Potty Training

Gabi started wearing underwear in November! We attempted potty training in May with very VERY unsuccessful results, but she had been showing more readiness signs. This was not without its stresses, and we don't have too many pictures to show (because it's a weird milestone to photograph)... BUT with the help of temporary tattoos, Cheetos puffs, and lollipop bribes for poops, we're keeping it dry!

Gabi and I were stuck inside for a couple days while we potty trained. I had to get pretty creative for entertainment.

Showing off the lollipop we earned for pooping on the potty! (and sharing with her brother)

Remind me to share this at her wedding.

Aunt Mor

Aunt Mor had reasons to be in Austin one weekend and needed somewhere to crash. She made the good point of, "If I can't use you to crash with, I don't know who I can." We got Saturday night and Sunday morning together. It was a lovely short visit!


(This last picture is both to commemorate the orange cake that we made - a cake that should have been made over 8 years prior - AND because Mor and I have a weird history of taking carby pictures together.) Always looking forward to our next visit!

Halloween 2015

We have taken cute pictures of cute costumed kids for Halloween for 3 years now, but this year, we went trick-or-treating for the first time with them! And yes, of course we also got cute pictures.

Getting into the holiday spirit:


Cue the AWWWW:

AWWWW

Even though I had been talking with her for a while of what to do and what to expect, I was fairly confident she'd be too shy to perform. I was SOOOO wrong. Although she was slightly confused as to when to say "Trick-or-treat!" "Thank you!" or "Happy Halloween!" she was polite, well-spoken, and kept demanding "one more house!"

Little Puppy's trick-or-treating experience

She did great. :)

enjoying the fruits of her labor

October 2015

October was a fun month. Nana, who had just been with us two weeks earlier, returned again to Austin in anticipation of baby cousin's arrival. Then, baby cousin didn't come as early as once expected, but we had fun together time trying to encourage him to join us. Then, baby cousin DID come, and out came beautiful cousin Joey and elated Aunt Syssa and Uncle Craig. We had other fantastic visitors come in for the weekend of the bris celebration, but Nana stayed in Austin for most of the month helping the new Team Gilden. Gabi and Nana both thought she had started living here.

Most exciting news of the month: 13-month-old Ethan WALKS!!!

Here is some October fun-

being silly with Aunt Syssa at Sukkahfest

I use the acronym SSM a lot with Jon, meaning "Sometimes Smart Mom." Along those lines, I'm a SOMEtimes fun mom too...Gabi got messy with shaving cream while Ethan was napping.

At first....

And then...!

One Saturday night, we went to the Domain for a kids music festival. We ate; we danced; we played instruments; we smiled; we laughed; we had a great time.

This little boy loves music, dancing, and LOOOOOOOVES his Nana...so this was a good day.

Silly Gabi loves putting on Mommy's shoes. Then, because she knows she's cute and silly, she demands that I take pictures of her.

sharing the love of Mommy's shoes with Nana

Gabi tries to help PUUUUUUUSH baby cousin out.

Gabi and Ethan were both pretty delighted at the temporary reality of Nana living in Austin.

Zayde came to town to meet baby Joey too but snuck over for some Team Cohen love.

It is hard to believe that this cutie is just a few short months away from being 3! We are most certainly past the blank stare photo phase and Ethan is actually the more challenging picture subject these days.

To help make Shabbat more exciting and personally special, Gabi painted her very own plate that will hold candles to light on Friday nights.

13-month-old Ethan:

waking up happy

just couldn't make it through dinner

I realized it had been quiet for a while...

Even though he had been physically ready to walk for quite some time, it was when baby cousin Joey was born when Ethan realized, "Shoot. I'm the big cousin now. Time to man up. I got this." And just like that, he started taking his own steps! Each day, he walked more and more. By the end of the month, he could stand up by himself, preferred walking to crawling, and was getting to be quite the walking pro!

walking here

walking there

upset baby but still walking

the fun and hilarious game of knock down all towers

He's quite the talker.

After I shut off the camera, he wanted to show more skills.

The power of a box:

(With the exception of some minor whiplash, he was pretty happy about this!)

They may live 30 minutes from us, but we LOVE when we can see Maven and Addison! It's great how they're all playing more and more together every time.


Our friends, Allison and Will, had a joint 1- and 3-year-old farm-themed birthday party. Gabi and Ethan loved the petting zoo!


Then there was that time our neighbors were setting up a train across the street and we went to check it out and crashed a 3-year-old's birthday party that we were not invited to.

unsure about it at first...

THEN, she relaxed and figured out how to enjoy it!

And now comes the fun part of every month's blog post in the 21st century of digital photography when you capture random cute moments so easily.

bandana babes

Baby cousin Joey has brought back the excitement of breastfeeding.

My amazing listener was told to go get sneakers on.

She wanted to push her baby in the stroller too.

babies in bibs

Thanks, Nana, for making sure to bring my recorders from my education classes in college and insisting that I introduce them to my children.

What I get to put up with...

Although it's not always perfect, Gabi has always enjoyed making Ethan laugh!

a little bit more Nana lovin' before she FINALLY (gets to) go back home!

He's walking; he's talking; he's climbing; and he's pretty crazy...but adorably precious!

Until next time! Love, Team Cohen