Starry Nights

Yesterday was a pretty low-key day. Cooper slept the majority of the day... we finally woke him up around 6pm because we missed him! We had found a house online that we were interested in down the road from our house so we went to look at it and really liked it! We found out this morning that there is already a contract on it so I was bummed! When we got home Andy sold his motorcycle! Yay! I'm so glad the "machine of death" is no longer part of our family. He was heartbroken for a few hours but I'm relieved!  We put Cooper in the tub without his seat for the first time last night and he loved it!  I sat him up and he immediately turned over and started crawling all over the tub.  I kept the water really low so he was safe!  I went to bed early since I'm still not feeling too well and Andy went running.  When he got back he woke me up telling me to come outside.  I had no idea what he could be showing me at 10:30pm (I was afraid it was some kind of animal) but I went along.  I got outside and he pulled me close and told me to look at the stars with him.  It was so sweet!  The stars were beautiful and the temperature was perfect.  It's sweet little moments like that with him and Cooper that make my hectic week stop in its tracks.

Today Cooper and I have both been under the weather.  I'm still not feeling good from my sinus infection and Cooper has had a super snotty nose all day.  We just finished up his antibiotic from his ear infection this morning so I'm hoping it's just a cold or maybe teething.  We keep waiting on a tooth to pop through but no signs yet.  We had Andy's brother, Kevin, and our sister-in-law, Sara, down for dinner so Cooper and I cleaned the house!  It always takes company for me to really clean the house.  Andy made some yummy pork chops and Sara made a delicious apple cobbler!  Cooper went down without a fight at 8pm and now Andy and I are watching the U.S. Open tennis tournament.  I could watch tennis all day long and LOVE Rafael Nadal.  I could watch him all day long!  We're watching his opening match right now and I'm on edge.  Tennis is the only sport I get worked up about, especially when it's Nadal!

Weekend Wrap-Up

Well once again we had a busy weekend!  Friday night we went out to eat with all of Andy's immediate family at Olive Garden.  It's so much easier to take Cooper out to eat because he can now sit in a high chair and eat some table food.  He gobbled down some mac-n-cheese and part of a bread stick!  After we ate the guys took the babies and the girls went to see The Help.  It was good but sad at the same time.  I like to read books before I see the movie but I didn't get a chance to this time.  After that we didn't end up getting home until almost 2am and we had an early morning Saturday.

Saturday morning we took Cooper to meet his girlfriend, Julia, at the farmer's market.  It was kid's day and they had a petting zoo set up.  He's started taking a lot of interest in animals so he loved it!  He also took a lot of interest in Julia and her hair bow!  We bought some yummy baked goods and some organic eggs... all together a very successful trip! 



After that we headed to a yard sale my mom and sister were having.  It was under a pavilion so it felt wonderful.  I ended up buying some stuff from Summer that I could have gotten for free a day earlier.  Oh well, Cooper loves his new bright green floor mats in his room!

Saturday afternoon Andy went with our brother-in-law Josh to ride his bike and run.  Andy, Josh, and our brother-in-law David are all doing the triathlon in October so they were training for that.  We were all getting together that night for Andy's sister's birthday so Cooper and I headed up around 3pm.  Liam was in town and I stole him from his mommy and daddy as much as I could!  The little bit that Cooper did pay attention to him he just wanted to grab his ankles.  We had a relaxed evening with all the kids and had some girl talk.  It was a fun night but I was feeling so bad I wasn't much company.  My face was killing me and I couldn't breath.  Once again we had a late night and got home around midnight.

This morning we went to Sunday school and then I headed to the CVS Minute Clinic.  I get 3 to 4 sinus infections every year and I knew that's what was wrong.  The minute a cold or allergies starts to turn into a sinus infection I can tell.  I wish doctors would just call antibiotics in but then they wouldn't make a killing from touching my face to diagnose me.  About $100 later I was diagnosed with a sinus infection and on my way.  I was just glad to have some antibiotics to help me feel better.

We all took a nap and then Cooper and I headed up to my parent's.  He was a hit as always and had fun with his cousins.  We came home, ate, bathed Cooper, and now Andy's showing his motorcycle.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed it will sell this time!  When he gets done he's going to show me how to use a Nedi Pot.  I'm not looking forward to this AT ALL but I'm hoping it will help!  I'm not a fan of blowing my nose and I'm afraid I'll throw up.  I had such a bad night of sleep last night though I'm desperate to try anything at this point!

InstaFriday

Yep, it's InstaFriday time again!  There are a lot of sleeping pictures... that pretty much sums up our week!  We were SO tired this week for some reason.  Maybe we can catch up on some rest this weekend.  Enjoy the pictures!

 Enjoying some mac-n-cheese & apple juice at City Cafe.



The Mud Run wore Cooper out too!

 I'm ready for fall with my brown nails!

 Messy dinner.

Sleepy boy & binks.

Exhausted!

 What better to do than nap while mommy cooks??

 Yummy!

I LOVE these pajamas!

 He's obsessed with his daddy!

He could be my twin couldn't he (I wish)??

I'm feeling a little under the weather but hopefully a fun weekend will help me feel better!  Have a good weekend, see you Sunday night!

Down Hill Wednesday

I'm exhausted today!  I've been tired since I woke up!  I had a busy day at school and then when I got Coop he was tired but wouldn't nap so he wore me out even more.  On top of us both being sleepy we went and walked when Andy got home.  Andy is training for a triathlon in October so while he ran Cooper and I walked.  The temperature read 99* so needless to say we walked very slowly.

We got home and ate dinner and put Cooper in the tub.  Most Wednesday nights we always go swimming with the youth group at church but Coop couldn't hardly hold his head up so we decided to stay home.  He was in bed by 8pm and hopefully I will be following soon!  Not a very eventful day but I'm thankful for it anyways.  The work week is downhill from here and I'm grateful for that as well!  I can't wait to spend the weekend with my family.

I've had a lot of responses, words of encouragement, and prayers sent my way since my post last night.  I just want to thank every one of you for your kind words.  They mean more to me than you'll ever know and have already made me feel much better.  Like I said last night, I'm trusting in God and His plan for my family and me.  He knows what is best for us and I know He has placed some wonderful people in my life to remind me of that when I seem to forget.  Thanks again for everything!

Highs, Lows, and Mixed Emotions

I don't really know where to begin so I'm just going to start by saying that I got a job.  Yes, I got a job!  I've been working for about three weeks now.  I know what you're thinking, why in the world haven't I shared the news yet?  A lot of circumstances have kept me from telling so I'll share the whole story now. 

I had several interviews this summer and one of them panned out.  I'm working at a high school with freshman, sophomores, and seniors.  I'm working with special education inclusion students.  I didn't get my degree in special education but so far I am liking it and learning a lot.  I'm working with some great teachers and enjoy my students.  The best part of the job is that I go in at 8am and leave at 3pm and have no take home work.  I get to come home and spend all my time with Cooper and Andy!  To be completely honest it has been awful leaving Cooper!  My first week I cried everyday and was miserable.  My mom is keeping him so we're very fortunate in that.  We've got everything we needed, insurance and some extra income.  My heart breaks every morning though when I leave Cooper.  I rush home everyday to see him.  I feel like I'm missing so many important things in the 7 hours that I'm gone but Mom assures me he mostly just sleeps.

I kept this job "hush hush" for a few reasons.  Mostly it was because I knew that there was a chance for a job closer to home and I didn't want my having another job to interfere with this opportunity.  I ended up interviewing for this job last week.  It was at the school I've always wanted to be at and was hoping desperately that it would work out.  It's right down the road from my house, I know a lot of the staff there, and it would've been a grade and subject that I love.  I found out this morning that I wasn't chosen for the position.  To keep it simple I was heartbroken.  I know that sounds a bit dramatic since I already have a job but I had high hopes.  I had been praying for a job in this area since I graduated (my job now is in a different county).  I've cried on and off all day but am trying to keep my head up.

Every time I haven't been chosen for a job (which has happened a few times this summer) I always question what I did or didn't do in the interview.  I never really told many people about all my interviews because I honestly feel embarrassed every time I'm not offered a position.  This may sound crazy but I feel that it is a bad reflection of myself and what principals think of me.  To be quite honest my confidence has taken a major hit and the news today about did me in.  I know I'll be ok in a few days but rejection always hurts, especially when you have your hopes up.

Don't get me wrong, I'm VERY thankful about my job.  It isn't as close to home as I would like or as much money but as soon as I walk through the door I get to devote myself to Cooper.  No planning, no grading, no nothing.  I'm very lucky to have a job period and I know that.  I also love the teachers I'm with and have a great principal who saw something in me the others didn't and I'm very thankful for this opportunity.  We can relax about insurance now which is a huge weight off my shoulders.

I don't understand everything that has happened but as everyone has told me God has a plan.  I firmly believe that even though it's hard to see right now.  I know I didn't get this job because God has something better in store for me.  I think part of the reason He didn't allow me to get this position is because of all the work I would have to do at home and the time it would take away from Cooper.  So for now I'm trusting in the Lord and having faith in His plan for me.  I've got a healthy baby, hardworking husband, wonderful family, and seven classes of high school students to see tomorrow!  God is great!

Mud Run Extravaganza

I felt it only appropriate to type this post in brown font due to the nature of the event.  Where do I begin?  First off, the mud run was much harder than I anticipated.  I don't really know what I was expecting out of a 5k obstacle course but there was a lot of running!  Let me repeat, A LOT of running.  I thought there would be more mud and more obstacles but it was mostly running.  I hate running, especially in the heat.  Don't get me wrong, I had a lot of fun and will do it again... I'll just take my training a little more seriously!


There were 356 teams participating in the mud run so there was a lot of traffic going into the event area.  It was held at Greenway Farms.  We got there about an hour before our start time which was at 9:45am.  It was already hot and we had a sick baby on our hands, not a good combination.  In no time though we were lining up to begin. 

The "before" picture.

Our first obstacle was a wall that was about 7 or 8 feet tall that you climbed over and jumped off of.  Seven or eight feet is a long way up.  When I jumped off I landed on my feet but then immediately hit the ground (on my butt) like a sack of potatoes.  All of us girls landed that way.  Andy thought it was hilarious.  There were four broken ankles alone from that obstacle so we were thankful to walk away uninjured. 

After the wall of death we had a few more minor obstacles before the next big one.  It was a HUGE slip-n-slide that ended in a gigantic mud pit.  For some reason the slip-n-slide was my biggest fear of the whole race.  Ever since I had my C-section with Cooper I've had an irrational fear about something happening to my scar so going down on my stomach made me very nervous.  Well there was nothing to do but take off down it.  Everything was going fine and then someone plowed me over from behind.  I recovered from that and made it to the mud pit.  I was determined to stay as clean as I could and was doing pretty well until Andy came up from behind.  I was slowly making my way through the knee deep mud when I hear him say "I wouldn't do this if she wasn't my wife."  All of the sudden I'm shoved face first into the mud by my very own husband!  Needless to say I wasn't too happy.  He got a big laugh from the crowd and then took off.  It took all the energy I had to get out of the mud.  At this point I got really dizzy from being knocked flat but made it back up ok.  Once I got out of the mud and rounded the next curve he was waiting on me with a guilty look on his face.  He kept asking me if I was hurt... I should've told him yes to make him feel bad!

The slip-n-slide & mud pit.

My poor sister after Andy shoved her down (in the white).

Andy waiting on me.

Making his getaway!

After the mud pit we ran... and ran... and ran.  To be honest we walked a lot too.  We passed several teams but then we walked.  There were some obstacles during all the running but it was mostly just lots of running through the woods.  We finally saw a clearing and thought we were getting close to the end.  Turns out we were physically close to the end but we had to climb up the side of Big Ridge before we were done.  This literally about did me in.  I will happily admit that I was the slowest member of our team.  I held up the rear the whole time and I was fine with that.  I knew I'd be the slowest.  Poor Andy held my hand the whole way up.  Andy held my hand a lot of the race to keep me going.  He was pretty sweet and supportive after the whole shoving me down thing.  We made it to the top finally and then got to climb back down.  I ran the whole way down!  Once we got down we had two obstacles before the finish line.  We had to run through tires and do a belly crawl in the mud.  I was barely hanging on when we finished the final obstacle.  You had to finish with your team so we all joined hands and crossed the finish line!  We finished in about 45 minutes, which we were thrilled with!  We placed 196 out of 356 and were very happy with our results!

I'm holding up the rear!  

Weekend Wrap-Up

Well, another weekend is coming to a close.  We sure did have an eventful one though!

Friday night the three of us went out to eat at my favorite restaurant, City Cafe!  If you've never been there, you MUST go!  Anytime it's just us going to eat we always go there.  It never fails us!  After we got home from eating we took it easy and got ready for the Mud Run.

We were up bright and early Saturday morning due to a coughing fit from Coop.  He went back to sleep but we weren't so fortunate.  We got ready and left for the Mud Run.  I'm not going to go into detail about it because I'm going to do another post devoted to it.  I would've have it done today but I'm waiting on pictures.  I took my camera but not the SD card so I'm getting pictures from Summer.  It'll be posted soon, promise!

After we got home Saturday we were exhausted so we all took a nap!  Our resting wasn't long lasted though because we had a Sunday school get together.  Not as many people came as we hoped but we still had a good time swimming with our friends and kids.  Cooper loved the swimming even though he was running a fever of 101.  I know, not very good parenting on our part.  Our newest nephew, Liam, was in town so after we got done swimming we headed to see him.  We didn't get Cooper near him though.  I held him the whole time we were there and got in some good auntie lovin'!  He's so sweet and little!  He's 10 pounds, which is double what Cooper weighed at 3 weeks old, but he still seemed so little!

When we left Andy's parent's Cooper was still feeling pretty bad so we took him to the after hours pediatric clinic at Children's Hospital.  It was about 11:30 and we were all exhausted.  Thankfully we were taken right back.  Andy and I thought it was a respiratory infection of some sort but surprisingly enough it was an ear infection!  This is his 5th or 6th one so I'm afraid tubes may be mentioned at our next checkup.  I kind of felt like it may be his ears because he hasn't been eating well at all.  At midnight we ran through the pharmacy so we could get in a dose of antibiotics.  At 1am I finally ended up in bed and I was exhausted and already feeling some soreness from the mud run.

This morning Cooper wasn't running a fever and seemed to be in good spirits so we headed to church.  We relaxed when got home and Cooper took a 2.5 hour nap.  That is a long time for him!  Andy went rafting with the youth group so Coop and I went up to my parent's for a little while.  Once we got home he was exhausted and in bed by 8pm!  I've just been relaxing and enjoying having the house to myself since!  I took a nice hot bath to try and relieve some of my soreness but I'm still stiff!  Now I'm watching Real Housewives of New Jersey (classy I know) until Andy gets home!

InstaFriday

It's that time again... InstaFriday time!  I love looking back at all my pictures from the week.  Cooper is becoming a pro at posing for the camera so he makes my job as the photographer easy!  Enjoy!



 Looking fly (and a little redneck) for church!



 Fun with the youth group.

My blingtastic watch from Walmart & my blingtastic rings from my hubs! 

Sweet boy giving mommy goo-goo eyes. 

Playing with his new toy his grandma got him! 

Enjoying a nice evening walk with his cousins. 

Sawyer flying like Superman! 

Sweet baby Silas who looks JUST like his mommy!

Sweet boy Sawyer who looks JUST like his daddy!

He loves playing with his rubber ducky in the tub!

Action shot!

 

Stay tuned for my Mud Run special this weekend.  Yes, the mud run is tomorrow.  No, I'm not prepared for it at all.  I got an email yesterday with some race information and some pictures of previous mud runs... let's just say that I'm dreading it even more now.  Oh well, at least it'll make for a good story and I'll be doing it with people I love!

 

 

9 Months of Memories

Look at that beautiful face... doesn't it just make your heart melt?  I know mine does every time I look at it.  Cooper is 9 months old today, crazy I know!  It seems like it was just last week when I was rushed to the hospital to deliver that sweet baby 6 weeks early.  We've come a LONG way since then!  He's all over this house now.  We've had to put up a gate and start shutting doors to keep him out of the bathroom and kitchen.  He says "Dada" so much I'm green with envy.  He gives kisses on command and has started pulling up.  I can't believe he'll be one in 3 months!  I've started planning his party (early I know but I'm a planner) and it's a very bittersweet celebration to plan.  I feel like I'm loosing my baby and it breaks my heart.  He did let me rock him for his nap today though... I think he knew I was emotional over the whole rocking thing so he gave in. 

He's got a little bit of a runny nose and cough so he's been extra cuddly today which mommy loves!  He did, however, bust my lip a few minutes ago.  I knew this was just a matter of time though.  He throws his head forward, rather hard, a lot when we hold him.  We've bumped heads several times.  A lot of times so hard it brings tears to my eyes.  Today he hit my lips just the right way and busted them.  He gave me a big kiss to make it all better and that helped bunches!  He's exhausted and playing with his "Dada."  Time to play some more with my big boy before he drifts off to sleep!

Sentimental Moments

John 16:21

 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.

Being a mother has been the greatest gift I have ever received in life.  It is also a gift that keeps on giving.  Everyday when I wake up I'm reminded of how blessed I am to have had Cooper.  It is true what parents say, I can't imagine my life without him and I don't know what I did before him.  I know my life wasn't half as fun as it is now!  It has also made Andy and I grow so much more in our marriage.  It has strengthened our marriage in ways I could never imagine.  I hope Cooper always knows that we love him more than anything and that we always do what is best for him.

I also want to take some time to brag on six other significant men in my life I've been blessed with... my nephews!  I know I talk about them a lot but have never put a face to their sweet little stories.  Here are some pictures of them and a some background stories.

This is Connor Michael Stephens and he belongs to my brother Justin and wife Angela.  His birthday is September 26, 2004.  My sweet Connor.  He was born my senior year of high school and is the first nephew and grand baby on my side.  We absolutely adored him when he was born and we are still just as in love with him now.  He has the kindest heart of any almost 7 year old I've ever met.  He is an awesome big brother and big cousin.  He keeps all the little boys in line!  He is super smart and very funny.  Every time I go visit him he welcomes me with a big hug and kiss and then moves on to Cooper.  They love each other so much!  He is such a blessing and has had my heart since I was 18.

 This handsome little man is Sawyer David Brown and he belongs to my sister Summer and husband David.  His birthday is November 30, 2007.  He is as michevious as he looks!  He is second in line on my side and is absolutely hilarious!  I've never met a child who has a personaility like him.  He's in a stage of life where he gets into trouble a lot even though he tells us quite often that he "wants to obey."  Most of the time when I'm around him I just laugh.  He loves babies like I've never seen.  He is the most affectionate little boy when it comes to younger children.  We call him "the kissing cousin."  I've also said he needs to work in a daycare because of this.  He is a true joy to be around.

This is Michael Jacob Runfolo and he belongs to Andy's sister Sara and husband Mikey.  His birthday is June 29, 2009.  Jake is the first grand baby on Andy's side and loves attention!  He loves Spongebob Squarepants and loves to dance!  He also loves his cousin Cooper and is a great helper!  He likes to lead Cooper around and hold him.  Cooper loves him and we always have fun with Jake.

This little beauty is Silas Michael Brown and he belongs to Summer and David.  His birthday is April 13, 2010.  He, like Cooper, came 6 weeks early but is thriving.  He's walking like crazy and babbles all the time.  He is one of the loudest children I've ever met but he has to be to get attention over his brother.  He is a mommy's boy but is very sweet and cuddly.  He loves to swim and pester his brother.  He's just started taking notice to Cooper and I can't wait to see their friendship blossom!

This chubby, happy boy is Max Thomas Stephens and he belongs to Justin and Angela.  His birthday is June 29, 2010.  He is just as happy and sweet in real life as he looks in this picture.  He has one of the best personalities of a baby that I've ever seen.  As you can tell, his favorite past time is eating.  He will eat anything you put in front of him and be happy.  He is also very ticklish.  He's like a little man and he loves to play with Cooper.  This week he's started calling Cooper "General."  He picked that up from his daddy.

This little stud is of course Cooper Andrew Smithson and he belongs to us.  His birthday is November 18, 2010.  I'm throwing him in here to keep up the age order of our nephews.  He's the 5th grand baby on my side and the 2nd on Andy's.

This big boy is Liam Joshua Kerr and he belongs to Andy's sister Paula and her husband Josh.  His birthday is July 29, 2011.  We unfortunately haven't seen him since he was born and we miss him like crazy.  We do check-in on him often though and I know he likes to eat, sleep during the day, and stay awake at night.  He's precious and I can't wait to see him again!

Blogging Buddies!!!

I have successfully converted two of my best friends, Jessica and Annaliese, into bloggers!  Yay!!!  I'm so excited to read along with them.  They have always had such sweet comments about my blog (I'm always thrilled/shocked that people read it) and I know I will have tons of positive things to say about theirs.

Today has been a pretty low-key day.  Cooper took a really good nap this afternoon and woke up wanting to play.  Now that he's more mobile and so interested in the world around him I have so much fun playing with him!  Don't get me wrong, I've always had fun playing with him but now he's a very active member of play time.

Like I said, today has been pretty low-key so there isn't too much to write about.  My dad started his new job yesterday (yay!) and seems to be enjoying it.  I'm super sore from running yesterday and honestly feel a sense of dread every time I think about Saturday.  Summer said she saw a commercial the other day for the mud run and racers were swinging off a rope swing into a mud pit... what were we thinking???

Mashed Potatoes Monday

Cooper has been such a sweet, loving baby boy today!  I love days like this!  He was super cuddly and content. 

I made homemade chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes for dinner tonight.  Cooper loves mashed potatoes, especially when they are cheesy.  He also loves to drink ice water from his sippy cup.  The combination of both made for a wonderful dinner for Cooper.  He was on his second bowl of mashed potatoes and was drinking his water like crazy.  I finally had to cut him off.  I know that sounds mean but he has a tendency to spit up rather badly so I didn't want to cause an upset tummy.  Right after he finished we put him in the tub.  He loves the tub so I let him play for awhile.

The weather today was absolutely wonderful, in the 80's, so around 7:30 we went for a walk.  Cooper loves to go on walks in his stroller.  We went to my sister's house and then went walking with her, my brother-in-law, and my nephews.  The weather was perfect and the boys had a blast.  After a night like tonight I'm very much looking forward to autumn.  On the way home I actually stepped it up and ran.  Andy and Cooper kept up with me just fine walking but I was proud of myself.  Cooper fell asleep on the way home so we just put him to bed... once again without being rocked.  How sad!

Now Andy & I are relaxing watching Man Vs. Wild, one of my favorites!

Weekend Wrap-Up

Once again, I'm sad to see the weekend coming to an end!  I love being lazy with my men!

Friday night Andy and I had a "stay at home" date night after Cooper went to bed.  Coop had two pretty lousy naps during the day so he was ready for bed by 7:15.  We finally put him down around 8pm.  I proceeded to cook us a nice little dinner complete with appetizers and dessert!  Our menu was sausage balls, bread, pan fried pork chops (Andy's favorite), homemade mashed potatoes, and brownies.  We were so full by the time we finished! 

We then watched The Lincoln Lawyer.  I had read the book a few months ago and it was enough of a manly movie for Andy to watch it as well.  It was good but books are always better!

Saturday morning Cooper woke up around 7:15am.  We put him in bed with us for some play time!  He loves playing on our bed and he's so sweet in the mornings!  He's always sweet though!  Andy didn't have to work but he did go help my dad so some yard work.  "Yard work" would be putting it lightly though.  My grandpa lives right down the road from us and in last weeks storm a carport wound up in one of his trees.  Andy took his trusty chainsaw, got the carport down, cut the tree down, and helped my dad clear the yard.  When he got home we all took a nap!

For our Saturday night entrainment we went Walmart, Lowes, Dollar General Market, to see my nephew Connor, and to my parent's!  Cooper was happy and we enjoyed catching up with everyone!

This morning before church we let Cooper watch some TV.  He's never shown much interest in it (which is fine by us!) and we've never encouraged it.  We were busy getting ready so we put him in his swing and turned on Mrs. Spider's Sunny Patch.  I must say... before we turned it off Andy & I were in such a trance we couldn't move!  Cooper could have cared less about it but we were hooked!

After church Cooper and I went up to my parent's.  He played some with his cousins and then we headed home so he could take a nap.  While he was napping I asked Andy to do something I never thought I would ask... teach me how to play cards.  His family are avid card players and I'm always bored out of my mind when they play because I don't know how to.  They've always offered to teach me how to play but I hate jumping in active games and asking a million questions.  Plus, my husband is SUPER competitive when it comes to cards to his patience wears thin.  I figured today would be a good day since it was just the two of us.  We started with spades and I caught on faster than I thought.  I still have a long way to go though!

We went to church and sat in with the youth group.  They are always fun to be around!  After church Andy's parents came to visit.  They are about to go on vacation and had to get in some Cooper time!  By the time they left Cooper was exhausted.  His usual night time routine consists of Andy rocking him to sleep.  The last week or so he lays down and cuddles up on Andy to be rocked but fights it the whole time.  We know he's exhausted but he just won't relax.  We've started just laying him down in his crib when he does that and he almost instantly falls asleep.  Our baby is growing up on us.  It's so sad!  I'm glad he's not dependant on rocking to fall asleep anymore but it also breaks my heart that he's growing out of it.  I'm having a very hard time with him growing up!

We've got a busy week ahead and I'm already looking forward to next weekend!  The Mud Run is next week.  Yes, I haven't forgotten about it... I've just been REALLY BAD about training so I haven't mentioned it.  I'm dreading it but looking forward to it all at the same time... maybe I should get a little more serious in the next 5 days!

InstaFriday

How fast the week has gone!  It's already InstaFriday!  Most of my day centers around Cooper so therefore so do my pictures... sorry if you get tired of seeing him.  I NEVER get tired of seeing him though!  Here are some shots of our week!

Sweet boy letting me feed him like a baby.  He never lets me do this so I savored every second!

Drinking out of a straw/juice box for the first time at Cracker Barrel!

 Sweet boy loving on mommy.



Sleepy head snuggled up on daddy with his "binkie."

While we're on the subject of "binkie"...  Cooper is attached to his binkie!  It's a fleece "no sew" blanket a dear friend of mine made for him.  His room is done in pirate/nautical decor so the blanket has pirate designs on it.  It is absolutely precious!  She gave it to me when he was about 3 months old & I started using it then since it was February.  It has fringe along the edges which he is obsessed with.  He holds on the the fringe, brings it to his face and rubs under his nose with it.  It's the cutest thing ever!  When he gets sleepy he starts opening and closing his fist letting his know he wants binks right then!  I've always worried about SIDS so I was very reluctant to let him sleep with it, even at 9 months old.  The last month or so he's wanted it to fall asleep so Andy would rock him and we let him hold it.  When we put him in the crib we would take it though.  Not now!!!  He holds on to it with a death grip.  Even if he's been asleep for an hour and I go in and try to get it he won't let me.  I had a doll named Dana when I was little so I completely understand!  I also think his attachment is precious and it helps him soothe himself back to sleep if he wakes up.  So we may look ridiculous carrying around a fleece blanket when it's 95* but we can't leave the house without it!

Catch-Up Wednesday

We've had a busy two days in the Smithson household.  Cooper seems like he's doing something new and precious everyday!  Yesterday he pulled up for the first time!  I had to run some errands so he was with my mom... which means I missed it!  I was so sad when she told me!  The first thing I made Andy do when he walked through the door was lower Coop's crib mattress.  Of course he hasn't done it again for us but better be safe than sorry.  I'd be sick at my stomach if I heard a loud thump in the middle of the night. 

We went to Cracker Barrel last night and I ordered Cooper an apple juice to drink.  Well it came in a little juice box with a straw.  I didn't think he would know what to do with a straw but we tried it anyways.  Of course he handled like a pro and acted like he had been drinking from a straw out of the womb!  It was so cute.  He was so proud of himself. 

Tonight after dinner someone came to look at Andy's motorcycle.  He seemed very interested and is supposed to get back with us... keep your fingers crossed, I'm ready to get rid of that thing!  We went swimming tonight with the youth group and for some odd reason the pool was freezing!  It's been so hot lately I was shocked at the temperature!

This morning my oldest nephew Connor had his tonsils taken out.  He did great but last time I checked on him was having some pain.  Keep him in your prayers please.  He's a very active almost 7 year old so it'll be hard to keep him down to recuperate!

Family Fun Day Monday

Andy had the day off today so we wanted to have some family fun!  We were all set to go but Cooper decided to nap all day long.  He took an hour nap this morning, woke up for about an hour, took a two hour nap, woke up for about an hour or so, and then took another two hour nap!  He's never napped that much!  In between on of those naps we took him to the park to play.

We only lasted at the park for about 15 minutes.  There wasn't much for Cooper to do and he wasn't that impressed by it.  Oh well, Andy and I had fun playing with him!

Last night we had a pretty bad storm and my brother had a lot of trees fall in his yard/on his house.  Andy knows a thing or two about chainsaws so he went over with my dad and helped clear their yard.  Coop and I went over later and played with my nephews.  They made a lot of progress and made their yard a lot safer for the boys.

Andy came home after working hard and made us breakfast for dinner!  That is one of our favorite meals and Andy cooks it so much better than me!  We played with Cooper for awhile and now he's sleeping like a rock.  Time for us to relax before turning in!