Cooper is 10 months old!!

Our beautiful baby boy is already 10 months old! Everyday we get to see a little more of his personality and we love every second of it. He has 8 teeth, 4 on top and 4 on the bottom, he LOVES to eat (we are still doing Baby Lead, so he feeds himself and actually wont eat anything we try to give him unless he can do it himself), he thinks his big sister is pretty cool and is constantly following her around. Cooper is very busy and likes to get in to everything, he is also somewhat daring, but when he falls or gets hurt, he is very sensitive and gets upset very easily. I love that he is sweet and sensitive, I hope he keeps this wonderful quality. Coopie is very eager to be walking, he is very efficient at crawling and his one-legged-scooting crawl has evolved into a more "normal" crawl, although he still resorts back to his old ways sometimes. He is very good at pulling himself up on just about anything and he is cruising on all the furniture. Pushing our many push toys is one of his favorite things, the day before he turned ten months, he pushed out little wagon all the way around our neighborhood block and up and down to the corner house a couple times, I could not believe how much strength and energy he had. He also enjoyed taking a ride in the wagon while Kylie pushed him as fast as she could (just a little scary for mommy, but Coop loved it).

Cooper is wearing 12 months clothes and some 18 month. My good friend Raquel gave us a huge box of boys clothes from her son and they are SO cute! Cooper has never been so stylish! His hair is still very light, almost as blond as Kylie, but not nearly as long as hers was. After his bath we comb it to the side and he looks so handsome. It is almost getting long enough to think about a little trim, but I don't know if I am ready for that yet :o) Cooper loves his stuffed animals and gives them hugs and kisses. Even though he is not very verbal yet, he is very clear about what he wants. Recently he has been taking the food that he does not want to eat and not only dropping it off his highchair tray, but actually throwing it almost behind him. He gets very very mad when Kylie takes something that he was playing with, or thinking about playing with. Cooper is still nursing often and sleeps with Craig and I. Our bed is still on the ground making it easy for Cooper and Kylie to come and go as they please. Just in the past week, Cooper has been able to climb on the bed without any help and he is so proud when he does it. Cooper is also very much a Daddy's Boy! The excitement on his face when Craig gets home from work is priceless. His squeals of joy, kicking, panting and ear to ear smile and enough to melt your heart. When Cooper wakes up in the morning and Craig is still in bed, it takes every bit of my strength to keep Cooper from climbing all over Craig and waking him with lots of kisses. Coopie likes to wave good bye to us when we leave for work, and he is very happy to stay with his Ama and Papa (and just about anyone). Cooper loves the constant hustle and bustle of the neighborhood and gets very excited to see the HAack girls and Saraa. He likes to sit on Saraa's wheelchair, facing her, he gives her kisses and plays with her pacifier. Saraa seems to really like him too, she smiles and laughs when he is sitting with her.

Cooper has certainly already brought us more joy then he will ever know, I am so sad to that this time is going by so fast. I have been trying to spend more time really focused on Cooper and truly soaking in everything about him. We feel beyond blessed to call this amazing boy our son.
We love you Cooper!
-Love mom and dad

 When mommy folds clothes in the living room, Cooper is always willing to help me put them away.

 Loving the rainbow song at story time. Even if he is holding a fake orange slice in his mouth for half of it.

 Where is mommy supposed to fit in? Sometimes I find a spot at the foot of the bed :o)

Cooper's First Easter and trip in to SF

After a wonderful wedding, Craig and I came back to our hotel room (which was attached to Ammy and Papa Davids) and found two sleeping kids. We decided that it was time for the Easter Bunny to do a little work before heading to bed. With eggs hidden in both of our rooms, we went to sleep very excited about the fun to be had the next morning. Kylie and Cooper woke somewhat early and were so excited to see their wonderful Easter baskets that Ammy had made for them. Then Kylie started hunting for eggs. Every time she found a plastic egg, she would get so excited, she would bring it over to Ammy and I on the bed, ask us to help her open it and she would investigate the contents. The eggs were filled with yummy treats like honey bunny cookies, power berries, little "doggie bone" snacks, yogurt covered pretzels and stickers. She did a great job finding the eggs, we only had to help out a little bit. She had so much fun hunting for them, that we ended up hiding them a couple more times.

 Cooper enjoyed watching Kylie run around and he LOVED his new pop out book. It is still one of his favorites, even though he is not very gentle with it and many of the pages are slightly ripped :o)

After a wonderful Easter morning we headed down to the hotel lobby and joined Ama and Papa for breakfast. Then we headed in to the city to Pier 39!

 Waiting in line for the merry-go-round. Kylie and Cooper had been watching it go round and round for a while when we decided that we should take a turn. They charged for every person, including the adults to stand next to the kids, so we decided that I would venture alone with both of them. It seemed like a good idea until Kylie decided that she didn't want to go, then she did want to go, then she wanted me to hold her the whole time, then she was crying, then she was happy...and the whole time Craig, Diana, David and Quin and just watching the circus and laughing.

It was at this moment that I wondered if this was a good idea, we had not even started going yet.

 But it got better...

 The second half of the ride Cooper waved at everyone the whole way around, he loved it!!!!

 Although it is not always easy, I love tandem nursing these wonderful kids.

 Especially when they are sweet to each other.

 Kylie playing with her new Elsa magnet doll.

We hung out at the hotel the rest of the day and headed home on Monday. The kids and I had a flight home while Craig, Carol and Melissa drove and my dad went stand-by.
I was proud to be able to make the trip by myself with both kids, we didn't have any luggage which was nice. 

Cooper has been enjoying riding on my back more and more, he does not seem to like the carriers as much as Kylie did, but overall he does really well.

 We made it on the plane.

 And found the car that Craig had parked in long-term parking!

It was a very successful SF trip, we wish we visited my brother more often, the city is so fun! Hopefully we will make another trip soon and maybe catch a Giants game!

I am getting closer to caught up! And the more I write, the more I realize that this has become about documenting our family and not about Cooper's 1st year, oops.
-Natalie

Jess and Graham Wedding Day

On Saturday we woke up and headed across the street to have breakfast. While we were there we found out that later in the morning there was going to be a farmers market, story time, Easter Egg hunt, petting zoo, pony rides, face painting and a cooking class! The perfect distraction for the kids while mommy was doing her bridesmaid duties! Yes!

 Jess got family at the salon Cooper Alley.

 Makeup done back at the hotel

The wedding was at the Marin Art and Garden Center.

 No one could stop this girl from dancing, didn't matter that she was the only one out there!

 Selfie right before the ceremony started.

 Craig and I enjoyed an actual date night. We drank, we danced and we actually both enjoyed dessert without it ending up all over our clothes. It was awesome. Thank you Ammy, Papa David and Doe for watching the kids!

 Ahhhh we are all married!

It was a beautiful wedding! Everyone had a wonderful time and Cooper and Kylie did great. They watched the ceremony without any trouble, enjoyed adventuring around the venue during cocktail hour and went to town on there delicious dinner. We were a little sad that Kylie left before all the dancing, she had said that she really wanted to dance with everyone. But once she knew that she got to go back to the hotel, eat popcorn and watch a movie with Doe, she was ready to go.

So so very much to catch up on...hopefully I will find time soon.
-Natalie