Month 9 Fun

I keep thinking that I love the stage that Cooper is in but another one comes along and I think I love it so much more than the last. They say it only gets more and more fun from here! Enjoy the pictures!

This happened today. He can't move yet but he's just chillin' on his hands and knees. Must baby proof soon!!

Yes, Yes, our little snaggletooth. Cooper is obviously missing one of his front teeth and has been for a few weeks. Thankfully, it popped through yesterday so he won't be snaggletoothed for much longer! He has two bottom teeth and 3 other top teeth.

I propped Cooper on the bathroom counter so I could cut his toenails (looking at himself in the mirror keeps him occupied so he doesn't keep trying to grab the clippers) and he kept scooting closer and closer trying to grab the faucet. Eventually, he scooted himself in the sink. Don't ask me why I had the camera in the bathroom with us while I was cutting his toenails but you never know when a photo opportunity is going to occur, I guess!

Prior to getting on his hands and knees like in the picture above, any time Cooper tried to get his bottom off of the floor he would scoot backwards. This resulted in getting stuck in some awkward places, such as under his crib.

Last Saturday we got to attend Mia Clair's 2nd birthday party. It was at a Fun Zone and they had these cool airplanes that Cooper loved. He kept leaning over the edge as we went up and down and screaming "Ahhhh." It was adorable and SO much fun! We rode them several times.

He also enjoyed this duck game. He was a champ at mashing the button while Sean held him up.

Riding this car was scary at first...

But then he decided it was fun!

Our Little Snowman

It's not a lot of snow, but we'll take it!
Parker usually doesn't slow down enough when it snows to get a picture so this is all I could get of them. Parker is mid-run of his race around the back yard and Cooper is fascinated by him.

Braving the cold!

Video A Day #3

Teaching your child to say "no" probably isn't the best idea - I'm sure we'll hear enough of this when he is 2 but it just sort of evolved. I have been shaking my head and telling him "no" when he sprays baby food everywhere for fun and evidently he picked it up. It's cute, for now... until he uses it to actually TELL us "no" instead of just playing along.

Video A Day #2

Things like this are why I absolutely love my husband. Just writing about this makes me laugh all over again. So last night, I get into bed and Sean says to me, "I was keeping your spot warm for you" - you know, we each have our side of the bed. Looking at him I see that his entire body was on his side of the bed. I said, "What exactly were you keeping warm?" He said, "Your pillow." It is true that his head was kindof halfway onto my pillow. I exploded into giggles and said, "Yes, thank you, because the thing I am concerned about getting cold is my HEAD." My feet, maybe, but my head!? I was laughing in one of those belly-ache-I-can't-stop-to-catch-my-breath kind of laughs. He then said, "I didn't want your nose to get cold." I couldn't take it anymore. WHAT!? Dripping with sarcasm and still almost-can't-breathe-laughing, "Yes, because that is exactly how I sleep, with my nose face first in my pillow." I laughed for the next 30 minutes. I would try to get calmed down then I would think of our conversation and start all over again. I'm not sure that he thought it was quite that funny but he did enjoy my giggles. It's nice to laugh together sometimes. I love you honey, and thank you for keeping my spot warm.

and now...video #2

Video A Day #1

I took several videos of Cooper the other day doing relatively new things. He has really exploded lately with associating words and actions... and finally saying "Da Da." It takes so long to upload even a single video that I don't have time at one sitting to upload them all, but I plan to upload one per day for your viewing pleasure.

A few disclaimers:
-These are REALLY cheesy home videos - the kind that only parents and grandparents can watch for an extended period of time. I mean really, watching a kid drink a sippy cup is only a big thing if you have spent an excruciating amount of time practicing, and practicing, and practicing....

-Yes, Cooper is still in his PJ's and he's eating his afternoon snack which comes AFTER his afternoon nap. I determined with the temps in the really frigid numbers that fleece all over was probably the warmest thing that he could be wearing so I decided that he would indeed remain in his PJ's all day. Which would have been ok if he had not promptly gotten banana ALL over these PJ's right after these videos were taken.

-Yes, the TV is on and he may turn around a few times to look at the flashing lights. This was taken on Friday, and there was like 24 hour coverage of the "Miracle on the Hudson" on CNN and I was addicted. I try not to watch too much TV during the day but you are likely to find us rocking out to some great mixed CD's of Praise and Worship though (thanks to Matt & Erin!). Anyway, I digress - the TV is on, Cooper is fascinated, and I am a human interest junkie (Sean has officially diagnosed me).

-Yes, mom, I did thoroughly wash Cooper's hand after Parker licked all over it trying to get a stray Cheerio or Yogurt Bite that Cooper was eating. Cooper loves the interaction, Parker loves the food - it's a win-win situation to get them to love each other. But, yes mom, I did wash his hand before he put it back into his mouth.

9 month stats

Went to the doctor for Cooper's 9 month check-up today. He is doing well and didn't have to have any shots for this visit (YEA!).

Head Circumference - 17 inches - 30th percentile
Weight - 18 lbs. 9.9 oz - 20th percentile
Length 28 1/4 inches - 52nd percentile

We were pleased to see that his head had grown to a somewhat more "average" circumference (he's been in the 5-10th percentile) and were alarmed at first that his weight had gone down to the 20th percentile from the 50th. They reassured us that it was perfectly normal though because he has become so much more active (not just laying or sitting). He's still on track to be more and more like Sean - tall and skinny.

Seriously, Aunt Keisha?

I TOTALLY realize that I grew up in Waynesville, but sis... you turned my baby into a baby REDNECK!

Christmas pictures

We took about a gazillion pictures this first Christmas. Here is only a snapshot. Enjoy!

What's New in the New Year?

First of all, HAPPY 2009!!

We had a quiet and uneventful new year. Sean had to work New Year's Eve and was on call that night so we were actually on our couch in our PJ's watching the ball drop in Times Square. Cooper was down for the night. How time changes...

Sean was off New Year's Day though so we had a productive day taking down all of the Christmas Decorations. I love putting the decorations up each year but loathe taking them down - the price you have to pay, I guess...

All of the Christmas pictures are coming soon in a slide show, I think, but for now here's a list new Cooper things:

1. He has another new tooth (bringing the total to 3). I found it on Monday. It is on the top and is the tooth beside his front tooth on his right, my left. This is in addition to his bottom front teeth that he has had for a couple of months.

2. He is rolling everywhere to get places. He can roll both directions and can rotate himself around to get to the direction he wants to go. Case in point, he rolled himself out of his room the other day, turned himself around and rolled down the hall to our room. He cried when he got to our room and noone was there. I was watching him do all of this from the door in his room, where he started. He has been doing this for about a month, I guess.

3. His hair is growing fast! It still stands up in the back and we have the hardest time getting it to lay down. We will wet and comb it down at home but by the time he turns his head in his carseat a few times (or wears a hood), it is standing back up again by the time we get anywhere. We joke that his hair has a ton of spit in it from us licking our hands and trying to get it to stay down. It's actually probably not far from the truth...

4. He is eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner of baby food each day now and still nursing in between. For a while, he was waking up in the middle of the night again and we figured out that he was hungry so he has been eating more baby food to help - and it has. He is back to sleeping about 10-11 straight hours at night. Hallelujah!!

5. He also LOVES those Gerber Puffs or Cheerios. HATES yogurt. It is the only food that I have ever seen him refuse to even open his mouth for.

6. He is holding a sippy cup by himself and drinking out of it. He reaches for it if it is on the table when he is thirsty while he is in his high chair. He drinks mostly water out of it. Occasionally some juice but he isn't too crazy about juice - and water is better for him anyway.

7. He doesn't like cold foods or drinks which may explain part of the aversion to juice and yogurt. He prefers everything to be room temperature or warmer. I pour his water out of the tap instead of our fridge filter because he won't drink it if it is too cold. Funny boy!

He has his well baby 9 month check-up on Monday so I will update with new stats then. Again, Happy New Year!