40 Weeks Old

October 9th: 40 Weeks Old

My mom (ie GiGi) has the absolute BEST new past time. She has become an embroiderer/monogrammer!! Which means that she makes Banks and Blakely adorable gifts!! Most recently, she made them a pair of matching Halloween shirts with their names on it. So cute!!

So this past week, my parents and I decided we would try to do a holiday photo shoot with Blakely. The key word is "tried." She was all over the place. First my mom brought a scarecrow, which terrified the girl! Then, she decided that she wanted to try to eat the pumpkins, knock them over and generally reek havoc!! It was totally hysterical. We did manage to get a "few" good pics.

Highlights from the Week:
- Learning to Cruise- lapping the coffee table
- Bumps and Bruises from all her new tricks.... knows how to stand up, but not very stable or graceful coming down
- Halloween photo shoot
- Max is under attack!! Blakely has gotten to be a very fast crawler and Max has NOT realized it yet... as a result he is short a couple whiskers!! Max- you MUST get faster!!

Picture Highlights from the Week:



Watch out Max!! She's coming for you!!

One of the only shots of Blakely with the Scarecrow.... all the other pictures involved a lot of tears!

Blakely with her GiGi and PopPop!!

Flying girl

 

Love her little teeth!!

This is Blakely's new favorite face.... the purses her lips, blows out her cheeks and sniffs her nose (like something smells bad). It is hysterical and adorable all at the same time. Love that Monkey! 

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!

 

39 Weeks Old

October 2nd: 39 Weeks Old

Blake-a-bear loves to stand up!! That is literally all she wants to do.... she is not happy sitting down, riding in her stroller or even lying in her crib... she is up and ready for action 24/7!! Daddy has had his hands full this past week, while Mommy does the final push to study for the boards!! She is such a little Wildcat!

Blakely's new nick-name is "The Puppy." She loves to have her tongue hanging out, wagging and crawling around on all fours. She is the cutest thing I've ever seen crawling around!!

Can't even be bothered to sit down for the picture so had to take it standing up.

Highlights from the Week:
- 9 Months Old: First tastes of Peanut Butter and Eggs
- Standing up all the time: hanging on to chairs, coffee tables, couches, toy boxes, TV centers, mommy and daddy's shoes and knees, basically anything that will stand still!!
- Spending LOTS of time with Daddy while Mommy studies for the Boards

Picture Highlights from the Week:

Blakely tries eggs for the first time

Daddy feeding Blakely eggs on her 9 months birthday

Cuddly baby playing in the blankets

Blakely loves her Grandparents!! She even heard that GrandAnnie might be coming for a visit soon!! She can't wait!!

38 Weeks Old

September 25th: 38 Weeks Old

It is official!!! Watch out world, Blakely is on the move!!
Friday- Blakely learned how to crawl forward with some SPEED!!!
Sunday- Blakely learned how to pull to stand.... and won't come back down.
Monday- Blakely learned how to cruise, and started lapping the coffee table.

Evidence of her new abilities can be found on her forehead... she has a perpetual "goose egg!"

Highlights from the Week:
- Crawling like crazy
- Pulling to stand.... now all she wants to do is stand up 24/7!!
- Blakley is able to wave "bye-bye" but to herself

Picture Highlights from the Week:

Pulls to Stand 1/4: She crawls to the ottoman

Pulls to Stand 2/4: She starts to pull up on the ottoman

Pulls to Stand 3/4: Big girl stands up!

Pulls to Stand 4/4: Yeah!! Congratulations Little Big!! We are so proud of you!!

37 Weeks Old

September 18th: 37 Weeks Old

For Blakely's entire life she has been the happiest baby ever.... and then suddenly this week, we have met "grumpy baby!!" Who knew? First, she developed an acute case of stranger danger. She cried for Madeline, she cried in Sunday School, and she cried at strangers in the grocery. Poor Blakely.

Then, to add to poor Blakely's ill, we discovered that she had been teething!!! Four teeth in one week!! My poor, poor girl!!

Highlight from the Week:
- 6 Teeth!! Blakely got 4 on top all at once.
- Grumpy Baby
- Stranger Danger
- Attempting to crawl: 1 crawl forward, 2 crawls back
- LOVES to swing... who would have guessed? HA!

Picture Highlights from the Week:

Getting ready for a big walk with Auntie and Cousin Banks

 

Tiger, Auntie, Cousin Banks, Aunt DeeDee and Cousin Blakely at the Park

Who loves a good walk?

 

I LOVE SWINGING!!

Yeah for Swinging!! Blakely swung her legs, clapped hear hands and giggled like a maniac!! She absolutely loved swinging... I think we will be making many, many more trips to the park in our future!! Such a big girl!

 

36 Weeks Old

September 11th: 36 Weeks Old

BANKS IS HERE!!! Hurray, hurray!! Sweet little Banks Matthew Cogdill was born on August 30th healthy, happy and whole!! Things have been exceedingly, exceedingly busy... but oh so fun!! For years Alyssa and I played "barbies and babies" for hours each day, and now we each have our own real, live babies!! So crazy, so fun!

 

 

Highlights from the Week:

- Banks came home this week!!

- Said "Mama" to me specifically

- Lifts hand to wave Bye-bye, but does not wave yet

- Blakely's Morning Song:

     "Good Morning baby sunshine, good morning angel dear

      Good morning baby sunshine, good morning angel dear

      Good morning Blakely, good morning my baby

      Good morning Blakely, my angel baby dear!"

 

Picture Highlights from the Week:



Further evidence that she's PRINCESS CRAZY HAIR!!

Uncle Will entertaining Blakely with a round of "Peek-a-boo" in the waiting room!!

 

Aunties Pre-Banks picture. Looking good Alyssa!!

Mom and I made a SURPRISE to welcome Baby Banks!!

The first picture of the HAPPY FAMILY!!

Beautiful Mommy and Baby... LOVE at first site

Love this shot!! There will be many more like this to come!! Cousin love!

Bringing home Baby



Mommy: "Hey Blakely.... guess what??? Cousin Banks is coming today!!!"



Blakely: "Yeah!! I LOVE my new cousin!! YEAH!!"

34-35 Weeks Old

August 28th-September 4th: 34 Weeks Old

This week Blakely was dedicated at church. It was a super special event and JUST IN TIME!! Since we scheduled the baby dedication, Alyssa and I have been doing the math.... Alyssa would be 39+ weeks pregnant at the baby dedication. Near the end....Blakely and I were not so sure that Auntie was going to make it! HA!!! Thankfully, Blakely was dedicated on the 27th, and Banks was born on the 30th. Oh so close... but Oh so perfect!!

This picture totally cracks me up.... Blakely is completely mesmerized by the new baby, she can't even look at the camera.

Highlights from 34 weeks:
- Baby dedication, Blakely LOVES Jesus
- "mamamamama" and "dadddadadadada"
       -non-specific, when happy now too!!
- First Solid: banana

Highlights from 35 weeks:
- "Dada" to Richard x 2
- Attempting to crawl: Back legs going, not moving hands forward yet
- BLT-phobia: Blakely had a little bit of stranger danger this week, but nothing scared her half as bad as a giant poster of a BLT at Bruegger's Bagels! We laughed so hard, I feared Alyssa would pop Banks right out! HA! HA! HA!
- Loves ice- she loves to suck on big pieces of it, and loves chasing it around the table.
- BANKS IS HERE!!!!

Picture Highlights from the Weeks:

Rainy Day: Cute baby Playing on the Porch

Melts your heart

Super stable now sitting up, ONLY wants to play while seated.

 

Banana 1/3: She sees the banana

Banana 2/3: She tastes the banana

Banana 3/3: Not sure what she thinks of the banana... cute baby

 

Blakely and Gigi at Blakely's baby dedication, ECBC

Pastor Buster showing Blakely off to the Congregation

 

The Monk's and the Cogdill's serious and praying for Blakely.... Blakely on the other hand has spotted her PopPop. Hee hee...silly baby.

This might be the last picture of Banks (on the inside)!

Our Happy Little Family: Blakely and Mommy are both making funny eyes!

Aunt Kelly came to Blakely's baby dedication