Catching my breath and catching up

School's been out for a week and a 1/2, but yesterday was really my first day of summer. Of course I was lazy and relaxed yesterday, but I realized I haven't updated my blog in a while. I've always looked forward to summer vacation as a time to sleep in, stay up late, and get all those projects done. It's also a time for me to visit family and friends and spend time with my boys. I know that summer started late for me thanks to those four snow-make-up days, but there is lots to catch up on. Last week was vacation bible school which I volunteered at, because if I volunteered, then Carson could attend. What did I do with the screamer (aka Cooper) you might wonder? I had him with me the entire time in the nursery. It worked out, but wasn't as great as I'd hoped because Cooper has some strange fever, but no other symptoms every day so he was super clingy. I wound up taking him to the doctor just to be sure I wasn't missing something, but he was all healthy, except for the fever. Naturally, the fever was gone the next morning and he's back to normal.
I'm pretty sure I posted pictures about our new kitten Blue, but the second week in June we adopted his brother Flash as well. Flash is all black but for a white spot on his chest. He was the last kitten left and our friends' dogs were scaring the poor guy and cornering him under their porch. So we decided to help him out and adopt him. He is so cute, but is still very skittish, especially around the kids and dogs. He remembers Blue and they are always wrestling and playing together. I happened to catch the cuddled up one time to get a picture. It's taken a while, but Flash is finally putting some weight on, though he is still smaller than Blue. He has also started snuggling with me in bed in the mornings. I didn't expect it at all, but he's a really sweet kitten and is becoming more settled in each day. Tony and I also bought a tent trailer to go camping in this summer (and hopefully many summers, springs, and autumns after this one). It doesn't look it, but it is big enough to sleep 5 people, has a kitchen and small bath. It also has a cargo rack on the front to hold our three quads. Tony and I were looking for a toy hauler (RV that holds quads) but were stuck because our jeep (which we're keeping) only tows a small amount of weight. All the bigger toy haulers were our of our price and weight range, but then we saw this. Being a tent trailer it is light enough, but still fits our size family. We took it camping over the 4th of July weekend with some friends and had a good time. There are still a few kinks to work out and some calls to the dealer to make, but over all it was comfortable. It isn't big by any means. The fridge, stove, and sink in the kitchen are tiny, but work, and the toilet works, but the shower is more of a sitting shower than a real shower. The biggest challenge for me was how to fit everything we need to camp into the small space in the trailer when it is down. I managed it and it'll get easier each time we camp. We've got several other dates for camping already planned later this summer and I'm hoping to schedule a few for the fall also. The weekend before the 4th of July our family went camping with some friends at their vacation cabin on the Satsop River. It was great for the kids to ride quads and play on the beach down by the river. Tony tried catching crawdads, since we'd seen tons of them there last time, but he only caught one. The boys also played in the dirt, played games, and were typical boys. I liked that Colten and Carson each had a friend their age to play with and do things with. It was also great to sit and visit with our friends. Things have gotten so busy these last few months for us.The boys enjoyed 4th of July at my parents house. My brother and sis-in-law bought lots of fireworks and had a great time setting them off. Colten was super into picking out which fireworks to set off next, but Carson was scared and stuck close to Tony and I. Cooper was scared by the noise, so he spent most of the time cuddled up with my mom or me while we were setting things off, then went home early with Tony and went to bed.

Tomorrow I'm leaving again for Oregon where my Dad's family is all (me included) walking in the Smith Rock 1/2 marathon. I'm pushing Cooper in the stroller for the 5k. The boys and I'll be back Monday and then we have a going away party for some friends, more camping, Cooper's birthday party, more camping, more camping, then school starts. I'm trying to find time to see movies I want (Cars 2 and Harry Potter) also sorting through all the boys clothes and getting more baby stuff packed up. I also need to get my office put back into a guest room and purge through my closet. So much for sleeping in!

11 months

Dear Cooper,

You are now eleven months old! This time your day coincided with the 4th of July. You decided the fireworks were too loud and went to bed early that night.

Many things you still do the same: you still get up several times a night to nurse, you race for the bathroom if the door happens to be left open, you love to play with everything your brothers have. You are constantly "blowing raspberries" so you often have drool dripping down your chin.

Some new things you do: you like to stand up in your car seat and look forward while mommy is trying to get you buckled up. Sorry, but you've got another year to go before you can face forward. You have started to babble and though words aren't understandable yet, you are talking using tone and volume to express your wishes. You enjoyed camping and was disappointed I wouldn't let you play in the dirt pile like your brothers. You also enjoy bike rides. You are big enough to sit in the bike trailer so we've taken several bike rides now that school is out. You really like watching the scenery and bugs. Separation anxiety has hit the worst it's ever been this past month. I love you dearly, but I can't hold you every minute of every day. You scream for me even when you just hear my voice or if I walk out of the room really quick. With summer comes fresh fruits and veggies. You really like peas, cucumbers, and strawberries, but mushrooms you don't care for. As the warmer weather hits, we'll keep trying things from Grandma's garden. You've stopped being scared of the grass and now enjoy crawling around to pick my flowers, though they don't taste as good as they look. Daddy keeps threatening to cut your hair it's getting so long, but I'm holding out as long as I can. You don't like that your hair is long enough to get in your eyes, but you don't mind it otherwise.

It's hard to believe that in less than a month you'll be one year old. That means I need to start planning your birthday party! Each day you show me how much a little boy you are, and how you're not a baby anymore.

Ten Months

Dear Cooper,
You are getting so big and at 10 months becoming less a baby each day. At your check up last week you were a big 29.5 inches tall and 19.5 pounds.
New things you've learned this month: how to stand alone and how to walk holding on to things are some of the latest moves. You've also learned how to "blow raspberries" and spray spit (and whatever else is in your mouth) at all those near you. You are getting better at talking and communicating your needs, though you haven't said any words yet, just lots of imitation babbling. Your favorite way to communicate is screaming at the highest pitch and loudest volume you can. You scream when you are excited, mad or upset, or just tired and cranky. This means you are screaming lots of the time. The worst place you scream is in the car. You used to cry and scream, and now you scream at your brothers or at me when I'm buckling you up. This makes car trips with you still interesting.
You still love to smile at everyone around you, though some of the separation anxiety is showing up more and more. Your doctor says that if you can eat Cheerios, then you should be eating all table foods. We've been trying to feed you table food, but you really just like the softer baby food. You are slowly becoming better at eating what we give you. Nursing is still your preferred way to be put to sleep, but you are getting better at putting yourself to sleep at the sitter's. You still call for me several times a night.
For months I've been trying to discover what your schedule is, and I finally figured it out. If it were up to you, you would like to sleep in until 8:00, then take another nap at 10:30, and then your afternoon nap at 2:30, then be up until bedtime at 8:30. The biggest reason it has seemed like you've had no schedule is because your schedule is the opposite of everyone else's. No wonder you're cranky on days when I've got to work! I'm hoping that with summer coming and you turning one soon your schedule will morph into a better one for next school year.
Baby toys only hold your interest for so long, you are really interested in what your big brothers are playing with or the electronics around the house. Your brothers do get tired of keeping their Lego's in their rooms and racing you to the door to shut it. You especially like your brothers' quads and we just couldn't keep you away from them last weekend. Baby boy, you are almost one!

Yet another boy in the family...

Several weeks ago Tony told me his friend's cat had had kittens and the boys really wanted one. I said that we could get one, even before our cat Bob disappeared. This week he was ready to come home and "Blue" joined the family. I love kittens and am a softy for them. It has been five years since we got our last kittens and similar to babies, I've forgotten how much work they can be. So far Blue has adjusted well to life in our crazy house. He was named Blue because he looks similar to a Blue Russian cat breed. He has soft grey fir and big yellow eyes. They boys have a great time playing with him and laughing at his antics. He sleeps in our room and howls if he doesn't have company. Our other cat, Wendel, is curious about him, but Blue wants nothing to do with other cats. Poor Wendel wants to be friends but has been ousted from his soft bed by a kitten a fraction the size of him. I'm hoping once Blue relaxes a bit more at night we can put him in the garage and let Wendel in for some alone time.

Blue loves to play and chase things. Right now he's avidly watching my fingers on the keyboard and pounces on them when they get close to him. My hands are covered with scratches; those baby claws and teeth are so sharp! He sure likes to snuggle too. I've woken up several times the last few nights with Blue wrapped around my neck. He purrs really loud when you snuggle with him too.

Today was Blue's first day outside at our house. We have to be careful with so many places for a kitten his size to hide or get stuck, and lots of dangerous critters at night who would eat him. Here's a few pictures I managed to snap before he attacked me.

I woke him up from his nap in this one. You can tell he wasn't happy about it.

He really likes batting at my flowers.

Gone, but not forgotten

This last week has been a sad one in our family. This morning Tony's grandmother and last living grandparent passed away. She was in a lot of pain and now isn't hurting any more. I'm grateful we were able to celebrate Mother's day last weekend with her. I remember Grandma was in a good mood, talking with the boys and smiling at Cooper, and running over toes with her motorized chair. I'm happy my boys had a last time to visit her and remember her. Grandma's health decline fast after the family get together and fortunately Tony was able to visit with her several more times before she passed. I have fond memories of time spent with Tony's grandparents; camping, talking "Survivor", and watching NASCAR. I'm so happy we lived close enough to Grandma that my boys could get to know their Great-Grandma. We've got pictures of Grandma holding all my boys so she will never be forgotten. She will always be remembered.
This last week our cat Bob also disappeared. Living in the woods is dangerous for a cat. We have cougars, bobcats, coyotes, even the occasional black bear, all of which love a cat lunch. Bob has always stuck around the house pretty close and especially liked being inside. With the warmer weather all the critters have been out and so the cats were wanting out more at night. Last Monday night Bob asked to go out, and didn't come back. Our other cat has been gone for long periods of time, but not Bob. We're assuming that he was lunch for a critter and won't be coming back. His brother, Wendel, is missing him. We're also getting a kitten (not to replace Bob) in a few weeks so that might help give Wendel some company. My boys keep asking about when Bob is coming home. It's hard to explain that he isn't coming home. They miss him so much.

3/4 of a year (really 9 months)

Playing "airplane" with Mommy is one of your favorite things to do!

You are busy chewing on things and the handle of the toy shopping cart is just the right height to gnaw on and work at cutting those top teeth!

Dear Cooper,

You are so busy and big now. New things going on this month: Teeth! You've now got two chompers on the bottom and you like to use them on everything! You have also started eating table foods, with the freeze-dried yogurt drops being your favorite thing to eat. You are now eating at least three meals of solids a day and still nursing several times a night. You've got it down to only one nursing a night, and this Mommy really likes that.

Your babysitter doesn't like that you only will go to sleep if you are rocked or nursed to sleep. Your sitter has been trying to get you to sleep on your own, and you are having nothing to do with it! You have sat in the crib and screamed for a long time, only to fall asleep within minutes of when I am to pick you up!

That's another thing you've developed this last month; your temper. You've never been a patient baby, and have always been very determined to get what you want, but you now throw full-out temper tantrums! If someone moves you away from the toys you are playing with, you will throw yourself back on the floor, arch your back, and scream at the top of your lungs. You would think someone was pinching you as loud as you scream! This makes things interesting when your brothers move you away from their toys, or take their toys from you.

You are wanting to move fast like your brothers that you are now very close to standing all on your own, and will even walk or "cruise" holding on to things. I love it when you let go to reach something when you are standing and then you almost get scared and grab on again.

You still have a very sporadic nap schedule. Sometimes you nap for hours, other days only minutes. It makes getting things done with you around a challenge. At least with the nicer weather (finally) I can sometimes convince you to sit in the stroller and watch me do yard work. Sometimes it works, sometimes you scream until I get you out. You like crawling in the grass, but it hasn't been warm enough to dry the grass so you can go after your brothers.

My little Coop, I so enjoy watching you move and change and grow. Keep growing, but don't change too much, too fast. Let your mom enjoy your babyhood for just a little bit longer.

a second chance

I know I haven't posted much lately about how things are going with my marriage. Tony and I have decided to try and give our relationship a second chance. We discussed getting back together when I returned from spring break and Tony has been spending more and more days and nights at the house with the boys and I. We're planning to move his furniture and stuff from his house back to my house next weekend.
It might seem that this is all of a sudden, but Tony and I never had a typical separation. We had separate houses, but we still stayed friendly with each other and were able to get along most of the time. Though we haven't worked out all our issues, the biggest ones have been mostly worked out. Only a few more things to discuss and work out, but for the most part we are doing better.
That old phrase about absence making the heart grow fonder, I never really believed it, but being separated for two months proved me wrong. Being a single parent is so much more difficult and I found I miss Tony as a partner dearly. It was much easier to forget our problems when we weren't living together. My kids dearly missed having their dad and our family together, but I missed Tony as a partner an we both realized we love each other very much.
This has been a stressful, exhausting, and expensive experience, but I'm not angry that Tony made the decision that let to this. Our marriage had problems and needed help. We're trying to move on from that it was, and instead rebuild our marriage into one that we can both be happy with and keep it going for another ten years. There's enough things to stress out about in our family right now that having my marriage back together just helps us support each other more. I'm happy, my kids are happier, and my marriage is getting better.