Sully Bear Update

Sully is now 5 1/2 months. Two days before he turned 4 months he started to roll back and forth. You can not turn your back on him or he's rolling! Pretty much every direction he just rolls himself over to where he wants to go. Today I watched him do superman's. You know where he is pushing himself up and his toes are up in the air. He was rocking and getting so frustrated because he wanted to be where we were.

His hand eye coordination is remarkable. Especially if he sees your fingers and he's in the mood to chomp on them. I'll sit him up and put a few toys in front of him and he will systematically grab one, chomp on it, then literally throw it to the side.

He has found his voice. In the afternoon he really likes to make high pitch noises just to hear himself. It's actually really cute, I go out of eye sight and he starts squeeling. He'll be in his exersaucer and push up on his tip toes leaning to the side to see me. I come back and his squeel turns into a delightful laugh.

His favorite toy now are his own toes! He sits up and leans over and just chomps away. At the conference last week the child care providers just laughed and laughed they said his toes kept him occupied for most of the day.

But nothing is as funny as him using his muscles to stop the swing. I was changing Cooper's diaper and I heard the hum of the swing just stop. Knowing we had just replaced the batteries I thought something was wrong. I looked over and there was Sully as happy as a clam just holding the swing still in mid swing. He then just let go and once he got his momentum going would reach up and grab hold again. As soon as he has my attention he shoots a look like, what, what I'd do?

Exercising

In the mornings I'll pull out my rebounder and exercise balls. As you can see Sully likes to balance his ball on all fours while Cooper just likes to steal my exercise balls. They are five pounds each and Cooper will pick one up take it away then pick up the other one leaving me to well.... take pictures! Who needs to workout anyway??

GiGi's Visit

GiGi and Poppi came down for my birthday and gave me a present like no other! They babysat while Jim and I went out to a restaurant for the first time in oh 5 1/2 months! Not only that when we returned they let us take a nap. Now that is a birthday present!

Aunt Haley Visit

In October Haley came up for a fun visit. We had big plans to go visit a pumpkin patch but the boys fell asleep so we had a mini road trip and kept driving and driving looking for yard sales. We happened upon one that had some great toys for the boys. Once they woke up we decided to find a new playground. After some endless driving we decided to consult a map and found a new playground about a mile away. Who knew!

We also went for a nice walk around Lake Lynn. About halfway around we let Cooper out to walk. He did his usual walking up to strangers and talking to their knee caps. One gentelman offered Cooper some bread to feed the ducks and Cooper would squeel every time he threw the bread. Then he figured out the bread tasted good so that little game was over. After the last bridge a family came walking down and Cooper walked up to the man who crouched down and said, "Give me five little man." Cooper threw his arms around him and I have Haley as a witness he said, "Are you my dada?" We all pretty much started to laugh hysterically. We came home and had to break the news to Jim. He took it pretty well but for the next few weeks he played a lot more with the boys when he got home from work.

Unfortunately Aunt Haley had to leave. We loved having her here and are eagerly awaiting another visit and scrabble re-match!

Let The Updates Begin

So................. It turns out all the issues I thought I was having with blogger was just the fact that I had my pop up blocker on! So that means I have like 3 months of pictures to post. Just giving you a heads up :-)

Abbie

Mama's Little Helper

My little helper. Cooper runs to the dishwasher and will hand me each item one by one as we put dishes away. If I turn my back and leave the utensil drawer open he will throw the utensils in there for me. When we are done we say, "Closing" and he literally tosses the door closed and locks it for me.

If we are doing laundry then he will run to the dryer and pull all the laundry out for me and put it in a basket and he loves to run around with the cover to the lint catcher.

I think I've been giving him a little bit too much positive reinforcement for being my little helper because he now goes to great lengths to dump every basket and bring me all the contents... piece by piece. I left the lid drawer open and after three lids coming to me I realized what was happening and had to nip that little game in the bud.

And my favorite thing ever......... finding the whole toilet paper role in the toilet. Thanks Coop :-)

Great Auntie Susan and Great Auntie Lisa Visit

Back in September Great Auntie's Lisa and Susan drove up from Charlotte for a nice visit. Cooper ran around showing them all his toys and giggling at the Micky Mouse Club.

Brotherly Love

Cooper loves to hug and kiss Sully and sit with him. (Most of the time at least.)Yesterday on a walk I wish I had a video camera. Sully kept sliding over onto Cooper who would whine and try to avoid Sully's hand. Well Cooper would move and Sully would instinctively grasp onto Cooper's shirt holding him in place. Cooper thinking Sully was doing this on purpose was getting really frustrated. I showed him how to take his hand and put it to the side and hoped he wouldn't start throwing his hand around. Instead he took Sully's hand and held it! I hope this brotherly love lasts and lasts and lasts!!

Lobster Fest 2006

Sully and Lauren showing us their
cabbage patch doll impersonations!


Grandpa & Cooper
enjoying some of the
ol' bubbly.



Cooper was obviously smitten
with baby Lauren and wanted
to tell her he loved her.


Gene showing his boys how
to open oysters. With hot
sauce they really weren't
that bad!


Jim showing off his dinner.
Yummmmmmmmmmy


This years Lobsterfest was a blast as usual. The lobster, scallops, clams and oysters were delectable and no splashing butter to burn everyone so we were all very happy. (Already making room for next year!) My camera battery died after only a few pictures but you would have seen Cooper jumping in everyone's lap and still refusing to call me mom but Abbie to show off. Sully and Lauren were pretty quiet just biding their time and giving Cooper his last chance to hog all the attention. You would not have seen a picture of Shannon or Bob holding the babies. I think they both ran as soon as it looked like Sully might be coming in their direction. Seriously I think I saw skid marks from their car when they left. :-) Grandpa and Grandma sure can throw a party!!!

Spontaneous Naptime

Nothing beats a day when you just lay Sully down and if is tired he just sort of drifts off to sleep. He opens one eye to make sure I'm there every once in a while and then bam he's out! This is picture of him over a month ago, but he's been taking these spontaneous naps lately so it reminded me to put up a picture!

Magic Blue Chair

These pictures were taken over a month ago, but too cute not to post. I found them both in this chair fast asleep knocking out some z's.

The Job Continues

Sorry its been so long since we posted. We've been around taking care of things.

I wanted to let everyone know that we'll be down here in Raleigh for a little while longer, it appears. I got word that my job was reinstated at the school. When I took this job with COMTek, it was a temporary position, and Cadet Command had originally deleted it, effective on 1 October. The Lieutenant Colonel in charge had been fighting to keep the position since she took over back in the summer. Without a body in the recruiting slot, it would be lost. And without recruiting, there wouldn't be any cadets enrolled to save the program.

I'd actually applied to this position back in May, but was passed over for it by the previous commander. The guy he chose was in the position for about two months, and then moved to a ROTC position in South Carolina...so it was open again. This time, I got it (probably helped that I was the only person willing to take the job and for only two months at that).

Two weeks ago, we got to meet with the Region Commander. I got to tell him my concern about the position. My boss echoed my sentiment. The Region Commander took what we said to heart, and got the position reinstated...we took the slot from Duke University, but that's not a big deal...they're the only NC school commissioning less than us on a regular basis.

To pat myself on the back, LTC Haynes, my boss, told me last week that we had effectively doubled the enrollment to the program over last year. The next step is to retain these students. Hey, my job is to recruit them, its the instructor's jobs to retain them.

We haven't finalized if Raleigh is our new home of choice, and we're exploring all options. We'll post here once we have something more concrete. Just know that as of now, this job will last through October 2007 at least.

Cheers.

It Starts

Soooo, we have a comfort corner (same thing as a naughty corner or naughty mat for you Super Nanny fans) that we use for Cooper when he's in trouble or needs a time out. We always give him a warning and then when he does it again (because he ALWAYS does), he goes and sits on the pillow in his corner.

Back in NoVA, his comfort corner was next to the basement door on the main level. Here in Raleigh, his corner is between the couch and the balcony sliding glass door.

Until yesterday, his M.O. was to cry cry cry when he got put into the comfort corner. Yesterday, he exhibited something new...Manipulation Through Charm (MTC).

I put him in his comfort corner because he kept spitting water all over the carpet (we now have wet spots all over the apartment thanks to him). Abbie warned him once, and then I put him in his corner. He cried for all of about five seconds, and watched to see what I was going to do. I told him "two minutes in your corner" and explained why he was there. I walked away.

Abbie was sitting on the opposite side of the room on the futon mattress we use as Cooper's couch. He tested us with standing up and with getting off his pillow, each time causing me to come over and reset his butt on it. Then he did it...MTC.

He leaned slightly out beyond the edge of the couch so that he and Abbie could make eye to eye contact...and he gives her a sly smile like, "Hi Momma, I love you!" "Hi Momma, why don't you let me out of this corner?" "Hi Momma, don't you love my cute smile?"

It almost worked, but Abbie hung strong. Cooper got his two (turned into five) minutes in his corner, then came out with a simple reiteration of why he was there and how to avoid going back to it.

MTC. New parents, remember it. Especially you new dads that have daughters....ahem, John. I don't think your watch will save you when she gets MTC down.

A Good Poo/Vomit Story For You

Having a great day today. Jim got to sleep in today and the boys and I were excited to plan a fun birthday dinner for Jimbo. We wanted to beat all the rain we’re supposed to get so got an early start out to the grocery store and to get Jimbo a little present from the boys. Couldn’t believe how well the boys were being. Cooper was his usual charming self and I met like four new people as he screamed through the produce isle and at the cashier. Everyone was just marveling at his little language that he speaks. He even charmed Wal-Mart folks into giving him a free sippy cup because he refused to give it back. So they just gave it to him. I wish that worked for adults! Sully just smiled at everyone and people kept just saying what really sweet boys I have.

Got home not one peep out of Sully he was sleeping away. Drove the car down behind the building even though it was muddy and didn’t get stuck so I considered that good. Got lunch ready and realized I was out of a supplement for Coop so I put a different brand on. He chowed down (same meal he ate yesterday) so I knew he liked it. Put away groceries and got to planning Jimbo’s birthday dinner. Lots to do- lots to do!!

Coop finished lunch and he got down to play. We’re just putzing around and I hear this burp. He turned to look at me and I could just see it in his eyes. Lunch was coming back up. (Teach me to try a new supplement.) I was halfway there with my arms extended and hands cupped when the first round came up. (We have carpet and no oxyclean and I’m trying to preserve our deposit.) Ok ewww I’m not going to touch that! I see a piece of newspaper and grab it and go chasing him as three more rounds come up. As he is puking he’s trying to get away from me and this darn newspaper. The last one seemed to get stuck in his throat. You know how dogs take a bone and swing it from side to side? Cooper starts swinging his head from side to side to dislodge the puke. Vomit is flying everywhere. Time to give up with the newspaper. I don’t know if he’s done so I pick him up and dump him in the bathroom.

That’s starts a scream fest. I don’t know what else to do so I run to get some paper towels and hear Coop just screaming and then he’s silent. Whew. Ok no paper towels. I grab some towels and head in. In his fit he’s rubbed his shirt aka vomit all over the walls and all over the toilet. When I walk in I now see why he was quiet he’s eating the vomit off the floor!!!! Ok so now I’m freaking out. I scream nooooo and he freaks out. I think I need to learn the art of not freaking out!! Nowadays when he’s busted doing something his reaction is to throw whatever it is down. (The other day I stupidly left an open bottle of water on the floor. He grabbed it thinking it had a straw and dumped water on himself. Confused he brought it up to his lips again covering himself with water again. I shout something to have him not do it again and he startles and literally throws the bottle down with water gushing everywhere.) So if you are following this he then throws the puke he’s about to eat down but instead it hits me!! I can’t be mad at him he is utterly miserable at this point.

First things first I need to change him and get everything cleaned up. I just don’t know what I was thinking. I pull his shirt up and get puke ALL over his face and in his hair. He’s fussing all over again. Ok screw it he’s getting a bath. I get the water running and get him in there. I must have known I wasn’t destined to eat again because I’d made the same thing he’d eaten for myself so I fed him my lunch while he was bathing. I didn’t mash it up like his had been and he didn’t like the broccoli heads so he started spitting it out in the tub! Grrrrr. We are out of shampoo so I run to get my own stuff and add some water to it. It was cold water. I put it on his head and he JUMPS up because of the cold and starts crying. I’m apologizing just wondering how this could be worse. Start dumping some warm lunch filled water on his head to get him warm and he decides that is the perfect to moment to poo. Ummmm hmmmm yes he POOED in the bath tub. I decide that’s it I’m so over this bath and grab a towel and realize it’s a Sully towel so it barely covers his back so I’m now soaked too to dry him off.

Luckily (fingers are still crossed) that was the end of the drama. Not sure how clean he really is but he’s now in his PJ’s ready for bed at 1 in the afternoon and I have some cleaning to do!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JIM & JOHN !!