Baby's 1st Christmas

We juggled 5 Christmases this year, which is pretty normal, but we weren't sure how we were going to manage with a 2 month old. Thankfully, Evan handled it with ease. He really is such a trooper. We're truly blessed to have a child that doesn't make a lot of fuss when we take him places. He certainly made a good haul for his first Christmas. He received lots of diapers, tubs of formula, adorable outfits and fun toys to play with.

Our first stop was at Grandma Cooper's on the 23rd.



Next we headed to Waco to visit Great Gram and Grandpa and the Simcik clan.




Christmas Eve was spent with my parents.



Christmas Day lunch at Great Mamaw and the Hutchinson clan.



And finally, Christmas dinner with Pop Pop and Goo and the Cooper/Roberts families.



We can't wait until next year when Evan is older and understands Christmas a little better!

"Blue Steel"

For those of you who have seen the movie Zoolander, you'll understand --- for those of you who haven't, let me explain. In the movie Zoolander, Ben Stiller plays a male model who is famous for his runway faces. He has one called Blue Steel and one called Magnum. Essentially they're the same. I just like the name Blue Steel better, so that's what we call Evan's puckered face.

Here are a few examples:

30 Days has November

I know every mom says it. So it almost feels like I have to start this post this way:

"I cant believe Evan is already 1 month old"

There. Got that out of my system. But seriously. I'm amazed. It seems like just yesterday we were at Baylor preparing for his arrival!

So for the sake of our families & for me to remember here are the things that stick out as of now:

*He's drinking 4-5 ounces every 3 hours. He's a hungry boy and eats all the time. And let me tell you, he doesn't hesitate to let you know. He's got a wail that you can't ignore and his bottom lip quivers and you can't help but laugh. You'd think we never feed him if you heard it. He's such a DRAMA KING!!!

*He's a sound sleeper like his daddy who has slept through a couple feeding and diaper changes at night. This kid can sleep through pretty much anything. Clanging pots and pans, doors opening and shutting; he even slept through the house alarm the first week he was home. He takes naps mostly in the afternoon. We've been putting him down around 11:30 p.m. and he gets up around 2:30 or 3 and again around 5:30 or 6 in the morning.

*He has EXCELLENT head control and is grasping at things. He's been working those neck muscles since the third day in the hospital. When he grabs a hold of your finger he doesn't let go. He likes to watch and listen to the mobile while being changed and he seems to like it when you sing to him.

*He HATES being naked. Screaming fits ensue when changing his diaper, clothes or giving him a bath.

*He is now 20 inches long and weighs about 8 pounds. I still have no idea who he looks like and everyone has a different opinion.

HAPPY 1 MONTH BIRTHDAY SWEET BOY!

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I thought I'd dedicate this post to things I've been thankful for over the last year in wake of the holiday. Here goes:

1.) I'm thankful for my son and a healthy pregnancy/delivery. We had our ups and downs (the first 14 weeks of morning sickness and the last 2 months of horrible acid reflux) but it was all worth it when I see that sweet face. The miracle of life really is an amazing thing.


2.) I'm thankful for my husband. Even though I'm not the best at showing it, I'm very fortunate to have such a loving and kind man in my life. He's been by my side through thick and thin and I can't imagine my life without him in it.


3.) I'm thankful for my family. I'm very lucky to have such awesome parents, a wonderful sister and great in- laws. They are always supportive, helpful and there to lend a helping hand anytime we need them, especially now that we have Evan. I'm very grateful for both Moms who have graciously watched EJ and provided us with nights of uninterrupted sleep so we could get our bearings back!

4.) I'm thankful for the life I've been given. We have great jobs, own our own home and cars, have money in the bank, food on the table, 2 sweet dogs that love us unconditionally and a sweet little boy. We are truly blessed and I hope I never forget that. I also hope that we are the best parents for EJ just like our parents were for us.

No Sleep, But So Sweet!

This last week has been quite a challenge for us. Blake went back to work on Monday and it was my first week at home alone with Evan all day. I'm very thankful that Blake has a job that lets him work from home and he's only out of the house a few hours a day. It's hard learning how to balance everything that needs to get done and take care of a newborn at the same time. There are some days where I don't get out of my pj's because I just don't have time to leave Evan to change. We do get lots of tv time in, though. We watch Food Network pretty much all day and sometimes Keeping up with the Kardashians. Don't tell Blake, I don't think he'd be a happy camper if he knew his little boy was watching girlie tv 24/7!

I can't believe how different he looks already. It's amazing how they change overnight. We're still lacking a good sleeping schedule, but last night was better than the rest of the week, so I think we're on the right track. He's a hungry boy and eats about 4 ounces every 2-3 hours. He sleeps about the same, too. We've been putting him on his tummy since he HATES being on his back. We've tried swaddling, but he just gets out of it. He's very active and is already doing a great job lifting his head and we frequently find that he's crawled to the top of the pack n' play by the morning. Last night we finally got 6 1/2 hours sleep between the 2 feedings. We'd been averaging about an hour or hour and a half here and there. And I've been told I need to sleep when he sleeps during the day, but I just can't do it. I'm confident that we'll get all of this mastered soon.

Here's a sweet picture of Evan in his great-gram's lap.

First Doctor's Appt.

We went to our first follow-up appointment with Dr. Beadle on Friday. He thinks Evan is doing great! He's gained 2 1/2 ounces back since we left the hospital, so he's up to 6 pounds and 3 1/2 ounces and is still measuring at 19 1/2 inches long. We go back for a second PKU test this coming Friday and we're hoping all of his stats are still good. Here's a pictures of his first car ride to the doctor.

Evan Jacob Cooper

He's finally here! Born on November 1, 2010 at 1 o'clock in the afternoon and we are absolutely smitten! He's just wonderful and we're looking forward to everything he brings to this family. I never knew I could have so much love in my heart. We're very blessed!

Preggo Pics

This weekend we decided it was probably a good idea to document this little milestone of ours. I've been meaning to do it for awhile, but didn't want to spend a fortune on a fancy professional photographer, so I'd put it off. But, as we were running out of time, we bit the bullet and went out and took some maternity photos. Of course, they're not great, but they'll do. And now we have something to look back at in the future. Enjoy!