My son the flirt

Two days ago my son met a new little friend named Elizabeth. She's not quite two yet and much shorter than him, but such a ball of energy! She and her family are only here for about 4 days for camp. They met in the worship center while the band was setting up and definitely hit it off! They played so well together!

Later that night we all sat in the back together during worship and those two were some kind of entertainment! They were dancing around like crazy! They both tried to do the motions that went with one of the songs. Cooper lifted his hands when he saw other people lifting their hands. They danced the entire time.

Well, once it was time to calm down Cooper and Elizabeth both sat down in my lap. He immediately put his arm around her and laid his head on her shoulder. They went back and forth with that for a couple of minutes and then he made his move! HE TOTALLY LEANED IN AND KISSED HER ON THE CHEEK!!! This slick move was immediately followed by rejection and Elizabeth retreated to her own mothers lap! HILARIOUS!!!! It was too funny and he was too cute!

New Pictures

And we're off at the zoo...

Cooper on the turtle...
This is what Quinn did most of the time we were there...

Cooper and the tiger...

Chicken legs!!! :)

Big boy...

3 and a half months...

Why I love Cooper...

There are many, many reasons why I love this precious boy. He has an amazingly joyful spirit. His personality is beautiful, sweet and considerate. He has faced a lot of challenges in his little life, and he's always been a trooper and has always prevailed. He works hard at everything he does. He shows love in such special ways, even though he can't tell us he loves us yet.

I love Cooper because he loves to play in the water at the bathroom sink. He loves to get the paper cups and go through the endless process of filling them up and dumping them out. If he hears the water running in any sink, he runs to get his stool so he can reach the water to play. More often than not, he is too late so he puts his stool down and waits for his next chance.

I love Cooper because he pretends to feed us with food out of a book, and he pretends to feed the people on TV with his "food" too.

I love Cooper because he says please so sweetly. Every time he says it he seems to have a sense of accomplishment.

I love Cooper because he is sympathetic towards people and things that get hurt, fall down, make messes, etc. When Robin Hood gets captured he always points to the TV and says, "Oh no."

I love Cooper because he gets excited for people when good things happen to them. Another Robin Hood example would be...when Robin Hood hits the bulls eye in the archery tournament he always claps and gets really excited.

I love Cooper because he laughs when other people laugh and seems genuinely happy that they are happy.

I love Cooper because he smiles, even when he is sick.

I love Cooper because his first experience with REAL whipped cream was seemingly the most exciting thing that has ever happened to him. He squealed with delight and was amazed at how good it was. Again, he was so grateful.


I love Cooper because he loves to put Quinn's onesies on his head...like they are supposed to be there.


I love Cooper because he still wants me to come along. He waits for me. He's eager to share things with me. He wants to be around me.


I love Cooper because he loves milkshakes. Every time he sees this picture he gets pumped and pretends to take it off the screen and eat it.

I love Cooper because...he's Cooper. He was crafted by God to be exactly the way he is. He's beautiful and I am so honored to be his mother.

White Spinach and Chicken Pizza

I don't usually put recipes up on our blog, but my husband so loved this one, it makes me want to share it. The "base recipe" started with something from Paula Deen, but I altered it quite a bit. (I should have taken a picture, but didn't even think about it.)

White Spinach and Chicken Pizza
1 thin pizza crust (packaged and found in the bread aisle usually)
2 cooked chicken breasts seasoned with pepper and salt and chopped (if you're making chicken earlier in the week, make a little more and use the leftovers for this)
1/2 jar of artichoke hearts chopped
2 tablespoons garlic
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 (10-ounce) bag fresh spinach
1 (16-ounce) jar Alfredo Sauce
1 package slice Provolone Cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Dash of basil

Preheat oven by following directions on back of pizza crust for oven temps and crust preparation. (Usually it tells you to brush it with olive oil.)

In a large bowl combine chopped chicken, chopped artichoke hearts. garlic, Parmesan Cheese, 1/2 bag spinach, 1/2 jar Alfredo Sauce, salt and pepper. Set mixture aside.

Put desired amount of Alfredo Sauce on crust. Top with slices of Provolone Cheese to cover sauce. Cover sauce with desired amount of leftover spinach. Spread mixture on top of spinach leaves. Sprinkle with basil and cook as directed by pizza crust directions.

Trip to Baton Rouge

We were able to make a trip to Baton Rouge last week due to the nice little ice storm Louisville was hit with. We lost power and it quickly became too cold to keep the boys in a house with no heat. So we threw some stuff together and headed south. It was so awesome to be there! It had been 7 months since Cooper and I were there, and almost a year for T. It was a great time of rest and we were so blessed to see family and friends.

Here are a couple of pictures of the ice that drove us south...

This was on the Dogwood tree in our front yard.

That limb is usually about 15 feet off the ground.

And here are some pictures from our trip...

Quinn and his Bink.

Me and Joe.

The Girls.

Cooper and his Nana making his first cake!

This is what he looked like after his nap one day. How does this happen!?

Cooper and Addy having lunch.

Quinn and his BFF Joe. They are 10 days apart.

Cooper and his BFF Jack. They are 2 months apart.

Pictures

He's just too cute! Loves to wear daddy's hats!

Big smile!

Completely in charge of the remote...daddy doesn't even know!

Look at that strong boy! (7 weeks old!)

Oh Goodness...

Life with kids is always interesting, fun, entertaining, and most often exciting. But with all that there also comes the inevitable carousel of sickness. Cooper was well for about 3 months, and we were pumped! We literally put him to bed a couple of weeks ago talking about it, and he most definitely came down with croup the next day! He was able to get a big dose of medicine from the doctor after the weekend, and only had a moderate cough for a few days after that. Well, in the meantime, Quinn came down with an upper respiratory infection and had a cough and snot issues. He's still dealing with a little snot, but most of the cough is gone. The next week (this past weekend) Cooper woke up again with a fever and drainage coming out of his ears. The next day he had a rash and we took him to the doctor on Saturday. He ended up with a double ear infection and strep throat!!! Poor baby! He was absolutely miserable for a couple of days, but has been fever free for two days now and is back to his old self.

Now it's mommy's turn...I started with a sore throat last night and woke up with one pretty swollen tonsil and I'm off to the doctor today. (All this in trying to keep little man from getting anything serious.) We'll see what he has to say. Hopefully we'll be able to kick it in the butt before it gets full blown. (And on my birthday! Boo!)

We are headed to Gatlinburg this weekend providing all are well. Hopefully that will be a nice, restful time.

Cool man!

6 Weeks Old

One Month Old!

I can't believe it. Quinn is one month old already! He is doing great...with the exception of the very frequent crying and screaming he partakes in (sometimes around the clock). But that's getting better and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, so we're thankful for that.

He had his one month check up on Monday and weighed in at 10 pounds 13 ounces and was 22 inches long, so he's growing pretty fast.

Cooper is still doing a fantastic job at being a big brother. He loves Quinn and is super sweet to him.

T. has been at home since Christmas Eve and will be off until the 5th, so I am thankful for that help with the transition. He's been amazing and has taken on so much around here.

I'm still trying to figure out how to make it out of sweats each day, but I'm sure that will get easier as the days pass. :)

Here are some pictures of the big boys...

Cooper thinking he owns the kitchen. :)

Quinn frequently has this look on his face...either he's confused or just irritated.

Introducing...

Thomas Quinn
9 pounds 2 ounces
20 inches long
Arrived at 3:07 pm

Week 38 Dr. Appointment

I went to the doctor again on Wednesday and there's a little progress. I'm about a centimeter dilated, which is something at least. He feels like my body is now starting to do what it needs to to get ready to have the body and that by next week things will be good to go. He seemed to think that I'll go to the induction date of next Saturday the 29th. (We'll see!)

Halloween Pictures (late)

I just realized that I didn't put any pictures of Cooper up from Halloween! Here are a few...

Week 37 Dr. Appointment

Just had my check up for this week...still no change.

He did schedule my induction, however. If the baby doesn't come earlier, I'll get induced on November 29th. So at least we know that now!

I've tried to get myself prepared in case baby does come early. We've got the car seat in the car, the nursery primed, neutral clothes washed and put away, a bag packed for me and a bag packed for the baby, arrangements for Cooper for middle-of-the-night and daytime runs to the hospital, and a double stroller ordered.

I would honestly love for baby to come before the 29th because I'm just hurting and I don't see how my belly can get any bigger. BUT! I know God's plan is perfect and definitely better than mine, so that's what I'll pray for.

Week 36 Dr. Appointment

I'm actually close to being in week 37. I saw the doctor today and all is well. Baby sounds great and there is "no change" so he said he would see me next week. No induction date is scheduled right now. He said we'd talk about it next week.

I felt like baby was coming Monday, so I'm a little surprised that nothing is going on.

I'll keep you posted in the days to come.

Cooper's Birthday Party

Cooper's party was a lot of fun! He absolutely loved all the people being here to celebrate him. It was the cutest thing ever! When they sang "Happy Birthday" he got the biggest smile and put his head down like he was embarrassed to be the center of attention. Too funny! Here are a few pictures...

The Birthday Cake

Singing "Happy Birthday"

Opening presents

Playing "Ring around the Rosey"

The Party Table

Ultrasound - 34 Weeks

Baby weighed in at 6 pounds 5 ounces Tuesday! That's one ounce less than Cooper was when he was born - and his birthday is still a week and a half away! He said the ultrasound was very reassuring and looked great. As of right now the doctor is still talking about inducing at week 39 if the baby hasn't come by then (that will be the week before Thanksgiving).

I'm scheduled to go back to the doctor next Tuesday. I'm feeling generally uncomfortable with a lot of back pain and pressure. But I'm able to get quite a bit done with a lot of breaks during the day for sure. Cooper has been such a great little boy lately and that helps sooo much. I've also had help from family visiting the past few weeks and that has been great as well.

Right now I'm praying for a labor and delivery that includes T being here from start to finish. I'm nervous about calling him on the way to the hospital while he's away on a recruiting trip. Please pray with me about this...I don't want to have to beat anyone up if he's not there! :)

Cooper's Glasses

PREGNANCY UPDATE: They have put me on bed rest for at least a week as of today. I was having severe pains in the center of my belly accompanied by a tremendous amount of pressure. They did a non-stress test on the baby and verified that it is a very active baby and all looked well through the test. There were no concerns of being in preterm labor or anything; she just wants me to take it easy so as to not push it I guess. I think there is also added concern because I delivered Cooper preterm. I go back next Thursday to find out if another week is needed. This will be interesting because T is traveling and I don't exactly know how to do bed rest with a 2 year old by myself. Your prayers are greatly appreciated.