"Great With Child"

I have been meaning to put these pictures up for a long time, and since Matt is watching a movie that I have NO interest in, I thought now would be a good time. (Matt and I do not have similar interests when it comes to movies). These pictures were taken 4 days before Cooper was born. You may ask, "Why would you take family pictures when you know they will be outdated in 4 days?" That would be because my brother Tim left on his mission 6 days after this picture was taken, and since I was in the hospital for the last 2 of those 6 days, this was the only chance. I love, love, love these pictures!!! The only problem is that Cooper is not in them. Isn't Sydney such a doll though? So cute! We took these pictures literally in the river. It was so funny watching me try to walk out in the middle of the water, in my heels, with my 9 1/2 months pregnant belly, and then to watch me try and balance myself on specific rocks. The photographer kept trying to "hide" my belly, which we thought was pretty funny. It wasn't very possible to hide it. You can tell that in some of the pictures my shirt was pulled out so much by my belly that it was kind of see-through and shiny. It makes me laugh to think about my tummy back then... after I had Cooper a lady in my mom's ward told me, "Wow, I bet you feel better now... you were the definition of 'great with child'!"

Curls

Apparently I blog a lot when I'm sick... it gives me a break from the tv I guess. I've been going through pictures a lot lately, trying to organize them on our new computer. I LOVE pictures, if you haven't noticed. They bring back so many memories. I finally got pictures on the computer from when Cooper was born. I have been so sad because we lost most of our pictures from the hospital... we had a bad memory card and I guess they got erased :( Luckily we took two cameras to the hospital so we have pictures from one of the cameras. I finally have all (I think) of our pictures on the computer so now I just need to back them up in another place. Here are some recent pictures...

I have been trying to give the kids baths before bed every night- (I used to in the mornings)- but it is pretty hard with Matt's schedule! Ideally I like them better at nights. They both have so much fun in the bath! Sydney likes to pretend she has "whiskers like Pampa" and she puts "Pampa's hair" on Cooper's head. He puts up with a lot from her! And these pictures also prove that Sydney's hair is naturally curly. People ask me all the time! You can see that it is curly when it's wet... which is all the proof you need. Here are some pictures of how her hair naturally dries after it has been combed straight!

If Pregnant or Breastfeeding...

"Do not take if pregnant or breastfeeding"... has been my life for 3 years now. I am sick, and can't take much as far as medicine goes, and it stinks. Matt will be home in an hour and a half, and I have been counting down for the last 5 hours. I miss those days when my mom took care of me when I was sick. It is totally a different experience when you have your own kids to take care of at the same time. My house is a disaster, I can't talk or eat, my energy is zapped, and there isn't much I can do about it. Tomorrow will be a better day... hopefully :)

Valentine's Weekend

We will just start off by saying... winter is not my favorite time of year. Sure there is nothing like a white Christmas, but Christmas is long gone, time to warm up! I do not like the cloudy, sunless skies. I do not like the freezing cold. I do not like being stuck in a two bedroom apartment all day every day. I just don't like it. Sometimes, when I haven't been out in a while, and when it's been super cloudy and gloomy, it just gets to me. Last week was one of those weeks. I was having a hard time, and Matt knew it. So he sent me these flowers to just say "thanks for all that you do for our family!" Wow, did I marry a great guy or what? I am so grateful to know that Matt supports me in all that I do. Being a stay at home mom is not a glamourous job, and frankly sometimes it is SO HARD! But Matt always reminds me that we are doing the right thing for our family. I love that we have made these decisions together... I really feel like Matt and I make a good team. We both try to support each other and help each other through our hard times, and he is always there to cheer me up! Thank you Matt for always making me feel better!

Valentine's weekend was a good one for us. Matt had his usual Thursday off, and then he took Friday, Saturday, and Monday off. Partly because he was sick, partly so we could go on a date for Valentine's Day, and partly because he could. It was nice to have him home with us for that long! Today we are missing him even more than usual because we enjoyed being together so much!

We spent a lot of time at home, taking turns being sick. All of us have had various stages of fevers, sick tummies, sore throats, coughs, and runny noses. Poor Sydney has had the worst of it, being sick since Thursday and she's still got it. Her appetite is still not back up to par, but her personality is starting to shine through again, so I think she is on the mend. We took her to the doctor on Saturday, and of course they said, "it's just a virus, there's nothing we can do." Ugh! Why on Earth do I even take my kids to the doctor?... that's what they say every time!!! Usually I wait a while before I do take them, because of that very reason, but after 3 days of a fever of 102 I decided it was time. I was just glad to have Matt at home with me for most of the time, because it was much easier with his help. On the bright side, most mom's will tell you, sick cuddles and snuggles are the best! It was so fun to spend the weekend cuddling up all together and watching movies, which is something that our energetic Sydney will just not do!

Matt and I did manage to go on a much needed Valentine's date! Allie came over on Friday to watch both Sydney and Cooper. It was her first time watching both of them, and was such a nice break for us! Matt surprised me with reservations to Market Street Grill, and it was delicious! Then we had to head home because Allie called and poor Cooper would not take his bottle. After a quick feeding, we were on our way again. We went to a movie- Leap Year. It was pretty good and funny. We had such a good time together. I wish we could afford to go on dates more often!

Valentine's Day was a pretty lazy day for us. We started out the day with heart shaped pancakes... yummy! Then Matt went to church to teach our class, while I stayed home with sick kids. When Matt got home he and Cooper enjoyed taking a nap together! Cooper does not get to sleep in Mom and Dad's arms as often as Sydney did, so this was a real treat for both of them...

I enjoyed making valentines with Sydney! We always have fun when we bust out the crayons!

When the boys woke up, we made Cooper's valentine. Things get messy when Daddy helps...

In the afternoon we went over to my family's house. We made some yummy Valentine's sugar cookies and had a delicious dinner...

Then we had fun playing together. Allie, Brett, and Michael got to take turns being the horsie for Sydney. And Sydney had to make sure that Grandma got to ride as well. Allie couldn't quite go anywhere when Grandma got on, but the boys did pretty well carrying them both around :)

Then we made a fort, girls only! We read books, sang songs, and giggled while inside! So fun...

I have always loved Valentine's Day, even though I have not had a "valentine" very often. I think it is such a fun day, and it is important to remember those people you love. Our weekend was filled with love, and even though we were all sick, it was perfect!

Happy Valentine's Day

We wanted to wish all of our friends and family a HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! We love you!!!

26

It is weird to think that Matt and I have known each other for almost 10 years now... since we were 16 & 15! How is it that time flies by so fast? I really don't feel much different than when I was 20, and here we are 5 years later, still feeling the same age, yet not the same age. Now I know why old people forget how old they are... the years just blend together now. Matt turned 26 on Friday! It was a pretty uneventful day. He worked as usual, but then we went to Matt's grandparent's house for some cake and ice cream. It is always fun to visit with them!

Matt had his second Saturday off since the month of July! His schedule just changed so now he has every other Saturday off, and every other Thursday off. It is nice to have a few Saturdays thrown in there and makes it much easier for us to do things with friends and family. We had Chris and Lisa and the Appel family come over for some cake and ice cream. I made a yummy ice cream cake and it turned out delicious! Definitely one I will make again! Happy birthday Matt!

Cooper 4 Months

It is hard to imagine that 4 months ago today my brother left on his mission and it was officially our first full day home from the hospital. What a week that was! Cooper is becoming a little chunk. I love his chubby cheeks, his contagious smile, and his cooing little voice! He gets so excited to see me, which delights me! He will move his arms up and down so fast when he sees me... so cute! He is so close to rolling over from flat on his back to his front- just getting stuck on his arm, I'm sure it will be any day now. He gets so frustrated when he can't roll all the way over and then starts crying. Cooper likes to arch his back, and will scoot off a blanket if he is laying on it. He often kicks his socks off and kicks his legs a lot more now. He loves to kick and splash in the bath tub. He loves to smile at Sydney and Matt, especially if he spots them from across the room. He has a cute little laugh, especially when we tickle him and are laughing ourselves! He is still a great sleeper, both at night and for naps. When Cooper does cry, it is very sad and dramatic. He knows how to melt our hearts! He loves to play with his tongue and blow bubbles. Cooper is such a happy baby and we sure love him!

Poor Cooper has been sleeping in his swing in the family room, instead of in his crib. His big sister seems to think it is a good idea to climb in his crib in the middle of the night, which is pretty dangerous to his safety... so we are working on coming up with a better solution to that problem!

Cooper does not like laying on his tummy... can you tell? He will roll over onto his back, if his arms are in the right position, and is then much happier! He will lay on his back content for a while, especially if he is on his play mat with his toys, which he loves.

At 4 months Cooper weighed 15 lbs 1 oz (52%), was 25 inches (51%), and had a head circumference of 16.3 inches (28%). The doctor said he is a champ and is healthy as can be! We are so grateful for his health and that he is developing well.