Cole's Blog

Wow - best birthday gift ever

2010-02-07T22:38:00.001-08:00

Wow - the best thing ever! Cole recieved a truck of his very own. He's estatic. Literally in heaven. Thanks Uncles!!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-29T20:30:00.000-07:00

"Pumpkin patch" is a bit of an overstatement...it was more like a muddy field filled with pumpkins that had already been cut. But Cole had a blast stomping in the puddles!

Halloween

2009-10-29T19:11:00.000-07:00

Coley bear!

Montana, Montana - glory of the west!

2009-08-26T22:29:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time visiting Montana over the weekend. Thank you , THANK YOU to all the aunts and uncles that hosted us, fed us and doted on Cole. He was thoroughly spoiled.

As you as see, Cole has a fascination with all things motorized - he had a ton of fun sitting in everyone's cars and motorcycles.

Cole had a blast with the dogs at Aunt Peg & Uncle Jim's. Yesterday when we were looking at these pictures, he said "Truman! Treat!"

("they're cousins, idential cousins - they look alike, they walk alike, at times they even talk alike...")

The trolley...a Helena favorite...

Tired parents waiting for a delayed flight at the airport.

Cole in the Summer

2009-08-17T22:14:00.001-07:00

What a ham! He now calls the camera "cheese". Funny kiddo. =)

OBON!

2009-07-31T14:17:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I'm terrible. TERRIBLE. It's been months since I've posted to Cole's blog. As you can see from these photos, Cole's now quite an accomplished dancer. =) He actually loves music - although he does call all instruments indiscriminately "piano".

Shaking hands and dancing

2009-04-02T19:48:00.001-07:00

Kirk taught Cole how to shake hands this morning!

And then later, Cole was showing off his dancing rhythm!

Mommy said no

2009-03-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

Happy St Paddy's Day!

2009-03-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

Cole's pretty steady on his feet these days. =)

Birthday Boy!

2009-02-17T20:53:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Cole's 1st birthday with a BIG bash. I'll admit, it was a bit overboard - clown, 100 cupcakes, tons of food and a helium tank later... But you can't say we didn't thoroughly celebrate. Cole was such a good boy through it all.

Here he is with some of his birthday loot. They make some pretty cool toys these days...the lincoln log / matchbox car days are long gone.

This is the post party hair. Serious.

Walking on a sunny day

2009-01-31T18:55:00.000-08:00

Share with Daddy

2008-12-21T22:08:00.000-08:00

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-21T17:16:00.000-08:00

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

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

Thanksgiving!

2008-12-08T21:15:00.000-08:00

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

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

Happy Birthday Uncle!

2008-11-17T18:04:00.000-08:00

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

Halloween!

2008-11-02T22:00:00.001-08:00

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

Da da da da da da

2008-10-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

What about ma ma ma ma ma?

Momma bought me a hat

2008-10-19T20:13:00.000-07:00

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

Hello Littles!

2008-10-19T20:08:00.001-07:00

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

I have a new cousin!

2008-09-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

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

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

Look at my cheeks!

2008-09-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

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

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

Haircut!

2008-08-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

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

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

Real food!

2008-08-09T13:58:00.001-07:00

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

Six months old!!

2008-08-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

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

Obon was fun!!

2008-07-21T15:32:00.001-07:00

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

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

Kirk and Cole did some good dancing!

Big Boy

2008-07-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

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

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

Wedding Summer!

2008-07-15T20:32:00.001-07:00

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

Kirk took this one of us himself. =)

My favorite fingers

2008-06-16T20:37:00.001-07:00

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

Hanging out

2008-06-14T08:18:00.003-07:00

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

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

Better photos than Mommy takes

2008-06-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

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

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

Summer hat

2008-06-09T10:09:00.001-07:00

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

Hanging out with my cousins and my auntie!

2008-06-09T09:56:00.001-07:00

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

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

Grandpa came to visit me!

2008-05-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

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

Cole's first bottle

2008-05-13T12:11:00.001-07:00

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

100 Days Old!

2008-05-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

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

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

Preppy boy!

2008-05-07T21:36:00.001-07:00

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

Boys' Day!

2008-05-06T19:28:00.001-07:00

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

3 months old!

2008-05-01T21:56:00.001-07:00

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

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

Visit to Daddy's Office!

2008-04-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

I know it sounds crazy, but today was the first time I drove with Cole in the car by myself. Usually, both Kirk and I are in the car and one of us sits in the back to entertain the baby. Today we went to Kirk's office all by ourselves!

Afterward, we were playing around with Cole - he can hold his head up pretty well now. Kirk was bouncing him on his knee and we got some pretty good smiles.

Our happy boy

2008-04-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

I'm really enjoying my days with Cole and dreading going back to the grind in June. I think those first few days back at work will be pretty weepy.

Cole is still a Daddy's boy. Look how he smiles at Kirk. He patiently lets Kirk do all kinds of stuff - get his boogers and wipe his gunky eyes. When Kirk walks in the room, Cole always has a smile for him.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2008-04-20T22:09:00.001-07:00

We had a little get together for Kirk's big 30th birthday at the house. Cole woke up just in time for a round of pictures with Mommy paparazzi.

9 weeks old!

2008-04-05T14:41:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that just 9 weeks ago, this little guy was still kicking around in my belly.

My first snow!

2008-03-28T21:41:00.000-07:00

It snowed today in Seattle! We went outside on the porch for a quick look and Cole was mesmerized by all the falling white stuff. I bundled him up since he's not used to this kind of weather and I can't get over how grown up he looks in his little hoodie.

Easter!

2008-03-25T22:14:00.001-07:00

We had a fun Easter - check Cole out in his bunny suit! Shockingly, we made it through dinner and other family festivities without getting dirty!

Growing!

2008-03-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

At Cole's one month appointment, the pediatricain told us that he was 11 pounds, 12 ounces! I thought for sure I mis-heard her! I can't believe our little guy is almost 12 pounds! He's getting so chubby. Cole is 7 weeks old today! Kirk says he looks like my dad after he gets up in the morning - especially his hair!

Taking a walk

2008-03-07T10:10:00.000-08:00

We are enjoying a fabulous early spring in Seattle. I've broken in our 'travel system' - which is just a fancy phrase for our stroller / car seat combo - and taken Cole for a walk almost every day this week. He enjoys our time outdoors so much that he mostly sleeps through our walks. I'm usually well into pointing out the shape of the clouds or the pretty gardens that we're passing before I notice he's fast asleep. Couldn't be that my commentary bores him! =)

One month old!

2008-03-07T10:04:00.001-08:00

Cole is now officially 5 weeks old, but this picture is from his 1 month birthday.

We celebrated with cupcakes and Cole was so excited that he slept through the festivities.

3 weeks old!

2008-02-23T21:09:00.000-08:00

We gave Cole his second bath today - he loves the water, but I think he could do without the drafty walk to and from the bath. I borrowed a baby scale from Kirk's sister and we discovered that Cole is 10 pounds! Wow! I knew he felt heavier, but I was amazed that he's hit double digits. That's our boy!

2 weeks old

2008-02-16T20:42:00.000-08:00

Cole is 2 weeks old - it hardly seems possible that this fabulous little guy has only been in our lives for 2 weeks. He is still a bit of a night owl (which he gets from his dad) and I'm amazed at how wide awake he can be at 3am. He's starting to show us some funny faces (Blue Steel ala Zoolander). We continue to be enthralled with his every move!

Big boy!

2008-02-13T17:40:00.000-08:00

A trip to the pediatrician yesterday - Cole is 8 pounds 6 ounces!!

The day arrives!

2008-02-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

Cole Sengo Beppu was born on Friday, February 1st at 1:48pm. He weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. We were only at the hospital for 6 hours before Cole made his appearance. We fell in love with him the moment we saw him. He cried for a few minutes, but for the most part, he just stared at us with his big eyes. He was a sweet baby from the start.

We are all doing well at home - adjusting to life with a newborn (trying to nap when the Cole naps) and learning to use all the great gifts we received at the baby shower. Kirk is a master-swaddler now!

Cole has a great appetite. At the pediatrician's office yesterday, we learned that he has already gained back his birth weight! His little cheeks are already getting a bit chubby.