November 2015

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!

Christmas Jammies

Connor Man is two! How does this happen? This boy is crazy and sweet all rolled up into one adorable pint size ball. He is always on the look out for things to jump off of but also loves his cuddle time. He has recently started to tell us he loves us and asks for snuggles when he is tired or sad. I couldn't feel more lucky to be his Mama.

After Connor's birthday dinner we headed off to the Botanic Gardens to see the lights. It was freezing that night so we all bundled up. We ate roasted nuts, drank hot cocoa and saw the first snow of the year. Magical :)

Our nanny situation has been totally crazy. We lost Maddie right after Cooper turned six weeks old. I can't express how thankful I am to have had such amazing help though those first few weeks and we were so sad to see her go. After that we tried another girl that turned out to be a disaster because she couldn't show up on time... or at all sometimes. We are now working with a woman named Nicole who is very sweet with the kids. She is a bit older than any other sitter we have had and more mom like as she has kids of her own so we will see how that goes, but overall I like her a lot.

 

I had Aurora's Parent Teacher Conference at school which was good and I came out of it with some things to work on. Somehow we ended up talking about Aurora's "phone" a lot. She was never meant to have it at her disposal and has ended up being a point of contention a lot in our house. We started using it as a way for her to have "sounds" when on vacation. Then it became something for her to have music stored on but she has started using it up in her room to watch videos etc which she is not allowed to do. Her teachers suggested we take it away because at this age we can't expect her to not look at it if it is there and just go back to a good old CD player. I was very thankful for this exchange because it has been something that has weighed on me -- I knew we needed to make a change I just wasn't sure exactly what to do. So we got her another CD player to replace the one that broke and I am going to burn music CD's for her and also give her Matt's old first generation iPod to store her books on tape. This way she won't have the lure of a screen at her disposal.

Aurora's square of the Inspire Thankful Quilt

Thanksgiving was quiet. We were supposed to go to Farmington but we needed up canceling that trip because I just couldn't face 7 hours in the car with Baby Cooper. Aurora and Connor would have been fine but I was afraid Cooper would end up screaming and it would be a total disaster. So we stayed home and ordered Thanksgiving dinner from Whole Foods.

Dad took Aurora on a super special date to see Lion King the Musical. She was ecstatic and behaved very well at the theatre. She hasn't stopped talking about it since :)

Dad and Aurora going to see The Lion King

-- Cooper at one month --

We finally have Cooper smiles! It is so nice to see him recognize faces and be entertained by things. I will say though its pretty funny to watch him break out in a huge smile when he is staring at a wall or something. Sometimes I can't figure out what it is that he likes looking at.

 

The crying is starting to decrease, which I am sure is related to him being so much more aware and engaged in his environment. He is also eating less frequently. I don't know how often he is nursing because I let him eat whenever he wants but it no longer feels like he is eating every two seconds.

He is still napping whenever and wherever but will pretty much only sleep while being held or bounced in his seat by dad. We are getting a 4 hour chunk in the beginning of the night from about 9 or 10 until 1 or 2. Then it goes way downhill to usually with a 2 hour sleep until 4 and then I'm lucky if i ever really get him to go back down.

 

October 2015

Preschool is going great for Aurora! We have not had a single tear at drop off and very little complaining about going at all. She seems to be making friends pretty easily -- her current best friends are Audrey and Lucy.

So cute reading together

Connor has recently had his status in the family moved up to "big boy" and is getting to go places with Dad and Aurora on the weekends, like the museum which is a favorite for everyone.

Corn Maze

Connor has started gymnastics and Aurora has started the violin. Favorite activities lately have been coloring, playing don't fall in the hot lava, playing at the park and "cooking" which is usually what I have them do for me when I am feeding Cooper.

My cuties - a bad witch and a tiny Trump

The kids are starting to really show that they are missing time with Mama. Apparently one day Aurora was crying to Maddie that I never do anything with her anymore because I am always with Baby Cooper :( It totally breaks my heart to hear that but I am glad I know so I can try to spend more time with the "big kids" to address it.

Halloween Parade

Halloween was fabulous. Aurora went as a "bad witch" and Connor was Donald Trump. We were finally around for the Hilltop Halloween Parade this year which was a lot of fun for the kids and Dad also took them trick or treating.

-- Connor at 22 months --

I don't know if it is just because Connor isn't the baby anymore, but all of the sudden he seems huge! I think he has put on some weight and gotten taller as well. Must be all that food he has been eating lately!

Connor picking a pumpkin at the patch

He is also talking phenomenally well for a guy his age. He is talking so well people are always shocked that he is 2. It actually must look pretty funny to people that don't know him because he is pretty small for his age but talks like he is much older ;)

He is starting to want to dress himself. He puts on his own pants and socks. 

Storytime

Connor is so particular about things! He doesn't want anyone but Dada sitting in what he has designated "Dada chair" or "Mama chair" and loves to tell us "you can't do that" or "you can do that" which of course sound very similar which causes him much frustration.

He is still a champion at using the potty. He has only had maybe 2 accidents since Cooper was born which is amazing. I was fearing a regression. He was also loves to wash his hands. I always chuckle to myself wondering what people think of me in the public restrooms because I totally use washing his hands as an incentive to use the potty ;)

This boy loves his trucks

Sleep is still great. He almost never wakes up at night. Still going down around 6:30 (sometimes earlier!) and sleeping until 6 in the morning. He usually goes down without a fuss but has been crying and calling out a bit lately wanting "Moosey under, water under." What a funny guy.

Our favorite new thing he says is "Dada, try come home early early early" when Matt leaves in the morning. He's so stinking cute!

-- Cooper turning 1 month -- 

He is starting to wake up a little bit. He is definitely starting to look at things and be more aware of what is going on around him.

Unfortunately Cooper doesn't seem to be a huge fan of the car seat or the stroller. He isn't terrible in the car, and I can't really blame him because no one really likes the car seats... But I really wish he would let me take him for walks in the stroller. I think he would be okay if I put him in the carrier,b but I am trying not to do that a ton because of my diastasis. I have heard front carrying tends to put strain on the connective tissue between the two halves of the abdominals and that is something I cannot afford to do right now.

A rare moment asleep in the stroller

He has lost what little hair he used to have on the top of his head. Now he is almost completely bald on the top with a good amount of hair on the sides. I love the little tuft that sticks up right at the back center of his sweet head. :)

This boy has huge hands! It is hysterical when his startle reflex kicks in because he throws up these huge hands... I will miss that when he doesn't do it anymore.

Me and my boy

He is spitting up a lot. It happens fairly frequently, and each time it is quite a lot. I am having a hard time keeping up with this boy's laundry.

Pretty good head control, I feel like he is already losing that newborn floppiness and I don't have to be quite so delicate when handling him.

It's so hard to be a baby

Doesn't seem to be a fan of either the swing or the bouncy seat unless someone is actually sitting there bouncing it (the vibrations don't impress him!)

Daddy snuggles

Cooper's sleep seems to be falling somewhere between his brother and sister. He usually sleeps for 2 hour chunks (sometimes 1 hour, sometimes 3 hours). He is also often awake for an hour to an hour and a half before going back to sleep again. He falls asleep for the night somewhere between 9:30 and 10:30, but we seem to be trending on the earlier side of that lately. Naps are all over the place. Some days he sleeps a lot of the day, some days almost not at all, and some days he will sleep for only the morning or afternoon.

September 2015

Cooper Charles finally arrived on September 20th. He was only a few days late... It is interesting that I have carried each baby longer than the previous one. We are so thrilled to add this sweet boy to our family!



Our nanny, Maddie, started with us the beginning of the month and it has been amazing. While I do feel guilty for not being the primary care giver during the day I also realize that I haven't been very fun for them lately. This gives them the focused attention that they need and I was able to get a few final things done before baby.



Betsy and Kevin were here the beginning of the month but I guess Cooper decided it was only fair to wait until my parents arrived instead since Betsy and Kevin got to be around for Connor's birth.

Aurora started school at Inspire and is loving it! We have yet to see any pushback from her about going to school in the morning and always seems happy, albeit very tired, when we pick her up. She has also started "big girl" ballet classes -- "no more tap for me Mama!"

 

-- Cooper at one week --

Cooper is doing amazing! He is proving to be a pretty relaxed guy. The first few days he was pretty grumpy, but he has since chilled out a little and is either eating, sleeping or just looking around at what is going on. He is sleeping quite a bit during the day (as most newborns do) and even sleeping reasonably well at night. He is giving us roughly 2 hour chunks of sleep mixed in with some awake time, but I'll take it!

Cooper Charles McCord

Welcome Cooper!

Finally on Sunday, September 20th, Cooper decided he was ready to join us. My parents had just gotten in Friday night and were very excited they had not missed the birth. It's pretty interesting that Aurora came the earliest and Cooper the latest. Although knowing Aurora and Connor's personalities it isn't that surprising ;)

I had a few random contractions throughout the evening that had a little more "bite" to them, but nothing I would even describe as early labor. They were more like the contractions I remember having the day before Aurora was born. It did make me think that things were getting closer though!

Around 8pm I decided to go upstairs and take a bath. I had 3 or 4 fairly intense contractions in the tub which were 5 minutes apart. Then I started to feel a little nauseous, so I got out and went to wake Matt up and tell him I was pretty sure Baby was on the way. He had crawled into bed and passed out when I got in the tub. I had a few more before he got up to call the midwives because they were pretty intense and not very far apart.

At 9:00 Matt brought the baby monitor downstairs to my mother and we were off to the birth center. My contractions were pretty intense through the car ride and I could feel them moving deeper into my pelvis so I figured things were probably moving along pretty quickly.

We got to the birth center around 9:20. I got out of the car but couldn't make it across the parking lot before throwing up everywhere... At least it wasn't in the car! Aubre, the midwife, came out and I remember her saying "I know you don't want to walk right now so let's not even think about it let's just get inside"

They checked me inside and said I was completely dilated so at this point they weren't going to bother trying to get my antibiotics started (I have been Beta Strep Positive with all three pregnancies). Then they let me get in the tub. I remember the intensity being so strong I wasn't even sure how to sit down in the tub but felt much better once I did. I think I started pushing right away and Cooper was born in maybe 3 or 4 good pushes. Even though the entire labor was faster than Connor's, I felt more in control for the actual birth.

Proud Big Sister Aurora

It was no surprise to me that out came a boy, but I think Matt was surprised again ;) Apparently Cooper was pretty blue when he came out but Aubre said that was pretty common and she didn't see anything to be concerned about. Even after the blue faded he was extremely pale for quite a long time though. After the birth Aubre left us to hang with Cooper so she could attend to another Mama. 

At some point the nurse came in to check Cooper out and take measurements. He was by far my biggest baby at 8 pounds and 21.5 inches long. We were at Mountain Midwifery until about 2am when they discharged us and sent us home. It was a crazy quick night but there isn't anywhere I would have rather been at the end of it than in my own bed with Matt and Cooper!

August 2015

We are getting ready for school and baby! Aurora had her last camps this month and we finished on a high note. She had two princess camps at dance and another week of Avid which all went beautifully. Hopefully school will continue this trend. We had our first Meet and Greet for her new school at the City Park playground and that also went well. She was a little nervous about going but had fun and played with a few kids there.

I finally hired a nanny! I have been trying for weeks to find someone to watch the kids when this baby is born and also to help out around the house afterwards. The whole process has been a disaster and I finally broke down and used a nanny service which solved the problem immediately. Thank goodness! Maddie will be starting with us the beginning of September.

I took Connor to a class at Great Play after Aurora had a birthday party there and he absolutely loved it! I think this was probably the first class he has ever gone to that was just for him and he almost didn't know what to do with himself. It was a great hour of Connor being able to do whatever he wanted without his older sister directing everything.

We had our last set of family pictures taken as a family of four! Kristin came over to the house to do the shoot and they came out great. I can't wait to meet this little one.

We bought a new car! Or should I say truck ;) After going back and forth for months we finally decided on the Escalade ESV (or Escalade Stretch as Nanny calls it) because with three kids, two dogs and all our gear to head up to the mountains I am sure we will need the extra cargo space. Now I just have to learn how to park it...

We finally made it up to Breckenridge this summer when Karen, Brad and Ruth came out to visit. I can't believe Ruth is almost two and this is the first time I have met that sweet girl. The kids had a blast playing together and it was such a special time to catch up with two of our very favorite people.

-- Connor at 20 Months -- 

Connor is talking in real sentences now. I love being able to hear what is going on in that little mind of his. It is also hysterical to hear him start to repeat things we or his sister say like “Oh my gosh!”

He loves jumping off everything. Currently his favorite is jumping down stairs.

He want to do everything himself -- “CaCa do self”

He knows some of the basic colors — blue, purple, green, yellow. He still gets confused between orange and red but those can be tricky.
He has been trying to "count" with us lately -- "six, seven, eight, nine, SEVEN!"

He is getting more teeth, but they seem to  be mostly on one side which is odd. He has one molar finally coming in on the right but has both plus an incoming bottom canine on the left.

He is sleeping from about 6:30/7 until his wake up light goes on at 5:55. He rarely wakes before then, or if he does he goes right back to sleep. Often we wake up in the morning to him standing in his crib saying “Green light yay!”

There was a random week this past month where he was totally refusing his nap, but we seem to be past that now thankfully.