Monday, March 10, 2014

A Letter To My Son {Month 6}

{NOTE: This month's letter and tomorrow's follow up post are a little different than the months before, therefore prior to reading please understand that the choices Brandon and I made, and are now sharing with you, are what we believed were best for our family. We do not under any circumstance pretend to believe that there is one "right"  or "wrong" way to bring a child into the world and therefore, what worked best for us may not be what works best for your family. This blog is not a place of judgment and we ask that you honor that by not passing any in return.  Regardless of how a child makes their grand debut - naturally, with the help of pain medication, c-section, whatever - the day should be absolutely celebrated and that sweet (exhausted) Mommy should receive a gold star for doing her best to bring a healthy, happy baby into this wonderful world. End of story. Thank you for letting me share the wide array of things that are on my heart and for having an interest in my sweet son's life! You are appreciated.}


Little Prince,

It hurts my heart to face the fact that we are already at the six month mark - your half birthday... How is that possible? Where did those six months go? In my best effort to slow down time, to make your days of "baby" last a little longer I want to change up this month's letter. Instead of writing you a little note about what a sweet and perfect boy you are - because I'm pretty sure that's been well established - I'm going to do a separate post about the day you were born. Your true birthday. I haven't told you this story yet and it's one that I don't ever, ever, ever want to forget. I was very afraid that I might miss something about the day you were born - that I might be blurry on the details after the actual event was over so your Daddy and I called our sweet friend, Josh McCullock, the guy we entrusted with the responsibility of capturing our wedding... and we asked him to also photograph your big day. Now, by the time you are old enough to read this I don't know what will be thought of "birth photography" but in today's world it is happening more and more often, but some people still think it's a little out there ("some people" being Gabby/MamaShawna) so I want to explain why we did what we did....

Well, first off, if you haven't realized this already - your Mommy is a rather strong-willed woman. I can't help it, I come from a very long line of strong-willed women, but that's a whole other story... I had made my mind up that I wanted to have you without a single drop of pain medicine in my system. People (your daddy included) thought I might have been crazy, they were probably right to some extent. Nevertheless my reasons were genuine - I didn't want to miss a single thing about your first day of life. I would rather feel the pain than take the chance of having a reaction to whatever type of pain medication I was given and then be groggy or sleepy or sick or looped. I wanted, more than anything, to be 100% present. I wanted to be able to hold you and stare at you and feed you and just be in awe of you from the very second they handed you to me. I had waited my whole entire life to be your Mommy and I sure didn't want to miss a minute of it once you were finally here. 

So after the no pain meds decision had been determined, we had to make a few other choices... Your daddy and I decided that we wanted our first time with you to be a special time for our little family of three. We knew that those precious few hours after you were born would be sacred and therefore, we decided that your daddy and I would be the only two people in the room other than the medical staff. The only drawback was that we wanted to be able to share the joy of your arrival with our family and friends, but without them all staring at your Mommy while she screamed her head off like a truly crazy person. So, we decided to ask Josh to photograph your birthday! It solved all of our dilemmas - I didn't have to worry about missing or forgetting any little detail, our family and friends could view the pictures that Daddy and I chose to share and your first day of life, my sweet son, would be well documented!  Problem solved - we were happy! 

So, tomorrow, in celebration of your half birthday I will share the story of the day you were born (with completely modest, precious, tear provoking pictures!).

All my love,
Mommy



Six Month Milestones:

Eye Color - Hazel. Mainly brown, but with definite gray flecks.

Weight - 17lb 11 oz... Approximately the 50 percentile.

Height - 27 1/2 inches... Right around the 75 percentile.


Clothing - You are completely filling out all 6 month clothes, so I always buy 6-12 or 9 month! I'm looking forward to short sleeve season so that your sleeves aren't always 3/4 length... 

Nicknames - Little Prince and Coop.



Sleep - Sleeping through the night like a champ! Yayyyyy! You've even started taking a real nap (gasp!). Lately you've been going down for a solid hour to two hour nap in the middle of the day. If we are out running around than you just stick with your normal power naps in  the car, but if we are home you will knock out a big boy nap!

Hair - Just growing, growing, growing! I'm a bit confused what to do with it since you have a cow lick on your right side, but the swirl that makes your part is on the left side! I typically just brush it with a kind of swish to the left at the end, but lately I've been giving you a little mini-mohawk up front. Surprisingly, it stays spiked up perfectly all day with zero product! It's pretty darn cute, but it makes you look older and Mommy is definitely against that!



You aren't quite as mesmerized by your feet as you were last month, I guess they are kind of old news at this point... Nevertheless, you never stop moving them. Whether you are eating, riding in the car or just sitting in my lap, your little feet are always bouncing. It makes me laugh!

You continue wanting to reach/touch/hold and put everything possible in your mouth. You love to "play the drum" on any flat surface. Your favorite toys vary day by day - every toy is new and exciting right now! You are learning how to make the fire truck roll, push the buttons on toys that make sounds and so on. It's fun to watch you discover new things every day.



Baby Yoga is on break again during the month of February! I fear that by the time it comes back we will be crawling and therefore, no longer able to attend, but... 

We've started Kindermusik this month and you think it's great fun! In your class we play the drum, tap your sticks to the beat of music, sing and dance. You watch Miss Ginger very intently and every time she looks in your direction you flash the biggest smile! The only negative is that class starts (on the entire other side of OKC) at 9:25 am so we have to really book it to get you up, ready, fed and on the road in time... 

You are still talking non-stop. You talk to yourself in the mirror while we ride in the car. You talk to me constantly throughout the day. It isn't like you are just jabbering away either, you look at me very seriously and work very hard to make your mouth make certain sounds. You also will look at strangers and just smile and talk excitedly to them! You think your daddy is hilarious when he tries to get you to say "dada dada" and I wouldn't be completely shocked if you said it back perfectly to him at any time. You very randomly roll your tongue over constantly - I can't do it but your daddy can. You just learned that you can do that little trick so it's happening nonstop right now.


You are such a smiler - if anyone makes eye contact with you, you light up with the biggest smile! Your grin makes getting through the grocery store a lengthy process because everyone wants to talk to you and you want to talk back! I am so happy that you have such an easy smile - it brings everyone you come in contact with great joy!

In the last week we have introduced you to big boy food. Look out world, the Cooper-man is ready to eat! You LOVE real food and watching you love food is quite possibly the most entertaining thing your Daddy and I have seen in a very long time. Neither of us can eat for watching you!! We aren't giving you the traditional baby food, but instead are doing the "Baby Led Weaning" approach - basically we give you the same food we are eating (talk about an incentive for Mommy and Daddy to eat healthier) and let you figure out what to do with it. In just one week you have made great improvements and are doing excellent! We've only found one thing that you don't enjoy - bananas. I think it was because they are slippery and you were frustrated that you couldn't hold on to it. Other than that some of your favorites have been: cheese, apple slices, grilled chicken, chicken salad (it had onions in it and I wouldn't eat it but you made sure it didn't go to waste!), strawberries, potato wedges, hamburger, zucchini and your absolute favorite - crab legs! You are your Momma's child! You make a wild mess (Rylee's posts up under your high chair as soon as I pull it up to the table) and when you are done we just pick you up and stick you straight in the sink. Oh, each new thing is such great fun!



To sum it all up, we've been very busy this month - You kicked off the adventure of eating real food. We can see the tip of your very first tooth. You randomly rode a donkey. We bought a new house and began the massive remodel. You sit up completely by yourself and have tried more than once to pull up (a few times successfully!). You started your first music class. You attended three OU basketball games and one high school game. We made three trips to Vian. You "helped" grandpa move into his new house. You stayed in your first hotel (we went all the way across town to Edmond, super exciting). You crashed a baby brunch. And last but certainly not least, you were one very precious Prince Charming and made lots of Valentine's Day deliveries to all your favorite ladies... Life with you sweet boy is never dull.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Five On Friday

So I thought I'd give you a little tiny Cooper break.

I know, take a moment... You didn't think that was possible did you?!

Well it happens occasionally and today is one of those days! I'm linking up with the very fun Five On Friday! I haven't done a link up in quite some time, so this is a nice little change of pace - let's get this party started! My five random thoughts of Friday:




1. Girls... Prepare yourself... This is really good stuff coming at you...

Remember the ridiculously awesome cake we had at Cooper's gender reveal brunch? (I can brag and say that it was ridiculously awesome because I had ZERO to do with the fact that it looked so. stinking. cute! I just gave Cassie a copy of the invitation and let her do her cake designing magic!) Well, my crazy amazing cake decorating friend is doing a how to make a cake tutorial on her blog!! I am beyond excited! She is posting it in parts so this is simply the basics, but I learned some new and very helpful tips! Her adorable blog, The Farmer's Daughter, is a great place to find fun healthy recipes. Go check it out! 

PS I pinned her Let Them Eat Cake post here for easy repinning!



2. TV time... I have wayyy too many "shows" right now, and admittedly, The Bachelor is one that I could should kill off. It's down to the final two and I'm not just super excited about either of them - whomp whomp. I guess I'm "Team Nikki" because I think Clare is pretty manipulative... however, I forecast Mrs. Juan Pablo will be (drum roll please) Clare. I may be wrong, I don't read the spoilers unless my friend, Sheridan, calls me and tells me what they say!

Side Note: I was a huge fan of Renee (the mom who lasted until the final four)... but because I really liked her I didn't necessarily want her to win! Does that make sense? She was so incredibly kind and momma-ed all the girls when they needed someone to listen to them or give them sound advice... I hope she finds the man of her dreams and gets her happily ever after without the scrutiny of national television.


3. So I'm a HUGE MacKenzie Childs fan (like I may need to find a MKC Anonymous group soon) and while my heart will always be devoted to the classic black and white Courtly Check I may be having a slight love affair with the white Flower Market. Ohhhh my. It's not like it's new, but I guess I was just always zoned in on the checks and never stopped to smell the roses (see what I did there?!). I love the beautiful flowers and fun burst of color - how did I not catch this sooner?! I LOVE how they awesome they look paired up with my classic black and white - seriously, does it get cuter than checks and flowers?! I'm probably going to have to cut this post short so I can start on my Christmas 2014 wish list... If anyone would like to donate to my slowly growing collection you can email me for the address where you can send your contribution. Cash, checks, money order or bars of gold are accepted!


4. I've gotten quite a few questions about what in the world I'm feeding Cooper - Did I skip the rice cereal? Does he choke? How do you know he's eating enough? All great questions that I, too, asked a few months ago! So, while I'm happy to answer each one individually, I thought I would share the book I've been reading and the theory behind skipping the purees and taking on the big boy food from the start. Baby Led Weaning is the approach that we decided was best for Cooper and our lifestyle - it may not be best for your family, that's completely up to you to decide. There are pros and cons to each approach! We have watched Cooper's hand/eye coordination improve drastically over the past few weeks; We've not had a single choking incident (God gave babies lots of built in safety features! It's actually really quite interesting!); We have loved watching him explore and enjoy a variety of foods - even ones that his mommy would NEVER eat; and last, but certainly note worthy, we have cleaned up a lot of serious messes. The book can be found here on Amazon for $10 and I've found it really interesting! 



5. Last but certainly not least, meet one very precious little girl named Tatum. This adorable child is the daughter of one of Brandon's friends from high school who  happened to marry a girl who grew up ten minutes from my hometown - small world! Back in August, Tatum had a very scary surgery to remove a horribly terrifying brain tumor. With the help of LOTS of prayers her surgeons were able to do their job incredibly well and she has since recovered beautifully! This morning I saw on her Facebook group "Pray for Tatum" that she had received tough news at her last appointment - nickel sized growth was found on the scan above her ear and she will be going back in for another surgery on Tuesday morning. Oh how my heart aches for this sweet family... I am so guilty of taking the health of my child for granted, but not on day's like today. Please join me by adding a reminder to your phone, marking your calendar,  sticking a post-it on your bathroom mirror, whatever you do to make sure you don't forget something really important and let's all cover Miss Tatum and her parents in prayer on Tuesday morning! 

Here's what I'll be praying for specifically: Strength, bravery and healing for this sweet girl. Guidance, focus, wisdom and a steady hand for her surgeons. Peace, comfort and the ability to feel God's presence for her parents, Michelle and Steve. 

You can stay up to date on Tatum's progress by liking her Facebook page Pray for Tatum.


6. So I know there's only suppose to be five but I couldn't really go an entire post without a picture of my sweet boy. Sorry, I tried!

Be Blessed,
Raegan


Thursday, March 6, 2014

Cooper: Week 28


COOPER LIKES:






"Playing the drums"
The toys that I give Cooper tends to be a hot topic around our house.
Brandon cracks up that our little man has a bin full of toys but every time he comes home Cooper is playing with a kitchen utensil, the tylenol bottle (sealed tight and safe!), an ink pen, my debit card, his shoe or one of his all time favorites, a half empty water bottle!
We may have toys but they are never an arms length away when I need them so I make due and Cooper doesn't seem to mind one bit!! He is a very big fan of the wooden spoon and a couple of tupperware containers - most beautiful music this momma has ever heard!


Clenching his toes
If you look in pictures where Cooper's bare feet are visible he almost always has his left toes clenched... Those little piggies are locked down tight!


Chillin' in the whale tub
This may be one of my all time favorite pictures.
I put Cooper in the tub just like normal and then watched as he leannnnnnned forward trying to reach the front of the little whale. When he finally got it, he slowwwwwwly pulled himself to almost standing (with very most serious eyes locked on the shiny water faucet) and then he hesitated, a little nervous to stand on up and reach... Eventually, he decided it wasn't worth it so sat back down in the deep end, spun around, leaned back and propped his little feet up. I almost died.


Taunting Rylee.
I'm trying to lure Rylee into befriending Cooper... so far, I haven't gotten very far.

COOPER DOES NOT LIKE:



Trying on clothes
Despite the current freezing cold weather, Spring has sprung in stores! 
Finally some bright, fun, preppy baby boy clothes!! 
I don't force Cooper to try things on in the store because that could be super painful but when we get home we have a mini-fashion show and then I choose what stays and what gets returned... 
He cooperates for a few minutes and then baby boy is over it. 
It's official, he is 100% boy.

MOMMY'S FAVORITE 
PICTURE OF THE WEEK:

This week, all my faves were bed time pictures. 
Two mornings in a row, the Little Prince was too precious not to take a picture of!


I woke up to my own personal "son" rise.
(Shout out to my friend, Autumn, for the extra catchy tag line!)


I grew up believing that there was no safer place on Earth than my Daddy's arms...
Cooper feels the same way. Love my precious boys.

WEEK 28 HAPPENINGS:


Before and after on shot day...
(NOTE: I loved, soothed and consoled that sweet boy after those mean ol' shots, 
this was just a fit because he didn't want to put his clothes back on. 
Please disconnect your call to DHS.)


Momma made a quick stop at the flea market and Cooper made some new friends.
So happy my little man is such a people person!


Day 190: Cooper had his big 6 month doctor's appointment, you saw how that went...  Flea market and birthday dinner with Uncle Awesome and Jane (I didn't get a picture of our late night dining so I substituted one of my all time favorites). I will forever be thankful for this wonderful year of having my baby brother so close to us... We love you Uncle Awesome and are thankful for you every day, but especially on your special, special day. Happy birthday sweet brother.








Day 191: We had a very special day on Day 191 - Uncle Awesome hosted Gigi and Coach at the their first OU basketball game. With the help of some very sweet friends, Gigi and Coach received the royal treatment! They got to come in through the OU tunnel and sit on second row court side. They were virtually in the game! It was a very special game for our family as the torch was passed from one generation of coach to another. So blessed to get to be a part of my grandparents getting to see Zac living his dream... or at least the start of it! 


Day 192: LifeChurch, a fun afternoon with Grandpa Larry, and a yummy dinner with Grammy and Cooper's cousins! Could these little birthday twins get any cuter?!

Day 193: Nothing noteworthy... 


Day 194: Another Tuesday of Music and a lunch visit with Gramma and Jerry. I am pretty sure Gramma was just as apprehensive about me giving Cooper big kid food as I was of putting him in the vintage "Sassy seat." He survived both with no problem... It was pretty darn cute to see him sitting in the same high chair his daddy sat in about 29 years ago.



Day 195: Small Group! Another fun play date with our buddy Jackson! Boy these two are handsome little fellas...


Cooper's first sushi... sort of.
Nothing raw! Just broke up a few rolls and let him pick out what he wanted.
He loved the shrimp and proudly showed everyone who might have glanced our way... 
We've got some work to do on those manners!


Day 196: We met Daddy after work for some quick Sushi Neko and then headed over to hug Grammy on her birthday! Cooper was so excited he couldn't hold still even for one picture! Sweet boy loves his fun Grammy - she always brings the life to the party!!