Childproofed...not anymore

I hate the thought of climbing over a gate e-v-e-r-y time we go up and down the stairs, which seems like 100 times a day, so I have had diaper boxes blocking the stairs.  It has worked like a charm.  Coop has used them to put toys on and play, they are easy to move and step over.  However, today Cooper has met this challenge.  Looks like the gate will be coming out soon. :(  The part I am dreading most... Lola whining at it because she follows me anytime I go up and down the stairs.  Here is the escapee in action!

just getting started

halfway there

And over he goes!  Those long legs really came in handy today!  

12 months...late post

Here we are, 3 weeks after Coop's first birthday and just tonight I took his final monthly pictures!  After the birthday week, my camera and I took a hiatus from each other...it was needed :).  If I have said it once, I have said it a million times, I can't believe our sweet baby boy is ONE!!  Here is what he was up to the month before he turned one...

• he had roseola, a rash covering his face, chest and back from the fever a few days earlier
• has become obsessed with any cell phone he can get his hands on!
• First haircut!!!
• Basically eating everything now and lots of it
• cut out afternoon bottle, with 2 bottles left-began mixing them 1/2 formula, 1/2 milk
• fifth and sixth tooth came in
• cruising around the house like a crazy man with his sit'n'stand toy, but no steps at this point
• talks non-stop in his own language-words we recognize are: Elmo, mama, dada, ball
• still taking morning and afternoon nap, going to bed around 8 and waking up between 7-8.  Cooper really is a great sleeper, one of our favorite qualities in him :)
• Loves: playing ball, his bottle, knocking down stacked up toys, taking walks in the neighborhood, reading books, his thumb and blankie
• 12 month stats: 22lbs,2oz and just under 34 inches long.  That puts him in the 50%ile for weight and 95%ile for height...these %iles haven't changed since birth!

for some reason, I always take these alone, meaning I don't get the best pictures, because I am trying to entertain and work the camera!  However, I love the two following pictures!

"Who me?" The Coopster has always had prominent ribs and this pic shows them off!

The final shot of the 12 month series!  

Enjoying the weather!

As much as I love the hot, hot weather, it's not really conducive to playing outside unless you are at the pool!  This past week it has been beautiful so we have spent lots of time outside.  Here are a couple of Coop's favorite activities...

When I put Cooper's hat on, he often takes it off and puts it back on himself...not exactly serving the purpose of the hat.

He's getting so good at scooting himself down the sidewalk!

Big Boy Carseat

In case you haven't noticed in prior posts...Coop has moved up in the car seat world!  No more facing backwards communicating through a mirror!  He loves it and is constantly dancing to music. :)  The best part is my car has a built-in TV, so that means Elmo DVDs on road trips to and from KC!  

We've got a walker!!!

Well, at 1 year and almost 2 weeks we just might have a walker on our hands!!!  The last few days he has been standing on his own a lot and took one or two steps.  Today we were visiting Cooper's friends Parker, Knox and Anne when he decided to take about 5 or 6 steps on his own multiple times, sooo exciting!  He has continued this pattern tonight too, not more than about 6 or 7 steps before biting it.  Click on the link below to see the video we caught...it's as good as we could get. :)

Cooper's Walking!!!

Happy Birthday Cooper - part three :)

We wrapped up birthday week with a fun first bday party on Saturday.  It was a birthday filled day as we had cousin Cash's 2nd birthday party Saturday morning, then Coop's party in the afternoon.  It was a sunshiney and hot, hot day.  Thank goodness Grandpa and Grandma have an awesome backyard with a pool.  It kept the kids, big and little, busy.  As you will see in the pictures, the theme of the party was Elmo.  Cooper loves anything Elmo...pictures, videos, dolls.  He calls him 'mo, but at times almost says 'elmo.'  He was ecstatic with the decorations, just looking everywhere smiling and saying 'mo.

Don't know where to begin to thank the best family and friends that came to celebrate.  Seriously, we feel so lucky to have these people in our lives.  Cooper is so loved!!!  The amount of gifts he got is embarrassing, but I swear he loves every single one of them!!!  We are having lots of fun with them this week.  Be prepared for lots of pictures, somehow my camera died in the middle of the party, bad mom,  I know.  Thanks to Tanya and Alli for picking up the slack.  Warning: lots of pictures, just couldn't dwindle them down, I mean it is his first birthday...

Happy 2nd birthday Cash, so happy we could celebrate with you!!!

hanging out in the cool air-conditioning

poolside, men cooking and watching the kids swim

Coop and his 2 great grandmas, Great Mama Kelly and GiGi Hillermann. I love this picture!!!  There are a million other pics I wanted to get like this...all the cousins on both sides, ALL the kids at the party together, coop with his grandparents and aunts/uncles, however I love that I got this pic :)

Opening gifts, again can't thank everyone enough!  This thoughtful gift was a scrapbook of Coop's first year made by my cousin Olivia, seriously so sweet, neat and well put together!!!

Love this picture, he has his party hands going!

Look at this ONE year old!!!

cake, cake cake!

Coop's personal Elmo cake homemade with love by his Aunt Alli.  She did all of the decorations at the party, another set of pics I missed :(.  If her degree doesn't work out, pretty sure she could succeed as a party planner/decorator, her work was a hit!!  We love you Aunt Alli!

just staring at everyone while they are singing Happy Birthday, trying to figure it all out

just the beginning

officially loving his cake!

wanting to give 'bites' to everyone, Dad was the only one willing to take him up on his offer

Dad can take credit for Coop's 'face painting,' after this it was quick rinse in the tub and then pool time!


Are you still with me after all those pictures?  I have a million more and then a million more mental pictures that I didn't get on camera.  Such a fun day!!  Honestly, can't believe I have a 1 year old!  

Bye. Bye Bottles

It was a sad day in the Jones' house yesterday as the bottles were packed up and put away until the next baby.  It was definitely bittersweet.  Sad because I feel like he's losing his babyness (is that a word?), but nice to no longer be buying formula and making sure bottles are packed up whenever we leave the house.  Coop had his last bottle Sunday night and did just fine Monday.  However, he was a little cranky yesterday and kept saying ba-ba,ba-ba over and over again.  Definitely thought it was going to be a much more painful process as at the sight or sound of his bottle he would get crazy excited, happily Coop proved me wrong.