Big Recap

I can’t believe that I am just now getting back to the blog. We flew through Christmas, New Year’s and are fast approaching that 1 year milestone. OK, so Peter came home and it was great to have him here. The time was jam packed with holidays and things to do. We applied for Cooper’s US passport (and that came in about a week ago, his mouth is open of course). Christmas was pretty mellow. We took advantage of the last Christmas that Cooper won’t know what is going on and didn’t really do any gifts for him. Instead we invested in our first video camera and I gave Peter some things to have in London to help him keep up with Cooper and remind him of us. Cooper really liked the tree and wanted to put the lights in his mouth. He liked the wrapping paper more than any gifts, so he was easily amused. New Year’s was mellow as well. We had a few friends over and then Peter flew out again on New Year’s day.

The eventful stuff always seems to come when Peter is away. The last blog was the beginning of a horrible ear infection in both ears. When the doc says that it is really bad with blood and puss, you know it can’t feel good. That took some time getting over. Then in January, he got double ear infection #5, again bloody and pussy according to the doc. This was joined with a case of RSV, which required breathing treatments with albuterol and a nebulizer mask 4 times a day. I thought things couldn’t get any crazier. Also at this time, Cooper decided he just didn’t want to eat anything for a couple of weeks. Just as he started to get better from all that, my Granny Howell died. That got me missing my mom even more, and it all just seemed to come to a head at 3:30 the morning of the funeral when Cooper and I were both awake and crying together. I called Peter and sobbed to him, and then we all were better.

January 31st marked my last day of work!!!!! Whoo Hoo!!!! I am now a stay at home mom and it is incredibly fabulous. At this point I have plenty of things to work on. We have a contract on the house (which is a true miracle from God seeing as the housing market is terrible at the moment), and after a horrendous home inspection I have a number of repairs to coordinate. I also had surgery this past Friday to remove what we lovingly call my “Lovely Lady Lump” which was a large softball sized lipoma from my back. So glad it is gone, however the doctor tells me I can’t pick Cooper up for a week. Well, that just isn’t possible.

Things are moving full speed ahead and God has been working on my this whole time. At the first mention of Munich, I said “no way” and meant it. I prayed that God would change my heart, and now I can’t wait to go. I am so ready to have our family under one roof again, and hopefully simplify our lives a little. Who knows, maybe baby number two will come in Munich! OK, I must be delirious!

Oh, the most important thing . . . Cooper. Cooper started crawling on hands and knees just after Christmas, and is getting faster and faster everyday. He speeds around the house, and those little knees are showing some wear and tear. He pulls up on everything with ease, and cruises all around. He is no longer interested in “baby toys” and wants big kid toys like telephones, remote controls, cameras, keys, etc. He has decided that he is now a big boy and big boys don’t play inside that once beloved exersaucer, but now they walk around it. He is a mad man on wheels in his walker on the tile bathroom floor (our bathroom is very large, so he can gain great speed before ramming into your shins!). Uncle Alan got Cooper to hang by himself from the bars of one of our beds, which looks hilarious. Also, Cooper learned to climb the stairs yesterday.