Cooper - 12 Months!

Although you can't tell from this photo, today's photo shoot did not go as well as past months.

Dear Cooper,

Today we celebrate your first birthday!  Today we celebrate the little boy that you have grown in to.  In some ways it feels like the year just flew by and in others it feels like you have been with us forever! Simply put, we cannot imagine our lives with out you in it.  I can only imagine what the next year will bring!  For now, let's bring you up to date on your 12th month!

• At your 1 year appointment yesterday you weighted a whopping 26 pounds and were 28.5 inches.

• You are getting better and better at walking with assistance.  You are can even walk slowly holding only 1 finger.  If we give you both hands you can really cruise.  Some days I think you are really close to walking but I know that you could be at this stage for quite sometime.  We are enjoying watching you get more confident each and every day.

• You stand independently.  At first it was only when I let go of your fingers, but now it is all on your own.  It makes mommy scared when you 'practice' this in the rub...  sometimes you are a handful!

• Speaking of the tub, you love it!  When we go in the bathroom and I stand you against the tub you get exctied.  When I actually turn the water on you squeal with excitement.  Than Grady joins in and it gets quite loud!  You bath with your brother  99% of the time and 75% of the time it goes really well.  You don't want to be there for the other 25%!

Some looked like this if we were lucky.

• You wave on command, you wave goodnight, you espectially wave when you see Grady, Mommy, or Daddy.  Big Smiles!!  You love when Daddy comes home from work.  We watch out the window and wave like crazy and you immediately want him to hold you when he walks in the door. 

• You still bite.  It hurts.  A lot.  You mostly bite Grady and I often wonder if you do it on purpose.  You can tell that you are frustrated or mad and just take a bite out of his arm, leg, back....  On Dad and I, it is usually the neck and the inner thigh.  I think I have screamed every time you bite me and it is followed by you crying because I have scared you.  I really hope this phase ends soon.

• Right now you are into the stairs.  You could climb up and down all day.  You are pretty good on them.  Most of the time you even turn around on your own.  You also understand and respond when we tell you to turn around on the stairs.  You rarely try and go head first anymore.  With that said, you have fallen down the stairs a few times this month.  You are generally a tough cookie, but there were some tears shed on these occasions :(

• You are 100% on homo milk and seem to have adjusted.  At first you were spitting up more than usual but we haven't seen that in a few weeks.  You are also using a sippy cup more and more and only have a bottle before naps, at bed time, and during the night. 

• You are showing all the signs for teething but we have yet to see any teeth appear.  Some nights you were crying so hard I though you were getting 6 teeth at the same time. Alas, you still only have 4.

• What are your favorite foods right now?  You love sausages, watermelon, eggs, pancakes and the list could go on.  You are still a good eater and we are very thankful.



Most looked like this. 

• While on the topic of eating, I am not sure I have ever mentioned that it takes you well over 30 minutes to eat a meal.  You take your time and are quite pick in choosing the order of what you eat.  You often end up with it in your hair and all over your shirt. You pull your bib off quite early in the meal... or Mommy forgets to put it on. When you are done eating you throw the food on the floor.  The floor around here needs to be washed more than it does!

• You and Grady still don't get along the best but you have given me a glimmer of hope that you may play together some day.  There are times that Grady actually asks you to play with him.  Generally when you do go to play he gets mad and it ends up in separation.  You love to imiate your big brother and have been known to copy what he is doing with his cars and try to play with what he has.  It is so sweet and always brings a smile to my face.

• Sleep.  Still not my favorite topic I tell you.  You still don't sleep through the night.  We are in the process of sleep training for the third time and hoping that this time sticks.  It is hard on all of us but I think that if we all slept through the night we would all be happier people.  I know I would be!

• You are down to one nap.  After vacation we figured there was no point in going back.  So far you have taken to it really well and sleep between 2 and 3 hours.  It is a nice break in the day for Mommy and Grady to do something together.

• We are down to our last smell of baby on your sweet little head.  Mommy still loves to smell you when you wake up from a nap, there is still a hint of baby smell left!  Mommy loves that smell :)

• You love to watch Mom cook and imitate whatever I do.  Maybe you'll be a chef someday!

• You are now in a size 5 diaper during the day   We switched you to a size 5 'overnight' diaper and it holds in the pee most nights.  Except for the nights you get up 3 times and have a full bottle each times.  Yes... we still have those kind of nights.

• You wear mostly 12-18 month clothes and sometimes even an 18-24 months.

We love you so much Cooper and are so proud of everything you have accomplished in your first year!

Love,

Mommy

Cooper - 11 months

Dear Cooper,

Today, you are 11 months. As we count down the days until your first birthday, I am excited. Excited about every thing you have accomplished in your first year and thrilled that we survived made it through in one piece. When your brother turned one, I was sad. Sad that my baby was no longer a baby. This time, I am just so excited about the future. I am excited to get to know your personality. I am excited to hear you talk. I am excited to see you interact with Grady and much much more. I can't wait until next month when we celebrate you ad your first year of life. Until then, let me tell you what you have been up to.

• You are a full blown crawler, mover, stair crawler, furniture walker and the list goes on. You walk using your walker, you pull yourself up on anything that doesnt' move. You don't stop. You squirm if we hold you too long as there is just so much to do and see.

Someone did not want a sticker on their shirt this morning, therefore it is crooked.

• You wave anytime someone stands in a doorway or you put a jacket on.

• You have started pointing.

• You recognize your own name.

• You have started biting. I hope it is a teething thing. So far he has only bit me and Auntie Bo once. Boy oh boy does it hurt even though he only had 4 teeth!

• You are obsessed with the toilet. If I lose you for a few moments, I always know that you are making your way to the bathroom to open the toilet or worse yet, put your hands in.  There is a lot of hand washing around here to say the least.

• You are now on homo milk.

Look! This bad boy comes off!

• You popped a new tooth, your forth, on about Sept. 16 while I was on vacation. You still have all the signs of teething but no new tooth to show for it. I can not imagine the next 1 to 2 years of teething being this intense....

• You are a star eater. You are eating more and more the same of what we eat. Your favorite food is still broccoli and anything meat. Tuna balls, meat balls, sausages..... if it is meat, you are all over it. I swear you eat more food than Grady does!

• I wish I could say you and Grady were getting along better but you aren't. Enough said.

• Sleep... oh the sleep. I always thought that Grady was our bad sleeper, but my dear Cooper, I think you may take this one. After months of inconsistent sleep, getting up multiple times a night, horrible naps, we decided that it was time to sleep train. Again. You have stamina. You can out cry the best of them. After 5 horrible nights you finally slept through the night for the first time. Ever. At nearly 11 months.  Since then you have slept through the night one more time. All the others nights you wake at 1 and we leave you to fall asleep on your own.  If you sleep until 4am, I cave and give you a bottle since I don't want you to wake up your brother.  When that happens it ends up being a horrible day for everyone.

Look Mom.... it is sticky!

• You are taking one or two naps a day depending on what time you wake up. If you won't go to sleep by 10:30am I try and keep you up until 11:30 and only give you one nap. Some naps are great, others are horrible. Like your night time sleep habits, your napping is very inconsistent. It makes it hard for me to plan our day until the day of.

• You drink 3-4 bottles a day and none at night. I am trying to encourage you to use a sippy, but you aren't that interested. You will use a sippy of water with meals and that is it.

• You wear a size 4 diaper in the day and a size 5 diaper at night.  I have decided that once we are done the current box of size 4 diapers that we are sticking with 5's all the time.

• You wear mostly 12-18 month clothes and sometimes even an 18-24 months.

You are turning into such a little boy. A little boy is loved more than he will ever know. I can not imagine my life without you in it. Enjoy your last month as an 'infant' little one. Next month you will officially be 1!

Love,

Mommy

This whole sticker thing isn't so bad afterall!

Cooper - 10 Months

Dear Cooper,

I blinked and it is September. September. Fall begins this month. It is hard to believe that I have been off for just about a year. It seems like yesterday that my contract ended and that I was at home with Grady waiting for your arrival. We waited and waited.... Here we are 10 months later with a blond hair, blue eyed, crawling, screaming machine. Only 10 months later and I cannot imagine my life without you. You have had a busy month between moving around and keeping me up all night. Let me fill you in!

• You are now crawling on all 4s. I am not going to lie, I miss the army drag. It was just so darn cute. You still pull it out here and there especially when you are going a long distance. I expected that you wouldn't be as busy as your brother but I was wrong! You are here there and everywhere and get into everything. You love to empty the toy bins and Grady's bucket of cars. You may end up being more of a handful then I expected!

• You easily pull yourself up to a standing position and get from laying to sitting.

• You have started to crawl up the stairs. Going down is a whole other story. No falls yet but I am sure there are many to come. Your mobility has quadrupled this month.

• I think you have started to wave.  It could be just imitation and it is more of an arm flap, but it always seem to happen when people are coming and/or going.

• You love dogs. Love may be an understatement. While we were staying at my Grandma's we had exposure to her dog Layla, a white boxer, and Boomer, a boston terrier. You squealed with delight each and every time you saw them, even in the middle of the night. You followed them around and tried to pet them and just annoyed them in general. Both pups were so good with you. Your Dad is thrilled that one of his kids share his love of dogs. It certainly isn't Grady!

• You also love the water. We knew you loved bath time as you usually splash so much that Grady gets mad and bath time ends abruptly. While at Grandpa Lorne's we got to use his pool and you thought it was great. Mind you he does keep it pretty warm! I hope this love of water sticks with you.

• Your separation anxiety is better than last month but still there. After a week of being on vacation you were passed around by many people and took it pretty well. If I leave and come back you generally get upset. I try to remind myself we are headed in the right direction!


• You popped a new tooth, your third, on Sept. 1 while on vacation. I think your other upper tooth is not far away.

• You eat like a champ. Your most favorite food is watermelon. We don't cut it into chunks like you may expect. We give it to him like an adult would eat it on the green part of the watermelon. He throws it on the floor many times but gets most of it in mouth. Who doesn't like watermelon?? The only issue I am having food wise is you won't eat anything off a spoon with out 'help'. That means whatever is on the spoon ends up on the floor on you and on me. So for the time being if you can't eat it with your hands you don't eat it at all.

• You are a screamer. A loud screamer. It drove Grandma crazy while you were here. You usually want something when you scream like more food, out of the high chair, to be put down, or just attention. What ever it is you get your point across. It can get loud when your brother decides to scream back.

• You and your brother still fight. Enough said.

• Sleep update... where do I even begin? Like my sleep post last week said, you are an inconsistent sleeper. From night to night we never know what to expect. You almost refuse to take a bottle from Daddy, so even if he tries to help I usually have to intervene when you won't stop crying. I never thought I'd say it... but you may be a worse sleeper than your brother. And your napping, don't even get me started again. Some days it is one, others it is two, and sometimes you just fight sleep altogether. No two days are the same. I really hope I can get it cased soon enough.

• Your newest nicknames are snooper and scooper. Both used by me. Not sure why you have so many nicknames. Your name just rhymes with so many things. I think nicknames are endearing and am happy that you have more than a few.

• You always drink 3 bottles during the day and 1 to 2 at night. If you drink anymore than that you pee through your size 5 diaper.

• You wear a size 4 diaper in the day and a size 5 diaper at night.

• You wear mostly 12-18 month clothes and sometimes even an 18-24 months.

I have had the best summer ever. Spending the summer at home with my two boys has been dreamy. Pools, parks, play dates, walks, playing in the sand..... it has just been so much fun. I guess all good things have to come to an end. Summer is over (although you can't tell from the weather) and now we have all the wonderful things that fall has to offer to look forward to. Fall is actually my favorite season. I love when the leaves start to turn and fall off the trees We have Halloween to look forward and also your first birthday. Summer may be over but I am still excited to move forward with you. Bring on fall!

Love,

Mommy

Cooper - 9 Months

Dear Cooper,

August. Our busy month. We had Uncle James and his family stay with us this past weekend (post to come) and that is only the beginning of our month. July we spent staying around home with no guests and taking it easy, well all that is about to change this month! Although July was slow on the visiting front it was not slow in your world. It amazes me each and every day how much you change on an almost daily basis. I just want to wrap you up and keep you little forever. But alas, you keep growing and will graduate before I know it! Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly (there actually isn't any ugly) for your 9th month:

- First let's start with the not so good. You are suffering from a sever case of separation anxiety. If you see me leave the room you cry, if you hear my voice in another room you cry, when you see me coming back you cry. It started essentially the week after you turned 8 months which is apparently the normal age for this to happen. You seem to be better when we are at home but in the evening when you are tired you only want your Mom. Don't get me wrong, I love that you want me... BUT every momma needs a little 'me time' and you are making it difficult! I feel guilty when I leave knowing that your Dad is going to have a rough time getting you to sleep and will have to deal with your crying on and off while I am gone. I really hope this phase passes quickly but the bad news is it could be months....

-What is the good you ask? You have stared crawling on July 26! It is an army crawl where you use your right foot, and your right foot only, to propel yourself along the floor on your belly. It is surprising how fast you an move when you want to. You may wonder what made you move for the first time. A pen. Yes, a pen. For Grady it was the lap top. It was just as exciting as it was with your brother to see you get to where you wanted to go all on your own. You play (and always have) happily on our toy covered floor. The difference is now you can move from toy to toy to toy. It won't be long before your are crawling on all 4s and getting around quicker than we can imagine! It made for an interesting photo shoot!

-On Aug 2 you pulled yourself up to a wobbly standing position. I guess when you decided to move, it was really time to move! You have only done it twice thus far and only Grady and Aunty Blaire (over skype) have witnessed it.

-You have, on occasion, gone from on your tummy to sitting. Not often yet....

-You are a great eater. I tried some Baby Led Weaning with you which means I give you very few purees and instead give you sticks of 'real' food. So far it has been great. Yes you choke or gag every so often, but overall you have done great. I just want you on table food ASAP so I don't have to make 3 meals. Yes three - one for Dad and I, one for you, and one for your brother (the pickiest eater ever).

-Your favorite foods at the moment are broccoli, chicken, grilled cheese, prune (yes prune), and blackberries to name a few. I have been pushing the fruits and veggies like you wouldn't believe just to increase the odds I get one good eater out of my boys. You now practically refuse to eat out of a spoon because most of you food is just thrown on the tray. Fine by me. It also takes you close to 30 minutes to power through all the food giving me lots of time to prepare everything, eat, and sometimes clean up as well!

-Your rash from last month went away after 3 weeks, took a week break, and it is back again. You must have sensitive skin like your Dad. I hope it has something to do with the heat as the week you were rash-less you spent little time outside. Grady and I try to play outside during nap time so you don't have to be out in the sun.

-You and Grady fight over toys often. After I said it was so cute last month when you had your first fight... not so cute anymore. Grady seems to want to play with every toy you do an dquickly swipes it away. I try to persuade him to give it back or replace it since at this point you really don't care what toy you play with as long as you have one. I can forsee that it is going to get much much worse before it gets better....

-You started your 9th month getting up once a night and ending it all over the map. There were some nights your were up a lot and others only once. I would like to say it is usually once but that may be optomistic. Shortly after you popped your first tooth you started getting up at least 2 times per night. I blamed it all on teething. Your mood was terrible, your sleeping was terrible. It must be teething. After over 2 weeks of changes I thought maybe it was an ear infection. I took you to the walk in clinic. It wasn't. Maybe it was teething? Maybe it was the 8 month sleep regression? What ever it was I hope it is over soon. It has been few rough few weeks on this very tired Momma.

-You have become harder to put asleep. Ever since that day last month where you refused to take a morning nap you fight sleep. From the time I turn the lights out in your room after stories you cry. You anticipate nap/bed time and you let us know it. Sometimes the crying is short lived, sometimes not. You are just not a cuddler. Even when we pick you up you do not stop crying. I guess you just have to release the tension before you can sleep. It makes me sad to hear you cry.

-You generally nap 2 times a day. Ideally you sleep an hour in the morning about 9am and 2 hours in the afternoon about 2pm. Sometimes we have to wake you up as you really like to nap and could nap for hours some days. Other days it is 45 minutes. And other days you decide morning naps are optional all together. 5 times this week you just flat our refused to go to sleep so you only napped once. Despite the lack of sleep you were still pretty good humored and stayed up until 7pm no problem. You just seem a little to young to give up that morning nap just yet! If I remember right there was a week around 10 months that Grady went to one nap and then just like that switched back to 2. You just seem to young to only nap once a day.

-According to the doctor, you weigh 22 pounds, 13 ounces and are 27.5 inches long as of August 9th

-Nicknames we still call you: Cooper dooper, Tooper, Coop

-You have 2 teeth (second tooth popped through July 29 and led to a few sleepless nights....)

-You drink 3 - 6oz bottles during the day and 1 bottle at night. Knock on wood.

-You wear a size 4 diaper in the day and a size 5 diaper at night.

-You wear 6-12 months or 12-18 months in clothes.

I am just so proud of you for starting to crawl this month. After all, you do have a lot of weight to drag around. You just seem so much more independent. This also means keeping a closer eye on you :) This is just my favorite time... watching you learn new things. We still have standing, furniture walking, and independent walking to look forward to in the next few months. I am so excited to see you explore the world and become your own little person.

Love,
Mommy

Cooper - 8 Months

Dear Cooper,

It is is July and summer has finally arrived! We have taken out the pool, been in the bouncy house, had numerous trips to the park, and many ice cream cones! We've been to Calaway Park, the zoo, and the mountains. I can not even express how happy I am that we have emerged into sunshine. The question now is how long will it stay? July is our quieter summer month where we have no company and no big plans... except to spend as much time outside as possible. So far we are off to a great start!

-You finally got your first tooth. After a horrible non-sleeping day this week you popped your bottom right tooth on July 6th!

-This month brought your first haircut. Although Grandma had a big laugh as she claims that you can't even tell you got it cut. I could, but no so much anymore. So this month will likely bring your second shorter haircut.

-You are a big eater. I have said many times how many comments we get on your eyelashes... and your thighs! There is a good reason for those rolls my dear! You love sweet potatoes, prunes, bananas, bread, puffs and the list could go on.

-With all the eating brings 'solid poops'. Now any parent will know what that is. For those of you that have forgotten, it is when the poop goes from the more pleasant smelling 'milk' poop to 'what is that smell' awful kind of poop. Since you are eating, and eating more, you are pooping, and pooping more. Like 5 times a day. After every time you eat or drink. Lucky me.

-You don't like diaper changes anymore. Every time I put you on your back you immediately try to roll. You even cry when I change your diaper now. I guess I can't blame you given all the diapers we are changing now. See point above.

-We (and you) survived our first 4 nights apart. I am sure it was harder on us then it was on you. No matter how far away or how long I am gone, my little men are never far from my mind. I didn't leave Grady for a night until he was well over 9 months so this just confirms you do everything sooner with your second child. It does work to your advantage sometimes as you have already had ice cream and Grady did not get that until well over a year! Keep in mind you mostly wanted to put your fingers in it rather than put it in your mouth.

-This past week you have developed a rash. The doctor suggested that it may be from the grass so we are applying Benadryl cream in hopes that it will help. It doesn't seem itchy but it looks awful. You have it on your core and it is starting on your limbs and on your face. If it doesn't clear up soon it will be another trip to the doctor!

-You still bath with your brother and you love it. Grady... I. You love to splash and kick and Grady gets mildly irritated and tries to hold your feet down then you get mad and scream.

-You and Grady had your first fight last week. I couldn't help but laugh.. it was over the napkin holder. You were sitting on the table and Grady was in his chair. You were holding the napkin holder and apparently your brother wanted to hold it too. He took it away and you screamed. I took it and gave it back to you and he screamed. Before I knew it I had both of you screaming and crying. I couldn't help but laugh as I know the fights will be getting more often and more intense. Can't wait.

-Every night we put you with you head facing the door. Every night we find you with your head at the window. Not sure what is up with that.

-You have been on all fours in the crawling position. I worded that carefully because you do not actually get onto all 4's you fall onto them. You start in a sitting position, you start to reach for a toy and you slowly guide yourself down on to your knees. Well, one of your legs usually gets stuck underneath but you eventually pull it out. Some days I wonder if you will ever crawl. I secretly am not too upset about that as I know how my life will change again when you start to move. For now I like to find you where I left you.

-In the past week you have finally started getting up once a night instead of twice. You go to bed about 7 and get up between 6 and 7. Ironically, most days it is within minutes of your brother. I read your Grady's 8 month post and at the same age your brother was sleeping through the night but getting up shortly after 5am. I can't decide which I prefer. If we can keep it at 1 wake up a night and sleeping until 7am I will take it. If you go back to waking up twice I may have to rethink that decision. Your Mommy is getting very tired.

-You nap 2 times a day and now prefer to be at home. You used to sleep on the car which made it easier to take you out in the morning. Now that is not so much the case. Even when you do fall asleep in the car it is short lived. There are pros and cons to this. The con is that we now have to go out between naps instead of just before. It has really cut down the free time we have to be out and about. But.. you are a great napper. You nap 1.5 to 2 hours twice a day. It gives me a chance to spend some time with your brother outside or in the basement doing 'big boy' things. Like trains.

-You drink 3 - 6oz bottles during the day and 1 bottle at night. Knock on wood.

-You wear a size 4 diaper in the day and a size 5 diaper at night.

-You wear 6-12 months or 12-18 months in clothes.

Your first year is just going by so fast. I love having you little so I can hold you in my arms and give you kisses. I love hearing you giggle and play with your brother. I am trying to take a few moments here and there to watch you and Grady so I will always remember this stage of our lives. I hope in years to come I will still remember things like the way you snuggle into my neck and the way you smell.

Love,
Mommy

Cooper - 7 Months

Dear Cooper,

How is it that we are already in June. Summer is almost here and we couldn't be more excited. We were lucky to make it back to SK for a week of summer weather while it rained back home. Score. Couldn't have asked for a better week! The month has brought numerous trips to the park, walks in the stroller, and playing in the backyard. I have been looking forward to playing outside with the boys since the day you were born. So bring on Summer! You have been a busy boy this month and are growing and changing faster than I would like sometimes :)

We took you to the doctor May 25th for you belated 6 month check up and you weighed 20 pounds, 15 ounces and were 26". Good bye bucket seat, hello big boy car seat!

During our trip, you decided that solid food wasn't so bad. You now open up wide to let us know you want more. I just love it! You love apples, sweet potatoes, and peaches. You are not so keen on peas, zuchinni, and carrots.

During our vist to Grandma's house we learned that you like dogs. Everytime Layla (a big white boxer) came around you got the giggles. Very different reaction than your big brother who is much more reserved with dogs. We managed to capture a few of the giggles on video, but it just doesn't do it justice.

While is SK we visited the pool in Melfort. It is a great facility with 2 toddler areas, a toddler slide, and lots of toys. You seemed to like being in the water. You kicked around, sat in a baby floater, and even got dunked under water. Not a tear was shed. We hope that you will be a fish in the water and love it a little more than your brother currently does.

For someone that doesnt' move much other than the occational roll in the same direction.... you sure get around in the crib. I put your head down at the very top of the crib and you always wiggle yourself around and I find you at the bottom of the crib at the end of your nap. Sometimes sideways. Sometimes facing the opposite direction.

You wake up a happy baby. I start to hear you babble before you actually start 'calling' for us with bigger cries. There is nothing like seeing a smiling baby when you go to get them from a sleep.

You like to scream. Like really give out a happy scream. Grady has started imitating you and it is really hurting my ears as his is not so happy.

You are sitting great! You went from being a non-sitter to a sitter in the matter of days. It gives you so much more independence when playing and gives you a much better of the world and your surroundings. You spend a large portion of your day sitting with the breast feeding pillow wrapped around you and a large bucket of toys dumped in front of you.
You nap 2 times a day. The morning nap tends to be a shorter one and the afternoon longer. Like up to 3 hours. It is heavenly the days I can match your naps with Grady but that only happens about 50% of the time. The days we go out in the morning you just sleep on the go. You aren't great at it, but we make it work. I have the feeling you will switch to 1 nap before your first birthday.

You sleep about 12 hours at night. Usually 7 to 6:45. You wake up 1 to 2 times (but moslty 2) and drink a portion or a full bottle each time. I think you just want to cuddle with Mom and make sure I didn't forget about you. We are working at getting you back down to 1 wake up at night but between travelling and your stubborness it has been tough. You can out cry the best of them.

Your eating is all over the map right now. With the introduction of solids you have really decreased the amount of milk you consume in a day. Now you drink about 3 seven ounce bottles a day and a 4 ounces just before bed. Then you have one 7 ounce bottle overnight. I just can't seem to get enough milk into you during the day that you constantly want to eat at night.

You wear a size 3 diaper in the day and a size 4 at night. Even though you wear a bigger size at night you still seem to pee through which is starting to require lots of laundry. We are seriously considering putting you in a size 5 at night.

You wear 6-12 months or 12-18 months in clothes.

I can not even put into words how much I love having you as my son. From your long eyelashes to your chubby little thighs, I love each and every inch of you. I love seeing the similarities between you and Grady but yet notice the differences that make you each unique. I am lucky to call you my little boy.
Love,
Mommy

Cooper - 6 Months

Dear Cooper,

May is here and I hope so is some spring weather! We have had a great month of company, friends, and play! As with your brother, I cannot believe how fast you are growing up. It seems like just yesterday I held you in my arms for the first time and today you are 6 months old. 6 MONTHS OLD. Half a year. Unreal. Like every other month you are busy learning and changing.

You started eating rice cereal on April 15. And by that I mean I forced some in your mouth and you ate it. You are obviously ready. You reach for our food and drinks. You down all your bottles. You can sit upright... and the list goes on. BUT you will not open your mouth for the spoon. I make you laugh and shove a little in and then you eat it. Since mid April I have been trying every few days to see if you will open. We tried sweet potatoes for the first time a few days ago and you opened your mouth more than you have for cereal or apple... so maybe you are going to be a picky eater like your brother. You also loved the arrowroot cookie we tried to get you to open your mouth. Maybe you will have a sweet tooth like your Mom :)

You are a rolling machine! You always roll on to your tummy immediately when placed on your back. Up until about a week ago you would get your arm stuck underneath you most of the time but you seem to have that under control now.

You put everything in your mouth. Everything.

You found your feet. You are constantly grabbing and reaching for your toes.

You are sitting with very little assistance. You topple over often but you are a tough cookie and don't seem to bothered. You love the freedom this gives you to play with toys from a different angle and the ability to sit with Grady on the couch. And Mom like that it makes for great photo opportunities!

You nap 2 times a day. You sleep a total of 4 hours during the day. On days we stay home it is split equally between morning and night. If we go out and about you sleep in the car on the way there and back and have a super long 3 hour nap in the afternoon. You are such a great napper now. You gave me a scare for a few days last week when you reverted to 30 minute naps but you overcame it. You did make me look a little silly because it was the week Grandma was here. I had been telling her how good you sleep and then you had not one good nap the 2 days she was here!

You sleep 12 hours at night. Usually 7 to 7. You wake up 1 to 2 times and drink a portion of a bottle each time. I think you just want to cuddle with Mom and make sure I didn't forget about you.

With Nana back from vacation, we get to spend 2 days a week together again, just you and me. We spend our days running errands, taking long naps, and just being lazy.

You drink 6-7 ounce bottles every 3ish hours during the day and have 7 ounces over 1 or 2 feeds at night. Total is usually 5 to 6 bottles bottles a day.

You wear a size 3 diaper in the day and a size 4 at night. You were peeing through every night so we bumped you up a size. Only a few short weeks ago your brother was wearing a size 5 diaper and here you are already sporting a size 4. How have you gotten so big already?

You wear 12 month clothes on the top and 6 months on the bottom. I am starting to think you have a long torso.

You are such a good natured baby. At first I thought you were just easy compared to your brother, but everyone comments how happy and laid back you are. I feel so blessed to have you as my son. I look forward to seeing your face each and every morning and don't expect that to change any time soon.

Love,

Mommy

Cooper - 5 Months

Dear Cooper,

April is here and there are still no signs of spring. I feel like this is the longest winter in history. I am just so excited to go on walk, to the zoo, and the park and Mother Nature is just not cooperating! With that being said... we have managed to keep our selves busy just the same!

You have rolled a few more times from your belly to your back but still not regularly.

You rolled over from your back to your tummy for the first time during your nap on April 2. Daddy put you on your back to go to sleep and Mommy found you on your tummy when she went to check on you! Grady and I have been waiting for weeks for you to roll as you have been so so close.... We think you are sleeping better now that you can roll onto your tummy to sleep.

You found your voice this month. It is so nice to hear you squeal with delight and babble to yourself.

You have found your hands!! You reach for toys and I have even seen you transfer toys from hand to hand. I just love watching you look at your hands and figuring out how to control them. I hope to catch a video but by the time I get the camera you have moved on.

You LOVE the 'olly jumper' as Grady calls it. You happily stay in it for 20 minutes or more.

You have long eyelashes. Nearly everyone who meets you comments on the eyelashes. I like to think you get them from me :)

More and more people are saying you look like me. It isn't a 'WOW he looks like you'. It is more of a 'I can see you in him'. Whatever. I'll take it! No one ever told me Grady looked like me. He was always the mini Daddy. I am so happy that some think we resemble each other. I think you are more even tempered like I was as a baby (or so I have been told). Nana tells us your Daddy was much like Grady temperament wise as well as looks!

You have noticed yourself in the mirror.

You are napping 2 -3 (but usually 2) times a day. As of last week you are sleeping exclusively in the crib. You did not like it at first but you are getting the hang of it. Once you fall asleep your nap is anywhere from 1.5 to 3+ hours! We are guilty of waking you up so that you will go to sleep for the night at a regular hour. Now that you figured out how to get to sleep on your own it is like you are catching up for lost time.

Now that you are in the crib, you sleep 12 to 13 hours each night with one wake up for a bottle between 4 and 5. What a difference the sleep training made for us! We put you down between 7 and 9pm and you get up between 8 and 9 am. We still have to work out the kinks in your schedule as your brother continues to wake up early and you sleep sometimes 2 hours longer. We want to try and get you to bed for the night around 7pm, but your long afternoon naps are interfering. We are confident we will work this out over the next few weeks.

You had your 4 month vaccinations on March 15th. You weighed 17 pounds, 6 ounces (90th percentile) and were 25" long (50th percentile). You cried hard during the shots and then for a bit after. Overall I was really proud of you. As hard as vaccinations are on you mommy, I quite enjoyed the 4 hour nap that you had that afternoon.

We also had your 4 month check up. When the doctor left the room for a few seconds, you filled your pants. That is one way to keep the doctors away!

While Nana is on vacation you and I are going to Grady's Brilliant Beginning and Gymnastic classes. You love watching the bigger kids and have been so well behaved. You can't wait until you are old enough to join in the fun.

You are up to 6 ounce bottles every 3 to 4 hours during the day and 1 bottle at night. Total is usually 5 bottles a day.

You still wear a size 3 diaper .

You are very much into your 6-12 month clothing .

I hope by the time next month rolls around the snow will be gone and we will be enjoying true spring weather! No more teasing Mother Nature, we are ready for the real thing!

Love,

Mommy

Cooper - 4 Months

Dear Cooper,

This has been another long cold month. We have spent our time keeping warm at Coffee & Scream, the mall, and inside baking cookies. Along with cold comes snow and colds. I am hopeful that the next month will bring some walks outside and maybe even some trips to the zoo with our new season pass. However... I am not holding my breath. What have you been up to during the very cold winter months? Let me tell you.

• Your biggest accomplishment this month was you rolled from your tummy to your back on Feb 20. Once. You have only repeated this little trick one time since then. Mommy and Grady witnessed your first roll, but Daddy is still waiting...

• Cooper's first plane ride was a big success! Not a peep from him the whole flight. Grady on the other hand had a melt down when Dad buckled Grady's belly in the seatbelt....

• Cooper was baptized this weekend in front of many friends and family. More pictures and details to come later this week!

• First it was Grady, then it was you.... The cold season finally entered our household! Grady spent 2 weeks with snot smeared across his face and a cough. Then as he got better, you got the same cough and boogers in your nose. It is 2 weeks today since you got sick and you still have not turned the corner yet....

• Nana's friends hosted a shower for you at the end of the month. It was nice to get together with the ladies and to show you off! You were an angel despite your cold and enjoyed being passed around to all the ladies who thought you were the cutest little thing!

• Your interest in toys this month has increased 100 fold! You now reach for the toys on your bouncy chair and on the activity mat. You have this parrot off the activity mat that seems to be your favorite. You try to hold it and put it in your mouth. In good time my son...

• You are drooling and chewing on your hands like crazy. You refuse to suck on Sophie the giraffe. I would almost go as far to say you are starting teething at 4 months but my gosh I don't remember Grady doing this!

• You have started pulling up into a standing position when you are laying on the floor and we hold your sweet hands. Sometimes you get lazy and only pull to a sitting position but you prefer standing and sitting to laying on your back.

• You are loving your Bumbo chair. We borrowed one from Willis when Grady was little so we did not have one. Grady's friend Mercer learnt you her chair and you love it. We sit you in it right on the table when we eat supper. You love to look at what is going on around.

• You continue to love your soother. If you are tired, we can pop it in your mouth and off to dreamland you drift.... until the soother falls out, then you scream. I learnt from Marley's mom that you need to pull the soother out after about 10 minutes - it works like a charm... if you remember!

• You have such a happy temperament. You smile with ease and now we often get to hear your giggles. You appear to be a social baby just like your older brother.

• I have no idea how much you weight this month. About a week ago your Dad got on the scale with and without you and it suggested you weighed a whopping 17 pounds. This could obviously be give or take a pound!

• You eat a 5 ounce bottle every 3 hours during the day and are back up to 2 bottles a night. You sometimes like to snack, taking 2 ounces here and 3 ounces there. Those tend to be long days...

• You are finally napping in the crib! Unlike Grady who refused to nap in the crib for longer than 5 minutes until we sleep trained... you will have a solid 45 minute nap. Still not as long as it could be but I'll take it. At nap time I rock you to sleep for about 5 minutes, take the soother out and place you in the crib. Each and every time I hope you will have a longer nap but it hasn't happened yet unless you sleep in Mommy's arms.

• You wear a size 3 diaper .

• You are wearing mostly 3-6 month clothes and 6-12 months in certain brands.

• We put you in the crib at the start of each night but you do not last long. You are usually back in bed with Mom and Dad by midnight. Although Daddy still loves having you in bed with us, I am ready for you to sleep in the crib. Maybe it is because you are happiest when you share a pillow with me....

You are such a happy baby and a pleasure to around. Unless of course you are tired or hungry. You continue to grow and change and we look forward to every moment. Sometimes I wish I could push the pause button and keep you this size forever. Nothing beats baby cuddles!

Love,

Mommy

Cooper - 3 Months

Dear Cooper,

This month has brought lots of visitors, cold weather, lots of snow, and indoor fun! The days just seem to fly by as we are busy getting together for play dates, going to the mall, and watching Say Yes to the Dress on our days alone together :) I am patiently waiting for nicer weather to arrive so we can get out in the stroller and go to the park.... In the meantime you have been a busy boy doing the following:

• You have been making these cooing noices for a few weeks now when you smile really big and this month you had your first full on laugh! January 23rd all three of us witnessed you laughing at mom pretending to sneeze. Weird, I know!

• You are becoming your mama's boy as you have started 'talking' up a storm! You babble a lot in the car, in your swing, and even while just being held. If only we could understand what you were saying....

• A nickname to add to the growing list - Cooper Dooper


• You are becoming much more interested in toys. At the beginning of the month we brought out all of Grady's baby toys and the new toys you got when you were born. You have a favorite toy that you will follow with your eyes for a long time... You are starting to be so much more interactive! You also enjoy spending time in the crib looking at the mobile (not sleeping!), sitting in the swing looking at yourself in the mirror above, and also in the ocean bouncy chair that has lots of lights and music. Not to mention the baby einstein activity mat with the star that your big brother loved. We even took it to New York. Enough said. Each every time we put you on the mat and turn on the star, you smile. A big ear to ear grin.


• One afternoon right after I fed you a bottle you continued to suck your hand. Knowing that you weren't hungry I stuck a soother in your month and low and behold you took it! I tried for about 2 weeks after you were born and you wanted nothing to do with it. Now... you love it! I am trying hard not to overuse it but it just makes you so happy (and quiet), it is hard not to! Since your brother is 2.5 years old and still thumb sucking, I figured I would rather you have a soother so I can throw it away when we decide the time is right....


• I held off mentioning this because it is probably too much information... but I want to remember this in 20 years! Being a formula fed baby, you don't poop as often. But when you poop, you really poop. It seems that this month you build up all your poop and let it all out first thing in the morning. It is out of the diaper and up your back in no time. Thankfully you have chosen to do this early in the morning so we are not out and about!

• You are smiling with such ease these days. You are such a happy baby. You smile the most when we stick our tongues out and make funny noices. I wonder if you will be able to roll your tongue like Grady and I or if you will be a non roller like Dad....?

• You had your first set of vaccinations. You did really well. You cried harder than Grady did but it was short lived. I let you sleep on me all afternoon while I read my book. It was relaxing. For both of us!


• As of your January 27th vaccinations, you weighed a whopping 14 pounds, 9 ounces and were still 22.5 inches long! You are our little chunky monkey! I think that put you at 97 percentile height to weight ratio. Wowzers. This is over 3 pounds heavier than G was at this age (11 pounds, 2 ounces).

• You have been a big eater this month and are up to 4 ounce feeds every 2 to 3 hours (but usually closer to 2!). I really don't mind though as you eat less during the night. It seemed that almost to the day that we found out your weight, you went on a self imposed diet. You started lasting 2.5 to 3 hours between feed and dropped a feed at night. This does not mean you sleep more, you just eat less!

• You have lost some of the dark hair on top and have 2 bald spots on the back of your head. Your brother didn't get bald spots as he refused to sit in a chair for longer than a few minutes without screaming!

• You continuously scratch yourself. So if you notice that there are marks on your face, they were self inflicted!

• I think your tear duct may have already unplugged itself if that is in fact what you had. The tearing only lasted about 2 weeks so maybe it was just a little infection. We have spotted a few real tears but are so far few and far between.


• You wear a size 2 diaper but are quickly growing out of them. I have already purchased a big box of size 3 diapers to have on standby.

• You are wearing mostly 3-6 month clothes and 6-12 months in certain brands.

• Grandma and Grandpa came to visit us this month. She thought you had changed so much and even thinks you have changed during her time here. She loves holding you when you sleep and making you laugh.

• You are not having long naps like you did last month. You cat nap all day while we are out and about and sleep mostly in the swing when we are at home. I put the soother in your mouth and bounce you around a bit and you fall asleep easily. It is the staying asleep part that is the problem! That is one issue with the soother, when it falls you get mighty upset.

• You sleep in the crib for the first shift of the night... most of the time. If you fall asleep downstairs before our bedtime, you sleep in the crib. If not, you sleep in our bed. It is just easier to get you to fall asleep if you are cuddled up next to us. When you do sleep in the crib, you generally last about 3 hours.

• Mommy's friends from Saskatoon came to meet you this month. They thought you were a doll. You spent a good portion of the day at the mall with us and were relatively good. Minus the blow out poop which resulted in a change of outfit and poop all over the car seat cover.... and the second poop which left me wondering whether a third outfit would need to be purchased. Thankfully you kept it all inside the diaper this time.

• Last but not least, you had your first visit to the pool. The three of us went with Grandma and you slept through most of the outing. Now that I think of it, you really didn't go in the pool per say.... But you you did get wet when a huge bucket of water dumped on us without much warning. That is a whole other story.

It is amazing to watch you grow and change each month. It is surreal to me that you are already laughing and interactive. I am excited to see what the next month brings as I already know it will bring your first plane ride and your first visit to SK... bring it on!

Love,

Mommy

Cooper - 2 Months

Dear Cooper,

This month was so special as it included your first Christmas! Christmas is filled with friends, family, food, presents, and all around joy. That joy multiplied this year because you were here to share it with. What else were you up to this month you ask? Well let me fill you in.

• You checked off your first milestone this month when you smiled on (or about) December 17, 2010, just before 6 weeks. At first we had to work very hard for those smiles that may or may not have been gas. Now, you are giving them out freely for all to enjoy! You are especially happy right after nap time when you are well rested and well fed. If we are really lucky you make these sounds when you have a really big smile that almost make me think you are giggling. I know it is too early for that now but just can't wait to hear you laugh.

• You are not short on nicknames. It would not be strange to hear a Coop, Coops, or my favorite, Tooper. Grady has problems saying his 'C's, so he calls you Tooper. It is just so sweet.

• As of Thursday, you weighed a whopping 13 pounds and was 22.5 inches long! You are our little chunky monkey!


• You are now 100% bottle fed. It was a hard decision initially but now that it has been made and we have been at it for a few weeks, I realize it was the best decision for our family.

• You have been a big eater this month and are up to 4 ounce feeds every 2 to 3 hours (but usually closer to 2!). I really don't mind though as you eat less during the night.

• You still have lots of dark hair. Sometimes I think it is lightening up and then sometimes I don't.

• Your eyes are starting to lighten but are still a darker shade of blue than mine and Grady's. We have really started to notice how long your eyelashes are getting which is no surprise as your Daddy and brother have amazing eyelashes.

• You may have a plugged tear duct. Your left eye waters but your right eye still has no tears. After a quick call to health link and our visit to the doctor we have ruled out infection. Your duct should de-plug itself in a few months.

• You wear a size 1 diaper but are quickly growing out of them. I have one more bag left and them bring on size 2!


• You continue to outgrow your 0-3 month clothes and I have started to bring out the 3-6 months. You are going to be a well dressed little dude!


• You love bath time. For the past few weeks you and Grady have been bathing together. Grady gets rowdy in the tub so your bath is often cut short :)


• You spend a lot of time sleeping through the day in you vibrating chair or swing. If we think you are tired we often wrap you up and put you in the swing and you often drift off to sleep on your own.

• You slept in the crib for the first time last night. We put you in shortly after 10pm and you stayed sleeping peacefully until just after 12:30am. I don't think I got even a little sleep during that time as I was just waiting for you to stir. I actually heard you before the monitor picked it up as the sensitivity was set to low. I was more than happy to bring you back into our bed for the rest of the night:)


• You are great little shopper. If I time it right you will sleep through our entire shopping trip!


• You spent 2 evenings away from Mom and Dad this month. One night Mom and Dad went to a work dinner and another we went to Dad's Christmas party in Kananaskis. Both Nana and Grandma reported back that you were such a good little boy. We are glad to have the first outing under our belts!

• You, Grady, and I went on our first outings on our own... just the 3 of us! We walked to Superstore. I wore you in the Bjorn and pushed Grady in the stroller. It had its moments but we survived. We have also been to Coffee and Scream to play. With our new stroller we are getting out more and more.

• You get up between once and twice a night but usually twice. You have been sleeping in Mom and Dad's kings size bed. As much as we love having you in bed with us we know it is nearing the time when you have to start sleeping in the crib.

• You had your first trip to the mountains. Your big brother didn't get to the mountains until he was just over a year so you are one up on him! Both you and Grady slept the whole way there!

It is such a pleasure to watch you grow and change. My favorite moments are seeing you interact with your brother. For now, it is mostly him giving you kisses on the head or tickling your belly. I am so looking for the day that you can play together. Maybe you can play cars and trucks with Grady so I don't have to :)

I am looking forward to see what month 3 brings!

Love,

Mommy

Cooper - 1 Month

Dear Cooper,

Today you are one month. I feel like I blinked and a month went by. Literally. After only a month I can not imagine what our lives would be like without you. I love the newborn snuggles, seeing your brother give you a big hug, and watching our family evolve into a family a 4.

What have you been up to you ask? Well let me give you a few details.

• You have been eating every 2 to 3 hours. You breastfeed and need to be supplemented by a bottle after every feed just like your brother.
• You are my little chunky monkey! You weighted 10 pounds 9 ounces yesterday and were 10.5 inches at your 2 week, 3 day check up. Grady only weighed 7 pounds 14 ounces at 4 weeks!!!
• You are not a good burper. It takes a lot to get even a little one out of you.
• You have already outgrown your newborn diapers and wear a size 1 diaper. You have also outgrown some of the newborn sleepers. Looks like we may have a big boy on our hands!
• You love bath time. Grady has been great at 'helping' during bath time by putting face cloths on your belly and pouring warm water over them.
• You are very alert. You either stay up between feeds or sleep between feeds. Rarely do you do a little of both.
• At night you give us one longer 4-5 hour stretch but usually this is from 8pm to 1am so we only get about 3 hours of consecutive hours of sleep. After that, you are up every 2 to 3 hours to eat.
• You like your vibrating bouncy chair and your swing more than your brother ever did! You will sleep for hours at a time in either one. I really hope this keeps up and will eventually move into the crib... easier said than done I am sure.
• You suffered from your first cold passed on to you by your big brother. You had adult sized boogers coming out your nose!
• You love to watch your brother which is a good thing since Grady loves to give you hugs and kiss you like crazy.
• We've had lots of visitors in your first month and now the whole family except Aunty Blaire has met you. We hope she will be here to meet you soon.
• We put up your first Christmas tree at the end of November. You watched from your bouncy chair as the rest of us decorated the tree.
• We had our first meal out at McDonalds! You slept through the entire meal!
• You met Santa
• Your hair has started to lighten up from jet black (and lots of it) to a dark brown (and still lots of it).

As your first month as a member of our family draws to a close it is bittersweet. Although I am excited to see what the next day, week, month, year will bring, there is a small part of me that wants to keep you as a newborn forever. No matter how old you are, you will always be my youngest, my baby.

I love you,

Mommy

Catching some zzz's!

Grady has fell asleep in the car exactly zero times since he was about 1 month old. We were so proud of him for drifting off with the help of the bottle 3, I repeat 3 times, while we were away!

The first picture is Grady after our afternoon at the lake (post about that to come) asleep on the way home.

The second picture is of Grady on the way to PA from the airport.

What a sleepy young man!

PS - Don't forget to check out the many new photos I added to the picassa link - top right.

365 Days Old (aka 12 Months)

So in ordinary fashion on a non-ordinary day here is the latest in the greatest in the life of our one year old son.

1. Grady is still not walking. Not that we expected it too quickly... he still likes to stand on his toes every so often. Maybe he will be a ballerina. Maybe not. He has taken a few steps in fast motion while throwing his body at me. Not sure if this counts.

2. Grady does stand much more and his balance has improved substantially this month. He usually picks up a toy with one hand and then holds it with 2 hands, he quickly realizes he is standing and grabs the closest sturdy object. He then breaths a sigh of relief that he didn't' fall over!

3. Grady's current favourite foods are anything dairy. Minigos and yogurt are the front runners right now. We do offer him everything we eat and he lets you know what he does and doesn't' like. He still likes to be fed by spoon and isn't big on fruit. We are working on him every day to expand his taste buds....

4. Grady LOVES his bottles (which are now 100% milk as of Sunday). He just can't get enough. He squeals with excitement every time he sees it and sometimes even starts to cry because you can't get it made and in his mouth fast enough. Right now we are working on the sippy cup being the daytime beverage dispenser of choice, but he still prefers the bottle. Of course.

5. Grady currently wears a size 3 diaper. Last week at Costco I bought one box of size 3 and one of size 4. I haven't opened the box yet but I am sure they will fit our young man's milk gut!!

6. Grady's naps are all over the place these days. He was consistently taking 2 1.5 hour naps and as of recently it has been a challenge to get him to nap at all in the afternoon. I thought that stage was over... but it is back. We think he may be transitioning to 1 nap - which would be fine - but this whole getting there really sucks. On the plus side... one day in PA he slept for 3 hours in a row. wow.

7. Grady is still sleeping really well at night. He usually goes down about 8 and sleeps unitl 630 or 7am. This month we even got a few days after 8am!! I hope this keeps up! Then I'll go back to work and we'll have to wake him up early :(

8. Grady has 7 teeth.

9. Grady finally learned how to wave. We have been 'waving' at Dad everyday when he goes to work which consisted of Grady starting out the window not even at the car. We are really excited that he finally learned this motion.

10. Grady also can give high five. Technically when you say high five he jsut raises his hand and you have to hit his hand. But gets a big smile each and every time.

11. Grady weighs 23 lbs 7oz and is 29" long per the doctor's visit on Monday. I'll know the percentiles when we go for his vaccinations on Friday.

So while we officially end the first year of Grady's life I am excited to see what the second year of his life will bring. We love him to pieces and are so proud of him!

My Little Thumbsucker!

For months I wanted this kid to take a soother or suck his thumb as all the 'happy' kids at the mall always had something plugged into them. My son chooses to start this habit at age 11 months. And I don't find him and 'happier' then he was before. Go figure. It is really cute though :)

One year minus a Month!

As usual.... the month has past by in a blink of an eye. Did time always go this fast??? This month Grady has been a busy boy and here are the hightlights!

1. Grady is pleased to announce that his mommy is staying home with him longer than expected. I keep keep reminding him that this is not permanent just a delay in my return to work. My company sold back in September and just this month they confirmed that there is no longer a position for me. This is what James and I had hoped for as it will give me some time to look for a new job that I like and to stay home with Grady just a little longer. Don't worry about us though... we have been taken care of quite nicely :) I have just started my job search as I do not want to go back to work any earlier than July. So in the meantime - Grady and I are enjoying the sun and our time together.

2. The biggest change we have seen in Grady this month is is improved mobility. He is crawling at lightning speed now. Thankfully he is still quite loud as he thumps around so he is hard to loose! He is pulling himself up on furniture easily, standing holding on with only one hand and boogying around the furniture often. As you saw in the video I posted earlier this week is also learned to walk with his toys and using fingers. It won't be long until he is walking on his own.... unbeleivable!!

3. We had lots of company this month and Grady did great! Grandpa Lorne and family were here earlier in the month and Grandma Paulette and Grandpa John just left last week! Grady enjoyed playing with different people... and I enjoyed some baby free shopping trips. Win-Win situation if you ask me!!

4. James left Grady and I behind while he headed on his man-cation to NYC last week. We survived our first long stretch without dad. Technically I only deserve half the credit as Grandma Paulette was quite a help!

5. Grady does not like breakfast. He used to eat tons and tons of cereal and fruit in the morning... he was a bottomless pit. This is no longer the case. I have tried toast, yogurt, egg, cherios and milk, cereal etc etc. Nothing seems to go down. Any suggestion out there???

6. On the topic of food.... Grady LOVES eating 'table' food. AT the moment, he has his supper at 5pm and then when we eat after 6 he eats off my plate as well. Grilled cheese is a favorite right now. He also seems to like meat. Can't complain there!!! He still has a healthy appetite at lunch and dinner and a belly to show for it.

7. Grady loves to be outside. He likes to eat rocks (if he sneaks one by mom and dad), throw the grass, crawl around, look at bugs, and investigate everything. Grady does NOT like his hat. Go figure. We will have some power struggles on our hands this summer I think!

We have a busy month ahead with a trip to PA for Aunty Kolby's graduation and 3 birthday parties for Grady. Yes, THREE parties. If that doesn't equal spoiled I'm not sure what does!

PS - be sure to check out the updated pictures in the May picassa folder!

Until next month......