Happy Birthday Cooper!

This is Megan, hijacking Emily's blog while she's enjoying sunny Florida and likely missing her birthday boy like mad. She asked me to help post a special message to Cooper on his big, #2 birthday. As it turns out, it IS posted below, underneath the "Leaving on a Jet Plane" post. Emily made me cry....so you don't want to miss out on that opportunity. Just scroll down a bit to find it.

And Happy Birthday Cooper! It does not seem possible that you're 2. I remember you being as small as you were in the picture your Mommy posted.

And Emily, we wish you Happy Birthday too, since we all know that birthdays are just as much about the moms and dads as they are about the kids. Enjoy all of the memories of the day that you first got to meet Cooper.

Leavin' On a Jet Plane

Tomorrow morning after I drop the kids off at school I'm headed to Disney World. Sounds a little backward doesn't it? Going to Disney without your kids? It certainly feels strange, especially since Disney has become such a favorite destination for our family over the last three years. But sadly this time they will have to stay behind. I'm going to Florida for work. That sounds strange, too! There is a large nursing conference that I have the opportunity to attend and I'm really looking forward to it. For the most part I usually leave conferences relaxed and energized about my work. And Lord knows I need to be energized at this phase of the game.

The kids are gearing up for a few days with Mimi and Pappy. McKenna already has plans to go paint ceramics with Mimi; and Cooper...well, Cooper just loves spending time with Pap Pap. I'm sure they'll spend some time in the pool and in the driveway riding their bikes. I'm sure they'll have junk food that they don't usually get at home, stay in their jammie's until all hours of the morning and stay up past their usual bed times. But I can't complain. I did all that when I used to stay with my grandparents.

I've left the kids for work trips many times before but this time is a little harder since Thursday is Cooper's birthday. I'm sure that the day will come and go and he'll never know the difference. But I'll know. And I'll miss him. I can't believe that he's two years old. With everything we had going on this year building the house and moving it just seems like the year went so fast. The terrible two's have begun, but I wouldn't trade them for anything! (Okay, maybe some days I would trade them for a nap or 10 minutes to sit in the sun.) I'm going to miss them like crazy this week!

So, for now I'll leave you with some pictures from last May when we went to Disney as a family. We're crossing our fingers that things will work out for us to return in November. But I guess only Mickey knows if that will happen!

To Cooper on His Birthday

Dear Cooper,

I really can't believe that I'm sitting down to write this post. Mostly I can't believe that you're 2. I can't believe how much time has gone by. I can't believe that you were once my 6lb 13 oz little baby. I can't believe tonight I put you to sleep in a big boy bed. So many things that I just can't quite wrap my head around.

This past year has been both fun and trying at times. You adjusted wonderfully as we moved into our new house. But as the winter settled upon us you began having difficulties with your ears. We battled more ear infections than any of us can count anymore. You were understandably irritable and frustrated for a few months. We've seemed to get those ears under control for the moment and it has really made a difference with your speech and your behavior.

You were always sort of a high maintenance kind of guy and in a way not much has changed. You know what you want and when you want it. You are extremely independent and I'm pretty sure your favorite phrase these days is, "No help." But for the most part you've always been a good eater and a good sleeper - two things that I was never really able to say about your sister.

Speaking of your sister...the two of you get along pretty well at this point in time. There is the occasional time when you wreck her doll house or completely ransack her room. But you help one another and play nicely and that makes for one happy Mommy. I sometimes do fear that you're going to pass McKenna by in the height and weight department. Today you weigh in at 28 pounds. A few more good meals and you just might top your sister who is sliding by at 34 pounds soaking wet. That is hard to believe, especially when I think of her holding you the first time she met you in the hospital.

You are the most precious little boy a mommy could ever wish for. At two, you are energetic and a daredevil. But your sweet little personality shines right through those big blue eyes. You love to run and play with McKenna, push your lawnmower for hours behind Daddy, snuggle with Mommy, and do anything you can to irritate Tucker.

I would be lying if I said that watching you turn 2 is not bittersweet. I wish I could turn back time or even just slow it down a bit. Some people say that childre grow up right before your eyes. Sometimes it seems like my eyes are playing tricks on me and you're growing up much faster. I just don't want to miss anything with you or McKenna. You're both so special to me.

I hope in the coming year that you will be healthy and safe above all else. I pray that you will continue to understand the love of your family and of God. I hope that you will learn kindness, patience and empathy for others. I hope you will enjoy being a kid - playing in the mud, riding your bike, digging with your trucks, romping around with Tucker. I hope you will still snuggle with Mommy and give me lots of slobbery kisses because they are my favorite. I hope someday you will understand that I cherish every single moment of your life and I love you like only a Mommy can love her little boy.

Happy Birthday Buddy!

And the Gold Medal Goes To...

I always wanted to participate in track and field in high school. However, my short legs and complete lack of speed and agility meant that I was not a good fit for track and field. I still liked to watch the meets though and was especially fascinated by the hurdles. I thought it was so cool and I longed to be able to float over the hurdles like the runners. Little did I know that last night I would get my chance. Last night we put a mattress on Cooper's floor to start transitioning him to the bed that we hope to put together this weekend. Because the stairs are right outside his room I thought putting a gate in the doorway was a wise idea. I was more than pleased when he went to sleep without a problem. I snuck out of his room and secured the gate. Little did I know that the Olympics was about to begin! I stopped counting how many times I "hurdled" the gate during the night when Cooper would roll off the mattress. But at one point I thought I was getting pretty good. Maybe a track career is not completely out of the question. All things considered, it wasn't a bad night. So far tonight we have not had any little eyes and mischievous smiles peering over the gate. Cooper is lying on his "big boy bed" listening to music and talking to himself. I just can't believe that he's going to be 2 years old in another week. It just doesn't seem possible. It doesn't seem right that he doesn't need a crib anymore or someone to help him up into his car seat or even someone to peel his banana at breakfast! He's certainly become quite independent over the last two months and often tells us, "No help." It's fun to watch him master pedaling a tricycle, kicking a ball, socializing with other kids. I just wish I could revisit those baby days from time to time. I don't think I've ever been so happy as the day in the hospital that McKenna held him for the first time and we were together as a family of four. Now Cooper is almost as big as McKenna with only 6 pounds separating them. That girl better grow soon or she's going to look like a four year old starting kindergarten.

I suppose the moral of the story is that I'm truly blessed. I couldn't write a better story if I tried. The sign outside our church last week said, "Live as if your prayers have been answered." I can honestly say that mine have. I could not ask for anything more. Okay, well a few nights of uninterrupted sleep for myself and a few of my closest friends would be nice (you all know who you are)- but we can live without it, too.

Sweet dreams!

Where to Begin

Our week was so filled with fun that I'm not sure where to even begin! On Wednesday we took off to Knoebel's with my cousin Amy and her boys. The kids had a blast and Amy and I enjoyed spending some time together between shuffling kids on and off rides.

I was so impressed with how much Cooper enjoyed the rides. He pushed himself right up there with the big kids and hopped on the rides without a second thought. His biggest accomplishment was actually getting up on his feet on the Moon Bounce. McKenna was a great big sister and a great helper the entire day. She gladly let her little brother tag along with her and she helped him on and off the rides without a single complaint.

Friday evening we headed to Mt. Carmel for Relay for Life. I am on a team from the hospital and that's where most of the people are from. We were glad to be joined this year by my mom. We had a great time walking together and enjoyed the beautiful weather. This was McKenna's second Relay and I'm pretty sure she had more fun this year than last year. Sometimes she talks about doing Relay when she grows up. I try to explain to her that I hope there aren't many more Relay's in our future. It would be such a blessing to find a cure for cancer.

Saturday we headed over to Mimi and Pappy's for our first official dip in the pool. McKenna was excited to finally be able to swim this year. This darn weather has delayed our swim season. Cooper definitely surprised us with his love of the water. He had been in the pool a few times last year but yesterday he giggled and giggled the whole time he was in the water. We went back over today for the afternoon and his favorite thing was to jump off the side into Daddy's arms. I wish I had pictures to post, but I forgot to take my camera!

Tomorrow it's back to work and school but we all are refreshed, recharged and looking forward to next weekend!

Miss You

We Miss You Grandpa Ron

It probably seems odd that I would post the picture of the back of Grandpa Ron. But to be honest, he never really would sit still long enough for a picture. I wish I would have made him more often. This is one of my favorite pictures of McKenna with him. On this trip to Sharon we were celebrating Ron and Gail's birthday's. On our last trip out before he died we were staying at a hotel that had an indoor pool. I'll never forget that Ron went all the way home after we ate dinner to find his bathing suit so that he could go swimming with McKenna. Keep in mind that it was the middle of November! No one but Ron and McKenna would even think of going near the pool. But they had a great time. I'm glad that she has some memories of him. Hopefully she can tell Cooper about him someday.

My personal favorite memory of Ron is from before Earl and I were even married. We all went to a state fair being held in Ohio. Ron and I ended up riding some ridiculous ride that went up in the air and upside down and all kinds of stuff that I would never do now...mostly because I would puke. But at the time we laughed and laughed. It was hilarious.

Stay Positive

I try my best not to use my blog as a source for me to vent my feelings and frustrations. Some days that is really, really hard. I sometimes would love to complain about my job, housework, the million and one meltdowns that the kids had in a day. But mostly I try to be positive; stick to the facts; recognize the good things have occurred. That said, I'm a little frustrated tonight. I've been up since 3am. Awake since a little girl came to our room during an admittedly bad thunderstorm complete with brilliant lightening sure to frighten even some adults. I vividly remember the days of hiding under my covers during a thunderstorm until I just couldn't take it anymore and I would run to my parents room. Earl must remember too, because when a little figure appeared at the foot of our bed last night he said, "Come on up, we've been expecting you." No big deal right? I'm sure you're wondering why that would have me so irritated when honestly it didn't bother me all day that I was running on fumes. No, the reason it's bothering me now is that I JUST got the kids settled in bed- and it's starting to lightening! Does anyone have a direct line to Mother Nature? Maybe an e-mail address where I could send her a quick one liner asking her to please send the thunder and lightening during daytime hours? It's not a lot to ask is it?

In other, more positive news...Cooper sailed through his ENT appointment today. We saw the resident first ( or should I say he saw us) and then Dr. Wood. The word of the morning was "abnormal". They just kept looking in his ears and saying, "That looks abnormal." They wanted to test his hearing and so we took a little trek down the hall to audiology for a quick hearing test. If no one has ever experienced that it's quite interesting how they test a toddler's hearing. The audiologist report...also "abnormal". So basically it all translates into what I already suspected. Cooper will be having his ear tubes placed on July 1st. His ear tubes right now are both filled with viscous fluid (probably pus - yuk, I know). That means that he cannot hear well either. The audiologist reported moderate to severe hearing loss in his GOOD ear. And here we just thought he was rotten! Just kidding! His hearing should be back to normal after the ear tubes are in and the fluid drains. And hopefully his speech will pick up after that too. Although we know that ear tubes are not always a cure all for ear infections, I am looking very forward to July 1st and hoping that we can put all of this behind us. If nothing else, we're going to stay positive.

Speaking of Cooper, his long morning at the big G has him in major meltdown mode. He's awake again (darn thunder) and is so tired that he doesn't even know what to do with himself. I better go help him with that.

Tomorrow we're off to Knoebels with my cousin Amy and her boys. We're looking forward to a fun day.

Not Much To Say

That's how I've been feeling lately...like I don't have much to say. Odd, isn't it? I always have something to say even if it's not relevant or even the least bit interesting. But I've sat here a couple of times lately and I just can't write anything. It's not that we haven't been busy lately. Just the opposite really. The nice weather has us outside most evenings playing in the yard or in the neighbors yard on their swing set. I will be so glad when we actually get a swing set of our own. I'm hoping to catch them on sale sometime this summer or early fall. I never realized how expensive those darn things are. I guess they're worth it judging by the use that the neighbors get out of theirs. We were busy this past weekend planting some shrubs in the back yard. I can't believe what a difference it makes. It's so nice to sit out on the deck and have something to look at. It turned out great if I do say so myself. I'll try to post some pictures this week.

We also had McKenna's gymnastics show on Saturday. She got her first ever medal and she was sooo proud of it. I think she wore it everywhere we went for the rest of the weekend! Sunday after church we went to the movies to see UP in 3D. It was the first full length movie I've ever seen in 3D and it was awesome. The plot was adorable too. I highly recommend it. McKenna wasn't too sure of the 3D thing at first. We've traumatized her with too many amusement park style 3D adventures that include having water sprayed in your face and things poke you in the back. After a few minutes when she realized that we were telling the truth and none of those things would happen, she was fine.

Cooper decided last evening that he wanted to sleep in McKenna's room. It's funny really because McKenna just spent the weekend camped out on Cooper's floor. She likes to sleep in her sleeping bag every once in awhile and "camps" in his room. We didn't have much faith that Cooper would actually fall asleep in her bed...but her surprised us and stayed there until we carried one slumbering little boy to his crib. I wanted to test the whole thing out again tonight to see if last night was just a fluke and sure enough....he only had to be put back in bed one time. I guess it really is time to take down the crib and put up the big boy bed. We've never done toddler beds so I guess we'll be out buying a mattress this weekend. I can hardly stand the thought. He's honestly not a baby anymore, although I wish I could make him one again!

Tomorrow is Cooper's big day at the Ear, Nose and Throat doctor. I forgot to mention that we were at the doctor's office at 8:30 Saturday morning with...you guessed it - bilateral ear infections! So we're hoping that Dr. Wood can sneak us into his schedule quickly and pop some tubes in those troublesome ears. You would think the peds nurse and the CRNA might be able to pull a few strings...that remains to be seen. I happen to have some education on my desk that Dr. Wood would like done...we'll see how badly he wants it...nahh!! I'm just kidding. We just like to joke around. But really, wish us luck tomorrow. I know for a fact that there are a few of you out there who can identify with troublesome ears.

Wednesday I'm planning to take the kids to Knoebels. I'm glad to see that the weather forecast is now clear and sunny. Hopefully I'll have some great pictures for you.

Well, it looks like my writer's block has finally lifted now that I've rambled on and on. Now, onto laundry...

I promised myself that tonight I would be in bed at a decent hour. Around here that means by 9pm. I think I've only had about 7.5 hours of sleep since Sunday. Our little man seems to be battling something but we haven't quite put our finger on exactly what that something might be. Could be his ears (which we have an ENT appointment for next week) or his teeth (he's still working on one of his eye teeth). OR could he just possibly be battling us? I'm really starting to wonder if it's time to move him to a big boy bed. Last night as I sat trying to rock him to sleep at 3am I had a flash of doing the same thing with McKenna. When she was about 18 months old we could not get her to go to bed anymore. Turns out that she hated her crib. Once we got her into a bed we had solved the problem. So tonight I'm wondering if we should just break down and put him in a bed. Hmmm.....

In my weary, sleepless state I missed Not Me Monday last night. I just have to throw this one in here though. These most certainly ARE NOT my son's "good school sneakers".

And this is definitely NOT the ball that lasted approximately 15 minutes before it was broken! What a great waste of $2.59. I guess I did get a good picture of McKenna though!

And yesterday I definitely did not page my co-worker to her own phone number. How embarrassing!

Wow, sleep deprivation really makes for a great Not Me Monday! (Or Tuesday in my case!)