Mr. Innocent

"Oh, Bella, were you playing with this? I didn't notice!"

"Wait, these are dog toys you say? That can't be right!"

"And Bella's crate here, I was just making sure the door works."

"Just getting some reading material. It looked like this when I got here!"

Standing!

The man has been pulling up to standing for a week or so and I finally caught it on camera today!

Crawling!

Here is a little clip of Milo crawling for one of the first times to one of his new favorite obsessions... the door stop! Seriously, this thing could entertain him for hours and sometimes even makes him laugh out loud, which is so cute!

Where's Waldo?

...or Bella, I should say.

Today I took Bella to a dog park that I've been eyeing up for a while and she was in doggie heaven! It's a huge are, part flat with normal grass/dirt, and hilly areas with tall grass. Of course, true to Bella form, she didn't want anything to do with the normal, flat area, but she was all over the hilly tall grass area. Bella the Safari Explorer!

But you can you even find her in some of these? Because she's in there!

The trip HOME!

Only a month later, I'm finally getting around to posting this! Ah well, better late then never!

So, in July we went home to New York. It was Milo's second plane trip - his first across the country. He had is moments, but all told he didn't do too badly.

On the plane - ready to see the grandparents!

Hanging with my 2nd cousin, and new BFF, John

Zoo trip with Auntie Amanda and John

4 Generations of Cole men

A bunch of Coles

Yum! Grandma Levitt's homemade popsicles!

I have never seen grass this green and soft!!

Showing Grandma Levitt my standing skills

Polo shirt and plaid shorts, just like Uncle Tommy!

Playing Uncle Tommy's fancy drum

Reading with Grandpa Sorce

We had a great time and can't wait until the next time we get to go back (all the way in December!)

The Cutest Bills Fan Ever

'Nuff said.

8 Months Old!

Dear Milo -

8 months old - 2/3 of the way through your first year! When did this happen?

This month certainly has been an exciting one for all of us - you have been developing by leaps and bounds all of a sudden and your personality is shining through more every day! You love to do peek-a-boo now and think it is so funny. You've even figured out how to initiate it by pulling the blanket up over your face and waiting for me to say it when you pull it back down. (How smart you are!) Your Grandma Sorce taught you how to give kisses this month too. Yes they are open-mouhted and a little tongue-y... but so cute! You also figured out how to make big splashes in the bath that can get the whole place wet - you love doing this and have a great time with it! You've figured out when a camera is on you now and usually ham it up when you see it... that is if you can sit still long enough for a picture!

This month, out of nowhere, you started to fall asleep on me on your stomach instead of me cradling you, and rubbing your back in that position is something that you really like now. You have never liked sleeping this way on us before, so it was a sursprise! A few days after you started doing this I started putting you to bed on your tummy and you are now back to your great sleeping self, usually not even waking up once in the beginning of the night like you had been for awhile.

We also have had to lower your crib mattress and play yard mattresses all the way to the lowest setting since you have started to pull up on everything. You haven't quite made it up onto your feet yet by yourself, but you can pull up onto your knees, and now also are getting on your knees and then straightening one leg. If I stand you up next to something you can hang on to then you can stand, so I think the only reason you haven't pulled up to standing yet is because there isn't much around that is the right height for that for you. You aren't quite crawling yet, but you sure can get around. You get into crawl position and rock and go backward, and if you want to go forward you manage to flip from knees to butt and get anywhere you want in no time! I think that your favorite thing to chase after is Bella... or her water dish!

Finally you got your first tooth this month! Its taking a long time to grow all the way up, but its coming, as is a second tooth that should be here at any time now. You love to eat still and have tried pretty much every fruit or vegetable that we eat on any kind of regular basis. You've also had chicken, turkey, salmon, yogurt, and cheese. Now if we could just get some more teeth you'd be all set to eat pretty much anything! You love to say "Dadadada" all the time now.. maybe your first word? I haven't really been able to decide if its a word or a happy accident, but Daddy sure does think it counts!

We are just so amazed by how smart you are and all the things you are learning to do right now, and we are loving every minute of watching you learn and grow!

First Word or Coincidence

I'm not totally sure this counts as his first word, since he's so indiscriminate about using it, but maybe it does....

You can be the judge.

Baby Jail!

For someone who doesn't actually crawl yet, Milo sure can get himself from one end of a room to another.... FAST. So I set up his play area complete with baby jail fence so I know he can't go anywhere when I can't keep two eyes on him.
He spent like 20 whole minutes by the side trying to figure out how he was supposed to get out. Like it was some kind of game!
And there go my dreams of ever having a table in that dining room... you know, for dining.

What Milo really thinks of Grandma Sorce's cooking!

Here you can see Milo's new favorite move - the head shake. I don't think he's using it in context of "No" yet, thank god, so its pretty darn cute. I tell my mom that's just his reaction to her cooking though! (Yes, I know its Doug's mom in the video, but we brought the food from my mom's - I'm not confused!)

You can also see here his new found love of the camera. No matter what he's doing he loves to ham it up and pose for the camera whenever he sees it!

Future Drummer?!

God I hope not! But, Milo sure did get a kick out of his Uncle Tommy's bongo (or whatever the heck you call that kind of drum.)

This is what happens when you aren't around when we come home, Uncle Tommy. We take your stuff and turn it into baby toys!