Cooper: 4 months

One third of the way to one year old. When I put it that way, Cooper is practically an old man. His receding hairline might agree. This fella, I really can't put into words how sweet he is. He is the easiest little human to get to smile and laugh. Just one little glance at him and his big smile and sparkling eyes melt my heart instantly. He has a gentle spirit about him.

So far Coop de Loop seems to be a bit of a stay at home routine seeking kind of guy. He doesn't love when we mess with his schedule, though he puts up with it. Hannah from a very early age thrived off of trips and excitement. When we return home from any travels she can be hard to handle the first few days back. Cooper on the other hand seems to breathe a sigh relief when we enter into our front door. Home sweet home. Sweet slumber at last.

This kid, he is becoming such a chatty little fella. He seems to love hearing himself talk. This is a fun age seeing him starting to play with toys and discover the world. He will smile when he hears his big sister come into a room. I am thankful that the transition of having a brother in the house has been smooth (though Hannah is starting to insist that the few toys Cooper has are in fact hers). Cooper is a super active guy. It can be hard to hold him sometimes because he is constantly kicking and wiggling around. Feeding him sometimes feels like a wrestling match, not mention he is already super distracted and will smile at anyone talking or looking his way.

We got to spend some time in Florida in December where Cooper met a lot of family. We had a nice visit and were happy that both kids were practically perfect on the long haul down. Cooper resisted sleep a lot while we were there but was generally pretty happy. The trip back was a bit rough. We were so close to home when we couldn't take the screaming anymore. We stopped at a gas station in Raleigh to feed and change the angry guy. That is when Brian discovered tooth number one poking its way out of his gums. By the next morning, tooth number two had made its way through. Angry traveler justified.

All in all Cooper is a super easy going guy. He is a little light of joy to our family. His frequent laughs are a highlight for all of us. The whole family seems to always be making faces, singing songs, doing ridiculous dances just to hear that jolly sound of laughter erupting from his little body. Brian and I joked that we could be filthy rich if we could find a way to bottle up his joy and sell it to the masses. I am amazed how a small fella can produce such magnitude of happiness. I love how he smiles when I great him the morning. When I pull his sleeves off or pull his shirt over his head he scrunches up and giggles with such delight. He smiles and laughs at his reflection in the mirror and happily splashes in the tub. His happiness is contagious. Even his cry is ultra pathetic and horribly adorable. He is pretty predictable as to why he is crying and is normally pretty easy to please. We sure do love this special guy and I am surely amazed how blessed I am to have him as my son. I just hope when he is 18 that he will still laugh at my embarrassing dance moves. For now, I plan on cherishing those sparkly eyes, sweet sweet smile, and my most favorite laugh. Cooper, my boy, we like you a lot and love for always.