Stop . . . Collaborate and Listen!

Sporadic internet connection (still using the neighbor's wireless connection which only gets reception in good weather) has limited my computer use. That, and unpacking numerous boxes and figuring out where to take all the trash. Many of you have written me, which I am truly thankful for, and as soon as Peter sets up our computers and configures the our internet, I will be in business and will write back to you all individually. But thought you might like a quick update in the meantime.

Since I last wrote, we have received our furniture. It did not come on that Thursday, but rather on Friday. Peter had taken Thursday off since that was when the movers were supposed to come, and as we were sitting waiting for their promised arrival time of 8:00 am, we finally got a call around 9 that a crane broke so they couldn't load the container onto a truck. I was feigning curse words Yosemite Sam style, but Peter's were much more direct. Since he had already taken the day off, we decided to head to the next biggest town and get my Visa and a cell phone for me. We sat at a fantastic outdoor cafe for lunch, as it was an unusually warm day and enjoyed a delicious lunch with Kayla and Cooper (yes, even dogs can come to a restaurant). For some reason unbeknownst to me, Peter found it incredibly exciting that the public transportation buses passing by were so darn quiet, I think he might have tinkled in his pants just a little.

But my exciting adventure came later. I needed to get a quick passport style picture made for my visa, and Peter and I scoured the area for a good 20 minutes looking for a photo shop that could make this. We stumbled across a local photographer, and Peter stayed in the car with the chaps (Cooper and Kayla) while I ventured in alone depending on my very rusty German skills to pull me through. It was only after I got inside and described that I just needed this simple photo done, and the very nice photographer directed me to a mirror to check myself out that I noticed what was surrounding me. Lots of artistic images of naked women. It was like a 40 car pile up on the autobahn, I couldn't help it . . . I had to look. I tried my best to look completely normal and hide any awkwardness, and told the man that his pictures were very beautiful. Then he proceeds to tell me how he enjoys getting to know his "subjects", and how it takes time for the women to loosen up but that they have a wonderful time after that. Well, that certainly didn't help me loosen up any, and I was glad to get my pictures and scedaddle right on out of there!

Peter has been to London for part of this last week, and while he was gone I painted the living room and kitchen. The highlight of this was listening to my favorite radio station here, Bayern Drei (3). Maybe it comes from living in Augusta for the past several years with no really good stations, but I was dully impressed with the composition of all time favorites on this frequency, and although I could only understand bits and pieces of the DJ's, I am fully confident that they were seriously funny.

Well, it all started with some Funky Cold Medina. Now you can't tell me that you wouldn't have enjoyed that as well. It took me back to middle school riding in the golf cart with my friends and singing about the girl named Sheila with her Oscar Meyer Weiner. Tone-Loc had it right, you don't mess with the Funky Cold Medina. Then we hit a little speed bump to slow things down with some REO Speed Wagon, and I knew that I just couldn't fight this feeling anymore. Sure there was some current tunage with your typical Fergie, Maroon 5, and Rihanna, but who couldn't use a little Wham from time to time. I can belt the melody as good as anyone to Lionel Richie and the Commodores cause you know I'm easy like Sunday morning. And the new Willy Nelson song was pure genious (apparently a tribute to his 75th birthday if I understood correctly . . . funny I could have sworn he was 75 when I was 8). But the absolute cherry perched top of the whipped cream on top of the warm, gooey chocolate syrup smothering the bananas sandwiching the creamiest ice cream ever, was nothing less than . . .

wait for it . . .

here it comes . . .

VANILLA ICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ice, Ice Baby, Too Cold, Too Cold. Well, not in my kitchen. My booty action was down right steamin'! Will it ever stop, yo, I don't know. Oh, whatever. You know you couldn't resist it either. I could just feel myself Rolling in my 5.0 with my rag top down so my hair can blow. You can imagine my disappointment that there were no David Hasselhof songs during this time (as promised by Brad P.), so I am looking to surprise Peter with some concert tickets. If anyone knows when the former Baywatch "hunk?" come drunkard is touring give me a hollar!

OK seriously. Let me tell you what's new with the Claus family. Peter is working both for Disney and for me! He has lots of pictures to hang, furniture to move, and things to set up. But feel free to drop him an e-mail to prod him to get Skype and internet working so that we can communicate more. Kayla is adjusting well now that our furniture has arrived. I swear, one more day without a sofa and she surely would have perished or at least she seems to think so. All within walking distance of our house are sheep, ponies, roosters, and chickens, plus your standard collection of dogs and cats. Kayla has already made friends with a black lab down the street (maybe he reminds her of her old boyfriend Coal) and she salivates over the chickens. They look fun to chase and even I would say that they look pretty juicy! But she had an incident trying to get to know the ponies and she is still a little skiddish a day later. Kayla went to sniff and discovered what an electric fence feels like. You should have heard the yelp! She ran off screaming in the opposite direction and had no idea what hit her. Hopefully it is a lesson she only has to learn once!

Cooper is as delightful as ever. He had a little sniffy nose after the flight, but has been clean as a whistle ever since. Two new teeth coming in on the top, I think they are his incisors. That would make 14, I think. I think I am safe in assuming that most mothers measure their baby's health by the poops. The amount, size, consistency, odor, and color can tell you so much and Cooper's diapers are telling me several times a day how healthy he is! This has to do with his hearty little appetite. Wait, little isn't the word. This guy is truly his father's son. This is what he ate the other day:

Breakfast - one roll with butter and jam cut into bits, one whole banana, one granola bar, and if still hungry a jogurt

Lunch - handful of pretzels, 1/2 can mandarin oranges, 1 cup veggies mixed with about 1/2 cup baby food (baby food here is excellent with lots of different stages to ease kids into big people food a little better and apparently, it tastes great to Cooper cause it gets him to scarf up his veggies), 1 cup applesauce, and 2 cookies

Snack - Another whole banana (he's my little monkey and he goes crazy over bananas), 2 slices of cheese, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich

Dinner - 1/2 can mandarin oranges, 3 meatballs (about an inch in diameter), 1 cup of noodles with spinach, 1/2 cup peas and carrots, some bread, and 2 cookies

Add lots of milk and some juice to this and this kid gives true meaning to the saying about a hollow leg, cause his belly just isn't that big. And he is still skinny! Cooper still loves his baths, and has now learned from watching mommy clean up the toys to take the little cups and put them inside each other. But his favorite bath toy is attached to his body between his legs. He did the sweetest thing in the tub last night. I was done bathing him and just watching him play and talking to him. He pulled himself up to stand, kissed me on the lips, and sat back down to continue playing. I'll change 100 poopy diapers and wake up in the middle of the night 50 times for 1 moment like that. Granted his kisses are with a slobbery open mouth, and if Cooper were a theme song, it might be Def Leppard's "Love Bites" cause he does tend to use those teeth along with kisses sometimes. Other than that, still not walking on his own, although he can walk along holding on to just 1 finger of mine. He just isn't ready to let go yet. And he will repeat Papa after us, but no real words. He knows several words, and cookie is his favorite, but he doesn't say any yet.

Our house is a contemporary style split level, and by split levels, I mean that we basically have 6 floors, 5 flights of stairs with 8 steps each, and so the levels go back and forth:
1. basement and laundry room
2. guest room and storage closet
3. kitchen, 1/2 bath, and pantry
4. living room
5. master bedroom and full bathroom
6. Cooper's room and playroom

Cooper has become an expert at navigating the stairs and can go up and down on his own. He knows where his playroom is and if I am not watching, before I know it he has gone up a few flights on his own and I can hear the familiar toys. OK, now I have written far more than most of you care to read and it is time to get jiggy with more housework. I miss you all and can't wait to talk to you more. Please e-mail us back and let us know how you are. We are missing so much with you all, pregnancies, adoptions, up and coming summer vacations, 1st birthdays, home improvement projects, finishing school, and more. Know that we are thinking about you and can't wait to get in touch.

German Tidbit #1: The Sorting of the Trash

I can't help but pass along new tidbits that humor me as I encounter them here. This is the tidbit concerning trash. Germans are very enviromentally friendly, as most of you know, and recycling here is a big deal, in fact it is mandatory. So, I am learning to sort the trash.

I know that you are all thinking it isn't that hard. Paper or plastic, right?

Oh no . . . try SIX categories:
1. Paper
2. Plastic bottles that you have to return to the store to receive a deposit back
3. Bio (food waste products - appreciate your disposal, in fact, go tell your disposal right now how much you love it!)
4. Glass (must return these to a separate facility to receive deposit back)
5. Recyclable waxy papers, aluminum foil, some plastics, cans, etc. (all items maked with a symbol called the Gruene Punkt "green point" and these should be rinsed clean before disposing of them)
6. Other trash that can't be recycled (diapers, used napkins, used tissues, etc.)

There is trash pick-up once per week, and they only pick up one category each week. So, Monday was bio, next Monday is other trash, and so on. So, if we didn't get our bio out this past Monday, we would have a long time to wait until that one is picked up again. Tonight we will gather up our cloth bags and head to the grocery store. Either you bring your own, or you buy each plastic bag you use! I'm feeling more green already! Think I'll stop shaving my armpits.

Auf Weidersehen!

Hallo von Amy und Cooper aus Deutschland

Just a note to let you all know that we arrived here safely. Kayla flew on Thursday of last week. I dropped her off at Charlotte airport and you should have seen the cargo guys watching me as I gave my big pooch kisses, told her to be strong so that she will see daddy soon and how much I loved her. I think they thought I was a little koo-koo, or maybe a lot. But they humored me, and Kayla made it safely to Peter the next morning. Cooper and I flew on Friday evening out of Charlotte. I traipsed through security with a car seat, stroller, diaper bag, carry on, and a squirmy one year old, all the while dangling a pacifier and bright toy to keep him occupied. And of course, they had to search my bags which were packed like intricate puzzles so that everything would fit just right. Took me 20 minutes standing at the other end of the security line just to pack it all back in. But we made it through that and I had Cooper playing, walking, crawling, bouncing, tickling, eating, and everything else you can think to do with a one year old for the next 2.5 hours while we waited to board. My goal was to get a very tired 14 month old on the plane ready to settle in for a long nap. I thought I was really clever seeing as he was asleep before the plane even took off, only to wake up 45 minutes later as bright eyed as ever and ready for another play set. Cooper had a very nice lady sitting next to him that was a grandmother of a 3 month old, so she knew what she was in for. She gladly served as the sippy cup retriever each time Cooper threw his cup on the floor, which is quite often, and finally decided that it would be easier to simply be his official cup holder for the duration of mealtime.

Mealtime . . . that was fun (note the sarcasm). For those of you who have seen Cooper eat lately, you know that there is a great deal of food squishing, running food soaked fingers through the hair, dropping large chunks of food on the floor, dribbling milk down the chin, and some spitting. Well, an airplane is just another venue for Cooper to perform his dinner show and I am sure that the cabin crew wondered what in the world we had done afterwards. The cheerios alone are enough to drive anyone mad. So, dinnertime passed and I entertained hoping that my moment of glory would come in the form of a good long sleep, then 2 hours later (we had been on the plane for 4 hours by now) I whipped out the Benedryl, while the lady next to me stated with astonishment that she couldn't believe he was still going. Yeah, well neither could I and I was ready to put an end to it. Luckily the Benedryl saved me just before a movie started. I watched Juno, which I have been wanting to see (Kelly, if you enjoy sarcasm as I do, you will enjoy it as I could only strive to match the sarcasm of this hilarious teen). After the movie, I settled in for a good nap myself, and guess who starts getting fussy! So, I held him in my arms for the next 2 hours so that he could sleep a little better. Then back in his car seat he went so that I could sleep a little more. And the little dear slept all the way until after we landed. Getting off the plane was what I would imagine finishing off a marathon would be like.

By the way, have to drop a congratulatory line off to my brother, Alan, who ran the Boston Marathon on Monday. So, proud of you brother, and I am sure that your marathon was in actuality much more strenuous than my plan ride with Cooper!

For those of you who know Peter really well, you can probably guess how the end of my travelling tale concludes. Was it a joyous trot out of customs into the arms of my waiting hubby with a kiss and the chance to pass off my 25 pound bundle of joy? Well, that came later after a 20 minute wait for my late hubby! I am sure that most of you saw that coming, and I wasn't at all surprised. But alas we are here. It is cold (40's or 50's in the day) but our house is better than I remembered. Of course, I am trying to stay chipper seeing as we have been essentially camping out in said house since Saturday. Furniture has not yet arrived, and each time we talk with the movers it gets pushed back another day. But the promise is for Thursday, and I am wholeheartedly clinging to that!

Now it is just after noon, still in my pajamas, Cooper and Kayla are napping, and I am hoping to hear from you all, my peeps real soon to pass the time and keep me entertained (note: no phone, no TV, sporadic internet service - nicking the neighbors wireless -, and dangerously close to the end of my only book!). So write back and let me know how you all are doing. There are several of you that I didn't get to see before I left and I am truly sorry for that. The last weeks were pretty crazy, but I am thinking of all of you and waiting to hear when you are planning your trip over her to see us!

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.

Single Mom (Temporarily)

Cooper is just a week shy of 10 months old, and where in the world has the time gone? So hard to believe that he will be a year old soon. Let’s see, what’s new with the Super Coop? Well, he now has 6 teeth and I think that some new ones in the back are painfully trying to break through. He is crawling (more like an army crawl than hands and knees), but he seems to be content with this style of transportation and I imagine that he will stick with this until he is walking. He can also pull himself up to standing now and can clumsily “cruise” from side to side holding on to objects. Of course, his judgment of what is sturdy and what is not has yet to develop, so this month has been plagued with many bruises, most of which unfortunately seem to end up on the face as he comes crashing down face first. These loud thuds are usually followed with a good cry and then a smile and laugh are soon to follow that. I think we run through about 492 mood swings in a day. He is also becoming more curious and determined by the day. Our pediatrician told me that he is “the most inquisitive 9 month old” she has ever seen. I swear those were her words. Of course, that made ol’ mom proud as can be, but the reality of it is a game called distraction, distraction, distraction. Whoever decided it was a great idea to place paper on the exam table in a doctor’s office and then leave a mother in there alone for an hour with a 9 month old should be shot . . . or tortured to insanity by being stuck in there for an hour with said 9 month old. All jokes aside, as exhausting as it can be to constantly be on watch and play keep away, it is just fascinating to see these little brains developing before your very eyes.

I now have a newfound, deep and sincere respect for single moms out there. How in the world they do what they do, keep such a brave face, and not throw in the towel I will never know. Peter has been gone (first to London and now in Germany for his new job) for a little over 2 weeks, and will be back in another week. I am so lonely, exhausted, overwhelmed, etc., I could just melt away. This is really hard. Every dirty diaper, every spoonful of food, every chunky spitup, every piece of crusty laundry, every tear to dry, every snotty nose to wipe, every bath, every bottle to prepare, every morning to wake up at 5:30, every toy to pick up, every item to carry, every outfit to dress, is all on me. There is no backup around, and there is no one to take over when I have a headache. There is no one to go to the grocery store or pick up food when the baby is finally asleep and I realize there isn’t a scrap of decent food in the house. Yet no matter how heavy the load feels, you do your best to give 100% to that little one who doesn’t know that you have had a rough day and who looks to you with their toothy smile or with tears waiting for you to make everything better. And tonight when Cooper has what I presume to be the 4th ear infection, a garden hose for a nose, more teeth coming in, and can’t stop screaming long enough to let me squeeze in a quick dose of Tylenol, it is all I can do not to cry right along with him. And then when he is all clean, after a warm bottle and cozy pajamas, and when that Tylenol is starting to take effect, and he is once again peacefully sleeping in my arms, I am reminded of how blessed I am with this priceless gift. That this beautiful boy came out of my body (I still have the love handles and hips to prove it) astounds me, and my heart aches with love to look at him.

While I have experienced what it is like to be a single mom for a couple of weeks, I still will never know how hard it really must be for them. Because, the truth is that I still know that I have a partner, I have backup. I have a loving husband who misses me just as much as I miss him and who can’t wait to be here helping me. I know that I am not really alone and that this is only temporary. So, I have no idea where the real single moms get the strength that they have and I hope that they know that God is with them in their darkest moments and I am sure that He has a special place just for them.

And as for my partner. Peter, I love you and I miss you and can’t wait till you are home. I am so proud of you.

Be Careful What you Wish For, Cause You Just Might Get It

Changes are a comin’. Peter found out last week Tuesday that he got the job, and it will take us to Munich. We really have prayed that God would be in control of our destiny and that we would recognize where He wants us to go. So many doors seem to be opening for us that will lead us to Germany, and the only explanation is that this is where He wants us to go. I have to admit that the first discussion of moving to Germany, came with a definitive NO from me. I have not forgotten how hard it was for me there and I have really come to love our life here. Our family, friends, church, and home are all so wonderful and exactly what we were missing out on in Germany. Go back? NO WAY.

But as we waited for Disney’s decision, I prayed for God to give me a willing heart to follow wherever we are led. And God does answer prayers. I am reminded of a simple quote that my good friend Mandy posted on her fridge when she found out that she was unexpectedly pregnant . . “The timing is perfect” . . . and of course, whether we realize it at the moment or not, we can be sure that God’s timing is always perfect. Mandy is now wonderfully blessed with 2 precious boys close in age who are best friends and who have the sweetest, intimate conversations in their shared room at bedtime. The closer we get to our move, the more I realize that the timing is perfect, and I am coming to realize that the location will be as well. Peter’s family needs us more than ever now since his Dad has been in the hospital for nearly 2 months, and his mom needs help. Cooper will speak better German than we could ever have taught him from here. And the best thing is that I will have the career that I so desperately desire . . . that of caring for Cooper, Peter, Kayla and whoever else might arrive during our stay in Germany. I think that Peter and I can find a much better balance of work, play, and relaxing together that just isn’t a part of American life anymore. The timing is perfect.

So, you weren’t imagining it . . . I did make a small reference there to the possibility of more kids. I remember when we were in the first month with Cooper, and our friends looked and him and said that they missed having little babies. I thought they were insane! I thought, why would anyone want to subject themselves to this again!. Sure my baby was beautiful and precious and sweet. But caring for a newborn is not easy, no matter what the baby is like. It is hard! Now I am starting to understand. Cooper is now 8 months old, and looking more and more like a little boy and less and less like a baby everyday. While every day is more exciting and comes with more developments and my love for Cooper grows each day (and I keep thinking it can’t get any bigger!), I am already missing his sweet baby stages. It is like missing someone before they are even out of the door. I just can’t imagine loving him more and yet I know that tomorrow he will steal my heart in a whole new way. The way his face lights up when I arrive to pick him up from day care is enough to take away any and all headaches, heartaches, and stress that I may have had before I walked in that door. I am the highlight of his day and he is the highlight of mine in such an astonishing way.

Day Care and our First Illnesses

Well, Cooper started daycare just after Christina left on 8/23/07. I know that I am so lucky to have kept him out for the first 6 months of his life with the incredible help of Aunt April, Cousin Missy (Mimi), Ms. Daisy, and Christina, all of whom devoted much of their time and summer vacations to help us asking nothing in return. You all were such a vital part of Cooper’s growth, development, health, and overall well-being during these first 6 months. I am so indebted to you all. I knew that the introduction of daycare would be difficult and that Cooper would probably be sick for the first several months. Here we are, just over 1 month into daycare and Cooper has had 2 colds (one big, one small), constant runny and crusty nose (now referred to as daycare nose), an ear infection, and the Croup. The 2 latter of which we are just now getting over. In addition, both Peter and I had a horrible stomach virus and my prayers were answered when Cooper never got it. Last Sunday, I went to bed and could hear Cooper sighing each time he would breathe out in his sleep. I thought it really cute (Cooper is typically a very quiet sleeper) and went on to sleep. Luckily, Peter was still awake and heard him coughing lot on the baby monitor. So, Peter went into check and Cooper was having very restricted breathing. He woke me up and we called the on-call nurse. As we waited for her callback, Cooper was getting worse by the second. He was choking, gagging, coughing horrible (like a barking cough) and his little neck and chest were straining with each breath. We thought that we would be going to the emergency room for sure. The nurse called back and could hear him on the other end of the phone. She knew instantly that he had the Croup and instructed us to go into the bathroom, shut the door, turn on the shower, and get it all steamy. After about 25 minutes of this, Cooper was recovering. We made it through the night, and at the doctor’s office the next morning it was confirmed that not only did he have the Croup, but also an ear infection! Poor baby! And through it all he was still smiling! That is typical Cooper. If he cries we know something is wrong.

Dropping Cooper off at daycare those first days was so hard, and it really confirmed that there is nothing I want more than to stay home with my baby. I never imagined that I would want to be a stay home before, but I really feel like that is what I am meant to do. So, that is my next goal to find a way to do this. Might take a while, but hopefully we will be there before too long. God certainly works in interesting ways, because just as I was coming to this realization, a new possibility opened for us. Disney is considering Peter for a position that would be a major promotion which would potentially take us to London, Munich, or Madrid. While moving away wasn’t in my ideal plan, it very likely would allow me to stay home with Cooper. But home wouldn’t be where I thought it would be. On the other hand, this would undeniably be a great opportunity for Cooper to grow up with a respect for other cultures and almost guarantee that he learns other languages. For now we can only wait, and pray that God sends us where he wants us to go with willing hearts and open minds. I can’t deny that although we have had unthinkable tragedies in our lives, God has really blessed Peter and I tremendously with a perfect little boy and opportunities that I never dreamed to experience the world.

Cooper's Baptism and Tante Christina

What a full month. Peter’s sister Christina came to visit us, and it really could not have been a more perfect visit. Probably much more for us than for her. Christina is a kindergarten teacher, so she is incredible with kids and so it was only natural for her to fall right into aunt mode. I can’t even begin to describe how helpful she was, anticipating our every need and doing everything from laundry to cleaning to shoulder massages for her brother and of course, taking excellent care for Cooper. August was the month that I had to go back to work in the office full time, so she could not have come at a better time. I went to work knowing that Cooper was in the best hands. It didn’t take any time at all for Cooper to fall in love with his newly aquainted “Tante Christina” (Tante means “Aunt” in German for those of you who don’t know).

August 12, 2007 was a very special day in particular. Cooper was baptized on this day at Grace United Methodist Church in North Augusta. We had a beautiful Christening gown for him, and we waited until the last possible minute before church started to put it on him so that he would not mess it up. We were called before the church and our family was invited to come and stand with us before the congregation. Cooper did great up there in my arms despite the fact that he was due to eat at that very moment. When I handed him to Dr. Jimmy Adams and the water was sprinkled on his head, I was waiting to hear him object, but he was just as content as always. Then Dr. Adams walked Cooper up and down the aisle of the church and held him up for everyone to see. I was standing, white knuckled, in the front beside Peter both incredibly proud of his performance and petrified at the same time that white chunky spit up would come spewing out all over himself and the minister at any moment. Alas, he made it through perfectly and charmed the crowd with his sweet smile.

After 3 weeks of bliss with Christina, it was time to say goodbye. We were so sad to see her go, and there were tears all around. If Cooper was old enough to understand, he surely would have been crying as well. I can never thank Christina enough for all of the help she provided us in those two weeks and also for the great sacrifices she made to come here on her small teacher’s salary. We were honored and blessed by her presence.

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.

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!