Life with the Cockes

Happy 2nd Birthday!!

2010-11-12T20:44:00.000-06:00

Dear Beckett,
I can hardly believe that my sweet boy is two years old today! These past two years have flown bye faster than I could have imagined, and we fall more in love with you each day. You have brought so much joy into our lives, and we are forever changed because of you.

Every day with you is an adventure...filled with many laughs, lots of bumps and bruises, and an occasional temper tantrum or trip to time out. You are ALL boy and love any kind of ball you can get your hands on these days. Football was the first sport you learned much about, and you summarized it by saying they "run, run, run, aww man...he fall down." So that is how you've adapted every sport. No matter what kind of ball you have in your hand you take off running with it/kicking it/hitting it but always end up falling down at the end. It is cute and funny to us now, but we've got some work to do before you start team sports. We couldn't believe how quickly you learned the difference between the sports, and you definitely have an opinion about which one you'd like to watch on TV on a given day.

You also love to narrate your life. You talk constantly and speak in complete sentences. We are so grateful that speaking has come so easily for you because Daddy and I get such a kick out of hearing the thoughts that go through your sweet little head. Your memory amazes us. It is not uncommon for you to remember and talk about things that happened a couple of weeks ago.

You are independent and opinionated and have become a rather picky eater. You will still eat any kind of fruit we put in front of you, but you have pretty much given up on vegetables. We've tried bribing you with a reward for taking a bite of your veggies (i.e. a lollipop for a bite of broccoli), but most of the time this ends up in a crying fit because you refuse to eat the veggie and we therefore refuse to give you the lollipop. I feel bad, but I guess tough love has to start somewhere!

My favorite time of day with you is bedtime. Daddy gives you your bath and then Mommy gets to read to you, say your prayers, and sing/rock you to sleep. I know the days of you letting me rock you to sleep are numbered so I treasure everyone. I also love this time with you because you are so talkative and blurt out the most random thoughts as we rock and sing.
We are so blessed that God chose us to be your mommy and daddy and can't wait to see how you will grow and change in the next year. We love you so much sweet B!!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

We're Alive!

2010-10-25T20:46:00.008-05:00

Just in case any of you thought we had all fallen off the face of the earth...

I won't lie. Going back to work full time has been a really hard transition for me, hence the lack of blogging. I was so used to my part time schedule and probalby didn't appreciate how good I had it until it was gone. The first few weeks were especially tough...I cried on most days because I just missed my baby (well...technically he's very much a big boy but I'm his mommy so he will always be my baby!). But this has become our new normal, at least for now, so we're trying to make the best of it.

Despite working too much and playing too little we have managed to take a few pictures and enjoy some much needed family time on the weekends.

Aunt Jenny came for a visit at the end of the summer, and Beckett was all about Aunt J. It may or may not have something to do with the fact that green is his favorite color, and Aunt J packed an entire wardrobe that consisted completely of green. Not that she needed the bribe...he LOVES her!!!

When we weren't soaking up rays at the pool, we spent some time in the backyard shooting hoops and trying to drink like the dog does out of the water table. We like to keep it real around here so that's why Beckett's pants are about to fall off...I mean he was playing basketball...what do you expect??

After we got all the manly basketball playing out of the way we spent some time walking around the house in Mommy's favorite red shoes. Beckett might kill me for posting these one day, but it's a risk I'm willing to take because they are so darn cute/funny!

Love this pic...you can't tell but he's checking out his reflection in the dishwasher!

Stay tuned for some more pics coming shortly...I'm determined to catch up one of these days.

Trip to N.C.

2010-10-19T21:25:00.000-05:00

For my mom's birthday, Beckett and I decided to treat ourselves to a trip to Charlotte, NC with Char to visit Aunt Jenny and Uncle Chris. We were able to sneak away for about 5 days so it actually felt like a vacation. We had so much fun visiting, and to say that Beck loves his Aunt J and Uncle C would be a huge understatement. He adores both of them and made himself right at home in their new crib.

Aunt Jenny took off work our first day there so we took a trip to the Children's Museum downtown and met Chris for lunch at a fantastic pizza place. A day in the life of Beckett can't get much better than this.

Then on Saturday they took us to the best pumpkin patch EVER! We could not have asked for more perfect fall weather, and of course we stopped at Starbucks on the way to pick up a pumpkin spice latte to set the mood. B loved playing in the pumpkins, climbing on the pumpkins, and throwing the pumpkins. He was not such a fan of posing with the pumpkins or smiling at the camera...good thing he's cute either way!

He loved playing on the huge tractors they had out there, and it was a fight to get him off of them to give the other kids a turn.

They had lots of animals for us to see, and this was probably Beckett's favorite part of the whole trip. Since I don't do the whole goats/sheep/whatever licking your hand thing Uncle Chris was a good sport and showed B how to feed them.

B even got brave and decided to feed them on his own!

After he fed the animals he discovered the cows...probably his favorite animal right now (besides our dog of course!). He walked right up to the cow pen and screamed "Moo!" trying to get the cows to talk back to him. It actually worked. He was amused until one of them took a huge poop. Beckett then announced that the cow went poo-poo and needed a diaper change. As you can imagine, the smell was quite overwhelming so that ended our visit with the cows.

We ended the trip with a hayride...where again B screamed at passing cows trying to get them to moo back.

We spent the rest of our trip hanging out at the park and eating lots of yummy food. Thanks so much to Aunt Jenny and Uncle Chris for being such wonderful hosts. We can't wait for our next visit!!

Special Treat

2010-08-14T16:47:00.004-05:00

Since I am returning to work full-time on Monday (let me wipe my tears as I type this...hopefully it's just temporary) we decided to do something fun this morning. So we took Beckett to Shipley's for his first donut.

When I asked him what kind he wanted he said "green," but since it isn't St. Patrick's day we had to settle for a chocolate donut with sprinkles. Lucky for us some of the sprinkles were green because as soon as we set it in front of him he began to point out all the green sprinkles.

To say he loved it would be an understatement!

**Side note: As we were eating a man walked into the store with his kids. He was wearing a grey t-shirt with a 3-inch Aggie logo in the middle of it. In between bites Beckett looked at the man and said "Aggie shirt." He surprised all of us, and the man commented that we were "training him young." Well done, Beckett! You made us proud!!

Best Friends

2010-08-14T16:21:00.007-05:00

Last weekend we got to keep Addison while her mom and dad went house hunting in San Diego. Honestly, I was a little nervous at first about how I would do with two kids. But she was such an angel, and Beckett absolutely loved having her here. And truthfully it was almost easier to have two kids because they played so well together and entertained each other.

Addison slept in our guest bedroom, and every morning/nap when Beckett would wake up he would start jumping in his crib and asking to go see "Assie." (I know...a bit profane but we're working on the proper pronunciation.)

It has been an adjustment for him this week to understand that Addison is back at her house. Beck has now gone from "see Assie" to "Assie bye-bye." I think he is a little heart broken...maybe someday, Buddy!

Disclosure: I had no idea how difficult it is to get 2 two-year olds to look at the camera at the same time so these pics are not great...just proof to A's mommy and daddy that she had fun!

Sharing is no fun!

2010-08-14T16:02:00.010-05:00

Back in July we had Sam's family over to celebrate his dad's birthday. At John's request we had Haagen-Dazs ice cream bars instead of a traditional birthday cake.

Apparently one bar wasn't enough for Beckett, and he wanted to hold mine too. Thinking it would make for a cute picture I let him.

Cute picture...but taking it back was a bad idea.

Fortunately there is nothing like splashing Nana...

or playing t-ball with Grandpa to drown your ice cream blues.

A Trip to the Lake

2010-08-14T15:20:00.011-05:00

"Macie-nana-boat-water."

I heard these words coming from my backseat last week while Beckett and I were in the car. It took me a few minutes to put them together, but then I realized exactly what B was trying to tell me. And I also realized that I had completely forgotten to post about our recent trip to the lake.

Two weeks ago we spent a weekend on Lake Conroe with several of our good friends. As always we had so much fun! But like any good party you sometimes have to deal with the party crasher. In this case it was a 20-foot long, 100-lb king cobra (or whatever the deadliest of all snakes is) that showed up on the patio as we were headed out to the pool.

Proof.

Okay...so maybe I was exaggerating a little bit. But that is exactly how we all remembered our "guest" until he washed up at the neighbor's dock the next day. You see, my husband and Garrett were brave enough to "take care" of our guest (i.e. kill him with a shovel), and then they decided the best place to dispose of the remains would be to throw it back in the lake.

Great plan because dead snakes sink, right? Apparently not. When our friend washed up near the neighbor's dock the next morning we were able to take a closer look. Upon examination we found out that he was actually a 6-foot long harmless garden snake. But I can promise you that he looked anything but harmless when we encountered him on the patio.

Anyway...on to the fun. Beckett was here to relax and catch some rays.

...until he spotted his friend, Macie. Seeing as how she is super cute, Beckett decided it was time to impress.

So being the fearless "all boy" that he is Beckett showed of his sweet moves by jumping off the side of the pool. He started off small...just off the edge.

But when that didn't seem to impress her, Beckett had to pull out all the stops and jump off of the raised spa which is a good 2-foot free fall.

We're not sure if he really impressed her, but Macie was kind enough to share her banana with Beckett on our boat ride. And since the way to a man's heart is often through his stomach, we're going to assume that she was impressed.

Although he enjoyed the ride he would have much rather been in the driver seat. At least until he discovered our plan.

Tubing with the kids! Addison went first.

You can see how much she liked it.

And I think Beckett liked it even less...if that's possible.

Fortunately we ended the day with a few rides from the pros...Macie and Kim.

Thanks to our friends for a very fun weekend, and thanks to Macie for sharing her "nana" with Beckett on the boat in the water!

Lost Pines

2010-07-25T15:11:00.005-05:00

Last week Beckett and I spent a few days with my mom and aunt at a very fun and very family friendly resort just outside of Bastrop. Sam and I had taken Beckett to Lost Pines last summer, but he was too young to really enjoy most of it. This time was a different story!

Beckett had a blast chasing his beach ball on the splash pad, going down the much-too-big-for-him water slide, and running full speed down a huge hill. He also spent some time building sand castles and sipping his Capri Sun poolside. Not wanting him to drink alone, Char, Norma and I indulged in some frozen beverages poolside as well :) Beckett absolutely wore himself out playing so hard and ended up taking a 4 hour nap the second day we were there!

About the only thing Beckett did not enjoy besides floating in the lazy river (what?!?!?) was dining in a restaurant. And if I'm being honest, we did not enjoy dining WITH him in the restaurant. Beck is getting to the age where he hates being confined in a highchair when we go out to eat so our meal consisted of lots of screaming and very little food intake. Needless to say we decided to dine outside for the rest of the trip, and it worked out much better for all of us.

Beckett also got to make two new friends during the trip, T-bone and Rib Eye. No...those aren't up and coming kid names you'll see in a Pottery Barn catalog anytime soon. They were two longhorns roaming the property for a photo shoot.

To add to its ambiance Lost Pines has a campfire each night where guests can roast marshmallows and make smores. Beckett really enjoyed eating the marshmallows off of the skewers but could have cared less about the whole smore making process or the chocolate/marshmallow/graham cracker combination. It's a shame...I know...we're working on it.

All-in-all it was a really great trip, and if we could have stayed for a few more days (or weeks!) I think we would have. My little man had such a good time he slept the whole way home!

Thanks to Aunt Norma for taking all of these pics since my camera battery was dead.

This pic cracks me up because B wanted to read the newspaper one morning, and he kept licking his fingers (all at once) before he turned each page...no idea where he saw this!

A new toy

2010-07-11T20:29:00.006-05:00

And it wasn't for Beckett!

Sam and I finally indulged in two new lenses for our camera. We definitely need some more practice, but here are a few of our practice shots.

These are with a lens Sam got that is good for capturing motion shots. I think it will be great for keeping up with our active little guy.

And these are with our new portrait lens...great for the still shots. Not that Beckett is ever still for very long :)

Happy 75th Uncle Tommy!

2010-07-07T21:31:00.000-05:00

Tonight we had the privilege of celebrating my uncle's 75th birthday. Uncle Tommy and Aunt Norma have always been like second parents to me, so when we all moved to The Woodlands a few years ago I knew we would see them often.

Not surprisingly, they have also become like second grandparents to Beckett. Beckett is absolutely crazy about Uncle Tommy...so much so that he even calls him Ba-Ba, the name he has reserved for both of his grandpas. Every time we go over to their house Beck immediately runs into Uncle Tommy's room to give him a hug!

Tommy and Norma are so good to all of us, and I think we would all be lost without them. Thanks for letting us celebrate with you...we love you guys!

Happy 4th!

2010-07-05T16:04:00.008-05:00

Thank goodness for some sunshine! After a few days of rain we were so glad to be able to play outside yesterday. We had a fun day with our friends...a good old fashioned BBQ, a slip-n-slide, and some fireworks. Summer days don't get much better than that.

Beckett had lots of fun splashing around with his friends! The water table and slip-n-slide were definitely a hit.

Here are the Eckerts posing with my festive 4th of July desert.

After some fun in the water we headed out to our new favorite spot to watch fireworks. It was perfect because there was lots of room for the kiddos to run around! Unfortunately poor Beckett was feeling lousy by this time of night. I can't say I blame him seeing as how it was well past his bedtime. He ended up falling asleep on me at the end...just like when he was a baby. Oh how I miss those cuddly days! Poor guy went to be that night with 102 fever. But other than that it was a really great day!

Uncle Adam making fun of B

Mommy and B

Family shot

Sleepy boy

Bun in the oven

2010-07-05T15:53:00.003-05:00

Well, muffins actually. Don't let the title fool you. There's not a new little Cocke on the way...just a few pics of B and his newest fascination...whatever is baking in the oven. Our little guy loves him some mussies (i.e. muffins).

Pump It Up and Pizza

2010-07-01T20:56:00.000-05:00

A day with Aunt Norma and Char doesn't get much better than this!

18 Months

2010-06-30T15:22:00.005-05:00

Dear Beckett,

I know I say this every time, but where does the time go?? You are growing up much too fast and changing more and more every day. Although this letter is about 2 months late, you have been doing many of these things for a while now.

At 18 months here are your stats.
Weight: 27 lbs, 9 oz (50-75%)
Height: 34.25 inches (90-95%)

You have such a sweet temperament and love to laugh...at yourself and others. You have really found your voice and have more words than I can count. You have also started stringing words together to form small sentences. It is becoming much easier for us to understand what you are asking for and hopefully less frustrating for you as you learn to communicate.

Here are some of our favorites:

"Nasty" - You say this any time you pick up something off the floor, touch the trash can or diaper pail, or anytime you come in contact with something wet or sticky. I'm not really sure where you picked up the word "nasty" but at least you are using it correctly.
"Bless You" - You absolutely love to be the first to bless someone when they sneeze, and you've even started blessing yourself before you sneeze these days...I guess you can feel it coming on.
"Uh-oh" - This one is cute no matter how you use it. You love to throw your cup/snack/whatever you are holding on the floor and then say "uh-oh cup/snack/whatever". We are trying very hard to teach you that it isn't an "uh-oh" if you do it intentionally, but for now you choose to believe otherwise.
"It's broke" - You are such a sharp little boy! You love to ask us to turn on the lamps for you. At Char's house there was a lamp whose bulb burned out so she told it is broken. You now go up to all of our lamps, point to them, and say "it's broke" until we turn them on to prove you wrong. I thought you didn't quite get the concept of "broken" until you pointed to one of our lamps the other day, said "it's broke", and your daddy informed me that the bulb had actually burnt out.
"I love you" - This is a very new development but one that melts my heart each and every time you say it...especially when you add my name on to the end of it! I will never, ever tire of hearing you say "I love you, Mommy!"
"Bye-Bye" - You have been waiving and saying "bye-bye" for a while now which has always been cute. Recently though you've started saying "bye" to anything you think of whenever we leave. When we leave the house you say good-bye to the house, the dog, your toys, daddy's car, Elmo, anything you can think of. As we were leaving lunch at Chick-fil-A today you even said goodbye to your ice cream. And not to embarrass you...but when we change your dirty diapers you often also say "bye-bye poo-poo."

You are also fascinated by sports these days and are learning to distinguish between golf, baseball, and soccer. Of course this makes your daddy very proud! The World Cup has been on TV lately so you've spent a lot of time with Daddy watching soccer (pronounced by you as saucer), practicing your golf swing, and shooting hoops.

You are a busy bee and seem to go 90 miles an hour all day long...no wonder you are such a great napper! We couldn't have asked for or dreamed up a more perfect little boy than the one you are becoming. It is such joy for us to watch you learn and grow.

We love you bunches, Sweet B!!

Busy and Stressful

2010-06-28T21:41:00.005-05:00

That pretty much sums up the last two months for us!

We started off May with my sister's wedding on the 8th followed by Mother's Day on the 9th. The wedding was absolutely beautiful, and if I do say so myself I think Jen was just stunning! We have been in baby mode for so long with our friends that I forgot how much fun wedding season is...although I must admit I don't feel quite as young as I used to...all of the festivities wore me out...in a good way :)

Beckett didn't make it to the rehearsal dinner, but he held his own at the reception and made it until 11:00...we couldn't believe it! Here are a couple of pics or our little man showing off his sophisticated dance moves (ignore the paci...we were desperate to keep him happy at this point in the night.)

We spent Mother's Day recovering from the wedding festivities, but Beckett and Sam did take me to eat at Chuy's. Nothing says "I love you Mom" like some creamy jalapeno!

Then life got stressful. My job share partner quit in early May, and a week later my company announced they would be laying off 28% of the sales force but not announcing it for another month...seriously?!?!?

Luckily I did survive the layoff, but I am still having trouble finding a job share partner. If I can't find a replacement by August 15th I will have to go back full time...something I am absolutely dreading...but we'll make it work if we have to. So for now the stress continues...

The rest of May and June were spent doing lots of fun things indoors since it is so darn hot in Houston. We also managed to celebrate our 6th anniversary, Father's Day and my dad's birthday in one weekend. Needless to say things have not been dull around here.

Anyway...enough of my rambling and on to the pictures. And yes, Beckett's shirt does say "Dude, your girlfriend keeps checking me out." Don't ask...it was an impulse buy at Walgreens because we needed a blue and gold shirt for a Klein basketball game a few months ago.

One of his new favorite past times...walking around in Daddy's shoes

Vegging on the couch watching sports...or maybe Sesame Street

Another favorite past time...raiding our closet while we are trying to get dressed

Happy Birthday, BaBa!

Such an old soul...reading the newspaper at Char's...all he needs is his sippy cup filled with coffee

Enjoying a game of indoor hoops with BaBa

Table Manners

2010-05-11T22:32:00.003-05:00

They're a work in progress...

...but at least we have George on standby to clean/lick it up!

Apology and Update

2010-05-11T21:45:00.009-05:00

I've been informed that once again I've become a bad blogger. I admit that I am clearly guilty of neglecting the blog, seeing as how my last post was 3 months ago. So forgive me, and don't give up on the blog yet.

The past 3 months have been filled with lots of fun, a few trips as well as out-of-town visitors, and unfortunately not too many pictures. That is definitely something I need to work on so check back in the next week or so and I'll try to get some more recent pictures up.

Beckett continues to be a huge fan of the outdoors and would spend all day outside if we would let him. We've moved his baseball tee and bat outside because he was becoming a little too destructive with it inside. The boy can swing!

He also continues to be a very good "helper" around the house and outside. We finally got B a kid sized broom and mop set, and he hardly ever puts them down. I'm seriously considering squirting some cleaning solution on the bottom of the mop and letting him go to town. Now if only I could get him to develop a love for cleaning bathrooms I could do without my cleaning lady :)

Enjoy a few pics of the not-so-little guy and stay tuned for more frequent updates.

He looks way too grown up in this picture...maybe just the angle of the picture??

Will work for food

2010-01-30T22:32:00.004-06:00

Believe it or not, our little man has developed a new love for "chores." I wouldn't go so far as to say that brooms, mops, and rakes have totally replaced his love for phones and remote controls, but it's a toss up. Whether outside or in, there is always work to be done...at least in his mind.

B is quite the little helper and loves to push or pull mops or brooms throughout the house. And with all the dog hair our beloved George sheds, I'll take whatever help I can get.

B's reaction when I tried to take the mop away

He even sweeps the rugs!

Going to Grandma's

2010-01-07T19:50:00.002-06:00

I must admit that after I saw these pics I almost couldn't let him go to Grandma's because he was too darn cute! Here is B sporting the backpack Addison gave him for his birthday and the suitcase Aunt Jenny and Uncle Chris gave him for Christmas.

How do they grow up this fast...and will it ever slow down??

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-29T21:00:00.006-06:00

We had an absolutely fantastic Christmas filled with lots of presents, lots of food, and lots of family! We spent Christmas morning at our house with Sam's brother and his family...and I don't think anyone was out of their pajamas before 2:00. Perfect!

Santa was generous and didn't leave anyone out. Beckett was not really into opening his presents...AT ALL. In fact, when he went down for his nap Sam and I ended up unwrapping the ones he hadn't touched. I must admit that I was slightly disappointed though I was not surprised. But the good news is that Beckett did love what was inside the packages...and that's what matters, right?

It was so much fun for us to see him interact with his cousins, Andrew (6) and Jack (just 3 weeks younger than B). I forget how truly "magical" Christmas is for little kids, and I can't wait for the next ones when Beckett actually starts to understand it more, especially the real reason we celebrate.

We had Christmas dinner at the Cocke's house and then celebrated Christmas with my family once my sister and Chris got in town on Sunday. All-in-all a wonderful holiday!

P.S. We are happy to report that Santa did remember to get George a little something this year. Bless his heart...we were in newborn land last Christmas and totally forgot about him :(

Santa came!

A few of the few gifts he actually unwrapped

I love their expressions!

Boxes and ribbon...good times!

Jack and Beckett with their new tricycles from Nana and Papa

Breakfast fun

Notice all of the presents in the background...and what is he playing with? Aunt Jenny's cell phone.

Holiday Fun

2009-12-29T18:44:00.000-06:00

Last week three of my favorite people let me tag along to ice skate with them on Christmas Eve . Sam and Beckett were there too...but only as observers this year. B has just mastered walking/running so we thought putting him on skates at this age would be a little ambitious.

I was so looking forward to this trip because the last time we went Maddie and I had to sit out since she was too young to skate. I had all of these visions of me pulling off some of my old moves spinning the girls around or trying to skate backwards while I balanced them skating forward.

But apparently my memories of be being a decent skater were extremely skewed. It was HARD WORK trying to stay on my feet and off of my bottom. Forget trying anything fancy. I think we lasted about 30 minutes or so on the ice...and trust me...that was plenty!

Thanks for letting me tag along...I really did have so much fun with you girls!!

Me with Makenzie

Me with Madison

Kacy and Maddie

Kacy and her girls

Me with my biggest fan!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2009-12-19T20:37:00.007-06:00

Christmas! I absolutely love this time of year for so many reasons. First and foremost because we get to celebrate the birth of our Savior. And secondly because this time of year revolves so much around spending time with family and friends. Oh...and of course all of the yummy Christmas treats too!

I must admit that for the first time in the 5-year history of the Cocke Family we had our tree and decorations up before Thanksgiving. Normally I'm very anti super early decorating. I mean I usually wait until at least the Friday after Thanksgiving :) But it was so nice to come home from our trip to Austin to a clean, fully decorated house.

Beckett has definitely been intrigued by the Christmas tree although he has done a pretty good job of leaving most of the ornaments alone...not an easy task for a busy guy his age.

I am beside myself with excitement for Christmas morning when I'm sure Santa will make a rather large delivery to our house...for Beckett has certainly been a good boy this yea!. But I'm fairly confident that his favorite gift will also be the least expensive one...a real phone I found at Target for $5.99. I know that sounds like a random gift, but the child is obsessed with phones and remote controls. Make that REAL phones and WORKING remote controls. One might think that all we do in front of him is talk on the phone or flip through TV channels, but let me assure you that is not the case. It is just his "thing" right now...and it's really kind of cute.

So here are a few pics of the Cockes in the holiday spirit. Beckett and his friend Addison went to the Little Bethlehem event at our church a few weeks ago so there are pics of that too.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Turkey Day

2009-12-19T20:19:00.004-06:00

We spent this Thanksgiving with Sam's family at his cousin's house just outside of Austin. It was so much fun to spend the holiday with this group because we only get to see them every couple of years. Beckett loved getting to play with all of his cousins and stayed up way past his normal bedtime!

The food was delicious, and we definitely ate too much. Believe it or not I had a hard time getting Beckett to try most of it. I'm not sure if he was just overwhelmed by all of the people or all of the food. He settled for a cereal bar and a few jars of baby food instead. Regardless, we had a wonderful time and can't wait for the next Cocke Family Reunion!

Beckett with Emma and Caroline

Emma and Beckett

Caroline, Emma and Beckett

Winding down with Uncle Adam, Elizabeth and Caroline

Sweet Tooth

2009-12-19T17:30:00.004-06:00

I'm afraid Beckett has inherited my love of chocolate chip cookies. Thank goodness for Resolve because he enjoyed this treat on our carpet...and it showed!

Lions, and tigers, and bears...

2009-12-19T17:10:00.003-06:00

Oh my! My mom and I took Beckett to the zoo for the first time during Thanksgiving break. He loved the big animals, especially the giraffes, but he wasn't a huge fan of the smaller animals. He lasted much longer than I thought he would, and the 3 of us really had a great time.

We went to lunch before we headed down to the zoo, and I ordered Beckett his first ever kids meal. We went to Firehouse subs so Beckett's grilled cheese came with a complimentary fireman's hat. He thinks he is hot stuff in his new hat and is actually doing very well with table food. Of course who doesn't love grilled cheese?

And just in case you can't tell by the pictures...Beckett also really loves his Char!!!

12-month stats and pics

2009-12-19T16:23:00.006-06:00

Obviously these are about a month overdue, but Beckett did great at his 1-year check-up. I must admit it was a little nostalgic for me taking him in for this appointment when I read the sign on the newborn waiting area and realized that he no longer qualifies. He's officially a big boy now and gets to wait in the big waiting room. Truthfully, I'm most disappointed about this because of the germ factor...but what can you do??

Anyway, his stats and a few of his 1-year pics are below. A huge thank you to Rachel for taking these shots. Of all the days Beckett could choose to skip his second nap he chose picture day. Go figure! But Rachel was so patient and got some great shots!

Weight: 24 lbs, 1 ounce (75-90%)
Height: 31.5 inches (90-95%)
Head circumference: 18.5 inches (50-75%)

I love this last shot of my two boys!!

Halloween

2009-12-19T15:54:00.009-06:00

This was Beckett's first Halloween, and he didn't quite know what to make of his costume. I originally bought a super cute dinosaur costume a month or two before Halloween thinking surely it would fit. But to my surprise the costume was too small by the time Halloween rolled around...how does that happen?? Luckily I was able to find a dalmatian costume at the last minute. It was also a little small, but we made it work. And I don't think I've ever seen a cuter dalmatian...although I might be a little partial :)

We spent the morning of Halloween at Macie's 2nd birthday party. Beckett loved the bounce house once the big kids cleared out! Since he was too young to trick-or-treat that night we just dressed him up and let him hand out candy with us until it was bedtime. All-in-all a great day!

Fall Fun

2009-12-19T15:48:00.006-06:00

I realize that pumpkin patches and Thanksgiving have come and gone, and somewhere in the midst of all of the busyness this time of year brings I've gotten very behind with our pictures.

We enjoyed some really great weather this fall, and Beckett had so much fun exploring the pumpkins at the pumpkin patch at our church. We went at least 3 times...maybe more because the weather really was that great. He was not yet walking which made picture taking significantly easier than it is now. And he had fun watching his friend, Addison, run around everywhere and scope things out.

Here are a few picks of our little guy enjoying some fall fun!

Birthday Boy!

2009-11-22T14:40:00.006-06:00

Here are a few pics from Beckett's party. Unfortunately, mom and dad forgot to get out our camera for most of the party so we don't have too many to share. But B had fun...and that's what counts!

Then...and now

2009-11-13T22:02:00.005-06:00

What a difference a year makes!

Then...

and now...

Then...

and now...

Then...

and now...

Happy 1st Birthday Beckett!

2009-11-13T15:46:00.004-06:00

Dear Beckett,

How is it possible that you are already one year old? It seems like just yesterday Daddy and I were bringing you home from the hospital. This has absolutely been the best year of our lives, and you have brought us more joy than we could have ever imagined!

I remember holding you when you were a newborn and thinking that I never wanted you to get any bigger. But what fun it has been to watch you grow, learn, and explore the world around you and to see your personality come to light. You are the very best part of every day for us!

Beckett, you are turning into such a big boy. You are walking (you actually started taking more than 5 or 6 steps today!) and can now walk all the way across the room with no help. And you are talking too(well...a few words at least like "ma-ma", "da-da", and "bye-bye").

You love to play with your toys and climb the stairs, and you are all boy...no fear at all! You also love to read books, and your favorite right now is Goodnight Moon. Our favorite "trick" you do right now is pick up anything (mostly remote controls) and hold it to your ear and say "hi" like you are talking on the telephone. Hmm...I wonder where you learned that??

You still eat mostly baby food, but you love to snack on anything crunchy. Goldfish are your favorites. You greet strangers with a smile and charm the old ladies in the grocery store. Like I said before...an absolute joy!

So Happy Birthday Sweet Boy! Mommy and Daddy love you more than you will ever know and can't wait to celebrate with your friends tomorrow!

Love you forever,
Mommy and Daddy

P.S. Just so you know...we did celebrate your actual birthday. Daddy made you smiley face chocolate chip pancakes, and we put a candle in them and sang to you. You weren't a huge fan of the pancake itself, but you sure did love our singing!

Game Day

2009-11-07T14:40:00.002-06:00

Just a couple of pics of our future Aggie...we love this time of year!

Growing and Growing

2009-11-07T09:10:00.005-06:00

Again...I'll take the bad blogger award! We have had a busy two months so I'll try and catch you up.

It's hard to believe our little man is going to be 1 in just five days! How can a whole year go by so fast?? I keep thinking I don't want him to get any bigger, but each stage (at least so far!) has been more fun than the one before. He is such a sponge and is learning new things each day.

Beckett's favorite new "trick" is holding anything up to his ear and trying to say "hi". He actually throws his arm/object way past his ear almost to his shoulder blade...it's hilarious. He is trying so hard to walk. He will take about 3-5 steps and then face plant. He thinks he is really funny...we agree. Beckett has also discovered the stairs...endless fun! And he is absolutely fascinated with remote controls...I had no idea it started so young :)

His vocabulary is still limited, but he points to everything and tries to mimic what we say. He can say "mama", "dada", "bye-bye", and "hi". Of course we think he is genius!

Beckett is working on his fourth tooth to even things out at two on the bottom and two on the top. We are trying to transition him to regular food, but I'm learning that he is rather picky. He loves anything crunchy but avoids a lot of other textures that are soft, like pasta. We'll get there eventually. I'm hoping Thanksgiving will help...who can resist all of that yumminess?

Anyway...enough of my rambling. Below are a lot of pics from the past two months. I'm sure I will update again after his party next weekend. Enjoy!

Discovering the stairs for the first time

Trying to figure out how he's going to get around this 90-lb obstacle

My boys!

He LOVES to explore...

and test us!

"Answering" the remote

All Boy!

2009-09-19T09:56:00.008-05:00

My child is constantly moving and has absolutely no fear! He has now mastered the art of crawling and does it at an alarmingly fast pace. He has also learned to run (not walk!) with his walker toys. I think it will be a matter of weeks before Beckett is truly walking on his own.

It is so fun to watch him discover new things and become more independent, but boy is our life going to get busy. He is always on the move and loves to explore. His favorite new toys include doorstops and electrical sockets (don't worry...they have all been covered) as well as any type of ball. And I use the word "ball" loosely because pretty much anything Beckett can pick up is thrown, just like a ball :)

We are learning that he is also a little daredevil. If you put him on the bed he immediately crawls to the edge and would literally crawl right off if we didn't stop him. And he has also learned that his crib can be a fantastic playpen/jungle gym. Luckily I still keep him in one of the zip up blankets. But I'm afraid when we get rid of those that this child is going to climb right out of his crib...we'll have to figure something out.

Here are a few random pics from the last few weeks...err month!

Pics from our playgroup...and yes, that is my child laying horizontal trying to roll off the couch.

Not sure how long it will take for B to figure out the way to a girl's heart is not through a tackle. Sorry Sophie!

Bath time...although the days of bathing in the sink are now officially over. We've moved to the big tub due to the fact that I was needing to mop after each bath because of B's love of splashing.

Beck and his BFF

The day he discovered you can do more than just lay in a crib.

You can climb on the bumper...

Or throw your paci onto the floor...

And watch it fall.

So mom, what do you think of my new tricks? With a face this cute how can you get mad??

He loves to bury himself in these.

Check out the static in his hair.

Mega blocks and his new train table

Not sure what to say other than "Poor George!" He is such a trooper.

Playing with Addison...she was a great babysitter and is welcome back anytime!

These are the moments I love!!

Who does he look like?

2009-08-18T09:19:00.004-05:00

Parents ask themselves this question a lot, and honestly I think it depends on the day. Beckett's head is definitely shaped the same as Sam's was, and he also has Sam's eyebrows. His eyes favor mine, and every now and then his hair looks like the color of mine as a baby. So I guess he really is a good mix of both of us.

What do you think?? (The only thing you can't say is that he has my thighs...little man has some serious rolls!)

Sheila at 10 months

Sam at 12 months

Beckett at 8 months

9 months

2009-08-14T15:38:00.004-05:00

Time just refuses to slow down...our little man is growing up so fast! We had Beckett's 9-month check-up today, and everything was perfect. I was sure he would be off the charts with height and weight since he is now wearing 12-18 month clothes, but he was in the same range as last time.

Height: 29 inches (75%)
Weight: 23lbs, 4oz (75%)

He is really close to walking and loves pushing his toys around the house. He has mastered his b's and d's so it really sounds like he can say "da-da" and "bye-bye." I'd like to think he knows what they mean and uses them appropriately, but every now and then I find him calling George "da-da" so I don't think he quite gets it yet. But he has waved "bye-bye" on several occasions so I think we are getting close. Now if I can just get him to practice "ma-ma." :)

My favorite new thing he is doing is giving kisses. He will lean in open mouth and kiss you smack on the lips...sounds kind of gross but it is the sweetest kiss ever!!

And just last Saturday we woke up to find that overnight he had sprouted his first TWO teeth! Thank goodness because he woke up 5 times during the middle of the night on Friday (not like him) so I was glad there was a reason.

Here are a few of the pictures of Beckett taken last weekend. Thanks again, Rachel, for the fabulous shots, and thanks Mary Lauren for sweating and making a fool of yourself to make B smile. It was worth it!!

Bed head

2009-08-10T21:16:00.005-05:00

I woke up this morning to find my little man with a crazy case of bed head. All I can say is thank goodness for hair products!

Man on the move

2009-08-04T08:42:00.008-05:00

It's official...we have a scooter! Beckett has mastered reverse but hasn't quite figured out how to go forward. He keeps backing himself into a corner or between a couch and table and then just looks at us with eyes saying "help me out!" It is precious!

Beckett is also learning how to walk. He loves to push his toys around and is getting some good practice with his walkers too. I'm really convinced that this child might walk before he crawls. And then we're in trouble because he is a busy boy...but I wouldn't have it any other way!

Playtime at Char's

Practicing his skills on his fancy new walker

Now where do I go??

Love this face!

Eskimo kisses with George

Poor George just wants to nap but B wants to play

Standing alone

Love his laugh

Time to baby proof the house

Concentrating so hard

Making some important phone calls

B with one of his favorite people, Uncle Tommy

The face

2009-07-30T09:36:00.003-05:00

I know one day Beckett will probably want to kill me for sharing these but it is just too funny. He makes this face every time he has a poopy diaper, and I finally caught it on camera. Gross, I know...but funny too!

First Haircut

2009-07-29T20:29:00.004-05:00

We did it...we trimmed the mullet! OK. Maybe mullet is a bit of an exaggeration, but Beckett was definitely working on something crazy in the back so we took him to a professional to take care of it. The lady who does my mom's hair (and actually used to cut my hair as a kid) offered to give our little man his first hair cut.

Considering he's only 8 months old, Beckett sat fairly still though I must confess I did a pretty good job of bribing him by letting him play with my earrings which are usually off limits. The haircut turned out a bit shorter than I imagined, and he looks so grown up now but handsome all the same. A big thank you to Sylvia for Beckett's handsome new do and for sending us home with a cute "first haircut" certificate and a few of his locks!

Before...

The new do!

There is nothing sweeter...

2009-07-21T09:05:00.004-05:00

...than a sleeping baby.

Just had to share this picture of B napping in Char's car.

Family Reunion

2009-07-12T20:16:00.008-05:00

Over the 4th of July weekend, the three of us traveled to Hannibal, MO (home of Mark Twain)for a family reunion with Sam's family. It was so much fun to see all of his relatives and introduce Beckett to his cousins. He is great-grandchild number 20 of 21.

We also celebrated his grandparents' 70th wedding anniversary and his grandfather's 90th birthday. How amazing is that?? They are absolutely wonderful people, and we are so lucky to have them! Here are some pics from our trip.

Gams and Pop's 70th anniversary celebration
(I love the way he is smiling at her!)

Beckett with Uncle Adam

Beckett, Gams, and Sam

Gams and Pop with the Cocke great grandkids

Beckett with his cousin Jack (only 3 weeks apart)

Sam with his brothers and dad

Waiting to board the boat for our dinner cruise

4 generations of Cockes

Beckett with his cousins, Andrew and Jack,

in the matching outfits Nana made

Gams and Pop's 21 great grandchildren

Sam with his first cousins

Beckett cuddling with Gams

Catching Up...Part 2

2009-06-25T15:27:00.009-05:00

The month of June never seemed to slow down for us. The Saturday after I got back from Las Vegas Sam left to spend a week at a Young Life camp in Colorado called Frontier Ranch (i.e. Swine Flu Ranch).

I was sorry to miss camp this year, yet so grateful for the reason that kept me home! I think the only part of the trip I was really happy to miss was the 20 hour bus ride. But I was so excited that Sam was still able to go because I know that Frontier truly is one of the highlights of his year. They had a great time despite the swine flu breakout, and thankfully all of the germs were left at camp. Beckett and I stayed safe and healthy after Sam's return. Here are a few pics of his trip.

The Friday before Sam got back from camp was our 5th anniversary. I just can't believe it's been 5 years already. It's hard to even remember what life was like then when it was just the two of us in a little apartment. What did we do with all the free time we must have had??

Then...a lot more hair and a little less weight

Now...a lot less hair, a little more weight, and a sweet baby boy!

The next day was my dad's birthday and then Father's day on Sunday. Beckett and I spent the majority of Father's Day with my parents since Sam didn't get home from camp until that evening. I would say we celebrated Sam's first Father's Day, but that might be a bit of an exaggeration. He was so tired from his trip and still not feeling great so we ordered some take out and spent the evening at home. Beckett and I still owe him a day :) Sam is such a great, hands on dad, and Beckett is one lucky little boy! To see them interact just melts my heart. I always knew he would be a wonderful father, but seeing it in action is really indescribable.

Beckett with Grandpa on Father's Day

And that pretty much sums up the month of June for the Cockes. We just got back from a family reunion in Hannibal, Missouri and have no plans on traveling again anytime soon. Hallelujah!!

Swine Flu

2009-06-25T15:16:00.004-05:00

I have to admit that I often roll my eyes at the way the media tends to over exaggerate things which causes people to freak out for no reason. I thought this when they first started talking about Hurricane Ike heading for Houston and had absolutely nothing in my hurricane survival kit. Truth be told, I don't even own a hurricane survival kit.

Sam and I kept making jokes about all the people stockpiling batteries, water, dry foods, etc. Only at the last minute did I decide to make a trip to the store to get a few things just in case. Little did I know that we would be without power for 4 days, living on the peanut butter crackers and juice boxes I picked up at the store...just in case.

You would think that after this experience I would have learned my lesson. Maybe the people on the news do occasionally speak the truth, and perhaps we should heed some of their warnings. But not the Cockes. We continue to roll our eyes at the hysteria they create.

That brings us to the current situation with the swine flu. I was so unconcerned about it that I traveled to Mexico, swine flu capital of the world, in the middle of a pandemic without a second thought. And sure enough I came back healthy, rested, and tan. So the thought that Sam might catch the swine flu at a camp in Colorado never even crossed my mind.

You see where I'm going with this? Believe it or not Sam, along with 60 other campers, came down with swine flu while at camp last week. The good news is that as long as you don't have respiratory problems like asthma, it is just a 24-hr flu with high fever and nausea. The bad news was that after not seeing Beckett for 9 days he wasn't able to hold him or touch him for another 48 hours after he got home.

We are all now healthy and happy again. But you can bet that the next time I see someone buying batteries before an approaching storm or boarding a plane to Mexico wearing a mask I will think twice before making a joke.

Catching Up...Part 1

2009-06-25T14:22:00.010-05:00

Obviously it's been a while since the last post, and I know you are all on the edge of your seats wondering what the Cockes have been up to lately. Ha Ha! But it has been a very busy month for us hence the lack of posts.

At the end of May I ventured down to Cabo with some girlfriends of mine despite the crazy mania surrounding the swine flu. You will be glad to know that none of us got it (but more on that in another post). There were 7 of us girls who went, all moms desparately needing a break. Not really desparate so much but just excited for a little "me" time. And were we pampered! Our first night we had a chef come to the house to make us an unbelievable 4 course meal and then woke up the next morning to massages and pedicures. We spent most of our time lounging by the pool and one crazy night out on the town. Thanks to all of you for a fabulous time...when are we going again??

View from our room

The pool

The weekend after I got back from Cabo we got to meet our newest nephew, Jack, for the fist time. He is just 3 weeks younger than Beckett so it was fun to see the two of them together. Jack has the most beautiful blue eyes and can roll over much better than Beckett. Needless to say after seeing Jack's skills we realized we had some work to do with Beckett. Fortunately he is now rolling over nonstop. We had a BBQ at Nana and Papa's, and the boys got to swim in the pool. My little fish sure does love the water!

Jack

Beckett with Daddy

All of the Cocke boys (see why I've given up on the idea of a girl??)

Uncle Adam with Jack and Beckett

The week after I got back from Cabo I had to go to Vegas for our national sales meeting. I was hoping that working part time would make me exempt from these but no such luck. It was really hard leaving Beckett for 2 weeks in a row. But my mom and Norma stepped in to take great care of him. I'm sure he never even knew I was gone.

Our little Mozart practicing at Aunt Norma's

Playing in the pool Char bought him

So that's it for the first half of June...told you it was a busy month!!

6 month stats and pics

2009-05-22T14:15:00.005-05:00

At least we can say he's proportional...
Height: 27 inches (75-90%)
Weight: 19.5 lbs (75-90%)
Head circumference: 17.75 inches (75-90%)

And a huge thank you to Becky for braving the Houston heat and taking some great pictures of our baby boy!

Hilton Head

2009-05-21T12:31:00.008-05:00

Last week was a week of firsts for Beckett...first plane ride, first time at the beach, first time in a pool, first bike ride...you get the picture.

On Wednesday Sam, Beckett, and I headed to Charlotte, NC to visit my sister. I must admit that I am really not a big fan of flying. I know what the statistics say...you are much more likely to get killed on the way to the airport, etc, etc. Still, I have an unrealistic fear of flying...like the plane is just going to shut down mid-flight and we will fall from the sky. Needless to say I was the most nervous about this part of the trip. Ironically having a baby in my lap pushed all of my flying fears aside and replaced them with the fear of a screaming child for 2 hours. But Beckett was an angel! He slept a majority of the way to Charlotte and home. His schedule since we've been back has been a different story, but that's neither here nor there.

We spent Wednesday night at my sister's condo that she bought last year. Props to Jenny for a fantastic decorating job. Then we headed to Winston-Salem on Thursday to spend the day with Carla and Addison. It was great to see old friends, and I really think Beckett enjoys being around older kids. When we got back to Charlotte we then headed to Hilton Head where we spent Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night.

Hilton Head is such a neat place. It very much has a neighborhood feel, and people ride bikes everywhere. We spent some time at the beach, played in the pool, and biked to the pier for a drink. Thanks so much to Chris and Jenny for being fabulous hosts! We had so much fun and hope to see you guys again soon!

First plane ride

Bath time at Aunt Jenny's

Ready for the beach

First bike ride

Happy 1/2 Birthday, Beckett!!

2009-05-12T16:22:00.007-05:00

Dear Beckett,

I can't believe you are 6 months old today! You are growing up before our very eyes, and what a joy it has been to watch you grow and change! You are learning new things everyday, and it is so much fun for Daddy and me to see you figure things out on your own.

You can now sit up and roll over, grab your toys and your toes, and even hold your own bottle. You are eating oatmeal and tried prunes for the first time today...you loved them! You certainly love to eat :)

You make the silliest noises and love to squeal at the top of your lungs. Mommy has learned how to tickle you and get you to laugh really hard. You also love to play peek-a-boo, and have become very curious about your dog, George. Mommy and Daddy can't wait to see the two of you play when you get older. You love to grab his ears, and he loves to lick your face. George is very protective of you.

So Happy 1/2 Birthday baby boy! We love you more than we could have ever imagined!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Shame on me

2009-05-09T14:52:00.003-05:00

It's been almost a month since the last blog so shame on me. Beckett is growing so much and changing so quickly that I feel really bad when I go so long in between posts.

He is now almost 6 months old, and he is really beginning to develop a personality. Beckett is almost sitting up and can stand with a little help. Luckily for now...he doesn't seem to be anywhere close to crawling. These pics are from a few weeks ago.

I should have known the session would be a challenge when this was the first picture I got.

Normally I don't like to take pics with the paci in the mouth...today it wasn't an option.

As if he's thinking...aren't you done yet??

Everything goes in the mouth!!

Stay tuned. We are headed to the beach with Aunt Jenny next week so I'm sure there will be an abundance of pictures when we return.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T20:16:00.005-05:00

What a fun weekend! My sister and Chris came to visit us from Charlotte, NC and kept us busy the whole time. Char and Grandpa babysat for us on Friday night so we could go out with Chris and Jen...it was such a treat! I actually felt young again :)

Beckett loved seeing his Aunt Jenny and can't wait for our trip to Hilton Head in a few weeks. We loved seeing you guys!

I made it!!

2009-03-31T12:55:00.005-05:00

My job share officially started this week, and I couldn't be happier! Going back to work full time for the past 6 weeks has been really busy and really hard. I miss my little man so much during the day so I can't tell you how happy I am to be able to spend half of my time home with him. Lucky me...who wouldn't want to spend their days with him??

It definitely seems like Beckett is teething. He puts everything he can reach in his mouth and drools incessantly. Nice, huh?

And the little guy sure does love to eat. We're still working on the table manners though :)

4 Months Old

2009-03-22T19:32:00.004-05:00

So this post is a week overdue, but I can't believe our little man was 4 months old last week. It feels like I say this in every post, but the time truly is flying by!

We had our visit with the pediatrician last week for round two of the vaccinations and also had a consultation with a cardiologist for Beckett's heart murmur. Everything looks great, and his heart appears to be perfectly normal. We just have to follow up again when he is 3. His 4-month stats are below.

Weight: 16 lbs 15.8 oz (75-90%)
Height: 26 inches (75-90%)
Head circumference: 17.25 inches (50-75%)

He is discovering new things every day. His favorite past times currently include blowing spit bubbles, sucking on his fingers, playing in his exersaucer, swinging at the park, and batting at/reaching for his toys. He is almost ready to roll over and loves to practice standing.

He also started rice cereal last week (which I mix with a little bit of formula) and seems to enjoy it. But what a mess!

Around the house

2009-03-17T21:38:00.003-05:00

Here are a few more pics from the last couple of weeks...

Clearly he is not a fan of the Bumbo...yet.

I can't get over how much bigger he looks in his swing now. We will probably be putting it up in a few weeks...where has the time gone??

Napping on his playmat

He absolutely loves the exersaucer!

Looking so grown up in his little man clothes

A day at the park

2009-03-17T21:15:00.003-05:00

My poor neglected blog! I just can't seem to find the time to update it anymore. This working full time thing is for the birds. Thank goodness I only have one more week until I go part time.

Anyway...here are a few pics of Beckett's first trip to the swings at the park. Char and Aunt Norma took him, and he absolutely loved it! I thought he might still be too small, but he did great and stayed in the swing for 30 minutes. How cute is he in the baseball cap?? More updates to come as soon as I get a few more minutes.

Back to work

2009-02-20T22:38:00.004-06:00

This week was my first week back after maternity leave, and all I can say is that I survived. I have been dreading this week since the day he was born because I so love the time I had with him at home. I cried a lot this week, but each day it got a little easier to leave him. I have worked out a deal to go part time starting at the end of March so if I can just get through 5 more weeks of full time then I think it will be okay.

I am so grateful for my wonderful aunt and uncle who kept Beckett all week. As you can see in the pictures below he got so much love and attention from Aunt Norma and Uncle Tommy...I couldn't ask for anything more. Thank you guys so much!!! It really made this transition so much better for us. And a special thanks to Uncle Tommy for teaching Beckett how to blow spit bubbles. He does this constantly now and makes the funniest sound...it cracks us up :)

3 month pics

2009-02-13T13:10:00.007-06:00

Have I mentioned how talented my friends are? Remember the fabulous newborn pictures my friend Becky took? Well, Beckett was 3 months old this week so another friend, Rachel, took some more pics. They are both so talented, and I am so grateful for their friendship and photography skills.

Can you believe how much our little man has grown? When I have some more time I will post a comparison to see if Beckett is looking more like his daddy or his mommy. Here are some of our favorite shots.

Slumber Party

2009-02-05T22:31:00.007-06:00

Beckett had his first sleepover last weekend...and his guest was a girl! I know, I know Sam and I are way too liberal :-) Our friends, Andy and Melissa, needed a night out for his company party so we offered to keep Addison overnight. She was so sweet and easy! I can't wait for the days when Beckett sleeps 12 hours in a row.

But I must admit that I felt like the worst babysitter in the world when I went to get Addison up on Sunday morning and discovered that she was soaking wet. I swore to Melissa that I changed her just before I put her down, and since I didn't hear another peep out of her until the next morning I assumed everything was OK. Oops...my bad!

Anyway...here are a few pics from the night.

Andy and Melissa ready for a night out on the town

Beckett was a little less than thrilled about his first slumber party

Sweet Addison trying to hold his hand...let's hope he doesn't react this way to the ladies when he's older

Mommy to the rescue...who would have thought that poor Addison would be taking the ultimate walk of shame and going home in Beckett's pajamas?

Addison trying to snag the wrist rattle

Addison trying once again to put the moves on Beckett and hold his hand. Clearly, he likes playing hard to get.

25 Random Things

2009-01-30T14:17:00.005-06:00

So like Melissa said on her blog, this has been all over Facebook...here are 25 random facts about me.

1. I have known Sam for almost half of my life...that's a long time! We met in high school in 1995.

2. I often wish I was as adventurous as my sister. She left Spring, TX to live in South Carolina, New Jersey, London, and now North Carolina. I can't manage to leave a 60 mile radius of the house I grew up in.

3. I hate mayonnaise more than any food in the whole world.

4. I still have dreams about sleeping through a final exam.

5. I used to think I wanted all girls...now I can't imagine having anything but boys!

6. Our dog is a 90-lb lab who sleeps in our bed. Yes he snores, and yes it is crowded. But on a cold night he keeps me very warm.

7. I really miss being pregnant.

8. I didn't think life could get any better than college...but I wouldn't trade where I am now for anything.

9. I can't believe I'm old enough to realize that what I wore in college is really out of style now.

10. We inherited some Wyler's Italian Ice pops from the Parsons during Hurricane Ike, and I am absolutely addicted to them.

11. I love milk and could probably drink 2 gallons a week if it wasn't for Beckett's protein allergy.

12. I watch way too much reality TV.

13. At one point I thought I could get about 5 major projects done on maternity leave. I now realize that getting a shower and getting out of the house (even if it's just to check the mail) is a good day with a newborn...so much for all of the free time I imagined.

14. I used to love prank calling. I probably still do but haven't done it since college.

15. I could eat cheese pizza every day of the week if only it fit in more categories on the food pyramid.

16. I sobbed through the ending of Marley and Me because I know someday that will be us.

17. I really like being a mom...even more than I thought I would. Beckett makes everything about a bad day all better.

18. I didn't think it would take me so long to figure out how to not get sprayed while changing Beckett's diaper. I'm much better now but still manage to let my guard down and make a mess every now and then.

19. I strutted my stuff in a bikini last May in Aruba while 15 weeks pregnant. It wasn't pretty, but we didn't know anyone.

20. I've been to Florence, Italy twice...on the same trip. Not intentionally but because Brooke and I couldn't understand the conductor on the train. But the gelato and shopping were good so we were happy.

21. I was a little nervous about moving to the suburbs a few years ago, but now I love it. We have made some really good friends up here.

22. Sometimes I really think that the high school kids we work with through Young Life actually think I am cool and not some old lady.

23. I really believe that God has a plan for each of us...even though we might not always understand the timing or the details.

24. When I was in high school I fell off a treadmill in the middle of a gym.

25. My first job was as a cashier at Randall's. I won a scan off contest for being the fastest. The grand prize was a case of Dr. Randall's soda.

Brave boy

2009-01-23T11:31:00.008-06:00

My poor baby finally got his 2-month shots on Wednesday, a couple of weeks behind schedule. The last two times we tried to get them Beckett had a low grade fever so Wednesday things were finally back to normal. I think the shots are much more traumatic for the parents than for the babies. I'm terrified of needles in the first place so I just stood at his head and held the pacifier in his mouth praying I wouldn't get a glimpse of the shots going in. It would be my luck that I would be the mom they would have to pick up off the floor from passing out. But I did good...and so did Beckett! He let out a loud scream with the first prick and gave me the saddest look as if he was saying "Mom, how could you? I thought we were friends." But they were over quickly, and we spent the rest of the day napping. I felt so guilty for putting him through that so I compensated by letting him sleep on me all afternoon...no crib after shots is the rule around here :-)

We also found out this week that his milk protein allergy seems to be very mild. I have been able to add back everything to my diet except for ice cream and cold milk. Hallelujah!!

Other than that it has been life as usual. He is now sleeping consistently through the night. He typically goes down between 8 and 9, wakes up around 4 and needs his pacifier, then wakes up again around 5:30 to eat, then goes back to sleep until 8:30 or so. It is absolute bliss to finally feel rested again!

His battle wounds from the shots

Burping success

We need to work on his manners...notice the middle finger

Loving bath time

Playing with Char

Smiling for the camera

Playing with George

Diaper check...yep, it's a dirty one

...and it's nap time

Even George is wiped out

Two months old!

2009-01-13T10:26:00.005-06:00

Where has the time gone? My maternity leave is flying by way too quickly, and my baby is growing too fast!! We went in for his 8 week check-up last week so here are his stats.

Weight: 13.4 lbs (75-90%)
Length: 23.5 inches (50-75%)
Head circumference: 16 inches (50-75%)

He has now definitely outgrown all of his newborn clothes and even has a few 0-3 month clothes that are getting a little snug. My little man loves to eat and never skips a meal so that's no surprise!

It seems as if he is learning new things every day. He has become a smile expert and will generally give a smile to anyone who is willing to pay attention to him. And he has the most adorable dimple on his right cheek...it gets me every time!

He has also started making all kinds of noises that crack me up. He loves to be talked to and read to and really does respond like he totally understands what I am saying. I feel like a comedian and a genius all the time. And I must confess that every now and then I find myself using that silly "baby" voice I swore I would never use. But he seems to like it so I don't feel quite so silly.

We also found out last week that Beckett has a cow's milk protein allergy so my diet is severely restricted. I know that milk grosses a lot of people out, but I am a huge fan so this has been really difficult for me. Not only have I had to cut out milk but all milk products and any product containing milk ingredients, whey, and casein. It might not sound so bad, but take a look in your pantry and see how many items you are unable to eat...I was amazed. But we are managing and head back to the doctor tomorrow for his shots and a follow-up.

More later...here are pics from the last week or so.

Getting so big!

Such a sweet sleeper...I could watch him all day long.

Laughing with Aunt Jenny

My little burrito

Quality time with Uncle Adam

Cracking each other up!

Sleeping with Char

Looking back at 2008

2009-01-01T20:01:00.018-06:00

What a year 2008 was for the Cocke family! We were so glad to see 2007 go and couldn't have imagined a more exciting and eventful 2008. Our recap is below.

January
This was a relatively uneventful but rough month for me. I had a miscarriage on 12/27/07 so I was a little leery of what this new year would hold...little did I know the excitement that was to come :)

February
Sam completed the Austin marathon. I was able to cheer him on at several spots along the way and had a front row view of him crossing the finish line. This might sound cheesy but it truly was one of the proudest moments of my life, and I literally had tears in my eyes as I saw him cross the finish. He worked so hard to train for it, and I was happy to see his efforts pay off. I wish I could say that watching him inspired me to train for one...but it didn't. I might consider a half marathon one day, but 26.2 miles just seems cruel.

March
Just a few days before my birthday we found out I was pregnant again. We were definitely more cautious this time but extremely excited nonetheless. My 29th birthday felt like a monumental occasion since it marked my final year in my twenties.

April
This month was a huge milestone for us with the pregnancy. We heard the heartbeat again at almost 9 weeks which is when the previous pregnancy had ended. We were so relieved and finally felt comfortable enough to share our news.

May
Sam and I took our last "just the two of us" vacation. We spent a week in Aruba and had a blast. We didn't do much during the day other than lay around at the hotel pool or beach and soak up the sun. But we did research restaurants in the area and enjoyed some really good food while we were there. I was about 15 weeks pregnant on our trip and must admit that I felt a little awkward in a bathing suit...luckily we didn't know anyone in Aruba :)

June
We celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary on June 19th. This also happened to be the same day we scheduled our "big" ultrasound where we found out that Baby Cocke was a boy...that was our best anniversary gift yet!

July
Sam and I both went as leaders to a Young Life camp in Colorado called Frontier Ranch. We hadn't been to Frontier together since 1998 so experiencing this together again was amazing. It was a life changing week for many of our high school friends, and we were so glad to be a part of it.

Sam and I at Frontier in 1998

August

My mom and I took a trip to visit my sister in Charlotte, NC where we had some much needed girl time. Jenny was quite the hostess and kept us busy and entertained the whole time.

September

Hurricane Ike hit Houston...hard. We were fortunate enough to be spared from any major damage and only had a messy yard to clean up. We also were fortunate in that we only lost power for 4 days, unlike my parents who finally moved in with us after being without power for about 2 weeks.

October

Sam turned the big 3-0! We had a shindig at our house...nothing fancy but several of our good friends came over to spend the evening with us. It was casual and low key, but seeing as how I was about 37 weeks pregnant at the time it was the best I could do.

November

Beckett Walker Cocke arrived on the 12th after keeping us waiting for about 30 hours in labor. But it truly was the most amazing experience of my life, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!

December

On December 1, 2008 we welcomed our newest nephew, John "Jack" Ransom Cocke. We were also able to celebrate Beckett's first Christmas with our family and friends.

Family of 3!

John "Jack" Ransom Cocke

So here's to hoping 2009 is filled with as much excitement and as many blessings as 2008!

Twins!!

2008-12-29T20:39:00.005-06:00

We received a birth announcement from Sam's cousin last week welcoming their first son who was born just one month before Beckett. We could not get over how identical they looked. Beckett is posing next to the picture on the birth announcement. How crazy is this??

Beckett's First Christmas

2008-12-29T19:41:00.008-06:00

I love this time of year and must admit that I have been looking especially forward to this Christmas since the day I found out I was pregnant. Beckett is such a precious reminder of what Christmas is really about, and he is the absolute best present we could have ever asked for or imagined!

Looking back it probably would have been a good idea to get a head start on my Christmas shopping before I had him, but I just can't bring myself to shop until after Thanksgiving is over. Luckily Beckett is a real trooper and made several trips to the mall and Market Street with me. We managed to get all of the gifts wrapped and under the tree before Christmas morning...a huge accomplishment.

We went to dinner with my family on Christmas Eve (Happy Birthday Jenny!!) and then to a candlelight service at our church. Beckett did awesome and pretty much slept through everything. We celebrated Christmas day at our house with both of our families. Here are a few pics of his first Christmas.

In his Christmas pajamas

Opening Aunt Jenny's present...a bear she made from Build-a-Bear named Sparky. It cracks me up to see how small he looks next to the bear.

His big present from Santa...a Radio Flyer walker (Santa didn't quite have enough time to put it together...but luckily he won't need it for at least a few more months)

His lamb rocker from Grandpa and Char

Taking a bottle break with Grandpa

The faces he makes when he's being burped crack us up.

Learning how to wink??

Our Christmas card picture for 2008!

Long time no blog

2008-12-17T20:56:00.016-06:00

So I'm officially a bad blogger. I have been scolded by several of you so I might as well just admit my mistake and move on. I wish I could tell you that I have been terribly busy doing all kinds of really important things, but the truth is that I have just been lazy when it comes to blogging.

It's amazing to me how quickly the hours of the day fly by when you have an infant. It is a constant cycle of feeding him and changing him only to start it all over again...and then with the holidays...you know how that goes. But I certainly don't mean to complain...I am truly loving every minute of it. It's just that when I finally have a free minute or two I seem to spend it trying to catch up on laundry or just holding him and watching him sleep so the blog has taken a bit of a backseat. But don't worry...this post should fill you in on our life the past few weeks...

Beckett turned one month on December 12th. I just can't believe how quickly the time is passing by...he will be walking and talking before we know it. I've introduced him to tummy time. We started with just 2 minutes and finally worked our way up to 7 minutes tonight. He really has a strong neck and is basically able to hold it up by himself. He has also started to smile in the last week or so. That is hands down the best thing he has done yet. It makes me feel like I'm the funniest person in the world (and not so ridiculous for talking to him in that goofy baby voice that I swore I would never use). That's pretty much it for his "tricks" right now. I'm not sure what will be next...so I finally bought the book What to Expect the First Year to make sure I'm doing everything I'm supposed to.

He is growing like crazy and though we haven't officially weighed him Sam and I are betting that he is pushing 11 or 12 pounds. I had my first "my baby's growing up" moment last week when I put on a newborn outfit that fit him just a week earlier only to discover that it was several inches too short and way too narrow in the waist. I'm sure it's no surprise by looking at his pictures that the child is not deprived of food! My poor baby looked like Chris Farley singing "Fat Guy in a Little Coat".

I can't say that we're on any type of schedule yet, but he did surprise me last night by sleeping from 11:30 - 6:15. I could not believe it and must admit that I felt like a million bucks today! That's all for now...stay tuned for pics of his first Christmas.

Sleeping...as always the hands are by the face

Stretching after a nap

Not sure how this is comfortable...but he seems happy

His famous touchdown pose

Sucking the thumb

Play time (George is supervising)

Tummy time

Taking in some Sunday afternoon football with Dad

Playing with Dad

Big smile after bath time

His Elvis impersonation

Staring at something

Big smile

Look how big he is!

Future Aggie

Photo session

2008-12-06T23:43:00.004-06:00

So I have to take a minute to brag on my friend Becky. She is a super talented photographer who agreed to take some newborn pics of Beckett. I could not be happier with the way they turned out. Thanks Becky...you're the best! Here is a peek at a few of my favorite shots.

Time flies!

2008-12-04T10:36:00.007-06:00

It's hard to believe Beckett is already 3 weeks old! He is growing so quickly and changing every day. I am so grateful that he is such a good baby. He will typically sleep for two 3 or 4 hr stretches at night which has made things very manageable. I must admit that I have always "required" a lot of sleep so the lack of sleep with a newborn made me a little nervous. But we are adjusting to a schedule and things seem to be working well for us. My goal is to get a shower and get myself dressed each day :) Most days that happens, but there have been a few times when Sam has come home from work to find me still in my pajamas. But I am truly loving every minute with Beckett and wouldn't trade any of it for the world. Below are a lot of pics from the past few weeks.

He is a big fan of the swing...and so am I because it is one of the only times of the day when my hands are free to get things done around the house.

I love the things he does with his hands. He is constantly playing with them and often sleeps with them in mid-air.

So glad we caved and decided to give him the pacifier. I could kiss the person who invented these.

My little chunky monkey.

Posing with his Christmas stocking for Char's house. We tried to get a pic with him in the actual stocking, but he wouldn't fit.

Hanging out in the bouncer...notice the hands in mid-air.

Again...what he spends the majority of the day doing.

This was definitely the biggest highlight of the past few weeks...meeting Aunt Jenny for the first time. Here he is sporting his turkey outfit on Thanksgiving day. Unfortunately it only last a couple of hours. I'm learning (slowly but surely) that there is a definite technique to changing a baby boy's diaper. Poor Beckett...he's our guinea pig!

Cuddling with Aunt Jen

Testing her burping skills

He loves bathtime!

One of the days when Sam came home to find me still in my pj's.

Love those big eyes!

Bringing home Beckett

2008-11-18T18:58:00.004-06:00

Needless to say, after 3 nights in the hospital we were ready to come home!

Flowers from Aunt Jenny (who Beckett can't wait to meet this weekend!!!)

Sporting his new outfit and blanket from Char

First time in the carseat...he slept the whole time

Home at last!

Checking out his nursery

More nursery pics

Mommy and her little man (ignore my chipmunk cheeks...amazing what 20 hrs of IV fluids can do to you!)

Hospital Visitors

2008-11-18T18:08:00.004-06:00

We were so grateful to everyone who came to visit us in the hospital. It really brightened our day...and let's be honest...who doesn't like showing off a new baby?? We had a little camera glitch so unfortunately we don't have pics of everyone who came to visit but below are a few. A special thanks to our families who were such troopers. They waited over 12 hours into the wee hours of the next day to meet the newest member of the Cocke clan.

Andy and Addison...perhaps Beckett's future girlfriend??

Laura, my work partner

My new heros, Garrett and Kim, who are expecting twins next June...and I think life with one can get crazy!

Tami, our Sunday school teacher

Anna and Josh

Grandpa

Uncle Adam (who happens to share Beckett's birthday!!)

Beckett Walker Cocke Has Arrived!!!

2008-11-13T17:48:00.006-06:00

Sorry for the delay in getting these pictures up. It has been a whirlwind of a few days. We checked into the hospital on Tuesday morning at 8:30, and our sweet baby boy arrived at 4:56 am on Wednesday, November 12th weighing 8 lbs 10 oz and measuring 21 inches long. The labor lasted a little longer than we anticipated, but he was worth every single minute of it. We are absolutely in love with him and can't wait for all of you to meet him. Enjoy the pics below...more to follow!!

Beckett Walker Cocke

Proud Daddy

Char and Grandpa

Papa

Napping

Profile

Yawning

Our family of 3!

Chillin on the boppy

Nursery pics

2008-11-05T08:37:00.004-06:00

This nesting thing is no joke. I have had more energy the past week than I have the last 9 months. Thank goodness because I think we are finally ready for Beckett's arrival. Below are a few pics of the finished nursery. Now all we need is a baby for the crib!

The best is yet to come...

2008-11-03T13:40:00.012-06:00

And now that we have experimented with a dog we are so excited to welcome our first child this month! We were beyond thrilled when we found out I was pregnant back in March, and my how the 9 months have flown by!

Thought I was getting big here...

Thought surely I won't get any bigger now...

37 weeks...I give up...even when I think I can't possibly get any larger, the belly continues to grow!

Our baby boy is expected any day now, and we can't wait to meet him. Below is an ultrasound pic from about 18 weeks or so. I can't imagine how much he has grown and changed since then.

He is not officially due until November 19th, but in true Cocke fashion he is measuring on the large side (7 lbs at 36 weeks!!) so we are scheduled for an induction on November 10th if he doesn't come on his own before then. Below is a picture of Sam's younger brother (my proof that the Cockes just don't produce small babies)!

So now we just wait. I'm dying to know what his little personality will be like, what it will feel like to hold him, what his gifts and talents will be, and who he will look like. Secretly, I've always hoped that our baby boy would be a mini version of his daddy...but I guess a little redhead wouldn't be so bad either!

Sam at 1 yr old

Sheila at about the same age

Puppy makes three...

2008-10-26T10:18:00.011-05:00

Since 2004 we have added one member to the Cocke clan, a white lab named George. We are absolutely crazy about him! He is spoiled rotten and even sleeps with us...a little crowded but totally worth it. He is literally like a 90 pound lap dog.

George and Sam slip-n-sliding during Ike

George helping us clean up after Hurricane Ike

George as a puppy

I give in...

2008-10-26T08:55:00.009-05:00

So I finally decided to jump on the band wagon and join the world of blogging. I can't promise that this will be the funniest or most creative blog out there, but it will be a glimpse into our world (which I happen to think is very entertaining most of the time). I guess I'll begin the first post with how it all began.

Sam and I met at Klein High School in 1995 and started dating in the fall of our junior year (13 yrs ago). Yikes we're getting old (see pics below for proof)!

This was Homecoming 1996. I'm not sure if you should all be more jealous of the highly fashionable overalls or the 50 pound mum attached to my shoulder. Also...note the ribbon that says "I love you"...ahh, young love.

This is the picture from the actual dance. I was sporting a much shorter haircut back then, and apparently I was a fan of both pantyhose and high water dresses.

And this was Prom 1997. This picture doesn't really do the dress justice, but it does have a mesh cut-out that went all the way across my stomach (not sure if I'll ever be able to pull off something like that again...but at least I have proof that at one time I could). My hair pretty much speaks for itself in this picture. And if I remember correctly I had it done at a place called the International Hairport...I should have known the do would be a classic.

After high school Sam and I both went to Texas A&M where we dated on and off throughout most of college. And afterwards we both ended up back in Houston where we eventually started dating again. We were engaged in December of 2003 and married in June 2004.

So I must admit that I think my fashion sense has improved over time. This picture was taken in December 2003 just after we got engaged.

Our wedding day...June 19, 2004

And so began the Cocke Family!