the nelson family

{Merry} Christmas

2011-12-23T09:14:00.000-08:00

love, the nelson's

tyler.heather.cohen.talon

Halloween 2011

2011-11-12T21:04:00.001-08:00

Halloween gets better each year! I loved Halloween as a child, but as I got older, I didn't enjoy it as much. After teaching elementary for the last 5 years and having two little boys, my zest for Halloween is back. This year Cohen and Talon dressed up and came to my school for the annual Halloween Parade. I thought Cohen would love to walk around the school with my class, but he was being shy. Talon, on the other hand, came and loved it! It was way too hot for him to be in his Tigger costume, but seeing all the kids made up for it. For Halloween night, the boys went trunk-or-treating with their cousins. Cohen had to be reminded several times to just take one. I don't think we ever offer him a whole bucket of candy and let him choose one like that. He savored every moment of it!

Our Sweet Baby Boy...

2011-11-12T20:01:00.000-08:00

Our sweet baby boy is changing every day. Being a working mom makes it challenging to record all the little things that Talon can do on a daily basis. I wanted to do a little update for me on the new things Tal has learned how to do.

6 months:

Weight 19 1/2 lbs. (79 percentile)

Height 27 1/2 in. (83 percentile)

Head Circ. 17 in. (32 percentile)

At six months, Talon learned to roll over both directions. He found his hands and loves to put them in his mouth. Usually, he got tired between 5:30 and 6:00 and would go to bed shortly after that. Talon loves Cohen! I am so happy he has an older sibling to watch and interact with. Some of the best moments I have with my kids are watching them play together. Now that Talon can interact back, Cohen is starting to like him more and will randomly want to hold him or kiss him which never happened before!

Talon also loves food! You probably couldn't tell based on his weight, but he really enjoys eating. Tal will eat almost anything except peas and green beans. Some of his favorites include: sweet potatoes, bananas, and carrots.

One thing I love about Talon is his happiness. I look forward to the moments where he finds me in the room and just smiles! When Talon is sad, I am the person that he usually wants to calm him down. When Tyler comes home from work, Talon lights up. He loves his daddy and giggles with him.

This weekend we had a lot of errands to run and Cohen refused to go with us. He begged Tyler to let him go to his Uncle Brock's house. During the errands, it was so fun to have some one-on-one time with Talon. At seven months now, he has started to change. His personality is coming out and he is loud! At the mall, he giggled uncontrollably and loved hanging out in his stroller. When we walked in the Disney Story, Tal got really excited and tried to grab all the stuffed animals. We gave Cohen Tigger when he was this age so we figured we better find one for Talon. We ended up buying him Sully and Simba for Christmas. Hopefully he will love them as much as Cohen loves his Tigger! Now that Talon is getting older, I can see the benefits in having some alone time with your children. Whenever we take both kids anywhere, I am the one to take care of Talon while Tyler takes care of Cohen. I could tell Talon loved the attention he got from his dad.

At seven months, Talon can now sit up and is playing with toys while sitting. My sister-in-law is amazed that he can be so chubby, but yet so mobile. He is a mover and goes non-stop. Talon is starting to remind me of Cohen. People forget that Cohen was a sweet and innocent boy until he discovered how to move. I tell people all the time that Tal is our mellow child, but I am beginning to question that. I guess time will tell...

Don't you just love his chubby cheeks and bright blue eyes?

Sundays...

2011-11-12T19:34:00.000-08:00

I have a new appreciation for young mothers and children at church. I thought church was rough with Cohen as a one year old, but to now have a 7 month old and a 2 1/2 year old, church is hard. Each week it turns into a game of trying to keep Cohen occupied with treats, books, toys, milk, and more treats...and that is to only get through Sacrament. Then it is on to nursery which isn't much better because Cohen refuses to let me leave him alone. I am not trying to be an over protective mother either. I truly have left him several times and it always ends the same with Cohen crying and breaking out one way or another.

I love our new ward meeting, but the handles are too easy for young ones to escape. Cohen has explored many ways of breaking out of nursery. I will share a few for your enjoyment. The first happened a few months back when his teacher keep blocking the door from him. Using his best problem solving skills, he choose the window for his escape. I mean I don't blame him. Being lock up in a ten by eight room isn't easy for anyone. Just a little FYI for the story, I was in the room about 3 feet a way when this happened. One minute he was playing with a car on the chair. The next he jumped on the chair and flew out the window. Luckily, a nice leader saw the jail break escape and grabbed his leg before his face met the cement outside.

Another nursery escape story happened just last week. During snacks and coloring, Cohen was the only child that had to continually walk around the room. He walked at least 30 laps during the 45 minutes we were there. During his laps around the table, every few minutes he would check to find me in the room. If I wasn't watching (and sometimes when I was), he would make an escape. The first time I wasn't too mad. I figured he is two and needs a little break out of the room, but after the 3rd going on 4th time I was DONE! Mind you, the 4th time he made it out the nursery door, through the main entrance door, and was about to enter the parking lot when I frantically caught up with him. His timing couldn't have been any better because the 1:00 Ward was just walking in for Sacrament and held many doors open up people. Little did they know that a two year was breaking out during that exact moment. Sadly, I gave up. I took him home and put him down for a nap. It truly was my only sanity for the day. Good thing I love Cohen more than anything in the world and still continue to take him each week along side Talon (who is still as sweet as ever). Otherwise, I don't think I could do this week after week!

Nelson Family Pictures

2011-10-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, we got our family pictures taken with Tyler's side. I couldn't believe how different family pictures were this time around versus several years ago without any kids. With 3 toddlers and a baby, I didn't know how they were going to turn out, but I am glad we got a few. After this experience with family pictures, I don't know if I am ready to venture out for Barney family pictures with 14 kids under 10. I guess I should be glad Photoshop was invented! Enjoy!

Five Months...already?

2011-09-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

Talon hit the big 5 months this past week! My little boy is doing new things every day. I forget how quickly they learn to adapt to the world around them. Talon is truly the best baby ever. He goes to sleep between 6:15-6:30 and sleeps until 6:30 or 7:00 the next morning, usually about the time Cohen starts banging on their door! We have discovered he stays pretty content if he can sleep when he is tired and eat when he is hungry. If we mess with either of these two things, he has found his voice and he will let us know! It doesn't happen too often, but when it does we know what it means.

One of Talon's favorite things to do is to get ready for bed. He loves being naked while splashing in the tub and snuggling up with his binky while watching his mobile spin around and around. At five months, Tal loves baby food. With having two little boys, I forget to feed Talon his baby food frequently. Opps! I am so busy feeding Cohen that I neglect my little baby. I didn't realize it would be so hard managing two kids during meals! Hopefully it will get easier...

My adorable boys! We sure love them to pieces!

End of Summer Vacation

2011-08-21T14:10:00.000-07:00

All good things have to come to an end, at least that is how the saying goes. My summer vacation has come to an abrupt halt. I now go back and join the working class tomorrow and meet my adorable second graders. For my last week of freedom, I tried to do fun things we Cohen and Talon throughout the week, which was exhausting. One of my favorite things I discovered was Payson Pool. Tyler had a work party there and we decided to try it out. Everyone has told me how great it is, but I always replied by saying no pool works for Cohen. After actually visiting the pool, I was happily surprised to see that it was perfect for Cohen. The kids pool and adult pool are separated by a building so Cohen didn't even know there was another option. The pool doesn't get deeper than 3 feet and most areas are 1 foot. I could carry Talon in the pool while chasing Cohen as long as he stayed in the 1 foot range. The play place was a blast and Cohen giggled every time he went down the slide. I feel like I missed out on a fun place to take my kids all summer. This will definitely be on the agenda for next summer.

Nolan and Cohen spent one of the days destroying the house, slip-n-sliding outside, and watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. To two toddlers, this was an awesome day. For me, I didn't get anything accomplished, but I did get to spend the day enjoying Talon while Cohen and Nolan entertained one another. I am hoping this is how it will be next summer when Talon can follow Cohen all over the house.

On my last day home with the boys, we met some friends at the city park. I didn't realize how perfect this park was for Cohen and Talon. For one, it is shaded completely so I could take Talon out of the stroller and let him lay out in the shade. Another reason it worked better than other parks is it isn't a huge park. The equipment is fairly close together which makes it easier to watch Cohen. I will have to bring my boys back there to play! Now on to BYU soccer and volleyball games! Fall here we come!

Hogle Zoo

2011-08-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

After many attempts at taking our boys to the zoo, we finally made it last weekend! Cohen and Talon both enjoyed the zoo immensely. Tal loved riding in the stroller and hanging out. I don't think he made a sound until it neared lunch time and he wanted to eat. Cohen didn't love sitting in the stroller; he preferred to run in front of us to see what he was missing. The problem with a two year old at the zoo is they don't care to linger at the animals. I was fascinated watching the different animals and reading about them. Cohen, on the other hand, was always one step ahead of us, exploring everything around him. We did find out that Cohen is going to love Disneyland next Spring!!! His two favorite parts of the zoo were the carousal and the train ride. After a few hours of the zoo, we took the kids to my favorite restraurant, the Cheesecake Factory, for my birthday dinner. Yum, yum! It was delicious and to top it off, Tyler bought a whole cheesecake to take home for my actual birthday on Sunday!

World of Pretending and Splash Pad

2011-08-20T20:41:00.001-07:00

This summer Cohen has discovered the world of pretending. On several occasions, Tyler and I have caught him talking to himself with his toys or pretending to eat something that isn't real. It is so interesting to see this new discovery come to life. The other night I watched him place his friends around the kitchen table and hand them each out a spoon so they could eat. Cohen is learning to communicate so well with us, but it is so fun to see him talk with his pretend friends and have conversations. Our little boy is getting too big!!!

Cohen, Talon and I have spent many days at the splash pad while Tyler was at work, but a few weekends ago, I convinced Tyler he needed to see Cohen's love for the water. Of course we go there and Cohen was as active as ever, running every which way. At first, Tyler tried to contained Cohen to one spot, but I knew that wouldn't work. I learned from experience that if I could keep him at the splash pad and not the playground, then we were doing good. Cohen loved filling his hat with water and dumping it on us. The only problem with this is he thought he could dump the water on the little girl that hated the water. Oops! I am pretty sure the mom wasn't too happy with him. After playing in the water, we spent the remainder of the time on the swings. Before this summer, I didn't realize the love Cohen has for swings. Every time we stop by the park now this is where Cohen wants to be.

Ball Game Tuesday!!!

2011-08-20T20:26:00.000-07:00

After attending many Tuesday baseball games for Brock, Cohen decided all games were played on that day of the week. Earlier in the summer, Cohen started telling people he had a "Ball Game Tuesday". From this comment, several people asked what league my 2 year old was playing in. I had to then explain that he made up his own league and plays in the backyard for home games and at the Nelson's for away games. After several game delays such as: rain, field repair (Tyler sprayed for weeds) and a couple times of Mom forgetting, we finally got his game in on Tuesday. As you can tell, he was the star of the night and didn't want mom and dad interfering. He hit homeruns, ran the bases, slid home, caught pop-ups, fielded grounders, and played catch with his dad. This kid was decked out for some ball and had the time of his life. Talon enjoyed being a spectator along with his mom. Maybe next year he can make the cut and join Cohen's team. On days other than Tuesdays, we do this same routine minus the uniform. What a fun kid we have!!!

Family Night: Salem Pond

2011-08-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we decided to take the boys to Salem Pond for Family Night. I was surprised at how much fun we had as a family. Throwing the bread to the ducks was the highlight of Cohen's day. He loves to throw anything and everything, but for it to be okay to actually throw the bread, he was ecstatic. Talon slept the whole time so he didn't get to experience the ducks with Cohen, but hopefully this will be something we can do often. I think what I loved about visiting the ducks the most was how quickly we could do it. With a very active two year old, we try to do activites that are short and sweet!

..Four Months..

2011-08-09T19:33:00.000-07:00

Summer is coming to a quick end and the realization that I have to go back work next week is killing me! Looking back to Talon's birth, I remember thinking I don't have to go back to school until Talon is four months! Well here we are in August with school around the corner and Talon hit the four month mark. I am one of the luckiest working moms in the world that got to spend that much time at home with her kids. I have spent the summer playing and haven't recorded Talon's grow as much as I would have liked. At four months, Talon giggles like you wouldn't believe. It is the cutest thing in the world listening to him giggle and try to breath at the same time. He also loves his brother more than other person in the world and enjoys watching all of Cohen's crazy moments. Talon also: sleeps through the night (around 11 hours), loves his bottle, is a very happy and content baby, loves to suck on anything he can get his chubby hands on, is a talker like Cohen, and loves being with his family! We are so thankful to have Tal in our family! He truly is such a great kid and we are so excited to see his little personality come out. Hopefully, he will be more laid back than Cohen. I don't know if we can handle two kids that active!!!

Talon's Four Month Stats: Weight 16 lbs 14 oz (85%), Height 25.75 (79%), Head Circ. 16.1 (17%)

Previous Stats that I have neglected to post and for my record:

2 Months: Weight 14lbs 3 oz (91%), Height 23.5 (79%), Head Circ. 15 (25%)

2 Weeks: Weight 8 lbs 8 Oz (42%), Weight 22 (90%), Head Circ. 13.6 (10%)
Newborn: Weight 7lbs 12 oz (34%), Height 21 (82%), Head Circ. 13.4 (14%)

Pioneer Weekend: Fiesta Day's Parade and Family Parties

2011-07-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

Considering Cohen is 2, loves fire trucks and Papa Shoe was in the parade, we knew we had to attend the Fiesta Day's Parade. We didn't set out chairs the night before so we had to get up at 7:00 a.m. to set up a small spot at a church. In years past, I have usually gone to the city park for the parade, but I knew Cohen would be terrible there so I decided to try a church with a grassy area for him to play on. Right before we take Cohen to a big event like this, we always reconsider if we want to deal with chasing this wild child of ours. In this case, like many, I knew we had to do it because he would love it while we would have to endure it. To our surprise, Cohen actually was great; the weather being overcast and the parade being in the morning may have contributed to his mellowness though. Co sat very well with Brock and didn't try to run off until the last 30 minutes or so. Unfortunately, it did take me almost a block to catch him. I did learn that the end of the parade gets very long and boring so next time we may leave a few minutes early. Tal slept through almost all of it and when he was awake, he was very pleasant and enjoyed being outside. After the parade, we had two family parties, the Holley side and the Nelson side. I love hanging out with both sides of our family while Cohen gets to play non-stop with his cousins! We truly are so lucky to live close to our families and to be able to celebrate holidays together.

Pioneer Weekend: Sunday Night Baseball

2011-07-30T14:14:00.001-07:00

Sunday Night Baseball at Grandma and Grandpa Nelson's house has turned into our family's favorite activity. Soon after the weather warmed up, Cohen talked everyone into coming outside to watch his cousins and him play baseball. In years past, we spent Sundays visiting and watching Sunday Night Baseball (SNB) on ESPN at Tyler's parents. Now, Cohen has started his own SNB and I can't tell you how much fun it is to watch. It usually consists of Cohen and Nolan taking turns (the best that can be expected at their age) hitting off the tee, Lilly crawling on the cement, Talon kicking in the shade, a 7th inning stretch for popsicles and water bottles, and usually some delicious dessert to enjoy after the game. I told Tyler the other night how much I enjoy doing this on Sunday nights. It feels so nice to be outside once it has cooled down after a hot day and I love watching Cohen running around with a red face smiling from ear to ear! There isn't a better way to spend time with our family than at SNB!

Pioneer Weekend: Park and Rodeo Time!

2011-07-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite activities over the 24th of July are eating delicious food at the park and going to the rodeo. This year was no exception! On Friday night, we took our kids and ate our favorite food at the park: Tri Tip from Big Papa's. It was absolutely scrumptious!!! I could eat that much more than once a year. After some delicious food, Cohen insisted (by running) on playing at the park playground. How can you say no to that request when he is waiting for you to catch up by the swings? Cohen was curious about the carnival when we walked by, but he is too little to understand that there are fun rides that he would enjoy given the chance (lucky for us, I know!).

On Saturday night, Tyler's parents took us to the rodeo. I know Tyler was a little nervous taking Cohen to this (from past experiences), but it turned out fine. It meant that someone was always on the go chasing Cohen, but other than that, we had a great time. Talon was an angel as usual. He fell asleep for part of it and then watched the second half. Even though his bed time was before the rodeo started, Talon managed to be a night owl and was the last one to sleep that night! We didn't stay for the end of the rodeo, but we made it until 10:00 which is pretty late for these little boys. I wonder how next year will be with a one year old and a three year old...

Happy 80th Birthday Grandpa!

2011-07-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

My Grandpa Barney celebrated his 80th birthday on July 12, 2011. It was such a milestone for him to make it to this point and we were so excited to share his special day with him. On Friday after his birthday, we had a family BBQ with everyone that could make it. Many of my relatives live out of state and we don't get together as a family very often. I had such a great time visiting with everyone and watching Cohen interact with his cousins; he especially loved my cousin Rachel and asked his dad if she could sleep over. We promised him that when Rachel comes back to Utah that he could play with her again!

On Saturday, my grandpa had an open house for his birthday. I couldn't believe how many people came and supported him. It was such a neat experience to see all the different lives that he touched during his lifetime. He truly was so happy and had a wonderful time visiting with each and every person that came through.

This picture is of my cousin Michael. I think of him as his second mom! When I was young, I would go visit my Aunt Stacy and play with all her kids. I developed such a strong bond with Michael. It was crazy for me to see him holding one of my babies. I always have thought of him as little and to my astonishment, he isn't so little any more!

My sister Lindsay took this picture of our boys in June! I thought it was so cute of the two youngest great grand babies.

Cohen and Great Grandpa Barney on Father's Day June 2009

Talon and Great Grandpa Barney on Talon's Blessing Day June 2011

Happy 80th Birthday, Grandpa! I hope we have many more birthdays to celebrate in the future! We love you!!!

4th of July Weekend

2011-07-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

We celebrated America's independence a couple weekends ago and I can't remember a more enjoyable weekend with our family. Tyler took Friday off and we spent the day in Park City shopping and eating some yummy lunch at Baja Cantina. Originally, we had hoped for a quick trip to Vegas with our kids, but we settled for Park City instead. On Saturday, my parents watched the boys for us and we went to see Brad Paisley at the Stadium in Fire with the Nelsons. It was one of the best concerts I have ever been to and I loved every minute of hearing Brad sing!

After fireworks, we hiked uphill to our cleverly parked car by 9th East, only to find a line of a million other cars with the same idea. The line we were in was the only lane that was a true right hand turning lane, but several other cars felt it was legal to make 3 more right hand turning lanes...hmm I don't know where the traffic control was here! After about 30 minutes, we were able to escape and make it home to our sleeping boys. Midnight was way past our bedtimes. I can't remember the last time Tyler and I did that! We are turning into an old married couple now! On Sunday night, Cohen discovered his love for buckets and what better place to put them then on his head! He loved spending the night marching around with a bucket on.

On the 4th of July, we took the boys to Grandma Pat's house for an afternoon of swimming activities. It started out with playing in the pool and the slip-n-slide, but by the end, Cohen had talked Grandpa Shoe into turning on the hose with a sprinkler attachment and adding the basketball hoop to the mix of things. It actually was so fun and relaxing, watching Cohen and Nolan play while Talon slept the afternoon away. I told Tyler it was a much more enjoyable experience than the SF Swimming Pool the previous week. Of course, it doesn't matter how many fun things there are to do, Cohen always wants something different. I can't tell you the number of times he ran in the house or wanted to go to the front yard; he isn't too content at relaxing like the rest of us. During the nice afternoon, Brock introduced water balloons to the boys. They had a great time throwing them at each other even though the balloons didn't break until they hit the grass usually. Once we were cleaning up, Brock thought it would be funny to hit me with a water balloon. Little did he know that I don't surrender and I retaliated against him. I chased him around the house, tackled him, and with the help of Nicole, drenched him in water. Hopefully he learned his lesson! What a great weekend we had!

Swimming Time

2011-07-14T20:42:00.001-07:00

No summer is complete in a child's life without several days of swimming. We do anything from the backyard slip-n-slide to the splash pad and now to the swimming pool. Cohen hasn't been to a "real" swimming pool in over a year and when the opportunity came, I knew we had to take him. If only I could have known how bad he was going to be... My first indicator of a bad experience should have been when he ran from Grandma Pat 10 feet from the car and then he continued running past the pavilion to the swimming pool. Fortunately, there were many people willing to help spot the only kid running away from his parent. After I managed to get him to eat about 2 1/2 bites of his dinner, he downed his ice cream treat (of course), and was ready to go swimming. As I was getting Talon out of the stroller by the pool, Cohen broke away yet again and made a run for the pool. We were able to catch him with the help of Tyler's sister. I thought once I got him in the pool, with a life-jacket, everything would be fine. I wasn't expecting my two year old to tell me he wanted to do it. Meaning, he didn't need help and thought he could skip the baby pool and head for the deeper areas. The next 45 minutes consisted of Cohen doing cannon balls off the side into the 1 foot section, running around and slipping on the cement, wanting to swim in the deep, getting out of the pool and succeeding in jumping in the deep. Luckily, many hands helped grab him before he could go under. Needless to say, I don't think I want to go back soon even though the swimming pool was so enjoyable to him!

~June Fun~

2011-06-25T19:38:00.001-07:00

I have loved being home the last few months with my boys and am so glad that it is still June! I am not ready to go back to being a working mom. This last month has gone by quickly, but we have tried to make the most of it. My sister Lindsay was visiting during June so we were glad to spend time with her and her 3 kids. Cohen was able to play with all of his different cousins these last few weeks and has enjoyed every minute of it. One of his favorite things we did was go to the splash pad at North Park with his cousins and friends. We attempted this a few weeks ago, but changed our plans when we saw how many people were there at lunch time. I got smarter this time around and went much earlier; we didn't have to compete with the crowds and I was able to watch Cohen easier. Cohen stayed entertained most of the time we were there, but towards the end, he got bored and needed a change of scenery.

Besides the splash pad, Cohen has spent time playing at the park, slippin' slidin' in the backyard, and swimming at Grandma Pat's house. I have found the secret ingredient to Cohen's enjoyment and my sanity this summer is: being outside. It is so simple, yet hard to do sometimes with Talon. Cohen LOVES anything to do with being outside from baseball to swimming to running. Tyler and I spend several nights a week playing in the backyard with Cohen. I can't wait until we get a fence so I can feel better with him running around. Talon also loves to be outside if he is out of the direct sunlight. He is so content to sit on my lap or in his bouncy chair enjoying the outdoors.

This last weekend, Tyler's mom planned a sleepover with Cohen. Of course if you tell Cohen you are going to do something, he talks about nothing else. Needless to say, he didn't forget about the "trip" he was going on to "Gama" house and dragged his Toy Story suitcase around the house most of the week. Once Friday came, we packed his bag and he was ready to go a few hours too early. I guess sunshine means a chance of rain in Utah so he put on some rain boots in case they were needed. Cohen loved his sleepover to Grandma Pat's house, but decided to come home a little early when we stopped by to pick up Talon. Maybe next time he will make it through the actual sleepover part!

Our boys have discovered, well Cohen has anyway, that they love to bath together. Talon enjoys watching Cohen splash around and pour water everywhere. Cohen loves making Talon laugh in the bath tub when we pour water on his belly. It is so fun to see these two start to interact with one another. I was a little nervous at one point that Cohen wasn't going to warm up to our Talamander. I hope the rest of the summer is as great as all the fun we have had in June! I love the summertime!!!

Talon's Blessing Day

2011-06-05T20:32:00.000-07:00

Today was a very special day for our little Talon; he was given a name and a blessing from his Dad. Tyler did a fabulous job and it was wonderful to have so many family members come to support Talon and us. Afterwards, we had a little party at the park and enjoyed some yummy food. Thank you to everyone that was able to come!

This is the only picture I have of all of us together!

May...

2011-06-01T20:19:00.001-07:00

May is usually a very busy month in the Nelson household. In years past, I have a hectic last month of school with grades, end of year program, parties, field trips, and not to mention, testing! For the most part, I didn't have a whole lot to worry about up at the school thanks to the great people I work with and an awesome substitute. I was able to enjoy being a full-time mom during my maternity leave. The weather wasn't as cooperative as I would have liked. I wasn't able to take the boys to as many games as I had planned. I spent a lot of time indoors entertaining an energetic two year old. We did, however, attend all the state baseball games and had a fabulous time. Cohen loved every minute of watching Papa Shoe coach; he even would go dugout and yell at his grandpa until he acknowledge his presence at the game. We were excited to watch the Spanish Fork Dons come back from the losers bracket to win the 4A State Baseball Championship for the 3rd year in a row! It was awesome to see the boys play so well. I was also thrilled to see our Lady Dons win another State Softball Title! I was sad I wasn't able to attend their games as well since they were playing usually at the same time at different complexes.

May also brought some exciting news for me, not so much for Tyler or our budget. I was surprised to open up a Gap coupon to find I won (well technically Tyler's name was on it) the Royal Treatment from Gap which is employee discount for a year!!! I think I got a little too ecstatic in the car and was screaming just a little bit because before I knew it, Cohen was yelling right along with me even though he had no idea why! It is funny because I entered every day and even made Tyler's cousin go into Gap to enter with me. He ended up finding out he won the next day and promised to let us use it since we didn't win. I don't know why I didn't get the email saying we won, but this was much more exciting to find out this way.

On the downside to my luck, I went into the crawl space to find 7 inches of water and tipped over containers. Our Christmas trees (yes, I said 2 trees), 15-20 Christmas books, maternity clothes, and some other things were submerged under the water and ruined. I have spent the last 2 days washing and rewashing my clothes to see if I can salvage them. Hopefully the rain slows down in June and we don't have anything else ruined.

Cohen spent most of the month of May doing what he does best: baseball. He watched numerous Varsity and Freshman games with his Grandma Pat. She was great to pick Cohen up to take him to a game when it was too cold to take Tal out. I can't even count the times Cohen woke up from a nap and said, "Ball game, Mom!" He knew most games were played right after nap time and was always ready to go. There are three things Co loves after baseball: Mack trucks, fire trucks, and Papa's bus. Well, after the boys won, he was able to get on "Papa's bus" for a minute which made his day. Along with that, Cohen got the baseball royal treatment and was able to join the team on the fire trucks for a victory lab down main street. Now he wants to ride in a Mack truck, but I don't think that one is going to happen any time soon. Cohen has also turned into the sweetest big brother. He doesn't like to leave Talon too often, other than a baseball game of course! Today he came up to me while I was getting Talon ready for bed and said, "Great job, Tal!" Apparently being a happy, smiley baby deserves a hi-five and some positive praise from the big brother. Oh boy, Cohen is at such a fun age! He is a non-stop talker and I love listening to all the funny comments he is learning to say. His latest sayings include: "Mom, help me", "You get it", and "Mom, Mom....Heather!"

Talon is growing up and getting bigger every day! I forgot how fast these little ones grow. Each day I find something new he has grown out of including the Skinny Mini jeans his uncle Brock gave him. At one point, we thought these cute jeans would fit him in the fall. However, our little guy isn't so little and Skinny Mini jeans aren't for him (at least not now)! Talon's newest accomplishment is smiling and I love every second of it. It is the sweetest thing when I see him smiling at me. He is also discovering his tongue and is experimenting with sounds. He can't do a lot yet, but he is doing it more and more each day. Talon is such a great addition to our family. Two children have definitely been more challenging, but I am slowly figuring out how to do our regular routine with these two little boys.

Baseball...

2011-05-24T14:56:00.001-07:00

The Living Planet Aquarium

2011-05-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

For Cohen's birthday, Tyler and I took the boys to the Living Planet Aquarium. Cohen loved every minute of seeing the different types of animals; his favorites include frogs, turtles and penguins. In the sting ray part of the exhibit, you could reach in the water to touch them as they swam around. This was fun for Cohen until he accidentally touched one, at which time he decided he was done! The aquarium is definitely a place I would take Cohen back to again! It was toddler friendly and had places for Cohen to stand up on to see the animals better. Talon also enjoyed the aquarium; it was a great napping location for him. Afterwards, Tyler told Cohen he could choose anywhere he wanted for lunch. We had considered going back to Orem to Pirate Island or Olive Garden by the mall, but Cohen insisted on fries and dip for lunch. With that in mind, we hit Five Guys for lunch and top it off with Nothing Bundt Cake. They were both delicious! What a great way to spend Cohen's second birthday!

..2..

2011-05-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Cohen!

2011-05-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe I have a two year old! The last two years have flew right by. I still think of the day Cohen was born and how our lives were turned upside down with this new baby. Tyler and I were so nervous that first night home that we bundled him up extra tight in two blankets and yes it was May!!! We woke up in the middle of the night to find Cohen had broken one arm out through both blankets and the head of his pajamas, making him half naked. That was our first indication that Cohen didn't want to be tied down and needed his independence.

Up until Talon was born, Cohen was my baby and I thought of him that way. With the new addition to our family, I now can see Cohen isn't a baby, far from it actually. He is a non-stop talker, on-the-go, adventurous, full of surprises, lover of treats, baseball fanatic and a mischievous little boy whom we love more than anything! Tyler and I are amazed daily at the things that Cohen does. I have never met another child with so much personality.

One of Cohen's favorite things is baseball; whether it is playing it or watching it, he lives for baseball. He is the only two year old I know that can spot a "ball park" a mile away just from the lights. It is so interesting to see what Cohen has picked up from just watching baseball. We see it in the way he throws a ball, fields a ball, catches a ball, and swings a bat right and left handed. I don't know if he will always love baseball as much as he does right now, but it sure is fun to see the determination and drive he has for the game at such a young age.

Another one of Cohen's favorite things is cuddling up in blankets and pillows. I can't tell you how many times Cohen drags, not one, but all his blankets around the house daily. He loves to snuggle up in the three blankets he insists he needs on his bed!

Cohen also loves kids! He is the most sociable, outgoing little boy to other kids and doesn't hesitate to join in a game of rugby, soccer, basketball or baseball even if the other kids are all several years older than him. Listening to Cohen interact with the neighborhood kids makes me smile. Little children are so friendly and it is a good reminder to me about how I should act to people I am in contact with.

Happy Birthday Cohen!!! We love you, bud!

Cohen's 2nd Birthday Party!!!

2011-05-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Cohen's 2nd Birthday by having a Cars theme Party. Cohen loves the movie Cars and points out Mack trucks everywhere we go so we felt this would be the perfect theme for him this year. All of Cohen's cousins that live around here were able to come celebrate this special day with him along with both sets of grandparents and Grandma Gloria; he had a ball playing with all the kids. Thank you to all of our family that were able to come!

After Cohen blew out his candles, we opened presents and the Cars theme party continued. He got several cars toys along with Lego's, coloring books, a bubble blow gun, basketballs, and a basketball hoop. Of course, no party is complete without a little baseball outside!

Once everyone left, Cohen finally settled down enough to enjoy a cupcake from his party!

I love this picture of Cohen after he ate his cupcake!

Growing Up...

2011-05-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

Talon is growing up so fast! Between the two boys, I don't have nearly the amount of time I did with Cohen to take pictures of my new little guy. Here are a few from Talon's first month.

And of course, we have to include a picture of the big brother! Cohen seems so much bigger to me ever since we had Talon. He has grown up a lot in a few short weeks. We love both our boys so much. Tyler and I always comment on how blessed we are to have these two little guys in our family.

Talon's Birth Announcement

2011-05-16T11:52:00.000-07:00

Look Who Is 2!

2011-05-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

Easter Pictures

2011-05-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

Easter

2011-05-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous Easter Sunday with Talon and Cohen. Tyler, while we were in Vegas, took care of Easter for the boys by putting together two darling baskets full off candy, eggs, and new Easter outfits. This year Tyler had Cohen go on an Easter egg hunt in our house to find his basket. It was so fun to see Cohen react to each clue Tyler gave him and take off to find the next clue's location. I was surprised at how well Cohen was able to understand the clues. After our Easter egg hunt, we put the boys in their new outfits and went to Grandma Gloria's for another fun hunt. Of course, Cohen loved being outside and playing with Brock and his cousins. I could barley keep up with him to take a few pictures; he is getting too fast for me! I think his favorite part to the night was all the candy he got!!! Talon enjoyed being held and sleeping in his comfy blanket; i think he prefers the nice, warm Vegas weather we had enjoyed all weekend a little more than the unpredictable Utah weather!

Cohen hunting for eggs!

Hmmm...can't decide which treat to choose.

Driving on the tractor in the backyard.

Playing some baseball...what else is new!

It was a little too cold for Talon so we kept him bundled up. These are some pictures I took last week of him.

Las Vegas

2011-05-04T19:58:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I attempted a family vacation with a 23 month old and a 2 week old without Tyler to Las Vegas to watch my nephews play baseball. Fortunately for me, I have an awesome family who helped me out with my two boys. I had a great time watching baseball, chasing Cohen and being in warm weather. Cohen loved being with all his cousins and caused trouble right along with them. His favorite part of the trip was "borrowing" balls from teams that left them out. I didn't realize the balls weren't his until we got home and he had tripled his collection. We did have many adventures on this trip and learned a few future travel trips for taking kids. First, don't ever stay at a casino when packing two small children in two different strollers; stay at a hotel where you can park right outside your room. It truly took 10-15 minutes to park and get to our room. Second, don't take two strollers in the first place. I can't tell you how many times I had to get two separate strollers in and out of the car along with the boy that went in it. Third, remember that naps is a must or you have screaming children. Last, it is a vacation... Tell yourself this over and over until you believe it. But in the end, I am glad I went and my boys had an absolute blast. Cohen loved being at the ball games every day and Talon loved being held by everyone.

Talon's Newborn Pictures

2011-04-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we got Talon's newborn pictures taken. In some pictures, he looks so much like Cohen to me, but the older he is getting and the more awake he is, I have noticed he definitely has his own look. Enjoy!

Baby Talon

2011-04-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

Baby Talon finally made his arrival on April 6, 2011 at 3:39 p.m. I had a scheduled induction at 9:00, but by the time everything got going, it was almost 11 a.m. Dr. Anderson broke my water at 11:15 and I got my epidural by 12:15. At this point, Talon's heart beat kept dropping with every contraction I had. We couldn't increase the pitocin to speed up delivery or Talon wouldn't have had enough time to recover between contractions. Dr. Anderson said it is like holding your breath for 30 seconds every 2 minutes. It is doable, but you get tired after a while. We, along with all the nurses, were getting really worried about this. Our head nurse said she thought for sure the cord was wrapped around some part of his body. If you have ever had this happen to you while delivering, you know it is the scariest thing to watch your babies heart beat drop out of the normal parameters. Fortunately, Talon did react to the nurse each time she would check me and feel his head so we felt like that was a good sign. At around 2:30, the nurse said she needed us to have this baby soon so she could relax. At about 3:15, they called Dr. Anderson and prepped the room.

By the time they got me ready to go, the nurse noticed Talon was already coming out without me doing anything. Dr. Anderson had to hurry over and get ready to deliver him. They had me do a half push and got Talon's head all the way out. That is when they noticed the cord wrapped twice, tightly around his little neck. Then when they had me do another half push, he came out with the cord also wrapped around one arm. At this point, Dr. Anderson was able to pull him out. This whole process took about a minute. I thank my Heavenly Father that Talon's delivery was easy considering the strain the cord wrapped around his neck was doing to him. I have never been so scared in my life as I was during this time. When I heard Talon's first cry, I have never felt so much relief. I could finally relax and be excited to have my little boy. Now, I have to get Cohen used to his little brother which hasn't been as easy task so far!

Apparently, Cohen thought he was the patient. He took over my bed along with the TV and my water.

Talon Tyler Nelson

2011-04-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

April 6, 2011

7 lbs 9 oz

21 inches long

3:39 p.m.

St. George

2011-03-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

I love when March finally comes and we head down to the Sunshine Baseball Tournament. This year was especially fun because Cohen loved going to the games to see his "Papa" coach. For most of the trip, Cohen talked of nothing more than riding the bus with Papa. After one of the games on Friday, he finally was able to ride the school bus and loved every minute of it.

The Dons played two games on Friday and Cohen ran the entire time during both of them. I could hardly keep up with him being 8 1/2 months pregnant. Luckily, Tyler and many others helped with keeping track of our runner. Unfortunately, Saturday came around and it was apparent Cohen wasn't feeling well. He had a fever over 102. We debated about going to games this day, but finally decided to go after we got his fever under control.

Even though Cohen didn't feel as well on Saturday, he had a blast being at the ball park. He loved watching the boys play baseball. Cohen was constantly yelling "hit ball", "homerun" and "catch ball" to the players. One of his favorite things was to try and take the bats out of the dugout. He succeeded a few times, but we luckily caught him before anyone knew they were missing!

These pictures are of Cohen a few nights before our "trip". He was so excited to go that he put on his backpack (filled with balls, a mitt, and a bat), got another bat and grab his tee to head out the door. He had a hard time understanding our trip wasn't that night. He kept telling Tyler, "Dad I wanna go bye bye." Throughout the next few nights, we caught Cohen sleeping with his backpack because he wanted to be ready to go for his "trip".

My sister's mother-in-law made Cohen the cutest little Dons outfit for him to wear to the games. He loved wearing his "uniform" like the big boys.

Hey Batter Batter...

Swing....

After swinging right handed, Cohen had to take a few cuts left handed.

Cohen loading to get a big hit...

HOMERUN! Apparently whenever you get a hit, then it is a homerun in Cohen's book!

Cohen loves to squat down like a catcher. The only problem is he also likes to try to hit from this position.

Here are all the Nelson Grandkids that were at the Sunshine Tournament with Grandma Gloria.

Wow..

2011-03-11T15:37:00.000-08:00

...where has time gone the last two months. I haven't had any time to update my blog between sub plans, preparing for Talon's arrival, teaching and Cohen. I am hoping in the next few weeks things will settle down.

About a month ago, we took Cohen on his last Nelson Family Cabin trip before the cabin is sold. He had a ball sledding, playing in the snow and entertaining the rest of us. I think one of his favorite parts of the trip was pulling the sled up and down the hill; he even didn't mind pulling his cousin around. Unfortunately, little boys can't stay outside forever and Cohen didn't enjoy going in the house.

After January is over and February begins, I always get anxious for spring time. This year I found some aviator sunglasses and a hat for Cohen that I had to buy. He loves wearing them around the house and in the car, but if anyone draws attention to the sunglasses or his hat, then he takes them right off!

The other night Cohen came to me and told me he wanted his picture taken. He doesn't usually do this so I thought I better take him up on the offer. Here is Cohen cheesing the camera!

Christmas Break!!!

2011-01-15T11:27:00.001-08:00

We had a great Christmas Break. Christmas Eve started with an early party at my Grandpa Barney's with yummy turkey and ham. Then on to Grandma Gloria's for some tasty prime rib. We definitely didn't go home hungry to wait anxiously for Santa to come visit Cohen.

Cohen is waiting patiently for his turn to open his present. This only lasted about 30 seconds, then he lost interest, and headed downstairs!

Christmas Morning before Cohen woke up. By the looks of it, he was a pretty good boy this year.

Cohen slept in until about 7:00 on Christmas morning. As he walked into the family room and saw his presents, I don't think he thought much about it because we have had a few presents under the tree all month. It took him a minute to finally realize it was okay to open them now and he wouldn't be sent to "time out" for it. I guess we were a little strict with him earlier in the month about touching the presents! Cohen loved opening his first present, but then he didn't want to open any more. He was more interested in playing with his new toy. It took a while, but eventually he opened all his presents from Santa and then was off. By the time we opened our family gifts, he was on his new bed playing with his cars.

Cohen with his new toys and toddler bed! I can't believe he sleeps in that now.

After we opened presents, which took much longer than Tyler and I thought, we headed to the Nelson's for breakfast. Cohen was so excited to go see his "Papa" and could hardly wait until they could go outside to play. He didn't care to open any presents; we could barley get him to hold still long enough to see what he got from his Grandparents and Brock.

Grandma Gloria decided to tease Cohen and take his hat. Cohen didn't care too much because he stole Nolan's new phone. I guess he figured if someone takes something from him then it is okay to take his cousin's toy.

Cohen opening one of his gifts and playing with Lilly's new toy.

Once all the presents were opened, Cohen finally talked his Papa into taking him outside. I think this was his favorite part of the whole day. He took all the baseball bats out of the garage and put them in the snow. Then he proceeded to throw snowballs at everyone's cars.

I love this picture with Cohen wearing Brock's helmet. It is too cute!

After some tears from having to stop playing outside, we headed to my sister's house to open more presents. Cohen was so exhausted from the long day and fell asleep in the car. I was hoping for a nap from him, but as soon as he saw all his "big" cousins, he had to wake up to play. Cohen had a ball running around the house and following the big kids. As he was playing, he rounded up a few wooden bats, Tigger, and a chair to hang out in.

Cohen with all the toys he found!

Over Christmas Break, Cohen spent as much time outside as possible. If it wasn't for the red hands and face, I don't know if he would have ever came in the house. He loved riding his new jeep with Papa and throwing snow balls.

Cohen and Papa throwing snowballs at his jeep!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T11:51:00.000-08:00

...sugar cookies...

2010-12-22T12:59:00.000-08:00

I have been promising Tyler and Cohen that I would make sugar cookies for over 2 1/2 months now. Thanks to my first "Snow Day" in my life, I was able to finally be a little baker. Cohen was a really good helper and assisted me in mixing the dough, but I put him down for a nap while I did the baking. As I frosted cookies last night, I told Cohen he could help me next year. Well next year is a long time for a little boy so I decided to let him "help" me now instead. Cohen was armed with a spoon to frost with (which he spent most the time eating off of), a cookie, and a small amount of red frosting in a bowl. I know what you are thinking, and yes, it was a small disaster, but completely worth it!

Before

After

Cohen loved every minute of "frosting" his cookie. When I went to take him out of his high chair, he said, "I want MORE!" Luckily, for me, it was bedtime. Overall, I think we had a successful baking day. I can't wait to continue the tradition next year with two little boys!!!

...19 months...

2010-12-16T21:39:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe Cohen is 19 months on Saturday. He is turning into a little boy over night. Recently, Cohen learned to jump/climb out of his crib. At first, he only came out when he didn't want to go to sleep, but now he has learned, he can jump out any time he wants. In return, we get a 6:00 a.m. wake up call. Yesterday, I went to hit the snooze button on my alarm clock and there was my little guy. He was up and ready to go; unfortunately, I think I hit my last official snooze on Saturday!

Even with the early wake up calls, we still love our little man to pieces. Cohen is trying to copy everything we say and can string a 2-3 word sentence together. Some of his favorite sayings include: "I want bite", "I want Dad", and "Brock school". On Tyler's day off, he taught Cohen that Mom goes to school and now when you ask him where someone is at, he will reply with school. It is really cute because he says it in the saddest little voice with his eye brows squished together.

Cohen is enjoying the holiday season. He LOVES lights. Everywhere we go, we hear about the lights. When we drive pass Christmas lights, he loves to say, "WOW!" I get the biggest kick out of hearing the expression he uses in his voice. He also is obsessed with turning on our Christmas lights in the house. Usually after out 6:00 a.m. wake up call, he wants to go turn on the lights. I am afraid he will be disappointed once they are gone.

At 19 months, Cohen has many favorite things. Tigger and his baseball bat are still on top of the list. He takes these things with him everywhere he goes. He also loves his uncle Brock and talks about him constantly. I have found that everything in our house belongs to Brock and that includes all the Christmas presents and MY BOOKS! Cohen also loves going to his grandparents' houses. He gets excited when we pull up to either house and especially loves seeing Grandpa Shoe because he will take him to get all the mental bats and hard balls available.

The last week or so, we have been trying to teach Cohen about family prayer. He has started to learn how to fold his arms, but doesn't like to close his eyes yet. He is too interested in watching Tyler and me during the prayer. My favorite part to our family prayers is hearing him say "Amen" at the end. He says it so sincere and reverent.

Cohen has turned into the best little helper. Tyler and I decided he knows exactly what we ask him to do, but he selectively chooses when he wants to listen. This last week we organized the garage and cleaned the house. Cohen was right at our side helping us along the way. For the most part, he listened really well and was good at taking things to the rooms they belonged in, but when Grandpa Shoe showed up, he needed a break. He decided he enjoyed hitting balls off the tee with Grandpa more than cleaning the house. I guess I don't blame him. I would have much rather been outside playing as well!

Boy, Oh, Boy!

2010-12-10T18:38:00.000-08:00

Yes, it is true! We have another little boy on the way and couldn't be more excited about it. Cohen will get to teach Baby Talon how to be a trouble maker like his big brother! When we went to a 14 week ultrasound, I told Tyler that I was sure it was a girl. I seriously was so surprised to find out we were having another boy. On the way home, I kept telling Tyler how shocked I was that it was truly boy. Even though the 14 week ultrasound looked like it was a boy, I was nervous for my 21 week ultrasound. I had convinced myself of the gender and even had a name picked out, but with my luck, I thought it was going to be a girl now.

Fortunately, it was still a boy! Yay! No painting Cohen's room, buying clothes, or making more quilts this time around! Cohen has more clothes and quilts than any one boy should ever need so I am glad we will get to re-use all of his old stuff. There are a few things like shirts and shoes that Cohen destroyed, but for the most part, I can use everything again. I even have a few blankets that Cohen didn't even touch because he had so many made for him. With Baby Talon coming in a few months, we decided to put Cohen into a toddler bed. We actually have a twin bed we planned on using, but since the two boys will be sharing a room, we felt the toddler bed will work best for us; it won't require nearly as much rearranging of furniture and toys in their bedroom!

Cohen still doesn't understand that we are having a baby. I don't think the reality of it will hit until we bring Talon home, but for now, he is really cute about the baby. Whenever we say where is Baby Talon, he lifts up his own shirt and points to his belly. It is so sweet!

November...

2010-12-07T16:04:00.001-08:00

I am not sure where November went this month, but before I knew it, it was gone! I always love this time of year and it is especially fun to have Cohen enjoy it with us. These are a few pictures from Brock's birthday dinner.

For Thanksgiving, we ate a delicious dinner at my mom's house and then had dessert at Grandma Gloria's. We are lucky to have family live so close especially during the holidays. When most people have to choose where they are going to spend their holiday, we can always work out spending time at both places. Here are some pictures of Cohen on Thanksgiving Day!

Happy Halloween

2010-11-04T19:20:00.001-07:00

Halloween was a little different for Cohen this year. For one, everything scared him. We took him to Target a few weeks ago and he was terrified of the huge witch and ghost on display. After seeing those things, he was scared of anything that made noises especially the toy dolls! Cohen was also into everything. I think he only broke half of our Halloween decorations in the house! He also hated his costume at first and wouldn't wear his pirate hat. By the third outing in his costume, he was better at keeping it on though.

This year we took Cohen to his first Trunk-or-Treat. Other than the hail storm, Cohen enjoyed it. He didn't understand what was going on, but he did love the free hand fulls of suckers he was taking from people. We had a great Halloween this year! From Halloween parties to carving pumpkins, we were busy. I can't wait to have both our little ones next year to enjoy it with!

This is one of my favorite pictures of Cohen from this Fall! Isn't he adorable?

And That Makes Four...

2010-10-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

We are having another baby and couldn't be more excited about it. Baby Nelson #2 is due April 13, 2011. Cohen is going to get a sibling to play with it! He has no clue about what is going on, but I know he will love this new baby. Cohen and the baby will be 23 months apart. I have been thinking this one is going to be a girl, but Tyler thinks a boy. I truly will be happy with a healthy boy or a girl. I would love a girl to shop for, but if it's a boy, we have everything for him. Cohen has clothes he never wore and blankets he never used. Either way, I know we will be so excited!

10 Week Ultrasound

14 Week Ultrasound

A Toddlers Mission

2010-09-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

Two little eyes

Discovering what's new

Two little hands

Touching everything in view

A sweet little voice

Asking you why

A mischievous smile

And a whimpering cry

Two little feet

Jumping on the floor

A toddler's mission

Is to explore

I came across this 'Toddler's Mission' the other day and felt that it was a great description of my dear little boy. Sometimes Tyler and I wonder if Cohen's daily activities of: biting through dry wall, jumping off the highest part of the couch, falling off chairs onto the wooden floor, throwing the remote in the toilet, hitting the flat screen with his bat, spying on our next door neighbors, gagging himself until he throws up, and destroying our house until it is unrecognizable are 'normal toddler behaviors'. After reading this mission statement, I believe this is Cohen's mission: to make my parents not want any more children. Well...I truly hope that isn't true, but I do think Cohen is an explorer and has to be involved with everything around him. We took him to lunch at Cafe Rio on Saturday. Instead of eating his quesadilla, he chose to watch a bunch of girls talk. His head was like our Mickey Mouse Bobble Head. It bounced from one girl's comment to the next.

Even with all of his crazy toddler behavior, he still is my favorite kid in the world. He makes us laugh non-stop and love him more than we ever could've imagined. I love that he is at an age where he is trying to say new things. Some of the words he says are: ball, Nolan, Jase, Co Co, go go, pack back, Jesus, Jeter, Brock, NO, yeah, and yes. Cohen is also fluent in Chinese so if you are ever in need of a translator, please let us know! These pictures are from the cemetery this last week. Tyler's Grandpa Wayne (who Cohen is named after and looks a lot like) passed away almost two years ago. It was his birthday last Wednesday so we went to the cemetery and then Grandma Gloria took us out to eat.

Goodbye Summer...

2010-09-08T19:49:00.000-07:00

The end of summer is always a bitter sweet time for me. I hate the fact that I have to leave my little boy as another school year begins, but I love meeting my new kids. August was especially busy for us. Between my brother's wedding, a quick trip to Park City, and getting a classroom ready, we were a busy little family. Cohen is just as fun as ever. He has learned to walk up and down the stairs (with and without a bat and ball in his hand), learned to jump off furniture, and has successfully bitten out some of our drywall. We are so glad we have our little guy to entertain us. I haven't been the best at taking pictures the last month or so. Here are a few documenting some of the things we have been up to.

Look at How You Have Grown!

2010-08-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

I decided it was time to record Cohen's stats for the last 15 months. It is fun for me to look back and see where he was at each stage of his life. It is amazing to see how much he has grown in such a short time!

Newborn: 5-18-09
Born at 2:07 p.m.
Weight: 8 lbs 10 oz
Length: 19 3/4 in.

2 Months:
Weight: 13 lbs 5 oz (84 percentile)
Height: 23 1/4 in. (62 percentile)
Head: 15 1/2 in. (34 percentile)

4 months:
Weight: 16 lbs (72 percentile)
Height: 26 in. (84 percentile)
Head: 16 1/2 in. (39 percentile)

6 months:
Weight: 18 lbs 4 oz (65 percentile)
Height: 27 1/4 (76 percentile)
Head:17 1/4 (50 percentile)

9 months:
Weight: 20 lbs (39 percentile)
Height: 28 3/4 in. (66 percentile)
Head: 17 1/2 in. (24 percentile)

12 months:
Weight: 22 lb 5 oz (43 percentile)
Height: 30 3/4 in. (81 percentile)
Head: 18 1/4 in. (50 percentile)

15 months:
Weight: 23 lb (41 percentile)
Height: 32 1/2 in. (93 percentile)
Head: 18 1/2 in. (52 percentile)

Family Pictures...

2010-08-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

Family pictures is not something I look forward to on a regular basis, but it is something I want to have when looking back on my life. Tyler, unfortunately, has a strong dislike for pictures. I told Tyler it was time to get a "real" family picture together. To my surprise, he agreed. Cohen is at a horrible age and I luckily have a great sister that took the pictures for me. Tyler and I seem to prepare for everything we can in life. For these pictures, we of course found the perfect locations, Legends Auto in Springville and the railroad tracks in Palmyra. We drove by each location a few days ago to scope them out. I was excited to get pictures at both locations. Well as we get to Legends Auto today (which the sign said they were closed on Saturday), we found a ton on motorcycle dudes hanging out. Dang...cross that place off my list. I thought that has just been our luck this week. Fortunately, the railroad tracks were abandon and we were able to get some fun shots there. I thought the pictures turned out great. My sister has shown me some fun editing actions that I used for the pictures. Thanks Linds for taking the pictures! We love them! Here are just a few of my favorites:

Baby Contest

2010-07-16T19:32:00.001-07:00

I entered Cohen into the annual Spanish Fork Fiesta Days Baby Contest and found out this isn't for me. Here are the top 5 reasons why I am not ready to be a stage mom.

#5 Not my kind of competition
As I walked into the Senior Citizen Center, I looked around and saw moms dolling their kids all up. I mean I definitely dressed Cohen up cute and did his hair, but I didn't bring any extra hairspray or gel to add if needed. I am used to the competition where it is okay to be dirty once you start, but this isn't how baby contests (aka Toddlers and Tiaras) go apparently.

#4 Too Stressful
Who can handle the stress of these competitions. I am told to meet my sister there at 3:15 which is 15 minutes before it starts. I get a call at 3:00 (while I am still debating on what Cohen is going to wear) from Jamie wondering where I am. I didn't know I needed to be there an additional 15 minutes early to the 3:15 time. Once I got there, I had to register Cohen. Apparently they have a line for people like me trying to fill out their registration form while in line and a line for the true stage moms who knew to pre-register. Then I had to figure out where to go first. The paper says to see the judges first, but everyone (Stage Moms) knows you head straight for the photo op. Luckily, my sister knew the ropes and took us to see the photographer.

#3 Parents
Another reason why I can't be a stage mom is because of the parents. I saw one mom practically pinching her son trying to get him to laugh for the judges. I figure if it takes abuse to get Cohen to perform, then it is not worth it.

#2 Practice
Let's be honest. What parent has the time to practice performing for judges with their kids? I know I don't. Between taking care of the house, working full-time, and chasing Cohen, I can't take on another thing. I looked around and saw several kids who knew how to work the judges and score a 10 on personality. My little man was more worried about how to make a break for the door then batting his eyes for the judges.

#1 Adorable Child DOES NOT perform under pressure
This is the number one reason why I will not be a stage mom! Cohen is so full of it and has the craziest personality. Those qualities are the only reasons why I even entered him. I thought he will be his silly self and show the sweet judges why he should win. NO WAY! Cohen wouldn't even acknowledge the two ladies. He kept running for the exit! Maybe next year he will learn to be a performer!

...World Cup...

2010-06-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

Up until about 2 years ago, Tyler had never seen a complete soccer game. He found the sport to be boring to watch; now, his attitude has changed completely. It all started with taking him to his first BYU soccer game to watch my cousin Lauren play. After the game, he told me that was way better than he ever expected. As these last few years have gone by, we have gone to several BYU soccer games as well as watched quite a few on T.V. We can now add soccer to our list of avid sports we watch! The World Cup has been on the last two weeks and we have loved every minute of it. We tried to find Cohen a USA jersey, but they don't make them quite that small. My little brother gave Cohen an Argentina soccer jersey that we decided to have him wear during the Argentina vs. Mexico game. It looked a little bit like a dress on him, but that is okay, right? Cohen got the biggest kick out of running around in it and celebrating the goals with us! We were really disappointed when the USA lost, but hopefully they will do better the next time around.

I had to add these pictures of Cohen and Tyler's cousin Chuck. We went swimming a few weeks ago and this was Cohen's first slide experience.

Ready...Set...Go!

2010-06-16T12:45:00.001-07:00

Ready...Set...Go! Cohen is off and there is no stopping him now! We are so proud of our little man for learning how to walk!

If only...

2010-06-12T09:05:00.000-07:00

Cohen was this tame all the time! Unfortunately, he is a little monster. He loves to growl and get into everything possible.

My little monster needed some nourishment a few nights ago and I offered him his favorite, milk. I accidentally referred to his bottle as juice. As soon as he heard "juice", he was gone; he wanted nothing to do with it. I even tried to get him to taste it so he could see it was milk. After a few minutes, my monster started to whimper at the fridge. I knew he wanted his milk, but he still wouldn't take the original bottle I gave him. Luckily, I am smarter, for the time being, than my little monster. I put the milk back in the fridge and pretended to get a new one. Little did my monster know, it was the same bottle as before. This time, however, he took the milk with no argument because I knew to call it milk, not juice!

The Joy of Being a Toddler

2010-06-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

The joy of being a

TODDLER

Bundle of energy

Full speed ahead

No, no, no, time out, getting bigger

Bath time, storybooks, naptime,

I can do it, talking up a storm

I found this description of a toddler a few months ago, but didn't realize how this is the perfect description of Cohen until recently. Our crazy boy is non-stop energy. In church last week, he got away from me and was crawling down the row in front of me. Before the people in the row could grab him, he had zoomed away! The guy turned around to us and said, "Man, he is fast!" This is a comment we get daily from people! Cohen's favorite activity is to crawl and walk circles around the family room before bed time. He loves to play peek-a-boo around the couch to get your attention. His energy keeps him going until he finally runs out of batteries. At this point, he finds Tigger and goes to the kitchen for his bottle. That is our cue that he is no longer a bundle of energy and needs to charge up his batteries for the next fun day.

Full speed ahead is a great description of his actions. He is has no fear. When he is on our bed or the patio, he is like a freight train coming through. The edge doesn't even phase him as he goes tumbling over it.

No, no, no is something he learned at a young age thanks to my mom! She would always tell him, "Cohen, no, no, no!" A few months ago, Cohen learned to wiggle is finger and say this back to her. It is pretty funny to watch. He has even got to the point where he does something naughty, turns around, and wiggles his finger saying, "No, no, no" to me.

Time out has been used many of times at the ball park. It doesn't work too well at our house yet, but putting him in the stroller, strapped in saved us through all the ball games we went to this Spring. He wasn't necessarily in real time out in the stroller, but it would give us a break from chasing him!

Getting bigger makes me happy and sad at the same time. I love seeing him grow and learn new things. Tyler and I get so excited when he walks 5 or 6 steps, throws or hits the ball, gives us kisses, goes to the Jesus statue and says, "Jesus", and all the other things he does daily! I also get sad thinking how fast this one year went by, but I try not to focus on that part as much and look at his growing up as an adventure for all of us!

Can I say I love bath time? This has always been one of my favorite things to do each night. Cohen loves it and doesn't like when it is time to get out. Lately, bath time has turned into hide-and-seek. He grabs the curtain and buries his head in it. I'm always rewarded with a huge smile and laugh after I find him.

Storybooks is something Cohen has tons of. I think the teacher in me is coming out. I love getting Cohen new books. Usually Cohen has way too much energy to sit still to read a book, but every once in a while I can convince him to read a book with me. I have been working on letting Cohen have two choices for things we do. The only problem with this is he seems to always see the Christmas Mickey Mouse Music book and wants that option. Unfortunately, this is the least likely book I want him to choose. I am so tired of hearing Christmas songs in the summer! He plays them over and over again. He gets this trait from his Grandma Pat and I think I will send this book over to there house for them to enjoy together!

Naptime is my favorite time! This is the time I get the house cleaned, dinner cooked, yard work done, and my blog up-to-date. Yes! Naptime is happening as I write. I thought being off for the summer meant I would have more time to do these things, but I have found that isn't the case. Cohen keeps us all way too busy so naptime is a must at our house!

I can do it! I found actions speak louder than words in this case. Cohen has my drive for things. When he falls down, he gets right back up and tries it again. He is very persistent and doesn't like when he can't figure something out. Last night, we were out doing yard work. As I am shoveling, I see Cohen dragging the broom to the back yard. At first, I couldn't figure out what he was doing, but then I realized he wanted to climb on the back steps. Instead of leaving the broom (which he thinks is a big bat), he drags it with him. I took the broom away at first thinking it would be easier to climb the stairs without it. Of course, I was wrong; he wouldn't think of leaving his broom behind. He crawled back to where I took the broom and dragged it back to the stairs. Eventually, he made it to the stairs with the broom.

Talking up a storm is a perfect description of our little guy. Cohen gets his talking from one of us, but I am not sure which one. He is a non-stop talker. His favorite thing to do is to put the phone to his ear and jabber. I am surprised that he knows how to talk on the phone because I am positive he didn't learn this from me. Special Agent Oso or Mickey must do this a lot on their show! Cohen has always been a talker and an entertainer. He loves the attention he gets from performing for people. I am curious to see if he will be like this when he gets older.

Our Busy Lives...

2010-05-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

The last weeks of school always are always a busy time for us. Between baseball games, birthday parties, and ending the school year, we are constantly on the go. Luckily, I love every minute of it! For the second year in a row, the Spanish Fork Baseball team took 1st in State! Tyler and I have decided Cohen is good luck. He loved being at the ball games. He would watch the boys swing their bats and want to imitate them.

I love these pictures below. The first one is of Don taking Cohen down to the field. They wouldn't let anyone, but players and coaches on the field after the game so Don took Cohen to see his Grandpa. In the second picture, Grandpa Shoe just realized that the kid standing next to him in a picture was his own grandson. It was pretty funny to watch Shoe's reaction to seeing Cohen next to him.

After the baseball game, we officially celebrated Cohen's birthday. I think each year his birthday is going to fall at a busy time and we will have to work around it! Fortunately, Cohen is still young enough he doesn't know the difference.

Happy Birthday Cohen!

2010-05-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

Today is Cohen's first birthday! I can't believe how fast this year went by. Tyler and I keep reminiscing back to what life was like with a newborn and all the milestones in our little boy's life. One of my new favorite things he does is his "Hey, Batter, Batter Swing". He takes his bat and swings it back and forth as hard as possible. Then before you know it, he has swung himself face down on the floor! He never ceases to amaze me! I have little doubt in my mind that next year will be just as fun and crazy as this year! Cohen's personality is what I love most about him. He knows how to entertain everyone around him! Earlier today, I had my mom bring Cohen to school. My students made him a birthday card and wanted to sing to him. I loved seeing how cute my students were with Cohen. They couldn't get enough of him. Of course, Cohen loved every second of the attention. He was sad to say "Bub Bye" to all the kids. After school, we had a Birthday Party/Lost Party for Cohen. Sandra found the perfect cake for our bouncy boy...a Tigger cake. He absolutely loved it and was very upset when I took the cake away.

Cohen, I hope you had a Happy 1st Birthday! We love you, bud!

Look Who's One...

2010-05-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, Cohen had his year old pictures taken last night. Our baby boy is turning into a toddler!!! In preparation for the pictures, Tyler made Cohen a birthday banner, painted a C, made a birthday hat, and bought balloons all on his day off! I was amazed when I got home and saw everything he had done. Of course everything turned out great! My friend Sarah always does such a great job taking his pictures. I was a little nervous though when I saw how uncooperative Cohen was during pictures. If we wanted him to stand, he sat and vice versa. He definitely acted like a one year old! Good thing we love him to pieces. Tyler was relieved when the pictures were over. He informed me he was never doing that again. I guess I better appreciate all the help I got for these pictures!

Don't you just love the cake? The lady who made this for Cohen did an amazing job. I couldn't be happier with it!

Our Brave Boy...

2010-04-24T20:17:00.000-07:00

Cohen has been such a brave boy this week. He had to get a little operation done. Unfortunately, the surgery wasn't until 1:00 p.m. in the afternoon. What 11 month old understands why he can't have a bottle or eat when he is hungry? Tyler and I felt like the worse parents. He would look at us and cry because he was so hungry. We had known he couldn't eat 6 hours before surgery, but we didn't know he couldn't have a bottle after midnight! The nurse told me only clear liquids after midnight until 8 in the morning. Then he couldn't eat until after his surgery. Of course I thought we only had to worry about him from 8:00 a.m. until his surgery, but things don't always go as planned. Our little guy that sleeps through the night was up most the night. The first time I was able to give him a bottle. Then the next time he was up after midnight so I tried to give him a bottle with apple juice in it. He absolutely hated it; he screamed constantly until I rocked him to sleep and put him back into his crib. Of course, right before I fell back asleep he was up again.

Surprisingly, Cohen did really well the rest of the day. He was even in a fairly good mood in the waiting room until his surgery. He didn't even cry when they took him back to the operating room. We are so proud of him! He was such a good boy for his surgery. Cohen was really tired afterwards and slept the rest of the day/night except when he needed a bottle. I thought for sure he would be down and out the next day. I couldn't have been more wrong. He was my 6:30 a.m. alarm clock! I have decided little babies are much more resilient than adults when it comes to things like this.

Cohen also has had two birthday parties this last week. We celebrated my dad's birthday a week ago and Tyler's dad's birthday tonight. He loves when people sing "Happy Birthday" because he thinks it is for him. Cohen finds it hilarious and laughs during the entire song. It is so cute.

Last week, we took Cohen to his first BYU Baseball game. He loved it! Being outside is one of his favorite things to do especially when there are so many fun things to watch! Our busy boy has to be involved in everything around him!

While we were at Gap today, we saw this cute Mickey Mouse shirt and showed Cohen. Of course he realized who it was and had to give Mickey kisses! Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is his favorite show to watch. He smiles every time he sees it. How could we not buy this shirt for him! I thought he looked like such a big kid in this picture. He is just kicking back and relaxing!

Spring!!!

2010-04-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

I love Spring! Cohen and I have spent the last few weeks playing outside or at the ball park. Unfortunately, Cohen doesn't love the grass. Why play on soft grass when there is cement to scratch your knees on? Our little guy usually does the opposite than what he should. Lately, Cohen loves playing in the dirt and getting messy. When we get home at night, Tyler tells him he smells like a little wet dog. This trouble maker is definitely all boy!

I have been getting a little sad to realize my baby is growing up. He will be one next month. I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. At eleven months, Cohen can walk around furniture, crawl faster than I can walk, and say mom, dad, bubba (bottle), thank you, and bye bye. He can turn off and on the DVD player even when we block it off with furniture. Climbing up stairs, destroying my house, and ruining his clothes and shoes are just a few other things he can do!!! Good thing we love this little boy!

I love the picture of him standing up against the fence.

He looks so cute watching the game.

Spring Break

2010-04-08T07:33:00.000-07:00

Is it really snowing during Spring Break? This is the question I asked myself over and over again. Yes it is true. We had snow on the ground for part of Spring Break. I had big plans for Cohen and me during my time off. I wanted to go on walks, take Cohen to the park, and spend time outside playing on our grass. But none of these things have happened yet! Instead, we have cleaned the house, folded laundry and last of all, destroyed my clean house. Cohen's new favorite thing to do is play on his mattress. Who would have known that taking the mattress out on the floor to replace sheets could turn into the coolest trampoline for Cohen. My little boy bounced, danced, drooled, slipped, played, and laid on the mattress until he was ready for his nap. I found that I have had to be very creative to keep Cohen and me sane while indoors over the break. We are both way to excited to get outside and play!

Easter was a few days ago and we had a fun time. Cohen hunted for Easter eggs in the house. I guess hunt is the wrong word to use. Tyler lined the eggs up in a row so all he had to do was crawl from one egg to another until he reached his Easter Basket. Does my son ever do what I expect him to? Of course not! He went to one egg and then decided to chase it around the kitchen because that was way more exciting to him. Then I bring him back to the next egg and the same pattern follows. Needless to say, getting from our bedroom door to his Easter Basket took about 10 minutes of chasing Cohen around the house. When he finally got to his basket, his face lit up. Tyler and I thought he was so excited to get his basket, but when he reaches for it, what does he grab? His bat! Yep! That is my boy. Who cares about the cute little basket with a new bath toy when you can have your baseball bat. I guess he is officially a Nelson boy if he will choose his bat over a new toy.

After conference, we headed up to the Nelson's for dinner and to see Cohen's cousins. As we are sitting there visiting, Cohen is into everything. Everyone was so good to help try to keep Cohen entertained. At one point, I see him playing with a chair. I notice the chair looks like it is broken. Come to find out, our sweet little angel broke the chair the last time he was over. Great! Good thing Cohen has a Grandma that doesn't get mad about those things. Next thing I know, Cohen has broken off one of the wooden pieces off the back of the chair. Apparently, Cohen wasn't too happy with his dad for making him leave his bat home and has decided to find a new one to play with. Luckily, all the little babies were being held and he didn't hurt anyone with his wooden bat!

Easter Pictures and More Cousins!

2010-03-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we decided to let Cohen wear his new Easter outfit to church. I figured I better get the pictures before church instead of after. He doesn't stay clean very long now days and I don't know if that is ever going to change!

I know I am in for trouble after looking at these two pictures! Cohen loves to scream wherever he is!

Our handsome little man

I love how blue his eyes look in this picture!

Cohen got his first girl cousin on the Nelson side. Lilly was born on Friday. As you can tell from the pictures below, Cohen was thrilled to meet her! She is so adorable with her little chubby cheeks! Cohen was actually really sweet to her and gave her kisses most of the time!

Cohen with his new cousins Nolan and Lilly. He wasn't too thrilled to be holding two "babies".

This past weekend, all the Nelson girls went to Legally Blonde. It was a fun musical that I would recommend to anyone that likes the movie. The music was fantastic and the singing was amazing! After seeing Wicked last April, I love going to musicals. Hopefully, we can continue this tradition next year.

Sunshine Tournament

2010-03-25T19:44:00.000-07:00

Last week was officially Cohen's first Sunshine Tournament of many to come. I will admit it wasn't quite as relaxing as years past, but it was definitely a memorable one with Cohen. Having a little boy this year changed our routine. Our days were filled with ball games, naps, and food. I got very little shopping in which was disappointing to me. I enjoy the outlets just about as much as the ball games! One of the many adventures we had during our vacation happened when Cohen lost his baseball bat. His bat is one of his favorite toys, and we rarely go anywhere without it. Tyler had to leave the baseball game to hunt it down. Luckily, he found it at Christensen's Clothing Store where Cohen apparently dropped it. Our little boy was thrilled when he saw his bat. Cohen is lucky he has such a great dad to find his bat! After finding the bat, the rest of the weekend went smoothly. The Spanish Fork Dons played well and won the tournament for the 6th year in a row. We are excited for the next few Sunshine Tournaments to come. Tyler's brother Brock will be playing in them in no time as long as he learns to slide!

Doesn't Cohen look so cute in those glasses!

Hanging out with cousins at the ball games!

Trouble...with a Capital "T"

2010-03-12T19:17:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, but our last few weeks have been crazy with Cohen. In a matter of days he went from diving to crawling and he is TROUBLE! I can't even believe the terror he causes now. Cohen can be the sweetest boy, but it is like he has used the last nine months to find all the places he can destroy. A broken clock, slobbered on mirror, a goose egg and a 911 call are just some of the things to come with him. You can't leave him alone a minute or you will find him terrorizing some part of the house. He has recently learned to stand up in his crib. Needless to say, his crib is now lowered to the bottom. I wonder how long until he figures out how to break out? Hopefully not soon or we can add broken arm to his list of things to come. Besides taking over my clean house, he also won't get dressed. Cohen is at a very uncooperative age right now. It is not uncommon to find him naked, crawling where ever he pleases. His favorite place to play is on my wood floor where he can bang any object as hard as he can. I think we know who runs this household and it isn't the people that clean it!

Lately, the brightest parts to my week are Tuesdays which has turned into Lost night. We started watching Lost at our house with some family members and three of us has now grown to 8 and counting. It is seriously so much fun to watch Lost with others. We play with Cohen and Nolan, eat dinner, put babies to bed, and enjoy a night of speculation over the latest Lost events. I am sad that this is the last season and we only have a few months to enjoy our parties.

Cohen deciding he didn't won't to hold still for a picture with Nolan.

Cohen and Brock hanging out at the party!

This week my school had Dad's and Doughnuts. Our principal asked the teachers to come up and help out at the event. I decided to take Cohen to his first Dad's and Doughnuts, without his Dad, and supervise the students. It is a fun event where the Dad's read with their kids for the first 30 minutes and then spend the last part enjoying a doughnut with them. Cohen was able to hang out with my friend Tracy's little boy Riley and read his favorite book Baby Faces. Tracy and I joke how next year these two are going to be trouble together. I have a hard time seeing sweet little Riley getting into trouble, but I guess that is what I thought about Cohen when he was a baby. Little did I know.

My favorite time of year has arrived! It is time to put away my winter gear and get into my capris! I love the spring and watching baseball/softball games. Today was the SF Dons Baseball teams opening game. Cohen hasn't been to a Dons game since he was four days old so I thought it was time to take him! He loved being outside and watching everyone around him. Grandma Pat helped him stand up and I can't believe how big he looks. Pretty soon he is going to be walking instead of crawling. My baby Cohen is turning into a little boy. Don't you just love the cute SF Baseball jacket he has on? Too bad the SF hat he has is way too big to wear.

I know Cohey is trouble, but I love my little guy. I look at his wild and crazy pictures and laugh every time. My favorite thing Cohen does right now happens every morning. I wake up to "Mom...Mom...Mom" or "Dad...Dad...Dad." He repeats this until one of us comes and gets him. I can't help, but smile every morning he does this even when I really, really want to sleep in!

Best Friends!!!

2010-02-26T15:10:00.000-08:00

Cohen loves his buddy Tigger! Whenever he sees Tig, his face lights up and he squeals with delight!

BEST FRIENDS!!!

It's All Fun and Games Until...

2010-02-24T19:38:00.001-08:00

It's all fun and games until...

Somebody gets scared!

Nine Months!!!

2010-02-18T19:05:00.001-08:00

Our little man is growing up! I can't believe he is nine months today! I remember being pregnant at this time last year and imagining what life would be like with a nine month old. All I can say now is I love our life. Cohen is at the most fun age! He is hilarious and keeps us on our toes. We love our little man and are very blessed to have him! Thanks for being the best boy, Cohen.

Wild Child

2010-02-14T18:37:00.000-08:00

Cohen is our "Wild Child"! He is at the stage where he will be crawling any day, but hasn't got it quite figured out. I don't know what we will do when everything finally clicks together! Getting stuck under furniture is a daily occurrence in our household.

Besides attempting to crawl, Cohen is a little squealer! He has found that by squealing he can get our attention and he loves doing it! We do love our wild child though and can't wait to see the mischief he will find tomorrow!

Cohen avoiding the camera!

Our crazy kid practicing his squealing.

Every time I turn around I find this kid doing something silly like this!

Cohen testing out the damage he can do in his new stroller and car seat. Looks like he is trying to convince Tigger to go for a ride with him.

Cohen with his new baby cousin Nolan. We are so excited that he is finally here. Hopefully, Cohen will not be so wild around him. I'm afraid to think of the mischief these two will get into together when they are older.

Our Favorite Boy!

2010-01-31T19:31:00.000-08:00

I just had to post pictures of our favorite boy! He makes Tyler and me laugh every single day. I can't help but smile every time I look at Cohen; I love his bright blue eyes and chubby cheeks. We are so thankful to have him in our lives!

Sick Boy

2010-01-23T18:38:00.000-08:00

This past week Cohen was a sick little boy. All he wanted was to be held and cuddled. I felt so bad for him. Luckily, he was only down for a few days. While Cohen was sick, he didn't want to eat or drink. I hated forcing medicine and fluid into him. That is the worse!!! To top off not feeling well, he got his second tooth. Cohen had a rough week! We could tell today he was feeling much better because he was talking all morning and clapping his hands together. Ty and I are glad he is feeling better. In the pictures below, Cohen was being so cute. Tyler taught him how to throw his hands in the air during Patty Cake and he kept doing it while I was trying to get a picture.

Nelson Cabin

2010-01-19T19:46:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we went to the Nelson Cabin. It is one of my favorite traditions we do on the Nelson side. I can always count on great food (especially breakfast, my all time favorite), lots of laughter, games, and sledding. I am a pretty adventurous person, but ever since I had Cohen, I haven't done a whole lot. The first night we were there Tyler's cousin was going night sledding. I didn't think that sounded too appealing, but the next day, I decided to do it. Sledding is always fun, but this year it was the best ever. In years past, the road we went on wasn't very long. This year a gate was opened and we were able to go up much farther. If you were able to keep your sled on course, you never had to get off it the whole way to the cabin. Tyler's cousins and I had lots of sled races. Needless to say, I got very competitive and had to race one cousin on foot to win. Apparently you have to have your sled with you when you cross the finish line. I am pretty sure boys make up stupid rules like that so they don't have to lose to a girl! Cohen also had his first sledding experience. I don't think he knew what was going on, but he loved being outside. I can't wait until next year. I am sure he will love the cabin as much as Tyler and me.

The Many Faces of Cohen

2010-01-12T19:41:00.000-08:00

As I was looking through Cohen's most recent pictures, I just had to laugh to myself. He seriously has so many different facial expressions. It makes me happy to have Cohen in our family. We love him so much. For your enjoyment, the many faces of Cohen:

Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-03T13:20:00.000-08:00

This year we spent New Year's Eve with both of our families. The night started out with our annual Oak Crest dinner with all the Barney's. Then we took Cohen to see Tyler's mom and dad. Cohen was so exhausted by the time we got home that he crashed as soon as I put him in his crib. When I checked on him later that night, this is what I found:

Cohen cuddling with Tigger!

One of my favorite traditions that Tyler and I do came from his Grandma and Grandpa Nelson. On New Year's Eve, everyone puts their shoe out in the family room and the New Year's Baby brings them each a little gift. This year was especially fun because we got to include Cohen in the tradition.

Happy New Year!

Cohen's First Chritmas

2009-12-29T07:21:00.001-08:00

Our little Santa Cohen had his first Christmas. He didn't have any idea what was going on, but he loved all the attention and toys! Santa must have known he had been a good boy because this little man got spoiled!!! I truly didn't think we bought that much, but when you combined it with all his gifts from family, he got way too much. Yesterday, Tyler and I had to buy him a shelf full of baskets to store all his new toys and books. I have to say this Christmas has been one of the best. Tyler and I both commented on how much fun it is to have Cohen. Usually after we open gifts, all the fun and excitement is gone, but this year it wasn't like that. We couldn't wait to let Cohen just play all day with his gifts and watch his cute facial expressions.

Cohen playing with all his silly cousins at Grandma and Grandpa Barney's house.

Mckinley and Brooklyn...Cohen's favorite girls!

Santa Claus bringing gifts to all the kids on Christmas Eve.

Santa Cohen hearing what Addison wants for Christmas at Grandma Gloria's house.

Cohen's Christmas presents from Santa.

Cohen opening his gifts and posing (as usual) for the camera.

Chewing on the paper and my necklace were way more interesting then all his toys as you can see!

Cohen hanging out with Brock on Christmas morning at Grandma Pat's house.

He shoots...and he scores!