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We got back from Canada late last night (heaven!), and Cooper decided that he would prefer sleeping in the pack-n-play instead of his crib...communicated to us by waking up and crying every two hours. What fun!

Anyway, lots of laundry, mail-sorting, cleaning, bill-paying, grocery-buying, unpacking to do but I hope to do an update here sometime very soon. Hope everyone is having a great summer!

Vacation

Hi all,

Been busy unpacking, wondering why the heck Cooper is suddenly waking up so often at night after maybe about a week of gloriously sleeping through the night (nice fake out, Cooper), and fighting off a cold (Jen). Now we're frantically trying to get ready for the annual trip to Canada and packing for a trip when you're not quite sure where anything is located can be a bit of a challenge!

So I've had no time to post, and I apologize. To tide anyone who may still be reading over until we get home and settled into more of a routine...which means I'll have a little more free time...here is a recent picture of our cutie-patootie playing with his friends on the playmat:

And here is Cooper's first July 4th:

And spending some quiet morning time with Daddy:

We'll catch you all (or, "y'all" here in North Carolina speak) on the flip side of vacation!

The bugs...oh, the bugs!

Well folks, we're officially in Jacksonville, NC. Bob arrived at the house around 6pm yesterday (I think...it's all a bit hazy), while Mom, John, Cooper and I arrived shortly before 9pm. It was a looooong day with way too much fast food, but Cooper was an absolute angel and only had a small meltdown once we got to the house. And that was probably because he was hungry and quite tired of being in the car. As we all were.

The house Bob chose for us is just about perfect and is wonderfully larger than our MD townhouse. It's nice to be back in a single family home with a yard and some trees, and we're located at a very quiet end of the street. The movers showed up with our stuff this morning and now I'm sitting here surrounded by many, many boxes wondering why I'm on the computer and not in bed!

Anyway, we'll be in touch via email soon, but I did want to let anyone who's still reading know that we're not going to have a land-line phone number until sometime next week. So far we're not too impressed with Time Warner's customer service (long story), but at least we now have cable/internet and we just have to wait until the 9th to get our phone hooked up. Thank God for cell phones, eh?

Have I mentioned that I'd completely forgotten about the bugs here in NC? Yeah, well, I had. Oh. My. God. The bugs. They're awful. I was trying to kick a particularly large, and alive, one out of our garage this morning when the movers started unpacking the truck. I was having good success with kicking it a few feet each time, and had just about gotten it out into the yard. By the way, I would like points for not just outright killing it (my love for animals does not extend to insects), but the darn thing was so large it would have left a mark on my flips and I didn't feel like cleaning up bug guts this morning. So I'd just about gotten it outside, wound up for and delivered one last kick, but I didn't see it land. Humph. Where was it? Can you guess? Yeah, on my foot. ON MY FOOT! It was a classic sitcom blonde moment where I started shrieking, immediately kicked my flip into the yard and hopped around trying to get it off my foot. Fortunately Bob was running errands, Mom and John were inside with Cooper and the movers were in the truck...so while yes, I have to admit it was a funny moment, I'm sorta glad no one witnessed my spastic get-the-enormous-bug-off-me-now dance. :-)

I do not like bugs.

Cooper & Mommy

Just posting a photo I like that was taken yesterday, by John, at Grandad's house....

Happy Father's Day

As you've become a father, I've found so many more things to love about you.

Happy Father's Day, my Sweetie.

We're off to NJ today to introduce Cooper to his great-grandfather (four generations of Adkins family!) and spend one last quick weekend at the shore before moving. It's truly been a blessing for us to live so close to Mom, John and Grandad these last three years, and we're sad that we have to move so much farther away. But at least we don't have to go back to CA this time, we're still on the east coast and still in the same time zone, so I'm trying to focus on the pros rather than the cons.

We spent a lovely Father's Day celebrating cousin Matt and Adrienne's wedding, which was such a wonderful and sweet event.

Given the challenges we've had the last 7 months, the fear and anxiety and depression I've been battling since the blood clot developed, the highs and lows and sleep deprivation and joy of learning to become parents to sweet Cooper, being home-bound for so long...our time in Boston was relaxing yet hectic, bittersweet yet joyous, too much yet not enough, but above all it was a time for me to revel in the love of family and friends and reflect on just how blessed we are.

There was a moment at the reception when Bob was off changing out of his tux, since we were about to leave, and the DJ put on some slow songs. The speakers were a bit loud for Cooper, who was dozing in my arms, so we went up to the balcony area of the reception site and watched many of the wedding guests pair up with their sweeties or a friend on the dance floor (as at most weddings, everyone hits the floor for slow songs!). At the risk of being a complete sap, it was a defining moment for me, one where I watched many of the people I love enjoy sweet moments with each other, with nearby friends, with the honored couple, with nieces and nephews, and it brought tears to my eyes. Sure, I missed Bob and wished that we'd had a chance to dance together, but the next best thing was holding my incredible son in my arms while witnessing a moment when everything was right with the world.

I've always been a bit introspective, but with all of the changes that have come to my life during the past year (maybe this is TMI, but it's been almost a year since Cooper was conceived), I've found that I'm learning to better appreciate the here-and-now moments rather than being perpetually fearful of the future. My health problems, relating to Bob and our marriage in new and different ways, becoming a parent...it's all so momentous and life-altering and scary and wonderful and fortunate and out-of-control and well, just, HUGE!! And it's how life is meant to be lived.

So thanks to our family and friends (not just the ones who were at the wedding, but EVERYONE) for being a part of our lives, for supporting us, for helping us get through the rough times, for being patient when I drop off the face of the planet occasionally, for understanding that I do appreciate and value and love all of the relationships in my life, even when I'm being a hermit. :-)

I'll try to post other photos soon. We had a great visit with Grandma Alice and the Reed family before the wedding weekend, and I'm sure I'll be taking photos this weekend in NJ (we hope to get Cooper to the beach for a few minutes, get his toes in the sand where his mama spent so much time as a child), so keep an eye on this blog from time to time. The packers arrive on Wednesday, the truck takes our stuff on Friday, and we'll be officially moving to Jacksonville, NC on 6/30...after we hopefully close the contract on this house (more on that later)...so send us good vibes that the three of us survive this transition with our sanity and health intact!!

Cutest baby in the history of the world!!**

**DISCLAIMER: No disrespect meant to any parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, etc. who feel that their child/grandchild/nephew/niece/brother/sister/etc is the cutest baby in the history of the world. :-)

We're off to Boston tomorrow to visit Bob's family and attend the wedding of my cousin Matt to the lovely Adrienne. It's our first trip with Cooper, so wish us luck...and that Amtrak stays pretty much on schedule.

Today is my birthday (also Cooper's 3-month birthday!) and Cooper's present to me was to wake up at 2am after four consecutive nights of sleeping until 6am. Joy. We're having some eating issues, he didn't take very much formula yesterday so he was probably a bit too hungry to sleep in. And now that we're hitting the road...or rails...I'm sure we'll get all messed up on the sleep routine. But I'll take some fatigue as long as Cooper keeps up on his food volume. He's eating a little more today, so hopefully it's just a phase, maybe a growth spurt.

Anyway, here are some photos that were taken recently, and they prove that we have the cutest baby of all time!

Just chillin' out...

But then we get the sweetest smile!!

The above photo almost captures a moment that makes me laugh and breaks my heart every time Cooper does it...the lower lip pushes out, the eyebrows knit together, and crying usually isn't far behind. It's so cute, but of course I don't like to see him upset!!

This photo was taken just after the pouting shot, so apparently Cooper has the same mood swings as his mommy! :-)

This is my new favorite photo of our baby. I may be biased, but he's sooooo adorable!

Photos...finally!

(be sure to scroll down for a recent written update about life these days)

Yay for naps...Cooper is currently taking one, so I'm finally able to get some time to post a few recent photos. Enjoy!!

Happy Mother's Day!

One of my presents was to get a photo of the three of us when we were showered (mommy and daddy) and not crying (Cooper). Not a bad shot!

This photo makes me laugh because the look on Cooper's face as we were kissing is probably indicative of the future..."come on you guys, stop kissing, that's gross!!".

If you look closely, you'll see my mom's day/thanks-for-going-through-so-much-to-have-our-baby present...three princess cut diamonds set on the "diamond" shape. SPARKLY!!

Dad and Jeannie came for another visit and had fun discovering all of the ways Cooper had changed since the last time they'd seen him.

Zonked after a feeding.

Men in stripes!

Mom came to visit and help give me a break while Bob was house-hunting in NC. Cooper is really starting to show his personality, which is so fun to witness.

Floor time with Grandma!!

Cooper's 2nd tub bath (we didn't take photos during the first one since it was a bit nerve-wracking for mama to do something new...and slippery!). So far, he really seems to love the experience, as demonstrated by this adorable shot taken by his daddy.

Yeah, I know the water is a bit deep, but our kitchen is cooler and I wanted to keep him warm enough (and I never left his side). We're loving this baby tub, it works very well for him.

Until next time!!

An Update!!

Hey y'all (practicing my best North Carolina drawl),

Sorry I've not posted in such a long time, but we are beyond stressed these days. It was not the best idea to have a baby three months before PCS'ing with the Marine Corps, as well as experience postpartum physical complications AND try to sell a townhome in this horrible real estate market. With hindsight, we should have put the house on the market at the end of last year, but then again...that's hard to do when diagnosed and recovering from a major blood clot.

So oh well, we're doing the best we can given the circumstances. The good news is that Cooper is an amazing and adorable baby who keeps us very happy despite the stress. And other good news is that I'm doing lots better physically; the incision has completely closed (although it's not pretty), and a recent ultrasound shows that my clot is somewhat better. It's still there, and may always be a part of my vascular system, but only time will tell if that'll be the case. In the meantime I'm enjoying being much more mobile and active than I've been in months. Now I just need to work on my stamina, since keeping up with Cooper and his needs takes a lot outta me!

We hope to list the house next week, after many weeks of "staging"...otherwise known as packing up all of our crap and putting it in storage. Normally I'm not a big fan of staging (a home is a home, so why wouldn't you have photos and keepsakes and baby stuff out and about??), but in this market we have to do everything possible to attract potential buyers and clearing the house of just about everything of a personal nature is one way to make things attractive. Or so we're told. I just hope it works, because we're starting to get very panicked about having to pay both a mortgage and rent (in NC) for who knows how long. Please send us good wishes about selling; we're already taking a major loss on this investment, but at this point I'd just be happy to not see our savings disappear.

Speaking of rent, Bob went down to Jacksonville, NC to find us a place to live and he was very successful after only a couple days work. It's a nice two-story with a large yard, two-car garage and much more room than we've had here in MD. The owner is being stationed in FL for three years so hopefully the timing will work out for him and us to stay there the whole time we're in Jacksonville. With renting there is always the possibility that the owner will come back to the area and need his/her house, so we're just hoping that this is a good deal for everyone involved and that we won't have to move again until it's time for the next PCS. Although we have a new address now, I'd rather not post it on here plus we're waiting until we have a new phone number, so watch your email for our new contact info within the next few weeks.

Cooper News:

Our little boy isn't quite as little anymore! He had his two-month checkup last week and weighs in at 11lbs 13oz, so he's not far from doubling his birth weight. Everything checked out great, he's also grown 2 inches and is now 23", and other than having to get his first immunization shots right after the checkup, it was a succesful trip to the doctor. Those first shots are SO HARD for mommy to watch, I think Cooper and I were equally upset (although Cooper was also very mad). But fortunately Dad and Jeannie were with us and Jeannie helped calm Cooper while Dad helped calm me! I know the shots won't ever be easy for me or the baby, but I'm hoping it won't be quite as bad for me to witness as we get more experience together.

As for the tongue tie issue, we're actually in a holding pattern to wait and see what happens. The first ENT consult was interesting because the doctor felt very strongly that Cooper's case wasn't a bad one, especially since Cooper was eating well. After extensive discussion, I finally asked the doctor whether he'd do the clipping on his own child if all factors were the same (he has a baby who's only a couple months older than Coop), and he said no, especially since he felt Cooper's tongue may resolve itself.

Cut to a few weeks after that appointment, and I noticed some pink saliva next to Cooper's mouth after a feeding. He then spit up just as I was starting to wonder what was happening, and that had pink streaks in it. Thus began Mama Jen's first frantic phone call to the pediatrician...but after several discussions with a nurse and eventually a doctor, more spit up that didn't have any blood in it, and several checks of his frenulum (the tied part), we decided that maybe the frenulum had torn a bit during his bottle. We went back for another ENT consult this past Monday, saw a different doctor, and she agreed that his tongue seems to be resolving itself and that we can continue to keep an eye on it. So we'll follow up once we have a pediatrician in Jacksonville.

I think that's all of the baby news, at least for the time being. Cooper continues to charm the pants off anyone who's around him, including his enamored parents, and we feel so blessed to have him in our lives. OH...I almost forgot! Our sweetie is sleeping for slightly longer periods at night...knock on wood...so we're beginning to feel a little more normal these days. He still wakes up anywhere between 4-5:30am after getting his last bottle around 10pm, and struggles to stay asleep for very long after that "night" feeding, but we'll take it! He even slept until 6:20am one night when Dad and Jeannie were visiting last week, but that seems to have been an anomoly for the time being. :-)

I'll post a bunch of photos in the next day or two, but for now I wanted to get a written update posted while the little man is relatively calm. In the meantime, here is Cooper shortly after he started smiling fairly consistently, about two weeks ago:

What a cutie!

Cooper continues to be the cutest baby of all time, with the exception of his new habit of thinking naps are optional and crankiness is mandatory. He's also become a bit more hands-on, requiring much more holding/snuggling, so we don't have a lot of free time these days. But as these photos demonstrate, he's pretty darn adorable so the snuggling is certainly a pleasure!

Daddy time!

Watchoo lookin' at??

Quit taking photos, mommy!

Motivating USMC camouflage onesie

Almost ready for a full-on smile!!

Visitors!

We've had some wonderful visits with family over the last few weeks.

First off, Susan came out for a few days to help and bond with our little guy, and it was sooooooo helpful to have her calming influence and wisdom with us for what ultimately ended up being too short a time! (but of course she needed to get back to her own baby) We ate lots of junk food, watched a few chick flicks (Bob was working on various projects around the house to get it ready for listing), and even got in a short trip to the mall where Cooper was a total champ. Mama Jen needs practice getting out with the baby, so it was great to start easing into the process while an extra pair of hands was around.





The day after Sue left, Bob's sister Sarah and two of her children, Jack and Katie, stopped by during the start of their spring break trip to DC. It was a fun afternoon, and the kids really loved getting to know their cousin. We're looking forward to spending more time with the Reeds when we're in the Boston area for Matt & Adrienne's wedding in June.


Alice generously came down for another visit recently and spent lots of time with Cooper so I could attend a bunch of doctor's visits (more on that stuff in a later post) and also so Bob and I could continue working on house projects to get it ready to put on the market. Cooper is a wonderful, sweet baby but he's become a bit more demanding in the "hands on" department, so it's tougher to find time for all of our house prep. Having Alice here to give Cooper lots of attention was truly helpful and I know Cooper liked keeping her busy!

Dad and Jeannie are coming for another visit next weekend. Bob is attending his 20th high school reunion at Lawrenceville next weekend, too...I wish Cooper and I could go, but I'm still unable to travel due to the blood clot, so Bob will go for all of the Saturday festivities and come home early on Sunday.

I've run out of free time for today, so I'll have to save more photos and news for another post. Hopefully Cooper will get back into a napping schedule sometime soon so I'll get more free time!

Buncha more photos...

This post is dedicated to our parents, who have helped us out immensely the last few weeks as I've been recovering. It's been wonderful for Cooper to spend time with his grandparents, and we've been so grateful for all of the extra hands and love and support...not to mention, the extra sleep. THANK YOU so very much!

We love you Mom/Neena & John, Dad/Bob & Jeannie, and Mom/Alice!!!

Doin' the sprinkler dance....

Life is so rough, isn't it??

Chillin' with my feet together...

Asleep and truly relaxed...

Please...no more paparazzi photos...