Seattle

Friday Cooper and I headed to the airport around 5:30. Thinking the security lines might be a little bit longer, but no! We cruised right through and then found out that our flight was delayed by 45 min. Not to bad but bad enough when the terminals are packed and you have a toddler how wants to run. When our plane finally arrived and we boarded the plane I was trying to point out ever little thing on the plane to get Cooper distracted from the sound. He was so good during take off. As soon as I felt that my ears needed to pop I gave him some milk and he didn't have any problems. He stayed awake until the pilot announced we were decending into Seattle. Then he fell asleep. You never realize how heavy 22 lbs can be until you have to carry it through an airport and try and pick up your luggage while juggling a car seat as well. Of course I finally got it figured out and then he woke up.
Anyway... Friday night when we got to her apartment we set up the crib for Cooper to sleep in and then layed him down because it was 2 hours past his normal bed time. Then Abi, Kip and I just hung out talking till 1a.m. (2a.m. our time).
Because it is vacation doesn't mean we get to sleep in! Cooper woke up at his normal time. Which just happened to be 6a.m. Seattle time. NO WAY man. I forced him back to sleep; after 30 min of crying. Then Abi's little boy Nathan walked in around 8 a.m. and started playing with toys in the room. It scared the fart out of me. So I got up with the kids. Because if you know Abi you should know that any time she can, she will sleep till noon! She didn't this time. I was shocked to see her out of bed at 9 a.m. Of course she did take a 3 hour nap later in the day. We didn't do anything all day. Her family came over at 6 and we ate and played a couple of games and then I hit the sack at 10 because unlike Abi I didn't take a 3 hour nap.
Yesterday was a much better day. Cooper and I woke up and got in the shower while everyone was still sleeping. After playing with the kids for a couple hours and watching Role Models we decided to go to lunch. La Hacienda was fairly good. Cooper totally dug his lunch. It showed all over his face and clothes. When we were done the sun was still out so we went to a local park that was right on the beach. Cooper really likes going down the slide so we did that about 5,000 times. We all walked out on the bridge/ walkway on to the water. Then back to the park for maybe 2,000 times more down the slide. I thought for sure this would wear out all of the kids but oh how I was wrong! They stayed awake while we drove to Snoqualmie Falls. Its a waterfall that isn't too far. It amazed me. Only because the Seattle area is all rolling hills. When you park you walk up this hill and all of the sudden there is a canyon with this beautiful waterfall. WHAT waterfalls are in the mountains. Not in hills!
After that we headed back to the apartment so I could pack and then we had to head to the airport. The flight back was even better. I gave Cooper a little bit of Children's Benadryl. He fell asleep while the plane was taking off.
I miss my Abi and am grateful that I am able to go visit her every once in a while.
Here are a few pictures.
Alyssa, Cooper & I

Nathan & Cooper playing together

All of us at the park by the beach

Going down the slide by himself

Snosqualmie Falls

Cooper watching the planes take off. Really pretty sunset as well.

Things

Yesterday morning Coop had a doc appt. to get his last Synagis shot for the season and his last testosterone injection before his surgery (April 9th). YEAH I hate shots and especially when I have to hold him. Its sad when he cries so hard there isn't any sound. (nice, but sad)
Yesterday Cooper had a "break-through" in his swimming lessons. He cried when I handed him to the instructor and then....
NOTHING He actually smiled multiple times and even giggled once. Holy cow how things can change over night. He did so good with every thing. His floating has been especially bad for the last two weeks and yesterday was AWESOME. I know its weird to be so happy about this but for a while I was afraid that it was just making him scared of water. Not a good thing in my family.
Here is a video of him practicing his "scoops" and smiling!

Swimming Lesson-Week 3

Today marked Cooper's 6th lesson so I thought I would share with you how he is doing. He has been consistently good with floating. He usually holds very still and is even floating on his own for a couple of seconds. Today was the exception on that one though. He is also getting better at closing his mouth when they go to put him under water. No more choking but he is still crying most of the time. He will calm down half way through and then start back up the last couple of minutes. They also have him grab rings out of the water that are on a step; he wouldn't do until today. He is doing so good! I am proud of my little fishy and can't wait to go swimming with him myself.
Here are a couple of video's:
He is so calm in this one


Not so much in this one

Friends

I know in our last post I had mentioned Zac & Staci. So this post is a tribute to our new BFF's. Zac and Kris bowl on a Monday night league together and have for the past few years. It wasn't until a couple of months ago that we started hanging out on a semi-regular basis. We all get along so well together and that is hard to find for us. I have found that once you are married most of your friends come through your husbands friends wives and girl friends. I never really wanted to believe that but my denial is over!
I have 3 friends that I call my own. Meaning I had them before I met Kris. These are my best friends and they know who they are. Unfortunately we are all at points in our lives that are very busy and we don't get together as much as we should.
Anyway it seems that this last week except for the 3 days we were all sick. We have hung out with Zac & Staci. Mostly they come over to watch Jazz games or other sporting events. Friday night Staci had a Scentsy party that I did for her. Zac went over to our house to hang with Kris and Cooper. Saturday Morning they came over and watched the Jazz game and we grilled Hamburgers. After the game we went bowling. Then they had to go meet up with Zac's family for a while. Well they ended up calling a couple hours later and wanted to come back over and play games and hang out. We ended up playing a couple of drinking games (after Cooper went to bed). Party of 4 was over at one in the morning. Today they came back over for another Jazz game and dinner and then we played some more card games (sober this time). Its weird to find a couple that you can spend this much time around and not get sick of each other. One of the best parts about them is Cooper LOVES them. He and Zac give high 5's all the time its so cute!
I just think that friends are so important to a person's sanity. Its even better to find couple friends that both of you love to be around and like to be around you too. Mine and Kris's personalities balance each other out so I always love to find other couples who are the same as us.
Ottley's Bowling

Drunken Farkle

Wendover Fun & Not

Our newest set of friends Zach & Staci invited us out to Wendover for Staci's 21st birthday. I made it my personal mission to make sure she took 21 shot for her 21st birthday. Only because a friend did the same thing for me. Kris and I got off work at 3 and had our old room-mate Dave come and pick up Cooper. It gets harder to leave him behind because he is so attached to me. His hysterical bawling makes my heart break. Anyway on our way out we picked up a coke and took a couple of swigs off of it and filled up the gap with Captain! Ummmm good
Kris got the Mazda up to 119 mph on the straight before the gov. kicked in. Its amazing because out there I never would have realized how fast we were going because that car rides so smooth. Obviously we made record time. We checked in and when we walked in was I suprised! Kris splurged and got the suite. It had a very nice jetted tub in it. He said he knew that I would love to take a bath in it so he paid the extra money. He is the sweetest man!
After we got settled we met up with the group of friends and got on the shuttle to head over to the Rainbow. (my fav place to gamble) From there on out we kinda split up and played Black Jack, Three Card Poker, and slots. After a few hours of playing we got a few of us together to go eat and absorb some alcohol. Unfortunately our dear friend Zach was WAY beyond gone at this point and his dad was nice enough to take him back to their room so Staci could stay with us and keep drinking her way to 21. After dinner we headed over to the Nugget to cash in a couple of tickets and then walked across the over street walkway. Well everyone wanted to do a cartwheel so there we were doing cartwheels. Thank fully we were the only ones on it. Then Josh and Kris raced to the casino floor. Kris was ahead and thought it was a good idea to do a victory jump and skip the last 4 stairs. NOT a good idea when intoxicated or ever really. Thankfully he just sprained his ankle and we helped him back to our room. That was really the end of the night. Buzz kill!
Kris was in so much pain in the morning that he woke up at 7a.m.! Not fun for me I wanted to sleep in because there was no baby around. After fighting sleep for a while we got up and called Zach & Staci to see if they wanted to hit up breakfast. Then a little gambling and then home.
It was so much fun to take an overnight trip. I really like when I have fun like that. Usually I dont. I am always babysitting drunk Kris.


Here is Kris's Ankle:

1st Swimming Lesson

Yesterday was Cooper's very first swimming lesson. We signed him up for private lessons with "Swim Kidz". We are trying to "fast-track" him for learning before we go to Florida in May. Unfortunately inbetween then and now he has a 3rd surgery. So we are trying to get in 10 lessons before the surgery and then we will take a month break and hopefully get a few more lessons in before we leave.
He was very good before the lesson sitting on the steps in the water splashing. As soon as Katie (instructor)took him started crying. Mommy issues! He boobed the whole time. Katie says he did really good. He lays still when he floats on his back, and he went under water a few times! I love that he likes the water so much and I hope he will be a fishy!

Cooper's Awesome Talent

He has been dancing for a long while now. Though it is mostly turning in circles, clapping, and high stepping with one leg. We still love it! Everytime he hears any kind of music he will start dancing. Even some commercials! So I wanted to share with everyone.
As for an update there is so much coming up over the next month. This weekend we are ditching the kid and going out to Wendover for some "US" fun. Its a friends 21st birthday and I am going to be there with her making sure she NEVER forgets it. We are signing up Cooper for private swimming lessons in hopes that he can get in some good lessons before he has his next surgery on April 9th. Cooper and I are going to Seattle for the weekend of March 27-29. I am way excited to take him and go visit my friend Abi. IT will be a busy month so there will either be lots of updates or none. Until then enjoy the video.