...I could not wait to take them off. Hopefully I'll be on my way to feeling better by the end of today. Tomorrow is Alex's 32nd b-day!