Life Through My iPhone

My iPhone is typically never far from me.  Sometimes that's a good thing, and sometimes that's probably a not so good thing.  One good outcome of this though is the ability to capture little day to day  moments with the quick push of a button.  Here are some fave moments I had on my phone from the last few weeks...

 

 

 Charlotte dressed and ready to run an errand with me.  Fully decked out out in a pink outfit (including tutu) with pink bow, pink sunglasses, and pink winter coat.  The ironic part is MJ, in the background who is wearing green shorts, a fleece sweatshirt, leather boots, and putting on his black winter coat.  Too funny the differences already! 

 

 Cooper just hangin out in one of his very favorite spots.  He can now turn himself in a full circle just by scooting around and rolling from side to side. 

 

 Art time on another cold winter day.  Painting and Do a Dot art makes for happy kiddos! 

 Cutie pie!  I loved dressing MJ in this outfit when he was a baby.  It belonged to my friend Kelley's little boy, and she passed it on to MJ, since it was quite fitting after Michael Jordon "MJ".  Loved seeing Cooper in it, too!

 

 Pinterest always makes it look easy.  Ha!  Suzy Homemaker I am not.  MJ and I tried to do these yogurt melts that I saw on Pinterest.  My kids love yogurt, and this seemed like a fun and healthy snack to make to have on hand in the freezer.  Needless to say the ones we made didn't look anything like the ones on Pinterest.  Lucky for us though they still tasted good, and MJ asked for them every day.  Charlotte wasn't quite sure what to make of them though!

 

 We haven't really been able to get out to play in the snow much this winter because it has just been SO cold, like dangerously cold.  There have been several school delays and cancellations simply due to the temps being in double digit negatives with very dangerous windchills.  This winter has been extreme, that's for sure!  Last weekend we had a day of upper 20's, which we knew was going to be followed by -10, so we were sure to take advantage of what felt like a warm 28 degrees and get outside for a little play time! 

 We have recently done a big room switcheroo.  We've combined the boys into one room, so they moved to our former room.  We moved to Charlotte's former room, and she moved to MJ's room.  This required lots of painting!  MJ was anxious to help Mat with a little painting of his new room.  He was excited to be Daddy's helper! 

 

 I guess Charlotte was inspired by the recent painting and decided to paint her own face with a purple marker.  So proud of her masterpiece!  Thank goodness we only have washable kid markers, and an even bigger blessing that when I found the marker sitting on my couch with no lid on it that no marks had been made on the couch, wall, etc.  I'm sure it's just a matter of time, right?

 

Cooper finally has a crib, and I found him this Cars bedding thanks to a garage sale site that matches big brother's Car decor just perfectly.  This is set up in his and MJ's new room!  I can't believe my original miracle baby boy and my surprise of a blessing baby boy are room sharing!

 



 Sound asleep in his new crib...I think he likes it!

 

Look at me, mom!  I just slept through the WHOLE night (11-12 hours)!  This made for one happy mama...too bad it only lasted a couple nights. 

 



 A very happy big sister reading to her little brother. 

 

Cooper sitting up and mesmerized by his toys. 

 

3 Months!

Cooper turned 3 months old on January 11th!  Seeing as how the month is almost over, I wanted to document some favorite pic, moments, and milestones.   

 Lil Cooper sporting his "12" jersey the day he turned 12 weeks old.  I always feel like that 12 week mark is significant.  I'm not sure why really, but it just seems like when babies definitely seem past the itty bitty stage, start becoming more alert, and their smiles and personalities begin to come out.  This shirt was special because it belonged to Uncle Jeff when he was a baby.  I also put it on MJ when he turned 12 weeks old.  I'm so glad my mom saved some special outfits like these as I love being able to see them passed down and the memories they create. 

 

My boys...MJ and Cooper each at 12 weeks

 

Cooper was happy to pose for his 3 mos picture this time.  I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to prop him and the chalkboards up in the board.  I think pretty soon he'll be grabbing the boards or wiggling to much that he knocks them over.  As of the day he turned 3 months, he was loving his swing and sleeping in it for all naps and bedtime (yup, we pretty much breed swing sleepers and don't even fight it anymore).  He had begun to chew on his fists.  He was waking 1-2 times per night to eat and was nursing every 3-4 hours during the day.  Still spitting up a lot, too!  He really enjoys spending his awake time playing on his kick and play mat, and we were getting more and more smiles and little giggles daily. 

 

 

 

This is the mat that Cooper loves to lay on and kick at the piano.  He also began rolling from side to side on here to play with his toys. 

MJ still adores Cooper and gives him attention often.  I love seeing Cooper respond with smiles.  I snapped this pic down in the playroom one recent morning.  

Okay, so this is SO not a flattering picture of me, but I know it is one that I will ALWAYS treasure, and so I gladly document it here.  Mat snapped this picture one morning a couple weeks ago without my knowing (obviously).  Love my sleep mask?  ha!   Cooper had been going through a spurt where he'd sleep really well on his own until around 6AM and then he'd been fussy and kept waking frequently, so I'd just put him in bed with me in hopes of getting another hour or so of sleep.  It worked every time and Cooper would nuzzle up next to me and go right to sleep.  It was a deep, peaceful sleep, and I must say that I really enjoyed it!  It hasn't happened as much lately, and I kind of miss our morning snuggles.  Neither MJ or Charlotte was much for snuggling up for a nap (not sure that I ever had the need or tried them in bed with me in the mornings), and selfishly it's something I always really longed for.  I enjoyed it thoroughly and hope we'll have some moments like this in the future!  Lil Cooper and I have bonded so well and are quite connected to one another.  

 

 

Handsome little guy dressed in his duds and ready for a morning at the aquarium.  I really thought he looked like a Norris in this picture.  

Sitting up in his Bumbo chair and loving the new view of the world.  He only seems to like to be in it for about 5 minutes at a time and then he tires out. 

 



Cooper was doing a little tummy time on my bed when MJ decided to keep him company.  Think these boys are plotting against me already?  :)

 



Who doesn't love some sock monkey?  I got this outfit for Cooper for Christmas.  He's just about outgrown the sleeper already. 

 



Ohh, how I love this!  Cooper and Charlotte have coordinating guitar cloth diapers, and I kept meaning to try to get a picture of them in them together.  I tried posing them in a chair together, and it just wasn't working, so I'd given up and just put them on the bed.  When I saw how Charlotte was just gazing at Cooper and him kind of propped up looking at her, I knew I had to capture the moment.  The time frame of having them both so sweet and innocent will be short lived I know, but I will most certainly enjoy it for now!

 



Cooper met another one of his first baby best friends this January!  My friend Shannon, and her 7 month old son Griffin, came to visit us from Chicago.  Shannon and I have been good friends since college, but have really become especially close these last few years as we've both experienced motherhood together while living just a few hours from one another.  Our kiddos are all almost the same ages apart and we each have two boys and 1 girl.  Lots in common and we can totally relate to one another's daily struggles and joys.  Her friendship is such a blessing, and I was so honored she drove from Chicago and back in one day just to spend some time with us and meet Cooper. 

Snoozing away in that beloved Miracle Blanket while swinging 

 

Cooper LOVES bath time.  He know kicks his chubby little legs and splashes water.  MJ and Charlotte enjoy Cooper's bath time as well.  :)

 

 

 

Santa Came!...Christmas Morn 2013

On Christmas morning, we woke up to a goodbye letter from Dewey, our Elf on he Shelf.  MJ was excited to come show us the letter while we were still in bed.  We'd put a baby gate up at the top of the stairs and told him he wasn't allowed to go downstairs without us.  We knew he'd probably wake up early, but I was afraid it would be some crazy time like 5AM!  He did well though and slept until about 7.  Cooper was waking up about that time as well in order to eat, so MJ was happy to snuggle with his baby brother for a few minutes before we woke Charlotte up and began the Christmas morning festivities!  

 

So sweet together!

 Cooper wide awake and ready for his first Christmas morning

 

Time to wake up little Charlotte (reminds me of stories I've heard about my parents and brother having to wake me for Christmas) and head downstairs to see what Santa brought!

 

Love how one of the first things MJ does is come over and tell us thank-you!  He is such a sweet soul. 

 

Charlotte didn't quite get that each kiddo had their own pile of presents.  Luckily Cooper could care less that she immediately began opening his presents.  Ha!

 



Ohhh, now she discovers HER presents!



Complete with Dora wrapping paper of course!



Just taking it all in with Cooper in my lap



We saved stockings for the end.  I have always LOVED stockings!  All kinds of little treasures.  I have such fun filling them.

 



 I just adore this picture of Charlotte playing with her new baby and baby pack n play.  I had such a love of playing babies when I was little, and it's really neat to see her starting to enjoy this. 

 

 

Cooper enjoyed the day hanging out and playing on his new kick and play mat.  If he wasn't napping or snuggling with me, he could be found here, and he definitely seemed to love it! 

 

Our afternoon was spent in our pj's just playing and relaxing.  It was SO nice not to have to rush off anywhere.  We just let the kids enjoy being kids and playing with all of their new things.  It was so great to say "YES" to nearly everything for a day rather than words like "no", "we don't have time", etc.  We just enjoyed the moment and the day as a family, and for that I am very thankful! 

 

We shared a wonderful meal together as well...meatballs, homemade mashed potatoes (a first for me, ha!), green beans, rolls, fruit, and salted caramel pretzel brownies.  After getting dinner cleaned up we decided to go out for a little drive and enjoy some Christmas lights.  It had been snowing lightly most of the day on Christmas, and it was just beautiful.  We made a repeat trip to the drive through light display, but probably my favorite spot was a large culdesac just down the street from us.  The whole area is light up in luminaries.  With the snowfall and the dim candlelight, it was quite a sight to drive through! 

 

That night, we went to bed with full hearts and full bellies.  We were truly blessed! 

Happy Birthday, Jesus...Christmas Eve 2013

We arrived back in Dubuqe on the 23rd, so Christmas Eve was our first full day at home.  We spent the morning in our pj's unpacking and playing with new toys they received from celebrations in STL.  The large box we'd shipped from Christmas with the Keyes' side arrived just after we did, and the kids were excited to open it up!  We worked on putting toys together, and MJ and Charlotte were so happy to play with all their new goodies!  

 

 

This toy has been quite the hit with Charlotte, and MJ enjoys it, too!



Charlotte has her on Dora desk!

 

After nap time, it was time to get ready for the Christmas Eve service.  Our church holds Christmas Eve services at the Grand River Center downtown.  We've always been out of town on Christmas Eve, so this was our first year to attend.  The bigger kiddos went to childcare while we took Cooper with us into the service.  It was beautiful!  I enjoyed getting our kids dressed up and taking them to church to soak up the real meaning behind the magic. 

 



Cooper looking handsome for his first Christmas Eve

 

 

Always my little man...he cleans up well!

 



Could the be any sweeter?!

 



Melt my heart!  I am one blessed mommy.



 

A tradition I started last year with the kids was to wrap up 24 Christmas books.  Each night they unwrap one book that we read together before bedtime.  This was our final book to read on Christmas Eve.  I loved their excitement each night!

 

 

It was a lot of work to get it all together, but Santa came!  Santa was exhausted before heading to bed!  ;)  It was all SO worth it though.