Cooper James- 11 weeks

Our "baby" is eleven weeks old now.  He weighed in LAST week at a whopping 4 pounds 7 ounces!  I'm certain he's grown a heap since then and might be a full 5 pounds of fluff now.  He's a total joy.  And a frustration.  He is smart.  And then not so much.  He is sweet.  So long as he isn't trying to eat you.  He is sleepy...unless you want to go back to sleep...in which case you can forget it and should just get on up and get that boy some breakfast!  All in all though...we are in love.

I mean....really.  How could you NOT love a face like this????!!!!!

 Oh he's a lover!

A  lover of eating leaves.  And snakes.  And earthworms!

A lover of sticking his nose down in the dirt!  Oh Cooper!  AGAIN????!!!!!!

He's as handsome as they come!

In short...we are simply in love with this bundle of fluff!  Leaf eating, dirt digging, pooping little machine that he is!  He's our Cooper James!  And we wouldn't trade him for anything!

4 a.m.

It's the magic hour around here.  The hour where little puppies start to stir.  When sounds of deep puppy dreams turn to sounds of little jingling cat bells in the kennel.  It's the hour that I keep TRYING to wait out, hoping that Cooper will sleep through.  But today is not that day.  By 4:30, after listening to him wiggle and shift for half an hour, I knew that Cooper was most definitely waking up.  He needed to go out.  So I finally caved, got up, and took my little dude outside to take care of business.  Which he did...instantly.  The problem with this picture though, is that Cooper has no interest in going BACK to bed once he gets up.  He's kind of like me...once he's awake, he's awake.  This morning, he was awake and on a mission.  Of course, I tried shoving his furry little hiney back into the crate so we MIGHT go back to sleep.  But he was not down with that plan at all and I knew within 30 seconds it wasn't going to happen.  And so I let him out...where he immediately starting barking at me and went to the bedroom door.  He had all kinds of barking things to tell me.  Not just one little woof...but a whole conversation of them.  Complete with scratching at the door.  That boy meant to get out of the bedroom and NOW.  And so I opened the door.  Cooper went flying out of there and made a beeline for the kitchen where he skidded into place directly in front of...his empty food bowl.  And there he sat, tail wagging, looking ever so expectantly from the bowl, up to me, and then back at the bowl again.  It is safe to say that Cooper likes to eat.  Actually, that's an understatement.  Cooper LOVES to eat.  He's SO motivated by food.  And treats.  And food.  His little tail wags so hard when he eats that it literally drags him around and around the bowl in circles while he eats.  The lady who had his litter said they called him Fat Daddy.  And Cooper was most definitely the most roly poly guy of the bunch....hands down.  I have a sneaking suspicion that maybe, just maybe, Cooper was eating his share of the puppy kibble and THEN some before he came to live with us.  He will easily eat his enitre ration of food and then snarf down as much of Oscar's as he possibly can before I remove it from his reach.  And I know that he would do it several times a day IF I offered it to him.  I'll be asking the vet this morning exactly what she thinks his alotment should be each day.  I sure wouldn't mind a magic puppy formula that I could give him at night that would keep him full and sleepy past 4 a.m.!!!  And so, now here I sit at 5:19 a.m., enjoying my first cup of coffee and being amused at Cooper here in the study.  He sees his reflection in the glass doors and I do believe he thinks there is another pup amongst us.  I keep hearing tiny growls and little sputtery cough barks...like he's guarding, but has no idea what he's up against and isn't sold on the idea of launching a full on attack.  It is safe to say that I am handling 4 a.m. MUCH better this morning than I did yesterday!  I'm even going to dig into my bible study and knock some of that out as I still have an hour before I have any kiddos on the scene!  Who knows...perhaps this 4 a.m. stuff could be good for me?  As I sit here thinking...I could get all sorts of laundry and such done at an hour like this, if I just plan a little bit the night before.  I don't think I could get away with vaccuuming.  Pretty sure that would be an unpopular choice of chores to accomplish at this hour...but laundry and ironing and other quiet tasks...oh yeah!   On the bright side...I think I now have a plan for tomorrow!

Puppy Progress

Things are coming right along in puppy land.  Cooper is doing great and blending right in with the family.  Well...except when he poops on my floor.  THAT doesn't really blend in so much.  Or when he decides to start the day at 4 a.m.  That REALLY doesn't blend in so much.  I mean...he's cute and all...but not so cute that I want to cuddle and be chewed on at 4 o'clock in the morning.  I'm still pretty much in silent and still mode at that point.  He thought that would be cool this morning...a little 4 a.m. bonding session.  Me, not so much.  But he wouldn't be persuaded back to bed.  YAWN.  And so...here we are.  8:45 a.m. now.  Got the kids off to school and I need to get showered and ready for bible study.  And Cooper...he's passed out dead asleep here at my feet.  NICE!  Sigh.  Having a puppy is like, the best birth control EVER.  Not that I need any.  But Chris still worries that God will see the need to override all of our permanent interventions and see fit to bless us with another baby.  I'm convinced he thinks I want to have another one.  To that I think he's off his ever loving rocker!  Especially since it's ME that has to do all the work.  And by that, I do mean ALL of it!  I'm the one who has to be exhausted, fat and battling the urge to vomit for 9 months.  Then the breastfeeding with cracked, painful, bleeding nipples (that's some great stuff there), not to mention being up, night after night, after night, after night two and three and even four times a night with an endless cycle of feeding and changing and burping and crying and rocking.  Still needing to be fully functional the next day, all the while trying to reestablish an exercise routine so I can work off the gajillion pounds I gained creating this little crying, pooping, slobbery being.  Oh yeah.  Makes we quiver in anticipation...NOT!!!  And then there's the diapers, potty training, the terrible twos, the bathing, the sippy cups, the "I do it MYSELF" phase....not to mention the fact that they DO grow up to be TEENAGERS and God knows I've got plenty of THAT going on right now.  Granted, it's just a puppy.  There is no breastfeeding going on and MOST nights I am not up with him excessively.  But what little bit I AM up with him is a quick reminder that I am most definitely fond of my sleep, NEED my sleep and do not want to go without my sleep ever again.  Did I mention that it was a rough night last night...or I guess I should say, morning.  Not quite 9 a.m. and it's already been a loooong day!  Alas...I babble.  Sorry.  Enough of that...and on to some new pictures of the ONLY baby this household will be having!

Cooper James at 10 weeks

Looking like he's full of some attitude here...

Cooper and Oscar are FINALLY starting to play together.  It's about time!

Oh, he's a heartbreaker all right.  I could just eat him up when he looks at me like this!

Wrestling with Max

Oh, he's so sweet!

Snuggling with Clara

And finally...man is this guy super cute, or what?!

It's Official

I have lost my ever loving mind.  Gone Cuckoo.  Stark, raving mad.  Completely nuts.  Bonkers.  Loopy.  Check me in to the nut house already.  This harsh winter and extreme weather has obviously addled my brain.  The situation is more than a little serious.  I'd say it's downright dire.  I need a swift and immediate intervention.  I NEED a couple of months on a warm beach with adult beverages in my hand.  I'm just not able to think straight anymore under the weight of this constant snow and ice.  I'm making poor and irrational decisions.  Like this...

I went to the orthodontist yesterday to get  Max fitted for the first part of his braces.  The nurse there starts flashing all of these pictures in front of me.  Pictures of cute, adorable puppy critters.   I politely complimented her on just how cute her litter was.  She told me they were "ready" to go home.  I told her "Thank you very much, but we are currently buying BRACES, not puppies."  At which point she said that nasty little four letter word.  She said they were F-R-E-E.  Uggggh.  And right there in the office, the effects of all of my recent weather induced incarceration began to manifest themselves.  The undeniable signs of insanity began to creep up.  Yes.  I am now certifiably crazy.  I pondered this little matter all day long and found myself agreeing to meet her back up at the office later in the day to take a peek at them.  I intentionally did not bring the children with me, nor did I mention my little errand to them.  I wanted to be able to think "clear headed" and make a rational good decision free of the sad looks and guilt that my children would surely heap onto me.  That strategy, ummm, failed me in the end and I found myself driving home with this little guy.  Sigh.  I can't believe it has come to this.  But then again...just look at him....

I mean...those eyes.  He's part pug, part Yorkie Poo.  He's a teeny, tiny ball of energy, kisses and snuggles.  Clara was SO excited!  

And really...it was such an impossible situation.  I mean, how could you say NO to that sweet little face?    He's like a little, furry teddy bear.  A whining, crying all night, eating, peeing and pooping on my floor little teddy bear (can you tell that reality is setting in this morning in the light of day?).  But seriously.  I only need to take one look at this...

And I am a complete puddle of mush over him.  Oh my stinking heck...what in the world have I done?  I told myself that I was bringing him home for Oscar.  So he would have a buddy and friend to play with. So what does Oscar think of all of this?  He's TERRIFIED of him.  Absolutely and completely terrified.  Can hardly stay in the same room without trembling.  Oye vey.  We are working on just being around the "new guy" today to see if we can attain any level of comfort.  I'm not sure that we will.  He doesn't seem to be embracing this whole experience.  He isn't ugly at all to him.  He simply runs away whenever little dude comes near.  So brave,  our Oscar.  NOT!!!!!!  Sigh.  Oh...and one more thing.  We are home today.   AGAIN.  Snow day #5.  God help me.  I don't even want to THINK about what might happen if we have another few days of this stuff!!!!  I'm already totally insane.  Any more and I will end up locked up in a padded room!  Pray for sunshine and HEAT for Texas!!!!  Quick!  I'm on the very edge of a very slippery slope and it's all downhill from here!  

Puppy Love

Tell me this is not the cutest puppy ever!  LOVE my Oscar!!!!  Love this look he gives us!  Love this little guy to pieces!

Princess Ball 2011

First of all, I still think it's so weird that it's 2011.  Don't know why...I just do.  That said...there is lots happening in 2011.  Tonight, there happens to be a Princess Ball.  Our gym does a father/daughter dance every year.  A night for the little ladies and their daddies.  It's SUCH a fun time for the girls.  Not sure about the dads...but the girls love it for sure.  It's a bit rough on the mommy.  At least...getting her ready for it!  This girl is TENDERHEADED!!!!!!  Oh, she wants the curls and the fancy do...just screams like bloody murder the entire way through it.  We are definitely heading into the salon next year.  No way I am going to take on this job again!  Geez!  I need a serious glass of wine by the time we are all done that that traumatic experience! Anyway...There is music and fancy stuff, feather boas, chocolate fountains and dancing!  This year's theme is a Princess Ball.  They are giving away a princess bed (the exact same one already sitting in Clara's bedroom, so we'll PROBABLY win it), and there are to be horse and carriage rides.  Dinner will be served, along with chocolate covered strawberries and all sorts of other goodies.  In short, according to Clara,  it's "the best night of her whole entire life".  She headed out the door tonight feeling very much like a princess, in the dress SHE picked (my opinion counts for little these days)....complete with her (semi) glass slippers!  A handsome couple, this prince and princess!  Enjoy!

Words I Don't Want to Hear ANYMORE

There are a few buzz words I've been hearing round here and I have to say I am tired of them.  I hear them every few days here lately and I would like NEVER to hear them again.  What words could I possibly be talking about you ask?  Well, words that come together in phrases.  What phrases?  Well, specifically, the phrases that contain the words ARCTIC BLAST for one.  I'm up to my eyeballs in the whole arctic blast thing and I'm just done with that one.  OVER IT I tell ya.  Arctic blast causes scenes like this...

And I, for one am not a fan of all this white stuff.  It's all lovely enough to look at now and again.  But this particular white stuff, thanks to the ARCTIC BLAST, turned into a nasty layer of ice and MESS.  We've been stuck in the house for days on end.  And I don't LIKE being stuck in the house for days on end with no end in sight!  I don't like messy, icy, slippery wonderlands.  I LIKE to be warm.  And temperatures of 17 degrees with windchills of NEGATIVE 4 are NOT warm!  And I'm not the only one who has not loved the arctic blast.  My little birdy neighbors have all but starved with the ground all frozen!  My bird feeder has been THE spot to be in this ice town.  It's been standing room only around the feeder with a constant stream of feathered friends stopping in for a bite to eat!  There was Big Red...

He, along with the Mrs. have been regulars and seem to STAY hungry.  Big Red does not share so well, driving away all other attempted diners.  The Mrs. though,...she's cool with sharing a meal amongst friends.  

In addition to Big and Mrs. Red, we've had Puff...I don't know his real name, but he sits there so cute and puffed up against the cold...patiently awaiting his turn at the feed trough.  I just love this guy!

The bird visitors seem more than content with the offerings in the feeder and continue to gather there all day long.  It's made for some nice entertainment out the windows at least!  I'd love to talk my hubby into putting another one out front in front of my study windows.  There are all sorts of birds out front that are different than the ones living down at the other end of the house.  I love watching them come.  And there are some nice big trees out front that I know they like to hang out in.  That, however, will have to be a project for Spring.  Sometime after the "Great Thaw".  Of course, that time cannot come soon enough for me!  Enough of this Arctic Blast nonsense already!!!!  Of course, tomorrow's forecast...the next edge of the next arctic blast.  A nice "wintry mix" heading our way.  Then a two day tease of semi clear skies before MORE snow due on Wednesday.  Ay Carrumba!

On the bright side, I haven't totally undone my diet.  I THOUGHT I had with the past 4 days of ice lockdown.  It's been a never ending cycle of open mouth, insert cookie.   I dreaded getting on the scale today.  But I did.  AFTER I exercised and drank a big old bottle of water.  And it showed only a one pound gain!  I don't know that I have actually gained a pound...I usually weigh MUCH earlier in the  morning before I eat or drink anything.  Still...I was elated!  And MOTIVATED!  Feeling SO much more back on track today!  Which is exactly where I need to be.  Perhaps I'll venture back to the gym this week?  You never know!

Minus 2

Unfortunately, that is not the current weight loss for this week, but rather, actually IS the temperature here in the great state of Texas.  At least with the wind chill anyway.  The actual temperature is sitting somewhere right around 13 degrees.  Streets, sidewalks and driveways are a solid sheet of ice.  It's brutally cold out there and we are not expected to get above the freezing mark until Friday.  And then, we will hit it just barely.  The kids are home today with snow day #2.  We knew before bed last night that they would be home today and we tucked in last night anticipating a nice warm, snuggly, alarm free, sleep in kind of morning.  And it was.  Until the power outage.  Which came before the sun came up.  At which point, the house went crazy silent.  The pool pump (which has been running in constant freeze protection mode for days now) was suddenly still.  The hum of the house...quiet as it was...gone.  And the silence was deafening.  And then....the alarm started beeping.  Only, I didn't know it was the alarm.  I thought it must be one of the carbon monoxide detectors we have plugged in all around the house.  One long beep.  Then quiet for a minute or so.  One long beep.  Then quiet.  And it went on, and on, and on.  Until finally, I had to get my shivering self out of bed and go hunting for the source of all that racket, in the pitch dark.  Luckily, Ben came downstairs right about then with his little hand held crank flashlight.  And I do mean LITTLE.  And the two of us went off searching together in the dark.  We'd hear the beep, head in that direction.  Have to stop and crank us some light to see our path.  Then wait to hear the next beep to guide us.  After many beeps and cranks we arrived in front of the alarm keypad.  And after carefully studying it for a bit, found the big CANCEL button and brought the beeping to an end.  Of course, by then, the beeping had awakened everyone and they all had to come tell me the power was out.   And it obviously wasn't coming right back on at that point.  So I dispatched every one back to bed, to hunker down under their covers and pray that heat would be restored sooner, than later.  Exactly 45 minutes later, my pool pump sprang to life and the hum of the house was back in full swing.  A little research on good old Facebook revealed that the power outage was intentional.  Apparently, it's so darned cold here in Texas, that in order to avoid a statewide black out, they are shutting down each cities' power for 45 minutes at a time, one city at a time.  That's a new one for me.  Glad I could help though.  Even unwillinging as it was!    And now we are set to enjoy, yet another day of being iced and frozen in.  All together.  So nice and cozy like.  Kid bonding at it's finest.  Lots and lots (and lots) of close up together time.  Brothers and sisters...together.  24 hours a day.  No outdoor relief.  Just Me. And Them.  Which at some point becomes Me AGAINST Them.  My mother in law has always told me to just remember that I am bigger than they are.  They are quickly closing the gap on that one and soon, that will no longer be true.  But today...TODAY I actually AM still bigger.  So I am still the boss.  The chef.  The activitiy coordinator.  The referee.  The prison guard.  Depends on the hour I suppose.  Anyway...that's the update on snow (ice) day #2.

As for my diet.  Well.  That's just a sad state of affairs right now.  I had a virus that started on Friday night. A weird and strange one.  Felt as if I had eaten knives for dinner.  And by Friday night when I went to bed, I could hardly stand up straight.  (Which, incidentally, made me really thankful it was bedtime so I didn't HAVE to stand up straight!)  I went to bed...slept quite well, and woke up thinking I was cured.  That is, until I stood up.  And immediately realized that standing up straight was still a bit of a challenge.  Which was hugely inconvenient because I was the mom on duty for selling Girl Scout cookies that morning at the diner stand.  After a serious debate of whether or not I needed to head to the hospital (yes, it really WAS that bad), I opted for a handful of ibuprofen for breakfast and pretty much crawled into the car to do my girl scout duty. I did manage to get myself upright by the time I arrived at our destination and then just pretty much prayed that my drugs would not wear off before we were done.  Which...brings be back to my dieting laments.  In the course of all of this, where I was neither nauseas or worse....all I seemed to want was comfort food.  And so....that's pretty much the course life took for a couple of days.  Comfort food.  And too much of it.  And I have to tell ya...comfort food is NOT calorie friendly.  Added to the virus thingy, we now have had two days iced in and THAT is making me want comfort food.  And cookies.  Oh, help me Rhonda I want the cookies.  Open mouth, insert cookie...that has been the theme here and I tell ya, I need an intervention!!!!  And so...I did not bother to get on the scale today because there is no good news there.  NONE.  I am trying to make good choices today.  TRYING hard.  I had some yogurt and some strawberries for breakfast.  Then a banana for a snack because I was starving.  I almost caved in at the banana point.  I really  REALLY wanted to eat the cookies.  I'm like an addict needing her next hit.  Honestly...I don't think that all the Weight Watchers ads have so much to do with those making New Year's Resolutions as much as giving people a way to deal with those darned Girl Scout cookies.  Curse those cute little scouts and their high calorie, irresistible temptations!!!!!  And I am CERTAINLY aware that I do not have to buy them.  Except that I totally do, because I am the mother to one of those impossibly cute Girl Scouts.  Grrr.  I think Weight Watchers and Girls Scouts might just be in cahoots with one another.  An elaborate ring that just feeds the vicious cycle.  We NEED the cookies.  Can't possibly say no to those cute little girlies.  And we surely want to support our troops (ha ha, get it, troops?!  Ummm....sorry.  My brain gets weird when the temperatures hover below freezing for so long!).  And then we NEEEEED Weight Watchers to help get those darned cookies off of our hips.  No sooner do we make a little headway then we start to feel okay about just one little cookie.  Never remembering that there is NO SUCH THING as just one little girl scout cookie.  I think they are laced with amnesia invoking ingredients.  And before we know it we've got thin mints and peanut butter patties tucked onto our hips and are beating down the door to Weight Watchers AGAIN begging for points to be assigned to our food!  I tell ya....it's a conspiracy!

Just came through our second blackout of the morning.  Apparently, this is going to be an all day affair.  Though it is certainly not FAIR.  Several friends here in the great state have not had their FIRST blackout turn today, let alone two.  I've never lived anywhere where they intentionally shut off your power whole cities at a time.  Can't say that I am a fan of it.  I mean.  I don't do well with the cold.  Like...at all.  I chill EASILY!   Heck...I'm chilled and cold and wearing a coat and scarf all day long every day, in the house, even when it's WAY warmer than this.  And so...I am functioning in crisis mode today (mercy!).  And I need to be comforted.  And the cookies are calling me.  Again.  Hoping I can find the strength to resist.  HOPING!!!!!!!!!!!!!  What's that Thin Mints?  Oh...COMING!  Be right there!  Well, gotta go!