Mowing

Cohen loves the bubble mower that he got for his birthday.  It combines all the things he loves:  wheels, something to push,  bubbles and Molly is right at his side the whole time (she also loves bubbles).

Slip 'n Slide

The cousins all loved cooling off in the slip 'n slide.  It was just as much fun for the adults to watch the kids having fun as it was for the kids (except Mike, who had fun participating as well!).

Daddy & Cohen sliding down together

Ayla didn't want to slide, she was happy to run around and get sprayed by the water.

Molly took drinks from the pool of water at the end of the slide in between turns.

Wyatt sliding on his knees

Lauren sliding on her bum

Cohen getting help from Daddy to slide on his tummy.

The kids were very good about waiting in line for their turn.  Wyatt's up next!

Serena sliding face-first into the pool at the end.

Opening Presents

Cohen was a bit overwhelmed with all the gifts and had a hard time taking it all in.  I don't think he realized they were all for him and would have been happy to stop after the first few (once he opened the monster trucks, he had a hard time focusing on anything else).

We slowly pulled out all his new toys over the next few days and he was pretty excited about all of them when it wasn't so overwhelming.

Excited about his new monster trucks

Ayla and Serena helping to open Cohen's presents while he's playing with his trucks.

Loving the new trucks!

Birthday Celebrations

Some pictures from Cohen's 2nd birthday party.  Carnival themed!

Mommy loves to fuss with the details.

Mommy's home-made clown cupcakes.

Auntie Lindsay, Auntie Erin, Nana and Oma (holding Maeve) enjoying the air conditioning inside the house.

Sweet Lauren enjoying lunch

Maddie and Caitlin chose to eat outside.

Ayla with her daddy enjoying some popcorn and beer.

Daddy sweated and slaved over the heat of the BBQ.  Thank you for cooking the meat for everyone in 40+ degrees!!

Working on some crafts.

The birthday boy loved gluing noodles to the paper plate to make a lion face.

 

Nana watching as the kids cooled down on the slip 'n slide.

Cake time!

Waiting patiently for everyone to sing happy birthday to him.

Blowing out his candle (after several failed attempts, his cousins helped him out).  He didn't want to eat the cupcake, but was happy to eat the clown hat made from an ice cream cone.

The Official Announcement

If you ask Cohen what's in Mommy's tummy, he says "baby!" with a lot of enthusiasm.  If you ask him where the baby is, he points at Mommy's tummy.....but then he'll point at his own tummy and say "baby".  He has no idea what's coming in December, but I know that he'll make a great big brother and will be a good helper for Mommy.

This pregnancy has been much easier on me (so far) than with Cohen.  I'm nearing the half-way point and am feeling very good, with only mild symptoms compared with my last pregnancy.  I'm very thankful for this because I would not be able to give Cohen the energy and attention that he needs if this pregnancy was like the last one. 

We're all looking forward to welcoming the next baby Muffels into our family and can't wait to watch Cohen make the transition from "only child" to "big brother".

I'm sure Molly has often felt like an after-thought since Cohen came along, so I'm adding this after-thought to the end of this post:

My poor furry baby will be bumped down the chain one more level when the new baby arrives.  She was such a good puppy when Cohen arrived, I know she will good this time as well.  But at least Cohen has finally reached an age where he can interact and play with her (as opposed to just pulling her fur and tail).  I'm sure they will bond more when baby #2 arrives.  Even if we're not able to give her as much attention as she once had, she is still loved.

Walking the Plank

One of Cohen's new activities at the cottage is "walking the plank".  Gigi set an extra deck board from one level of the deck to the other ( like a ramp down the 2 steps).  Cohen and Maddie have both loved practicing their balance skills by walking up and down the plank.  Cohen has just graduated to walking the plank without holding on to anyone.  It always amazes me how the simplest things can be so captivating for kids.

Sharing Hats

Bike Ride with Daddy

Two Year Statistics

Today we had Cohen's 2 year check-up.  Thankfully there were no shots this time :)
Cohen now weighs 26 lbs, which is at the 50th percentile and is 86 cm (34 inches) tall, which is at the 25th percentile.  Overall he is growing well and is a healthy little boy.

Hospital Again :(

We had yet another visit to the hospital with Cohen this week.  He had a cold with a bad cough and his breathing became too laboured, so in we went for a ventalin treatment, steroids and antibiotics (again).  He's such a good trooper and the doctor and nurses all commented on how well behaved he was while they poked and prodded him.  Luckily, we didn't have to be admitted this time and he seems to be recovering well.

2 Years Old!

Is it possible that my baby is already 2 years old???

It's definitely been the best two years of our lives.  We enjoy every minute that we have with Cohen.  He has turned into such a sweet little boy.  He enjoys running (especially if someone else will run with him), books, bikes (riding on Daddy's bike or in the bike trailer, as well as his balance bike and trike), cars/trucks/trains/buses (typical boy), and loves to be outside.  Lately one of his favorite activities has been playing outside with his water table, which he does almost every day.  He plays well with the other kids at daycare, but he especially loves playing with his cousins.

Cohen is still not a great eater (he's taking after his cousin Wyatt).  His diet mainly consists of bread products, cereal, yogurt, peanut butter and milk...but we do our best to sneak veggies, fruit and eggs into him whenever possible (still no luck with meat, I guess he's taking after his mama on that one).  Cohen is still working on talking and is making steady, although slow progress. His sleeping has definitely improved and he is now sleeping through the night most nights (finally!!), although bed time is still often a struggle.  This is especially true when he's been sick and needs to be on the puffers (he doesn't react well with the ventalin), but we're hopeful that he'll recover enough to stop having the need for puffers.

Cohen loves his Mommy and Daddy and we get lots of cuddles and affection from him.  The best part of my day is the time spent with him and I look forward to having him home with me every day when the baby comes.  Most of all, Cohen is just a happy, easy-going toddler who brings constant joy into our lives. 

We love you infinitely more than you'll ever know.  Happy 2nd Birthday Cohen!!