Early riser

This little boy is up before the sun almost everyday. Seven am is late for us. I thought I was an early riser once upon a time, until I met this boy. He is ready to attack the day at 6 am. It's something I love about him (if only I didn't have to get up to!) He will jump and jump and jump in his little bouncer like it's two in the afternoon. Nothing cracks me up more then walking in his pitch dark room and seeing the whites of his big huge eyes staring up at me, like "c'mon Mom let's go!"
As you can see this is not a new thing. The more I see other babies the more I realize Cooper never just slept for hours on end while he was passed from person to person. Point proven..

Last week I rolled over when I heard the energetic wake up call from his bedroom. I tried to pretend for a second that it wasn't happening. Shawn had the grand idea to go out to breakfast at the little pancake house down the street that I have definitely fallen for lately. We wiped the sleep from our eyes in a little almost empty diner at a booth for three.

A sleepy eyed booth for three, beats a bright eyed booth for two I suppose.

But please bless our next little babe to be a wonderful natural born sleeper.

Best of 2011

I made Shawn cough up his favorite moments of 2010 last year with every intent to write them in my journal. It didn't happen and I already forgot them all. Last year the new year didn't mean much to me. 2011 seemed like just another day. I can't quite put my finger on why everything seems new and improved in 2012, maybe it's because my very few resolutions are still alive-I know it's still January but seriously I usually don't even make it two weeks! I am feeling a good vibe from 2012, please don't disappoint! Here are a few of our best moments in 2011 for future record...better late then never right?

This is why I'm glad we snap pictures as much as my family fights it. I would have forgotten all about one of my very favorite weekends of the year. This is Conference sleepover weekend. Three months before we had Coop we took everyone's advice and just let ourselves relax. We pulled the air mattress into the living room and seriously took naps and slept in our front room all weekend in between conference. Maybe we accidentally started a new tradition. Finally Sunday afternoon we got up well rested and attended an amazing session of conference. I remember most specifically Elder Scott's talk dedicated to his sweet wife. Still one of my favorites because I remember being close enough to see the sincere expressions on his face.

Taking a trip to Idaho, and coming home with all Cooper's bedding to put on his crib. I have never been so excited, we almost didn't get it done and I couldn't stand to leave it, I was so excited to drag it back to Utah to show Shawn. We (meaning my mom) sewed for hours on Saturday. After I fell asleep Abby stayed up and finished tying the entire quilt so I wouldn't have to leave without it. She is such a good little Auntie!

Speaking of Aunties. This pretty girl got married, it has been so fun having a new member of the fam with Bronson around. He is quite the outdoorsman and Shawn and Tyler really hope to learn a thing or two from him..For the record. This was about three weeks before Cooper was due. I feel like I deserve a medal for walking down the aisle in that bridesmaid dress and high heels. I kept telling myself to suck it up because this day was not about me, but still! Not one picture from the entire day is the least bit flattering. I kept telling myself it MUST have just been the angle of the camera :) I know, I know. Swallow your pride already. Emily really looked beautiful and I was so happy to be there. She changed her wedding date even to make it better for me and I will always remember that when I see those fun pictures.

Shawn and I have a very hard time adjusting post-Coop to the fact that we can't just sneak off to the sugar house dollar movie right down the street whenever we just so happen to feel like it. It is one of my favorite places because it really is still just 1 DOLLAR! On a weekday afternoon we snuck off to see Tangled. During the movie I felt my first official kick from my boy with the forever long legs. I was pretty far along and I had been waiting and waiting for that moment, I had imagined it up before, but this was the first time I knew for sure it was real. Goo Coop! I have an extra special love for that movie now.

Of course, the gender ultrasound. It was supposed to be on Valentines day but it got rescheduled and I stepped out of my comfort zone by making a scene over the telephone letting the nurse now how upset I was, followed up with an embarrassing apologetic phone call. The cheering from Shawn when we heard it's a boy was the best. The temporary embarrassment as he tried to teach the ultrasound tech how he knew it was a boy before she did was hilarious. And then the quick friendly chit chat afterwards on manners was a given. The ultrasound was followed by a Saturday night trip to the park city outlets to pick out our first boy outfit, officially kicking my dreams of bows and tutus to the curb. We came home with a park city ski vest that won my heart over any tutu, just because I knew it belonged to my own. Coop wore it home from the hospital and looked darling. Sadly, no pictures of this weekend, but luckily it is one event I have plenty of pictures of in my brain.

Uncle Josh came home to visit. This is at the top of my list for sure! Cooper was three weeks old and we traveled to Idaho to be with the fam. I was so exhausted because I wanted to spend every second that i could with my family since we are not all together often. When we stayed up playing games, Cooper would be awake an hour later, and then three hours later. I was slightly a grumpy girl at times but I appreciated the help from my family and all the time we got to spend! We never feel quite complete without Josh around making us laugh. What a good brother he is. It was so cute seeing all the grandkids together.

I spent the month before Cooper was born calling in sick to work and driving to Jaimee's to do productive things like paint toenails, go to seven peaks, or layout by the pool. These two were so helpful when Cooper finally came. Jaimee has had a busy week this week and I realize how lucky I am to be able to meet up with her and Sophie whenever we want, I'm REALLY going to miss that if we are ever separated. I realize that more and more as time go on, I'm so grateful to have them.

By the fourth of July my doctor was tricking us and telling us he thought Mr. Coop would be coming very very soon! SO my family went to Idaho and he made me and Shawn stay home! We were disappointed but we had this feeling of excitement that weekend I will never forget. We didn't even mind being lame and watching the fireworks in the backyard in pj's. The weather was beautiful and we let the patriotic music play after the fireworks were over. Bill and Tracii always make for good company, and we relaxed in the hammock. It was a special night for me knowing all the sudden that something really was going to come from being pregnant! please don't judge me since I'm sitting on a roof in this picture. In hind site, after meeting the real life baby that was in there at that time, I may not have made that same decision..But I really was VERY careful I promise!

I talk a lot about my family because they live semi close, but I can't forget Shawn's family trip this year. We always have fun when we go with the Allen's. We went to Disneyland and these kids looked so adorable and they were so excited the whole time! Before this trip Shawn's sisters threw me such a cute shower and I appreciated it so much. Shawn's family has done so much for us and we REALLY wish they lived closer so we could see them more frequently! We always have lots of games and lots of laughs.

I was only going to do a few and then the memories just kept coming!! I'm stopping right here--Last but not least, Mr.Coop's big debut. We had no idea what it would be like to see him for the first time but for the first few minutes we both couldn't stop laughing like-no way did this just happen to us! And no way is this cute little face ours. Cooper was the highlight of our year..I'm just noticing all of these events happened before he arrived, since he has been here the end of the year just FLEW by! This was the best moment of the year. A few people have mentioned that Cooper seems to be a daddy's boy. Cooper and I have our own very special relationship, but i agree that there are definitely times that no one else can get him to smile and laugh like Shawn can.

Enough already! It's official, that was the last hoorah for 2011. Hello brand new world of 2012. I have been very interested in this world and all the protests going on with SOPA and the whole 99% thing earlier this year. I always loved history and I keep telling Shawn it's crazy we are like living in the future history books! I sort of secretly wish we could have been in that park in New York when the whole crazy protest went down. Shawn laughs, but we really have been into documentaries lately.
We are so thankful for everyone who has played a part in our 2011, we seriously learn so much from the family and friends around us who seem to do so many cool things, and still be so put together, and of course are always fun to be around..especially those who have babies and still seem to do it all! HOW do you do it, we are watching you and want in on your secrets!

Time to start fresh:
We are excited for you in a whole new way, 2012. Not exactly sure why, maybe it's because we truly don't know where you are taking us.

On that note-
As one of my favorite people named Anne Shirley once said,
"It's not what the world holds for you, but what you bring to it."
Well said Anne. I'm remembering this in 2012.

Last of the Firsts

Lately we have seriously been living for Cooper's first anything and everything. We are always yelling for the other one to grab the camera for Cooper's first time sucking his thumb, trying a new food, sitting up for maybe 5 seconds on his own..the list could go on and on of things only a parent would be excited about. This is My personal favorite. His first night meeting the man in the mirror..he really sat and stared at himself for a good ten solid minutes, and continues to do so every night.

This week we just so happen to have a new LAST to rejoice over. Shawn finally started his LAST first day of a full semester at the U. He is dragging it out and finishing one or two classes in the summer, but who counts that right? Not I. I find it comical because I have been counting down to this day for pretty much ever. Let's be honest, since we got married I have been thinking about how wonderful it will be to not be married to a student anymore. We had a pizookie party on Sunday night because I insisted we celebrate the fact that he is so close to being done.

But then, Monday morning rolled around, and the mental memory reel started rolling. All of his days back to school for a new semester came flashing back and my heart was a little bit sad. I remembered I actually loved meeting between classes at the University or Primary Children's cafeteria for pizza hut personal pans or egg salad sandwiches. I loved going with him up to the library before Cooper was born just to hang out and think up random things to do online so I could be there while he studied. I liked that he could come home for lunch, and tell me what he learned at school, and that I would fall asleep on the couch while he studied at night because I couldn't go to bed alone. I really liked being proud of lots of hours spent with textbooks.
I always annoyed Shawn by joking about how cute he looked with his little backpack on. Don't worry he doesn't wear it anymore. A few days before Cooper was born we woke up to a call asking us if we had spent hundreds of dollars at WalMart at 3 am, of course we are not nearly cool or crazy enough to anywhere but our bed at 3 am. Ironically the boy who can pass all kinds of physics and chemistry classes forgot to use his brain cells to lock the jeep. Backpack stolen and credit card maxed out. We laugh about it only because we got the money back. I was just happy for once a mistake like that wasn't my fault.

So you see, Shawn being in school really hasn't been so bad. We have had some pretty good times around here.

Leave it to me once it's almost graduation time, to realize how much fun the journey to get to this point actually was. Life lesson learned. I almost felt a little tear as the door shut Monday morning and my backpack-less boy headed back out the door to venture off to a new semester on campus. One Last time. But then I started cuddling with my Coop and got a little bit excited.

hello to a wide open future- whatever the word future even means for this family. We have been waiting for this..please be exciting. Wherever we go, I'm taking that life lesson in my back pocket this time.

So fresh, SO clean

There is something in my weirdly overly sentimental brain that seems pretty darn exciting about three hundred and sixty five days of untouched time. 365 mornings to wake up and (in a perfect world) work out and therefore feel pretty productive for the rest of the day. 365 nights to kiss two boys goodnight, turn off the lights and walk through a dimly lit house being grateful for its simple homey peacefulness. Hundreds of nights to excitedly welcome the hubby home from work and settle down with American Idol, Hundreds of days to re-commit to self improvement, working out, being a better mom, friend, sibling, wife,blah blah blah. Gives me a headache sometimes.

There is also something in the overly sentimental brain that hates to say goodbye to the 365 days that have flown past in a blur. We loved 2011. We spent a lot of days living up our last moments pre-Coop. We met a new little person who we can't now imagine being without. We spent a lot of nights awake with a precious sleepless babe, and a lot of mornings at work with dazed groggy eyes. Welcome to parenthood people.

We tried to achieve a few new goals, and let me tell ya somewhere in the chaos we don't even recall what our resolutions for 2011 were in the first place. Did we even make any? who knows. But that's why today we woke up to a shiny brand new clean year and laced up our shoes ready to start so fresh and so clean. We even wrote down our goals this time, let's see if the helps!

I worked on New Year's Eve this year. I almost got to come home early, and then it fell through. Like a dagger to the heart. I made sure everyone I saw that night knew that I was SO close to leaving early and I was now SO disappointed. Unfortunately this year for us the first day of the New Year rang in with a nice long nap. I woke up with first and foremost some Diet Coke, followed with a sip of Martinellis. It ended with cuddle time for three on the couch, and two New Year's kisses.

Cheers to 365 new untouched days of adventure yet to be had.

For the record-first pic of 2012, post three hour family naptime.