Things I'd Rather Do

Dear Cooper,
Here is a list of things that Mommy would rather do than take you to get your two month shots...

Listen to virtually any of Daddy's CD's
Watch the overrated show Big Bang Theory
Get a root canal
Wear sweats that say Juicy on the butt out in public
Watch Sex and the City 2 again
Sit through a Leno monologue
Walk Liono on a leash in the rain
Read any of those vampire books
See Starr Jones naked
Babysit for the Duggers
Eat seafood
Have a conversation with Tom Cruise
Dress like Lady Gaga
Be trapped in a room filled with clowns and mimes
Herd 100 cats
Argue politics with, well... anyone
Go fishing with my father
Start a relationship with Michael Moore
Go back to junior high
Be without the internet
Milk...anything
Live in an igloo
Be an audience member for an entire season of Dancing with the Stars
Hang out with the cast of the Jersey Shore
Cut the lawn using scissors
Be stuck at Walmart for any length of time
Declaw a kitten
See Barbara Streisand live
Stick a fork into a live socket

Immunizations are a necessary evil, in my opinion. His one month shot went well. I held him and calmed him down relatively quickly, but I will NEVER get the look he had on his face out of my head, not ever. She poked him, he gasped and held his breath, and looked utterly shocked. Then he screamed. I nearly cried myself. Mike offered to bring him to his appointment, but I think not going would just make me feel worse.

Breaks my heart.

Coop had a yucky day. He wouldn't really nap, so by the time we had to take him for his 2 month check up. He was tired with a capital T. This Mommy couldn't bare to watch him get his shots...chicken. He calmed down pretty quick. I just feel bad for his pork chop thighs. It is now 8PM and my little guy has slept for about 2 1/2 hours since waking up at 6AM. One of two things will happen tonight lots of tears and exhaustion or lots of sleep. I guess we will have to see how it goes.

Here's what I hope happens tonight

Fallible Mommy Moment: Why is it that when I am at the doctor's office, I forget all of my questions? I remind myself before we get there and then blank out. I need to write them down because Google gives me way too many possible answers which are clearly just opinions written by people who got their medical degrees by watching Grey's Anatomy.

Scrapbooking: Just another Fallible Moment

Those Mommy's out there who create beautiful scrapbooks amaze me. I have a wonderful baby scrapbook that was made by my dear friend Kate. She made it so easy to just fill in the pictures. I bought a bunch of stuff to create one for King Coop. Best intentions, right? I've been super good about printing out the pictures and everything, yet I just can't seem to get my act together. Even now...I brought all the stuff downstairs yesterday...determined to get some pages done. Now I've just made a mess and really have nada done!

Today we finally got Coop's newborn pictures. The photographer did an amazing job, but I will be honest, it cost us a lot! We only ordered 10 4x6's and 4 5x7's and spent over $200 in addition to our sitting fee. The pictures are beautiful. Wish I could post 'em, but there was no option to buy a disc.

In other news, Coop apparently heard me whining about sleep and actually slept for 4 hours straight last night AND it Mike did the 1:30 feeding...even better, I was so tired his crying didn't wake me up. I slept for 5 hours and what a difference it made. ohmiword. Then this little man took several lengthy naps today, GET OUT! It probably wont' happen for another few weeks, just often enough to keep me from completely losing my mind.

Valentine's Day was exactly the way it should have been. Take out. Cuddling. Then falling asleep while watching The Shield. OK, I don't know if watching Al Capone with a badge is the picture of romance, but it is one of the best shows, ever.

Here are some pictures of my love(s). Ahh Coop, your little bug eyes crack Mommy up. Once that flash goes off it's over...

This one isn't from Valentine's day, but I love it!

On the Blog Again

I needed a break from all things technology related. My Kindergarten blog, Facebook, email....technology and I were on a break.

Cooper is smiling ALL the time, it is literally addictive for me. I've got hundreds of pictures of this little guy. With all that smiling you would think, Mommy must be doing great. For the most part, I am. I really like being at home with him, but there are times I long to be back at school, which then, makes me feel uber guilty. Also, sleep is becoming quite an issue in our house. Cooper is still just sleeping for about 2-3 hours at a time through the night. My husband is wonderful about wanting to do a nighttime feeding, which also makes me feel guilty because he has to get up and go to work...but anyway.

Mike will usually do either the 12:30 or the 4:00AM feeding; however, have I mentioned that my husband sleeps like a rock or that he can fall asleep in seconds? Yeah, and then there is me...the smallest sound wakes me up and there are times in can take me an hour to fall back asleep. So, every time Coop wakes up...I wake up. Also, I've got the added bonus that I cannot nap for the life of me (and apparently, this little nugget is just like me because his naps are about 30-45 minutes at a time)! I am EXHAUSTED. I know the newborn stage can't last forever, but seriously, I don't know how to get this little guy to sleep for longer. I try to fill him up, but his little tummy can only hold so much. My poor husband is a saint. I've been tired and really irritable.

L.O.V.E.

Oh my gravy! I love this little guy more and more! Last week he began to smile and this week he is smiling ALL the time. He is literally melting my heart! <------this was a post that was started last Friday and is still true; however, a post written today or even yesterday, would start out more like this...

Oh my gravy! I don't know what happened. Coop and I had hit our stride. Last week he consistently ate every 3 hours. He would be up every 2-4 hours at night. We were getting out of the house with relative ease...my confidence building.

Saturday was the first day my husband and I took Cooper out. The day went perfectly now that we have "Rodge the Dodge". We went to Red Robin for lunch, stopped at the mall, and bought this little guy SOOO much clothing from Carters, woohoo for a gift card! Then, Sunday everything seemed a bit off. We just figured it was "too" much for him in a day and things would get back normal.

Last night he didn't sleep very well at all and nothing seemed to work for him. Then today, every 3 hours became, well, every "whenever the little fella wants". Sometimes it was 1.5hrs and some other times every 2.15....argh! It was frustrating. I couldn't seem to calm him down either. I am hoping that he is going through a growth spurt and not becoming the fiery colic boy of yester. Have I mentioned how much he has grown? Holy moly, as of last week he just seemed to be gigantic. I can't imagine he is in the midst of another spurt, but here's hoping! We have truly gotten a lot more wear out of newborn clothing than I thought we would, but I think those little toes are just going to pop right out!

I have 4 more weeks of my maternity leave and I am really trying to make the most out of it. I am talking, cuddling, and staring at him a ton! I have also found that singing to him truly soothes him which I LOVE.

Fallible Mommy Moment: Friday was a good day with Coop; however, I let some personal issues with my Kindergarten blog affect my mood. I should have just closed up my laptop and focused on my little guy. Instead, I had a hard time refocusing. I didn't have a bad mood with him, but I found my mind wandering when I should have just been enjoying my time with Cooper. Being a Mommy is hard.

Little shout out to a reader...Hi David! Your Kindergarten teacher will always love you!!!

Seven Week Itch

The tide is turning in our house! The week of January 16th was terrible, so we did end up switching to the Alimentum Ready to Feed formula on January 22nd. I can honestly say that we instantly had a new baby. We can hold him or sit with him and just talk to him and his response isn't a piercing scream. It is truly awesome. I am thanking God everyday.

The weather hasn't been horrible here, so I have made a few trips out of the house with Coop. Friday we spent the day visiting my school. I just loved seeing my kids and coworkers. My school is really my second home, I love it there. It was great to introduce my little guy to everyone. That lengthy trip made me realize that my car, affectionately known as Adam, is not made for a baby. Adam is a Toyota Corrolla. He is entirely too small...from the back seat to the trunk...all too small. So, on Saturday Adam was traded in for Rodge. Rodge is a minivan. YIKES...a minivan! I am not the type of person that said I would never drive one but really...a minivan? I would have gotten an SUV, but Mike wasn't too keen on it. Welcome Rodge to our happy family!

Just yesterday we  went to the mall. Granted, our mall is D.E.A.D...it was still a trip! It feels great to get out of the house, and I am beginning to feel confident with him outside of the house. Today we even stopped and picked up Panera and went to eat with our friend Bridget. It was a great day of chatting and visiting with her and the kids.

That brings me to where I am...I've got the seven week itch. I'm dying to get out and about. I really would love some type of schedule, although I don't think that is possible. His eating habits truly throw me for a loop. He was consistently eating 4oz every 3 hours. The last few days he will have feedings that he will only drink 2oz and other feedings that he will drink as much as 6 1/2oz. Those feedings that he just drinks 2oz of our liquid gold is kind of frustrating because then I have to dump the rest. Coop lives his life 1oz at a time.

Some Fallible Mommy Moments:
Our short trip to Target was an overall success; however, our Chicco Keyfit carseat does not, I repeat does not, fit on the top part of the cart. It doesn't matter how many different ways you tilt the car seat or turn it. I really thought I must have been doing it wrong. Then I googled it....I felt soooo stupid for that trip. Here's what...carseats aren't suppose to go up there, no matter how many other people are doing it.

Cooper doesn't appreciate you trying to get the carseat to snap into the stroller in the parking lot at Kohls when it is cold and windy, when clearly your dumbass has not practiced.