The Circus!

Growing up, I remember my mom taking us to the circus quite a few times. She loved it and after seeing her yesterday with us, she still does! It was so fun to hear her laugh and scream! She wanted to take Cooper so Cooper, Nana, and myself went. Cooper loved it! I think his favorite was the elephants. I asked him if he wanted to ride and he said "YES!" It was so cute! He hopped right on and enjoyed the right! There for hoola hoopers, rope "dancers", and acrobat, dogs that jumped through hoops, tigers that did tricks, a motorcycle jumper, and more! We all had a wonderful time. Thanks, Nana!

 

Daddy's Sick

Cooper seemed to know that Daddy was sick. Usually he will climb up in the bed and go crazy, but he climbed in bed, snuggled behind him, and layed there for a good 15 minutes. Then he was done. A sweet little moment. Being a parent is a wonderful thing.

Sleeping with Cooper

Or should I say, not sleeping with Cooper? I don't sleep well when Cooper sleeps with us. It's been a regular thing lately with him having had surgery. He wakes up many times in pain in the middle of the night. I thought this was a funny picture as I was getting ready to leave for work the other day.

My Sweet, Funny Little Kid

Also, Cooper discovered his birthmark on his face last night in the mirror after brushing his teeth. It made me sad at first and then I smiled. I taught him the word birthmark, which he says so cute. He will even point at it when you ask him where it is. The Lord has blessed me with such a sweet little Spirit. I have so much to learn from him. I am so glad he's mine.

On a lighter note, Cooper noticed his nipples in the bathtub and kept calling them "owies." Hilarious!

Nana & Uncle Brandon

Cooper sure loves his Nana and Uncle Brandon. He was all upset that Brandon was taking a nap and got so excited when Nana said they could go wake him up. He kept saying "Brandon, Brandon!"

Tonsillectomy

Cooper had his tonsils removed today. Overall he did really well. They had to bag him with some oxygen to get him going after. He also had a breathing treatment. He watched Pooh with Daddy and ate a pudding cup and French fries. He wasn't happy we were at the hospital but he has been a trooper. He ate ice cream and green beans. He was so excited to have green beans. He wasn't drinking well, but they decided to take him home thinking he would do better at home. 

Update: It took about 2 weeks to get him back to himself, but he breaths so much better now!!!

Kissing Nana

Cooper sure loves his Nana.

Visiting the Reindeer

We got to go see elk at the Hardware Ranch and Cooper loved it! It was super cold and we had to wait in line for a little while, but it all worked out. Cooper loved seeing the "reindeer."

Christmas Day

We had a wonderful Christmas. It was even more fun with Cooper this year than last. He woke up saying "cookies, cookies?" I asked if he wanted to go see if Santa ate his cookies and he said yes. He ran right to the cookies and just smiled! He wanted to eat the leftovers! I actually had to point out that their were presents under the tree! We had our own little Christmas at home, then went to MeMaw and PawPaw's and then to Nana and Uncle Brandon's house. We enjoyed time with family and getting some things we needed. We were also able to speak with Rachel via Skype. She's in Hawaii serving a mission. It was so great to see her and talk to her. Cooper sang Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star for her and we all cried! It was a wonderful day!

{Pictures to come!}

The NICU Babies

I had the wonderful opportunity of photographing the babies in the NICU a couple of days before Christmas. We did pictures with Santa. They were so tiny and sweet. I remember those days. I love volunteering in the NICU. I always come away smiling.

{I wish I could share pictures, but I can't. Just know they were super cute!}

A Letter from Santa

Dear Cooper,

Visiting you this year was so much fun! The cookie you left me was delicious and I love milk! Though the presents were few, I hope you enjoyed them. You have grown so much over the past year. It has been fun seeing you grow into a little man. Your mom and dad are so proud of you and the little man you're turning into. They love you. They love watching you learn and grow. You are their world. Keep up the good work and I'll be sure to stop by next year!

Merry Christmas,
Santa

My First Birth Story

Birth photography is getting to be a big thing where I live. I think the photographs are beautiful. I have always felt very strong about pregnancy and birth and wish I had the stomach to be a nurse. I think I have found my niche though. I got to photograph my first birth story for a sweet friend of mine. It was so neat for me to be there during such a sacred, personal experience. Words can't quite describe it. It's amazing what our Heavenly Father created in us. That we are able to carry and birth children.  It was a wonderful experience and it felt great to be a part of something that I won't get to experience that way. To see a mom and dad meet the little one they created for the first time, so neat! The love in their eyes. A sweet little baby who recognized mom right away. It was just amazing! I can't wait to do another. Here are some of the images:

I received a sweet text from the mom that made it even more apparent that this is what I want to do with my photography,

"I have watched my video everyday. I love it. And my boys love it. They want to watch it over and over. I love that through my video they get to experience their brother's big day, too. And I still cry every time I watch it. I showed it to my mom today. She loves it, too. It's so special to me. And the song-- couldn't be more perfect. My mom thought having someone take pictures was kinda strange. Your pictures and video changed her mind. She kept saying how special my pictures are and what a beautiful job you did capturing so much emotion."

Wow. It feels so good to find something I am passionate about that other people will fall in love with. It just makes me happy.

Terrible Twos

We have officially hit the terrible twos! Tantrums are a daily thing at our house. Many times we can't figure out what in the world he wants! We had a moment at Toys R Us where he was freaking out because I took him out of the kid size cars you can ride in. We ended up just having to leave the store. He cried for 30 minutes! We had a moment in the bathtub a couple of days ago when I had no idea what he wanted. He screamed and cried for what seemed like forever! And then there is this, this adorable face that I woke up to the other day. We laid down for a nap and he woke up and I just needed a few more minutes. Well, when I woke up this is the face I saw. How can I be mad at such a cute face? Here's to the start of another new adventure... the terrible twos. Love my little guy!

Just some updates:

• He is talking more and more lately now that his ear tubes are working properly.
• He will finish lines of songs when I stop.
• He tries to sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star on his own. It's adorable!
• He says Christmas Tree, Christmas Lights, and Santa. They sound so cute!
• He doesn't like pepperoni on pizza or the skin on apples and grapes.
• He loves to dance.

A Snow Day

Shoveling with Daddy

My First Hosting Thanksgiving

For some reason I felt very strongly that I wanted to be in charge of Thanksgiving this year. I enjoyed choosing the menu. I wanted it to be like we had when growing up in WV. We had grandma's homemade chicken and noodles, turkey, stuffing, corn, rolls, and  homemade mashed potatoes. It all turned out and was ready to eat and warm at the same time. I have to say for it being my first time it was a success. We are all stuffed. We had it at mom's house because she has more room in her kitchen. Mom was unable to be here because she is in WV. Uncle Van, Hyrum, Todd, Brandon, Chris, Cooper, and myself enjoyed a great Thanksgiving together!

So Much To Be Thankful For

Each year I think, "Hey, I'm going to do one of those things where you post something you're thankful for each day." Then, I realize it's a little unrealistic for me. Life is busy! And, I'm trying to enjoy those moments and things I'm thankful for. See it's THANKSgiving, I figured it's time I write a few things down.

• A hardworking, determined husband.
• A son that makes me smile each day.
• The sound of laughter in my home.
• The gospel of Jesus Christ.
• A warm home to live in.
• Great neighbors.
• Wonderful friends.
• Amazing family.
• A job to help support my family.
• The goal to be a stay-at-home mom.
• Food! Lots of yummy food!
• Modern medicine.
• My church-calling in the Young Women's.
• A sister-in-law on a mission.
• Missionary work.
• Temple marriage and the knowledge of eternal families.
• My Savior, Jesus Christ.
• Photography.
• A mom that is truly my best friend.
• A brother that I've drawn closer to as we've gotten old. A man that I love and look up to and who is an AMAZING uncle to Cooper.

There are so many more things to be thankful for. The list is endless. I am blessed.

He's TWO!

I can't believe MY BABY is TWO! Where have the past two years gone!? He makes me smile each day. I love the excitement and curiosity he has for life. He is a sweet, but bold child. He is adventurous and silly. He's full of energy. He loves anything to do with sports. He will watch it and play it. He has great hand-eye coordination. He has a great golf swing, an amazing football throw, and a point-on kick!  He loves people and makes friends easily. He is talking a lot! I wish I knew what he was saying. He isn't a picky eater, which is great! He loves muffins, oatmeal, corndogs, and yogurt with sprinkles. He loves Winnie the Pooh and Curious George. He wakes up each morning to watch Curious George and then he wants breakfast. He also loves foxes so we celebrated with a fox cake. It was a wonderful party with family. He truly is loved (and spoiled) by so many.