What I Really Want . . . .

is some pull and peel twizzlers.

There's one reason that I am at week 16 and haven't yet gained any weight. I am not living in the US right now.

Counting Cooper

It feels good to finally have all my backlogged blog posts that I wrote about the pregnancy finally posted. Now, I can get back to my favorite subject to write about, Cooper of course. Here is a funny (insane) story and a new accomplishment.

First the accomplishment - Cooper is counting! He can count clearly from 1 through 10. It sounds something like this:

Won, Doo, Dwee, Fow, Fie, Sick, Sege, Ade, Nigh, Te

And his sweet little voice just curves up as he said each number and number 10 is usually said with excitement. It is so sweet. Now he doesn't count any object except sometimes the stairs as we go up, and he doesn't recognize numbers, so he doesn't really get what the counting is all about but the fact that he remembers words in a sequence and says them on his own is such a huge thing for us! Now, I still would love to hear him call for mommy when he wants me or say juice when he is thirsty, but we are still trying to stay optimistic about the baby steps here. COUNTING!!!!

Now to the story. Last week, Cooper was in the basement.

(Side note: The basement is also our entry area into our house and another big room with the washing machine and large cabinets for tools and such.)

Cooper spends a great deal of time in the basement by himself because as anyone who knows Cooper well, knows that there is a magnetic attraction and borderline obsession between Cooper and a front loading washing machine and dryer. My little curious monkey can literally hang out in the basement for an hour or more completely happy to his heart's content. Anyway, he was down there as usual and it was getting close to dinner time, plus it was pretty quiet down there so I decided to go down and bring him up. When I opened the door to the washroom, my eyes must have popped out of my head. There was Cooper, dancing around, laughing, arms waving and thrashing wildly overhead, with a large item in one hand.

Just what was that item, you ask?

A . . . SAW!!!!

Um, yeah. That's not such a great toy. While a picture would have been nice, I felt it more appropriate to scream frantically and take the dangerous weapon away from my 2 year old crazy kid before he gauged his head wide open or cut off one of his adorable appendages. Because clearly I am all about good parenting here.

I believe it was Peter's mother who said that Cooper has several guardian angels watching out for him to have made it this far. Sounds about right to me. Hey, how come I don't read in other parents' and friends' blogs about their kids running alone down the street, standing in the window sill of the third story open window, and playing with heavy construction equipment? Oh, I guess that's just me.

Pregnancy Update - 15 weeks

It is certainly time for an update on our little Gummy Bear in there. I did go to the Doctor (I think that was at about 8 weeks), and everything checked out fine with the baby. One interesting thing on the ultrasound was TWO amnio sacs. Luckily, only one baby. It appears that it started out early on with possibly 2 babies, but for whatever reason one didn't develop. The doctor said it shouldn't cause any problems and most likely my body would just absorb that other sac or it would come out on its own. (Sorry if that is too much info) Another check-up 2 weeks later and all looked normal with the baby continuing to do well.

Now we are up to 15 weeks, and so far this baby has already travelled to the US and visited Disney World, as well as Salzburg with Christina and Dwayne and Oktoberfest in Munich. A world travelor at the tender age of - embryo. I am feeling pretty good, but still often tired especially in the evenings. I have had one more ultrasound since the last post and all looked good.

The sex of the baby will remain top secret material until he or she is born. Actually, only I will be privvy to that information since Peter is adamant that he wants to be surprised. This will be a very hard thing for me as I am not known to be the best keeper of secrets or surprises, but I am determined to let Peter have the experience he wants to have from this. So, no pressure from you all. My lips are sealed. Well, right now it is pretty easy since I don't know yet and probably won't find out myself until the next scan around Christmas.

Having said all that, I definitely have a very strong feeling that this is another boy. I am starting to see some belly poking out, and it seems to be sitting right where Cooper was which is typical for boys. And other than that, just a feeling. I am happy with whatever comes as long as he or she is healthy.

Today, I am craving Chinese again. And it is only 10am, with no chinese restaurants here.

Cravings

This pregnancy has been very different from the first one with Cooper. I am much more sick feeling and have cravings which I didn't have with Cooper. Except that one time that I went to the store for butter, just butter, and came out with a dozen donuts, a bag of smarties, and no butter. But that was only once. This time I have had very specific cravings.


A couple of weeks ago, I wanted white sandwich bread. That just doesn't exist here. You know, the really soft, stick to the top of your mouth, spongey, cloud-like white bread that makes peanut butter and jelly perfection. What I really wanted was tuna salad on that white bread. I settled for a french crusty bread that is soft in the middle, and my friend, Kari, came over to make a batch of tuna salad for me. Just because I wanted to eat it doesn't mean that I can stomach making it. The tuna salad was delicious. I had it that day for lunch, dinner, and even a small snack in between. Then I woke up in the middle of the night with major nausea. After a while I went downstairs to watch TV as a destraction. Wouldn't you know it, there is now a tuna commercial advertising lemon pepper tuna. I thought I would upchuck all over myself. And that has been the end of tuna. Tuna, you are now dead to me.


Then, our friends Christina and Dwayne came over and brought with them some Zax sauce. Random, I know, but there is no secret that I have a love affair with Zaxby's. Well, of course, that sparked a craving for some chicken fingers. Again, not a commodity that one will find in Germany (are we noticing a pattern?). So, my sweet hubby went out, bought some supplies, and made me chicken fingers himself. They weren't Zaxby's, but they were actually pretty good.


While Peter was in London last week, I decided that I wanted chocolate cupcakes. So, I made them. I ate 2, and threw 16 away. I was so over the chocolate cupcake thing.

The next week, I wanted Mexican food. Not just Mexican, but specifically cheese dip and refried beans. Ya'll, I never eat refried beans. But that is what I wanted. I planned to meet my friend Kelly later that week for lunch and when she mentioned Mexican, I nearly yelled into the phone how perfect that was and I think I scared her a little. She called me the next day to say that the Mexican place isn't open for lunch, but she made us a great Mexican themed salad and while it wasn't cheese dip and beans, it was really good. (Note: She sent me the attached picture later of Cooper. This is him going head to head with the curtain, and surprisingly the curtain is still standing. I had my doubts.)

Then there is the hankering for Chinese. Again, not here or at least not anywhere within 30 miles and not American Chinese. Specifically, Sho Chin. Ok, Sho Chin's Sesame Chicken with fried rice, some vegetable lo mein, and the sweet tea that is always so good at a Chinese establishment. I'm torturing myself here.

I am excited about my trip to the US in October to be able to easily fulfill all of my craving whims. However, it is highly possible that while I am there, I may just get an inkling for a German pretzel or some schnitzel. We'll see.

At 7.5 weeks, I am still feeling sick. In fact, it is 1:26 in the morning as I type this. The nausea is there in the morning and definitely has an impact on the quality of breakfast that I am able to make for Cooper. It softens mid morning which is the only time that I am going to get something done, if it will happen at all. After a light lunch, indigestion sets in and I burp my way through the afternoon while the nausea rears its ugly head and gets its most feisty just before bed.


Yes, did I mention that I don't make the most pleasant pregnant person? Feel free to offer Peter some words of support as he tries to cope.

6 Weeks

So, according to online calculations, I should be at about 6 weeks now. My doctor's appointment is another 2 weeks out, so I will know more specifics then and also know if everything is A-OK in there. After finding out last Sunday, I was feeling great and just convinced that this pregnancy was going to be a breeze. I started working in the yard that morning and tore it up all day out there.

Then, a few days later it hit. And it hit hard. The nausea. Now, I remember my pregnancy with Cooper. I said it then, and I will say it now. I am not a good pregnant woman. I do believe that the birth of a child is a miracle. And I am honored and thankful that I am one of those people that seems to be able to have a baby quite easily with healthy delivery and all that. I think pregnant women are so adorable. But that is where the rainbows and roses end. I don't like being sick, I don't like gaining weight, I don't like not sleeping, I don't like peeing all the time, I despise indigestion. All these women who say they love being pregnant . . . I envy them. Yes, it is an incredible feeling when you can feel your baby move inside your belly, but for me it was always really uncomfortable, kind of like I ate something bad or have a nervous stomach.


Still, I am so excited and happy to be on this journey and that God made it happen. Looking forward to the end of this first trimester!

Here We Go Again

(Originally written 9/18/09)

So, I am writing this, but not going to post it for a while yet. These things need time. Time to enjoy something just as a family. And, of course, time to make sure that nothing unexpected happens. But in the meantime, until we make it public, I didn't want to miss out writing about this experience.


We are expecting a baby!


We set out to expand our family, and it was much quicker than we ever thought it would be. Peter's reaction, "Man, I'm good!" I was more expecting a hug, a kiss, a squeal of excitement, and maybe some flowers for the mother-to-be or a special dinner. But instead, "Man, I'm good" and then off to breakfast in his underwear. What can I say? He is the man I married and the father of my children. Oh yeah, and I guess the love of my life.


We officially found out with a positive test on Sunday morning, August 30, although I suspected during my stay in Augusta earlier that month. I am excited and feeling really good. From the online calculations, Cooper will be a big brother in early May!

The Rest of Our Time in Augusta

Before our trip to Augusta, I was so excited for Christina (Peter's sister) to arrive at our house. She was going to help me on the flight over with Cooper and join us at Disney. Man, it was so nice to have her on that plane and just have someone else take over entertaining my little monster for a few hours. Even more so, it felt good to have someone recognize what a journey that trip is with Cooper and gear in tow. She said it before we left and also in the Paris airport that she could not imagine how I can do it by myself. As mom's we all know that we just do what we have to do and hope that we make it out alive, but it sure does feel good to hear somebody recognize those challenges. Thank you so much, Christina, for all your help. Every meal that I didn't have to feed Cooper, every diaper I didn't have to change, every bath I didn't have to give was such a relief for me. You are so greatly appreciated!

Another highlight for me in Augusta (and also for Christina) was shopping with my Aunt Brenda. This woman is bargain shopper extraordinaire. She can find the good stuff, she can find the deals, and she always has a coupon for everything. The only hard part is getting her to stop spoiling me! But so much better than all the deals and great stuff we walked away with, was the feeling of being around my Aunt Brenda. She has so many characteristics of my mother that it is often like having a piece of her again with me. I feel so cared for with her, and she makes me feel like walking around countless hours with me and spending time with Cooper are her favorite things to do. I think she makes everybody feel that way. What other people would find to be huge sacrifices, she finds to be complete joy. There aren't many people who can make you feel that way, but my mom and Aunt Brenda are two of them.

What else did we do? Playgrounds, play dates, ate a lot, held fresh new babies, visited old friends, had a girls dinner out, ate amazing foods, hugged people we love, spoke lots of English, helped my dad move, held my precious nephew, ate tasty food, relaxed at my sister-in-law's parent's lakehouse, attended a pirate party in lederhosen, had family portraits . . . oh, and did I mention the food? It all made me so darn happy that it was really hard to come back. I don't know if my heart will ever be able to call Germany home. It just so loves the South!

A huge highlight of my trip was being present for Samuel's baptism. Sam is my incredible little nephew and it was such an honor to be up there holding him during this holy sacrament. And the biggest honor of all? Peter and I being asked to be Sam's Godparents. Huge deal for us!!!! I love Alan and April to death, and it sounds weird to say, but I adore Sam so much and just feel like he belongs to me in some way. And now he really does. Thank you guys so much for choosing us. We are thrilled and promise to be there for Sam as he grows and experiences life.

Gosh, that's it. I will be posting a few more things in the next week that you really won't want to miss. So, keep checking in!

Cooper does Disney

Our week at Disney was really great. The house was exactly as we had hoped, with great features, really close to the parks, and a perfect fit for all 3 families. We had a wonderful time with the Vasquez and Sosebee families, enjoyed some outlet shopping, and of course, had a memorable time in the parks.

And it never fails, a trip to the US with Cooper is always an accident waiting to happen. This one occurred within 25 minutes of our first day in the park. As Cooper broke into an excited run coming out of Mickey Mouse's House, he tripped and fell headfirst into the curb. It was a bloody sight at first, and two thoughts ran into my mind . . . 1. My poor baby! and 2. Our pictures are going to be ruined! I know, not the most reasonable thought, but whatever. We rushed Cooper to first aid, they verified that he did not have a concussion (funny, that didn't enter my mind rather than our gorgeous family photos), applied ice, some Motrin, and after about 20minutes, the little guy was smiling again. Granted he had what we dubbed as the "unicorn horn", which he would proudly sport for the rest of the week, but he was smiling. The boy sure knows how to make memories! After an air-conditioned lunch, we were ready to continue attacking the park.

Since we had limited tickets into the park and three families to divide them between for the week, it soon became clear that we would need a schedule. Let me paint a little picture here for those who were not in the living room for this particular conversation. As soon as the thought of a schedule was formulated into words, Peter started squirming in his seat, breathing hard, and breaking out in a cold sweat. His agitation over this lasted for a good 2.5 days, and it was only after much prodding and heated discussion, that I was able to come to the realization that the "schedule" had in that very instant absolutely ruined Peter's vacation. Now this may sound a little over reactive to some, but Peter was dead serious about this. I finally got it out of Peter that he finds the idea of a schedule on vacation absolutely repulsive, robbing the fun out of everything. While he accepted the need for said schedule and despite the fact that the Claus family had a few days with nothing planned on the schedule, Peter was completely convinced that all chances of relaxing were off now that things were on paper.

I hate to break it to anyone who is not yet married with kids, but life after marriage and kids is the end of spontaneity. Deal with it.

After it was all said and done, in our 7 days in Orlando, we went into the Disney parks for 3 half days, Peter played golf twice and took multiple naps, I went to the outlet mall 2 afternoons, and we saw Cirque du Soleil one evening. And sadly for Peter, in the end, he still stands by his opinion that he did not have enough down time. Down time for Peter is sitting on the couch Ted Bundy style with his hand in his pants, and if that is what he needed, then we could have saved over a thousand dollars and sat in my aunt Brenda's living room in front of the big screen all dang day. Somehow, I think that pictures of Cooper marveling at It's a Small World with a unicorn horn trump pics of Peter asleep on the couch, but what do I know?

Anywho, here's the pics!

My Cooper

Cooper has been making some great improvements. He is still a long ways off from other kids his age, which sometimes seems to be exaggerated by his size. He is getting so big and suddenly looking so much older to me. He looks more like a 4 year old than the 2.5 year old that he really is. He is so tall and is growing out of his 3T clothes, rapidly moving on to 4T's. His face is that of a miniature Peter, and I often have to laugh at the characteristics they share. They both sit at the kitchen table with their chin resting on their hands, they both let out the occasional loud, deep sigh (I call them both "sighers"), and they both laugh when they fart.

He is now getting so much more coordinated. He is a talented climber and is running faster and faster. Still my little bookworm, I love to find him in his rocking chair reading books and almost every day I go into his room to find nearly the entire contents of his bookcase emptied all over the floor. The little guys loves music and sings lots of melodies (and sometimes even gets a word or two right or at least the right consonant sounds), loves to strum a guitar, and blow on his flute. I got him a little drum set a few months ago and he loves to pull up the tiny stool to sit, grab the sticks, beat the bass with his foot and bang away on the drums and cymbal. He is even starting to take interest in puzzles and will look to see where the shape or color goes rather than randomly placing.

He understands so much more now, which helps me to talk to him more. He recognizes questions and much of the time will answer a question with a "no" or an adorable 2 syllable "ja". He doesn't always answer appropriately, but at least he is saying something. He is finally getting the hang of saying "hello" and "bye-bye" while actually looking at the person. He consistently uses the words "open", "all done", and "down" in the right situations. And he responds to things we tell him to do, such as sit here, shoes on, stand up, put this in the trash, bring me the ball, give me a kiss, open the door, etc. While he has never been one for tantrums, he definitely understands now when we say no to something and he will drop to the floor on his hands and knees, put his forehead to the ground over his hands, and stick his little booty up in the air. He may not be happy, but it is so cute. These little things may not sound so impressive for a child nearing 3 years old, but they are big accomplishments for our little guy.

Hands down, the most endearing attribute of Cooper is his happy personality. He is always smiling and is so easy going. He never gets upset when another kid takes away his toy, he just looks for a new one. He wins over every guest that walks into our house with his curiosity, big smiles, and funny walks around the room. He loves to put on other people's hats and sunglasses and "see" experience the world in a new way. Whether it is a 10 hour flight, 6 hour drive, long day touring a new city, or hiking mountains, our sweet boy is along for the ride with juice, snack, and a smile. He is without a doubt the most precious thing in our lives and we are so blessed to have such a sweet boy reminding us each day of what is important.

I can't wait for you all to see him again and see all the changes, and my goodness, see how he has grown! We will be heading to Augusta on Wednesday of this week and then to Disney World on Saturday. I can't believe it is time already. I am so excited to spend time with friends and family back home and for Cooper to spread the joy to you. See you soon!

Do You Need A Laugh?

So, BooMama just posted this video and it made me laugh out loud as I sat here alone, which is a true testament. I hope you enjoy all 5 octaves as much as I did.

Let me point out a few hilarious details:
1. Is it just me, or does he look like he is going to cry partway through?
2. Oh no, he isn't going to cry. He's just constipated.
3. Are those bird noises?
4. And holding that last note . . . genius.