Hoppy Easter!

Happy Easter! We returned from Florida on Friday afternoon and had an amazing vacation! Our extensive photo album will be uploaded and added to the blog within a week, I promise! About a month ago, Cooper and I went to a local portrait studio for pic's with a real bunny. Mommy was worried Cooper was going to try to eat the poor rascal and she worried that I wouldn't smile. The experience was better than she anticipated and as you can see, I smiled throughout.

We both loved the bunny. I was very gentle with him and Cooper was his usual, bruiser self. He needed a lot of help from Mommy patting the bunny gently. He also attempted to eat the bunny bedding inside of the basket....ewwww!

Cooper refused nap that morning so he was not his happy self. We were relieved he didn't have a meltdown during the photo shoot but had hoped he would have smiled a tiny bit. The first photo in the blog is the only one he had a real smile for. Oh well, the joys of photo taking in our household!

Cooper needed a tiny break from picture taking, so the lady put a cute little chair on the table for me to sit and pose on. I was a very cooperative boy and had a lot of smiles. The photographer kept saying, "DON'T YOU SMILE!!!!" which of course was very clever (reverse psychology always seems to work!) Mommy has since tried to use this saying but I have caught on and am quite tired of hearing it.

Mommy and Daddy love the photo above. They think I look so big and so silly and happy in it. It made them a bit sad as they looked at the pictures~ their little boy is growing up so quickly!

Easter morning.... Mommy forgot to put me in my bunny jammies, so oops, I guess monster jammies are in this year's Easter pic's. This fuzzy bunny was in Mommy and Heather's classroom this month but she brought it home just in time for Easter. I thought he was the actual Easter bunny and toted him around all day. I noticed he nibbled on the carrot snack that I left out last night. I decided to try to get him to take a few more bites but didn't have any luck with that.

The Easter bunny was oh so good to me this year. I received a Radio Flyer wheelbarrow with a John Deere t-shirt, candy, sidewalk chalk and a pinwheel inside. I can't wait to help Daddy with jobs outside with my wheelbarrow!

Cooper received a tiger blow-up pool for this summer, a pinwheel, puffs, a John Deere t-shirt, and a John Deere vibrating corn teether (this is AWESOME for any parents with a teething child!)

Of course we can't forget the true meaning of Easter, so we headed to church. I was confused to why I didn't have Sunday School and had to sit through the 1 hour and 15 minute service. We all survived and Mommy quickly snapped a photo of us boys (minus my hat... I wanted "cool hair" today). After church, we went to a nice Easter buffet with our old neighbors, Dan and Nancy. We overindulged and then took naps this afternoon. When we woke up, that little rascal (bunny) left eggs in our yard. I love that guy!

That silly bunny had jelly beans, chocolate eggs, and my favorite, gum eggs hidden all over the yard. Cooper helped me find the eggs too.

Since I insisted on toting my bunny all day, I decided he needed to go potty outside. I set him in the rock garden, where I often see Liberty doing her business. My parents thought this was quite clever of me. He never had an accident in our house all day which means he is a perfect pet!

Cooper didn't realize that the treats were INSIDE of the egg. He was perfectly content just nibbling away on the plastic.

Cooper found an egg in our planter and then decided to eat the dirt around it. We didn't get a close up of this one, but you might be able to see some remnants in the last photo in the blog. Mmmm.... dirt!?!?

I insisted on bringing the wheelbarrow to our garden for some unknown reason. I had a good stash of eggs and was ready to bring my loot inside. Thank you to our family who also sent books, candy, swimsuits, Easter DVD's, and money for Easter gifts. We are very lucky and spoiled boys!

Before we headed in on this beautiful day, Cooper had a quick ride in the swing. This is his favorite outdoor activity and suddenly, it has become mine too. I am becoming a bit more possessive with MY toys and find anything that Cooper is doing really interesting and a must for me too. We are happy for today's weather, fun events, and Jesus' promise to us.... We also want to say, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" to Grandma Shirley (my great-Grandma) who turned 80 years old today! We can't wait to celebrate this summer with a family weekend at the "camp!" We will post our Florida pictures soon and will fill you in with our vacation events!

Coopster is Crawling!

Here sits the king of the steps.... Cooper. It is his new passion in life to go up the stairs at least a hundred times a day. Little does he know that Daddy is installing the dreaded baby gates as I write this blog post :) He is very proud of himself, as you can see in the above photo. He likes to clap for himself when he reaches the top and is even showing off his snaggle tooth (incisor) that popped out before his two front teeth.

We are excited for Cooper's progression from army crawling to crawling on all fours. He is very quick and he has many bruises thanks to show for this. Cooper pulls himself up on furniture, walks alongside with one or two hands, and is able to let go and stand for a short amount of time.

My little brother won' t be smiling in the morning when he realizes that the gates are installed and he is confined to one level. My parents dread the gates as they are certain they will walk into them for the next week or so.

Cooper had his 9 month doctor's appointment last week. We were expecting to see is growth chart sky rocket as usual, but he is now starting to follow a curve. Our pediatrician told us he would eventually slow with his growth and it seems he is now settling into a better pattern. We were all worried for our chunky monkey for a few months. Unfortunately, we cannot locate the stat sheet, but his weight was 21 pounds which put him in the 60% and his height was 65% for his age group. Cooper didn't need any shots for his 9 month check-up so it was a fairly easy appointment!

We asked the nurse to weigh me because I haven't been weighed since my 2 year appointment (10 months ago) My parents joke that Cooper and I weigh the same; well, it wasn't quite the same, but close! I weigh 29 pounds, just an 8 pound difference between us:)

During Mommy's spring break, we went to the cities to spend time with family. My parents brought Cooper to Kid's Hair for his first haircut. Cooper was his typical self... smiley and happy, even though kids nearby were screaming! Here is our little guy on his big day :)

Yup, Cooper is lounging in the chair. The hairdresser couldn't believe how easy going and happy he was. My parents just loved that he draped his arm over the chair and "hung out" during his haircut!!

Our little Coopster still looked like a baby when his haircut was over. Mommy was worried he would look like a little man, but he still has baby in him. My parents received a lock of hair for his scrapbook, which Mommy fully intends to scrap into his album soon!

Another stop was the MN Zoo. We love going to the zoo and look forward to the day when we get to explore the outdoor exhibits once again (come on warmer weather!) Ironically, Mommy wanted to go on the Monorail during our visit but we chose not to do this activity. The Monorail was on the news that evening because people were stuck on it for HOURS and had to be rescued by firefighters. Funny how things work out for a reason! My favorite exhibit at the zoo is the monkeys. I told my parents that the monkeys were like helicopters as they swung from tree to tree. Mommy was proud of my use of a simile to describe the monkeys. I was more brave this visit than previously.... I went inside of the tunnels where you could watch the animals from the inside of a tree trunk window. It was very cool!

Cooper's favorite exhibit is the aquariums. He stood and watched the fish for a very long time (in toddler's standards that is). He was very excited throughout our zoo trip; after almost every animal exhibit we visited, he would clap his hands and squeal with excitement. What a silly monkey!

I couldn't believe the teeth on the baby crocodile (see him through the window). I must have been curious to whether or not my teeth were pointy like his b/c Mom snapped this photo as I turned around. She thought it was cute how I was comparing my teeth to the crocodiles. I don't think mine are that gnarly.

We FINALLY visited Grandma and saw her new wheels. Grandma took a major wipeout in her work's parking lot a month and a half ago. She was bed-ridden for a few weeks and is now venturing out ~YEAH! She uses this scooter to rest her leg on as she hobbles around. Grandma has a lot of hardware in her ankle and she is healing slowly but surely. It was nice to visit with everyone and Cooper had a lot of fun on her scooter.

We were excited to see Uncle Bruce, Auntie Stefanie, Lexi and Sam's new house! They moved a few weeks ago and bought a beautiful home just a few miles away from their old house. Their new house has a swimming pool, steam room, and hot tub. We think we will be spending a lot of time there this summer! As part of my ritual, I rode Auntie's little decorative bike around the house. There is a little basket in the back of this bike where she puts dried flowers or other little decorative pieces. I like this bike because it reminds me of what is up ahead for this spring and summer.... riding my NEW bike that Jenny gave me for Christmas!

The next blog post will be full of Florida photos! We are excited to head to Captiva Island for a one week vacation. We are looking forward to the beach, pool, and sun! We will attempt to post our vacation photos soon after we return. Wish my parents good luck on the airplane :)

Happy 9 months Cooper!

Happy 9 month birthday to my lil brother, "Coopsters!" He was supposed to have his 9-month check-up yesterday but due to a conflict with the doctor's schedule, we had to reschedule it for Monday. We will update you next blog post with his stat.'s.

By the look on Cooper's face, he must have known that Mommy forgot to put on his 9-month old t-shirt on his actual 9 month birthday. It wasn't that she didn't remember the important day, she just forgot to put the shirt on him. No one will know, except all of our faithful blog followers :) People have always warned Mommy about "those parents" who do not take photos of the second baby and don't spoil them as much. My parents make a conscious effort to not fall into that category. Which is why Mommy just ordered 150 photos online for her scrapbook weekend coming up. She is determined to START Cooper's scrapbook. Mine is all up-to-date, which just goes to show how extra special the first borns really are~ Sorry Cooper.

At 9 months, this is what Cooper is up to... he army crawls all over our house. He will do a few steps on all 4's but then does his army crawl. He is quite fast and determined as you can tell by the photo, tongue out and all.

Cooper pulls himself up on everything! It is almost a definite that he has a bruise on his face somewhere. This is where the helmet came in handy for me... head protection! He creeps along furniture once he is standing. He is doing better with pushing his walker while taking steps. He can stand, let go and transfer to something nearby. My parents are really hoping that he doesn't walk until he is at least 11 months.

Cooper can say, "mamamamama," "dadadaddadadada," and "bababababa;" in translation this means "mama," "dada," and "bye-bye." These are the three words he knows. He makes lots of other silly babbles and sounds. He has an elephant toy that he now imitates with a high-pitch whine. It is very cute.

What do we love most about Cooper??? He is adorable, funny, smart, emotional and decisive (knows EXACTLY what he wants), and loving. He is going through a bit of separation right now. He prefers Mommy when he is tired or sad; he wakes up a few times at night just to be sure Mom or Dad are around. My parents are hoping this phase passes quickly. On top of his separation, he is sprouting 4 teeth on top and 2 more on the bottom all at the same time. This has caused fussy spells, lots of ibuprofen, and plenty of nasty diapers. Before you know it, he will be smiling with a full grill.

How am I doing you might ask? I am doing fantastic. I am such a silly boy. I like to wear sunglasses a lot (even upside down), I declare what I am up to ("I am passing gas!"), and I keep everyone laughing at my silly Cadenisms. Some of my sayings these days are, "Oh gracious!" "SERIOUSLY!!!!" and I continue to finish many words with "sters" for comic relief, "Momsters, Libsters, Grampsters."

On Monday evening, we headed to the mall for some shopping and a quick bite. Mommy was on spring break this week, although I would call it winter break... Monday was the only nice day before we received a massive ice and snow storm. Luckily, we were safe at home this week and found ways to stay busy with projects and toys (PS Fingerpaint belongs outside on the patio table). Back to the mall....as usual, I insisted on stopping at the play area in the mall for the mechanical rides. Each ride is 75 cents each, so I usually go on 2 or 3 before my parents cut me off. The hot dog bus is the only one I allow Cooper to join me on. I take my driving role very seriously and Cooper loves being my passenger.

On Monday morning, we went to Laurie Jo's for a playdate after we went to the library. Laura joined us with her boys. Here she is juggling all three babies while my Mommy and Laurie Jo made lunch for the toddlers. Mommy thinks it is always nice to connect with other Mommy friends who are dealing with the craziness of toddler and baby life!

Lily, Ethan and I had fun playing together and we even were allowed to sit at the kid's table for lunch that day. Don't you love my pink bib compliments of Lily!?!?

The library is a favorite activity for us. We used to go to storytime weekly, but with the gas prices going up and the 30 minutes it takes for us to drive there, we decided to make it a bi-monthly to monthly event. Library storytime ends next week until summertime; we plan to go so that I can have one more time sitting on the rug with all of the stuffed animal friends along with my buddies. I am a good listener during storytime and sometimes participate during music and movement. I am pretty shy in public, but Mommy is thankful that I am well-behaved when we are out and about.

We went to Govin's Farm for their annual lambing event. We went to Govin's last year to see the baby animals but this year was a lot more fun as I interacted more and knew what was happening. As you can guess, the tractor ride to the farm was one of my favorite events. I think I could ride a tractor all day long!

It was a muddy mess (this was prior to the ice and snow storm this week). The snow was melting and we had a beautiful day of weather to go to the farm. My parents asked if I wanted to ride the pony around the circle. I told them I did which surprised them both. I loved the pony ride!!! I told my pony to "giddy up" four times while we were riding around the circle. Daddy was a trooper as he walked in the slop just to be sure I didn't get scared.

Cooper and I were allowed to hold a lamb. At first I wasn't so sure about the lamb. In the picture below, the lamb began to run in my lap. Luckily, a farm volunteer got him to settle down so that we could pet it. Cooper was most excited about the animals as he laughed and squealed, just like the pigs.

The chicks were my favorite animal in the barn. I love how fuzzy they are. I was able to touch their soft feathers/down. Mommy had flashbacks to the days in Kindergarten where she would hatch 20 or so chicks in an incubator. Those days are long gone thanks to salmonella fears. Anyhow, we touched the chicks and no one in our family got dangerously ill, thank the Lord!

Thanks to Heather for taking a few photos several weeks ago. Kerri, Mommy's friend who is a music teacher, is leading a toddler music class. We get together once a month to sing and move to music. There are lots of toddlers and babies in our class. Kerri is very patient with all of us! I like the songs we sing in class especially, "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" and "Ring Around the Rosies." We probably sing 25 songs a day in our house.; it sure helps that Mommy knows many songs as a teacher. My daily requests include, "Paddy Whack" (This Old Man), "Farmer in the Dell," and Uncle Kracker (that is not toddler music but Daddy's CD which I love and Mom hates).

Leave it to my Mom to have an idea in her head... she felt she was "called" to implement Toddler Sunday School at our church. We go to a Lutheran Church that offers Sunday School for kids ages 4 and up. Maybe it was due to the fact that I sit in church for an hour with my parents while eating treats non-stop, talking and distracting the poor people next to us, coloring on the offering envelopes, asking loudly to go play in the nursery, etc... Mommy finally had enough of me and she asked if she could start a toddler ministry for 2 and 3 year olds. There are 10 toddlers or so that come each week. There are two Sunday School sessions and Mommy teaches the first one and found a second teacher to lead the second one. She absolutely loves it and is having a great time finding ideas that are enjoyable for our class. Many members in our church have complimented Mommy on the program and the kids are very excited to come each week. She hopes she will find the energy and time to continue this ministry for a few more months before summer break!

Each child will have a scrapbook with pictures of them in various places in our church. Here is a photo of Ivy and me in the chapel. We are practicing sitting in a chair and greeting each other with a handshake. In the photo below, we listened to a story about Jesus calming the sea and as part of the lesson, Mommy brought boats and a tub of water for us to play in. She can't imagine teaching toddlers on a regular basis. What a huge change from Kindergarten it is for her, surprising as that might sound.

With this crazy weather, I think I have spring on my mind. While playing one morning, I called Mommy into my bedroom and asked her when we were going to Borda (Florida). I had my swim trunks on and my santa PJ's all tucked in ready to go. We are heading to Florida in a few weeks and look forward to the hot and sunny weather. We can't wait to ask, "Should we go to the beach or pool today?" Until then, we can only hope March goes out like a lamb!