The Gieses

aaaaand We're Back!

2011-08-15T15:12:00.002-04:00

I have a few minutes where both, yes, both of the boys are sleeping. Rare these days. I decided in my "free" time to catch up on the 'ole blog. It's been too long since my last post and so much has happened. Honestly, I've been putting this off because it HAS been so long and now it's sort of overwhelming to go back and document the last 7 months of our lives. Here goes nothing...

2 month check-up for Camden

2011-07-26T15:21:00.000-04:00

Height - 23 3/4 inches - 68th percentile
Weight - 10 lbs. 12 oz. - 56th percentile
Head - 15 inches - 8th percentile

3 Week Check-up for Camden

2011-06-21T15:18:00.001-04:00

Height - 22 inches - 68th percentile
Head - 13 inches - 8th percentile
Weight - 8 lbs. 0.3 oz - 11th percentile

It's A...

2011-01-12T21:55:00.001-05:00

BOY!!

Cooper is going to have a baby BROTHER! We had our ultrasound today and everything looked just great. We couldn't be more thrilled!

Snow Day 2011

2011-01-11T13:49:00.003-05:00

Two Year Old Antics...

2011-01-08T09:56:00.002-05:00

We received a call this morning about 5:45am from my mother. Scared out of our wits and a little confused to be awakened from a deep sleep in the dead of night she let us know what our son had been up to. Apparently, she had been on the phone chatting with Cooper for about 5 minutes prior. He had called her, not once, but twice already this morning. A little startled to receive a call from him - and at that hour - she asked what Mommy and Daddy were doing. "Sleeping," was his reply. True. That is when she called us on our home phone to make sure that we were okay and that we knew that Coop was awake. We didn't.

We jumped up immediately and ran to find him. He was in his bed. Awake. And chatting with Nana again. Apparently, my cell phone had fallen out of my pocket, unbenownst to me, as I was reading him bedtime stories. He awoke in the middle of the night, found it, and pressed the send button (which he knows how to do). Nana was the last person who had called, so it dialed her back, and he chatted for a while.

It's becoming funnier as the day progresses. At 5:45am, not so much. However, my parents have gotten a good chuckle out of it.

So on the bright side:
1. I'm glad that he was still in his bed and not roaming around the house. The big boy bed is going to kill us yet.
2. I'm thankful for my husband who sent me back to bed and tackled our little early bird himself.
3. I'm thankful that Sean let me sleep in this morning when Coop wouldn't go back to sleep and got them both ready and took him to Chick-fil-a for a little manly bonding and breakfast.

All in all, it could have been worse. Someday, we're going to look back on this and miss these days. I don't think it's going to be today.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T21:36:00.002-05:00

December 2010

Hello Family and Friends!

This year as I sit down to write this letter, it is hard to know where to begin! We have had a great year, and hope that you have too.

Cooper is doing just wonderfully. He is 2 ½ now and is just growing so very fast. He talks up a storm – there is not much that he can’t say, or do, for that matter. He started preschool two mornings a week this year at our church and really has enjoyed his class, teachers, and making new friends. It seems like he is such a little sponge at this age, learning something new every day. He can say and recognize all of his ABC’s, knows his colors, and can count to 10 consistently. We are working on cutting, counting to 20, and potty training right now – but not at the same time. He loves all things fireman and anything with wheels. He favorite times are driving trucks and playing football with his daddy, and coloring with mommy.

Sean is still working as a Nurse Practitioner at Forsyth Comprehensive Neurology and Christal has taken a part-time job at our Church as the Interim Director of Early Childhood Ministries. Christal’s office is right down the hall from Cooper’s preschool classroom and loves being able to keep up with his day while being able to use her degrees outside of the house.

Speaking of house, we bought a new house in June. Parker has thoroughly loved his new yard with new trees, smells, squirrels, and birds galore! We have really enjoyed our new place, living on a cul-de-sac instead of a busy street, having a playroom, and space to spread out.

We are going to need the space to spread out because our family is expanding once again! Yes, our family of three will become a family of four around June 8, 2011. We have just finished the first trimester of pregnancy and Christal is thankful that it has been a much easier first trimester than with Cooper. We are thrilled to welcome a new baby into our lives once again and are excited for Cooper to be a big brother.

We pray that you have time to remember the birth of our Savior this Christmas, enjoy time with the ones that you love, and that your 2011 is full of blessings.

Love and Merry Christmas,
Sean, Christal, and Cooper

Our Big Boy Doing Big Things

2010-09-21T21:10:00.006-04:00

Like playing dress-up.... CONSTANTLY! This fireman costume is the overwhelming favorite - even wearing it for picture day at...

PRESCHOOL! Our big boy went into his new classroom carrying his backpack and with barely a glance back.

Cooper pee-peed in the potty for the first (and only) time! Hooray! Proud of this time but unfortunately wasn't motivation to continue using it... :/

To end this post the same way it started... (the same way we start and end our days)... with dress-up!

Happy September Everyone! Many prayers for a long and cool fall!

July

2010-07-28T14:53:00.002-04:00

Well, we're in! It has been a very busy month since I've blogged last. The move was HOT but uneventful and for that we are thankful. We love, love, love our new place and feel so blessed to be here. We have finally begun to feel settled. Not a picture has been hung but other than that, everything is unpacked and put away. The rush and chaos of the move has begun to slow down. We took this past weekend just for ourselves and didn't do a single house thing. It was wonderful to have a sense of normalcy back.

Cooper now says, "We're home," when we pull into THIS driveway instead of the old one. We went by the old house last night and allowed him to go in for the first time since we moved. We weren't sure if the sight of the empty house would upset him or not. The emptiness didn't seem to affect him at all and he boldly proclaimed, "Home!" as we pulled back into our new house driveway. Whew!

He had trouble sleeping for a bit after we moved. Not the actual sleeping part but the going down part. It was taking 1-2 hours to just get him to go to sleep. He is a child who you just put in the crib fully awake at nap and bedtime and he will just go right to sleep - being a non-cuddler, he actually preferred it this way. Needless to say, this 1-2 hour business was a big switch for us! He didn't seem scared but I don't think he was completely comfortable either. Thankfully, he seems to have adjusted and can go down in 15 minutes now. He still needs more rocking/reading/singing than he ever has before but 15 minutes is totally doable and truth be told, I like my non-cuddly child to need some cuddling every once in a while!

He's also getting funnier as he gets older. Proof:

We are in the VERY beginning stages of potty training. We're in the just sitting out and hanging out on the potty stage. Cooper has never actually used the potty but gets the gist of what is supposed to go on there. After he woke up from his nap today with a dry diaper, I decided it would probably be an opportune time to sit on the potty and see if he could use it. After sitting there for about 15 minutes he says, "It's not working. Daddy will fix it!" Too funny that he thought Daddy could fix him going to the potty. Daddy has fixed a lot of things around here lately, but unfortunately Cooper's potty usage is not one of them! :)

Also, Sean has some old bleach stained pants. When he put them on today to go mow, Cooper said, "Ooooh! Daddy! Stars on your pants!" Hilarious!

Loving this funny stage!

The Other Side of the Story

2010-06-12T15:00:00.002-04:00

So, I blogged this morning about our house/move/buy/sell and was in a fearful place. God has reminded me today though, through the wisdom of my wonderful husband, that there is another side to the story.

Yes, our current house has not sold yet but we are getting a REALLY GREAT house at a great price - and great interest rate.

On top of that, we are getting the tax credit since we have been in our current home for more than 5 years and have had a contract on the other home since April...

So - as Sean says - it's all in perspective. When I become fearful that this doesn't make sense because we haven't sold our current home, I've got to remember that I don't know the grand plan and God could be just setting us up for something better.

These make me Smile...

2010-06-12T06:28:00.002-04:00

Watchin' a little TV at home in the floor (I love how he has his hands behind his head)

Riding a Train at the Train Museum in Spencer, NC. This museum was the highlight of his little two-year-old life.

Playing in the backyard with Daddy.

Piling everything he could get his hands on into the clothes basket and saying "cheese!" when I came into the room with a camera - silly boy!

Sleeplessness and a new house...

2010-06-12T06:01:00.004-04:00

It is the crack of dawn here - literally - and I can't sleep. After spending some time in the Word this morning, I thought it would be the perfect time to catch up on the 'ole blog.

Funny revelation from sleeplessness: Right before daybreak, you would have thought that we lived in a house in the country rather than in the middle of a city with all of the bird chirping going on. They were singing - and loud! Who knew that we had a bird chorus outside our windows before dawn!?

Life has been busy around here as we prepare to move. Two weeks from today, actually. And, honestly, this is probably the cause of my lack of sleep. We have not actually sold our current home, so please pray for that! In this whole process we have desired to be good stewards with what God has given us - to make the right choices - for his wisdom. It is not our money, it is God's, and one of our greatest desires is to manage it well. We don't want to be frivolous or foolish and what we are doing doesn't make much sense - that is what is keeping me up at night.

Unbelievably, though, we have received confirmation after confirmation lately that we needed to go ahead and purchase the house that we have had a contract on (pending the sale of our current house). That leap of faith is so hard to take sometimes! Two different people have come to us, though, and said that they have specifically been praying for us and that they felt that God was asking us to do just that - take the leap of faith that he is going to work it all out. This is in addition to having the same urging from both of our sets of parents weeks ago. We have not taken this lightly - have covered it in prayer ourselves - and gave the go ahead to our realtor last Friday.

Let me be clear though - there is a peace about this situation in my soul - it's my brain that keeps struggling with the "what if's" and "this doesn't make sense" moments. So friends, please be in prayer for our current house to sell - we have another open house tomorrow! For me to trust God that he knows what he is doing even when it doesn't make much sense to my earthly brain, and for a smooth transition for all of us.

2 Year Stats

2010-05-06T22:39:00.002-04:00

I forgot to update Cooper's stats for his 2 year check-up.
Head circumference is 18 1/4 in - 5th percentile
Length is 35 in. - 68th percentile
Weight is 24 lbs. - 8th percentile

Lia said that she is no longer worried about his weight - Hooray!. He is following the same curve visit after visit so she thinks he is just going to be tall and skinny - that's just how he is.

He is definitely saying two word sentences which is a milestone that he should have reached, saying at least 50 words (yep!), and throwing and kicking a ball (yep!) to name a few milestones. In other words, he's right on target.

Some cute things that he does now:
-Has always been a blankie kid but never attached to just one. Instead, he wants them ALL in his bed or to go places with him now.

-Tells me stories about things he remembers in his little few-word sentences.... eating potatoes at Aaron and Rachel's house (did he do this, y'all?), getting flowers at the farm (yes, we actually did this), and seeing Thomas at the park (our park has a real live engine that the kids can explore) He calls it "Amas Choo Train" as in Thomas the choo choo train or "Hercy Choo Train" as in Percy the choo choo train for those of you familiar with Thomas.

- He calls himself alternating Hooper and Pooper. Lovely. A nickname that we didn't even think about. Praying for other kids to never think of this one.

-Is very social and talks constantly. Our house is um... lively...and loud... and we wouldn't have it any other way!

-Is fairly neat. He is a great help putting his toys away. Eating though, not so much. Of course, I did find my sunglasses in Sean's shoes yesterday...

- He sings Jesus Loves Me with us at night and is so, so, so cute.

- He can correctly identify all but 9 of his letters. This is way early and honestly we haven't really worked on it that much. We have the Leap Frog fridge magnets and it sings the ABC song and says the letter every time he puts one in. It has been one of his favorite toys for a while - gets played with at least daily and we just piggy back off of this to point out letters where ever we go (The "E" on the Fed Ex truck, All of the letters on the "Waffle House" sign at the restaurant down the road, etc.)

-Colors are another story. He knows pink for sure and everything used to be blue but now everything is green, so we're still working on it.

-He can count to 10 pretty consistently. Not sure that he can associate the number 1 with one actual object but he likes to count. Hooray for number awareness, I say.

-Sean taught him to say, "You da man!" and thinks that it is his greatest trick ever. My dad thought it pretty much rocked too.

-He explores everything - has to check out every last square inch - over, under, around - wants to see it all. Curiosity is a great skill to have so we're going with it, but it sure keeps us on our toes.

-When you ask him how old he is, he proudly replies, "two"

-Can say, "Wove you" or "I you" ... Awww... melt my heart - I love you too, son.

Trippin'

2010-05-06T14:58:00.003-04:00

In early April, Sean had a conference at the Grove Park Inn for work. It's close to home so we got some great extended time with our families and got to enjoy a place that where had always wanted to stay. Both of our parents chipped in and kept Cooper some so that we could have some time together, which was great. We only managed one picture the entire time we were there so see the first picture below of Cooper in front of the gigantic fire place.

We also visited Baa Moo Farm last week with our Trips for Tots group and had a fabulous hands-on time with the animals and just all around the farm. Such a great place to visit - highly recommend it! The way that they provide so many hands on experiences for kids from feeding a calf a bottle, feeding the chickens, gathering eggs from the hens, milking a cow, petting anything and everything, and taking a hay ride, were all totally appropriate for kids Cooper's age and he loved every minute of it!

Cooper Turns 2!

2010-05-05T14:24:00.003-04:00

Firetrucks were the theme for the party this year. In our town the fire truck will come to a birthday party, etc. as part of their public service. Cooper LOVES fire trucks - well, any trucks really - so he was elated that a fire truck pulled up to his party.

We held the party at our church fellowship hall so we had access to the playground. Playground + Fire Truck = A Happy Boy. I think it was a near perfect day in his book!

I took some cues from these girls and had coordinating theme food with little sign descriptions:
Hot Dogs - The firehouse dogs
Chili - Fire Alarm Chili
Cheetos and Pretzels - Flames and Twisted Hoses
Fruits and Veggies - Fireman Treats
Drinks - Fire Extinguishers

We kept the decorations simple with balloons and streamers accented throughout the room and party favors of a balloon, fire hat, and a sticker fire station design sheet from Oriental Trading. The fire fighters also brought a coloring book and sticker badge for everyone. Sean's mom made a great fire truck cake and we all had a wonderful day. Happy 2nd Birthday, Cooper!!

Happy Belated Easter 2010

2010-05-04T13:54:00.001-04:00

Family Time

2010-05-03T13:32:00.002-04:00

We have had some sweet family time lately. A few weeks ago, we spent some time together at the Natural Science Center in Greensboro and had a great morning exploring together.

Birthday... Farm... and Chrysalis

2010-03-29T20:59:00.008-04:00

March has ended on such a high note! After months of cold and snow, we are more than ready for the glorious springtime weather that we have been enjoying. We have also had some fun adventures during the last couple of weeks. First, Grandma came down so that we could celebrate her birthday.

Then, we had a great time at Woosley Farm with our Trips for Tots group. Daddy was actually off that day so he got to enjoy his first field trip with our group. Such a fun time! We got to pet all kinds of animals including a bee (that just stung our tour guide/farm owner -crazy?!), a rooster, bunnies, ponies, goats, and cows. We also got to smell all kinds of good spices from their garden, take a hay ride, and sample some home grown honey. They dressed up in old fashioned costumes and were so great with the kids - would expect nothing less from a couple of retired kindergarten teachers. It's so great to watch Cooper learn, interact, and just get into these trips now. He also talks about them in the car afterward and even a couple of days later. Ahhh... I just love learning moments!

The hayride...

Feeding the goats...

Loved the feeding - just had to keep Cooper from grabbing their horns!

We ended the month with a spectacular Chrysalis/Journey weekend full of amazing people praising God and loving on these high school and college boys. Sean was the lay director and mom and dad graciously kept Cooper several times throughout the weekend so I could get out to camp and spend some time. Sean and I have just been filled up - no way to even explain how good weekends like that are for the soul.

W-A-K-E

2010-03-18T23:23:00.004-04:00

Since it's that crazy basketball time of year again...

and since our beloved Tarheels, well, um, they're not playing in the tournament this year...

our loyalties have shifted to...

our very own hometown team...

Go Wake!

Apparently, old loyalties die hard though - check out the Tarheel shirt Cooper is wearing. And contrary to the look on his face, he was incredibly overjoyed to meet the Deamon Deacon with lots of hugs and high-fives at an egg hunt just today. Of course he was also overjoyed to meet the Chic-fil-a cow... and the easter bunny.... so I can't rightly say if has anything to do with the actual team (wink, wink). There's always next year Tarheels!

The Catch-up Post

2010-02-17T19:35:00.007-05:00

What have we been up to lately? Lots! Besides Valentine's Day where Sean and I got dinner AND a movie out and Cooper got some candy and a stuffed lion, we've been having great fun...

Courtesy of Triad Smarty Pants, I won 4 circus tickets for the Ringling Bros. Circus last week. Since we had an extra ticket, Addison got to come and spend 2 nights with us and go to the circus! She and Cooper had lots of fun playing with his toys and did pretty well at the circus! We did have to make several walking laps around the arena but Cooper's favorite part was the elephants and Addison's was the trapeze (or swinging and flying, as she called it). I think it was a success and we loved having her here and all to ourselves for a few days.

We've had a few sick days....

Made a few messes...

We went back to the doctor and Cooper has gained 4 pounds. He's back into the 9th percentile and his doctor, Lia, was happy with his progress. Hooray for beefing him up! I swear he eats well - anything and everything - but he's um.... ACTIVE! and we've just got to make sure he gets a lot of good healthy fats - peanut butter, ranch dressing on veggies, his absolute full dose of milk every day, etc. are what we've been doing to help him gain back to his healthy weight.

We've had a few snow days. Luckily, Daddy got to actually be home for some of them.

We also got to visit the Art Quest in Greensboro with our Trips for Tots group. The kids got to paint (check Cooper looking cute in his smock!), work with clay, cut, paste, glue, rubber stamp, create with blocks, puppets, and their velcro wall of shapes to design their own art. We had so much fun and Cooper's favorite by far was the painting station. We went back to it time and time again.

And of course, what's life with a toddler without many more messes?

Happy February everyone!

Jonah's EB Auction

2010-02-10T14:39:00.002-05:00

Hi! Just wanted to draw your attention to something pretty cool. We don't actually know these people personally but they are friends of friends and we live in the same town. We have all sorts of crazy connections and have not yet met but I feel like I know them anyway. Their story always brings a tear to my eye.

Their son Jonah has a condition called EB and for his first birthday (a miracle!) they are celebrating by raising funds for the organization that is looking for a cure for his disease. If you want to know more about Jonah, his brother Gabe, and his parents, Matt and Patrice, you can check out their blog here. AND... Go check out Jonah's EB Auction here!

Late

2010-01-23T21:41:00.004-05:00

So, it's been a while since I have blogged. It's just been crazy around here! We have put our house on the market, have had a chrysalis flight, and of course the Holidays. These past couple of months have been just nonstop.

The house has been a long time in the making. We've been sort of planning to do this for a couple of years now but all of the last minute details have really added up. I'm also being really picky about a new place. You know, good neighborhood, good schools, room to grow - all the things that come with having a family and in our price range too. We would appreciate prayers for our little house to sell and for a new one to be found. I already am just very anxious about this entire process. I'm not really good with change and have been in knots about doing all of this. We have a smaller home but it's cozy and I'm attached to it and our neighbors. We have absolutely no room to grow in this house and are just craving more space. It's amazing how much stuff one little person (ahem, Cooper) can accumulate! The unknown is just scary. I'm comforted to know though that God knows where we are going to live before we even see it. He's got this in His hands and it's really out of my control. It's a conscious effort that I'm making to remember this - and repeat it to myself often.

I'm attatching our Christmas pictures just so I can have them for this digital "scrapbook." I know, I know. It's February. Hence why the title of this post is, "Late."

Snow Day!

2009-12-19T15:36:00.002-05:00

For the record, Cooper is not a fan of all the snow. I haven't actually measured but I am estimating that we got 6 inches or so. That's awesome for us. We spent maybe 30 minutes outside and Cooper whined through most of it. Hard to walk in, cold, just was not a fan at all. We didn't even manage to make a snowman and currently do not own a sled - must get one - I have a feeling that the sled would be a definite winner in Cooper's book. He loves anything that moves with him on it. Sort of a redemption for all of the cold and hard to walk in white stuff.

On the other hand, the dogs loved it. Parker (the white dog in the above pictures) is always a fan of snow and has repeatedly pawed on the door to go outside today. In fact, he has - by choice - stayed outside most of the day. We're dog sitting for our friends Ross and Allie this weekend and their dog, Carmen, could take it or leave it. She and Parker had fun wrestling in the snow for a while but she is currently snug on her pillow while Parker romps outside.

Evolution of a Christmas Card Photo

2009-12-18T13:21:00.004-05:00

It is SNOWING here and snowing hard. The weather channel just said that we could get 1-3 inches today, 10-15 tonight!? and 1 more tomorrow. No, that is not a misprint my friends, we could possibly get 19 inches of snow!! Unfortunately, Sean is working this weekend so that's kinda disappointing for a couple of reasons 1) He will have to travel in the snow to and from work each day or spend the night at the hospital - both are not great options and 2) He won't get to play in the snow with us. Not that we will be playing in the snow a ton because if we get all 19 inches, it will be almost as tall as our 27 inch son - not much fun to play in when you have snow up to your chest. And - Cooper has a yucky cold.

On a side note, I remember when I was 14 in 1993 and we had what we refer to as "the blizzard." We tried playing in the over 2 feet of snow and our sleds just sank down in the snow with no hope of moving. It was also exhausting trying to walk with snow up to your knees. Imagine really high, knees up to your chin, stepping. An adventure for sure.

Anyway, the actual point of this post is to show the evolution of our Christmas card photo this year. It is sort of comical at how many crazy shots we got before we finally got 1 good shot.

December

2009-12-07T21:57:00.004-05:00

Cooper's second Christmas has proven to be more entertaining than the first. He LOVES the tree. And when I say LOVES, I mean he goes around and around and touches all of the ornaments and lights again and again throughout the day. We've only had one casualty (a stocking pulled from the mantle broke the stocking holder). We know our child well enough to put only the unbreakable ornaments at the bottom of the tree and thought that the stockings were high enough that they were out of his reach. Not so much. He hasn't even gone near the stockings after that catastrophe though. We're truly enjoying this season with him and it is so fun to watch him soak it all in. He seems mostly mesmerized by all of the hubbub, new activities, lights, and decorations - always with a thinking look on his face as if he is just memorizing everything. Here are a few pictures from our recent adventures this December. Merry Christmas!

Picking out our tree

All bundled up for the Christmas parade

GO TARHEELS!

2009-11-11T10:26:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, we were blessed with a couple of tickets to the Carolina/Duke football game. We had a great time (Thanks Donna and Sonny!) and here are the pictures to prove it!

Homeland Cremery

2009-11-10T22:10:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, we visited Homeland Creamery with our Trips for Tots group. Basically, it's a dairy farm. We saw took a hayride, saw cows, fed a cow, milked a pretend cow, and sampled some of the creamery ice cream. We even got an extra treat that Uncle Aaron got to come with us. He and Rachel were in town for a wedding and Rachel was off doing maid of honor duties so Aaron had the morning to hang with us. Fun times!

Halloween - Best Game Ever!

2009-10-31T19:11:00.004-04:00

Our little dinosaur...

We got no good pictures before trick-or-treating but after trick or treating, Cooper was all smiles.

The picture below was taken while he was snacking on some chocolate - no smile (he was chewing), but a great view of his costume.
Spines...

Such great fun...

After a great afternoon at our church fall festival, we had lots of fun trick-or-treating tonight. Even though it was again pouring rain tonight Cooper has decided that Halloween is the best game ever! It took him only one house to get the idea of the game... walk to the door, knock, hold out your bucket and you get lots of candy. He LOVED it. We had to take several candy breaks (ahem, after every house) along the way and he has had many more treats since we've been home. Needless to say, he's still going strong and not even close to winding down for bed yet. Parker also enjoyed the festivities dressed as Superman. He's such a tolerant dog.... Happy Halloween Everyone!

Pumpkin Patch 2009

2009-10-31T13:49:00.002-04:00

It's Halloween and we finally made it to the pumpkin patch this year. How's that for the nick of time? October has been busy and wonderful with a beach trip, Chrysalis weekend, family coming to visit, trip to Homeland Creamery (a blog about that coming soon!), and just life. I blinked and October is almost gone without a trip to the pumpkin patch. Not to be deterred by the drizzle, we set out for the pumpkin patch this morning. The rain did not put a damper on Cooper's spirits as he set out to explore every last inch of the patch. He didn't want to leave a wagon unexplored, or a pumpkin unturned and kept us on our toes (as always) chasing his explorations through the patch. It was a fun morning nonetheless.

We came home and set out carving a happy face into our pumpkin. Cooper wasn't so sure about the pumpkin "guts." He didn't really want to have anything to do with scooping it out but was happy putting back into the pumpkin what we took out with the big metal spoon. He was also cute offering the pumpkin's mouth a bite of his chicken nugget after we finished carving. Pictures of our dinosaur and his smiling pumpkin coming tonight...

And just for a comparison...
Pumpkin Patch 2008

From Pumpkin Patch

And Pumpkin Patch 2009

From Pumpkin Patch 2009

My, how time flies!

Spider Treats

2009-10-30T14:04:00.007-04:00

A Betty Crocker, I am not. But when I made these spider cookies and they actually turned out cute and yummy, I decided to share. They are super easy and such a fun Halloween treat too!

I got my inspiration from here but made lots of modifications. You may use the Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie mix but I opted to make my own...

I first made some peanut butter cookies using my mom's homemade recipe:

1/2 cup butter or shortening (softened)

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar - packed

1 egg

1 1/4 cups self rising flour

Mix first 5 ingredients. Blend flour in slowly. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Shape dough into 1" balls and place 3" apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 min. until set but not hard. Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.

Then:

1 bag miniature reeces cups

1 squeeze tube chocolate icing

1 small bag of M&M's

Licorice pull and peel twizzlers (optional- I did not use)

After the cookies came out of the oven, I immediately placed a miniature reeces cup upside down in the center of each cookie. I let them cool for a while until the reeces cup hardened. After cooling, I attached m&m's as eyes to the front of each reeces cup with chocolate squeeze tube icing (and drew a little chocolate dot as an eyeball on the front of each m&m with the icing). The recipe actually calls for black twizzler pull and peels as legs but I accidently got regular twizzlers, so I just drew legs on with the same chocolate tube icing. After they finish cooling, Voila - Simple Spider Cookies! Giese taste tester approved! :)

Bedtime Prayers

2009-10-29T20:14:00.001-04:00

Sean: Thank you for Mommy
Cooper: Mommy
Sean: Thank you for Daddy
Cooper: Jesus!
Sean: Close enough

And the 18th Month Brings...

2009-10-21T13:04:00.003-04:00

New Stats from the checkup this morning:
Head Circumference: 18 inches (6th percentile)
Height: 32 1/2 inches (57th percentile)
Weight: 21 lbs. 1.6 oz (less than 3rd percentile)

Cooper's doing great but needs to bulk up a little bit. It goes without saying that he is built like Sean but even though he eats like a champ, we were advised to try to feed him more fatty foods (put butter or cheese on his veggies, more peanut butter, etc.)to try to help him bulk up. We will go back in 3 months to have a weight check.

He is meeting all of his milestones and is right on target. He is definitely saying between 10-20 words which is the milestone for his age(we were told to expect a vocabulary explosion in the next few months - can't wait!)He repeats or tries to repeat what we are saying now, often, and can understand a ton more than he can say. He takes simple directions well (let's go put your shoes on, sit down please, etc.) What he is saying now:
Mommy
Daddy
Parker (Ca-Ca)
Papaw
Addison (Addie)
No
How are you (howyou - one word)
Hey
Bye
Ball
Beep
Shoes
Socks (cocks)
Uh-Oh
Auntie E (Ah-E)
Ready (Eh-E)
Tree (Tee)
Three (also Tee - we just recognize the context in which he is using it)
More
All Done

Cooper can make animal noises of an elephant, snake, fish, dog, cow, lion and duck. He can correctly point to his eyes, nose, ears, mouth, hair, belly button, and toes - when he is in a cooperative mood :). He can also eat with a spoon/fork. Hooray for milestones!

Lewis Beach Trip 2009

2009-10-14T14:44:00.001-04:00

First Family Beach Trip = Success

Butterfly Farm

2009-10-13T13:54:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, we visited the All-A-Flutter butterfly farm with the Trips for Tots group at church. One of the highlights was actually holding the butterflies. The farm staff gave each of us a sugar water soaked piece of cotton and let us go into the greenhouse area to visit with the butterflies. I think everyone there got to hold a butterfly that wanted to and it was so neat. Cooper wasn't that interested in the butterflies - he was more into the trees, rocks, and running around in general but he had fun anyway.

Did you know that a boy Monarch has two black spots on the bottom of its wings? Apparently, this one is a girl that I am holding.

The Praying Mantis is an enemy of butterflies. Cooper is demonstrating with the Praying Mantis hat.

Again, could care less about the butterflies - more interested in the rocks and trees.

Taking a look at the butterfly life cycle demonstration toys - Does this child's mother not know he's supposed to be listening to the presentation?? Ahem.

The Newest Giese

2009-10-12T13:35:00.004-04:00

I can't believe that it's been a month already and I haven't posted about this! On Sept. 12, the Giese family welcomed our newest addition - Rachel. Technically, she's been a part of the family for about six years now (not an exaggeration!) since she and Aaron have been dating but it became official a month ago when they got married. It was a beautiful fall day in Waynesville. The bride looked gorgeous, the groom was handsome, and it was a joyful celebration of the beginning of their married life together. Congratulations Aaron and Rachel!

FYI: I hope to post more photos later... I stole these off of Amy Turner's facebook! I didn't take a single photo of the wedding day (oops!) but my mother-in-law did and has CD's for me so I plan on posting more later!

What Do I Know Of Holy?

2009-09-17T22:17:00.001-04:00

Natural Science Museum

2009-09-07T14:17:00.004-04:00

Sean is off golfing for Aaron's bachelor party today, so Cooper and I decided to have a little fun. We went to the Natural Science Museum in Greensboro and had a great time. The highlight had to be the petting zoo. Even though the entire visit was a lot of fun and they had plenty of things that Cooper could interact with, touch, and look at, there's just nothing like coming face to face with some sheep and goats. I wish you could've heard his giggle.

The ladies that work at the petting zoo did have to ask him to be more gentle though- we had some pulling of some goat ears (see the second picture above) - try as I may to guide his hands. And I stink at getting good face shots. There is a slight delay on our camera and by the time I've pressed the button lately, he's already moving on... so much for a captive subject! He had a great time and is currently having a really hard time settling down for his nap. Thought for sure this morning's trip would wear him out but I think it just energized him.

The plan for this afternoon? Playground at Chic-fil-a and some free chicken sandwiches since we're wearing our sports team logos!

Weeding

2009-09-03T17:23:00.002-04:00

If you ever need a big dose of God, just weed your garden. Every time I weed the garden, I come face to face with my own "weeds" and today was no exception.

I've been having a big 'ole pity party for myself recently. Last semester I was semi-employed by supervising student teachers for a local university. It was total of like 20 hours for the entire semester but it was just enough. Just enough to get me out of the house and doing something that I love, just enough hours that I could mostly work around the weekdays that Sean had off, just enough spending money, and way too perfect flexibility. Needless to say, it was the perfect set-up for a "retired" teacher and stay-at-home mom. However... the state is cutting education funding and they could not hire me back this semester. I have been disappointed and just really bummed about this whole situation recently. I've been mopey and crabby at home and haven't been much fun for my husband or my son. I can't explain it but I really loved this little outlet. I feel very called to be home with Cooper and not teach full time during this season of my life but I've felt restless at home lately, wishing there was more than vacuuming, and building block castles, and going grocery shopping, and weeding...

Back to the weeding. In our garden we have a random petunia growing that we did not plant. It's very out of place but pretty, so we've just left it to grow there among the lilies. There was a stubborn and very long weed growing near the petunia today. When I pulled the weed, out popped part of the roots of the petunia as well. Immediately some of the little blossoms closed up and looked like it was just immediately dying.

Well, this petunia got me to thinking about myself. I have been like this petunia recently. I have been all wrapped up in the "weeds" of my thoughts. MY discontentment, MY restlessness. I watched that petunia today and realized something. I realized that when the weeds are pulled out, it takes a little bit of dying of one's self before you can fully grasp the good soil with your whole being and flourish unhindered by the weeds that were wrapping themselves around your roots - your very source of life. Just like the petunia, I have had a little dying of myself today. I've called to the surface all of those selfish, mopey, crabby thoughts and threw them out of the garden. I've also had the opportunity to really grasp the Good Soil with my thoughts about being home for this season. Not that I've got it all figured out and that those stubborn weeds won't grow back but today, my garden has been cleared of those pesky weeds.

Now, if I could just figure out how to "weed" my thoughts without having to actually weed the garden...

Tool Shower

2009-08-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

A week or so ago, we hosted a tool shower for my brother-in-law, Aaron and my future sister-in-law, Rachel. It was alot of fun and they got some great gifts to start their new life together! Here are some pics from that day:

Just 'cause it makes me smile...

2009-08-14T08:05:00.001-04:00

Chillaxin' in the pool. Seriously. Just layin' back against the side like he's a cool dude. Wait - he is a cool dude.

I opened one of my cabinets the other day and this is what I found. Seems like magnetic letters are just as fun in a metal pan as they are in the refrigerator :)

Poor baby was exhausted! Couldn't even make it through a grilled cheese lunch this day. He's fast asleep...

Evolution of Exploration

2009-08-13T16:20:00.000-04:00

I let Cooper loose with the water hose the other day and I think I had just as much fun watching him as he did playing in it. He watched it flow - on the ground - on his body - up in the air - making bubbles when he put it in the pool. He tasted it, stuck his finger in the end of it, shook it back and forth and watched it zig zag in front of him. I didn't give him any guidance at all and he did all of these things on his own. I love watching him discover and explore...

Playin' Ball

2009-07-28T18:12:00.003-04:00

15 months!

2009-07-20T13:07:00.008-04:00

I haven't done a Cooper update lately, so I thought I would give you a glimpse at what our ~~baby~~ big boy is doing now.

We have been thoroughly enjoying summertime. Cooper is now 15 months old and he continues to be more fun. He LOVES the pool and any sort of water. We've spent lots of time at Tanglewood Pool. It is zero entry and has a huge area for babies and toddlers with sprayers and such. Cooper is very brave, maybe a little too brave in the pool but he loves every minute spent there.

We had some people over for Independence Day and the kiddos had fun in the sprinklers. Again, Cooper loved the water and went right up to the sprinklers and started playing. He did not shy away at all like some kids do. I'm telling you - this kid LOVES the water...

...and spaghetti for that matter!

He can stack several blocks

Has added some more words to his vocabulary such as "Cheese" and "Shoes."
Can wave bye-bye pretty consistently.
Is using a fork and spoon but has difficulty actually getting the food onto either but can take the food on the fork/spoon up to his mouth with ease.
LOVES to ride in his push car. He calls it a "vroom."

And last but not least- he has learned to WALK! He had taken a step a couple of times but last week (at the pool, go figure!) he took off with 26 steps. Now, he is absolutely on the go. So proud!

Standing on his own two feet!

2009-06-29T19:01:00.003-04:00

After a brief hiatus with the push toy after a hard fall, Cooper is now on board with loving it again and pushing it everywhere. He also figured out how to do this (see video below) today! Wow! He made great strides today toward his first steps and we are SO excited!

Six Years!?

2009-06-28T13:00:00.003-04:00

Sean, where has time gone. These six years have flown by but have been a wonderful adventure (as our pictures prove!). It has been an honor to live life by your side. I love you more today than when I said "I do" and I can't wait to see what is yet to come. Happy Anniversary, Babe!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T20:57:00.004-04:00

Sean,

These pictures only give a glimpse, but Cooper is so blessed to have a "Dadddeeee" like you. Thank you for loving our Heavenly Father and for loving us the way you do. You are an amazing father, Happy Father's Day!

And to these other amazing Fathers....We Love You so much! Happy Father's Day!!

Happy 29th Birthday Husband!

2009-06-19T13:21:00.003-04:00

I hope that your 29th year is better than you could ever hope for it to be. I love you so much!!

Whirlwind

2009-06-17T21:00:00.002-04:00

Last weekend was an awesome weekend. Busy - but awesome, nonetheless.

Sean and I are trying to take at least one weekend each year for just the two of us to go away. Last year we spent a night away during our anniversary. We didn't go far last year - maybe an hour away. This year we felt a little more brave and made the trek all the way to our Nation's Capital. Now, it's only about 5 hours from our house but the closer it got for us to leave, the more anxious I got about leaving Cooper. Granted, he was staying in the very capable hands of my parents. He even had a field trip and a "Grandma's Day" planned to the Nature Center with both mine and Sean's mom. I knew everything would be ok - and it was. He actually cried when we came to pick him up. Let me tell you that made me feel like Mother of the Year!

I digress. The trip was wonderful. Sean really planned the entire thing and we were exhausted but content at the end. It truly was a trip after my husband's own heart. We stamped literally for three straight days. We saw lots of neat places. I think my personal highlights were George Washington's birthplace and Gettysburg. We had already done the mall area and inside DC so we spent time in about a 1.5 hour radius around the city's center.

Another highlight was getting to spend some time with our friends Brett and Merritt. They were in our Bible Study here in Winston-Salem and we have not seen them for about 3 years. It was so much fun getting to catch up with them, see their little corner of Arlington, and just hang out at their place. They are an awesome couple and we realized just how much we miss seeing them in our Bible Study each week. They are also people who just make you feel right at home at their place - such gracious and welcoming hosts. It was a wonderful way to end busy days to relax and visit with them!

Smashing Splashing Good Time!

2009-05-27T20:42:00.004-04:00

Spunky, Keisha, and Addison came down this weekend to hang out with us! We had a great day on Saturday with Cooper and Addison enjoying a little pool party. It's Memorial Day Weekend - pool parties are a must, right? Cooper got his splash on as you will see in the last pool pic. They had fun!

Everything was going well until I started to run a 103 degree fever. I seriously don't know the last time that I've ever run a fever that high. My guess is that I caught Cooper's virus from last weekend. When it was still 101 the next morning, Keisha, Spunky, and Addison decided to head out early so we didn't get to finish our weekend. :(

I'm going to quarantine us! Sean just called from work and said that he's running a fever! I think maybe it will make him feel better to see this doctor - paging Dr. Giese!

Cooper's play stethoscope that he ALWAYS hangs around his neck like doctors do. Is he mimicking his Daddy or is this telling his future???

Welcome Spring!

2009-05-21T21:11:00.004-04:00

**Okay, Blogger and I are having technical issues so these pictures are in a crazy order.**

This weekend Mom and Dad came to visit. Even though Cooper had been sick running a fever and Sean had a crummy stomach bug, we ended up having a great time. By Saturday Cooper was feeling better and we wanted to escape Sean germs so we went to Mayberry, home of Andy Griffith. We just had a fun relaxing weekend enjoying each other and celebrating Mom's birthday :).

Cooper in our driveway in the back of my dad's truck

Check out this antique barber chair in one of the shops in Mayberry. Dad totally needs to get one of these for his Barber Shop!

My Mother's Day a couple of weeks ago was GREAT. My favorite thing had to be the fridge art that Cooper made me in Sunday School - my first artwork from him. It was just a traced hand but I was/am so excited by it!

Cooper has also learned how to pull up in his crib. He pulls up on everything else but the crib has eluded him... until one morning at the beginning of May when I woke up to this. No, he's not walking yet. He's seriously FAST crawling - like he keeps up with me when I'm walking - and has absolutely no interest in walking since it's so much slower than crawling for him. He's cruising along furniture a lot but he can't crawl forever...

We have been lovin' the mild Spring weather lately! We enjoyed it so much that we decided to go on a hike to Hanging Rock yesterday since Sean had the day off. Working weekends is not nearly as bad since I am not working a job outside home and we can make our weekends anytime. This was Cooper's first hike and he chilled in our Kelty Kid Pack (highly recommended!) and enjoyed the scenery, smiled and waved at people that we saw on the hike, and laughed at Parker who was our fearless and enthusiastic leader.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T20:24:00.002-04:00

To the Greatest Mothers I know....

My, Oh My

2009-04-28T15:38:00.004-04:00

Before I begin, I just want to warn you that this might be picture overload! We've had such a busy but wonderful April that I haven't had a chance to really share the pics with you from all that we've been doing. I am going to try to go chronologically but must show you this first. Today Cooper discovered his push toy and when I say "discovered" I really mean, won't stop pushing it, cries when he falls, zooming around the house, MUST be pushing at all times, discovered it. This is the first time that he has been "walking" on his own. Couldn't be more proud!

Now onto the rest of April...his birthday was the day before Easter (April 11th) so we made the trek up to the mountains to celebrate with family. In my family when you say celebrate with family you don't just mean the grandparents - you mean EVERYBODY. We had a BBQ lunch, egg hunt for the kiddos, and of course presents and cake. He is only one once! You will see in the pictures a little pre-party haircut (his first!) from Cooper's Papaw (my dad) at his barber shop. Papaw had to get the first haircut!

The next day was Easter and we had a great time celebrating back here in Winston at our own church on Easter Sunday and with our friends for an Easter dinner. Between his birthday and Easter Baskets (from parents, and aunts, and uncles, and grandparents), Cooper won't need any more toys for a long while!

Then last week, we spent the week at Atlantic Beach because Sean had a Nurse Practitioner conference that he had to attend Sunday-Thursday. Cooper and I tagged along to hang out at the beach while Sean was in his conference. I was a little nervous to take Cooper to a different place pretty much by myself for the week. We were just in a hotel room so I wasn't sure if he would sleep and eat ok (not having access to a kitchen) but it really turned out well. He slept great - we put his pack-n-play halfway in the closet to allow for more darkness and I called ahead and got permission to use the employee microwave since there wasn't one in the room so that we could heat up those Gerber Graduate meals. He's not really a sandwich kid yet unless you count grilled cheeses and again, no kitchen, so the Gerber meals worked great. I was very pleased with the trip. Sean skipped some sessions that he didn't need credits for and joined us for a couple of excursions including the North Carolina Aquarium. Cooper LOVED the aquarium. This was the first outing that he has really showed interest in. The exhibits were all set up so that he could see the fish from stroller level and the fish were extremely active when we went so Cooper was very interested in watching them and leaning toward them. We were there first thing in the morning so I guess the fish were all ready to wake up and exercise too! It was very fun!

We ended that week with a trip to see our friends Keller and Nicole in Charleston on Thursday-Saturday. It was at their wedding amost 8 years ago that Sean and I both felt that something had changed in our "just friends with one another" relationship. Anyway, they live on Kiawah Island and we spent a lot of time outside their lush island walking and looking at the wildlife. You will see lots of pictures of alligators that I got to take. Also, Keller was in charge of a car show on the island this weekend so there are some pictures of that as well. Unfortunately, I didn't seem to get pictures of Keller and Nicole...sad! The trip reminded us of how much fun we have with them and how much we miss seeing them.

I think that just about wraps up our April if you count Cooper learning how to climb stairs - first in the pool then on our friend's stairs. All in all, it has been a very busy but very blessed and fun month.

Whole Heaps of Great Events

2009-04-19T21:10:00.002-04:00

I am about a week late with this wonderful post. Sorry - I just fell off the blogging bandwagon this week. What a big weekend that we had last weekend. First of all, Cooper turned 1!! Amazing how fast this year has flown. We went for his check-up this week and he is only in the 42nd percentile for height, the 7th percentile for weight and the 3rd percentile for head circumference. It seems that he's getting smaller and smaller. His pediatrician said that was not unordinary once they become mobile. I swear that he eats a ton (like half of our adult sized portions, easy)!

He is not walking yet but is crawling like a maniac and is so fast! They keep telling me in the church nursery that, "He sure is busy," I think it's really their way of saying, "My gosh he wore us out today!" We had a party for him last week at home with all of our family and I will share those pictures with you at a later date as my magic cord and I are not in the same place right now for me to download them to the computer. After we got finished singing happy birthday to him he chimed in with his own singsong melody and continued singing. It was beyond cute and ensured another round of Happy Birthday. Amazingly, he was more interested in the song than the cake.

Things that Cooper can do at 1:

1. Say mama, dada, ah da (all done - with baby sign), bore (more - with baby sign), hey, "buh" (ball), uh-oh, yea (with a clap)

2. Crawl like a mad man and can walk when you hold his hands

3. Puts things in and out of drawers, containers, shelves

4. Reads books while pointing at pictures and babbles like he's really telling the story

5. Has a pretty good throw for a 1 year old - we practice this often, as balls are by far the favorite right now

6. Eats and drinks anything and everything that is put in front of him (including tiny pieces off of the floor!?) with the sole exception being milk - we're working on that one

7. Wave

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Easter Sunday was great. We celebrated at home since Sean had to work on Easter. That's what happens when you're the newest person on the job therefore the low man on the totem pole. Sean went to sunrise service and Cooper and I went to the 9:00 service to hear all about the miracle of Jesus on the third day! We had easter dinner with our Bible Study friends that evening as has become tradition. The Easter Bunny did come and both Sean and Cooper have enjoyed their Easter baskets. Sean and I did dye eggs but honestly, with all of the birthday fun didn't really do anything with them except the initial dye and decorate.

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Lastly, in not such a great event, my sister had surgery on her ankle on Friday which was broken worse than originally thought. It went well and she got 9 screws to help repair it. Please pray for her healing. Also, her husband (Josh/Spunky) announced his call into the ministry a few weeks ago. He preached his first sermon tonight and I hear that it went very well. Please pray for guidance as to their next steps in this new adventure as well.

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Whew! That was a lot of catching up to do! I promise party pics soon...

Broken Ankle...

2009-04-09T22:18:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone - please say a quick prayer for my sister. She fell at work today and broke her ankle. She's on her way home with a cast and is in some pain. It was not a bad break but an inconvenience and just "one more thing." They haven't had the best luck healthwise in the past few years (miscarriage, Spunky's fall off the roof, car accident, etc.) so please pray for God's provision on their health as well as her healing. Thanks!

One Year Ago Today...

2009-04-07T20:05:00.002-04:00

One year ago today was the date that Cooper was due to be born. I was looking back and reminiscing today about what I was feeling this time last year and all that has transpired over the past year.

Last year at this time I was very anxious about giving birth and actually having a baby of my own. What would the baby be like? Was it a boy or a girl? How would this new creation change our current lives? Well, I can't put into words how great the past year has been but it has definitely been a HUGE change. Cooper is a very even tempered, mild mannered child (we're SO thankful for that!). We continue to learn more about him as he grows and changes but it is comforting to have a schedule and know what his little faces and noises mean. Although sleeping until 8:00 now on Saturday mornings is a luxury and we try to aim for a date night once a month rather than once a week!

It has been so neat to watch Cooper grow into such a cute little person over the past year. Now that he's almost a year old, we can do things with him such as take him to the zoo, which we did yesterday on Sean's day off this week. He loved the monkeys but wasn't especially interested in the other animals. He did love the day outside riding around in the stroller - and Sean and I had fun!

Also one year ago today is when Sean defended his thesis. It is great to look back and see the progression of our somewhat unknown future to his acceptance and satisfaction with his new job.

...and I can't resist mentioning that my husband is on cloud 9 today with the Tarheels as National Champions. A vast difference from his disappointment - all wrapped up in One Year Ago Today.

Obsession

2009-03-19T15:48:00.003-04:00

Sean came home early from work today. Is he sick?

Only if you call an obsession with Carolina Basketball a sickness...

Go Tarheels!

Cooper's first ice cream cone

2009-03-19T09:57:00.002-04:00

Well...not really an ice cream cone, but a Cooper sized spoon that looks like an ice cream cone.
I knew I saved these tins for something...
Notice the ice cream spoon still hanging out of his mouth...

This and That

2009-03-12T13:04:00.003-04:00

We've been lovin' the warm weather recently. What have we been up to? I'm so glad you asked.

A little of this:

A little of that (there's a smile behind there, I assure you):

And a whole lot of this:

As you can see, we now have an official crawler on hands and knees. Whew! is all I can say! He's into EVERYTHING and is FAST! Parker's water bowl seems to be a favorite attraction. I also seem to be constantly be digging things out of his mouth... a teeny tiny (miniscule, really) rock, a piece of grass, and a woodchip at the park yesterday that I SWEAR I don't know where he got because I was watching him like a hawk. I am vacuuming/swiffering the floors almost daily and he still finds things.

Cooper is also greeting us by sitting in his crib in the mornings instead of just laying there and calling for us like he used to. He has also pulled up on the side of the bathtub multiple times but I didn't have a camera handy. We've also pretty much made the switch from baby food to people food and boy, can he eat! He loves any and everything. He even ate some steamed broccoli last night. YEA! Can you believe that he turned 11 months old yesterday?? Neither can we!

Snow Angels, Snow Men, and a Snow Fall...

2009-03-03T21:25:00.004-05:00

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

2009-03-02T15:24:00.003-05:00

Out our front window...

Out our back window... with Parker trails! Notice how bent over the trees are. They normally form a barrier between our house and the neighbors.

They say that we got between 4 and 5 inches, which seems right on par. I haven't measured and we haven't been out in the snow yet. It's only 32 degrees and is not melting at all. Our street is very icy! Sean had to go to work this morning with the X-Terra in 4 Wheel Drive to get out of our street and has to work late tonight so I hope that he makes it back home safely.

Treasure

2009-02-28T23:01:00.004-05:00

I just heard of a baby in our same town, minutes away from our home, who arrived into this world with a terrible skin condition http://patriceandmattwilliams.blogspot.com/ . There are no certainties for his little life. Sean got a call from a friend just last night asking about what this condition might be - they knew the family. Stories like these break my heart right to the core. Knowing how precious our Cooper is, knowing how much we love him, I just feel so blessed - so humbled and so undeserving to have a healthy, happy child in the next room. I hope and pray that I don't miss those moments. I pray that I don't take for granted the moments when I just can't make one more block tower for Cooper to knock over. I pray that I don't get preoccupied with checking my e-mail and blogs and miss talking to him and watching him crawl/scoot around the floor. I pray that I treasure - truly treasure each moment that I have with him - and that I don't miss a thing. There are not promises for life. There are no promises for health. There are no promises for tomorrow. There are only promises of restoration, of redemption, and of a Heaven where there is no more pain, sorrow, or heartbreak.

Lord,

I pray that you help me to treasure all of the precious moments with our son. Let me not take for granted the gift that you have given us and the little life that breathes quietly in the next room. Let me take each moment and rejoice in the miracle of our son, his health, and his life.

Amen.

A Night at the Children's Museum (In Pictures)

2009-02-28T11:44:00.004-05:00

Army Crawl Fetch

2009-02-26T19:02:00.003-05:00

So, Cooper is 10 months now and we've been itching for him to crawl. I hear the disbelieving gasp from parents of mobile children everywhere at that declaration. I had (and still might) almost resigned myself to believing that he's just going to be one of those kids who skips crawling all together in favor of walking....but he's been doing this lately. He can get almost everywhere he wants to go with this little maneuver. The favored use is to throw a toy out in front of him, watch it roll away, then chase after it. Kindof reminds me of a game that we play with our furry four legged child... Fetch anyone??

Is this even considered crawling?

Superbowl

2009-02-16T12:39:00.003-05:00

I am a little behind in blog posts but wanted to include this one. For Superbowl Sunday, we had Sean's 8th grade boys small group over to watch the game. You've never really lived until you've watched the Superbowl with a bunch of eighth grade boys! So LOUD! Cooper managed to go to bed in the middle of it all and fell asleep just fine - amazingly!

They kindof abandoned the game about halfway through and started shooting baskets into Cooper's baby basketball goal from across the room. They continued to invent new and different games, ate tons of food, and seemed like everyone had a good time. We enjoyed having them over. They definitely added a some life to our quiet little house :).

Feelin' the LOVE

2009-02-16T11:56:00.004-05:00

Things I LOVE = Quality Time together. With this in mind, Sean planned a great day for us to spend together.

I don't know how the weather was where you are on Valentine's Day but ours was just perfect. After the forecast said "rainy and cold" we woke up to a glorious morning. We enjoyed a fun family day in Tarheel Country - yes, Chapel Hill. There were lots of fun (and free!) things to do. Cooper got to ride around all day on Sean's back and had a blast looking around and smiling at strangers. He really enjoyed the different scenery and we planned around his eating/naps so he was in a fabulous mood!

We started out at the Planetarium. We decided not to see a show because we didn't think Cooper would sit through it but had fun looking and playing with all of the exhibits. The first picture is in the Rotunda and the Second picture is of the outside of the building. Also, not pictured but part of our fun day was a visit to Ackland Art Museum and browsing all of the fun stores on Franklin Street - such a neat little street.

There is definite LOVE between Cooper and his Puffs baby cereal so that was part of his Valentine gift. Sean and I had a baby-sitter for dinner that night and we enjoyed a night out alone at Village Tavern - yummy!

Last weekend Cooper and I visited Waynesville. Addison had fun dressing up in her Valentine from Cooper. Gotta love Target Dollar Spot. She loved dressing up with her necklace, bracelet, dress-up skirt, and of course her princess shoes!

We hope that you and yours had a wonderful day celebrating your love for one another! Let us not forget the greatest love story ever during this time:

For God so loved the World that he gave his one and only son. So that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Who knew Jesus Loves Me was so funny?

2009-02-13T14:51:00.002-05:00

Month 9 Fun

2009-01-29T19:54:00.005-05:00

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

2009-01-20T14:59:00.002-05:00

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

2009-01-19T15:27:00.004-05:00

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

2009-01-18T12:05:00.004-05:00

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

2009-01-17T22:25:00.004-05:00

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

2009-01-12T14:59:00.002-05:00

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?

2009-01-11T22:31:00.003-05:00

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

Christmas pictures

2009-01-11T22:29:00.001-05:00

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

What's New in the New Year?

2009-01-08T14:09:00.002-05:00

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!

Wonderfully Made

2008-12-30T11:47:00.003-05:00

Cooper is napping and I just finished my quiet time this morning. I wanted to write this down while I was thinking about it. This blog is a collection of my thoughts during this time in my life, Cooper's first year of life, and some/most of the things that I record are things that I want to remember for him. An addition to his baby book, of sorts. A collection of things that I am thinking so that he will know how much he is loved and adored, special milestones along the way, and for him to know my heart - really know my heart. This is one of those such "heart" posts.

I had not planned on what to say when I looked into the face of our child for the first time. I had thought about it, of course, over the course of the 9ish months that I was carrying him but had not really come up with anything profound. We didn't know if it was a boy or girl so imagining the face, and the love I felt when I held him for the first time was a little foreign.

When I looked into his sweet little face for the first time, with tears brimming in my eyes, Sean by my side, the first - and only - words that came to mind were, "Cooper you are fearfully and wonderfully made." I said those words from the very pit of my soul in a half sob, half whisper into the face that I had memorized in an instant. I had not planned those words but those are the words that we have repeated countless times in the months since. Those words have become his verse. Those words were given to me by God to be spoken over him, to affirm him, and to show him that he is loved and adored not only by his parents but by his heavenly father as well.

I was reading my bible today and again read over that verse - Psalm 139:14. The rest of the verse states, "Your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Cooper was made in God's image, pieced together the way that God wanted. God's works ARE wonderful. Not just sometimes, for some people. Your works are wonderful. Period. Whether we understand them or not.

Cooper, please remember that You ARE fearfully and wonderfully made and that God's works in you ARE wonderful - all the time - I know THAT full well.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-29T16:39:00.006-05:00

We had a great Christmas and hope that you did too! Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday and I couldn't wait to spend it with our little boy. There is absolute magic in a child at Christmas. We spent Christmas morning here at our house:

Santa brought a basketball goal, a push toy, and a Noah's Ark book

In addition there were stocking gifts of stacking cups, a play remote, a taggie book, a new teething ring, and a pippity poppity train

Fun playing at our house on Christmas morning

Then we went to Waynesville to visit my family on Christmas Day evening. Cooper loved the paper and bows this year, as expected, and squealed with delight when he opened a bounce and spin pony.

The day after Christmas we went to Weaverville for the Giese family Christmas.

Smooches from Daddy and Uncle Aaron. I have a picture that looks just like this on my wedding day. Must be a welcome to the family tradition. :)

A Lightning McQueen Chair (and a drumstick from the baby band set in his mouth)

Cooper's first Nalgene

Then it was back to Waynesville for my extended (McCall) family Christmas. It is the only time each year that all 27 of us are together and I look EXTREMELY forward to it. We are a VERY close family and I love having everyone together all at once.

Addison was a bit jealous for the first time during this visit. Nana had to hold them both at the same time. They do Love each other though (I just missed the kiss).

Presents, Presents, and more Presents... (insert panic from us at how we're going to ever fit 3 Christmas celebrations worth of gifts into the car! - we made it... barely!)

Cooper (8 mos.) Nanny (88)
The Great-Grandchildren. This was the best picture that we got.

Front: Nanny, Cooper, Addison

Back: Allie, Lydia, Mahlah, Hannah, Emma with Lane, Sherah

Have Yourself A Very Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T20:56:00.003-05:00

This Christmas is especially Merry for us! Just a small view of why... (Christmas pictures 2008)

Sean had to work today (Christmas Eve) but went to our Christmas Eve service at church at 4:00pm today, had a nice family dinner, bathtime and bedtime for Cooper. We should probably go to bed so Santa can come and visit... BIG day tomorrow! I can't wait!

Giving on a Budget

2008-12-20T13:05:00.003-05:00

One thing that I love to do is to share with others what God has given to us. I get very excited by doing little things to help out someone who is in need and honestly have to rein in my giving because I would give to everyone and everything if I could.

No matter how you slice it though, going down to one income this year has made us tighten our budget even more. Other than our tithe and missionaries that we support, we have very little left in the "giving" section. I couldn't resist an extra "holiday gifting" for our local food pantry and found an easy way to do this without straining the budget. I thought I would share so that you might be encouraged about your own giving.

A few months ago when our local food pantry had only peanut butter and green beans on their shelves, I heard on the news of this way to help. They suggested picking up only one extra item each time you make a trip to the grocery store and begin your own collection box at home. When it is full, you take it to your local crisis control, food pantry, or Christian ministry.

I thought that was a GREAT idea, compeltely do-able, and an easy way to give to others without breaking the bank. So....over the last few months, I have picked up an extra item at the grocery store each time I went. I tried to make the item $1 or less. So I would grab a box of spaghetti, a can of soup, a box of jello... It was almost fun searching for just the right item to include in our box, imagining the family that would use it.

And yesterday, Cooper and I went to our local grocery store and placed our box in the bigger box that they have set out for the Holidays (I wish I had a picture but didn't think about sharing this on the blog until later). Our plan was to actually take it to the food pantry but the food collected from the grocery store goes to the same place and was a more convenient drop off location. See how easy that was!?

I would love to hear from you about other ways that you and your family have "given on a budget." Merry Christmas!

Deut. 15:7-8 "If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be."

Two Graduations and One Baptism Later...

2008-12-14T15:05:00.006-05:00

It all started on Friday with my Master's Ceremony from East Carolina University. I technically finished my course work in August but had to wait until the December ceremony. I just can't seem to get away from the purple and gold... :)

Cooper LOVED the tassle

Picking up Auntie from the airport and dinner at Olive Garden rounded out the day.

Then Aaron (Sean's brother) graduated from PA school on Saturday. Cooper and I stayed here to let him rest from the long day on Friday while the rest of the family went down to Fayetteville to celebrate with Aaron (and Rachel who also graduated with her Master's in Education but did not attend her ceremony to go to Aaron's). Cooper and I did meet the rest of the family for a Japanese dinner though when they got back to Winston-Salem for the night.

Since all the family was already in town, we decided a while back that this weekend would be the perfect weekend for Cooper to be baptized. He was a star and looked adorable in his tie, if I do say so myself. He totally wowed the crowd at church and "awwww" was said collectively a number of times. He's such a charmer (must have gotten that from his daddy, wink, wink)!

L to R: Papaw Johnny, Nana Kathy, Addison, Sean, Cooper, Christal, Aunt Keisha, Uncle Spunky

L to R: Grandma Lillian, Uncle Aaron, Aunt Rachel, Sean, Cooper, Christal, GrandPat, Auntie E

L to R: Elder Kelly, Pastor Alan, Cooper

What a blessed weekend we've had!

Deck the Halls...

2008-12-07T12:34:00.002-05:00

Picking out just the right tree...

Cooper hanging (ahem, trying to eat) his first ornament...

Merry Christmas!

Floor Time, Bath Time, and Family Fun Time

2008-12-02T22:28:00.004-05:00

Some recent photos for your viewing pleasure. Cooper has begun anticipating the flash and closing his eyes so eye-open pictures are tricky to come by and may explain some of the weird looks that you may see in the pictures below.

Cousinly Love

L to R: My sister(Keisha), Cooper, my mom, and Addison having a little fun at Nana and Papaw's house!

Two bottom teeth are now absolutely visable, although not so much in this picture. Maybe if you look really closely....

Hanging out in Cooper's Crib (he, he) with Grandma (AKA: Sean's mom)

Warm and cozy after bath time...

Dad and Cooper always have special time playing during bath time
Posing with Papaw.... see what I mean about the eyes...

Cooper's great-grandmother, Nanny Ruby. He is the ninth great-grandchild that she has.
Gettin' some Nana lovin'
Gotta love playin' at Nana's

It's Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T08:00:00.003-05:00

YEAH! (His newest trick!)

Since Sean is working today and tomorrow and Cooper and I are heading home for Thanksgiving festivities, we had our own little feast on Tuesday night. He will join us tomorrow evening for our third (counting this one) Thanksgiving meal with his family.

Small feast but yummy: Lemon Garlic seasoned turkey breast, stuffing, green bean casserole, cinnamon apples, tea and water

Got a whole box of these candles for our wedding as a gift. They are perfect for occasions such as this.

First Turkey Hand Print - 7 mos. You should have seen me trying to trace Cooper's hand while he was trying to grab the paper with the same hand. This was hanging on the door when Sean came home from work - the dinner was a surprise to him.

I think the thing that we are most thankful for this season is health. As Cooper and Sean have been in the hospital for various reasons in the past two months and currently Cooper is battling an ear infection, I am grateful for the Great Physician and the healing that he provides. Knowing that he's got it all - in the good times and the bad - is such a comfort.

May God Bless You on this Thanksgiving Day and don't forget to remember Whom we owe our Thanks!

Tagged

2008-11-24T20:51:00.003-05:00

My friend Alison, tagged me...so here goes!

1. In high school I actually went to National Competition for Future Homemakers of America - twice! This was a really cool club in my high school, I promise! I competed in the division of creating an educational program for children. This makes sense if you see my sewing skills (or lack thereof)!

2. My feet don't tan. I don't have to use sunscreen or anything on them and can have them in the sun all day without any effects - trust me, I've tried. I have a permanent sock line in the summer time.

3. One of my all time favorite things is thunderstorms. LOVE them...thankfully, Cooper and Parker don't seem to be scared of them either.

4. My pinkies are crooked. With my palms facing me, I can place my hands side by side and the tops of my pinkies don't touch. They've never been broken - I was just made like that!

5. I really love tomatoes. Not the yellow ones, only the red.

6. I collect angels. Sean gets me one each Christmas and has since our first Christmas together when we had been dating for only a few weeks and he didn't even know that I collected them.

7. I have a thing for tacky Christmas Lights. Not on our house, but on everyone else's. We spend lots of time driving around in pursuit of these during the Christmas season.

People that I tag:
Katrina
Brooke
Sarai
Heather
Rachel
Kimberly
Kalley

Giese Look-alike Meter

2008-11-12T15:41:00.000-05:00

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities - Collage - Morph

Recovery and teeth

2008-11-05T09:00:00.002-05:00

So Cooper is a little champ! He is acting as if he didn't even have surgery two days ago. He is eating, sleeping, peeing, pooping, and playing so well. Kids rebound so fast! He is still getting tylenol every 4-6 hrs. as prescribed by the doctor for another day but really has not appeared to be in any pain.

He now has his first tooth confirmed by mom, dad, and grandma. We can all feel the little sharp edge poking through on the front bottom right. We actually found it on Monday and it was a sweet little reminder that he is still our very healthy baby boy.

Update

2008-11-03T10:37:00.002-05:00

Cooper is out of surgery and we are back at home. The anesthesia went well and Cooper is currently napping and not in any pain that we can tell. He is his normal happy self. They put some numbing medicine in his incisions that will last 4-5 hrs. and we have already given him one dose of tylenol and will keep giving this regularly for the next 3 days.

The surgery itself went well - as planned. The outcome was not as good as we had hoped but God is in Control, God loves us, and Cooper is fearfully and wonderfully made.

I know this is really vague but just keep us in your prayers as we are dealing with some raw emotions right now. Thanks for all of the prayers and support that has gotten us to this point. We appreciate it more than you know.

Tomorrow

2008-11-02T11:45:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow Cooper is scheduled for surgery at 7:00am at Brenner's Children's Hospital. The surgery is supposed to be outpatient, only lasting 1-2 hrs. The nurse that called Friday said that hopefully we will be on our way home by 10:00 am if everything goes well. It is supposed to be a fairly simple and common procedure, nevertheless, we do ask for and covet your prayers. Said like the fiercely protective parent that I am, "It is still surgery and it is still our little boy." Although we do know and proclaim that God is in Control, He is the Great Physician, and He knows and wants what's best for Cooper.

I will update the blog as frequently as I can tomorrow. It helps to calm and organize my own thoughts when I can see them here in black and white. Honestly, I know in my head and heart that "God's got this" but my inner sinful self is still anxious.

Specific requests:
1. Complete healing for Cooper
2. Uncomplicated surgery/anesthesia
3. Speedy recovery process/pain management
4. Ease of nerves for Sean and I
5. Rest for all tonight - including Cooper who can't eat after 2:00 am

Thanks so much for partnering with us in this walk.

Our Little Lion and the Hot Dog

2008-10-31T20:31:00.003-04:00

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T13:33:00.005-04:00

A view of years past....

2005 - Super Parker

2006 - Darth Parker

2007 - Jack Parker (AKA: Jack Sparrow the Pirate)

Everyone always said that we needed to have kids because we even dress our dog up and take him trick or treating (seriously, the neighbors have dog biscuits for him - he loves it)! Stay tuned for tonight's costumes...

Bethabara

2008-10-26T21:14:00.003-04:00

Today we went for a visit to Bethabara Park, here in Winston-Salem. We took a picnic after church and spent time walking around the grounds - mostly enjoying the perfect sunny and 60ish weather.

One neat fact that we learned was that the park has a community garden. For a small (like $35 annual) fee, you can rent a small plot of land and grow your own veggies. The park supplies the gardening tools but you can plant whatever you want and take home whatever you grow. We actually got to talk to some people tending their gardens and it was so neat to see the passion with which they grew their food, took care of their little piece of the garden, and befriended one another. They were all just sharing tools, helping others plant and dig up, and having a great time! Here are some pictures of their beautiful gardens.

What's an October Friday...

2008-10-25T09:27:00.007-04:00

...without a little late night pumpkin carving?

Disclaimer: No children or animals were harmed during the carving of this pumpkin. They did not ingest any pumpkin "guts" as it may appear in some pictures and were gone to bed long before the carving began. :)

Is only one whisker called a whisk (he, he)?

Weekend in Review

2008-10-21T11:33:00.009-04:00

We certainly had a full weekend this weekend but it was so good! It was both productive and fun.

Saturday: Literally two days after moving into our house five years ago the Time Warner Cable people proceeded to dig up our back yard to install cable lines for the neighborhood - not bothering to reseed. There's something to be said about your house being built on the rock (children's Sunday school song playing through my head) but it's quite another to have a back yard of rock. Now, I've already blogged about our lack of Green Thumbs so our backyard has been struggling to grow. We decided this year to give it our best shot to get some grass growing back there this year, consulted our neighbor who is a landscaper, got some dirt to fill in the uneven places, aerated, seeded, limed, fertilized, and spread and staked this straw that is bound so the dog can't dig it up. It took all day - mostly Sean doing the work because Cooper was quite the demanding little fellow.

Before:

During:

Our neighbor and resident handyman, Chuck, letting Cooper take a ride.

After:

Sunday: After church, in the afternoon, those who could of our bible study met at the corn maze then went to dinner. A great time with great friends.

(L to R) Sean with Cooper, Me with Parker, Erin with Melody, Matt with Penny, Phil, Christal with baby due in Dec., Richard with Kerith, Jessica

Monday: Visit to Pumpkin Patch - too many cute pictures to upload individually

Fall Fun

2008-10-17T14:30:00.009-04:00

Okay, Cooper is napping so I'm sitting down to finally get caught up on the blogging...

Fall is great for several reasons but to us it is mainly great for that perfect outdoorsy weather. Sean's hospital stint slowed us down so we missed a couple of festivals and such but now we're getting back into the swing of things.

Two weekends ago, Aaron and Rachel came down so that they could go to the Dixie Classic Fair with her best friend, Abby, who lives here as well. They were gracious enough to come down on Friday night and give Sean and I a date night. After putting Cooper to bed and leaving them to hold down the fort, a little dessert at Mid-Town Dessertery and a little Nights in Rodanthe - just the two of us - was superb.

The next morning, we joined Sean's practice in the Alzheimer's walk. His boss's mother passed away literally two weeks before this walk and the practice did it in honor of her. I forgot my camera :( for the actual walk but it was a great stroll in the crisp morning air - not to mention walking for a great cause. Cooper seemed to enjoy it (he slept) all bundled up in his stroller.

We headed straight from the alzheimer's walk to Owen's 1st Birthday party! It had warmed up quite a bit since the walk and made for a beautiful day for a birthday party. Cooper loved swinging for the first time and even liked the party hat! All photos courtesy of Alison since I still didn't have my camera.

The following Monday held the Young Life Banquet. A great time with friends for a Great Ministry. But we did get rained out of our plan to go to the Dixie Classic Fair on that Wednesday. We were hoping to go on the Wednesday as it is sponsored by our local Christian Radio station, WBFJ. You can get in for 5 cans of food and you get to see a Christian concert. This year was Mandisa and Matthew West. Like I said though, it was raining so we just stayed in - maybe next year.

Last but certainly not least from the past two weeks, is Addison's birthday. Our little niece (and Cooper's only first cousin) turned two. The party came to us as we celebrated at the Lazy 5 Ranch and then back here at our house. The ranch was fun for all . We took my dad's truck where Mom and Dad sat up front and held Cooper (and later Addison) and Keisha, Spunky, Sean, Addison, and I sat in the back to feed the animals. This time we actually got to feed the giraffes and had several wrestling matches with the animals for our buckets of feed- lots of laughter and good family time on the trail and the accompaning petting zoo and playground. If you haven't been - it's definitely worth it!

6 month check-up

2008-10-15T12:18:00.002-04:00

Cooper had his 6 month check-up today. New stats:

Weight: 17 lbs. 1 oz. - 50th percentile
Head circumference: 16 1/4 inches - between the 3rd and 10th percentile
Length: 26 1/2 in. - 50th percentile

All is well with him.

We had Addison's second birthday party this weekend and I will update later about that with pictures. Also, please keep my brother-in-law, "Spunky" in your prayers tomorrow as he has shoulder surgery.

Look what I can do!

2008-10-07T21:22:00.005-04:00

Roll over....

"Talk," sit up, and play with blocks. The blocks are his favorite. When given several toys, he always goes for the blocks. They usually end up dumped out - you can see the lid in the background that he has already taken off.

And say "mama"? He's been doing this since he was about 3 months old - usually when he is upset. Not sure that he knows that it means me, but it gets me running every time.

Still trying to get a good laugh on camera. We tried several times today and he kept getting more and more upset, so I just gave up. I will keep trying because it is absolutely contagious - it will make your whole day. Have a good Wednesday!

88!

2008-10-01T09:43:00.004-04:00

Nanny visiting me in the hospital after Cooper was born

I generally don't post about birthdays on here - with fear that I will forget someone. Today's birthday however is beyond special. She is in a league all her own, so that is why I am choosing to put this on the blog.

Happy Birthday Nanny!

Today, my grandmother turns 88 years old. If you met her, you would never imagine that she is 88. She is active, "spry" is a word that I often think of in reference to her. She has a great memory, still gets in the floor regularly to play with the little kids (in fact has sleepovers and other special events for them), and minus her hearing is in awesome health.

She was married to my Papaw for 65 years until his death 3 years ago. I truly saw her strength when she lost Papaw. She has 3 daughters, 5 granddaughters and 1 grandson, 7 great-granddaughters and 2 great-grandsons. We all just adore her. She is one of those people who just dropped everything to play when we were little, who treats every one of us absolutely equally. She makes us all feel loved and a special part of our family.

If you have ever spent any amount of time with our family, you know that we are unbelievably close. I think nothing of getting a phone call or e-mail from my cousins, as it happens regularly. The entire family, spouses, and children (all 30 something of us) get together each and every year for Christmas. The reason we are so close? The love for God and for family that Nanny and Papaw instilled within us.

Happy 88th Birthday, Nanny....and wishes for many, many more!

The New and the Improved

2008-09-28T21:30:00.005-04:00

I'll start with the Improved. Here we were last Sunday night.

Whew! So glad that this little adventure is over! Sean is doing much better. His legs are still a little sore - especially after working all day. Each night he has come home and crashed on the couch. He won't be running a marathon anytime soon but is definitely feeling better than when this picture was taken.

And now for the new... Cooper has also started baby food. I neglected to mention this is my last post, sorry! We have successfully introduced applesauce for 4 days and today moved onto squash, which he loved as well. Actually, I think he liked the squash more than the applesauce. Here are pictures from eating squash. (Please ignore the mess on the kitchen table *blush* - it tends to hold the mail that I need to sort through, toys, apples that our neighbors dropped off this afternoon, etc. It definitely shows that we live here!).

And a new shirt that proudly displays Cooper's (and his daddy's) team of choice! Notice how happy he is over that amazing win yesterday! And lastly, some new fun for Parker. Poor dog - he is dearly loved but has not been getting all the attention that he used to get pre-Cooper. Our friends Ned and Lia went away for the week and we're keeping their dog Winnie until next Sunday. Parker and Winnie have a blast together and are oh-so-doggie-compatible. Here they are winding down for the night. Having Winnie here has been so great for Parker. He has a non-stop playmate once again. They have been running all over the backyard and wrestling up a storm.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

We have a roller...

2008-09-27T09:00:00.003-04:00

***It feels really good to be blogging about normal everyday life here in the Giese household and all things Cooper, rather than Sean in the hospital. ***

One of the reasons that I became a teacher are those "lightbulb moments." Those moments when all of the pieces finally come together and you see a moment of recognition on the child's face. I've seen many of those moments in the seven years that I taught but perhaps the greatest moment was the first time that I saw the recognition and understanding from my own child. To illustrate...

In the past month, Cooper has rolled over about four times from back to front - just enough to let us know that it wasn't an accident that he ended up on his stomach but he was still wary and cautious getting there. The first time he did it, I heard a funny cry coming from his crib in the wee hours of the morning. I rushed in there upon hearing the weird cry and found him stuck on his stomach. Smiling, I rolled him over and he went back to his sound sleep.

Yesterday though it's as if he through caution to the wind and became a little rolling machine. Every time we put Cooper down, he rolled to his stomach. It was so fun to see him finally gaining the ability and understanding to roll and roll and roll. Now, mind you, he has yet to roll from his stomach to his back without help. He cries when he gets stuck on his stomach and can't get back but hopefully rolling the other direction is not far behind.

He is also sitting some without assistance. He can sit for a short time but once he starts leaning back or to the side he gains momentum and just tumbles on down. Of course, I'm always there to cushion the fall but it's neat to see him gaining more independence - one step at a time.

Sean is HOME!

2008-09-23T12:45:00.002-04:00

His levels were down to 11,000 today. With strict orders to continue drinking LOTS, he was able to go home. He is currently on the couch with two jugs of water at his side. The doctor wanted him to take it easy today but said that he could go back to work tomorrow. He should take it really easy tomorrow and absolutely NO STAIRS!

Praise God that he is home and on the mend!