52 weeks of Pinterest: week 5....moss covered letter

This week my pinterest project to share is a moss covered letter for Cooper's nursery!  We went with a woodland animal theme for his room and this was the perfect addition to his room!  We have a random small wall space between the closet and the bedroom door and this letter fit perfectly there! Actually, this was one of the first ideas I saw when I was trying to plan the nursery theme.  I fell in love with the natural element of this letter and ran with it!  :)  One piece of warning if you should attempt this project on your own....the moss sheets STINK and they make a huge mess!  I had to let the letter air out for a while and give it a chance to "shed" moss before putting it in his room.  I also spayed a clear coat on top in hopes that it would help keep the moss from dropping....I don't know how much it helped, but it's not creating a mess hanging on his wall, so I guess it works well enough!  :)  happy pinterest-ing!

Don't forget to follow me on pinterest if you don't already!

14 weeks!

Cooper is 14 weeks old today!  A lot happened this week...we stayed in Winston this weekend because my dad, Kristin, and Nicole came up to visit.  It was great to see them and really spend some time with them.  Hopefully we can get down to Atlanta to see them soon!  On Sunday evening we headed back home and it was SNOWING for most of the drive.  We have had an unseasonably warm winter and Sunday night/Monday morning was the first snow sighting yet!  Might I add that here we are 3 days later and it's been in the 70's today and my windows are open!  I hate to say that I didn't get ANY pictures of Cooper with his first snow!  :(  mommy failure!  by the time we got home it was late and he was TIRED, so we didn't go outside then, and he slept late the next morning and the sun quickly melted the snow....so no first snow pictures  :( 
Another thing that happened this week....Cooper's first taste of formula!  yuck!  I know that there are TONS of babies that are formula fed for various different reasons, and I was one of those babies (I had terrible Colic apparently...).  There's nothing wrong with it, babies on formula turn out just fine too....it was just a little difficult for me to swallow for a few reasons....1)formula is DANG expensive!  $23.00 for one container...and how knows how amny of those you go through in a month....really, who knows?  I don't!  :)  2)I have been able to provide for his every need so far, the biggest of those being his need to eat and thrive, and now I'm having trouble with that....makes me feel a little defeated. 3)when you've only handled/dealt with breast milk and then have to mix formula....formula stinks, literally!  :)  4)Cooper hates it!  he will drink a little bit and then scream once he realizes it's not what he really wanted.  Breaks my heart that I can't give him what he really wants and have to force him to drink what doesn't taste good to him. :(  I've started taking fenugreek (a natural herbal supplement that mom's swear by to increase milk supply)  so hopefully that helps!
Today, we headed to Raleigh again to see the kiddos in their costumes for the wax museum.  This was the culminating project for the biography unit.  It was always a fun day so Cooper and I surprised them by showing up!  They did a great job!

ok...enough of my blabbering!  here are a few pictures...I don't have tons this week, sorry!

tell me you don't smile when you look at this picture!  :)  love him!

He has started this tongue thing when he talks and fusses

sacked out!

little cow baby!

snoozin with Poppy!

such kissable cheeks!

At 14 weeks Cooper:

• weighs somewhere around 13 pounds
• "talks" and "sings" constantly!  he loves to hear his voice!
• Has REALLY found his hands!  he loves to hold them together and just examine them....all sides of them!  and if you'll let him....he'll examine yours too!
• Has pretty much mastered the grasping things concept!  if you hold a soft rattle in front of him or a blanket corner, he will grasp it with both hands....and, generally, pulls it right to his mouth!  He's also gotten pretty good about grabbing the paci (usually it results in pulling it out, but sometimes he can get it back in....not always the right direction, but we're taking it a step at a time!) :)
• loves to lay on his side.  When placed flat on his back, he will typically roll over to his side and lay that way.
• is getting a bald spot on the back of his head  :(  it's very visible and getting bigger....if only I could get him to stop putting his hands back there!
• seems to be getting a little bit of a red tint to his hair....several people have mentioned that it looks like there is some red in it....hopefully it doesn't change color too much, I like the soft brown color it is right now.
• is still bouncing like CRAZY!  anytime those tootsies hit the ground he's pushing off!  we tried him in the doorway bouncer, but he's just not quite big enough for the seat yet.
• Enjoys the bumbo seat, for short periods of time.  I can tell when he's getting tired of sitting up and holding up that head....he starts to lean forwards ever so slowly and I know it's time to get him out!  :)
• Thinks his mommy and daddy are so funny!  I love how he will look at us so intently and then within a fraction of a second, when we make eye contact or say something, his whole face lights up with the biggest grin!
• LOVES to be naked!  when I'm changing his diaper he just kicks and stretches like crazy!  he loves that free feeling!  :)  I don't blame him though!
• has discovered, and loves, sticking his tongue out!  Especially when he's whining!  he sort of pooches it out a little and makes a whiny noise.  He also does it when he's cooing and happy....I think he just likes to stick it out!  I may be witnessing the monster I created all those days when he was first learning to imitate me....oops!  :)

That's all for now, thanks for stopping by!

52 weeks of Pinterest: Week 4....Valentine love

So my Pinterest creation this week was a gift for the hubs for Valentines Day.  I bought 10 little gifts (a Starbucks gift card, a mt dew, candy bar, dancing/singing sock monkey, new razor and shaving cream, chewing gum, a photo of our little family for his desk as work, etc...) and wrapped them all up individually.  Each gift had a time on them that he was to open the gift.  Since he was leaving for work at 8 and had soccer practice that night and I wasn't going to see him until late, I thought it would be fun to have a little Valentine's love on the 14's of every hour!  It was fun to put together, and I hope it was fun for him to open all day long!  don't forget to follow me on pinterest if you don't already!  :)    http://pinterest.com/jenniferd09

 Thanks for stopping by!  :)

13 weeks

Today my little man is 13 weeks old!  :)  he's developing SUCH a fun, cute, personality!  This week was Cooper's first BIG dinner out.  We went to a Japanese Steak House for a dear friend's 30th birthday celebration (the one I made the "30 Sucks" bouquet for in an earlier post).  Cooper did sooooo good while we were there...which was almost 2 hours!  I was really impressed with him since it was a long time, it was loud, it was terribly crowded, and it was late.  He just sat and looked at everything going on and hardly made a peep!  the only thing he didn't like was when they set the grill on fire....I think the sudden, intense, heat in his face scared him...he pooched that bottom lip out and was ready to cry but mommy and daddy both swooped in from either side to reassure him that it was ok!  :)
This week was also Cooper's first Valentine's Day!  We went to school for the Valentine Celebration that afternoon.  I guess by that evening Coop had just had TOO much valentines because he was fit to be tied Tuesday evening!  Lets just say it was an early evening for me...he WORE me out with his bad mood (and he's VERY rarely in a bad mood like that).  Stay tuned for a later post about the 12 hours of valentines love that i did for the hubby.

Alright, here are some pictures!

Lookin for an eligible bachelorette for Valentines Day  :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Kickin those legs!

At 13 weeks Cooper:

• is finally able to fit into most of his 0-3 and 3 month clothes!  The only thing we are still wearing newborn size in is some of his pants.  I have a stack of clothes that are too small and need to be packed away  :(  
• has found his hands big time!  He is always sucking on them!
• is still spitting up....some days are worse than others, but I guess it's just something we're going to have to deal with.
• grabs onto anything that is close to his hands and hold on tight!
• has discovered that his head can tilt back to see things.  Especially on the changing table, if i move around to his head or if daddy comes in the room, he tilts that head way back trying to see.
• Follows sounds and turns toward them consistently
• has discovered the window in the car and likes to look out it while riding
• tries to pull his head up when he's lying on his back...this kid loves to sit up and observe everything around him!
• holds his head up and looks around during tummy time...sometimes for a good 5 minutes!
• is still a little jumping bean!  if he's fussing you can pretty much count on bouncing and jumping to make him happy!  He's very coordinated with the jump/pushing off with both feet part! This week his grandma got him a bouncing activity center and a door jam bouncer!  He can't wait till he's a little bit bigger to use it!  :)

Thanks for stopping by!

52 weeks of Pinterest: Week 3...baby frog hat

My creation this week has been in the making for a little over a week now...I just couldn't decide how I wanted to do the eyes!  6 eyes later...I finally had a pair that I liked!  and it looked so cute on Cooper!  :)

Thanks for stopping by!

12 weeks....holy cow!

How in the world is it that I have a 12 week old already!?!?!  Time has really flown by!  Week one as an official stay at home mommy has been great!  :)  Sunday we went to my aunt and uncle's for their super bowl party.  Our friends Adam and Amber were there with their little fella who is only 8 days older than Cooper.  It's funny how similar our pregnancies were!  Adam and I grew up together (our mom's are best friends) and he and his wife were expecting a boy as well and due 5 days before us.  They found out shortly before we did that their little guy was breech as well, so Amber ended up having to have a C-section too, 8 days before I did!!  Funny how life happens!  :)  It was fun to see the babies together....even though they can't really interact with each other yet, it's still cute!   This weekend we also went to a couple soccer games.  my hubby coaches a team of 13 and 14 year old girls and they played in a tournament this weekend in Greensboro.  It was a TERRIBLE weekend to sit out at the soccer field but Cooper and I braved the cold, wet, nasty weather for 2 of the 3 games.  Cooper was a real trooper (haha, that rhymes!) for them both!  he slept in the front carrier for one game and snug in his carseat all covered up for the other!

At 12 weeks Cooper:

• weighs approximately 13 pounds (again, this was on our scale at home, not sure of it's accuracy)
• LOVES to bounce and jump!  if I pick him up and hold him upright with his toes touching something (the floor, my lap, the changing table) he automatically pushes off!  He loves for me to "jump" him up and down while he pushes off with his feet!  
• Laughs in his sleep!  we haven't had an all out giggle yet, but he makes little laughing noise (similar to Sheldon's very airy laugh on Bing Bang Theory).  he has always smiled as he's falling asleep, and now he softly laughs from time to time, it's so cute!
• looks ALL around ALL the time!  That little head of his is always on the swivel!
• Sleeps like a CHAMP!  most nights he gets to bed between 9 and 10:00 and most nights he sleeps until 6ish before he gets up to eat again!  He will fuss a bit before then, but if I give him his paci he's good to go!  I am loving this great sleeper!  Hope it continues
• Is getting some rolls finally!  he has some little baby chunk on his thighs now!  we're still wearing newborn sized pants most of the time, but we're getting there!  :)
• Has lost a little bit of his hair.  The kid LOVES to rub his head when nursing or falling asleep....his hand automatically goes to the back of his head...so now he's getting a little line where he's rubbed some of it out.  Oh well...such is life.  Good thing he was born with a ton of hair!
• has been to his first soccer games!  Daddy had a tournament over the weekend and we went to 2 of the 3 games.  He did great....slept through them both!  :)  
• Is getting better about the carrier.  For one of the soccer games I wore him on my front in the carrier and he knocked out snug as a bug!  he still tends to fight it at first, but quickly gives into the warmth and comfort and closeness of it!
• has REALLY found his voice!  he coos and "talks" ALL.THE.TIME now!  and he's discovered different pitches too, he will imitate me when I coo back at him in different tones.
• loves to play with his hands!  he is always holding them or sucking on them or something!

And now for some pictures....be warned, I have a LOT to share this week!  :)

Kicking away....what he does best!  :)

Sweet little face!

see!  sucking on his hands!  :)

Cooper and Jackson and their proud parents at the Super Bowl party

Buds for life!  :)

Showing off his bouncing skills at the super bowl party

My favorite little man!

Cooper and Brennen watching the game!

Such a happy lil monster (see his Monster's Inc shirt!)  :)

Arnold keeping watch while Cooper watches a cartoon  :)

Look!  some thigh rolls!  :)

there go the hands again!

He really is just the BEST baby ever!
Thanks for stopping by!

52 weeks of Pinterest: Week 2...a birthday bouquet

So maybe I should give up on the whole "I'll post every Monday" thing....here we are on week 2 and I'm 0 for 2!  anyway....this week I had to wait to post because the project was a birthday gift for my sweet friend Sara who turned the big 3-0.....don't worry Sara, I'm not far behind!  She has a good sense of humor so I took the opportunity to make this for her!  It was fun to make and give!

Thanks for stopping by!

11 weeks old with a stay at home mommy! :)

This week was a BIG week in our family.  Dear hubby and I finally  made the decision for me to stay home with our sweet boy (for the time being).  It was a very tough decision to make because I love my job, I love the school I teach at, I love the students in my class, and I love my co-workers.  It's not every day you find a position like that and I was EXTREMELY lucky to start my teaching career in such a wonderful place!  BUT, after much careful consideration, we felt like what I would bring home each month (after paying gas prices to commute and adding daycare on top of that) wasn't going to be enough to make it worth missing out on so much with my son.  I guess the decision was really stressing me out more than I realized because now that it's done, I feel a HUGE weight lifted off my shoulders and I am truly thankful and enjoying each day as I spend it with the cutest little man ever!  So now for that cute little man.....11 weeks old already!?!?  that's so close to 3 months, and 3 months just sounds so big to me!  :)  He is at such a cute little stage, I wish I could keep him here a little longer!

Look at that face!  How can you not love it?!?!

Figured out how to capture his smiles...don't hold the camera in front of my face because it looks strange....but then I can't tell if I'm holding the camera straight....hence the crooked photo!

rockin the baby jeans and tiny jordans!  :)

 At 11 weeks Cooper:

• weights 11 pounds 13 ounces
• is on another medicine for reflux.  We tried increasing his dosage of zantac, which did NOTHING so now we're trying Prevacid.  So far, the 3 days he's been on it, have been GLORIOUS!  very little spit ups...nothing like before...maybe this will help!
• Loves to "run!"  he will sit in his swing or bouncy seat and kick those legs as fast as he can with the most serious look on his face, like he just HAS to catch whatever it is he's chasing!  And he'll do this for an hour at a time!
• Loves to "jump!"  he likes to be held upright so that his toes barely touch the floor or your legs and he'll push up (of course I exaggerate this and he jumps REALLY high!)  he loves it!  I'm thinking he's going to have some strong running/biking/soccer playing legs!
• has the pout down pat!  the first indication that we usualyl see to let us know he doesn't like something or he's upset is that bottom lip...he knows how to  pooch it out there!
• sleeps in really well (mommy REALLY likes this trait!)  some mornings he will stay in bed after his early morning feeding until 9 or 10! 
• Has a new found buddy...Arnold!  Arnold is very interested in Cooper these days, especially when he's crying.  He likes to lick Cooper's cheeks and hands....not my favorite thing in the world since I know what else he licks....but we let it happen sometimes (they say a dog's mouth is cleaner than ours right!?!?  that's what they say anyway....)  I can't wait until Cooper is mobile...that will really be fun for Arnold!  :)
• seems to be able to read facial expressions to an extent...if I'm not smiling at him he scruches up his brows and looks really serious...the second I smile, he gets the biggest grin back as if saying "oh ok, you're not upset with me...good!"
• Likes to sit upright more than leaned or lying down
• has become quite fond of his lovey!  he likes to hold it and feel the silky underside of the blanket....so cute when he snuggles it to go to sleep!
• has now outgrown MOST of his newborn sized clothes...he still has to wear newborn sized pants (and sometimes those are even too big around his lil belly!).  mostly he's wearing 0-3 month clothes now.
• is quite the little charmer!  He went with me to school this week and just grinned at the ladies when they would talk to him....uh-oh....this might be trouble later on!

Love that little boy!

Thanks for stopping by!