It's a Girl! AND It's Coop's 9 month birthday!

I realized this morning that I hadn't updated the blog to tell everyone that we found out 2 weeks ago today that we are having a little girl.  We don't have any names yet, so please feel free to share any great ideas!  :)

Today is Cooper's 9 month birthday and he gets bigger, stronger, and faster everyday.  We are so proud of our BIG boy who weighed 24 lbs last week.  Wow!

Pictures

I voted!! (11.4.08)

Coop and Brody in their matching Christmas PJs

Meeting Pops, Lulu, and Uncle Drew in the airport (11.23.08)

Coop and Daddy talking over the days plans.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, this has been a busy month and I am sorry to have not updated the blog in a while. First things first, Happy Thanksgiving! We had a great holiday as my parents and brother joined us this year. Coop cuddling up with Pops and Lulu before bedtime.Pops and Coop getting ready to go out.Coop and Uncle Drew dressed up for church.Nite-nite time with Lulu.

While they were here, we enjoyed good food (thanks to Chef Billy) and a lot of good memories. Also, Thursday night, Coop took his first steps. He has been crawling and pulling up on EVERYTHING for several weeks now, so we have known it was coming. Unfortunately, Momma wasn't quite ready for it. My little boy is growing up faster than I want.

Today is his 8 month birthday and we plan on spending it watching the Alabama/Auburn game (Roll Tide Roll) and eating some yummy turkey-bone gumbo with some friends.

We hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday weekend. We are grateful for our friends and family who could not be with us this year. We look forward to seeing you all soon!

(more pictures to be posted soon)

Big News!

Well, it is official, Cooper will be a big brother in May.  Billy and I went to the doctor on Wednesday and heard the heartbeat and it was strong and healthy.  I would like to say Cooper is excited, but he is clueless... although Billy and I are elated.  

In other news, this weekend was a busy one.  We discovered on Thursday morning that Cooper had a sinus infection.  While he was a sad little boy, the antibiotics and decongestant worked well and he is much better now.  Now if we can just get him back on a good sleeping schedule...

6 months old!!!

So, I should have blogged last week to announce that it was Coop's 6 month birthday on Monday, but I was sick. Sorry to my little guy who I am SO proud of, but boy have these 6 months have flown by. Yesterday, we had his 6 month shots and he took them like a trooper. He cried when the inserted the needle and by the time we stood up, he was fine. :) After that we went to a Junior High Football game to watch our friend, Ken, coach (Ken is Brody's daddy). I am posting some pictures of Coop with his good buddy Brody, who turns 6 months next week.

Don't they look like they are wrestling?!?

Best buddies, Cooper and Brody

Sitting, propping, and rocking, OH MY!

Sitting up last weekend

Sitting up like a big boy in his bed

(wearing Aunt Jen's "Future Harvard Freshman" outfit)

So, I have figured out that I am not really good at this blog thing. I mean to blog ALL THE TIME, but never take the time to do it. I thought I would do it real quick tonight to update everyone on Cooper's growth into a "big boy". Last weekend, he began to sit up on his own and within 24 hours he was completely sitting on his own and playing as he sat. It is so fun to see and he really, really enjoys it. Also, he began getting up on all 4's and "standing" there. Yesterday he started rocking AND scooting backwards. Oh my... my sweet baby is growing up. OH and he finally got his first tooth. So much in such a short amount of time. No wonder I am tired all the time!!!

(Just another cute one that I thought I would share...)

5 months and counting!!!

First day of classes bring convocation and Billy gets to march into chapel in his regalia!

Clara even came to see him.

Coop was looked SO cool walking to campus!

How cute is this guy???

Happy 5 month birthday!

Last week was a big week.  Billy and I started teaching at the college and Cooper turned 5 months.  

Good Morning from Cooper

My sweet angel is a morning baby and he is so sweet.  I thought I would share this picture...

Yummy... Squash!

We have started feeding Cooper cereal and baby food and he has really taken to them.  I thought I would share some pictures.

Little buddies

I keep forgetting to add new pictures of Cooper and his buddy Brody.  Since Brody is at Bible Camp this week with his family, I thought I would post them now.  :)  Something to help Coop and I as we miss our friends.  Ha!

New food

Monday was Cooper's 4 month Doctor's appointment which brought some tears (4 month shots) and some new food options.  We started Cooper on rice cereal that night and he seemed to like it.  You can see for yourself in the pictures.  :)

BIG Day!!!

Today was Cooper's 4 month birthday and it marked 2 big milestones.  First, this afternoon Coop put his big toe in his mouth.  :)  We knew it was coming... he has been playing with his feet for weeks, so we got a big laugh out of his new found flexibility.  Second, today he rolled over for the first time from his back to his tummy.  I nearly missed it, but the motion of his roll caught my eye and so I got to see him go from his side to his tummy.  He was QUICK!!!  Unfortunately, Billy was outside stripping the porch (we are doing some home improvement), but we know it will happen again.  The "naked" picture is just after he rolled.  He knew I was SO proud of him and he smiled for about 20 minutes straight.  He was pretty proud of himself.  Happy Birthday little man!!!!    

Too Long!

Well, we returned from our Southern adventure on Friday, July 11th.  The trip was wonderful and very relaxing.  We had a great time showing off our sweet boy and seeing old friends and family.  We really needed more time because we didn't get to see everyone we wanted to.  The past 2 weeks have been jam packed for me as I have finished my summer course (submitted my final exam yesterday, yea!).  It was a hard one and very intense (most classes last 4 months, but this one was only 2), but I am glad I did it.  I think I learned a lot.  The next few weeks will be about Billy and I working on our fall class schedule (I did brag on the new Professor of Criminal Justice, Billy M. Lones, JD, right?!) and spending as much time with Cooper as possible.  Right now we are all on the front porch and Billy is scraping the porch floor so we can repaint it next weekend.  It looks like hard work!  :)Well, here are a few pictures (Grandparents, great Grandparents, cousins, and Uncle Drew)...

Happy Baby!

Well, we arrived Wednesday night to Montgomery and Coop has been in "hog heaven" ever since. Lulu and Pops are loving on him and having a great time. Yesterday, we went to Alfa (Pop's office) and met all of his co-workers and then went to Faulkner so Coop could see where Mom and Dad went to school. We had a GREAT day! At the end of the day, Lulu and Pops gave Cooper a bath and they had a great time. Check out the pictures...

Traveling Shoes!

Well, we are on the road heading to Alabama and we figured out that this trip brings MANY firsts for Cooper!  First time in Iowa, First time in Missouri, First time in Illinois, First time in Kentucky, First time in a Waffle House and Bob Evans, First time in a rest area, First time in a hotel, First time in a king-sized bed... SO many firsts.  Let me brag... Coop has been AMAZING!  We left this morning at 5am and he only cried for a few minutes this afternoon (and that was because he was fighting sleep).  Otherwise, he was a perfect angel!  We are looking forward to another great day of travel tomorrow as we complete our trip to Montgomery to see Lulu and Pops, not to mention Uncle Drew.  The 2 pictures are of Coop in Metropolis, Illinois and Coop and Billy in Waffle House.

Happy Father's Day

Yesterday was Billy's first Father's Day as a Daddy and I think he had a good time. He requested that we watch Smokey and the Bandit (parts 1 and 2) and eat pizza and wings. We did it all. Coop even took a long enough nap for Billy to take a nap as well.

After church we snapped a few pictures to share with everyone. We hope you enjoy.

Many thanks to our dads for making our lives so amazingly rich and blessed. We hope to create that legacy with our own child.

Rock and Roll Baby!

I cannot believe that I have let 2 weeks go by without a post. Cooper and I have stayed busy with me working on a class that is 4 months of material packed into 2 and Coop has been busy GROWING!!! Last week he had his 2 month appointment and he now weighs 12 lbs and 10 ozs! We are so pleased.

Next week leaves 2 weeks until Billy becomes full-time Faculty (he is starting YC's new Criminal Justice department and we are VERY excited) AND we leave to go to Alabama. This will be Cooper's first visit to the "holy land" and we are all very excited!

Here is a picture of Cooper in his new rocker onesie (thanks Sarah), his new "crawler" (thanks Mindy), as well as a new picture with his buddy Brody (they were not happy campers).