27?

Twenty seven, what?! I don't really know where my life is going, I guess the old adage "the older you get the faster time flies" is really true. I had my age written as 26 in my planner and then took a double take and realized I wrote the wrong age last year when I filled in all the birthdays, weird.

I had a wonderful birthday this year. Coop and I met Ry for brunch between his busy work meetings and Ry surprised me with a Kindle Fire, case, and photoshop; I was SO excited, especially because I thought my camera would count as my birthday and Christmas. After brunch it was time for Cooper's nap, so we went home and let him sleep while I explored my new Kindle and just relaxed a bit. Ry got to work from home a bit later that day, which was nice, I got to see him a bit between phone calls, emails and everything else.

After Coop woke up we headed out for an early dinner at Sumisu, I love sushi and it's been way too long since we've had it.

We ordered Coop a kids meal with mac and cheese, fruit and I shared my edamame with him, not giving a thought to the fact he might like sushi... little did we know he would rather have sushi. When our sushi came he reached over, grabbed one, and started chowing down; he loved it until he got to the center spot where there was a something super spicey, but he didn't stop at one, he tried a couple.

 

It was all SO delicious...

 

A very happy birthday lunch for me!

After we were done with our dinner we hung out as a family for a bit before Ry had his girls' practice. When Ry headed to his practice Cooper and I went out to my parents' house to wait for Ry to be done with practice. I still wasn't feeling 100% so it was nice to just relax.

 

While we were out there Coop had a sudden onset of a fever and got sicker literally by the minute, it was SO sad. He started coughing, crying and I could just tell he was getting super sick. (This picture was taken before he broke down).

 

Reading with Gammie (Maa Mee)

 

The traditional and always delicious tuxedo cake.

 

 

My grandparents came out for cake and my Gma brought her gingerbread houses for us to put together and decorate, that didn't happen with our's since Coop was so sick.

 

Daddy Coop enjoying Mom's new present.

 

This is what it looks like to be 27...

 

I had such a great birthday despite not feeling all the way better and my little man getting sick but we did have time for a quick family picture before we had to take Coop home. Here's to another great year!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas...

My Christmas present came a little early, since Ry knew I would get lots of use out of it before Christmas, it's a nice camera; i've been wanting one forever and i'm so excited I finally have one. I have been reading everything I can get my hands on so I can be a better photographer and fully utilize this beauty. The biggest advice I have read is lots of practice, so it's a good thing I have a cute little model to practice on.

 

Seriously, I can't get enough of his feet, they are the cutest thing in the world!

He looks so much like Ryan here, I can't even believe it. He's obsessed with these singing penguins my Mom got me a few years ago. With as many times as Coop has listened to them, pushed the button and cuddled them, i'm surprised the batteries still work and they still move.

Coop's favorite part of the day, BATHIES!!!

The day after we got back from Utah we went to Festival of trees. My Dad was Santa again at Festival of the Trees this year. Coop was so confused, he was scared of Santa but when my Dad would talk you could see the wheels reeling in his head; why does this red suited character sound like Bopa? It was quite entertaining.

"Momma don't leave me with this scary man, that I may or may not know"

Family pic, maybe I should just use this as our Christmas card picture this year? I'm so behind, it's bad.

Coop was very good to just look with his eyes and not his hands, I could tell he REALLY wanted to touch everything, but I was so proud slash relieved that he didn't.

 

Cooper loves trains and could've sat in front of this train display all day. Gammie held him there for at least half an hour while Ry and I looked at the trees, and when we came to get him to wander he did not want to come with us.

Enthralled with the trains...

Community volunteers were taking turns reading kids stories; this is another thing Coop would have done all day, he sat and listened to three stories, it was precious. Love my little book worm

Ry's Christmas Work Party

December has already been a very busy month and we are only a few days into it!!! I got really sick the last Tuesday in Novemeber and still feel pretty crappy. The last Friday in November was Ry's Christmas party down in Salt Lake. I was so excited to dress up and go out, but being sick kind of threw a wrench into that idea. We had to leave at 4:30AM so Ry could be down there for work, we had Mareesa spend the night so we wouldn't have to wake up Cooper when we left. She took him to my Grandma's before she went to school and then Mckaid picked him up later that afternoon and took him to my parents. I was exhausted and felt and looked horrible, so I tried to sleep most of the way down with not much success. When we got down there I dropped Ryan off at his work and drove down to his apartment in Orem in hope of some uninterrupted sleep and a hot shower. When I got there the door that was supposed to be unlocked was locked and the guy that rents the top of the house wasn't there. I chatted with this guy who is friends with a guy Ry works with for a while and then politely told him I was going to wait in the truck for this guy with the keys to show up. Somehow my phone shut off and wouldn't turn back on even when I plugged it in; I figured I would just pick Ry up for lunch at noon, like he told me, and plug my phone into a computer at his work to reset my phone. Finally Sonney, the guy that lives upstairs, showed up and let me in. I tried to sleep but Sonney was moving a bunch of stuff in so all I heard were footsteps so I decided I would just shower. I could not for the life of me get the shower to get hotter than luke warm which did not feel good on my achey body. I took a fast shower, giving myself razor burn and I was colder when I got out than when I got in, I put my blow dryer on the floor to heat up my feet while I combed through my ratty hair, which was a whole ordeal itself, since I had been sick and hadn't brushed it in four days, gross I know, but I was so sick. I was so exhausted after brushing my hair I went and laid in Ry's bed and dozed for a bit and still couldn't really fall asleep so I just got up, got dressed and headed to get Ry for lunch.

When I got there he was worried and asked where I had been and why I wasn't answering my phone; long story short, he fixed my phone, we went out to Zupas together, yay for yummy soup, first food in four days. After lunch I took him back to work and then went and visited with my girlfriend Steph until he was done. I met Steph's little girl, Brielle, for the first time and caught up with her, it was so great to see her before she moves to Washington. After I said my goodbyes to Stephy I picked Ry up, we hurried back to his apartment and got ready for the party, and Ry demonstrated "how to get the shower hot" he could tell I was less than amused. I loaded up on makeup so I looked like a presentable human instead of the  dead, zombie rat that I felt and looked like. Of course we got stuck in traffic on a Friday night, but luckily we were only a couple minutes late.

We had a very nice dinner at the Cheesecake Factory at City Creek and it was nice to meet everyone that Ry works with. Everyone went to a piano bar after but I was so sick and really wanted to get home to Coop and my bed, so we said 'bye' to everyone and headed home in the pouring rain.

 

Thanksgiving and Lights Parade

We had a nice Thanksgiving this year (minus me having a touch of the stomach flu that I just tried to rally on and push through it, literally anything I ate went straight through). We have so much to be thankful for, especially this year, we have had so many blessings in our lives and I know I need to be better at recognizing everything I have and focusing on what more I can do for others.

 

That morning Coop and I snuggled and watched the Macy's day parade and Ry had basketball practice with his girls early that morning. After Ry got home we all got ready and headed up to his parents for a little pre meal football and looking through the black Friday ads.

Coop playing with Uncle Cas, he LOVES cars and played with them pretty much all day on Thanksgiving.

The family ready to eat some turkey.

 

Cooper's first Thanksgiving he got to eat solid food, not just breast milk, and all he would eat was a roll, some cheese and some milk. After we finished the rest of our Thanksgiving meal the boys went out to play basketball for a while and then came in for dessert. After we finished up we went out to my Gpa Sheppard's house to visit, then stopped at Wood's and then went home to relax before our short lived shopping that evening.

My mom, Mareesa, Kaid and I decided to get a few things that evening and it really was disgusting to see the way people acted; I literally almost got killed by this massive man trying to get Just Dance 4 for my Mom, I ended up not getting it and decided it wasn't worth getting hurt to save ten dollars. People were absolutely crazy, more than usual, so after Walmart we went home and went to bed.

I went out the next morning for probably less than an hour to get a few things for Coop and Ry and then just came home to relax with my boys and put up our Christmas tree together!

My boys putting the tree together...

Letting Coop put the unbrakeable ornaments down low, he had lots of fun helping decorate.

It's been a challenge for him to keep his sweet fingers off the ornaments, but he has been getting better at listening to us by the day, thank goodness!

 

 

That night was the Lights Parade, so we all bundled up and watched it with my family. Trying to stay warm while waiting for the parade to start, Coop was not happy I was making him sit, all he wanted to do was run around before the parade started.

Snuggling with Dad, and trying to distract him as much as we could before the parade started.

Cooper was completely mesmerized by all the lights and he loved the horses and Santa. We've taught him to say "ho ho ho" and he says it so fast it sounds like a chuckle but with the words "hohoho".

17 Months Old

Where in the world has 17 months gone?! You have really grown up so much this past month, I feel like you aren't my little baby anymore. You are talking a ton and your are VERY independent.

 

17 Month old Facts:

• You have started to show interest in the potty, so we are starting potty training...
• You talk non stop all day every day.
• You love running around outside and have become obsessed with your new boots and LOVE wearing them all day.
• You also love your mittens and refuse to take them off when you go to kid care at the gym, which is fine with me, less germs.
• You refuse to wear footie jammies; so the ones you have I've cut the feet out and I don't buy the footie ones anymore.
• You love being with family and have started calling family by their names (NeeNee for aunt Weenie, Bopa for grandpa, MahMee for Gammie) and you get excited when you see people you know.
• You know all your body parts and can say them.
• You love to climb on anything and everything.
• You love being chased, it's your new favorite game and you try to get anyone to play it who will.
• You loved Halloween and probably got WAY too many tastes of things that you shouldn't have.
• You have started to jump off of everything you climb on as well. 

 

Halloween

We had a very busy Halloween this year. We didn't throw our annual Halloween party because we didn't get responses from anyone we invited; I was really bummed about it but Ry didn't mind. On Halloween I took Coop to my inlaws "trunk or treat" (Ry's girls had practice that night). Coop was confused about why people would give him candy and he would stop and set his bucket down and pick out things he wanted and try to get me to open them. I would tell him say "trick or treat" and what came who was "truhtree" SO cute. We met up with Cooper's Uncle Jeffery and cousin, Kaleb, Kaleb trick or treated with Cooper for a little while but Jeffery wanted to hand out candy.

Coop with his Uncle Tyler and Uncle Jeffery.

I tried all night to get him to wear his head piece, but this was as close as I could get.

 

After trunk or treating we visited Ry's Grandparents, Grandma and Grandpa Sims. They had a little balloon made for him at a restaurant they went to earlier that day. Grandma Sims made yummy  taco soup for all of her family visitors so we took some to go.

Us with Gma and Gpa Sims, look how cute that ghost balloon is?!

After visiting Gpa and Gma Sims we went up to see Gma and Gpa Miller. Did I mention that this was the warmest Halloween I ever remember, it was such a beautiful day and evening. Anyway, Coop playing with Grandma's flowers as always, he loves them. When we got there Gma wanted us to go to the neighbors so she could show her friend what Cooper was for Halloween, we visited with her neighbor for a bit and then went back over to Gma and Gpa's.

 

Hanging out on the porch, cutest little spidey.

This little guy loves his great grandparents and they love him!

Of course we couldn't leave their house without swinging for a little while, he could've stayed all night long.

 

We finally made it out to my parents house for Halloween dinner and snacks and to enjoy all of their little goblins that came trick or treating there.

Mckaid had to go change into his costume so he could have a matching picture with Coop, can we say proud Uncle? Coop loves McKaid and he's so good with him, I love watching them play together.

Some of the delights we enjoyed that night. Ry came out after his girls' practice and we headed home for some much needed shut eye.

Happy Halloween 2012!

16 Months Old

 

16 Month Facts:

• No new teeth, but you love brushing your teeth by yourself, if I try to help it becomes a struggle.
• You are growing so tall, I feel like everyday you grow half an inch!
• You get Mom or Dad's attention by getting super close to our faces and pulling us toward whatever it is that you need or want.
• You won't go to bed unless you have at least two books in bed with you, along with your monkey and lion.
• You play long and hard every single day and have been going to bed between 6:30 and 7:00PM and sleeping a solid 12 hours.
• You are very very verbal and I understand most of what you say, Dad sometimes has to have me help me interpret.
• You are such a sweet boy and we love you more and more everyday little pumpkin!