PLAYING CATCH UP!

It has been awhile, and I am getting really behind in these posts. Between school, moving and Cooper my days just seemed to slip away. I have completed my summer courses and I took my CNA test and PASSED! So I am officially a CNA, and now on to get my RN.

Since the last post I have moved. We are now in Libertyville and just a cul-de-sac over from my sister, so it is great to be so close. Now the boys get to see each other all the time. As they get older they actually play together instead of just sit together and it is so fun to see. We love our new home, we LOVE the neighborhood, and even more Kona loves the neighborhood. There is an open field just a block away, and Kona can run through that for hours. Needless to say, we are very happy where we are, and so glad we made the move!

Cooper just keeps getting older and cuter. He is now 10 months old and walking. He has been walking since he was 9 months old, but he is so much better at it now and it is way too cute! He has such a personality and has us cracking up ALL the time. I can't get enough of him! He also does "So Big"... which I think is one of the most adorable things kids do. He just learned it recently so out of the blue he will throw his hands up and start laughing waiting for me to say "So Big". Again, my little clown making jokes.

We also, started a Gymboree class so Cooper could have some friends his age instead of just mommy and daddy. He absolutely loves the class. He can't get enough of the music and all the monkeying around. Cooper learned how to say hello and goodbye with his hands. Now whenever we see people when we are out, he puts his hands out and opens and closes them both to say hi. I might be biased but he is way too adorable! He is learning something new everyday, and I love watching him discover. Like when he realized, after he has used Kona to step onto the couch, that if he turns around and puts his feet down first, he can get down. My little genius.

Anyway, I can go on for hours talking about him... I have become one of those parents, but what can I say he is the best! So I will shut up, and hopefully I can keep up with my blog and not wait 4 months to post again! Until next time...!

EXCITING NEWS ON THE HOMEFRONT!

So there is something exciting I would like to share. I have decided to go back to school to get my nursing degree!! I have wanted to do this for some time, and have been bothering Michael about it. Then when I had Cooper I was talking to my labor and delivery nurse and she just confirmed it more for me in my mind. She was my age when she decided to go back to school to get her degree and she said it was the best thing she has ever done. So, when I got laid off AGAIN, when I returned from my maternity leave, Michael and I decided to do it now or I would never get it done. As of April 26, I enrolled in my first two classes. I need a few prerequisites before I can apply to the program, so I am getting it out of the way. But I am super excited, and the first class I am taking is to get my Nurses Aid Certificate so I am really excited to jump right in. Anyway, I wanted to share because I was super excited and I didn't want to say anything until I got in to these classes. I still have to apply to the program in the fall so I am not there yet, but I am one step closer! I AM A STUDENT AGAIN! YAY!

LONG OVERDUE!

So it has been awhile since my last post. Cooper is almost 6 months old!!! Since the last time I posted he learned to crawl (currently the army crawl, but getting closer every day), sit on his own, and is pulling himself up on anything he can in his reach. This kid will do anything to get moving... he will not sit still for a moment. This need for movement has been going on since he was little, always rolling over and crawling on my chest when I hold him. He is just like his Daddy! Of course he is still teething and we NEED this tooth to pop. We have some sleepless nights while we wait patiently. Everything goes into his mouth, and if it is your finger be careful because it hurts. We had to move his crib mattress down so he wouldn't fall out of his bed... and I just love when he wakes up in the morning and he is sitting up in his bed playing with his pacifier and blanket! Cooper is growing up so fast and way too fast for me. I love how he is more interactive and mobile, but I miss my baby! Although, I have to say I do LOVE when I hug him and he snuggles his little head in my neck and hugs me back with a squeeze. He is my little snuggle bug, and I wouldn't change that for the world. I never thought I could love something so much, but sometimes I have to stop myself from hugging or kissing him to death. I could go on forever writing about him. Every day there is something new, something exciting, something worth talking about. Well, at least that is how I feel, but if I wrote about it you would all be bored, so I won't. Anyway, our little guy is doing great. Growing, learning and exploring, and I love watching him do it all. Pictures will be posted soon, so enjoy!

DOCTOR UPDATE!

Just a quick update. We had our Children's appointment last week and we are happy to announce that Cooper is absolutely great, completely healthy, and we were told to never come back :)! So as you can imagine Michael and I are very relieved and enjoying our baby boy as he grows and changes every day!

HALLOWEEN IN MARCH!

So every year my sister and brother-in-law have a big Halloween party. This year they were not able to do it because they were in the process of moving! Instead they had a Housewarming/Halloween party. We were all so excited about it, but seeing that there are not Halloween stores in March this is what we did instead. If you have seen The Hangover you would understand this photo without an explanation. But seeing that not everyone would watch such a great movie I will explain. Michael is Allan from The Hangover, and Cooper is "Carlos" the baby they found in the closet of their hotel room the next morning. Michael carried him around like this all night and it was hysterical. At least to us! I am not pictured because my costume wasn't anything special, but I was Heather Graham's character and "Carlos" was my son! We had a great night, and although not many people dressed up, it was still just as fabulous as ever!

A LITTLE RECAP!

So Cooper is almost 4 months, and I think it has been about a month since my last post. He is getting so big so fast, and I feel like he doesn't even look like the same baby I brought home almost four months ago. Since the last update he has learned to roll over from back to stomach. Now he can do the log roll around the house if he wants. We are hoping that now when he flips himself from stomach to back in the middle of the night... we don't have to come in and rescue an awkward turtle! :) He has also learned to "sit" up for short periods of time. It is fun to watch him slowly lean to one side and fall over. He is picking up toys and learning what he can do with his hands... and EVERYTHING goes into his mouth!He is thoroughly in awe of Kona. They are already best buddies. Cooper just watches Kona be silly all the time, and then they will have cute tender moments where Kona gives Cooper kisses, Cooper pets Kona, or they lay next to each other. It is just adorable. Cooper is talking up a storm, and seems to always have something to say. He is always smiling and laughing, it is the best feeling to get him in the morning and he looks at you with the BIGGEST smile.
He has founds his toes, and it makes for a very hard diaper changing time, but it is worth the excitement he gets playing with them. He loves loves loves bath time... and probably the only person who loves loves loves mommy's singing. There is just so much new that happens day to day I just want to be with him all the time so I don't miss a thing. Cooper is such a joy to be with and such a happy baby!This past weekend we were met with our first "troubled" time with him. Our poor little guy got an ear infection! Infants with ear infections are not a fun thing. They have no way to tell you whats wrong, and what hurts! I spent two days trying to figure out what was causing him to not sleep or eat, and just cry anytime I put him down. I slept maybe 2 hours in 48 hours. Finally Monday morning we took him to the doctor and sure enough he had an ear infection. He spent Monday night sleeping half the night in his car seat so he wasn't laying down... then the other half in my arms. It hasn't been until the past two days that our little smiling face has returned. He still has his moments, but it is nice to have my little guy back! So needless to say, Mommy and Daddy are REALLY tired and need sleep!That pretty much sums up what he has been up to. Next week we start him on his first solid foods... rice cereal! We are excited to see how he does with it. He is growing so fast... before you know it he will be running around the house AAAAAHHHH!!! Look at that precious face!

Just An Observation!

I was reviewing my blog and all the pictures I have added and I noticed that in EVERY picture I am on Michael's left side (right side of the picture). I don't know why, but whenever we take pictures I am on his left. I don't know about any of you, but maybe subconsciously I have a better side and it just ends that way. If you would like to see a small series of what I am talking about, look at the title picture and all the pictures to the right of the blog... then laugh! :)