Sunday, July 17th, was a special day for us, as Coen took part in Westside Church's "baby dedication."
About a dozen kids (ranging from two-weeks to five-years-old) were joined by their parents on stage as the pastor said a public prayer over each child. The church does this a few Sundays every year. This is simply about committing our child to God in the hopes that he will come to know the Lord. In other words, it was our public profession to the rest of the church that we will guide Coen in the ways of Christ and teach him His ways in the hopes that Coen will one day make the decision to follow Jesus on his own. In essence, the "dedication" is more about Mom and Dad than Coen! He wasn't making a decision on the stage; we were the ones dedicating him to God. We pray that Mom and Dad will be good examples for Coen, and that he will see the light of Christ through his parents.
Mom and Dad (we) were baptized in the church last month. Just as Christ was baptized as an adult, we took the plunge in front of the congregation. Baptism is viewed differently in various churches. Our church views it as an outward expression of an inward reality of your identification with Christ. Being immersed in water and lifted out is symbolic of Christ's death and resurrection, dying to our sin and being raised to new life in Christ. Buried with Him through baptism, raised with Him to new life.
"Peter replied, 'Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church--about three thousand in all.” Acts 2:38, 41
We hope that one day Coen will make that decision, too.
We've been so blessed with our little boy. Each day is a tremendous gift.
Matt
P.S. Below is the video. Coen stole the show with his green tie! Afterwards, you can watch him kick his way off-stage. He just keeps on movin'.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Standing Tall
July 10th.
Nana and Poppy stopped by for a few hours to see Coen. And Coen showed them his brand-new talent. He can stand! It's his balance that still needs work.
Turtle Power
July 7th.
Coen is taking half-hour swim lessons every Thursday. Dad got in the pool in week one. Coen was instructed to knock over a "turtle". Not bad for the youngest kid in the class.
Handle With Care
July 5th.
This was taken moments after his computer crawl. He likes knobs and handles now. If he's anything like his Dad, he'll have a couple of handles of his own when he gets older.
Computer Crawl
July 5th.
Coen has mastered the army crawl. And he is determined to get to this computer. He may not know how to use it, but he'll worry about that later.
WOW!
July 3rd.
No Coen in this video. Thankfully he was able to stay asleep inside. This is the view off our back-deck. Our Nebraska neighbors really get into their explosives. Near the end of the video you can hear Kelly get a firecracker in the eye. uh-oh!
Morning Wake-Up Call
July 3rd.
Nanny and Pops are nice enough to visit Coen in Nebraska. So Coen is nice enough to prevent them from sleeping in.
Happy Hands and Feet
June 30th.
A nice chewable snack in the new home. His hand-eye coordination is pretty good, despite losing food on his chin. His feet and hands move when he's excited. Especially at meals.
Loud Eater!
June 5th, 2011.
Coen shows off his noise-making-abilities during lunch. Squealing, spitting, yelling... he's got it all!
Pool Party!
June 4th, 2011. Coen and Dad take a dip in the pool. Coen's first swim! Gotta love the hat.
Look Ma, No Hands!
May 20th, 2011. Coen shows off his ivory skills. Imagine how good he'll be with his hands!
Videos Galore
It's been a long while since we've posted some videos. Here are some of our favorites from the past few months.
April 25th. Mom and Coen having a fun time on the couch. What a sweet laugh!
April 25th. Mom and Coen having a fun time on the couch. What a sweet laugh!
8 months...and a couple weeks:)
Coen,
I can't believe my little baby is already 8 months old! You seem to get bigger everyday and sometimes I think I'll go into your room in the morning and I'll see that you need to shave:) The time is going by so fast and although I love to watch you do new things, sometimes I wish I could keep you little.
The past few weeks you have really changed a lot. You started to say "ma-ma" and it is my favorite sound now. Daddy seems to get a little bit upset when you say it around him, so maybe it's time to learn to say "da-da" too. That will make him feel better! You have really mastered the "army crawl" since we moved to the new house and I know you'll be crawling any day now. In fact, you did it earlier today as you were heading toward something you aren't supposed to have. You do that a lot now...grab/knock over/pull...all the things you aren't supposed to touch. You are keeping me very busy! You started to pull yourself to sit earlier this week, and you even started to stand on your own. Today you showed us you can pull yourself to stand and then walk around the furniture. It was very exciting....and exhausting for mommy and daddy. I have had to start saying "no" to you a lot, although right now you really have no idea what it means. You will eventually, although you'll probably just pretend you don't hear me:)
You are still a great eater and you really love all of your fruits and vegetables. You are even getting better at eating green beans and peas now. We tried giving you chicken and gravy but you really didn't like it. You did like that Steve was sitting right next to the high chair and licked it off of your hands though! That really made you smile. We started giving you some finger foods and you get so excited when you see them! You love the yogurt melts and the soft cheerios and you have gotten so good at feeding yourself. You make mommy so proud everyday!
Next week you will be dedicated at church. We continue to pray that mommy and daddy will be a great example of loving parents and will teach you to be a respectful and kind little boy. And we pray that one day you will choose to accept a relationship with Jesus all on your own. I am so blessed to have you and to spend each day being your mommy.
I love you.
Love,
Mommy
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I can't believe my little baby is already 8 months old! You seem to get bigger everyday and sometimes I think I'll go into your room in the morning and I'll see that you need to shave:) The time is going by so fast and although I love to watch you do new things, sometimes I wish I could keep you little.
The past few weeks you have really changed a lot. You started to say "ma-ma" and it is my favorite sound now. Daddy seems to get a little bit upset when you say it around him, so maybe it's time to learn to say "da-da" too. That will make him feel better! You have really mastered the "army crawl" since we moved to the new house and I know you'll be crawling any day now. In fact, you did it earlier today as you were heading toward something you aren't supposed to have. You do that a lot now...grab/knock over/pull...all the things you aren't supposed to touch. You are keeping me very busy! You started to pull yourself to sit earlier this week, and you even started to stand on your own. Today you showed us you can pull yourself to stand and then walk around the furniture. It was very exciting....and exhausting for mommy and daddy. I have had to start saying "no" to you a lot, although right now you really have no idea what it means. You will eventually, although you'll probably just pretend you don't hear me:)
You are still a great eater and you really love all of your fruits and vegetables. You are even getting better at eating green beans and peas now. We tried giving you chicken and gravy but you really didn't like it. You did like that Steve was sitting right next to the high chair and licked it off of your hands though! That really made you smile. We started giving you some finger foods and you get so excited when you see them! You love the yogurt melts and the soft cheerios and you have gotten so good at feeding yourself. You make mommy so proud everyday!
Next week you will be dedicated at church. We continue to pray that mommy and daddy will be a great example of loving parents and will teach you to be a respectful and kind little boy. And we pray that one day you will choose to accept a relationship with Jesus all on your own. I am so blessed to have you and to spend each day being your mommy.
I love you.
Love,
Mommy
Saturday, July 9, 2011
We have a blog?
Wow...we can't believe it has been so long since we have updated the blog. Time sure goes by quickly these days. So much has happened since our last post, so we have a lot to write about tonight. Coen is now 8 months old! We can't believe he is already so big and is beginning to seem more like a toddler rather than our little baby boy.
Coen has two bottom teeth and is now getting two on top. He has been handling these 2 top teeth rather well, which we are thankful for. He will go to the doctor for his next appointment at 9 months, so we don't know what he weighs right now. I can say that after forgetting the stroller at home and having to carry him through the store the other day, he must weigh about 40 pounds! He is definitely a big boy now.
In the past few weeks Coen began to say "ma-ma," which I LOVE! It just makes my day when I can tell he's upset and then he begins to call for me. We can't really tell if he actually knows what it means, but just hearing it is enough right now! This week Coen also started pulling himself up to sit all on his own. We even find him sitting-up in his crib when it's time to get-up now. This morning we actually found Coen standing up in his crib after a nap! In a related story, we've lowered his mattress. :-) It's really nice that he can do this all on his own and it has certainly helped with some of his fussiness. Coen has definitely mastered the "army crawl," and it amazes us how quickly and easily he can now get into trouble. His favorite thing to do is make us think he's just interested in banging the handles on the drawers by the kitchen, and then he quickly makes a move to play in Steve's water bowl. He really loves splashing his hands around in the water. Thankfully he has yet to eat any of his food..although he has tried!
Two weeks ago we packed up the 2-bedroom town home and moved to a much bigger 4-bedroom house in Elkhorn. We have so much more room and it has been wonderful for all of us. Coen has definitely gotten better at crawling now that he has so much more room. Coen's Baba, Nana and Poppy were here to help us on moving day and then Nana and Poppy took Coen back to Lincoln for his first night away from mom and dad. I cried when he left and was worried he would have a terrible night and keep everyone awake all night, but he did fantastic. In fact, he slept the entire night! Nana and Poppy brought Coen home the next day, and then thankfully Baba was here for the rest of the weekend to help with Coen so Matt and I could unpack and get settled. We are really blessed to be living in a brand new home.
Matt's parents came to visit for Fourth of July weekend. Now with an extra bedroom, Nanny and Pops can stay with us. This means that we carry Coen into their room each morning they're here. Call it the "Coen Alarm Clock." They may not live nearby, but they find a way to get here as often as possible. We're so thankful that Coen has so many loving grandparents.
The next month will be a busy one for us but we are enjoying the summer. Coen started swimming lessons this week and will have a 30-minute lesson every Thursday for the next 2 months. He did fantastic and absolutely loves the water. Matt will be posting videos shortly :) We are also heading to Ohio next month for a wedding, where Coen will meet most of Matt's extended family. The trip will be Coen's second on a plane. We flew to Denver for his first trip at the end of May, where he met his cousin Lucy for the first time! He did great on the plane and made many friends. We are so blessed to have such a sweet and happy little boy.
We hope you are all having a wonderful summer. Hopefully we'll remember to update this blog before Coen turns 1! :)
Thanks for reading.
Matt and Kelly
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Coen has two bottom teeth and is now getting two on top. He has been handling these 2 top teeth rather well, which we are thankful for. He will go to the doctor for his next appointment at 9 months, so we don't know what he weighs right now. I can say that after forgetting the stroller at home and having to carry him through the store the other day, he must weigh about 40 pounds! He is definitely a big boy now.
In the past few weeks Coen began to say "ma-ma," which I LOVE! It just makes my day when I can tell he's upset and then he begins to call for me. We can't really tell if he actually knows what it means, but just hearing it is enough right now! This week Coen also started pulling himself up to sit all on his own. We even find him sitting-up in his crib when it's time to get-up now. This morning we actually found Coen standing up in his crib after a nap! In a related story, we've lowered his mattress. :-) It's really nice that he can do this all on his own and it has certainly helped with some of his fussiness. Coen has definitely mastered the "army crawl," and it amazes us how quickly and easily he can now get into trouble. His favorite thing to do is make us think he's just interested in banging the handles on the drawers by the kitchen, and then he quickly makes a move to play in Steve's water bowl. He really loves splashing his hands around in the water. Thankfully he has yet to eat any of his food..although he has tried!
Two weeks ago we packed up the 2-bedroom town home and moved to a much bigger 4-bedroom house in Elkhorn. We have so much more room and it has been wonderful for all of us. Coen has definitely gotten better at crawling now that he has so much more room. Coen's Baba, Nana and Poppy were here to help us on moving day and then Nana and Poppy took Coen back to Lincoln for his first night away from mom and dad. I cried when he left and was worried he would have a terrible night and keep everyone awake all night, but he did fantastic. In fact, he slept the entire night! Nana and Poppy brought Coen home the next day, and then thankfully Baba was here for the rest of the weekend to help with Coen so Matt and I could unpack and get settled. We are really blessed to be living in a brand new home.
Matt's parents came to visit for Fourth of July weekend. Now with an extra bedroom, Nanny and Pops can stay with us. This means that we carry Coen into their room each morning they're here. Call it the "Coen Alarm Clock." They may not live nearby, but they find a way to get here as often as possible. We're so thankful that Coen has so many loving grandparents.
The next month will be a busy one for us but we are enjoying the summer. Coen started swimming lessons this week and will have a 30-minute lesson every Thursday for the next 2 months. He did fantastic and absolutely loves the water. Matt will be posting videos shortly :) We are also heading to Ohio next month for a wedding, where Coen will meet most of Matt's extended family. The trip will be Coen's second on a plane. We flew to Denver for his first trip at the end of May, where he met his cousin Lucy for the first time! He did great on the plane and made many friends. We are so blessed to have such a sweet and happy little boy.
We hope you are all having a wonderful summer. Hopefully we'll remember to update this blog before Coen turns 1! :)
Thanks for reading.
Matt and Kelly
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