Happy Halloween!

Cooper at our nursing group's Halloween party this past Tuesday. He's a spider. And a cutie, of course.

Cooper's (butt's) debut

This came in the mail today.

Cooper's famous!

Look here!
It's just his backside, but it's him! I personally thought the ones of him looking back over his shoulder were better, but I guess this one is cute too.

Cooper's giant "Horton Hears A Who" birthday bash

Cooper's ginormous first birthday bash was Saturday. Still, I can't believe my baby's one! I chose a Horton Hears a Who theme because I like Dr. Seuss. Maybe I should have chosen a theme based on things Cooper likes, but breastmilk, rotisserie chicken (he likes watching it, not eating it), and cheese seemed a little weird. Next year maybe he can pick.
I originally planned to make the cake myself & I've been making practice cakes for a couple weeks (& forcing them on John), but I finally decided it was a bad idea; I knew it wouldn't turn out just like I wanted & I'd be stressed out & get no sleep. I wanted Cooper's party to be absolutely perfect (can you say Type A?), but I tried to keep in mind while I was doing it that it was for him so if I was to busy & stressed out before or during the party to play with him then what's the point? So I ordered the cake from Sam's Club & I'm so glad I did! They don't make Horton cakes, but I figured this one was close enough to a jungle to fit, sort of. Whatever - it tasted good & was so much less stressful!

Since I wasn't making the cake, & since it really wasn't a Horton cake, I made some elephant cupcakes. Not my idea - I stole it off the internet - but I think they came out pretty good.

And I made some dessert sushi, another idea I stole from the internet. They were so easy to make & cute. They're Rice Krispie treats, Fruit by the Foot, & Swedish fish. Yum!

I also made some decorations (again, stolen idea!). These are flowers made from tissue paper. I know, it's kinda girly, but they're the flowers from the book & I don't think Cooper minded. Besides, orange makes them kinda manly, right?

I was absolutely thrilled with the place I found for the party. It was a gym so it was huge. We were able to have seating for 70, tables for food & dessert, & plenty of space at the end of the room to spread out a bunch of big toys for the little kids to play with. I think we had 11 kids that were two years old or younger so it was great letting them run around (or crawl, or creep, in some cases) together. There was even a kitchen and a stage we put the presents on. I loved it! If I ever have a party this big again (highly unlikely!) I'd definitely go back.

The balloons were Cooper's favorite part. They were attached to balloon weights so Cooper was just dragging it along behind him. With his big t-shirt and bare feet (he pulled off his shoes & socks early on) he looked like a hospital patient dragging around an iv!

Again, we had a slow start to the cake. I thought he'd dive in since he loved it last time, but no. I think it was about 10 minutes again before he got interested. Cooper just likes to be stubborn & do things when he's ready to. I can't imagine where he got that from - it's not like John or I are stubborn at all.
Okay, okay, stop laughing.

Eventually he did dig in again and just ate, and ate, and ate. I finally had to wrestle the cake away from him to get him cleaned up and changed for presents.

Cooper, and Mommy, and Daddy, and grandmas, were all exhausted by the end of the day. Overall, (I think, I hope) a good time was had by all.

Cooper's birthday, Part III: After cake

These are from Cooper's actual birthday on the 20th.
Cooper's birthday party was today... so tired... wanted to catch up with some pictures, but must. sleep. now.

Cooper's birthday, Part II: Cake!

Cooper hasn't really ever had sugar, at least not in any great amount; maybe a little here & there in flavored crackers or something, but that's about it, so I was expecting him to tear into his cake. He was not so sure about it. After all, Mom & Dad were offering it to him & he's pretty sure everything we feed him is poison. (That stuff on the ground, though, all covered in dog hair & old & unrecognizable - that's the good stuff!)

Hey, if he's not gonna eat it...

Finished! Finished! Finished!
Cooper knows sign language for "finished" & he was signing it
frantically to escape the cake (& Mom & Dad trying to force it on him!)

After about ten minutes, when Mom & Dad lost interest, Cooper thought maybe he'd taste a little... just a crumb...

Hmm... that's pretty good...

Wow! That's really good!

So big! And loving cake!

Wow, all that cake made me really thirsty!

Yah for cake!

Hmm... I think I'm kinda full now...

And getting a little tired.

Cooper's birthday, Part I: Activities with Mom & Dad

Cooper's birthday on Monday was full of festivities; John took the day off work (both jobs!) & we spent the morning at a pumpkin patch. We went on the "hay" ride, which had no hay, but was still fun; played in the kids' farm; & picked out our pumpkin.

Daddy, Cooper, & Mommy on the hayless hayride

Woah! Look at that!
(A large group of 2nd graders was on the hayride with us - Cooper was
fascinated by all the older kids.)

Honk! Honk! Outta my way!

So big!

Don't worry - I got it!

After the pumpkin farm, it was off to lunch, the mall, & the pediatrician for Cooper's 1 year appointment. He had to get one booster shot, but only cried until Mom & Dad hugged him, & one finger prick that he didn't cry for at all. What a brave boy!

Happy 1st birthday Cooper!

I can't believe my baby's a year old already.

A year ago today...

A year ago today it was my due date & my last day of work. I spent the morning in court & when I told the judge it was my last day before maternity leave she lectured me for not working longer - she said it was a waste of my maternity leave to not work right up until I had the baby. I was in my office in the afternoon & at about 2:30pm my water broke. By about this time (4:15pm) John & I were arriving at the hospital (cousin Karen just cringed reading that!) and my mom was on the way to feed our dogs & meet us at the hospital. I wasn't having any real contractions yet so they had to start pitocin, which I really did not want, but they found there was meconium in the amniotic fluid so I wanted the baby out quickly.
This picture was NOT taken a year ago. It was actually taken more than a month before my due date - I got much bigger!

How many...

...adults does it take to take a toddler to the park? Apparently for us, it's three - one to push him on the swings & two to take pictures!

Cooper is very patient with us, but taking your parents to the park is a lot of work. You just never know what they're going to do, so you have to hold on tight...

Sometimes, really, really tight (look at those white fingertips!)

You never know when they're just going to wander off, so you have to hold on to them all the time.

I mean, it's fun...

but it's a lot of work so it's important you take a break & have some time to yourself every once in a while.

Then back to work...

Parents really can't even be trusted with a dog; I mean they say they'll take care of them, but who winds up walking them? Cooper!

Bananas

Hard to hold but worth the trouble.

Brookfield Zoo

Cooper & I went to the zoo yesterday with my friend Becca and her daughters, Samantha & Madeline. We had some fabulous warm, sunny weather, & it was a free day & we didn't even know it! I love it when that happens.

Cooper & Madeline

Cooper peaking out of his stroller.

Becca & Madeline watching Samantha play.

"Hmm... this tastes better than that chicken Mom's always trying to make me eat."

I think Cooper was watching a goose in the distance; shortly after the picture he took off after it, pointing & yelling, of course. It's lucky the goose didn't notice him because I was laughing too hard to catch him at first.

Pictured counter-clockwise from right to left: some little girl we don't know, Samantha, Cooper, Cooper's plumber butt.