He keeps himself entertained at least

I told my dad about this "activity" the other day and he requested a video, so here it is, figured maybe everyone else would enjoy seeing how Cole spends his days. As you can see he is easily entertained - thank god for small favors. Enjoy.

Until next time.

Merry Christmas!!

Hi everyone! Cole here again.

I'm just here to share with all of you that Christmas is a lot more fun when you're 1 year + 11 days old, instead of just 11 days old like I was last year. Look at all the fun we had!

Christmas Eve, Mom and Dad let me open up the presents I got from my grandparents. There was so much stuff! Grandma got me lots and lots of trains and more track, for my Thomas the Tank Engine train set. I like to push around the trains! Plus, Dad keeps setting up the track, and I keep destroying it! It's really fun.

She also got me a pizza delivery truck that I love. It's especially fun because Uncle Stefan owns a pizza restaurant named Apizzo. I'm too far away for pizza delivery because he's in Connecticut...but I got to go there for Thanksgiving and I'm looking forward to another trip soon when Mom will let me actually eat the pizza!

Papa Steph and Bestamor got me a cool card with stickers in it. Plus there was a savings bond in there. I'll appreciate that one when I'm older - thanks, guys!

Okay, I think I'm starting to get the hang of this opening presents thing....

Grammy and Poppy got me an awesome dino book. I don't understand the math problems quite yet, but I definitely understand how to push the dinos along the track!

Sweet! Poppy sent me my own remote control! Maybe now I'll play with this one instead of chewing on the ones Mom and Dad use at our house....?? (not likely)

Guys....they spelled it wrong on the box!!

I always love getting money. I can buy so many things with this one little piece of paper! Who invented this stuff? Life is good.

Better call the grandparents and say thank you! But Dad, isn't it really late in Connecticut? What if the phone rings when Santa's there and he gets scared and leaves?

Okay, I don't even want to know what Mom and Dad do when I go to bed.

Guess what? While I was sleeping, Santa came to our house! Even though we don't have a chimney! I was concerned, but Mom and Dad assured me that he'd come anyway. These presents for Harry, though, weren't from him. I helped Dad pick these out all by myself.

I got a really cool thing that allows me to draw pictures, without writing all over things (like my hands, or the furniture....those things will come later!)

Santa got me this really fun puzzle - it's a whole bunch of musical instruments made out of wood. When I take the pieces out, I can see what they're called...and when I put them back in the right place, the puzzle plays music in the sound of that instrument. Wow.

My parents must be the stupidest parents in the whole world. But I sure do love them! They bought me this electronic drum set for me, just because I really like music and really like people playing the drums! I bet they're going to regret this one, though.

Mom and Dad also got me this Wheelie Bug so I can cruise all around our house. I don't quite have the hang of sitting on it yet - but I love pushing it around from behind. And playing with the antennae.

After all the presents, Mom made a special treat - peppermint pancakes! And this time, instead of Mom and Dad eating their pancakes in front of me while I get fruit and yogurt or something, she made me my own baby-sized pancakes! My first time eating wheat - and oh, it was yummy.

I'm telling you, guys, this Christmas thing is A.O.K.!
When's the next one scheduled?

Tis the season

The year is winding down and the decorations are up - crooked tree and all - and I am amazed that just a little over a year ago, so much changed with the birth of one little Cole Ambrocente.

Most of you have been reading these posts the entire time and it has been such a great way to keep everyone informed. Interestingly enough, I have no clue who actually reads this blog, or how often. So as we finish up the year, I thought it would be fun to have a check in - a roll call if you will. If you read this blog, leave a comment saying who you are, how long you have been reading for, and how often you read. It should be fun and interesting for myself and everyone else who is a part of Cole's life to see just how many people are keeping up with the day to day of what is going on in Ambrocente land.

On an unrelated related note, I have actually started another blog - this one is not about Cole and family, although I am sure Cole and family will pop up there often. The blog is http://www.theresalwaysastory.blogspot.com/. For more on what this is and what it is about I invite you to visit it - and if you enjoy it, share it with your friends and let me know what you think by leaving comments.

2008 is almost over, and I have a feeling 2009 is going to be a wild ride with Cole in the drivers seat. We can't wait to share it all with you here on http://www.ambrocente.blogspot.com/.

The Picture Post

...and here are the pictures I promised in the earlier post

Oh - we'll remember the person who gave the loud gifts ;)

I think Cole is concerned that it wont fit yet

Cole looks marvelous

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM - CAKE!

The Amazing cake Shelley and uncle Dale made

Ahhhhh - tell the pelican that it's not a fish!

I am not amused guys

Believe it or not - he knew exactly how to put his hands on the keys.

One year Old and North America and Greenland are over thrown by Cole

The day is over and Cole doesn't want the day to end.

Happy Birthday!

Believe it or not yesterday was Cole's 1st birthday! A year has gone by so fast. Just in the last few weeks so many changes have been taking place - it seems everyday the little guy has learned a brand new, favorite game, action, task, or trick; from taking dads hat off and proceeding to put it on his own head, over and over again, to patiently taking every stuffed animal out of his basket, one by one, until it is empty, to "reading" his book collection for hours on end (do you sense the self entertaining theme here? SWEET!).

He is spending more time upright these days and shuffles along anything that will give him support.

Music seems to be a current passion of his, from listening to it, dancing to it (which sometimes he gets a little to into and forgets that his face can and will hit the stereo if he gets to close) and creating it - mostly percussion, but he enjoys the piano as well. In reality music is the one thing that seems to have been a love since day one, and it keeps growing - now the trick is to allow that growth without being an overbearing, pushy parent.

Cole and his favorite pal Harry seem to be getting along better these days and Harry spends more time around him, allowing him to pet her, and play with her for much longer times before raising her paw to him - we still don't let her sleep in his room, but I am sure when that day comes, it will be the day they become inseparable.

We do have pictures of Cole's big day, but Shelley has them at work right now, so we will do either a picture only post tonight or edit this post today to include pictures. In it you will see Cole's amazing cake that Uncle Dale and Shelley made - a very tasty Carrot cake that the little guy seemed to love.

Until next time...

Food update

Well, as we near the big One Year milestone, we're getting ready to introduce things we've previously considered off-limits....eggs, wheat, nuts, citrus, strawberries, and honey.


In the meantime, we've delved into quite a few new and yummy fruits, veggies, dairy, meats, and fish (including some Mom and Dad had never even eaten!). Here's an update of Cole's food likes and dislikes, for those of you who are interested:


THE ONES HE LOVES
Carrots
Peas
Mangos
Any fruit with plain yogurt
Cantalope
Corn
Butternut Squash (upgraded from "Eat Happily", previously)
Cheese (any kind, apparently)
Brown rice pasta
Tomatoes
Pomegranate
Figs
Pumpkin
Artichoke
Cauliflower


THE ONES HE'LL EAT HAPPILY
Pears
Apples
Acorn Squash
Plums
Sweet Potatoes
Apricots
Peaches
Summer Squash
Kasha Cereal (not the brand Kashi...it's roasted buckwheat)
Beets
Black Beans + Yogurt
Chicken
Halibut
Kidney Beans + Brown Rice
Parsnips
Banana
Blueberries
Spinach
Potatoes
Cherries
Salmon
Turkey
Oatmeal
Grapes
Lentils
Pork
Eggplant (although we think it may have given him a rash)
Lima beans
Mushrooms
Cranberries
Rutabaga
Spices: Dill, Mint, Cinnamon, Curry, Cumin, Garlic, Basil


THE ONES HE HATES HATES HATES
Zucchini
Broccoli
Avocado (although he likes it with banana...thanks, Bestemor!)
Kiwi
Raspberries
Hummus (only 'cause the baby version is dry and bland)
Turnips
Bell Peppers (roasted ones, at least)


STILL PENDING....??
There are only a few fruits and veggies left we can think of that he hasn't had. Please leave a comment if you think of any we've missed!
Brussels Sprouts (he's going to try these tomorrow)
Swiss chard
Asparagus
Celery
Green beans
Pineapple
Watermelon
Citrus: Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime

Happy Halloween - in November

OK - so I slacked on this one, but never fear faithful readers, here are the Halloween pictures that we promised.

Rutherford hanging out at the door (Cole's Favorite - no really, he loved playing with this one)
Careful - I hear there is a gorilla on the loose, a gorilla from the mist (rim shot here).

Nice touch huh?

It's the top Banana - Super Cole.

The escaped PRI-MATE

Is that a skeleton in the closet?

Strange Family photo - Shelley is the zoo keeper - we had a theme.

Cole had his first eye exam - thankfully no glasses for now!

There you have it, our first Halloween, where Cole helped hand candy out to all two groups of people who came to the door, but I didn't do this for them, I did it for Cole.

On an unrelated note - Cole is now a cruiser - for non-baby people this means he walks with the aid of the nearest table, chair, leg etc.

Watch out world here comes Cole.

Grecian baby

Well hello everyone. I hear that a bunch of you have been getting on Mom and Dad's case for not yet posting pictures from our fabulous trip to Greece. They, in turn, pass that hassle down to me. And all I have to say is that I'm a busy guy!! I have to keep an eye on my mom and dad to make sure they cook my food, remember to feed me, change my diaper, make sure I take enough naps, and of course, entertain me! Oh, and they keep saying they have this thing called "work," although I'm not sure what they could be interested in doing besides spending time with me.
Anyway, I digress. Here you go, I've been working on this for what seems like forever!

We took a red-eye from JFK to Venice, Italy. Finally, a place where people know how to pronounce my middle name!! Then, when we got there, I found out that Poppie and Grammy had arranged for a private water taxi to bring us from the airport to our hotel. Sweeeet!

Man, I'm tellin' ya - those red eyes make you tired! Good thing there was time for a nap.

Here we are in St. Mark's Square in Venice. Uh, guys? Why am I still in my pajamas???

Wow, Venice is beautiful. Whose idea was it to build a city on the water?

You know you're in Italy when there's a whole display of pasta like this in the window of a restaurant.

What the heck is this??? An autographed picture of me goes to anyone who submits a comment with the correct answer.

Well, that's enough exploration of Italy....time for the water taxi to take us to the ship!!

Here it is! Splendour of the Seas.

They say the check-in process took awhile. I don't know what they're talking about.

This is a ship? How do they keep this thing afloat?

Guys? Are we going somewhere? Somewhere cold and wet?

We better not need to use this thing for real, Dad!

Okay, now that we've been trained what to do in an emergency, it's time to help Grammy and Poppie unpack!

Everyone to the deck to watch the ship depart!

Now we're in Greece. This is the Roman Theater - wow, what a view. Those Greeks know a little something about entertainment. (Wait, or is it the Romans? I'm confused).

Here we all are, in front of the Parthenon at the Acropolis. Can you see us???

Daddy's so great - he always keeps me entertained.

Poppie's not so bad at entertaining, either. I love when he carries me around! Just wait until I'm 45 pounds, old guy... :)

Dad, are you mocking me? That's mean. It's hard being a baby sometimes!

Good thing Royal Caribbean teaches all their stateroom attendants to make cool animals with towels. I love puppies, and this one doesn't even try to lick me!

Now we're at our second port of call - Mykonos. Wow, how beautiful. Just like I always imagined it.

Mom, now explain to me how this whole thing works again?

It's the famous pelican of Mykonos! I can't believe he just walks around in the streets and stuff!

Wow, the windmills were gorgeous. I want to live in a windmill when I grow up. Especially one in Mykonos.

Grammy, does Poppie know about this guy? What's going on here?

Where is that boat going? Doesn't it need water? And are those octopi hanging to dry out in the sun? Mmmmmm. That's not on my menu for awhile, I bet.

Oh Poppie, I love reading with you on the balcony. I love the salty fresh air in my lungs. Oh, and thanks for the book, Grammy - Pepper the Puppy is my favorite now.

Look at us all dressed up! Formal night was fun and I got to dress up like a big boy. My parents tried to find a tux but there wasn't one to fit me....oh well, next time.

I don't see any fire...but they tell me this is where the Olympic Torch originates from, in Ancient Olympia. We must be on the island of Peloponnesus. The ancient home of the Olympics - how cool.

Mom and Grammy are so silly! They're preparing for their Olympic race, in the Ancient Olympic Stadium. (You're a few years late, ladies).

Well, after all that time thinking about the Olympics, I've got a hankerin' for another kind of game. How else will I pay for my toys? Good thing the ship is well set up to meet my needs.

They say this one is called "craps." That makes me giggle. I'm good at craps, so they say.

Now we're in Corfu. The silly people from Royal Caribbean cancelled our coastal walking tour because of rain, so we made up our own tour of the city. Here I am at the Old Fortress!

Corfu is beautiful. Especially from atop a fortress. I'll have to see if someone can build me a fortress back in California. I bet I could get some nice views there, too.

I guess this is why they cancelled the walking tour. Guys, if we have an umbrella, why are you making me wear this hat??

Now that the rain has stopped, guess it's time for some lunch. But I'm so tired from the climb up the hill, good thing Poppie is giving me a break and carrying me back down.

Aw, Mom. I love you, too. But is it time for food yet??

Uh, Grammy, I think that Ouzo is licorice-flavored...I don't think you're going to like it....

Why does no one listen to me? Is it because I'm a baby??

Myself, I think licorice is pretty great. Just give me some help with opening this bottle and we'll all be sleeping better tonight, I promise.

Seriously, this smile is NOT the result of Ouzo. I'm just a kook.

Grammy, thanks for keeping me company while my parents get ready for dinner. But aren't I going to need some pants?

This is Nilesh and Ronaldo, our waiters in the dining room. They were really nice, and I especially liked that Nilesh's watch would light up blue when he pressed a button. I want a watch like that!

This must mean we're in our last port: Split, Croatia. There was a huge wizard there! They must have known Daddy was coming for a visit.

They say it's good luck if you rub the wizard's toe. I hope it works! Looks like a lot of other people have been rubbing here, too.

This is our last dinner out in the world....after this, it's back to the ship. Yum, Croatian food. Lots of seafood. I just got spinach and potatoes, though, if I remember correctly. I told you, it's tough being a baby sometimes.

Bath time! Good thing Dad brought my big rubber ducky to set up in the bathroom. I love bath time!

Where's our next vacation going to be? I'm practicing to fit in, just in case you say Israel. But something tells me a Royal Carribean water glass topper wouldn't pass for acceptable there. Hmm.

So sad, already time to fly home. Look at the Italian alps reaching above the clouds!

On an 8 1/2 hour flight, people will do just about anything to keep a baby happy. I discovered a love for playing with water! It did feel kind of strange at first, though.

Thanks, Grammy and Poppie, for such a great vacation.
I love you guys!