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Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Two Teeth and a Cold

We are nearing 6 months, and I can’t believe that Cooper is almost ½ a year old. It seems like everything puts me in a state of awe and disbelief when it comes to having and raising a baby. Big developments in the last weeks. Cooper now has two teeth – the bottom middle two – and he didn’t take long to become a pro at mealtime, downing an entire jar of baby food at each sitting. He gets one jar in the morning and one jar in the evening along with a bottle. Of course, it doesn’t go down without lots of silly faces, sounds, and mouth movements to encourage him to open wide. So far, he has eaten carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes – Carrots are the favorite. Cooper is also now sitting on his own. Granted, it is only in 30 second intervals before he falls in slow motion to one side or the other, or even better folds completely over to his delight to find some yummy delectable toes to suck on.

One new experience that isn’t so pleasant – our first cold. It came with a slight sniffling of the nose and a couple of sneezes, and is now a total blockage of the nostrils, more sneezing, and lots of gooey snot streaming from the nose. Cooper doesn’t care about the snot, nor the sneezes, but a blocked nasal passage is simply not conducive to sucking a bottle or paci – his two favorite pastimes. This makes for a grouchy boy and interrupts sleep for the whole house.

I know that I keep repeating it, but I really do cherish that moment just before I slip into bed, and I sneak into Cooper’s room for one last gander at that perfect sleeping boy. Every time I peek over into his crib, I get this overwhelming sense of love and amazement. He is just a wonderful little boy, and I am so lucky to be his mommy.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Flying Solo



Cooper just past his 5 month mark! I can’t believe how quickly time flies by. He will be a year old before we know it. Cooper gains more and more strength every week. Still not sitting on his own, but it won’t be long. He laughs more, smiles more, and twists his body in every direction possible during diaper changes. I swear, it is like he can spin at the waist! Upper body in one direction and lower body in the other, with legs moving in even more directions. Cooper can also stand on the floor while we hold just his hands, and we are trying to prod him to make steps.

Peter left to go to London for 2 weeks, and he was really bummed about going. He said that Cooper changes every week and he knew he would miss something. Sure enough, the day after Peter left, Cooper starting cutting his first tooth. He didn’t seem to mind at first, and I was just amazed. I kept washing my hands and rubbing my fingers on his gums, I was so excited. Then a couple days later he got his 4 month shots, and with the pain of teething plus the pain of shots we endured fevers and long screaming bouts which weren’t much fun. I wished that Peter were there for support, knowing that even if he was there I would want to be the one to soothe Cooper anyhow. Two weeks alone with Cooper really made me manage my time wisely, and we sure were happy when Daddy came back!

Now we are working on eating with a spoon. It will take some practice, but we’ll get there. Cooper wears as much as he eats and I used more Shout spray and detergent in the last 2 months than I have in all my 30 years!

Peter and I tend to be sarcastic people, making jokes and teasing about losing sleep and time. But at the end of the day, we can both admit that watching Cooper is just incredible. He is an amazing part of our lives, and nothing is more rewarding or fulfilling than watching him develop and grow. The very last thing I do every night before I get in the bed to go to sleep is tip toe into Cooper’s room, look at him, and listen to him breathe. It is the most peaceful thing in the world, and soothes me in a way that nothing ever has before. I am so blessed.
Peter and Cooper - Daddy Returns!