Red Velvet Cake

Erin and Ev love helping cook and bake.

Erin seems to be my helper when I make Red Velvet Cake.  I'd never made it, but took the plunge for Christmas evening - and man was it tasty!!  When you cut it open it is just beautiful and the taste makes it even better.

Cake

2 1/2 cups (250 grams) sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons (15 grams) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk

2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (115 grams) confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted

1 1/2 (360 ml) cups heavy whipping cream (contains 36-40% butterfat)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter two - 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

Red Velvet Cake: In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside. In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or overnight). (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Cream Cheese Frosting: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting.  Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish sprinkles or whatever you think is pretty! 

Serves 10-12 people.

Waffles!

Snow!

This morning I woke up to Erin saying in a quiet voice "ha.............."  slow and quiet.  She looked out her window and saw a beautiful snowy back yard!

I don't even think we made it to 8:30 before the kids were outside in all their snow gear.  One of the highlights was both of the girls taking turns to pull Cooper in his little sled.  He LOVED it.  Laughed and giggled in glee.  Even when he got knocked over he was as happy as a clam.  Erin just got him back in his sled and off they went.  It was really the cutest thing ever.



We felt so blessed that winter kicked off on a Saturday morning and Dave could be part of the fun.  He was such a great sport and spent hours with the girls building a FABULOUS snowman.  We used oranges for buttons, a nice blue scarf, avocados for eyes, a pine cone nose, stick smile and it was just precious!

Gobble Gobble

Erin & Evelyn made some beautiful Thanksgiving decorations and I wanted to share them with you.

We had a hectic and eventful week of Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately at Cooper's first birthday party on Saturday he got sick and threw up.  Happened again that evening and then he was peachy fine.

On Sunday Evelyn was not feeling well - and of course caught the bug.

Monday was Erin's turn.

Tuesday they were both in bed most of the day - not sick, just resting.  Ev had lost her energy and I was quite concerned for dehydration.  At 7pm we met with our doctor and we were so close to heading to the ER.  Our pediatrician gave us some meds to keep her liquids down and get her to take in more.  Of course he is a miracle worker and she pepped up by Wednesday morning and was on the road to recovery.

We were all healthy enough to enjoy Thanksgiving with our family.  And, though nobody had been sick since Monday ... pretty much everyone we were with on Thursday evening got sick. 

This was a bug that lingered................................................

Happy to report that everyone is happy and healthy now!

Cooper's Stats

I've been holding onto a piece of paper and I want to throw it away.

At Cooper's 1 year appt, he was 23 pounds, 15 ounces and 31.75 inches long. 

Whew - there, now can I please throw it out?

Cooper is ONE!

I almost named this post Cooper is a Rock Star.  Because yesterday you would have thought he was a rock star.  From the moment he woke up, the girls were loving him and praising him even more than usual.  They were so very proud that their little brother is ONE YEAR OLD!  I can't tell you how many kisses he got - or how many times he was sung to.  But, it was very sweet and special.

I just don't know where the year has gone.  It FLEW by at warp speed and now my little guy is a whole year old.  What will I do when he goes to Kindergarten? I'll probably freak out.

He is such a great little guy. Crawling and walking while holding onto furniture - and using anything he can find as a walker.  He loves to play with trucks, balls, books and anything else he can get his hands on.  He is a BIG eater!!  Loves grapes and strawberries, chicken and hot dogs, noodles and rice! 

One of his favorite games is dropping stuff and saying uh-oh.  Not so cute if you ask me.  But, I love him anyway!!!

Evism

My girls love to draw and color.  They have a few jumbo coloring books - Hello Kitty and My Little Pony.  The sheets are twice as big as a normal book - and the pictures have a lot of detail.  White I sit working on the computer the girls come by and show me their work - and it really does look pretty!  Ev was working on a Hello Kitty page - all in blue.  I asked if she wanted to finish the sun, flowers and clouds.  Her response was that they are allergic to crayons.  Yes - the coloring book figures are allergic to crayons.  She informed  me that in 30 minutes the allergy would end and she would finish coloring. 

So, who is talking about allergies so much?  Perhaps she has a kid at school that is allergic to everything or talks about it a lot?  I just don't know. 

Regardless - so funny!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Cooper!!

What a fast year it has been. Dave and I really can't even believe Cooper is one year old!  Don't know where the time went.  But, it has been a great year!  He is such a nice little guy - so smiley and happy!

One of the biggest blessings we've experienced in this year is how amazing our girls have embraced their little brother.  Never jealous.  Never hurtful.  So very helpful.  So very loving.  Such praise they give him.  They shower him with kisses, hugs and love.  True unconditional love.  It really is amazing.

On his birthday he got to enjoy cake - and boy did he like it!

The Zoo!

One of the girls favorite things is to head to the zoo.  They'd go every day if I had the patience (and time) to take them.  I did make it a point to take them this fall - just me and the girls.  Cooper hung with my mom so I could really spend nice quality time with Erin & Evelyn.  We packed a picnic and had a great afternoon!  They had a great time seeing all the animals, riding the carousel, walking around the beautiful grounds and playing with their good friend, Ellie. On our Drive home we did something extra special.  It was about 3:30 or maybe 4pm and we went out for ice cream ... that's right, before dinner!!  They thought it was just fabulous and so special.  Ev had mint chocolate chip.  Erin enjoyed strawberry and I had my favorite - peppermint.  We all tried each others and it was a really special outing.  I told the girls how I think peppermint ice cream tastes like Santa.  Erin told me strawberry ice cream tastes like summer.  She is right!

Separation Anxiety...

Cooper is almost 11 months and with the flip of a switch, he has major separation issues!  Even when I have not left him, he only wants me.  So funny how quickly this came about.  Literally in the past 5 days it hit.

We had lunch with a good friend -he sees her at least a few times a month.  I was holding Cooper and standing close to her.  He literally stuck out his chubby arm and pushed her away!!  Cooper, this is your godmother, you better be nice to her!!!  At lunch a few times he looked at her and started crying - it was so funny............

funny.............

Today is October 8th and it is nearly 80 degrees!!  So nice.

Ev asked if she could wear her short sleeved pants.

How cute!

Hmmmmmmmmmmm...

Ev told me that when she has kids they will never have a bedtime.

Erin told me her kids will have to take a bath EVERY day.

Gee... who does not like to go to bed and who loves baths????

Evie's Picture Day!

Cooper is 10 Months Old!

Today Cooper is 10 months old.  The weather has turned chilly - he is wearing jeans, a long sleeve shirt and even shoes!!  He almost never wears shoes.  I am not one of those moms that dresses my babies super cute - more like super comfy.  But, with the cooler weather shoes become more practical.

So, he is 10 months old and has 4 teeth.  His favorite past time is ... standing!  All the time.  His favorite thing to say is "mama", "dada" and even "uh oh".  His "uh oh" is not related to something dropping or anything - just a fun way to put words together.

The boy can eat.  Seriously, he eats like mad.  He'll scream at you if you don't feed him fast enough!  He LOVES blueberries and cheese.  Turkey, pizza, pasta, grapes, chicken, broccoli and cous cous are also some of his favorites.  But, nothing beats a blueberry.

Thankfully, Cooper sleeps really well.  Goes down around 7:30 and usually up around 6am.  We'd love him to sleep another hour, but not really too sure how to make that happen.  Still taking 2 naps a day - and most days does a pretty good job going down.  Funny how when he does not nap that is not a big deal to me - I just pack him up and do some errands.  Everything just seems easier with one!

The girls are still just great with him.  They are so proud that he stands - they go nuts!  They also love talking with him whether that means saying "uh oh" or even just making baby talk with him.  They make sure toys are not too small for him and are just great.

A Family Vacation......

We had a busy summer and never really had a chance to have a family vacation.  So, we spent 3 nights in Lake Geneva as a family.  Nothing to do but hang out as a family.  We never made it to town or really did anything special.  Just took rides on the trolley to the park, swam in the pools, rode the water slides, played games in the lobby, rode the lazy river, visited the game room, made homemade dinners, took walks, visited the petting zoo and enjoyed each other.  The girls were so tired by the end of the night - they melted into their pull out couch and snoozed the night away.  Cooper's pack and play fit nicely into a closet - don't worry, there was plenty of space and ventilation!  He's fine!

Grandpa Andy..............

The girls don't get to spend too much time with Grandpa Andy.  Today they got to see him - and ride the tractor!  How cool was that!!!  Both Erin and Ev love all of their grandparents.  They are lucky to have so many adults that love them so much and are so kind to them!

Evie's Summer!

Evie had a great summer!  She was thrilled to be back at summer school!  One of her "best friends" from last summer, Isiah, was in her class again.  The memory of a 4 year old is amazing.  I wonder how she can remember a kid she met over a year ago.  Both girls surprise me with the minute details they recall.  As expected, Ev loved school.  Her speech has developed very well.  It seems her recent surgery has paid off and having tubes in her ears and her adenoids removed has improved her speech, hearing and most importantly, her confidence.

She is such a cool kid.  Just so independent and strong.  She does not care what anyone thinks of her - just does what she wants and is so strong in doing so.  She is also exceptionally creative!  She will get the job done, but often in the craziest possible way.  Not a bad way - just not the way everyone else does it.  She is so tender with Cooper - loves talking to him and trying to communicate with her little friend. 

Erin's Summer

Erin turned 4 this summer and my how she has grown!  She had a super fun summer and one of the highlights was summer camp!  Our local park district had a 3 hour camp every day where she got to make friends and spend the morning on many adventures... all without Evie!  This was a good experiment - and I think will help her adapt to the upcoming school year, where she will be in a different school than her sister.

She made a best friend... okay, a few.  She even had encounters with a bully.  But, she's still here and she's just so strong.  She loves rules and the way things are supposed to be.  She thrives on order and doing things they way they are supposed to be done.  She enjoys singing and doing crafts.  She is tenderhearted and kind.  It'll be so much fun to see how she continues to grow as time passes..

Family Party!

There are a LOT of kids in our family...........  This photo is missing many of them, but a good representation of some of us.  A cute crew!

At this family party my brother or cousin brought baseballs and footballs and a helmet - which my girls loved!

 

You probably also know that we hosted an exchange student from France.  She was super nice and we had a lot of fun with her. She got to see so many fun things in the city - beaches, Great America, Shedd Aquarium, Botanical Gardens, zoo, Michigan Ave, the Planetarium, Museum of Photography, Art Institute, Millennium Park, pools and so much more!  Here's a pic of our expanded family!

And, finally, my 2 favorite girls!

Cooper is 9 Months Old!

My how time flies by.  My little guy finally has a tooth!  And, it did not seem to be too painful for him.  That's good news!  Erin always was a pro, meanwhile Ev alerted the press that she was teething - it was bad!  He is officially on the move and crawling all around.  His crawl is kind of silly, but it gets him around just fine.  We try not to push him too much - we know that he'll move at his own pace and there is no big reason to rush.  He is eating up everything in the house and has not yet found anything he really does not care for.  One thing he really enjoys is going on the swing at the park.  The girls enjoy pushing him and are relatively gentle.  He'll just swing and swing...........

The girls are just wonderful with him.  To this day we are amazed at how easily and well Cooper just fit into our family.  Seems to have been destined.

Singing on the Pot

I am not sure when child innocence ends.  I hope it stays forever!  My girls have taken to singing while in the bathroom.  Does not matter if they are at home or a public restaurant.  Apparently, they don't care that stalls do not go floor to ceiling.

Well, the other day Ev had to use the potty - about 10 minutes after the first time she had to use the potty.  I took her and while she was doing her business, she was singing - at the top of her lungs...

Oh, I really like Chipotle.
I think that it tastes super yummy.

But, I love Sweet Tomatoes. 
Yes, I love Sweet Tomatoes.

I am glad to report that we were at Sweet Tomatoes, so the song was only somewhat embarrassing.  There was a woman washing her hands during this serenade - and she laughed.  How could you not?

Maybe we need to stop eating out?

Build a Bear...

Auntie Suzie & Uncle Mike gave the girls gift cards to Build A Bear.  This is a cool place where kids can pick out their new stuffed animal, put a heart in the guy, choose how much stuffing, select clothing, name the "guy" and really bring him to life.  We finally found time to have a lunch date - at Red Robin (yum) and hit Build a Bear.  The girls didn't know what they were in for!  They were a little overwhelmed with the choices, but had a lot of fun selecting their new "guys".  Ev chose a blue peace bear - she named it Abby Kiley (after 2 of her friends).  It has peace signs all over it.  Erin has a panda named Kevin (after her cousin).  Even their little cousin got to make his own bear... I think he chose a dog.

Chocolate Party!

The girls went to a fun birthday party - at a chocolate factory!  They got to make chocolate pizza, chocolate suckers and everything else that can be turned chocolate!  So many cool ways to celebrate a birthday!

Happy Birthday, Sarah & Tristan!

Cooper got a Tooth!!

This morning Dave and I were playing in bed with Cooper.  We felt his mouth and kept saying how he is NEVER going to get a tooth.  The boy is nearly 9 months old - he should have a tooth, right????

Well, fast forward 4 hours and I am giving him watermelon for lunch.  He opens wide for a bite and I see something white......  I feel in ... and it is sharp...........  Little guy got a tooth!!!  He didn't cry, winse or fuss at all!!  Just popped one through.  Let's hope this is how my little guy teethes.  Erin was a champ - Ev ... not so much. 

It's about time!!

A big wet kiss...

This morning Dave and I were hanging out with Cooper in bed.  Cooper grabbed my cheeks and pulled himself toward me to give me a big wet kiss right between my nose and lips.  So wet and so cute!!

Summer Fun to Remember

Somehow I know in about 9 years, Erin and Evelyn will be too embarassed to hang out with us. When that day comes, I think Nancy and I will have to come read this post again. Ah, the good times. Summer fun in the yard with the hose.

We love you girls!

Cooper is 8 Months Old!!

Hard to believe, but my little man is 8 months old! He is still the best little guy ever! Really, there is nothing little about him. He is so long and although not pudgy, he is not little. He is solid and strong! He loves to sit and play with his toys. He scoots around in circles to see what's around him. And, if he'd give it a try, I am certain he could crawl or scoot around! He seems to want to have tracks, but just not the patience or energy to give it a try. I am sure any day he'll just get to it!!

We think he finally has the 'sleeping all the way through the night' thing under control. He goes to bed around 7pm and wakes areound 5 or 6. If he wakes at 5, he'll chug a bottle and sleep till 7. Life is good!!

He is also a great eater. Though peas are not his favorite food, he really does seem to like most everything else. He is not a big fan of much texture yet, but loves the purees I make. I just made him a spinach, lima bean, corn, carrot, green bean mix and he is all over it! Sometime I mix it with yogurt or applesauce - but he loves it!! He is also pretty good at putting food in his mouth - nicely developing pincer grasp!! In fact, he just ate his first teeting biscuit - what a mess.............

Coop smiles a LOT. He loves to laugh when the girls dance for him. He smiles back at you when you smile at him. He also gets the biggest kick out of splashing in the tub. He can sit in the tub now all by himself without a seat and can navigate pretty well with bith Erin and Evelyn bathing with him (so far, only 1 incedent of sibling to sibling peeing).

A bump in the road.....

Well, Cooper had his hat taken off a few days after surgery and has been recovering well.  Unfortunately, we had a bump in the road - and, thankfully although it was frightening, he is doing just fine now.

Tonight we had a wonderful time at my cousins home.  We got to spend time with many family members we don't get to see often.  Family from near and far... Arizona and even Japan!

We got home and quickly wanted to get the kids to bed - it was well past their bedtime.  Dave took the girls and I was in charge of Cooper.  I sat in the glider and gave Cooper a bottle - the usual drill.  I noticed he needed a diaper change, so took care of that stinky mess and back to the bottle we went.  Quickly, he got fussy - and started screaming.  I took out the bottle and tried it again - thinking he is tired or not wanting it or ... just not sure what's going on.  The room was dark, so I could not see anything.  I tried to give him his bottle again and he screamed again - and then I felt a strange feeling on my elbow.  His head was resting on my elbow and all of a sudden it did not feel "normal".  I saw a bump from the very limited light in the room and screamed for Dave.  He came in the room and I told him to turn on the light...  He did and boy did we see a bump.  More than a bump, it looked like he had a golf ball under his skin (literally that size).  I passed him to Dave and called 911.  He ran to get help from the neighbors.  By this time there were 2 bumps that were merging into one.  Probably about 3 inches long - stuck out like a golf ball - looked like something out of this world.  Something I never want to see again.

I rode in the ambulance with Cooper while Dave drove behind so we could get home from the hospital.  My parents met us at the hospital, where Cooper had an MRI to ensure he was no longer bleeding internally.  The ER doc spoke with Coop's surgeon and she said to make sure the MRI showed no bleeding and give some time for the bump to go down.  All in all, we were there about 3 hours - and then were sent home once the bump got a bit smaller. 

The next day I was back at the doctors office so she could check him out.  She has only seen this twice in her 20 years as a surgeon.  Normally, it would have happened within 48 hours of surgery - not 7 days which is why he was wearing his funny bandage hat.  This doesn't normally happen at all but when it occasionally does happen in the first 48 hours, the hat keeps everything in place and doesn't let things bulge out like this. 

So what everyone believes happened is that Coop may have strained a bit with that last diaper and popped a blood vessel that was still healing from the surgery.  The internal bleeding caused these bulges that stretched the skin.  It was absolutely amazing (looking back at it now) and scary (at the time) how much the bumps protruded from his head and how quickly.  It was like an alien was trying to climb out of the back of his head.  We didn't take any pictures because we were just too frightened and focused on what was going on, and if you hadn't seen this I don't think words can really convey how this reshaped his whole head in a matter of minutes.

Thankfully, he is fine.  His head could use a little reshaping, but time will heal it and get it back to "normal" in the next few days.

Cooper's Melon...........

Okay, from the beginning...

A few days after Cooper was born, his doctor showed us a small mark on the back of his head.  He never made a huge deal of it, but monitored and measured it.  Well, as his head grew, so did the mark.  When Coop was 4 months, we had a referral to a pediatric dermatologist to confirm that the mark is a nevus sebaceous.  That means a collection of oil glands.  The mark was not very noticeable - flesh colored, slightly textured, raised a bit and would never grow hair.  Not a big deal today, but some day has a likelihood to turn cancerous - especially due to the size of Coopers.  Currently, it was about the size of a nickel with a tail - looked like Idaho - upside down.

So, the ped derm wanted it to be removed immediately.  Her rationale for removing it when he is so young is that he has more skin on his head than he'll ever have - and his recovery will be easier now than if he has it done later in life.  Two weeks later, we are at Children's Memorial Hospital having the mark removed. 

He handled everything like a champ!!  The hardest part was not eating when he woke and until everything was complete.  This was a long stretch for him.  He was a champ until about 9:40 and then got pretty mad about not eating.  Thankfully they took him away and finished in about an hour.  I got to hold him while he was in and out of sleep and thankfully, we were finally able to feed the little guy!

He even got to wear a silly hat!  When Ev saw him, she said "Hello my little unicorn!"  So cute!!!   We got a lot of funny looks about his head - he looked like he had brain surgery - not just a simple mark removed.  We felt very lucky to be leaving Children's Memorial Hospital and not needing to return.  So many other parents are not that lucky...

My girls are 4!

It is hard to imagine that my baby girls are no longer babies.  They are 4 years old - so confident, so beautiful, so funny, so different and just wonderful little people.  I really do find it hard to remember back to the days when they were babies or even toddlers.  Sadly, everything is such a blur - that's why I enjoy keeping the blog - it helps me remember the little things... and the big ones!

We had a few parties to celebrate their big day.  A family party, playgroup party and friend/classmate party!  Each was very different - simple family, bounce house and gymboree - but each was also just wonderful.  The magical thing is that the girls enjoyed our family party that had no outstanding bouncie or magician or anything crazy just as much as they did the party at gymboree or with a bouce house.  They just love to have fun - and don't compare things to a standard of what fun should be.

We are blessed to have these little girls in our lives and it does make me nervous knowing all the different things I need to teach them and expose them to so they can grow up to be productive, moral, successful, women.  But, I already know that each of them is both special and beautiful inside and out.  I can't wait to see what lies ahead in the next 4 years - heck, in the next 4 months!

Happy Birthday Girls

Four years have come and gone. What wonderful years they have been! We have come up with some pretty strange nick names for you in this time. So far we have cycled through

Evelyn = Ev, Evie, Peanut, Pippie
Erin = Pumpkin, Air-bear, Pedro

Erin, you are very responsible and take care of your dog, Buddy, every morning. Most mornings you will go into the garage, get a cup of food and pour it into his bowl. After a few minutes you let him out into the back yard too. Ev, you have come to accept Buddy T. Dog and might I dare say even like him a little bit. You help feed Buddy in the morning when Erin decides to be on the lazy side.

In just the past few weeks you have both really taken to your "big girl" bikes and love your training wheels. We go around the block either walking or riding almost every night after dinner and you ALWAYS wear your helmets. In just the last day or so you are now comfortable riding this new tandem contraption I can add to my bike. Now all three of us can ride together on one bike without any training wheels. Erin, you were pretty freaked out by this for several days but then suddenly almost like it was a mental decision you said, "I think I am used to it now. Can we try it again" and it was like you were riding it for years. I think it had something to do with the fact that you saw Ev and Kate Hamilton ride it without crying the other day.

Let's see, what else? You two are adorable with Cooper. You love him so much and treat him so gently and kindly. Never a word of jealousy or meanness towards him, even though he sometimes takes a lot of our parental attention. You always run and get diapers and wipes for us. Pretty soon you may even be able to feed him all by yourself.

Both of you started summer camp this week. Erin and Ev, you two have been split up and are going to two different schools. Erin gets dropped off and picked up by Mom, and Ev gets to take a shuttle-bus. Ev has remembered some of her friends from last summer like Isiah, and Erin has already made a new friend and set up a play-date with someone called Winnie. How that's going to happen we're not sure since neither set of parents know each others address yet, but I guess we'll have to figure that out.

We are both so proud of you. You both are smart, kind, considerate, funny and most importantly happy children. It's been a pleasure so far being your parents. Hope your birthday was the best one yet, and may your next birthdays be even better!

Love,
Dad

Cooper is Seven Months Old!!

Hard to believe that little Cooper is already 7 months old.  He is still the best little guy ever!!  Our girls just love him to pieces and he is so good natured.  He is right about 19 pounds - and super long!  Not the chunkiest kid ever, but he has a good double chin.

His newest skills are:

• Rolling - he can no longer be left on a bed.  He'll roll off so quickly you might not catch him!  Thankfully, he has yet to hit the ground.
• Sitting - he is a good sitter.  Of course, he does fall on his face occasionally - and he does not like that one bit!  But, he has come a long way!
• Sitting in a high chair and grocery cart!!  That's right, my little guy sits in a restaurant style high chair and the grocery cart!  I try very hard to make sure he is not sucking all the nasty germs off the chair/cart.  

Coop loves to eat!!  We just started puffs, but he mainly eats our homemade baby food - and enjoys it!!

He will be having surgery on Monday June 28th to remove a nevus sebaceous from the back of his head.  Basically this is a birth mark - or collection of oil glands.  As he matures and hits puberty there is a good chance it would become cancerous.  Therefore, it needs to be removed.  Due to its large size the surgeon wants it gone immediately - while he has ample skin on his head and would be bothered least by surgery and stitches.  Say a prayer for him!!

Nothing else to report. We just love him to pieces!

Cooper is 6 Months Old!!

It is so hard to imagine Cooper is 6 months old!  Seems like he has been here forever - and yet also such a short time.  Time is a funny thing.

Well, my little man is just amazing!  He is a great sleeper - sometimes waking for a 5am bottle, but that is happening less and less.  He loves his solid food - except peas...  But, he does enjoy rice, oatmeal, bananas, apples, pears, carrots, mangoes, sweet potatoes.  And, he just loves his sisters.  He laughs and laughs at them - and they love putting on a show for the little guy.

He is starting to sit up on his own - falls over after a little while.  He is rolling very well from his back to belly and finding the other way a little more challenging.  And, he talks up a storm - squealing with delight!

His official stats...  18 pounds, 1 ounce (60%) and 28.25 inches long (95%).

I pledge of allegiance...

When was the last time you said the "Pledge of Allegiance"? 

Seriously, do you know all the words. 

Well, I had not said it in about 20 years until recently.  A few weeks ago I heard Erin mumbling something, but she would not share - words sounded like the pledge.  Well, they have both stepped forward and are fully able to recite the pledge!  When does one say the pledge??  Well, just about all the time - before meals, bedtime, in the car, while riding bikes. 

I need to buy some flags to make things more official.  But, it melts my heart to hear the say our pledge...

Update on Ev's Ears.....

Well, after 6 months of trying to figure out what's up with Ev's ears we have a plan of action in place.  She has cronic fluid in her ears and it is affecting her hearing. Therefore, she'll be getting tubes in her ears in a few weeks.  This should allow the fluid drain and help her hear better.

She'll also be having her adenoids removed.  The ENT stuck a camera up her nose (ouch!) to determine they are enlarged and likely affecting her speech.  So, she'll have them removed at the same time she has her tubes in place. 

Getting tubes only takes a minute per ear and the adenoid removal is about 5 minutes, so the surgery should be quick - and the recovery is also supposed to be very quick.

I am just glad to have a plan in place - we've been going through options and waiting for cold season to be over for a long time so we could get a good look at the situation and I hope this is a good plan for her.  Hopefully it does not curtail swimming this summer.

Determination............

Last week we went to a birthday party for little Paul.  It was a beautiful day and we got to play on their huge driveway!  The kids loved riding big wheels, running around and acting like maniacs.  Ev proved once again to be a determined little girl.  She spent about 90 minutes learning to ride a bike.  She was kind and let others take a turn when they asked, but the second their bottom got off the bike, she was back on it.  She completely on her own figured out how to ride - start to finish.  And, she is great at it!

Erin has also learned how to ride on her bike (with training wheels).  The first time out we could not find helmets and that kept Erin at a snails pace.  But, once we found our helmets she sped up and is doing quite well.

However, Evie is the speed racer in the family.  She goes super quick and then gently presses the brake to slow down and see what is taking everyone else so long.  She even "hot dogs" it with some tricks.  It is really fun to see her excel athletically - and to see her just love riding her bike.

Rub a Dub Dub...

Three kids in the tub...

After a nice Saturday of going to the tree house in Norhtbrook Court, lunch at Potbelly's, quiet time and lots of family time we thought the kids could use a bath.  Cooper was not seeming to be in the mood - he's not too fond of the tub.  After a little milk, his mood improved and in he went!  All 3 kids in the tub together - same way it usually happens.  But, tonight was different..........

For a while now, the girls select one dissolvable color tablet for the tub.  They each pick either a red, blue or yellow tab to put in the water and we talk about color mixing as their bath fills up.  Well, today Erin picked red, Ev choose blue and Cooper added yellow. But wait....

See what I mean is that while Cooper was getting washed, I guess the warm water must have worked its magic because he aimed right over in his little bath seat and started peeing on Ev.  At first Ev just looked at what was going on stunned and wordless.  Nancy didn't notice this, but I did.  Ev looked at her belly, looked at the stream, looked at her belly, and then looked at Cooper trying to figure out exactly what was going it.  It stopped .. but about a second later Cooper reloaded for another dousing.  This time Nancy saw it just about the same time Ev was able to put it all together.  Nancy and I were SO good at not bursting out laughing when Ev started getting this really disgusted look on her face.

Nancy broke the silence by asking "Ev, what just happened?"
"Cooper peed on me!" she said.
"Well, that's not using his manners is it?" Nancy said between giggles tryinig not to make a big deal out it this.
At this point Erin who didn't really see anything started laughing as she learned what had just happened.
Ev was a good sport at which point we all pretty much broke down laughing.

Last week, Erin fell into the toilet ... which is another story (I mean completely fell in the toilet complete with a wet bottom and all!), but in short order both Erin and Evelyn have good bathroom stories to tell.

Cooper is 5 Months!!

 Little Coopie is already 5 months old!  My how time flies by.  Here are a few pics of him recently...  Pretty soon he'll be eating solids - which I am sure he'll love.  He's a big guy - so loooong!!  And, he is just the best baby ever!  Dave and I have had a chance to enjoy him as a little guy more than we could the girls - things are just easier with one - less hectic and stressful.  We enjoy every minute with him!

Looking Good!

One of the girls favorite places is Kohls Childrens' Museum.  They just love it!  The love working at Potbelly's and the grocery store.  They love taking care of the babies and animals at the veterinary clinic.  And, they LOVE making over their little mugs at the face painting area...  Take a look......