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Friday, June 22, 2012

31 weeks!

wow....time is flying by!  I feel like I just wrote the 30 week post!  sheesh, slow down!  This week we had an extra special surprise in the Cooper's little girlfriend was born!  Madison Michelle Hallsey made her entrance into the word at 6:03 Saturday evening and we got to meet her around 8:30 that night!  Let me tell you, she is A-DOR-A-BLE!  talk about a beautiful baby!  I'd be happy to arrange a marriage between her and Coop in 26 years! ;)  check out her picture below.  Sunday we spent the day at home and set up Carrington's Father's Day gift from my mom....a new table and chairs for the deck and an umbrella.  But not just ANY umbrella....it's one of those that sits over to the side and arches over the table so there's no annoying pole in the middle of your conversation while you're sitting at the table!  It really makes our deck feel complete and he loves it!  We also went to a late brunch at IHOP and Cooper sat in the high chair like a big boy for the first time!  he loved sitting up and watching everything going on....there was a LOT to see because that place was hoppin! (haha....pun definitely intended!)  He ate puffs while we ate our meals and did a great job!  That evening we went out to eat with our neighbors and he did the same....such a big boy!  :)  Monday I worked, so we headed back to Winston for a few days.  Tuesday Cooper and I ran to the grocery store to get the ingredients to make Buffalo Chicken Dip for a work lunch at Carrington's lab.  Cooper sat in the cart like a big boy and held on tight to the handle the whole time!  After delivering the dish we rested a bit then I worked that evening.  Coop went with me for about 45 minutes until Daddy came to get him.  He always loves watching all the other children when he's there!
Wednesday Carrington helped his dad so Cooper and I hung out at my mom's.  We slept in and then played fetch with Tucker (my brother's 80 pound lab that thinks he's a poodle because he lives with poodles!)  Since Tucker is a retriever, he will incessantly fetch the ball and bring it back and drop it in your lap...every time he did that, Cooper just laughed at him.  He especially liked it when he bounded after the ball....he just cackled at him!  Such a silly boy!  That afternoon we went to Once Upon a Child and found TONS of cute clothes for CHEAP!  they were marking down all their summer stuff 50% so we racked up!  we also found a weebles tree house (he LOVES the weebles!) and a little people Noah's Ark that came with 2 little people and 10 pairs of animals!  it is so cute!  I love that store!  :)  We headed home after that I Cooper and I spent a day at home! 

At 31 weeks Cooper:
  • stands up ALL THE TIME!  anytime he's down on the floor he's finding something  to pull himself up on.  And then he looks at you like he's so proud of himself!  :)
  • Loves to play with weebles!  my mom has gotten some here and there and he loves them!  :)  they are so cute, I can't blame him.
  • wears 6 month or 6-9 month clothes and 9 month sleepers...he's just too long for the 6 month ones  :)
  • is a MOVER!  he does not stop from the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to sleep!
  • HATES diaper change time.  I'm not sure why, but he fights the diaper change with everything in him!  I literally have to pin him down with my leg across his chest while my other 2 hands change the diaper as quickly as possible!  It sounds terrible, but the other option is a naked, sometimes poopy, butt quickly flipping over and crawling away!
  • has discovered the splash in the bathtub!  he is also very proud of this!
  • is getting VERY vocal and he makes the sweetest little noises!  :)
  • smiles ALL the time!  he's always been very happy, but here lately he just smiles all the time!  I think it's because he's so proud of everything he's learning to do and he wants you to see and be proud of him too!
  • has tried peaches and loves them!  who wouldn't love the sweet taste of peaches with their cereal!?!?!
my little 31 week old all star!

Arnold, pleeeeeeease play with me!
Madison Michelle.....look at that beautiful little face!  ahhh....love her!

my shopping buddy....the sun is so bright mommy!

Can I get a toy out of the toy chest mommy, please!?!?

big boy sitting in the high chair at IHOP

peek-a-boo!
 Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

30 weeks of sweetness!

Cooper is 30 WEEKS OLD today!  wow, that just sounds like he's getting so big!  that's over halfway to his first birthday....I better start planning!  *wink wink*  just kidding (kind of...)  This was a whirlwind week and, unfortunately, I didn't slow down enough to take very many pictures of it all!  :(  Friday morning we headed to winston so that I could help my mom with rehearsal stuff for my brother's wedding that was this weekend.  We got LOTS of stuff done and ran a few errands.  Before heading out to run our errands my mom dressed Cooper and just put the onesie that was in his diaper bag on him (which happened to be my back-up, just in case we blow out, onesie).  I figured, eh....that's ok....we won't be gone long.  So we headed to Carrington's work to leave the car for him (since we are down to one vehicle now) and then went to pick up a prescription for my mom.  As we were almost there Cooper was VERY fussy so when we got there I moved to the back seat to sit with him.  While waiting on my mom to come back out I thought I smelled something so I checked the leg of his diaper and sure enough we had a stinky one!  I didn't think it was going to be bad because it wasn't exploding out of the leg holes yet.....that was until I got him out of the carseat.....it was TERRIBLE!  Not the worst one yet, but the worst one I've had to change in the back seat of a car, which is rather Extremely difficult with a wiggly baby!  Anyway, we got the diaper changed and I realized that was he was wearing was the back up outfit....so into the carseat he went....in just his diaper!  :)  needless to say, our next stop was the Carters store (which was close by) to get something for him to wear.  Luckily, they were having a killer sale and I got several romper outfits and several pairs of shorts for $4 each!  I even got him a shirt for rehearsal that said "My uncle is awesome!"  It was a good excuse to get some new cute clothes!  :)
That afternoon Cooper started to get VERY congested and snotty!  At one point he was in his jumper and snot was just running down his face!  Poor little guy had caught daddy's cold!  I suppose it was inevitable!  He was a real trooper though and hardly acted like he felt bad!  Mom and I spent much of the afternoon working on the groom's cake.  We had big plans for it, and it was going to be so cute!  Unfortunately....it didnt' turn out that way!  we made a round cake and fondant to lay over it.  The fondant was going to be camouflaged (which turned out really cute!) and then we were going to pipe (with black icing) a deer silhouette and a gun scope on it and write "the hunt is over" (my brother and his, now, wife both love hunting).  The camo fondant was great, but it ripped going onto the cake...so there was a big seam across the middle.  The black icing to write with stained my om's teeth and tongue and took several brushings to get it off so we decided that we couldn't do that to people, and we just plain ol ran out of time!  I was so disappointed!  we ended up giving it to just my brother at the end of rehearsal, and he seemed to appreciate it, that's all that matters!  The rehearsal went well and we had a very nice dinner.  We decorated the tables with some old bottles that had been my uncles.  We put sprigs of pink flowers in the bottles, tied a really pretty ivory linen ribbon around them, and clustered them in groups of 3 on the tables.  We then, secretly hid G.I. Joes in the arrangements because my brother LOVED his Joes when he was little!  :)  We all had a great time, but it ended up being a late night for little man....however, he was so good for it all!  After we got home and I got Cooper to bed (well, and Carrington too) my mom and I headed back out to walmart to get some things for the bride's dressing room and the groom's dressing room....some snacks for while we were getting ready.  I also had several things left to get for the shower I was throwing on Sunday (I know, I was just trying to kill myself with all I had planned this weekend!)  We got what we needed and were back home around 3AM!
Saturday was the big day!  I'm not sure where the day went but all of a sudden it was time to head to the venue.  The wedding was beautiful, the weather was perfect (although a little warm), the bride was gorgeous, the groom was handsome, the reception was fun, we saw lots of family and had a great time!  Sadly, Carrington, Cooper and I weren't able to stick around to see them off because at 8:45 Cooper, who was still VERY snotty and obviously sick (but being SO good) was almost to his breaking point....we had to get him home and in bed!
Sunday morning I finished last minute shower stuff and got it all ready for the party.  It was an around the clock themed shower so my SIL and I decorated the tables with different times (bath time, snack time, diaper time, nap time, play time, and story time)  it turned out so cute and we got lots of compliments.  The parents to be were very appreciative and, while there wasn't a huge turn-out, we had a good time!
Monday I worked at the YMCA in the morning and again in the afternoon.  Nothing too eventful there!  :)  Tuesday afternoon I also worked at the Y so we stayed in Winston yet another night!  After work on Tuesday we finally headed home!
Yesterday we hit the road, again!  in the other direction this time...we headed to Raleigh to pack up my classroom.  WOW, a teacher sure can accumulate a LOT of stuff in 4 years!  I left a lot for the new teacher coming in but I definitely wanted my books....some day little man will want to read them (I hope!).  After quickly doing that, we headed back home so Cooper and I could be dropped off and Carrington could head to  Winston for Twin's Night where the soccer players come out and meet their coach for the upcoming season and they have some fun things going on.  Carrington went to that by himself because I felt like Cooper needed an early night in his own bed....and he was in bed by 8!  :)  It was a late night for daddy though!
Whew....are ya tired yet?  I am!  :)  I keep waiting for the day when life slows down....it just hasn't come yet!  Give it another 30 years, right!?!?  Maybe when we retire and move to the Caribbean to live on "Island time"!!  ;)

At 30 weeks Cooper:
  • is pulling up left and right!  it is nothing for this kid ot pull himself up on anything nearby....stable or not!  :)  he is getting REALLY good at getting up tall on his knees and if it's sturdy enough for him, he just pulls right up onto his feet!
  • has no trouble going from sitting to laying down, to crawling and back to sitting...or any combination of that.
  • Has tried pears and loves them....as I would expect!  :)
  • really knows his name!  He will turn just about any time you call him
  • has attended his first wedding!  :)
  • is on the go go go!  The kid never stops!
  • makes me feel like I'm wrestling aligators every time I change his diaper!  He is no longer able to be changed on the changing table because it takes about 0.8 seconds for him to flip over and be rocking on his knees.  We now do it on the floor or crib.  It's hard for me to be too stern about making him lie still because when he flips over and has the little bum in the air, it's just soo cute!  unless it's covered in poop...that's not so cute when he's trying to flip over!
  • makes the cutest/sweetest little sounds!
  • "sings" himself to sleep.  I know he's really relaxing when he starts to hum!  :)
  • has found his little boy parts!  I don't know what it is about little boys and their weenies, but he definitely thinks it's interesting whenever it's exposed!  I'm just waiting for the day that he pees himself in the face....wonder how interesting it will be then!  :)
  • will throw things in a heartbeat, especially in the car!  Sometimes he'll yank that paci out and toss it over the side of the car seat, or any other toy he has in his possession, and then he gets upset because he doesn't have it!  :)
  • thinks the silliest things are funny!  I was getting some coolers together for the rehearsal dinner and had Cooper in one arm, a cooler in the other, and another cooler to get back to the house....so I decided to kick it across the yard to get it there.  Cooper just cackled and thought it was the funniest thing ever!  Check out the video below of him laughing at a balloon at the baby shower.  It was  a bit loud in the background, so hopefully you can hear him! :)
  • is getting VERY attached to mommy!  He's typically fine with others, unless I'm visible....then he wanted to be with me.  We've got to figure out a way to break this....I don't want him to be too clingy to me (even though it's slightly precious....I am, after all, the only girl he'll ever need! ;)  )
  • is showing some signs of walking!  A couple times this week, when holding his hands while he's standing, he has moved his feet in a walking motion!  Whoa now!  we're not going there yet are we?  I'm not ready for a walker ANY time soon!  
  • is STILL working on those teeth!  He's working hard but nothing has broken though yet.....that's ok, I'm in no hurry...I absolutely love his little gummy grin!
Who's 30 weeks old today?

This guy!  :)

Playing with Kenley

Rehearsal dinner center pieces...Joes and all!  :)

Baby shower tables
Little booger! He was supposed to be napping!

He's gonna hate me one day for this....but it's just too funny!  that little thing must be verrrry interesting!  :)
it's more fun to play with the exersaucer when you can pull up and stand from the outside!

trying so hard to get to Arnold!


 Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

29 weeks and whoa....slow down!

So this week Cooper went from barely "hopping" around to full out crawling and PULLING UP!!!  what?!?!? since when do 6 and 1/2 month olds crawl and pull up all in the same week!?!?!  So recap of our week...
Friday we headed to Winston.  That evening I went to help my brother and my almost sister in law put together programs for the wedding this weekend.  We worked hard until 11 and got them all finished!  Saturday morning I worked at the YMCA for the first time (in the nursery).  It was definitely an adventure....it was wild!  :)  Cooper stayed with my mom and they had a great time playing!  While I worked, Carrington went to Pinnacle to do the Marine Corps Mud Run.  He ran last year and enjoyed it,  so he did it again this year.  I wish Coop and I could have gone up with him, it's always fun to watch, but working and making a little money was a wiser choice at this point!  :)  Sunday we headed up to Fancy Gap, VA for a family reunion.  It was a beautiful day and so great to be in the mountains!  Cooper had fun playing with a couple balls in the grass with a gorgeous view!  :)  On our way back home we stopped at a produce stand and got lots of fresh produce to make some baby food.  I've been making a little each night since then and freezing it so that we have it ready.  We now have frozen zucchini, peaches, pears, sweet potatoes, green beans, and squash!  Monday, I had to work again at the YMCA so Cooper stayed with Carrington's mom.  They played until he dropped...and he took an almost 2 hour nap!  That's definitely not the norm for him!  Monday evening we finally headed back home!  Tuesday Cooper and I went to Leah's to have a play date with her, Carter, Katherine, and Olivia.  This was our last chance to get together before sweet little Madison makes her appearance.  According to Leah she will be here on Saturday, the 16th.  That works for me too because I'll be able to go visit!  :)  Yesterday we drove to Raleigh and had lunch at school and visited a little bit.  Then we went to the bank to meet someone who was buying our car.  :(  we got that all squared away and she drove off in my beloved fusion! :(  I've never really felt an attachment to a vehicle but I was very sad to see this one go!  I have loved that car...we brought our baby home in that car.  However, right now, getting rid of a car payment was the best decision for us.  And if it means it makes things a little easier, financially, for me to be able to stay home....then I'm on board!  :)
This weekend we have my brother's wedding and I'm throwing a shower for John and Sara....be sure to come back next week to see how those were!  We are SURE to be pooped by Monday!  :)

At 29 weeks Cooper:
  • crawls all over the place!  we've had to start putting the play yard gates up to keep him more contained in one room!
  • pulls up on things!  He definitely understands the concept and works VERY hard at pulling himself up to thing!  His balance is still a bit wobbly but if he can' manage to balance himself, her definitely has the strength, and determination, to stand there indefinitely!  Whoa lil man...slow down!  :)
  • is finally out of the sling in his baby bath tub!  I know, he probably technically outgrew this a long time ago, but what can I say....the boy likes to kick back and relax while taking his bath!  He now seems to really enjoy sitting up in the bath and playing with the bubbles.  He's also really good at spotting something in the water that he wants and going after it!
  • has tried squash and seems to really enjoy it!  
  • is using the sippy cup!  We've only tried it a few times but he LOVES holding it, whether he's actualyl drinking from it or not!  We got a transitional cup that doesn't spill until to spout is slightly squeezed, which allows the water to flow freely.  He doesn't have to suck at all to get the water out, which is great for him learning the concept of the cup.  Even after only a couple uses he's gotten the idea that you hold it and squeeze the spout.....granted, most of the water runs down his chin and onto his shirt...but we'll get there!
  • has tried baby puffs!  We bought some of the organic puffs at the grocery store the other day (sweet potato flavored) and he's not real sure what to make of them.  Since he doesn't quite get to concept of gumming things or chomping on them, I only gave him a little piece of one and he pushed it around in his mouth a little bit then held his mouth open like "get this things out of there!"  He's gradually getting the hang of it though.
  • wears 6 month or 6-9 month clothes pretty consistently.  In PJ's he can wear 9 month just because of the length.  Pants, at 6-9 months are sometimes a bit loose on his little belly!
  • is a little more "regular" now....we haven't had anymore days on end without poop....that have then resulted in a poopsplosion...whew (knock on wood)!
29 weeks and as happy as can be!

"I'll drive the rest of the way, Daddy!"

playing in his car seat....look at that cute little bum with his knees pulled up!

pulling up on his bouncy seat....and then crashing....  :)

I love this sippy cup!  :)

Playing with daddy on a beautiful day in the mountains!
 Thanks for stopping by!