Don't Go Changin'

If I could stop time right where it is, I would.

Cooper is in that dream stage where he is just so easy.  I need to brag a bit about how productive I've been today since I didn't have Parker.  We dropped Parker off at my mother-in-law's this morning and then Cooper and I carried on to the library, the grocery store, the bank, another grocery store, and I grabbed lunch for myself and all this kid required was a diaper change.  I didn't have to feed him, because he's chunky and eats properly (unlike another teeny tiny child that I know.)

Then we get home and I have unloaded groceries, cleaned the trailer, worked out, showered and made baby food.  I've fed him a couple of times in there of course.

This stage of babyhood is the greatest.  He can sit up, but he can't move.  He's content to just lay around or sit up playing with toys.  I know it's going to be short lived.  I know he's going to start moving.  It will be exciting when it happens, but oh how I love where he's at right now!

And so there is no better day to go and get his "Little Sitter" photo session done so that I can remember this time forever.  Now hopefully he hasn't been saving his crankiness for tonight!

Just Because

I might be biased, but I think he's pretty darn cute.

Cousins Camping Weekend

You can't choose your family, but you can choose how much time you spend with them.  And we sure spend a lot of time with ours.

What started as just a camping weekend that we invited a few extra people to, turned into a full out cousins camping weekend.  6 out of 10 of us were there with our families.  And it was awesome.  And it might have to become an annual thing.  

We stayed at the Rockwood Conservation area, which is close to home.  There is so much to do there that keeps everyone entertained, or you can just hang out on your site too.  Plus, camping with family is awesome because I get free babysitting for my kids.

We were only told once to cut it out with the loud and inappropriate campfire talk...oops! 

Fathers Day Weekend

What a weekend that was.  There was good, there was bad.... Luckily there was good. I can't even really explain this weekend, so I'm just going to show a few pictures of Cooper swimming and Father's Day pictures.  Sorry, but I'm still tired from the weekend and can't handle any more.

Family Reunions and Naked Showers

We had a family reunion at Inverhuron Provincial Park a couple weekends ago.  We had a group site that was right on the water, and it was so much fun.  I love camping with family because there's always something to do, people to talk to, people to entertain and hold my kids and yet you have your own space.

The kids loved it too.  Parker loves to play with his cousins and had a great time at the beach.  Then he needed an outdoor naked shower to get all the sand off him.

Cooper just loves everything, so the kid is easy to please.

From One to Two

I think every mom, while pregnant with her second, has been nervous and sad about the impact that it will have on their first.  I decided I wanted to have children close together because I didn't see why Parker deserved all of this individual time, but no future children did.  And as much as I believed that, as I approached the end of my pregnancy, I was still a little bit sad for him.
 

I was sad that he wouldn't get quite as much attention, that he wouldn't get to be that only child and only grandchild anymore.  I was worried about how it would affect him and if he would act out. 

When I was pregnant I saw a picture of a pregnant lady sitting on a hospital bed saying goodbye to her first born.  And the hormones were out of control and it made me cry.  When I went into labour, Parker was at my parents as they had been watching him for our anniversary and then kept watching him since I was sick all day long.  So because I didn't know I was going to go into labour at that point, I didn't have to say goodbye to him one last time as an only child.  And for hormones sake, that was probably a good thing.

But now I look at these two boys of mine and think that there was absolutely nothing to be sad about.  When Parker became a big brother he didn't lose anything.  He gained a best friend, someone he will be able to talk to and connect with.  The person who will understand what he's going through if he ever has to deal with death or sickness in the family.  The person he can talk to about how crazy mom and dad are and how they just don't understand what it's like to be young.  Someone he can play with, get in trouble with.

These boys love each other so much, and I'm so glad that I was able to give them each other.  The love honestly does multiply.  And not only is there more love from me and Ryan but there is just an incredible amount of love between them, which is amazing to watch from two people who are so little that they don't really understand what love is yet.

My hope for them is that they are always good to each other, that they always love each other and although I know that siblings can be so different and aren't always friends, I hope that they are.  I know that there will be times growing up that they will hate each other, but I've always been one to look at my family long term, and I hope that as adults they can be friends, they want to be around each other, and they want to be around us. 

Getting Hitched at the Farm

This past weekend my cousin got married at her Dad's farm.  What was originally supposed to be an engagement party, turned into a wedding 5 weeks before the date as they figured that was just more practical.  For putting it together in 5 weeks, it turned out amazing!  The venue was beautiful and I loved all of the little touches that Dannielle added.  I mean just look at this head table!

We were able to take our trailer, which was so nice when we had the kids.  Cooper actually napped in the trailer through the ceremony.  We could put them both to bed easily and check on them and I was able to nurse Cooper in the trailer.  I wish I had my trailer at every wedding.

Parker had a great time!  I missed a lot of it because I was feeding Cooper and putting him to bed, but apparently Parker was dancing up a storm all night on the dance floor.  

Parker got a little bit tired in the afternoon.  We tried to take some family pictures.  They turned out ok.  But the pictures of the two boys...not so much. Then the poor little guy fell asleep sitting up in his bunk.

The whole day, and weekend actually, were so much fun! 

Cooper at 7 Months

I know I'm a broken record, but seriously time, just stop.  Cooper is 7 months old today and I can't even handle it.
 

Weight: I'm not sure what he weighs, I will have to get him on a digital scale in the next few days

Clothes: 6-12 months

Diapers: Size 3

Feedings: Eats about 6 times a day usually.  He can nurse pretty efficiently now and often is only about 10-15 minutes.  He can be longer, but I think he is often just soothing himself if he's sleepy.  He's still up once a night to eat, and we've had about a week long stretch this month that he was up 2 times.  Maybe a growth spurt?  But I wasn't a fan!

We also started solids this month.  He has had carrots, peas, banana, sweet potato, peanut butter, rice cereal and pears.  His favourite was carrots, which is actually what we started him on.  I feed him once a day most days, but some days it just doesn't happen.  

Sleeping: He's gotten much better at napping and typically has a morning nap around 10:30 and then an afternoon nap as well.  The timing of the afternoon nap would depend on when the morning nap happened and how long it lasted.  Still not super scheduled, they just kind of happen when they happen.

Besides getting up to eat in the night still, he still sleeps fairly well at night.  He goes to bed at like 10:30 these days and is up between 8 and 9 in the morning.  I would actually love to get him going to bed a bit earlier, but I will feed him at 8:30 and he's still wide awake until I feed him again at 9:30 or 10 and then he falls asleep.

Developmental Milestones:
-Eating solids
-Can sit for a pretty long time

We haven't conquered rolling from tummy to back yet.  Honestly he barely even tries to do it.  

Likes:
-Watching his brother is his favourite thing
-Baths
-Diaper changes
-Pipsi
-Still loves his exersaucer, he spends a lot of time there

Dislikes:
-Bottles

We are having such a fun time with Cooper.  He's full of smiles.  All you have to do is look at him and he gets a great big grin.  He's developing his little personality and is turning into a little boy right before our eyes.