Thanking Our Police Force

Our normally cozy, quiet neighborhood went through a bit of a "shake up" a couple of weeks ago.  For a few weeks, I was on high alert safety mode anytime we went outside and was taking extra safety precautions even when we were inside.  I hated it.  I hated that someone put fear in me and in our neighborhood.  (The boys, of course, had no idea what was going on.  They just thought it was cool to frequently see helicopters and policemen.)  Our local police force was working extra hard and extra long hours to patrol and do their best to make us feel "safe."  Luckily, their hard work paid off and they caught the person responsible for turning our community up-side-down.

To say "thanks" to the police force, our community organized an appreciation week for our local station.  So the boys and I made cookies and delivered them to the station one afternoon.  I'd never been to a police station, so I had no idea what to expect.  We walked through the front doors and when the administration person at the front saw Cooper holding a bag of cookies, he quickly buzzed us through the office entrance door.  We were greeted by an officer immediately and Cooper handed him the cookies with a polite, yet quiet "thank you."  The officer gave both boys a police badge sticker and both boys' eyes lit up.  (How did Austin know that was a cool sticker??)  Looking around the office, I was overcome with pride for our community.  Everywhere I looked, there were notes, cards, drawings, signs, all thanking the police officers.  You could tell they were appreciative; there was just a sense of "unity" that I wasn't expecting to feel.  It was pretty cool, and it made me glad that we took the time to bake those yummy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  And, while I was focused on the walls covered in thank you's, Cooper was focused on all the gadgets and "tools" (as I called them) on the policeman's belt.

After our exchange inside, we were led outside where the boys got to "drive" a police car.  And turn on the siren.  And the lights.  And play with the search light.  AWE-SOME.  Even to a 17-month-old, who, when he couldn't get enough of pushing the siren button, I took him out of the car, and I was given a very sad look followed by, "Poopa car.  Poopa car!"  He so badly wanted to sit back in that car with his big brother. 

We had a great visit!  And I'm glad we took the time to do something nice, although little, for the policemen.  It was the least we could do for restoring our sense of security, and it was good "giving thanks" lesson for Cooper. 

This Yellow Swing

When I was pregnant with Austin, I spent a lot of time pushing Cooper on this swing.  A lot of our conversations were about Baby Brother--what he might look like, what babies do and don't do, and how fun it would be to have Baby Brother swing WITH Cooper.  I remember telling Coop it would be awhile before his little brother is old enough to sit there and swing with him.  And now I'm wondering how this time came so quickly?  Austin loves to sit and swing with his big brother and Coop loves having Austin there with him.  I don't know if Coop remembers our conversations, but I sure do, and it just makes me smile to see them sitting there together.  All the while, I have another little boy growing in my tummy who will one day (probably before I even realize it) sit on this swing with one of his big brothers.

March Trip to the Zoo

The boys and I have taken advantage of the nice weather we've had recently with a few trips to the zoo.  On our most recent trip, we ventured down a path that had the greatest boulders to climb on and the most intriguing (according to two little boys) area with rocks.  They sat and played in this rock area for a good hour, at least.  We dug for fossils, we built little rock houses, we collected rocks to bring home, and we just sat and played and got dirty.  And it was perfect.  

After a picnic near the elephants, we ventured over to the giraffes.  Coop loves feeding them, and he's a total pro at this point.  Austin, on the other hand, loved getting a close look, but didn't really know what to think when they tried to eat the lettuce out of his hand.  

Austin's first favorite part of the day?  Seeing the gorillas.  He loves them!  (Which makes me smile because the gorillas were always Coop's favorite at this age, too.)  And each time we go to the zoo, Austin gets so, so excited to see the "Lil-las."  If you ask him to say "gorilla," he will say, with the most enthusiastic tone, "Lil-LA!!!!!" 

Coop loves looking at the map.  We take frequent stops to examine the map and figure out which way to head next.

Later that day, Coop convinced me it was warm enough to pull out the pool.  So we spent the afternoon running and splashing and looking forward to even warmer weather!

Austin's second favorite part of the day?  When Daddy got home.

03.04.2013

Baby #3 Update: 28 weeks

28 weeks.  How are the weeks flying by so quickly!?  I had another round of doctor appointments this week, and everything is looking perfect!  I feel like a really boring pregnant patient, which actually, I think is the best way to be, but baby is growing and healthy, and that's all I could ask for.

Little One's heart beat was 142 and they estimated his weight to be about 2 lb, 8 oz.  Sounds really big to me, at this point, but it's right on track, in the 55 percentile for this stage.  My OB appointments are now every other week, but for now, I'll continue to go monthly for sonograms.

During my sonogram today, the doctor surprised me and switched over to the 3D imaging.  It was amazing!  Really, really amazing--the details, clarity, and just how "close" it made me feel to seeing my sweet son.  We only caught a quick glimpse of Little One's precious face before he turned.  It was almost like he knew we were taking a closer look, and he decided no peaking was allowed.  After a couple of seconds, he turned, moved his little hand up to the side of his face and curled up.  But, luckily, we got one great picture of his face!  Now, I know he probably won't look anything like this after he's born, but it's fun to see him as he is now.  I just adore him and can not, can not, can not wait to kiss his sweet face!!

A Sticker for Baby

The love that Cooper has for his new baby brother amazes me.  I just adore Cooper's heart, his thoughtfulness, and his kindness.  We were sitting in the playroom recently, when Cooper decided he wanted to give his new baby brother a sticker.  He leaned down and said, directly into my belly, "Here's a sticker for ya, little baby!"  And he gently placed a heart sticker on my tummy.  So.  Sweet.

If You Were in My Head...

"Oh my gosh, we are going to have another baby.  Oh my gosh!  Another baby?!  But I have a baby...and I'm going to have another baby?  Oh my gosh."  That's what you'd hear, if you were in my head.  I don't know why I'm having such a hard time wrapping my head around this new little bundle who will soon join our family.  I've heard his little heart beat, I've seen him multiple times on the sonogram, I've even seen him wave to me a couple of times; I have a new bassinet and a couple of packages of newborn diapers ready for him, I have a list of potential names, I even have a constantly growing belly!  Yet, for some reason, I'm having a hard time fully, fully wrapping my head around the fact that another baby, another LITTLE BOY, is joining our Team.  In about 11 weeks, at that!  I'm excited, don't get me wrong, and every time I see his sweet face on the sonogram, I fall more and more in love with him.  I just can't believe we are going to have another baby!  Oh my gosh.

(My boys and I at our recent trip to the Knoxville Zoo.)