We had an earthquake today! It was bigger than anything either of us have felt since we moved here. The news says it was a 5.4 in Chino Hills, which is about 40 miles away. At first it sounded like someone dropped something upstairs and then it sounded like kids running down the hallways. Once I realized everything was shaking in the house and the building was swaying, I sat paralyzed on the couch holding Cooper and yelled OMG, it's an earthquake!
Chris comes out of the bedroom, calmly looks around, waits for it to stop and says, okay. Then laughs! Scout is running around the house panicked and my heart is beating so fast! It only lasted about 20-30 seconds, but it felt like 5 minutes. So today we will be working on an earthquake emergency plan. Clearly, sitting on the couch with my baby in my arms yelling earthquake is not the appropriate response!
We're all okay, but I have to say out of the natural disasters I've experienced, I dislike earthquakes the most. There isn't any warning and it takes a minute for you to realize what's happening.
I forgot to blog about the visit we took up to work. Last week we went up to work so Cooper could meet some of my coworkers. We went at the end of the day so we wouldn't disturb many people. Everyone was so excited to see Cooper. Many of them commented on how much he looks like both of us, but how he has my lips and eyes. One woman talked baby talk to him and he just looked at her like, 'You're weird. You can stop talking like that now.' She didn't seem to notice but Chris and I were laughing inside. Near the end of the visit Cooper started getting hungry and over-stimulated. He was on the verge of a melt down, so we left and went home. All in all, it was fun to have my coworkers meet him.
I also forgot to blog about the bbq we went to a couple weeks ago. Some friends of mine from grad school had a get together since one of our friends was in town from China and another was getting ready to move to New Jersey. The main food was provided and we brought Lemon Trifle for dessert...everyone loved dessert. We had a great time visiting and it was a very relaxing couple of hours with friends. Cooper was very content and everyone couldn't believe how quiet he was. It's nice to be getting out and spending time with friends again. Here's the Lemon Trifle recipe if anyone wants it:
1 Angel Food Cake
1 can of low fat or nonfat sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
8 oz low fat lemon yogurt
8 oz light Coolwhip, thawed
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
1 cup fresh blue or black berries
1 cup fresh raspberries
Cut cake into bite sized pieces. In bowl, combine milk, lemon rind, lemon juice and yogurt. Fold in 2/3 of whipped topping. In dessert bowl, place 1/3 of cake pieces in bottom of bowl, top with 1/3 lemon mixture, top with strawberries. Repeat layers with blue/blackberries and then with raspberries. Spread remaining Coolwhip over raspberries. Cover and chill for 1-8 hours before serving.
Congrats to Heather and Jason...they found out they are having a baby girl! We are so excited for them!!!
Ugh, I have a plugged milk duct. No fun. It's sore to let Cooper eat and my shoulder/chest sort of aches on that side. I have a crazy over-supply, so Cooper never completely drains me (which helps prevent plugged ducts). Hopefully the extra water drinking, ibuprofen, massage, warm compresses, and nursing/pumping focus on that side will help it go away soon.
Here are some cute photos Chris snapped of me and Cooper:
As a little girl I used to love dressing up all of my dolls and barbies, just to see how many outfits I could make. Now that I have a baby, I love to dress him up in all the cute and not so cute outfits just for fun. So here's Cooper's fashion show.
Coming home outfit
Zoot Suit
First real clothes and not onesies or pj's
Just because it all comes in a package together, doesn't mean I have to wear it all at once. Mommy laughed and laughed at me...so not nice. Yeah, I wasn't laughing.
And since mommy can't take just one picture...
So you want me to sit here and look cute then?
Oh strike a bit of pose?
Okay mommy, I can strike a pose for you!
Okay, are we almost done yet?
Dude, enough with the camera already!
We did a second practice day on Thursday. It was a lot better for me this time around. I went back to bed and enjoyed some sleep while Chris got up and did Cooper duties. Then I went out for the afternoon. I was going to go see a movie, but my errands got in the way. I did some grocery shopping, ran to the post office (announcements on the way!!), and went shopping for baby gear.
Chris, on the other hand, had a much rougher day than I did. The first practice day was pretty easy for him. Cooper had a normal good day and Chris just sat around waiting to do the next thing with Cooper. (That was kind of funny to watch because Chris used to give me a hard time when Cooper was first born that I was just sitting around waiting for Cooper to wake up or be hungry. I don't do that anymore, but now he understands the feeling!)
This second practice day, Cooper was really fussy and had a break down just before I came home at 4 pm. Chris said he cried for 25 min and there wasn't anything that seemed to calm him. Chris was very frazzled. I scooped up Cooper and fed a tiny bit and he zonked out...that was tough for me because I wanted to spend time with him, not put him down for a nap. I think I can do this going back to work thing, and I am confident Chris will be fantastic...he really is a natural at being a daddy.
Ugh, I'm so sick of my hair falling out!!! During pregnancy my hair didn't shed at all and as a result I ended up with very thick beautiful hair. Now that the hormones are gone, my hair is falling out in clumps. I have to clean the drain 3 times while I shower, plus it's all over me and all over Cooper. It's just gross. I wear my hair up most of the time to prevent it getting all over. I know I'm just going back to my 'normal' head of hair, but I'm worried I might go bald if I keeping losing hair at this rate!
The other weird thing since not being pregnant...I get phantom kicks! Something will gurgle in my insides and my first thought is, 'oh there's the baby' and I have to remind myself that there isn't a baby in there anymore! I really do miss being pregnant. I know physically and mentally I'm not prepared for another pregnancy right now, so instead I enjoy hearing every detail of my friends' pregnancies. Ilook forward to one day enjoying another pregnancy (or two if I can convince Chris).
Cooper and I went and visited Jessica in Temecula yesterday. Cooper slept on the way out, stayed up for the 3 hours we visited and slept on the way home (1.5 hr drive each way). We had a great time with her and enjoyed lunch and catching up with each other. She couldn't get over how cute, strong and big he is!
Today we went on a family walk through the neighborhood. There are some amazing houses and it was nice to spend an hour out together. We wanted to go to the dog beach, but Cooper was a little fussy so we decided we would do that another day. Tomorrow we having brunch with Caren, Richard and Cecily.
Can I say how dirty and stinky boys are?!? I can't believe how dirty Cooper gets at such a young age. I guess it doesn't help that he puts everything in his mouth now. Beware of crocheted blankets, especially dark ones! He had blue fuzz all over his face and hands the other day. He always gets dirt, fuzz, and hair between his toes and fingers. And the stinky feet, oh my, this little boy has some sweaty, stinky feet! Even the day after we bathe him it's bad.
Monday we did a practice run-through of what Chris' day will be like when I go back to work, and also what pumping all day will be like for me. I have to say that it was incredibly tough for me. I almost cried about 3 times and I was home all day!! I think this transition will be tougher for me than it will be for Cooper.
Cooper gave me a 4 am wake up call and I got up and fed him and then put him back down at 4:20. I went back to bed (first morning without co-sleeping...also first near crying episode). I got up at 6:15, which is over an hour later than what I would get up for work, but it's tough going from sleeping in for 4 months to getting up early. Cooper slept until 7 am, but I checked on him several times and almost cried. Chris got up with him, while I pumped. The day was so tough because I had to stay out of parenting while Chris did his thing. I pumped every two hours and got 18 oz, while Cooper only ate about 10 oz. So that's a great start!
By 1 pm, I was really sad, but I left at 1:30 pm to go to my doctor appointment. It really helped to be away from the house and have a distraction. By the time I got home, it was my normal time to get off work and I could hold and cuddle Cooper all I wanted. Hopefully work will distract me all day from what I'm missing at home.
The good news is that I got a lot done! I will be dropping Cooper's announcements in the mail tomorrow and I finished Kate's stuff (except the programs, which she asked me to wait on). I was very productive! We will do another practice day on Thursday, but I plan to spend the day away from home (movies, errands, shopping).
I'm reading The Power of One right now and I'm loving it. I'm taking my time and forcing myself to only read one chapter a night. For an avid, fast reader, this is really tough to do!! But, I love savoring every moment of reading, so it's a trade off. I love the story so far. I like how when the author makes me feel hopeless, another character springs up and gives me hope for the little boy again. My favorite lines so far:
"[His] words were like seed pods with wings. They flew straight out of his mouth and into my head, where they germinated in the rich, fertile, receptive soil of my mind." (This was after the 5 year little boy was praised by his new friend. I hope I remember to do the same thing for my children for their entire lives.)
"Sometimes in life, doing what we shouldn't do is the emergency."
"...sometimes...you do your best boxing with your mouth." (This reminds me of something my mom used to tell me when I was made fun of in grade school...you have choice, you can use your words, or you can use your fists.)
Anyhow...thanks, Heather for the suggestion and I hope you are enjoying the book as much as I am!
Nothing much to update on Cooper, so I just want to say, what a difference 3 months makes!
April 2008
July 2008
Wish we could be there to have dinner with you! Cooper says Happy Birthday, too!
I've been busy working on Kate's wedding invites and I finished them on Sunday. Now I have to do her Thank You cards and programs, but she needs so few that it should take long. And I have Cooper's announcements all done except the pictures!! I need to get the pictures printed and put on the announcements and then I can send them out. Oh and I have to reprint the return labels because we moved! I also need to get our family pictures printed, hung on the wall, and sent out to family. It really is a never ending list to do!
My workouts are going okay. I just get lazy and I have that 'workout hump' where I'm not seeing fast progress and it's not quite a habit yet. I go to the gym about 4 days a week, including pilates. I found myself getting burnt out if I did more. I also think I hurt my abs by doing too much in pilates, so now I'm having to slow it down again. I'm noticing my flexibility improving though.
We went to the free concert in the park on Sunday. It was a beautiful day and we had a good time. We had a picnic and enjoyed the British Brass Band (say that 5 times fast). The camera battery died right after I snapped this picture:
I'm sleeping better and not worrying so much about Cooper at night. He is sleeping longer and longer. We try very hard to not let him nap after 6 pm so that he will go to bed at 8 pm. He gets so sleepy that he tries to sneak in a 20 min catnap, but then he won't go to bed until 9 pm. At least he sleeps until 6 or 7 am and then loves to sleep another couple hours after eating a bit. I hope this sticks!
We still read a story every night and we have made it through all of his books and re-read most of them. I LOVE Bear Snores On and Chris loves Where the Wild Things Are.
We've been reading out of this Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales book and I really think this book might be a bad idea. Remember the "Saucy Cupid!", well it doesn't get much better. We read one about the Wicked Prince and how the women and children have to hide when his warriors come to town because they like to 'satiate their devilish delights'. Another one started out "When a good child dies..." What?!?! What kind of fairy tales are these??? I think I'm going to have to pre-read these stories before reading them to Cooper. Good thing Grandma Jacqueline sent some more books!
The laughing, oh my, the laughing. I LOVE the sound of his laughing!!! It is absolutely adorable and we are working on getting it recorded on video. He loves when I pretend I'm a bee and go 'buzzzz' to him. He loves kisses all over his face and neck. He loves when we clap his hands together. He likes when I make 'big eyes' at him. He laughs when we poke and tickle him lightly. He laughs when I laugh. It's adorable!!
He adores mirrors. There is a mirror on the mobile of his swing and he can stare at it forever. He laughs at himself, talk to himself, smiles at himself and does this sort of sideways glance and smile that makes him look like he is flirting with himself. It's so funny to watch.
Here are some other cute pictures I've taken lately:
Bath time:
Smiles:
Sleeping with Daddy and Scout:
Couching eating Cooper:
Daddy and Cooper having a serious talk:
Our 4th of July was boring. We remember all too well the craziness that was 4th July when Heather visited a couple years ago. The crowds, the lack of food, the too packed beach preventing us from enjoying fireworks, and Heather yelling at the guy at Fred's about the public sidewalk. Yeah, we just decided to stay home this year. Besides, Cooper was in bed by 9 pm! Chris and I watched a movie and listened to the fireworks instead.
On Saturday I went out with Christina to Sachi to celebrate her birthday. I put Cooper down for the night, got all dolled up and went out like I wasn't a mommy of a 2.5 month old! It was fantastic! I had my first beer in almost a year and it was tasty!! I also wore heels for the first time in over a year and my feet were killing me by the end of the night! I shook my thing on the dance floor with Christina and tons of other great people. We listed to a live band sing some great music, and all in all had a GREAT time!! I can't wait to go out again!
I'm sorry I haven't written as often...I've been super busy lately. I had to finish Urusla's wedding stuff by June 30th and now I'm working on Kate's stuff, which I need to finish by July 15th. Then I won't be volunteering to do this kind of stuff for awhile! It's a lot of work. Here's Ursula's Invites and Programs (I also did her Thank You Cards, Table numbers, and placecards.)
I was reading Cooper a bedtime story tonight out of Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales and Stories. The story was entitled "The Naughty Boy" and I picked it because it was the first story that was 2 pages long. It went on and on about this nice old poet and little boy. It's a story about Cupid. Here are a few of my favorite lines:
"Wasn't he a naughty boy to shoot the good old poet..."
"Yes, [Cupid] is always after people!"
"Once he even shot your father and mother right through the heart! Just ask them, and you'll hear what they say."
"Saucy Cupid! But now you know all about him, and what a naughty boy he is!"
Um, yeah...the dripping wet, stark naked little boy was 'Saucy Cupid' who was 'a naughty boy'. Not sure this book is rated G.
Cooper updates:
Cooper can almost roll over. He can get to his side okay and if he reaches then he'll get 3/4 of the way over. His other arm is still in the way so he doesn't get all the way over. It's cute to watch him do it and we are trying to get it on video. (The only thing we don't like about the video camera we bought is that it takes 3 steps to convert it to a file we can use...the software it uses is too new for the market.)
We have transitioned Cooper to his crib at night. He has been sleeping in our room in the Pack n' Play (PNP) bassinet since he was born. But the max weight is 15 lbs and the last thing we want is for him to outgrow it by breaking it! So we thought it would be safer to just move him to his crib. I miss him! It's a tougher transition for me than for him. He hasn't changed his sleep patterns at all by the transition. I'm such a worry wart and I can't hear him as well through the monitor, so I watch him quite a bit on the video monitor. The sound cuts in and out because of interference so I get up in the middle of the night, and sure enough he is sound asleep.
Cooper is interacting with toys a little more. I was making one 'pounce' on his hand he sort of laughed at it. It was adorable and the best sound ever. We have also started to give him rattles and he will shake his hand then stop and look over at it, like wow, what was that. Then proceed to do it again. He can also eat his blanket now...grip it in his fist and bring it to his mouth.
Enjoy! (All photos have been uploaded to Cooper's Shutterfly Site.)
Boppy's aren't just for babies.
So Cute
Tarheel Baby
;)
I know I can reach that camera with my foot.
Oooh, what's that? My hand!
Those are my feet!
Yummy, mommy's hand tastes good!
BIG EYES
Anyone who knows me, knows that since college I have been VERY allergic to bananas. I mean I'll be in the vicinity of bananas and the hives and breathing problems start almost immediately. I blame it on the organic chemistry lab I had my sophomore year when we had to make banana oil.
When I was pregnant, I found that I could be near bananas again and not have any sort of reaction. Then I tried banana bread again and no reaction! Still, I didn't try eating a banana during pregnancy, just in case. I did wonder if pregnancy hormones helped though.
Yesterday, I had my first banana in at least 7 years! I decided I wanted to try it again and had the Benedryl nearby just in case. Chris bought greener looking bananas (they used to bother me less than more ripe bananas) and I pealed one...no reaction....bit into it....no reaction...ate the entire thing and NO REACTION!!! I don't know if it's the hormones from breastfeeding or if pregnancy changed me permanently, but I don't care!
You have no idea how amazing that banana tasted. I can't believe I can eat them again!!!! I mean I had no itchy mouth, no tingling lips, no hives, no breathing issues, nada! Go bananas!! I really hope this sticks and I won't ever be allergic to bananas again!
I'm starting to feel a little more like me again...kind of like coming out of a fog. Or maybe I'm just learning to balance everything better. It feels like for so long now being a mom has dominated everything else.
Heather and I used to have a wine night together once or twice a month. We would each buy a bottle of wine and drink it while we talked on the phone for hours on end. Somehow we never talked about the same thing...even when we were on the phone for over 6 hours!! Well, since she is pregnant and I am breastfeeding, wine is out. She mentioned she wished I was in town so we could go have ice-cream...and there you have it, we have a new thing--an Ice Cream Date.
On Sunday afternoon, I left Cooper with Chris and went to the bookstore while waiting for Heather to call. If she wouldn't have called, I would have spent at least 3x the money I did! Come to find out Ben and Jerry's closed at the shopping center so I had Pinkberry instead...yummy frozen yogurt!!! We chatted for 3 hours and I loved every minute of it. It was wonderful to talk about things unrelated to being pregnant or being a mom. Thanks, Heather, for reminding me about me!
Tonight I went out to dinner with Christina and then went shopping. I love that girl! We have the best time together!! I'm going out to a club on Saturday with her to celebrate her birthday. I'm looking forward to going out....this is a big step for me. I haven't been to a bar or club in over a year!!
Cooper is sleeping a lot better. I decided not to drag him all over this week and instead have some downtime. He sleeps 9-10 hours a night, gets up to eat and goes back to bed for another 2-3 hours. We've been taking 2-3 hour mid day naps together. It's been so nice to just hang out and do nothing.
Cooper doesn't like to be reclined much...or maybe he is practicing to start sitting up. He does baby crunches when we recline him even a little until we sit him up straight. It's cute to watch.
His new thing is being independent and distracted nursing. He has decided that he doesn't need my help to keep his head still to latch. He would rather bob around until he gets on himself. In fact he cries when I try to help. The side laying position in the early morning works great for this (he even rolls to his side on his own to latch), but I can't do the cross cradle during the day anymore. So cradle position it is.
The distracted nursing drives me nuts! It's super cute for about 2 min, then I start to get impatient. It goes something like this: nurse, pull off, grin like an idiot, play with boob, look at the ceiling.. "oh yeah I was eating!" nurse again, try to coo & talk while nursing, pull off, dribble milk, grin, play with boob, grin, look all around for daddy...
