Cooking Blog

My friend and her sister started a cooking blog and it's wonderful! I just added a few recipes of my own so check it out by clicking on the button...it's on the right hand side a little ways down!

EEE!!!

I got the okay to take the NCLEX!! Now it's just wait time to get information to schedule the test. I will not be telling anyone when I take the test...this way when I pass it will be completely unexpected!!! And if I fail...no one will know

All about our little man!

Cooper is learning fast! He's pretty much amazing and keeps me super busy! Here's a list of the fun things he's learned:

- to sit up by himself!! This is a huge relief for me. I was getting tired of having to support him while sitting but now he's got the hang of it. Of course he's still a little wobbly but I think that's because his legs are pretty much straight so he has to work extra hard for the balance (and he has no butt :) ).

- he eats like a champ! We've been feeding him about 6 oz of food at every other feeding. His recent favorite are... banana mango, peas, sweet potatoes, pears, apples. He will eat but not his favorite are...squash, carrots, apple blueberry, banana. And he rarely spits it up which is super super nice!

- rolls over constantly! This has been happening for a while now but he's a pro now and he makes it difficult to put clothes/diaper on him at times.

- he can hold his bottle on his own!! Every once in awhile he'll start crying because he dropped it but he's really good at it now. It's nice to not HAVE to hold it for him.

- bath time is play time still. He splashes non stop! I haven't came out of the bathroom dry for a long while. Last night my face was even soaked.

- he trying super super hard to move forward. He has the moves down just not together. His feet push but his hands don't move forward. When his hands go his feet are stiff. Today I was able to get him up on all fours and he held it for a short moment! I was pretty excited!

- He likes his sippy cup but only because he can chew on it. He still won't suck on it...which is fine for now.

- his favorite toys are plastic spoons. He'll have every single toy around him and he'll always go for the spoon.

- he has figure out how to yell really REALLY loud! It hurts my ears sometimes. Even his cry is ten times louder.

- he has finally started to giggle instead of a squeal. It's pretty cute and Brady can get him to do it all the time!

What was I thinking??

Today was supposed to be a day filled with cleaning, shopping, studying, and of course playing with Cooper. The day started out wonderful! Cooper slept from 9PM-9AM waking up once to be fed. AMAZING!!! He was happy, smiley, and full of energy (nothing out of the ordinary). Then he went all crazy on me. He wouldn't eat, sleep, or play...well, he would play if I was holding him. Now I should've been happy because he wanted me to hold him. He would smile and giggle at me and just kick and squeal! It was adorable but I had a plan to clean all the dishes in the sink, wash the massive pile of dirty clothes, and get ready for the day to buy some baby food, and get some studying in. I was frustrated. There were a lot of other things going on at the same time with him but I think you can get the idea that I was just frustrated.

Days like today make me think to myself...parenthood is hard work. What was I thinking? Am I a good mother?

Then I passed the picture of Kegan's headstone on our fridge. I often think about what kind of mother I would have been for him. Would I be patient, loving, caring, grateful? I know that I would have been a good mother but would I have been the same as I am for Cooper? After we found out I was pregnant with Cooper I was scared. Especially when I was diagnosed with kidney stones and hydronephrosis at 8 weeks along. I thought "great...we are going to loose this baby." I even bled a little bit and was hysterical. However, with Kegan I was calmer and more relaxed about the whole thing. I don't think I realized how much of a blessing it was to be carrying him.

I now know that what we experienced with Kegan has made me a better mother and person. I am more caring than I would have been. I am more patient, loving, and grateful as a mother. There are times when I just look at Cooper and start crying (happily of course). I am truly grateful to be both Kegan and Cooper's mother. They both have taught me how to be a better person and to care for others on a different level. I feel heart-broken (a different kind of heart-broken) for the woman who have to experience infertility, miscarriage, and death of a child. I do know the feeling of empty arms and longing to snuggle your own child. I also know the feeling of sleepless nights, screaming baby and all the other things along with parenthood.

Many of you might not know but Brady and I had decided to take Kegan off life support. He was not improving and only getting worse. We thought it was time to let him go. We gave him all the chances we could. It was the hardest thing we have ever had to choose. But I am so happy for the little time we got to spend with him. He has a sweet spirit and is our angel baby.

I am so grateful to be a mother...especially to two boys! Even on days like today I often have to sit back and realize that being a parent is a huge blessing in my life. I am grateful that Cooper is here and healthy! His lungs work well (unlike Kegan's) and his scream/cry/laugh/giggle is something to be grateful for. I finally did relax and enjoyed holding Cooper. My heart broke for wanting to do other things over the precious time I have with my baby.

What was I thinking?

Mommy with her two boys...sort of :) And look at Cooper's cute smile!

Visiting brother's gravesite.

6th Month Appointment

So I really like our new pediatrician here in Twin Falls. He explains everything (even though I pretty much know what he's looking for) and he is really good with Cooper. For a while he was concerned with his weight and how he wasn't really gaining any. He recommended a few things and they worked! Woohoo! He still is a little small but he is no longer in the "worry" zone. He also said he looks healthy :) ALSO he mentioned a few times throughout his exam how strong Cooper was. He's really impressed with his "crunches" that he does and how strong of a grip he has. He said most 6 month babies are not doing the things he is (strength wise). That makes a mother proud!!

Then the scary part...sorta. Cooper does not spread his legs out very far. They are almost always straight and together. It's even difficult to change his diaper because we can't spread his legs out far enough to get the diaper on him well. The doctor noticed he's a little stiff and suggested that we have x-rays done just to be sure he doesn't have hip dysplasia. The usual symptoms of it are a clicking/popping sensation when the knees are brought to the baby's chest and he did not have that so he said he's "borderline" for the condition. If he had it he would have to wear a funny looking brace for a while and then maybe even surgery as he got older.

Poor Cooper did so wonderful during the x-rays. He screamed of course but who wouldn't after getting 3 shots in your thighs and then having to lay on a cold surface with your legs messed with. I got to see the x-rays and everything looked fine to me (but what do I know right? Wishful thinking maybe?) The doc told me someone would call with the results later that day. Well, the day ended and no call. The next morning I got a call and YES! The x-rays looked normal. He's just not very flexible I guess :) Talk about relief!

Here are his stats (I always forget his head circumference but I know it's 15th percentile):

Weight: 16 pounds 8 ounces (15th percentile)

Height: 27.5" (75th percentile)

Overall...HEALTHY!

Preview...

Here is a preview of our little vacation to Michigan! We had a lot of fun and spent time with family!

I will do a complete post of our 10 days when I find a little more time to do so.

New Blog

This is short but I had to share this with you! I found this blog randomly and I have looked through it for a while. Everything looks delicious!!

http://www.mindikamoments.com/

Enjoy!

What's New...

Brady: Still working hard! He works 40+ hours a week and is pretty tired by the weekend. We had a summer party the other day and it turned out great! We grilled hamburgers and hotdogs with a lot of sides to choose from. The kids played on the playground and the adults played volleyball with water balloons and towels. It was nice to spend time with the ladies he works with. He is still searching for some soccer to play. Poor guy is DYING to play.

Kelsey: I am studying, cleaning, studying, sleeping, studying, cooking...and spending time with Cooper! I didn't pass the test I needed too but my teacher said I did really well and approved me to take the NCLEX. I felt a little hesitant (by how I felt taking the test) and delayed the approval for another month. I am going to continue studying and will take the NCLEX by the end of the month! I am headed to Michigan Wednesday...without Brady. I am dreading the time away from him but anxious for everyone to meet Cooper. I think he'll enjoy all the attention!

My sweet boy after church

Resting after a fully belly

First time in a swing...and he loved it! Why doesn't he enjoy his swing at home??

Cooper: Now for the big update! He is growing up so fast. I wish he would slow down a little but it's so much fun seeing him grow.

~He is at the early stages of crawling...I think. When he's on his tummy and there's a toy just out of reach he pulls his knees under him and tries so hard to move but his arms are not strong enough to hold his upper body up. He will also pull one knee up and try and push with it, then the other knee goes up and does the same thing. If his hands were doing the same thing he would be scootching across the floor! More practice and he'll get it eventually.

~He eats baby food twice a day and loves it. So far he LOVES pears, sweet potatoes, and bananas. Whenever I spoon it to him he goes "MMMMM" the entire time! He likes peas and squash but looses interest really fast and likes to play with it more than eat it.

~He is growing out of his clothes. 6 month clothes fit him perfectly right now. He'll soon be out of them.

~He still wears size 2 diapers...he's a petite little man! Speaking of diapers - we have to change his diaper in the middle of the night or he leaks through it. He pees a LOT especially if we feed him in the middle of the night.

~He giggles when we swaddle him for nap time/bedtime. He likes to sleep and enjoys being in his bed.

~Reading time is his favorite time. I pull out a book to read and he squeals happily! He likes to touch the pictures and scratch at the pages.

~His newest trick is to pucker his lips and blow spit. He thinks he's pretty funny!

Cooper trying really hard to reach his food - extremely annoying!

"MMM" Getting ready to spit!

Waving "hello"

His poor lip is chapped from all the drool and pacifier

Pears are his favorite!