Feelin the Love

Last weekend the unheard of happened.
Shawn cut out early from work.

We took a little roadtrip up to Idaho. Remember those roadtrips I always proclaimed my love for on this blog? This was just like those good ol roadtrip days, only instead of having my head on my best friend's shoulder I was banging my head against the window from Coop screaming. just kidding. Coop was actually an angel-but I was in the back on book duty, giving treats, and giving him his frog foot to chew on.

Our destination-grandma's house to unload little Coop. We were heading out for date night in Idaho falls, complete with a swimming sleepover. Seriously!

Who knew little old Edwards theatre and little old Idaho Falls could put such butterflies of excitement in my stomach!! It felt like I was going to the ocean or something. Dinner and a movie haven't been a part of our social life since about seven months ago..not even once people! I pretended I was working a night shift, and I kissed my little Coop goodbye knowing he was in good hands at grandmas. We drove to Idaho Falls and it started raining on our way. The air smelled of delicious Idaho country-ness. We had a grand old time. I kept looking at Shawn thinking, it has been wayy too long my friend, since me and you hit the town. Although we see each other everyday there really is nothing like getting fancied up for a little one on one time. It's quite the thing, this thing called marriage that gives you a permanent BFF.

We ate some Mexican food, we went to the Vow, we got some milk shakes, and we did the last thing we felt like doing after all that food and we suited up for the pool. We laughed at things that weren't even funny, and we pretended we were back in Provo, just two little Allen kiddos going on a care free date with someone they love. It was one of my favorite nights we have probably ever had, mostly because I realized how much I had taken for granted the fun times we have together.

Until we got in the pool. I was in the hot tub trying to stay warm, and Shawn was having a few second of five year old time in the other pool before joining me. We were the only two in the whole place. We started discussing from one pool to the other about how much Coop would love to stick his fat little feet in this water. And that was it. The kiss of death, our bubble was popped. We tried to push that thought immediately away but it was too late. Our plan of sleeping in and enjoying every last moment of late checkout, ended up becoming a six am pillow chat about how fast we could get dressed, eat the free breakfast (couldn't miss that) and head home without feeling like crazy people walking through my mom's door. We were on the freeway headed home before 8.

Needless to say, we missed Coop more then he missed us. Lesson number one for the weekend-date nights with my boy are still the best, and somehow we need to make them happen more often. Lesson number two, bringing Coop in our bed at 6:30 and begging for just another five minutes of family cuddle time is tied or maybe one step ahead as the other best. Crazy how incomplete we feel without that little loud breather wiggling around in between us wherever we go. We all agreed when we got home, an early morning bed for three never felt so good. We speak for Coop here.

Our actual vday was low key. Shawn got home from his lab at eight. I spent the majority of my day reminding my other boy that despite what he thinks someday, I was his very first Valentine. HE thinks he is soo cool trying to walk himself along the couch.

I drilled it into his brain and gave him a valentine to show him when he is twenty. It was a simple day filled with the things I love. Good treats, Good people, Good tv and a warm blanket to cuddle with on the couch. Not quite up to par with my mom's valentines, but it's my first year as a valentine's mom, I have lots of years to learn!

Happy day of love from our little cozy home to your much more modern, built this century, bathroom counter big enough for your straightener home :)

p.s. we aren't the biggest vday gift people, but I did finish my wedding book online after only about three years of working on it..and Shawn gave me a pretty little necklace with a C engraved in it. Bet you can't guess what the C is for!

six months and suspenders

Cooper's outfit was almost the highlight of my day yesterday. Every once in a while a great classic outfit comes along. You put it on some chubby arms and legs, add a smile- let's be honest, whether it's admited or not-how can it not just make any day a whole lot better! Cooper just looked so completely proper. He has just enough really light hair to start awkwardly spiking with some baby lotion..I couln't help but take a million pictures, I just wanted to keep him in his outfit all day. Don't worry I didn't, I know that would be cruel to keep a baby in a tie and suspenders all day-but it was tempting!
We went to a lot of church yesterday and Cooper lost it just a little bit at the end. My friend Sonja blessed her baby Xander. I lived with her and her family in Alaska a few summers ago so I have this extra special love and appreciation for them. I saw some old friends there from nursing school and good old Burton, that was actually the real highlight of my day. I love seeing old friends. It's rare to find friends that you love just as much no matter how many years it has been. I thought about how lucky I felt as I made the hour long drive home, that I ran into such great people on a Sunday afternoon.

Anyways, back to Cooper-Six months old!! Where in the world does time go. We just got home from his six month appointment. He's like the big man on campus in the waiting room now. He looked so huge next to the newborns. He was 98% in height and 50% in weight. He is getting too heavy for his mama.

Shots still don't bother him nearly as much as putting him in his crib when he doesn't wanna be there..how dare us! I am working tonight, so we came home from his appointment, soaked his nice fat thighs, took some tylenol, put on our pj's and we are both settling in for a nice winter's nap.

For memories sake, Cooper can sit up when he wants to but he still makes me nervous. He will be having a great time and then as soon as he wants to be done sitting up he will just tip himself right over like he doesn't know it's going to hurt. Luckily so far I have been around to catch him, or I have pillows around him. I'm sure all it will take is one time giving up on that with nothing around him and he will have his lesson learned, but it sure will be sad!

HE loves to be sung too which is one of my favorite things right now since cuddle time is already starting to decrease during the day. His toy bucket has officially became more fun then my lap. Unfortunately I realize when I sing to him how horrible my voice is now compared to when I was younger! I swear I can't even carry a tune anymore..good thing Cooper still loves it! He likes this teddy bear lullaby that my grandma always sings and we insert his name, usually it puts him right to sleep, especially in the car.

HE also likes to hold hands, even his own. He has started following people hands, he always grabs my hands and holds on so tight to my fingers. Yesterday morning I saw him staring at his own hand and then grabbing it and holding on with the other. HE also even held hands with the doctor and nurse today and we have to pry his grip off peoples fingers. Who knew fingers could be so cool?
Cooper is a loud breather, he is energetic and curious. I love listening to his breathing so deeply in concentration playing with his toys. He is just so sweet right now I can't imagine him ever being any other way. Possibly I think a few nights ago at about 1:30 when he woke up for no reason I ALMOST imagined it, but not quite :)

Shawn is just working away getting soo close to being done! WE are still trying to decide where we will be once he finishes. It's true, we talk sometimes about how we wish we were possibly moving somewhere to start med school now instead of waiting a year. But, Shawn is loving the extra time he has with Cooper, and the extra time at work that he wouldn't have had otherwise. Maybe someone else knows us and our life plan better then we know for ourselves?? That's not surprising at all. For now we are happy just doing our thing..and I am still just proud to have both of these two in my family.

What an entertaining six months it has been with little Coop.