African Safari Birthday Party

THE PARTY

The day after Cooper's birthday (the 24th) we had an African Safari birthday party for him with family and close friends. I worked for weeks getting his decorations and banners ready and was super excited about his first birthday party. Ry took Coop to church with him so I could get the pavillion all set up; Mareesa and my Mom met me over there are helped me hang things. We had his monthly pictures hung and the wind was out of control and just kept blowing them down, so we ended having to compromise and hanging them on a tipped picnic table. The same thing happened with his birthday banner, we had to move it down so it was against the fence, it made me really sad, but I guess everything still turned out all right. We had lots of yummy African animal themed food and drink and had fun with our family and friends.

A shot of Cooper every month so everyone could see how our little man has grown, I truly can't believe how fast it's flown.

Our happy little family with our sweet birthday boy, the tiger visor didn't last too long, but was cute while it did.

Cooper and his friends Maddux (on the left) and Kolton (on the right).

My boys, LOVE them!!

OPENING GIFTS

Opening gifts with Cooper was hilarious. All he cared about was the paper, ribbon and bags, and then he would get obsessed with one things and not want to continue opening gifts. We finally ended up just saving a few of the presents Ry and I had got him for Christmas, because he was getting overwhelmed with all the gifts from everyone.

Daddy bought Coop his first set of golf clubs, of course, why would I expect anything less.

Surprisingly, Cooper loves his golf clubs and scoots around hitting balls around the house. It's so sweet, Ry is counting down the days that Coop can walk and join him out on the course.

THE CAKE

I made Coop a zebra smash cake...

He didn't know what to think at first, he just picked at the frosting, he doesn't like to get messy, i'm trying really hard not to pass on my OCD to him, but maybe it's genetic?

Ry grabbed Coop's hand and stuck it in the cake and then Coop just started playing in it, it was SOO funny to watch, and he was a MESS when we decided he had had enough.

The aftermath of the demolished cake and our messy little birthday boy.

THE GUESTS

The Hales, Coop's bestfriends, he absolutely loves them!!!

The Walls, Justin, Maddux, and Lyndsay.

Great Gma and Gpa Sims, he loves them as much as they love him!

Gma and Gpa Gorny and Uncle Jeffery, thanks for coming guys!

The Woods family, Coop loves how nice they play with him, thanks for being so sweet you guys!

Great Gma and Gpa Miller, Coop loves them so much and i'm so grateful he gets to know his great grandparents!!

Last but not least, Gammie, Grampie, Aunt Ween, and Uncle Marky, thanks for all you do guys! We couldn't have had such a great year without all of you!

Birthday Boy One Year Old!!!

 I cannot believe my baby Cooper is one!!! This year has flown by and we have had an absolute blast having this little nugget in our family.

 Coop enjoying his birthday breakfast, blueberry pancakes, it is supposed to be in the shape of a one, but it looks more like a deformed snowman.

 On the day of Coop's birthday we all went boating to American Falls. Here he is with Grandma Gornichec before we got out on the boat.

 Coop trying out his new life vest, he hated it, but once we started going he calmed down and didn't mind it as much.

 Gammie with the birthday boy...

 Grampie cuddling the birthday boy...

Coop LOVED playing in the water...

 and the sand, i'm pretty sure in ingested more sand than lunch while he ate his lunch.

 Our little birthday boy all worn out and enjoying his birthday nap, when did he get so big!?

 After Coop woke up from his nape we went to Ruby Tuesday for his birthday dinner.

He had a red velvet birthday cupcake and loved it, he probably would have eaten the entire thing if we would have let him. Happy Birthday angel bug, we love you SO much!!

COOPER AT ONE YEAR OLD

• Favorite Foods: Bananas, yogurt, blueberry pancakes, blueberries, sweet potato pancakes, cottage cheese, black beans, strawberries, watermelon, broccoli, string cheese, bread, oranges, and kiwi.
• Favorite Activities: playing with balls, you love throwing balls and are very good at it, swinging, reading, singing, playing in the water (bath or pool), scooting everywhere and getting into anything and everything, pulling out all the dvds, bouncing and spinning (a lot) in your bouncer, being outside, going to the library, seeing the animals at the zoo, helping Momma dust, knocking down block towers that Daddy builds for you, coloring, having dance parties with Mom, playing with your shape sorter,
• Favorite Books: Ten Tiny Babies, Good Night Ocean, Goodnight Moon, One Duck Stuck, Mr. Brown Can Moo, I See Shapes, Goodnight Gorilla, Hippos Go Beserk, Moo Ba Lalala
• Signs you know: milk, more, sniffing with a crinkled nose (when you see flowers)
• Words you say: mama, dada, baba (ball), buhbuh (bubbles), boo (book), mow (more), moo (cow says), ckk (sound for when you don't like something), you make the prettiest cooing sound like a little bird, uh-oh (when you drop things)
• Number of teeth: five (front top and bottom incisors and first premolar on the left side)
• Number of haircuts this year: five
• Number of naps per day: usually two sometimes one
• Other interesting things about you: you love to feed yourself, you love to play with kitchen spoons and bowls, you love banging anything you get in your hands, you can drink from a straw and from a cup and love to do both, you love to cuddle and kiss our faces (opened mouth with tons of slobber) but we love it, you love other kids and are very friendly with them, you know what hair, eyes, nose and mouth are, you climb on everything (it's good we don't have stairs), you have great fine motor skills, you're always grabbing buttons, zippers and anything tiny. You know how to "high five", you love music and bounce when you hear it, you make the best faces ever; smiles, wrinkling your nose, squinting your eyes with a cheesy grin, make a surprised "oh" face, you love biting, not in a vicious way, but you have left some marks on us.

Into Everything

Coop scoots so fast everywhere he goes and literally is into anything he can get his hands on. He's very close to walking and I almost dread that, just because I know he will be into even more. He loves to play with anything and everything...He has been very vocal lately and babbles all day long, his recent favorites are "mama" "dada" "bubu" (bubbles) "moo" "wa"(water) "ba" (ball) "lala" he's got a book called "Moo Baa Lalala" and when we read that he says lala and just grins at us, it's so cute.

He crawls into Nana's crate, and LOVES to splash in her water, he knows he isn't supposed to and tries to sneak in there if i'm not looking. He is my little water baby, he hates to get out of the pool and bath and migrates toward water whenever he sees it.

I made him some finger paints, he like the paint for about five seconds and then became fascinated with stacking the jars.

He loves Nana and Nana lets him maul her to death.