Arkansas

A couple of weeks ago we took a fun vacation with Todd's family to Mt. Ida, Arkansas.  We stayed in a very cute and very rustic cabin in the woods and really had a great time!  It was Cooper's longest road trip to date (7 hours) and he did amazing!  I mean, look at this kid- who really looks THAT refreshed after a 7 hour road trip?  Cooper.  Maybe it's because I kept him happy with my awesome road trip playlist, or my never ending chorus of songs from summer camp.    

 Nevertheless, I love these boys!

Cooper got all kinds of practice crawling on the hardwood floors.  Before this trip, I think he was scared of hardwood, because at our house, he always would stop crawling as soon as the carpet would end.

We took lots of trips to the creek down the road to stick our toes in the water.  How cute are the Atkinsons?  I am incredibly blessed to have outstanding in-laws.  Kelly is an amazing mom- if you know her, you will have to ask her about how she rescued her entire family (minus Blake) and Ellie's beloved Lambie from their overturned canoe on our canoe adventure!

Cooper wasn't wild about the cold river water, but we did let him try it out.  And let me just say that the Bjorn makes "hikes" much easier!

 Down by the river, there were all of these amazing butterflies!  Ellie pretty much was The Butterfly Whisperer- they would all flock to her like crazy!

And of course, Coop was thrilled to get lots of Cousin Time with Blake!  Look at Blake brushing his teeth.  Such a nugget!  Cooper tried his hardest to keep up with Blake, but Baby B was more interested in climbing the stairs than hanging out with Mr. Coop.

We spent one day in Hot Springs about an hour away.  We ate yummy fish tacos at The Bleu Monkey, and then Todd and I strolled along Bath House Row.  We had to make sure to get a manly looking picture of the guys since I sure did drag them through multiple antique stores!

We were able to celebrate Ellie's Fourth Birthday while we were in Arkansas.  You should have seen this girl just eating up her birthday encouragements!  Such a sweetheart!

 I would say it was a great trip and the perfect start to the beginning of summer!

My pictures are kind of sparse from the trip, but here is what I wish I WOULD HAVE taken photos of...

-The AMAZING meals that everyone helped prepare!

-Watching the fireworks on Memorial Day

-Our canoe adventure- my enormous bruise from sliding down the cave, John retrieving our down river canoe, the Atkinson clan safe and sound in their boat, and all the nice "river folk" along the way

-Fun family game nights 

-And at least ONE good family photo!

I think we will have to make it happen again next summer!

Lets Go To Luckenbach, Texas

This past weekend, Todd & I took a little weekend anniversary trip to Fredericksburg.  My mom was amazing and drove down from Oklahoma to stay with Cooper so that the two of us could get some good quality time with each other.  We had a great time (almost conflict free!) just being silly, enjoying each other's company, and not operating on the babe's feeding and nap schedule.  Blessing!

We went to Fredericksburg Brewery so Todd could get a locally brewed beer.

We went to Luckenbach, so we could get a t-shirt and see what all the fuss was about.

 Luckenbach was funny but we liked it!

 There were chickens everywhere.

 And this guy was singing "Into the Mystic," so everything felt right about our trip out there.

 Then we drove back to Fredericksburg for our dinner reservations at The Nest.  We enjoyed a quiet dinner and talked about things we'd like to do in the upcoming year.  And then we also looked at pictures and videos of Coop, because we were badly missing him!

 We have this same picture for every anniversary.  Maybe on our 50th anniversary, I'll make a photo album of all of the cheesy anniversary dinner photos we've taken.

 We stayed at this little B&B called "Queen Anne."  After having breakfast with a really grumpy lady, we decided to go on a negativity fast.

 On Sarah's recommendation, we went to the Rather Sweet Bakery just off of Main Street.

 We had the best cinnamon roll of my life!  Not super buttery, just really flaky dough.

After some shopping on Main Street, it was time to hit up the wineries.  First was the Fredericksburg Winery.  It had the most boring setup, but Todd's favorite wine (Cuvee IV, a good manly wine)

 Next was Grape Creek, which had my favorite wine (Sorreline, a white grape blend)

 Next was Rancho Ponte, which had a guy playing classical guitar outside, but no wines that really stood out to us.  Everything was starting to run together, if you know what I mean...

 And last was Becker Vineyards, which was the most popular.  I bought a lavender candle there and would love to go back for the Lavender Festival next May. That might have to be a girl's trip!

 After we finished at Becker, we headed back to town for an early dinner.

 Then we headed out to Enchanted Rock.

 We had a prime camping stop which was nice because I had to pee in the woods A LOT.  All that wine, I guess!

 After getting a decent night's sleep, we hiked up to the top of Enchanted Rock while it was still early.

 Grossest picture ever, but proof that I did it!

 Happy Third Anniversary, Babe!

And then we drove home and saw that Cooper had learned to do all kinds of new tricks, like crawl into the bookshelf and get stuck.

I can't wait to see what this next year holds for us!

Seven Months.

Happy 7 Month Birthday, Cooper Boy!  I can't believe that you are the same baby boy that we took home from the hospital just 7 short months ago.  You have grown and changed so much!  You've been quite the busy bee this month and have had a ton of "firsts."

One Saturday, you had a big time playing on your splash pad.  You LOVE the water... baths, baby pools, running water from the sink, and now, your little splash pad!  You like trying to grasp the water and letting it run through your fingers.

You tried baby food for the first time this month and for the most part, love it!  So far, you've eaten pears, apples, bananas (your favorite!), sweet potatoes, sweet peas, mango, avocado (least favorite!), green beans, squash, prunes, pumpkin, and oatmeal cereal.  You haven't had any allergic reactions to anything, which is great!  Now that you are doing solids, I am going to play with your daily routine a little bit to see if we can stretch out your feedings and lengthen your naptimes.  I don't think your feeding schedule has changed in 2 or 3 months.

The biggest news this month is that you are officially crawling!  At around 5 1/2 months, you started scooting... Then at 6 months, army crawling... Finally at about 6 1/2 months, you are on the go!  Watch out world!  You prefer to crawl on the carpet and don't really like to leave the living room to get on the tile or wood floor.  Thanks for already respecting the boundaries, little buddy!  You've also learned how to go from a sitting to crawling position and crawling to sitting position.  Last month you spent a lot of time with bruises on your forehead, because you couldn't fall very gracefully!

On Mother's Day, we dedicated you to the Lord.  It was such a special time of prayer and celebrating, and sweet friends and family came to the service at church to pray for you.  Different ones felt like the Lord was saying that you would be a lover of people, marked by joy, and a valiant warrior.  Amen!  

I can't wait to see how the Lord is going to use you, Cooper.  You are such a treasure to us.  You truly do love being around people- especially babies.  You get the biggest smile and your whole face lights up.  I love to see you finding such enjoyment from other people.  You bring joy to our hearts, baby Coop!

A few weeks ago, we took a trip to Houston to visit Grandpa Mark.  He took us to some fountains downtown for you to splash around in.  You were such a happy boy!  

Later, we went swimming in the pool in the backyard.  You had the best time!  You would kick your legs, propelling yourself around the pool when you were in your little floatie.  It seemed like you were so happy to be in the water!  Grandpa Mark loved cuddling with you while you were on the raft- in fact, you almost fell asleep!  What relaxation!

You've got great hand-eye coordination- and even better hand-mouth coordination!  Everything goes straight to the mouth!  Your favorite thing to chew on is fabric, like your lovie, the ties to the slipcover, wet washcloths, and stuffed animals.  You are teething big time!  A couple of days ago, we thought you were getting two teeth- you even had a little white nub poking through, but I guess it went back down, because so far, you have no teeth!

 We had to drop the mattress to your crib a couple of weeks ago, because you started pulling up and couldn't figure out how to get down.  This is a picture from your first time to pull up after the mattress was dropped.  Your sad face makes me so sad, but I couldn't resist snapping a picture of you, big boy!

A few days ago, we took a great trip to Mt. Ida, Arkansas with Pops & Susu and the Atkinsons.  It was your longest road trip yet- 7 hours- and you did great!  We went on some fun walks, splashed in the river, and enjoyed playing with Ellie and Blake.  You were quite the chatterbox all weekend, saying "amma... amma... amma..." over and over again.  I'm just going to tell myself that your first word was "mama" at 7 months!  Also, I love how your hair looks in this picture.  It's so blond and silky.  Daddy says that you have good Republican hair.  We can't wait to teach you how to vote, baby boy!

 One of my favorite things about you, Coop, is how much you love to cuddle.  You are so sweet and will sit still for the longest time, all cuddled up in someone's lap.  I love it when you fall asleep in my arms!  This month, you had your first ear infection and respiratory infection.  We had to give you a breathing treatment, like an inhaler, for your bronchiolitis.  You were such a trooper, and would sit so still, all cuddled up, and do your treatment while watching Praise Baby.  I hated that you were sick, but I loved that you seemed so much happier in Mommy or Daddy's arms.

You are a funny little guy and we enjoy your company and your personality so much!  You've been given all sorts of funny nicknames from the people that love you the most- Coop, Coopies, Scooby, Scoop, Coopster, Captain Coop, Super Cooper, Coop Doggy Dog, and Pumpkin Loaf.

 We love you so much, Cooper!  You are the perfect addition to our family!  Happy 7 months to you!

Stay, Little One, stay.

I read this passage yesterday in Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts and I can't stop thinking about it...


My baby is five.  She falls asleep in my arms after the close of dinner prayers, us still seated at table, and I hold her long after the Farmer has put the rest of the tribe to bed, her curls damp and etching into my skin and I don't move.  Her face is turned toward mine, broad and open, eyelashes whisper of gold.  I trace her lips, gentle curve of all things beautiful.  The way her eyes danced today, soul light, the arch of her eyebrows and that lyrical laugh, heaven's echo that entirely undoes me.  Her breath is warm on my face, all that is alive and warm and breathing inside of her now, falling upon me, and I can't capture it, hold it, this, her life now, me in this moment.  She is leaving me, she's growing up and moving away from me and she stirs and I sweep back the crop of the golden ringlets.  Stay, Little One, stay.  Love's a deep wound and what is a mother without a child and why can't I hold on to now forever and her here and me here and why does time snatch away a heart I don't think mine can beat without?  Why do we all have to grow old?  Why do we have to keep saying good-bye?

She so beautifully puts to words all that's been in my heart for Cooper these past few months.  Since Cooper began doing anything more than just laying swaddled on a blanket, I've been struggling to let him grow, develop, change.  I just want to hold on to him, just as he is now, forever.  I know I can't have that- and I do anticipate and embrace all that he will do and become in his lifetime, I just treasure him this way, my precious baby boy.  Cooper is dealing with his 17th day of illness- a cold that turned into an ear infection and bronchiolitis (with two teeth coming in, to boot!)  He's been such a trooper and smiled through most of it- but who can blame him for the times that he gets fussy?!  During most of his nap times, the only sure-fire way to get him to sleep is to rock and sing to him.  And some of the time, I just hold him during his entire nap.  What could be more important that this moment and this beautiful gift from the Lord right in front of me?  This afternoon as I rocked him, I thought about Ann's words and tried to memorize his sweet face... the way his eyelashes curl, so long and dark against his milky skin... his golden waves of hair that remind me of silken thread from a fairy tale... his round, happy cheeks that must have already experienced a million kisses... his chubby little hands, always balled up in fists, but now relaxed... the smell of his milky breath and his little pouty lip.  I wouldn't change a single thing about this boy and I want to freeze him in my mind this way.

If I feel this way about my son, I can't help but think of the depths of the love of the Father for us- for me.

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!" 1 John 3:1

During ATS, we watched a video called "The Father Heart of God," by John Dawson.  He says, "No matter what you do or become in the eyes of the world, you will never cease to be anything more than a babe in your Father's arms."  Isn't that the truth?  Cooper has not done anything for me and still I couldn't love him more.  My love for him isn't based on the fact that he is the most beautiful baby in the entire world- or the fact that he is filled with such indescribable joy and delight- or the fact that one day he is going to be a valiant man who points the way to Jesus.  It's because he came from me.  He looks like me.  He was the overflow of marital love. And I adore this child with everything in me!

Mini

Last week Coop and I met my dad in College Station for lunch.  Naturally, Cooper NEEDED a trip to Toys-R-Us, because he's so into toys and all...

But a kid can dream, right?

Silhouette Tote Bag

I didn't get the "good gift giver" bone.  My sister did, and always comes up with the most thoughtful and creative gifts.  This year at Christmas, she gave me some beautiful aqua earrings because "they would make my eyes sparkle and make my hair shine like a mermaid."  Todd has had a few strikeouts in terms of gifts, but it's mostly home runs for him.  One time when we were dating, I casually mentioned that I'd always wanted a KitchenAid mixer and he got a huge group together to buy that $300 bad boy for me!  Then there was that time that he wrapped up the most beautiful diamond engagement ring that I'd ever seen and gave it to me on Christmas...  My mom is an incredibly generous gift giver- she LOVES showering people with gifts big and small.  And not only that, but she's not really "attached" to her belongings.  Last weekend, I felt like I practically stole a turquoise ring right off her finger!  I told her I liked it, and she said, "oh here.. you have it.  I never wear it." Even though she was wearing it RIGHT THEN!

I always WANT to give good gifts, and sometimes I think I do, but then there are just some holidays (ahem... Mother's Day) that just sneak up on me and I feel like my gift ends up falling short.  But not this year!  I actually feel really proud of the gift I will give to my mom this Mother's Day.

It's this Silhouette Tote Bag:

I used my new sewing skills and my old ironing skills to whip up this baby!  I sewed together the scarf (after the lady at the store cut the pieces to the right length and then marked off the diagonal for me, which was nice).  And then I made a little Silhouette of sweet Cooper's chunky little face.  Cooper got to go on the bag since he's the favorite kid anyways.

I was surprised that I was even able to get his lips in the picture, since his cheeks are so fluffy.

Making the bag was EASY!
Here's what you need:
-A canvas tote bag (mine was from Marshall's)
-Fusible web (Wonder Under)
-Fabric for your silhouette

First thing you do is take a picture of your little beauty.  I had to prop up some toys to get him to look up.  You might need to crop/zoom in on your picture once you are viewing it on your computer.  I played around with a few sizes before I got it to a size that I liked.  Then, print out your photo on cardstock.  Next, trace the outline of the cardstock silhouette with a dark pen so that you will be able to see through the transparent fusible web paper.  Next, trace the design onto the fusible web.  The directions for the fusible web might be a little different, but with mine, I ironed it to the wrong side of my fabric.  Lastly, I stuck it to the canvas bag and ironed it on.  SO SIMPLE!  I suppose I could top stitch the design to the bag, but I might mess that up, so it's best to leave it alone :)

And for once, it's a Mother's Day gift that I feel really proud of and really excited to give my incredibly deserving, inspiring, creative, and loving mom!

Sidenote- this Mother's Day is going to be extra special because we are dedicating my precious butterball, Cooper, to the Lord on Sunday.  That makes this Mama's heart VERY happy.