Playtime!

Cooper loves his musical toy.

Family Fun Center

On Monday afternoon we met Big Jack and his family at the Family Fun Center for a few hours of play time during Spring Break. Eli had never been there and I think the last time I was there I was in high school and went to use the batting cages.  Eli had a blast running around with Jack and Coop couldn't take his eyes off all the lights, animation, and happenings that were going on around him.

Sweet Boys

This is what they like to do in the morning before leaving. Eli sure loves Cooper and Cooper absolutely adores his big brother.

March in a Nutshell

Cooper

Poor little Cooper had to suffer through a bout of croup during March.  It really took it's toll on him, we all felt so bad as he coughed, sneezed, and wheezed his way through a few weeks.  We all lost sleep in the end and are still recovering from the loss of his sleep habits.  We had finally gotten him to sleep from 7pm to somewhere between 5 and 6am.  While he was sick, he was waking up multiple times a night.   I'm talking anywhere from 4-8 times a night.  We still haven't gotten back to the way things were and it seems like we're back where we started from.  I don't think we've had a night yet with fewer than three or four times up.  

In his croup battle he ended up losing quite a bit of weight for a four-month old.  Beginning at 14 pounds 4 ounce, he was down to 13 pounds 12 ounces.  It doesn't sound like a lot, but when you're only 14 pounds, it really makes a difference.  At his four month appointment he was back down to the 16th percentile in weight and 78th percentile for length (25.5 inches).  

He is doing much better now though, with the only exception being the sleeping thing...it is bound to come back. I sure hope so anyway.  I'd like to get a full nights sleep again one of these days.

Cooper started going to Mary's full time on March 26th.  He had gone a few times prior to this date to get used to her and the environment.  Mr. Coop really was not a fan.  In fact, during his brief encounters at her house, he did more crying and screaming than anything.  Talk about feeling bad for poor Mary and the kids she watches. To all of our delight, and utter shock, he did GREAT!  He started the week with an hour and a half nap first thing Monday morning.  As she put it, "he was an absolutely different kid." Glenn (Mary's husband) told me that I had been black listed for bringing him over and that he had never seen a baby scream and cry with a purple face for so many hours.  Yep, that makes a Mom feel good.  Not anymore dear Glenn!!!  We're all thankful for that one. Now the little man smiles and laughs with her and is a delight to have.  

Of course he is.  He really is the happiest baby I have ever seen.  He is full of smiles, grins, giggles, and now, belly laughs!

Eli

I cannot believe my baby is starting kindergarten in September.  He is officially registered for all-day kindergarten!!  Yes, he is registered at my school and I love it.  The nice thing is that even though I work there, it's also our home school so he'd be slated to attend LWES whether I was there or not, it just helps that I am an employee of the district and he gets priority placement and a spot for all-day!  YAY  He is so excited.  What used to be referred to as MY school is now HIS school.  I can't wait for him to be there, he's going to have a good time. 

I got to go to my first parent-teacher conference on the 20th.  Ms. Marilou had such wonderful things to say about Eli and his progress in Pre-K.  Being an intermediate teacher, I really don't have a clue where kids should be at the stage he's at now.  Apparently he's doing really well.  He can identify letters by sight and sound, randomly, with the exception of the v and w.  I was shocked, at home he doesn't like N....has nothing to do with it actually.  Apparently he is excelling in the math side - he knows his geometric shapes, numbers, patterns, etc.  He has great motor skills, both fine and grand, and is great with scissors.  My absolute favorite piece from our conference was a picture he drew.  

After being asked to draw a self-portrait, he drew himself, but also added his little brother.  He then continued to add both Jess and myself.  Someone Jess works with actually graduated with a  psychology degree and 'analyzed' the picture.  After explaining his experience with this type of activity of kids who have been through difficult things and won't open up they have them draw...anyway, he said Eli feels very loved.  By including Cooper in the way that he did, it shows how proud he is of his little brother.  The manner he included me and Jess, he sees us loving each other (well, duh) and that he's a well rounded kiddo.  

Boy do I love my boys!!!

Me

Not a lot about me, but I am back at work.  I went back to my class on the 26th.  I was greeted with open arms by both my students and other teachers.  It is nice being back but I was quickly reminded how demanding my profession is. The first day back I was up until 11:30 working on school stuff.  I love my job, but people really don't have a clue what it takes to be a teacher.  If we only worked 8:40-4:10 like I am paid to do so, they would not get the education they do.  It takes so much of our own personal time.  I'm not complaining about it, I'm just saying it would be nice if the public realized what we did do and acknowledged that instead of telling us to come in before/after school and on weekends to collaborate and get our job done.  (These are direct comments from a public question posed about incorporating a weekly late-start to allow for collaboration time for teachers like other surrounding districts have.  Seriously.  Someone had the audacity to say, and I quote, "Citizens pay for you to do your normal job. If you need more time to 'prepare' for the day then get to school earlier or work on the weekends. I'm not giving up my days off and early release days just because its convienent for a teacher that should be doing their job."

Infuriating to say the least.  Sadly, we don't just teach.  We have to assess.  We have to grade. We have to contact parents.  We have meetings.  We have 26 kids at different levels to plan for.  We have scores to submit to the district.  We have goals that we have to plan, document, meet, and reflect upon.  We are secretaries.  We are counselors.  I could keep going, but I'm preaching to the choir....)

ANYWAY, now I'm on Spring Break after a week back at work.  I have good planning/timing. :)  I love the time with my boys.  Wish it could be all day every day, but it can't.  I cherish the time I have with them though! 

*I will add pictures later.  Be ready!

Big Boy Laughs

Today Cooper had his first, real, big boy laugh!  It was amazing to hear and watch.

I was holding Coop right outside Eli's bedroom door when Eli ran up and started jumping up and down.  Cooper thought that was absolutely hilarious and started laughing. Not his typical chuckle and smile, but a full on, from the bottom of his toes laugh.  After calling Jess upstairs to see, Eli started jumping again and sure enough, there it was again.

It really isn't surprising that Eli is the one who got him to laugh.  Littlest man LOVES his big brother so much and always smiles at him.

We tried the same thing later today to see if he would laugh again and he just looked at the rest of us like we were crazy.  Apparently it's a once in a lifetime humor thing.


Oh, and just so I don't forget...
Cooper still has his cold.  We took him in on Friday because we thought he sounded raspy while breathing.  After Eli and his bout of Bronchiolitis when he was three months old, a raspy sound is not something to overlook.  We didn't get to see Dr. Agan, as he wasn't in, boo!  But we did see another very nice doctor.  She said his lungs were clear and his oxygen level was very good, but his ear canal was looking a little red.  She was confident that it would heal itself and not turn into an infection.  So far so good!

Because we were there and he's so little they still did a growth check.  He is currently 25 inches long and 14 pounds 4 ounces, exactly double his birth weight.

...because I don't want to forget...

Cooper had fallen asleep in the car and Eli, ever so sweetly, said, "Mom, Cooper sure is cute when he sleeps."

What a sweet, sweet brother.  They both make my heart melt.

Swimming through the Weeks

Wow, I can't believe it's been a couple weeks already since the last time I posted on here.  I don't know what my problem is, but I have actually forgotten completely about the blog for a couple weeks.  Then I was looking at pictures I've taken recently and thought, "oh yeah!  The BLOG!"  Oops.  I am WAY behind on not only posting, but reading what's been going on out there.  Lots of catching up to do.

What's been going on here you ask?  Eli is back in swimming lessons and is doing really well.  He goes to lessons twice a week, Monday and Wednesday, and the difference from the last time he was there is amazing.  He wants to do everything.  By himself!  I think we have a swimmer.  Jess said that Noelle, his swim instructor, told him that he is really close to swimming by himself.  A little more practice and he'll be there.  Makes my little swimming/diving heart go pitter patter.

Cooper, on the other hand, has had a couple rough days.  As my return to work looms in the not so far off future, three weeks from today actually, we have been trying to get him to take a bottle and to get used to our wonderful babysitter.  He absolutely, will NOT, take a bottle.  Not from me.  Not from Jess. Not from Grandma and Papa.  No one.  This boy is stubborn.  We have tried different bottles, positions, even the liquid within.  Nothing.  Today I got him a transitional sippy cup to see if that would do the trick.  We'll see.  We have also started giving him rice cereal and baby food.  He has had sweet potatoes and peaches.  He is a fan!  :)  It takes a few minutes and quite the mess, to get the knack of spoon eating each time, but it's pretty cute and he's awfully excited about it.

He was exhausted today when we got home from Mary's this afternoon.  He did a whole lot of crying while he was there today.  

Found this shirt today.  Eli has one very similar and HAD to get this, especially since it was on clearance!  Eli has already said he wants a picture of them both in their shirts. 

And just because it's been a while since I last updated, here are a few pictures. 

Eli's buddy Jack came over to spend the day.  They decided they wanted to play with bathtub toys so we opened Winkey pool in the bathroom. They loved it.

 Just hanging out while Mommy folds laundry

Cooper meet Bumbo.  They're good friends. 

My loves.

"Hey! Caterpillar!  I'm talking to YOU!"

Sitting together on a sunny Sunday morning.

I finally hung pictures in our stairwell.  We LOVE it.  Can't believe it's taken this long to do so.

Our boys love each other so much.  Cooper always gets the biggest grins when Eli is around.

His smile could melt anything.

LOL

Our darling shark.  Such a good kid.

Time for food!!

We started a chore chart with Eli.  There are a total of six chores.  Two feeding the dog (once in the morning and once in the evening as well as brushing teeth).  He loves it.

"Seriously? You're taking my picture right after I woke up.  That is SO not fair."

I'm still not sure how we got so lucky.  We have the two sweetest little boys.  

LOVE