Cooper turns 2!

Grandpa and Coop checking out his dinosaur cake.

Unbelievably, regrettably, and yet excitingly, on Monday, October 4th, Cooper reached that significant age...TWO YEARS OLD!  We are not bracing ourselves for the terrible twos as they started months ago.  Cooper learned how, and then perfected the art of fit throwing long ago. (We always knew he was advanced. :-) ) The other reason we aren't bracing ourselves...they aren't terrible!  (At least not yet.)  Coop is a typical toddler, er, kid.  He is energetic, curious, opinionated, and fun!  We are constantly on the move to keep up with him and are constantly racking our brains for ways to keep him stimulated, challenged, and entertained.  We revel in his zeal for life, his wide-eyed view of the world, and his golden heart.  Though he never hesitates to pitch a fit when not getting his way, he is, overall, the sweetest kid!  He loves giving his baby sister kisses and I have never once seen him push, shove, bite, or hit...all behaviors typical of a frustrated two year old! His teacher told me just yesterday that he is a "hugger".  (We knew that...he is fond of turning to us and saying, "Hug, Hug, Hug!" just after getting in trouble.)

As it worked out this year, we are celebrating Cooper's birthday "week" as opposed to just his birthday.  On Monday (his actual birthday), we had Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Libby and Uncle Bill over for homemade pizza and a dinosaur carrot cake.  On Tuesday, the kids in Cooper's class sang "Happy Birthday" to him over cupcakes I made for their snack time.  On Wednesday, we visited the doctor for his two year old check up.  There he received a clean bill of health and only one shot...influenza.  He was a very big boy about it; he didn't even flinch during the shot!  He weighed in at 30 lbs and measured in at 35 and a half inches.  (Side note:  According to Nonnie, Cooper's dad weighed in at 30 lbs at ONE year of age...perhaps he won't be the giant that David is.)  This puts Cooper in the 75th percentile for height, and the 50th percentile for weight.

Birthday Shots!

Dad and Coop figuring out Aunt Libby and Uncle Bill's present.

New tricycle from Mom and Dad...Coop loves to ring the bell!

Sit n' Spin from Grandma and Grandpa.

Saturday will be Cooper's "official" birthday party, but it will warrant its own post...more to come!

Happy Birthday Cooper!

And Now Your Penny Report...

Penny continues to do awesome!  She continues to eat well and consistently sleep for at least one 5 to 6 hour stretch at night.  On the morning after Penny turned 5 weeks old, she was resting on my chest when all of a sudden, she did a half push up and upon seeing my face, flashed me her first "real" smile!  I know it wasn't a fluke because she did it again a few hours later! We are so delighted by her smiles, and by her increasing alertness.  She is also starting to be happy in the arms of others...not just Mama's. Penny also likes to MOVE, and move FAST! She is happiest in the car seat, but only if the car is moving or we are rocking her.  She will sit in her swing, but only if you have it on the fastest setting.  We are thinking she gets that from Mama, though Daddy is hardly one to sit still either! And that, folks, is your Penny report.

What a Difference a Month Can Make!

In the last month, several significant changes have taken place.  We have established a loose routine in Penny's world.  Cooper has accepted his baby sister and is showing a lot of interest in her.  We as parents have fallen into the "comfortable" category raising two kids.  To prove it, we have taken two road trips in the last two weekends.  I'll try and recap the last few weeks...hope I don't lose anyone!

Firstly, Miss Penny's routine:  Eat, Poop, Look around, Sleep, Repeat.  The significant part of this routine is the timing.  Penny only wakes up once through the night, and sleeps to a decent hour in the morning.  We start our day around 6 a.m. and she is asleep at night by around 9:30 p.m.  So nice and so different than Cooper's start at life. (That baby ate every hour and a half and NEVER slept.) Also, just in the last week or so, Penny has started focusing better on our faces and is crossing her eyes less.  She has also discovered the ceiling fan and loves staring at it.

Penny's first bath...she hated being naked, until we put her in the water:

Next, Cooper, thankfully, has accepted Penny into our lives.  When she is in her baby swing and starts to cry, he runs over to turn on the music.  He is also constantly asking to give her kisses and hold her. He also loves to point out that she has a head, hands, feet, etc. I think he is going to be a great big brother!

Cooper and Penny, when she was less than a day old.  He wasn't so sure...

Cooper and Penny, at one month old.  A little more sure...

And finally, our last two weekends away from home consisted of a family reunion in Fredericksburg and a jaunt to Houston to visit Nonnie, Aunt Amanda and cousins!  In Fredericksburg, we discovered the difficulty of having two young kids sleep in a motel room...they woke each other up!  Houston was a little easier, since we stayed at Nonnie's house, but any time you take little kids out of their usual routine, things can get a little hairy.  Overall, though, we enjoyed our time away from home.  (I personally hadn't been out of town since June, and before that, Februrary!)

At Lady Bird Johnson Park in Fredericksburg:

In Houston, Cooper scored some new Thomas the Train stuff,  and Penny got some bibs to wear for each of the upcoming holidays...all compliments of Nonnie, of course.  Penny kept to her usual eat/sleep routine, but Cooper mixed it up a little. He woke up at 2 a.m. on Sunday morning, ready to play!  We didn't get him back down until 5 a.m.!  I think all the excitement and fun he was having playing with his cousins kept him from eating much through the day, therefore waking him up at such a cruel hour!  Thank goodness for Mom and Dad that Nonnie always keeps the coffee flowing. 

Coop, enjoying his new train set, cousins Brycen, Brianna, and Brayden, and the fact that t.u. lost to an unranked team, at home!  (Zoom in on the television in the background...WHOOP!)

Two Weeks Old!

On Friday, Penny turned two weeks old!  We are happy to report that after two weeks, she is still the sweet and easy baby that she was when we brought her home.  She is eating and sleeping well, and it showed at her check-up on Monday.  Penny weighed in at 7 lbs, 15 oz, and measured in at 21 inches.  That put her in the 50th percentile for weight and the 75th percentile for height...funny because those are the percentiles that her brother is always in.  The doctor also thought that everything about her looked healthy and normal, which is always good to hear.  We are still just thrilled to death to have her here!

Nonnie's Visit

This week Nonnie Kirk came to stay with us for a few days to help us settle in as a family of four.  She was a big help to Mom, who is still catching up on her rest, and Cooper had a good time with her.  Cooper and I were able to have a quick outing just the two of us, several extra chores got done, and we even got to visit the Texas State Aquarium.  We hope she can visit again soon!

Coop and Nonnie:

And of course...Penny!

Our First Week Home

We spent the week adjusting to life as a family of four.  Penny so far is an excellent eater and sleeper, which is making the transition easier.  We almost don't know what to do with such an easy baby.  She barely even cries!  

Penny, at one week old:

Meanwhile, Cooper had his first day of school in the two year old class.  He seems to like it, as in, he doesn't even notice when I leave him there.  He also seems to be adjusting very well to being a big brother.  He lets us know when Penny cries, and when I sat down to nurse her the other day, he even brought me a pillow.  

Cooper, on his first day of school:

Penelope Claire Kirk is Here!

After what seemed like an endless summer pregnancy, our baby girl was born Friday, August 27th.  We spent the last couple of weeks worried about her and the possibility of a c-section, as she was in a breech position.  When we checked into the hospital on Friday morning, prepared for a procedure to try and turn her, we learned she had turned all by herself and was ready to meet the world! And meet the world she did!  Penny arrived at 5:48 in the afternoon, measuring in at 7 lbs, 1 oz and 20 and 1/4 inches long.  We marveled at not only how "easy" her delivery was and her beauty, but how much she looked like Cooper!  When they placed her on my chest seconds after her birth, I felt the biggest sense of deja vu!  It was like seeing Cooper as a newborn all over again!  I suspect as she grows older, she will look less like her brother and more like our Penny.

We had many visitors in the hospital.  Grandma and Grandpa Graham, Uncle Clint, Nonnie Kirk and Aunt Amanda.  Our friends Christie and James, Dana, Mariella, and Bill, Libby, and Cassy Morgan.  Now we are thrilled to be home as a family of four.

Cooper, not sure what to think of the new baby:

Ready to go home!

First day home with Mom:

First day home with Dad:

Ready and Waiting for our Girl...

Life's Just a Bowl of Cherries!

This past weekend we attended a birthday party for our friend at the beach...we stayed until Cooper needed a nap and had a lot of fun.  Cooper learned how to eat cherries...hold by the stem, bite around the pit, then throw the pit and stem into the pit bucket. It was super cute!

Day at the Museum

This week Cooper and I met our friends at the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History.  While Corpus doesn't boast a very big or elaborate museum, it is perfect for kids!  The kids were free to play in the children's area and explore the rest of the museum without the mom's having to worry to much about anything being broken or damaged.

"Washing hands" at the kitchen sink:

Maestro on the xylophone:

Captain Cooper and Captain Layla:

Spanish ship exhibit:

What is that?

Getting tired and ready for the rest of the museum tour to be on wheels: