Halloween Costumes...

Looks like we have costumes for Halloween this year.  Cooper is going to be Yoda and Calleigh is going to be a flower.  Cooper isn't loving the "hat", but hopefully he will get used to it.

trip, haircuts, and snow... oh my!

This month has been WONDERFUL!  We have had an early snow, a visit from Billy's mom, a first haircut, a first trip to Washington DC, and a baby rolling ALL OVER the place.  Last week Calleigh started rolling ALL the way over.  She has been rolling "one way" for a while now, but while I was in DC last week she started rolling from one end of the room to the other.  She is sitting up better and better now, I can't help but feel like it won't be long before she is crawling.  As much as I cherish the growing up "process", it makes me a little sad.  

Both kids have LOVED having their Nana here.  Since we so rarely get to go to Huntsville, I worried it take a couple of days for Coop to warm up... that was not a problem at all this time.  Cooper immediately took to his Nana and Calleigh LOVES her too.  Mrs

. Lones has been a great blessing to me (especially) by allowing me to work while she kept the kids.  I have been able to get ahead in my class, as well as get prepared for my amazing trip 

to Washington DC.  She has really endured some early mornings and minimal naps.  I think Cooper knows that when Nana is here he doesn't HAVE to nap (even if he needs it).  :)

 Last week I went to Washington DC for the very first time ever.  I went with a group of future teachers and current teachers.  We flew into DC at 9:30 on Wednesday morning and hit the ground running!  I was able to eat lunch at the Native American Smithsonian, visit the American History Smithsonian, the Supreme Court building, the National Archives building, the Capital building, and the Library of Congress.  That night we ate at the INCREDIBLE Ben's Chili Bowl and then visited Chinatown.  We then met up with the rest of our group and toured the monuments.  We saw the Washington, World War 2, Korean, Vietnam, Lincoln, and then walked to the White House.  Just so you know, the White House lights go out at 11pm.  :)    

The next morning was the highlight of the trip.  We went to the Holocaust Memorial Museum and spent the day learning more about the Holocaust and touring the museum.  The best part of the day was when we got to hear a Holocaust survivor.  She was in Poland living a good life before the Nazis invaded and changed her life forever!  What a blessing to hear from a woman who lived thru such difficult circumstances and truly has a positive outlook on life.  She certainly put my problems in perspective.

When we returned (at 1am on Friday morning), we went our own ways and then I got up with my family and went to get Cooper's FIRST HAIRCUT.  Cooper was a trooper and behaved SO well!  I was very proud.  He looks a little more grown up, but he is still my baby boy!

REALLY... Snow??

Well, today it happened.  Mark the day, October 10th... it snowed.  I am sure that isn't completely unheard of in other parts of the country, but to this Bama girl it is surreal!  I wish I had taken a picture of it because there was about half an inch on the ground and a layer of GREEN leaves on top.  I couldn't help but wonder if Mother Nature was a little confused.  

We didn't let the snow slow us down.  This has been homecoming weekend at YC and so we went to the Volleyball game last night (which Coop LOVED and Calleigh hated it... but only because it was so loud) and to Alumni Chapel and the Choir concert this morning.  It was nice to see some faces from early in our work here and to hear President Eckman speak this morning AND hear the choir.  Both kids were really good for the 2 and a half hours, but were glad to get home.  

Tomorrow we go to Omaha to pick up Mrs. Lones and we look forward to a great 2 weeks with her.  I leave on Tuesday for my DC trip and I am so excited.  Pictures to come...

Cooper's 18 month appointment

This week included a trip to the Doctor for his 18 month appointment.  He is growing and is very healthy.  He is 34 inches tall and 28 lbs and 12 ozs.  Other than sort-of being on a "meat strike" right now, he is eating great.  Calleigh's 6 month appointment will be next month and I am looking forward to adding cereal to her diet.  She is chunkier than I remember Cooper being, but otherwise they are the same baby.One funny story, last week I went into Coop's room to find that he had found a pen and had begun to decorate himself.  Trust me, I won't wait around to go get Cooper out of bed in the morning.  He was so quiet that I didn't know he was awake.  I just happened to go in his room b/c we needed to go somewhere and I needed him to get up!  Glad I got him when I did.  :)

  

Just another Monday

Today has been really fruitful for me even if it didn't turn out the way I expected.  This morning was supposed to be Cooper's 18 month dr's appointment, but we got a call as we were getting ready to walk out the door that our dr was out sick.  Oh well.  Cooper had his play date with Amber and the boys and that was fun for him.  Right now he is fighting a nap, but he needs it!  :)  

I got tons of cleaning done and that felt really nice.  I would have liked to have done more, but hopefully I will have time to do that before Billy's "Gangs" class comes to eat Saturday night and CERTAINLY before Billy's mom comes in 2 weeks.    

Here are a couple of new pics...

New to us...

Today was a busy day.  I teach on Tuesdays and Thursdays and each Tuesday afternoon Billy comes home and keeps the kids while I go to my office on campus and work uninterrupted for a few hours.  Anyway, today was shot day for Calleigh and Billy took both kids to the shot clinic for me.  This is a HUGE favor for me as I HATE to see the kids get "hurt".  The shots went ok (according to Billy) and when they got home Calleigh sacked out for a while.  Apparently, the shots help babies sleep.  

So here are the new things...

#1- I have taught Cooper how to sign "Please" and he used it properly today.  

This afternoon, he got my attention and signed "please".  I said, "please, what?"  Cooper grabbed his diaper.  I asked him, "Coop, do you need me to change your diaper?"  He walked over to the couch and grabbed the wipes and handed them to me.  I couldn't help but be impressed... he WAS dirty.  Smart boy!

#2- Cooper has been working hard on pointing out his nose (and your nose and my nose).  So, I have been trying to get him to do other things on his face and have gotten no where.  Well, today it suddenly clicked.  He pointed to his nose.  I said, "Where is my nose?"  He pointed to my nose.  I said, "Where is your mouth?"  He pointed to his mouth.  I asked, "Where is my mouth?" He pointed to my mouth.  "Coop, where are your ears?" and he pointed.  "Coop, where are Mommy's teeth?"  he opened my lips and pointed to my teeth.  HOW FUNNY!  :)

#3- While I was at work this afternoon, Billy was trying to cook and Calleigh was fussing in her bouncy seat.  Billy asked Cooper if he wanted to give Calleigh her bottle.  He said, "Yes" and took the bottle from Billy and walked over to Calleigh and sat down.  Now, he didn't put in her mouth, but he certainly did understand and respond appropriately.

Oh... and a warning.  :)  Cooper is interested in bellies.  It is my fault for tickling and blowing on his tummy all the time and then getting him to do it to me.  Anyway, if you see him and he suddenly pulls up your shirt... you know why.  :)

Hugs to everyone!

Busy Week

This has been a busy week and I am excited to be able to enjoy a long weekend with my husband at home.  

This week Calleigh turned 4 months.  It seems impossible, but true.  She is the happiest baby

 ever (even more so than Coop, I think) and truly a joy.  Coop loves her and they are just the sweetest things in the morning.  I never know who will get up first, but when the other rises, they are SO excited to see each other.  Calleigh smiles bigger for

 Cooper than she does for anyone

 else.  I pray that they will be best friends always.

Besides the "birthday" we had a busy week full of somewhat needy babies.  Both of them are teething and it is certainly a struggle to help them manage the pain.  We are blessed that we only know Cooper is teething by his diapers and the way he keeps massaging his gums with his tongue.  He looks like a MONKEY!  :) Calleigh has been drooling profusely and not eating as well with her teeth coming in.  She also seems to want to be held more... which isn't TERRIBLE, I guess.  Ha!

This week, Cooper has learned a couple of new tricks.  The most annoying one is "chucking the paci".  He has learned that if he throws his paci, we will let him down so he can go get it.  He does this in church, in Walmart and at home when we are rocking him to sleep.  It can be kind of funny sometimes, but annoying MOST of the time!  He doesn't seem to understand how grossed out I am by the floors in Walmart!!!!  Another trick happens everytime we walk outside.  He turns right (facing our neighbors, the Vavra's) and starts barking.  Then he stops long enough to turn left and start waving.  It doesn't matter if there is a dog outside or if the Pettagroves (our neighbors to the left) are at home our outside.  He will do this every time.  Silly kid.

He has started going on Monday's to hang out with one of our students and her cousin (she babysits).  Cooper LOVES this time with Amber and Thomas.  They eat lunch together then play.  Coop always comes home tired and dirty.  Makes me SO happy.  We knew he liked Amber when he saw her in chapel and came and got his bag and grabbed her hand and began to lead her away.  Now, each Sunday he wants to sit with her.  It is terribly cute!  

Speaking of Church, Billy told me that Cooper ran right up to Mrs. Eckman (YC's First Lady) when we walked in and jumped in her arms.  I laughed thinking that he sure likes to make friends in high places, but Billy pointed out that Mrs. Eckman resembles my mom (Lulu) sort-of and he wonders if Cooper runs to her b/c he thinks he is seeing Lulu!  Who knows, but I hope that makes Lulu want to come back to Nebraska soon! 

In other news, Billy and I are enjoying our new semester and our students.  Please pray for one of our favorites... Sonia.  She has cancer and is truly the sweetest being on earth (next to her amazing boyfriend).  She has stage 2 lymphoma and just finished her last round of treatment.  She used to work for me in the Admissions Office and is in one of Billy's classes this semester.  She embodies the meaning of "Christian Woman" and I would really like for her to get better soon. 

Catching up!

Ok, so I have not been keeping up with my blog and SO much has happened since February so I will try to sum up...March was a sad and happy month.  During

 our Spring Break, my grandfather (Papa Spivey)

 passed after several months of deterioration.  I count it a great blessing that I was able to see him in January and that he was having a GREAT day when I visited.  I will miss him forever.  Cooper turned 1 on March 29th and we did a joint party with his buddy Brody a week later.  They loved the red cakes!

April was an exciting month... Pops retired and within a couple of weeks, he and Lulu were in Nebraska helping us get ready for Calleigh's birth.  Between my contractions and Cooper's need for constant hands-on attention, they were a God send.  Not to mention the countless friends who became second mothers to Cooper during the day, the friends who cooked for us just because they loved us, and my husband who was Dad AND Mom each night while he was trying to finish up the semester and prepare for exams.  I have so many heroes!  :)  

Back to my parents... I wish I had taken a picture of Dad's truck, it was packed to the max and then when they unloaded... let's just say WOW!  It was work of art how it packed like an an architect and they were prepared for any possible scenario!  I can't begin to express how amazing it was.  The day they arrived, Coop was at Miss Carol's so we went to pick him up.  He was SO excited to see Pops and Lulu!  Just in the first few days of them being here, he learned how to give kisses and blow kisses.  SWEET KISSES!

Well, May 1st was the day Calleigh Grace made her appearance.  Thank God, Dr. Eberspacher had sympathy for me and my month long contractions and induced me a week early.  She was evidentally ready to come b/c I was having contractions so close

 together as we entered the hospital that they almost couldn't give me the induction drugs.  She was a big girl too... 8 lbs and 7.7 ozs.  

Had we waited another week, she would have been over 9 lbs!!!  :)  She was born healthy and beautiful! 

Mom and Dad left a week later and school was over and now we began trying to figure out what life as a family of four was like!  Honestly, I can't imagine what life would be like without our 2 munchkins!

June was another happy and sad month.  We went to Alabama to spend time with the Spivey and Lones families and had a blast.  Everyone loved meeting Calleigh and getting to see how big Cooper had gotten.  We were able to eat supper with some of our dear friends in Montgomery and go to church with our former congregation in Huntsville.  In our first week we went

 to Orange Beach and it was the best vacation EVER.  Cooper LOVED the beach, the sand,

 the swimming, and the time with his Uncle Drew and Pops and Lulu.  Life was great.  Shortly after we returned to Montgomery,

 we headed up to Huntsville to spend quality time with Billy's family.  We ate well and lived well while we were there.  We were blessed enough to have a morning to go over to Decatur and visit with my Nana and several of my Spivey cousins and their families.  It was a great morning and in retrospect, I wish we could have had more time to spend with everyone.  Sadly, it was the last time we saw my Aunt Cathy.  I won't get into details, but within a week Aunt Cathy passed and we all were devistated and more sad than I can express (I still am).  I was so blessed to be able to stay and visit with Cathy's boys and their families during her time in the hospital (thank you Billy for working this out for me and thank you to my folks and Billy's folks for taking care of me and the kids during this time).  Anyway, a HUGE plus was that I got to know Jackie (my cousin Tim's wife) for the first time.  She is such a blessing to my life.

July was a busy month.  Billy started working in corn fields and was gone from EARLY in the morning to late afternoon 7 days a week for 3 weeks.  I have SO much respect for single moms!  My kids were good during this time, but it was interesting wrestling them without much help.  :)  We wrapped up the month with VBS at church and it was a lot of fun.

August has been a busy and good month.  We started it out with bible camp in the Black Hills of SD.  We went with the Booths and the Eldreds and had a wonderful and blessed week.  We are already recruiting other families to go with us next year!  The camp was beautiful and we were able to see amazing and interesting sights.  On top of all of this, Cooper caught his first fish!  He also had the opportunity to sleep with Billy and I each night and I think he LOVED it!  Other than the constant wallowing and tossing and turning, we loved it too.  Of course, we were ready to get home and get back to our normal sleeping arrangements.  :)

When we got home, within a week Pops and Lulu were in Nebraska and my kiddos were loving their lives!  We played and enjoyed our quality time with them and were sad to see them go since that meant no more spoiling until Nana (Lones) comes to visit in October AND it marked the beginning of a new school year.

Classes began last Monday and we are very pleased with our classes.  Billy's Criminal Justice program has grown from 5 majors to 16 majors!  I am SO proud.  He is working hard and I promise to keep everyone posted on how the semester goes for us.

Sorry for the delayed blog, but much appreciation for the love and prayers.  Blog ya again soon!

Water Baby!!!

Cooper began swim lessons tonight and we had a great time.  It took a few moments for Coop to get used to the water (it was a little cooler than I expected), but afterwards he was downright comfy!  We practiced kicking while on his tummy and on his back.  He practiced splashing with his hands and floating on his back.  I was very proud of him.  Daddy videotaped and took pictures, so here are some of the shots...

New tricks!

This weekend was full of firsts for Cooper.  He went to his first funeral.  It was a lovely service that was for a gentleman who lived a long and very amazing life.  During that funeral, he spent most of his time with Sarah (Brody's mom) because apparently she has become his new favorite person.  Whenever he sees her, he lunges for her.   Luckily, Brody hasn't minded too much yet.  :)  Anyway, as he sat on Sarah's lap, he began feeding himself for the FIRST TIME!  He has never done that before.  He will let us feed him, but he has never taken solid food in his hand and put it in his mouth.  I was so proud and yet so jealous.  I guess that will not be the last time he does something for someone else that he won't do for us.

Here is a picture of him in his suit from the funeral & one of him and me when he was wearing his ROLL TIDE outfit.  He is a BIG fan!  :)

Happy New Year!

Well, as Billy, Coop, and I wind down our trip in Alabama, I find myself grateful for a WONDERFUL Christmas.  We left Nebraska 2 weeks ago today and Cooper was a pretty good traveler.  We stopped from time to time just to let him out to stretch those legs and be free of the car seat.  Otherwise, he napped and watched tons of Blues Clues and Baby Einstein (thanks Nicole and Sarah).  

When we arrived in Alabama, we spent the night in Huntsville with Billy's parents and Cooper's 2 youngest cousins.  Cooper had so much fun that he didn't go to sleep until 11pm that night. 

We then went to Decatur to see Pops, Lulu, Uncle Drew and all of Pops' family for the annual Spivey family Christmas.  The brunch was great and the company was even better.  Cooper 

got a couple of toys and a precious outfit.  

We left Decatur to head to Montgomery to spend a week at Pops and Lulu's house.  We had a wonderful week of being spoiled.  Cooper even learned some new tricks.  He started standing up on his own (without having to pull up on a wall or table or something).  He also started to eat us out of house and home!  He ate "3 squares" a day and then some.  He is still taking his bottle some, but WOW!

He has a healthy appetite.  :)  He has even created a silly face that he and Lulu did all week.  At first I thought it looked like he was trying to "fake cry", but now I think it was just a silly face where he wrinkles up his nose and closes his eyes tight.  (the picture is the closest thing I have of "the face")

Coop got some great gifts on Christmas morning.  He got some COOL converse shoes from his Uncle Drew, a red wagon that he LOVES (boy, won't he be disappointed when we get back to snowy

 Nebraska and he can't ride it for months), 

and a rocking horse that was given to me from my grandparents on my FIRST Christmas.  

Of course, this doesn't even mention the countless clothes, books, and other toys that were showered on him.  He was even in a "giving spirit" as he gave me a watch and gave Daddy a video that they 2 of them enjoy

 watching.  He also helped deliver Daddy's last gift from Lulu and Pops... a cool black guitar.  He was so cute helping Pops pull that gig bag.  It was a great moment.  After 

we finished opening presents, we ate a great lunch then went and visited my grandmother.  She loved seeing Cooper and Cooper enjoyed visiting her and the other residences in her home.  He is quite a ham.  :)  

After a wonderful week with my family, we left after breakfast on Friday morning to join Billy's family.  When we arrived in Huntsville, we were greeted by Cooper's grandma and all his cousins and his aunt and uncle.  We went to lunch at our favorite place from our time in Huntsville, the Po' Boy Factory.  After a yummy cajun lunch we came back to do Christmas again.  Again, 

Cooper was spoiled rotten with great toys that make fun noises.  He even got a fire engine that he can ride around from Uncle Kenneth, Aunt Jennifer, Caleb, Gabrielle, and Caden.  He had a 

great time opening gifts and listening to his cousins enjoy all their great gifts.  They are fun playmates and he has enjoyed all his time with them.  (pictures are of Cooper at the Lones Christmas)

While we have been in Huntsville, we have stayed busy and really had a great time.  Last night was New Years Eve and Cooper got to have one more spend-the-night party with Caden and Gabrielle.  They had tons of fun and wore each other out.  Hopefully this summer, that "wearing out" will translate into Cooper falling to sleep very quickly like the other 2.  :)  Coop just takes a while longer to wind down.  Cooper even learned a new trick from Grandma... he can now sit on the couch and then flip over to slide off!  :)

Today we are getting ready to head to Uncle Eddie's house for the annual Lones family Christmas party.  There are tons of kids and adults and even more food.  We are looking forward to a great way to end our time in Alabama.  When we get home tonight, Billy and I

have to get serious about packing... not our favorite part of traveling.  

Well, one more picture just for laughs.  Last night was bath night for Cooper and he and Daddy took some funny pictures.  

Our love to you all and I hope you guys had as wonderful of a holiday season as we did.  Happy New Year!