Cooper met his Aunt Jo and Uncle Gene

Cooper's Aunt Jo and Uncle Gene drove all the way from Birmingham, Alabama to meet him this weekend. It was such a special time for them to finally meet. We miss you already Uncle Gene and Aunt Jo. We love you.

It's time for Alabama football......

Well, We are HUGE Alabama fans, and it it always a great day when there is a football game on TV. Yesterday, we loaded up the car and headed out to Papa and Susu's to watch the ball game. Who knew you had to take everything but the kitchen sink when you try and take your baby out for a long outing? We loaded up Big Al. ( see picture) He is the stuffed elephant that plays the Alabama fight song that Josh plays every time Alabama scores a touch down. Some call it crazy, we call it just being enthusiastic. Alabama was playing Georgia yesterday and we won 41 to 30. So, Big Al got a lot of playing time. Cooper had so much fun. Actually, he slept the entire time we were gone and rested up for his nightly party he likes to throw from 1am to 5am. Roll Tide!!

Reading with Cooper

Let the learning begin. I love books. They are my all time favorite gift. That is the teacher in me. We have been reading to Cooper every night trying to foster his love of reading. I know. He is only 28 days old. Is it ever too early to start?

Cooper listening to Amos Lee

Well, the whole time I was pregnant we played music for Cooper on my tummy. It is so amazing that now when he is fussy, we will play some of the same music and it calms him down. He really seems to respond to music which makes our hearts so happy since Josh is such a music hound himself. He was so alert and looking at me when we were playing this song by Amos Lee.

Little feet and little toes....

I just love baby feet. I could take a million pictures of them. I just marvel in the precious beauty of baby feet. When Cooper takes a bath, he has started crossing his feet in his little hammock. It is the cutest thing ever. He looks like a beach baby relaxing in his hammock. He really enjoys a bath. He gets so calm and just takes it all in. Also, I just relish his sweet expressions. It is so miraculous to view the world through the eyes of a child.

Our first bath

The BIG day is finally here. The umbilical cord fell off and we are all excited to get our little man in the tub for some splish splash fun. We got this bath tub that has a little hammock in it. We filled the water up and put him in it. I was prepared for mayhem because so many friends had said that their babies didn't like the first few times in the tub and screamed the whole time. Well, Cooper loved it. He sat there so tranquil and calm and looked like he was reveling in a major indulgence at the spa. He kept lifting his leg for us to wash it. It was so funny. Cooper is so mellow and it takes a lot to get him worked up. We keep thinking maybe they switched our baby with some other baby at birth...:)

Cooper's two week check up

Well, we went to the doctor for his two week check up. Cooper has gained 3 more ounces and is now 7 pounds and 13 ounces. We were actually a little surprised that he had not gained more because his cheeks look like they are filling out. His umbilical cord finally fell off yesterday on the way to the doctor. Yippee!! You know what that means? Scrub a dub dub in the tub. Also, his circumcision is healing up great.... another one of momma's concerns...:) We love our pediatrician and feel so confident in Dr. Christian's hands.

Hunter finally acknowledged Cooper.......

Hunter has had the funniest reaction to Cooper. He has acted like he doesn't even exist. He walks all the way around him in a room. He hasn't even acknowledged that he is in the house. Lat night, he came up and sniffed him for the first time. It is like he thinks if he is doesn't acknowledge him, then this isn't really happening. Can we say doggie denial? Too funny.

Holding Cooper....

There is no better feeling than holding Cooper close to my chest and snuggling with him. He is just a ball of love and sweetness. He is our little lovebug. Yesterday, I just held him for hours and stared at his face. I marveled in every part of him. It is still unbelievable that just over a week ago, he was inside of me. He also seems so mellow. Who would have thought? A calm and tranquil baby coming out of me? I know. Seems impossible. But, so far he doesn't get worked up about much except when he is hungry. We give God all the glory for this Gift.

Hunter's Big Adjustment

As many people know, Hunter is my 6 year old lab that was actually my first baby. He was my buddy who went with me everywhere..to the postoffice..to the bank...to the Walgreen's drive thru. He slept with me and followed me around the house. He was never within 2 feet of me. We have what some might say is an unusual bond or unhealthy attachment to each other..:) Well, my heart has been breaking this week as I look at Hunter. He has kinda gotten lost in the shuffle. We don't let him in the nursery. So, he just sits outside the door with this sad look on his face. I feel like he looks at me saying " Remember when I was your number one buddy?" Yesterday, I just layed in the floor with him for 30 minutes. Sometimes, I pass by him now without acknowledging him only to turn around, and he is just standing there looking at me. Hunter, I am so sorry that you have been moved down a notch. When Cooper gets big enough though, you will have a forever friend and playmate.

He is growing right before our very eyes........

Josh and I were looking back at the pictures of Cooper from his first week of life. He has already changed so much and is growing right before our eyes. I want time to stand still. We have had so many sweet moments this week with him. He got to watch his first Cardinals game with his daddy, meet his great grandparents, sleep in his crib ( which I thought he wouldn't be doing for a long time..:), and went to see his pediatrician twice. We wake up every day with a wonder and excitement like we have never known before. We just sit and stare at every fold in his eyelids and his little finger and toes. We want him to just be happy and know the Lord at an early age.We feel like we have been given a huge responsibility, but we are up for the challenge.

Cooper met his 89 year old great grandpa today.

What a special day today. My 89 year old Papaw came over to meet Cooper today. He has cancer, and we were uncertain as to whether he would still be here when Cooper was born. Papaw kept saying, "What a sweet baby. What a good baby. I love his little hands." It was one of those priceless moments that you wouldn't take a million dollars for. It was a day we will never forget.

You Are My Sunshine..My Only Sunshine..Our first week with Cooper

We have just celebrated one week of life with our son Cooper. It seems like he has been here forever, and we can't imagine life without him now. He is settling in so nicely and is doing very well. We have had lots of visitors and family coming by every day to just peek at him and give him kisses. He is the sweetest little boy and such a snuggler. His daddy and I just stand over his crib and thank God for our blessing. We love you son.

7 ounces in 2 days.......

There is nothing like being told your baby isn't getting enough nourishment. We started out the first day of his life by overfeeding him at which point he was vomiting every time we fed him. As a result, we decided to cut back on the amount and frequency of his feedings. Well, at his first doctor's appointment, we were told he had lost 9 ounces. Now, I know all babies loose weight at first, but he is a formula fed baby who began eating from the very start. So, his weight loss was a little concerning. Imagine our delight when we were told this morning that he had already gained 7 of those 9 ounces back in just 2 days. Way to go Cooper. I was a proud mommy and felt like I was doing a better job of providing for him and his needs. He is also still a little jaundice but we plan on getting him some sunlight today. We go back on Thursday, September 11th for his 2 week checkup.

I don't want to miss a thing...........

All new moms have to get some sleep. But I have been feeling so guilty about sleeping because I feel like I am going to miss something cute or memorable and not be able to get that moment back. I just want to savor every moment and remember every little detail about Cooper's first days. I had this overwhelming feeling when I was holding him tonight that I don't want him to grow up and get any bigger. I want to be able to hold him in my arms and snuggle him close for the next 18 years. Is that so unreasonable?? I want him to always be my little boy and I to always be his first love. The phrase" bundle of joy" is so trite and overused but it describes him perfectly. He is our precious gift from God. Thank you Lord for this extraordinary blessing. I promise to do the best I can to raise him up right while glorifying Your name in the process.

What a blessing ! God has been so good to us!!!

We have our little boy home with us. Things are going great and he seems so sweet and alert. He is such a snuggler which is what I prayed for while he was in the womb.We took him to the pediatrician on Thursday and his weight had dropped from 7 pounds 12 ounces to 7 pounds 3 ounces. She encouraged us to try and feed him more volume and more often. The problem is sometimes he just doesn't seem to be that interested in feeding. We are going back in the morning for another weight check. We are loving every moment home with our precious gift.

Well...it wasn't Braxton Hicks!!!

Saturday, August 30th, I woke up having pains in my back. I was cohosting a shower for my best friend who is getting married September 13th. So, I went to the shower and felt a little "off" while I was there. By the time I got home, my back pain was intense. I knew it couldn't be labor because our scheduled C-Section was still 5 days away....:) By 1:00am I knew something was amiss. I tried to lay down and had intense pain in my back and side. I called the doctor and was told to come on in if they persisted. I got to the hospital at 5am and was already 3cm dilated. Within 30 minutes, I was 5 cm dilated. What???? I hadn't gone to the birthing class and this wasn't the plan. Then, it got scary. My heart rate dropped to 80/40 and I was feeling very faint. Then, nurses came from everywhere and started turning me, putting oxygen on me, checking for a prolapsed cord, and ordering a C-Section stat. It was by far the scariest moment of my entire life. I was thinking " Are we going to get this close only to have it snatched away?" We were taken to the operating room where Cooper was born at 7:12am weighing 7 pounds 12 ounces. What a coincidence!! He was crying and was in distress when he came out. His APGAR was 3. After some aggressive suctioning and oxygen, we heard the best sound ever. A loud cry that makes every parent feel so relieved and thankful. So, here we are at home on our first night with our little man. He seems so sweet and alert. We are overwhelmed with thankfulness, awe and of course, madly in love with this precious baby. Let the adventures begin.