Happy Fall

Happy Fall! It has been a busy two weeks since I posted last. Cooper had his 3 month pictures taken and we are posting a few photos below. He has changed so much since his newborn pictures that he hardly looks like the same baby. Cooper has the brightest blue eyes and the cutest smile with dimples. We sure think he is handsome, just like his big brother!

During the photo shoot, Cooper became very hungry and a bit crabby. Mommy picked him up and was giving him kisses trying to get him to smile. He latched right onto her nose... it's a good thing it was clean!

Here is our happy boy that we see smiling so many times throughout the day. He is one easy going little guy!

This weekend, we went to Grammy's house while Daddy had a continuing education workshop. We went to a pumpkin patch that had lots of fun things for kids to do. My first stop was the bouncy jeep. Mommy let me jump in it until a past student of hers starting pressing the sides of the jumper which leaked water all over it. Some kids just never change...

Since Mommy was wrapped up with Cooper (he in the Baby Bjorn), Grammy got to be a kid at the pumpkin patch and play with me. We had fun on the antique tractor driving together. I wanted Grammy to start it up, but it must need new batteries... that is my excuse for things that don't run.

Mommy pleaded with me to stop and take a fall picture with her and Cooper with the hay in the background. As you can see, it didn't work. I was too busy climbing, running, jumping, etc... to stop for her photo shoot. Notice Cooper above wearing the owl hat... a lady thought Mommy was carrying a teddy bear for me in the Baby Bjorn...duh!

There was a petting zoo at the pumpkin patch so I stopped by to see the goats. This goat was trying to eat my mittens. They must have had leftover donut crumbs from my bakery treat that morning.

I wasn't sure about one of the big events at the pumpkin patch~ the cannon that shot pumpkins. First of all, we had to hike up a huge hill to get behind a net. We had a late start up the huge hill and the entire way, Mommy ran with Cooper in the Bjorn and Grammy ran with me in her arms. Mommy had visions of her getting nailed in the back from a pumpkin and seeing headlines in the paper about a lady getting flattened, literally by a pumpkin. Luckily, we made it to the top, all out of breath. They launched two pumpkins and it was a good thing we were out of the way. It didn't come even close to us, but the pumpkins probably were going a million miles per hour and would have killed us for sure if we got nailed by one. The sound of the cannon produced my lower lip to tremble and real tears to swell in my eyes. Everyone nearby began to cheer so I quickly decided it must be cool, so I stopped feeling sad.

Before heading back to Grammy's house, I picked out this HUGE pumpkin. People thought I sure looked cute grunting and straining as I insisted on carrying my prize to the truck.

On Friday, we met Laurie Jo and Lily at the museum. Lily has never been to the museum and her Mommy is expecting a baby anyday now. We decided we should meet up before Lily's life is turned upside down. My favorite area of the museum is the bank. I really love the plastic cylinder where you stick money and send it through the shoot. I must have done that little trick 50 times, seriously.

Lily decided that I needed some driving lessons, so she took the wheel and gave me some pointers. You can tell she is a take charge kind of girl. No wonder we think she is just too cute!

Thanks Lily for the driving lesson. I think I got the hang of it, although I sense a backseat driver by the way she is standing while I drive.

I am fascinated by motors and talked to many Moms who were thoroughly impressed that I knew I was in a "speed boat" and that it has a "boat motor" on the back. I made revving sounds and wanted Mommy to start it up. This boat was just my size.

Mommy tried to get me to branch out from the boat motor and the bank/car, so she brought me to a pretend TV set where you can dress up and set up the background. As you can see, it was NOT a hit. She has decided to not waste her time with silly ideas that don't interest me what-so-ever.

It has been a while since our last visit to the museum. When we visited last spring, I was not interested in the water exhibit. This time, I really liked turning the cranks to see the balls go up the water-wheel and get dumped into a pool. Its funny how a simple gadget, like a crank, can keep a kid occupied for a very long time.

Mommy's class went to the apple orchard on a field trip last week. She is still on maternity leave but thought it would be nice to show up and remind the kids that she will be teaching them very soon. It was a beautiful day outside for the apple orchard. I was on the go and didn't even notice all the apples on the trees nearby.

I loved the tractor at the apple orchard. I wanted Mommy to start it up, but she told me that it needed batteries, so that changed my plans.

I loved the bus even more that the kids rode on to the orchard. I was invited to tour the bus by the driver, but I was a little too scared. I shout every morning when I hear the bus go by our house. I can't wait to be able to ride one of these to school everyday.

I said "Goodbye" to the orchard after we spent time wandering the trails and hanging out with the kids (I mostly roamed). We didn't stay for the hayride b/c the driver was taking forever in the orchards with the previous two groups. We bought some apples for our trip home and Mommy promised we would return with Daddy to do some apple picking in the orchard this fall.

On one of the chilly mornings last week, Mommy said she needed to get out of the house (Moms understand this, I am sure). We headed to the mall for some retail therapy and to play. For the first time, Mommy allowed me to ride the helicopter. She noticed that Finley's Mommy, Heather, allows him to ride on these fun toys, so she decided to give it a go too. As you probably recall, I was NOT a fan of rides when we went to the State Fair in August. My first reaction was fear (see expression below), but then it turned to fun and curiousity as I decided I was the pilot and we were headed to "Borda" (aka Florida). Mommy was excited at the thought of this. Our flight time was approx. 90 seconds and I am sure we will need to have a repeat flight when we return to the mall.

A week ago, we went to the Sports Center with the crew we went with a few weeks back. It is the perfect place to let us go wild. Cooper and Elle were extremely excited to play at the Sports Center as you can see in the above picture. Mommy has learned to appreciate this stage of childhood. It won't be long when she has two boys to chase!

One of my huge, "TA-DA" moments was when I finally made it to the top of the slide. In the above picture, my tongue is hanging out as I pushed with determination to get to the top of that HUGE slide. I made it, but then the question was whether or not I would cry in fear of the long and steep ride down.
Mommy thinks I would be a totally different kid if I had older siblings. As you can see, the older boys were good role models and I wanted to be just like them. It must have worked, because I made it to the top.

Yes! I did slide down. Mommy tried and tried to get a picture of me mid-slide, but the slide and I were REALLY fast, so she only got my spiky hair. I was so proud of myself that I decided to take approximately 15 trips down the slide that day.

I was enrolled in gymnastics class at the local Y. Mommy wasn't sure if Daddy would be a fan of me taking gymnastics with a bunch of girls in adorable leotards, but they decided it would be a good way to work on coordination. Finley, Ethan, and Clara are in class with me too (they were in my Kindermusik classes too). We have gymnastics every Wednesday for 7 weeks. The first week, we had to miss b/c of Grandpa Bud's visitation. I joined the group the second week and was good at a few things and need to work on a "few" others. First off, the class is for 2-5 year olds, so I am one of the youngest in class. During stretches, I found it more exciting to run down a ramp and look at myself in the huge mirror. Then, we went to the trampoline, parallel bars, and balance beam. I did pretty good on these aparatuses and Mommy was relieved to see that the class was not a total waste.

Mommy is most impressed by my arm strength. I can hang by these bars for a VERY long time.

On the balance beam, I first walked with only one foot in front (kind of like a gallop) but as I grew more comfortable, I started to alternate my feet.

The trampoline is fun, but this is their little one. They have a gigantic trampoline that is super fun to run down. For the remaining weeks, Mommy just hopes that I can learn to do a few stretches, listen to directions, and follow the group.

We went to the park for another beautiful fall outing. Cooper sat in a swing for about one minute while Mommy snapped a picture. In the midst of it all, he must have dropped his shoe..we did end up finding it nearby.

Another "first" for me was this tunnel slide. I call these slides, "scary" for some reason, so I never attempted to go down them. Mommy convinced me that it wasn't scary and to give it a try. I did for some reason on this day and then decided the tunnel slide was really fun. Mommy is proud of my attempts at new activities these past few weeks

We look forward to a fun October. This is one of our favorite months... trips to the Orchard, Pumpkin Patch, football on TV, fall leaves, and Halloween. We have so much to look forward to and share with you in the weeks ahead.

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!