Weekly Update - Excited baby!!!

Week of June 1, 2012

This week we made a trip to Shane's Uncle Floyd's farm for a family party.  We had a lot of fun hanging out with family.  Addie seemed in her element... OUTDOORS!!  Although it was pretty hot outside, Addison loved walking around the property and exploring.  When it was time to cool off, Addie and Cooper loved all of the attention they were getting from the family.  The day was a blast! :)

Addie's Weekly Photo

Cooper's Weekly Photo

All about Addie


Poor little Ears:  We've been battling ear infections since Addison was a baby.  On Saturday, Addison was not herself.  She was quite cranky and toward the middle of the day, I noticed her pulling on her left ear quite a bit.  By late afternoon, Addison was nearly unbearable!! I wasn't sure if she just needed another nap or what but she would be playing and then all of the sudden break out into tears screaming for no apparent reason!  By bedtime, we decided she was probably just tired from our trip the previous day and needed to sleep.  Only an hour after going to bed, Addison woke up crying (extremely unusual for her as she is a really good sleeper).  I went in to check on her and she was pulling quite a bit at her ears.  We gave her some motrin and tylenol (as directed from her last ear infection) and decided we would take her back to the doctor in the morning.  Sure enough, at the doctor they confirmed DOUBLE ear infections and it looked pretty bad.  Dr. Neill said that after we go on vacation, we should talk about the possibility of tubes.  I'm not sure what my thoughts are on tubes, but it's something Shane and I will have to talk about.

Singing songs:  Addison loves to sing songs wether music is playing or not.  Favorites right now are twinkle-twinkle, you are my sunshine, row your boat, wheels on the bus, and london bridge is falling down.  Of course when she sings, it's just bits and pieces of the song, but it's still absolutely ADORABLE to hear and definitely music to our ears! :)


Reading:  No, she's not actually reading but after much repetition of us reading to her, she remembers words on the pages of her books.  For example, there's a penguin says please book and the very first page says "good morning penguin" and as soon as Addie opens the book, she says "good morning penguin".  By looking at some of the pictures in her books she also "reads" along.

All about Cooper


Excited baby:  Cooper has started getting bursts of energy when he's sitting or laying.  I'm not sure what really starts it but it's so cute to watch.  He will gasp in and start kicking his legs and flailing his arms around.  I remember Addison doing this quite a bit when she was a baby.

No Vacation for Coop :(  Cooper does not like being in the car for very long and he still hasn't quite pulled out of the issues with acid reflux or constipation.  After much thought, we decided not to take Cooper on vacation in June.  It took us quite a while to decide because neither of us wanted to leave him but also considered how uncomfortable he would be for the trip.  We came to the conclusion that we would only be bringing him for our own enjoyment and not for his.  Nana volunteered to watch him while we're away and to help out, my Grandmother (Gma K) and aunt Cheryl said they would come stay too.  Although it's going to be really hard to leave Cooper, knowing that he's in such good hands will help out.

Sleeping:  Overall, I can't complain too much about Cooper's sleeping habits.  Although he isn't sleeping as well as Addie did at this point, he's doing so much better than he used to.  For a while he was sleeping 4-6 hours at a time at night but now he's back to around 3-4 hours at a time.  He doesn't seem as angry when he wakes up which means that the Prevacid must be working.

Pooping:  I don't think that apple juice and prune juice did much for Cooper as far as helping with constipation and the Kayro syrup didn't seem to help too much either.  If anything, it seemed like those items were making him MORE constipated.  We've started him on MiraLax (only when he seems to be having troubles).  So far it's working nicely but I'm hoping he can get back on a regular pooping schedule soon so we can slowly get him off these meds!!

Mommy Update:  

Weight:  Most women don't want to talk about their weight.  Although I can't say I'm proud of my current weight, I've come a long way!   I'm at 133.5 which is what I weighed right before I got pregnant with Addie.  When I got pregnant with Cooper, I was at 126 so I have a little ways to go before I'm at my true pre-baby weight.  I'm hoping to get back down at least back into the 120's because I'm most comfortable in that range.  I can't say I'm doing much to lose the weight because it seems like I eat everything in sight, but the breast feeding helps a lot!

Sleep:  I think it's a given that mommies are sleep deprived their entire lives, but I will say that I don't feel as exhausted as I was weeks ago.  Cooper's schedule is a bit more predictable lately and easier for me to plan sleeping times and resting times for the rest of the family.  Hopefully in the next few weeks, sleep patterns will improve and we will all start to look less like zombies :)

More photos from the week:

Aunt Naundie and Coop

This face cracks me up!! 

Aunt Shan and Cooper 

Calin and Addie 

Lexie and Cooper 

Addie and yet another ear infection :( 

Weekly Update - Chocolate or poop?

Week of May 25, 2012


Addie's Weekly Photo

Cooper's Weekly Photo

All about Addie:

Chocolate or poop?  Addie has a new fascination with sticking her hand down the back of her diaper.  I've noticed she does this quite often and I've always thought that one day she's going to end up doing it after filling her pants.  My thoughts became a reality this week when my mom was watching the kids for a few hours.  Addie had walked into Nana's living room holding her hand out to show her something.  My mom noticed the "chocolate" on Addie's hand and wondered how Addison had gotten into chocolate.  As she got closer, my mom began to notice an overwhelming smell.... I'm not sure how common these actions are for a toddler, but I'm hoping she grows out of it soon!! EEW LOL

Chicken Nuggets:  Addison has become the pickiest eater in the last few weeks.  I think the only meal I was able to get her to eat this week was chicken nuggets!! Any night that I made anything different, she wouldn't eat.  Addison used to LOVE green beans, corn, carrots, etc. and now she won't touch any of them.  Aside from chicken, her favorites seem to be noodles and rice.  I try to avoid being a "drill sergeant" at the dinner table because I don't want mealtime to become a chore.  I'm hoping that maybe it's just a phase and Addie will grow out of the picky stage on her own.  Fingers crossed. :)

Counting Backwards:  She must have learned this watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse because I don't think I taught it to her.  This week, we were playing with some of Addie's toys and she began counting backwards from ten to one.  I think I startled her after she was done because I cheered really loud and smiled at her!! ha ha


All about Cooper

All eyes:  Cooper is so alert now and loves to watch what we're doing at all times.  If we're moving around the room, he does anything he can to keep his eyes on us.

Ignoring us:  It sounds contradictory to the previous statements about Coop always watching us but anytime someone is holding Cooper out in front of them and trying to catch his eyes, he will intentionally look away.  Once you finally get his attention and start "entertaining him" by making faces/noises, he doesn't want to look away though.  Very funny!

Angry when burped:  I'm not sure if it's the burping part or just the fact that the bottle has been taken away for a few brief moments, but Cooper gets EXTREMELY angry whenever we burp him.  Sometimes I wonder if it's really painful burps making their way up and sometimes I think it's just that he doesn't want that milk taken away from him.  At times though, it makes burping that much more of a chore because he struggles and keeps the bubbles from making their way up.

More Photos from the week:

Weekly Update - Cooper's Improvements

Week of May 18, 2012


Addie's Weekly Photo:

Cooper's Weekly Photo:

All about Addie:

Sick....AGAIN!  Addie has been off her antibiotic for about 4 or 5 days now and came down with a 104.5 fever Thursday evening.  I also noticed a (sorry TMI) greenish something or another when changing her diaper in the morning.  I wasn't sure if one thing was related to the other, so I called the doctor.  They advised us to come in and have her checked out.  The doctor said it looks like a yeast infection (down below), a bit of bronchitis is still lingering, and her ears still look a bit red from her last infection.  The doctor put her on another dose of antibiotic so hopefully this time we tackle everything.

Shy:  In the last week, Addison has been acting more shy around people.  Wether it's a stranger or not, she will sometimes shy her face away from them and/or hide behind daddy or me.  Daddy and I crack up though because she will look away at the cashier at the grocery store and then as we're walking away she will yell really loud "BYE BYE!!".  Too funny!

Nose obsession:  I know all kids go through some phases where they are obsessed with orifices and right now Addie's is her nose!  It seems like her fingers are in her nose most of the day.  I don't think she's necessarily trying to get anything out, I think it's just an exploratory thing.  Lets hope she loses this habit by college ;)

Gymnastics:  This week, Addison did much better with gymnastics than last week.  She followed directions better and lasted longer though the session without any tantrums.  Of course I'm sure we still have a way to go before Olympic status, but it was a step in the right direction!




All about Cooper:

Cooper's Improvements:  Although I can't say he's 100%... or even 75% for that matter, but he is definitely improving!

Entertainment:  Cooper is quite entertaining when he wants to be but seems to enjoy BEING entertained more.  There are times that I think he cries just because he wants someone to talk to him or entertain him.  Coop LOVES to watch Addie play and will smile/laugh wether she's interacting with him or not!


More photos from the week:

Weekly Update - Addie turns TWO!!

Week of May 11, 2012


Addie's Weekly Photo

Cooper's Weekly Photo

All about Addie

Birthday Bliss:  Addie's birthday was on Monday (7th) but we had her party on Saturday (5th).  Mommy and Daddy had been planning for weeks and settled on a Mickey Mouse theme.  The party was a hit and everyone had such a blast!  We had a big turnout with several of Addie's friends/cousins.

2 Year Checkup:  We had Addie's 2 year checkup this week and everything is looking good.  She's getting over an ear infection and a slight case of bronchitis, but doc said she's looking great otherwise.  Addison did so well at this checkup!  Usually we can't even get Addie to cooperate with the doctor using a stethoscope or looking in her ears, let alone shots!  Luckily, we didn't have shots at this appointment though :)  But Addison was unusually cooperative at this appointment and didn't struggle or fight off the nurses/doctor.  There's a first time for everything!


Gymnastics: Addie's first gymnastics session was today! We signed up at our local YMCA recently since they have a toddler tumblers section and figured it would be a fun way to get Addie around more kids her age. They must have combined the other age groups with Addie's because there were more "big kids" in her class than toddlers. In fact, Addie was the only two year old amongst three, four, five, six, and seven year olds!!! The class is supposed to be for 2 and 3 year olds only!! Hmmm Overall, Addie did well for her first visit. She tried most of the exercises that the instructor showed us and lasted almost the whole session without a tantrum. I'm hoping that the repetition will help Addison warm up more. She seemed to enjoy herself but there were distractions and of course I'm sure she was a bit intimidated by the "big kids". We will be taking it one day at a time :)

"Grandpa":  We have lots of grandpas in our lives which we LOVE!  The only bad thing is that Addie seems to think that any "old" guy is called "grandpa".  We can be in a store, driving, or just about anywhere and she will say "hi gampa" or "hi pawpaw".  Although it's cute and she seems to melt a few hearts when she does it to random "old" men, hopefully she can distinguish between HER grandpa's and just old guys :) LOL

Repeat after me:  Addison repeats everything!!  I've posted about this before but it's more common for her to repeat things we're saying than not repeat them.  For example, pet names.... Addie will talk to Cooper and say "hey buddy" or "hey lil-man".  She has also started saying "babe" (a pet name I use for Shane).  Addison calls Shane "Shane" sometimes and me "tin-tin" (a name the cousins call me).  It's hard not to smile or laugh when she does it, but I try to avoid drawing too much attention so she doesn't begin using it for extra attention ;)


All about Cooper


2 Month Checkup:  We had Cooper's 2 month checkup this week (combined with Addie's 2-year checkup).  Poor Coop has had such a hard time lately between Colic (will hopefully start to fade in the next two months), Acid Reflux (on Prevacid to help control), Poop Problems (apparently constipation is a side effect of the Prevacid), Gassiness (related to the Constipation and irritability), and apparently now TEETHING!  The doctor noticed some pretty significant swelling on his gums indicating that he is at the start of the teething process.  Aside from these minor setbacks in Cooper's health, he's doing great as far as weight gain, growth and development.  Fingers crossed all of these "issues" fade soon!

Extra Sleep:  This week there were three nights that Cooper slept more than 3 hours!  It may not seem like much to some people but we're not used to him sleeping long hours at night.  Generally we get Cooper sleeping in 2-3 hour increments.  One of the nights we actually got 6 hours of sleep from him!!! WOW!!

LOL:  Literally, Laughing Out Loud!!!  This week we saw Cooper laugh out loud for the first time.  We've heard his gasp laugh several times but this was a REAL "belly laugh".  We are seeing a sweet side of Cooper more than ever (indicating that the acid reflux medicine might be helping him heal and feel better).

New Car Seat:  Cooper does NOT like being put in his infant seat in the car.  At the advice of some friends and family, we are trying out a different seat.  My cousin happened to be giving away one of her daughters.  Coop seems to have much more room in the new seat and seems a bit happier but still cries quite a bit.  As the acid reflux, colic, and bowl problems start to fade, hopefully we will start to see a much happier baby in the car! :)

More Pictures from the week: