6 Months

I'm such a horrible momma these days. I think the camera has sat in the same place since the last post I did about Cooper. I also haven't called to get him in for his well-child check for 6 months. I'll post official stats after that (hopefully).

Cooper. . .

• officially turned 6 months on the 18th.
• is still a chunk. He weighs at least 22 pounds (I weighed him a few weeks ago). He needs a onesie that says 'I can eat your baby'.
• is still in 12 month clothes for a little while.
• likes to roll around, but hasn't started crawling yet- thank heavens.
• loves bananas-ate a whole jar the first time he tried them. He's also had apples, and squash so far.
• adores his big sister. He follows her with his eyes and smiles no matter what else is going on.
  
• has laughing fits, especially when Grandma Dollhouse acts crazy.
  
• learned how to push the button to make the doggy bark on Grandma's book.
• gives real soft "high fives".
• is drooling like crazy.
• loves to splash in the tub. He also loves to pee in the tub. :)
  
• can sit unassisted now, but still won't fit in his Bumbo chair.
• still loves his jumper.
• loves his new little cousin 'Baby Dax' and tried to hold his hands when they were first introduced. It was seriously so cute.
  

"Oh My Posh!"

No, that is not a typo in my title. I've become an independent consultant for a new company called Perfectly Posh. Weston's cousin, Andrew McBride, is one of the four founders of this company.

My fabulous computer-skilled hubbie has set up a link to my website for sales, parties, and signing up to be a consultant. He also included a link to my new blog on the right side of this blog. What would I do without him? Please visit my new blog to see any new offers or info about Posh so that we can keep this our family blog.

I'm planning a party for next week where anyone can come see the products, use them, and fall in love with them. Tell anyone and everyone you know. These products are brand new. Their company launched October 1 of this year.

"Perfectly Posh" Open House Party

Thursday, October 27th

6:30-8:30 p.m.

Enter a drawing for free products


*If you are interested in attending and don't know where I live, please leave a comment so I can contact you.*

My 5 month/ 12 month baby boy

Today Cooper is officially 5 months old! I can't believe it. I feel like it was just yesterday that he was born and yet I don't remember him ever being a tiny little baby. Maybe that's because he never really was a tiny baby. In comparison, Ellie weighed 20 pounds even at her 12 month check up and was 30.5 inches tall.

I know I've been a real slacker at charting his milestones on the blog, but my plan is to update with the months in-between later. For now, here is what Cooper is up to:

**I will warn you that this will seem like a brag session and it probably is, but I'm trying to write everything down here so I remember later. You don't have to read it all. I love to look back and remember what Ellie was like as a baby and I don't want to forget about Cooper too.**

Height: 27.25 in.
Weight: 20.5 lbs
Eating: He has been eating rice cereal and oatmeal once a day for about a month. Our pediatrician says he can start on fruits and veggies this month. He has milk about 5-6 times a day and when we feed him in bottle form it is 5 ounces each time. Coop gets really angry when you eat in front of him and can't share. He's had some very small pieces of bread, sucks of otter pop and some of Ellie's sucker once. We try not to feed him what we eat, but he just gets so mad and attempts to get your food in his mouth any way he knows how.

Sleeping: Cooper has been sleeping through the night (this week). He goes to bed around 9:00 and for the last few days, except last night, doesn't wake up until 6:30/7:30 a.m. or so. He has been an all around better sleeper than Ellie so far. I am especially grateful for that when I get home from work in the wee hours of the morning. He likes to have noise going when he falls asleep. Right now he is sleeping in his crib in our bedroom. I think he is comforted by Weston's snoring. There have been many times when he's over-tired that he falls asleep to the vacuum. He also likes to have a burp rag by his face or one of my shirts. I must smell amazing to him. He generally stays awake for two hours at a time and then goes down for a nap. We haven't been able to swaddle him with his arms tucked in for about a month.

Clothes/Diaper Size: Our big man is in size 3 diapers and even those can feel snug at times. He has just gotten into size 12 month clothes! The funny thing is that if he were to wear just a onesie, he could probably fit in 9 month, but his thighs are just too huge to fit in the pants. Some of his 12 month jammies are snug when zipping up his leg. We've spent a small fortune buying clothes for him because I bought things on clearance that I thought would fit him during the winter months. Yeah right! I had bought a bunch of summer stuff for 12 months so we've been to Carter's a lot in the past 5 months.

Toys: He really loves his jumper. We also just got him an Exersaucer because he likes to be standing to play, but our backs, shoulders, and arms just can't take it. We also got it because we can't keep him from rolling and spitting up all over the place. He starting rolling over from stomach to back at the beginning of August (just about 3 months) and then all the way around four months. He likes to roll from his back to stomach the very most so he stays on his tummy and cries. I think he sometimes forgets he can get back to his back. He really loves to play with his feet and I love watching him grab both of his feet and start into a roll. There's no way he can get his toes into his mouth without assistance though- too much tummy in the way. I think if he were a little slimmer, he would be rolling around the room. He sits assisted and can stay up for a second or two until he falls over. We would put him in the Bumbo more often if his thighs would fit. I'm not kidding. He's too fat for the Bumbo sitter, but Ellie can fit in it.

Cooper's language skills are advanced- :) just kidding. When he complains it sounds like he's saying 'ma ma' but I'm pretty sure he's not doing it on purpose. He knows who Ellie, Daddy, and Mommy are and will look at each person when you ask where they are. He especially loves his big sister. When he's fussing, she will sing to him and he quiets right up. He smiles at her every time he sees her. She loves to hold him on the couch and watch Mickey Mouse with him.

Cooper is a very happy boy. It is so fun to see him learn and grow. We love that he and Ellie get along so well so far and hope they will be best friends forever.

4th of July

We did the fourth of July at our house again.  We had pulled pork sandwiches plus two staples of the fourth, hamburgers and hotdogs.  Marc invited some friends over to help us eat all the food.  After dinner we had a firework warm up act including sparklers and a few fountains in the street. Then we watched Magna's fireworks from our front yard.  It was as good as ever.  Now the pictures.

The Carnival

Ellie and Cooper went to visit Great Grandma Jones at the carnival done by Legacy.  Ellie got to ride on a pony.

Take a few shots at the dunking booth and the range.

Cooper got to meet one of his Great Grandmas

Ellie and Great Grandma playing dress-up and Cooper even got in on the action.

My Chunky Monkey

One Month Old!

Cooper was officially one month old Saturday! I can't believe it has already been that long. It seems like yesterday that we were in the hospital and yet it feels like we can't remember life without him. Here are some things about Cooper at one month:

Height: 23 inches
Weight: 12.2 pounds
Clothes size: He still barely fits in 0-3 months
Eating: He eats every 3-3 1/2 hours during the day sometimes 4-5 hours during the night
Sleeping: He's really only awake for about 6 hours a day maybe? but it's getting to be more.
Nicknames: Buddy, Brother, Coopy, Coop-the-poop, Son
What he is up to:

Cooper LOVES to eat (as you can tell).
He has horrible baby acne and very sensitive skin. He likes his baths but only if I turn on the faucet so he can hear the running water. If not, he screams during the whole thing.

Right after Cooper's First Bath at home
We go through a LOT of diapers! He likes to make us think he's finished and then let another few fly. It is pretty rare that we change a diaper that is just "wet".
He hates his car seat and cries quite often in the car even while we are driving.
Cooper loves his swing and he really likes to hear noises around him. One morning, Ellie had slept over at my parents' house and Cooper couldn't go to sleep because there wasn't any background noise. I had to turn on the TV so he could drift off.
He loves his binky, but still spits it out a lot.
His big sister makes him happy. She was sitting on his blanket talking to him one day and when she got up to go to her room, he started to cry.
He likes to be swaddled and he likes to be really warm.
Right now he sleeps in our bed because he hates the Pack 'n' Play bassinet. He likes to have my pillow or arm against the top of his head. When he's hungry he'll grunt and scoot right up next to me in his "baby burrito wrap". There have been a few nights I thought I was going to end up on the floor.
He is really a laid back kid. He doesn't cry nearly as much as Ellie did.
He loves being on his tummy and he can lift his head pretty well already. He lifts his bum and pushes with his legs.

Cooper's Birthday
Upon leaving the hospital Friday, Cooper had lost some weight and was down to 7 pounds 13 ounces. The doctor had us go in when he was 5 days old (Monday) to do a weight check. He was 8 pounds 1 ounce. Then at his two week visit, he was 9 pounds 6 ounces. The doctor made us re-weigh him on a different scale because he didn't think he would've gained so much. Normal weight gain is about an ounce per day and he gained 21 ounces in nine days. It was the same and the doctor told me I was just producing cream.
We love our little buddy and are so glad he came to our family.

"The Talk"

It is never too early to have "the talk" with your kids.



Thanks Kristan!

Swimmin with Windu

*All those who don't own dogs may think it's disgusting to share a pool between kids and dogs. Windu doesn't really sit in the pool for long though, so it's not like there is hair everywhere in the water. Ellie doesn't stay in the pool for long either! Can't wait until Cooper is big enough to play in there with her.

Little Brother. . . Big Sister

Dear Pajama Pants Pocket,

Why did you have to be so shallow? My phone did nothing to you and you threw it right into the toilet! Then I had to use a substitute phone that dropped calls after one minute while my phone tried to dry off in rice for five days. You cost me contacts that weren't saved to my SIM, pictures, and my Chuck ringtone. The phone I wanted to get to replace your supposed enemy was on AT&T's website as a free phone, but it didn't work out to be once we tried to check out. So, you also cost us the time to go in to the AT&T store to pick another and $9.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. Please keep a better grip on this one. Or better yet, don't even think about me trusting you with my phone again!
Regretfully yours,
Missy

I would like to apologize to anyone I may not have answered or haven't contacted recently.

Please forgive me. I may not even have your number anymore. My number is the same though and feel free to call or text anytime now. :)

My new phone- Samsung Evergreen (or hippie phone as Weston refers to it)

Ellie said what?

My parents gave Ellie some new Princess and the Frog underwear for her birthday. They are a girls' size 4 so they are a little big. I washed them so they might shrink a little bit. When they were clean, Ellie tried them on and said, "Look I can wear these now cause my butt's big!"

A sister in the ward came over to bring us a gift and see the new baby. We were talking about how plump Cooper is and she said he was chunky or something. Ellie piped up and yelled, "He's not chunky, he's Cooper Thomas!"

My cousin was changing her little boy's diaper and Ellie was watching curiously. She then said, "He has the same butt as Logan!" I think those were the only two "boy bums" Ellie had seen until Cooper.

Every night when we tuck Ellie in, we tell her goodnight and that we love her. Usually we start the saying "Goodnight, sleep tight." Ellie finishes by saying "Don't let the bugs getcha."

She constantly goes around acting like she's in an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and when she needs something or runs into a problem she calls out, "OH TOODLES!" Then she points somewhere in the room and says, "Here he comes!"

On Sunday, my mom and dad had their little swimming pool out for her to play in when we had finished dinner. It is a constant battle to get that girl to eat, so Grandpa went to get his suit on and go play outside hoping to motivate her to finish. After Grandpa had his suit on and Ellie had finally finished and had her suit on, she turned to Grandma and told her to get her swimsuit on. My mom told her she didn't have one that fit right now and that she wouldn't be joining her in the pool this time. Ellie said, "Come on Grandma. You have to go get naked and do it." I'm 100% sure she meant go get naked and get her swimsuit on, but it just sounded really wrong.

Happy Birthday Ellie!

I can't believe our little girl is 3! She seemed like a giant when we brought Cooper home from the hospital. I wonder if it's possible for her to have doubled in size over those three days. She weighs 31 pounds (53rd percentile) and is 38 inches tall (64th percentile).
I copied my cousin and would like to list some questions I asked Ellie and her answers. What I would add is written in pink.

•Who are your best friends? Annalise, and I like babies too. "Louie" (Lilly) and Mommy
•What's your favorite movie? any Mickey Mouse movie Tangled
•Favorite TV show? Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and any of Daddy's shows
•Favorite food? all Cereal, popsicles as well as Chicken nuggets, hamburgers, and french fries
•Favorite song? Tangled Song- Let your power shine (The Healing Incantation) "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga
•Favorite toy? Cooper Doggy Chalk, bubbles, and playdough- all the messy things
•Favorite thing to do? Spin around Smother Cooper
•Favorite snack? Fruit snacks Cheetos, peanuts, popcorn, and cashews
•Favorite Candy? Skittles
•Favorite thing to drink? Milk and "Lemolade"
•Favorite place to eat? Wendy's or "Donalds"
•Favorite Book? Mickey Mouse Board Books
•Favorite thing to wear? White shirt like mommy's (a white lace-bottom Downeast tank)
•Favorite place to Go? playground and Grandma's houses
•Favorite thing to do at school/daycare? play on the playground
•Favorite animal? elephant
•Favorite color? Blue and pink
•What do you want to be when you grow up? big :) She also wants to be a mommy
•What makes you happy? "Do as i'm doing" when she helps
•What makes you sad? Time outs


Ellie had a great party with our families. Both of her grandmas and grandpas were there as well as Grandpa Great Zaugg. Uncle Cameron, Aunt Leila, and Uncle Marc were too. Ellie got lots of presents. Our front room looks like it should on Christmas morning. She is just a little bit spoiled.
Ellie has become a real "big girl" now. She saw that I was upset I didn't get her cake finished how I wanted. I had promised her a Little Mermaid cake and with a newborn around it just didn't get done. She was in the bath and I walked in to straighten the bathroom. I had tears streaming down my face and was very upset I couldn't be "Super Mom" and get everything I wanted to done. She said, "Don't cry Mommy." Then she asked why I was crying. I told her it was because I didn't have time to put a mermaid on her cake. She sweetly looked up at me from the bath with her huge brown eyes and said, "It's ok Mommy." Of course I bawled even more. She is such a good little girl. I was so grateful she didn't throw a fit and demand a mermaid.
With the family's help, we were able to get a mermaid on her cake. It wasn't anything like the big plans I had for her cake, but it was a mermaid. The house was still "messy" to me and we didn't start when we had planned, but our families are awesome and they didn't care.

Happy Birthday Miss Ellie!