A Busy Few Weeks!

The last few weeks have been super busy around here. Sorry I haven't made it on. I haven't proven to be a very good blogger! I actually tried to upload a video of Cooper walking but I could not get it to work. Any advice from you more experienced bloggers would be greatly appreciated!

Those of you who are close to me know the grief that our last few weeks have held. Our dear friends Johnathan and Summer lost their precious 3 month old son Lincoln on May 21st. He had been in the ICU at Children's for 17 days with an unknown mysterious illness. My heart is broken for them and I feel as though my own life cannot quite go on as it once did. I hold, kiss, and cuddle my own son a little more than normal, all the while feeling as though my heart is being shattered knowing the pain they are going through. Please keep this amazing couple in your prayers.

A week and a half after the loss of Lincoln, Lance and I lost another of our dear friends. Our friend Josh was killed in a motorbike accident. He was both a friend and co-worker of both Lance and I at one point in time. He was an amazing teacher and was the one who took over my class while I was on maternity leave. Lance and I are hurting for our loss of a friend and are clinging a little tighter to each other these days.

Because of these events and new additions in the lives of our friends and family, I have been on an emotional roller coaster. I actually attended 2 funerals and 3 baby showers in one an a half weeks time. I guess in the midst of our grief, live goes on, and God gives us new ways to see His glory!

Cooper has had a few odd weeks. He is working on cutting 4 molars and 2 other teeth all at once. He has had a fever off and on for almost 3 weeks. His fussiness is mostly gone now but the kid is sleeping like a maniac! I think he may be growing at the same time. As I write this, it is 9:57 AM and he is still asleep. He did wake up at 6:45 when Daddy got up for work. He nursed and then zonked. I haven't heard from him since. It is odd to have time to do things in the morning!

Lance is finally done with track for the year. His kids really did clean house in their own league and the neighboring larger ones! We attended the awards banquet last night and Cooper spent the whole time wandering the halls and then getting mad at me because I would not let him go to Daddy!

So on to picture time. This first one is the C man in his birthday present from Lance and I. He hated it at first because of the helmet but now that we have his back propped with a towel he has decided that it is okay. Lance and I love it and have enjoyed the times we can get out as a family.

Here is a picture of Cooper in his camo jammies chillen' on the bean bag! He is such a big boy now. What happened to my baby?!?
Cooper has decided that outside is by far the best place to be. He will try with all his might to convince you that he should be outside ALL THE TIME! Here are some pictures of him playing outside. He LOVES his wagon! And he has discovered his playhouse. When we moved into this house we wrote the playhouse into the offer in anticipation of our kids one day enjoying it. Well, Cooper has found his favorite place to be in our yard! And in case you were wondering, we can match our child's clothes better than that, but he was in a shorts outfit and kept skinning his knees so we pulled on a pair of play pants over it, and the result was a fashion nightmare but little knees with fewer owies!

Here We Go!

So this blog has been a long time in the coming. Lance and I have talked about starting it for ages, but just like the back patio that needs re-finishing or the weeds that need pulling, it has been one of those things we have put off. It could, of course, have to do with our major and mighty distraction who has recently discovered that his two feet are a great mode of transportation!

For our first blog entry I will update you all on the happenings inside the Young abode. Lance is as busy as can be getting the students at Orondo Elementary/Middle School reading well, running well, and behaving well. He is teaching K-2 ESL reading, PE and health for both elementary students and middle school students. He has also found himself in the position of the discipline go to guy for the school. The athletics program, that he played a key role in getting started for the school last spring, is going wonderfully. He is currently coaching track for the second season and his kids are competing phenomenally. The conditioning that he has built into the year round PE program has really paid off in the athletics program.

I am loving my time as a stay at home mom, yet wondering what happened to that idea! I am teaching pretty much full time at the community college and a private college who has a branch here in town. It is great though, as I get to stay at home with The Peanut during the day, and then teach in the evening when Lance is home to keep Cooper. It has been a major blessing for us, and allowed us much more freedom than we anticipated.

Cooper is on the move these days! On April 11th he discovered that he really did know how to walk. It was no shock to anyone but him! I will see, if later I can figure out how to add the video of him walking on that first night on here for you to all see! He is still a very small one, and we are still on more frequent visits to the doctor to monitor his weight, but Lance and I are much less concerned about him. We have started giving him PediaSure because I read some anecdotal things on-line where moms said it actually increased the appetite of their children. Lance and I decided we would try anything! Coincidental or not, he is now eating like a normal child! He still didn't gain as much as we would have liked to have seen this month, but hey, 6 ounces is better than he has done in a while!

I am going to add Cooper's one year pictures from Sears to this post, if I can! And for all of you who will then ask... I just took him to the bathroom, and bathed him in the sink. It took all of 2 minutes before he was as good as new!