Birthday Boy

Happy 1 Month Birthday Wade! You have been such a busy boy this month. Here is what you've been up to since your birth.

You have been to a wedding, stayed in a hotel, been to the doctor, seen a parade, been to a birthday party, voted, took part in a fundraiser,
had visitors galore to see you, visited Lee's preschool A TON, went to a restaurant, went to the park, painted your hand on some pottery, witnessed a record flood, and went to a t-ball game. WHEW! That was really just in 2 1/2 weeks since I wasn't allowed to drive for 2 weeks. You've been one busy baby!

This picture is my own personal record that you did have hair when you were born, and you have the same pointed neckline as your Paw, Joe Joe, Lee and me! UGH! This probably won't be as big of a deal to you as it is to me. I've been fighting with mine my whole life, and I was hoping you would have your daddy's perfect neckline. Unfortunately, you have the crazy neckline and a cowlick in the same place as the rest of the Coles! Sorry, sweet boy for passing the wild hair on to you. Mrs. Cindy will fix you up one day, just like Lee.

Lee wanted to take pictures of us one day. I loved this one.

Then I returned the favor.

You are beginning to smile in response to us now, which is SO much fun. I have to say that it is the best way to pass time. I find myself trying to get "one more" and doing it for 15 minutes....like I have nothing else to do!

You are staying awake for longer periods of time and are very bright-eyed during that time.

You are filling out so quickly, and you don't even look like a newborn anymore. I love how chunky your arms and legs are looking now.

When you give me that sweet, gummy smile, I just melt! Even though I like to think I'm the person/thing that makes you smile the most, I'll admit that I'm not. You L-O-V-E the changing table and the sign that hangs above it. You can be fussing, and as soon as I put you there, you smile like you've found a long lost friend. It's so cute and strange and funny.

At your 1 month check-up, Dr. Whitby found that you had an ear infection in your right ear. I was devastated, but Dr. W was so reassuring and acted like it was completely normal. You did have a low fever, so you took an anti-biotic for 10 days with no problems. Here are your stats at 1 month:

Weight: 10 pounds (75th percentile)

Length: 23 inches (off the chart!)

You cried almost the whole time we were with Dr. Whitby, so I'm already anxious for you to go back, so he can see what a sweet baby you are. At night, you are sleeping between 3-4 hours and then going right back to sleep, which is very nice. You usually wake up after Daddy is up for work, so we get to have coffee and visit with him. I can't wait to see what the next month brings!

Mother's Day Tea

The Holy Cross Moms were invited to join their children for a tea at school on May 6th to celebrate Mother's Day. After seeing how special Donuts with Dads was, I couldn't wait! It did not disappoint.

The kids sang a song to the moms. Precious!
After Mrs. Angie offered a prayer for the moms, the children asked their blessing. Each child made a page on why they love their moms. Lee said he loves me, "because she gives me lots of hugs." And we also got a picture of them courtesy of Michelle Shiflet.

Finally, the moms were presented a pot of geraniums. They painted the flowerpots themselves.

After a yummy brunch, we got to spend some time with our favorite preschoolers!

This was also a big day for Wade, as he got to stay with Nam (& Hope) for the first time! I don't know who had more fun.

Morning Routine

Adding another person to our morning routine definitely has been an adjustment. Since we are in the final days of preschool, there is NO way we're going to miss! I try to have as much done the night before as possible. Lee is very independent in getting himself dressed, so that is a huge help. The biggest glitch is if Wade is going to be hungry anywhere around time to take Lee to school. It's at least a 30 minute round-trip, so I try to have him fed and happy before Lee even gets up. Sometimes it works, and sometimes, I just have to take a fussy baby to school with me. He already fusses enough in the car seat, so I really don't want to add to it if at all possible. While I'm packing Lee's snack and loading the car, he reads a story to Wade. Since Wade loves the changing table so much, I just take the pad off and put him on it in the floor. I did it once just for convenience, and it became our morning ritual. I'm not sure who loves it more.

Our First T-ball Game

Wade and I were SO excited to get to go to Lee's t-ball game after missing the first one. Actually, Wade slept through it, but I was excited to be there in full paparazzi-mode! I took an obscene amount of photos of these cuties. I can't help it. They are so darn cute at this age and just learning to play. Sydney (to Lee's right) is my favorite part of this picture. She goes to preschool with him, and she is such a hoot!

I sure wish I knew what they were talking about here.

He spotted Nam and Pa on the sidelines. SO cute!

Paul is so funny when he runs the bases. He waves at us as he runs by on the way to the next base.

I just love how big he looks here.

I love this pose.

He's throwing to first, which is his favorite thing to do.

Waiting for some action

Lee and Paul in action

I love to watch him run!

He's so intense.

He's headed home and ready to slide...which is my favorite part!

And there it is....

Throwing to first again

Lee's biggest fan was awake and ready for some congratulatory cuddles after the game.

Wade is wearing his "Little Brother" baseball onesie for Lee. My friend, Allison, made him the most adorable pair of baseball shoes too. He was SO cute!

4 weeks old

Wade was especially fussy this morning while getting ready to take Lee to school, so Lee ran and got his prized blanket and gave it to Wade. I know that he had no idea what it was, but he calmed down and went to sleep on the way to school. It was so precious.

He is about to roll over. He gets about halfway there and then flops back over.

He's so cuddly right after his bath. He still cries while he's being washed, but as soon as he's wrapped in the towel, he's the sweetest thing ever.

Cuddle time with Daddy

Now this is the look of pure satisfaction!

Flood of 2010

The first weekend of May proved to be a historical one for Tennesseans. In Henry County, we received 7+ inches of rain. At our house, we only had minor flooding in our yard and minimal leakage in our basement. Kentucky Lake did flood the shores and boat docks, but the damage was minimal. I wish the same could be said for Nashville. I want to document this event, so we won't ever forget these images from the city we love so much. We were glued to our tv all weekend just watching the pictures and videos roll in of what historians are calling a 500 year flood. Early damage estimates are $1 BILLION +. It was hard for us to comprehend how quickly this happened and how much damage was done in that short period of time. Even though I'm very familiar with Nashville, I still feel disoriented when I look at the pictures.

This is the heart of country music, The Grand Ole Opry. The entire building was flooded, and the stage was 6 feet underwater. Many artifacts were spared and others are being restored. In the background is Opry Mills Mall. Every store in the mall was flooded, and repairs are expected to take months. The Opryland Hotel had to be evacuated, and ended up with 10 feet of water in the first floor. It is expected to be closed for 6 months for repairs.
The Cumberland crept into the Titans stadium and flooded the field and locker rooms.
This is very close to where we park for the games. I'm glad we have pictures for documentation, because I don't think my mind could comprehend this without actually seeing it.

This is a historical marker downtown.

We were just downtown Nashville 2 weeks before the flood for Whitney's wedding. We said then that we love the city more each time we're there. It is one of the neatest cities with so much to see and do. We were so saddened to think of how things will have changed when we visit next. I have no doubt that it will be just as wonderful as ever, but my heart breaks to know what was lost too.