8 Months!!!

8 Months! Once again, another month has flown by! Cooper is such a fun and happy baby, and is loving life right now. He loves food, and has never not liked any type of baby food. The other day Matt gave him a taste of a popsicle. It was so funny to watch Cooper beg for more. Matt folded pretty easily, and then the popsicle became Cooper's. He is so close to crawling! He gets up on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth, and sometimes he even gets up on his hands and toes, like a push-up. He almost always has his legs stuck under something- a couch, bed, etc, from pushing himself around backwards into things. It is so fun to watch his little brain try to figure out how to get to something he wants. Cooper will not ever sit still! I'll sit him on his bum, and he'll go into a crawling position, and either push backward or roll around the room. So he is constantly hitting into things, which is funny because it is so 'boy' to me. However, if I am holding him, he will still cuddle, which I love! We have finally stopped swaddling him when he sleeps, so now he rolls around the crib, and ends up in all sorts of different places. It is funny to see where he'll be when he wakes up. Cooper is very ticklish! I can tickle him anywhere- feet, legs, tummy, neck, back- and he squirms and laughs and laughs!

I have moments every day, when I wish I could stop time. I sure love my 2 year old Sydney and how fun and energetic she is, and I look forward to having Cooper grow up, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE kissing his big, chubby, baby cheeks. I love listening to his little jabbering, da-da-da-da, or mommmmma, mommmma when he cries. I love rocking him in the rocking chair, and feeling his soft baby skin, and smelling his yummy baby smell. It would be so nice to be able to bottle that smell, that touch, and that feeling, so I could have that moment any time I wanted! Those moments sure make all the hard times worth it!

This is the best picture I've been able to get of Cooper's eyes. On our computer, when it is close up, you can see his "petals" a little bit, but it still doesn't quite give them justice.

Trying to crawl

sleeping

a quick shot of sitting, but you can see his foot is starting to tuck under and he's leaning forward, so he's getting on his hands and knees

I love this picture, because it just seems to capture what Cooper is often like. In the middle of a roll, with a huge smile on his face! He's always either sucking in his bottom lip, or smiling. Both are cute but we sure love his smiles!

Shmancy Fancy Parties, Silly Faces, and Sleepy Babies

On Friday night Allie and Brett had a birthday party to go to. It was the fanciest party I've ever heard of! They had to wear masks and fancy clothes because it was a masquerade ball. My mom dug out my old dress from high school dances for Allie to wear. Holy smokes, the invitation even looked like a wedding invitation- not kidding! It was even downtown in some ballroom with a banquet of Brazilian food. So we had to make some masks for them to wear to this shmancy fancy party. We went to Hobby Lobby and bought plain white masks, scrap-booking paper, feathers, sequins, modge podge, and the like. These are what we came up with! I'm pretty proud of them actually, and had fun making them, so thank you to Thabata for having a fancy 16th birthday party!

Don't they look great?

Sydney felt left out not having a mask on, so she made a silly face for the camera...

I couldn't resist taking this picture of Cooper, so sleepy, just laying on Daddy- so cute!

I Looked Out the Window, and What Did I See?

NOT popcorn popping on the apricot tree.... I saw SNOW! Snow on May 24th! Not just a little bit of snow. Snow covering the ground, on the rooftops, and constantly, continually, falling! So much for MAY FLOWERS!

I woke up early today. For those of you who know me, that's not something I do often. But, I was motivated. I wanted to take the kids on a morning walk. I wanted to walk to a park, and play, before nap time, so that I could get more done today. I wanted to take them to the library. I had plans! So I woke up early, to get ready and do some laundry before the kids woke up, so when they woke up we could just do breakfast, and then go on a nice walk. Ooops- I forgot that winter in Utah lasts 9 MONTHS! As long as it takes to grow a baby inside of you! And not only does it last that long, spring (or "still-winter" as we should really call it) likes to have a nice day every once in a while just to tease us. Just to make us think it is going to warm up. I don't like spring very much, because it really isn't very nice! Pools are supposed to open next week! Do you really see us swimming NEXT WEEK? Because I don't. I think I would like to be an animal that hibernates, and misses all of winter. Or maybe moving to Arizona would work?

For a trip down memory lane... I remember one summer that it snowed in June. Yes June. School was out for the SUMMER, and I was working at the pool. Now, who in their right mind would go swimming in the snow? Just in case you are wondering, the answer is NO ONE! No one was at the pool. We had new management that year, so they were very insistent on doing everything right. They made us go up to our stations and sit (or stand) and watch the pool with NOT ONE PERSON IN IT! 9 lifeguards for not one person! The reasoning? Because if people drive by the pool, and there are no lifeguards out, they will think the pool is closed and won't come to swim. HELLO, they won't come to swim because it is SNOWING OUTSIDE! I remember sitting on the stand, in my SWIMMING SUIT, in the SNOW, thinking that we are all insane for living in Utah where it snows in June. I am having that thought today. So much for the park... I guess I'll upload some pictures to the computer, and maybe do another blog post. Maybe by then I'll have calmed down about the snow :)

Change

I am one of those people who does not really like change. Obviously there are good changes in life. Obviously we need things to change and evolve, or life really would become boring. But I am often a little bit sad every time something in my life changes. Even when I got married- the happiest day of my life- I was a little bit sad to be leaving my best friends! We had so much fun living together, and not everyone can say that about their roommates! I really do love these girls!

It is weird to think how much our lives have changed since we were freshmen! We have added new friends to the group, we are all graduated now, some of us have great jobs, some of us are back in school getting Master's Degrees (smarties!), some of us have kids, we all live in different places now, life has changed a lot.

A few of us were able to get together on Tuesday night, to celebrate Kelli's birthday, and to say goodbye to Chelsey and her darling kids. They are moving to Sacramento, CA, probably FOREVER! It's too bad that we can't all live in Utah (or Arizona) on the same block for the rest of our lives! Maybe someday we will all be rich enough to take a girls trip once a year, like we always planned. Until then, the times when we are able to get together will be treasured memories, even if they are few and far between. Good luck to Chelsey and her family in California! And I am very jealous that you are on your way to starting a career (we'll be there someday!) I'm so glad that we got to see you before you left!

Silly faces from Sydney and Hunter (5 days apart in age) Can you believe how big our babies have gotten??? Here they are when they were about 2 weeks old!

Jumping!

Cooper will love being the only little guy in a sea of cute girls! Holding hands already...

The two newest additions, who happened to be wearing the same cute outfit... Noelle and Audrey

The group- it is hard to get a good picture with so many babies involved :)

Thanks for hosting Code! You are the best!

Missed you Dayna and Bekah!

Hope you are settling into your new place Chelsey!

Happy Birthday Kelli!

AND A BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO STACIE! So excited and happy for you!

The Zoo

Last year after Matt lost his job we bought a season pass to Hogle Zoo. We went to the zoo A LOT while Matt wasn't working to help pass the time and spend some time together. I think every one of us enjoyed it a lot. We loved seeing all the baby animals being born: monkeys, tigers, leopards, the baby giraffe, and of course the baby elephant Zuri! I was of course pregnant, and remember walking up all those hills at the zoo, in the hot sun, thinking I was going to die, but it was good exercise. It was always to fun to pack lunches and eat there. We enjoyed the bird show, sunshine, cloudy days, everything! Our season pass definitely was worth it! Sydney has been talking about the zoo all winter, and I've been promising her that as soon as it was warm enough we would go to the zoo. So, last week we met up with Courtney and Kate and hit the zoo! It was so fun to be back there! It was Cooper's first time at the zoo, and his first time spending the day outside being pushed around in a stroller. I forgot how fun it is to go on walks with a baby. He was so content the whole time! It was fun to think back to the days when I was walking around that zoo pregnant with him, imagining how it would be to be bringing two kids to the zoo! I loved it! We'll probably be renewing our membership, and look forward to many more days at the zoo! So fun!

So sweet!

I couldn't get a good picture of the two of them for the life of me... Sydney is really into making funny faces in pictures lately

Baby Zuri has gotten bigger! Sydney was so excited to see her again!

Sydney and Kate had a fun time walking around holding hands! So cute!

1 Week!!!

Well you would think that after a great weekend this LONG Monday would be a little more bearable! We did have a great weekend though! Matt won some Sugarland tickets at work, and was able to switch his schedule with someone, so we got to have a DATE NIGHT on Friday! We went to dinner at Ruby Tuesdays and then walked over to the concert! It was so fun to get out and spend some time together. The concert was fun and made me feel like a teenager again (ha ha!) Thanks Allie for babysitting!

On Saturday, Matt had the day off work. We slept in and hung around our house for a little while. Then we went to Brett's baseball games, which they dominated in and won both! It was nice to spend some time outside and watch some baseball! Speaking of baseball, the Yankees killed the Red Sox twice this weekend :) and yes they lost once, but I'll take 2 out of 3!

Then of course Sunday was Mother's Day. When we woke up, Matt and the kids gave me a present. Some chocolates and a new paper cutter- I lost my paper cutter when we moved, so it will be really nice to have one! It was so thoughtful of them to think of that! We went to church in my family's ward, because my parents and Allie were speaking in Sacrament Meeting. We only attended one meeting, because as soon as we got home from Sacrament Meeting, my brother Tim called!!! It was so good to talk to him! He got to talk for about 2 hours! Then we went home for some naps, and got to talk to Alex! We didn't get to talk to him as long as Tim, but it was great to hear him and Matt speaking Spanish together! Tim and Alex both had accents (after only 7 months) and it was so fun to hear more about their missions and how they were doing! We sure love our missionary brothers! We miss them a lot, but we know that they are doing what they need to be doing at this time and are so proud of them! Sydney prays for them every night, "Bless Timmy and Alex on missions, be safe!" I am so grateful to them for their examples to my kids! After we talked to Alex we ate dinner with my family, and made some visits to our grandparents' houses. It was a busy day, but it is always so nice to spend time with family and visit! Couldn't have been a better day! I am so grateful to be a mother! I have always dreamed of having kids and being a mom. Sometimes I can't believe I am actually living my lifelong dream! My darling little kids and my husband mean everything in the world to me! And of course I am so grateful for my mom! She is an amazing mother, and I am always trying to be more like her!

It is 8:00 right now, and Matt won't be home from work for about another hour. This work schedule is getting old, and Monday's seem to be especially hard. Luckily, we only have ONE MORE WEEK of this work schedule. Next week Matt will start a new schedule- 8:00 to 4:30!!! I have been so excited and seriously can't wait!!! Matt was able to choose his schedule 6th out of 22 people, which was pretty impressive because he is one of the newest people there. He had such good stats that he passed those people up and was able to choose a new shift before them. I am so proud of all that he has accomplished at work this year. He has worked so hard and it has paid off. These past 2 weeks he has been working overtime everyday, and always puts so much effort into his work. His schedule has been really hard, and I am so glad that it is finally changing! We are so excited to be able to see our dad more, eat dinner earlier, get the kids to bed at a decent time, and everything that will come with this new shift! Next Monday, we will be getting the kids to bed at this time, instead of preparing dinner! Hooray!!!

Thoughts

I actually got on the computer today to upload some recent pictures of the zoo and our date last night, but I got distracted and found this video on someone else's blog. I encourage you to watch it. If you don't have time today, come back another time and watch it. I have heard bits and pieces about Stephanie Nielson, but I never knew a whole lot. This video has inspired me to be a better person and to be grateful for what I have. I promise you, it will help freshen up your perspective on life, which in all honesty, don't we all need a little freshening once in a while? I have been truly touched today, so I wanted to share this video with you. I hope you take the time to watch it!

I know that not many people read this blog, mostly close friends and family, so I am pretty comfortable with what I write on it. It has become my journal and I love writing my thoughts and experiences on it. This video inspired me to write down my thoughts so I could remember them. I have been thinking a lot lately. It has almost been one year since Matt lost his job. I don't think I will ever forget that day. He came home from work early, carrying a box. I looked at him and just knew. We were living in Courtney and Tyler's basement waiting for our first house to be built. We were full of hope for the future, excitedly making plans for our new house and our new baby. And all of a sudden, everything came crashing down. I felt like the world had collapsed. I remember taking a shower that day, a really long shower, just crying, wondering what we were going to do. Matt was so strong. He held me in his arms and let me cry, even though I'm sure he was even more nervous than I was. It is hard for me to believe that day was only one year ago. We have been through so much together in the past year. We have overcome such a big trial together, and I feel like it has brought us closer to each other and closer to the Lord. Matt found another job quickly. There were only a few months that it was very difficult financially. But it was a trial of our faith. Sydney turned 18 months old around that time. She went to nursery and didn't even cry once. I was able to attend Sunday School and Relief Society and really listen, and feel the spirit, without having to take care of my little daughter. What a blessing! I don't think there has even been a time in my life where church has helped me more. The Lord helped me deal with my worries, and I knew that we would get through it and be okay. I used to drive by the house we were building often, even after it was no longer ours. I would look at it and cry. I still feel like that house was ours, even though we never lived in it. I even call it our "old house." It was a symbol to me of hope and excitement for the future. When we lost that, it was really hard. We didn't know where we were going to live. We didn't know what we could afford. Our dreams and goals changed dramatically. Sometimes I still drive by that house, but now it reminds me of what we have overcome. One thing I have learned is that our symbol of hope should not be a material object. I still hope that someday we will have a house, with a yard for our kids to play in, I still dream of that house. But, my hope resides with Jesus Christ now. He is our Redeemer. He is the only reason why we can even have hope. I have hope and faith in Him and in our Heavenly Father's plan. I am so grateful to have the gospel in my life, and I am so grateful to have my eternal family!

Diddle Diddle Dumpling

Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John

Went to bed with his stockings on;

One sock off and one sock on,

Diddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John

This nursery rhyme really reminds me of Cooper. He is always pulling his socks off, and either has one, or no socks on! We have a book with this picture in it, and every time we come to this page Sydney says, "It's like Coopy, Mom!"

She's right...

Cooper is 7 months old and I can hardly believe it! He is such a fun baby and is enjoying life more every day as he grows and learns. He sits on his own all the time now, and loves to sit next to Sydney and play with her. One of my favorite things to do is watch and listen to the two of them playing together! He loves to play with toys and of course is at the stage where everything goes into his mouth, which has caused more drooling. When Cooper spots a toy (or phone, or remote control, or something) that he wants, he will find a way to get it. He rolls across our whole apartment, and I often find him under our bed. He gets upset when a wall or piece of furniture stops him from rolling. He will also push himself backward on his tummy (opposite of crawling) to get to places he wants to go. He loves books and is very interested in chewing on them.

Cooper is starting to be more vocal, although he is still quiet compared to Sydney at his age. He has started saying sounds that include da, ma, ga, aaah, and ba. He loves to grunt and make a sort of fake-coughing sound, which is hilarious. He also likes to do the spitting thing, and one of my favorite things is when he gets upset or wants something, he moves his hands around like crazy.

Cooper is still nursing with the addition of solid foods, but for now I am loving our nursing times. He has always been fun to nurse, because every so often he'll stop, look up at me, and smile! (Something Sydney never did, she was all business). I sure love to look into his smiley, blue eyes! The doctor said that his eyes will most likely stay blue. One thing I have never mentioned is how beautiful Cooper's eyes are. (I know, I know, beautiful is not a boy's word, but it's true) Pictures do not do them justice at all. They are unique, and the best way to describe them is by saying he has "flower petals" around his pupils. I absolutely love them and kind of hope they stay that way. Cooper is loving eating solid foods and being involved with us when we eat. He does not like to be alone. He is at the stage where he has separation anxiety and cries whenever one of us walks away from him. I don't blame him, I think sometimes I have separation anxiety too! Believe it or not, even though I feel like I need breaks, it is hard for me to be away from my kids. My grandpa always tells me, "from the moment you conceive your life is forever changed." And it is true. This little guy has changed my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way!