Share with Daddy

Winter Wonderland

We took Cole out in the snow yesterday. Seattle is actually getting quite a bit of the white stuff! Neither of us could get to work, so we had a fun few days playing with Cole in the snow. At first, he thought it was a blast, but then the wind picked up and his little nose started to get red. Then he was over it.

This was his "seriously mom - it's getting a little cold" look.

Thanksgiving!

We had a great Thanksgiving this year. Kirk's dad brought these Elvis baby onesies back from Vegas with him. Cole and his cousin, Chance, looked so cute in them. Cole is still pretty fascinated by Chance. I can't get over how tiny he looks next to Cole.

We had way too much food and lots of fun with family. Cole had his first drumstick.

Happy Birthday Uncle!

Uncle Mike! Happy, happy birthday from Kirk, Chanda & Cole! We love you!

Halloween!

We had so much fun on Halloween! Cole was both a dinosaur and a lion. I know, a bit overboard, but I just couldn't help it! Both costumes were so cute and I couldn't choose. We went to Kirk's brother's house for a bit so Cole could play with his cousins. Kirk even took Cole around to a few houses so Cole could practice holding out his little sack for candy. I'm afraid the door-to-door trick-or-treating is quickly becoming a thing of the past. We didn't have any kids at our house and I left a big box of candy unattended on our porch. No takers. I guess most kids opt for the safe malls. One day I'll be telling my awed grandkids that we used to make a killing with a pillowcase in our neighborhood.

Da da da da da da

What about ma ma ma ma ma?

Momma bought me a hat

It's getting a little chilly out here in Seattle, so I bought Cole a winter hat to keep his ears warm during our walk to the park. Even though it squishes his cheeks a little, he likes it.

Hello Littles!

Cole was fascinated and enthralled when the Little cousins came to town. He loved playing with the big kids and was even happier that Lauren carried him around like a pro. Cole had a ride to the ceiling courtesy of tall Uncle Todd - I think that will be Cole's only opportunity since Kirk and I can't get there without a ladder.

I have a new cousin!

Kenji & Marci's new little one came a bit early. Marci went into labor on Wednesday and our new little nephew, Chance, was born that night. 7 pounds, 13 ounces, 20 inches. What a cutie! Our hefty little son is more than twice Chance's size as you can see from this picture. It's hard to believe that Cole was smaller than Chance when he was born.

Here's a cute one of Chance and our neice, Jadyn.

Look at my cheeks!

Dang, look at those cheeks! They are super cheeks! I love them. I can't get enough of them.

Cole is such a cutie these days! He's laughing all the time. He's a pretty good natured little guy. He's going to be a beaver - he's gotten his bottom two teeth already and his top two teeth are starting to come in. He's started to make this funny growling noise. I think it feels good on his itchy gums, but it's hilarious to hear him do it. I'm not sure other people think it's as cute as we do. He growled at another baby at church last week and the dad holding the other kiddo slowly backed away from us with a is-your-baby-growling look on his face.

Haircut!

Kirk's Auntie Bonnie gave Cole a professional haircut last week! His hair was out of control - super long and he was being mistaken for a girl left and right. Kirk finally agreed that we could alter his 'signature look' a bit with a little bowl cut.

See how cute he looks? He's really losing that baby look! I can't get over how much he's changed! Couldn't be the 13 pounds he's packed on since we brought him home from the hospital...

Real food!

According to our pediatrician, waiting 6 months to give our kiddo solid foods is supposed to drastically reduce his chances of having food allergies. We made it! Cole is starting to eat rice cereal! Well, eat may not be the right word. He's starting to let me spoon it into his mouth, roll it around a little bit and then drool it back out onto his chin. Baby steps, right? A friend lent me her food mill and I'm about to try my hand at homemade baby food. I've downloaded my recipes, but if anyone knows of something particularly delicious, send it my way!

Six months old!!

Yesterday, Cole turned SIX months old! I can't believe how fast time has flown by. Seems like just yesterday we found out I was pregnant. We celebrated with some cupcakes that Kirk's mom made - well, Kirk and I did anyway. Cole enjoyed his first taste of solid food - delicous rice cereal. We tried to spoon it into his mouth, but he kept giving us this look like he couldn't figure out why we kept poking him with the spoon. He's such a big boy!

Obon was fun!!

Every year, Kirk and I attend the Bon Odori festival, a Japanese tradition celebrating our ancestors and their contributions to our lives. This was Cole's first Obon and he had a great time. We danced and played with Cole's cousins - a whole lot of cousins! Kirk's family was out in full force. Large and in charge! =) We ate shaved iced and partied until way past Cole's bedtime.










This is Cole's cousin, Akemi. She's such a sweet girl - 2 months older than Cole and 6 pounds lighter!











Kirk and Cole did some good dancing!

Big Boy

Cole's hair has reached epic proportions. Strangers are constantly commenting on his "Don King" look. It's so long now that it's starting to flop over to the side giving the poor guy this crazy comb-over look. We're waiting until Bon Odori this weekend (a Japanese festival) to cut it because Kirk wants to experiement with a fo-hawk for the day. We need to cut it soon because people are (gasp!) starting to mistake him for girl even in his dark blue outfits.

That smile in the picture on top is his signiture look - half a smile with fingers in his mouth. That picture on bottom is his excited smile that's been accompanied lately by this crazy screeching laugh. It's so cute when he laughs these days. He's still a daddy's boy - he thinks Kirk's every move is hilarious.

Wedding Summer!

We've have had a good run of weddings this summer - three in a row! These pictures are from Maria & Ray's wedding this past weekend at Newcastle Golf Course. It was a beautiful wedding and we had a great time. Cole was good sport as everyone wanted to hold him and play with his hair.

Kirk took this one of us himself. =)

My favorite fingers

These are Cole's favorite fingers. Occasionally, he still sucks his whole fist as he used to do when he was first born. He was actually born with a little red patch on his hand from where he'd been sucking on it in utero. He's a pretty drooly little guy and he's started going through a bib an hour!

Hanging out

Cole is really starting to love his feet. It's like he's just realized that they're always there - instant entertainment. He's been having a blast grabbing them and holding on for dear life. It's usually at inopportune times, like when I'm trying to change his diaper and I have to pry his white-knuckled grip away from his cute little toes.

It's been a chilly June in Seattle - hardly feels like summer at all. I've been back at work for two weeks now, but it doesn't feel like it since I've been working an abbreviated schedule. Next week will be the true test!

Better photos than Mommy takes

These are some of Cole's professional photos from his 100th day. I just can't get over what a cute little guy he is. We took him to the doctor for his 4 month appointment last week and he's already 17 pounds! He's in the 90th percentile for both height and weight. He must get that from his dad. =)


He had to get a few shots at our last visit. Despite babies screaming bloody murder in rooms on both sides, he took it like a champ and only cried for a little while.

Summer hat

I bought Cole this summer hat since I guess it's not good for babies under six months to wear sunscreen. We had a mini heat wave in Seattle that left Cole with a few sleepless nights and me calling air conditioning companies for installation quotes!

Hanging out with my cousins and my auntie!

We had a fun dinner with Michael, Lisa, MacKenzie and Sara. It was nice to see everyone - we haven't had a cousins get together in so long!

Then Aunt Crystal & Uncle Dave came to town and Cole had a great time showing off his toothless smile.

Grandpa came to visit me!

My dad came last week to see Cole! I thought he might be a little wary of holding the baby - it's been a while since he's had charge of a guy so small. But he jumped right in, playing with Cole and doing "Trot, trot to Boston", which is what he said he remembers best about his grandpa. Cole loved spending time with dad - he smiled and smiled the whole time he was here.

Cole's first bottle

Kirk gave Cole his first bottle yesterday! Since I'm heading back to work in June (boo!), we wanted to start Cole on the bottle slowly. He was a little unsure at first - what is this thing and why is daddy feeding me? But it took to it eventually and had the whole bottle finished in no time. The nurse gave me a few tips to make it easy for Cole to go back and forth from bottle to nursing. She said to try to get Cole to take 15 - 20 minutes to finish his bottle and switch arms halfway through. He took all 4 ounces down in 4 minutes! So much for that! Hopefully, he won't have too much trouble getting used to bottles during the day. He's always been a good eater - I don't want to break his streak now!

100 Days Old!

We celebrated Cole's 100th day on Saturday! It's traditional in most Asian cultures to commemerate a baby's 100th day with a few festivities. We had our wedding photographer come over to take a few professional pictures of our little guy - much better than my clumsy attemps at capturing his cuteness.

We also bought Cole this Bumbo chair - several moms have raved about it. He's a littel small for it, but he loves it. It's more fun for him to be able to sit up and look around than lay on his back in the swing. We've been cooking together like this for a few days.

Preppy boy!

One of Kirk's clients bought this great outfit for Cole. I think he looks like a little frat boy in the making. You don't get the full effect of the v-neck button up sweater in this picture. I tried to prop Cole up in his crib, but he thought it was a game and he kept kicking his legs and sliding down. He's such a happy boy!

Boys' Day!

May 5th was Boys' Day in Japan. Kirk's grandma made the red koi, which Kirk carefully balanced on Cole's head. Boys' Day is dedicated to celebrating our children's health and happiness. The carp has become the symbol of the Boys' Festival because it is considered the most spirited of fish, so full of energy and power that it can fight its way up swift-running streams and cascades. Because of its strength and determination to overcome all obstacles, it stands for courage and the ability to attain high goals. We hung some traditional carp streamers and Cole and Kirk peeked through them for a picture.

3 months old!

Seems like I'm in awe over every milestone our little guy hits. I can't believe he's 3 months old! We celebrated with some pretty cute pictures - look at those smiles! And then Cole had a bit of a nap - yes, that dark spot on Kirk's shirt is...DROOL!

Many of my mommy friends told me that motherhood really turns a corner in the 4th month - babies start to really play and interact. I'm really looking forward to this last month of my leave - I'm going to savor every moment!