Giving Thanks

I am thankful for a loving husband who is also my best friend, a great family who loves me and supports the crazy things I do, friends who are fun and listen when I have something to say, a job where I can spend more time with my family, a team at work that can get a phenomenal amount of work done without me having to worry, and the ability to have the baby spend a few months with his daddy rather than day care. But most of all I am thankful I get to wake up to this every day....

Rock n Rolla

Today our little turkey is a whopping 15 weeks old. And he can roll over! I now have proof. Brandon has been practicing with him daily and as of today, we can't keep him on his back.

Back to the Daily Grind

So we haven't posted anything in awhile (pesky work gets in the way of my internet time), so I thought I would share the latest news. Coop got his jumperoo in the mail the other day and he seems to like it, the look of horror is really just because of my flash (I promise). Other than that, Coop and Brandon have been doing really good and work has not been too bad for me (I love having Fridays off to spend with the boy).

Cooper has also been foaming at the mouth like Cujo and eating his fist constantly for some time, so I finally dug my grubby fingers in his mouth and discovered two little tooth buds. It kind of broke my heart because he is just growing too fast!

Monday was exciting, I said 'love you' to Cooper and he said it back to me. I said it again, and he said it again too. It was kind of creepy because he said it so perfectly, I thought my baby was possessed. But alas, he has since refused to utter another syllable. He also rolled from his tummy to his back (according to Brandon...again, pesky work). I think Brandon might have made that one up since I haven't seen it and I think he just tries to tell me all the productive things they do all day as opposed to what they really might be doing (sleeping and watching too much TV). I do know that when I come home from work, we can't speak until Wife Swap is over. Really? Wife Swap?

Cooper's GQ Pose

Ok, show me studious and reflective...but friendly and accessible.

Hmmm. I don't know.

I think that it kind of looks like you are trying to poo.

What a blessing...

Last weekend we had Cooper blessed and he looked adorable in his little outfit. I also had to go back to work on Thursday and it went really well (especially since I didn't work on Friday). And not that I wanted Brandon to fail or anything, but I was surprised by how much I wasn't needed. Instead of coming home to a house looking like a tornado and a dirty, crying baby still in his pjs; I came home to a clean house, a very happy and well fed baby (he took a bottle!!) who was dressed in a stylin' color-coordinated get up. Of course Brandon looked a little worse for the wear, but I was amazed at how much better of a job Brandon did on his first day compared to some of mine.

I feel blessed that we were able to time this whole thing so that Brandon is able to stay home with him for a few months. It makes me feel much better leaving Cooper with his papa rather than someone else. Plus he LOVES his daddy and thinks he is the funniest thing ever.

Cooper is also reaching that stage where he is really fun, he laughs and giggles at everything. Especially at 5:00 in the morning when he likes to get up. He is also taking a bigger interest in everything and he is learning how to hit some of his toys on his bouncer to make them spin. I just can't wait to see what he is going to be doing next week!

Wee! We're Going to Hawaii!!

Ok, not really.

But it sounds so much better than where I really am. Which is at work away from my little Hula Hubba. Brandon is officially on baby patrol for awhile. And I am only working four days a week so hopefully that will work out ok for all of us. Too bad that whole winning the lottery thing didn't work out while I was off. Let's just cross our fingers that I don't have horrible separation anxiety and go into convulsions, shall we?

And what is with the Hawaiian getup you ask? Well Coop is growing so fast we had to wear it before it is winter and he would look ridiculous in such an outfit (ever the fashionista that Cooper).

Don't Forget to Vote!

Top Reasons to Vote
Because this is the most important election of our lifetime, (unlike, say, 1996, which was, like, totally lame. Why did they even have an election then?)

To shut up all those "If you didn't vote then you can't complain" people.

Because if you don’t vote, the terrorists win (unless you were going to vote for the terrorists, in which case they win anyway).

Because people in Iraq braved violence and long lines to vote for their ineffectual government, you don't have to brave either to vote for yours (well maybe long lines, and possible fake facial brandings).

You like to stand in line and pretend you're waiting for a Wii or an iPhone.

To relive those test taking days in college when you just filled in the circles randomly hoping to get some right.

Family Foto

Scene 1-Brandon leans over to kiss me good night.

Sniff, sniff.

B: You smell like HIM.

Me: You mean like spit up?

B: Sniff. No, just like baby.

Me: Sniff. Are you sure he doesn't smell like me (trying to remember the last time I bathed)?

B: No, you smell like baby.

Me: I still think it is a cross between vomit and poo.

Halloween Numbers

• # of ginormous bags of candy purchased from The Happiest Place on Earth (i.e. Costco): 1
• # of pounds of said ginormous bag of candy: 4.5
• # of pounds remaining by Halloween: less than 1
• # of pounds that magically transferred to my butt: 3
• # of pieces of candy passed out on Halloween: Zero
• # of Halloween outfits for the CooperMan: 2
• # of pumpkins that remained uncarved by Halloween: 2
• # of Halloween parties missed because the baby won't take a bottle from ANYONE, ANYTIME, EVER: 1
• # of lights left on on Halloween night in an empty house just to avoid anyone thinking that we were child molesters participating in Operation Lights Out: 3

Benefit of not having your neighbors think you are child molesters: Priceless

More....

The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn’t been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him. -Pablo Casals

Blue Steel

This is Cooper's "Blue Steel" pose. Yup, he is so my kid.

Here are just a few reasons why my little photo shoot became a bank breaker....

In honor of Halloween, I present...

Mummy Dearest.

This is my new favorite baby product/sanity saver. Cooper has outgrown his sleep sack and the swaddle wrap that goes with it. But when he tries to sleep without being swaddled, he flails and kicks and kicks and flails and cannot get to sleep. This leads to much crying from both of us.

This Miracle Wrap is aptly named and is just that. A miracle! Last night my little straight jacketed baby (I promise this is more humane than it looks) slept 7 hours (he never goes past 4) and after he ate he slept another 3 straight (he usually spends the midmorning hours getting up every hour). Whoo-hoo!

P.S. I promise that look on Cooper's face is not a look of sheer terror, but merely of surprise as I flashed him in a dimly lit room ("yeah right" said social services).

An Epooiphany

So I was marveling today at how amazing I thought it was that Cooper exploded in his swing. But the smile on his face was priceless; he thought it was hilarious. I just had him in there for a minute and I think he timed it! It was such a hoot I had to call my mom and tell her about it at her dentist appointment.

And then I reflected on how wild it is that this stuff entertains me to no end. Having a baby is awe inspiring. I think that it is like being a planet and you are the center of your universe. Then this sun (no pun intended) moves into your solar system and it draws you into it's gravitational pull and suddenly you have a new orbit forever circling this sun. And this new sun sustains life on your planet and is the reason for it's existence. It is absolutely crazy and amazingly fun.

In Dante's Divine Comedy he describes God as not merely a blinding vision of glorious light, but that He is, most of all, l'amor che move il sole e l'altre stelle... "The love that moves the sun and the other stars."

Yup. It's something like that.

What are you looking at??