Happy 3 Months Booper!

Cooper celebrates his 3 month birthday tomorrow, September 20th. He will have a quick professional photo shoot this week, but in the meantime, he squeezed into the 3 month t-shirt that commemorates the occasion. This shirt was HUGE on me when I was 3 months but Cooper had no problem fitting into it :)

As you can see, Cooper has changed considerably since he was first born. His hair is falling out and he has the hair ring right now that wraps around his head. New hair is starting to grow back and it is very blond. Three words that best describe my "little" brother are: He is physically strong (difficult to hold at times), he is verbal (loves to talk) and he is social (great eye contact and facial expressions in response to others).

Cooper's head is almost as big as mine. He is able to hold it up for an extended time. I enjoy holding Cooper for a minute or so and then proudly tell Mom, "All done Booper" when my arm starts to fall asleep. He is "solid" if you know what I mean!

People often ask Mommy how I am adjusting to being a big brother. I absolutely LOVE my little brother and need to know where he is at all times. I laugh with him and at him and can make him smile in a heartbeat. Cooper and I speak the same language, something that Mommy loves to see and hear. It is my job to make sure that Cooper takes a nap when I do and that he watches me closely as I do big boy things, such as going potty on the toilet. I like to show him the ropes. The sweetest thing that I do is say, "Love You Booper" before bedtime and insist on giving the baby a kiss.

I am working on sharing with my little brother. I usually like to play with any toy that he has in his hand. Mommy continues to show me how to take turns and I am getting it. I decided I wanted to share my Black and Decker safety goggles with Cooper. He was not too sure about wearing these but was a trooper as Mommy quickly grabbed her camera.

It is tradition for us boys to get kicked out of my parents room when we turn 3 months old. I still remember the trauma, kidding of course. Cooper's body was nearly as wide and long as the bassinet, so we knew it was time for him to stretch his limbs . He is now sleeping comfortably in the nursery. This is a major step in becoming a big boy and Mommy cries when the realization comes that he no longer is a "newborn." Besides waking up a few times wondering where the (^*#) he is, things are going smoothly.

I wouldn't be smiling either... poor kid looks like a stuffed sausage in this outfit. Mommy thought she would put him in Daddy's favorite team's outfit (3-6 month size) and realized he was TOO big for it. We captured a few photos before changing him into a 6 month outfit. Into the bin this outfit goes... he sure is going through clothes like a tornado these days!

We had a long week with Grandpa Bud's visitation and funeral. Both of us boys were on our best behavior and our parents were proud of us. Grammy spent the night after the visitation and we had to laugh at Cooper. He fell asleep multiple times that day just sitting up. He is already preparing for a talent that will help him out in church...family trait on Daddy's side:)

So, what kind of stunts can Cooper do now that he is 3 months old??? He responds quickly to smiles and silly voices. He talks A LOT which interferes with nursing (he stops to talk throughout eating time) and he likes to talk and hold happy conversations in the middle of the night.

Cooper is beginning to reach for items above him, such as Mommy's face or dangling toys. He has a mighty grip so we need to cut his nails about twice a week to prevent gouges in our faces.

Cooper sits in his Bumbo until he fusses. He can sit in it for 5+ minutes before getting annoyed with us. The challenge is squeezing his thighs into the openings. His deer in headlight look above must have been a combination of the outfit and Bumbo squeeze.

Cooper has a very strong neck and he is doing well with tummy time. He makes silly faces and is beginning to pedal his legs in an attempt to move forward. He is on a mission to get moving, but has not been successful with traveling anywhere yet.

Nice job, buddy! I think he is ready for those 3 month portraits with this pose!

Back to moi.... I overcame a major fear this week. I love snowmobiles and our John Deere, but I have never been fond of our 4-wheeler. My parents could never figure this out. Daddy would even start it up outside of the garage so that it wasn't too loud. I asked to sit on the 4-wheeler often, but the minute my parents asked if I wanted to ride, I would respond, "NO, DON'T LIKE IT!" The other night, Mommy promised that Daddy would go slow and that it would be super fun. They told me we would ride to the garden and back. My parents are not sure what sold me on it, but I went for my first 4-wheeler ride and loved it! I now ask to go on it 100 times a day. We are lucky to live on a 4-wheeler route so now it is Mommy's mission to find and buy me a helmet. Fall is the perfect time for 4-wheeling and this week's weather yells, "Fall is Here!" Enjoy the new season!

Hating Goodbyes

It is with great sadness that I share with you that Great-Grandpa Bud passed away this week. Grandpa's nickname, Bud, says it all. He was a great buddy and he will be sadly missed. I enjoyed drinking coffee with Grandpa (yes, he did let me drink coffee with him) and I loved playing with his wheelchair. These past six months have been extra difficult since this was Daddy's last living grandfather. We have many fond memories to cherish in our hearts. When Mommy thinks of Grandpa Bud, she describes him as a man with quiet strength and unconditional love for his family. He truly was the rock of the family (Daddy's side~ Grammy's Dad). He was a little flirt with Mommy telling her how pretty she was :) They enjoyed talking about gardening together. Daddy loved visiting with Grandpa to hear about his time in the service during WWII. He received a purple heart and was one of the few who lived to tell their experience of storming the beach of Normandy. Daddy has a fascination of WWII and enjoys reading about this era, thanks to Great-Grandpa's interesting experiences and tales.

We feel blessed that Cooper was able to meet Grandpa Bud. This picture shows how much love Grandpa has for his 33 great-grandchildren. He didn't seem bothered by Cooper's screaming as they snuggled in together. We wish Cooper would have had time to share some smiles and coffee with Grandpa Bud. The title of the blog sums this up... I hate to say goodbye.

We also had to say goodbye to Papa and Grandma Sharon as they leave MN and head to IN for 3 months. Grandma Sharon is from IN and when Papa and Grandma Sharon married two years ago, they kept her house. She lives in the outskirts of Indianapolis and she enjoys raising horses on her property. Papa enjoys pretending to be a farmer by riding John Deere and talking to the neighbor's goats. I can't really picture this, but I sure think it is probably pretty funny! Papa and Sharon will return for a few weeks around Christmas and then they will head to FL for the winter. We plan on Skyping in their absence so they can keep up with the family. I am not in any of the pictures with Papa and Sharon below, b/c I was a busy boy in the pool during Mommy's "photo shoot."

Papa and Cooper

A great photo of Cooper with Papa and Grandma Sharon

I love to swim in Great-Grandpa's pool. We had a picnic and pool party with Mommy's side of the family to mark the end of summer and to give Papa and Sharon a little farewell send-off. It was a beautiful day with many fun cousins and family members around.

Before we went to Great-Grandpa's house, we watched my cousin Lexi play soccer. Lexi is now in 3rd grade! She is the player above getting ready to kick the ball. Lexi's coach is auntie Stefanie. Mommy thinks it is so fun to see Lexi play soccer b/c it is the sport that she and auntie Stefanie grew up playing together. Mommy hopes that I will be a soccer player someday too.

Cooper had lots of cuddle time with cousins Kelly and Abby during the game

I had fun watching the game for approx 0.2 seconds. I was then off to see who would share snacks, water and field corn with me. Yes, field corn. A little boy ran into the nearby cornfields to pick corn and pile it by his Mom. My parents caught me biting into the hard corn (sure didn't taste right) and they quickly apologized to the crabby lady who I took it from. We still can't figure out what she was going to do with it anyhow. I had a twenty pound diaper after all of the water I drank in one hour!

On Friday, the Sports Center started their Fun Zone. We met Heather and Finley, Melissa and Elle, and Briana and boys at the center for a playdate. They have a new slide that I was really excited to go on. I almost can scale this wall to get to the top of the slide. Mommy thinks within a few more visits, I should be up the wall and ready to slide down the other side. Once I can do that, I am sure I will have at least a zillion turns going down it.

Finley and I did some major teamwork in order to get this piece of junk truck to go. You can see that the truck above is a major hit at the sports center. It always boggles Mommy mind that I have an interest in this truck at the sports center considering I have the same thing at home. Go figure.

I was interested in the parachute for approx. 10 seconds before I was ready to move on. Finley's attention span was about as long as mine.

I became interested again when I noticed that the parachute became a tent and people were having fun underneath it. Instead of joining in, I just decided to lay on the turf and pick up the parachute as my way of participating. I think this was pretty good problem-solving on my part.

To Mommy's surprise, she caught me riding my zebra bareback as they call it. I am naked approx. 75% of the day since I am working really hard on eating as much chocolate in a day as possible. I am awarded with M&M's and Tootsie Rolls when I go potty in the toilet. I mostly just pretend with waterfall sound effects from my mouth. Mommy is catching on and is becoming very stingy with the candy lately. I didn't realize that Mommy had her camera, otherwise I am certain I would have covered up. These pictures are going to haunt me someday.

We had our last "goodbye" summer event by going to Carson Park for their last day of train rides. I am intrigued by trains and love when I see or hear them. I was super excited to ride the train in the woods on a little track. The ride was 5 minutes but it was probably one of the most exciting things I have done all summer.

This is the most focused my parents have seen me since I turned two. I now ask to ride the train on a daily basis and can't wait for next summer when the train rides return to the park.

The picture below is one of Mommy's favorite pictures of me. She describes it as innocent wonder and awe. I was ecstatic when I heard the train whistle and Mommy just so happened to have snapped the picture just in time to show my excitement. It is a good reminder to slow down and enjoy the small moments. Life goes so fast and I am sure that Grandpa Bud would want us all to take time to stop and smell the roses.

Saved the Best for Last....

On Sunday, we celebrated Cooper's baptism with family. It was a very special day for everyone. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. Thank you to everyone who made the trip over to see Cooper grow in God's faith. Our Great-Grandma made Cooper's special baptism outfit. Uncle Matt (Daddy's youngest brother) and his fiance Jill are Cooper's godparents and they gave him a special cross necklace to wear. On Cooper's necklace, is our Great-Great-Grandfather's ring. It is 106 yrs. old and has the letter C on it. I borrowed the ring to Cooper for his special day. The ring was given to Great-Grandpa, whose name was Carl. It was passed to Grandma Carla and then to me. Mommy says it will stay with me to pass on to my children someday, as long as they have a C name. Hopefully, you will catch a glimpse of the beautiful necklace below. Due to the high number of pictures taken, we decided to do a slideshow of the day's events. Enjoy!

We added a few "getting ready" photos below since Grammy spent the night before the baptism; we never have taken a family bath photo. Cooper and I take many baths together these days. I like to play and "dilly-dally" as Mom likes to call it. Cooper also loves bath time but he only stays in for a few minutes. My parents look forward to the day when he can sit up in the tub on his own.

On September 3rd, Daddy celebrated his 35th birthday! We surprised him with his favorite kind of cake, Cold Stone Creamery~Cookie Dough. I helped Daddy blow out the candles and was really excited to belt out "Happy Birthday to You!" Daddy said that having me say, "Happy Birthday Daddy" was the best gift he has ever received.

Cooper decided to wake up just in time for cake. Daddy gave him a tiny taste, to Mommy's dismay. He didn't seem to like it as much as we did.

For Daddy's gifts, we gave him a new Packers hat, specialty coffees,and a choice... either a new video camera or a tattoo. Strange options, we know! Daddy has talked about getting his first and only tattoo lately...Mommy thinks it might be mid-life crisis. He would like to get something with our names woven in on his shoulder or back. Nothing big, just a small, meaningful tattoo. His other option is a video camera since ours is 10 years old and still uses tapes. Daddy gets to choose, so stay tuned for a further update on this one! In the above picture, Daddy and I were playing with two silly cards. Jenny (daycare Mama) gave Daddy a singing card that played, It's Your Thing...Do What You Wanna Do" and Uncle Matt gave Daddy a special card where it makes farting sounds, charming, yet funny. Daddy let me keep the two cards in my book bin for kicks and giggles. If you call our house and hear farting, it is the card, not me.

On September 1st, Mommy headed back to school... well, kind of. She is technically on maternity leave until October 21st. Mommy went to school for staff development day and for Welcome Back day. She is teaching 25 kiddos this year so it will be a busy year for her. She is very excited to be job-sharing with Heather again and she looks forward to teaching in the HUGE classroom they moved into this summer! For now, Mommy says her challenge is turning off her brain from school.

As a tradition, Mommy always holds up her fingers to indicate what year it is for teaching. Daddy told her she has run out of fingers since this year is her 11th year of teaching. That's why she is holding up both index fingers to make the number 11. I did not join in the pictures, just Cooper, since I had escaped to play in the garage before we headed to Jenny's house.

We are SUPER excited to announce the engagement of Uncle Jim to Karri! Uncle Jimmy (Mommy's younger brother) has been dating Karri for a long, long time :) The family finally stopped harassing him about proposing to Karri and he surprised us all by saying he had a ring and was going to propose. He kept the proposal simple by asking Karri to marry him at their townhouse after a busy day at work (he brought in flowers and did get down on one knee). The big day is July 16th in the cities and we look forward to their special day!

One of Mommy's favorite childhood memories is going to the MN State Fair. I am now old enough to start this annual tradition with my parents. We had to go on a Saturday due to my parents work schedules. Grandma watched Cooper so that it could be just the three of us. The day was EXTREMELY hot and EXTREMELY crowded. We only lasted 3 hours before we were outta there. In the above picture, I received my first tattoo, a Kemp's Cow tattoo at the Wells Fargo Farm Playland. I dressed for the special exhibit as my parents knew this place was going to be a hit.

As I entered the barn, I got stung or bit on my left eyelid. The rest of the day was a teary/snotty mess thanks to the bully bug that got me. At the farm, I was able to dress in an apron, carry a metal bucket, and act like a farmer. I was very good at being a farmer, go figure!

My legs didn't quite reach the pedals on this John Deere, but Daddy pushed me in the tractor around the track. You can see my haystack and bucket in the trailer, too cute!

Before we left, I had to test out the real John's at the farm and had a minor meltdown when it was time to go. I left with a silly John Deere hat (see above) and on we went in search of food and rides.

I was thrilled beyond whining for the children's airplane ride. Mommy ran to get us tickets because I am a 2 year old and I just couldn't wait to get on. Daddy had to squish into the seat with me (his knees are smashed against his body). I picked the pretty blue airplane for us to ride in. When the plane took off, I decided I hated the ride. I hated it so much that I cried and cried the entire three minutes of our flight. Parents were commenting near Mommy about that poor little boy who was crying his eyes out. I repeated, "No more ride" and "Caden SCAAAAARED!!!!" I still talk about the airplane at home. Mostly I retell how it went "up and down" that it was "too fast" and that it was "scary!" My parents decided we were done with the Kiddie Midway at the fair.

Here was my daily intake at the fair... Mini-donuts (my fav), 1919 Rootbeer (I never drink pop but was allowed this day), corn dog, Cheetos, cereal (from the farm), Icee, and fries with ketchup. We decided to forgo the cheese curds and pickle on a stick (Mommy's must-haves) because the food lines were ridiculous.

Our last stop was to the barns to see some animals. The goats really loved me, or at least they loved my sticky legs, arms, and fingers. I laughed and laughed as those guys stuck their heads through the gate to get a lick at me. Mommy was grossed out and a bath was a must that night.

None of us are in this photo, but we thought we would show you the swarms of people at the fair. It was a record-breaking Saturday at the fair and this picture doesn't even do justice. There wasn't an open space to walk in, except for in this photo, apparently. Next year we will make sure to go during the week and when it is not 95 degrees outside!

One of our last summer outings was to Fairfax Pool. The pool is now closed for the season. Mommy decided to bring Cooper and I to the pool to meet the Zachow family. It was just as hard as Mom imagined. Cooper needed to be fed and I wanted to wander. I only stayed in the pool for a few minutes before I headed to the playground (with my water wings on) and then to the snack counter for a slushie and popcorn. We lasted a little over an hour and it was time to head home. Goodbye pool until next summer. It will be easier for us all next time :)

Our final news for this blog is an update on Cooper. He had his two month appointment last week. We were really excited to hear his stats since he has not been to the doctor since he was one week old. Cooper was 13 pounds, 2 ounces which puts him in the 90% for his weight! Mommy can't find the paperwork for his exact height, but he was in the 75% for height. He is very different from me at that age. I was always in the lower end of the age group and Cooper is the opposite. My parents think he will be my size and pass me up very soon!!! He is already starting to outgrow some of his 3-6 month clothing which means my parents will be buying more winter necessities such as jackets, since mine will be too small for him. Cooper's development is right on track. He is very strong with his neck muscles so the doctor told my parents to be careful as he will begin flipping over very soon. He is also doing really well in the verbal and social areas since he smiles and coos in response to people. We are happy to know that Cooper is healthy and happy! In closing, my title for this blog is, "Saved the Best for Last" as we say "Goodbye Summer" and "Hello Fall." We have had a fun and exciting last two weeks of summer and we look forward to what fall has in store for us!