My Baby Boy

Cooper is such a cute and serious little boy at times. He's such an active, happy baby. He loves to be tickled and kissed on. He loves Jewels (dog) and his big sister. Just looking at them makes him laugh out loud. He's such a doll.

Plano Balloon Festival

I love the Plano Balloon Festival! I love the colors, the balloons floating in the air, the crisp morning air at 6am and the look on my beautiful daughters face when she spots on in the sky. This year, we went to the Sunday 6am take off. We parking at the Garden Ridge parking lot and watch a handful of balloons float above us. All while waving and screaming HI. Bella loved it. Then Brian asked Bella if she wanted to go 'chase' the balloons. YES! That is my favorite part! So we all loaded back into the car and took off with the windows down 'chasing' the balloons. We followed them for a while from Plano to Allen, to the Russell Creek Park. The balloon we chased was driven by one of Brian's friends. We watched them land, bring the balloon down, then fold it up, pack it away and drive off. It was all very cool!!

Hair Today Red Tomorrow

What have I done??? I'm now a 'redish' haired person.

I told Brian Sunday morning on our way home from the balloon festival that I was going to color my hair today, with the help of my sister. He said what color are you going? I said darker, more like my roots. He said how about go red. WHAT? Are you serious. I think I asked him that about 12 times, "Serious?" He kept saying yes. So off the the grocery store I went to get a roast and hair color. Great combo.
I arrived home with the hair color and my sister helped me apply it. I took a shower to wash the color out and it turned out AWFUL. What did I do? It looked like the designer Betsy Johnson, crazy, wrong on so many levels, red.
So back to the grocery store I went, this time with my sister. We choose a much darker color than I really wanted, but I couldn't be that other color red, dark brown would have to do. Sister applied the color, I washed it out and WOW, it is dark, but still really red. It looks 'natural', so that say. I'm learning to like it. Only problem I am finding out is all my pastel clothes look awful with my new red/brown hair. Good thing it's fall! Off to go shopping!!

The pictures don't do it justice. This is the first try.






This is the final product. Not half bad.

SHE'S POTTY TRAINED!!!

I am so darn happy! My sweet Isabella is potty trained(ing). She has been wearing big girl panties since last Monday and she is doing a great job! She is having a huge struggle with doing number 2 in the potty, as most kiddos do. But she is finally enjoying the process.

My mother came to stay a few days this past week. She came Monday night and went home Thursday. She watched Cooper for me while I helped Isabella with the potty. My mom read a book on how to potty train your child in one day (which is hardly the truth). And mom gave me pointers all day. We were hard core on Tuesday and Wednesday when she want to gymnastic school she did pretty good. But on Thursday at church school she did fantastic!! No accidents! I am so proud of my big girl, she gets so excited when she feels the tee tee coming out. She always tells me "I doing it" "I go tee tee" I love it.

I have to say a huge thank you to my mom. I would have never had as much success with this task if Honey wasn't taking care of Cooper and directing me along the way. I can't say how much I appreciate my mom for taking charge and making me do this. It was one of the hardest things I have had to do. AND not only did she help me with potty training Isabella she helped me get Cooper in his own bed. I was just mentally struggling with this and just thought it couldn't be done. But she proved me wrong. He sleeps in his bed now (except last night) and it is great. I am very proud of both my children. Thanks again mom!!

One of the cutest things Isabella did was last night at about 2am, she screams from the upstairs, I NEED TO GO POTTY!!! I wanted to ring her neck, but she had stripped off her pull up and was standing at the top of the stairs butt naked. I helped her go potty and she went right back to bed. Only in hindsight this is funny, last night Cooper was up every hour, and that is no joke. I brought him to my bed so I didn't have to climb the stairs all night. So Bella screaming at 2am was just the cherry on the top.

My Husband Loves Me!!!

Or is it the new body I'm on a mission to get!?! I joined the gym a few weeks back and purchased a few personal training sessions, I used up all my sessions and my trainer asked me if I was going to re-sign for more. I of course love the personal sessions and I totally wanted more. So I called Brian and he said, SURE!! He knows how much I enjoy it and that I feel like I'm making progress, you can't see my progress, but I know it's there. So he allowed me to purchase more, kind of for my birthday. I got 8 more sessions. That will last until end of Sept, going twice a week, so I'll ask for more for my birthday again, maybe he will have forgot the first request.

Although, he said he already had something planned for my birthday. I wonder what it is??

Who Wants To Go SWIMMING!!!

Isabella is a fish and Cooper is following in her footsteps. They love the water and I can't wait until next summer, the pool will be an everyday activity. These are pictures of Cooper's second time in the pool.

First Baby Food! Green Beans!!

Of course, Green Beans! Brian's favorite veggie is fresh green beans and Isabella loves green beans too! So Cooper has to love them as well. It's a staple around here. He was funny watching him try to figure out what the heck I was putting in his mouth. I think he actually likes them. Good thing! He's some pictures of Cooper's first 'meal'.

Cooper...

My sweet baby boy is getting so big. He weighed in at 16.4lb at his 4 month appointment. I have to say, I still can't believe I have a baby boy. It still makes me smile. I'm a proud mother of two wonderful children and I couldn't be happier. Cooper is the most amazing baby in the world, he always happy, smiling, laughing, sleeping and eating. We are so blessed to have him as our baby! I have some pictures I wanted to share, so, enjoy!!

He found his toes and loves to play with them!!




He loves his seat, he's able to watch Isabella dance around and watch tv.

4 Months Old

It's hard to believe, but Cooper is 4 months old today. He's such a big boy! We go to the doctor tomorrow to see how he's progressing. I bought him stage 1 baby food tonight at the grocery store. I can't wait to see how much he weighs now. It's got to be 17lbs or so! He's a very big boy!! Cooper doesn't like his tummy, but we are working on that. He loves to be sitting up and watching Isabella zip around him. He is the easiest baby to make laugh and he loves to be kissed! We are so blessed and happy.
This picture is taken May 1st... his first true bath.

4 months old... he loves the water!

GYM

I have finally joined a gym!! Yeah!! I have a personal trainer who is working my butt to death. And I love it. I have been to the gym every day this past week! I'm going to classes and the personal training. I have a girl friend that goes with me most every time. She has a son that is Isabella's age and a daughter that just turned one. So the kids all play well together in the kids club. My trainer is a very nice young woman who also has an infant. She really easy to talk to and really knows how to push my limits. I am thrilled I bought the training sessions. And I feel good each day I finish at the gym.

Now if I could just start eating better, it will all come with time...

Gymnastics

This summer, Isabella was going to a MDO at a gymnastic school. She really loved going to "nastics" and the teachers loved her. So a few nights ago, while Brian and I were watching the Olympics, he asked me if Bella would be going to gymnastics school this fall. I had not enrolled her because I had not gotten the OK from him. So, she in now enrolled to go on Weds. this fall. They said she has great upper body strength and loves the bars. I'm so excited for her to continue in a school setting for the fall. She'll be going to McFBC MDO program T/TH then Infinite Bounds Gymnastics Day School on Weds. Then in the winter (Jan.) she will go to a class specifically for her age group, so we'll see how she likes gymnastics in the winter when its just a full class of tumbling and the such. Wish us luck!

Thumb Sucker

Cooper has become a thumb sucker! I think it is so cute! He smacks his thumb while he's sucking! Here are some pictures from tonight.

Portraits of Kiddos...

Brian and I took our beautiful children to Portrait Innovations on Sunday. This place can be a wonderful experience. BUT this time it was a beating! Isabella is having some major jealousy issues with Cooper right now, and she wanted NOTHING to do with him on Sunday. And with Cooper being only 3 months old, he doesn't do anything on his own. So we needed Isabella to participate and she wasn't having it. So these were some of the best shots. I do think it does have a lot to do with having a great photographer, so next time I'll call and ask who is the best and set an appointment with him/her. But for our Christmas photos I am setting an appointment with Julie Birdseye to do some photos of our family. I really can't wait to do a session with her. She does amazing work.
Enjoy!
Special thanks to Elissa for the adorable patch work outfit Cooper is in. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted Cooper photographed in it. Thanks E!!








This one is sweet, Cooper is holding Bella's arm.

Good Day!

Today was a good day. After being locked up in the house for a few weeks, I decided to grab a cup of coffee with a girlfriend. I took Bella to Adventure Kids to let her play and headed to a new shopping center to get coffee. Cooper and I went shopping after, just to look and then off to get Isabella. When I was going to get Bella, my sister called to say she and the boys were coming over to swim. I have only been swimming twice this summer, because I refuse to take Cooper out in the 100+ temps. So I was really excited. Michelle stayed with the twins and I went with Michael, Mavrick and Isabella. We had a great time, I love our splash pool!

Then we came home and I bathed both kids and ironed clothes for tomorrows pictures. Isabella, Cooper and I watched Peter Pan on network TV. And now I am writing this. The below photos are random shots from today. Enjoy.

The tight curl (hard to see, but it's there) I got from my dad's genes. I keep saying I don't know where Isabella got her curls. I guess I can't deny it any more. I hate my sporadic curls. Hers is much prettier.


The Twins. Major and Cooper chilling out in the living room.

Cooper chillin' in the swing.


Major chillin' in the Bumbo seat. He was in a really good mood, he's smiling.

Happy Major is laughing in this picture. He's such a cute baby!


OK, so I can't get over Major's toes. They are like small fingers. They have like 10 joints in each tiny toe. I am so fascinated in his feet.



I know it's a bad picture, but this is a good shot of the LONG toes!


And lastly, Isabella's TAN body. She and Brian go to the pool at least once on the weekend sometimes more. She has the cutest tan, I remember as a child having the same tan lines and the WHITEST bottom!