More Pictures of the Cooper Pooper!!!

Cooper is such a good baby so far. He looks so much like Cadence did when she was a baby!Fresh out of the womb!!!

Look at those lips! Is he wearing lipstick? He measured 8lbs. 9 oz. on the scale!

Dr. Kimberly McCulloch, what a woman! She delivered Cooper wearing a cute black and white dress, with jewelry and all. I really like her!!!

Our first picture together in the delivery room. We are thrilled with our Mini Cooper!!

Dad and Cooper together. Cooper trying to find something to suck!!!

Cooper getting his first sponge bath from Daddy!!!

Cooper looking mighty dapper in the nursery pictures. He makes those blankets look good!

A very proud sister. Cadence wanted to hold Cooper a lot. She didn't want to put his down.

Grammy loves her new grandson! She's grateful to add another boy to the family!

Cadence loves to give "kind and gentle" strokes to her buddy. She likes to kiss him too!

Black tar poop number two. Changed by Dad! Cooper is quickly gaining a new nickname - The Cooper Pooper!

The Cooper Pooper strikes again for the third time in one day! Mom is the Cooper Pooper Scooper!

Cooper goes home in his "I'm a Prince, but my dad is the king" onesie!

Cooper looks like a prisoner in his car seat!

Ross Cooper Is Here!!!

Ok!!! This was the best labor ever. I was induced at about 8am, got my water broken about 8:45am, got an epidural at 10:30am and was ready to push at 12:45pm. Only two sets of three pushes and Cooper was out!!! (Less than 10 minutes of pushing!) That's right! Labor and delivery was about 5 hours short!!!! Labor with Cadence was over 16 hours. I couldn't believe it. Everything went so well. I was pretty much in shock, but got over it quickly:)

Cooper weighed 8lbs, 9oz. He is 20 inches long with lots of dark, wavy hair and fair skin. He got a 9 and a 9 on the APGAR scale. He is very healthy and has already had a BIG, black poop!!! He latched on and went to town immediately eating. (His daddy is so proud. Cooper is a real man.) He looks just like Cadence did when she was born. His hands/fingers and feet/toes are extremely long. He does NOT cry and is just content to be held or laid down. He has opened his eyes for short periods of time and has lifted his head.

Cadence is really enjoying Cooper. She likes to hold him and all the practice of being "kind and gentle" has been very useful when she strokes his face. Cynthia Fredrickson/Mimi saw Cadence and asked if Cooper was cute. Her reply was, "He is darling." We didn't know she knew that word. But he is darling and we could use every other word to describe his handsomeness!

We are thrilled that Cooper is finally here in body. We will post more pictures as we are able. (The files are too big or something doesn't work well here at the hospital to post them.)

Delivering the Baby As You Read!!!

The great things about inductions are that I can go to the hospital looking good, being prepared and happy! Yes, that belly holds a baby that will be coming out soon. I finally will get to hold my little boy!Chris and I are at the hospital delivering the baby!!! The doctor has broken my water and the potossin is being turned up. We will get pictures of our cute little Cooper as soon as we can!!! Our little boy will be here soon!!!

Two Year Check-up For Cadence

Cadence had her two year doctor's check-up today. We prepared for it by watching the podcast on Sesameworkshop.com. Coincidentally, the "What's the Scoop?" was doctor's check-up. The Sesame Street characters talked about what to expect at a doctor's check-up. Cadence knew the doctor would check her "heartbeep," eyes, ears, mouth and tummy. We love that website.
At the doctor's office, Cadence loved playing with the Thomas Train toys. The Thomas seat was so cool that she didn't want anyone else to sit on it:( She did like pushing he little toy trains around the track. Cadence was very brave. Dr. McKenna came in speaking in his Donald Duck voice and it kind of made Cadence nervous. She didn't quite know what to think. She let the doctor check everything he needed to check. He was very impressed with intellectual and speech development, and said that she is a year or more beyond what he would expect a 2-yr-old to know (colors, numbers, alphabet, concepts, etc.) She told him about the lionfish in this fake fishtank thing and how she liked stingrays at the aquarium. When she was given the shot, she cried a little until the nurse gave her a sucker. Then she was happy. She also liked the red bandaid that was put on her owie!

More Failed Attempts at Labor

After church on Sunday, I talked with a friend, the fun and beautiful Tangi Ryan, who said she may be able to help me induce my labor by doing some foot zoning. I said, "Let's try it!!!" She came over later that night and brought all sorts of suprises.

First, she gave Chris some orange juice concentrate to make and put some caster(?) oil in it. I drank 2 LARGE glasses. The taste wasn't that bad, but the texture and oil on my lips was a little gross.

Next, she was kind enough to wash my feet because leaning over the bathtub to reach them is next-to-impossible. Talk about the highest form of service!!! What a kind person!

Then, she started to work on my feet. I thought it was going to be a massage, but it definitely wasn't that. It was a little uncomfortable as she applied pressure to the different parts of my feet where nerves connect to the rest of my body. (I don't know the correct wording!!!)

As we were waiting for the contractions or at least something to start, Chris, Tangi and I talked about spirituality, perfection and many other deep topics. It was really fun!!! Tangi and I kept sniffing lavendar - hoping to get high. Actually, I don't remember what Tangi said lavendar does, but it was supposed to assist me in my quest to go into labor.

Unfortunately, none of these attempts to induce labor worked. I have accepted that I will just get to be induced on Tuesday! I really wanted to have the baby without potossin (I don't know how to spell it.), but it looks like that is not to be this time!!!

Wish my luck! I am finally going to have a baby tomorrow. We are so excited to hold Cooper in our arms and welcome him into the family. Watch for pictures to be posted as soon as I can get them on here!!!

A Glorious Day in Nursery!!!

Today is a milestone for Cadence. She stayed in nursery at church for an hour ALL BY HERSELF without crying. It has been 6 months of going to nursery with her. She is such a big girl. I pray that this continues because I was starting to worry what I was going to do when the baby got here! Way to go Cadence!!!

Cadence Turns TWO!!!

When Cadence woke up, we sang her "Happy Birthday" and she had a big smile on her face. She received 3 "happy birthday cards" the day before the primary, Nana and Pap, and Grandma and Grandpa, and carried them around. Cadence knew this would be a big day for her.

Our family tradition is to support the Boy Scouts by attending a fundraiser breakfast every Fourth of July. (Chris even went while I was in labor when Cadence was being born!) We walked over to the church and back. Cadence usually will stay in the stroller for a few minutes, but after that she wants to walk (and pick up rocks, sticks, play games, jump, etc.) Our walks usually take quite a while!

When we got back, Cadence and I jumped on our neighbors' trampoline. She loves to jump and I was still hoping to induce labor. We were at the Coltrin's for about an hour, only jumping part of the time. They came to our house for popsicles and to watch Cadence open some presents. Cadence loves Chelsea, Charles and Kyah, and their mom, Crystal.

Cadence got many unique presents. I am a creative mom!!! Some presents were ones that she had already received wrapped up again. Some were toys she had forgotten about. She helped me buy most of them. Cadence got 2 used puzzles with shapes, colors, number and the alphabet. A snake that grows big when it is soaked in the bathtub. She named it "Chelsea." A pop-up book that has songs, a princess crown, a purse, snake fireworks, sidewalk chalk, a small swimming/wading pool and a floatation device for a big pool.





Cadence is still nervous around water. We got her this little pool to assist her in gaining confidence in being able be in water without clinging to an adult and so she can splash. She thought it was fun to fill it up with water, but thought it was too cold to play in. She LOVED the sidewalk chalk!!!

Cadence says "nakes" are scary. She calls the night crawlers/worm in the garden snakes. Yet, when we went to the dollar store to buy some wrapping paper and presents, she wanted this toy snake. She loves to play with and bathe with it. I also bought the fireworks snakes that grow when they are lit. She really enjoyed watching the snakes grow!

We played with her toys for most of the day, drawing on the sidewalk, touching the cold water with her hands, etc. My cousin, Michael Green, happened to stop by and we talked for a while. In the evening, after Chris picked up flags around the neighborhood for the Boy Scouts, we went on another walk along the canal. It took quite a while because Cadence wanted to walk, pick up rocks, throw them in the canal, etc. We were going to bake a Marie Calendar's pie and stick 2 candles in it, but it was so late when we got back that we decided to do it another day. Cadence ended the day taking a bath which she loves!!!

Cadence is such a cute, little 2-yr-old. She is so talkative and funny. She gives love away very well and often. I really couldn't ask for a better daughter. I'm grateful that she chose to come to our family. If this is what the "terrible two's" are like, then I will be able to handle them. While she definitely has some areas she could improve, she is such a good girl. She is my princess!!!