A month old

This past Saturday Cooper turned one month,where has the time gone!!!

Yesterday we took him for his 1month checkup to find out how much our little monkey has been growing. He is now 11lbs and 21 inches!!! we are so happy & blessed that he is a healthy growing little man. Cooper also got a shot and did such a good job, but wanted to sleep all day and cuddle.

This Past month Cooper has...

• had tons of visitors -and were so thankful for all our friends & family
• Gone on many outings with mommy and daddy
• Went to his first wedding
• Celebrated easter
• Went to his first soccer game
• and tons of sleeping:)

Other things he has done is outgrown all his newborn stuff at 3 weeks:( He is starting to smile just a bit and we have realized he loves having no clothes on. Cooper also likes having wake time. He doesnt stop moving and is so curious about what is going on around him. We just love to stare at him and watch him as he is so entertaining.

*the date is wrong 4/15

Our first week at home

We came home to Oma and Opa's basement (Ryan's parents) because we had closed on our condo four days before Cooper was born. We are so grateful and blessed to be staying here with them. Cooper's Grandma was also able to stay with us for a week and helped out a ton.

Our week was full of doctors appts, a few trips to the store, many visitors and ended in our first family outing. We went to a park in seattle to take a walk with the stroller and Holland.

Here a few things about our precious little guy that we have discovered this week and love.

• Cooper studies our faces and can already respond to our voices.
• He has the best facial expressions.
• He is our wiggle worm and when awake doesnt want to stop moving
• Cooper loves to look at himself in the mirror.
• He doesnt really cry just makes little sqeaky sweet noises
• Holland and Cooper are already best friends.

A few pictures of his first week at home

Baby Cooper is Here!!!

It was a tuesday morning-March 24th to be exact. Ryan and I were on our way to the doctors because my blood pressure was very high and my feet/legs were extremly swollen. We thought it was going to be just a regular doctors appt and that Doctor Rogers would send me home and tell me to just keep laying down but we were wrong. He admitted me to the hospital after deciding that the baby needed to come out c-section since he said I couldnt physically deliever him.
this was 3/15

I spent the entire day in bed hooked up to this medicine to help get my blood pressure down, and let me tell you its the worst ever. I felt like I was on fire (like a dragon)burning from my feet to my head. That night Ryan stayed right beside me as I couldnt sleep and was extremly uncomfortable.

The next morning all of our family arrived, Ryan got his gear on and we went into surgery. I was a bit nervous as they rolled me into the delievery room but I knew I was going to see my baby boy very soon. The delievery went great except for the whole spinal block that hurt. Ryan watched the entire thing and can tell you details but he did say it was unbelievable. It was at 8:09 am when I heard that little cry which brought tears to my eyes.

Cooper James was finally here weighting in at 8lbs 13oz 19 1/2"

He was 3 weeks early ,the doctors still went off his original date which was april 17th. After they cleaned him off Ryan brought him over to me and I got to give my baby boy a kiss. I cant remember a ton during this time but I remember feeling so much love for someone so quickly.

Then off to the NICU he went for six hours, but ryan was right by his side experiencing it all as I recovered. I didnt get to hold Cooper till 2 in the afternoon and I was so excited to finally have him in my arms. I cant explain all the emotions I had but I do know that after carrying him for almost nine months and now seeing his gorgeous little face was unbelievble. He truly is a gift from God. We were at the hospital from wed till saturday afternoon having tests done(since he did have jaundice),resting and enjoyed having our friends and family come by.

Here are just a few of our favorites from the hospital.

Family...

There are many different definitions for family. These are just a few I found in the dictionary.
1.any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents, children,uncles,aunts and so on.
2.a group of persons who form a household under one head, including parents, children, and servants.
3.a group of people who are generally not blood relations but who share common attitudes, interests, or goals and, frequently, live together

Family is something I have learned about more in the past two years of my life. I once felt like I didn't have a family, or that mine was different than everyone else's. But God has opened my eyes and my heart to what the word family means to me now.

For the first ten years of my life I had what you like to call the perfect little family, well I thought so. Than in my head for the next eleven years I referred to my family as incomplete and lost. I judged my own family, compared us to the rest of the world and was upset. What I didn't realize is that no one is perfect. Not one family out there has the white picket fence, happy little family with a smiling dog. The world has placed so much emphasis on what a family is suppose to look like that drives people to not focus on whats important.

Finally at the age of 24 the word family means more to me than anything. Family isnt just my parents, siblings, grandparents- it is the people who mean the most to me in life. Who have stood by me when I was angry, lost and hurting. Who have prayed for me , laughed with me and supported me. God has blessed me with extrodinary people who are each individual different but have made me who I am today. So I thank you. I thank my family for putting up with me, and my friends for loving me and being there to let me feel like I was normal. I thank my husband for showing me that we can have a family of our own. But really I thank God. He has shown me that even in times when I felt alone I never was. He is my family.

God has put people in my life to show me how to be a woman of God, a good mom, how to have a succesful marriage and to be a good friend. I challenge you to spend more time with the people that love you most, I know I am.

I leave you with a verse that has touched my heart this week. And to evaluate what family means to you.

John 17:24"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

The day finally came...

I finally have gotten the confidence to write my own blog!!!After reading tons of other blogs, actually obsessed with a few, for the past six months I have taken on the challenge. I am using this blog to express myself spiritually, emotionally and artistically without having to impress anyone. In a few years I will be able to look back and see where my life has gone, how it has changed and the lessons I have learned.

I leave you with my favorite verse
Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."