October 2016

We got a terrible stomach plague this month. I should have known it was coming because we are never sick until Matt goes out of town. It started with me, then Connor and then Aurora. Thankfully it got weaker as it went though the family and also thankfully Cooper didn't get it. I was completely useless for two days though. I remember lying on the couch while the kids watched TV (which NEVER happens) and hearing them yell to me that Cooper had crawled all the way upstairs... oops...

Aurora is settling in at Logan really well. She loves her school and her unit work (Greek Gods and Goddesses). I don't think we could have picked a school that was more tailored to that child.

Connor is finally getting more comfortable at Paddington. Everything was fine until my first volunteer day. After I stayed at school with him once he couldn't understand why I wouldn't stay everyday... It has been so hard to see him struggling with drop off, but lately he has seemed okay as long as I get him settled into an activity before I go.

We are looking at new houses! After coming back from Grand Junction and watching the kids play in Roger and Cindy's big backyard we have decided that we need to find a new place with room for them to run and play. We will see!

Aurora got to go to her second Broncos game with Dad! That girl is turning into a huge football fan.

Halloween was fun this year. We had a Butterfly princess and a Red Dragon... except the Red Dragon didn't last very long because the poor boy basically baked in his costume at the Halloween Parade. He flat out refused to wear the hood when we went trick or treating with Aurora's friends Ellie and Eliana.

-- Cooper at 12 months --

Cooper has started standing on his own!

He has also started talking up a storm -- buh-buh (bye bye), go-goot (yogurt), ro-ro (Aurora), Da da da (Dada) Ma ma (Mama)

Cooper gets really excited after he nurses in the morning saying Da-da-da-da-da-da and looks for Matt. It's super cute.

I set up the play slide in the living room and Cooper loves playing with it.

We haven't transitioned to cow's milk yet, but he does eat a ton of whole milk plain yogurt. With other solids he tends to be picky from day to day, but overall eats most things.

He is still very content to ride around on my back, has shown no real interest in walking.

He is super smiley when people talk to him. As the third I think he is just happy when someone finally pays attention to him ;)

I have been taking him to the park lately and he loves crawling around on the play structure. Up the stairs and down the slide... up the stairs and down the slide :)

He has been waking up around 5:30/6, taking two naps around 9 and 1:30, then going down for bedtime at 6:30. I think we may his bedtime a little later to try to get a more consistent 6am wake up.

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.

October 2014

Aurora washing away hitting her brother

Aurora is doing a bit better at preschool. Drop off is still pretty hit or miss but there are starting to be days that she doesn't cry when I leave. For now I'll count that as a win. It has also been fun to see them celebrating some of the Jewish holidays. They did a little activity where they washed away something they were sorry for -- Aurora washed away hitting her brother…by accident ;)

Washing clothes at Four Mile Farm

Feeding the goats

Her class went on a field trip to a historic farm in Denver which was a blast. They got to see what the life of a pioneer was like and meet a bunch of farm animals. I used to walk by Four Mile Farm when we lived in the apartment but I had know idea how much fun it was!

We went to Florida for a wedding and a little family vacation time. The ocean was beautiful but it was  too cold to get in. The kids enjoyed some sand time though -- it was Connor's first time! He wasn't sure about the feel of it on his feet but he loved picking it up and putting it in a bucket.

First time in the sand!

Aurora took Matt to the Dad's Breakfast at her school which was so fun for her. She loved getting to show her Dada her school, her classroom and her teachers. Matt also enjoyed the experience, especially  seeing Aurora's portfolio in the classroom and hearing Miss Jennifer tell him that Aurora's negotiation skills are "legendary." Glad to know she doesn't just do that with us! 

Dad's Breakfast at Temple Emanuel

Aurora and Dad at the breakfast

Matt and I got TWO real date nights! We went to the Broncos game and also to a concert at the Grizzly Rose. It was fun to get out and spend some time with other adults. We went to the Grizzly Rose with our friends Tom and Jennifer and two of their friends. 

Broncos Game

John Michael Montgomery at the Grizzly Rose

This year for Halloween Aurora decided she wanted to be a pink leopard. I have no idea where that idea came from but she has been talking about it for months. Definitely not an easy costume to make, but I did it. Fake fun is no fun! Aurora and Matt went trick or treating on our street and she got to keep the number of candies of how old she is which thankfully she found completely reasonable.

Pink leopards say roar!

Squirrels ate our pumpkin...

-- Connor at 11 Months --

Scarlet Fever! Yes, it still exists and he's got it! Luckily we noticed a difference about 24 hours after starting antibiotics. Now Dada and Rora can't call you "Baby Outbreak" anymore!

Cut your two top teeth

Cruising all over the place and you have started wanting to walk around holding our hands.

You are saying "mama" "dada" "ba-ba" while you are waving goodbye and "no no no!"

Naps are an hour a piece around 9:30 and 2. You generally sleep until about 5 before needing to nurse and then sleep for another 45-60 minutes.

You won't let your Dada put you back to sleep at all anymore. You just start screaming your head off if he goes to you in the middle of the night :(