Favorites

My little baby is quickly turning into a little boy.  On one hand it's fun and exciting to see him growing and learning and changing so much.  He is a joy to observe as he discovers new things, adapts to his increased coordination, and learns to share his opinions with a confident VOICE that is growing ever louder by the day.
On the other hand, it's a bit melancholy to be approaching his first birthday.  The once teeny tiny fingers and toes are now chubby pudgy and busy as ever.  Those pure and helpless eyes are now frequently filled with innocent mischief and calculated cheer.  It all changed overnight, it seems.  And so it is sad to know that these adorable days too will transform into memories... all too quickly.
But alas, I will continue to live present in the moment, drinking it in before it is gone.

Cooper's Favorite Things (11 months old)

• Admiring himself in the mirror or any reflective surface... for long stretches of time (long for an 11 month old at least) 

• Grinding his two tiny bottom teeth against his four tiny top teeth
• Blowing bubbles and drinking his bath water
• The dishwasher!!! He absolutely LOVES the dishwasher.  If he hears me loading or unloading dishes, he will bee-line it from across the house just so he can play with the silverware and plates.

• Dancing with his shoulders whenever he hears music with a lively beat
• Avocados, strawberries, pineapple, bananas, Nilla Wafers, toast, and anything mommy's eating
• Gnawing on the TV remote and daddy's XBox controller (daddy's favorite!)        
• Ba-ba's (aka bottles)
• His cousin Boston, who he adores and thinks is SO funny!

• Water-- be it in the pool, the bath, the sink... or even... yes... the toilet.  Yuck! 

• Dropping his Binki over the side of his crib at nap time and then screaming until I come in and get it for him.  I think it's his way of postponing his nap and getting mommy to keep coming back in his room.  Little stinker!  Clever, but a stinker all the same.
• Opening the kitchen cupboards and pulling everything out

• Story time-- he especially loves the books with flaps that he can open.  He's a very interactive reader!
• Primary songs-- I first learned this when we were driving home and he was very upset.  Nothing worked to calm him down until I started singing "I Love To See The Temple".  Now it works like a charm every single time.  We've added a few other songs that have become favorites as well: "Families Can Be Together Forever" and "My Heavenly Father Loves Me".

I love my sweet Cooper James!!!

Mother's Best Day

The sun is just setting on a perfect day.

No, really.  I can see the sunset out my window right now and it's so pretty.  And it really was a perfect "1st Mother's Day".

It all starts with a marvelous husband.  (Let's be honest, that's what really makes this day different from every other day... at least when you're still mothering a baby, and not one old enough to talk and sing and write cute notes.)  That being said, however, it is because of my sweet little baby boy that I get to celebrate my own motherhood today.

Clint has made this day nothing short of perfection for me.  With him keeping all the dishes done, doing all the cooking, keeping Cooper busy and happy, giving me beautiful flowers, and letting me take a nice long nap... I am falling in love with motherhood all over again.  And look at this beautifully perfect meal...

I mean, we're not talking about Mac n' Cheese or Ramen noodles.  And this was only dinner.  Our lunch after church was german pancakes, a personal favorite of mine.  I'm one lucky gal... and not just because of the food.  When it comes to the boys in my life, I could ask for nothing more.

Clint and Cooper, thank you both for a perfect day!!!  I love you!

An Update...

A visit to Dr. Fershtman recently resulted in a bit of lethargy.  Our little guy was out for hours after three shots in the legs.  When he woke, nothing interested him enough to move out of this position...

...a very unlikely position for sweet Cooper James, who NEVER stops moving these days.  He recovered quickly though, and found great interest with his little "ouwy patches".

 
9 1/2 Months
Height: 30.25" (95%)
Weight: 19 lbs. 5 oz. (25%)
Head: 45 cm. (35%)

April Fools!

With only two days until Clint's 30th birthday, and the big day falling on a Sunday, it was imperative that Cooper and I plan a little celebration in advance so that we could party with all of our Texas family.  What better day to fool Clint into thinking we were just running morning errands, than on April Fool's Day.  Hehe!

As part of our "errands" I, of course, had to stop by the bowling ally to pick up some "camp manuals" from a "woman in our stake" (who was "there with her grand children") for my calling.  Reluctantly, and quite honestly a bit bored with the idea, Clint drove me and Cooper to our destination... and drove himself right to the heart of a big surprise from all of our Texas family!  (Haha!  Our plan is working perfectly! ... Said with an evil kenevil voice.)  Clint never suspected a thing!

We bowled to our hearts content...

...and there's the birthday boy now... tearing up the lanes with his high speed fast balls..

The kids were all lined up waiting for their turn to bowl.

Boston, Lydia, Parker

Even Cooper couldn't wait for his turn to give it a go...

So mommy helped him roll a few balls down the lane...

We all had lots of fun!!!

Two thumbs-up from Boston after a killer bowl...

Cooper takes a quick bottle break...

Aunt Katie is the best!  An extra lap is essential with seven kids running/crawling around!

Clint and Cooper take it easy in between turns...

Aunt Jodi and cousin Asher cheer everyone on...

And Cooper and Brandon become best buddies...

After trying to take this shot three times, with no success...

...we loaded our hungry bowling team up and headed to a yummy pizzeria for some of Clint's favorite food!

Great food, even better folks, and lots of fun!  A birthday dream come true!  Happy birthday Clint/daddy!

(Stay tuned for scenes from the next birthday highlight... dessert and presents on Sunday night!)

Sunday was a nice relaxing day.  We enjoyed watching General Conference and spending most of our day together in our PJ's.  We had freshly made English scones for breakfast...

Cooper carefully watched Clint open the present he gave him...

Later, we had friends and family over for birthday dessert (let's just call it a heavenly ice cream dessert worth every calorie)...

Round 'Em Up Y'all!

We recently went to the Houston rodeo, a huge event here in Houston.  In fact, we had no idea how big this thing was until we showed up.  Hosted at the Reliant Stadium grounds, the rodeo was much more than just a rodeo.  There was a carnival, rides, pig racing, dancing, mutton bustin', a petting zoo, horse shows, concerts, educational displays for kids, and about every kind of fried food (or dessert) you can think of.

Naturally, we spent most of our time in Kid's Country... which worked up our Texas-sized appetites for some of that notorious southern rodeo food.

Appetizer: Fried Alligator (not too bad actually)

Dinner: Authentic Cowboy Burrito

...even Cooper had some... and loved it!

Dessert: Fried Everything!  But we just shared a few bites of some of the top recommendations... Oreos, Snickers and Cheesecake.  The Oreos were definitely the favorite pick of both me and Cooper.

What We Skipped: Giant Roasted Turkey Legs (almost as long as your forearm), sausage-on-a-stick, corn-dog-on-a-stick, pizza-on-a-stick, you-name-it-on-a-stick, and, among other things on the fried dessert menu, fried oatmeal cream pie and fried cupcakes.

Of all the things in Kid's Country, I think the petting zoo was Cooper's favorite.

Haha!  Okay, so he doesn't look like he's having fun, but it really wasn't that bad.  We met some little pigs, goats, deer, sheep, llamas and kangaroos.

Ms. Moo wasn't quite so frightening though... and it helped that daddy and cousin Boston were there for moral support as well.

Behind bars, this bull certainly wasn't a threat either...

Back on the ranch, cousins Boston and Lydia milked their first cow...

As it got dark Cooper loved seeing all the colored lights and watching all the kids on the carousel ride.

A bright-eyed Cooper watches excitedly from the safety of his stroller while his cousins take a whirl on the ferris wheel...

It made for a fun packed day, and one tired little stinker bug.

Well, that's all folks!