9 Months.

Happy 9 Month Birthday to you, Baby Boy!  Guess we're going to have to start thinking of birthday ideas, since that's right around the corner (yeah right, I already have it all planned in my head!)

9 months!  Wow!  9 months seems like such a big boy age, but I guess that's what's happening!  And I am totally embracing it.  We found out at your well-baby checkup this morning that you weigh 18 lbs. and 13 oz. (guess Mommy's scale was a little off last month!), and are 27 inches long.  You are in the 25% for weight and 10% for length.  Small and cuddly- and just perfect, in my opinion!

You are our sweetest little treasure on this earth, Cooper Boy!  Daddy and I sometimes say that we feel like such weirdos- we could sit and stare at you forever.  I love watching you play and learn new things.  You have a few quirks, which isn't surprising.  You love kissing your reflection- it's most funny when you kiss your reflection on the glass door front of the oven.  You will just stand there giving yourself a big, open-mouth kiss.  You are silly!  But you seem to always find any reflective surface and make sure to check out how cute you are- the glass doors on the TV cabinet, your shiny toys, and the mirror at the doctor's office, to name a few.  You are also pretty into chewing.  Earlier in the month, I noticed teeth marks the whole way around your crib!  You've also chewed up all four sides of the coffee table!  I thought I was raising a boy and not a little beaver!

Your favorite toys seem to be the things that aren't really toys- iphones, car keys, computer cords, and the remote control are your FAVORITES!  Coopy, you are turning into a little man already!  Those "toys" are off limits though, so you are happy to settle for spatulas, whisks, and crushed up water bottles.

It has been HOT, HOT, HOT this summer, so we try to make it to the spray park or swimming pool a few times a week.  You are a little tank in the water!  If we hold you on your belly, you kick your legs like you're swimming and sometimes will dunk your own face under water!  It doesn't even phase you at all!  You are already a little fish!

We finally broke down and bought you a highchair this month.  You sit in it like it's your throne.  You love to lean back while we spoon feed you!  What have we created?!!

We've let you try a few "finger foods" this month.  So far, you seem pretty unimpressed.  I put some cut up avocados and bananas on your tray one day and you looked at me like, "what the heck is this?!"  A few minutes later, I watched as you sneakily tried to hide or dispose of those yucky foods by sticking them in your lap!  A few things that you HAVE enjoyed are fresh watermelon and cantaloupe, noodles, a baguette, and a fruit popsicle.  It's funny now, doing the things I thought I'd never do with a baby- like giving you a popsicle, but it seemed to feel good on your teething gums, so oh well!

We have been to the doctor a lot this month- you've had 2 ear infections (one time it was a double ear infection) and have had some trouble with asthma.  I hate it that you haven't been feeling well, but you handle it like such a champ.  We occasionally have to do a breathing treatment for you, which you love because you get to watch Praise Baby, and I love because I get to snuggle with you.

At Jack's birthday party, you played with balloons for the first time.  You crawled around and tried to gather as many as you could and would cry when we'd try to get you untangled.  Lucky for you, Jack let you take one home, which you loved!

I love to watch you observe and learn new things.  You are a little sponge and are learning all the time!  During the afternoon, the sun shines through the window on the front door to the house and makes little shapes and rainbows on the rug.  You love to sit there trying to grasp for the light.  I love it!  Do you know that your name means "lighthouse," Cooper?  It's no wonder that you are so attracted to the light!

You haven't been feeling great for a few weeks out of this month, so we've let you watch some of your videos- Baby Einstein and Praise Baby.  I'm not sure which part you like best- seeing the babies in the video playing or hearing the singing.  Either way, you will sit on the floor (or in your saucer) and be pretty content to watch for a few minutes.  

I seriously am so obsessed with your cheeks!  All I want to do is kiss them!  It works out well because you love being kissed.  You get very relaxed and press your cheeks into our lips, while we shower you with kisses.  I pray that you always know how dearly you are loved!

Coopy Boy, you have gotten so mobile!  You've been crawling and pulling up for a while now, but your "cruising" has really taken off.  You are a fast little man as you walk along the edge of the coffee table!  A few times this month, you have gotten pretty bold and stood without holding onto anything for a few seconds.  I like to see you challenging yourself!  Who knows, but I don't think it will be that much longer before you take your first steps.  Here you are after having yanked all the books off the bookshelf (notice that the bottom shelf has already been permanently cleared off!)  Your other favorite thing to get into is magazines- you love to shred them to pieces!

Oh Cooper Hudson, I could just eat you up.  Sometimes it makes me just cry thinking about how blessed we are to have a sweet boy like you.  I love being your Mommy, and it is such a gift to get to spend my days with you, little love.  Happy 9 months!

Brisket Tacos

Brisket tacos have quickly become an Allen family favorite.  Perhaps it is Todd's Memphis roots calling out for pork.  Maybe it's my intense desire to find a slow cooker recipe that actually tastes as good as it sounds.  At any rate, I would have to say that we are quite fond of brisket tacos in this household.

We ate these last night and boy were they good!  In fact, I've got another round marinating in the crock pot now, getting ready to go to the Knighton's house for dinner- and Binkley's, if you are reading this, you can expect them next week!

I'm really not trying to toot my own horn or anything (toot toot!), because all I did was follow a recipe.  A recipe that goes like this...

Brisket Tacos

1 bone-in-pork roast

1 jar HEB green tomatillo salsa

Salt, Pepper, Cumin to taste

Put all ingredients in the crock pot on low all day or on high for 4-5 hours.

Take out meat and shred with a fork.  You will not believe how juicy and tender it is!

Serve rolled up in a tortilla (I used whole wheat), with guacamole, and Monterrey Jack

Now how's that easy peasy dinner!