Happy Un-birthday Baby Jack

Thank goodness my Doctor's prediction was a little off. 12/31/07 was Baby Jack's initial official due date. We would've been pushing it close to get that sweet little tax deduction that everyone talked about. What a blessing to have him happy, healthy and 3 1/2 weeks early in time for the holidays!! ps-for anyone who's interested...it turns out he was born 10 years and 3 months to the day from our first date. Trust me, I was not thinking about babies on that day 10 years ago! :)

What a hoss!

Apparently we aren't starving the child. We had to go to the pediatrician today because of some gunkiness. It seems that over the holidays with all the passing around Baby Jack may have picked up a little bug. No big deal. The BIG news is that last week at his 2 week check-up he weighed 9 pounds and a week and a half later he weighed in at 10 pounds 8 ounces!!! I'm just hoping this pound a week trend doesn't continue indefinitely. Mommie can't handle a 60 pound 1 year old!!! :)
Thankfully sleeping has gotten a little better, maybe that every 2 hour trend was from that massive growth spurt! It just seems that as soon as I think I have something figured out, it changes! I know, I know, get used to it, right? :)
We have gotten so spoiled the past few weeks. Daddy has been able to have 2 four day weekends in a row because of how the holidays fell, so we've had lots of bonding time. It's also been nice to have our own personal healthcare professional to deal with all this gunky yuckiness as of late. I guess I'd better learn soon how to use that delightful snot-sucker device and how to put ointment in a wiggly infant's eyes.

Baby Jack goes to get his picture made..again...

Mommie and Daddy are still trying to figure out timing and scheduling so that at some point we can actually be ON TIME to places with our little guy. Today we went to Portrait Innovations with Pops and Bertie and Auntie Hannah for a Cooper Family Portrait before Hannah goes back to Portland. Jack was such a trooper!! He did exceptionally well. Apparently those cheeks are already weighing down his smile so he looked a bit grumpy, but I'm sure he was happy to be loved on by Bertie in the pictures. We got a CD of the pictures, so I'll see if I can post them on the blog later.

Mommie advice needed

What's an exhausted Mommie to do when her sweet baby, who had pretty much since birth slept 3-4 hours at a time at night, all of a sudden decides that between the hours of 1 and 5 in the morning are a great time to PARTY. When we lay him down after the middle of the night feedings, he used to just lay there and eventually go back to sleep. Any guilt I would feel about missing out on that cutie pie time would be quickly overwhelmed by exhaustion. Apparently now, he's not content to just lay down and lull himself to sleep, he wants to interact and be entertained, and he fusses until we pick him up, at which point he is Mr. Charming and happy. What should I do. I don't want his days and nights mixed up...and he was doing so very well! Mommys, please tell me what has worked for you!

and what does Maggie think about Baby Jack??

What do you think?? We'll try to upload the video of their first encounter...it was precious. Maggie doesn't always understand why she can't play with all these new toys, and she's been a little naughty with snatching and shredding trash (although this could be just as much from our not watching her as closely as acting out). The biggest difference we see is that she absolutely goes berserk when company comes over. It's as if she's come to terms with not getting as much attention from us, but she knows how to get it from others!!! We just like to claim she is anxious to show off "her new baby" to visitors!!

Can you see the resemblance?

We were just mesmerized by this ultrasound picture of his face. It was taken sometime in October when my Doctor was estimating his weight to already be 4 pounds! Can you see his resemblance now? How about the cleft in the chin that he gets from his daddy? :)

Two peas in a pod

awwww..."twinkies" .....how cute!

Hope they didn't both inherit mommie's poor eyesight.

Am I stylin' or what?

Do you like my Christmas sweater and hat my mommie knitted just for me? She's so excited to be knitting for her own baby!!! More cute sweaters to come!!

Christmas morning at Granny Ruthie's and Grandad's

It's only Christmas Morning, and we're already needing a nap!

Mommie and Daddy go out...

and Granny Ruthie and Grandad babysit for a few hours. Mzee fed me and rocked me and sang me lullabies in Swahili-"Moto!"Just like he did when Uncle Daniel was little. Mommie and Daddy went to see a movie with Mommie's siblings-they only checked their phones for missed calls a few hundred times (there weren't any) an only called to check in once! Apparently I was a good boy!

Baby Jack's first (grandparent) photo session

well, we did have the one photo session done at the hospital, but this one was definitely more fun! Pops and Bertie asked if they could come over to take come pictures of Jack in his "Baby's First Christmas" outfit that Auntie Raychie gave him. We said "sure" thinking a few quick snaps of the camera, no big deal. In come the grandparents with not only a camera, but also lights, props and backdrops!! Olan Mills came to the Cooper House that night! Unfortunately we did not get any shots with our camera, but as soon as we can get them sent to us from Bertie's camera, we'll post them...there are some SUPER cute snapshots!! I'm sure this will be the first of many photo sessions for this little one. :) We are so excited he was here in time for Christmas!!

What a great Granny!

Many extra-special thanks to Mommie's Mommy-Granny Ruthie. Our first week home she all but slept at our house-cooking, cleaning, chauffeuring, shopping, encouraging and loving on baby Jack. I REALLY don't know what we would've done without her!! By week 2 we were weaning ourselves away, and by week 3, I was feeling much more comfortable in my role as a mommie. Thank you for literally putting your life on hold to come take care of us (and just before the holidays too!!!)!! And thanks to Steve and Daniel for sharing you with us!!

First excursion for Baby Jack

Well, besides to the doctor's office...
We went to out with the intention to run some errands and go to Target to do some baby and Christmas Shopping. We got him bundled up in his warmest clothes (it had actually snowed that morning) and snuggled him in his seat with his warmest blanket. Mommie sat in the back (which is where she's been sitting quite a bit lately....Daddy drove AT SPEED LIMIT (wow!) in the "slow lane" the whole way. :) When we got to Target, Daddy was in charge of the stroller while Mommie took off with the shopping cart, enjoying being out of the house for a little while and feeling "human" for a few minutes. Jack was closed up so tight in his car seat and stroller, I'm not sure he felt a thing. A few well-intentioned people leaned over to see our little bundle, and barely got a look at him, because Daddy in all his healthcare know-how wanted to keep Jack as far away from the wintertime germs as possible. Jack did get a little upset in the housewares section of Target, but a quick adjustment to his pacifier, and all was well. We were in and out of Target in about 30 minutes, and pretty exhausted. All other errands were put on hold until a later date. Phew! It does get easier, right? The idea of taking him to Kroger or Walmart ALONE completely overwhelms me right now!
(ps-Happy Birthday, Uncle John!)

an impromptu baby shower

there was a shower scheduled at school, but baby Jack came a week before the shower. My co-workers generously gathered our gifts together and sent them to the house via 2 of my work-friends, Cynthia and Jennifer. They showed up on the day that was supposed to be the shower laden with gifts and dinner and some much needed company. It made me feel so special to still get a shower! Thanks everyone! Thanks Jennifer, Cynthia and Shelley for delivering all the goodies and for being so willing to help with carting paperwork back and forth between work and home. I'm really gonna miss you guys!! ps-look at that adorable diaper bag!!!

Baby's first bath

Baby Jack's (and mommie and daddy's) first at-home baby bathing experience went off pretty well. Since Bertie and Pops were there too, it was also very well documented! :) We just wish all the baths since then were as cute and calm...

Coming Home

Mommie decided that 3 days in the hospital was enough and wanted to go home. It was just getting too hard to send him off to the nursery each night. After getting the ok from all the doctors we all got dressed in our traveling close and loaded up the car to head home for the first time. After a few mishaps installing the carseat, daddy finally got it right (well more or less - Jack was safe but maybe not quite comfortable), we all arrived home safe and sound. Maggie was anxiously awaiting our arrival home, and very surprised and glad to meet Jack for the first time. She showered him with a multitude of sniffs and kisses while her tail wagged a mile a minute. After a rough first night at home, mommie wondered why she thought sending him off to the nursery was so hard. :) Thankfully life with Baby Jack got easier and more fun-filled every day!

Some of the proud aunts and uncles

Nobody get any ideas....ok? :)

Mommie's first baby hug!!

I'm in heaven!

A few more visitors...

Baby Jack's almost birthday buddy-Martha-he was born the day before her birthday! Also, Bethany and Mrs. Charlotte-who also got a new baby boy born into their family just a few days after Jack-yea for Baby Ben! December Boys Rock!

"Papa John and MiMi"

A.K.A. John and MiHyea Fisher

Granny Ruthie and Grandad Steve (or Mzee!)

A.K.A. Ruth and Steve Dudugjian

"Pops and Bertie"

A.K.A. Kenneth and Roberta Cooper

some extra special visitors

Baby Jack had many visitors in the hospital. Josh was great, remembering to take pictures with each person who held our new son, but Mommie isn't sure how to get those pictures off the camera and onto the blog. So here are some pictures that other people have sent to us. i promise I'll figure out the camera soon. These are Melanie's Grandmothers (Jack's great-Grandmothers). I bet neither one of them ever thought that they would ever be on the Internet.

What the newborn babies see from inside the nursery...

Just look at the weight of that boy!!!

Josh took this picture as proof that even as a "preemie" at 3+weeks early, Jack weighed in at a decidedly non-preemie size of 8 pounds 14.25 ounces! No wonder Mommie felt huge! (sorry for the censorship...but I have a thing against naked pictures!!) :)

Family's first photo

Josh is smiling, you just can't see it!!! What a special time!!! Honestly, this picture is about all I remember from the OR. They had me well medicated!!!

He's here! Baby Jack has arrived

Less than an hour after that last entry was posted, Melanie went into labor! Wow, does God answer prayers fast, or what!!! Just as I was walking in the door, my water broke (thank goodness I didn't run those errands I needed to run....) thankfully I was on the phone with Josh and he was on his way home. I don't think any of us want to know how fast he went getting back home to Nashville! :) My mom came and "kept me company" until Josh got home, and once he did, we made our way to Baptist. Since he was 3+weeks earlier than our due date, we decided to go the regular delivery route, but after laboring ALL night long for 20 hours(thank goodness for epidurals, even if they HURT going in....) we decided to go the C-Section route. At 12:34 p.m. on December 6, 2007 Joshua Aaron Cooper, Jr. (Jack) was born at 8 pounds 14 1/4 ounces and 21 inches long. Most of our family was there in the waiting room and got the phone call from the new daddy to see Jack's first moments in the nursery. It was an exciting day for us all! More details to come....

prayer request

Well, yesterday's Doctor's visit wasn't all good news. We were happy to hear that his heartbeat and movements and growth are all GREAT. My Dr. is concerned about his large size (according to her exam, she is guessing he is 9 or 10 pounds....sounds a bit high to me, but she's the expert). She is wanting to rule out gestational diabetes (I already passed one diabetes test about 10 weeks ago) so we did some blood work, and I am supposed to test my blood sugar levels 4 times a day for the next week or so (oh goody, but not quite as bad as I thought). A bit hard to do at school, but I'm trying to figure out logistics.
She also suggested, because of his large size, that we go ahead and schedule a C-Section for the week before Christmas. We put in a preference for December 21st....we'll see if that "sticks". Apparently scheduling times are hard, especially here at the end of the year, so I am considering it "penciled in" until after we get more information about whether or not I'm actually diabetic (she thinks not, since he has been a big baby all along...) and more accurately what size he is at next week's ultrasound. Believe me, I asked her "If you think he is already 9-10 pounds, why aren't we taking him sooner?" and I learned that not only does diabetes cause bigger babies, but it can also slow down lung development, so taking him earlier wouldn't be a good idea until we know more information.
I'm also battling the usualy lack of sleep and fatigue as well as insane swelling in my legs, hands, and feet (but blood pressure is still fine...) pregnancy induced carpal tunnel syndrome and I'm measuring as big as a woman who is 43 weeks pregnant (yes, I KNOW I'm huge...I'm still trying to figure out why people feel the need to tell me DAILY how huge I am :(
So, pray for us. Pray that Baby Jack keeps being healthy and that he comes just when he is supposed to. Pray that Mommie can keep her sanity while being so very tired and uncomfortable and still trying to be somewhat human and productive teacher of 2nd graders for a few more weeks (a much harder battle than I ever imagined possible) . Pray that Daddy can keep being patient and putting up with Mommie and her drama-he has done a FABULOUS job so far-as well as keeping up with his almost 4 hour daily commute and new job. I knew there was a good reason for me to marry a Nurse...even though I didn't know he was going to be one at the time!
As my dad, the future "papa John" said the other day....we've "got a lotta 'arns' in the 'far' " :)