Fishing for Some Treats

There is so much unexpected stress that goes along with parenting: What to do when your child is sick, how to handle temper tantrums in public, vaccinations, etc. And picking out Halloween costumes! There are too many options out there, and picking out only one for your child each year is quite overwhelming!

This year Cooper was a fisherman. There is no special reason as to why I picked this costume. It was a "stressful" decision, and originally I wanted him to be a dog. I really don't remember how I changed from dog to fisherman, as I bought the costume at the beginning of September (I choose random things to be on top of. :))

He got a lot of wear out of this costume, which is great, but there were several pieces to it, which became a bit of a problem. It came with pants, a shirt, a vest, wader boots, a hat, and a pole. He absolutely refused to wear the hat. He ripped the fish off the fishing pole shortly after we got it. And then...on Halloween night...we couldn't find one of the boots! You can't just wear one, and the boots are what made the costume so cute (considering the pole and hat were not included anymore). Karl and I tore this house up trying to find the lost wader. We looked in all of Cooper's favorite spots to "store" things: the garbage can, the dirty clothes basket, the pantry, his firetruck, his drawers, etc. Then we looked in spots where we might have accidentally put it. Then we looked in, under, and above everywhere we hadn't already looked.

As hope was beginning to dwindle, Karl found the precious accessory. Of all places, it was standing up right beside his basket of books in his room. How we missed it there, I don't know. Thankfully, his costume was saved, and our Little Man went on his first trick-or-treating!

Boo at the Zoo

He immediately did not like his hat.

We tried again when we got to the zoo, but once again, he was not going to wear it.

Like Father, Like Son

Karl had an easy costume this year. He threw on his fishing gear, and he and his little buddy were fishermen together. Mommy got left out, so I put on my pajamas and a lot of make up, and I went as a well-rested mommy. It was like being a unicorn or vampire-there's no such thing!

Practicing for the big night!

Trick or Treat

Daddy and Coop posing with the pumpkin Karl carved

He really does a great job carving.

Ready to go!

Coop's first trick or treating

Well, hello again!

It might seem like we have disappeared based on the two month blog break we've been on, but we are in fact here and well! I wish I had some great excuse to make up for my lack of blogging, but the truth is, life happened. Messes needed to be cleaned, groceries needed to be bought, laundry needed to be washed, a certain little boy needed lots of his mama's attention, and a husband needed some attention too. As summer came to a close, our days really did feel shorter.

And my interest in the blog was dwindling.

Our days seemed so repetitive and unexciting. While busy and crazy, I felt like I really didn't have anything to say or anything special to record.

And then after a rather rough October, I learned how special the hum-drum, monotonous, typical day is. I learned what a blessing it is to just live each day in a casual routine. I learned that unexciting also means peaceful.

Although the boring details of today might not feel like they are worth recording, they might actually be the little details I might crave one day.

Sometimes to-do lists just have to be left undone. Sometimes dishes just need to be left dirty in the sink and laundry unfolded in the basket. Sometimes taking the time to record and reflect on the little "insignificant" events of each day needs to be made a priority.

Having your child clean out all the kitchen cabinets while you wash dishes so he can climb inside for no apparent reason, going to the zoo on a beautiful fall day and having a rooster almost peck your son's bare foot since he refuses to keep his socks and shoes on, opening your child's bedroom door after nap to find that he learned how to take off his *dirty* diaper in his crib and treat the *dirtiness* as both fingerpaint and food, teething troubles, fearing that your child swallowed a screw on a Saturday morning, throwing professional temper tantrums in public places, etc. All the "little" events that currently comprise our days.

Our precious typical days.

Walk Like A Man

On August 9th, Cooper took his first independent steps. We were at Pappy and Niecee's house to celebrate Niecee's birthday. She was on the phone, Karl was in the kitchen with Cooper but focused on something else, and Pappy and I were in the living room. I was playing with our camera too. And that was the moment Little Man decided to walk--the moment no one was paying attention. Thankfully, Karl happened to look at him at just the right second to see one of the steps. We all went crazy, and I nearly broke our camera trying to get it ready to document him do it again. The below pictures are not his first set of steps, but they are the second set, and he walked from the same spot to the same spot again for us.

(Who knows what setting I had the camera on! The pictures came out blurry, so obviously I had it on the wrong one, but at least we have something!)

After that night, he would take a few steps here and there. Last Thursday evening we went over to our friends' home, and Cooper walked a ton while we were there. Karl and I couldn't wait to get him out of his crib Friday morning. As soon as we put him down, he hit his knees and took off crawling! No walking! However, he did start taking more and more steps and walking longer distances when he tried, and as the week has gone on, he is walking so much more and so much better. Last night I was standing at the stove and Karl was at the far end of our dining room table, and Cooper walked back and forth probably a dozen times. Today he has walked all over the house, sometimes holding my finger and sometimes on his own and sometimes a little of both. I'm really surprised at how balanced he is. We bought two new pairs of shoes today, so now he's ready to run!

He Gets That From Me

Cooper is undeniably Karl's child in the looks department. I feel like every day he looks even more like Karl, and I often tell him, "I feel like I'm looking at your daddy as a baby." He is also built like Karl. He's long and lean and his legs bend towards the outside just like Karl's do. They both have the bluest eyes I've ever seen. Complete strangers would know they are father and son.

However...

I've started to notice my little man do something lately that is all me. I am a very organized person. Everything has a place, and it is very important to me that everything is always in its place. Great thought goes in to where things fit best, and I prefer that everything be in a basket or tub or container of some kind. This is why I was a good teacher. ;) Karl, on the other hand, is not like that. He doesn't understand putting stuff away or in its designated spot. (If you're thinking that I might be a type-A personality, you're right!) In fact, I truly believe that Karl doesn't put stuff up just to drive me crazy!

Lately, Cooper has started showing signs that he is my son too. He is constantly putting stuff away (or hiding it...not sure which). The other day I had clothes on the floor in the laundry room. Cooper started putting them in the basket (dumped out some of the clothes that were already in there though). If I put his spoon on the tray of his highchair, he puts it on his plate (or in his mouth). Those are the only times so far that he has put stuff in the right spot, but that's okay; he shows potential. :) This morning he put 6 of my shoes and some of my hair clips in the dirty clothes basket. He is constantly putting his sippy cup in the seat of his fire engine or in his highchair.

Tonight as I cleaned up his toys I couldn't find the farm animals that go in his tractor. He had stuffed them in his tool set, along with a bath toy, a block, and a book.

The remote control and sippy cup were discovered a few minutes later in his high chair.

He tried to throw a dishtowel in the trashcan this afternoon. Although his placement is a little off, at least he's "cleaning up" some.

Hot

I do so love hot summer days. So many sweet memories of ice cream trucks, pool games, birthdays (Karl's, mine, and Coop's), July 4th lake trips with great friends, falling in love with my hubby at 12 years old :), catching fireflies, sunburns, and so on all come to mind.

Now it's watching a certain little boy splash in an inflatable pool that makes these summer days all the more fun.

Happy Birthday, Little Man!

Yes, our Little Man is now one!

To kick off his special day, I made homemade pancakes and shaped them like Mickey Mouse for breakfast. My picky eater was not impressed with the Mickey ears, nor was he interested in sampling his mama's culinary skills. After a little play time and little nap, he came out of his room to find some pretty exciting birthday presents in the hallway. We got him a little pool, some toys for the pool, a Mickey Mouse fire engine, and a little toolset. He crawled into his pool, opened his musical card, and lost all interest in the other presents. I think that card was his favorite thing of the day. He opened and closed it and opened and closed it ALL day!

We then loaded up and headed to the zoo. This was our first trip to the zoo as a family. We ate lunch, and then began our tour. It was so much fun too. Cooper loved the animals and took an interest in every single one we saw. I think both Cooper and Karl's favorite part was visiting the lorikeets. As soon as we walked in to their little enclosure, two landed on Karl's shoulders. I am not a wimpy girl. I honestly am sometimes a little impressed at my non-wimpiness. However, this freaked me out!! At one point Karl had 7 birds on him at one time. I don't know what was wrong with me, but I got scared. Yes, they are beautiful and little and harmless, but they made me nervous! Cooper laughed and smiled the whole time though, even as one nibbled/licked his precious little finger. After that, we visited the Butterfly Garden. It was just as beautiful as I remembered it, and out of everything, it was my favorite. After 2 1/2 hours on a hot August day, we made our way back to the car. The sweet birthday boy was asleep before we made it to the main road.

walking in

"Hey Dad, don't I have those animals in my nursery? Eli would be so impressed right now!"

One of the monkeys and Coop have the same birthday

We had to ride the train!

Ugh.

That bird just put my son's finger in its mouth. Eek!!!

And that bird is nibbling my husband's ear. It later gave him a kiss... ON HIS MOUTH. Yuck!!!

Yes, they are so pretty, but terrifying nonetheless.

The Butterfly Garden was much more peaceful and beautiful. :)

The day he was born will always be one of my most treasured memories, but I have to admit, birthdays are much more fun and easier than the birth day itself!

Our 12 Month Photo Shoot

"Eli! Today is a BIG day!"

"You know, this year has gone by pretty fast. I'm feeling a little reflective on all I've done these 12 months...Remember how I used to wrestle with Eli during photo shoots?"

"It's my birthday buddy! Give me a high five with your trunk!"

"Haha, Sucker! I'll bite that trunk!"

"Face plant!"

"Just kidding, Eli. You know I love you! Now get outta here!"

"Mom, sing that song to me again. You know the one you started singing over a month ago."

"Yep, that's the one...'Happy Birthday to me!'"

"Life is good!"