18 Month Colie

It's funny how you can't really remember life before your kids. It's weird to me that Cole has only been with us for 18months. My mind puts him in places he wouldn't have been. 18 months sounds like such a short amount of time. The transformation that takes place during these first years is amazing... it is hard to wrap your head around how much the learn in their first year & half. I mean the same amount of time has passed for me as for him yet I have changed very little.

This is my favoritest age! He is so fun, I forgot how fun this age & stage is! It's fun to see how he and Wesley are different. Wesley likes peoples approval and to make people laugh but it's like a "need" for Cole. He is such a Ham & will put on a show whenever he has an audience... well an audience that he knows. He makes faces, does silly games... whatever to make you smile. On the other hand he is stubburn so just wants you to just be "ok" with his disobience, don't get mad, don't correct him, just let him be... of course this is not how we parent so there are melt downs and hurt feelings over the simple word NO sometimes. He needs so much more love and confirmation during times of correction than Wesley ever did. It's actaully heartbreaking. It makes us feel like big meanies but we try and get past that and stay consistant. I have to tell you though it is hard with the sad face & real tears we get... I've never seen a child turn on the tears as fast as he does! He's always been a lover. Even when he was a wee baby, I remember telling people how it felt like Cole was trying to hug us. Those little gestures did turn into real hugs very shortly after that. He wants his love and confirmation then he's off to play again... so sweet. Don't confuse his love for Lovins with being a cuddle bug cause that is not the case.

After he got a tube put in his ear last month and we've seen an increase in his speech. He says new things all the time. Sometimes just for that day then he doesn't say it again for awhile. Right now if he needs something everyone in the house is "Mama!!" or "Mommy" or "O Ma". He comes up taps your leg and says any of those names as loud as possible... even to Wesley. It is hilarious. He's been calling me Mommy the most. Levi will correct him and say "Cole, I'm daddy" and Cole shakes his head like"yeah I know..." and proceeds to let Levi try and figure out what he needs. Bottom line is if he needs something he will refer to you-anyone, he will call you MAMA!

One of his sweetest habits is "Thank You" or "Goo U"... is more how it sounds. It took forever for Wesley to catch onto saying thank you... Cole got it rather quickly though. He is only a year and half so it is hit or miss sometimes. One of the sweetest was the other day he was not going to sleep during nap... he'd been in there forever, I'd try to go in there and calm him down... he just wasn't having it. I finally gave in and got him up. I go in there and pick up his blankie and put my hands out and he says "Goo You!!!" so happily it made my heart mealt. So sweet.

I'm so excited to do this stage again real soon with the next little guy. It's my favorite!!!