J Cooper Photography

Surely I’m not the only one who takes dozens of random snapshots of my kids throughout the week and then hesitates to share them because I have nothing poignant to say about them…right?  But since I’m mostly blogging for my own kicks and giggles I’m going to just barge ahead and share away (you didn’t expect any less did you?) because after all…,y kids are cute.  And besides, I have nothing else to talk about tonight.

I caught Sam and Ms. Middle playing “Mommy and Daddy shopping at the grocery store”.  Pretty cute.  And J really picked a stellar shoe option don’t you think?  Grey washed skinnies and black patent peep toes…be still my heart.

Ms. Middle going in for the kill.  Super Sam giggling.  {his laugh is ridiculously contagious}

This week we are finishing the potty training I started almost a year ago.  I’m a slacker.  Last Easter he started asking to use the potty and was actually producing when we set him up there.  I obliged and took him regularly for a few months and then let things slide with a 24 hour car ride to North Carolina on the horizon.  Once we got back over the summer we hit it again and I’d say he was a solid “B” student.  But once we started the overseas traveling this fall things really slipped and he plummeted to the “D minus” range.  And I really didn’t care.  We had a new baby and all.  But with his 3rd birthday around the bend this coming summer I was determined to finish this task.  Today was day five.  He’s been accident free for three full days {surely the Potty Boogie Man will come tomorrow now that I have typed that for all of cyber space to see}.  Man, is his toosh cute in those big boy unders.  {dying over his Denise the Menace hair}

The potty boy himself drawing me a silly face.

Happiest baby alive.  Seriously.  How in the world did we get so lucky to be his parents?  He’s got a few new tricks too!

OK.  Major bunny trail ahead.   A few months ago we were talking about getting a king size bed.   Ms. Middle’s snoring is heritary if you get my drift…and sleeping that close to Godzilla (aka Mr. P) was more than I could handle.  Plus, we always seem to have at least one little person crawling between our covers in the wee hours.  Usually it is Danny Boy…but occassionally someone else sneaks in while we are too tired to say no.  So we wanted a king size bed but had a beautiful hand crafted bedroom set that Mr. P’s Dad had built.  After much talk and deliberation we decided to go ahead with the new bed and offer our bedroom set to my brother and sister in law.  We wanted to keep the set both together and in the family.  They loaded up a trailer full of furniture to haul back to Colorado after their visit 2 weeks ago.  And we’ve been sleeping on our new mattress on the floor ever since.

So I’m in full on decorating mode.  Except I have no budget (as in “no moolah”  NOT “unlimited funds”) so I’m trying not to break the bank here.   Right now we’ve got a king mattress on a metal frame.  And that’s about it.  Classy.

I was contemplating night stands, because I do like an occasional glass of water, and then had a brilliant thought.  I had matching small dressers from my room as a little girl sitting in the attic.  One was in its original gold trimmed French Provincial glory…the other in an unfortunate 1996 red and gold crackle paint.   My idea is to sand down the crackle…prime them both…and then paint them something really smashing.

Can you believe I ripped off this glorious hardware?

I have found a few bedding options I love.  Greyish blue smocked velvet is definitely my friend.

Pottery Barn quilt off of Ebay is a keeper too.

My friend Jamie from High and Dry is going to make me an upholstered headboard in THIS STYLE.  I have seen videos on You Tube on making them but in all honesty I just don’t have it in me.  And she’ll rock it out like an idol so I am thrilled to have her help!  I heavily debated the fabric choice…bought 11 yards of a linen and greyish blue ticking…then changed my mind…and went with this bold stripe.  If you don’t like it please don’t tell me.  I’m pretty sure my psyche can’t handle it right now!

My girls have been in full force warming up for April Fool’s Day.   I can hardly wait {insert sarcasm here}.  Hope you are having a joke proof week!

Do you remember that song by Irving Berlin?  “Sisters, Sisters…there were never such devoted sisters…”  Maybe I’m dating myself.  Or just finally coming to terms with the fact that I was raised on the likes of the Platters and Barry Manilow.  But my sisters and I loved to sing that song (with our added lisp) to each other.  It was some sort of sick game that we played and we thought it was downright hilarious.  Looking back, I’m not sure what the fascination actually was with that tune…but it was sort of our teenage mantra.  My Mom always told me “your sister is your best friend for life” and maybe it was our way of mimicking that (even though we suspected she would be right after all).

The best thing about sisters is that your kids have aunts.  And aunts are THE.BEST.THING.IN.THE.WHOLE.WIDE.WORLD according to my kids.  They are like moms who will do stuff for you…only they are nicer and don’t punish you (unless you wack your cousin over the head with Thomas the Train while your mother is in the other room…then sometimes the aunt goes ahead and instigates a time out).   “The Librarian” introduced my girls to Little Debbie Snack Cakes.  Need I say more?  “The Writer” became dubbed as “other mommy” by the Samster while we were in Africa.  And my sister-in-law (hmmm….she needs a good nickname I think) never seems to disappoint in the spoiling category.  As evidence…

Exhibit A:

Yep.  These sisters are keepers.  My kids would never let them go!!

I’ve always been a “leaver-behinder”.  You know the type.  When I graduated from high school I didn’t look back.  I was excited to meet new friends and try out an entire new social setting.  I kept in touch with a few girls from my social circle.  Actually…let me clarify…they kept in touch with me.  Those gals were relentless {in a good kind of way}.  And when we ended up in Kansas City together a few years later I tried to shrink back into my own life.  If I could wish away one personality trait it would be my “leaver-behinder” ways.  A few years down the road it was time for the class president to plan our reunion but she had gone missing.  With the help and “gentle persistence” of my friends they lured me back and came along side me to aid in the planning.  Over the past few years I have come to realize how incredibly FORTUNATE and blessed I am to have persistent people in my life who love me despite my tendency to “disappear”.   And never before has the reality of COMMUNITY hit me so fiercly.

I grew up with the love and support of family.  I grew up with a history.  I grew up with friends who pursued me.

My job now as Daniel’s mom is to create that community for him.  Our family, our friends, our history has to become his.  And for once I think I can safely say I am shedding that unbecoming trait.  I’m NOT ready to move on.  I want my son to know these people…to be pursued relentlessly by these people…to be loved unconditionally.

We have begun to briefly introduce Daniel to some of the special people in our lives…Mimi and Baboo (they have already made an appearance here on the blog as of late), my sisters, my in-laws, and friends.  And there is something bitter sweet about creating this community for him.  I wish with all my heart that he came to us full.  But he didn’t…and now it is our privilege to fill him up.

So here are a few pictures of Daniel’s community.  His little village.  Daniel and his peeps

Daniel…you are loved by so many…too many to picture here tonight.  One of my biggest prayers for you is that you will always feel the love of this family!!

Blogging has taken a back seat over the past few weeks as we have had so many visitors.   But I had to take a quick moment tonight to show you who I have been hanging with this week….our little Peruvian Princess!  I cannot wait to share with you how much this little girl has stolen my heart.   The change in her over the past few months has been remarkable {watching God heal her heart just never gets old}.   I have so many pictures from the past few weeks to share…but first…

“Little Bit” {The Peruvian Princess} – forever in the arms of her family for almost 6 months!

My kiddos are already lamenting the fact that she has left.  But she left behind some KILLER Latin dance moves that my kids are definitely going to need to practice before our next visit!!

Lots more to share as soon as I can get a full nights sleep!

Like I mentioned before…there has been a flurry of activity at the Cooper house over the past few weeks.  This past week was our Spring Break and we did it up BIG with some of our favorite people.

First we had a special visit from one of my forever friends.  We’ve known each other since the 7th grade…back when we had killer claw bangs, skinny legs, and wore our XXL sweatshirts all the way to our knees.  There is something very special about friendships that can last through that kind of a fashion disaster.  We are both stay at home moms now with little people right about the same ages.  She totally gets me.  A few days of “doing nothing” with her was pretty much the highlight of my month.  We ooohed and aaaahed over Daniel (yep…I’m still doing that), played a thousand board games with the girls (I am still the reigning Life champion), and ate and ate.  The first night that she was here we invited over several other of our close high school friends (and their significant others plus kids!) for a little par-tay.

These girls make my life VERY full and special {we were minus one special friend who was ready to pop and wasn’t up for a night out}.  I am SO fortunate to have girlfriends like these gals who encourage and inspire me!

I LOVE getting together with these girls and always dread the end of the night!  This was the first time for everyone to meet Daniel in person (minus our airport party) and I think it is safe to say they were smitten

We had a fun time doing some match making with the babies

The bigger kids didn’t require our efforts…they had the flirting down all on their own!

The next night we decided to re-live the fun and headed out for a night on the town {a big shout out here to Mr. P who manned the Cooper fort}….I stole this pic off of my friend’s blog because I left The Beast at home but didn’t want the night to go un-documented!

So VERY thankful for all of you gals!  You make my life very rich and full.  We have been through so much together…and you all just keep getting more and more fun!

{are they not the cutest thing together or what?}

Love you Kass…hope the kiddos liked their gifts!!  We’ll trade squishies again soon…we are getting CABIN FEVER!!

I have so much to share with you.  We have had a slew of great company at our house and lots of exciting moments with Daniel.  But first I need to ask something of you.

Will you PLEASE PRAY for a little girl in Peru.  Pray that God floods her with supernatural peace and unconditional love so that she can accept the love of her family?  Pray for a government that would ALLOW a CHILD to chose her future.  Pray for two parents who are devasted and confused…heartbroken…and hopeful for a change of heart.  Will you pray for a little sister who is scared and alone and needing the leadership of her big sister? 

To read their story and join them on your knees CLICK HERE.

These little girls are so VERY similar to my own sweet Peruvian Princess!

I have so much to share about this sweet little girl and her connection with our family.  But after a whirlwind day today…I’m just going to share a quick sneak peak for a very special friend and her amazingly sweet little gift.

Miss Z…we are immensely in love with you already…welcome home little friend!!

We can’t wait to see you again soon!!

I have waited a long time to be able to say that.  A and J have always been “the girls”.   When we brought Miss Middle home from the hospital as a tiny little bundle…and Miss A was just a wee 2 year old chatterbox…we dubbed them “the girls”.  It was always just going to be the two of them.  Mr. P wanted two girls from the get go.  We had our girls first and he was done.  But then something happened a few years later and we knew that four little feet pattering down the hallway in this house just wasn’t enough.  So we added another one…a BOY…what fun!  And then came that familar itch again…and God gave us another BOY!

So now it’s “the girls” VS. “the boys”….pretty sure we need a tie breaker don’t you think?

I’m praying these two grow to be the best of friends.  I think they are well on their way.  “The girls” are 2 years plus 3 weeks apart.  “The boys” are 2 years minus 3 weeks apart.
Love how God orchestrated all the little details to line up so perfectly

{how about some action shots of Sam going in for the kill?}

I think Sam is really going to enjoy the break from Barbies and Littlest Pet Shops…although I’m not sure he’s quite ready to retire his fairy wings!

{someone was pretty proud to have dumped the entire toy bucket in his brother’s room!}

Our plan was for TWO.  God planned for FOUR (or more)…I guess that makes us DOUBLY BLESSED!

My Dad is one of my favorite people.  He is easy to be around…quiet at first…but witty and full of pranks once you get to know him.  He has a gentle spirit and a ready laugh.  I can’t ever remember him yelling as a child…and that has made a lasting impression on me.  My Dad is usually one of the first people I call when I need advice (and we have needed lots over the years).  And my kids ADORE him.

While Mr. P was galavanting around Taiwan over the past 2 weeks for work I was stuck here at home with all these little people. The weekdays are hard enough when he travels…but the weekends really threaten to push me completely over the edge.  Last weekend the girls had a violin workshop all day Saturday and I desperately needed some help with my little 2 year old tornado.   Of course, my parents gladly hopped in their car after work on Friday and high-tailed it to Kansas City to reinforce my sanity.  My Mom and I took the girls to their workshop together along with Daniel.  I pretty much just snuggled my baby boy all day and my Mom took care of seeing that the girls were getting to their classes and had their violin bows all rosined up!  We were all geared up for a great day together….but that left poor Sam all alone.    But not to worry….he had a special date with “Baboo”.  And they didn’t just pal around the house for the day.  My Dad drove him all the way downtown to Science City and then over to Crown Center to eat lunch at Fritz.  He carried a diaper bag around on his back and remembered to take him to the potty.  He documented their day in pictures for me so I could share them here (and keep them in my heart).  He won MAJOR extra credit points…and now I think I really owe him.

I’m so thankful for a Dad who is willing to go the extra mile with my kids.  I’m pretty sure this little guy felt loved beyond words that day!

THANKS Baboo, we love you!

I can honestly say that I was completely in love with my son the first time I met him.  God grew that love in my heart while we waited for him…through the paperwork trials, our referral call, the excruciating wait for a court date, and the disappointment of canceled travel, the love grew and grew.  There was no doubt in my mind that this was the son God had granted me.

But getting to know him has been completely different.  He has brought immense joy to our house already with his willing smile, chunky thighs, and belly laughs.  But there is also a part of me that is constantly comparing him to that “perfect baby”.  You know the one.  The one “that other family” brought home a few weeks later (or earlier…or from another country…or with the curlier hair).  Never have I been more aware of my imperfect nature as a parent.  The temptation to compare my child (my perfect child that was God-chosen just for me) to others still creeps into my daily thoughts.  And when I’m praising my 9 month old for his continued effort to roll over or find his toes…I can’t help but watch those “others” who are toddling around the room.  It’s what we do as moms, isn’t it?  Oh, how I long to just love my child without expectation the way God loves me!

Maybe that is too much honesty.

I am beyond proud of Daniel and all he has accomplished in his short life.  If you heard his story you would be shocked that he is even here today.  God has poured his grace into his life in inmeasurable ways.   But the hardships that he faced as an infant (low birth weight, malnutrition, respiratory illness) are hard to overcome in such a short time.  Day after day he keeps smiling and working…and we are making great gains!

This week we met with a therapist who evaluated Daniel for in home sessions of weekly physical therapy.  He easily qualified and I am so excited to get started!  His motor skills (gross and fine motor) are easily 3-4 months behind his age.  There are some things which he has recently mastered (sitting, clapping, waving bye-bye) which show that he is completely ABLE to gain control over his muscles with a bit more practice and exposure to the right exercises.  This is great news because it means he will likely be able to “catch up” to the appropriate milestones for his age.

We have had another concern with Daniel that I have been more quiet about.  We first noticed it during our first trip to Ethiopia in November.  Daniel’s eyes were not focusing correctly and seemed to “stray” outwards at times.  We have continued to watch him while we have been home, and although it has gotten somewhat better as he has gained strength…it is still present.   I finally took the plunge and made an appointment with a pediatric ophthalmologist who had the problem diagnosed within a matter of minutes in her office.   Most likely, Daniel has “V Pattern Exotropia“.  Basically, his eyes tend to stray outward when he looks up and then become more focused and “in line” as he lowers his eyes.  One of the ways that she diagnosed this was by the way he holds his head while sitting (with his chin up).  Both eyes seem to be straying a bit but it is intermittent and not always noticeable.  For now we will just keep tabs on the condition as he gains strength over the next few months.  He doesn’t need glasses…YEAH (I was worried about that!)  If the problem persists over the next few months then he will require eye surgery to fix the problem.  Fortunately, it isn’t something that is overtly obvious.  In fact, I was beginning to wonder if I was imagining the whole thing up.  So I was actually relieved to hear that my concerns were valid! {I don’t plan to post any pictures of Daniel doing his “eye thing” although I have captured quite a few.  I think it is my job as his mommy to present him to the world in the most flattering way possible…so you’ll be wasting your time looking for any straying eyes in these pictures }

This beautiful boy has been such an immense blessing.  His resilience and determination are mind boggling to me at times.  He came home almost 2 months ago as a newborn…eating around the clock, sleeping only in tiny cat naps, guzzling formula, and wanting to be held continually.  Now he is sleeping through the night, eating three meals a day, sitting and playing, and babbling constantly!    {So a little note to self: STOP WITH THE COMPARING!!!}

My husband is on a flight home RIGHT NOW from Taiwan and I have never in my life been more happy to report that after TEN DAYS as a single parents…I will finally have relief.  Now someone else can help me worry