Time flies...

Time seems to be zooming by these days!  The kids are growing and changing by the minute, we have about 8 home improvement projects going right now, we are both busy at work, and we seem to be constantly busy!  It's great, wonderful, and exhausting!   I've been slacking with this little blog of mind, but I want to look back and remember some of these things.  So, here's a little catch up!

The kids have been loving playing outside with some of the nice weather we've had recently!  Cooper especially enjoys exploring the outdoors.  The problem is he is BUSY and loves to throw things in the street.  Thanks God we live on a quiet street without much traffic!

After months of letters, meetings, and appeals, we finally got Delaney into Cavett Elementary School for Kindergarten next year!  This makes our lives so much easier since Cavett is right next door to Holly's (daycare), and it makes this little girl sooooo excited for school.  She's counting down the days!  She is so ready!

The kids have been very interested in all the projects going on at home.  Cooper loves to play with all of Daddy's tools and try to "help"!  We just finished up the Master Bathroom, and it looks pretty great.  We just need to give it a good cleaning and add some new towels, and we should be good to go!  

Delaney had her Dance Recital in mid-April!  She danced to "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid, and she did so good!  Last year she had a bit of stage fright, but this year she was all about the performance!  She was so excited, and is already talking about next year!

Cooper is fearless and ALL BOY!  He loves to go fast, play hard, and get dirty!  He requires a bath every night, and hears "no" about 100,000 times a day!  He wants to be a big kid so much, so that makes life hard.  He is growing it seems, so he's finding even more ways to get into trouble.

A quick and easy home improvement project was to give the front door a little make-over.  We had painted the shutters black, and so the door got a sexy red paint job!  I love it, and so wish we would have done it sooner!  

Last weekend between rain showers, we had a busy day outside!  We planted flowers and a few veggies.  It was hot and humid, so Delaney begged for water.  We didn't have any of the sprinklers out yet, so we set up the hose in the tree for a redneck sprinkler.  They both had a ball!  It was a fun, family day at home!  

Cooper is fascinated by bubbles!  Delaney loves to blow them, and he loves to chase!   It's a great pastime!

Delaney has been super into basketball lately.  Our favorite neighbors have a basketball hoop set up on the curb for some street ball, so D has been working on her skills.  She makes more shots than I would have expected!  She seems to be growing up so much here lately, where did my little girl go?!?

The biggest house project took over a year to complete, but it is finally done.  Last year, Craig replaced some of the boards and the steps of the deck.  We let it dry out, and so this year he stained it.  It looks soooo much better.  We discovered our deck furniture needs to be replaced, so I'm anxiously waiting to get it all set up out there so we can enjoy it!  

We've had a week of crappy, raining weather.  The storms rolled in last night and dropped 7 inches of rain on Lincoln.  Our basement is dry, but our roof might be failing.  With more storms predicted for tonight and this weekend, it might get interesting.  Here are my 3 kids lined up with snacks watching the storms coming in last night!  Crazy kids!

Cooper-12 months

Cooper's 12 month official stats:

Height:  29"  (15-16%)

Weight:  19lbs. 4oz. (22-23%

Head:  18.5"  (75-80%)

We had Cooper's 12 month doctor's visit on Monday, and he checked out pretty good.  He is growing and developing perfectly.  He put on weight, which was good since he was down just a bit before his eye surgery!   That would explain why the 9 month clothes are starting to get a little small.  We have started the transition to 12 months.  He's still wearing the size 3 diapers, and it seems like we'll be in that size for a while yet.  He has 5 teeth now...2 on bottom, and 3 on top,  that 4th one on the top could come through anytime (if it hasn't already).  

The only "bad" thing at the check up was we found Cooper was a little low on his hemoglobin count.  So, we have to start giving him Iron supplements for the next month and recheck it then.  We started this last night, it's a bit of a process to get 3 droppers down him, brush his death, rinse with water, and  chase it with orange juice.  Apparently the OJ helps the Iron absorption process.  We also have to hold off any milk or dairy product for an hour after the supplement dose.  Just another process to add to daily life!  We'll get it figured out.  

Cooper is a busy, crazy, ornery little boy these days!  He is into EVERYTHING!  He is so much more inquisitive, explorative, and curious than his sister was at this age.  It's just crazy!  He's very fast at getting around (and getting into trouble).  He has taken quite a few unassisted steps over the last few weeks.  We could have a full blown walker any day now.  Oh man, will that be fun?!?  He figured out how to crawl into Izzy's dog kennel this morning.  He found it very funny, as did Delaney.  

He seems to be eating like a horse these days.  He's made the transition over to whole milk and all table food.  He eats what we eat more time than not, and he gets really made if we don't give him what we're having.  His current favorites are bananas, blueberries, bread, yogurt, cheese, and crackers.  He has a serious sweet tooth, and loves pretty much anything of that nature.  He seems to prefer water to milk, which is the exact opposite of Delaney at his age.  He hasn't missed his bottle too much, and could care less about a drink at bedtime.  Those transitions have been pretty easy so far.  

He is all boy.  He loves cars, balls, being loud & crazy, smashing things together, beating things like a drum, climbing, etc.  He's a handful!  He also still enjoys an occasional snuggle, but these are more brief and infrequent all the time :(.  Delaney can get him to laugh and giggle with the simplest, crazy thing.  Daddy is is favorite for playing, and I still win the snuggle game.  He has a new found interest in Izzy, but Izzy pretty much wants nothing to do with him.  

I still can't believe we have a 1-year-old.  I look at him and see how he's grown and changed, but I'm still clinging to my little baby!  We love you baby boy no matter how big you get!  

Dear Cooper

To my dearest little boy, I cannot believe you are a year old!  It seems like just yesterday you were born this tiny little Christmas baby, yet it's hard to remember a time you weren't here.  You have completed our family, and filled a hole we didn't even know was there.  You are a perfect fit!  

You stole our hearts the minute you were born, and you continue to have all of us wrapped around your little finger.  Your big sister was initially disappointed you were a little boy, but it didn't take long for you to cast your little spell and convince her that little brothers aren't so bad.  Now, she wouldn't trade you for the world, and you adore her!  You two are so similar, and so different in so many ways!  You are basically clones of each other in the looks department, but your personalities seems to be a little more different.   I can't wait for you to be able to talk to your sister. I have a feeling you're going to have a lot to say!  When you are apart (which is rare), you two miss each other terribly.  Sometimes at bedtime you too goofballs screw around in your room, and it just melts my heart.  I can't imagine what that situation will be like in the near future as your grow!  You two already have so much fun with each other, and I know this will only continue throughout your lives!  I hope you always cherish each other like you do now!  

You have recently discovered the big kid, funny guy that is your Daddy!  You love to play with him!  You were a little slow to warm up to Daddy, but now I think most times you prefer Dad to Mom!  Daddy loves to make you laugh, and you are an easy mark for him!  You find Daddy hilarious!  You follow him around the house...bedroom, kitchen, bathroom (ew!)...nothing is off limits!  I imagine this will continue for many, many years.  You look just like Daddy did when he was your age.  Daddy was, of course, a little bigger than you are, but all the features are his!  Your favorite game with Daddy is "hide-and-seek" with a blanket.  You also LOVE when Daddy gives you a bath!  Daddy and you have some epic tickle fests.  I think it will be so much fun to watch you grow and rough-house with Daddy!  You two are headed for so many great father-son moments!  I can't wait to watch!  Daddy would never admit how much he wanted a little boy, but I know deep down in his heart he is chomping at the bit to teach you so many things!  

Oh, Cooper, you have stolen Mommy's heart.  You have me right where you want me.  You are a pure joy, and aside from the lack of sleep, I wouldn't have traded a minute of this last year with you!  You still come to Mommy when you need a snuggle or something isn't quite right.  You still enjoy a good rocking session if the moment strikes, and you still like to accompany me with my many one-handed tasks!  You seem to have inherited one thing from me...my sweet tooth!  Sorry kid, but I'm so excited to share so many treats with you!  I always wanted a little boy, and you, son, are more than I could have ever asked for!  I have so many dreams and aspirations for you!  I can't wait to watch you grow up, but I'm hanging onto these early, baby times for dear life! Don't grow up too fast, Cooper!  

Like I said, you are perfect fit for our little family!  You have given us so much joy, laughter, and love over the last year!  You have a BIG personality in that little body, and we can't wait to see what unfolds for you!  We love you to the moon and back!  

All these pictures were taken at the Nebraska State Capital by Cori Johnson with Fresh Photography!  I will share a few more soon!

Cooper's First Birthday Party

This not to little man will be 1 year old tomorrow!  I cannot believe it's already been a year, yet it's hard to remember life before Cooper!  We celebrated a little early over this past weekend.  We wanted all of our "immediate" family there, so we graciously accepted Grandma and Papa Farm's offer to host the party for us.  This meant that Cooper's only great grandparents could attend, and it cut the travel time in half for Aunt Jess & Uncle Nick!  We were so excited that everyone was able to come, and the weather in Nebraska (and Iowa) in December cooperated enough for everyone to come and make it back home safely!  I wanted to make Cooper's big day special but low key, so a family affair worked out perfectly.  The "theme" was a Charlie Brown Christmas.  I figured it's the holiday season, so we might as well embrace it.  Cooper is a bit of a peanut anyway, his first 2 initials are C.B., and he has a beagle for a dog.  I thought it was a perfect theme!  Little did I know that "Peanuts" inspired party supplies don't really exist right now.  We did the best we could, so the theme was a little more subtle than it started in my head!

I decided I needed to make Cooper something for his birthday party, so I make this memory board for him.  I followed a couple Pinterest tutorials, and I'm really proud of how it turned out.  It's the perfect little momento from this time in Cooper's life!  

I hung all of Cooper's monthly pictures up on  Grandma's mantle.  I didn't think he'd really grown all that much until I saw all the photos lined up!  He has grown, and so has his crazy hair!  

Isn't this just adorable!  A super talented baker from our hometown made this perfect little cake!  It was sooo delicious!  The cake was a fudge marble cake with fudge filling!  Cooper's little smash cake was white with buttercream filling.  

As you can see, Cooper got one thing from me...my sweet tooth!  The kid LOVES sweets, and the cake was no exception.  It didn't take him long to dig right in.  He went directly in the bath following the cake eating!

 

Cooper was royally spoiled by all his relatives!  He got some super fun new toys that are much more "boy" friendly!  I did notice; however, that every single one of them makes noise...

 

Cooper had a lot of help from all his cousins and big sister testing out his new boys.  We are all working on sharing!  

He tried each of them out, and so far he really seems to enjoy all of them.  He's a busy little guy, so some new things to play with are perfect for him!  

 

Cooper had a lot of fun playing with all his family.  I didn't snap as many family pictures as I intended, but here's a couple.  I thought this one of him playing with Papa Tekamah and the red balloon was cute!  

Cooper has recently became very attached to Grandma Tekamah. When Grandma was holding cousin Parker, Cooper got very jealous and weaseled his way onto Grandma's lap.  She had her hands full for a little while!   

It was the perfect way to celebrate our little man!  I couldn't have asked for anything more!  We will have just a small little celebration tomorrow night at home just the four of us, and we'll take come treats to share with all of Cooper's friends at Holly's tomorrow. The birthday week continues...

Cooper-11 months

Cooper turned 11 month old this week!  Here he is with his crazy hair!  I can't believe we are now less than a month from his first birthday!  Time escapes me on a daily basis, but this last year (as long and exhausting as it's been) has absolutely flown by!  The little man has changed quite a bit in the last month.  He's weighing in at 18 lbs 9 oz.  I'm not sure how long/tall he is, I should measure that!  He's still wearing 9 month size clothes and size 3 diapers.  He's still working on more teeth, as he still only has the bottom 2 in.  The doctor says all 4 on top are bulging and ready to pop through any time.

Cooper is standing more than sitting it seems like these days.  He is constantly pulling up on furniture, toys, even walls.  He cruises around furniture almost running.  He's crazy!  He still takes some crazy falls when he gets a little too ambitious, but he seems like a tough kid as most of the falls don't hardly phase him.  We have even caught him standing unassisted a few times here in the last week, so I'm betting we have a walker by the time his birthday rolls around!

Cooper has had some major diet changes in the last month.  We started formula a month ago.  I was really hoping to make it to a year nursing, but between me being sick for about 6 weeks straight and Cooper not really caring too much it just didn't work out.  He has adjusted fine to the formula, so that is a blessing.  He has also decided he's done with baby food...all cereal, purees, etc. have been completely boycotted for a few weeks now.  He wants the real food, and he devours it.  He seems like like most things we've given him.  Bananas are a complete favorite right now. He'll eat a whole banana if we let him.  He also gets really mad if one of us are eating anything and don't share with him.  He's at that little birdie stage that will crawl over, stand up, and open his mouth for a bite like a little bird!

He's a mischievous little man.  He is constantly getting into things he shouldn't, and he gets the naughtiest little grin on his face when scolded.  He loves to play, and he loves people.  He'll play on his own if you're in the same room as him, but if you're not he'll follow you wherever you go...the kitchen, the bathroom, doesn't matter!  He's become particularly interested in what Daddy's up to lately.  He's on the verge of dancing, which I'm anxiously awaiting, as he'll start bouncing a little and shaking when he hears a tune he likes.  I can't want for a Delaney & Cooper dance party!

Cooper has graduated to "big boy" baths this month.  He now sits on his own and plays with his toys in the water.  He LOVES bathtime!  If the water starts, he makes a beeline for the bathroom.  If it's Delaney's turn and he has to wait, he stands on the side of the tub whining to get in.  They have even started bathing together which they have both really enjoyed.  I'm sure this won't be practical or appropriate for very long, but for now it's fun!

Next week, Cooper is going to have a outpatient surgery to open up his tear ducts that have been clogged since birth.  We were hopeful that they'd open on their own, but they haven't and they have gotten more and more irritated as time has passed.  It's a minor 10-minute procedure, but he does have to have anesthesia.  Obviously, I'm worried about this, and already losing a little sleep.  I keep trying to give myself some perceptiveness that we could be facing something far worse than a 10 minute outpatient procedure, and this is "no big deal" in the grand scheme of things...easier said that done.  I'm sure those 10 minutes (or however long he's "away" from us next week) will be some of the longest minutes of my life, I'm not looking forward to it.  I am looking forward to not having to rub and clean his eyes off multiple times a day.  He has really started to hate it, so I won't miss that little battle.  So, say a prayer for our little man for a quick, safe, and successful surgery next Thusday, and say a little prayer for this worried Momma!

We are counting down until Cooper's birthday party!  We are going to celebrate with the entire family at Grandpa & Papa Farm's House, so that's definitely something we are all looking forward to!

Cooper-10 Months

Cooper is officially 10 months old!?!  I'm not sure where the last 10 months have gone, but they have flown by.  This picture captures the essence of Cooper pretty well.  He's a silly, little spitfire full of smiles.  At 10 months, I think he might be starting to grow just a little bit.  He's weighing about 18lbs and a few ounces.  I think he's probably 29 or 30 inches long...I haven't officially measured him.  The 9 month clothes are finally fitting better than the 6 months, and we're finishing up the last of the size 2 diapers.

He has also been sleeping a bit better lately too.  For the last few days he's been waking up between 5:30 or 6 for breakfast, and then going back to bed until after 8.  Makes for a long day for me, but he seems happy.  Since his new favorite thing is to pull up and stand, this has made bedtime lots of fun.  He loves to stand up in his crib and peak out the door.  He's so proud of himself!  It's adorable (naughty), but adorable.

Cooper wants to be a big kid.  He could care less about bottles or baby food.  He wants the real stuff.  He doesn't like everything I give him, but he wants it.  He is at the stage of if you're eating something, you better expect to share.  He also tries to do things like big kids...standing, walking, climbing, etc.  He can't wait to grow up.  He is walking a few steps here and then (holding onto something, of course).  I expect he'll be walking well before his birthday, but we'll see.

He still only have 2 teeth.  I swear my kids are the slowest teethers on the planet.  They seem to be bothering him a bit more these days.  I hope that means we're getting closer to them actually coming in.  Poor kid has been dealing with them for months.

I think he's on the verge of dancing.  I've caught him rocking and bouncing to the beat when something is playing.  I can't wait for him to have a big dance party with his big sister.  He also seems to be asking for a set of drums for Christmas (don't get any ideas, grandparents!), as he is always drumming on something.

He's still looking for trouble.  Recent favorites have been outlets, power cords, and dog bowls.  He thinks he's very funny when he gets busted (except when Delaney is doing the busting).  He gets himself stuck in small spaces, and just gets mad.  He goes over things rather than around them...this includes toys, pillows, Daddies, and books. Speaking of Daddy, Cooper has become a bit of a Daddy's boy here recently.  It's so fun to watch.  He thinks Daddy is pretty funny!

Cooper seems to be getting louder, crazier, and more funny the older he gets.  His little personality and smile are such a blessing!  We love him to pieces.

Cooper-9 months

Cooper's 9 month official stats:

Height:  27.5 in. (10-25%)

Weight:  17lbs 8oz (10-25%)

Head:  18 in.  (75%)

So, as you can see at 9 months, Cooper remains just a little peanut!  He's growing at a steady rate on his curve, but he's still on the smaller side for other babies his age.  We are just on the verge of outgrowing his 6 month clothes, and the size 2 diapers are still working for now.  We are hitting the new size right at the change of seasons, and we are matching up with Cousin Chase's & friend Graham's handmedowns perfectly!  (Sorry to cousin Parker!)

Cooper is so active these days it's crazy!  I cannot for the life of me remember Delaney being this active!  He's all over the place crawling up a storm, and starting to pull up on things and stand.  His favorite "toys" are the houseplants, dog bowls, and bathroom cabinets!  He's all boy...  He is starting to play with the Little People Farm and Princess Castle (sorry Daddy!) that were Delaney's.  I think we may have some more boyish Little People toys on our upcoming birthday & Christmas lists!  He is also a fan of the stacking cups and the foam numbers and letters!  (I had to pick those up because the crazy kid is obsessed with flip flops!)

Coop is trying new foods all the time.  I think we could be on all table foods by 10 months, but we'll see.  Some days are better than others!  His "real food" favorites so far are Cheerios, grapes, bananas, and peas.  He's starting that stage where he wants to eat whenever anyone else is.  The addition of more solids has made him a bit of a lazy eater when it comes to nursing and bottles.  We are getting by, and I'm hoping we can stretch it just a couple more months to avoid formula!  Our pediatrician said that if we can make it to 11 months on breast milk, we can start whole cow's milk vs. introducing formula for just one month...so that's the goal!

I discovered last week that I was starving my poor kid at bedtime, and that's why he wasn't sleeping very well.  After making a full adjustments to make sure he gets around 6-7oz. of milk at bedtime, he has sleep all night for a week (knock on wood!)!  This is a huge improvement!  I feel very guilty that it look me so long to figure it out, and I still think teething has contributed to his poor sleeping, but I'm happy to find something that works!  We still only have 2 teeth on the bottom, but the 4 on top could pop through any day!  

Cooper is quite the character these days!  There's a lot of personality in that tiny little body!  He is full of smiles and laughs, and he is starting to babble all the time!  Da-da is a favorite!  He also has a bit of an ornery streak.  He still doesn't know what "NO" means, but he's hearing it enough these days he'll figure it out soon!  He will take his cup and hold it over the edge of the highchair and just look at you with a sly little grin until he drops it!  Little stinker!  He still adores his big sister, although he's been very "hands-on" with him lately.  She is a nervous-nelly, helicopter sister!  She is so worried he's going to fall or get into something that she will manhandle him at the slightest opportunity!  

Cooper brings our family so much joy and he just fits in so perfectly!  It's hard to remember what life was like without our little man!  

Cooper-8 months

Cooper is officially 8 months old as of last Sunday!  It's so hard to believe that he's already 8 month old and he's getting closer & closer to his big birthday!  We had a few more milestones this past month...he FINALLY has 2 teeth!  That's right, two, came in on the same day, while he was at Grandma's house for his first sleepover without Mommy.  He was just shy of 8 months when they popped through, so he's about a month ahead of his big sister in the teething department!  I'm also not too sure we won't be getting more teeth on top here any time!

Cooper has also become fully mobile!  He was a rolling fool last month, and over the last couple weeks he has perfected his army crawl.  The kid's going to have some serious upper-body strength.  He is quick and just ornery enough that he is already getting himself into trouble!  He discovered the dog food bowl just this morning, so I'm sure he'll be sampling some within a week!  Little stinker!  He also LOVES to rummage through my purse when it's on the floor and get out any of Delaney's toys that are within his reach.  He's a curious little guy!  He has also mastered the move from sitting up to laying down gracefully without the loud thump of the head on the ground.  Quick learner, he is!

He weighs roughly 17.6 lbs, and I haven't had a chance to measure him lengthwise here recently.  I'm guessing he's about 27.5 or 28in. long.  He still seems like a little peanut for his age.  He hasn't grown out of any of his clothes or diapers lately, so it looks like we won't be needing a new wardrobe until fall.  He's definitely getting more "wear" out of his clothes than his sister ever did.

He continues to be one of the happiest babies around.  He is full of smiles and giggles, but he has started to develop a little shyness in crowds of strangers.  It's pretty cute!  He has heard the word "no" more frequently, but so far he thinks that's just a challenge.  We'll tell him "no", and he gets a little sly grin on his face and does whatever anyway.  Little stinker!

He is still a huge fan of Big Sister Delaney.  She has gotten more "hands-on" with him lately, and he tolerates it very well most of the time.  I keep telling her one of these days he's going to be bigger than she is, so she better play nice.  She thinks I'm nuts!  He also still loves her brand of loud, crazy silliness.  She'll be completely loud and obnoxious, and we'll tell her to stop or be quiet while he's laughing hysterically at her.  He doesn't help our cause!

I'm betting we'll have a full-on crawler by Labor Day, so we better get the final "baby-proofing" done.  Time to put away some of the younger baby toys and break out the big stuff!  Our little man is growing up too fast!

Okoboji 2014

 Well it's been almost a month since we went on our annual trip to Okoboji!  Time flies, and this summer has been absolutely insane!  We had two new babies for this trip, so it was 3-ring circus most of the time.  The weather wasn't picture perfect the entire time, but it could have been a lot worse!  All in all, it was a wonderful trip, and we're already counting down to next year!  I hope this is a tradition that can continue for many years.  Okoboji still remains one of my favorite places ever, and I hope it become this for my babies too!  Now, for some of the highlights...

The annual family photo at our favorite breakfast spot, the Dry Dock.  It was the first boat ride for the babies boys, and they both did pretty well!

Cooper tolerated his life jacket very well considering how uncomfortable that thing looked!  

Delaney LOVED the boat this year!  She was so excited very time she got to.  

We made a trip to Arnold's Park Amusement Park on one of the cooler days that week.  Both of the kids had so much fun!  Delaney rode pretty much every ride she good, and Craig rode a few along with her.  Cooper hung out in his stroller for the trip!

These two typically fight like brother and sister, but I caught this brief moment of peace one day before a boat ride.  

What else to do on a rainy morning, but dress the babies up like twins!  I'm sure they'll think we're nuts when they are older, but aren't they adorable!

Speaking of dress us, the boys declared a "Superhero Day"!

The cooler weather meant less opportunities for swimming, but one afternoon the stars aligned and the kiddos got to swim in the lake!  Delaney did so good considering how scared of swimming she's been this summer!  She learned to trust her life jacket and let go of Daddy.  She was swimming on her own between the boats in no time!  I was so proud.

So, I'd definitely call the 2014 trip a success!  Cooper was a rockstar for his first trip to the lake, and Delaney had a ball.  She has already started talking about moving there!  I wish sweetheart, I wish!

Until next year...

Cooper-7 months

Cooper-7 months

Well, our little guy turned 7 months old about 10 days ago right as we were getting ready to leave for our annual Okoboji trip, so I never got his monthly update posted!  At the 7 month mark, he roughly weighed in at 17lbs 2 oz. and measured about 27in. long.  These are the best measurements I could get at home.  We don't have an official check-up with the pediatrician until 9 months, so these will have to do.  He is steadily growing and changing!  He is still wearing size 2 diapers and size 6 month clothes.

Over the last month he has added another "meal" of baby foods and cereals at Holly's house.  He seems to enjoy eating like a big boy.  As soon as we finally get some teeth to come in and get this chewing things down, I imagine we will be adding more and more "table" foods to his diet.  He has tried a few things here and there, and so far the only thing he really seemed to like was bananas.

At this point, I will have to admit we've regressed to an official not-sleep-through-the-night-yet baby.  He did really well around 3-4 months, but over the last few he has definitely been up in the night at least once--often more time) a majority of the nights.  We are lucky to have 1 night a week that he sleeps all night.  I keep blaming his teeth, but maybe it's me.  Delaney was always such a good sleeper, so we've never had to sleep train.  Most methods seem a little tough when you factor in that Cooper & Delaney are sharing a room.

He is a more steady sitter every day.  He can sit and play for several minutes unassisted; however, he will still thump over if he moves too quickly.  He looks so little when he's just sitting up there.  Delaney loves to sit with him and "catch" him when he falls.  He is also working on crawling.  He has the leg motion down, he just needs to figure out what to do with his arms.  I'm not sure if I'm ready for a totally mobile baby yet!  Time to lace up the running shoes again!

He still remains full of smiles and personality.  He loves to laugh and make others laugh.  He finds his sister hilarious, and obviously adores her.  They were separated for 5 days while she spent some time with cousin Chase, and their reunion was so precious!  His favorite toy is his jumper.  He goes absolutely nuts in that thing.  You can't photograph him because he's just a blur.  He jumps and squeals and jumps and squeals.  It's too funny!  He has also figured out that splashing in the bath tub is quite fun!

We still have no teeth!  After 3 months of lots of working on it, nothing.  I can't believe it as I thought we were so close a couple months ago.  Delaney didn't get her first one until 9 months, and unfortunately we might be looking at a repeat with Mr. Cooper.  I do think he's learned to handle it a little better, but he still have some very obviously painful moments.  I don't understand why my kids have such long teething battles.  Poor baby!

A few firsts for Cooper

Last weekend was jam-packed of "firsts" for little Cooper.  He had his first trip to the Omaha Zoo, and was SOOOO good!  He took his first train ride there, too!  He celebrated his first Father's Day with his Daddy and Papas.  He also went to her first movie at the movie theater...How to Train Your Dragon 2.  He was so good through all of it, and usually had a big smile on his face!  It was a super fun and exhausting weekend!  We also saw Jaiden's dance recital, ate a lot of yummy food, and had a sleepover with Chip & Lauren!  Delaney had a ball with all of it, and was one tired girl by Sunday night!  

The two kiddos about to see the bears!

Family train ride selfie!

She is so grown up all of a sudden!

How he spent most of his first movie experience!

Cooper-6 months

We celebrated Cooper's half birthday yesterday, with a trip to visit the pediatrician for some more vaccinations and a good thorough checkup!  He checked out perfect (as usual), and we are good to go for another 3 months assuming no illness or injuries!

Cooper's 6 month stats:

Height:  26in.  (25 %)

Weight:  15lbs 15oz (10-25%)

Head:  17 1/2 in.  (75-90%)

As you can see, Cooper remains on the slightly smaller than average side of the scale, but he also remains on the same steady growth curves he had since birth.  Delaney didn't really start going "off-the-charts" until she was about 2, so I'm not worried!  Coop also continues to eat more and more all the time, so I'm expecting some big growth spurts coming.  He has been given the "green light" for more food.  He can have pretty much anything except honey & cows milk (to drink) between now and a year as long as he's ready.  We just got through most of the "single food" options, so we'll start trying some different combinations, and hopefully work to table food soon.  He seems to pay more attention when the rest of us are eating, so I expect he'll be excited for more big boy food!

He is still battling with those teeth, and the doctor yesterday said she doesn't think they are quite ready to pop though.  This bums me out because Cooper has really been struggling with them for 2 months already.  He has not been quite as smiley or happy lately.  His sleeping has also suffered.  He went a couple months with sleeping through the night, and now we're lucky if he sleeps all night once a week.  Poor kiddo (and poor Momma!)!  We are very blessed that he is a pretty laid back, happy guy because I know he's hurting, but he doesn't fuss or cry much at all, but I would be so thankful for a little relief for the little guy.

Cooper seems to be getting busier & busier every day.  He now rolls all over the place, and he can't be trusted anywhere.  He is constantly grabbing anything he can get his hands on, and EVERYTHING goes immediately to his mouth.  This is something we have been trying to teach Delaney because she's pretty oblivious to the little things she leave around the house.  He is close to officially being a "sitter".  He's got the tri-pod sit down pretty good, so it's only a matter of time.  He has also figured out that rolling can get him from point A to point B.  It's so fun to watch him work to get somewhere.  He hasn't figured out that stationary objects like walls and tables will stop his progress though, so he gets pretty mad when he runs into one of those...it's pretty funny!.  We recently got out some of the "bigger baby toys", and Cooper has been in heaven.  One of them was a little jumper gym, and he LOVES that thing.  He just bounces and bounces, and laughs and grins in there.  Delaney didn't use it all that much, so I'm excited her little brother is giving it a good workout.  It's adorable!  

Speaking of Delaney, Cooper LOVES his big sister!  She can get him to smile and giggle with the craziest things that drive us crazy!  He watches her as she walks across the room, and he can find her in a crowd.  He loves to watch her talk, sing, or dance.  He finds her completely fascinating and absolutely hilarious!  I love watching them together.  She loves him to, and is becoming more and more helpful with him all the time.  She's still a little rough, but so far Cooper appears to be pretty tough and tolerant of her brand of crazy.  

Cooper is a Momma's boy, no doubt, and I sort of love it.  There are definitely times when I wish he wasn't quite so much, but I know these days aren't going to last for long and I'm trying to soak them up while I can. I'm getting very good at one-handed tasks...washing dishes, laundry, fixing Delaney's hair, etc.  I might have mismatched biceps by the time he's one!  He is a lover, and loves to give big, sloppy, wet, open mouth kisses.  In fact, Grandma Tekamah (my mom) is a favorite of his for kissing!  He has also started examining faces.  He'll put his little chubby hands on both of your cheeks and just check you out.  It's so cute! He frequently checks out Daddy's face!  He thinks his Daddy is pretty cool!  He lights up when Craig enters the room, and Daddy can get some pretty good giggles out of him.  I'm anxious for these two to bond more as Cooper grows!  

I CANNOT believe he is six months old already.  I don't think I've even been more sleep deprived or tired that I have for the last 6 months, but it's been so worth it!  I can't imagine life without our little man!  Happy Half Birthday Scrunchie!

6 Months of Cooper

Cooper-5 Months

Cooper-5 Months

Well, our little man is 5 months old as of last Saturday!  I can't believe it!  The last 5 months have flown by!  Cooper is growing and changing every day!  He continues to be the happiest baby on the planet (I'm not biased at all).  He has met some milestones lately!  He rolled over (FINALLY) on Saturday from back to front.  He could have been rolling either direction for about a month now, but he's just been content to hang out as he is.  Saturday he finally put on a show for his Great Grandparents, and flipped over to big applause!  It was a really special moment!  He hasn't done it since, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time before he decides mobility is pretty fun!  

He is still working on this teeth.  We discovered a couple weeks ago that not only are his bottom two teeth about ready, but his top two teeth aren't far behind.  We had about 2-3 weeks in there that weren't much fun.  He was pretty miserable and clingy for a while.  They seem to have let up a bit for the last 10 days or so, which we are so grateful for!  It wouldn't surprise me at all if those popped through this month!  

He has also started on solid foods!  We got the "green light" to give a go from our pediatrician at his 4 month check-up, but due to the teething unhappiness and crazy life we have we didn't get around to actually trying it until April 26th.  We started with oatmeal cereal as that was his sister's favorite, he gave me a couple funny looks than then went to town.  He cleaned his bowl with his first try.  I see some big grocery bills in our future.  We started on the veggie trials last week.  So far, he's had squash & carrots.  Again, he gave me a couple funny looks with the first few bites, but seems to enjoy them.  It appears as though so far he's not much of a picky eater!  

I think we're weighing in around the 15lb mark, but I haven't officially weighed him in a few weeks.  His 3 month clothes are suddenly getting a little short, so I'm thinking he's getting taller too.  We have graduated to pretty much at 6 month clothes and we'll be moving to size 2 diapers here soon too!  Speaking of clothes, this kids LOVES to be naked.  He has been enjoying the warmer temperatures because he doesn't have to be so bundled up.  He also loves to have his socks off to play with (a.k.a. suck on) his toes!  

Cooper's personality continues to shine!  He's a people person already.  He loves to listen and watch people talk.  He doesn't freak out in noisy, crazy chaos, and he loves his sister.  She can get him giggling with the silliest stuff!  She is all smiles, and has found his voice.  He babbles, laughs, "coughs", and has been experimenting with various grunts and raspberries.  He is still a Momma's boy, which I love, but he doesn't mind getting passed around a bit either.  

It's hard to imagine life before Cooper.  He has just completed our family in a way that is simply perfect!  We love you little man, to the moon & back!  We are blessed...

Just for fun, here's a picture of big sister, Delaney, when she was 5 months old...

Cooper-4 months

Cooper-4 months

Last Thursday, Cooper turned 4 months old!  It baffles me where the time has gone!  We had his check-up with the pediatrician on Friday, and here are his 4 month stats:

Weight:  13lbs 15oz.  (25-30%)

Height:  24 3/4in: (25%)

Head:  16in: (75%)

He's growing and developing right on track!  He's on the verge of rolling over from tummy to back, and I expect this to happen ANY day!  He is also apparently an extremely early teether.  His front two bottom teeth have dealing him fits the past few weeks, and the last couple days have been NO FUN!  They are so swollen and tender, I hope they pop through for him.  His sister didn't get her first tooth until 9 months, so this is CRAZY early for our house!

We got the green light from the doctor to attempt some cereal and/or veggies depending on how it goes.  So, we'll be giving that a go here in the next few days.  I'm not sure how he'll react.  He eats like a champ, and is "all business" at mealtime, so I'm not sure what this will be like!  Delaney wasn't a fan of cereal until closer to 6 months.  She preferred the oatmeal cereal over the rice cereal, so we'll see what Cooper thinks.

He is still wearing his 3 month clothes, but the one-piece sleepers are getting rapidaly too short.  I need to get the 6-month size jammies washed and ready to go.  He's still comfortably in the size 1 diapers.  He seems to be chunking up all of a sudden.  His cheeks are huge, and he's getting those adorable "baby rolls" all over it seems!

Cooper has quite the personality!  When he's not fighting with his teeth or tired, he is a happy and smiley guy that loves to make people laugh!  I'm thinking we might have a little class clown on our hands!  He's already such a little boy, too.  He thinks all things "gross" are hilarious!  He also finds it pretty amusing when his sister gets in trouble!  He's a notorious hair-puller these days, so Delaney and I need to be on our toes if we don't want to suffer.  He finds this funny too!

It's hard believe our little man is already 4 months old, but it also seems like he's always been here!  He fits in to our little family perfectly.  He's that long-lost missing piece!  We love you, Cooper Bryant, to the moon & back!