Santa - what a difference a year makes!

Check out this precious picture of Annie with Santa this year!  Yes, that is my happy, confident, non-screaming child!

Contrast with last year - my unhappy, stranger-fearing, loudly screaming child.

And because I'm feeling nostalgist, here she is at 9 months old.  Yes, that is the very same Santa three years running. Yes, I am sure that is Annie and not Finn...but only because Finn doesn't have that much hair yet. Otherwise, it would be a tough call.

Quote of the Day

“Let us decide on the route that we wish to take to pass our life, and attempt to sow that route with flowers.”


-Madame du Chatelet

Victory Speech

My apologies to those who don't share my politics - please feel free to skip this -but I just have to share my favorite parts of Obama's victory speech.  Some would cynically say his speech writers are manipulating me.  I would say they have reached the heart of what matters. 

We believe in a generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America, open to the dreams of an immigrant’s daughter who studies in our schools and pledges to our flag. To the young boy on the south side of Chicago who sees a life beyond the nearest street corner. To the furniture worker’s child in North Carolina who wants to become a doctor or a scientist, an engineer or an entrepreneur, a diplomat or even a president — that’s the future we hope for. That’s the vision we share. That’s where we need to go — forward. That’s where we need to go.


…

What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on earth. The belief that our destiny is shared; that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations. The freedom which so many Americans have fought for and died for come with responsibilities as well as rights. And among those are love and charity and duty and patriotism. That’s what makes America great.

…

I am hopeful tonight because I’ve seen the spirit at work in America. I’ve seen it in the family business whose owners would rather cut their own pay than lay off their neighbors, and in the workers who would rather cut back their hours than see a friend lose a job. I’ve seen it in the soldiers who reenlist after losing a limb and in those SEALs who charged up the stairs into darkness and danger because they knew there was a buddy behind them watching their back.

I’ve seen it on the shores of New Jersey and New York, where leaders from every party and level of government have swept aside their differences to help a community rebuild from the wreckage of a terrible storm. And I saw just the other day, in Mentor, Ohio, where a father told the story of his 8-year-old daughter, whose long battle with leukemia nearly cost their family everything had it not been for health care reform passing just a few months before the insurance company was about to stop paying for her care.

I had an opportunity to not just talk to the father, but meet this incredible daughter of his. And when he spoke to the crowd listening to that father’s story, every parent in that room had tears in their eyes, because we knew that little girl could be our own. And I know that every American wants her future to be just as bright. That’s who we are. That’s the country I’m so proud to lead as your president.

…

I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting.

…

I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states.

Election Day Smile

Need a smile?  Just keep reading. 

The Scene:  our living room; 6:00 a.m.; Annie sitting on her little potty, having just finished telling me a story about her friend Levi who tried to take all his clothes off at school yesterday.

K:  That's a really funny story.  Hey, before we go to school, we are going to go vote this morning.
A:  Vote?
K: Yes, we are going to go stand in line, and then Mommy and Daddy are going to press some buttons on a screen and vote for president.
A: Why are you going to be president?
K: I'm not going to be president, I'm going to vote for president and tell everybody who I want to be president.
A: Can we take our clothes off?
K: No, that would probably not be a very good idea.
A: Are we going to go swimming?
K: No, why do you think we are going to go swimming?  Oh, did you think I said boat?  I didn't say boat, I said vote, with a "V."  vvv vvv vote.
A:  Are we going to go fishing?
K: No, we aren't going to go fishing.  And I didn't say boat, I said vote, with a "V." vvv vvv vote.
A: Can Sadie go on the boat?
K: No, I don't think she would like it.
A: Daddy, we are going boating!
K:  No, we are going voting!  There are NO boats.
A: Why are we going?
K: Because we need to vote to be good citizens.
A: Are we going to wear life jackets?

Sigh...

Teeth!

What?  Finn has two tiny little teeth already?  At 4 1/2 months, he is half the age Annie was when she got teeth.  My husband believes this is conclusive evidence that Finn is ready for a steak.   As for me, I was wholly unprepared, and miss the gummy little grin already.  I'm so glad that I have a couple of photos of that wide-open little laugh, sans teeth. 

Happy Halloween

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!  We had a very fun Halloween this year.  The contrast to Annie's timid trick-or-treating of last year was pronounced.  She marched from house to house quite purposefully, climbed the steps, rang the doorbell and beamed an intense smile through the glass windows at whomever was coming to bring her chocolate.  She often said "trick-or-treat" before the folks could open their doors. By the end of the night, after being confused over how many things I kept prompting her to say, she was saying "Halloween Thank You" after receiving candy.  It was precious.

We decided that Finn makes a really good lion. He tolerated our fun pretty well.

And here we are working on my resolution to not only take more family photos, but to actually BE IN the photos, regardless of how tired, frumpy or stressed I feel.  I figure I owe it to the kiddos.  I'm taking this one up a notch by actually SHARING said photos of tired, frumpy, stressed Krista.  Enjoy. 

Its a shame that you can't see Annie's beaming smile on the other side...I think we may have some that Grandma and Grandpa took a few weeks ago during a practice run. I'll try to share those later.

 Annie loved this house because they had ghosts.  She had been hunting for ghosts all day and was very happy to finally find some!

Annie and Grandpa - I think they're having fun. :)

And, blast from the past - Annie last year.  Melts my heart. :)

.

October happenings

October has flown by - here's what we've been up to, in brief:

Hanging out at home.  Finn is morphing even more into a mini-Toby, which makes me smile every day.  Here they are, with Finn wearing his "Mini Cooper" onesie. 

 

And a very frequent sight in our living room - Annie loving on Finn.  It usually involved some version of tackling, squashing, squeezing or otherwise putting Finn at risk for a minor head injury, but Annie sure loves hugging her brother.  She tells me that she will take care of him at school, and she likes to sit next to him and pat him while saying, "Awwww.  Its okay, Finn.  Your mommy will be here after naptime."  Finn's favorite thing in the world is watching his sister jump, dance, and otherwise act like a toddler.  He giggles at her, which makes my heart melt.

We went back to Gentry's farm this year.  Its quite the autumn tradition in these parts.  I have more cute pictures, just not the time to post them.

Finn is officially a big eater.  At his 4 month visit, the doctor said we could start him on oatmeal and then veggies.  The boy LOOOVES to eat and is already eating twice a day now.  He is going to go from large to huge between now and his 6 month visit.  Favorite foods:  oatmeal and squash.  Not too sure about peas, but he'll eat them.

And my favorite picture we've taken so far this fall - my little owls!  How on earth did we get both of them smiling?  This may be my favorite picture we have ever taken of them.

We attended Pumpkinfest on Saturday.  Annie had a great time on the giant inflatable slide...and I did, too. :)

Finn hung out in the front-pack, where he got a lot of snuggles from Daddy.

We met up with Annie's BFF, Nolan and shared some chicken tenders and bouncy fun.

My apologies for the short/missing posts lately.  Now that Finn is sleeping in the guestroom, which is where we keep the computer, I have zero access during the only times of day when I could actually compose a post.  This too shall pass. 

Spot the Difference

PS - just wanted to add (this is Dad by the way) this picture of someone else very special to our hearts, taken 27 months ago;

I think Krista and I will be out hunting for a nice double picture frame this weekend!

4 months and an even rougher week!

Well, the last 10 days or so have been so rotten that I don't even feel like recounting the drama.  The short version involves my return to work, an eye infection, having to go cold turkey on Finn's pacifier addiction, and Finn's hatred of daycare.  We are all better now, thank you very much. 

As evidence that we have made it through the worst of the drama and that Finn does not appear to be permanently traumatized, I present the following incredibly cute photos.

He was a trooper through his 4 month shots, even paci-less.  He is 16 pounds, 4 ounces, and 25 inches tall.  75th percentile for everything, except his head, which is a bit smaller (50th).  He LOOOVES eating oatmeal, which has been a different experience from Annie's introduction to food.  Did I mention that he is cute?

3 months and a rough week

Finn turned 3 months old last weekend!  I can't believe how fast time has flown.  He is looking more like Toby every day, I swear.  He has a very sweet personality, and loves watching his sister play.  She loves to love on him, too, which is wonderful.  We'll see if that lasts after he can move around and grab "her" toys. Toby took some pictures that are better than these, but they will give you an idea of his incredibly cuteness.

Annie insisted on "helping" and simultaneously wearing a tiger costume.  So, pretty much normal.

And sitting in the bumbo - such a big boy!  (No, we don't leave him on the bed or unsupervised in it.)

 

Our week deterioriated pretty quickly after we took these photos last weekend.  Annie didn't have school on Monday, and I kept both kids by myself for the first time.  The torrential all-day rain kept us from getting out, which is always disastrous at our house.  I finally took Annie to Chick-fil-a for lunch and playtime, bypassing my moral judgement of Chick-fil-a and my better judgement as a mom who likes to have healthy kids.  Annie seemed fine on Tuesday, but by Wednesday had come down with an awful croup-like virus, including a 3 day fever.  So she stayed home the rest of the week.  I'm too tired to explain exactly how it went, but you can imagine since I had both kids and was trying to keep Finn healthy while Annie coughed on everything.  Toby had to stay home from work on Friday.  Today Annie feels just well enough to run, run, run, then wail, wail, wail.  Then throw shoes.  On the doctor's recommendation, I gave her some Benadryl.  I don't know if the doctor really thinks Annie needs the Benadryl to break up and dry out the gunk in her chest, or if the doctor really thinks I need Annie to sleep for a long time.  Either way, she's napping now, and I'm off to collect Grandma and Grandpa from the airport.  They are officially forbidden from traveling anywhere ever again unless they hire backup grandparents to stay in town. 

Annie's first race!

Annie and Toby "ran" Annie's first race last weekend.  It was so cute from start to finish.  We started with high hopes and the joy that comes from planning to run a race with one of your best friends.  In our case, the ever-discussed Nolan.  Annie talks about him nonstop - if you've spent any time with us lately, you probably feel like you know him personally.

Here they are, getting Annie all pinned up.  She was a big fan of the fire truck in the background, but not a fan at all of the three giant mascots roaming around...a dog, a frog and a dragon.  She did not care for them at all. (Note to my husband:  when the child is scared of the mascots, don't tell her that the mascots may "warm the racers up" before the race.  I'm pretty sure that just terrified her, espcially since she doesn't know what "warming up" is, but does know that warm things can be hot and therefore dangerous. And now she keeps asking why the doggie didn't warm her up, which probably sounds unusual to her teachers.)

 

Annie and Nolan, making the best of having to wait for the race to begin. 

No, she isn't kicking him, and he isn't playing her like a guitar.  I'm pretty sure Annie started out trying to show different yoga poses and then got carried away.

After the above-mentioned mascot terror and then waiting for faaaar too long for the race to begin, this is what I saw run past me. Toby promises that Annie did run quite a lot, but both times I saw her, Toby was carrying her and she was crying.  I can't blame her for the second time, as they came towards the finish...I wouldn't run straight into a crowd of screaming strangers, either.

And post-race medals and happiness all around.  We celebrated with a "donup" and then headed off to Annie's first gymnastics class.  She loved it and the instructor declared her to have remarkable upper body strength, so I loved it too!

Nana and Grumps come to visit!

We had a fantastic visit from Nana and Grumps!  Despite rotten weather for probably half of the 10 day visit, we hit all the hot spots, including a trip to the zoo and a couple trips to the pool.  I never remembered to take my camera, but Nana and Grumps have promised to send along some photos, which I will share when I receive.  I took a few while we were home.

The Coopers were so sweet to bring lots of gifts for Annie, and she loved them all.  This one, however, takes the cake since she talked Nana into wearing the chef's outfit.

And Nana with sweet Finn and his omnipresent monkey.  I bought another one this week so as to stop living in fear that we might lose it.

And the Cooper boys hanging out on the couch.  If you look closely you might notice a family resemblence.  Or perhaps if you look quickly.  Or glance out of the corner of your eye. 

This post doesn't come anywhere at all close to expressing how happy we are that Nana and Grumps came to visit or how much fun we had.  (Just like those videos Nana took don't come close to showing the constant movement and exhaustion in our house...)  Our current lack of any kind of meaningful sleep is eroding my wit, along with my ability to remember recent events.  We very much look forward to the next visit!

Hannah, Travis and Tristan start school!

Kindergarten, watch out! With these three all in the same class, the year is sure to be an adventure!

Finn's two month check up

Now that we have recovered from the shots, here are the stats:

Height: 23 1/2 inches - 75th percentile
Weight: 12lb, 15 oz - 75-90th percentile
Head: 15 3/4 - 50th percentile

So he is 2 inches taller, 2 pounds heavier and has a smaller head than Annie did at the same age!

Weekends

Looks like a bed full of fun is how we will start each weekend morning for a while. Not a bad way to start the day.

Saturday morning at Lucky Ladd Farm

We had a great time visiting a farm this weekend. Annie loved feeding the animals until an unfortunate event with the goats swarming her caused us to move on to the playground area. She terrified me by sliding by herself down long steep slides, including one where you sit on a burlap sack, but she had a blast. The one in the video wasn't even the scary one. At the end of the video, you can almost make out where she says, "That's crazy!"

The horse video is underwhelming, but I thought the family might want to see it.  The crazy sounds in the background are peacocks.

"Pea-nups"

This photo was taken about 2 minutes before Annie declared, "Look! Finn has a little peanup and Daddy has a big peanup!"

I can't stop laughing!

Finn is one month old!

Bye-bye newborn clothes, hello smiles (see last photo)!

Finn's newborn photo shoot

Courtesy of Ilde with Memorysnap.net, we have some very cute photos of Finn and the rest of our family that were taken when Finn was five days old. These are a smattering of my favorites. I really hope to be able to write a real blog post soon, but for now photos will have to suffice. The shoot was absolute chaos - Annie was absolutely beside herself, either goofing off or wailing; I spent five minutes crying outside only 10 minutes before the photographer arrived; and we couldn't do any photos outside, though I can't remember if it was raining or too hot. :) In any event, we have some real keepers here.

I love this one where Toby was trying to get Annie to warm up to the photographer.  If you can open this one a bit bigger, it really shows that special daddy-daughter bond.

Finn had been wailing (along with Annie, and probably me) only a few minutes before the photographer arrived, so I though it was a miracle that she was able to get these sleeping baby shots.  I had no hope of getting these - Ilde is a baby whisperer, for sure.

 I think this one below is my absolute favorite. 

Screaming baby, poking toddler - chaos!

Cheesy smiles from Annie and me, but at least Toby looks super handsome!

Love this one!

And the one that made all the women in the room weepy - Toby is such a sweet daddy.