Alaska Adventure

My Alaska adventure has started. I have been having a blast inspite of the time spent fishing little. Is true that you get what you work for.

Two Week Doctors Appointment

On Tuesday, Cooper turned two weeks old. We took him to his doctor's appointment. Everything is great! He weighed 9 lbs., 5 oz. which is 75 percentile and was 21 3/4 inches tall which is in the 85 percentile. I don't really know how accurate the height is because at birth the nurse measured him to be 20 inches. I have a hard time believing he has grown almost 2 inches in 2 weeks. I think a lot has to do with him just stretching out more. He is starting to fill out his onesies more. I can't believe he is growing so quickly. I love you Cooper!!!

Big Hands, Little Body

Cooper seems so little when I see Chris hold him. Chris' hands are huge. Even my hands seem big when I hold Cooper. Cooper isn't a tiny baby (8 lbs, 9oz) , but his body looks so small when compared to our hands.

College Friend Reunion

I'm a week behind on my posts. Anyway, last Wednesday I ventured out of the house by myself with the two kids. Some of my roommates/friends from USU were having a reunion at Porcupine Dam and Cinnamon Creek campground. Because I had just giving birth, I decided camping for 3 days was not for me. I met them at the resevoir for a couple of hours and ate dinner.

Cadence wore her cute flowered swimsuit.

She still is afraid of the water. I put her in a raft and she was ok for a couple of minutes, but then got scared.
She really liked the canoe when it was out of the water - but not when it was in the water.

She talked about the "boat" for a couple of days.

She wanted to "swim" which consisted of me holding her over the water while she put her feet and toes in. She didn't want her feet to touch the beach because it was "dirty."

Gratefully, my friends wanted to hold Cooper so I could spend time with Cadence.

Some of the Grayson Apt gang!!! Rachel, Dave and Anna. Kim and baby. Erin and daughter, Rachel. Shanna. Paul, wife and Aspen. Amy. Me, Cooper and Cadence.

Some of the adults gave the kids a ride in handcarts around the campsite. She thought that was extremely cool and fun.

It was great to see those who were able to make it. I wish more people could have made it and that I could have stayed longer!!!

The Bonk and Resulting Goose Egg!

Cadence didn't want to take a nap. She climb over me and was attempting to get off the bed. Since I was feeling sick, I had the garbage can next to the bed. For some reason, she chose to step in it instead of next to it. When she put her weight in it, it shifted and she fell into the wall or bedpost. (I don't know which because I was hoping she would come back to the bed if I stayed.) Well, she got a huge bonk and a small goose egg on her forehead!

It is her first goose egg. The good news is that as I was holding and comforting her, she fell asleep. The bump turned to a bruise a day later.

If you look closely on both pictures, you can see the bump on her right side of the forehead (our left side). An OREO cookie makes everything better!!!

The Many Faces of Cooper

Cooper is now 12 days old. He is such a good baby! He sleeps A LOT!!! Last night, I had to wake him after 4 hours so I could feed him. He cries very little. Cooper loves to suck (and therefore loves his binkie), is much more alert, opens his eyes often and is getting better at lifting/holding up his head. He loves to be held closely and tightly, and would rather sleep on his stomach than his back. Here are many pictures of Cooper over the last 10 days and many of the faces we've seen. He is the cutest mini-Cooper around!!!

Is Cooper smiling or grunting? It is hard to tell. (2 days old)

Cooper at 3 days old! His sister, Cadence, is so proud.

Cadence is attempting to feed Cooper some of her birthday cake. Of course, I didn't really let her feed it to him. (4 days old)

Grammy holding Cooper on his stomach. He is just starting to open his eyes more often. (4 days)

Cooper's first day at church. His 0-3 month outfit was way too big for him. (5 days old)

I'm tired. I love to yawn!

"My Mom has huge hands."

Making a monkey face for the camera!

The kissing face!!!

The nose picker!

Getting a kiss from sister and loving it!!!

The Goopy Left Eye (7 days)

Luscious lips and a Buddha belly

Enjoying tummy time (11 days)

Eyes open and alert Mr. Cooper. (11 days)

Isn't Cooper super? (Cooper is a fun name. It rhymes with so many cool words!)

What Do I Wear to Church?

I decided to go to church on Sunday since Chris said I could take the baby. I can't stand sitting at home with nothing to do. Most people asked me what I was doing there. I feel really good and don't see the need to sit on the couch any longer than I have too. I figure I will have many days that I don't leave the house (because the task sounds overwhelming with both kids), so I should get out at every chance I have. Church definitely qualifies as one of those times that I can get out because I know people are more than willing to help with the kids.

Chris goes to church at 9:30am for meetings since he is the Young Men's President. Luckily, Grammy was here to assist me in getting 2 kids ready for church. It is harder than I thought it would be!!! Cadence loves to be naked and not get on her clothes, diaper or shoes. I usually have to chase her down. Cooper is easy to dress - other than nothing fits him.

The biggest dilemma though was not the kids. IT WAS ME!!!! I forgot that I had to wear something besides a t-shirt. I knew I could fit into a maternity skirt. I thought I might just wear a maternity top - until I remembered that I was going to get to nurse Cooper while I was there. None of those work well for nursing. So in a panic, I ran out to my "summer closet" in the barn. Itried on almost every shirt that buttoned down. However, my bust is huge and my tummy is still extra large. I could barely get some of the buttons to buttons and the shirts seemed too short to cover the bulging belly. Finally, I found one shirt that looked half decent. It is ironic that this is the only shirt that looked decent on me when I got home from my mission too. I have a week to figure out what to wear to church next week. Let's hope my belly starts to shrink quickly.

Church went well. Cadence actually keep her "pretty" in her hair and showed it off to people. She was proud of her new dress. She stayed in nursery by herself two different times for about 20 minutes the first time and 10 minutes the second. Cooper was a good boy and everybody thought he was so handsome (which he is). If I can get the kids ready by myself every week, then I can do church!!!

Bathtime Opposites!

When you come on a tour of our house, Cadence will show you the bathroom upstairs and say, "This is my bathtub." She loves the tub!!! I cannot write in words how much she loves to take a bath in these big tubs. When Grammy was here after Cooper was born, she would watch Cadence in the tub. I think if you were walking by outside, you could hear the squeals of delight and joy from bathtime play since there is a window (usually open) right over the bathtub. Cadence looks forward to having bathtime everyday - even though that doesn't happen. She loves her bath toys - especially the snake. Some days when I ask her what she wants to do during the day, she replies, "Take a bath." Lately, she has started laying down on her back in the tub - which is what big girls do. Cooper had his first bath at home on Sunday. I think you can see how much he enjoyed taking a bath. Not to mention, that he peed in the water. He started screaming the minute I took his diaper off and stopped the second I put a towel around him. It was not an enjoyable experience - as you can tell by Cadence's expresssion. He fell asleep very quickly after that. I guess screaming for a couple of minutes wears a baby out!!! Let's hope that he starts to like bathtime more in the future!!!

Shocking the Receptionist!!!

Cooper has been to the doctor twice since he left the hospital - both for necessary procedures - in my mind. First, he had to get his bilirubin tested again as a precaution for jaundice. No jaundice! The nurse poked his heel and squooze out blood. The other was to get a little procedure called circumcision.
The reason I am adding this entry is to tell about Chris' sense of humor. When he called to schedule the circumcision, he told me to "Listen to this," with a big smile on his face. When the receptionist answered the phone, Chris replied in a deep, serious voice, "Hi. I would like to schedule a CASTRATION for my new son." The smile on his face got bigger by the millisecond of silence on the other end of the phone. A second or two later (I'm sure it seemed like an eternity), Chris laughed, "I'm just joking! I need to schedule a circumcision." The reception breathed a sigh of relief as she told him that she thought he was joking, but just couldn't tell and didn't know quite how to respond. Chris felt such joy that he had shocked the reception. He figures that everyone needs to laugh, right!

Anyhow, the procedure went well. I watched! Chris and Dr. McKenna thought it would be good for me to see. While I was waiting, I could hear this screaming newborn and I felt like a horrible mother. It wasn't until I was in the room with Cooper and the doctor that I knew it was NOT Cooper doing the screaming. He was sound asleep and numb. So far, the circumcision has gone well. One morning, it bled a little (which wasn't supposed to happen), but we just applied more Vaseline as the doctor recommended to keep it from sticking to the diaper. Oh the joys of having a baby boy!!!

His belly button fell off too yesterday. I'm glad to see that gone!

To Hollyhock or Not?

We have these hollyhocks in our front yard. They are very pretty...for a while. There are two main problems with them. First, they are so tall, one cannot see the pretty rose bushes behind them. Second, they are so top heavy, they fall over and bend when they blossom. So my questions are should we keep the hollyhocks in the front flower bed or attempt to transplant/move them to a different spot for next year? If I move them, does anyone know how? Do I just plant the seeds or do I wait for them to come up and then dig them up? Vote on the poll.

Impromptu Birthday Parties

Since Cadence's birthday was on the date we were hoping Cooper would come, we didn't plan a party for here. Now that Cooper is here and many friends and family are coming to visit, we make every visit an impromptu birthday party for Cadence. Many people have come with a little gift for Cadence in addition to one for Cooper, not that she needs anything else. You are all very considerate people.

Cadence's big family party happened on Friday. My sister, Sandy, and her 4 girls and my sister-in-law, Tammie, and her son and daughter came to see Cooper. I told them we would make it a birthday party for Cadence. The night before, I let Cadence make her own birthday cake. She loves to cook.

She also got to decorate it with sprinkles and put in her own candles.

Cadence blew out both candles on her first try. She was very proud of her creation and it tasted very good. (Funfetti with cream cheese frosting).

Cadence got some Hello Kitty fashion supplies from Tammie, Cole and Sydney, 3 bible story books for church from the Lawrence family, and a beautiful dress, pull-ups, and some colored soap from Grammy. This was the best impromptu birthday party I could have pulled together.

On Sunday, she got a very nice table with chairs from the Fredrickson family. On the top of the table, she can color with dry erase markers or crayons. She LOVES it!!! (And I do too. No more coloring on the sheets, her clothes and walls - I hope!)

Cadence has had many improptu parties and many gifts. She loves getting "Happy Birthday" sung to her. Thanks to all of you for assisting in making Cadence's birthday great and helping her feel important in this major change in her life!!! Hopefully after Chris gets back from Alaska, we will have a neighborhood/friend get together for her.

Officiallly An Eight Cow Mom

Yes, I am officially an eight cow mom. What does that mean? I have as much milk as eight cows put together. I think I could keep a dairy in business. Cooper can not eat enough, fast enough. Hopefully, in a week or two, I will only be a one cow mom. I can say that breastfeeding with baby #2 is much less painful than with baby #1. Cooper loves to suck. I get to give him a binkie often. If I didn't, I would be in big trouble. Just a caution - if you come around me, be prepared to smell sour milk and love me inspite of the smell. I will not post a picture on this entry for obvious reasons:)

Coming Home 6 Months Pregnant!!!

The doctor gave me great news the morning after Cooper was born. She would release me if I wanted to go home early. Yahoo! Sitting in that hospital bed was driving me crazy. I wanted to be home with my husband and two kids!!! The pediatrician told me I neeeded to wait until Cooper was 24 hours old before he could be release due to a bilirubin test. Chris and I decided that right after the hospital staff took the test and got the results, we would go home. We checked out 26 hours after our Mini Cooper's life began and it was wonderful to be taking him home.


The bad news is that I brought home a new baby and I still LOOK SIX MONTHS PREGNANT!!! I gained about 37 lbs and only left 15-20 lbs lighter. Let's hope that I can lose the excess weight easily. If I look one month less pregnant every week from now on, that means I will be back to my old self in just 6 weeks. Sounds like a good goal!!!

Fun in the Hospital

We tried to make the hospital fun for Cadence. This is a big change for her and wanted the "big sister" to get special treatment too. Cadence seemed to enjoyed her time at hospital.

Cadence really wanted to climb in Cooper's little crib bed. She got to eat crackers and some of my pie and treats that came with my meals.

Grammy let Cadence pick some flowers to bring to Mom and Cooper. She told about the flowers to everyone she talked to on the phone. She must have been proud of her beautiful selection.

The boppy was quite interesting to Cadence. She wanted to try it out!!! She said she was making her monster face.

Cadence was doing a beautiful dance with Cooper's blanket. She twirled with it! She also liked looking out the big windows at the "poopy" mountains.

Of course, Cadence's favorite activity was opening her big present, her new little man, Cooper. The first time she looked at him, she was filled with wonder and awe!!!