Take Me Out to the Ballgame

In September...late post, sorry!...Philip took Coop to his first baseball game, and they had a blast! Coop loves to watch baseball on TV with Philip, so when Philip scored his firm's tickets for a Rangers game, he and Coop packed up and headed out to the ballpark. Philip did have to do some convincing before I agreed to let Cooper go. It just seemed like such a big boy activity...Cooper is still my baby! Was he old enough? Would he be safe? He's never been in a crowd like that...would he stay close to Philip? He's not used to eating junk food...would he get sick? (I know...I know...ridiculous.) I finally agreed and off they went. And, I have to admit, I cried when they walked out of the door. It was just such a big boy thing to do! I thought about them nonstop, and I can't remember exactly, but I'm pretty sure I called Philip at least five times while they were gone.

The boys ended up having a great time, and Cooper couldn't have done better. I was thinking they might only last a couple of innings, but they stayed through the seventh. And, they caught a fly ball on the way out!! Coop got to try all the ballpark staples--peanuts, hotdog, and cotton candy. (Luckily he showed no signs of a belly ache!)

Playing on this tractor was definitely a highlight for Coop!

The man sitting behind Coop and Philip had a megaphone, and Coop was all over that!

When the boys got home, Cooper rushed over to me and told me all about his adventure at the ballpark, "Baseball game. Hit ball. Throw ball. Run. Eat hot dog. Play tractor. Big walk!" Sounded like a great first baseball game to me! I'm so glad that Philip had that time with Cooper, and I can't wait for them to have more baseball adventures.

Love You Forever

Have you ever read the book Love You Forever by Robert Munsch? Well, if you haven't...you should! Especially if you are a mother and double especially if you are a mother of a son. It will melt your heart completely and bring you to tears. My Aunt Betsy gave me this book when Cooper was just a few days old, and I remember her telling me that the first time I read the book, I should have Coop in my lap and read the story to him...with some kleenex within reach. I followed her advice and Love You Forever has been one of my favorite books ever since. It's so heartwarming and just a great story of true, raw, unconditional love a mother has for her child.

Over the last week, Coop started picking this book off his bookshelves for me to read before bedtime. The first time he asked me to read this book, I thought we would only make it through a page or two because the pictures aren't as bright and vivid as they are in his usual book choices. But, he completely surprised me, and we made it through the entire book! Which I, of course, loved! Holding him and rocking him and reading this sweet story to my baby. We have now read that book almost every night for the last week, and he has yet to stop me halfway through for a book change.

Tonight at bedtime, we finished reading his first book, one about a train, when he jumped out of my lap and started looking through his shelves asking, "wi go? wi go boy book?" He then spotted a tiny corner of a book poking out behind some others and said, "here is!" He ran to my lap holding Love You Forever.

After I read the book, holding him so tight, he started to flip through the pages, pointing to the different pictures and saying a couple of words that are part of the story for that particular picture. It was just so amazing to see him flipping back through the book and completely on his own kind of reading his version of the story. I didn't say a word. Just listened to him "read" the story again. "aww. baby. rock rock back forth. strange music. mama wadder (ladder). man call mama on phone. talk phone. hold mama." At this point I asked Coop what the mama told the boy and he said "love you ever." And...cue melting heart.

This sweet little moment with my baby couldn't have come at a better time.

Fall Leaves and Outside Fun

A few weeks before Christmas we headed to the Arboretum for some playtime and to meet Santa! Playtime was super fun; meeting Santa was a complete disaster. Even though we had been talking about Santa and looking at pictures of Santa, and Cooper talked about wanting to see Santa, when it came to show time at the Arboretum and actually meet Santa, there were only big tears. Oh well! There's always next year! Coop did talk constantly about meeting Santa after this day, though, and kept asking to see Santa again. It was like he had forgotten he cried and just focused on the fact that he got to meet the big guy!

On to playtime...

Cooper loves running up and down this long walkway to the water fountains and the big frog.

Love this picture of the boys!

Ever since Cooper could pull himself up to a standing position, he's been pushing and moving furniture. He would move the cribs at daycare--they were on rollers and Coop would pull himself up and start pushing them (with kids inside) around the room! So, it didn't surprise me when he began rearranging the outdoor furniture at the Arboretum. The table did look better where he put it. :)

Santa might have not been a hit with Cooper, but when it came to Frosty and Rudolf, Coop couldn't get enough hugs.

Family picture attempt...fail.

After the Arboretum, we headed to a field near the lake that was completely covered in leaves. Big, orange, crunchy fall leaves!

Love. This. Picture.
Coop realized that leaves aren't as tasty as he might have thought.

Is there anything better than making a big pile of leaves and then jumping in them, throwing them up in the air, or covering someone in them? I think not.

Such a fun, fun fall day!

Say Cheese!

The following conversation happened tonight...

Cooper: Dada, I want picture. With blankie.
Philip: You want me to take your picture?
Cooper: Yea, sit right here. (Cooper then proceeded to sit by the fireplace with his blankie.)

Philip grabbed a camera and told Coop to say cheese, and this is the picture that came out.
Then, Philip told Coop to smile really big and that he did!

Little Travling Man

I am so so so far behind in blogging, but I just saw this picture and had to do a quick post. Philip had just come back from a business trip and Coop wanted to "go travel with Dada. Get suitcase!" And he was off around the house saying goodbye and hello enthusiastically over and over again. I happened to be trying that sweater and button down on Coop for size, so it ended up being the perfect little man picture.