Pictures!

Here is our three day weekend in a nutshell.
We did TONS of yard work. We are transforming our backyard. Its seriously just like extreme home makeover backyard edition. No lie. I want to share pictures of it all. At least of what we have done so far but at the same time I don't want to show you the pictures of all we have done until the whole thing is finished.
So today I'm not posting any before and after pictures yet. Only because we still have at least 1 more month until its completely done.
My parents were amazing, they came and worked solid manual labor in the hot sun for 2 days straight. They are such wonderful parents. I am so truly blessed. We couldn't have done this all without them, no doubt about it.

The rest of our weekend went like this....

Friday night Cooper played around the house while mommy cleaned. He had so much fun :)



Mommy jumps in for some hugs and cute pics.


Saturday morning Cooper woke up and got in his yard transformation outdoor gear. He was a big helper. Until he fell asleep for a 3-1/2 hour nap.
(Actually that was quite a help for us as well, we got a lot done :)




Saturday evening we met my husbands aunt and uncle for dinner. They just loved to see Cooper.


Sunday we went to see my grandma, Cooper's Granny.


Monday spent the morning with my parents.
Then we headed over to my best friends parents house to swim. Cooper and my friends daughter Anniston had a blast in the pool. This was his first time in a pool. He had so much fun and we took way to many pictures. Here are just a few...





Monday night we barbecued out and had some friends over. After dinner we went up the street for some snow cones (one of my all time favorite parts about the summer is snow cones). I shared mine with Cooper, He LOVED it. :) Here is a picture of Coop after we got home with his red lips.


Coop was cracking me up this weekend. He has the best personality ever. He is always so full of smiles and laughter.
This weekend he was so good with all our running around and yard work. He played so well. Watched, and slept so good. He seemed to always be in a good mood. I was so proud of him.
One of his new things he's learned recently is to give Eskimo kisses. He is so cute. He leans in presses his forehead to yours and shakes his head, wanting you to do the same of course. Its adorable when his little nose kisses yours.
He also has been eating some table food this weekend. He is loving some smashed yummy adult food. He ate some sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, noodle, cheese, chocolate desert, banana, and a few other things. We aren't giving him meals of table food, Just allowing him to try something that is on our plates as long as its safe for him. So far he's liking our food. :)

I hope you all had a great weekend as well!

Wow!

What a week last week was and even the start of this week. Things have been good, bad, all around.

For starters last week we had some pretty nasty storms roll through Oklahoma. Two nights out of the week last week every local channel was taken over by storm chasers and weather people. Luckily we made it safely through all the lovely tornadoes that swept through. We escaped with only some wind damage. I'm so thankful that we did make it safely though.

Here is a picture of a wall cloud that we saw from our back door. And yes people you aren't mistaken, that is a cemetery. Don't worry we have a privacy fence but yes we do live in a house that backs up to a field that backs up to a cemetery. Did that make any sense?


Thursday night was my husbands little brother's high school graduation. He graduated from the same high school that my husband and I graduated from. We had 1005 kids graduate in our class. I think his brothers class had even more. The graduation lasted literally for 3 hours. Cooper did pretty good though. He was just making friends with any and every person that passed him.
Here are a few pics from the graduation. Look how much Julian's little brother looks like him :)



By the way, I didn't buy Cooper that shirt. A friend of mine gave it to us. However yes I was the one who put him in it that day :)

Cooper is doing all sorts of things now. He is so alert and curious. He is walking well if he had a hand to hold onto. He will reach for the couch from the coffee table and be daring and he will walk from the table to the couch without falling. Its not far. Don't think he's "Walking" for real. He's more like leaning and catching himself before he falls but he is still blowing us away with how big he's getting. Today he stood for about 10 seconds all by himself without anyone holding onto him before he sat slowly down very softly sitting on his bottom. I was so excited I screamed GOOD BOY!!! YOU STOOD! He just smiled at me like "what is this crazy women doing"???


On Friday my little brother and his girlfriend came to visit us for the weekend. I took the day off and spent time with them. We went to dinner Saturday night for a friend of mine's birthday and we all had a great time. Here are some pics of us hanging with Mark and Lauryn.






We also got to go see Julian's best friends new baby Carter this weekend. He was born on Thursday last week. He is such a cutie baby and I know that he and Coop will be the best of friends one day just like their daddy's.
Here is a picture of Brooke and I with Carter and Cooper. Then one of Julian and Mike and the boys.
So cute to see them both with their sons. :)




It was such a busy weekend. Pedicures, family, birthdays, babies, a little Wii playing. It was fun but I am exhausted.


Saturday night at about 11:00 we let our dogs in and our boxer Bailey was so excited to see our guests that she was running all over the room wagging her whole body. She is such a little lover. Suddenly her back legs collapsed. I thought she had twisted an ankle but then I noticed her legs sort of twitching so I ran towards her and she was trying to pull herself with her front legs only. She then collapsed completely and her face fell to the floor, eyes open, tongue out and she wasn't breathing. I started screaming for my husband to help her, I was screaming over and over "BAILEY, OH MY GOD, SHE'S NOT BREATHING. OH MY GOD, BAILEY, SHE'S DEAD". It was horrible. My brothers girlfriend made me leave the room, she grabbed Cooper and asked for my cell phone and she quickly called the vet and they told her an emergency vet we could rush her to. By the time she had gotten off the phone, my husband started screaming to us that she was breathing again. I ran into the room as he scooped her up and carried her to my car. We left Cooper with his uncle Mark and Lauryn and my husband and I rushed Bailey to the vet. When we got there (the drive was a good 15 minutes, she totally wouldn't have made it if she hadn't started breathing again). Bailey was trying to stand and walk when we got there. She was panting like crazy. We rushed her inside and the vet came and checked her out. Asked tons of questions. Come to find out they were 99 % sure that she has a Syncope. Its a heart disorder, Here is the definition Syncope- faint: a spontaneous loss of consciousness caused by insufficient blood to the brain. One of the most common causes of sudden/unexpected death in boxers, both young and old, is a condition thought to be inherited and characterized by abnormal heart rhythms involving the ventricles (the main blood pumping chambers) of the heart. This condition can cause varying degrees of disability and occasionally results in congestive heart failure. . We have been trying to keep her as calm as possible because it could set it off. I'm worried about her. It was so scary and horrible not being able to help her. There was nothing we could do but watch. They did teach us dogie CPR. So now if it happens again and she doesn't regain consciousness we can try to start her heart back up. I'm so worried something will happen while we are at work though.

That happened Saturday night, things have been sort of crappy at work lately also for me. Nothing too serious just a whole bunch trash talk and gossip about everyone else. Not even me necessarily but some of it was. I can't hardly stand spending my day with people who talk about people just to be mean all the time. Get a life!
Then to top off the string of not so great luck this week. I got up from my desk today and there was a FREAKING SPIDER ON MY LEG! Not a small tiny one either. A semi large spider crawling up my life. I am absolutely horrified by spiders. Some people don't get scared by them. Well I'm not those people. I hate spiders. I hit it off of me while screaming. Then my co-workers came running in and the dang spider ran off. I had no idea where it went for at least 2-3 hours. Then someone walked in and saw it climbing up my office wall and they killed it. I'm so glad because it was bothering me not knowing if that spider was under my desk or on me again or where?

I know that sometime things aren't great and perfect. I'm not trying to be a complainer. I just needed to let that stuff out. I'm worried about our Bailey Boo. She was my husband and I's first pet. She was our child before we had our son. She is such a sweet dog. I'm worried about my strength at work. I get really angry when people are two faced and I need to be tough and strong and force myself to not let things get to me.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

I was given this prayer when I was trying to become pregnant and I truly love it. There is more to it but this is the part that was on the plaque I was given.
I know God will take care of us. I trust in him that he hears our prayers.
I hope all of you had a great weekend. I have some serious catch up to do. I'll be reading blogs like crazy over the next week or so to catch up.

I hope your all doing good.

To leave you all I will post a video my husband took of Cooper and I last night. Cooper's laugh is getting better and better every day!
Enjoy!

8 months old today

Cooper my dear, You are 8 whole months old today. I can't even believe how fast your growing up right before our eyes. It feels like yesterday we saw your beautiful face for the very first time. You amazed me then and you amaze me now.

What to say, what to say!! Well lets start with, you are the most amazing, sweet, fun loving little boy I've ever known. Your personality is already so prominent. I can look across the room and you will be sitting there staring at me with the most wide smile I've ever seen in my life. I literally laugh out loud at the joy I see in your face. It makes me the happiest mommy EVER.
Just today we went to church and on our way out you were smiling at just about any and every person who would look your way. We had strangers coming up to us non stop after church just to tell us how cute you are, and to tell us that they thought you were the happiest little baby they had ever seen. You are such a people person. You love love LOVE to smile at any and everyone. You are so sweet and happy and playful. You have an attitude. When you don't like something you sure will let us know. You are the most active little 8 month old I've ever met. You can't get enough of crawling all around the room, pulling up on anything you can reach, jumping (oh how you love to bounce and jump). walking with mommy or daddy's hands. You love to play with your toys and you play so well. You especially love to have your toy basket set right in front of you and you enjoy emptying everything in it. Then you move on to something else :)
You love music, and mommy's singing amazingly enough is usually what can calm you down. I'm not sure why? You love the song the wheels on the bus. You adore your grandpa, you love all the family that loves you. You say Dada and I'm convinced that you know daddy is Dada because you only say it when he is home.
You love the bath but hate water on your head. You don't eat your baby food all that well but we are working on that. You like your puff snacks, and your water sippy cup. You usually just chew on the cup rather than tip it and drink. But we show you that you can drink every time.
You are way to fast! And mommy has to chase you and stop you constantly from getting in our dog Annie's little basket bed. For whatever reason your really interested in that bed.
We snap pictures of you constantly and can't stop. You make us smile all the time. You make every single person who meets you smile. You are such a fun baby!
One of your favorite things in this world right now is for mom and dad to give you kisses. You love it if we say, "I'm gonna give you kisses". Then we make the smoochy noise as we come at you slowly and I kiss your cheek really fast, then I do it again to the other cheek and sneak attack kiss the other one. You LOVE this. You laugh out loud and wait for us to kiss your other cheek.


Cooper thank you so much for blessing our lives with your love and happiness. Just today daddy and I were going to get you out of the car seat in the back of the car. We looked at you and you were smiling from ear to ear looking at us both one then the other. We were smiling and talking about how happy you really are. I just burst out. My Gosh! He is seriously the most precious adorable baby EVER! I mean it, you really are Coop. Thank you for coming into our lives. We love you so much sweetie.

God, You have blessed our lives daily with this amazing person. You gave us hope when we were worried we wouldn't get this in our life. You loved us and you blessed us. Thank you so much for this beautiful life. Please watch over him safely and wrap your loving arms around our family keeping us safe from harm. We love you God and we truly appreciate this beautiful gift Cooper. :)

HAPPY 8 MONTHS BABY BOY!

Cysts

Do you ever sit back and look at everything it takes in your body to be able to have a regular cycle, ovulate, and somehow manage to get pregnant all on your own? I do just about every single day. There are so many issues that can cause infertility. Mine just so happens to be polycystic ovarian syndrome. Although they say its uncommon, I think that's a bunch of BULL. I know so many girls who struggle with this issue.
My point in bringing this up is, My friend Shannon who I speak about on this blog sometimes. She is the one that just went through IVF and unfortunately it was an unsuccessful round. They are back though and going strong and are ready to try again. Things were being set up, meds were ordered and then she went in for an ultrasound where they told her that she had cysts on her ovaries. Not cysts like I usually get that are filled with a clear liquid. Her's are filled with blood. I did some major research on this, Because I for some reason feel the need to understand why this happened to her. Apparently this is caused in women that have endometriosis. My heart is breaking for Shannon and her husband. They are delivered bad news every time they go to the dr. Each time more is added to the plate of issues that are already existing. Yet they are drudging along trying to beat through all of this. I try to be there for them, but honestly I don't always know what to say. My husband and I struggled to have a baby, yes! We cried, we laughed, we worried. It took years, however hearing about her issues and what they are going through makes my situation seem so easy. I hope I'm being strong and there for them. I hope we help them to laugh and smile when times are tough. I always keep them in my daily prayers. Please do pray for them everyone.

My point of all of this is, while reading up on her cyst situation. I started reading more on PCOS (my issue). I read about it all the time, usually the same thing in different words from a different dr. I'm terrified to try again. I'm not trying to be selfish in talking about having another baby when people around me are struggling for one. I am just thinking of my future. I'm seeing the pain and remembering the difficulties and sadness that we felt and I'm scared. I'm scared for my friend, I'm scared for anyone else I know that might be faced with things like this, I'm scared for Julian and I the next time we try. Its like I read about it probably monthly thinking that something will catch my eye that can help our issues or Shannon's or someone else I know who is struggling. You can diet, you can eat well and healthy, you can exercise. These are all things that you can do at home to help your chances of actually ovulating and working correctly. All things that could kick your body into gear so you don't have to do fertility treatments or IVF. However it works for some people and they conceive on their own, it doesn't work for everyone. I get this excited feeling inside of me at the thought of starting to exercise (since I never exercise) and then suddenly my ovaries will work correctly and my body does what it was supposed to do all along and I get pregnant on my own. Wow, can you imagine. My husband and I would love to add to our family in the near future. However we are waiting a while longer. But when we do, I always hold out some hope that I might be able to do something small and change my whole body. Doubtful I know but I can always hope.
That's what I do when it comes to my friend. I hope, I imagine, I pray and I think that somehow, some way she will be able to get pregnant. I am researching each time she calls me trying to see if there is anything that she can do herself to help her chances. Something the dr. didn't mention. I can't imagine what they are thinking while going through these struggles. But it just makes you take a step back and remember what its like to be going through things like they are. I don't look forward to it, that's for sure. But no matter how hard it gets, its all worth it. I just hope they feel support and faith! Its the only thing that can get you through it all and unfortunately when your constantly given bad news after bad news you start to loose the faith that you once held so strong. God is a mysterious miracle worker, I do believe that. I may not understand his reasons for making our path's the way they are sometimes but I know he can work miracles and I know he turns things around and makes us happy and fulfilled somehow in the end. Oddly enough, when I was trying so diligently to get pregnant with Cooper my faith was at an all time high. Not just because I needed something. But because you turn to God and you realize that the only thing, the only way that things can work is through him. I always new that but for once I had nothing else to hold onto. I had no control and I had to put complete faith in him. If I got bad news I would cry, I would ask why, I would be angry, upset, worried. But in the end of my breakdown, I felt this shining light inside of me. It seemed to say "things will work out fine, and you will be happy in the end". I needed to listen to that light, I needed to believe that it was there and true. I do believe. I believe God was comforting me through my tears and giving me hope.
I know this is a long drawn out post. I just feel like PCOS is part of who I am whether I want it to be or not. Its a huge part of my future and my struggles. Its a huge part of what made my faith so much more strong. It brought me closer to God, and my husband. It made me want to be a better person. I hate that I have this issue, I hate that I struggle to get pregnant. But I love how its changed me. Its really strange.
I hope that my friend and anyone else who is struggling, whether its their first baby or their third. I hope that the struggles turn into smile. I hope that God blesses them. That he hears our prayers for each other. I hope that we ultimately are all blessed and feel like God did what he knew would be wonderful for us in our lives. I hope we can all remember to trust in God even when we are angry, upset, and things aren't working. Its so hard to do that, but I hope we can all try our hardest.

Ok ok, I'm done. Sometimes I get really deep and emotional when it comes to infertility. I appreciate anyone who sat and listened to my random rant.

I want to update any of you who were leaving me sweet "I hope Cooper gets better" messages the past few days. Thank you so much girls.
Yes he is doing much much better. He's back to his usual self, sleeping well and getting into everything he possibly can :) He is back to crawling across the room and going toward our dogs bed and I say "Cooper, no no". "Mommy says no Coop". He looks at me with big round eyes as if he understands me and he's trying to decide what he wants to do about what I said. Then he breaks out in a huge smile and turns around and goes straight into the dogs bed :) Little monster. He is a mess. You can't help but laugh a little(I'm going to have to work on that). But I do give him credit, He knows his name and I'm pretty sure he gets that mommy doesn't want him going where he is going. He gives me a second to acknowledge me then just smiles as he completely ignores me.

I hope your all having a nice Friday :)

Coop has been sick.

Sorry I've been missing ladies. Cooper has been sick. I've been on make him better mode for the past two days. I'll be back up and going and checking in and seeing what all of you are up to again tomorrow or Friday. I hope all of you are having a great week :)

My very first mothers day.

Warning pictures.... (My camera was doing something weird though, so the lighting is weird :(

My mothers day was all I ever dreamed it would be. Mainly because I have a baby boy to call me mom that I can celebrate with. I dreamed of this day, I cried wondering if it would happen for me, and how long it would take. Here I am holding my angel baby in my arms now celebrating and its like a dream.



It all started on Thursday when I got a beautiful bouquet of tulips from my sweet baby boy (and daddy of course). They said "happy mothers day, love Coopy". I love them. I just smile each time I look at them. Then came Saturday. My parents came and helped Julian and I in the back yard. We are doing some MAJOR changes to our backyard and they helped all day work painstakingly in our yard. It was lots of heavy lifting and manual labor and they helped us so much. We couldn't be more thankful for their help.
Sunday:
I woke up and spent at 6:30 in the morning and spent time with my boys.



I couldn't sleep in for whatever reason and Julian got up with Cooper for me. I then went to jump in the shower. When I came out of our room I could smell food. I went to see what was going on and my husband had made a huge breakfast for us. It was SOOO good. We took some Mommy and Cooper pics. :)





We went to church with my family and then headed to my grandma's to celebrate with everyone. We spent most of the day at my grandma's enjoying family. I took way to many pictures on Sunday and some of them are of mom, Jamie (my sis in law), My neice Natalie, Coop and I. I love having special pictures like that.

My mama and I

















We then went over to Julian's grandparents house (they raised him). We gave his Nana some gifts and spent some time there. At this point I was exhausted. Cooper had been napping allot all day but was still tired (I think he's having a growth spurt).



We went home to spend the rest of the evening at home just us. I gave Cooper a bath and was getting him all lotion-ed and ready for bed when Julian said "Do you want your gifts now". I said yes. First I got gifts from Just Cooper. It was so cute. I got some lotion, some nail polish, and a big puffy thing that removes makeup. Ha ha. Apparently Julian had taken Cooper to Ulta and let him just randomly grab things and whatever he grabbed is what he was giving me for mothers day. I painted my nails last night with the polish and it looks Gorg:)
Then came my gift from Daddy. He made me a blog book!!!! Its amazing. It has my entire pregnancy up to the first six weeks of Cooper's life in it. I am truly happy and I totally cried when I got it. I've been wanting one really bad for a long time. They are expensive. He found someone in our home town who made them but they couldn't do the top kind in time for mothers day. My husband was afraid I would be upset because its not as nice as he wanted it to be. He's crazy!!! I absolutely love it. It has every post and picture from the day I became pregnant to 6 weeks of age. I LOVE IT! I will have it forever to cherish and remember how things felt and what went on each week. It is truly such a great gift. In the back of the book was a free standing printout page of coupons that Julian had made. It has about 15 coupons on it. Things like "Julian will watch any girly movie with you without complaining", and "Julian will put away all the laundry", "Julian will wake up with Cooper early on one of your mornings", "Your choice of any restaurant on a night I don't want to cook", and "$100.00 shopping spree any time you want". I get to use them when I want. I am so in love with this man. He amazes me daily. Not just because he is so thoughtful but because he is such a great person, husband, father. He is wonderful. They made my day special and memorable.










I am so blessed and proud to be a mother and I love God and thank him daily for these gifts in my life. God you amaze me. :)